adventures: To Kanazawa

We left our loft-like apartment in the back streets of Kyoto for the uncertainness of Kanazawa.

The taxi to the station was again about $8.00 and worth it. White lace covers on the seats and gloves are common. Every car is blindingly bright and spotless and with taxis, a source of pride.

Another train station and we are becoming familiar with the order and method. This platform was a good mathsy one - being zero. An hour is a good time allowance and means less stress and more time to explore vending machines. They have hot and cold drinks and at this station, creamed corn served hot, in a can, for about $1.50 - all from a machine.

Bullet trains speed through or pull up at a precise line on the platform. Sometimes there are local trains, still fast but not as fast as the bullet trains. You can set your watch by the trains here. They are clean, fast and at the terminus met by teams of cleaners, all in spotless uniforms, who sweep and clean, change the seat covers, collect rubbish, and check the carriages. I am glad they check the carriages.

My wallet fell out of my bag on this trip.

I realised when we arrived at our hotel (just up the road).

The concierge rang and found out that one of the cleaners had found it under my seat (5B on carriage 9) and it was at the ticket office at Toyama. They can post it to me but it will take 3 days, or I could pick it up at Toyama station.

The express train took us there (free on our Japan Rail Pass) in an hour and there it was - complete.

Thank you honest and diligent Japan Rail people!!! and helpful hotel staff person!!!!

At the entrance to the station there is a water fountain that changes water height, tells you the time and other information all in the changing water spouts. I like it when it says WELCOME.

Ridges and bumps line the streets and can make the wheels on the bags wobble but are actually Braille tiles that have a pattern that tells when a corner is coming and when to go straight. They are all over the place.