Sunday, October 15. Tomorrow the real Adventure begins. After a redeye flight from Japan to Bangkok, I’ll hit the ground running with a private tour, focusing on the outskirts of Bangkok and other spots that Overseas Adventures doesn’t visit. Which is actually quite a lot. Bangkok is a big city. So today I spent some time reorganizing my stuff to be ready. Didn’t do much else, as this is the last day for a while that I have to myself. I’ll soon need to be interacting with 14 companions daily. Shudder.

Saturday, October 14. (no photos.) Sat with Yoriko’s relatives for a long lunch. Lots of sushi plus side dishes. I had bought a bottle of Douglas Laing’s Rock Island Scotch to share. At the end we also opened the bottle of 2015 Chateau Milens Saint Emilion Grand Cru from France that Yoriko brought. Both bottles were excellent, as expected.

Yoriko’s relatives all talk equally loud and fast, so they were well matched.

Both cousins brought out their phone apps for vocal translations, but as I expected they were useless in a noisy setting. I typed a message in mine that they could read, but with two translators (Yoriko and her brother), the apps were unnecessary.

I showed them several photos of Africa that needed no translation. I also sat back and observed their familial interplay. Bought cousins paid their appropriate respect to the small memorial of their uncle (my father-in-law). I enjoyed their departure, when one of them mistook my shoes for his. It’s not uncommon, but still fun. (He wasn’t driving.) An entertaining and relaxing afternoon.

Friday, October 13. Explored parts of Yokohama. Motomachi, where we briefly lived in 1983-4. It was an upscale area back then, and it hasn’t changed. Very nice shops, just one step down from Rodeo Drive quality. Very international.

Yokohama’s Chinatown, which was never much, but today it seemed shrunken. Masses of high school students for some reason. Glazed strawberries and grapes on a stick were popular.

Yamashita Park. Beautiful then, more so now. Statues, lawns, flowers, yoga, joggers, etc. The view is different due to extensive land reclamation. Very futuristic buildings and bridges. But the old ship museum is still there, giving me a memory anchor. At the northern end is a very new restaurant that has a pool to soak feet in. It also has a little kids’ play area. An unusual place.

Further north is the new, huge and incredibly beautiful cruise terminal. Grass on the roof.

Next was The Big Red Warehouse Buildings. Originally customs houses, now full of shops. In front was a large tent housing Yokohama’s 20th annual Oktoberfest! Full of people. At least twenty different breweries surrounded the drinking area with a raised stage in the center for the Bavarian band. I spent some time there, amazed with the crowd. Drank a bit.

Headed to the train station but detoured for short cable car ride (“Air Cabin”) that provided nice views of the city’s amusement park, maritime training ship, and tallest building.

19,000 steps under clear blue skies. A nice day.

Thursday, October 12. No photos. Confirmed once again that fresh Japanese bread is my favorite. Thick slices and incredibly soft.

Just meandered around the local train station’s shopping area. Many things remain the same (Mister Donut is still here in a prime location) and some things are different. Very few things really. Japan isn’t into change. The glazed pastries still look too good to be real, while the fake food displays don’t look fake.

Had my traditional lunch in Japan: Bolognese spaghetti in a little restaurant that was clearly a hangout for the local university. I exceeded the average age by 50 years. It was exhausting to watch the cook remain in constant motion for an hour. Thanks partly to a favorable exchange rate, the meal cost only $12. Clearly, this is NOT Norway.

Dinner was just gyoza. Only my mom-in-law can make it so good. Bottled Sapporo beer, which Yoriko had to search for. All the craft beers have pushed out the traditional brands.