April 1966: Rita Clark Trip Days 8-10

The following is a reprinting of the content taken directly from Rita Clark's Travelogue seen in the picture link below.

8th Day Thurs 4/21 - Morning city tour of Kyoto, classical city of Japan with Toshi accompanying us all through Japan - good guide.

4/21 - Here we saw the old Imperial Palace, Golden Pavilion, Higashi-Honganji Temple and other places of interest.  The meat in Japan especially the beef is very good, so I repeated the sizzling steak dinner in Hotel Miyako to-night - after returning from the theatre with Gertrude - many Geisha girls.

9th Day Fri. Apr. 22 - At 9:00 A.M. we left by motor coach to the ancient city of Nara visiting Todaiji Temple with the world's largest bronze image of Buddha, Kasuga Shrine with thousands of stone lanterns and Deer Park where we fed tame deer rice crackers.  Lunch at the Nara Hotel and then returned to the Miyako Hotel about 25 miles.  Before leaving Irene and Ward Sumpter introduced us to Mrs. Duncan Hines also from Bowling Green, Kentucky - she was returning from the South Seas and ran into her friends by mere chance.  Our last day in Japan we went to a private home for a tea ceremony and flower arrangement.  At 6:45 P.M. we were taken to a sukiyaki dinner party with Geisha girls entertaining us.

10th Day Sat. Apr. 23 - Breakfast at Miyako Hotel where the meals have been so good - Western style.  We transferred to the Osaka Intern'l Airport by private motor coach with Toshi and at 10:50 A.M. said sayonara to Japan.  The Japanese Airlines flight 601 took us to Taipei, Taiwan and we were taken to the famous Grand Hotel in Taiwan better known as Formosa.  The Nationalist Chinese government made Taipei it's capital in 1949 when they moved their government to this city.  We took a city tour and saw the National Historical Museum, Lungshan Temple, the Theatre district and Presidential Square where Pres. Chiang Kai Chek has his offices.

Well that's it!  A short ten days for my Great Aunt Rita in Japan.  She did and saw so much in such a short period of time.  I am jealous!!  While I did make a very special visit with my friend Ken to Kyoto which I blogged about here, I have not had a chance to visit the city of Nara.  It is definitely on my list of things I still want to do.  Rita went to the theatre, a tea ceremony and even made a go at Ikebana - Japanese flower arrangement.  I am so impressed.  This was obviously a first class tour judging by the itinerary and the hotels they stayed at.  Here is a picture of their group taken in Kyoto.  My Great Aunt Rita is the eighth person from the right, in the back row just to the left of the Geisha girl.

The other interesting thing to me about this page of entries, is the mention of a "Mrs. Duncan Hines" from Bowling Green, Kentucky.  In the United States, the name "Duncan Hines" is very famous as it is a brand for cake mixes and other food products.  Well I was a bit curious, so I Googled Duncan Hines.  I should not be at all surprised to find out that the original Mr. Duncan Hines hailed from where else - Bowling Green, Kentucky.  While he died in 1959, he was married three times.  His first wife died of cancer in 1938.  He married his second wife in 1939 and they divorced in 1945.  He married his third wife Clara in 1947.  Clara was born in 1904, which would have put her at 62 years old back in 1966.  My guess is it was her.

My favorite Duncan Hines product!!!