Family: BYRNE, Walter Charles / DRENNAN, Mabel Louise

May 30, 19(22)

Dear Children,

We have come in after a morning of sightseeing and my feet are worn off -- I really never believed they could swell as they do with with the warm weather.

We docked in Yokahama about 4 and by quarter of 5 were off to Kamakura in an auto to see the wonderful Diabutsu "or Buddha" -- it was a remarkable ride -- 3 hrs all together through villages & country roads with shrines & smells & crowds & bicycles - never saw so many -- ride them in Am. clothes, Kimonos big hats a yd across or no clothes but a diaper & carry any kind of box, bag or bundle as big as themselves.  

The smell of the manured rice fields is beyond description. We had a late hurried dinner on the boat with Uncle R -- went out again in a rickshaw.  We got all the proper kick out of it -- went up to the theater street & walked a couple of miles with thousands of people -- click clack click clack in their wooden shoes -- the people looked common -- I didn't ask Ryand but I am sure it was not any high class people.

June 1 Inland Sea

We were ready for lunch when I stopped & began again more than two days later.  

About all of the day Monday was spent on a train from Yokohama to Kyoto -- I could not have missed it for anything but I couldn't possibly write it all to you.  We ran for 50 or 60 miles right on (the) coast - took a pusher engine & started up mtns -- Saw Fuji gloriously -- first on one side of the train & then on the other - through bamboo, palms, red cedar, rice fields, pear orchards, etc.  

Got in at 7:30 tired & dirty -- Hotel Miyako - as you see - wonderful room but old wooden rambling buidlings, poss. better and food in general & prop(rietor) that talked like an encylopedia. Went to bed early & the next day had an auto & to quote the prop(rietor) we skimmed the cream of Kyoto.