From Stone Harbor to Steam Bath: Tokyo, Here We Come (Hydrate or Die Trying)

We’re back home from Stone Harbor, where the breeze was cool, the waves were polite, and the biggest health risk was overly aggressive seagulls.

And now? We’re heading straight into a Tokyo forecast that sounds less like weather and more like an endurance test.

We arrive on Wednesday, just in time for 98 degrees, heavy humidity, and a helpful reminder from the forecast that there’s a "danger of dehydration and heatstroke if outside for extended periods of time." Nothing gets you excited for vacation like knowing your weather app is issuing survival warnings.

Thursday is not backing off. It's 95 degrees with high clouds and air so thick it might as well come with resistance training. The heatstroke warning sticks around too, because Tokyo likes consistency when threatening your well-being.

By Friday, it cools off to a balmy 92 degrees, which might sound better until you factor in the heavy afternoon rain. With any luck, we’ll be soaked by weather and not just our own personal humidity clouds.

Meanwhile, the two days we missed—Monday and Tuesday—are hitting 95 and 100 degrees. So we’ll arrive right after the hottest day, which is like showing up to a cookout after the fire has been burning for hours but someone just threw on more charcoal.

We traded the gentle sun and ocean breeze of the Jersey Shore for a climate where the phrase "avoid prolonged outdoor activity" is not a suggestion but a plea. The kind of weather that melts your camera lens and makes every t-shirt you own feel like a damp paper towel.

Still, I’m excited. Slightly terrified. Probably already a little dehydrated. But excited.

Because travel is about stepping out of your comfort zone and into a boiling pot of ramen with a rail pass.

Stay tuned. We may sweat through our passports, but we’ll have some great stories along the way.