Chapter 46

Rested with the American ambassador?

Formosa, taken by the Japanese in 1895, was agricultural.

Certainly. The triplets have dual citizenship. Born in New Orleans. Finn-Americans ... American-Finns? Besides, the trio are famous. They talk to dolphins.

We spent quite a bit of time in Taipei. We also found out that fresh water eliminates a lot of saltwater marine growth. If there's a river that has deep water beyond the tidal surge a week or so does nicely.

Brackish water doesn't work as well. Fresh does it. Our time in the Tropics meant we had accumulated vermin; roaches, bedbugs, rats, mice and their ilk.

We had to carry cargo to keep up appearances ... and rice, barley and cane sugar were what was available. The Philippine Islands import enormous quantities of rice from India, Australia, Japan and Indochina. Common rice and cheap.

The Batad and Bangaan Rice Terraces of Luzon produce some of the most sought after rices in the world. Rice is rice ... no ... it's not. If that were true there wouldn't be forty thousand varieties of the grain. The Batad and Bangaan varieties are some of the rarest rices in the world. Very expensive away from Luzon. Export is severely regulated. We, fortunately, were in Luzon when the Batad came in ... almost a month early. We bought three tons in fifty pound leather bags ... silk lined ... first pick. We intended this rice for the markets in Japan.

One might suggest that this highly sought rice was our ticket to Japan.

More rare than sharks fin, ginseng or blue fin tuna, our asking price would be extremely high ... but not as high as the normal rice traders charged.

We sailed from Formosa; destination? The inland Sea, Osaka Bay and Hideo Yakamura ... a second son of the head of the Mitsui Zaibatsu.

The zaibatsu were the heart of economic and industrial activity within the Empire of Japan, and held great influence over Japanese national and foreign policies.

"Hideo was an air force observer," I explained to Wendy. "He was interested in our aircraft. I'd not say we were particular buddies, but I do have his number."

We were intercepted by a Coast Guard boat twenty miles off the coast of the island of Okinoshima and directed (escorted) to a fishing port and Coast Guard base at Okinoshimacho Hirose. Not much of a place ... not much of a welcome. Hideo was called ... He REMEMBERED me! Officers were red faced and bowed deeply. I wonder how many of them were permitted to join their ancestors.

Bungo Channel and Hayasuiseto Strait into the Inland Sea. Flying the flag of Finland we negotiated the crowded waters of the Inland Sea. The weekend we stayed in the harbor of Matsuyama on Nakajima Island ... Texaco fuel by any other name is still Texaco fuel ... we filled up. From Nakajima to Shodoshima, shima means Island. So we were weekending at Shodo Island. From there to Osaka was a two day sail.

Hideo met us at the docks. I don't remember him being that friendly in Finland ... but I think it had to do with hospitality. After the Saki and the rice balls I mentioned I had three tons of Batad rice in our hold and did he have any idea... ?