The rain was bouncing off the platform and I could hear thunder. I abandoned my hike and took the next train back.
Category: Wabi-Sabi
An Unplanned Night in Houston
Well, I didn’t get too far today. The plan was to get from Fort Lauderdale to Kirishima, southern Japan. Instead I got as far as Houston. My United flight from Houston to Tokyo was repeatedly delayed: something about a problem under the floor, eventually traced to a cargo door.I retreated to the KLM club where… Continue reading An Unplanned Night in Houston
Yellow Camaro in Paradise
I don’t give a toss about cars. I drive a 1997 Honda Civic as little as possible. It still hasn’t clocked 80,000 miles. In the 1980’s when Dwight and I were looking for our first car together, a salesman proudly led us outside. “I have just the car for you guys.” We couldn’t believe our… Continue reading Yellow Camaro in Paradise
My Worst Travel Fail
I have rarely felt more alive, more calm, more in the moment, more close to death. But that all came later that night. It was October 2011, northern India, Haridwar, one of Hinduism’s holiest places. The city is set in the foothills of the Himalayas at mile 157 (253 km) of the Ganges’ 1,569 mile… Continue reading My Worst Travel Fail
Changes of Gauge
Delta flight 160, Denver to Amsterdam, landed today (December 1, 2014) in Amsterdam with no Denver passengers on board. This is not uncommon: it also happened with DL160 on November 13. The explanation starts with a “change of gauge,” a term rooted in railroads.Track gauge is the distance between the inner faces of the two… Continue reading Changes of Gauge
Gas
It was breakfast at the Granvia Okayama Hotel. The tour group at the next table murmured in agreement as the colonel railed against typographical errors in the itinerary. I pegged him as “the colonel,” now a paper-pusher, close to retirement. It was impossible to tune him out as he recalled his first encounter with the… Continue reading Gas
A Day to Forget
OK I admit it: I got tired of figuring out this place all on my own, so I signed up for a “Landmarks and Viewpoints” tour for foreign visitors. This was a day to forget. At exactly the appointed time the bus rolled up to my Okoyama (Honshu) $26 a night capsule hotel (Hotel River… Continue reading A Day to Forget
Passing Through Cedar
A Shared Culture When I’m in Japan I feel happiest and most comfortable when I’m hiking. When I pass another hiker in rain gear on the trail, a cheery “konnichiwa” is enough said. We look at each other, knowing we are sharing the same experience. A shared culture across different cultures lets me belong. Pursuit… Continue reading Passing Through Cedar
Walking into Forbidden Places
We were riding the Delhi metro when we became aware of dirty looks, and, oddly, all the other passengers were female. Then it dawned on us we had stumbled into the women-only coach. The fine for this infraction was higher than for riding on the roof, and it was being regularly enforced. The subway train was moving, we… Continue reading Walking into Forbidden Places
Artful Living
Where your stay is part of defining who you are.You can join the crowd, or you can leave it behind.Eat. Shop. Sleep.Own Chicago. Know the right people.Make a statement with every second.“I never thought I would receive so many compliments every day.”As unique as you are. Who needs this stuff?All 1 pound 2 ounces of… Continue reading Artful Living