A milestone birthday OW award

[Captain Halliday]

Mojitos, Malbec and the fog that followed

For dinner we headed to a nearby restaurant that had a mix of Japanese and western food.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was on level 13 and had a great view of the activity near Nagoya station.



Mrs H and I both started with a mojito.

She went mango, I had the kiwi.



While regretting the fruity choices we scanned the wine list and applied my WOSS TM - that’s my Wine Overseas Selection System.

1. Find an Aussie wine you know.
2. Calculate its Aussie dollar price.
3. Find an unfamiliar wine at the same price point.
4. Jump to the unfounded conclusion that something at about the same price will be about the same quality.

Very scientific.

The wine I knew best was The Stump Jump Shiraz, vintage unknown, for ~AUD66.



Of course a few AFFers may be more familiar with the Elderton Command.

Let me do the maths for you: AUD293.

Eventually I settled on an Argentinian Malbec which was about the same price as the Stump Jump, but was a significantly better wine. YMMV.



The meal included an unlimited supply of bread.

Note to restaurant owners: Topping up the “free” bread is a total winner with parents.

It can be served quickly to calm a hungry child.

It’s cheap and can fill up a fussy child that doesn’t want to eat fancy, spicy or unfamiliar food.

Parents will relax and buy more wine.

And you know booze is where the margin is.

But I have digressed once again. Sorry.

Here’s the bread:



For the main, Mrs H and I shared what was basically a fancy version of a mixed grill.

It included: eye fillet; lamb rump and a quarter chicken.

It was beautifully cooked, tender and delicious.

So delicious, Miss H abandoned her pasta and tucked in.



As the meal went on it seemed to become a little cloudy.



By the time we were walking back to the hotel it was really foggy.



I wondered whether it was the Malbec.

By the next morning not much had changed.



But I can confirm my head was clear.

It was just the weather.

I think Nagoya is Japan’s version of Melbourne.

 

[Boca68]

Mojitos, Malbec and the fog that followed

For dinner we headed to a nearby restaurant that had a mix of Japanese and western food.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was on level 13 and had a great view of the activity near Nagoya station.

View attachment 141718

Mrs H and I both started with a mojito.

She went mango, I had the kiwi.

View attachment 141726

While regretting the fruity choices we scanned the wine list and applied my WOSS TM - that’s my Wine Overseas Selection System.

1. Find an Aussie wine you know.
2. Calculate its Aussie dollar price.
3. Find an unfamiliar wine at the same price point.
4. Jump to the unfounded conclusion that something at about the same price will be about the same quality.

Very scientific.

The wine I knew best was The Stump Jump Shiraz, vintage unknown, for ~AUD66.

View attachment 141721

Of course a few AFFers may be more familiar with the Elderton Command.

Let me do the maths for you: AUD293.

Eventually I settled on an Argentinian Malbec which was about the same price as the Stump Jump, but was a significantly better wine. YMMV.

View attachment 141722

The meal included an unlimited supply of bread.

Note to restaurant owners: Topping up the “free” bread is a total winner with parents.

It can be served quickly to calm a hungry child.

It’s cheap and can fill up a fussy child that doesn’t want to eat fancy, spicy or unfamiliar food.

Parents will relax and buy more wine.

And you know booze is where the margin is.

But I have digressed once again. Sorry.

Here’s the bread:

View attachment 141727

For the main, Mrs H and I shared what was basically a fancy version of a mixed grill.

It included: eye fillet; lamb rump and a quarter chicken.

It was beautifully cooked, tender and delicious.

So delicious, Miss H abandoned her pasta and tucked in.

View attachment 141728

As the meal went on it seemed to become a little cloudy.

View attachment 141723

By the time we were walking back to the hotel it was really foggy.

View attachment 141724

I wondered whether it was the Malbec.

By the next morning not much had changed.

View attachment 141725

But I can confirm my head was clear.

It was just the weather.

I think Nagoya is Japan’s version of Melbourne.

I do hope that's an after shot of the Mixed Grill or else you got seriously shafted on the quarter chicken?

 

[Captain Halliday]

I do hope that's an after shot of the Mixed Grill or else you got seriously shafted on the quarter chicken?

Sure is.

Getting half way through a meal then remembering photos for the TR became quite a habit.

 

[Captain Halliday]

So many questions

The next day it was back on the Shinkansen and off to Kyoto.

First stop was the Zenkojido Temple & Hosho-in Temple.



There’s also a great view of Kyoto.



Then it was across town to the Kinkakuji Temple.







The Temple is the drawcard, but if you’re into parks and gardens, the grounds are also very nice.



As we were leaving we had homework to do.

We were stopped by four students who wanted to interview us to practice their English.

There were challenging questions like:

• Where are you from? (‘straya mate)
• What’s your favourite thing in Japan? (The walking, obviously!)
• Favourite food? (Not the coughroach steak)

We got all the answers correct, so decided to reward ourselves.



Near our hotel was a building with an innovative elevator.

Look closely you’ll see it is a double deck elevator and allows people on two floors to use it at once.

The lower deck serves odd numbered floors and the upper deck stops at even numbered floors.



But this just left unanswered questions, like:

• How do you get from an odd numbered floor to an even numbered floor and vice versa?
• Are floors without a number, like ground or basement, odd or even?
• And what happens with a mezzanine floor that’s neither odd, nor even?

So many questions in a single day.

I need another beer.

 

[Captain Halliday]

We were always going

With one day left in Nagoya I decided we should do a day trip to Mt Fuji.

Seems simple right?

But those of you who know Japan will understand that my grand proclamation required two hours each way by train to get to Fujinomiya, followed by an hour long bus ride and lots of walking.

Despite the outcome being predetermined, I set about indulging the family in a purely theatrical negotiation - one that would make a government proud.

“How long will it take?” Miss H whinged.

“About three hours.” I said.

“What if it’s raining?” Mrs H asked.

“Mt Fuji will get wet.” I replied.

“What if it’s cloudy?” I was asked.

“What if it’s sunny?” I replied, with just a hint of frustration.

Never expecting to win round one, I offered a compromise.

“ Lets get up early and see what the weather’s like and we can decide in the morning.”

But it was never really a fair fight.

I’d seen the forecast.

And I’d already decided I was going.

Whether the family joined me was just incidental.

The next morning we woke to this:



But it still wasn’t a fair fight, because I also knew the weather in Nagoya would be no indication of the weather at Fuji.

It was time for the final act.

You see, Mrs H had an addiction to Tully’s coffee - the only decent brew she could find in Japan.

And Miss H had developed an addiction to the little Japanese donuts filled with bean paste. Available at Tully’s.

I made my best and final offer, sealing the deal with coffee and donuts.

So after breakfast we were back on the Shinkansen under sunny skies.

But nearing Fuji the number of rice paddies zipping past the window increased.

So did the cloud cover.

So did my blood pressure.



I knew if we didn’t see Mt Fuji I was in for a seriously tough day.

 

[drron]

Well your daughter has different taste buds to our son.he tried the donuts with red bean paste and immediately called it sh*tbean paste.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Well your daughter has different taste buds to our son.he tried the donuts with red bean paste and immediately called it sh*tbean paste.

I'm with your son. Why ruin a good donut?

 

[QF WP]

いいえ....or otherwise known as Īe. I'm with you @Captain Halliday. Give me chocolate or custard filling any day.

I presume you'll have a photograph of one in the next post, so I won't ruin the surprise of what one looks like (for those that haven't seen one).

 

[Captain Halliday]

いいえ....or otherwise known as Īe. I'm with you @Captain Halliday. Give me chocolate or custard filling any day.

I presume you'll have a photograph of one in the next post, so I won't ruin the surprise of what one looks like (for those that haven't seen one).

They were truly terrible IMHO and so I didn't bother with a pic.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Survival of the fattest

Arriving in Fujinomiya around 1030am we walked to the bus stop and tried to make sense of the timetable.

As with most holidays, I’d lost track of the days.

Sunday.

Terrific. Very few busses.

A man working there was very helpful and despite some language difficulties we established that the 11:20am bus would take us to both Tanuki Lake and Shiraito Falls.

We were warned that we had to be on the bus returning at 4:35pm - the last of the day.

But after looking at the map and the warning about being left overnight at the lake, Mrs H decided that survival supplies were required.

The water, crisps, fruit and biscuits we already had in the backpack obviously wasn’t enough.

So we set off in search of a Seven Eleven.

We added the following life sustaining goods in case of disaster:
1 litre of coke
1 iced coffee
1 giant packet of corn chips
4 bread rolls
1 bean paste donut
1 pork cutlet sandwich

It was a health food extravaganza that would make Bear Grylls proud.

As we were leaving it occurred to Mrs H that this might be her last chance to use a toilet until the rescuers brought her to safety.

So while the girls queued for the Seven Eleven toilet, I wondered what childhood trauma would cause such fear of being lost in the Japanese wilderness.

Soon after we were back at the bus stop, still with 25 minutes to wait.

Boredom set in and Miss H decided to eat.

She took one bite of the cutlet sandwich, hit the English mustard and handed it over for me to finish.

She then began flapping her hands near her mouth as though she was trying to fly away and lunged for the iced coffee.

Amid the drama she had apparently forgotten she doesn’t like coffee.

That too was handed over for parental consumption.

Next it was on to the corn chips.

And a the donut.

By the time the bus arrived most of the rations had been eaten and our chances of surviving in the wilds of the urban fringes of Japan were rapidly diminishing.

As the bus arrived at the Tanuki Lake visitor centre about an hour later, we could see just the peak of Mt Fuji.

We raced out to the viewing terrace and snapped our way through 3 terabytes of photos just in case it was our only sighting.



But with that glimpse of Fuji I claimed a silent victory.

Any argument that we’d wasted a day, or that we should have stayed in Nagoya was neutralised.

The clouds were moving slowly north east (R-L in these pics), so I was optimistic the view may improve.



Given our limited survival supplies I headed into the cafe to buy two coffees for us, and a smoothie for Miss H.

On my return, the view had improved further.



But we couldn’t relax for long, because fear of missing the bus had kicked in.

So we set off to walk along Tanuki Lake.

After about 15 minutes we came to what I reckon could be one of the world’s best located campgrounds.



Tanuki Lake is considered one of the best spots from which to view Mt Fuji.

One reason is that for around 3 days, twice a year, the rising sun comes up directly above Fuji’s peak.

For just a couple of minutes on those rare days it creates an illusion of a diamond atop the mountain.

Plus if you’re lucky enough to have a calm day you can also get the reflection in the lake.


Photo credit: Tomoaki Kuribayashi

By the campground there’s also a nice boardwalk.

The fishing must be good because several people had rigged up their own platforms from which to wet a line.



We were fortunate to have such good weather and a nice view of Fuji.







But our fate, or perhaps my fate, hinged on my interpretation of the Sunday bus timetable.

So we walked on to the lower car park and waited for a bus due at 2:45pm.

By 2:55pm I was getting nervous.

 

[drron]

Now you have gone and spoiled the friendship.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I told you. You can have one of the pics!

 

[Captain Halliday]

Shiraito Falls

Standing by the roadside near a lake in semi-rural Japan, my fate would be determined by a bus company.

Miss H played with twigs and leaves, seemingly unaware that the bus was now ten minutes late.

Mrs H glared at me like a cobra waiting to strike.

As if to mock me, a bus approached travelling in the wrong direction.

But language was no barrier as the driver made a circling motion, then held up 5 fingers and tapped his wrist.

We were saved.

The bus returned and fifteen minutes down the road we arrived at Shiraito Falls.

These beautiful falls are technically one, but are split on either side of the visitor centre and tourists facilities.

We arrived from the West, first reaching the wider and IMHO more picturesque falls.



A curtain of water falls to the rock pool below.



You can view this part of the falls from a viewpoint off to the left (in the trees, top left of the pic below)...



or in the mist of the boardwalk that is next to the rock pool:



Even on a hot and humid day the combination of trees, mist and the natural bowl the waterfall has created made this a cool and relaxing spot.




From here there’s around 100 stairs to the visitor centre, some food stalls and shops selling the usual touristy things.

Next to the row of shops is a stream that leads to the other half of the falls.





It’s narrower, doesn’t fall quite as far, but carries a much larger volume of water.





To see it you need to climb onto a viewing platform up three steps high, but the steps are non-standard and very high.

Those with mobility issues or who have difficulty with steps may want to do more research on Shiraito Falls before planning a visit.

But this is a really beautiful spot and I’d highly recommend it.

In order to make the 3:45pm bus and not be abandoned on the fringe of suburbia with hundreds of other tourists we were at the bus stop by 3:30pm.

Three hours, one bus, two trains and one Shinkansen later we arrived back in Nagoya.

It was an excellent day out despite some of the anxiety.

I could have done with a massage to relieve the tension, but the very narrow and rather nocturnal span of hours made me think this wasn’t the type of massage I was after.



No massage. Quick dinner. Hot shower. Bed.

 

[Blinky]

Bumping this to thank you. My wife and I are travelling to Japan in May and were tossing up about an organised tour or getting a rail pass, booking hotels in the places we want to see, and winging it. After reading this thread, it will be the latter.

Did you find the Bunnings...........

 

[QF WP]

I think we must have both taken a hiatus in our TR posting @Captain Halliday. I thought you would have already have arrived home. Must get back to finish mine as well.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I’ve been guilted into resuming my TR by an unnamed moderator.

Funny how getting home and resuming “normal life” seems to absorb all the time you have for other things... like TR’s.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Forced to choose

After a wonderful two weeks in Japan we were almost ready for the next chapter in our adventure, Hawaii.

But before we left we had one final “tour” on the itinerary - the One World lounges at Narita.

We started at the JL Sakura lounge where it was busy, but there was still available seating.



But then I was forced to make a decision no person should ever have to face.

I had to choose between Mrs H and Miss H.

You see, as a WP I had access to the JL F lounge.

But I could only take one guest.

AFFers had warned me this rule was enforced strictly.

They were right.

No amount of Miss H’s cuteness would sway the polite, but determined lounge staff.

So while Mrs H caught a nap in the J lounge, Miss H and I headed upstairs for the F treatment.



While I sipped champagne and waited for my boots to be polished, Miss H attacked the food.

We gave only a fleeting thought to the horrors Mrs H was enduring downstairs.

But it was as though my champagne had been laced.

With every sip the taste of guilt became more bitter.

So an hour later we took our freshly polished footwear back downstairs to “save” Mrs H and get the crawl underway.

Having not tried the CX lounge at NRT we went there first.

It doesn’t warrant photos, and we stayed about as long as it took you to read this sentence.

Then it was off to the QF lounge.

We arrived just after opening time and well before the QF flights.

There was plenty of room...



And I enjoyed a taste of home.



But as AFFers would know, the food options are not extensive and we didn’t stay long before heading back to the JL lounges where the views are good.

 

[Captain Halliday]

A golden opportunity wasted

Arriving six hours before our flight allowed plenty of time for lounging and I had one last plan for getting all of us into the F lounge.

JL has two F lounges at NRT.

The entrance to each is virtually at the same spot, but one is up an escalator and they’re not connected, so you can’t move directly from one to another.

So I guested Mrs H into the one on the concourse level, then took Miss H for a walk through the terminal.

After half an hour or so we returned and presented our boarding passes at the upstairs F lounge and was rather surprised that we were both admitted.

So all three of us were in the F lounge... just not the same one.

Those who’ve visited both F lounges at NRT will know Mrs H was in the good bit, and Miss H and me were in the Clayton’s F lounge without windows, shoe shine service, showers, or sushi made to order.

Then it all started to unravel.

I sent a text to Mrs H:

Me: We are in the F lounge upstairs. Are you having a nice time?

Mrs H: Yes. I went downstairs to book a shower.

Me: Where are you?

Mrs H: In the lounge.

Me: Which one?

Mrs H: The one downstairs.

Me: F or J?

Mrs H: The one with the showers.

Me: They both have showers. F or J?

Mrs H: Stop speaking in letters.

Me: <assorted emojis that conveyed significant frustration>

To cut a long story short, Miss H and I reluctantly left the F lounge and made our way down the the J lounge to meet Mrs H.

The body language and steely expression on her face told me not to ask the next question.

But as a dedicated AFFer I needed to know.

It made no sense.

I knew there’d be consequences for asking.

But I couldn’t help it.

It just blurted out...

“Who in their right mind voluntarily leaves the F lounge for the J lounge?”

She didn’t answer.

In fact, she said nothing.

Not a single word.

So for the remainder of our time in Japan we sat in silence staring at our plane.



The great F lounge fiasco of 2018 has never been spoken of since.

 

[Major]

My advise is to never mention it again

 

[QF WP]

A great training point though - she’ll probably never care for Flounging - but Miss CH on the other hand...