Getting to Rishiri Island via Wakkanai (northern Hokkaido) from Minneapolis is straightforward, with a few perturbations. A place where the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk collide is bound to have perturbations. An agent at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport warned me the flight to Wakkanai might have to turn back. I was sure… Continue reading A Place Where Two Seas Collide
Category: Practices
Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
I’m drawn to places at the end of train lines. Today, my backpack and I head to Wakkanai in the north of Hokkaido. It’s as far north as you can go without entering Russia. Until about 150 years ago, Hokkaido was almost completely wilderness. The indigenous Ainu were able to live somewhat traditional lives while under… Continue reading Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
Posted Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North.
A Rite of Passage
Used my senior stored value transit card for the first time.
Senior Discounts
Today was a good day to Google “senior discounts.”
Post-Op View
Post-op view from my bed, Methodist Hospital. Grateful for friends and family, grateful for kind and competent care.
Small Experiences on a Big Journey
We stood behind a crowd at Edinburgh Castle waiting for the one-o’clock cannon to fire. Many eyes were fixed on cell phones to catch the moment to share on Facebook. Bodies in Edinburgh, minds in other places. Meanwhile, my nephews were determined to climb up rocks where climbing was not allowed. Last month’s trip… Continue reading Small Experiences on a Big Journey
A Tale of Two Falls
At the start of today’s hike in Northumberland, England, we came upon a hiker who had slipped and made a faceplant on the street. He was elderly, and his vision was sub-par. He was bleeding from cuts beside one eye and on his wrist. My brother-in-law had a surprising variety of wound dressings in his… Continue reading A Tale of Two Falls
Travel Gear: Wot, No Passport?
On a recent flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, I found a Canadian passport. The owner of the passport would have been in for a surprise when he reached for his passport at US Border Control. Maybe he had a NEXUS card, or maybe United Airlines would have to fly him back to Tokyo where he… Continue reading Travel Gear: Wot, No Passport?
Planning an Afternoon Tea
Planned an old-fashioned afternoon tea in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for family and friends.