Yokohama

On this day trip we took the train to Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan. We stopped for lunch at a shopping mall and enjoyed the curry at an Indian restaurant. From there we hiked to the CupNoodles museum. While Offspring #2 and I enjoyed a film about the man who founded CupNoodles, Offspring #1 and his family got in line to make their own cup of noodles with their specific ingredients. One child chose prawn and cheese and the other chose chicken and fish. They ate them that night so they must have been good.After the museum we took a walk along the water front. We walked past a wedding fair. Music was playing and stalls displayed the latest wedding trends. Later we walked past a children's music performance. We were trying to walk toward China town but rain started to fall.The first hint of Typhoon Faxai had appeared. We headed back to the train to get home. Rain fell on us but it felt good because it was so humid out. Once home we prepared for the storm. All outside strollers, toys and bikes were brought into the house. Shutters covered the windows on the first floor. We found candles and lighters and flashlights. We filled the tub with water and had plenty of fresh water and food on hand. We went to bed and I slept all through the night although the strong winds woke me up a little. The others did not sleep as well. They heard the winds and the rains. They heard the eerie quiet of the eye of the hurricane. They heard the winds pick up again this time from the other direction. Shoot, I wanted to experience a typhoon but I slept through it. When I woke up all was well. Neighbors were washing their cars to get the salt water off the finish. Others were sweeping little bits of leaves off the sidewalks and driveway. Later, when we went for a walk to the local park we saw a neighbor had part of a fence connected to a deck fall off the garden wall and into the street. They had some repairs to do. Given that the fence fell into the street the damage must have happened after the eye of the hurricane had passed. School was closed today. Trains started late. Some areas of the military base had serious wind and water damage.We were safer here up the hills away from the ocean.