Hotel Yachiyo Matsuyama

I found a decent ticket back to Hiroshima, with layovers in Tokyo so I flew back for a week. I didn't have much time in Tokyo but saw two good friends going in and out of Japan. Hiroshima was nice and relaxing. My mom failed to tell me it was my Gramps 87th birthday but I flew in just in time...I suppose I should be keeping track of birthdays myself. For his birthday, I got to see most of my Japanese family so ...

... weren't quite as impressed, being used to the vibrant fall colours of the east coast, but generally the consensus was "wow!"

From the top of the rope-way there was a probably 15-20 minute leisurely hike to Joju a beautiful and quaint settlement nestled in the mountains around Ishizuchi. We decided this would be a good time to stop for ice cream, so we all took a few minutes to enjoy some very delicious soft-serve from a local vendor.

After riding to ...

This weekend saw quite an impressive ( though sometimes annoying ) Autumn Festival here in Hojo.

The festival basically consists of many many Hojo residence, getting together and building these strange portable shrines and carrying them around town banging on bells and drums as loud as they can all day and all night, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing and getting really really drunk. All culminating in a spectacular event of throwing ...

... singers! And they guys that were with us were excellent guitar players so they requested a bunch of green day songs which they sang in english sooo well. Well thats all for right now...more from Tokyo. This weekend we are planning to climb Mount Fugi but we are still working out the plans so hopefully that works out otherwise maybe some sumo wrestling?!?! Take care Hugs and prayers Sophie

... much better from the bout of illnesses that have been going around. After the show we decided to do something cultural and relax. A trip to the Dogo Onsen, one of Japan's oldest Hot Springs. It apparently has a history of more than 1500 years! No, that wasn't a misprint... NOT 150... but 1500!!! We took a trolly car to get there [Insert "MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS" joke here]. We were told to take the streetcar to the end of the line ...

... animals and which ones they might want as a pet, and then why they wouldn't work as a pet (after I had read a book called My Pet, which goes something like, "If I had a pet, an ostrich as a pet, I'd take it for a walk every day...[turn the page] ...but it's too fast!!!" [picture of the ostrich running full-tilt with the kid flying along behind, hanging onto the leash]). So as we sorted the animals, alligator and shark fell under "too scary," giraffe was "too tall," whale ...

Richard For the trip to Hiroshima I thought that we should try the bento boxes which are as much a part of travelling in Japan as the bullet trains. According to our guidebook each station in Japan has different boxes and takes great pride in them. There are even enthusiasts who travel around trying them all and writing about them. Fiona and I didn't go that far but bought ourselves a box each from the selection at Kôbe station to have on the train. Once on the train we ...

... them scanned in and get some photos put up on here. Don't think I'm going to be doing much Japanese stuff this week and quite frankly happy to just chill out and spend some time with Kate. The last month I've been on my feet more than I have in the last year and quite frankly I'm knackered. Also Kate has Internet so whilst shes at work I might play some poker (if I can remember how) and HOPEFULLY replace some of my very quickly depleting funds. Either that or deplete them some more!

... can actually walk up to the crater. Again the hostel was staggeringly quiet, just a few people there. It was actually closed when we arrived, but the owner said we could leave our bags there. All we really wanted to do was crash out for a while but instead we found ourselves catching the bus up to the information point where there is a 15 minute walk to the top. In the end, it was just as well we went then because the following day it was ...

... tides. The high tide when I arrived had surrounded the main shrine and the torii with water, a situation I deemed normal. But coming down the mountain I found that the tide had gone out, leaving the shrine and torii with water-pocketed soft surface in which people are able to walk out upon! This was great as it allowed me to walk out to the gate and gage its true size. It's massive and the cool thing was all of the local kids came out to go crab and clamshell hunting in the shallow sea bed!