Hotel Jal City Miyazaki

... kurz ins Meer gesprungen und dann auch wieder raus. Aber vorher haben wir noch die Karte gesucht fuer unsere Wertsachenkoerbchen. Na ich bin gleich mal hingerannt und hab der erklaert das ich die karte verloren hab. Dann ist noch ein Typ dazugekommen und hat mit mir auf english geredet und gemeint, das ist nicht so tragisch. Dann will ich grad wieder gehen, seh ich das andi es gefunden hat. Aaa あったの&#12290 ; Gut dann ...

I spent a great couple of nights last weekend at THE BAR. Its a bar in Miyazaki above the Pauls Smith Clothes shop not far from the main Miyazaki Station.@The owner, Sean, from New Zealand has a great little establishment there. Its only been open for less than a year but its the night spot of choice for all the foreign community in town and most of the Japanese people too if the crowd on Friday and Saturday nights ...

So what do emergency brakes and a rental car have in common? It turns out you can't set the GPS on the rental car if the emergency brake isn't on. Try to figure out that one when all the instructions are in Japanese!! And then... try to find the emergency brake. When we first rented the little car we got the key turned... engine on.... controls figured out... and then ... whumph... you can't move when the brake is on so ...

... us into it. Japan consumerism wasn't overwhelming either because it was all so new and different then what we had at home. Also, I have to admit, I am enjoying being a full blown consumer again. I'm tired of the same three shirts and two pants I've been wearing for 42 weeks. I'm happy to be listing to what I want on the computer while tying these thoughts down. However, I am freshly reminded of exactly how luck I am ...

After enjoying the big city of Kyoto, we got back on the bicycles for the last two weeks of our bike adventure. First big city was Hiroshima which has quite a nice park, memorial and museum for the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing. I was impressed how neutral the museum was, reminding the viewers of Japanese provoking acts leading up to the atomic bombing while also pointing out the complete devastation that the atomic ...

... to the north coast. The route was not as violently hilly, or scenic as crossing Shikoku, and the weather had turned very fall like - cool, grey, but fortunately not raining. All the same, we had a very cold morning dropping out of the mountains into Tsuwano, a touristy town in the hills known for the 1100 gate Shinto Shrine, and.... carp. Really. The town a long time ago (1600's) was a feudal fortress and to prepare against siege, hit on the bright idea of interlacing the ...

... I toured 2 automotive parts manufacturers based here in Miyazaki. One factory was very typical of what I would expect to see in America. However, at the second factory, I walk up to the front of the building to see my name posted at the entrace. The president, GM and senior engineer talked to me and showed me around the factory ...

... the highest suspension bridge in the world and taken a museum tour. All of this while defiling myself every night trying to keep up with the Japanese tradition of filling your beer, sochu or sake glass before you finish your last. UNREAL. Every bar has a karoke machine that is well used. Tonight, I will perfect the phrase, E Eh Kedo des, which means no-thank you. They don`t take no easily and usually I give in first. More Later.

Ok! I made it to Japan, however at the airport I was quite surprised to see 20 rotarians with a HUGE banner welcoming us to Japan. I was not in any shape to meet anyone, but I didn't have a choice. We were quickly shuffled off to our Hotel where the local Rotarians had dinner waiting on us. We met our host families that we will stay with starting Monday Night. However, only a few people could speak English and my host could not. When Japanese people ...

... Oh yeah, you would believe it! Who was the first person I met? A bloody doctor! He was sitting outside reading and watched as I hobbled in and then out again after dropping my bag off. His English was perfect and he asked if I was ok. He then took a look at my feet and told me to stop walking so much and to spend a ...