Happiness is a fast train (clang, clang, zoom, zoom). 700 Nozomi Shinkansen, photo by Not Quite a Photographer.
Yesterday morning I woke up in Tamami’s grandparent’s place in suburban Hiroshima (like Wallingford density) took a train into the city, bought a Shinkansen ticket and was cross-country to Tokyo before noon. That’s real freedom: just waking up and deciding I want to go all the way across the country today, instead of tomorrow, and getting there between breakfast and lunch. Not being trapped in a car or in an airport security line. Even by American standards that’s like waking up in suburban Seattle and being in downtown San Francisco by 2 pm, and there was wi-fi most of the way.
Amusingly, Google Maps recommended I fly when I asked for directions from Hiroshima to Tokyo. Looks like it’s about a 500mi trip, so not bad at all.
Flying is cheaper and faster, but only if you don’t have a rail pass and your destination isn’t in the city. Neither airport is very downtown, Hiroshima’s is about 30 miles away.
Shouldn’t that train have a big red M on the hood? ;-)
?
Wow 500 miles in a morning.
Can’t wait for high speed, I’m taking the train across the country next month for a family wedding. Along the lines of the Google directions, through a serious of decisions (normally I stay with my sister or Dad or friends) a whole bunch of us are staying and partying at the Marriott near Shady Grove. That’s great as I will get off Amtrak at Union Station and hit the Red Line.
Tell me if you can see where the Metro station is? Or, even how you’d get to it? No, it’s not the M on the map.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/wascg-courtyard-gaithersburg-washingtonian-center/
Myopic Americans. Luckily I know the area.
For the record, the train pictured is a 700 series Shinkansen. N700 has a narrower cab and fatter bill on the front instead of the sleek bill.
Thanks, corrected.