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| October 23rd |
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
October 22nd
After the last day of work this trip it was Yakitori time. Had several different kinds. Of course you must have bacon wrapped asparagus. I added in Wasabi flavored chicken breast, which literally was wasabi rubbed on chicken. Then I moved to Mushroom and Cheese wrapped in bacon. Next up was Tomato wrapped in Bacon. And then the grand finale Egg Plant wrapped in Bacon. All very good.
After dinner we headed to get some treats and then it was time to pack.
After dinner we headed to get some treats and then it was time to pack.
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| October 22nd |
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October 21st
As a thank you to everyone involved with helping over here get work done, the engineers and I put together a get together after work. It was really great to see Americans and Japanese interacting regardless of level or position. One more work day and then another long flight.
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| October 21st |
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday October 20th
Got dinner at Taco Bell on base and then stayed in and caught up on TV shows. Lazy Day, but I did find a drink worthy of a Soft Drink Challenge
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| October 20th |
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday October 19th
After work I headed up to Yokohama for some dinner and shopping. I had Okonomiyaki without fish. Which is hard to do since the majority of it comes with a ton in and on top. They will top various dishes with fish flakes that seem to dance on a hot dish. It is really just the heat rising and causing the flakes to move.
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| October 19th |
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday October 18th
There was a big event going on in town today. There was a Mikoshii parade from the Yokosuka Chuo station into base. I lined up and spent around three hours taking pictures of the event. I have paired the selection way down. It was interesting to see and the sound of the Tyco drums was pretty cool as they marched down the street.
A coworker put on a BBQ on bass. Several of the Japanese coworkers brought there families. Fun was had by all. Lots of Wii Boxing was played.
A coworker put on a BBQ on bass. Several of the Japanese coworkers brought there families. Fun was had by all. Lots of Wii Boxing was played.
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| October 18th |
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Hakone Trip October 17th
Got an early start this morning. Arrived at the JR Yokosuka Station at 620. We caught the 638 train to Ofuna. Not too many people on the train at this time in the morning. Most people looked like they were actually heading home instead of heading to work.
We switched trains at Ofuna and headed for Odawara. This was about a 40 minute ride, with almost no one on the train. A lot of traffic was going the other way into Tokyo, but going away was very light. At Odawara it was time to switch again. This time to the Odakyu Hakone Tozan. We purchased a "Free" Pass to get around Hakone for the day. In variation from the name it is actually 3900 Yen for the pass.
From Odawara we headed to Hakone Yumoto station, we stayed in the same area but headed for a different car. The next train was very intere3sting it was much shorter than any train I have been on. This was to allow for its use on switchbacks. It is only one track, so as one train goes to a stop it waits until the train in the opposite direction is at that stop and then proceeds on. It took 40 minutes to get from Hakone Yumoto to Gora.
At Gora we walked around and head to Gora Park. It is a very nice park with a lot of plants, trees, and a fountain. I also purchased my puzzle box from the gift store there. Hakone is known for puzzle boxes, it is a 10 move box. Next up it was Cablecar time. The Cablecar was up a pretty steep incline in 6 stops it gained about 220 meters of elevation. Ears popped twice. The car itself was interesting as it was in steps so as the car went up everybody was on a level platform.
We arrived at Sounzan and switched to the Ropeway. When the car took off I thought we had been launched up the mountain, it was a pretty good trip up to the first stop. Incredible views of the Owakudani steam vent area. At Owakundani we hiked up the hillside and got some nice shots out into the valley. We also tried the famous black egg. It is an egg boiled in the hot-springs, but because of the high sulfur content it colors the eggs black. It tastes just like any other hard boiled egg, but it is the thing to do at that stop. Next we headed down to Togendai at the head of Lake Ashi.
At this point besides the black egg our stomachs wanted to be filled so we wandered around town looking for a place to eat. We settled on the place where the owner came out and said English menus after looking around town. Great choice had an awesome Katsu Curry dish. And the view was great out into the lake. After lunch we headed to the Sightseeing Cruise "Pirate" ship. It took around 20 minutes to get from Togendai to Hakone Machi. Got some nice pictures of the lake. The downside to going today was it was cloudy so there was no chance at all to see Fuji-San. Oh well perhaps next trip.
From Hakone Machi we walked and got some ice cream, I went with Banana. Which happens to be delicous in any language. After that pit stop we headed to the Hakone Checkpoint. A very interesting place. When the transistion of power happened and Edo (Tokyo) became the seat of power for the empreror over Kyoto they built this checkpoint. Its main purpose was to keep weapons and women from going south to Kyoto. History is pretty crazy sometimes. The next stop was the Cedar Avenue, which I got some good shots of. Most of the trees in the avenue are over 360 years old. Duanting to think about someone planting something that long ago and it still being here today. In America we would have chopped it down long ago for firewood. After getting a few shots of the waterborn Tori it was time for the last different mode of transit, bus. It took 30 minutes to get from Moto Hakone to Yumoto station. We hopped back on the train to Odawara.
It was now time to check out my first Japanese castle. It took around 10 minutes to walk from Odawara Station to the castle grounds. Around 7 minutes into transit my camera got to wear my hat because it started dumping. The rain lasted the entire time we were in Odawara. On the castle grounds they have some form of monkey in a cage. We headed inside around 20 minutes before closing. They had shut the ticket counter down so we got in for free. They had a lot of artifacts invloving the castle inside. It was 4 stories tall, at the top you could get out and see around. On a clear day the view is fantastic. On a rainy day, it just looks like it perhaps might be awesome on a clear day.
We headed back to Odawara to catch the train back to Ofuna, we caught the express so it took less time. It may have been the sulfur fumes from the black egg stop but we all took a little nap on the train ride. At Ofuna we transfered to the JR Yokosuka line, which insteresitngly enough started service 120 years ago on June 16th. We got on the 2nd car of this train and headed back to Yokosuka. Now the thing about this train on this route is the first 4 cars do not go past Zushi, which is 4 stops from Yokosuka. Right when we got to Zushi I remembered so we rushed back 3 cars and got in. We when got back into Yokosuka We decided it was a fine evening for some Curry and Nan. And when one wants Curry and Nan in Yokosuka one would be foolish to eat any other place than Nirvanan on Blue Street. Delicous as always.
That about raps it up. In conclusion Hakone gets two thumbs up and would be a great place to spend a weekend. It is full of hot-springs and great places to hike and with the Free Pass you can get around for 2 days on 3900 Yen pretty good for all that you can see. Just try to schedule it for a clear weekend and it would make an excellent trip.
We switched trains at Ofuna and headed for Odawara. This was about a 40 minute ride, with almost no one on the train. A lot of traffic was going the other way into Tokyo, but going away was very light. At Odawara it was time to switch again. This time to the Odakyu Hakone Tozan. We purchased a "Free" Pass to get around Hakone for the day. In variation from the name it is actually 3900 Yen for the pass.
From Odawara we headed to Hakone Yumoto station, we stayed in the same area but headed for a different car. The next train was very intere3sting it was much shorter than any train I have been on. This was to allow for its use on switchbacks. It is only one track, so as one train goes to a stop it waits until the train in the opposite direction is at that stop and then proceeds on. It took 40 minutes to get from Hakone Yumoto to Gora.
At Gora we walked around and head to Gora Park. It is a very nice park with a lot of plants, trees, and a fountain. I also purchased my puzzle box from the gift store there. Hakone is known for puzzle boxes, it is a 10 move box. Next up it was Cablecar time. The Cablecar was up a pretty steep incline in 6 stops it gained about 220 meters of elevation. Ears popped twice. The car itself was interesting as it was in steps so as the car went up everybody was on a level platform.
We arrived at Sounzan and switched to the Ropeway. When the car took off I thought we had been launched up the mountain, it was a pretty good trip up to the first stop. Incredible views of the Owakudani steam vent area. At Owakundani we hiked up the hillside and got some nice shots out into the valley. We also tried the famous black egg. It is an egg boiled in the hot-springs, but because of the high sulfur content it colors the eggs black. It tastes just like any other hard boiled egg, but it is the thing to do at that stop. Next we headed down to Togendai at the head of Lake Ashi.
At this point besides the black egg our stomachs wanted to be filled so we wandered around town looking for a place to eat. We settled on the place where the owner came out and said English menus after looking around town. Great choice had an awesome Katsu Curry dish. And the view was great out into the lake. After lunch we headed to the Sightseeing Cruise "Pirate" ship. It took around 20 minutes to get from Togendai to Hakone Machi. Got some nice pictures of the lake. The downside to going today was it was cloudy so there was no chance at all to see Fuji-San. Oh well perhaps next trip.
From Hakone Machi we walked and got some ice cream, I went with Banana. Which happens to be delicous in any language. After that pit stop we headed to the Hakone Checkpoint. A very interesting place. When the transistion of power happened and Edo (Tokyo) became the seat of power for the empreror over Kyoto they built this checkpoint. Its main purpose was to keep weapons and women from going south to Kyoto. History is pretty crazy sometimes. The next stop was the Cedar Avenue, which I got some good shots of. Most of the trees in the avenue are over 360 years old. Duanting to think about someone planting something that long ago and it still being here today. In America we would have chopped it down long ago for firewood. After getting a few shots of the waterborn Tori it was time for the last different mode of transit, bus. It took 30 minutes to get from Moto Hakone to Yumoto station. We hopped back on the train to Odawara.
It was now time to check out my first Japanese castle. It took around 10 minutes to walk from Odawara Station to the castle grounds. Around 7 minutes into transit my camera got to wear my hat because it started dumping. The rain lasted the entire time we were in Odawara. On the castle grounds they have some form of monkey in a cage. We headed inside around 20 minutes before closing. They had shut the ticket counter down so we got in for free. They had a lot of artifacts invloving the castle inside. It was 4 stories tall, at the top you could get out and see around. On a clear day the view is fantastic. On a rainy day, it just looks like it perhaps might be awesome on a clear day.
We headed back to Odawara to catch the train back to Ofuna, we caught the express so it took less time. It may have been the sulfur fumes from the black egg stop but we all took a little nap on the train ride. At Ofuna we transfered to the JR Yokosuka line, which insteresitngly enough started service 120 years ago on June 16th. We got on the 2nd car of this train and headed back to Yokosuka. Now the thing about this train on this route is the first 4 cars do not go past Zushi, which is 4 stops from Yokosuka. Right when we got to Zushi I remembered so we rushed back 3 cars and got in. We when got back into Yokosuka We decided it was a fine evening for some Curry and Nan. And when one wants Curry and Nan in Yokosuka one would be foolish to eat any other place than Nirvanan on Blue Street. Delicous as always.
That about raps it up. In conclusion Hakone gets two thumbs up and would be a great place to spend a weekend. It is full of hot-springs and great places to hike and with the Free Pass you can get around for 2 days on 3900 Yen pretty good for all that you can see. Just try to schedule it for a clear weekend and it would make an excellent trip.
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| October 17th |
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday October 16th
Took it easy tonight preparing for the Hakone Trip. Start at 550 at the hotel and hopefully will be back around 7 PM. Should be a blast. The question is can I get to 700 pictures in one day. I will aim to find out.
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| October 16th |
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday October 15th
Ate dinner at Pepper Lunch tonight, but the magic is truly gone. Without the risk of getting E Coli it just isn't fun any more. Waited around the hotel for another coworker to show up. We then went out to the Yakitori stand for another quick bit. Plans for Hakone are almost set up.
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| October 15th |
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
October 14th
Another day without rain. October is really an awesome month to be in Japan. With the obvious caveat of no Typhoons rolling through the weather is hard to beat. Tried out a new Ramin place tonight on a suggestion from a Japanese coworker, very good. Although I did learn an important lesson, if you ask for extra seaweed in Japan they are going to give it to you. See the pictures for the explanation.
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| October 14th |
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday October 13th
Back at work after the long weekend. Had Thia for dinner, got some nice shots with the point and shoot camera. The sunset lit up the Yokosuka Skyline nicely.
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| October 13th |
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday October 12th
To celebrate Columbus day I made up another little trip. This time we started back at Landmark. Walked around for a couple of hours and got some awesome shots of the tower from every angle I could get it. The lighting was very unique clear skies and the tower seemed to glow silver.
Next it was a quick trip through China Town, didn't do any shopping but walked through the whole of it. I found a train station I didn't know existed and used that to get back to Yokohama station. From there we went to Yodabashi and Tokyu Hands. I got a really nice camera strap. The included one is decent for limited use, but when you have the camera around your neck for more than 5 hours, you need something more substantial.
The next place was brand new to me, Enoshima. It is past Kamakura on the train. One you get out of the train you have to walk around a mile to get to the island itself. The island has a lot of shrines dedicated to a Dragon who fell in love with a woman, lots of really cool dragon statues around the island. There is two options, you can pay 310 Yen to ride an escalator near the top, or you can walk it yourself. I decided it was well worth the money. For some reason there were a lot of cats on the island. They were all extremely friendly, so obvious signs of rabbies. The one thing that was freaky was the amount of spiders. And they were big ones, I got a good shot of one. Got up to the top and went up lighthouse and got some great pictures. You could see Landmark tower in the distance. On the far side of the island are caves, but when I got down to the other side, I found that it was closed because of damage. I think it may have been from the Typhoon as this area had some extremely high winds. It was 352 stairs back to the top, and then a bunch down.
Had TGI Fridays for dinner. One of my coworkers had given me 1000 Yen off coupon. So in all it worked out to be a decent price for the meal. Now time to recharge for another 4 day work week.
Next it was a quick trip through China Town, didn't do any shopping but walked through the whole of it. I found a train station I didn't know existed and used that to get back to Yokohama station. From there we went to Yodabashi and Tokyu Hands. I got a really nice camera strap. The included one is decent for limited use, but when you have the camera around your neck for more than 5 hours, you need something more substantial.
The next place was brand new to me, Enoshima. It is past Kamakura on the train. One you get out of the train you have to walk around a mile to get to the island itself. The island has a lot of shrines dedicated to a Dragon who fell in love with a woman, lots of really cool dragon statues around the island. There is two options, you can pay 310 Yen to ride an escalator near the top, or you can walk it yourself. I decided it was well worth the money. For some reason there were a lot of cats on the island. They were all extremely friendly, so obvious signs of rabbies. The one thing that was freaky was the amount of spiders. And they were big ones, I got a good shot of one. Got up to the top and went up lighthouse and got some great pictures. You could see Landmark tower in the distance. On the far side of the island are caves, but when I got down to the other side, I found that it was closed because of damage. I think it may have been from the Typhoon as this area had some extremely high winds. It was 352 stairs back to the top, and then a bunch down.
Had TGI Fridays for dinner. One of my coworkers had given me 1000 Yen off coupon. So in all it worked out to be a decent price for the meal. Now time to recharge for another 4 day work week.
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| October 12th |
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| October 12th Part 2 |
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday October 11th
What to do after a day replete with walking, start out with a 2 hours walk around town. I made it twice as far as I had ever walked and ended up finding a few new things. A bunch of art that has fallen into disrepair. It included a staircase perspective piece, and a big faucet. I also found another fishing pier with a few neat pieces of art.
After the walk I met up with some coworkers for brunch at the officers club, they do put on quite a spread. Then it was over to my buddy Bryans house, I rode the train he rode his bike. He met a branch going about 20 miles an hour so he took a pretty good tumble, broke his helmet and got some road rash. After making sure he didn't have a concussion I headed back to base for Church. I ate dinner at Taco Bell then headed back to my room to catch up on Psych, very good episode.
After the walk I met up with some coworkers for brunch at the officers club, they do put on quite a spread. Then it was over to my buddy Bryans house, I rode the train he rode his bike. He met a branch going about 20 miles an hour so he took a pretty good tumble, broke his helmet and got some road rash. After making sure he didn't have a concussion I headed back to base for Church. I ate dinner at Taco Bell then headed back to my room to catch up on Psych, very good episode.
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| October 11th |
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Super Tokyo Tour 2009
The Super Tokyo Tour 2009 was completed in 14 hours. It involved 8 stops, 18 different trains, and 3600 Yen in fares. I still have a ton of energy but the two other guys that went up were tuckered out at the end. So lets break it all down.
The first stop was to watch around Tokyo Tower area. It took around an hour and a half to get up there. Took some really good pictures, saw another one of the crazy big spiders. This one was enjoying breakfast, a nice big fly. When we got on the other side of the tower I noticed that the moon was right behind the tower. Really nice shots. In the same area there is a tree which was planted by George H. W. Bush. We walked around from the other side and got a few more shots. Then it was on to Akihabara.
First up was to go to the Yodabashi. After enjoying a delicious "Black Out" doughnut it was time to look for a camera bag. I ended up getting a LowePro Nova 160 AW. Fits all my gear and has a rain cover. Stopped by Burger King and wandered around the area for around an hour, and then it was on to the next destination, Asakusa.
After overshooting the entrance and backtracking we finally arrived at the Asakusa Temple/Shrine. This area is unique in Japan because it has both a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist Temple. One of the early emperors did this in an attempt to unify Japan. Still to this day most Japanese follow Buddhism and Shintoism. Took some nice pictures of a bronze statue of a famous Kabuki actor. I have always missed this statue because it was behind where buses drop people off. The next stop was Shinjuku.
The main purpose of the stop at Shinjuku was to ascend the first building of the day. This was the Metropolitan Government Offices South Tower. The building is compressed of a main portion and then two towers. The South Tower has a more pictureqs view of Tokyo. Another benefit it is free. After taking photos up at the top we went down to Shinjuku park. At this point it was around one thirty, so everyone was getting hungry. So we headed off to Roppongi.
Once we arrived in Roppongi we headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. After the grub we headed over to Roppongi Hills and Tokyo City View. The trip to the top of this building cost 1500 Yen, for an extra 300 Yen you can go out on the top of the building. I decided that for me 52 stories was enough. The view from this building is the best you can get in Tokyo. You can see the Shinjuku area, Tokyo Tower, and on a clear day Fuji. These days don't happen too much, if you can get up right after a Typhoon rolls through the sky will never be clearer. Then it was back on the trains headed to Shibuya.
This is one of the worlds most famous Mass Crossing Areas. We sat and chilled at Starbucks for about a half hour. This Starbucks is always one of the top 5 in the world for business each year. Got some good shots of the mass crossing in action. There are even more people if you go later at night. At this point we had our fill of Tokyo, so where better to go than Kawasaki.
There is a train from Shinagawa directly to Kawasaki that takes 8 minutes and cost 290 Yen, a pretty good deal. We headed over to California Pizza Kitchen for a Califronian Club Pizza, Chicken, Bacon, Lettuce, Tamato, and Avacado. As we walked into the mall where the CPK is there was a J-POP band performing. The pizza was good the music was not. After dinner it was time for the final stop on the trip, Yokohama Minato Mirai.
Spent around 2 hours around Landmark Tower. Got shots up from the dry dock to the building, then went up into it for some night photos. A tripod would have been awesome. I did me best to set the shutter speed very low and let the magic happen. This only works so well when the camera is in motion during the shot. You can see those pictures in the second album. New camera took 570 pictures without losing one bar on the battery, very good. It did lead to the discovery that picasa only lets you upload 500 pictures per album. I am assuming that most people will never know that limit.
Enjoy the pictures from the Super Trip.
The first stop was to watch around Tokyo Tower area. It took around an hour and a half to get up there. Took some really good pictures, saw another one of the crazy big spiders. This one was enjoying breakfast, a nice big fly. When we got on the other side of the tower I noticed that the moon was right behind the tower. Really nice shots. In the same area there is a tree which was planted by George H. W. Bush. We walked around from the other side and got a few more shots. Then it was on to Akihabara.
First up was to go to the Yodabashi. After enjoying a delicious "Black Out" doughnut it was time to look for a camera bag. I ended up getting a LowePro Nova 160 AW. Fits all my gear and has a rain cover. Stopped by Burger King and wandered around the area for around an hour, and then it was on to the next destination, Asakusa.
After overshooting the entrance and backtracking we finally arrived at the Asakusa Temple/Shrine. This area is unique in Japan because it has both a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist Temple. One of the early emperors did this in an attempt to unify Japan. Still to this day most Japanese follow Buddhism and Shintoism. Took some nice pictures of a bronze statue of a famous Kabuki actor. I have always missed this statue because it was behind where buses drop people off. The next stop was Shinjuku.
The main purpose of the stop at Shinjuku was to ascend the first building of the day. This was the Metropolitan Government Offices South Tower. The building is compressed of a main portion and then two towers. The South Tower has a more pictureqs view of Tokyo. Another benefit it is free. After taking photos up at the top we went down to Shinjuku park. At this point it was around one thirty, so everyone was getting hungry. So we headed off to Roppongi.
Once we arrived in Roppongi we headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. After the grub we headed over to Roppongi Hills and Tokyo City View. The trip to the top of this building cost 1500 Yen, for an extra 300 Yen you can go out on the top of the building. I decided that for me 52 stories was enough. The view from this building is the best you can get in Tokyo. You can see the Shinjuku area, Tokyo Tower, and on a clear day Fuji. These days don't happen too much, if you can get up right after a Typhoon rolls through the sky will never be clearer. Then it was back on the trains headed to Shibuya.
This is one of the worlds most famous Mass Crossing Areas. We sat and chilled at Starbucks for about a half hour. This Starbucks is always one of the top 5 in the world for business each year. Got some good shots of the mass crossing in action. There are even more people if you go later at night. At this point we had our fill of Tokyo, so where better to go than Kawasaki.
There is a train from Shinagawa directly to Kawasaki that takes 8 minutes and cost 290 Yen, a pretty good deal. We headed over to California Pizza Kitchen for a Califronian Club Pizza, Chicken, Bacon, Lettuce, Tamato, and Avacado. As we walked into the mall where the CPK is there was a J-POP band performing. The pizza was good the music was not. After dinner it was time for the final stop on the trip, Yokohama Minato Mirai.
Spent around 2 hours around Landmark Tower. Got shots up from the dry dock to the building, then went up into it for some night photos. A tripod would have been awesome. I did me best to set the shutter speed very low and let the magic happen. This only works so well when the camera is in motion during the shot. You can see those pictures in the second album. New camera took 570 pictures without losing one bar on the battery, very good. It did lead to the discovery that picasa only lets you upload 500 pictures per album. I am assuming that most people will never know that limit.
Enjoy the pictures from the Super Trip.
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| October 10 |
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| October 10th |
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| October 10th Part 3 |
Friday, October 9, 2009
Friday 9th
Tomorrows trip is all planned, should be a blast. 3600 yen in total fares for the trains and 180 minutes on trains 8 stops in one day.
I did receive my travel certificate from United today, so I get $300 off my next flight. The downside is it is only for travel within the US. Although I can think of a couple of tropical places I would like to visit again, and that would make it easier to get that trip in line.
I did receive my travel certificate from United today, so I get $300 off my next flight. The downside is it is only for travel within the US. Although I can think of a couple of tropical places I would like to visit again, and that would make it easier to get that trip in line.
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| October 9th |
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Typhoon Day
In anticipation of Typhoon Melor work was canceled today. Over night and during the morning it was extremely windy with periods of rain. Around noon it cleared up to blue sky. When typhoons come through it knocks all of the pollution out of the sky. Very clear. I decided to take advantage of this, by heading up to Kamakura.
I remembered that they had opened a Starbucks Concept store last year. So that was the first stop, really neat layout for the store. Then it was to the beach. The wind was blowing hard enough that it was creating a fine mist, so in about three minutes I was covered in a fine layer of salt. Ate dinner at a Thia restaurant, went with a level two for spiciness, good call anything more it would have brought me to tears.
I remembered that they had opened a Starbucks Concept store last year. So that was the first stop, really neat layout for the store. Then it was to the beach. The wind was blowing hard enough that it was creating a fine mist, so in about three minutes I was covered in a fine layer of salt. Ate dinner at a Thia restaurant, went with a level two for spiciness, good call anything more it would have brought me to tears.
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| October 8 |
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| October 8th |
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wednesday October 7th
Typhoon Condition 1 was called today so the big wind and rain event is now 12 hours away. Should be fun. In anticipation of the big rain, I went to the Yokohama Marina Mall to buy a rain jacket. So far it has handled the rain decently.
Had dinner on base at Taco Bell before they lock the gates. Now it is just time to wait.
Had dinner on base at Taco Bell before they lock the gates. Now it is just time to wait.
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| October 7th |
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Typhoon Prep
I am now stocked up for the oncoming Typhoon. The level for Typhoons is in 4 sections. Level 4 means it is 72 hours away, 3 48, 2 24, and 1 it is present. Today it was raised to level 3, so it looks like it will arrive sometime Thursday.
Went out to dinner at Nirvana again. I am spreading the word about the Chicken Spinach Curry and cheese Nan combo. Very good.
Went out to dinner at Nirvana again. I am spreading the word about the Chicken Spinach Curry and cheese Nan combo. Very good.
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| October 6th |
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday October 5th
Working a full day after the travel day can be pretty brutal. Your brain at one point will just want to turn off. It knows that it should be asleep, it is just the light keeping your body awake. After work I attempted to go on base and get supplies for the oncoming Typhoon, I forgot the piece of paper that allows me to shop in my room. So it turned out to be a nice walk.
Ate at a Chinese restaurant in More's City. They had a UFO dumping plate. Interesting arrangement of delicious familiarity. I also had something made out of hot lava apparently. It had one pepper next to it on the menu, it still burns. I would hate to think what a three pepper item would do. Probably melt your face.
Looks like it will drop around 3 inches of rain tomorrow then around 20 between Wednesday and Thursday. That is life in the path of a Typhoon.
Ate at a Chinese restaurant in More's City. They had a UFO dumping plate. Interesting arrangement of delicious familiarity. I also had something made out of hot lava apparently. It had one pepper next to it on the menu, it still burns. I would hate to think what a three pepper item would do. Probably melt your face.
Looks like it will drop around 3 inches of rain tomorrow then around 20 between Wednesday and Thursday. That is life in the path of a Typhoon.
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| October 4th |
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Travel Day Attempt One and Two
Flights to Japan generally include one takeoff and one landing, not so fast for this trip. The plan was to fly Friday. Everything was going according to the plan, check-in, security, boarding. During takeoff the right engines generator failed. Not really a problem for flying, but as the 777 requires a lot of power during flight the APU would lower the fuel to the point where we wouldn't quite make the journey across the Pacific. So we turned around and landed. As we stepped off the plane they handed a sheet of paper with information about hotel and what number to call to get a new reservation. I called the number and was offered two options. I could fly to DC, then Singapore, then Osaka, and finally Narita; or I could fly the next day. I chose the option with one flight. I also decided to sleep in my own bed.
So Saturday was attempt number two. Before I left I noticed that I could use a shorter line to check in at the airport, so I used that line. Both that and the security line I had no one in front of me. So I was checked in and through security in 5 minutes. Not bad at all. Did all the normal airport stuff and then got on the plane. And it was completely full. Once we got in the air and the generator did not fail, the pilot told us that there would be areas of turbulence during the flight, it was the most turbulence I have ever been in. It was not bad but it was 90% of the time in the air.
Once landed, I headed for Immigration and Customs, and what a line. 4 flights had arrived at around the same time, it took 40 minutes to get through immigration, but I was one of the first off the Seattle plane so I got through customs quickly, my bag was waiting for me. Then it was time to check into the 1730 bus. It was about an hour before we headed out to the parking lot to load. Everybody was loaded and we were about ready to leave when I noticed one of my coworkers running towards the bus. She was returning from vacation in the Grand Canyon. Her boyfriend is someone in a different organization that I work with. So I got a ride to the hotel. I had called my other coworker Dave to tell the hotel I would be a day late, and they had everything lined up. Checked in and got settled. Then I met up with Dave and we headed for some late grub at Pepper Lunch. The e-coli scare has had an effect on the way that they deliver the meat. It now is cooked to the point where it is just about right. At least it is back open.
Got back to the hotel around 2100 and headed for bed. I woke up not at the usual 230-300 (Jet Lag) but by sirens going off. There were sirens, chanting and drums. All very exciting and I have absolutely no clue what was going on, but it has been quiet since then, also no earth quake so maybe it was a celebration.
Pictures
I apologize for the order, it is not chronological, still getting used to having two cameras.
So Saturday was attempt number two. Before I left I noticed that I could use a shorter line to check in at the airport, so I used that line. Both that and the security line I had no one in front of me. So I was checked in and through security in 5 minutes. Not bad at all. Did all the normal airport stuff and then got on the plane. And it was completely full. Once we got in the air and the generator did not fail, the pilot told us that there would be areas of turbulence during the flight, it was the most turbulence I have ever been in. It was not bad but it was 90% of the time in the air.
Once landed, I headed for Immigration and Customs, and what a line. 4 flights had arrived at around the same time, it took 40 minutes to get through immigration, but I was one of the first off the Seattle plane so I got through customs quickly, my bag was waiting for me. Then it was time to check into the 1730 bus. It was about an hour before we headed out to the parking lot to load. Everybody was loaded and we were about ready to leave when I noticed one of my coworkers running towards the bus. She was returning from vacation in the Grand Canyon. Her boyfriend is someone in a different organization that I work with. So I got a ride to the hotel. I had called my other coworker Dave to tell the hotel I would be a day late, and they had everything lined up. Checked in and got settled. Then I met up with Dave and we headed for some late grub at Pepper Lunch. The e-coli scare has had an effect on the way that they deliver the meat. It now is cooked to the point where it is just about right. At least it is back open.
Got back to the hotel around 2100 and headed for bed. I woke up not at the usual 230-300 (Jet Lag) but by sirens going off. There were sirens, chanting and drums. All very exciting and I have absolutely no clue what was going on, but it has been quiet since then, also no earth quake so maybe it was a celebration.
Pictures
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| October 3rd |
I apologize for the order, it is not chronological, still getting used to having two cameras.
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