ON BOARD Shenkansin Hikari Express -- Time is of the essence. Traveling in Japan is a learning experience especially when we are on our own. Meaning we manage our time, choose places where to go and sleep, eat wherever our money can take us and wake up without worrying about time.
Japan's railway network is quite challenging but for as long as you have a wife like Jay and daughter like Abbie you may get lost for a while but for a while you'll be in the right station for the right destination. It's part of the fun.
The other night we watched a movie about a faithful dog named Hatchiko who dutifully and unrelentingly would rush to the train station in Shibuya to meet his master, an American professor who teaches at Tokyo University. His master died without the dog knowing why and on a daily basis the faithful dog would run to the train station each time he hears the rumbling of the coming train. He did this for almost a decade until he himself died under a heavy snow while waiting patiently in the same spot where he would await his master.
Moved to tears by the movie, everybody decided we take the train for Shibuya. True enough there was that bronze statue of Hatchiko that serves as a symbol of what loyalty is a virtue which has become a rare commodity among Filipino politicians and government officials. Loyalty is often subordinated when greed take the better of them. But don't worry it is not a weakness of Pinoys solely.
Train schedules are precise to the minute. If it says 9:07 that train will stop right in front of your platform no more no less. Unless you take a long journey be prepared to get that one square foot space and be bodily pushed to the exit! Laugh it off it happens to everyone, age regardless.
As I write this we are on our way from Tokyo to Kyoto. We have seen the new city of cement jungle and now we are going to the old capital of Japan.
I've gone there twice but wife Jay, kids Abbie and Paolo haven't.
Temples, shrines and food. And thousands of tourists that seemed inexhaustible. Kyoto never fails to entertain, educate and satisfy one's gustatory predilection so here I am.
The bullet train just made a brief stop in Nagoya and we are off to Kyoto.
So far we enjoyed our journey to the land of the rising sun. The Sakura trees were and still are festooned with cherry blossoms and that was a big reward!
The weather is still freezing and each time it drizzles and the wind blows I wish I were in my balmy Davao City.