Visiting Lindsay in Japan

My overall impressions of Japan:

Clean & orderly, no trash on the streets or highway
A very efficient railway system but time consuming.
People were friendly and helpful
They love to recycle.
Osaka was crowded with lots of traffic, bikes and people dressed all sorts of crazy ways.
Fukui was quiet with few people or cars on the streets. Planters of flowers on the streets. A very nice town.
If I had to describe Japan with one smell it would be FISHY!

We started our trip at 1:00 a.m. on a Singapore Airlines flight to Osaka. We got to Osaka about 9:00 a.m. Of course Rick was able to sleep most of the way; I on the other hand watched movies and ate! After we gathered our 5 and I mean 5 large bags we headed out of the airport to find the 1st train station. This was easily done despite the 2 huge suitcases full of Lindsay’s close, a full size futon mattress crammed into a bag and ducked taped, our 2 suitcases and a camera case. We looked like the Clamppets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beverly_Hillbillies).


We arrived in Osaka-Shin train station after an hour and attempted to get the next train bound for Fukui. The next train was full so we had to wait an hour for the next train that would take us the 2 hours to Fukui. At this point we decided to look for some food. Wound up in a Starbucks no less and ordered some sandwiches & iced teas. Not bad. We sat on our mountain of suitcase on the platform waiting for the train. We did not learn until later that this was probably causing a spectacle as the Japanese do not think it is too polite to eat out in public view. Oh well we’re crazy American’s so we can do it!

6 hours after landing in Osaka we finally arrived in Fukui. Lindsay was waiting for us with her tiny Fred Flintstone car. Actually its quiet cute. We loaded her two suitcases and futon into the miniature car and she and Amanda headed off to her apartment. Rick and I took our two suitcases and walked to our hotel. It was an exhausting day but we made it and Lindsay was thankful not to have to go fetch us. Apparently most of her friends were impressed that we embarked on this journey without her assistance. Are we such good parents?


Eating was an adventure! At two of our three dinners at least one item got lost in translation. On the first night we ended up with one item we didn’t ask for and missing one that we had pointed to on the menu. The second night we ordered a 2nd plate of “spring rolls” but forgot to ask for them as “fried spring rolls”. We got spring rolls but they weren’t fried. That same night I was happily eating a noodle dish when Amanda realized that the garnish in the dish was Brine Shrimp with little black eyes (you know SEA MONKEY’S). After that I couldn’t eat my dish. For breakfast in the hotel one morning we ate “French fries” for breakfast because they were on the buffet and because there was little else palatable. Another morning we had to eat scrambled eggs with chopsticks!! Talk about a challenge! Poor Amanda has not mastered the art of using chopsticks and was very frustrated.
Three surprising things: We found a Mexican Restaurant in Osaka and celebrated Lindsay’s 22nd birthday. The food was great!
While walking through a market in Osaka we came upon a Shakeys’ Pizza Parlor. Rick and I both have such found memories of Shakey’s Pizza. I even had a birthday party at the one that used to be on Rockville Pike. We didn’t eat there but Rick and I kept marveling that there was on in Japan.

Kimono’s we saw at least half a dozen women in the traditional dress, right down to the white socks and wooden sandals. Apparently this is a display of National Pride. It was really cool to see these women on the streets.

It was a wonderful trip the weather was in the 70’s with a nice breeze. Lindsay apartment was cute albeit tiny. She looked great and seems to be adjusting to her new home. I look forward to visiting Tokyo & Kyoto in the future.

Hugs,

Cassie