Tsurumi Pearl Yokohama

... tattoo. She is always looking fly... even when a bag on her foot! There were thirteen of us that went out together and in the group there was only one boy. I think he felt a little special. We were happy to get American style sushi since we were all a little disappointed that Japanese sushi was very different that what were expecting. I got a Philadelphia roll and a shrimp tempura roll. We of course had to order some Sake to wash it all down. We jumped in ...

... to say we didnt even slow down at these pens. These were, however, the most crowded exhibits of the whole park. The Amazon exhibit was quite good. Ocelots and Spectacled bears had the girls interested. After that though, there is not a lot to report. There is one animal called an Okapi, which seems to have the head of an anteater, the upper body of a horse and the legs and back end of a zebra ...

... to the puppets good because they recognized them on the Videos. You know what though? I have to give a special thanks to my dad for getting me this laptop before I left to Japan. It's a macbook and is what is making our trip so much better. God blessed us with it:) My dad was nice enough to get it for me because he knew I could use it. Overall this trip is amazing! I am loving the kids that I meet. I am enjoying the beautiful scenery in Japan. And I am improving in my ...

... loo. Never will I feel that a girl has to put up with a cold butt in the middle of winter ever again! 2. Snoopy World. Like a modern-day shrine to Beagles. They had the normal gear, like clothing and trinkets. But the serious Snoopy fan could also buy crockery, furniture and even a scooter helmet! And the two worst things about Japan... 1. Smokers are allowed in restaurants. Yuck. 2. Bicycle riders who think they are invincible super-heros, training for the Tour de France, or both.

The vast majority of entries in Travelpod is about traveling from one place to another. In a typical Ryota tongue-in-cheek fashion, I wanted to make a different entry - time travel. How did this happen? "When" did I travel to? In July a postcard arrived home from my old primary school. It announced a gathering scheduled for 6 October. In 1987 our primary school celebrated its tenth anniversary. To mark the occasion, l ...

... from one of the major tourist destinations in the area- the Asakusajinja Shrine. We walked through the long market area, and asked Buddha for some luck on the trip (and some cash). It was finally time for the Post Office to open! The site of money being spit out of the machine rather than a receipt written in Japanese, was more beautiful than anything I thought I would see in Asia. With money in hand, we were ready to start touristing. Our first ...

... cough. 4. There are no sidewalks. Rather, strips of the actual street are created on either side via a guardrail. 5. There are vending machines on every block dispensing anything from cigarettes to beer to ladies panties to questionable magazines to cans of coffee that are magically heated when they come out. 6. Restaurants have curtains hanging outside that you have to duck under to get to the door and also that block you from looking in the window. Not sure why. 7. There ...

... our first meal in Japan. Turns out that some of the better food is from little fast food places dotted all over the city. This isn't like American fast food, so don't worry. After dinner we check out hotel for the next two nights. Phil speaks pretty good Japanese and is fortunate to subscribe to a hotel deal website (much like Travelocity, but for hotels in Japan). He got us a deal on a five star hotel in the middle of town that usually costs ...

... before, he was lifted up by the reigning grand sumo camp. Talk about a proper sendoff! *** Ninety minutes after the fight, I was on the train returning to Tokyo. Already, the fight photos and story were posted on the on-train news station for one and all to see. News travels fast, eh? Then a picture of a Tokyo Yomiuri Giants slugger (a lefty) was shown with a quick rundown on Wednesday's game. Seconds later ...

... which ended at 7, I think. Breakfast was ok. I was so stuffed from dinner, I didn't eat much. There was cereal,little hot dogs, eggs,bread,rice,miso soup,and Spaghetti. I think I had some cereal and miso perhaps. So, in the morning we decided to rent bikes from the Hostel and bike to some of the temples and take pictures. It was nice to ride a bike in the country and to enjoy the fresh air, trees, and country life. I am such a country girl! :)