Hotel Villa Fontaine Ueno Taito

... things. Sean and I discussed it afterwards and he attributed it partially to a distaste for obvious attempts at brainwashing. Maybe this is true. I can`t say that we didn`t have a good time at Yasukuni. The museum was really nice and there were a lot of artifacts and displays to look at and I think we still learned a lot about Japanese history and culture, at least in the modern era (I don`t think the museum showed much before the ...

... of fortune). Well, that critical moment came, I chatted with my savior, bert (my sister), and rebecca RN IM'd me back to health. We took a morning bus back from Mt. Fuji, the main reason being that we were hoping to make it back in time to try and get tickets to the Tokyo Giants - Hanshin Tigers game. We checked into our hostel, Anne Hostel in Asakusabashi, and were off to the stadium! After buying two standing room only tickets for $10 each, birnie and I ...

... priceless to pass up. Like most people, I had fun photographing the wacky, the humourous, and the just plain odd. Here's a photo album containing the best of the best - or the worst of the worst, depending on your perspective. Enjoy! Up next: Return to Montreal.

... and cabbage on the side and a sweet potato dumpling for dessert) I ate with three students in the broadcasting room and they had me give a speech over the intercom. The kids were really cute trying to use their english with me. One said, *How are you?* and then when he couldn:t think of anything else to talk about he asked me, *How were you yesterday?* They have these stock lines they can use to ask me questions ...

... of double deck bullet trains, serving the destinations closer to Tokyo on the northern line. After a quick stop at Ueno it was a lengthy journey to Omiya Station, allowing us time to investigate this semi-commuter train which featured 6 seats across on the top deck with no recline but 5 normal, individual reclining seats on the bottom. The food service was limited to a poor girl carrying a backpack of drinks and a tray of food, walking through both decks of the ...

... a kind shoesmith that spoke English decided to go out of his way to show me where my hostel was. He had lived in the north of England for a year while studying, and was happy to practice his English. I commented, what pretty colours that hotel near to my hostel has! The whole thing's changing all the colours of the rainbow. He became very embarrased. 'Its the way you can tell its a hotel for couples,' he said. Oh... it was a love hotel ...

... telling me what stop to get off on and also listing out all the cool places to go in tokyo and how to get to them. After i got to the hotel i went to luch to get some japanese noodles with some meat which could have been anything, it was supposed to be chicken. Then i went and checked out this market place called Asakusa where there were thousands of people chatting and taking pictures etc ...

... The hot spas were in the Edo period, it was a very Japanese style. We sat in round wooden tubs out in the Japanese garden. Lazed in the rock gardens. Inside, there were large pools, jet spas and a milky bath. Before and after the hot spas, you shower yourself sitting on stools. After showering and the hot spa ...

... that adorn the building creating a spectacular nightscape. I took my tripod out so that I could catch the lights vividly but I didn't need to bother as there was so much light radiating out. The area was the really hustle and bustle image that you get of Tokyo. There were great views of the impressive, white Imperial Palace sitting atop of the Higashi Gyoen or Imperial East Garden. The ...

... museum.. not to mention all the week I had off for Zazen (Damn I gotta have some pickles b4 I leave) and Nikko.. the tickets mixup.. I have an ache in my heart but I know that all good things must come to an end.. and so with a heavy heart I smile thru my tears and walk away from the place I love as much as my homeland.. but so happy because my heart is full of memories and love for things I've done here.. ppl I've met.. things I've learnt.. Ganbarimashita..