Japan, the first installment

So. I've been back from Japan for eight days now. Other than a couple more days of exhaustion and sleepless nights than I anticipated, it was a pretty smooth transition, and I'm back to fantasizing about living elsewhere and stuff.

The trip was more tiring than I'd anticipated. I knew it was going to be hot as hell, but he planned tours didn't sound all that strenuous -- half-day bus trips around Tokyo and Kyoto and a bus tour around Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi -- and we had plenty of free time and nice hotels. Easy, right?

( Not so fast. )