A little time away

A 15+ hour long flight with two toddlers, after a long taxi ride and followed by a train and another taxi ride... carrying more than 100 kilogrammes of luggage with us? Also all four of us were ill?

Suffice to say we had a challenge on our hands. Somehow, between the numerous toys and games we had brought we did pretty well on the flight. There were only a minimum of tears, and the girls actually slept a lot of the way. We made a sort of bed on the floor with a picnic blanket, and that's where the younger one slept. The elder daughter had the immense privilege at 3 years old of her own seat and luggage, so she slept there. Honestly, I felt a bit jealous of my younger daughter stretched out below our feet. Practically first class.

The last time we made this journey our older daughter was still only crawling and the flight was a nonstop screaming nightmare. Comparatively, it went very well. I caught up on the BarbieHeimer blockbusters and actually watched them both to their conclusions which was beyond all my expectations.

Things have been a little more challenging on the other side. It's only been a couple of weeks, but the kids haven't quite been able to settle in yet. A lot more tears than we've been used to, which is no surprise. It must be difficult for them to be uprooted so thoroughly from the world they've known until now. Our younger daughter has taken it more in stride than her sister, though seems to have developed an aversion to her seatbelt, which is the sort of thing you do when you're two years old in any case.

I took a brief sojourn to Kansai, taking the opportunity to scout out Kyoto as a possible base and to meet an old friend. Kyoto is beautiful, at least once you get clear of the train station. While the weather was practically British in temperament during my visit, there was plenty to see and do, and I was impressed by the quality and price of the excellent food on offer wherever I went. As I was nursing my cold still, I didn't get much further than a couple local department stores and temples on my first few days.

I then took a quick couple of days in Hyogo to see my good friend Rosie, who I've known since I first arrived in Japan way back in 2016. It was a great relief to get some good air, which helped chase away the last of my cold! Despite my initial hestitation (generally allergic to bikes), we took bicycles around town to some interesting spots. The easy ride and gentle exercise turned out to be just the thing, and was a highlight of the trip. We also wandered around some vaguely Soviet-adjacent local park attractions, including a quick trip down a long and potentially unsafe-seeming slide. Fantastic!

My last couple days in Kyoto were spent in and around Gion, and I was very happy to take my newfound energy and get around town more than I had so far. I went to the striking temple of Kiyomizudera, and enjoyed food and some drinks around the geisha district. This was my second time to visit Kyoto, and I definitely feel that Gion is one of the main spots worth the trip. Almost impossibly narrow passages lined with tiny shops and restaurants connect the old fashioned streets like a delicate web. There are few cars, though many tourists! It's notable to see so many foreigners around Japan, back in force after the pandemic.

Sadly, I had to cut my trip a few days short as Keiko had been suffering at home, a full ten days was perhaps a little optimistic. I'll be back soon enough I'm sure, though as a tourist or resident is yet to be seen. Time now to find a place of our own, and jobs! I'm looking forward to what the next few weeks will bring. Until next time!