Tokyo

After a very bad night’s sleep last night — we went to bed early, got awakened about 11:00 by a ringing phone that Laird could not find — it wasn’t his and apparently it wasn’t the hotel phone (I actually think it was) — he spent most of the night working on his tax reform data & modeling project and I kept waking up because his headlamp was on BRIGHT.  He started packing about 5:30 after taking shower and I followed at about 6:00.  Our suitcases are a damn sight heavier than when we came!  Cooking tools and presents, oh my.  When we checked out, I was handed a bag with PRESENTS FOR US from Yoriko — the most beautiful earrings that she made — I know all you women will be jealous when you see! — and homemade miso she made as well.  Can’t wait to make miso soup when we get home!  What a sweetheart she is!!

We had to be at the train station for the 9:35 bullet train to Tokyo and it took us awhile to find where we were supposed to be on the tracks.  Well, by the tracks.  Train was fast, certainly faster than the Rail Runner at home, but it wasn’t as fast as I thought it would be, but it was very nice: lots of leg room and we had reserved seats.  Alas, you can’t see much out the windows because the tracks are screened in lots of places and also there were three or five or some number of tunnels.  Lots and lots of buildings upon buildings, with some rice fields and other agriculture and a goodly number of solar panel fields. We did have a beautiful view (and some decent pics) of a snow-covered Fuji. I asked at the hotel. Fuji is 4,800 meters (about 14,400 ft.).  Tokyo is Skyscraper City — on steroids.  Our hotel, the Park Hotel Tokyo, starts on the 25th floor of one of them.  It is very nice and has a big focus on art, including 31 rooms on an upper floor that have been painted by artists — very cool!  We got into Tokyo station at about 11:53 and it took us sometime to determine how and where we should get out of it.  We debouched into a long line for taxis, but finally got one.  We handed the guy the map of how to get to the hotel, but he seemed pretty confused about where to go.  Luckily, he got us here.  I knew cooking class was at 1:30, but somehow I got that confused with 1:00, so we checked in, came up to our room and went immediately back down to have a taxi called for us.  We got there about 1:15, so it worked out.  There were 8 of us students, 5 from Australia (they were a group.  Note to grandkids:  there was a boy and a girl y’all’s ages who did a great job at sushi), 1 from the Netherlands and us.  Our instructors, Kanae and Yuki, taught us several types of sushi:  rice-on-the-outside CA roll, tamago yaki, inagi, nigiri and maki.  We were all stars!  Well, for cooking class, but I don’t think any of the Latinos making sushi in Santa Fe, etc.   grocery stores will have to worry about us taking their jobs.  It has been years since Laird and I have made sushi, but we held our own and nothing fell apart upon eating.  We came back to hotel and collapsed.  After naps, it’s time for bed.  Tomorrow we have a very exciting day — so stay tuned!  Oh, and we have a BEAUTIFUL view of river and a park from our window,with a window seat to sit on and admire the beautiful view.  Yours from On High, jm & lg