Day 15 (May 21) Homeward bound:
Up at 5am. UGH! A quick snack and off to the airport. Mama Uchida surprised us and rented a mini-van to lug all our gear. She's so kind!
Flying home... we were awake for almost 30 hours straight, and very tired. The Johnson's (Cathy, Fred and Kennith) met us at the Halifax airport to greet us on arrival. They offered to drive us home, but I managed the drive home no problem. The first stop before home was Timmies for a bagel. So nice to be home in our ol' hood. Tomorrow we'll pick up Star and all will be back to normal... or as normal as our house gets.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Day 14
Day 14 (May 20) Chilling:
Today was a day to relax before our long trip home tomorrow.
We went to the mall again to pick up for more stuff for the trip home. Mel and I hit the arcade again... I had to use up all that pocket change!
That evening for dinner we went to Kongo-en. You cook your meal on a central grill, we had a lot of meats that I never tried before (chicken intestines, beef tongue, beer diaphragm). We actually snuck the bill from mama Uchida and treated them. Papa Uchida couldn't join us because he worked late that day and early the next morning. The dinner was exquisite complete with tatami mats and Japanese beer. I must admin, by this point in our trip my legs were getting a bit sore from sitting on the ground so much, the western style tables and chairs are looking really nice right now.
Back to the Uchida's for some dessert (Snaffles cheese cake) and packing.
The Uchida's presented us with some gifts to bring home. A beautiful tea set, a fan, socks for Karen and some glassware (that Hedimi is shipping ground with some of her stuff). They are such great hosts, we were overwhelmed by them generosity.
It hit us tonight on how quickly this trip has gone by. We've seen so much, but want to see so much more. The Uchidas welcomed us back any time to stay with them. They are such generous and kind people, I'll really miss them. I extended the welcome to our home if/when they ever come to Nova Scotia. I hope they do.
Today was a day to relax before our long trip home tomorrow.
We went to the mall again to pick up for more stuff for the trip home. Mel and I hit the arcade again... I had to use up all that pocket change!
That evening for dinner we went to Kongo-en. You cook your meal on a central grill, we had a lot of meats that I never tried before (chicken intestines, beef tongue, beer diaphragm). We actually snuck the bill from mama Uchida and treated them. Papa Uchida couldn't join us because he worked late that day and early the next morning. The dinner was exquisite complete with tatami mats and Japanese beer. I must admin, by this point in our trip my legs were getting a bit sore from sitting on the ground so much, the western style tables and chairs are looking really nice right now.
Back to the Uchida's for some dessert (Snaffles cheese cake) and packing.
The Uchida's presented us with some gifts to bring home. A beautiful tea set, a fan, socks for Karen and some glassware (that Hedimi is shipping ground with some of her stuff). They are such great hosts, we were overwhelmed by them generosity.
It hit us tonight on how quickly this trip has gone by. We've seen so much, but want to see so much more. The Uchidas welcomed us back any time to stay with them. They are such generous and kind people, I'll really miss them. I extended the welcome to our home if/when they ever come to Nova Scotia. I hope they do.
Day 13
Day 13 (May 19th) Sapporo:
Today we took the bus into the city of Sapporo. The bus ride was about 1 1/2 hours. It was nice to see the "country side" of Japan. I was surprised at the wide open areas and all the farms.
When we arrived in Sapporo we did the typical tourist sites, the radio town, the clock tower and the Sapporo beer factory. The beer factory was the original factory, but not the one with the tour unfortunately. We still got to see the history of the beer and some old artifacts from the original brewery.
We didn't get to spend a long time in Sapporo unfortunately, but from what we saw the city was beautiful and clean. Mel and I went to a curie shop while Karen and Hidemi ate Oyako Don (Sapporo has a specialty version of this dish with salmon roe and salmon on rice). Karen likes the eggs on chicken on rice version better.
Then we took the bus home and ate with the Uchida's. Mama Uchida decided it would be funny to serve me beer in a 1 litre mug... so I had 2 :-)
Today we took the bus into the city of Sapporo. The bus ride was about 1 1/2 hours. It was nice to see the "country side" of Japan. I was surprised at the wide open areas and all the farms.
When we arrived in Sapporo we did the typical tourist sites, the radio town, the clock tower and the Sapporo beer factory. The beer factory was the original factory, but not the one with the tour unfortunately. We still got to see the history of the beer and some old artifacts from the original brewery.
We didn't get to spend a long time in Sapporo unfortunately, but from what we saw the city was beautiful and clean. Mel and I went to a curie shop while Karen and Hidemi ate Oyako Don (Sapporo has a specialty version of this dish with salmon roe and salmon on rice). Karen likes the eggs on chicken on rice version better.
Then we took the bus home and ate with the Uchida's. Mama Uchida decided it would be funny to serve me beer in a 1 litre mug... so I had 2 :-)
Day 12
Day 12 (May 18): Sopporo Beer Factory
Today papa-Uchida took us to the main Sapporo beer factory in Hokkaido today. We unfortunately couldn't take video, I guess they were afraid we would steal all their secrets!
The factory was not working because it was a Sunday, but there were videos of the working factory at most observation windows. The place is huge and so clean. They can produce over 900 cans a minute and 500 (500ml) bottles a minute. Now that's a lot of beer!
At the end of the tour we got a sample (3 glasses each!) the beer and browse the souvenir shop.
Then we went discount shopping at the "cheap" mall. We socked up on our souvenirs and headed to an izakaya (Japanese pub) for dinner.
Hidemi's friends Mari and Miharu (spelling could be off) met up with us at the izakaya and we ordered tons of food to share and several pitchers of beer. It was a great time, lots of laughs and jokes. Mari and Miharu both speak good English and were very eager to practice on us.
After the food & beer we went to Karaoke. We piled into the room and sang our hearts out, I even did a couple Michael Jackson songs... yes I had a lot of beer that day.
Back to the Uchida's and to bed, we were up late so mama and papa Uchida were already in bed.
Today papa-Uchida took us to the main Sapporo beer factory in Hokkaido today. We unfortunately couldn't take video, I guess they were afraid we would steal all their secrets!
The factory was not working because it was a Sunday, but there were videos of the working factory at most observation windows. The place is huge and so clean. They can produce over 900 cans a minute and 500 (500ml) bottles a minute. Now that's a lot of beer!
At the end of the tour we got a sample (3 glasses each!) the beer and browse the souvenir shop.
Then we went discount shopping at the "cheap" mall. We socked up on our souvenirs and headed to an izakaya (Japanese pub) for dinner.
Hidemi's friends Mari and Miharu (spelling could be off) met up with us at the izakaya and we ordered tons of food to share and several pitchers of beer. It was a great time, lots of laughs and jokes. Mari and Miharu both speak good English and were very eager to practice on us.
After the food & beer we went to Karaoke. We piled into the room and sang our hearts out, I even did a couple Michael Jackson songs... yes I had a lot of beer that day.
Back to the Uchida's and to bed, we were up late so mama and papa Uchida were already in bed.
Day 11
Day 11 (May 17) Home from Hakodate:
Today we came home (to the Uchida's) from Hakodate. We ate a huge buffet breakfast and walked to the tram (trolley car) station. At the station nearest to our hotel there is a public hot spring foot bath. Mel, Hidemi and Karen all took off their shoes for a hot soak. This would have been soooo nice on our 12 hour Tokyo day!
We hopped on the train for a 3 hour train ride back to Tomakomai (Uchida's home town). I caught up on some of my blogging, but we didn't have internet on the train so I have to upload it when I find a wi-fi signal.
Mama-Uchida picked us up at the train station and had a HUGE feed of Japanese curie waiting for us. It was a great feast, even Karen liked it, she doesn't usually like curie, but this is quite different and less spicy then the Indian version.
After dinner, we sat with the Uchida's and watched a bit of Japanese baseball and had some Sapporo beer. The Uchida's are so kind and giving. They even gave Karen a stack of toe-socks. She was thrilled, I imagine Karen will have a suite-case full of socks after this trip!
Today we came home (to the Uchida's) from Hakodate. We ate a huge buffet breakfast and walked to the tram (trolley car) station. At the station nearest to our hotel there is a public hot spring foot bath. Mel, Hidemi and Karen all took off their shoes for a hot soak. This would have been soooo nice on our 12 hour Tokyo day!
We hopped on the train for a 3 hour train ride back to Tomakomai (Uchida's home town). I caught up on some of my blogging, but we didn't have internet on the train so I have to upload it when I find a wi-fi signal.
Mama-Uchida picked us up at the train station and had a HUGE feed of Japanese curie waiting for us. It was a great feast, even Karen liked it, she doesn't usually like curie, but this is quite different and less spicy then the Indian version.
After dinner, we sat with the Uchida's and watched a bit of Japanese baseball and had some Sapporo beer. The Uchida's are so kind and giving. They even gave Karen a stack of toe-socks. She was thrilled, I imagine Karen will have a suite-case full of socks after this trip!
Day 10
Day 10 (May 16) Hakodate city:
The day was spent exploring the city. We re-visited some of the sights we saw the previous night on our cab-tour.
We took the tram in and explored the Motomachi district at the foot of mount Hakodate. We passed on the gondola ride, Karen and Hidemi are not fond of heights. The first place we visited were the 3 churches. There is a catholic, roman and greek churches within the same city block. They were all great, but we didn't go into any of them. We found a local artist who was drawing a ink drawing of the greet church. We chatted with him for awhile about the local art and gave him a pin. Very friendly man.
A short distance down the road we came across a road we were at the previous evening. It's a famous street in the city that you can look straight down the hill to the water. Yesterday evening Karen took an amazing picture at street level, so we got the same shot but in the day time. Here we met a older couple with tri-pods and cameras. They were thrilled with Karen's photo being taken from street level (she actually put the camera on the pavement for the shot) and we talked with them for a bit. Very nice couple, they got a pin too! People here are SO friendly!
A little ways down the road we got some soft icecream. I had soy-bean flavour which is almost black, and Karen for mattcha (green tea powder). The shop owner explained that they make the ice cream from their own cows. Talk about fresh!
The old city hall was the next stop. From here there were some great shots on the hall and the harbour below. I even got a couple animal statue shots for my "personal" collection.
Then we snaked our way down through the waterfront plazas to the Hakodate beer brewery. We ate lunch here, and with lunch had ox tongue, adamame (soy bean pods often served in bars with beer), potato croquettes and garlic bread. Oh... did I mention the 4 beer sample pack of their 4 popular types of beer? They were all good, my favorite was the ale, as was Mel's. Karen liked the sweet bitter and Hidemi likes the clear. There was a fruity beer that no one really liked, but we drank it anyhow... waste not want not. We ordered a big glass of our favorite beer and headed out exploring again, full and a little buzzed.
The squid statue will take a little explaining. Yesterday Mel claimed to have seen a 15 foot squid statue 5 minutes down the street from our hotel. We walked for 1/2 an hour only to find out this statue was another 1/2 hours down the road. Note: 5 minutes Mel time is actually 1 hour. So we went questing for this statue. Before we got to the squid we took a little break in a hotel lobby and the front desk guy let us use the Internet for free! What a nice guy... he got a pin.
After we got to the statue and took our pictures we hopped on the bus for a 5 minute (real time) ride to our hotel. Mel was right,it was 5 minutes... BY BUS.
Supper was great again, this time Mel had the meat selection instead of the fish. Karen and Hidemi said it was a lot better than the previous nights, mine was the same... yummy.
Now it was onsen time. Karen and Hidemi took the 1st turn while Mel and I looked after Chisa, then we went down after. It was a great experience. There are a lot of things to remember when going to one of these baths when it comes to etiquette... and we all know how kooth I am, so I was a bit worried. Mel and I luckily had it to ourselves, so Mel got to show me how to do it all properly. The bath was over looking the ocean, you could hear the waves crashing on the beach, very relaxing. The main rule is to ensure you are VERY clean before entering and never let your towel (which you use to bath with) touch the hot springs water. We soaked for a log while and returned to the room warm and "mineralized". My skin is so soft.
From our room we can see the ocean, and hear it as well with the windows open. Both nights we slept with the windows wide open with the sound of the waves lulling us to sleep. So relaxing, if I could sleep like that every night I would never be tired again.
The day was spent exploring the city. We re-visited some of the sights we saw the previous night on our cab-tour.
We took the tram in and explored the Motomachi district at the foot of mount Hakodate. We passed on the gondola ride, Karen and Hidemi are not fond of heights. The first place we visited were the 3 churches. There is a catholic, roman and greek churches within the same city block. They were all great, but we didn't go into any of them. We found a local artist who was drawing a ink drawing of the greet church. We chatted with him for awhile about the local art and gave him a pin. Very friendly man.
A short distance down the road we came across a road we were at the previous evening. It's a famous street in the city that you can look straight down the hill to the water. Yesterday evening Karen took an amazing picture at street level, so we got the same shot but in the day time. Here we met a older couple with tri-pods and cameras. They were thrilled with Karen's photo being taken from street level (she actually put the camera on the pavement for the shot) and we talked with them for a bit. Very nice couple, they got a pin too! People here are SO friendly!
A little ways down the road we got some soft icecream. I had soy-bean flavour which is almost black, and Karen for mattcha (green tea powder). The shop owner explained that they make the ice cream from their own cows. Talk about fresh!
The old city hall was the next stop. From here there were some great shots on the hall and the harbour below. I even got a couple animal statue shots for my "personal" collection.
Then we snaked our way down through the waterfront plazas to the Hakodate beer brewery. We ate lunch here, and with lunch had ox tongue, adamame (soy bean pods often served in bars with beer), potato croquettes and garlic bread. Oh... did I mention the 4 beer sample pack of their 4 popular types of beer? They were all good, my favorite was the ale, as was Mel's. Karen liked the sweet bitter and Hidemi likes the clear. There was a fruity beer that no one really liked, but we drank it anyhow... waste not want not. We ordered a big glass of our favorite beer and headed out exploring again, full and a little buzzed.
The squid statue will take a little explaining. Yesterday Mel claimed to have seen a 15 foot squid statue 5 minutes down the street from our hotel. We walked for 1/2 an hour only to find out this statue was another 1/2 hours down the road. Note: 5 minutes Mel time is actually 1 hour. So we went questing for this statue. Before we got to the squid we took a little break in a hotel lobby and the front desk guy let us use the Internet for free! What a nice guy... he got a pin.
After we got to the statue and took our pictures we hopped on the bus for a 5 minute (real time) ride to our hotel. Mel was right,it was 5 minutes... BY BUS.
Supper was great again, this time Mel had the meat selection instead of the fish. Karen and Hidemi said it was a lot better than the previous nights, mine was the same... yummy.
Now it was onsen time. Karen and Hidemi took the 1st turn while Mel and I looked after Chisa, then we went down after. It was a great experience. There are a lot of things to remember when going to one of these baths when it comes to etiquette... and we all know how kooth I am, so I was a bit worried. Mel and I luckily had it to ourselves, so Mel got to show me how to do it all properly. The bath was over looking the ocean, you could hear the waves crashing on the beach, very relaxing. The main rule is to ensure you are VERY clean before entering and never let your towel (which you use to bath with) touch the hot springs water. We soaked for a log while and returned to the room warm and "mineralized". My skin is so soft.
From our room we can see the ocean, and hear it as well with the windows open. Both nights we slept with the windows wide open with the sound of the waves lulling us to sleep. So relaxing, if I could sleep like that every night I would never be tired again.
Day 9
Day 9 (May 15) Hakodate ryokan:
An early train ride for 3 hours took us to Hakodate, the sister city for Halifax. Every year they get a Christmas tree from us, probably from Lunenburg. Before we left Halifax Karen scored 50 HRM pins from the mayors office, so we gaev them out a lot during our trip here (basically to anyone who was friendly... and there are a lot of friendly people!).
We then took a quick bus ride to the ryokan we stayed at called Yumakawa. It's famous in this city and is found on most tourist maps. Our rooms come with breakfast and dinner for 2 nights.
The room is a traditional Japanese ryokan with tatami mat floors and small bathroom. There was no bed in the room when we arrived. The staff come in while you are out and re-arrange the room to accommodate futon beds (we put extra mats on ours to make them more padded).
We then checked out the fort Goryo-kaku. It's a star shaped fort very similar to Halifax's citadel hill fort. We went up in the observation tower that over-looked the fort. What a view! There was even a glass floor that you could look right down to the street.
For lunch we went to a small noodle shop and Mel and I had a great feed of curry and rice while Karen & Hidemi had egg/chicken on rice (translated to parents and children on rice!).
Dinner that night was served in the Johnson's room, the rest of them had a seafood spread, while mine was not (meat and veggies for me). It was an excellent opportunity to try food that we would never get anywhere else. Most was good, some not so much... it' probably an acquired taste to eat a fish whole. Not my cup-o-tea, but cool to experience none the less.
After dinner we took a taxi up to mount Hakodate. It was dark out so we got to see the whole city lit up. It was breathtaking. Even more surprising was our cab driver, who after taking us to the mountain observatory, took us for a small city tour. We didn't expect this. It was fantastic to see the city at night with our own local guide. Did I mention how nice people are here? He got a pin :-)
After the night sight-seeing we settled in for an evening of beer tasting. Mel and I have made a point of buying all different types and brands of beer to sample. We've probably already tasted over a dozen, more than Mel had in his 2 years here... what can I say... I like my biru (beer).
Karen and Hidemi went to the onsen (natural hot spring bath) while I read for a bit and passed out of fatigue (and maybe a bit too much beer sampling).
An early train ride for 3 hours took us to Hakodate, the sister city for Halifax. Every year they get a Christmas tree from us, probably from Lunenburg. Before we left Halifax Karen scored 50 HRM pins from the mayors office, so we gaev them out a lot during our trip here (basically to anyone who was friendly... and there are a lot of friendly people!).
We then took a quick bus ride to the ryokan we stayed at called Yumakawa. It's famous in this city and is found on most tourist maps. Our rooms come with breakfast and dinner for 2 nights.
The room is a traditional Japanese ryokan with tatami mat floors and small bathroom. There was no bed in the room when we arrived. The staff come in while you are out and re-arrange the room to accommodate futon beds (we put extra mats on ours to make them more padded).
We then checked out the fort Goryo-kaku. It's a star shaped fort very similar to Halifax's citadel hill fort. We went up in the observation tower that over-looked the fort. What a view! There was even a glass floor that you could look right down to the street.
For lunch we went to a small noodle shop and Mel and I had a great feed of curry and rice while Karen & Hidemi had egg/chicken on rice (translated to parents and children on rice!).
Dinner that night was served in the Johnson's room, the rest of them had a seafood spread, while mine was not (meat and veggies for me). It was an excellent opportunity to try food that we would never get anywhere else. Most was good, some not so much... it' probably an acquired taste to eat a fish whole. Not my cup-o-tea, but cool to experience none the less.
After dinner we took a taxi up to mount Hakodate. It was dark out so we got to see the whole city lit up. It was breathtaking. Even more surprising was our cab driver, who after taking us to the mountain observatory, took us for a small city tour. We didn't expect this. It was fantastic to see the city at night with our own local guide. Did I mention how nice people are here? He got a pin :-)
After the night sight-seeing we settled in for an evening of beer tasting. Mel and I have made a point of buying all different types and brands of beer to sample. We've probably already tasted over a dozen, more than Mel had in his 2 years here... what can I say... I like my biru (beer).
Karen and Hidemi went to the onsen (natural hot spring bath) while I read for a bit and passed out of fatigue (and maybe a bit too much beer sampling).
Day 8
Day 8 (May 14) Sushi & Shopping:
Today we spend the day in Hidemi's home town of Tomakomai. We went to an observation tower that overlooked the city. The mountain close to the city is volcanic and active, the locals think it may erupt in the next couple years and are a little worried.
Most of the day was spent shopping, for lunch we had Ramen at a famous local restaurant. We are getting very good at eating with chop-sticks, we even ate our fried eggs and bacon with them at breakfast!
For dinner the Uchida's took us to a sushi restaurant. It had a conveyor belt that took the plates of sushi to the tables surrounding the main preparation area. It's called kaiten-zushi. Since I don't eat much seafood, the chefs had a great time making steak and hamburger sushi for me. Even papa-Uchida had a hamburger sushi (his with extra wasabi). The meal was great, at the end we had a huge stack of plates. Each plate cost a certain amount, they counted your plates to get your bill. Very efficient!
Afterwards we went back to the Uchida's for dessert (we bought chocolate cake thingies that were a lot like cup-cakes with a chocolate pudding centre). Mama-Uchida also had a cheese cake that the neighbour had made for us. Wow... even the neighbours welcome us... did I mention how friendly people are?
After dessert we got into the beer. Soporo classic was the beer Mel and I got, and papa-Uchida had some Kirin (maybe Asahi) malt beer. Papa-Uchida was quite happy to have some guys to sit down and drink with. It was a great time.
Today we spend the day in Hidemi's home town of Tomakomai. We went to an observation tower that overlooked the city. The mountain close to the city is volcanic and active, the locals think it may erupt in the next couple years and are a little worried.
Most of the day was spent shopping, for lunch we had Ramen at a famous local restaurant. We are getting very good at eating with chop-sticks, we even ate our fried eggs and bacon with them at breakfast!
For dinner the Uchida's took us to a sushi restaurant. It had a conveyor belt that took the plates of sushi to the tables surrounding the main preparation area. It's called kaiten-zushi. Since I don't eat much seafood, the chefs had a great time making steak and hamburger sushi for me. Even papa-Uchida had a hamburger sushi (his with extra wasabi). The meal was great, at the end we had a huge stack of plates. Each plate cost a certain amount, they counted your plates to get your bill. Very efficient!
Afterwards we went back to the Uchida's for dessert (we bought chocolate cake thingies that were a lot like cup-cakes with a chocolate pudding centre). Mama-Uchida also had a cheese cake that the neighbour had made for us. Wow... even the neighbours welcome us... did I mention how friendly people are?
After dessert we got into the beer. Soporo classic was the beer Mel and I got, and papa-Uchida had some Kirin (maybe Asahi) malt beer. Papa-Uchida was quite happy to have some guys to sit down and drink with. It was a great time.
Day 7
Day 7 (May 13) Hokkaido bound:
Still a little sore from yesterday we set out in the morning for Hameda Airport. A bus and a train got us there with a helpful guidance of Hidemi. She's been so good to us this trip with helping interpret signs and language. She ROCKS!
We flew from Hameda to Chitose Airport (near Sapporo). Hidemi's mother, sisters and nephews were there to greet us. I felt welcomed right away and knew mama-Uchida truly was glad to see us and have us stay at their home.
The Uchida's live in a typical Japanese house, in a City called Tomakomai. The city reminded us of a city in Florida... St Petersburg. Narrow streets and a lot of houses. We got the upstairs room, I slept on a traditional futon and Karen got the mattress bed (too small for both of us).
Mama-Uchida reminded us so much of my mom... right down to the apron in the kitchen. It made me a little home sick, but very welcome at the same time. Papa-Uchida is a great man, making every attempt to speak English he could. Through our Japaneses phrase book and a dictionary we got by fine... and Hidemi of couse!
We gave them our gift (a painting of lobster traps on a wharf) and they were very pleased. After looking it over asking us many questions about it, they placed it in their display cabinet with all their other treasures, truly a place of honor.
Still a little sore from yesterday we set out in the morning for Hameda Airport. A bus and a train got us there with a helpful guidance of Hidemi. She's been so good to us this trip with helping interpret signs and language. She ROCKS!
We flew from Hameda to Chitose Airport (near Sapporo). Hidemi's mother, sisters and nephews were there to greet us. I felt welcomed right away and knew mama-Uchida truly was glad to see us and have us stay at their home.
The Uchida's live in a typical Japanese house, in a City called Tomakomai. The city reminded us of a city in Florida... St Petersburg. Narrow streets and a lot of houses. We got the upstairs room, I slept on a traditional futon and Karen got the mattress bed (too small for both of us).
Mama-Uchida reminded us so much of my mom... right down to the apron in the kitchen. It made me a little home sick, but very welcome at the same time. Papa-Uchida is a great man, making every attempt to speak English he could. Through our Japaneses phrase book and a dictionary we got by fine... and Hidemi of couse!
We gave them our gift (a painting of lobster traps on a wharf) and they were very pleased. After looking it over asking us many questions about it, they placed it in their display cabinet with all their other treasures, truly a place of honor.
They unwrapped their presents from the Johnson's and we read the beautiful letter Cathy wrote, Hidemi translated. I took video so I can play it for the Johnson's when we get back home. Isn't technology great?!?!
Hidemi's nephews, 4 boys, 10, 5, 3 and 4 months were at the house for most of the evening. Mel and I played with the 3 older ones, they were fascinated with us but couldn't really understand (at least the younger one) why we didn't speak much Japanese. Great kids, good times.
For supper we had Shabu-shabu. Basically you cook all you dinner in a central pot on the table. Like cooking on the rocks but with boiling water. It was a fantastic feast with the Uchida family.
Day 6
Day 6 (May 13) Toyko:
Today we conquered Tokyo just the 2 of us (Karen and I). We took the subway into downtown to the Hibiya Park. We got assistance from a kinda old lady who showed us how to get on the other side of the subway tracks.
We walked to the emperial gardens hoping to get into the east gardens to walk around, but alas is was closed on Mondays. The outside of it sure looked nice.
Today we conquered Tokyo just the 2 of us (Karen and I). We took the subway into downtown to the Hibiya Park. We got assistance from a kinda old lady who showed us how to get on the other side of the subway tracks.
We walked to the emperial gardens hoping to get into the east gardens to walk around, but alas is was closed on Mondays. The outside of it sure looked nice.
Next stop Tokyo International Forum where we walked around and look a look at a rice museum. The forum is mostly used as a conference centre.
We strolled though Ginza (high end area) and had lunch in british tea shop. We both had sanwiches and earl grey tea. Tokyo had every type of quisine you can imagine! The only thing not british was the squat toilet.
We strolled though Ginza (high end area) and had lunch in british tea shop. We both had sanwiches and earl grey tea. Tokyo had every type of quisine you can imagine! The only thing not british was the squat toilet.
One word for the Sony building... disapointing. I was hoping to try out the new sony gaming systems, but they did not have any on display. The high def TVs and camcorders were very impressive. There were tons gadgets and techy-toys, but the ones for sales came with a very high price tag. I'll wait a year for them to come to Canada... and down in price,
In the distiance we could see Tokyo Tower, so we set out on foot to find it.
On the way we cut through Hibiya-Koen park. It's Tokyo's 1st western style park complete with tennis court and restaurant. The gardens were beautiful, most of the flowers were in full bloom. Tokyo has a suprising amount of "green areas" for a city so large.
In the distiance we could see Tokyo Tower, so we set out on foot to find it.
On the way we cut through Hibiya-Koen park. It's Tokyo's 1st western style park complete with tennis court and restaurant. The gardens were beautiful, most of the flowers were in full bloom. Tokyo has a suprising amount of "green areas" for a city so large.
Still on our way to the tower we happened upon a small shrine at the top of a hill. We climbed the steep staris to find peace and tranquility. It's off such a place exists in a busy stressful city. We clensed our hands before we entered the shrine and did the preying ritual for good fortune of our travels... so far it's worked! We've noticed that Tokyo is full of extremes, one minute you can be in a sea of people, the next you can be in a peaceful shrine.
We finally found Tokyo Tower, did some of the typical tourist photos and decided not to pay the fee to goto the top. The government building is free and just as high. The street leading to the tower was lined with rose bushes that went for miles.
At the bottom of the hill that the tower was one we came accross Zojo-ji shrine. It was a family temple and had hundreds of stone statues of babies with knitted caps and bibs on them. They were for all the lost babies, it was very beautiful and sad all at the same time. We didn't go into the temple, it was under construction.
We walked to Daimon station and took the subway to Shinjuku.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office were our next stop. We went to the 49th floor to the obersivation lounge. From there you could see the entire city of Tokyo... all I can say is "Sugoy" (wow).
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office were our next stop. We went to the 49th floor to the obersivation lounge. From there you could see the entire city of Tokyo... all I can say is "Sugoy" (wow).
Then we wandered around Sinjuku and came across another Sega arcade. I played "house of the dead" for a bit. Cool game, but a money grab at 100 yen a turn.
It was supper time, so we hit a noodle shop. It was so cool to order from a "vending machine". Basically you picked what meal you wanted from the plastic models and pictures and payed for it at the machine. You then give your meal ticket to the chef who makes it for you (asked what kind if noodles you want... I had udon noodles, Karen had soba). Karen's meal was cold so it was almost instant, mine only took a matter of minutes. We then sat at a bar and slurped our noodles (it's polite to do that!). In the time it took us to eat there were several japanese business man whi came in, ordered and left. They were noodle slurping machines!
Now it was rush hour. We didn't want to brave the subway (as much as I wanted to experience the guys to shove people into the packed subway cars for the doors to close) so we sat at a convenience shop and people watched while we had a cold beverage.
The way home was a little challanging to read the JR train maps. There was a kind gentleman who spoke a little english who helped us figure out which ticket to buy. We gave him a halifax pin to thank him. We though he was gone, but when we went through the ticket gate he was there waiting for us. He walked us through the busy terminal right to our train. People are so nice here it is amazing!
100 yen stores are like our dollar stores and full of cool inexpensive stuff. I would recomend people who goto Japan to stock themselves here with snacks and such. Karen got a magazine at a book shop and then it was back to the hotel.
Mel and Hidemi were a bit worried about us venturing out on our own, but wwe proved capable of navigating even the busiest of cities. Hi-5 for us! We celibrated by having a drink in the hotel bar and met up with the Johnsons.
In total were were out for over 12 hrs and walked over 8 of it... were were exhausted and sore.
It was supper time, so we hit a noodle shop. It was so cool to order from a "vending machine". Basically you picked what meal you wanted from the plastic models and pictures and payed for it at the machine. You then give your meal ticket to the chef who makes it for you (asked what kind if noodles you want... I had udon noodles, Karen had soba). Karen's meal was cold so it was almost instant, mine only took a matter of minutes. We then sat at a bar and slurped our noodles (it's polite to do that!). In the time it took us to eat there were several japanese business man whi came in, ordered and left. They were noodle slurping machines!
Now it was rush hour. We didn't want to brave the subway (as much as I wanted to experience the guys to shove people into the packed subway cars for the doors to close) so we sat at a convenience shop and people watched while we had a cold beverage.
The way home was a little challanging to read the JR train maps. There was a kind gentleman who spoke a little english who helped us figure out which ticket to buy. We gave him a halifax pin to thank him. We though he was gone, but when we went through the ticket gate he was there waiting for us. He walked us through the busy terminal right to our train. People are so nice here it is amazing!
100 yen stores are like our dollar stores and full of cool inexpensive stuff. I would recomend people who goto Japan to stock themselves here with snacks and such. Karen got a magazine at a book shop and then it was back to the hotel.
Mel and Hidemi were a bit worried about us venturing out on our own, but wwe proved capable of navigating even the busiest of cities. Hi-5 for us! We celibrated by having a drink in the hotel bar and met up with the Johnsons.
In total were were out for over 12 hrs and walked over 8 of it... were were exhausted and sore.
Day 5
Day 5 (May 11) 2 Temples and 1 Hotel:
We left the Tokyo Bay hotel today early morning and went sight seeing in Hidemi's friend's Hiromi mini-van. First we visited Kamakura and had Udon at a little noodle shop. It was excellent. After lunch we went to Daibutsu. It is a giant Buddha, the largest outdoor Buddha. The original hall thta housed the statue was destroyed in 1494 by a tsunami, however the statue survived. We got to inside the statue (into the Buddha's belly).
Next stop, Hase-dera shrine. There was a library of all the sutras, and you could turn it around in a circle, gaining the equivalent of reading all the sutras. The garden's were lush with lots of flowers and ponds that had large carp fish (looked like koi fish).
After the 2 shrines we checked into the Sheraton Miyako Hotel (recently the Miyako Raddison). The hotel was a bit of a disapointment compared to the Tokyo Bay hotel we just came from. I describe it as a Raddison cake with Sheraton icing.
After check-in we went out to eat at Jonathan's and had a tasmanian burger steak. Karen had shoyu soup and rice. Witgh dinner Mel and I polished up a huge pitcher of beer and called it a night.
We left the Tokyo Bay hotel today early morning and went sight seeing in Hidemi's friend's Hiromi mini-van. First we visited Kamakura and had Udon at a little noodle shop. It was excellent. After lunch we went to Daibutsu. It is a giant Buddha, the largest outdoor Buddha. The original hall thta housed the statue was destroyed in 1494 by a tsunami, however the statue survived. We got to inside the statue (into the Buddha's belly).
Next stop, Hase-dera shrine. There was a library of all the sutras, and you could turn it around in a circle, gaining the equivalent of reading all the sutras. The garden's were lush with lots of flowers and ponds that had large carp fish (looked like koi fish).
After the 2 shrines we checked into the Sheraton Miyako Hotel (recently the Miyako Raddison). The hotel was a bit of a disapointment compared to the Tokyo Bay hotel we just came from. I describe it as a Raddison cake with Sheraton icing.
After check-in we went out to eat at Jonathan's and had a tasmanian burger steak. Karen had shoyu soup and rice. Witgh dinner Mel and I polished up a huge pitcher of beer and called it a night.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Interm
The trip is going great. Will post more when we get to an Internet cafe. Hidemi's parents are awesome, her mom is a Japanese version of my own mom.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Day 4
Day 4 (May 10) Temple Trip:
Today we took a trip into Asakusa to a famous temple Senso-ji and had Sukiyaki for lunch in a traditional Japanese eatery complete with on the floor cushions (tatami mat) and chop sticks.
The temple was amazing, we had to cleanse ourselves in incense smoke before entering. It is supposed to have healing properties but I couldn't stink my feet in the air to have the smoke waft over my sore ankles, so I just kinda pushed the smoke downward. I unfortunately inhaled a bit too deeply and took a small coughing fit. The locals seemed amused at my idiot tourist behavior.
The Sukiyaki meal was great. We all sat down around a large low table and the 2 ladies dressed in these gorgeous kimonos cooked the food for us on this skillet that was built into the middle of the table and fueled by natural gas. I did try everything, though I must admit the shrimp wrapped in squid was quickly followed by a mouthful of Sapporo beer. The eel wasn't pleasing either, but I had to at least try it out of politeness (gasp!).
We did a little more shopping and then returned to the hotel to check in Hiromi and Chikako (Hidemi's girlfriends) room. Hiromi scored her dad's minivan for a couple days so we actually got to experience downtown traffic. She wouldn't let me drive :-(
That evening we chilled in the hotel rooms, drank lots of beer and watched the fireworks over Disney.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Day 3
Day 3 (May 9th): Venture into the "city":
We woke this morning with an earth quake after-shock. It was 3 out of 10 on their scale, very cool! A vibrating bed and I didn't even have to put in any yen.
We took the disney bus (a bus that is made to look old fashioned, decked out in chrome bling... a pimpin ride for the mouse-man) to the train station and took a train to a mall. Hidemi had to go to the motor-vehicles office to get her licence re-newed, so we hit the outlet stores. Karen was in heaven. The prices were not great, not even comparable to the deal you get in Florida so we didn't really buy anything.
Then we came across a 100 yen store (their dollar store). We picked up some small stuff, we'll have to return before we leave to get souvenirs.
On our exploration we came across an arcade. WOW! I could have spent all day in this place... this is MY disney land. There was a zombie game that I wanted to play (the ones that you shoot the screen with a fake uzi), but it was full with kids and we were running short on time. Another day I will definitely have my fill of zombie killing carnage.
After we met Hidemi at 3pm we ate some Ramen at a noodle house. Excellent food.
When we came out there was a bunch of street performers doing a traditional Japanese dance. Karen and Hidemi got up and danced a song with them when they asked for crowd participation. The vid will be on youtube later!
Beer... tall can... 200 yen (2 bucks). Need I say more. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
We woke this morning with an earth quake after-shock. It was 3 out of 10 on their scale, very cool! A vibrating bed and I didn't even have to put in any yen.
We took the disney bus (a bus that is made to look old fashioned, decked out in chrome bling... a pimpin ride for the mouse-man) to the train station and took a train to a mall. Hidemi had to go to the motor-vehicles office to get her licence re-newed, so we hit the outlet stores. Karen was in heaven. The prices were not great, not even comparable to the deal you get in Florida so we didn't really buy anything.
Then we came across a 100 yen store (their dollar store). We picked up some small stuff, we'll have to return before we leave to get souvenirs.
On our exploration we came across an arcade. WOW! I could have spent all day in this place... this is MY disney land. There was a zombie game that I wanted to play (the ones that you shoot the screen with a fake uzi), but it was full with kids and we were running short on time. Another day I will definitely have my fill of zombie killing carnage.
After we met Hidemi at 3pm we ate some Ramen at a noodle house. Excellent food.
When we came out there was a bunch of street performers doing a traditional Japanese dance. Karen and Hidemi got up and danced a song with them when they asked for crowd participation. The vid will be on youtube later!
Beer... tall can... 200 yen (2 bucks). Need I say more. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Day 2
Day 2 (May 8): Arrival
We arrived in Tokyo today after an exhausting 14 hour flight. Add in a 12 hour time change and you get a wicked jetlag! It was very strange flying with the sun the whole trip, we went 2 days with no real night time.
Our arrival at the Tokyo Bay Sheraton Hotel was great. The Japanese really have service down to a science, north america should defiantly take note of this in our service industries! I managed to get us upgraded to executive rooms overlooking Tokyo Disney park and also Tokyo Bay. Both us and the Johnson's are very happy with the rooms. At night we can see the fireworks from our rooms and the erupting volcano in the park. Killer fire show, I really want to climb it and roast marshmallows.
We arrived in Tokyo today after an exhausting 14 hour flight. Add in a 12 hour time change and you get a wicked jetlag! It was very strange flying with the sun the whole trip, we went 2 days with no real night time.
Our arrival at the Tokyo Bay Sheraton Hotel was great. The Japanese really have service down to a science, north america should defiantly take note of this in our service industries! I managed to get us upgraded to executive rooms overlooking Tokyo Disney park and also Tokyo Bay. Both us and the Johnson's are very happy with the rooms. At night we can see the fireworks from our rooms and the erupting volcano in the park. Killer fire show, I really want to climb it and roast marshmallows.
Day 1
Day 1 (May 7): Departure
Flight to T. was pretty uneventful. Mel got a good frisking at the Halifax airport, I think he really enjoyed it! We're waiting for the airplane for the 14 hr flight to Japan. No online access at this airport, at least not the free kind..
Flight to T. was pretty uneventful. Mel got a good frisking at the Halifax airport, I think he really enjoyed it! We're waiting for the airplane for the 14 hr flight to Japan. No online access at this airport, at least not the free kind..
Found an animal statue of a lion in the T. airport... humped it. Another one for the collection.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
