I cannot even begin to tell you how much I am dreading the flight home. The one thought sustaining me is that my cat is waiting for me, impatient for my return and still suspicious of the people housing him. My fear of flying is next to nothing compared to his distrust, paranoia, and feelings of stark terror toward strangers (read: anyone he has not known for years and through some complicated alchemy of emotion claimed as his own).

Also, I am beginning to suspect Japan is not super great for my health.

( Cut for a rather pathetic catalogue of my injuries )

A much better list is one that includes things I have managed to do on vacation. I suspect it will have to wait until I am home, though much of it has been included in previous updates. I could also try to post a list of my faults and triumphs as a consumer whore while in Japan, but that would spoil any surprises for souvenirs, and I need no reminders of my shame and joy.

Now, I am going to eye Porn Battle VIII for a bit with a gleeful air and contemplate whether to leave prompts while I can. Likely, there will also be a bit of staring woefully at Remix Redux because my qualifying fandom isn't there anymore, and I don't have a proper round-up of all the HP fic, and I think it will be closed by the time I am actually back home. Then again, we aren't leaving for another forty minutes, so--hm. There may be frantic last minute applying on my part. I mean, it is my favorite exchange/challenge ever, yes, including Yuletide. Or maybe just volunteering to be a pinch hitter. Or, well, dithering until my time runs out. That also works! . . .

Last day in Kyoto and second to last full day in Japan. I injured my hand, so this and any responses to anyone will have to be brief (or, in the case of responses, wait until I'm home and the hand has healed a little). Kyoto is gorgeous as always, and the hotel I booked us because it had nonsmoking rooms and was on sale is especially gorgeous and comfortable. I want to take half the furniture home with me. It also has two gardens and a huge birdwatching trail with a few more gardens and an observation area at the top of the mountain.

By now I've taken over 1200 photographs, so once we're home and have the connector for the digital camera, I'll start posting some of my favorites.

Everything has been wonderful, except my tendency to be prone to injuries while traveling. On the plus side, moving my hand is not as bad this morning, and if I don't touch the side I struck it or move the phalanges associated with my pinky finger too much, it seems fine, if a little ugly in its own bruised and bumpy way. The swelling has also gone down in the past two days. \o/

I had french toast for breakfast this morning and the little inari sushi that remained from yesterday as dessert, which was the best of all meals. Last night, we stopped at a Starbucks on the river and sat on the porch facing over it. Two young men were sitting under the bridge with guitars and a harmonica, singing and strumming. For a few minutes, they played a little of "Tears in Heaven" and sang it in Japanese. A darling, awesome woman in a shop gave my mother and I a sakura phone strap of our choosing each as a gift after I complimented pretty much everything in her shop as being awesome and adorably cute. Mostly, our trip has been filled with such moments of unexpected joy or simple happiness.