airplane! She has steaming towels and behind her another stewardess pushes a
trolley with snacks and beverages. Just like an airplane. This is really first class!

We make only one stop at Nagoya along our way. The bullet train is a true
super express. After leaving Kyoto, it will continue on to Osaka and Kobe, the
largest coastal cities on the Inland Sea. As Randy had said it would, a TV tower
dominates the skyline at the Kyoto station, so I’m pretty sure I’m in the right place.

I’m spotted by a long-haired American about my age who is accompanied by
a gorgeous Japanese girl with very long black hair.

“Hi. How are you?” he queries.

“Good,” I reply.

“Been in Japan long?”

“Not very long. Couple of months.”

“I’m Ben. This is Aia-san.”

“Pleased to meet you both. I’m Morley,” say I, doing my best not to stare at
Aia-san. She is unusually tall, maybe taller than me, and unusually good-looking.

“What are you going to do in Kyoto?” Aia-san asks.

“I’m going to find a Zen temple to see what I can learn.”

“Got a place to stay?” asks Ben.

“Not yet. I’m going to look for a youth hostel.”

“No need for that,” says Ben. “There’s some space where we are living.
You can probably arrange something with the landlord until you find your temple.”

“That sounds pretty good! Let’s go.”

The three of us hop into a taxi and are soon at the front door of a house. Ben
(or is it Jim, or what?) introduces me to the landlord and interprets so the two of us
can make arrangements.

page:

45

Japanby Morley Evans

November 21, 2000