Photoessay #960 - Our Japan trip

That's a snow leopard for a photo. What does a snow leopard have to do with our Japan trip? Read on.

Our Japan trip is coming together, big time. I knew we needed to decide on the dates, just decide and then we could look for flights. Dennis and I came to an agreement April 15- April 26. Thanks to my friend Gin who likes to plan trips for her assistance and ideas. I had been watching the fares a bit. Ranged from $850 on up with most in the $1200-$1400 range. No Seattle-Tokyo nonstops at a decent price. Depending on the day, the best deals were through Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Really wanted a non-stop. What's up with that? Seattle is a major Pacific rim port of entry. Then Gin and I came upon a new site vayama.com and over an hour or so, they offered the United Air Lines non-stop on those days for $816. Go for it! Go for it!

Gin and I studied the map. Where's Yamagata, Tokyo, Kyoto? What about those bullet trains? When I hang up, I decide to try to call Nobuko. Nobuko had mentioned her daughter Natsuko, a graduate student in Tokyo, she could show us around, Nobuko would talk to her.

Phone rings, it's Natsuko! I start going on about our trip. Oh yes, she would be glad to show us around. But she has something else. She's coming to Seattle for two weeks at the end of the March to work with the Snow Leopard Trust.

From her post to me

I am Natsuko, 29years old, graduate school student studying animal conservation and human-animal relations in Cultural Anthropolog. Conservation of Snow Leopard, which lives in high mountains in central Asia, is one of my research theme. Ive got a small fund for my visiting to the Snow leopard conservation organization in Seattle.

Maybe, could we help her find a place to stay? I look it up, the Snow Leopard trust is in Wallingford, she can stay with us! I'm sure she can work out the bus. So Natsuiko will be here for twoo weeks and then two weeks later, we go to Japan. How cool is that?

I check out the Snow Leopard Trust. Thir modest office is at the Good Shepherd Center. I check it out after my team meeting in Wallingford this morning. I am really looking forward to learning more about Snow Leopards!