Hotel National Tottori

... say the Japanese are reserved conformists!!);
- Our hostel, where despite staying in cheap dorm beds, has a marble entry, super helpful staff and plays Christmas carols in the foyer all day long;
- The bathrooms with automatic lights, soap dispensers and taps. And completely unfathomable control panel for the toilet.
- Awesome beer... which maybe I`ve had enough of for now.

... also says that it is important to make sure the cattle feel relaxed, and also naturally to keep the cowsheds clean. But what took me by surprise was that the cattle listen to music all day long!

I asked whether the cattle are fed beer and given massages with sake to produce better quality beef, according to the myth believed by some overseas.

They flatly denied it with the simple phrase, “No beer, No massage”!

The cattle are shipped before they ...

We arrived in a very rainy Tottori and to be honest it did not stop throughout the whole day we were here. The first thing we did on arrival in town was to drop our bags off at our Minshuko, which is a type of Japanese hotel, less elaborate than a ryokan, but with the same tatami matted rooms. Unfortunately , there was little in the way of restaurants with English menus, so we just ...

... which you could lie. Also the baths faced outwards to a little mini garden which sent a nice breeze into the steamy room.Everyone has there own favorite, they had about 7 different baths at the ryokan, unfortunately we did not have time to try them all. As this ryokan was obviously a lot bigger than the one we visited before there was not the attention to detail in the service we received in Kurashiki. Thats not to say it was not good, which it ...

Sorry for not putting up any new entry but I have been busy packing up all my things to ship back to Oregon. It is interesting to realize how much stuff I have collected over the last six and half years. Lots of CDs, books, videos, clothing and lots of paper and pictures. I also realize that the 3 plus years in Tottori is the longest period of time I have spent in the same place (apartment, house, or room) since I ...

... working on the plan but I will spend the first week in Thailand before heading to Cambodia and Ankor Wat, then to Vietnam for a week before going to Laos and returning to Bangkok. 5th Leg - Return to Japan February 8th - Fly back to Osaka. Go to Tokyo by the way of Fukui. February 13th - Fly back to Oregon via Seattle. That is the plan. Hopefully I will have an update during the Kyushu leg.

Greetings to the first entry of my big trip. It is ten days before I start the first leg of my trip to Kyushu. It will be my second visit to Kyushu as the first one was in 1995. I am planning to go to Fukuoka and then head to Yufuin in Oita prefecture and then contrinue down to Kagoshima and onto Nagasaki. The trip is part of the plan to visit all the prefectures in Japan which will be down to 1 after the trip leaving only Fukui..

... the front of many a travel brochure, and I was thankful for the beautiful weather which meant that it didn`t disappoint. I reached the best vantage point via a chair lift which made a change from the ropeway, and at the top was a cheesey 1950s style fairground blaring out an annoying soundtrack...typical Japan! I preferred to listen to my own music... My favourite part of the day came in the early evening when the Japanese tourists had ...

... can you help it when your whole life is surrounded by music!? It's great! :) Living in Japan has been interesting lately. Yesterday and today we had our last bit of job orientation at the government building. It was nice to get away from our everyday school routine (seeing as how we're not yet teaching) and as always, it was great to hang out with other JETs and listen to 2nd and 3rd year JETs' stories about life. Seeing as ...

8-17-2006 Thursday Ahhh...it's nice to be back in my apartment again. :) Today after school, Zach and I took a train to Kyoto (the pictures actually correspond this time!). My favorite moment on that ride was when I looked away from the window as another train was passing by. "Ah! I get really car sick." I told Zach. "Oh, you do?" he asked, seemingly concerned. And then he started bobbing his head and body around in attempts of worsening my motion sickness. Hahaha! THAT DORK ...