Glass half full..

 I like to think of myself as a positive kind of person, able to make the best of a situation, but yesterday and today have been a bit of a strain. We are currently docked at Otaru, about a one hour drive from Sapporo, with a lovely view of Mt. Tengu. At least we think it's Mt. Tengu. Yesterday evening, soon after we docked we boarded a bus for an excursion up Mt. Tengu by bus and cable car, anticipating an amazing night view of the lights of the city, and a starry sky. Everything went according to plan with one little exception. A dense fog moved in and completely obliterated the view from the cable car and from the top of the mountain. As I sat at a window seat in the mountain top restaurant I gazed out the window but all I could see was my own gray reflection in the fog shrouded window. Not the least bit interesting. The tiny little cheesecake slices we were served were quite tasty, so the evening wasn't a total loss. 

But today, ever optimistic, my spouse and I were up and out and on our assigned tour bus by 8:20am, ready for a driving tour of Sapporo, a visit to a Shinto shrine, and a tour of an historic village, Hokkaido, which was full of interesting old buildings. All of this to be accomplished in four hours. Fog still hung on the mountain tops but things were relatively clear at ground level. The shrine was beautiful but we couldn't go inside because of a ceremony taking place. The historic village was interesting but one would need at least one whole day to fully appreciate it. The occasional bursts of driving rain and cold wind really didn't help either. 

I did learn some interesting things though. Sapporo was the site of the ski jumping events in the 1972 Olympics. Sapporo gets an average of 16 feet of snow every winter. Their winter lasts from September to April. They are famed for amazing seafood. Their traditional houses are built with flat roofs. This doesn't create a problem with all that snow because the roofs slope in slightly toward the center where there is a drain pipe which allows the melting snow to drain down through the center of the house and to flow away underground from there. 

We are back on board our ship now, having passed through Japanese customs one last time, waiting to cast off at 6:00pm.  Next stop Kodiak Alaska. We should be there in about seven days. Meanwhile we will eat (the food on board is delicious) sleep, enjoy the views, make new friends and generally just goof off. I have enjoyed Japan but I'm ready to move on.  

At Sea

 After two fascinating days touring Tokyo we are now on our way to Sapporo. We boarded our ship, the Viking Orion day before yesterday. This will be our home for the next three weeks. It's such a pleasure to be unpacked and settled in.  Just one little problem, I haven't quite gotten my sea legs yet and it's choppy this morning. Not a real problem. Plenty of handrails along the way from our cabin to the elevator then down to the dining room. I marvel at how the waiters, carrying trays of food and drink, usually one handed, maneuver between tables, avoiding passengers like me who are still feeling wobbly and deliver meals perfectly. I think they must be hired for their sense of balance. But enough of this pondering. It's time to go to breakfast.  

AI toilet??

 Not to be indelicate, but the hotel we stayed in for the last two nights had the most amazing toilet. We were at the ANA Intercontinental Tokyo. Now we are on the Viking ship Orion ready to set sail tomorrow for Sapporo and points north but I will not soon forget the toilet in that hotel room bathroom. First of all the seat was heated, very comfy, secondly, it flushed with no prompting when I was finished, even before I stood up. How did it know? Third, and most fun, there was a "control center" mounted on the edge of the counter right beside the toilet. It offered options for hard sprays or gentle sprays, with warm water of course, from every possible direction beneath your bottom. My spouse tells me it was a Toto brand, probably available in the US. I want one. 

Box lunch

 Today was a full day spent site seeing all around Tokyo. We visited a Shinto shrine and got to see the outside of the Imperial Palace. There was a lot of walking involved. My very favorite part of the day was the "box lunch." Our paperwork said that we would be having a box lunch at an historic old hotel and would be able to stroll through the beautiful old woods adjacent to the hotel after we ate. It sounded nice but not wildly exciting. 

Things started getting interesting when we were led off the bus and into an elegant hotel, lavishly decorated inside. Crystal chandeliers all over the place. We then took five long escalator rides down to a lovely large dining room, round tables for eight, set with linen and silverware, and at each place a black wooden box about 10 inches square and three inches deep. When we opened the boxes we discovered that the inside was split into quarters and in each section there was a little china dish holding some delicious tidbit. We had fish, beef, rice and veggies in tasty sauces or brine. Then there was 'Ancient rice with sesame' and a Japanese sweet of the day. 

I have never had such an elegant box lunch. As we were leaving the hotel we watched a wedding couple having their pictures taken. Evidently they have lots of weddings there. The bride's train cascaded down five steps of an awesome staircase. 

If I ever come back to Tokyo I will stay downtown at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo.

Tokyo...

 We have arrived in Japan and are ready to go touring some historic sites today. The ANA Intercontinental Tokyo is a fine hotel, good shower, comfy bed, excellent breakfast buffet. It meets all my criteria. The 13 hour overnight flight was quite comfortable. I highly recommend flying business class. It was like having my own little bedroom. Stay tuned for further adventures.

On our way...

 After an early, early start in Fort Wayne (up at 4am picked up by our Uber driver at 5am) we have arrived in Chicago. An uneventful flight although, if you count the runway time, it felt like we were driving most of the way. But we're here now. We have had brunch, not as good as Klem's but the coffee helped a lot. Now we are in the business class waiting area for our Tokyo flight. My Wonder Spouse did a great job of guiding us to the right terminal and gate. 

About that Uber driver... he was waiting when we opened the garage door (the easiest way to get the luggage out) and later as we drove admitted that he had been waiting since 4:30 having driven up from Muncie or maybe Cincinnati (it wasn't quite clear).  He was cheerful and seemed competent but his car really needed a visit to Mike's. I wondered how he could see out the windshield. Using the wipers just seemed to smear the murk around.

But enough about Ralph. We are on our way and that's what counts. 

Travel Time....

 'Twas the night before trip day and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, 'cept me and my spouse.

Our bags, neatly packed, stand ready to go

and we are just hoping the Uber guy will show.

We will go to bed early and try to sleep fast

While vizions of conveyors belts keep moving past.

Will our suitcases be there, will they ever arrive? 

We will be up at 4 and ready by 5.

Our driver will come and off we will go.

Will we get there on time?  Will our driver be slow?

Will it all come together, as smooth as can be?  

I'm going to bed now.  We'll just wait and see.

                                                        His, mine

                                    and ours, ready to go.