The West Commences: Planning trips

Jay and I talked more this morning about our trip to Kyoto. I had booked a hotel for us last week because I like checking out sites on the Internet and couldn’t resist the temptation of being able to book with no down payment and then cancel within 3 days of the date of arrival. I think I’m getting better at organizing trips. I started on Hostel World looking for hostels because that worked well for us in Beijing, but I couldn’t find a hostel in Kyoto that had private bathrooms, which we want. Then I started looking at ryokans, a traditional Japanese accommodation with mat floors and futons to sleep on. Some looked fine, but there was always something wrong, usually to do with locations that were remote or facilities that seemed ‘sketchy’. Then I started thinking that May and the girls have had the Korean experience of sleeping on mats on a heated floor many times, as has Jay, and I even tried it when we went hiking at Seoraksan National Park the first time I visited them. So I followed the advice of a friend who has planned a lot of holidays using Booking.com. I found a great hotel that is well located for walking to most sites. We will have 3 days and nights to wander around Kyoto. Jay and May are going to get the tickets on Peach Airlines to get us from Incheon to Osaka because although I found the site, it was difficult to use, especially the conversion from yen to Canadian dollars. After Skyping with Jay, I went on Expedia.ca and booked my flights to Korea and back. I will leave Kelowna on Friday, Sept. 19 and arrive in Incheon on Sat. Sept. 20. Coming back, I will leave Incheon on Sat., Oct. 25 and arrive back in Kelowna before I left. The wonders of time and space still delight and elude me.

I had my last ski of the season on Saturday. The conditions were wonderful. There was nothing spring-like about the snow; although, it was quite sunny and the air seemed warm, about 0c. I’m sad that I won’t be getting any spring skiing in the heat on corn snow, but, on the other hand, I plan to drive into real spring in Victoria on Wednesday. Within about 5 hours I will go from white to pink. Barbara and mom tell me that the blossoms are out and the ‘pink rain’ is beginning to fall.

I am moving up in the world of the Vernon Outdoors Club. On Friday, I scouted a Ramble in Kalamalka Park with a friend, Jenny. She and I will co-lead it on Tuesday. That is if she is feeling better. She felt sick on the Sunday hike and had to turn back. I talked with her this morning, and she feels better but not great, so I might be rocketed into the lead position alone. That’s a bit daunting because even though the Rambles are much easier than the hikes, I can get lost anywhere with no effort. If we make it out of Kal Park on Tuesday afternoon, I will leave for Victoria on Wednesday morning. That too might be a challenge because I am thinking of going up to Kamloops and over to Hope on Highway 1, along the Thompson and Fraser Rivers. Bill says it’s scenic, and I’ve never traveled it. The Coquihalla has had a lot of snow this season and is still often either slushy or icy.