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Published: September 3rd 2007
Happy in my capsule...
I had been waiting so long for this experience and was very excited about it too...The train journey was a long one from Beppu to Tokyo...7 hours! Most of which was on the Shinkansen as well...but I suppose it was about half of the country...
I finally got to rest my little head in a Capsule Hotel. I had been waiting for this day for ages. It really is a strange but logical concept...just like most things in Japan! The capsule was bigger than I thought...you could actually sit up in it. I really recommend this experience to anyone who is going to Japan...although it is rare to find Capsule Hotels that allow women...
I then got the densha (train) to Tsukuba and stayed for 3 nights in the prefecture of Ibaraki with my friend Minako. I met her at the same time as Namiko in Tasmania and Sydney. She had just recently returned from studying English in America...I hope my Japanese will one day get to the high standard her English is at!
Minako's house is out in the country, so I was very lucky to experience a homestay in a traditional Japanese house. It was so big and like a maze with sliding doors everywhere. Her parents also produce their own
Capsule to nowhere...
...wish it was going to the moon instead, only for the night... rice and vegetables...very oishii indeed...
On just one of my days at Minako's, I had 3 new experiences...
1- Making fresh Soba noodles with Minako's okasan. Apparantly I was very skilled at chopping the dough at the correct size for the noodle...
2- Making my own ceramic bowl. Apparantly I am not very skilled at this...in fact I am shocking. I tried to make a cup, and the result...well I didn't know what it was! It takes one month for them to let it go in the kiln and then paint it...so I will pick it up from Minako's when I am next in Japan!
3- Eating at a sushi train restaurant. Having a variety of smaller dishes is so much better than one big dish. I tried Natto again (fermented soya bean) and can clearly confirm that I hate it.
After my time out in the countryside I moved back to Tokyo city, Asakusa to be specific. Here Minako and I met up with Namiko and spent the day together. It felt so strange to be all together again but was so much fun! We went to the Sony Building in Ginza and had
Namiko, Sushi Lucy and Minako...
Going fast on the way down from one of the rides at La Qua. Fun fun fun... a nose at all the latest technology (you would have loved it Matthew). It is crazy how products are developed here, used here, then still a few years later are released to us...
In the evening we decided to go to La Qua, which is a small theme park, in the middle of the city...crazy I know! Rode on the world's first centreless ferris wheel, where inside you can also choose what music you want to listen to!
Experienced the scariest ghost house ever. It was like I was actually inside someones nightmare. You had to go round with a dentists tooth mirror and check the gaping mouths of dead bodies to see which one had an extra tooth. Maybe about every 8 seconds something would make you jump..some being real people. One room you walked into, and immediately about 10 ghouls in black cloaks closed in on you in a small circle. It is so muzukashi (difficult) to describe how frightening it was...
Saying goodbye to Namiko and Minako was horrible...I have so much fun when I am with them and will miss them heaps...
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Nigeeeeloniiiiiiiiiiioooous
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Question?
You may have rest your tiny head....but what about the massive forehead?? Also photo of you 3 close up, the girl on the left was on X factor Saturday! xxx see you at airport xx