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Published: November 27th 2006
A new kind of toilet
at ole and evangeline there were about 10 different toilet settings...everywhere else, it looks like thisUnfortunately I have only a few minutes to stay a LOT of things about Japan. I am on a computer that I can only use for ten more minutes and I cant put up pics...plus the keyboard is in japanese and I cant find all the stuff I need on here to type. Funny.
Things are so good though. I have been having a fantastic time! Dallas and I took off last Thursday for a two day hiking trip that turned in to a bit of a fiasco and I wanted to just cry and cry. We left for a little place called Oku Tama and we were going to hike the tallest peak in Tokyo. At the top there is an emergency shelter that we can stay in for free and we like that because we had no where to sleep. So we set out for Oku Tama and we got a bit mixed up on the trains and by the time we got there it was about 3:30pm. Then we took a bus to a tiny town in the middle of the mountains called Nipporo. From there we could not find the trail head so we ran into
a bunch of OLD Japanese couples walking on the street away from these limestone caves and we tried to ask them where the trail head was and the guy didnt speak english so he just kept saying, No. No. No. Then we found another guy who spoke a little english and he showed us the trail head. Then they all gathered around the two very tall Americans in the middle of the street and discussed...in Japanese...whether or not we should go. From what we gathered they didnt think we should. They seemed to think it was too late...which it was...and it was too cold...which it was...and the trail was too difficult...which it was...and that we would never make it...but we disagreed about that. So they argued with us then a little old Japanese lady sized us up and agreed that we were young enough and appeared to be in peak physical condition so we could tackle that mountain no problem.
We set out on our hike...with our packs full of everything we needed for four months and some bread and apples...then we realized that those wise old Japanese people were right about a lot of things. It got dark
in about an hour. It was near freezing and Dallas and I were both steaming. Dallas had a head lamp, but my flashlight died immediately. We were literally hiking straight up a hill...so steep that we had to grab vines and branches to climb up the hill...for about four hours in the dark. On top of that there were these terrible screeching deer in the woods that were just screeching away all night. It was freaking me out. Then at one point it was dark and I was scared and out of no where this eery Japanese music started playing really loudly...presumably from the village below, but if any of you know me at all you know that things creep me out pretty easily so that about did it. I wanted to stop and sleep along the way but Dallas was convinced that we should make it to the peak and find the emergency shelter to sleep in. It was a good thing we did because it started to rain.
We finally made it to the shelter and we were greeted by a little Japanese man who was also sleeping there, but didnt speak any english. We communicated enough
Signs
These are the signs we had to follow to find the top of the mountain...in kanji, so we had no idea what they said though. He managed to offer us some Saki and brandy and we all settled in for a nice cold sleep. Temperatures reached freezing that night and it was quite miserable. But the next morning the man gave us some coffee and we headed back up the mountain to see the view. It really did make it all worth it. We saw a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji from the peak. We headed back down the hill and then into Oku Tama where we visited an Onsen...a traditional Japanese Hot Spring bath.
The Onsen was something else. I am about a foot taller than the women in Japan and Dallas is about two feet taller. You go in these little rooms and get naked then sit in a Japanese bath with other people. Funny stuff. It was quite an experience. Theres a lot of rules when using the onsen so I just kept watching the ladies around me to see what I was supposed to do. In the end it was a great experience, but I found out later that they are usually very uncomfortable with foreigners in the onsen and sometimes they even drain the bath after they leave.
Thanks a lot guys.
That night we went back to Tokyo and realized that we had no place to stay. I got very homesick and I wanted to watch Survivor with my dad and eat moms cooking, but luckily we figured things out and Ole and Vangie allowed us to stay another night.
The next morning we went to stay with this guy Kris...who is good friends with Kevin Gerber and lives in Tokyo for work. We were locked out of his place so this very nice Macedonian girl named Biba invited us in for some coffee and to smoke a joint....no thanks Biba. We get up there and we chatted with her and her husband for a while. It was great to hang out with her and we were thankful for her hospitality, but we were both struck by how lost she was and he much she wanted something different in life. I invited her to church, but she said no because they are orthodox and her husband would not approve. Please pray for Biba and her husband Dragan because they are just so so lost.
Then we got to go to church!!! What a blessing.
On the way there we had a hard time finding it and I was just praying and praying that we would find it then I was praying and praying that I wouldnt react sinfully if we couldnt find it bｅｃａｕｓｅ I just knew I would be so sad, then we found it: Tokyo Baptist Church. Familiar music and familiar message. I really couldnt help myself from crying when we got in there because it was such a wonderful thing to be across the world from everything that I love and be in a place where I could worship Christ with people who are likeminded and who are headed for the same Heaven. I distinctly remember thinking that Jesus could return at that moment and I would be pleased to go up with those people. I was shocked by how good the message was too. He brought it for sure. He spoke on Matthew 7 regarding the foundation of rock and sand. He basically said, if you do not do what Christ says, you really need to look at your life and examine whether or not you are saved. Wow...not the sort of sermon that people like to hear. After church
we met this great couple from North Carolina who recently moved to Tokyo because of business. They plan to spend two years there then go back home. Dallas really enjoyed talking sports and laughing with Patrick and I was so happy to talk with his wife about her new life in Tokyo. All in all, church was a huge blessing and we were in new spirits after that.
From there we headed out to Shizouka. We took a four hour train ride south of Tokyo and ended up in Hamamatsu where we are now. On the way there I got to see the other side of the Pacific ocean. See, I am not so far away. We are staying with a fantastic english teacher from the great land of Canada named Darryl. He is so great! The town where he lives has about 20,000 brazilians and peruvians living here. He took us out to excellent brazilian food where we met his two brazilian friends Clay and Syl. They are so great! They have a wonderful sense of humor and they are so warm and friendly...nothing like the Japanese! We got hugs and kisses and they were not afraid to
repay our sarcasm with a little of their own. Dallas felt right at home talking about the jungle. It really was such a blessing.
Today we visited their english school and we are going to find out some info about going hiking tomorrow. Clay really wants to come with us and we hope to talk Syl into it, but she hates the outdoors. We might trick her into coming...say we are going for a walk or something.
When I get the chance I will add photos of Funji San and our torturous...er, beautiful hike. Thursday we leave for Singapore and then we get to see some jungle in Malaysia and Sumatra. Thanks for your prayers and your comments! It is so good to read your replies. Please continue to pray for safe travels and pray that we will have more opportunities for fellowship. Christians are few and far between out here. I really feel like the Lord is teaching me to get out of my comfort zone and depend on him. It really is less fun then I thought it would be...can I say that?...but more challenging. I appreciate the experience so much.
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Eric D
non-member comment
ohhh sister b....
sister-is it ok to laugh.... and i quote, "terrible screeching deer in the woods that were just screeching away all night. It was freaking me out. Then at one point it was dark and I was scared and out of no where this eery Japanese music started playing really loudly." ohhh wow sister...praise God..i am currently laughing....ohhh...wow, i'm glad you're ok. wow. -E