March 2018. I was on an inter-city train racing through the countryside of southern Spain. Across the aisle was a mother and her teenage son: she was engrossed in an e-book while he was engrossed in study exercises. I needed to be engrossed in something. I wanted to close my eyes and listen to music.…… Continue reading Insistence on Truth
Category: Travel
Travel Gear: Medications
The first time my partner and I arrived in Japan, we were stopped at Customs. Something prompted a search of our bags. Maybe the official spotted that my partner looked rather miserable with a cold. The official found an American over-the-counter cold medication containing pseudoephedrine. It’s illegal to bring this substance into Japan, but, after…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Medications
Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo
Posted Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo.
Suica Balance
Used NFC (near-field communication) to read the outstanding balance on my Japanese Suica stored-value card: ¥421, almost four US dollars. The balance expires in 2028, but I plan to spend it much sooner than that.
The Best Cold Beer
Woke up from a deep sleep near Seattle. “Anything you need?” asked the flight attendant. “The best cold beer.”
Undersea Bullet Train
Rode this beauty through the 33.5-mile Seikan undersea tunnel from Hokkaido to Honshu.
View from a Plane
This weekend I plan to hike this caldera lake (Lake Mashu). Another caldera (Mount Kamui) rises out of the lake. I took this picture from a turboprop, today, on my way to Nemuro, the most easterly town in Hokkaido and Japan.
Clean Clothes Every Day
Landed in Hokkaido from Tokyo, late Wednesday evening. Washed my clothes: they’ll be dry in time for me to wear them on an early morning turboprop flight.
ORD
I will always find it exciting to board a plane in Chicago ORD at noon, then arrive Tokyo the next day, late afternoon.
Packed Boots
Packed my boots.