Jetting to the other side of the world

The first leg of my round the world adventure was a 14 hour flight from New York to Osaka, Japan on China Airlines—made comfortable by a seat in business class. With an afternoon departure, and because of the route, the entire flight was made in daylight. In fact, my window shade (actually I had three windows given the ample space) was down most of the way protecting me from the sun’s bright glare. And of the sun’s harmful radiation warming me throughout the flight? Maybe like sitting in an x-ray for14 hours, except there no one comes to fill up your wine glass.

Flying over Quebec and across Hudson Bay, I stole peeks out the window. Chunks of ice—large and small—sparkled in the sea below. It was as if someone had dropped a bag of diamonds from the sky. Beautiful.

Eastern Russia from 34,000 feet

 Despite the countless flights I’ve taken, air travel still amazes me. In this case, 365 of us seated ourselves in a cylindrical tube and rocketed down a strip of concrete fast enough that said tube climbed into the sky—and stayed there until directed to come back to earth. Smiling people came around with food and drink, and then in a half day’s time we’re on the side of the world. Feeling like crap, mind you. Amazing.

A delicious appetizer of pan fried scallops with roasted red bell pepper coulis, manchego cheese, along with artichoke and mesclun salad

Dessert, following the grilled beef tenderloin with herb butter broccoli rabe, carrot, potato, red wine sauce

We approached Osaka from the north flying over Japan’s largest island, Honshu and crossing Osaka Bay. It is here that you see Japanese ingenuity. How do you fit more than 120 million people on a string of islands that in large part are covered by mountains? You reclaim land from the sea, a technical term for dumping a whole bunch of earth into the ocean until there is no more water.

We passed Kobe airport, which from above looks like a large platform built out in the ocean. On the other side of the bay is Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, which too was built on an artificial island. The challenge here is that the land that the airport sits has sunk more than expected. To compensate, adjustable columns have been used to support the terminal building. 

With three days in Japan, I opted to spend it in Kyoto, an hour’s train ride from Osaka. Many people know of Kyoto only through the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty signed in the city in 1997, which required industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beset by controversy, the United States signed but never ratified the Protocol and Canada subsequently withdrew. Politics aside, many probably don’t know that Kyoto is steeped in history, serving as the imperial capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years until it moved to Tokyo in the 1860s.

My wife often tells me I have a poor sense of direction. I’m not sure, but I’ve been all over the world and always seem to return home. It was about eight in the evening when I exited Kyoto’s main train station. The plaza in front of the station was busy with people. Some were having photos of themselves taken against red hued backdrop of the Kyoto Tower rising behind them across the street. I passed others seemingly amazed at what must have been the world’s smallest light and water display.

Given to my frugal nature, I’m often apt to forgo transportation that involves money leaving my pocket  when my two feet can deliver me to my destination, and so I set off from the train station with only a vague sense of where my hotel was. Sure this strategy has on occasion led to long walks in the wrong direction, but it’s about the journey and not the destination, isn’t it?

I had been walking for about 20 minutes when a sliver of doubt entered my mind. Had I turned down the wrong street? Had I passed the hotel already? I pushed on a little further, my suitcase trailing behind and the weight of my small backpack pulling on my shoulders. Then, as if I had known it all along, I happened upon my hotel.

Home for the next three days was the Kyoto Rich Hotel, which is ironic, because of you were rich you wouldn’t be staying here. This isn’t a slight against the hotel. For sure the hotel is clean and functional. It’s just that the rooms are...let’s say smaller than small. Little more than six feet wide, there is enough space for a single bed and a desk next to it. But it comes with its own bathroom, which when you step into leaves little head room. Anyone over six feet would have to lean their head down to avoid hitting the ceiling. But at $45 it’s a steal in this expensive country.

Having been up for more than 24 hours, I climbed into bed and hoped for a long and restful sleep.       

Small, yet cozy room in Kyoto