Jose Sainz de Varanda is among the passengers.

Rizal and Basa visited Don

Juan
During Rizal’s two week vacation in Hong Kong, he studied Chinese life,
language, drama and customs and found out the following which he wrote in his
diary:
· The celebration of the Chinese New Year was quite very noisy due to
the continuous explosion of firecrackers on the streets.
· The Lauriat party, wherein the guests were served a variety of
dishes, shows lavishness and hospitality among the Chinese.
· The Dominican Order, the richest religious order in Hong Kong, had
millions of dollars deposited in various banks earning very high
interests.
· The graveyards for Catholics, Protestants and Muslims were well
maintained.

C. RIZAL in JAPAN, the Land of the Cherry Blossoms

Rizal left Hong Kong on board of the Oceanic, an American steamer on
his way to Japan. He arrived in Yokohama, Japan and stayed for one day in the
Grand Hotel.

Juan Perez Caballero – secretary of the Spanish legation visited him in

the hotel inviting him to stay in the Spanish legation. Knowing that it is a
plot to monitor him, Rizal accepted the offer for the following reasons:
· He could economize his living expenses
· He had nothing to hide from the prying eyes of the Spanish
authorities.
· He and Caballero became good friends.

Rizal’s Impression of Japan

· The scenic beauty of the country
· The cleanliness, politeness and industry of the Japanese people.
· The picturesque dress and simple charm of the Japanese women.
· There were few thieves in Japan.
· Beggars are rarely seen in the city streets.
· Rickshaw, a popular mode of transportation which he did not like in
Japan.

Rizal and O-Sei-San

Seiko Usui, or more fondly called O-Sei-San, is a former samurai’s
daughter of 23 years old who had never experienced true love. She is a woman
of beauty, charm, modesty and intelligence. She speaks French and English
fluently.

O-Sei-San after Rizal’s Departure

Alfred Charlton became the husband of O-Sei-San in 1897, one year after
Rizal was executed. He was a British teacher of chemistry in Peers’ School in
Tokyo. They had a daughter named Yuriko, who married a son of a Japanese
senator. Seiko-Usui died in 1947 at age 80 and was buried beside her husband.