Where the sun rises

Kids - it's hard to believe, but another year has passed. It's high time that we hit the road again, as our distant relatives, friends, and colleagues could use something to smile about and new inspiration.

This year it was really difficult to find a travel destination. We've already been to Canada twice, the USA is out until they come to their senses again, we will only explore Europe after we have traversed the globe or run out of money, the Southern Hemisphere is in winter, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the east coast of Central America are in the rainy season. On top of that, there are countless crisis and war zones and their neighboring countries, which are certainly in a bombastic mood but are currently not worth traveling to. We even briefly considered traveling to China, but there is also the rainy season for most of the country - so that destination was also out.

This left only Iceland, Mongolia, and Japan. According to Mr. Kitzmann (our long-time travel advisor and flight booker), Iceland is currently the most expensive vacation destination. Furthermore, we want to explore the island with a camper, which we still lack in our fleet. I couldn't really imagine anything about Mongolia. I associate Mongolia with endless expanses, green steppes with wild horses, tents - the so-called yurts of the nomads and Genghis Khan. Who doesn't know the legendary song

Hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha,

They rode against the steppe wind: A thousand men (ha, hu, ha)
And one rode ahead, all followed blindly: Genghis Khan (ha, hu, ha)
The hooves of their horses whipped up the sand
They brought fear and terror to every land
And neither lightning nor thunder could stop them (hu, ha)

Genghis, Genghis, Genghis Khan
Hey riders, ho folks, hey riders, onward!
Genghis, Genghis, Genghis Khan
To brothers, drink brothers, wrestle brothers, again and again!
Let's get more vodka (hohoho)
For we are Mongols (hahahaha)
And the devil will get us soon enough!

So only Japan remained. Japan is an island in the Pacific, seen from our perspective at the end of the world, with densely populated cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks, Fujiyama, thousands of shrines and temples, as well as the super punctual Shinkansen high-speed trains. The capital Tokyo is known for skyscrapers, shopping, mangas, and its pop culture. Japan is associated with sushi, ramen, tempura, and udon. But also with the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima and the nuclear accident in Fukushima - thanks to Germany leaving nuclear energy behind.

The language personally worries me - as apart from Konnichiwa こんにちは I can't say much else. Good that Schahaatz is diligently learning Japanese and - thanks to Duolingo - can ask for directions to the university.

I wanted to do a guided group tour, but I let myself be talked into it and so we are again on our own in a country with characters that no one can read, with small hotel rooms but high-tech toilets and a great public transport network - where one must remember the colors and numbers (tip from Gorden). The only downside is that I now have to read the travel guide myself - no one to chat with. What a pity. The food selection promises to be exciting as well - but if worse comes to worst, we will survive on sushi and noodle soup for 17 days. Let's be surprised together.

PS: Just to give you a hint - everyone who has been there before is enthusiastic about the land and its people.