We're here

After nine days, six airports and four hotels, we finally touched down in Shanghai 上海 late this afternoon. First impressions include: it's humid; the traffic is worse than in Taiwan; fried rice is pretty cheap; and our house is huge. I'll blog more on life in Shanghai once we're settled in. For now, here are some photos from our last stop (Narita 成田, Japan) before reaching China:

Taking a walk along Narita's Omotesandō 表参道 in the evening after checking into our hotel. Finding a place to eat at 7 p.m. proved to be quite a challenge.

Preparations were being made for the city's summer Gion Matsuri 成田祇園祭り, a three-day celebration that began the day we flew out of Japan.

I don't always eat nattō 納豆, but when I do, it's usually because it's available at the hotel breakfast buffet.

My daughter poses at the entrance to Narita's premier sightseeing spot, Narita-san Shin-shōji Temple 成田山新勝寺. In the background, food and souvenir stands are being erected in preparation for the festival.

The main temple building and pagoda of Narita-san

It doesn't get more Japanese than posing in front of a stone lantern fronting a pond in Narita-san Park 成田山公園.

 Narita-san's Daitō 大塔, built in 1984

Amber poses on Omotesandō. In contrast to the previous evening, more stores and restaurants were open.

Amber and I battle the traffic on Narita's traditional shopping street

Force-feeding a monkey rice crackers 煎餅 and Calpis Soda カルピスソーダ. The camera adds about thirty pounds or so to one's frame.

Amber checks out the carp in the pond at the Narita Excel Hotel Tōkyū 成田エクセルホテル東急. After years of transiting Narita Airport 成田空港 on her way between Washington state and Taiwan, my daughter was excited to actually see a little of Japan other than the airport.