Golden Week camping in Iwate

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One of the greatest things about Japan is their abundance of National holidays. And when three of them fall in the same week, you can't help but say, "Road Trip"! We gathered the troops and headed 4 hours North into the mountainous prefecture of Iwate for three days of camping next to the Pacific ocean, some serious tip-freezbie and campfires.

Nehama beach wasn't exactly Thailand, but we weren't expecting it to be. Especially since Japanese beaches vary in their beauty and concrete usage. Because of all the tsunami threats here in Jland, most beaches are littered with concrete jacks, barriers, huge rows of steps (without railings...yah, real safe), and while this all keeps people more safe from tidal waves, one wonders if destroying the natural beauty of so many places is really worth it. Guess it depends on who you ask really.

Sarah and Rumi were the only ones from our pack to actually brave the freezing cold waters of the Pacific so early in the Spring (well, Sarah braved it, Rumi was pushed). We spent our days in the sun playing freezbie, reading and generally being lazy, relaxing slobs. Good times. Our "campfire" consisted of two bbqs and, they worked quite well actually. It was pretty cold the first night and I'm guessing it dropped down to about -2 or less, as there was a solid layer of frost on the tent around 3am.

There were some fun/strange occurances, ranging from a drunken NAKED J-man running into our campsite and stealing our freezbie, to Heather's black eye, the RIDICULOUSLY large crow that stalked us and our campsite the WHOLE time we were there, and the almost comedic warning from the camp manager that if an earthquake hits, that we should jump in our cars and drive to the South up the mountain...yah, just a friendly reminder of the tsunami stuff...no biggie.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Rumi's new electronic wonder. Her new portable printer downloads pictures from her cell phone which has this crazy infa-red censor thing (I say 'thing' because I know nothing about electronics) and then prints them out on (of course) Disney polaroids. Look down at the pics I've posted and you'll see an example and Rumi at work. Pretty crazy if you ask me, but of course...good times.

This was my 3rd and final Golden Week whilst living in Japan, the first was spent in Taiwan and the last two have been camping. I'm going to miss all these National Holidays...what country could I move to next that has more? Someone research that and get back to me!

Less then three months until I leave for my trip...the countdown is on!

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Photos

Campfire bliss
Tammy, Rebecca and Heather

The latest in Japanese photography
Rumi bought this crazy portable printer for cell phone pictures. All she does is take a picture with her camera, infared signal it to the small printer and voila! It prints out on designer paper (and a la Japanese...it's gotta be Disney designed)

Heather and me with Lilo & Stitch
Rumi's portable polaroid printer (simply the latest in J-technology) was quite the show-and-tell item...

Nehama beach
..not exactly Thailand eh?!

Nehama beach
Sarah, Sel and I

What are you pointing to Sarah?
yes...Canada is somewhere out there...

Concrete beaches
nothing says beauty like concrete everywhere..

Concrete beaches
Tsunami barriers are big business here in Jland.

Karate kid Sarah
chotto abunaii desu ne?!

Northern sakura
The cherry blossoms may be gone from Wakuya, but up North, they're just blossoming.

A good place to hang your hat.
...or your net. whatever.

Comments

[Rachel]

Sad not to have been there
Looks like a kick ass time and doesn't dewi wear his hair like that normally?

[Mimi]

soooo...
was this a little warm-up for your imminent nomadic lifestyle through Mongolia? You are one crazy wench! (by the way, check out Cumberland Sausage's entry on Mongolia--pretty wild!)

[Rumi]

it was soooooooo much fun ne!!
i had so much fun at the camping. its just a bit sad when i look at these pics and realize that some of them are already gone back home and no longer in Japan... wel, but we re friends wherever we r, right? wanna have reunion someday somewhere in Miyagi!!