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Showing posts from July 3, 2011

Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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Prague was excellent. It was nicer than I thought it was going to be. No matter what your impression is about Prague, it is the place for "Pils" (the term taught to me by my brother's expatriated Czech friends) and the original Budweiser (Budvar). It is a great place for global convergence. The city is a bit like Venice, a bit like Amsterdam, but mostly it is like Prague. The big joke is when you are in a restaurant and you ask for the... "Czech." Most folks are very capable with English downtown. There are casinos, museums, blue-light, all in downtown and a whole lot of history (including recent important history). I spent time in the National Museum (well worth every second). It also occurred to me that my meeting attendees list sounds a little like the beginning of a interesting joke. You know, "an Englishman, five Finns, a Dutchman, three Germans, a Frenchman, a Scot, two Danes and an token American walk into a Bar..." We had a great meeting. ...
I have a lot to post. I have been in czech, switzerland. Back in the us, flying, bbqs, hiking, camping, airshows. The internet is down in ny. Tommorow. It should be up again. The storms have done a lot of damage.many photos to come.