The three young Geishas in Kyoto, Japan, giggled demurely when a passer-by asked whether he could take their photograph. They readily obliged, but when he touched the shoulder of one a moment later, the young woman swiftly recoiled from his reach.
Keen to speak to them, I asked their names, but their reply in Japanese was as foreign to me as my English was to them. Stumped, I could only smile and move on, leaving them to continue their walk along the street posing for tourists wanting a picture.
As a guest on the Legend of the Seas, I was seeing Japan the easy way, on a liner where English and several other languages were spoken. Communication in Japan was a constraint, yet seldom have people been more willing to help.
Kyoto was a case in point. Determined to see the city on foot, I seemed constantly to take wrong turns - only to have a kindly local emerge from somewhere to point me in the right direction.
Unable to interview the little Geishas, so reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan's three little maids in The Mikado, I wandered through Gion, Kyoto's entertainment district, looking at the tea houses, restaurants, and ancient temples.
It was a pleasant interlude, quite different from the Japan I had expected.
The first port of call on the cruise was Okinawa where, from Easter Sunday, 1945, the largest land, sea and air battle ever was played out in "a typhoon of steel" lasting 80 days.
It's a different place today with an array of well-stocked shops and restaurants - and a superb museum called the Prefectural Peace Memorial. That was a huge attraction for history lovers. Food fundis headed for the restaurants to try the sushi.
Just a day later we were in Kagoshima where the last Samurai (on whom the movie was loosely based) fell in battle. By an ironic twist of fate, in the very city where a thousand years of Samurai culture was destroyed in the 19th century, a child was born who, as a man, was to destroy Russia's mighty Baltic fleet and thrust Japan into the modern age of global sea power.
"Admiral Tago Seihachiro was truly the last Samurai," our guide told us. "And Japan's greatest naval hero. He was the son of a Samurai and born into the way of the warrior."
There was another sight we did not want to miss: the volcano on Sakurajima island, probably one of the most famous active volcanoes in the world. Its eruptions in the 20th century spewed lava across the sea, bridging the island and the mainland.
We first spotted the volcano as the liner sailed into port. As if to mark our arrival, it erupted, thrusting lava and ash into the sky. A few hours later we headed up the mountain for a closer look, amazed at the number of orchards and fertile farms on the slopes of the volcano. Our cameras at the ready, we waited for another eruption, but Sakurajima remained silent - until we were back on the bus and about to leave. Then it blasted forth as we hurried back to the safety of the cruise ship.
If Kyoto is famous for its temples, then the ancient castle is the symbol of Osaka. Apparently it took some 40 000 people nearly four years to build. That was the drawcard for the serious minded. Others preferred to continue to the sake brewery for a quick tasting, returning with a couple of bottles "for friends back home".
Japan has a rich cultural history but it is also the land of cherry blossoms. For a tiny country with a population of close-on R130-million people, it somehow manages to have more than its share of beautiful gardens, all superbly landscaped and planted with an array of colourful flowers including the magnificent peony. It came in all shades of pink and purple.
We saw only the tail end of the cherry blossoms. They are best viewed in early April with the blossoms first appearing in the south where the weather is warmer.
Still, there were all sorts of other unfamiliar trees in bloom, giving the streets of every Japanese city a soft green approach. Smoking was a no-no everywhere, with warning signs banning the habit painted on pavements .
No one could guess that Japan, like the rest of the world, was easing out of a recession. The shops were crowded with the world's brand names, ranging from shoes to suits and cameras to computers, making shopping pure pleasure for those with loaded wallets.
Surprisingly, traffic was not a nighmarish problem. The country's superb public transport system keeps motorists to a minimum. For the record, a ride on bullet train is a must-do experience in Japan.
And the food! There were passengers on the Legend, well fed by any standards, who skipped the fine fare on board to sample the Kobe beef, fish dishes and other Japanese culinary delights in the different cities.
Cuisine, it seems, remains a major reason people travel. The search for some new taste is ongoing.
Of the seven days we were on the Legend, we were in port for five, hurrying to explore the Japanese towns and cities. Time and again we were to visit World Heritage sites, including the famous bronze statues in Nara, the Golden Pavilion of Kyoto and Nagoya Castle built by the Tokugawa Shogun four centuries ago. The latter was destroyed during World War II but has subsequently been rebuilt.
We sailed under bridges spanning the sea, marvelled at the skyscrapers and the cleanliness of the cities.
If Japan was a constant source of fascination, the cruise ship was a very comfortable base from which to explore the islands. In fact, the itinerary was so full that some passengers opted to skip the excursions and enjoy life on board instead.
Having a home on the liner was a decided plus. Japan is known to be an expensive destination but with a stateroom on the Legend, guests were free to come and go in port - or enjoy the fun activities on the ship.
Apart from the fine dining options, Royal Caribbean's showtime production after dinner was a regular, bands played dance music at different venues, karaoke sessions were popular and so was the late night disco. It was a great holiday venue.
At journey's end I had a few regrets - three, in fact: The cruise was too short; cloud obscured my view of Mount Fuji; and I wish I'd found an English-speaking Geisha...
