bnlmos

Dear Friends and Family,

We arrived just after 12 midnight at Toyoko Inn 2, Nakatsu/Umeda in Osaka, Japan. Our friend, Minoru, helped find and book this wonderful hotel chain in the heart of Osaka. We thought it would be so hard to find, especially late at night, but kind Japanese people guided us on our way. Japan is such a breath of fresh air! It is so clean, orderly, and pretty, and feels loving and safe, just the way you wish the whole world would be. A group of teenagers joyfully escorted us to the right subway train, and we took a group photo. 😎 Many people speak or understand a little English. Though shy, they are happy to try to communicate with us, once we reach out to them. People often smile and bow respectfully to us, and to each other. Osaka is teaming with nearly three million people, tall buildings, great infrastructure, and busy traffic. Most people are well dressed, well employed and well mannered. We have not seen even one homeless person begging on our trip so far in either Vietnam or Japan. Yesterday, we saw evidence they must exist. There was a tidy “camp” under a walking bridge.

The food is delicious, healthy and sanitary, though fairly expensive, and so are the trains, busses, and especially, the taxis. We are very impressed by the subway/train system. It is reasonably priced, super fast, and like everything else, clean and orderly! We had to adjust to the higher overall cost. In Vietnam, we spent only a few dollars for transportation and food on any given day. The prices in Japan are more comparable to America. In Vietnam, a seven hour bus ride to the Ban Gioc falls cost us $6.50. Here, we paid $44 for subway/train/bus combo to see a site in a city just one-hour away! Then again, it is wonderful to queue up for a subway train when everyone politely waits for passengers to disembark before politely boarding.

Our hotel room was tiny, but so neatly arranged, and a steal at $65 a night, including a delicious buffet breakfast. The breakfast included rice, salad, miso soup, juice, bread and coffee, every day, and sometimes scrambled eggs. The front desk presented Linda with rose bath salts for the deep tub she enjoyed, and a rose water facial mask. They had the usual toiletries, and in addition, offered complimentary sanitized (striped) pajamas!

Unlike in Vietnam, in Japan, we can drink and brush our teeth with the tap water and the plumbing is good. Restrooms are free, and available everywhere. “Toitie time” is something else! Inside the stalls, there are containers of special sanitizer for the seat. There is an arm with push buttons on one side of the seat, mostly written in Japanese, but we figured it out. One button makes the room fill with the sound of running water, and there is volume control, for all of the shy folks out there. Toilet seats are heated, and include a water option to help clean you after usage, with stream, spray, and pulse options available, and then a gentle blow-dry. 👀

We made it to three cities over six days, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. In Osaka, we enjoyed a free walking tour. The Dotonburi and Kunomon areas are packed with food shoppers and restaurants. Buildings feature enlarged plastic sculptures of gyoza (Japanese dumplings),crabs 🦀 with moving legs, and octopus 🐙 advertising their food specialties. We tried the Takoyaki, octopus-filled dumplings, but decided we like Mexican “tacos” much better! We also tried Japanese curry, which was delicious, though surprisingly spicy, and teppanyaki, food grilled at your table and eaten off the grill. We chickened out on the turtle clay pot and sharks fin soup. There are Biliken sculptures (a God of good luck), whose feet you rub for good luck. We ate yummy sushi and enjoyed tempura and noodle dishes everywhere. We ate very little fruit because it was very pricey. Linda had a treat of twelve large green grapes for $3.00, and one day we ate four bananas for $6, but we saw cantaloupe for around $18, and peaches, five per box, for nearly $30! The streets light up in colorful neon lights at night. There was a section dedicated to “Anime,” a very popular Asian cartoon style, and one area famous for “maid cafes,” where servers dress like maids. It’s a popular but a strange concept with odd sexual overtones. Young women try to look like little girls in maid costumes. “K-Pop” (a music genre) has a “bubble-gum”sound and adult performers dress like little girls. We saw one group perform at the Kyoto train station and found it distasteful. The train stations are huge. They can be several stories high.

In Kyoto, we went to a famous Buddhist “zen” temple, the Golden Pavilion. It has been mused to host nobility and foreign dignitaries. The top two floors of the temple are covered in gold-leaf. It is surrounded by coy-fish ponds and lovely gardens, with a separate tea-house and temple. We had green tea with gold leaf and green tea flavored ice cream there. There is plenty of good coffee around. Starbucks is quite popular, but green tea (matcha) is more common. We tried a matcha scone with our coffee at Starbucks. There are the usual big chains here. It’s interesting to see how they differ. Burger King offers whoppers with shrimp, and Mc Donald’s has cream cheese & crab pies.  Everything is packaged very prettily. Bruce bought a yogurt drink that the checker put into a small bag with a tiny ice pack!(about 2×3”)😍 When you eat at a restaurant, the server brings a wicker basket for your backpack, purse, and/or parcels. We didn’t see much dirt in Japan, but they wouldn’t chance soiling your bags.

Kobe, a gorgeous port city, was fun to walk around. The city and the port were immaculate. We watched cruise ships come in. Streets are crowded at times, but not at all dangerous. You rarely hear the sound of a horn. People wait patiently at crosswalks for the light to change. A good natured spirit prevails. Most people are very fashionably dressed. Even backpacks are trendy and artfully designed. Lots of men carry soft leather briefcases, backpacks, shoulder bags, and even purses here. Kobe is famous for its beef, which is super expensive. It is marbled with fat that makes it very tender. We tried some, but it was a bit rich for us-pardon the pun! 😜 We saw a memorial for the 1995 earthquake that devastated Kobe and claimed more than 47000 lives.

There are karaoke bars in every neighborhood and pachinko gambling halls here and there. We checked out a pachinko parlor and were overwhelmed with the smell of cigarette smoke. A Pachinko game looks like an upright pinball machine. When Bruce was here about thirty-five years ago, the prizes were cigarettes. Now, there are a variety of prizes available. Game places with rows of older electronic games like “Centipede,” are also popular.

We’ve enjoyed great, cool weather here in Japan. One day it rained and we loved it. We could not help but notice that it fell gently from the sky and landed softly… so very Japanese.

We are off to the airport this evening, for our flights to Laos. We’ll be in touch soon. Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Love hugs,

BnL   

By Linda Moscovitch

I absolutely love international travel. The more foreign the culture, the more I like it. It tickles my senses. I love to taste new foods, seasoned with exotic spices, hear music that sets my toes tapping to a different rhythm, touch animals that I never knew existed, smell new flowers and plants along a beautiful mountain trail, and see people with unfamiliar features and clothes, going about their daily lives. I’m adventurous enough to try most things, and friendly enough to connect with people.

Of course, foreign travel comes with its obstacles. Non-Potable drinking water, uncomfortable accommodations, confusing modes of transportation, and language barriers are just a few of the challenges that come to mind. I speak English and passable Spanish, and a few words and phrases in various other languages. Most Europeans speak several languages, English included, and my Spanish has been good enough to get by in Central and South America. Tourism in Asia has grown in popularity and as a result, many people in the tourist industry speak passable English, and New Zealand and Australia are no problem, mate! With all of this English flying around, one would think that communication would be a piece of cake. But guess again…

There are spelling errors, translation errors, and conceptual errors aplenty. For example, in Spanish, fingers and toes are all called “dedos.” In English, we have names for our fingers and toes that are more specific. Do you remember the childhood song “Where is Pinkie?” which most of us learned in Kindergarten? I once knew a Spanish-speaking man with terrible ingrown toenails. He was moaning in pain one day. I asked him “What’s the matter?” He answered “Oh, my thumbs are killing me!” and pointed to his big toes. I thought it was hilarious, and he thought I was unsympathetic. I introduced him to his digits, and he forgave me for laughing.

I love Vietnam and Thailand, or “Thigh-land,” as my neighbor pronounces it. I find the foods delectable. The menus in Asia, however, can be confusing. I remember one menu that offered a choice of mice, lamb, or chicken. By “mice,” I think they meant “minced,” though I couldn’t bring myself to eat there. Then, there was the clothing store named “Body Nits” spelled “N-I-T-S.” I felt itchy as I passed it by! In the Netherlands, there are “Coffee Houses” that do not serve coffee. They sell marijuana! What does that have to do with coffee? I vote we change the name to “Cannabis Cafés.”

There are also a variety of language variations in different English-speaking countries. In New Zealand, the people call themselves “Kiwis,” not after the fruit, but after a flightless bird, the Kiwi, that is close to extinction. The first time I went to New Zealand, I broke my ankle while trekking. The emergency room nurse kindly offered me the use of her “batch” for a few days. I looked at her quizzically. “Oh, it’s quite nice,” she said, misunderstanding my puzzled expression. Her “batch,” it turned out, was a lovely vacation home on the beach. I’m pretty sure I’ve never encountered an unpleasant “Kiwi.” However, I once was seated next to an extremely friendly Kiwi sheep rancher at a rugby game in Wellington, whose accent was so thick, that when he spoke English, I could not understand a word he said. He smiled a lot as he spoke. I’m pretty sure he was a nice guy, but he could have been saying anything!

In England, we stayed at a nice Bed and Breakfast in Wimbledon. At breakfast, our hostess was moving slowly and asked that we excuse her. “What’s wrong?” I asked, “Oh, I have a dick in my knee” she said, as my husband choked on his toast. Later, she asked my husband to help her get a large box into her boot. “Your boot?” He asked. She led him to the trunk of her car. At breakfast, our hostess served our “brekkie” each morning apologetically with a “You know, my dickie knee!” We took the “Tube” around London and enjoyed simple things like trash cans labeled “rubbish” and bathrooms labeled “toilet.” It was fun to hear a robotic female voice remind us to “mind the gap” in a British accent when we stepped on and off the underground train. We passed a shop with a sign that read “Fancie a quickie?” My curious husband peeked inside. They were talking about a fast food lunch.

In Ireland, I shopped for a birthday card to send home to my mother. I was delighted to find several beginning “Happy Birthday, Mum.” I’ve met several distant cousins in Ireland and have enjoyed getting to know them over a couple of visits. They are fairly conservative Irish Catholics, so it shocked me to hear one of the ladies referring to a “feckin’” something or other. As time passed, I noticed the frequent use of this “F” word and finally asked one of my cousins about it. In Ireland, “feckin’” is not a substitute for our American bad “F” word. It is no worse than “dog-gone.” Though I’m fairly liberal, I still can’t bring myself to use this word for feckin’ anything here in the USA!

I’m aware of the reputation Americans have around the world for being loud and impolite, so when I travel, I make a conscious effort to use good manners and be a good American ambassador. I learn to say “hello,” “good-bye,” “please,” and “thank-you,” in the native language as quickly as possible. I watch how locals behave and try to be a part of the flow, rather than stand out.

When I went to Australia, I was thrilled to purchase tickets to a violin performance at the Sydney Opera House. As I entered the Opera House, I noticed signs forbidding the use of cameras. To my left, there was a room filled with people checking their coats and bags. I felt a little out of place in my informal travel attire. I thought I could at least check my fanny pack, which was bulging with my camera. I waited my turn at the rather long counter, where a man and a woman were assisting guests. I removed my bag and held it up to the woman “May I check my fanny pack?” Her jaw went slack and her cheeks turned pink. The man who worked with her behind the counter slinked away, to the opposite end of the room. Thinking she hadn’t heard me, I repeated myself in a louder voice. “May I please check my fanny pack?” I repeated. A hush fell over the crowd around me, as the woman held her finger to her lips to shush me. I knew I wasn’t dressed that well, and the bag was rather small compared to the designer bags, furs, and overcoats being checked. Still, it did contain my camera. I thought they might confiscate it at the scanner before entering the hall. “Please!” I persisted. “My camera is in there. I’d just like to check my fanny pack.” The uncomfortable woman was nearly purple by now and she fairly hissed at me “We don’t say that here!” The crowd around me had thinned by now. Many had moved to the other end of the long counter to be waited on by the man. “What?” I asked, bewildered, “fanny pack?” She nodded. “Why not?” I lowered my voice, “What does it mean?” She leaned in and with her hands cupping her mouth whispered back “a woman’s vagina!” It was one of those moments in life when you wish the floor would open up and swallow you! It turns out they call a fanny pack a “bum bag.” I think of this every time I switch things over from my purse to my fanny pack when I pack for a new adventure.

I am going back to Asia soon, where the people are soft-spoken and polite, and the food is delicious. My trip will culminate in a two-week trek through the Himalayas in Nepal. I will bring my camera, a back-pack, and a “fanny-pack.” I will “mind the gaps” on the mountains and use walking poles to avoid “dicks” in my knees. I will bring my sense of humor everywhere I go. If I’m lucky, I will meet new friends along the way, expand my knowledge of foreign cultures, and bring back tons of feckin’ souvenirs for my friends and family!

By Bruce Moscovitch
I was perusing the internet, looking for good airfares to Hanoi, Vietnam in the fall of 2017. Linda wanted to return to Hanoi, where we started our first Vietnamese adventure. This time she wanted to go north from Hanoi, instead of south to Ho Chi Minh City. She heard about some fabulous waterfalls and hiking trails near the Chinese border. Holy cow! I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was an open jaw round trip ticket available for $885 on Singapore airlines into Hanoi, Vietnam, and out of Kathmandu, Nepal! She’ll never go for something weird like that, I mused. “Honey”, I called out. “You want to go climb the Himalayas?” “Sure,” she cheerfully replied.

Surprise, surprise! She said yes. Linda loves hiking. Of course she said yes. I might have to book this thing. I began thinking of lots of reasons not to go to Nepal. It could get very cold up there. I might even die from altitude sickness. It could cost a fortune, what with guided hiking agencies demanding thousands of dollars for their package tours. Himalayan hikers subsist mostly on Dahl and rice. I am leery of spicy food. On the other hand, I’ve always loved the mountains. The Himalayas are the tallest peaks in the world; and we both loved reading Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air.” So we checked out these Himalayan treks on the internet and that’s what sealed the deal. We haven’t been on an overnight hike in some years. We even thought we’d try a few nights on the Pacific Crest trail this summer. Well, this would be like taking the Pacific Crest trail to the next level. The treks on the net depicted beautiful trails, surrounded by gorgeous lofty peaks, covered with snow. We almost decided on the famous Annapurna Base Camp Trek, and then backed away from this arduous ~130 mile, 13 day adventure. Maybe we should try the shorter, easier Poon Hill- Gorepani trek. But it’s only a 7 day hike. Our flight itinerary gives us 19 days in Nepal, before returning to San Francisco via Singapore Air. We finally decided on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. It may be a shortened version. In fact, we hope so and also hope that we don’t have to reach the 13550 foot summit of this trek. Meanwhile, we’re training for this experience by mountain hiking 5 miles, 3 days a week, and bicycling 30 miles, 3 days a week.

We did some reading and got some guidance from a manager at an REI sporting goods store. He’s been to the Himalayas 15 times and loves it there. He gave us some contacts, one of which included Pushpa Guest House, in Pokhara, Nepal. Pokhara is a torturous 7 hour bus ride from Kathmandu. It’s where most people stay before their trek. Raj, the manager of the guesthouse, has been so helpful to us. He’s getting us a porter/guide and will design a 13 day Annapurna circuit trek to our liking. He’ll also get us necessary permits and bus tickets. I know he’ll want money for his services. But I don’t think he’ll want that much. I heard from the REI manager that this approach to the trek can be far cheaper than an agency sponsored tour, and it helps support the local economy. Blogs also indicate that many people trek more or less independently. Two trekkers and a porter can easily find mountain village home stay lodging; and yes, most meals will be Dahl and rice, until it’s coming out of our ears. That’s O.K. I’ll get used to it.

I booked 3 nights at Pushpa Guesthouse to assure Raj of our commitment. Raj seemed genuinely grateful for the booking. He seems like a happy family man who really enjoys introducing people to the Himalayas. We are hopeful this will be a wonderful adventure. Then again, we may never make it up the mountains. Maybe we’re asking too much of our decrepit old bodies. Let’s hope for a fabulous experience that we can both handle. Let’s hope for spiritual enlightenment in the glorious Himalaya Mountains. Let’s hope our bodies hold out until we leave the states and get stronger as we approach the beginning of the trek.