Monday, Apr 16th, Sapporo, Japan

Greetings!

From the southern most part of Japan to almost the northern most, we flew today.  Nagasaki to Sapporo took from just after breakfast to just before dinner.  

But before we talk about today, I really have to tell you a little more about yesterday.  Though Pat and I hung out at the hotel in the afternoon and early evening, our traveling friends decided to spend some time at the Nagasaki Peace Park and take the rope lift to the top of a hill to see the lights of the city after dark.  This morning, they all said the Peace Park and evening lights were absolutely overwhelmingly moving and beautiful, and we all made plans to assemble some of their photos and some guest narrative at the end of the tour to bring the experience to all of you.  I will be very grateful to them for the addition, and Pat and I are sorry to have missed it.

And now to dinner.  Sapporo is located on the island of Hokkaido, which was the home of the Ainu people until their almost assimilation in the last twenty years.  We're hoping to be able to stop by a store featuring Ainu crafts tomorrow.

Over a hundred years ago, Ainu and others in Hokkaido were raising sheep and eating lamb meat.  The wool was needed to keep them warm, and the lamb diet was thought to have originated in their Mongolian warrior ancestors.  The specific dish we had tonight is called Jingisukan (Genghis Khan), and the fact that we were having it in the Sapporo Brewery didn't hurt our generally upbeat spirits.  Cooking itt at the table over what looked  like an overturned warrior helmet added to the revelry.  Now if we can just get the grease and smoke out of our clothes.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, Apr 16th, Sapporo, Japan.