We made it off the island and survived the traditional Japanese inn and the abalone being cooked alive on the table in front of us, but as soon as we hit the train my mom started having stomach pains. By the time we were off the train she was shivering uncontrollably and we had to call an ambulance. I have now experienced a Japanese ambulance (chaotic and 3rd world) and a Japanese ER waiting room. She’s now in a room with 3 other people while she recovers from pneumonia.

So I guess the rest of my vacation may be spent sitting around a hospital. And then figuring out how I’m going to pay for my mom’s hospital stay because we don’t have Japanese insurance. Hooray.