Hi everyone, (Barb, my room-mate Leona and I are still in awe at the fact that you used to babysit her children! What a small world indeed! The things I learn about my friends when I travel around the world!!!!) Wow. What an evening we had! We went to a famous restaurant for Shabu-Shabu. (It's essentially a fondue dinner concept, only instead of using oil to deep fry everything, you use a broth.) Dinner was Miso Soup, rice, Japanese pickles, and various items for the Shabu: beef, veggies, tofu, etc. Yum. Yum. Yum! You will see from the pictures that we [View Full Entry]

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Hi everyone! Another glorious day in Japan! Our typical day begins at about 8 a.m. with breakfast (western or Japanese; whatever your choice), and then we head out on a variety of tours (including a lunch stop). We return to the hotel mid-afternoon (or earlier) and have that time to ourselves until dinner at about 6. My room-mate often has a nap or just rests, and I take the opportunity to download my pictures, sort/file them and do my journal. I realized today that if I didn't do this (a little bit) each day, I don't know if I would actually [View Full Entry]

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Hi everyone, My goodness but your notes are fun to read!!! Keep 'em coming! Leona (my room mate) is enjoying them as much as I am!!! We had a blast today, touring Kyoto. So many new experiences. So much to see and learn. We were at temples and pavilions and the textile factory today. Saw a kimono fashion show. Beautiful!!!! Had an excellent lunch, even though much of it was strange and new.....but very tasty!!! Found my way into the kitchen (was thinking of you, Louise!!!!). Met up with some school girls at the Golden Pavilion and got a fun picture [View Full Entry]

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Today is a long travel day as we head to Kyoto, Japan, with a fuel stop in Russia along the way. Blaine was kind enough to take me to Superstore in Whitehorse yesterday so I could stock up on walnuts, cranberries, (and a bit of chocolate) so I could have my snacks on the flight. The crew is very generous with the big bottles of water (and the booze, I might add!). I’m focusing on the water intake so that I don’t get dehydrated  It’s been fun getting to know some of the people on this flight. Even though we [View Full Entry]

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Good morning to all of you! Thank you for your comments and messages. I love hearing from you! So.......let me just say this.......THIS is THE way to travel, my friends! Wow! When we left the airport hotel yesterday morning in Toronto, I expected the shuttle to be taking us to one of the Terminals at the Toronto airport.......and then I was planning on heading to Starbucks, so I could begin my journey with a Chai latte (my favorite!). No........the shuttle made an unexpected turn, and we headed to a separate terminal where all the private planes/jets are parked. Wow. We were [View Full Entry]

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