So I reached the top, and that is when I instantaneously started to feel really sick. Suddenly I wanted to vomit, my breathing had become labored, my muscles lost the majority of thier strength, my back hurt, I had a head ache and I a started to feel very cold even though it was a hot summer day. Now I wouldn't call myself a religious person, but I am a superstitious person, and the fact that one of the worst illnesses I have ever had in my entire life struck like lightning at the top of a shrine in a forest that felt a little off kind of freaked my out. Of course, it was probably the Bento, but not wanting to take any chances, I waited for the priest to come back from preforming a ritual and bought an amulet of protection from illness. I then began to walk back down the mountian, a distance of maybe a mile and a half.

There was a Soba resturaunt at the gate of the shrine, and I went in, sat down and nearly fainted from exaustion. The waiter and manager were very nice. They gave me Udon, which helped a little, and then tried to get me to take some medicine that they had. Being they only spoke Japanese, and the medice bottle was also only in Japanese, I was very hesitant to take it. However, I really felt like I couldn't feel much worse at that point, so I gave it a try. It was just graphite, and it didn't work. I went and waited for the bus. The bus ride down was like hell. I had my hat at the ready in case I needed to vomit. My headache got worse, my stomach ache got worse, all my joints and organs began to pulse and I began to have gas.

I finally got to the station, bought my ticket and got on the train. I was in so much pain on the train that I couldn't help letting out the occasional groan, and the people next to me were eating, which made me want to vomit even more. I finally got to Tokyo and took a cab to the Alkire's house. For the last 2 days I have not been able to leave my bed. My temperature got up to 102 and actually broke the Alkire's thermometer. I am feeling much better today though. My temperature has gone away, there is no more pain in my joints, my headache is gone and I am only coughing a little bit. The stomachache remains, and I have painful gas, but I think I'll be well tomorow. I definately want to be well for the Korea leg of my trip, although I get the feeling that I may not be able to eat really spicy foods when I go. But basicly, I'm fine, I lived.

I didn't know if I should include the account of me being sick in my blog or not. It's not exactly a happy story, but I figured that it is better that you all get the whole story from me so that you won't worry rather than hearing it second hand and having you imagine all kinds of terrible scenarios.

Regardless, my next post will definately be more upbeat. Take Care.

A Brief Quest

I decided yesterday that I Really should have brought my Kanji Learner's Dictionary since there are some signs I can't read, and there seems to be no way to learn. Important signs too, like "Caution" and "Pedestrian Crossing" and "Please do not ride the racoon-dog". So today, after working on one of my papers for 3 hours I decided to head to Akihabara (the world's biggest something, I'm sure) to look for a electronic dictionary. Akihabara is the ultimate nerd and geek paradise. It is an entire city that looks like Fry's Electronics. It is also the big Anime, Manga and Hentai area.

I finally reached Akihabara after 1 1/2 hours of being lost on the subway. It turns out there are TWO Roppongi stations. Stupid me. When I got there I went into a Soba shop for some lunch. At this Soba shop you bought your meal from a vending machine, then gave the ticket to the cook. But when I walked in the cook came out from behind the counter to help me as my confusion was holding up other customers. I tried to explain that it was my first time eating Soba. She said that my Japanese was good. I then triped over my words so badly that she corrected her self and said "the sound of your Japanese is preaty". *Sigh*

The Soba was good.

Well, I found an electronic dictionary that would do want I wanted it to, in addition to everything else that a computer could do. Unfortunately it cost as much I as I would have paid to ride on all the trains in Japan for free for a month. So I didn't buy it. I also looked for a lens cap for my camera, with no success. After about an hour I had to get out of Akihabara. Since it is such a center for Anime, there was a constant screaching of female voices (the kind that some female Japanese language students in the U.S. try to mimic because they think that people in Japan are actually hyperactive sopranos or helium coated mice on speed). I still have a headache.

So on the way back I decided to go to Hiroo station (suposedly the one that is closest to the Alkire's house). I got lost again, but in the process I saw something intresting. So when I get lost, as long as I am near enough to central Tokyo, I just walk for Roppongi Hills. It is a colossal building that towers above the entire city, and from it I know how to get home. Well, as I was walking by Roppongi Hills I encountered this crowd.

Just then Tom Cruise stepped out of a car. Screaming started, but since I still had a headache, that was the last thing I wanted to hear, so I kept walking.

I then went to the grocery store and asked if thay had liquid smoke. How the hell do you describe liquid smoke in Japanese. "Kemuri no aji no shoyu" was the best I could do. No dice. And that was my day.

By the way, please leave comments. It's the only way I know if anybody cares.

I Visit the Kamakura Matsuri

So, today I went to the Kamakura Matsuri. Max was nice enough to drive so that Pua could come. So at 9:00 AM Ann, Pua, Max and I took an hour and a half drive from Tokyo to Kamakura.

Kamakura, by the way, is a big beach town. It wants to be Hawaii, and mostly succedes. It definately has Aloha, but there are some sights you don't see in Hawaii. Such as this.

Another diffrence is the massive crowd. This isn't even the season. I kind of wanted to go in the water, but it looked like it might be kind of, uh, yeah.

So, the Alkires have a house that they rent from a woman named Kyoko, who we went to have lunch with. I entered the house asking if I could help with the cooking. Insted they sat me down with 5 very old ladies and a gentleman and began to place piles of food in front of me. I tried talking to the gentleman, only to find that he was very kind, didn't know a single word of English, couldn't understand my Japanese and may have been a little drunk.

So it is at this point that I should explain the Matsuri. It consists of very tough guys (often gangsters or construction workers) carrying shrines through the town and into the ocean in order to bless the ocean in anticipation of the swiming season. It takes all day to cary the shrines through the town. Sounds boring? Did I mention that almost everybody in extreamly drunk, sometimes to the point where they cannot stand? This helps explain why there are so many cops. Macho guys in loincloths + booze + heat + sacred beliefs = fights.

Of course, many families come as well. This is the small shrine (called a Mikoshi) that the little kids carry. Kawaii.

And these are the Mikoshi. Each weighs a metric ton. The bearers make it bounce as it goes, and occasionally they chant and dance. It's really inspiring.

Well, the Mikoshi bearers decided to take a rest for a while, so we went back into Kyoko's house. Pictured in a clock wise fashion is Me, Ann, Sanae, and "Oba-san".

This was the team of bearers that we were rooting for. Notice that everyone has a beer.

The festivities then began again. But these guys had had too much. This is the middle of a driveway.

So the thing about the Kamakura Matsuri that makes it unique is the fact that the Mikoshi's go into the ocean. That is way all these guys are in loincloths. I talked to the guy the the chest tatoos later, and he was very polite.

You don't see this in the U.S. ever.

Here is the Mikoshi going into the ocean.

And here was the fight.

Uhh, it was a cultural experience.

Alright, no there is a slight problem with carrying the Mikoshi. Check out this guy's shoulders. I don't know why a bump the size of a baseball appears, but it does. And it really hurts I am told. Max helped to carry one, and when John touched his shoulder later he let out a very sincere cry of pain.

So after everything was done we all went back to Kyoko's house again to drink and eat some more. I got in a long conversation with Iida-san on the left, in which I think we discussed travel. My Japanese wasn't quite up to his level, and I got about 40% of what he said, but luckly he had had enough wiskey to find me intresting. Moto-san is the guy on the right, and after we had basicly run out of energy we went over to the bakery of he and Sanae's son. That was sure an intresting shop. We ordered bread and hour ahead of time, and when we got there it still hadn't been put in the oven, so he gave us all the bread in the bakery: 4 buns with miscelaneous fillings and a piece of Foccicia bread, which he gave to John instead of the guy that had been waiting for service since before we got there.

So, the verdict for today: excelent. I like Kamakura. It's like Hawaii, but I get to practice Japanese. By the way, why does my left eye scrunch up when I honestly smile?

Sendai is a great place to go for free...

So, last night I decided "Tomorow I think I'll go to Sendai, after all, I have a Rail Pass, so I can go for free." So today at 4:50 AM I left the house with my camera bag packed with the supplies I would need for the day: two handy wipes, a camera, a book on Kanji, a phrase book, a book for my summer class, the Rough Guide to Japan, extra batteries, my rail pass and small gifts that I could give to anybody I met who was nice.

After some worrying, but no real problems, I found my way to Tokyo station and bought my first Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket, which I actually didn't buy, as all my train trips are free. I then purchased my first Bento, shown in the picture.

So the train ride was great! I spent the entire time grining from ear to ear. What speed! I arrived at Sendai way sooner than I had expected. I walked out of the station and began to walk towards the town. The picture below was taken at the exact point when I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about Sendai, and decided to walk back into the station and ask for a map.

The woman behind the tourist information desk sugested that I take the bus. I humored her, but I had no intention of taking the bus, that would cost money! Besides, it was a great day and I wanted to see the city. After 50 minutes of walking and not really seeing anything, I finally came to the ruins of Sendai Castle, which were actually quite beautiful. A cute little stream fed the pond that this flower was growing in. I walked up the stream to its source, the most beautiful sewer pipe I have ever seen.

It was at that point that I nearly stepped on this snake.

And this is the entrance to the shrine at the top of the castle.

The view from the castle. I walked from behind the tall building. It was kind of humid by this point.

I caved in and took the bus back. 250 yen. I then discovered that Sendai has possibly the longest covered shopping street that I have ever seen, populated entirely by stores that do not intrest me, and visited by girls that I did not consider attractive. Sendai having cost me only 250 yen, I decided to get on a train to somewhere else.

All the guide books raved about a place called Matsushima, one of the three natural wonders of Japan, so I decided to go. There was a Danish guy and his Japanese girlfriend on the train, and I tried to talk to them, but I got the feeling that they were both made very uncomfortable by the idea of a random American coming up to them and trying to start a conversation. I left them alone and walked from the station to Matsushima Bay, where I found this.

It was less pristine than I had been led to believe.

And there were some nice looking parts.

Still, there were some cool things about it. That thing that looks like a sea wall is in fact the shells of shellfish.

However, the humidity in Matsushima was nasty. Not to mention, I was beat from walking all day. Compounded with the fact that all the food stands and cafes were closed, and that the town was devoid of people, I became grumpy.

This is how empty the town was. I did not see a single person walking down the street or working in a garden. Only the convienience store was open. I went back to the station and returned to Tokyo.

Total cost of the trip, 1400 yen. 15 dollars. Mostly spent on Poccari Sweat, the Japanese equivalent of Gatorade, of which I drank 3 bottles.

The Story of My 4 AM Walk (aka. ４時に散歩をした)

Today the story reads from the top to the bottom.

The jet-lag is not really as bad as I expected, although I think that this also has to do with the fact that (due to lack of daylight savings time) the Sun rises at 4 AM in Japan. So this morning, I woke up at 3 and went for a brisk morning stroll at 4.

I had no real goals for this walk, aside from the fact that I was a little hungry, so when I saw Tokyo Tower (see picture) I decided to walk to it.

Consequently, my back has been killing me ever since that flight, and about 20 meters from where I took this picture I saw a sign that said マサージ, which is pronounced "masaji". I thought to myself "cool, I should probably look into getting a massage"...

Well, I got to Tokyo Tower. It was alot closer than I expected, so I sat down for a while and took some pictures...

And here is the best picture I took...

Then I saw this sign. I think I'll submit it to Engrish.com...

Nobody is outside at 4 in the morning, even though the tempature is nice and it is very light. It was around here that a group of 4 pigeons decided to become my friends. They flew right behind me at about 2 meters distance for about a block until a big crow chased them away...

This one's for you Lynn. Teehee...

So I thought this was kind of interesting.

So I should have realized when I saw this that I had wandered into the Red Light district. However, it took until I rounded the corner before I realized it. Roppongi is still hopping at 5:30 AM, and I have to say that I'm glad I went when I did.

Clearly the clientele of the area is composed in large part by foreigners, since I had 4 Chinese women come up to me and offer me マサージ. It was about then that I realized that マサージ was probably not what I was looking for. I tried to politely explain that I was not interested, but the last woman was quite persistent. I think I finally confused her when I asked her for directions to Roppongi Hills, at which point she realized that I was not a potential customer. I thanked her and wished her luck and was on my way. However, while I was talking to that woman, another woman had put her hand in my pocket either to give me a free sample, or more likely, to look for my wallet. I gently extracted her hand, bowed to both of them and thanked my foresight for having kept my money in a money belt.

And this is a store that I found in Roppongi Hills. On my way home I also saw a truck accident.

Numerous Distractions

By the way, its really hard to write an 8 page paper when on one side of you a house is being demolished, on the other a house is being built, there is an earthquake, the washing machine is running, you are with friends, in Japan and are jet-lagged. *sigh*

My First Post (um, go to the bottom and read up)

So I got to Shinagawa Station, and then managed to get totally flustered. I spent 10 minutes trying to weave my way through people to the exit which I could see only 100 meters away! By the time I got out I decided to scrap the idea of taking a train to Roppongi and decided to just take a Taxi. The Taxi cost 1260 yen and it was worth it. We started driving through streets I knew, at which point I asked the driver to stop and let me out. I then climed the hill to the Alkire's house. Upon getting there, out of breath, I was supprised to find that there was a small get together going on for the purpose of watching the world cup match between North Korea and Japan. I could only stay up till 9 pm, at which point I crashed.

From which I saw rice fields...

Then I took the train from Narita...

This is Hiromi, who I met on the plane. I started the trip off right I guess, since the very first person I met was so cool. She was coming back from visiting a friend in Denver, so we chatted sproadicly. She was wise and very, very intresting; also friendly, and more than happy to teach me some Kanji...

My monkey pillow. I exchanged money in SFO. With the 83 cents I had left over I bought Tic-Tacs. They actually cost $1.10, but the girl behind the counter was really nice...

My bags. The book, monkey and camera case go in the backpack. Problem was the the tan colored bag was ~15 kilos and the bag with wheels had two bottles of wine in it...

Me, leaving the house at 5:50 am. Walking to the train station. After about 30 meters I came to the conclusion that walking with these bags was really going to suck. My conclusion was correct...

Final trip with Lynn and Soo

So this last weekend I went to see my Grandmother in Napa. Once again, for the third weekend in a row (heehee), Lynn and Soo accompanied me. So, once again, I felt like a major stud. Kind of depressed I won't be able to play the tour guide anymore. Well, at least until Lynn comes to Hawaii.


Speaking of Hawaii, Bryn may be coming to visit me at the conclusion of my Asia trip! That would be preaty cool. I have some plans for that, including kayak camping...

Anyway, mostly for my own use in case I forget, my flight tomorow is United flight 853 leaving San Francisco at 1:35 and ariving at Narita at 4:30 on Wednesday. Then I plan to somehow get to the Alkire's house. I'm still working on that part.

Here goes...

Oh boy

Man I really hope I did everthing I needed to do. Cause I basicly ran out of time to do anything else. My next post will probably be from Japan. Here I go...