I just got back from my very first adventure, a whirlwind four-day trip to Tokyo. Tokyo is the capital of Japan. It also has more people than any other city in the world. Quite an overwhelming start to my travels!
On my first morning in Tokyo, I woke up very early in the morning and went to the Tsukiji Fish Market. It is the biggest fish market in the world. Every morning, starting at about 4am, hundreds of fishermen auction off their freshest seafood to everybody who wants to buy it. As a bear, I enjoy a good piece of salmon, but I was shocked by how much else they were selling at the market. I found every kind of seafood I could imagine – plus lots of kinds of seafood that I don't care to imagine. Bears don't particularly like to eat octopus legs, but all the tuna looked pretty good. Here is a picture of me standing in front of some crab legs.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
My passport
I just got my passport, which I really want to show to all of my friends at Green Gables Elementary School. A passport is a document that certifies a person's identity and allows them to travel outside their home country. My passport declares that I am an American citizen residing in Federal Way, Washington.
Every passport includes a message from somebody high in the government of the country that issues it asking that the bearer be allowed to travel unharmed to other countries. Since I am American, my passport contains a message from the Secretary of State. If I were British, my passport would have a similar message from Queen Elizabeth II. With my passport, I can travel almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever I enter a new country, I have to stop and show my passport. The people who work at the border or at the airport put a stamp in my passport to show that I have entered their country. Sometimes, I might also have to get a visa, which is a document that goes in my passport and which gives me permission to stay in a new country for a certain period of time.
Every passport includes a message from somebody high in the government of the country that issues it asking that the bearer be allowed to travel unharmed to other countries. Since I am American, my passport contains a message from the Secretary of State. If I were British, my passport would have a similar message from Queen Elizabeth II. With my passport, I can travel almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever I enter a new country, I have to stop and show my passport. The people who work at the border or at the airport put a stamp in my passport to show that I have entered their country. Sometimes, I might also have to get a visa, which is a document that goes in my passport and which gives me permission to stay in a new country for a certain period of time.
I am ready for my first adventure
I am ready for my first adventure. I have been outfitted with a new hat, scarf, and backpack as part of my traveling costume. I also have a passport so that I can go anywhere in the world.
My job is to travel the world and report back to my friends in Ms. Kelly's second- and third-grade class at Green Gables Elementary School on the places I go, the sights I see, the things I do, and the people I meet. Ms. Kelly is teaching her class about geography. I hope that I will be able to offer a first-hand report from many of the places they talk about in class!
My first trip is going to be to Tokyo, Japan, on December 26, 2011. I'm very excited, but also a little bit nervous. Japan is very far away -- it's almost 4,800 miles from Tokyo to my home in Federal Way, Washington.
I want to thank Jon and Bobbe Bridge for giving me to Ms. Kelly's class so that I can go on my adventures.
Safe travels to all,
Benny
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