Hotel Route Inn Nagoya Higashi Betsuin

... recommended eatery), since we couldn’t read the sign (and weren’t specifically looking for it). But as we passed, we realized that the line out the door was all locals and decided to give it a whirl. After getting inside, did we remember reading about it in LP. Yabaton specializes in tonkatsu, serving it with an aka-miso (red miso) sauce, rather than the traditional tonkatsu sauce. Slightly different texture, but still a tasty sauce ...

... conveyor belt restaurant at Kyoto station. This is one of our favourite types of Japanese food and is very delcious. We also visited the Nishi street market, which is famous for different types of Japanese foods, everything from dried squid and seaweed to fruits and vegetables. After meeting up again after the tea ceremony, we had sushi again (as it is a conveyor belt , you can pick as much or as little as your stomach desires).At this ...

... symbolic of the 108 earthly temptations conceived of by Japanese Buddhists. Each of us got to ring the bell over at Mayu's friend's house, then stood around beside another bonfire chatting in the crisp first hours of January. After a relaxed morning at her parent's house, I was able to coax Mayu into putting on one of her mother's fine old kimonos. Having never seen her in one (apart from in pictures), I was always eager for a good opportunity. With ...

... ice. By far the most crazy festival we have seen was the Fire Festival of Tejikara down by the Nagara River in Gifu at the start of August. The entire festival is preformed under a shower of fireworks falling from tall totem like polls. The guys wear only loincloths round their lower half and carry portable shrines loaded with gunpowder on their shoulders. The gunpowder of shrines is set fire which shoots streams of fire high into the sky and ...

... It was just about the funniest thing I`ve ever heard. The only parts of the song I think he knew where `You Can`t Touch This` and `Too Hype`! It reminded me of a certain Fernando song I heard last summer! I need to get going ... trying to figure out where we can go for our vacation. Hope everyone is doing well. Kyle and I should have Internet at home within two weeks, so I`m sure we`ll be in touch more regularly once that happens. Take care, Joanne