Tips on using this website

This is a living, changing, growing site

• Check it regularly, at least once a week


• On the home page, scroll down to see the section "What's new on this website?" - significant changes are documented there.

Getting around

• Use the links in the top box at left to quickly navigate to major sections. This box appears on every page. We refer to this as the "links box" below.


• On some pages, there is a second box of links, below the first one, to link to related sub-topics.


• If you are familiar with tabbed browsing or know how to open multiple windows, you can have multiple pages open at the same time.

Handling Japanese characters

• There are several places on this site where we use Japanese characters. They might not show up properly; if this is the case, Windows users can probably solve the problem by installing the Asian character sets:

  Start -> Settings -> Control Panel
  choose 'Regional and Language Options'
  select 'Languages' tab
  under 'Supplemental languages support', check 'Install files for'
  click OK
  

  you will then need to restart your computer.
  

  The details may vary from version to version of Windows, so take the above as a general approach and modify it for your system if necessary.

Here's how to get tasks done:

• To get to Home page from anywhere on the site - Click on "Home page" in the links box

 

• To look at your personal webpage on the site - Click on "Our travelers" then click on the link on your name in the Name column

 

• To change information your personal webpage on the site - Send Steve an email

 

• To look at any traveler's webpage on the site - Click on "Our travelers" then click on the link on their name in the Name column

 

• To send an email to any traveler - Click on "Our travelers" then click on the link on their email address in the Email column

 

• To send an email to every traveler - Click on "Our travelers" then click on the link at the bottom of the page

 

• To start a discussion - Send Steve an email

 

• To contribute to a discussion - Send Steve an email

 

• To see what topics are under discussion - Click on "Discussions"

 

• To follow a discussion - click on "Discussions" then select the topic of interest

 

• To find out about insurance options - click on "Discussions" then select the "Insurance" topic

 

• To figure out how to pack - click on "Discussions" then select the "Packing" topic;
  also, you can click on "Tips and Tools" then select "How to pack for two weeks with just carry on luggage"

 

• To figure out how to get the best rate of exchange for dollars - click on "Discussions" then select the "Currency exchange" topic.

 

• To find out about radiation levels in Japan - click on "Discussions" then select the "Radiation Safety" topic.

 

• To convert between Denver time and Japan time - Click on "Tips and Tools" then select "Convert between times in Denver and times in Japan"

 

• To convert between Centigrade and Fahrenheit - Click on "Tips and Tools" then select "Temperature Conversions"

 

• To convert between US Dollars and Japanese Yen - Click on "Tips and Tools" then select "How to figure currency values in dollars"; enter the dollars given, the yen recievied, and click on "Calculate rate"

 

• To phone Japan from Denver, or to call Denver from Japan - Click on "Tips and Tools" then select "How to call Japan from Denver, how to call Denver from Japan"

 

• To find out about the expected weather - Click on "Tips and Tools" then select "How to pack for two weeks with just carry on luggage" then follow the link near the bottom of the page, the weather page

 

• To contact our travel agent directly - Click on the link "Supporting cast"

 

• To contact or check out people working with us on this trip - Click on the link "Supporting cast"

 

• To keep up on local events related to our trip - Click on the link "Related events"

 

• To inform the group about a local event that may be of interest to members of the group Send Steve an email

 

• To get the details of our itinerary - Click on the link "Itinerary"

 

• To find out what's included in the cost of the trip - Click on the link "Prices"; also click on "Tips and Tools" then select "How we manage the money pool"

 

• To find out the payment schedule and cancellation policies - Click on the link "Prices"

 

• To get ideas for preparing for the trip - Click on the link "Trip check list"

 

• To find out about any of the cities we will be visiting - Click on the link for a city and at the bottom of the page are some useful links

 

• To find out about the current weather in any of the cities we will be visiting - Click on the link for the city and at the bottom of the page is a link labeled "Current Local Information": click on this link to see current weather, along with demographic information

 

• To find out about our lodging in any of the cities we will be visiting - Click on the link for the city and at the top of the page is a link labeled "here": click on this link; this will have a link for the lodging

 

• To find out about things to do in any of the cities we will be visiting - Click on the link for the city and at the top of the page is a link labeled "here": click on this link; after the hotel information is a list of possible things to do while there

 

• To find out what's available in the way of books, Videos, CDs, etc. relating to the trip - Click on the link "Books, CDs, Videos"

 

• To check out a book, CD, video, etc. - Call or email the owner and make arrangements; let Steve know, so he can update the web page

 

• To make available any books, CDs, videos you think might be of interest Send Steve an email

 

• To find information relevant to our trip on the Web - Click on the link "Japan related links"

 

• To learn some basic Japanese - Click on the link "Japanese language"; this has links to some lessons on our site as well as links to other places on the Web related to Japanese language