[koibooi]

Day 3 – 15 October 2007

The hotel room was so small I could not swing a tosai Kohaku in it. The hotel room was so small I had to step out of the bathroom to dry my back after the shower. The hotel room was so small I had to step outside to change my mind. The list goes on … all I can say is that I have now experienced one of those small hotel rooms. You could not put two three quarter beds next to each other. I am tall and when my feet hung over the end of the bed they touched the wall. My pond at home is bigger than the hotel room. Enough said.

Kobooi decided to take the day out of koi watching and took the Shinkokan to Hiroshima. I can equate this trip to my visit to the Vietnam wall of remembrance in Washington or the Arlington National Cemetery. On 6 August 1945 a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The letters that state the reason for the Allied Forces to drop the bomb and how they decided on Hiroshima as the first target are up in the museum for all to see. I must say that I could not understand any of those reasons that caused the suffering and death of 90 000 – 140 000 people. It was a sad day for me today and a day of introspection. It was a day to think about my past, think about my life and my family, my wonderful wife and my blessed son and dream of our future. Make new dedications on building up what is important to me just like the Japanese have built up a massive economy following such a huge disaster. If ever you need a kick in the butt or need a reality check, go to www.wikipedia.com and search for Hiroshima. Follow the many other internet links and get to know a bit more about what our fathers and grandfathers have done and pray to who ever you believe in that you or your children or your grandchildren never have to make these kind of decisions.

On the train to Kakegawa, I eventually fell asleep only to be rudely awoken by a mumbling Japanese man in a uniform. I jumped up and bumped my head on the overhead compartment only to realize that it was the train conductor and he wanted to see my ticket. It was a good thing he asked for the ticket as a few stops later we climbed off and was met by a smiling Tekeda San. He is the president of Yamatake Fish Farm and did not speak a bad English. By this time one’s ear gets used to the Japanese pronunciations. His name is actually Mr. Katshushi Takeda but out of respect and honor, you address him by the surname and add the word “San” to make Tekeda San. (I hope there is no Japanese literary out on the web that reads my crude interpretations). He took us to the hotel to check in and then to his favorite restaurant. It was a small place close to his house and we were entertained in traditional Japanese style – sitting on the floor and being served dish after dish of exquisite food and drinking Japanese beer and Saki.

Back at the hotel I have a much bigger room and an upgraded bathroom cubicle – the toilet has a heated seat. Something else I also discovered in Japan – the internet connection in the room is for free but you have to pay for the television. In both hotels I stayed so far there were only 4 TV Japanese channels and if you want to watch anything else, you have to pay for it. I think I will watch You Tube until I am back in SA.

Tomorrow is going to start off with a visit to Yamatake koi farm. I have been promised fresh Eel for lunch and after lunch we are heading out to some more koi farms.

This is Koibooi on the move. E-speak to you soon.