Today was a day of touring with the entire group. You know you've gotten comfortable with the group and traveling the massive Tokyo Subway when your tour guide has to tell you and your partner in crime to slow down and stay with the group! On the train this morning we were with several groups of high schoolers going to a class trip, it makes me laugh when we show up. The youth of Tokyo are very outwardly interested in Americans, they see us get onto the trains or walk through an area and instantly the girls start giggling and get very brave to yell "you're cute!" to one of the guys in the group and when we are on the trains both boys and girls try to take pictures of us while we're not paying attention...it's very funny! Some get brave enough to test their English or use our interpretter for touring to ask questions...these are the moments that make this trip truly life changing. On a trip this afternoon I was asked if I was from the United States and when I said yes this man started a conversation with me, he had spent 7 years in Long Island. Pretty fun to actually bond with someone on the train!
The first stop of the day had us at Offuna-Kannon, this bust is the goddess of mercy, this belief spread with people praying for permanent world peace. This was meant to stand multiple times higher than the arch in St Louis but the ground began to give away and they decided to end construction at that point. Very beautiful and at the top of a hill that is more steep than the one at UWEC! There are dedications on this hill to those that lost their lives during the use of atomic bombs.
Back on the train to head to the house of the first Shogun in Kamakura. This location was set up as a perfect fort because of the mountains it was technically impossible to attack from any side but the ocean with the exception of one path through the mountains that was wide enough to fit one horse at a time. The walkway through Kamakura is lined with Cherry Blossum Trees (they are not in bloom right now) and little shops. Lots of school groups at this location today! We definitely got our stairs workout going up to the temple!
Before the stairs there was a wall of barrels filled with Sake, and one section of beer...gifts to the gods.
After this we made our way by train to The Great Buddha in Kamakura, this was a one way train and very busy! Very narrow walkways/sidewalks from the station to the Buddha and lots of tourist shops, it's good to see these shops exist everywhere! On the walk to the Buddha there were in ground signage directing residents on the way to go for a tsunami evacuation, as we're walking it dawned on me that unlike in Florida where people drive on the evacuation routes for hurricanes, in this region people would be walking to escape the dangers of a tsunami.
Visiting the Great Buddha we found lots of incense and gifts to the Buddha like fruit, water and flowers at the base of the shrine. For 20 yen we could go inside and see the construction, very stuffy and very small staircase but cool to see how hollow it was inside!
After this we took the train to Yokohama...we cannot forget that when a phone rings on the train and someone talks on it, it is annoying to your neighbors. Even when your neighbors are your friends...we will remind you, haha!
to the Ramen Museum…the
interior was designed as 1930’s Tokyo on multiple levels and there were more ramen
restaurants than I ever expected to see in my life. Had ramen for the first
time ever…from a place that came over from Los Angeles. Had the chance to talk
to one of the guys there that was sent over for the grand opening of this
restaurant. I don’t think I would go back to this “museum” though…I am sure
there are better places to check out than this one!! (Not our idea to go there…promise).
We headed back to the hotel via lots of trains as always and
then it was time to go off on another adventure; going across Tokyo to buy
tickets for the Tokyo Giants game for the next night in the middle of rush hour
traffic/commute. Aaron and I took off in the middle of one of the busiest
stations in Tokyo, maps in hand and our running shoes on. We were literally
running up and down the escalators, thru the ticket stations and jumping onto
trains. The best part was waiting on our first train, this was the heaviest
part of the commute. Aaron was one person ahead of me in the crowd and made it
onto the train in the middle…I managed to step onto the train and realize “Holy
crap, I should have backed up into this train” as I wasn’t able to move any
further into the train. I knew I had to get turned around by the time the doors
were closing…I managed with my arms crossed in front of me and my nose touching
the window of the door all I could do was laugh. I wish Aaron had been able to
get a picture but there was no way either of us was moving our arms…I’m sure
that was a fun surprise for the people waiting on the train at the next stop!
American girl jammed up against the door in the subway laughing away while this
is normal for their world!
This train was the empty one!! Needed the breathing room after that first trip!
We got out to the Tokyo Dome on two nearly empty trains
(mind boggling how quickly the subways clear out on a Friday night after
work!!)…this place was huge from the outside! An entire city located outside of
it which was very quiet for a Friday night, huge Ferris wheel and rollercoaster
as well. With successful minor use of pictures, brochures and broken English, 9
tickets for baseball were purchased and the Amazing Race back to the hotel
ensued! Hooray for the Map Master Duo working their way back efficiently with a
lot of laughs along the way.
And then it was off to Ginza! Keep in mind….every night of
this trip the group decided we were going to Ginza and then wound up going to
some other location. Well finally we did it…took the train and a small group of
us and came out into the center of Ginza…a much cleaner version of Manhattan
from what I understand (I’ve never been to Manhattan but this was clean even
for other cities in the US).
We took a walk down the main drag and then started
heading to the side streets to find a good place to eat…hard to find something
that is less expensive with some English subtitles on the menu that could
accommodate 6 on a busy Friday night. But we did it as we always do! You know
it’s going to be a good place when you are asked to take off your shoes and the
tables look like they are on the ground but have a secret drop off to sit on!
I am getting good at this chopsticks thing!!
Mom learned how to use chop sticks and ate the entire meal
this way and another round of Sake was had! Good thing Keary had Warm Black Brah to use on the way back to the train!
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