Skiing and Tokyo, Feb. 10, 11, & 12

On Wednesday night we headed for Tokyo. Our hotel, Ryumeikan Hotel, had very explicit directions on how to find it once you arrive at the Tokyo Station. The only humorous, yet slightly troubling part of the directions was the last statement, "If you arrive at the hotel, go to the 15th floor for reception." We just didn't know how true this statement was going to be. They even showed a picture of the hotel...or at least we thought. We walked left as it said and then looked for the ivory building that it mentioned. We saw the ivory building in the photo and started looking for the entrance. We walked around and around but could not find the hotel. Finally after making increasingly larger circles we decided to head down the street. Sure enough about two blocks away we found another ivory building that had our hotel name on it. Apparently the photo was just to get us heading in the right direction...or they have quite a sense of humor. I am afraid that there might be video footage on a "Funniest Videos" website. The room ended up being gorgeous, though very, very tiny. I love any room that has a white duvet cover and free waters waiting for you.

We slept not even 3 hours and then were off to the slopes. As usual we rode in style in the first class "green car" which had nice big seats and comfortable footrests because of the Japan Rail Pass that we had purchased. We were going to a resort called Joetsu Kansai. We ended up with the most amazing powder and had the whole mountain practically to ourselves. There were many times on the lift that we could not even see another person. It snowed and snowed which did cause there to be low visibility, but boy was the powder awesome. There was one run that the snow was thigh deep and often sprayed up to your head. After doing that run a few times and realizing that we were in no shape to keep that up we headed for the groomed runs. The one thing that is great about Japan is that no matter where you go you can always get fresh, good food (though it's pricey) rather than our cheap, highly processed food. Even slope side the food was wonderful. After a long day of skiing we decided to head back for Tokyo, grab dinner, and hit the sack.

` For dinner we found a restaurant right around the corner from our hotel that was recommended by our Lonely Planet guide book. The restaurant ended up being even better than I expected. They specialized in a salt water eel called udon. We ordered one grilled and one boiled. There were directions on how to eat it and at the end of the meal you poured a broth into a bowl along with the leftover rice and eel to make a wonderful soup. It was quite delicious.

The next day in Tokyo we headed off for Electric Town in Akihabara to look around at the crazy electronics. There was one building after another that were 5 to 7 stories tall filled with electronic gadgets, trinkets, and odd assortments of household items. We thought we would find tons of new things that hadn't reached the U.S. yet but surprisingly there wasn't much that we haded seen before.

Next we headed for the Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Tokyo, which is a public bath that has natural, mineral water that was pumped 1400m from below Tokyo Bay. In an onsen, the men and women go to separate areas, strip down, bath sitting on a wooden stool, and then soak in the water. We were expecting a nice, relaxing atmosphere, but instead when we walked in there were 200 Japanese people in line to buy tickets. We had to take our shoes off immediately and put them in lockers where we got a key. Then we got in line and received another key for a locker in the changing room. Next we got in line to receive our yakatas which are light, cotton robes that you put on with a long sash. After picking up everything we needed we headed off to the changing rooms. Here was where we put on our yukatas before meeting back up in "meeting room." Nothing quite prepared us for what we saw. It was like a Japanese Epcot with hundreds of people sitting at tables in the middle. Along the walls were tons of restaurants to order food and there was a stage in the middle. Kids were running around everywhere playing games for prizes, and it looked like the hot spot for friends and families to hang out. It was so strange to see hundreds of people in the same set of robes. Apparently it was a holiday, and the first day of snow in Tokyo this year so everyone else in Tokyo had also headed for the onsen.

First we decided to check out the outdoor footbath which was co-ed. On the way outside we decided that we needed to make a pit stop. The restrooms that we found only had one room for men and one for women. Because we were all barefoot, you had to put on a pair of slippers to enter...the very same slippers that the person before you had just worn into the bathroom. Let me just tell you that it was very "comfort level" stretching to put on a still warm pair of vinyl slippers, knowing that any and everyone who had gone to the bathroom had also worn them.

To head outside to the footbaths you put on a insulated yukata overcoat that was still wet from the person before since it was snowing outside. We had to run barefoot across a wooden deck and then over freezing astroturf before entering the warm water. Right as you finally relaxed in the water you took a few steps and realized that your feet were in pain. Set into the bottom of the concrete "stream" were river rocks that had been turned up on edge and were place every 4 inches. They were so tall that they hurt your feet and which was not at all what you were expecting. We only made it 4 or 5 feet of a 40 foot stream before bailing to a bench on the banks where we could dangle our feet in the warm water.Scott kept telling me that I was fired as the travel agent. We didn't know what a good move this was, though. For the next 30 minutes we laughed (I had tears rolling down my cheeks) at the groups of unsuspecting footbathers that would come running for warmth only to be assaulted by painful spikes. Everyone had the same reaction. Their shoulders would relax, they would head in, and then would come the exclamations of "itie itie itie" (it hurts, it hurts, it hurts). Everyone would try and get lower and lower to try and stop the pain. Then they would start laughing at themselves and everyone else around them exclaiming the same thing. As we watched this scene over and over we decided this must be a secret samurai test that was being watched from camera. Before people would approach we would vote on whether they were going to pass or not. The big, tough looking men usually failed, while the little women fared much better. We decided that women were used to foot torture with our high heel shoes.

Finally we were cold from the snow and we headed in to get something to eat. We had a great meal while a rather large Japanese man performed a comedy act that involved a nose flute, a mechanical horse, and some crazy dancing (that should not be repeated in public if you want any kind of self respect). Then we were off to the baths. We each went into the second set of changing rooms where I saw at least 200 naked Japanese women with varying levels of modesty. After stripping down, you head out to the baths. Oh, and be sure to only bring in the little towel issued to you, not the big towel which stays in the third locker that you are issued. Before entering, though, you go to a little stall where there is a 10 inch high wooden stool, a shower head, and soap and shampoo. You wash off first before soaking in the water. There were a selection of 6 indoor pools and 1 large outdoor pool. Once you got over the naked factor, it really was quite relaxing. After we were finished, Scott and I both agreed that it was an experience that we would never forget and that we are glad that we hadn't missed.

After the onsen we headed off to the "Tokyo Time Square" at Shibuya. This is where you see the pictures of the crazy lights and the crosswalk where hundreds of people flood the streets each time the light changes. The crosswalk even has a diagonal walk. It truly is every man for himself and as you start across you feel like you are going into battle. We had had big plans to go to a club that night but we realized that we were both exhausted. We also knew that we had an early morning ahead of us at the Tsukiji Fish Market. We headed to bed and once again only got 5 hours of sleep.

On our last morning in Japan we struggled to get out of bed, but thought we shouldn't miss the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. This was a crazy experience...every type of seafood you can imagine (and a few you couldn't), motorized carts zooming by in every direction, and people selling everywhere you can look. You couldn't even really grasp how big that place was because we walked down one isle for 20 minutes at least and never even saw the end because it arcs around. There were at least 10 to 15 rows exactly like the one that we walked down. It was absolutely massive! One crazy thing we saw was the huge bandsaws used to cut up a whole, gigantic tuna into smaller bricks. We also saw squid, octopus, eel, tiny river fish that you eat whole (30 at a time), conch, snails, and every type of fish imaginable. It was quite a site.

The end of our trip had come and it was time to head home. Before us was 24 hours of travelling with the major prize at the end of seeing our angel baby, Ella.

Kyoto, Japan: Feb. 8 and 9

Yesterday we finally started our exploration of Kyoto. To start the day off we moved from the Capsule Ryokan (a wonderful, yet very budget ryokan) to Yuzuya Ryokan which is a traditional Japanese guest house. We took the bus across town which was quite an adventure with all of our luggage (at one point we were worried that we were going to be stuck on the bus because it was so packed). Yuzuya is located directly next to Yasaka Shrine which has a huge, red entrance and cannot be missed. Our little guest house had the most beautiful entrance with steep stone steps lined with lush greenery. When we walked in we were greeted with the most serene room made of dark wood that looked out into a beautiful courtyard. They immediately brought us the most wonderful, sweet tea that was made with Yuzu (a citrus fruit that taste between a clementine and a lemon) and had us sit down for a rest. It was too early to check-in so we just dropped off our bags.

At first we thought we should visit the Imperial Palace because it was on a list of things to do that we got from Capsule Ryokan. We got all the way up there and I opened my Japan book to see where to get tickets from (the grounds around it are so expansive) and the book said that it is a site that can be missed. We were going to have to wait until 2pm anyway so we abandoned that plan and went to the Daitokuji instead (which came much more highly recommended). When we got up there we found that there were actually 23 or 24 temples, a few of which you could get access to. The grounds here were absolutely beautiful. Everything was manicured perfectly and the buildings had the most incredible details. One temple we visited at Daitokuji was Diasen-in which had a Zen garden made of rocks around the perimeter that was raked each morning. It also had a nightingale porch that "sang" when you walked on it. Apparently this was done on purpose to alert the residents of intruders/visitors.

Next, we got on the bus and headed back in the direction of our ryokan and visited Kiyomizu Temple. To get here we had to walk up a huge hill that was lined with every souvenir shop that you can imagine. When we got to the top it was like the temple grounds had been invaded by the "Men in Black." There were hundreds of high school/middle school students on field trips all dressed up in black suits. There was one amazing building after another and then we were able to walk on a perfectly manicured path through the woods that overlooked the city of Kyoto.

Knowing that our dinner was at 7:00 and that we still needed to check-in we decided that we only had time to visit Yasaka Shrine that was right next door to the ryokan. We couldn't have visited at a more perfect time of day because the sun was setting and the lanterns were starting to glow. All of the photographs from Yasaka Shrine have the most brilliant colors. One thing that we have found is that the English explanations at these sites have been very limited. You might find an overall description of what you are seeing but all of the more detailed signs are only in Japanese. This is where an English speaking tour guide would come in handy.

We decided to call it a day and we headed for Yuzuya Hotel. We got checked in and they showed us to our room. One thing that is so different about Japan is the many shoes/slippers that you wear. I found it very confusing at first to figure out which slippers/shoes should be worn where. We walked through a beautiful courtyard on a stone path. As we entered the other side we had to slide out of our own shoes and put on slippers that are provided. We were led up a very step set of stairs and into our room. She let me go first and right after I entered I hear Scott say, "Ashley." I turned around and realized that he was warning me that my slippers should be taken off before entering the room. The room was an 8 tatami mat size room (which I have learned is a measuring unit) and the mats are carefully protected from getting dirty. The room was a square, single room on the corner and overlooked a waterfall outside. The celling was made of wood and had a beautiful, large paper lantern type light fixture. The windows and doors had sliding rice paper panels that provided privacy. In the middle of the room was a low table with two legless chairs with cushions on each side. The only other piece of furniture was a small dresser. They also provided two Yakata which are lightweight cotton robes that are similar to Kimonos that can be worn to dinner, around the ryokan, or even be slept in. When we looked into the bathroom there were another set of slippers that were to only be used in there. It also had one of the fancy toilets with a heated seat, all of the spraying options, and it would flush when you stood up. We both decided that we could get use to a heated seat!

Dinner at Yuzuya was an experience unto itself. It was made of 7 courses, and all had impeccable presentation and tasted amazing. First we had a soup. Then a tray was brought out that had 15 small bowls, each with enough for each of us to have one or two bites. The bowls had sushi, beans, picked vegetables, root vegetables, shredded radish with riverfish, mackerel, and many other things. Next they brought out a bowl with grilled mackerel. Next came a dish with several pieces of raw tuna and squid that were wonderful. After that came a bowl of broth that was placed on a burner on the table. In the broth was tofu. The the server then placed two pieces of fried snapper into the bowl and then started placing greens from a large bowl and thin slices of snapper into the broth to cook. To eat it we would ladle several spoonfuls of the broth into our own bowl and then use a large set of chopsticks to get the greens and fish. I was doing so well until I tipped my bowl and sloshed soup onto my beautiful tray. They don't call me "oh ye of little grace" for no reason. This was just the beginning. After we finished with the soup they took the broth and made a rice porridge out of it. When she brought it out it had two raw eggs in it that cooked as she mixed them around. It also had a yuzu in the middle that had been peeled and sliced around the middle. She pressed on the top to let all of the juice out. By this point I was becoming so full but there was still dessert to go. Thank goodness it was small. It was a small round ball made from rice that was the consistency of a very stiff jelly that was covered in something that tasted like cocoa and stuffed with a chocolaty paste. It was quite different but very good. This was served with a cup of green tea. The whole meal took over two hours to eat.

We headed up to our room where little elves had rearranged it by moving the table and fixing our beds made of futon mats and down comforters with duvet covers. Before going to bed we thought we should try out the public baths that were on the main floor. Thank goodness I had read up on onsen etiquette. First off you don't wear anything into the water. Second important thing to remember is that you must bath very well while sitting on a little stool before entering the water. Finally you bring the small towel in with you but leave the big towel outside in the changing room. To me it is quite an intimidating process so I was very relieved to find that no one else was using the bath at this time (it was about 5 feet by 8 feet large with floating yuzu in it and a spout with constantly running hot, hot water). Scott later recounted that he was afraid that they were going to find him cooked in there because his skin went totally numb from the heat. After a long day of walking, an incredible dinner, and a hot bath we slept so well.

The next morning we had a Japanese breakfast at Yuzuya that again was incredible. It was nothing like our breakfasts. We were served grilled fish, a broth soup with root vegetables, an egg omelet with no other ingredients but egg, tiny pickled fish, pickled vegetables, and green tea. There was one big mishap which happened shortly after I helped another couple by taking their picture. On the way back to my table I accidentally caught the edge of one of the mats that you are suppose to sit on which hit a tray that was holding bowls, which then knocked one of the bowls down into the footwell under the table and cause it to break. Since none of the servers were in the room at the moment you could all of a sudden hear the pitter-patter of footsteps once they heard the crash. They were so kind about the whole thing, and one guy even said "please don't worry. It is like a ninja trap." Compared to the graceful ladies serving the meals, I must have seemed like a bull in a china shop. Even their hands are amazingly graceful

After packing up our bags we headed for Arashiyama which is located on the west side of Kyoto. We read that Tenryuji Temple and the bamboo forest were not to be missed. The grounds were once again absolutely amazing and the level of detail and perfection were astounding. We sound grounds keepers that were hand picking out tiny weeds and using hand broom and dustpan to clean off the moss. Also, the path through the bamboo forest was breathtaking. Unfortunately we couldn't hang around for long because we had to get back for our Kimono, tea ceremony, and calligraphy class. This was a wonderful experience as well, as it gave us the opportunity to ask many questions that we had been wondering. The two women that we worked with were wonderful.

Knowing that we had to move on to Tokyo, we headed back to Yuzuya to pick up our bags. Before we could leave they brought us another cup of the amazing yuzu tea that we had been greeted with. They really think of every detail and treat you like you are the most important guest that they have ever had. I have never experienced anything quite like it. Now we are riding on a shinkensen on the way to Tokyo, going about 180 miles per hour. Tonight we will check into our hotel, only to leave bright and early in the morning to go skiing for a day trip. We will see more of Tokyo on Friday.

Japan: Friday, Feb. 4 - Monday, Feb. 8

I can't believe that we have done so much in 3 1/2 days. First off, Scott surprised me at the airport. I can't remember being so excited to see someone. He looked so handsome dressed up in his sport coat and tie! The train station was located right outside of the airport and we hopped on a train to Osaka. When we got into Osaka we had to change from a train to the subway. We were quite a scene dragging our suitcases through the station with tons of people rushing around all sides of us. There have been several occasions where we have looked lost and someone has been kind enough to stop and help. We finally got to our stop and realized that the subway station was directly under our hotel which was quite convient. That night we went to the Dotombori area of Osaka which is the entertainment district with tons of restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. I can't even explain the amount of color that you see when you look down a street in this area...neon, hanging lights, giant moving crabs over restaurants, flashing signs. We wandered around for an hour looking for a restaurant and found an outdoor noodle bar that had a huge dragon on the top. The tables were on raised platforms that were covered in tatami mats so you either hung your legs off the side or took off your shoes and crossed your legs. To order, you went up to an ATM looking machine and picked out what you wanted and paid. The two options were "soup with noodles" or "soup with noodles and more pork." The people working there realized that we had no idea what we were doing and were very helpful. The soup was absolutely wonderful and hit the spot on a cold evening. It was also neat to be outside and watch the interesting crowd go by. This is the area of extremes. Most of the guys looked like they were trying to be Japanese rock stars. The girls wore super high boots and short skirts.

On Saturday we headed off to Osaka Castle. We first visited the Museam of Osaka History which had very little in English but had wonderful models of villages and towns during different time periods. As we were on our way to Osaka Castle we saw this long building with lots of noise coming from it. Scott said that it was either a show or a massacre going on. Sure enough there were at least 200 kids of all ages practicing kindo (sword fighting). They wore full face masks, pants to their ankles that were so full that they seemed like skirts, and swung wooden swords. At first they were practicing and warming up and then the matches began. The was quite a sight to see. We were trying to figure out the rules when we saw a man that looked like he spoke English. We went over to talk to him and asked him where he was from. He had been teaching English in Korea for several years but said he grew up in America. When we probed more we found out that he grew up in Sandy Springs, and went to high school at Walton, just around the corner from our house. What a small world!

The Osaka Castle was amazing to see with the huge walls that formed a moat and the intricate carvings covered in gold. One of the neatest things to see at the castle museum were huge screens that had been painted to represent battles that had taken place. Rather than written discriptions, rulers had commissioned artist to paint what had gone on. There would be 500 or so soldiers with individual faces, weapons, flags, horses, etc. in fine detail.

After the castle we went back, took a quick nap, and then headed off to dinner. We went back to the same area and ate at a okonomiyaki restaurant. They fixed the food back in the kitchen and then brought it out to us where we had a table with a heated griddle build into the table that kept the food warm. One dish was noodles with shrimp, octopus, squid, pork and veggies. The other was pancake shaped and made of egg, flour, milk, and cabbage and covered in a sauce and pork shavings. They were both delicious! We have loved everything that we have eaten so far. We originally thought we would go out that night but after a full day of walking we were exausted. Also, we saw the line of people in line for a club and realized that we are getting old. They were mostly in their early to mid 20's and dressed in clothes that I haven't owned in years.

The next day we got up and headed to a church called "OIC" (Osaka International Church). On the way there a man and woman walked by us in the subway and said good morning. It took us a moment to registered that they had spoken to us in English. He ended up being from Nigeria and she was from Kenya. They were both here teaching English. After we had gotten onto the subway and were about to get off at our stop, he came back up to us and asked where we were going. It ended up that they were going to the same church that we were going to. God is so cool to provide us with someone who could lead us directly to where we were going, sit with us, and make us feel right at home. The church was made of up people from all over the world including a good many Japanese. It was amazing to worship along side people so different from us, but yet so alike in our faith. It was also interesting that we knew most of the songs. After church they had light refreshments upstairs. We met a man visiting from Holland and a woman that lived in Osaka who was so gracious. We have already become friends on Facebook with her.

After church we headed off to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses located north of Osaka. When we got of at the station, we picked up two to-go meals. The Japanese to-go meals are 100 times more heathy than any of our to-go choices. We had rice, chicken and veggies, and what they call pickles. The pickles can be many different types of food that are pickled, but they have all been really good, though different from our pickles. We took our to-go meals and walked toward the museum. We came to a park where we sat down, ate, and watched families play together and children ride bikes around a large fountain. To get to the museam we had to walk across a huge park (half the size of Central Park). The park was absolutely gorgeous. One section had cherry blossom trees that were starting to blossom, one had a garden on a hillside, and others had playing fields. The farmhouse museam had about 13 houses that were moved from all over Japan from different time periods. Many of them had thatched roofs, huge beams, and indoor fires with no chimneys. The designs were so different from anything that we have built. After an amazing visit to the park we headed back to our hotel to grab our bags and head for Kyoto.

We made it to Kyoto and had a 10-15 min walk to our hotel, Capsule Ryokan. The hotel room is a 10 meter square space with a raised platform that is covered in tatami mats. On top of the mats you place the thick futons that are quite comfortable. The room also includes what we have been calling a "disco shower" becuase it lights up with blue LEDs, has 4 side jets, a normal handset, and a rain shower from the top. The whole space is very small but is very clean and very high tech. When you open the door to the tiny room with the toilet, the lid automatically opens and the seat is heated. We were so tired when we got the the hotel that we had to drag ourselves out to dinner down the street where we had okonomiyaki again. At dinner we met a couple from Australia who were a lot of fun to talk with. That seems to be one really cool but unexpected part of our trip...we have learned so much about other cultures and countries outside of Japan.

Today (Monday) we headed out around 9am for Suzuka Circuit (a race track that Formula 1 competes at). I thought that the day was going to be just for Scott but I couldn't have enjoyed it any more. First we ended up getting off at the wrong train station and had to pay around $30 dollars (2,550 yen) for a taxi instead of being able to walk to the track. After getting there the taxi driver dropped us off in front of an amusement park which ended up not being the correct entrance to the track. After walking through the amusement park, we could get to the stands of the track but not the pits. We had to walk through a tunnel under the track that was meant for cars and then jump a short gate to get to the pits. Let's just say that this was breaking all of my rule following tendencies. Scott, being the friendly guy that he is, instantly started asking if people spoke English in order to see if they would let him ride along. He finally was able to meet the organizer who motioned him into a friends car after only talking to him for 30 seconds. Eventually we got to meet a handful of people and he was able to ride along in a Skyline R34 GTR and an Evo 6 during the warmup laps. At the very end I was able to ride along in an Evo 2 with a very good driver. During the day there we also met a guy who was a spectator that we ended up becoming friends with. He was so friendly and worked really hard to answer all of our questions and talk to us as much as possible. After we told him our story of jumping the gate, which he found quite funny, he offered to drive us to a larger train station that was close to his house. His wife was at the track with him so we got to take a 1 1/2 car ride with them both. She spoke English quite well so we had a great time learning more about each other. We all agreed that we would not forget this day!