June 11th. Just like home

 So we get up early (5:30) to catch a train from Nara to a junction for a train to Kansai airport where we will catch a Jeju Jet to Seoul Korea. 

After a struggle to find the right terminal (my fault) we are at the counter and the four of us combined are overweight with our baggage so what do they do? Give me my bag, the lightest, back as a carryon. That solved the plane having too much weight to take off. 

Then just before boarding Patricia tells Mary Ann they are calling her name. She gets special treatment and is escorted to the front. But not because she is special. No her name became attached to the sword Jonah bought in Kyoto and had put in checked baggage. They questioned her all about it, unwrapped it but finally let the sword and Mary Ann on the plane. And it was a beautiful flight. 

Land in Korea and all is well. We go through immigration and pick up our baggage ( well they do. Mine was all carryon.). Twenty feet from Korea as we (Jonah) goes through “ Nothing to declare”, alarms sound, bells ring, customs agents gently dozing are awakened and Jonah is hustled off to a side area to explain way he is bring such a weapon into Korea. I explain in my best Korean that Jonah and Patricia are only in Korea for two days and the sword will be out of Korea at that time. 

So the sword is put into special detention until they pass back through customs on their way to the USA. Of course there is a daily storage charge. The sword now has a great provenance. 

And so we are in Seoul at a nice hotel. The other three are napping so I take a walk and end up looking at paintings a rocks.  Go figure. Will buy a small rock tomorrow if it is still there. Came back and we had a nice Korean dinner in the Hotel and Jonah treated us. Very nice. And then to bed as travel days do tend to wear one out. Sorry no photos. 

Goodnight