Travel Letters: Japan, 1934

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people were wearing and then went down town and got a bright yellow bathing suit for $ 1.95 and it fit very snugly and as 'Edmee?' said was even more scalloped out than hers. The first day she wore a kimona and a sort of coat but soon just one of them, and she ran about in and out of the water and looked suprisingly well, though her place to sit on is unusually large and didn't look any smaller covered with yellow jersey.

Am enclosing clipping about Phil [La.e's] (Mr Keye's cousin ?) engagement to the girl who sang the songs in costume at Lake Louise. Do you remember?

Isn't it funny having to take fresh bread by Plane to Nantucket, butter & potatoes too. Wouldn't you think some one would be able to make bread enough on the island - I guess its purely an advertising stunt.

They have fresh strawberries on the island but are used mostly in short - cake. I doubt if they are as good as Concord ones.

To tell the truth I think the operas over the radio do seem rather long and get a tiny bit tiresome near the end, but then one has nothing to watch.

Last edit about 2 years ago by Barbara
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What a letter. It is now nearing eleven and we are packed & Pete already in bed. We had cocktails here with Mr Bonner 2nd Intermediate Engineer then Pete went down in the engine room with him as a real guide. then cocktails with him in his quarters, where we looked at his photographs. I feel I know the past of all the officers having looked at four albums so far. war pictures and all. Then dinner and liqueurs in our cabin with Mr

Vienol and 'Berner?', they talking until nearly ten.

So now goodbye for the mean - time. we reach Japan at the crack of dawn and I believe a boat leaves with mail

Our address. To Canadian Pacific. Yokahama. Loads of love to you all & do write a lot for we will be anxious for mail. So very much love to you Mother. Will think of you all the time.

Catherine {insert with different ink: over}

Last edit about 2 years ago by Barbara
m36_i_a_2b_i_94_03_38

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We are here in the harbor. Japanese sunrise [Sa.pa.s] and all Heaps of love from us {'all' struck out} both Catherine

Last edit about 2 years ago by Barbara
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For "O Edie San" look Please don't think of reading this at page 213 Vol. II all at once, there's too much of it of Japan Day - by - Day. I'm afraid - it also continues in my next

Saturday, March 24, 1934.

Dearest Mother,

Here we are, and I can hardly believe it even yet. and why in the devil you and Pete didn't get me here before now I can't imagine. I wouldn't miss the little I've seen already for anything. I could hardly believe all the things we saw. Japanese ladies with their hair in elaborate arrangement, little boys & girls too. everything fascinating even the most squalid districts which would compare to the train ride from Boston to Salem or Waltham.

I woke at four and was scared to sleep anymore in case we didn't wake up soon enough and by five I couldn't stay in bed much longer and it was growing light. Pete got up too and we were on deck by five thirty. There was the loveliest pinkish tint in the sky, exactly like the pictures one sees of Japan and everything was lovely and soft. The sea a silvery green. It was blowing a perfect gale and felt pretty cold. (Pete is standing by the window and every few seconds I have to jump up to see something go by. he also is talking a steady stream as well) We passed the five artificial islands grandpa speaks about in his book that were built in five months after 'Perry?' was here, at the entrance of the harbor. The outline of the shore was entirely different than anything I'd ever seen, though it was all low lying. Outside the headwater we anchored for quarentine Inspection and as the President Mc 'Kinley?' had arrived first we had to wait for her to finish being inspected. The little boats had quite a rough time

Last edit about 2 years ago by Barbara
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of it coming out, and the Mc Kinly even draged anchor and we could see in the distance it was quite exciting for a few moments as she went pretty close to another boat. The Harbor didn't look very strange. Something like any harbor, with large cranes and things in the ship building part and very handsome white stone buildings along the shore, which were new since the earthquake. Spanish looking. However there were several little 'sandpans?' {'sampans'}scurrying across the bay and fishermen going out. We even saw the flag they put on a stick which is tied to the line and when the fish bite it pulls the flag down, and then the fisherman go along side & pull in the fish. At least that is the way the Japanese fish in Honolulu.

We gave the bags and keys to the Imperial Hotel runner and so had no more to think of about bags and the passport & Doctor inspection was very easy once they got on board.

The pier we come alongside seemed very new and we caught our first real glimpse of Japan. There were several Japanese ladies on the dock in costume, one or two men too, and a cunning little boy with very pink cheeks and a soldiers cap and a white pinafore over his dark suit. A cunning little girl with bright green stockings and a red 'broad brimmed?' hat. There were some very thin and delicate looking 'sand pans?' {sampans'} near the pier. The size of row boats but very narrow and painted. It took some time to say goodbye to various people on board and any way there was no special hurry. We took a taxi to the Station, and tore along with the horns blowing and missing bycycles right and left. Driving on the left hand side of the street is always a bit nerve racking until you get used to it. There must be about one hundred bycycles to every car or may be more. At the pier on the end we first saw were heaps of bycyles and only one car. They have all sorts of ways to carry things on the forward

Last edit about 2 years ago by Barbara
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