Around the World in 300 Days

(sorry for all of the pictures at once - we just figured out how to upload them...so this will catch you up)

Konnichiwa!
We are slowly adjusting to life in Japan. Oliver is fixated with the fancy toilets (and some not so fancy) and Emmett is desperately hunting for pizza. The food for the rest of us is delicious: bento boxes with chicken or unagi (eel), pickled okra, rice, salad, miso soup, tempura, udon noodles and sushi. We are busily navigating the subways and train lines with Keith's good directions. Our Tokyo hotel is near the Shinjuku Station - one of the world's busiest with nearly 3 million users each day! Make that 3 million and four with us here. Oliver's new favorite place to be is the bathroom as the toilet is fascinating. Emmett decided he was happy to be in Japan while at the Nijo Castle in Kyoto and at the Pokemon Center in Tokyo. We are off tomorrow for a trip to Mt. Fuji and then will go up North with Uncle T-Bone to his old stomping grounds. It will be very different from Tokyo he keeps telling us. I guess that means no fancy toilets...Love to you all.

Well, good friends and family - we made it. After a minor delay in departure due to a visit from our evil little buddy, the stomach flu, we are now in Kyoto, Japan. Thanks to Jeanne for the early bird ride to the airport! Deb's brother, Uncle "t-bone" Travis met us at the Osaka aiport. A sight for tired and queasy eyes, Trav helped us navigate the Japanese Rail system and find our "quaint" Kyoto hotel. It is a Japanese style room consisting of basically 5 futon beds lined up on the floor. All was well until around 3am when both boys decided it was time to get up. Needless to say, we all are still a bit tired, but thrilled to be on our way after so much planning and dreaming. It hasn't really sunk in quite yet, the scope and length of this journey, but getting started is a great way to begin. More to come on the wonders of Japan, funky vending machines, cool micro cars, great food, orderly and polite people...