A bit of Tokyo, then Home

We finished up our trip with a short stay in Tokyo and had to skip our plan to spend some time in California, as we wanted to get back to St. George since my sciatica was not getting better.  I was dreading a 9 hour flight from Tokyo to California as sitting wasn’t a sustainable position.  Susie found a low cost carrier (Zip Air) that had not-outrageously priced lay-flat seats to San Jose. 

Our flight home was uneventful.  The lay-flat seat was a godsend.  The last leg was with Southwest airlines on December 22^nd, the day before winter weather and scheduling software problems caused Southwest scheduling to collapse.  So we were fortunate. 

Tokyo

Fast, clean, on-time trains and subways got us to our hotel (Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East side) from the airport.  Credit the Japanese for the most space efficient hotel room of this whole trip.  Washer/dryer machine, wall mounted iron pressing machine, small fridge/freezer, a hot plate, microwave, utensils, clothes rack all in the entry.  Nice bed and sheets, toilet with built in bidet and control panel, etc.

I was not feeling great then so we didn’t do much there.  We did go to an authentic ramen shop.  This ramen bears no real resemblance to the instant noodle variety found in the US (and throughout the world really).  We waited in line outside the shop.  When someone exited the shop, the next person in line entered.  After about 5 minutes, it was our turn.  We climbed a narrow steep stairway to an amazingly cramped kitchen/dinining area.  Stools at a long counter with the cooks just on the other side.  Seating for about 10, including two spots crammed in the front corner.  Like many fast food joints in Japan, you pay for your food selection at a vending machine that takes your money and spits out a printed ticket that you give to the Ramen chefs.  They make your order in a minute or two, whereupon the patron’s job is to eat the ramen and leave so as to make room for the next customer.  I have had better ramen at other times in Asia but the experience this time was authentic.

We had originally planned to spend a few days with our friends (the Ohsieks) just outside Tokyo, leaving for California on the day after Christmas.  Instead, we were able to spend a couple hours with them at our hotel and a quick dinner nearby.  It’s been probably 7 years since we have seen them, and while the visit was short, we enjoyed catching up.

And there is a unique chain store in Japan called Don Quijote. Here’s a video from Susie as she wanders the labyrinth of aisles. Its loud, its full of random stuff, it’s Don Quijote!

Epilogue to our trip:

I can’t believe everything we did between mid-October and Christmas.  Explored Dubai, traveled the length of Uzbekistan seeing the sights of the Silk Road, back to Dubai and then trekking in the “foothills” below the Anapurna mountains in Nepal, back to Dubai and then to Pakistan to see Islamabad, Lahore and the Waga Boarder. Back to Dubai and then to three cities in India, then 5 places in Vietnam, a few days in Tokyo then home.  7 countries, 19 flights, countless car and bus rides, a boat cruise, 30 or so changes in location.  A ton of new experiences, cultures, foods, sights, and sounds.  Looking back on a few photos:

Next up:

Somewhat dependent on what’s going on with my spine, but after several weeks in St. George, with visits from our kids and grandkids, plus a quilt retreat, then off to the Bahamas.