Our whirlwind of a tour continued on to Osaka where we stayed with some friends of mine. Here we visited the famous aquarium and watched as the Japanese drooled over their next lunch. From there, we went on to Koya-san. I am not quite sure if my brother or Gilly really had a clue what they had agreed to when I first suggested we spend a night there. Koya-san is a very interesting place which I recommend to anyone visiting Japan. It’s in the middle of the mountains and to get there is an adventure in and of itself. There, you can stay in a temple where real-life Buddhist monks take care of you and who also smoke cigarettes and use cell phones….what more could you possibly want? The area was so serene and the food was fabulous! It was quite a peaceful experience and you could really feel the weight of the village’s history and importance. Oh and my brother also reveled in the fact that he could wear a yukata to facilitate the coolness of ninja poses for the camera.
From our short but sweet trip to Koya-san, we jumped back on the Shinkansen and headed south to Hiroshima. The main purpose: Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. We were there for 2 nights and made sure to consume it both nights. There was a lot to see in Hiroshima so we had to choose between a few options. We decided to make a day trip to Miyajima which was just a short train and ferry ride away from Hiroshima’s city centre. It was on one of those train rides that my brother and Gilly spoke to a boy and his Dad about the local baseball team. This was the day my brother became a fan of the Hiroshima Carps (but only because of its name).
Our visit to Hiroshima also included a trip to the atomic bomb dome and museum where we were engrossed in learning about a tragic time so foreign to our lives today, (I can’t say too much about this place because it’s an experience everyone needs to feel for themselves). And then to lighten the mood a bit (besides the gastric pleasure of okonomiyaki) we took another trip to Karaoke where we proceeded to make friends with some locals, got some free drinks and put on a show for them. The performance of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise, with my brother as back-up posse vocals, won over everyone’s hearts, as always.
Once back onto the Shinkansen for our journey home, we started to feel quite exhausted. Really, we had traveled across the country in less than a week! At this point, we made it back to Hitachi and planned for the last few days my brother had left in Japan. As previously mentioned, we did spend a day at Tokyo Disneyland. Even though I’d been to Disneyland about 7 times before (only twice before to Tokyo Disneyland), the day my brother I spent at the Tokyo park surpassed all other Disneyland experiences. Some highlights included:
a) The Jungle Cruise where we encountered the most enthusiastic Jungle Cruise guide you’ll ever meet.
b) Snow White’s rage & jealousy disorder. She was inches away from punching me in the face because I was hitting on her man (the Prince). She even went as far to say that she would “go home with him” as she pointed at my brother, in which I responded with, “Go ahead, he’s my brother.”
The final chapter of our trip started and ended with some quality time with Megumi and her family. We spent a day at her nursery school where we got to have lunch and nap time with a bunch of 4 year olds. We also learned some calligraphy and my brother read a fairy tale story to the kids. We were also so graciously entertained with taiko drumming and other performances by the little kids – it was soooo cute! After our day at nursery school, Megumi’s family took us out to a crab dinner. I’m sure my brother will attest to when I say that this was the best crab we’ve ever and probably will ever have!
All in all, having my brother visit me in Japan was one of my happiest times while living there. Being able to share such a rich cultural experience with someone who I know would deeply appreciate it meant quite a bit to me. He was a great travel buddy and I surely look forward to our next adventure together, wherever that may be!
On a final note, I would like to share with you an EngRish poem which I have composed entirely on my own.
In state of completedness rides horses of many dreams
Live justly the faith of anew birth
We pleasurely feel wings to fly
Ring bells of hopeless journeys to believe morely
Wicked love.
Osaka
Inside the Buddhist Temple in Koya San
Wax On, Wax Off!
Okonomiyaki
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima
Miyajima
Tokyo Disneyland
Megumi's Nursery School
1 comment:
Keep 'em coming - all the pix are great!
Love Mom
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