busy, busy, busy

I haven't been overrun socially, although things have been quite busy at work. It's just that my mom is here and I don't want to take time away from hanging out with her. I haven't even been to the gym for 2 weeks!

We spent 5 days in Mie-ken at our friend Michiko's, which was absolutely lovely. We went to several onsen, which is truly the most wonderful thing to do in the winter in Japan - especially if you are staying in a Japanese house! Just a few minutes (well, maybe 30) in scaldingly hot water will keep you warm for hours and hours. We went to the Ise shrine and then saw a wedding at the wedded rocks.

Still no word on where we are going next, but the list has narrowed and changed somewhat, to include Havana (still) and Dakar (new...). Dakar, you say... I've heard of that - quick, run and grab an atlas - that's what I did. Cuba remains our first choice, but it is good to have a backup. Dakar would be a new kind of challenge, the first of which will be the language - French. This will either be a great bonus, or a huge hassle. Or both.

While Dakar might sound like a crazy idea, it has allowed me to sleep. It feels good to have a backup option, and to have the possibility of more challenge and adventure.

We shall see...