Otter Pandemonium

“We can adopt.”

Something we’d talked about before. I knew I could love a child that grew inside someone else- I’d done it. Chris had never been sure he could-but he was desperate now to make me smile again.

I watched as they poured the concrete for the basement of mom and dad’s in-law suite on our house while we talked.

“Yeah”

I hadn’t even told him about the other two starts and losses.

I watched the grey concrete lava from the truck start out lumpy and slowly but inevitably even out. Smoothing itself. Perfectly level.

Watching was somehow helping. Maybe  life’s bumps happen for a reason.  And as time passes they even out- find their balance.

We didn’t adopt. I got Murphy, a little white Maltese instead. And loved him so much he lived 18 years, and died because his heart was too big, after he’d absorbed all the love I needed to pour out.

No regrets.

A Chapter in our book wouldn’t include the patter of tiny human feet until grandchildren. And that’s likely for the best in retrospect- our life’s concrete has evened out just fine, even if it did pour out lumpy here and there.

 

JAPAN DAY 5

Leaving the hotel this morning, we get on the train and head straight to the Tokyo National Museum.  We see our first cherry blossoms- almost gone already in this area.

Clinger has taken to loudly saying “did everyone get that?” And repeating what Maholo our guide says after every conversation. Like she’s translating. Sigh.

And I’ve decided that Nicole’s new name is “The Ear Dictator”. At least twice an hour she puts her palm out and motions to Gary. He hands her his phone and she turns up his hearing aids.  Then he turns them down a few minutes later. And then it repeats. She’s EARO. If he doesn’t watch himself she’ll be fiddling while she lights him on fire.

We walk through a lovely garden and open area filled with school kids to get to the museum, and scan our tickets.  We walk through a few of the exhibits. But honestly- I’m more interested in the outside of Japan. I’m usually all about a museum, but I’m more of an impressionist and realism lover. Nicole loves a good artifact, but I’ve never been really dazzled by that, zoning out usually, taking pictures to paint. So I do that, of the Buddha statues. If I don’t paint soon I’m going to explode. But that would require me keeping my eyes open past 9. Which has proven particularly hard this trip. Jet lag is hitting us all fiercely and just won’t give up.

Chris seems very interested in the glass enclosed artifacts. Turning over a new leaf I guess.

But then he whispers –  “what do you think they use to clean this glass? I don’t see any streaks at all. It’s amazing!” Eyes lit up.  We’ve lost him too.

So after about an hour of pretend interest, I cant take it anymore- suggesting to Nicole she might have to pee. Which always works. Off to the the bathroom which I know is right next to the gift shop. LORD do I love a museum gift shop. Nicole too, and before I know it we’re throwing money at this museum, buying bags and keychains we’ll never use.  I do get some very impressive paint brushes though 🙂 SCORE!!

I think part of our problem is that all we can think about is the afternoons activity. We have a free afternoon after the museum and can do anything we can navigate our way too. And we have a plan. We’ve HAD a plan for the past 11 months. We. Are. Going. To. An. Otter. Cafe.

Yup.

O T T E R S

Let’s ignore the fact that Gary keeps calling it a beaver cafe. Which is only helping our cause with the separate table situation.

We did our research. Ok I did nothing. Nicole has done her research. We found a spot where the otters are given free range. They can go hide in their little house if they don’t want to be petted. They have a pool all to themselves they can go to when they want. They are cared for and loved. They get rocks (otters love rocks) and treats. And you have to wear protection to go inside- not for your protection. But theirs. So they don’t swallow jewelry or get any weird substances on themselves. Humans are gross.

So, we ask Sashimi how to get there and we leave- determined to take the train and figure this out.

Except then we get very confused. And panicked. Because if we get on the wrong train we could end up in Kyoto. And miss our otter experience. So we do what we do and throw money at it again and get a cab, not realizing we got a fancy cab. So $75 later we are at the otter street and heading up the stairs to meet our new best friends.

They make you take off all your jewelry as I said, and shoes. They give you slippers. And a pink jacket, And a thick skirt wrapped around your waist.  Beavers can be sketchy.  Chris is happy with this extra layer situation. Otter pee doesn’t go through material this thick.

Then you place all your things in a locker and head into a room two at a time-Nicole and I running at the door, leaving the boys behind to be let in seconds later. These things are iffy. You never know if you’re going to get what you paid for. But as we sit down around the walls in the seats provided, Nicole starts to laugh out loud- and doesn’t stop for our whole half hour.

Immediately after sitting, we are told to place our hands on our laps in a cradle shape- and two otters walk over and sit in Chris’s lap. And one in Nicole’s. Instantly.  I am given an otter, and it leaves at once and crawls to Chris. Now he has three. And there is no way this man of mine, who doesn’t do animals, can help himself from smiling. He calls himself the “Otter Father” and holds his three babies with pride.

Meanwhile on my left, Nicole is giggling out loud like a child.  Still. And petting her otter while Gary takes pictures- looking everywhere for beavers……

We sit and love on the otters for a very long time. They are all sleepy and cuddled in. Absolutely loving when you rub their sweet little heads, cooing when you do and nudging you if you stop.  At one point one crawls on my head, and leans over to whisper something to Nicole. Not sure what. Likely it’s asking if they can keep Chris. He’s warm and hairless and they seem to find this fascinating.

After a while we are told it’s time to leave and I’m sad. I wasn’t finished with otter time.

We walk out and I start to undo my jacket, before realizing that we are just changing rooms! We get more otter time! And we are ushered into room #2.

And this is the room where MY otters be at.

This is the room for the unruly otters. These otters are clearly on crack cocaine. Or otter nip. Or something. Because it is pandemonium.

We walk in and immediately otters are flying at us. We are told to have a seat again and as soon as we sit they are all over us. Bringing us their toys. Wanting to play. Gary picks up a square baby toy- you know the ones that you put the shapes through the holes? And before long there are three otters hanging from it like monkeys, squealing and climbing all over each other.

We are given treats to feed them and they are very excited to get them. I swear mine bows as he takes it.

Chris is feeding one water from a hamster style bottle, the otter playing with it and hanging from it. He is giggling. Who is this man???

One has curled up next to me and is sleeping. I’m petting him. I think he got on the bus to the wrong room. He clearly belongs with the sleepers next door. But here he is. Fighting for his life with these ADHD otters in room two.

This goes on for a long time.

Otters flying from everywhere. One wants in my shoe at my toes. And when I won’t take my foot out he just hauls my slipper off, and smacks me with it. Then smacks me again. Until I wiggle my toes – and then he’s all in. That’s what he was waiting for. Some toe action.  He wants to play with them, and he finds this fascinating for a few minutes, Trying to detach and take my baby toe with him down the slide.

Nicole is still laughing.

Gary is still shaking the baby toy and entertaining them- they think he’s crazy. “Keep it still loser we want to get the shapes out!!!” I think they’re organizing. And with Gary’s mental issue – they will win.

Chris is still the bartender for about 3 of them.

This goes on for another 15 mins. Nicole laughing the entire time.

Eventually we are pulled away. Told our time is up. And I have to frisk Nicole on the way out to make sure she isn’t hiding otters in her pockets. And I have to frisk the otters to make sure they don’t have any Chris’s in theirs.

We buy bags that have all the otter family faces on them and key chains. Doing everything we can to remember every single second of this for the rest of our lives. Not that we’ll have to work at that.

From here we walk up Harajuku street again- it’s not as crowded as it was the other day, so we can actually get some street food and souvenirs.

We get “the world’s longest potato on a stick”- I can’t imagine there’s much competition in that department, but it does look good! BBQ flavored and much like a bunch of potato chips in a spiral. And a cheese something or other with chili sauce. It’s REALLY good. And just enough to help us make it through to dinner- we are determined to get Ramen again 🙂 Then we decide that we are going to try the train to get back. We totally got this. Right?? And actually it isn’t hard at all! I mean we silently panic the entire time until we see Tokyo Station come up on the screen 30 mins after boarding. THATS when the real fun begins. Getting on the right train was fine- finding our way out of this station is ROUGH.

We circle around for a while- getting caught in the flow and not knowing how to get out of the line of people walking in a row. Then we take a few wrong turns- but eventually we see day light again. Only to realize we’re on the wrong side of the station and have to go back in and through, finally making to the correct side and confirming we’re going through the door we’re supposed to by spotting the leopard print shoes in the store window we keep eyeing each time  we come in and out with our guide.

I’m so proud of us!!

Now we have to get back to our room for an afternoon wine break before we pack up. We leave this spot tomorrow morning for Mt Fuji. And our luggage is getting forwarded to Kyoto where we will be the night after next. So we need overnight bags. That takes some organizing. One good thing about a room as big as our bathroom at home is that we didn’t unpack. Just shuffled things around here and there to find clothes, So it doesn’t take much time.

Then we are off to dinner. We shop a little in the vast underground shops, settling on a ramen spot that looks even better then last time, and like happens on vacations, we are now pros at ordering, having done it once before. Showing the Newbees how to do it.

Dumplings and spicy ramen. All the extras. Our eyes roll in our heads when we take the first slurp, each of us making it our own with varying adds of spicy paste and ginger, bamboo and onion.   Beers all around.

Everyone in Japan eats very quickly- and two or three people come and go at the table across from us before we’re done.

I admit I have a litter tear in my eye when we push back from the table upon stuffing ourselves with nooders. Although, I’ve learned that there are places you see and you know it’s one and done. I’ll likely never be back on the Ganges. I don’t imagine I’ll ever go up to Machu Picchu again. But Japan? I can see myself coming here again for sure. I’ll try not to be too sad as we drive away tomorrow.

Tonight is an early one, we call it quits pretty early- in bed by 8:30. I think we all need to do some catch up on our sleep so we can really enjoy the rest of this trip.  Likely no blogging in the morning- there won’t be much to do except get somewhere, so I may even have time for some painting.

So it’s a quick rum and coke. And good nights all around.

Belly full of Ramen and heart full to the brim with happy.

Sleep comes quickly and deeply.