Chapter 47: CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

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CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

"Well, little buddy," as we were slowly putting around all the clutter of the Kobe car ferry terminal, "We're heading home!"

Be-beep!

"But I do need to stop at that coffee shop for their morning service breakfast first or I won't have enough energy to get us back to Kyoto. And their strong coffee will help wake me up. Damn, I hate it when that steward bangs on the cabin door at 4:30am! But don't worry, little buddy. I won't take anywhere near as long as last time. I feel sleepy and hungry, not hung over this time."

Be-beep!

All the tables were taken with the drivers and passengers of all the cars and trucks that had been off loaded before us bikers. Was I going to have to wait just to sit down?

But a waitress waved and pointed to a small table she was cleaning and setting up after a customer that must have just left. I gave my order of strong coffee that included the morning service breakfast. Which came quickly. I ate and drank it almost as quickly.

Twisting around all the huge pillars on Route 43 with the Meishin Expressway grumbling away loudly above us didn't bother me as much this time. I was getting somewhat used to it by now.

Again Route 171 was jammed with trucks and cars barreling by us at 70 and 80 and 90, while my poor cub could only putt us at the 50 speed limit. "Keep going, little buddy. Only about an hour more of this torture and then we're home!"

Beeep!

"Well, here we are back at my apartment, little buddy. Feels good, huh?"

Be-beep!

But we had gotten back so quickly, it wasn't even noon yet. How was I going to kill that much time before my usual restaurant opened for dinner?

I bought a beef and lettuce sandwich at that nearby convenience store for lunch and rested in my apartment for a few hours. Then I decided to walk to that shrine I went to for Oshogatsu. There were nowhere near as many people there as during Oshogatsu, of course. But I needed the exercise to get all the kinks out of my body after being cramped up in that car ferry even if I was going first class.

By the time I got back to my apartment and changed clothes, the restaurant I usually ate at was already open and I went to eat there right away even though it was still early. I was surprised that the food I ate still tasted really good even if it wasn't steamed suzuki. Maybe I was getting tired of it after having eaten it so many times?

At any rate, I was still tired from all that driving on crowded roads. I watched a few of my not so favorite TV shows and went to bed early.

"Well little buddy, I've still got a few days left before I start teaching classes at my college. So let's take that three hour circle route just north of Kyoto. I don't feel like staying at either the minshuku or the kokuminshukusha this time. I stayed at plenty of them in Shikoku. I just want to enjoy being in my own apartment and sleeping in my own sleeping futon for the next few nights."

Be-beep!

Submitted: June 29, 2024

Romance romance japan gaijin travel-in-japan japan-1970s

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Comments

B Douglas Slack

I've traveled by ferry a couple of times in Hong Kong. There is a strictly enforced priority system much the same as you describe. The trucks and cars get off first, followed by First Class, and then the others. I does tend to crowd the terminal and other close0-by facilities--including the rest rooms. It can be a long wait.

Bill

Tue, July 9th, 2024 8:45pm