TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

For several years I have had LED flashlights. They produce a bright white beam of light and use far less power than a regular incandescent flashlight. (I even found a flashlight that uses the same Lithium CR123A batteries as my Pentax 67II and Sekonic Light Meter.)

I was most impressed therefore when I saw LED lightbulbs on the shelves of my local store.

Toshiba LED lightbulb

The great thing about them is that they use even less power than a compact fluorescent bulb. The bulb I got produces 565 lumens of light (similar to a regular 60W bulb) while using only 6.9W. The main disadvantages is that they are still quite expensive, for example the bulb I got was 3,880 yen (US$40) but this should pay for itself over several years due to the lower running costs.

Household lighting consumes a huge amount of electricity. The introduction of LED lighting provides a simple way to reduce the amount of energy we are using. Manufacturers of green products need to be supported by consumers, so next time you are at the store consider getting an LED lightbulb. It may not be a panacea for environmental problems, but it is another step in the right direction.

Went to the import food store. Bought ridiculously priced jar of Mackays Spiced Ginger Preserve so that I can have freshly brewed coffee and ginger jam on toast for breakfast.

Opened jar…

Mackays Spiced Ginger Preserve - with a wee Scottish midge as a bonus.

“made in traditional open pans with 100% Natural Fruit to create that special “home-made” taste and flavour.”

I have a cunning plan… this midge may have landed on, and possibly sucked the blood of the Loch Ness Monster. Unfortunately for the midge it did this just before landing in one of Mackays traditional open pans. I shall extract the blood from the preserved midge, extract the DNA from the blood, and then splice the DNA with that of the Japanese giant salamander to produce a new creature the likes of which the world has never seen. I shall call the creature Ginger as a clever nod to its humble beginnings. I shall keep Ginger a secret until the next time Tokyo is attacked by Godzilla. Ginger and I will save the day then return home for tea and toast.

Just back from a three day weekend in Hokkaido. Attended a friend’s wedding in Sapporo, met another friend’s baby in Yoichi, and glimpsed some  amazing fall foliage.

Hokkaido in the Fall. (Taken from train on the way back to the airport.)

There used to be direct flights from Okinawa to Sapporo. Now you have to change in either Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka or Fukuoka. It makes the journey longer, more expensive and less environmentally friendly. Hopefully they’ll bring back direct flights in the future.