Author Archives: Dean Allen

About Dean Allen

Six continents in ten months! For much of 2014 and 2015, I shared a family sabbatical with my wife, son, and daughter. During Summer 2019, we took another round-the-world trip. I learned that I was at home while traveling. In this blog, I have described some of our experiences and the lessons we learned traveling the world. You will see my (Dean's) reflections at LDeanAllen.com and my daughter, Rachel's, reflections at RachelSeesTheWorld.wordpress.com. Now, we are at home. I (Dean) am a professor at Northwest Florida State College, and I encourage students to find the good life. My teaching is informed and enriched by my travel. I also serve as pastor of a congregation, seeking to foster a community in which people live their lives with deep meaning, fullness, and joy.

Go Set a Watchman

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I have the book! And I’m going to start reading Go Set a Watchman tonight.

I’ve read the reviews, and I’ve listened to the critics on NPR. I know that Atticus Finch is portrayed as a racist, and I know that many other readers have been disappointed. Still, I’m looking forward to reading this book.

In some ways, I feel a bit like Scout. I was a child when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird just as Scout was a child during Mockingbird’s action. Having grown up in a small town in the southern United States, I could relate to many of the things that Scout, Jem, and Dill encountered. I don’t remember a Boo Radley in my hometown, although there were plenty of characters around whom I felt at least a little uneasy.

And, like Scout, I knew racism. I heard it at school, and I knew the attitudes of many people around town. I saw the different sections in which people with different skin color lived. There was an invisible but very clear color line dividing our town.

I am thankful that my parents taught me to respect all people regardless of their racial or ethnic background. But I still knew and observed racism.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird again as an adult. I also listened to the audio book, and although I knew the story — although I knew that Tom Robinson would be falsely found guilty — still I cried when the verdict was announced. How could people treat someone else with such dismissive disdain and searing hatred, I wondered.

To prepare for Watchman’s release this week, my family watched Mockingbird on Monday night. Gregory Peck was just as calm and determined as always as Atticus Finch . I still felt the pit in my stomach during Tom’s trial.

And, now I have Watchman. Like Scout in Watchman, I’m older now (though I’m considerably older than Jean Louise in Watchman). I’m sure my perspectives have changed since childhood as Scout’s surely did.

While other readers have expressed frustration and disappointment with Jean Louise’s portrayal of Atticus, I’m looking forward to it. Much of the disappointment seems driven by people’s desire for a completely good, upright hero without flaws or blemishes.

I don’t think life happens that way, and I think it is heroic to do the right thing even if one has mixed motives and undesirable qualities. At this point, I think Atticus still is a hero.

I wonder what I’ll think after reading Go Set a Watchman.

Now, it’s time to read!

Best Chinese Food Ever!

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A few years ago, a teenager from our town traveled with her orchestra to China. Upon her return, I asked about her favorite memories. A big smile came across her face, and she said, “The food!” She quickly added, “I love our local Chinese restaurant, but the food in China was so much better.”

While traveling in China with my family, I enjoyed lots of delicious food. And with each great meal, I thought of that young lady. I agree with her; the food in China is delicious!

We had a number of delicious and memorable culinary experiences in China. While in Beijing, we stayed in an AirBnB apartment owned by an American family and run by Holly, a wonderful Chinese woman.

My wife, Lisa, with our Beijing host, Holly

We told Holly how much we love dumplings, and she agreed to teach us how to make them. She started with a trip to a local market, which I never could have found on my own. Walking from our apartment, we ventured off the main road and turned into a small side street that became a walking path. Eventually, we entered a nondescript building that held a bustling market filled with local produce and baked goods.

Then, we returned to our apartment where Holly led a cooking class for our family. She taught us to make the filling, which included pork, cabbage, carrots, onions, spices, vinegar, and soy sauce stir fried in the wok.

Then, she taught us how to mix flour and water with chopsticks until the dough was firm and ready to knead. Holly pinched off small bits, rolled them out, filled them, and cooked them in a pot of boiling water.

Then, we joined other Chinese friends from the neighborhood around the kitchen table eating lots of dumplings. Delicious and memorable!

We received another cooking lesson while in Beijing. We went to Mama’s Lunch for a dumpling and noodle lesson. Our gracious host and excellent teacher, Joyce, greeted us with tea and snacks before beginning the class. We made regular dumplings as well as green dumplings with spinach water and orange dumplings from pumpkin water. In addition to the traditional filling of pork and spices, Joyce taught us how to make a filling of scrambled eggs with chives.

We then shared a feast of boiled and fried dumplings. Delicious!

In addition to our cooking classes, we enjoyed wonderful meals in two restaurants. In Beijing, we shared a ten-course dinner at Black Sesame Kitchen that included five flavored eggplant, shredded lettuce stem, and black sesame ice for dessert! The restaurant is located in a hutong, a traditional neighborhood with narrow alleys and courtyard residences. The meal was pretty expensive, but it was a great treat for our family.

Finally, in Shanghai, we had a great meal of Xiaolongbao, soup dumplings cooked in steamer baskets. We ate at Din Tai Fung, a restaurant chain with several stores around Shanghai and other cities around the world. All dumplings have a thin skin and sixteen delicate folds, and they are filled with various broths. We especially loved the pork dumplings and the crab dumplings.

I still love Chinese food at home, but I have to agree with the young lady from our town. These meals in Beijing and Shanghai were the Best Chinese Food Ever!

Journey to The Great Wall of China

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I often have said that the journey is more important than the destination. While visiting the Great Wall of China, I learned again how true this saying can be. The journey to the Wall was fantastic, and while it did not top my joy of walking on the ancient structure, it was a great experience all its own.

When traveling, our family uses public transportation as much as possible. Our trip to the Great Wall of China was no different. And getting to the Wall by public transportation is very feasible, quite inexpensive, and a great adventure! If you have the chance, skip the tour group and go with the locals!

We took the Beijing Metro to the public bus stop where we waited for Bus 877, which would take us to Badaling, the section of the Wall most visited by tourists and foreign dignitaries. As a child, I remember seeing the 1972 picture of US President Richard Nixon walking on the Wall in a big winter coat with the furry collar. Nixon was at Badaling.

Bus 877 departs Beijing from the Deshengmen Arrow Tower, and the trip costs 12 RMB (about US$2) per person. After we boarded the bus, a helpful worker walked through the aisle taking money. We did not have exact change, but she made change for the four of us. Then, we settled into the sixty-five kilometer trip (about forty miles) that lasted a bit more than an hour.

Bus 877 was filled with Chinese people except for six foreigners — a German couple and our family of four Americans. Riding with the Chinese passengers, listening to them talk with each other, and watching them gaze out the windows as we caught our first glimpses of the Wall was a great experience. The ride was smooth, and we enjoyed our time on the bus. The journey was fantastic.

When we arrived at Badaling, we waded into a sea of people. Several tour guides yelled into megaphones, and loads of vendors sold all kinds of souvenirs and snacks. People swarmed around us, and groups pushed toward the ticket windows. Thankfully, we have taken many rides on crowded Metro trains, so the crowd did not dissuade us. In fact, I found it fascinating and fun.

The terrain at Badaling is very hilly, and the elevation change between the parking area and the Wall is pretty extreme. You can walk up to the Wall, but it is a steep climb. You can be whisked to the top in a cable car. Or, you can ride on pulley cars, which are sort-of toboggans that run along a rickety track. The pulley cars reminded me of the county fair where I grew up. The ride is thrilling at least partly because you are not sure you will make it to the end in one piece!

Pulley Car going up to Great Wall

At Badaling, you sit in a car, and the pulley car takes you up to the Wall. The ride up to the Wall was a fun surprise. And, the ride down the hill was even more fun. While riding down, a worker sat in the front car leading a string of about twenty cars. He seemed to control the speed and braking for all twenty cars by pulling on hand levers. Taking the pulley car made the journey almost as much fun as getting on the Wall.

And, then once we were up on the Wall, we had the thrill of walking around this ancient structure. As I walked, I thought of the millions of people who have walked there before me. I looked out from the wall at the beautiful landscape and thought about the Chinese empires it had protected. I watched people from many countries who had made this journey like our family.

Watch Tower on the Great Wall

Looking out from The Great Wall

As happened many times in China, friendly Chinese people asked if they could take a picture with someone from our family. Well, I suppose I could be more accurate. During our visit to China, lots of people asked if they could take a picture with our daughter, Rachel, some asked if they could snap a picture with our son, Jonathan, and a few asked if they could have a picture with my wife, Lisa. No one — not one single person — asked to take a picture with me. At one point, a person walked up to me with a camera and said, “Excuse me, sir.” “Yes,” I replied and began to smile expecting to have my picture taken. Then, the person continued: “Would you please take a picture of me with your daughter?” I was not a desirable subject!

Rachel on the Great Wall

After our ride down the pulley car, we had an easy return to Beijing on Bus 877. Then, we took the Metro back to our apartment. It was a great day at an iconic place. And, taking public transportation allowed us to save some money and, especially, have a great experience traveling with locals. The journey was almost as good as the destination.

The four of us on The Great Wall. I finally had someone take my picture!

Noah’s Ark in Shanghai

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During the Second World War, millions of Jews suffered humiliation, tragedy, and death. The treatment of Jews during this period is a horrible moment in human history.

As our family has traveled around the world, we have encountered a number of reminders of World War II and the Holocaust. We spent somber time at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Looking at pictures of adults and children the same age as our family made the horror real for our children. After our time there, we talked in depth about this time in human history.

While in Shanghai, we deepened our learning about the treatment of Jews during World War II. The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum tells the story of the 25,000 to 30,000 Jews who found safe refuge in Shanghai during this time. Housed in the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue in the Hongkou District and easily accessible by Subway Line 4, the museum offers regularly scheduled tours in English.

Our family spent an informative afternoon at the museum. Our helpful and kind volunteer guide told us the history of the synagogue and the experiences of Jews who found refuge in Shanghai. Despite Japanese occupation after 1937, the French Concession in Shanghai remained under European powers’ control. Shanghai was the only city in the world that did not require a visa for Jews to enter. As mistreatment of Jews increased during World War II, nearly 30,000 Jewish refugees moved to the city and established their lives there.

Jewish life was concentrated in the Shanghai International Settlement, which often was called Little Vienna because of the European-style cafes and shops. The nearly 30,000 Jews lived in close proximity with about 100,000 Chinese neighbors. Despite differences in language, history, and culture, the museum documents numerous cases of positive relationships between neighbors. While Jewish survivors left Shanghai following the war’s end, many returned through the years to thank their Shanghai friends. Photos and accounts of their reunions are a heart-warming part of the museum.

Although small, the museum contains exhibits, artifacts, a documentary film, and stories of survival. One of the survivors was Michael Blumenthal who later served as United States Secretary of the Treasury in the Carter Administration.

We spent much time looking at pictures and paintings to learn about the Jews who survived because of the welcome offered them in Shanghai. Some refer to the Jewish settlement in Shanghai as Noah’s Ark because Jews found refuge in Shanghai just as Noah, his family members, and animals found refuge during the great flood.

David Kranzler, a Holocaust survivor and noted historian, called the welcome offered to Jewish refugees the “miracle of Shanghai.” He said, “Within Jewry’s greatest tragedy, there shone a few bright lights. Among the brightest of these is the Shanghai haven.” Visiting the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum reminded me of the Righteous among the Nations at Yad Vashem. In a time shaped by tragedy, hatred, and horror, there were some examples of compassion, care, and survival. It is good and right for us to remember them.

Should you find yourself in Shanghai, I encourage you to venture beyond The Bund and the Shanghai Pearl. Enjoy those places, but also take time to visit the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Look at the pictures. Read the stories. Imagine life in Little Vienna. Picture reunions in the years after World War II.

It is well worth your time.

Experiencing China with Locals

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During our round-the-world adventure, we have tried to experience life as much like local people as possible. While we know this is impossible, we still think it provides an important glimpse into the lives of the people we encounter in different places. Rick Steves, the travel specialist, calls this traveling through the back door.

The goal of living as much like locals as possible has shaped many decisions during our trip. For example, we have chosen to stay in people’s homes rather than in hotels. By house sitting in South Africa, France, New Zealand, and Australia, we have lived in the homes of wonderful people and befriended their neighbors, which has been a very special gift during our travels. When not house sitting, we have booked apartments and rooms through AirBnB, which has meant that we lived in ordinary apartments in regular neighborhoods.

My wife, Lisa, with our Beijing host, Holly

We also have taken public transportation as much as possible. While we could have taken taxis to get from Point A to Point B, we have climbed aboard city buses and subways along with local people. More than simply helping our budget, this has allowed us to stand side-by-side with locals making their way to work or school or the market.

We also have spent time walking the streets in cities and towns that have been our home. We have shopped at local markets and joined in local celebrations. Through our stumbling attempts to speak different languages and a comical series of charades acting out our words, we have communicated with people across the world. And, with very, very few exceptions, we have found people everywhere to be kind, caring, and helpful.

While in Beijing, China, we went to Tiananmen Square. Rather than joining a tour group, we took the excellent Beijing Metro from our apartment to Tiananmen Square. And, we timed our visit to coincide with the flag-lowering ceremony at sunset. About an hour before sunset, a crowd began forming around the large flag in Tiananmen Square near the Forbidden City. Once the ceremony began, we were some of the very few international people in the crowd of 1,000 or more.

Chinese Flag in Tiananmen Square

As soldiers lowered the flag and marched with it to the Forbidden City, I could see the pride on the faces of Chinese people with whom I was standing. I thought of times I have enjoyed patriotic celebrations in the United States, my home country, and I was reminded that love of one’s home land is prevalent around the world.

By encountering life with locals, my wife, our children, and I have learned that people the world over are far more alike than they are different. In China, people live under a different social and political system than the one I know in the United States, but when I rode with them on buses or the Metro, when I shopped with them at markets, and when I saw them taking their children to school, I realized anew that our deepest concerns and most of our daily activities are really very similar.

Great Times in Sydney

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One of the highlights of our round-the-world adventure has been spending time with my parents, first in Israel/Palestine in October and second in Sydney in April. We planned our travel to coincide with my parents’ trip to Sydney, and we had a great time together. We spent many hours laughing and making jokes as we always do, and oh yeah, we also saw some great sites.

We met Mom and Dad at Sydney Airport after their long flight from the United States, and they were amazingly awake and cheerful. Rather than resting for a couple of hours as we had anticipated, they were ready to tour the city. We had a great introduction to Sydney thanks to I’m Free Tours. The idea is that you take the free tour, in our case a two-and-a-half hour overview of the city, without paying. Then, you tip the guide at the end. It was great, and I recommend it to anyone in Sydney.

On Sunday, Mom and Dad were up early (just like at home), and we joined St. Stephen’s Uniting Church for Palm Sunday worship. On Sunday afternoon, we headed to Bondi Beach for the beautiful walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach.

On Monday, we headed west to the Blue Mountains where we saw the Three Sisters rock formation. I learned that the blue in the Blue Mountains comes from oils released by eucalyptus trees.

We visited Featherdale Wildlife Park so Mom and Dad could see koalas and kangaroos.

We learned about Aboriginal culture on a Sydney Harbor cruise with the Tribal Warrior Association, which provides education for indigenous and non-indigenous people. We listened to a didgeridoo, practiced indigenous dances, and learned about Aboriginal peoples in Sydney and beyond.

We enjoyed Sydney Harbor and shared a picnic in the Royal Botanic Garden.

The highlight of our time came from two performances at the Sydney Opera House. The first was J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion inside the opera house, and the second was Verdi’s Aida on the harbor with the opera house as the backdrop.

Jesus’ words sung in Bach’s St. John Passion were deeply moving: “Es ist vollbracht!” “It is accomplished!” And the chorus’ words, “Ruht wohl” (“Rest well”), shaped my experience of Holy Week.

Aida was on a grand scale. The head of Nefertiti, which towers over the stage, is eighteen meters (nearly sixty feet) tall. The show was outside in the elements, and the pouring rain, whose arrival coincided with the Triumphal March, only made our experience more memorable. We donned ponchos and stayed until the end when Aida and Radames died as the orchestra’a music faded away.

Our time ended in Circular Quay when we took Mom and Dad to their cruise ship. Happily aboard, they can rest, and we will too! But we will have wonderful memories of our time Down Under.

Great Barrier Reef

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The Great Barrier Reef was at the top of our list of things to do in Australia, and our time there exceeded our expectations. We decided to stay in Cairns, Queensland. Despite being chased by Cyclone Nathan (see my earlier blog post), we loved our time in Cairns with its warm weather, delicious tropical fruit, and friendly people.

From Cairns, we traveled by large catamaran to Green Island to spend three wonderful days at the Green Island Resort (one of the few splurges during our round-the-world adventure). Green Island is about 27 kilometers (nearly 17 miles) off the coast of Cairns. While at the resort, we enjoyed snorkeling, glass-bottom boat rides, wind surfing, nature walks, star gazing, and sea kayaking. We saw many beautiful fish such as groupers and reef sharks and many Green Sea Turtles.

During one of our days at Green Island, we traveled to Norman Reef, which is farther offshore and has greater visibility in the water. The highlight of our time there was snorkeling. All four of us donned stinger suits, which protect you from jelly fish. The suits are skin tight and keep no secrets. Someone said that they are effective because jelly fish are too busy laughing at you to sting you.

While trying to get into my stinger suit, I nearly pulled a muscle and eventually laughed so hard that I cried. My wife, son, and daughter heard me grunting and groaning while trying to get into my suit. After much effort, I finally had both legs covered, but I could only fit one arm in the suit. And, the suit was so tight that I could not stand up straight. Finally, I came out of the bathroom bent over and pleading for help. My wife tried to pull the suit over my shoulder to insert my second arm, but it would not budge. At that point, I looked at my ten-year-old daughter, Rachel, standing quite comfortably beside me in a very baggy stinger suit. Then, I realized that we had switched suits. By this point, I was doubled over laughing with tears streaming down my face. After much effort to get out of Rachel’s suit (I’m not sure if it was harder to get into the tiny suit or to get our of it…), I put on my adult-size suit and was ready to snorkel.

It was glorious! I have been snorkeling in a number of places, and I enjoy it very much. But, this was spectacular! The colors were vibrant, the varieties of coral amazing, and the fish plentiful. I loved floating at the surface, silently watching fish and looking at the beautiful coral. Just then, I experienced the highlight of snorkeling — and indeed of my time at the Great Barrier Reef.

I was all alone when I spotted a Green Sea Turtle feeding about two meters (six feet) below me in the water. I spent a long time watching the turtle feed below the surface and come up for air. I thought, “I wish Lisa, Jonathan, and Rachel could see this.” I looked around and, thankfully, spotted them. They swam over, and together, all four of us spent a long time watching this amazing creature.

For me, the highlight was not only being so close to such a beautiful animal but also sharing this experience with my wife, son, and daughter. I thought, “This experience — and these moments together — have been worth all the effort to get here.”

Chased by a Cyclone

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As we prepared to travel to Cairns, Australia, for our visit to the Great Barrier Reef, a news item caught our attention. Almost in passing, the television news anchor said, “A tropical cyclone is off the coast of northern Queensland.” We paid close attention and learned about Tropical Cyclone Nathan, which would become our companion and nemesis for several days.

Because we are veterans of hurricanes on Florida’s Gulf Coast, we know to keep an eye on the storm forecast while making our plans. And we know that such plans are subject to change if a storm changes direction.

As we arrived at Trinity Beach, just north of Cairns, Nathan was offshore churning west toward the coast. The waves were higher than normal with plenty of rain, but Nathan then veered north and started heading away from land.

As planned, we travelled to Green Island and Norman Reef (more on our time on the Great Barrier Reef in a future blog post). While at Green Island with its beautiful weather, I saw the newspaper headline, “Second Coming,” warning of Nathan’s u-turn and return toward land.

Our time at Green Island was excellent, but the twenty-seven kilometer catamaran ride back to Cairns was rocky and windy. The crew was helpful and kindly provided seasickness bags to many passengers. Thankfully, we did not need them!

We returned to Trinity Beach and waited. We regularly checked the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s website for updates. After heading away a few days before, Nathan was coming back even stronger. The storm was expected to intensify to a Category 3 or 4 Cyclone.

We joined heaps of Australians at the market buying bottled water and canned food. It reminded me of empty shelves of milk and bread when snow is forecast in the American South. Our host graciously said that we could come to her hillside home should the storm bear down on us.

What happened?

Tropical Cyclone Nathan eventually turned north and came ashore far away from us. We had periods of rain and higher than usual tides, but these gave us a great chance to catch up on reading as we enjoyed canned food and delicious bottles of water. After a couple of days, the skies cleared, the waves settled down, and beautiful weather returned.

All was well!

Ten Things I Loved about Japan

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Our family had a great time in Japan. While I loved many things about Japan, here are ten things I especially loved:

1. Excellent Rail System

During our round-the-world trip, we often have rented cars to travel in different countries. I am a big proponent of public transportation, but with four travelers, it often is cheaper to have a rental car than to buy tickets for each one of us. Plus, a rental car provides flexibility. In Japan, however, we used the train system to travel, and it was a great decision for our family. We purchased a Japan Rail Pass, which you must buy outside of Japan, and it allowed us to travel between major cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. At times, such as in Hiroshima, the JR Pass allowed us to travel on buses, and in Tokyo, we used our JR Pass on many subway lines. We also used the JR Pass to travel by monorail to Tokyo’s Narita Airport for our departing flight. It was well worth the expense and saved us considerable time and money.

2. Shinkansen (Bullet Trains)

While the bullet trains are part of the rail system, they deserve special mention. All four of us are big fans of the bullet trains! We loved the fast and smooth rides as we traveled around the country. Here’s a tip: if you arrive at a station with enough time, you may stop by a ticket office and get a reserved seat on the bullet train, which we did on a number of occasions. If you are rushing to make a train, which you can be sure will depart right on time, then you can ride in certain cars without a reserved seat. We did this a number of times, and it was just as comfortable.

3. Biking around Kyoto

During our stay at the Apple House in Kyoto (a house we highly recommend with a wonderful host, Hiroko James,), we used two bicycles that Hiroko provided and rented two more bikes. We pedaled our way around Kyoto, which was both good exercise and a fantastic way to see the city. It is easy to park a bike nearly anywhere in Kyoto. In many cases, you can simply park outside a building on the sidewalk with other bikes, or you may use bicycle parking stations located throughout the city.

4. Japanese Food

We ate, and ate, and ate across Japan. And the food was delicious! From a Japanese breakfast at Ryokan Yamakazi (a traditional Japanese inn); to sushi; to noodles; to Syojin Ryori, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine at Shukubo Eko-in Temple in Koyasan; to steamed buns; to dumplings and tempura, the food was excellent. Here’s a tip: for the best prices, purchase excellent prepared food in grocery stores or in food markets on the bottom floors of department stores. I loved Japanese food before visiting the country; I crave it now! (In fact, I had it for lunch today!)

5. Japanese Architecture

Thankfully, we were able to stay at places with traditional features such as tatami (straw mats), futon (sleeping mattresses), shoji (sliding doors), and sento (Japanese baths). Loved them!

6. Samurai

We learned about samurai, military nobility of feudal Japan, who are not to be confused with ninja, more mercenary fighters. We had a great time at Samurai Kembo in Kyoto. It’s a bit expensive, but if you have a chance to go, I encourage you to do it. We are glad we did!

7. Japanese Traditions

Thanks to my wife, Lisa, who took the lead in organizing and booking our Japanese trip, we enjoyed special experiences of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and Kimono. All four of us participated in a tea ceremony, and in another adventure, Lisa and our daughter, Rachel, were dressed in Kimono.

8. History

I have written in a previous blog post about our trip to Hiroshima, which was chilling and moving, and I am grateful to learn more about this part of Japan’s history. Japan’s history, of course, is much, much longer, wider, and deeper than World War II, and I loved learning more about Japanese history with special attention to its religious history.

Floating Torii gate at Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, Miyajima

9. Japanese Machines

If there is a way to enhance life through automation, I think the Japanese have found it. We loved the ubiquitous vending machines, which dispensed both hot and cold drinks from the same machine. Some vending machines will even scan your body and suggest the drink you should select. While the vending machines were fun and nice, the Japanese toilets were the best machine by far! With a number of features such as heated seats and built in warm-water bidet functions, Japanese toilets are the best I have ever encountered. We are trying to determine how we can have one installed in our home in the United States.

Notice the hand washing basin at the top of the toilet

10. Kindness of People

We fell in love with Japanese people. We left Japan with new friends who showered us with kindness: Hiroko James, Naoto Nakamura, and Ryuichi Tsubuku. We also were treated with kindness by countless people such as fellow passengers on trains, workers at markets, officials at train stations, and one dear man who took about fifteen minutes to walk us through streets of Tokyo to show us our destination. While we bowed and said, “Arigato, Thank you,” it was not nearly enough to convey our true gratitude for their kindness.

Koyasan, Japan

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My wife, Lisa, in our room

After an excellent trip on Japan’s amazing train system, we rode the funicular up Mount Koya to Koyasan. February temperatures were cold, and snow covered the ground.

Koyasan was founded 1200 years ago by the Buddhist priest Kukai who was posthumously known as Kobu Daishi, and it remains an active monastic center in Esoteric Buddhism. Many of the temples receive guests in a Shukubo, an accommodation that is part of their activities, and we stayed at Shukubo Eko-in Temple.

The temple grounds are peaceful, and our accommodations were excellent. We appreciated many traditional Japanese details such as shoji (sliding doors), straw tatami mats on the floor, sleeping on futons, kotatsu (a low table on the floor with a heater underneath to keep your legs warm), green tea, yukata (casual robes), wearing slippers after removing our shoes, and onsen (hot baths with natural mineral water supplied from the Koyasan mountains).

Goma Fire Ritual

Guests are invited to participate in the temple’s services, and we joined monks and other guests in an evening meditation service, which they graciously led in English as well as Japanese. As we meditated, I could see my breath in the cold air of the temple. The following morning, we attended the main morning service and a Goma Fire Ritual, which is believed to have cleansing effects physically and spiritually.

The delicious food was Syojin Ryori, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, and we were served on trays in a private dining room.

One of my highlights was sitting with my children in worship experiences that were very different from those they have known in our Christian church. They noted both similarities (candles, sacred books, prayers, monetary offerings) and differences (sitting on the floor, a drum and gong, food on the altar, Buddhist monks).

Photo of dinner taken by my son, Jonathan

One of my hopes in our round-the-world adventure is to allow our children to experience things that are both similar to and different from their regular lives — and to find that good things occur in a variety of places.

I think that happened at Shukubo Eko-in Temple.

The Good Life

Reflections on Faithful Living by Dean Allen

Author Archives: Dean Allen

About Dean Allen

Go Set a Watchman

Best Chinese Food Ever!

Journey to The Great Wall of China

Noah’s Ark in Shanghai

Experiencing China with Locals

Great Times in Sydney

Great Barrier Reef

Chased by a Cyclone

Ten Things I Loved about Japan

Koyasan, Japan