Day 1 - Nov 22, 2005 - The Taxi's in Lima, Peru


My first trip in a Peruvian taxi was quite an "eye-opening" experience. After the doorman to our hotel found us a taxi we hopped in to the dilapidated old vehicle. Just before getting in we made sure to confirm the price of 10 Soles ($3 US) for the 20 minute ride (prices will be much higher if not negotiated in advance). As we hopped into the vehicle the doorman made sure to lock the passenger door and motioned for us to lock the passenger door on the other side of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle there were no seat belts, the taxi sign was not on top of the vehicle but rather on the dashboard in front of him. It looked like it may have been the driver's side-job on his way...

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Under normal circumsances passports are a reasonably priced form of identification but times are changing. Normal circumstances are few and far between these days. At least that's what my experience has shown.

The entire fiasco started over a year ago when on a family vacation to Hawaii. While visiting family and connecting to the Hilo Airport our waist pouch containing our identification dissappeared. A big deal you might think, but I really had no idea how big of a deal it really was.

We didn't realize our id was missing right away. Included in our id pouch were two passports for the adults, a citizenship card for our oldest daughter born in the United States and four boys' Canadian birth certificates. When travelling...

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First impressions of Japan

Coming to Japan has been quite an eye-opening and exciting experience. After only a few days in this country I have compiled a number of my first impression observations. Although these observations may not be standard or the case for all people visiting Japan for the first time, these are my experiences and points of view as they unfolded.

A few things to note. I traveled with a small group of 16 people on a small bus. We have been brought around from place to place so this experience is based on being led around by someone knowing the local language and customs.

Language
First of all Tokyo is a large city. One where English and Japanese signs are displayed side by...

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