What time is it? What day is it?

October 21

Kansai Airport is spacious and orderly, but I am tired and disoriented. It takes longer than I'd hoped to get out. Staff here don't speak as much English as I had been led to believe. I feel very anxious about not having a room booked for the night yet.

Looking out the train window, everything is so neat and new and wonderful - even the broken-down buildings.

We reach Fukuyama just after supper time. There is no English at the tourist office. We panic and call our friend Dave. It will be a couple of hours until he gets off work and can rescue us.

There is a young guy sitting on the pavement outside the station playing classic American rock on his guitar. Boys and girls are strutting around on the street like peacocks in their carefully contrived designer outfits and huge hair. I feel so tired and helpless by the time Dave appears.
(to be continued)