Pirates vs Ninjas. Who cares? They are both thieving dogs and I would easily crush them with the might of my sword!

Traveler be warned! You will get lost in Venice. With names sounding alike to non-native speakers, bridges everywhere, and one canal after the next, it is easy to get lost. Thank goodness for GPS. Hah! I still find myself laughing at how there are some things I have taken to wholeheartedly in this modern time. I do not travel anywhere without my iPhone. Yes, some may choose to disparage my honor by poking fun at this, but I ask you, is it foolish for a warrior to use the tools and weapons at his disposal? We did not hesitate when Masamune perfected the samurai sword, when we mastered the arquebus, so why should there be shame that I travel with my iPhone? It kept me from getting lost and falling in these accursed Venetian canals.

I never really learned the answer to this, but perhaps my readers can answer this for me? What is with all the pigeons in Venice?

For a soldier, for any man who has seen the horrors of battle and war, there is a shared understanding. It changes you in ways that no one who has not been there will ever understand. I myself have had disturbing nightmares of past battles. Do not mistake this for weakness or cowardice, for only a fool does not respect the lessons of war. And only a fool takes a life without regard for the consequences. I honor these brave soldiers for their sacrifice, and I join them in their prayers for lasting peace.

So much wisdom, knowledge, and learning can be found in Washington DC. Starting with the Library of Congress, then the National Archives, and finally the Smithsonian Institute. So much information and knowledge! I could spend a lifetime here. Surely, this is where I am to learn the purpose of my journey. I speed through the stacks of books at the Library of Congress. So many books! I must advise the Emperor that he must setup a similar system in Kyoto. The librarians had to push me out of the door each night as I spent every waking moment possible reading there. I also visited the National Archives where the words of the American founding fathers were available for all to see. This is truly a great nation to allow all the common people to share in this cultural history.

Finally, I began my trip through the Smithsonian system. When I am too old to fight and serve the Emperor, I will ask for permission to retire here, to live the remainder of my life in the books, recordings, and videos. My student spirit calls to me strongly here. I can hardly contain myself discovering knowledge more wondrous than the previous. This Air & Space museum seems impossible. Even though I have been on airplanes–which still remain a miracle each time–surely humans traveling to space must be trickery. Rockets and missiles have to be a child’s fantasy! What is a simple warrior like me to do with such mind-boggling ideas?

This aquarium is massive! This Bernie Marcus must have a fortune to rival even the Emperor, to give such a gift to Georgia and the people of Atlanta. I watched as parent and child alike had looks of wonder and amazement as they explored the aquarium. I myself was in awe as I traveled in a tunnel covered by millions of liters of water and the sea creatures swam around me. I spent the entire day lost amongst these fascinating creatures.

Even more than the Netherlands, 80% of New Orleans sits below sea level. It is one of the busiest ports in the United States and is the second largest producer of energy in the U.S. This is why it was so baffling that their President let Katrina wreak the havoc that it did. Further, 40% of the seafood eaten by Americans comes from here. Louisiana attracts the greatest chefs from around the world and combines culinary traditions from: Caribbean, African, Spanish, French, Italian, Creole and Cajun cooking.

I thoroughly enjoyed the airboat trip we took in the bayous and swamps. These giant lizards you call alligators are fearsome beasts. They look like fanciful drawings I have seen of dinosaurs. I wanted to jump in to see if it could best my steel, but the tour guide raised such a fuss I got back into the boat before I could find out. Some other time perhaps.