Warm Cocoons Japanese Alps N The Manga Mega Store
Trip Start
Dec 01, 1999
1
50
103
Trip End
Aug 31, 2000
Hiroshima,
Japan
Monday, February 21, 2000
Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,
Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Takayama and now here I am sitting in what is called the Manga Manga Mega Store. You all know what I'm talking about. Maaaaaanga Man! Japanese cartoon movies and comics.
I'm actually sitting in the Mega Store in Hiroshima.
Yes, I am actually here in Hiroshima.
Yes, that Hiroshima!
It's been a huge day of being cold and many hours on trains since leaving Takayama.
It was so cold when we woke that we stayed in our cocoon until there was a knock on the door politely telling us that the typical Japanese YHA 'day curfew' was about to begin. Yes, along with a night curfew telling you when you must be back 'inside', there is also a day curfew telling you when you must get your butt back 'outside' until you are allowed to come back again sometime in the late afternoon. It doesn't matter if it's snowing, raining, storming or a million degrees you are forced out into the day to explore and freeze!
Most times it's actually a good thing.
Like I said, you are made to go out exploring.
But like this morning when we were both freezing and wanted to spend the day in bed where the warmth was, it's not such a good thing.
We spent the morning at the local market place and walking around the beautiful town. The town is so beautiful, mostly old and very traditional buildings. Snow continued to fall and line the twisty and sometimes very steep streets. Rigshaws passed us wanting to take us to where ever it was we were going.
As we had no idea where we were going, we couldn't accept the lift.
In the end it just got too cold.
We went back to the hostel and knocked. As no one answered our knocking we then located what we thought was our window, found it open and slid through. After grabbing our bags we jumped back out the window and made our way back to the station. Soon we were once again glued to the window as our train snaked its way back down through the Japanese Alps and back to Nagoya.
Here we had to say a very sad good bye as Janine had to be back in Tokyo by a certain time and I had the rest of Japan calling. I then boarded yet another Shinkansen and bulleted my way to where I am now.
Hiroshima!
Now I have to try my best to find my hostel.
Hope you are all having fun at work....ha ha!
Beers N Cheers toya....shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was by Fatboy Slim
The album 'You've Come Along Way'
