On the Road Again

We are heading for Kyoto. As you know, we are travelling light. Just two carry-on sized suitcases. However, the last couple of days have been retail-heavy, what with presents we've bought for people and stuff. So the cases are heavier and we've accumulated a back-pack. So we head for metro. It's 30 degrees. I'm wearing shoes, those odd short socks that come round your ankles, my jacket, my hat, and carrying my suitcase, the backpack and my man bag. We go from Asakusa to Ueno, to the mainline JR Rail, to Tokyo. Lots of escalators, but lots of stairs too. Up and down stairs I have to carry both cases. I counted, I think, about 37 sets of stairs. Maybe not quite that many. It's hot and humid. I'm sweating, Jill's perspiring. We find the station platform. Struggle to the other end, where our reservation will be in carriage 16 and wait. Ah... but we have misread the ticket. We are booked on the 12.33 - not the 12.03. On we go down more stairs, up more stairs, until we are finally in the right place. Phew, it's a scorcher.