Traveling Japan

Linda Carroll and I have been on a tour of Japan arranged through Global Basecamps Tour company. They planned our lodging, transportation, daily activity suggestions, and a few personal guided tours in Tokyo,  Nagano, Matzumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa and now Kyoto.   We've had amazing experiences!   We've eaten more local food specialties than we've ever heard of.  We've gotten used to sake at dinner rather than wine. Linda has enjoyed sushi--me not so much.   We've both loved the ramen and soba noodles, seaweed and miso soup, rice and pickled vegetables plus all sorts of other foods for our hotel breakfasts and other meals.   Even had salad for breakfasts.

We've traveled by train (terrific transportation system), including bullet train, subway, bus or taxi--and lots of walking.   So far we haven't gotten hopelessly lost.  You can set your watch by the punctuality of the trains so it's been easier to get around than I expected, plus Linda is a good navigator.

Every day has been an adventure with new experiences.  We've seen lots of Shrines and Buddhist temples.  I even went to a 5:30 am Buddhist monk's morning prayers/ritual-chants when we stayed in lodging advertised as monk's lodging next to the temple but never saw monks at the lodging.

We stayed in two different Japanese-style inns, sleeping on futon/tatami mats, drinking tea and eating Japanese feasts from low tables while sitting on floor.  Fantastic food.  We also experienced the Japanese communal bathing--women and men separately of couse!   We were asked the first time if we wanted to use the bathroom before or after dinner.  Imagine our shock having to make that choice, especially since it was down a flight of steep stairs! We've laughed at that a lot since then, not realizing she meant the "bath", not toilet.  In fact, using the various style toilets (including squat variety) has been one of the learning curves.

We've loved the gardens and decor outside their small living spaces.  The fish, produce, vegetable markets are so interesting and people are so friendly and helpful.   There are so many tiny shops as well as large  high-end clothing stores.  They dress so very fashionably here.  People are respectful and hard working.  We noticed workers in buildings across from one of our hotels at 11:00 pm.  And the subways were crowded at 10 pm.  

Outside of the large cities,  there is beautiful scenery with trees, mountains, rivers and lakes, and many rice fields..  

We're here in the rainy season and it is living up to its name.  Umbrellas everywhere.  Lots of people on bicycles, weaving through pedestrians even though there often doesn't seem to be a logical pattern.   Because people drive on left side of road we try to walk on left side of sidewalk but that doesn't mean others follow that pattern. We're just amazed more people don't run into each other, especially those who text and walk/bike!

There are just too many wonderful experiences to condense into a few words and pictures but at least you get a glimpse.  

 

Rice fields from train

Making octopus balls Linda had for lunch in one of hundreds of restaurants and shops in train station

 Tea Ceremony

Eating okonomiyaki--a Japanese pancake with meat and/or various fillings and seved on griddle at our table

Walkway in Samarai area

Eating soba noodles and tempura

With guide at recreated farm village 

Brown slippers for toilet which are different than red slippers for rest of house --
but take off slippers before entering bedroom with mat.  We often got confused!

Daily market with tons of stalls for fish and produce

Beautiful park in Takayama

 Largest oldest wooden thatched temple in Japan

Matsumoto castle

 Garden in temple area

Multiple food items for dinner at Japanese inn

Gold leaf bathroom




 Geisha house but no geishas

 

 

Our daily ritual also has been to get our "baby fix" when Kristen sends a picture, so I'll have to close with a recent week-old+ picture of Abigail--our reason for being in Japan.

Abigail