Oh, I really like this city! Last night I had two dinners. The first was late afternoon in the little Japanese Italian place, then later I went to an Indian restaurant about two doors down from the Italian. Call me a pig, but I am really Jonesing for a change from Japanese -- which I also love, but am satiated. The Indian was kind of non-Indian, which I think happens when you ex-pat yourself to another country and then begin bending your own cuisine to please the locals. Nonetheless, two dinners was just what the doctor ordered.
Then I went up to the bar on the top floor of my swank hotel mainly out of boredom for one last thing to do. Of course the place was loud and smoke-filled because some Japanese company was throwing a catered shindig at the French restaurant up there. The bartender was a very cool guy who was stylish like Johnny Depp and the guy a seat away was a friend of his who I could visualize in Samurai armor. He looked so anciently authentic in his own way. Turns out he owns an apple farm in the valley and makes apple juice. We started sipping on a French apple brandy that was amazing, and I could tell THAT as what he really aspired to making with his apples. I hope he succeeds. His name is Kiyoshi Miyamoto, and his card in English says "The Owner of a Farm." He assured me he was in no way related to Miyamoto Musashi except maybe as distant kin.
These beds are like sleeping on a damn coffee table, even in this Western style hotel, but I did sleep, although fitfully. The good news is that this morning when I inquired about vacancies, they let me stay in the same non-smoking room so I didn't have to deal with the hotel shuffle hassle. I'm glad I opted for the breakfast as it was great. Big selection and some western newspapers for me to catch up on all the greed, murders, and terror I've missed since being abroad. You know, when you're out of the news loop, your life really isn't impacted one iota, and you have a lot less crap to worry about. The breakfast buffet is also on the 14th (top) floor with an amazing view of the city and surrounding mountains and so was a nice way to start the day.
I went to the City Center to use a bike and they were very sweet folks. They found out I was a karate man and invited me back to their office later when I return the bike for a "special gift." Maybe I will receive the key to the city...or a challenge match from the local karate champ. I'm up for all challenges.
Anyhow, I feel like a spider on this bike as it is sized for a Japanese woman I think, but it is the best and fastest way to get around. I went to the Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure, and began shopping for gifts and for the specific list Theresa gave me before I left. I got into shopping mode and I'm pleased with all I came away with. Mission accomplished. It's amazing how much more money I had to spend since I didn't have to pay the grading cert fee! A small blessing and it was with no small sense of satìsfaction I got from spending more money on friends and loved ones and less on the a promotion cert. Call me shallow, but hey... Sometimes living well is the best revenge.
Well, I'm gonna return this bike. More later.
Took the bike back. The promiser of gifts apparently wasn't there, so no key to the city. I'm thinking that is what they tell everybody who borrows a bike just to make sure they get it back. I'm back in my little pizza and pasta restaurant across the park from my hotel. It's a wonderfully comfy second-floor space with the feel of a Bavarian home. This guy and his wife do a very good job of Italian food, I asked him if he'd learned to make such perfect pizza crust in Italy and he said "No. I learn for myself." Then he brought out a big bag of dough he had pre-prepared and told me the secret was in rolling it. Funny how we are brought up to believe you have to be "trained" to do anything, but here it is accepted that if you want to do something, you just learn to do it if you want. I don't know about brain surgery, but French and Italian food seem to be a self-taught thing here in Japan.
I went to the JR Station this morning and got my final train tickets. I leave here at 1305 tomorrow to Nagano across the Alps, then the Shinkansen to Tokyo, then the Narita Express, which puts me into Narita at 1725 for my 2030 departure on Malaysia air to LA. I leave Japan at 8:30 pm on the 31st and arrive Austin at 10:55 pm on the same day. Wow! 2.5 hours! (That's a joke.) Flying against the sun is like Groundhog Day -- a day without end. That's when the jet lag gets me. At least on the trains you have plenty of leg room and can get up and walk around. (BTW, it's actually 16 hours of travel time by air and several hours layover in LAX - 24 hours of travel time when I count the train from Matsumoto)
This has been a long, but good trip. Physically it has been very hard, which was a new thing for me to deal with. Mainly joint issues. As always, the best thing about these trips is the wonderful old and new international friends. At the end of the day, that is always the high point and probably why I've done this for so long. I'm always disappointed to see how few Americans are out traveling internationally. We want the world to run our way, but we don't want to get out and talk to the world's people. Enough said. I hope you will make a point to get out of your own backyard, whether through karate, education, or simply for fun. You learn people are people wherever they live. They're basically good and want the best for their kids just like we do.
Signing off for this fine day.
From Matsumoto,
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