Karamatsuso Matsumoto

... onsen”) and all piled out of the van and went in. Before Toshi and I could get in the door and to our wallets, they had paid for our entire party’s admission to the onsen. We were all a little hungry so we decided on dinner first, onsen later. We had miso soup, pizza (sort of), ramen and Korean barbeque. It was all very wonderful! The Korean barbeque is cooked at the table over a gas burner. Cabbage, and bean sprouts cooked along side this delicious beef served with a ...

... Before we exited the grounds, we visited a gift shop. I was going to save my souvenir money for Hiemji Castle which I was really looking forward to. My brother started his souvenir key chain collection. To our delight, we discovered Japanese Kit-Kats! They came in different flavors - apple, blueberry cheesecake, and hot pepper. That's right, hot pepper! We didn't try hot pepper but we got blueberry which was pretty delicious. Why ...

... onsen, blue= mens. Strip butt naked, scrub and rinse using showers and buckets from head to toe thoroughly OUTSIDE the hot water pool then, once clean, proceed to soak to your heart's content inside the steamy hot bath- all while determinedly maintaining a disreet, above the shoulder line of vision. Sounds a bit odd i know but once you get the hang of it, I can't say there's much else I have experienced that is more relaxing, especially when i discovered the little ...

Settling in in Matsumoto. Spent about 4 1/2 hours on trains today, slow one from Nikko to Utsunomiya, a shinkansen to Omiya, another shinkansen to Nagano, then another slow train to Matsumoto. Signs of civilization at the Matsumoto station - a Starbucks!

Hoping that I can find the castle tomorrow. The ryokan has bicycles to lend, so I'm going to try and ...

... ville. Je suis tombee un peu par hasard sur une galerie marchande ou les jeunes branches de Tokyo vont s'habiller. Si j'habitais a Tokyo, c'est sur que j'y retournerais. Je me suis toutefois fait un peu snober par les vendeuses parce que j'avais clairement l'air d'une touriste. Il pleuvait tellement que je n'avais pas le choix que de me promener en running. J'ai aussi essayer d'aller au cinema mais j'avais vu les films qui ...

... br> Hida-no-Sato is a collection of about 30 old Japanese mountain farmhouses. Ranging from 100 to 500 years old, they were relocated from their original locations in the '60s, when they built the Miboro Dam in the Shokawa River and flooded a large area. The houses are now picturesquely arranged around a lake and include woodcutter’s huts, farmhouses, rice storage structures, and shrines. The farmhouses are ...

... reminds me, last night i spend in a former ninja training vilage high in the mountains...
when i went to the next city, 3 kms sout, i met a nice family, wich sat down with me and eventually the maybe 50 year old woman invited me to stay in her house...and this more than once...after my experiences in china i said nothing binding, because they dont give a **** there about promises, concept of hounour unknown...they have the face-concept, something slightly different.
dont ...

... student.....being that we are soooo far behind, this will be - a picture is worth a thousand words...enjoy the pictures. Your students/children are doing great...we have been sleeping Japanese style on the floor for six nights and are anxious to move on to Hiroshima for real beds and bathrooms in our room. We have been taking the Japanese style baths every night!!...
Gosh, hard to believe our trip is almost over!!!

... she owns the whole of japan, this going on the " if i like it it's mine, if i see it's mine" principle.
i love you sweetheart. we both miss you both. i'm getting some stares here, so i need to go. i'll try to get on computer tonite. have to do laundry too.
i'll tell tim about orientation stuff. that was very thoughtful of you.
miss you much, you too kate :)
love you forever, like you for always
mom

... High school girls at the stage door. About 15 of them, and they got more excited everytime a new actor came out of the door. We were all shocked by them... but took pictures, shook hands and had a blast with them! Then back to the hotel. We went to a local grocery store and I bought an apple that was the 1/2 the size of my head! We then found a little pub, had a beer and chatted. Then off to bed... another long travel/show day tomorrow!