My first visitor :)

---

I have to admit it's a bit of a lonely evening tonight. Joe left yesterday to head back to the states and I just got back from work a little while ago and cooked some chicken and veggies and tofu for dinner. Dawn is still at work and so I have the whole apartment to myself, a big change from just a day ago when I was lucky enough to have a constant travel buddy.

This past week has been by far my favorite week in Japan so far. I have to say I was pretty lucky to have one of the greatest guys in the world come all the way across the Pacific Ocean to spend some time with me in Japan. Joe arrived on Monday and stayed until yesterday (Saturday) morning. Two of my fellow Nova teachers agreed to do shift swaps with me so that I could have not only Wednesday and Thursday off (my normal weekend) but Monday and Tuesday as well...4 whole days to explore a bit of Japan with Joe.

I met Joe at the Narita Airport (about one hour north of Tokyo) on Monday at 4pm when his plane landed. I cannot explain in words what a wonderful moment it was to see a familiar face from home 😊. We must have hugged for about 10 minutes before going to catch our train to the Nippori Station in a district of Tokyo called Ueno where our hotel was located. Ueno is one of the older districts of Tokyo and isn't what you think of when you think of modern Tokyo. Its an area of Tokyo that offers a glimpse of what the city was like before the economic miralcle of the 1970s and 80s.

Here are some of the highlights from our trip...

Day 1: Tokyo Exploring

*Cherry Blossom Viewing in Ueno Park
*Waving the smoke from good luck insence over our bodies at the Senso Ji in Asakusa
* Eating Japanese Apricot and Sesame mochi on Nakamise Dori (famous shopping street in Asakusa)
*Eating conveyor belt sushi and watching Joe try nato (fermented soy beans), and ikura (salmon eggs).
*Sitting on a bench and on a grassy field in the middle of the Imperial Gardens
*Asking a random Japanese business man for a recomendation for a good Sukiyaki restaurant and being led down the street to a restaurant by the very kind man in Shinjuku.

*SUCCESSFULLY navigating the Tokyo Subway system without being able to speak or read much Japanese 😊.

Day 2: Kamakura (The capital of Japan from 1185-1333) and Shizuoka

*Hiking through a beautiful mountainous area past shrines tucked away behind trees and in caves.
*Washing our money in water that is supposed to make you rich when you spend that money.
*Trekking up about 90 stairs (major booty lifter) only to discover we were going the wrong way 😊
*Finally finding the GREAT BUDDHA!!!
*Seeing the Hase Dera Temple
*Walking along the ocean in Kamakura
*Dodging a hard rain by stepping into the first Japanese restaurant we saw!
*Taking the SHINKANSEN (bullet train) to Shizuoka
*Moki (as Joe calls it) or Mochi on the rooftop of my apartment building.
*Kareoking until 2am with Ben, Dawn and Ayako.

Day 3: Home Sweet Home in Shizuoka

*Picknicking in Sumpu Park under the cherry trees.
*Watching the Cherry Blossom Petal Blizards (happens when the wind blows and hundreds of cherry tree blossoms flutter to the ground---looks like a snow blizzard and is BEAUTIFUL, especially when you have good company to watch with!)
*Free shuttles from the Train Station to a Japanese Onsen that overlooks the sea.
*Relaxing our very tired muscles in a Japanese Onsen. ( The ohnsen is complete with a Edo Style Shopping village, multiple coed hot pools and saunas, private pools and spas for women and men, locker rooms, showers with wooden stools and buckets for washing, Yukata (japanese robes))>
*Eating Japanese Yakitori

Day 4:

*Getting back from work to find Joe waiting for me 😊
*Relaxing, Napping and eating DORAYAKI (Japanese sweet beans and pancakes)
*Out to NABE (Japanese Stew) for dinner.

---

Photos

The Ryokan Annex Katsutaro
Ryokan = Japanese Inn

Strolling through the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park

Nakamise Dori -- Rice Cracker Vendor
Famous shopping street in Asakusa, leading up to the Senso Ji Temple

Conveyor Belt Sushi
Lunch in Asakusa

In front of the Senso Ji
This temple enshires an image of KANNON-- the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.

Incense burning in front of the Senso Ji
It is said that the smoke from the incense is good for your health and brings good fortune so you see lots of people waving the smoke over their bodies.

Zeniarai Benten
Unique shrine with a cave like entrance in Kamakura along the hiking trail to the Great Buddha.

The Giant Buddha
The Buddha was originally built in 1252 and was inside of a temple. In 1495 a tsunami destroyed the building it was housed it, however, the Buddha remained. It is cast in bronze, weighs about 850 tons and is 11.4 meters tall.

Comments

[Momsie]

Nice!
nice pics and looks like you had a wonderful time! we just tried to call will try tomorrow again about the same time! Love you!