Casabella Inn Kobe

... we got a private double room for the same price. <br><br>We slept for a bit more then wandered around the local streets and walked into a little cafe and ordered some food - a big bowl of noodles, a bowl of soup and a beer for 80p! We then had a quick wander down the main shopping street which was lit up by thousands of neon lights and then headed towards the Bund for to see the famous skyscrapers of the financial district - unfortunately the entire waterfront was ...

Seconds please. I had to go back to Osaka, one way or another (my return flight was leaving from here). Ate just as well if not better than the first go around. Went to the Takoyaki museum at Universal city walk but it was more tako vendors than museum, not such a bad thing. Had simply amazing Kobe ...

... but discovered that all major trains passed back through Osaka. So, Osaka it was!...<br><br>I rounded the corner to Lemon House and there she was.<br><br>"Yochi! Yochi!" I called out.<br><br>She turned, and after a moment of confusion she came running with a big surprised smile.<br><br>SWAMI!" she exclaimed, and gave me a big hug.<br><br>Well, that was a nice "welcome back":)<br><br>Next, I went to Tanikawa to see about getting a room.<br><br>He, too, was ...

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This week I volunteered to get away from my desk, while my students were taking their midterm exams, and head out to take pictures for a guidebook that our students made. The weather was beautiful, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to get out and enjoy it. I had two days to try to navigate my way around Kobe, searching for the places in the book. My job was to take pictures that somewhat matched the descriptions, so that Kobe city could later use them to create a listening ...

... and organize things and pack up, but I begged them off for yet a few more hours of card playing. My enthusiasm must have paid off, or perhaps I was meant to be left on a positive note... whatever it was- I managed to win my way around the table in our mini 500 tournament. I said goodbye that night, and went back to my apartment on the last train that night because I had to get to work ...

... stick. As we looked closer, we realized that the "meat" on the stick was not just steak, it was Kobe!! 500 yen for five pieces of paradise! We happily handed over the large gold coin in exchange for the greatest piece of steak I have ever tasted. PFS- Imagine your most memorable steak experience. Mine was perhaps a porterhouse at Peter Luger's for Scott's birthday some years ago. The best cut grilled to a perfect med rare with an unparalleled ...

To spice up lessons with a language exchange partner, I suggested we go to visit the Kobe Fruit and Flower Park. During the month of March entrance to the park was free. I was a little weary to hit it up on the last day of the month, thinking it would be crowded, but luckily the dreary weather- which turned into a windstorm midday- kept the crowds away. Mariko and I trucked our way to the inaka (country side ...

... a lengthy train ride, we performed our typical dance of wander-around-the-train-station-looking -for-the-correct-door -from-which-to-emerge. Having danced the dance, we chose door number one for no other reason than it was in front of us. But, despite the fumbling, we managed to walk ourselves to our hostel in half an hour's time. We normally don't stay in hostels, since we're not all that enamored of the backpacker culture, and we generally figure we can get a low-grade hotel room ...

... time, 6) that I miss dogs way too much ;), and 7) that as I look at my screen saver, which is a picture of a bunch of friends in Austin two weekends before I left, that I'm damn lucky to have such good friends. Enough for now, more to follow soon. Met the new roommate tonight, Bill from Scotland...he seems a really cool guy as well. He's into photography, mostly landscape ...