505 Ghosts of York

I had a yearning for some classic ATAL.

Jen is gone. My buddy has left for home. She hopped on the shuttle for the airport about 5 minutes ago. I'm gonna miss her! Barely 5 minutes out the door and I'm lonely. Makes me realize what a good friend I've made here.

Now with only a few days left till I go home and no one around Maison to help me procrastinate, I'm getting my stuff in order. Also it's raining today, so playing outside is kind of 無理 (muri-impossible).

Today is a bit bleak, so I'm keeping my eye on the prize.

See you all in 5 days!

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

the brilliant green

Hiroshima. Where to begin.

We left 岩国 (Iwakuni) at 10 and took the train back to 広島 (Hiroshima). We left our stuff in the lockers at the 駅 (station) and explored. Upholding the tradition, our first meal in the new city was ramen. It was a spicy ramen broth this time. Super good.

After filling our tummies we headed over to the 商店街 (shoutengai-shopping arcade). I found some boots for super cheap! I'm super excited about them. We also tried the 桜 (Sakura) Frappuccino at Starbucks. I now have two favorites there. It was really good.

Basically we hoboed it around the city till about 5 then headed for the youth hostel. We caught a bus to 牛田新町 (Ushita Shinmachi) and followed the signs. I think 本州 (Honshu) marks the paths to youth hostels really well. We had no trouble finding it, but it was up this HUGE hill.

It was a nice place. We knew we were back in the city, though. Everything cost money. The smaller hostels we'd stayed at in 松山 and 岩国 let you use things for free. At 広島、you had to pay for a towel, internet, and just about everything else that wasn't the bed you slept in.

We were pretty wiped out when we got in, but we were hungry too. Thinking we'd spend the evening inside so we can crash early and rise early the next day, we set out to find a コンビニ (convenience store). We walked all the way down the hill to this 山崎 (Yamazaki) we'd seen earlier. When we got there it was closed, so we kept walking for another 20 minutes or so to some random コンビニ none of us had ever heard of before. They had no おにぎり (onigiri)! None. Not a one. We improvised when we realized there wasn't another store around for kilometers.

I kind of guessed it'd be an empty town when I figured out the kanji for 牛田 (Ushita). 　牛 is cow and 田 is field. Cow fields. We stayed in cow fields. haha.

Anyway, we booked it back to the hostel because it was getting cold. We soaked in the baths for a while. It felt so nice. I also discovered you can't do push ups underwater. Unless maybe you had handles attached to the bottom of the tub or pool.... hmmmm

So we slept pretty well and woke up at 10 to check out once again. We ditched our bags back in the lockers at 広島駅 and made our way over to this お好み焼き place the hostel had recommended. It was closed when we got there, but the paper from the hostel said it would be open at noon. In hopes of getting tasty 広島 style お好み焼き we waited, but no such luck. It never opened. We substituted with this hole-in-the-wall place just up the road. チャンポンラメン (Chanpon Ramen) is bomb! It's got tons of fried vegetables on top of a light 塩 (shio- salt) based ラメン. Super good.

After that we made our way over to 原爆ドーム (Genbaku Dome), the iconic building left standing near the hypocenter of the A-bomb explosion. The Peace Park surrounds it. It was a sobering experience. Even thinking about it as I write this is difficult.

You read about it in the history books and you digest the facts, but until you've seen the bloody clothes of children and the photographs of people's skin melted off, you can never fully understand it.

To stand there in the actual place...

As you're in the park, you look around and see the development of commerce and the green lawns and the happy people carrying on with their lives, and it's hard to imagine that all of it didn't exist 65 years ago. It's hard to imagine that tens of thousands of men, women, and children died in this now serene setting.

The museum was detailed and vivid. It traced the entire history of the city, from 1700s to present, then branched off into the history of nuclear armament. They explained why 広島 was chosen, what the Japanese were doing at the time the bomb was being developed and debated over, the fallout after detonation, and more in great detail. I don't have many pictures from that day, but I don't need many. I don't think I'll ever forget the stories and images from there.

It dropped at 8:15 am. Children were on their way to school, parents to work. The blast encompassed 1.5 km, but had serious effects over about 3km. Debris from destroyed buildings has been found in neighboring cities, the blast was so strong. They have samples of hair, melted flesh and nails, and belongings from children that died. There's this one photo of a woman who's kimono pattern was burnt onto her back because the darker color absorbed more heat. They took a corner out of a building that has a shadow from a man that was sitting there when the bomb went off.

It's times like this I wish I didn't have such a vivid imagination.

As we were walking through the museum, I wondered what the city was like when my grandmother lived in 岩国. I got my dad to ask her for me. She was there in 1951, just 6 years after the drop. The things she must have seen...

I think I understand more now why she doesn't like to talk about it.

After the museum we had some time to kill before the bus. We went back to the 商店街 to look around for a good お好み焼き place since we figured the recommended one wouldn't be open later either.

We found a nice place on the outskirts of the arcade. They made the food right in front of us. It was fun to watch. 広島お好み焼き, unlike regular お好み焼き comes in layers. Regular is like a giant pancake with all the ingredients mixed into it, but 広島 style starts with a layer of egg, then the cabbage with seafood or cheese or mochi or something mixed in, then the layer of pancakey batter (though it's more like a crepe in this one), and that all sits on a bed of 焼きそば (yaki soba) or 焼きうどん (yaki udon). It was amazing. Lily and I toasted the last night of our trip with a beer to top it all off. It was quite enjoyable.

When we'd finished eating we made our way over to the station to pick up our bags. Let me tell you, ladies, if you ever go to the bathroom in a JR station, make sure you bring in some tissues or something because they don't supply toilet paper. Luckily they'd been handing out little advertisement packages of kleenex in the 商店街 or all of us would have been stranded without a roll.

So we picked up our bags and found where the bus was going to meet us. We were a little concerned though. Usually with night busses, they set up a table for check-in, but there wasn't one this time. We looked all around the terminal and asked an 駅員 (Station worker) but found nothing. So we waited.... and waited.... and waited some more. It was 1 minute before the check-in time was supposed to start and we were freaking because there was no one there! So we frantically called Henry back in Kyoto to confirm everything once again. He'd just gotten into my email account when the bus pulled up. They were a minute late and we laughed hysterically. We were so freaked that we would be stuck in 広島 with no place to stay.

I'm pretty sure it was the bus company's mess up because we got a nicer bus that what we booked. It was nice. Jen and I knocked out on Benedryl and I woke up once when we hit 大阪 (Osaka).

And now I'm back home in my little room.

I kind of want to travel some more, honestly. That week just wetted my appetite. I love seeing cities away from the touristy trap ones. 四国 (Shikoku) was fantastic. We got stared at everywhere we went, but it was the most fun! Being something out of place means more interesting conversations.

Traveling this last week or so has made me realize I've kind of been wasting my time here. School makes things difficult to plan, but I definitely want to do some more weekend trips this coming semester.

I'm currently looking into concerts in the area. I think I'm going to go see 東京事変 (Tokyo Jihen) in 大阪 (Osaka) in May. It's my birthday present to myself, I guess. I have my alarm set on my phone for when tickets go on sale. I'm insanely excited about it.

Know what else I'm insanely excited about?

Guess.

Go ahead.

It's super obvious.

...

Coming HOME! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

See you all in a week!

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Brightly Wound Memories

I am so beat right now. It took every ounce of strength in me to get out from under the コタツ (kotatsu) and come down the stairs to write this. I didn't sleep so well last night. The 布団s (futons) in this place are not very good, and neither are the blankets. It got really cold last night. I'd go to sleep, start freezing, and curl up in a ball. Then when I'd been sleeping on one side too long and my hip started to hurt from the hard floor, I'd stretch out, but after being curled up for so long the blanket at the foot of the bed froze. Needless to say I didn't get too much sleep.

I woke up around 7:30 to get a shower. Jen and Lily didn't bring towels with them. Up till now, it hadn't been a problem, but this hostel doesn't provide them. They ended up using mine after I was done. I kind of like the traditional style baths though. The bucket of rinse water is so satisfying when you splash it over your head. Makes me feel like I'm a 5 year old playing in the bath tub again.

At 10 we took off for 宮島(Miyajima). It was a chill day. We took our time and explored the island. Not only do they have the 神社 (Jinja), but they have the world's largest rice scooper, as well. They also have a number of tasty foods. I ate so much today. They have these little leaf shaped donuts with a filling of your choice in it. Those were fantastic. They also have these long fish cakes. I got one with asparagus in it and a strip of bacon wrapped around. It was tasty. The island is also known for its かき　(oysters), so at lunch time I had some かきフライカレーライス (fried oyster curry rice). It was really good.

I also found this really delicious cherry honey. I can't wait to use it in drinks and cooking!

Anyway, the island was fun and relaxing. There was a photo op for a traditional wedding going on while we were there. Jen, Lily and I oggled. The tradition is so beautiful, but it's something we will never be able to experience first hand. Kind of strange to think you'll never be able to do something. Me climbing Mt. Everest might be unlikely, but there's still a slim chance it could happen. Me having a traditional Japanese wedding... 無理だよ (muri da yo- impossible).

After the island we were pretty tuckered out. Lily had the same restful night I did. We decided to just come back to the Youth Hostel and chill. We watched some olympics and variety shows while playing an epic game of monopoly. I normally hate monopoly, but I realized today that the only reason I hate it is because I get invested. Tonight I was just too tired to get invested in it, so it was fine. I got tired of playing after maybe 3 hours and conceded to Jen.

And now I'm here, exercising great determination and will power to sit in this cold room on this old computer squinting like a retard.

Oh! I guess there's some more to last night, as well. After I posted my blog we were just chilling in this common room for a while. There's this giant pink baby 鬼 (oni- demon) stuffed animal. It's adorable. Jen and I did a whole photo shoot with it. The photos of it will be up on Facebook after I get home.

Tomorrow we move to the 広島 (Hiroshima)　Youth Hostel for our last night. We're probably just going to explore the city tomorrow. The day after that we're going to the Peace Park and then catching a night bus home.

Definitely have to get some 広島 (Hiroshima) style お好み焼き (okonomiyaki).

But for right now I'm gonna crash. We're putting two of the three beds together tonight so we can huddle for warmth. I hope I don't get kicked. I might take abuse from the floor over abuse from Jen or Lily hahaha.

Also! I saw a few 太鼓 (taiko) for sale on 宮島 (miyajima). They were all kind of sizes. The barrels weren't carved from one tree trunk-- just regular barrels glued together. The largest one, however, was interesting. If you looked closely at the skin on the top, it still had little tiny hairs in the skin! I thought it was interesting.

I miss taiko.

Soon.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Jen reading manga out-loud

So 岩国 (Iwakuni) Youth Hostel has one computer. It's an IBM running Windows 98. The screen makes my eyes hurt. But I'm not complaining! I get internet, which means I can update for all of you.

Today was a long day. I'm really tired. We checked out of 松山 (Matsuyama) Youth Hostel around 10. They told us the next ferry was at 12 so we got a move on. Lily and Jen had to mail some gifts to relatives and family friends in Japan, so we dropped by the 郵便局 (post office) on the way out. That took a little longer than expected, but it all worked out.

We caught a tram down to 松山市駅 (Matsuyama city station). From there we just barely made it onto a train to 高浜 (Takahama). Then we caught a bus from there to the 港 (minato, or port). We were really excited when we got a student discount on our ferry tickets. We saved ￥７００! Because all the trams, trains, and buses were timed perfectly (and by no effort of our own), we made it with a good half hour to spare.

The guy at the 高浜駅 (Takahama station) was really nice. I'd misplaced my ticket in one of my pockets (I later found it in my right butt cheek pocket) and couldn't find it. I explained what was going on and he said, `Well, you probably bought one, so I'll let you through, but next time don't lose it!` It was really kind of him.

The ferry ride was uneventful. I thankfully didn't get sick. We spent the first hour above deck in the sun. It was really windy and cold, but it was worth it to not get ill. The last half of the trip we went inside and I slept. It was a good nap. I'm glad I got it, or I wouldn't have had much fun for the rest of our travel today.

From the ferry we took a tram to 広島駅 (Hiroshima station). That was interesting. It got really crowded! I haven't seen a train car that crowded since the morning rush hour in 東京 (Tokyo). From the station, we caught a train to 岩国 (Iwakuni). That took about an hour.

Once we hit 岩国 (Iwakuni), we hopped on a bus to 錦帯橋 (Kintaikyou). That was a long bus ride. Mind you, all this time we haven't eaten any kind of meal; just an onigiri here, pastry there. We were starving, but we couldn't stop yet. The check in time for the youth hostel was 6pm and we were only just going to make it. I wouldn't have worried too much if the proprietor hadn't called me earlier to confirm that we would be coming in at 6pm and asked me to call if we were going to change anything.

So once the bus got to 錦帯橋, we had another 10-15 minute walk. We did luck out though, because there were signs to the youth hostel! It's the first one to have signs leading you up the right path.

The location of this place is really nice. It's right up against the mountains. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, so it takes a while to get to a station, but it's very peaceful.

錦帯橋 is actually a famous bridge. It's pretty cool. Today, right under it, they were filming something for a TV movie. The lights they set up to film cast this shadow of the bridge onto the mountains behind it. It looks really cool. I tried to get a photo, but it was too far away and too dark. Sorry.

Anyway, we're finally at 岩国 Youth Hostel. The lady is very nice, but she runs a tight shift here. There7s a 門限 (curfew) and specific time limits on most things here, like showering and laundry. She also asks that you inform her of your plans for the day and the general time you'll be returning. It's like I've got a mom. She's pretty friendly though, so I like her.

After we dropped off our stuff we walked the round-about way (because the bridge was closed for walking due to the filming below it) to the Seven Eleven. We got 弁当 (bentou) at discount for dinner and ate them on the wall outside the place. We scarfed that stuff down. It probably wasn't actually as good as it tasted in the moment, but it was food!

Tomorrow we're going to go see 宮島 (Miyajima) and then spend the rest of the day exploring 岩国. I need to find some old buildings to take pictures of. The reason we stopped here is because my grandma lived here when she was younger, right after the war ended. When I first started talking about coming to Japan, every time I'd go over she'd pull out the atlas and point out 岩国. I want to see if I can get some pictures that she recognizes. It's kind of cool to think I could be walking someplace she did 50 years ago.

Begin here kind of makes me miss home.

後１１日間.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event

Kind of an ironic song to be listening to while I write this. My trip has been anything but uninteresting.

At any rate, my back is killing me right now. I just typed up 3 days worth of entries and these chairs have no back support. I need a massage... or some more time in those baths from today.

We woke up late today. Figured that since we were just going to an 温泉 (onsen) to relax today, we might as well make it an entirely chill day. We watched some of the olympics, slowly got ready, g-talked a bit. It was nice.

When we were ready, we headed down to the city. We picked up some onigiri on the way for breakfast, though it was actually lunch time. We sat on a bench to eat in front of the 道後 (Dogo) Clocktower and it just so happened to be exactly noon. We weren't expecting it when the clocktower started playing music and growing. Yes, growing. It doubled in height to make little scenes of the 温泉 (onsen) visible. It was really cute. We lucked out seeing it. Didn't even know it did that.

After eating, we headed over to the baths. We got the premium package. You get use of the nicest bath, a private room to lounge in, yukata to use, a towel, 坊っちゃん団子 (Bocchan dango), and tea. Totally worth it. They were all really accommodating there.

In the baths we had a nice conversation with this teacher from 横浜 (Yokohama) who came to the 温泉 just for the day. She teaches Japanese to foreign students at a school there, so her English was fantastic. It's kind of hilarious having a conversation with a random person completely naked. Not so hard to be candid with them.

The room we got had a nice view of the city and the 団子 were really delicious. 坊っちゃん is a famous novel written by 夏目漱石 (Natsume Souseki) in 1906. The main character in the novel enjoyed going to the 道後温泉. That's actually part of what makes 道後温泉 such a tourist spot. They keep a room on the third floor especially for 坊っちゃん.

There was actually a lot of historical stuff in the 温泉. After we were done with our stay, they gave us a small tour of some of the other historical spots in the 温泉. Several emperors over the eras have come to rest at the 温泉. They've got some royal artifacts stored there, too. It was something cool that we weren't expecting.

After the baths, we took a tram down to the main city portion of 松山 to look around. It's a really nice area. Their shopping arcade is HUGE. Japan seems to be quite hep on never-ending shopping arcades.

We decided to go for a more American dinner. Udon gets old when you eat it every night. McDonald's has this special series going on. They're releasing a burger for four states: Texas, New York, Hawaii, and California. We tried the Texas burger when it was out. It was pretty good. We missed the New York burger, and now they're on Hawaii. It was a solid burger. Worthy of being related to America; though I don't know that you'd ever see a burger with those kinds of fixins in America ever. It had an egg, bacon, burger, lettuce, mayo, some secret sauce, and a wheat bun. It sounds so random when I list out the ingredients, but it wasn't bad.

That was our day. After dinner we just headed back here. We have to figure out how to catch a ferry back to 本州 (Honshu) tomorrow. The people at this Youth Hostel probably know. If they don't we'll head down to the regional sight seeing office. Once we get back on the main island, we catch a train from 広島 to 岩国. I don't know if they'll have internet at the other Youth Hostels, so it might be a while before my next post. I'll keep hand writing them though, so when I get back you'll get all my stories.

Also... 11 days and I get to go back to America for 3 weeks! I'm so jazzed. I can't wait to play taiko and see my family and friends again.

Right now though, I'm quite enjoying my hobo-ing around Japan.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Men's figure skating finals 2010

Hand written on 2010年2月17日

You've reached the number of Jen, Lily, and Caitlin. We've moved to 松山 (Matsuyama), but if you leave your name and number we might try to get back to you.

Yup! 松山 baby! I love this city! It has such a nice feel to it. It's big, but at times it feels like the small towns in Ｌake Ａrrowhead. Unlike 高松 it's bustling and busy. It's got the ocean and the mountains right nearby.

We took an express here and arrived around 1pm. The train ride was so beautiful. We went through mountains, countryside, and coast. I got to see some of 四国's taller mountains. There was still snow at the peaks. It looked like a dusting on the tree tops, even from far away.

When the train pulled in we were starving so we got some ramen. It seems to be a tradition that our first meal in every city is ramen. This ramen was 豚骨 (tonkotsu) ramen. It was kind of milky and rich in flavor. I'd never had it before. Super good, though.

With our stomachs filled, we went to catch the tram to the Youth Hostel. While we were waiting, we met a girl named Vanessa from London. She was headed for the Youth Hostel as well. She's been traveling through Japan alone after visiting a friend who recently married a Japanese fellow. She didn't know an ounce of Japanese. Brave girl. It was a good thing we ran into her, too. She had a map!

Unfortunately, though, even with a map we only knew the general location of the place. We must have looked rather lost wandering around because a woman across the street asked us if we were lost. She kindly showed us the way. She lived in Ohio from 1997-2002 with her husband, so her English was quite good. We had fun chatting with her on the way.

The Youth Hostel turned out to be up this ridiculously steep hill. Once we got to the top, the sunny day was roasting us alive.

Anyway, the hostel itself is fantastic. It has a lounge with massage chairs, a room full of manga, and a tree house outside! Our room is on the top floor, so we have a beautiful view out the balcony across the hall. The nighttime cityscape is stunning.

After dumping off our stuff and exploring the hostel, we went down to the town to scope out the 道後温泉 (Dogo Onsen). There were people walking around in yukata everywhere. They browsed the おみやげ (omiyage=souvenirs) in the shopping arcade between dips in the 温泉 (onsen). The shops are filled with citrus food stuff. Apparently 愛媛 (Ehime), the 県 (ken) that 松山 is in is famous for its citrus. We went nuts for the food stuffs. The citrus kit kat are so delicious. Also there are these soft cake balls filled with citrus creme and a medallion of citrus jelly on top... I would eat 50 in a blink if I were given them. So goooood.

When we were done with the arcade, we went over to a park we'd seen earlier. That's when we ran into Vanessa again. She'd gone to the bath and finished already, so we wandered up to this look out point at the top of the park together. You could see all the way to the sea. It was most excellent.

After that we soaked our cold feet in this public fountain. It spouted the warm waters of the hot spring that supplies the 温泉. It felt really good, but we got hungry. Jen, Lily, and I decided to introduce Vanessa to お好み焼き (okonomiyaki). She'd had it before, but never made it herself. And apparently no one ever told her that you have to put sauce on it. How bland. The place we ate at was pretty good. We sampled 4 different types: 豚玉 (pork)、海老玉 (shrimp)、たこ玉 (octopus)、and チーズ玉 (cheese).

By the time we were done eating, it was getting cold and dark so we decided to head back. The free internet and computers were too good to pass up. I typed up one of these entries, but they're so darn long, I could only get one up! I need to stop having such fun and eventful days.

Perhaps tomorrow's entry will be shorter. We'll just be chilling in hot springs all day... what could possibly happen?

Anyway, it's time to sleep.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

By the time it was getting

Japanese Variety Shows

Hand written on 2010年2月1６日：

琴平～！ I had such a fun time today. (On a side note, I'm watching this comedy show and there's a guy dressed as a girl singing this song called 「Onaraは恥ずかしくないよ」 [Farts aren't embarrassing].)

We woke up at 8 and hit the train around 10. The train ride was picaresque. The 片原町駅　（Kataharamachi station) right next to where we're staying sits on the line that takes you directly to こんぴら。

こんぴら itself is kinda small and empty. There weren't too many people around. It seemed like a very peaceful place. Jen, Lily and I were all marveling at the 雰囲気 (atmosphere) of the place. The narrow roads were all lined with strung up lanterns and all surrounding the city were mountains and agricultural fields. Nothing but green.

When we pulled in, we got directions to the temple and started the trek. The stairs were manageable, but when we did get tired, all we had to do for inspiration was turn around. The more stairs we climbed, the better the view got.

On our way up we met a fellow from Korea. He offered to take our picture for us. His English was fantastic. He was one of those amateur photographers, so he took 5 or so awesome photos for us! Nice guy. We kind of trailed each other alternatingly all the way up.

Once at the top, you realize no one really goes for the 神社 (jinja)-- you go for the view. You could see all the way to the ocean. It was amazing. Besides the 神社 (jinja), there were some other strange things up there, such as a golden propeller (like to a boat) about 40ft tall, a solar powered submarine from the 40s (at least that's what it looked like), and fun house mirrors. Also, part of the complex looked to be brand new and a little bit industrial. Kind of the last thing you'd expect at a 神社.

We stayed up there for a while, admiring the view. When it started to get colder and the rain clouds started blowing in, we headed down for a late lunch. We ate at a tasty-looking udon place. They made their own noodles on the premises that same day. It was delicious! Lily's hands were so cold, though, that she had some issues with the chopsticks. She's normally very quick with them, but today I replaced her as the one to finish eating first.

After that we got some ice cream. It was a 四国 (Shikoku) special version. The ice cream was a mix o0f two flavors: しょうゆ and a 四国 specialty flavor. Jen thinks it tasted like cheese whiz. I don't know about it being quite that strong, but there was a distinctly cheesey flavor to it. Then to top off the ice cream you could either get donut-holes (yeah... no joke) or these little sugary colourful puff balls called オイリー (oiri-). We got オイリー. They weren't half bad. Like tiny sweet versions of cheetoh puffs.

Jen was full at that point, but Lily and I had our hearts set on some 焼き団子 (yaki dango). We went up the road a bit to a shop we'd seen earlier and boy, were we glad we went! We got two kinds of 団子, さくら and よもぎ (よもぎ is like a 抹茶 [maccha] flavor), with あずき (azuki is sweet red bean paste) on top and green tea. They were amazing, but the best part was where we sat. It was set up so you could sit and eat while soaking your feet in an 温泉 (onsen)-like trough! It felt so good on our sore, cold feet.

There wasn't too much to do after that. We wandered through their ghost town of a shopping arcade (新町 [shinmachi] romanized as Sinmati), then caught a train back to 高松 (Takamatsu). We were all dead tired by the time we walked through the door. Dinner was discount stuff we found at the super market across the street.

Tomorrow we leave 高松 for 松山 (Matsuyama). I greatly enjoyed my time in this city. I would gladly come back here to explore more of the surrounding area. I feel so lucky to have met so many kind people to help us along our way. I hope I can return the good karma someday.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

English lessons on NHK

Hand written on 2010年2月15日：

Look at me! Two days in a row!

Story of the day:

Last night when I went to sleep I had this weird dream. I was opening some cabinet in the room and every time I did, something new would appear. Then one time I opened the closet and something appeared but it was all shadowy and it freaked me out. I yelled, `WHAT THE F*** IS THAT?!` Turns out I actually yelled it loud enough for Jen and Lily to wake up. I even woke myself up with it. I seriously thought I was in my room back in Kyoto, so when Lily asked, `What the f*** is what,` all I thought to say was, `Oh... it's just Lily.`

This has been a running joke throughout the day. It was much needed to lift our spirits in the rainy weather.

We took off around 10:30 today and went to 栗林公園 (Ritsurin Kouen). It's one of the most famous gardens in all of Japan and I can see why. Even in the winter in the rain, the place was gorgeous.

We stayed till a little before closing time. It was so peaceful. I got a lot of great photos and got to see some 梅 (ume) blossoms. There was this nice little place in the middle of the park where you could get 焼き団子といろんなうどんの種類 (yaki dango and various udon). The woman who made it all was really sweet. She sat and talked with us for just a bit while we ate.

After that we didn't do much else. We were pretty tired. That park is HUGE. We grabbed some onigiri and headed back to the room for dinner and some TV.

I think my Japanese is getting pretty good. I understand quite a bit. Also the kanji for bell is 鈴（すず suzu). Anyway, tomorrow is こんぴらさん (Konpira-san aka 琴平 [Kotohira]). Should be fun-- all 1,000 steps of it. We're going to be so worn out tomorrow.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Jurassic Park 2

Hand written on 2010年2月14日

Aloha everyone! Since I haven't got a computer on my lovely vacation, I'm going to journal manually. Wow that sounds nerdy. As I sit here writing this, Jen and Lily are relaxing on the futon watching Jurassic Park 2 in a terrible Japanese dub. It's probably the first TV I've seen since leaving Tokyo. We've got some green tea brewing, as well. It's a relaxing evening tonight. That's what vacations are about after all! Not to mention we've had a long day.

We started our journey at 9am when we left Maison Iwakuni. Lily stayed the night before with us so we could all leave together. We walked over to Kyoto-eki to catch our bus with a stop-over at Lawson's for onigiri. The bus loaded up at 9:50 and we were off!

I got a seat in the first row with a view of the road. The woman I was placed next to was really nice, too. We got to talking for the second half of the trip. She lives in Uji and graduated from Doshisha. She was very kind. It was great practice. She patiently explained things I didn't understand and gave me some suggestions on places to go and foods to eat.

The view for the ride was awesome. People weren't kidding when they say Shikoku is 田舎. It was mostly oceans and forests on the way. The whirlpools of Naruto (yes, I've been in Naruto), one of our original destinations that fell through, were visible from the bus! They were pretty cool looking. I got a couple of neat photos.

When we first arrived we decided to get some food. We ate at this ramen place that looked appetizing. I got 塩らめん (shio ramen) with some kind of special oil in it. Possibly one of the best bowls of ramen I've had so far... but you know, it seems like every bowl I have, the ramen gets better and better!

Anyway, after we ate we went down to this info desk we saw at the entrance of the building we were in to see if we could get directions to the youth hostel. Only after we asked our questions did we realize the desk only dealt in info for that building. The girl sent us over to a different building for what we needed. When we got there, though, we realized it was wrong...and by that point, so had she. She walked all the way over from where she was to appologize and help us out! It was so kind of her. We felt bad for inconveniencing her, but she did help.

We found the general area of the hostel with her help, but when we went there we couldn't find it. At a loss for what else to do, we asked a man at the nearest train station. He was incredibly kind, as well. After consulting with some colleagues, he came out from the booth to lead us all the way there. This is the weird part though...

He couldn't reall find the place either. After asking a nearby hotel we went to some place called Sakurai... or something like that. There wasn't a single sign that mentioned hostels till we walked all the way into the garage.

After we found the place we waited for a while. Then this elderly woman comes bustling in. She was kind of terse. When we mentioned a reservation, she made a phone call, but then proceeded as if there hadn't been one. We were all quite confused, but the room she was setting up for us didn't sound so bad.

We ended up in the building across the street. Our room is pretty big. We've got a TV and a safe, a bathroom of our own, and two rooms(ish). The cost is a little more than we would have liked, but for what we get, it's not bad.

Anyway, after we dropped our stuff off we went to explore the area. There was a shopping arcade not too far away so we went there. We wandered for a bit then picked up some sweets at a discount shop and sat on a bench to eat. While we were enjoying our candy (a Valentine's Day indulgence), this guy walks up to us and starts up a conversation. He was older, dressed as a salary man and he didn't appear to be intoxicated. He started out by asking us if we spoke Japanese. We said yes. He then asked if we understood all of what he was saying... yes.

He then proceeded to talk to us for over an hour. We talked about Japanese grammar, Japanese history, world geography, current events, American education... the list goes on. Just when he was about to leave, he'd come back and start up a new topic.

We were all a little unnerved, but he seemed like a genuine guy. Again, the practice was good.

After we were released from the conversation, we got Udon. Udon is a specialty of Shikoku. The place we went to was self serve, which means it was cheap! You order a size or type and then you can pick out tenpura to go on top. The food was so good. We got a decent sized bowl of 肉うどん (beef udon) for ￥３９０. Amazing.

Now we're back at the hotel. When we went for showers, we thought there was no hot water, but after about 30 min, the hot water started flowing. We're squeaky clean and ready for bed.

Oh! And when we came back in for the evening, the futons were all made up for us. Plush!

Tomorrow is 栗林公園 (Ritsurin Kouen). Should be interesting.



When we were on the bus, I looked at the beauty around me and I wanted nothing more than to share it with all of you. I wish I could let you all experience it first hand, but for now you'll have to settle for pictures and this blog... at least till Jen and I invent teleportation.

Love until later,

Caitlin D.

Sun Will Set

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a breaking weather report.

It's snowing in Kyoto!

Jen and I just went out to play in it. Earlier it wasn't sticking to the ground, but at about 9pm it started holding. It's so amazing!

I suddenly understand snow globes.

Jen made a tiny snow man and we had a blitzkrieg snowball fight.

Best February night ever.

Love until later

Caitlin D.

Learning How to Smile

It's snowing outside right now. It's snowing quite a bit. I'm so excited I've got my window wide open and the snow is falling onto my bed. It's so coooool! (no pun intended)

Well, it's cool when you're not riding your bike into the wind that's full of little snow bits....er...snowflakes. They turn into little daggers that make your face all red and raw.

How do I know this, you ask?

Well, I just spent an hour and half this morning looking for my lost key. Sometime last night it slipped off my keychain. I could conjecture, but based on where I found it I have NO clue how I lost it.

Let me walk you through my day and we'll see what you can come up with.

So I woke up a bit melancholy. Don't know why, just was. Spending the day alone didn't do much to fix that, either. I pulled through till 6:30 though. That's when Jen, Lily, and Sam planned to come over for some Vampire Diaries goodness.

After cleaning my room spick and span, they knocked... well actually they didn't knock. Haha! They just kind of wandered into my room. At any rate, the party commenced. We goofed around for a bit, downloaded the episode and started the game.

By the end of it we were a little sad. The episode was a bit disappointing, so to cheer ourselves up, we watched some Sabrina the Teenage Witch. That's right. Blast from the 90's past! I never realized just how hokey that show was.

So we killed time with that till karaoke. We'd made the plan on the last day of school to go to this Karaoke place called Cybac for a 6 hour karaoke/ping pong/darts/billiards/soft drink 飲み放題 marathon. They have this fantastic deal after 10pm-- all-inclusive 6 hours for ¥1230. It ended up being Kevin, Henry, and us. It was FANTASTIC. I sang my heart out. My voice is super scratchy right now. I've got some hot tea working on that.

So we were there till about 6am. Surprisingly I was wide awake and very hungry after all that. We cruised over to the nearest McDonalds to see if we could get one of the new New York Burgers. Turns out it was so popular they ran out of them that day, so we settled for Big Macs. It's the second Big Mac I've had in my life and it was perfect. It really hit the spot.

After that bite we figured we should head home for some shut eye. I think we decided on that mostly because we couldn't think of anything else to do. Sam and Lily followed Jen and I home to crash for the evening.

Sam and I went back at super speed. We beat Jen and Lily back by a good 10 minutes; just long enough for me to figure out I was, once again, locked out of my room. The last time that happened Nicole and I were in soaking wet clubbing clothes in the dead of winter. This time around it was Sam and I, but at least we were dry.

Earlier that evening, as we were heading out the door, Sam said that Lily had forgotten something in my room. I passed my keys back, Lily said never mind, and I promptly got them returned. I figured maybe Lily had taken the key off then and she had it. Unfortunately she didn't.

We scoured the halls, out front Maison, and all of our bags and pockets. It was nowhere. When we got in the room, Lily kindly called the karaoke place to inquire if it was found in the room. They searched, but it wasn't there. I started to get a little worried, but there was nothing we could do about it at 7am, so we crashed.

As per usual I woke up before everyone else. I faffed about for a bit then decided to go searching for it. I retraced my foot steps exactly.

I asked at the 7/11.

Wasn't there.

I looked up and down Karasuma as I biked in the falling snow.

Nowhere in sight.

Looked where I parked my bike last night.

No such luck.

Headed down the back road from my bike to the karaoke place.

And then!

There it was.

It was wedged between two buildings, really far back, about 100 meters from where my bike was last night.

I don't know. I really don't know, but at least I found it.

As I ecstatically biked back home, the snow began to fall harder. I must have looked like a loon. One of the bigger bits flew into my eye, so I was winking spastically, singing "雪雪雪が降っている／雪雪雪が大好き" and peddling as fast as my legs could go.

Crazy 外人 girl.

In the end all is well. I have my key and I had a lot of fun last night.

Also, it's criminal that taking pictures of falling snow is so hard.

Anyway, Love until later!

Caitlin D.

Unlike Me, Strawberry Fields Forever

Exciting news! I just booked 3 youth hostels for Matuyama in Shikoku, Iwakuni back on Honshu, and Hiroshima. Jen, Lily and I are officially going traveling.

The hope is that we'll get rooms at the Tokushima and Takamatsu youth hostels as well, but if not, we can at least spend 5 or so days going around Matsuyama and Hiroshima.

So the plan that's been finalized so far is this:

Feb 17: travel to Matsuyama

Feb 18: spend the day at Dogo Onsen

Feb 19: catch a boat over to Hiroshima and make our way down to Iwakuni

Feb 20: see Miyajima island

Feb 21: look around Iwakuni and move over to Hiroshima for a night

Feb 22: go to the Peace Park and Hiroshima-jo then catch a night bus back to Kyoto

It's going to be freaking awesome. I was reading up on Dogo onsen, turns out it's been recorded in literature as far back as 3,000 years! It's also the onsen that Miyazaki supposedly based the main bath house in Spirited Away on.

I'm getting super jazzed for this vacation.

I kinda needed this pick me up after today. It was a little bit of a nightmare.

So I didn't have to go into school till 2nd period, and that was nice, but I got a bit of a surprise. I remember waking up and looking outside and thinking it looked a little bleak, but it didn't even occur to me that it might rain, so I stupidly didn't bring an umbrella. I hopped on my bike and made it up to school and when I came out after class it was raining.

Crap.

Kindly, Jeremy lent me his umbrella. It was a little on the small side though. Jen and I had plans to go get our re-entry permits today. It didn't seem that far away so I said we should walk. Big mistake.

We got underfoot (after being stalked by Sam for a bit) and it started getting colder and wetter. We walked for probably 40 minutes trying to find this place. By the time we got to the building our shoes were sloshing and our coats were as waterlogged as our boots.

So we get in there and it's all warm and cozy. We pull off our wet jackets and pull out our passports and forms, and they tell us that we have to go back outside to go to the post office (which we passed on the way to the building) and purchase a special stamp. LAME. Totarry rame.

So we put back on our cold jackets and slodge back outside and guess what happens. It starts to sleet on us. SLEET! It was cold enough for the rain to freeze into happy, painful little stones of ice. Awesome.

The return trip was pretty miserable too. The closest train station to the building was on the Keihan. The Keihan doesn't connect to the chikatetsu line that runs under Karasuma-- the line that's closest to where we live. So we took a train and then had to walk for another 20 or so minutes to get back home. We got a little goofy.

The only thing that kept me cheery on the trip is the awesome pictures of Senryu making their new drums. I felt like a proud Mom today showing off pictures of her children. I showed those pictures to everyone.

That and singing "Singing in the Rain."

So it was a pain in the butt, but we have our re-entry permits! It's even more official now! Weeeeee

So now I have to go study for my last two finals and I'm home free.... literally!

Can't wait to see you all!

Love until later,

Caitlin D.