tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68182184534687771622023-11-16T08:39:10.462-08:00Ed and BetsyBetsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-15732421014926818872010-03-30T01:37:00.000-07:002010-04-01T17:43:03.257-07:00Baby Barry<div><div><div><div><div><div>Sorry it's been awhile since we've written! Most of you who follow the blog probably already know that we are expecting a baby here in a couple of weeks. We are expecting a girl and will be having her at the Yokosuka Naval Hospital here on the base. We are anxiously awaiting her arrival!</div><div> </div><div>My sister, Chris, and cousin, Barb, recently threw us a virtual baby shower. What a great idea since we are all the way on the other side of the world! We really appreciate all the packages our family and friends sent. We can't wait for you all to meet the baby!</div><br /><div>Here is a list of what we got along with some pictures:<br /></div><div>Light-up mirror toy and bibs from cousin Lori.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYRp-UnGlIGqojb1rNlSmK6C2foZWQPocjH_wFDQ2Skokg5ePSYQwnM7xlVM0TT3rikPh5oSqcwXmyhqaVjCtIUKcWE_nfvSO2j4Ak3yJheSInlE62A9SsclkUWI9FgqaOTGRat5h_OQ/s1600/IMG_7221.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454345754089589890" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYRp-UnGlIGqojb1rNlSmK6C2foZWQPocjH_wFDQ2Skokg5ePSYQwnM7xlVM0TT3rikPh5oSqcwXmyhqaVjCtIUKcWE_nfvSO2j4Ak3yJheSInlE62A9SsclkUWI9FgqaOTGRat5h_OQ/s320/IMG_7221.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Diaper bag and accessories from Molly.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwl17dfLoJdR46BCiPuTd_3cQT8-ZClojbqLJ3aXkv9y07RHYEMKIZS1gAslGGTdj2C1ha1x5saFrdHbE_inbPiAFrLI0RNnFqXL_VEDsKeRQlIghXoJVj9nkelFaAty_wFm3GTTfsdM/s1600/IMG_7229.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454346452301375586" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwl17dfLoJdR46BCiPuTd_3cQT8-ZClojbqLJ3aXkv9y07RHYEMKIZS1gAslGGTdj2C1ha1x5saFrdHbE_inbPiAFrLI0RNnFqXL_VEDsKeRQlIghXoJVj9nkelFaAty_wFm3GTTfsdM/s320/IMG_7229.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwiU03FIH7iM4jR5Pb9IpdJn6ArKdtLesuEaYjWjpzD5E6gkF3BKH1tPUEL7rT0DoyEronH5RSOOa7lq6tha0y37k_vkAoSV46iaG4ddYAqiavINwmFGmUYXcHX_PbI01LmTgYdq8CZU/s1600/IMG_7229.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>Dishes and sippy cup from Jessica.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qpa4yYAtm0ThhVFViWBvriL8spDCJlIAG0A67Q7Lwa5XSZNkeBKCtEDUxZNJRbb01xLHNLb42YeX2oi02vLHDOBnY6ApiIcuvFglsj2RQdWfGXgVrs30zfWxsdwSHTVzNcDyLQoXFw4/s1600/IMG_7228.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455332796280663234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qpa4yYAtm0ThhVFViWBvriL8spDCJlIAG0A67Q7Lwa5XSZNkeBKCtEDUxZNJRbb01xLHNLb42YeX2oi02vLHDOBnY6ApiIcuvFglsj2RQdWfGXgVrs30zfWxsdwSHTVzNcDyLQoXFw4/s320/IMG_7228.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Burpies, blanket, and outfit from cousin Becky.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH312ouvy7yQazWRHdCM5TAXaDEY0wk6XJik9x93FmqbTNSusOCHJkC83tt6vYr3p6JRMhsOF2IdfH1QZ2rB37nKSN1ytdbZDdqrLGamlChTtdEMHBYmGxa6ymHBMhohOUK1Z5mbZa25c/s1600/IMG_7223.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455328479793359554" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH312ouvy7yQazWRHdCM5TAXaDEY0wk6XJik9x93FmqbTNSusOCHJkC83tt6vYr3p6JRMhsOF2IdfH1QZ2rB37nKSN1ytdbZDdqrLGamlChTtdEMHBYmGxa6ymHBMhohOUK1Z5mbZa25c/s320/IMG_7223.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Baby OshKosh outfits from cousins Anne and Kristina.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt3KdX7iQAQecNc3wsrNeZO1F-ejgEk3ac36sfKiksTZoNwvY27RLsOOwm07HWpQA3ILBoEHGdoPqetqW4oYz2fsP51TKIE6IubEzw8w6UKPEeqXf3k_u3MfEZCofIOfoJKcYBEVaVOU/s1600/IMG_7225.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455330553493767650" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt3KdX7iQAQecNc3wsrNeZO1F-ejgEk3ac36sfKiksTZoNwvY27RLsOOwm07HWpQA3ILBoEHGdoPqetqW4oYz2fsP51TKIE6IubEzw8w6UKPEeqXf3k_u3MfEZCofIOfoJKcYBEVaVOU/s320/IMG_7225.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>Handknit blankets and winter gear from the Kelemen's.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c5VzpcaryXSCXMUEeAcH2K55QHzHPxxkIOT1fCk8XETy9XqRu0vF1pFG_mtn658wheyT709MmAFoW6m5tQXY8eJamqZKtjVZ21fwKCKvJBleoY1cyBzNULMDbxaJpEu5ZkPSP-lorIM/s1600/IMG_7227.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455331931522779058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c5VzpcaryXSCXMUEeAcH2K55QHzHPxxkIOT1fCk8XETy9XqRu0vF1pFG_mtn658wheyT709MmAFoW6m5tQXY8eJamqZKtjVZ21fwKCKvJBleoY1cyBzNULMDbxaJpEu5ZkPSP-lorIM/s320/IMG_7227.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Blankets, pillows, baskets, and toys from Mom (Grandma) and Dad (Grandpa) Hubbard.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhWE9uFjCnt1NJcLF4hd4TC2mOCf5XJROjN853UsalbkBWWXOdWVyoK-gjaWtJec09_tNEqgJCUqZhjeY-rylzVOVL7WsX91DjAFiofmxTuHazcecsdxh-IwDkb-4s0f8eLpqJUv-ZJ4/s1600/IMG_7224.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455329012877918434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhWE9uFjCnt1NJcLF4hd4TC2mOCf5XJROjN853UsalbkBWWXOdWVyoK-gjaWtJec09_tNEqgJCUqZhjeY-rylzVOVL7WsX91DjAFiofmxTuHazcecsdxh-IwDkb-4s0f8eLpqJUv-ZJ4/s320/IMG_7224.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Tons of awesome Hokie Gear from Uncle Matt and Aunt Rachel.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-42684951747863529052009-07-12T22:42:00.001-07:002009-08-18T00:22:46.407-07:00Hubbard's Come to Visit<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Mom and Dad Hubbard arrived on May 13 for their first visit to Japan. We had a very busy two weeks and have tried to document everything we did here!<br /></div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>The first day we met Ed for lunch and went to CoCo's Curry House, our favorite place to get curry rice. Mom and Dad became fans of the curry and of the oolong tea. Ed went back to work and we headed up to Yokohama. We went to Landmark Tower and took the obligatory ride on "the world's fastest elevator" (not really, its the second, but Japan still advertises it as the fastest!). It was too hazy to see Fuji, but they got a decent view of Yokohama and parts of Tokyo. Since they were still suffering a little from jetlag, we called it an early day and headed home to meet Ed for dinner.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bjp7PRhc22JnLmanEzA5pXfaRD3tWB9eoCj1iySrXwPfoDbM5fcr2S9CheuvrwZx1lim-ZeYzd3y-3EicIVwblmkYhgilLjaLzKkqBWKmDdeTQcF110vaqO94J6PlisQSaNT39HMhDE/s1600-h/IMG_3055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369693278830948802" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bjp7PRhc22JnLmanEzA5pXfaRD3tWB9eoCj1iySrXwPfoDbM5fcr2S9CheuvrwZx1lim-ZeYzd3y-3EicIVwblmkYhgilLjaLzKkqBWKmDdeTQcF110vaqO94J6PlisQSaNT39HMhDE/s320/IMG_3055.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ny7TkIdTd3gen3BMOvRMLV7bJjA3jEwKR33hyphenhyphennaLwtxzCEqCBQDNnBI1z_dID5HrKdeb79FIQ8kd_bsDhiHkKzrY-50CbYn2q7KqtTLGtXrnOSq9YE5ve8s9MVEeMWDljx16ZzsJ3M/s1600-h/IMG_3060.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369693808165782194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ny7TkIdTd3gen3BMOvRMLV7bJjA3jEwKR33hyphenhyphennaLwtxzCEqCBQDNnBI1z_dID5HrKdeb79FIQ8kd_bsDhiHkKzrY-50CbYn2q7KqtTLGtXrnOSq9YE5ve8s9MVEeMWDljx16ZzsJ3M/s320/IMG_3060.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The sky was pretty clear on the second day of their trip so in the morning we walked to one of the locations on base where we could see Mt. Fuji. We actually went to Mt. Fuji the next day but we knew the weather was not going to cooperate and this might be one of the best views they got. After this we headed out to the train stationed and went to Kamakura. We visited the shrine and of course, the Great Buddha. I was interviewed by some school children who wanted to practice their English and we got some birdwatching done, too.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAKj9hEVQ4zSGJDMACffDmbkIKtpVqaALTqJYu0t7yh7RZlP65fhFMY-RObMIZK3OU1nmGu68f4aWjvUin77PHLdFAvpxOqvyARNgenA1y-ky8Fj19T6PxhpCw570aJOlGVh2F_Ah97c/s1600-h/IMG_3064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369694590187405986" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAKj9hEVQ4zSGJDMACffDmbkIKtpVqaALTqJYu0t7yh7RZlP65fhFMY-RObMIZK3OU1nmGu68f4aWjvUin77PHLdFAvpxOqvyARNgenA1y-ky8Fj19T6PxhpCw570aJOlGVh2F_Ah97c/s320/IMG_3064.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6vlGL_ojxmPC1fQ0KLR5_HPsN8iotVyNScOSLa9UQyWJnURSELTdH6_IYa9cssSPSaLcXBQ9cvEEzWuK5nFkzl8Ud7YI4w3_eSU8kxWOAJKv-uIcyXV1eeuVcwfTOBu8_wX-L24mWKQ/s1600-h/IMG_3065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369695205159145842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6vlGL_ojxmPC1fQ0KLR5_HPsN8iotVyNScOSLa9UQyWJnURSELTdH6_IYa9cssSPSaLcXBQ9cvEEzWuK5nFkzl8Ud7YI4w3_eSU8kxWOAJKv-uIcyXV1eeuVcwfTOBu8_wX-L24mWKQ/s320/IMG_3065.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguscFyibXQoYalvs2n3zU8oNZWY49Any1YukZNOp6QqBCXlgHEtRV1tpAoZ4WvpRpeWtJWebkZXpeSnz6mDIia9nhBzBE3Xxp3MOvor5sqwwUvTtocZmpmLhNvWwamBgO3GFaRp_fxtms/s1600-h/IMG_3066.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369695989823673714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguscFyibXQoYalvs2n3zU8oNZWY49Any1YukZNOp6QqBCXlgHEtRV1tpAoZ4WvpRpeWtJWebkZXpeSnz6mDIia9nhBzBE3Xxp3MOvor5sqwwUvTtocZmpmLhNvWwamBgO3GFaRp_fxtms/s320/IMG_3066.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_UOjRSEcleVpW32NbLymHjG69GeuqRwSd42fD0fJz34xiakQGy9I8URFqDyz-IosoPacxrmdX1elI_ZrVgl7HONBxwA_3I0N837cEyiZJA2o8wLtkjVSNy2B_awow0YR075EfK8tNns/s1600-h/IMG_3075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369696834052113074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_UOjRSEcleVpW32NbLymHjG69GeuqRwSd42fD0fJz34xiakQGy9I8URFqDyz-IosoPacxrmdX1elI_ZrVgl7HONBxwA_3I0N837cEyiZJA2o8wLtkjVSNy2B_awow0YR075EfK8tNns/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N6y1osWL2WOY6SavxyWBs0Gx2lwWwrlxtNEH0nikoMxDeyIoD9im6y6QnZ-QS2U2I9yxZkkScXDXHuAD22RH0emjja1NJMy-dR7cucoCg7UgrfNtCDcipGk_o4_HLkcTruxxNnZ5cWg/s1600-h/IMG_3080.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369697445090618930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N6y1osWL2WOY6SavxyWBs0Gx2lwWwrlxtNEH0nikoMxDeyIoD9im6y6QnZ-QS2U2I9yxZkkScXDXHuAD22RH0emjja1NJMy-dR7cucoCg7UgrfNtCDcipGk_o4_HLkcTruxxNnZ5cWg/s320/IMG_3080.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The next day the bus left at 5:30am for the Mt. Fuji and Five Lakes region. The weather was cloudy but for the most part the rain held off. However, it was too cloudy to see Mt. Fuji and even when we got very close you couldn't tell the mountain was even there. This tour took us to the 5th Station which is where you begin the climb to the top of Mt. Fuji. At the 5th Station we were above the first cloud layer and were able to see some of the mountian and take some picture. We also visited the Mt. Fuji shrine, the Mt. Fuji Peace Park, and the Mt. Fuji visitor's center.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkHGhO-lBuM_c4sBdZ0l577aXkFt1vjWbEWfYtU4FNWw57nI5OPz2i1SPPhFVStD5ED_0bsjkKiXAPjfoqhmiU_Wh9UgZpcRhNihcNZQAWTyXY3KFvgHw3vichdGDX0-EmkSWatvehgk/s1600-h/IMG_3103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369702719061366226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkHGhO-lBuM_c4sBdZ0l577aXkFt1vjWbEWfYtU4FNWw57nI5OPz2i1SPPhFVStD5ED_0bsjkKiXAPjfoqhmiU_Wh9UgZpcRhNihcNZQAWTyXY3KFvgHw3vichdGDX0-EmkSWatvehgk/s320/IMG_3103.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbdbzMo5WekInLjiRtIzBX4TYguNfD2wCHQj0Id_cwVA0q-WzZmMmM_LV4rX0AxeJ1TrO7VqBm3hslwEzzTWRIyUMgwUBS-XnbTKUxQGNzngYc-JphpPNH0hZuGusvKtsIbFoFOfQSLo/s1600-h/IMG_3122.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369703258175128018" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbdbzMo5WekInLjiRtIzBX4TYguNfD2wCHQj0Id_cwVA0q-WzZmMmM_LV4rX0AxeJ1TrO7VqBm3hslwEzzTWRIyUMgwUBS-XnbTKUxQGNzngYc-JphpPNH0hZuGusvKtsIbFoFOfQSLo/s320/IMG_3122.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJL25mx_fQf5W2Isuz-UcGsmRwJll_GA-tBDksPzaY0rsOzWORrmqxqFfaB-tDF-D6CbthJPXet3rMnwwT28C0eaRvkzWcWKAy608p97P7JBrgouHRSTJcsh0iimYsSC4DHQMS6ZWnl8/s1600-h/P1000519.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369704111664420578" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJL25mx_fQf5W2Isuz-UcGsmRwJll_GA-tBDksPzaY0rsOzWORrmqxqFfaB-tDF-D6CbthJPXet3rMnwwT28C0eaRvkzWcWKAy608p97P7JBrgouHRSTJcsh0iimYsSC4DHQMS6ZWnl8/s320/P1000519.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMfG71EeVndFAOn4hDlYXSYfe1ibNpfzSv2_ebrgilnp3aFEHVTniGhI34NqCnqyUwc1YSFugDOcpHu1aRC2TSrWm5VJ82lnLY1mhhNbkjpkuziYC5eYs9EH2Bi-BqPREiw3jh4P8Zoo/s1600-h/P1000560.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369705165770240194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMfG71EeVndFAOn4hDlYXSYfe1ibNpfzSv2_ebrgilnp3aFEHVTniGhI34NqCnqyUwc1YSFugDOcpHu1aRC2TSrWm5VJ82lnLY1mhhNbkjpkuziYC5eYs9EH2Bi-BqPREiw3jh4P8Zoo/s320/P1000560.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sunday we tried to go to the Oedo Antique Fair but got rained out. This antique fair is an outdoor flea market that is held every first and third Sunday of the month. I have tried to go one other time since then but got rained out that day, too! Instead we went to the Imperial Palace and the East Garden. The garden is huge and you could spend days exploring all the different parts of the garden. You can look at and see the palace walls with the skyscrapers of Tokyo in the background and see some of the old sections of the palace. After this we decided to visit the Yebisu Beer Garden. Here we could pay 500 yen and get a sample platter of 4 different types of beer along with some crackers for a snack. Yebisu is owned by Sapporo and this tasting room was very similar to the one Ed and I visited in February.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2omkdRxgOxRJELAgUZV87i6_VUBvf0GSRUN5cu4ebWqxee1GpzEXC4sdSawZPpIPbjtDk9As_27JQS-myRERelOvm6yOlj5SfOfLbytyVMAcIM_SntyB8tJFRjXsozh_XEmQhP0DUlk/s1600-h/IMG_3134.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371128589744827954" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2omkdRxgOxRJELAgUZV87i6_VUBvf0GSRUN5cu4ebWqxee1GpzEXC4sdSawZPpIPbjtDk9As_27JQS-myRERelOvm6yOlj5SfOfLbytyVMAcIM_SntyB8tJFRjXsozh_XEmQhP0DUlk/s320/IMG_3134.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju_uKJtsKo5lVsj4QrCSPuEl2c_iEDDye1FD8s1rvagERwvzgZEm8H17t4qzDZuYF0n_LrJ8v9_Fm9eCMPrag3tuzxv6GKo1D_teCpU5HxRu7yed9KVgQe8HgICU7tqTzO7ujujGo-mc/s1600-h/IMG_3135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371129246481508162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju_uKJtsKo5lVsj4QrCSPuEl2c_iEDDye1FD8s1rvagERwvzgZEm8H17t4qzDZuYF0n_LrJ8v9_Fm9eCMPrag3tuzxv6GKo1D_teCpU5HxRu7yed9KVgQe8HgICU7tqTzO7ujujGo-mc/s320/IMG_3135.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEG4m8MwRjiL6rwcRLMM91_3VWQVTgXTgz-U6u8laWsneiq5I5L6DpyGgSZ6CQzWUl1KGhbdGo5Igsovtdj0WeCPh94RWTQFiMM-W7IGeQoG9IA90KURmgWuX9qI7BL2uzSzh0UmGMkJo/s1600-h/IMG_3152.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371129924996834802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEG4m8MwRjiL6rwcRLMM91_3VWQVTgXTgz-U6u8laWsneiq5I5L6DpyGgSZ6CQzWUl1KGhbdGo5Igsovtdj0WeCPh94RWTQFiMM-W7IGeQoG9IA90KURmgWuX9qI7BL2uzSzh0UmGMkJo/s320/IMG_3152.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_37Ess1uZ29TrEg2TIQaf1t6tI6oBm08SvLyXphQob2wNR9rtVZyqgWKS1Q5VbuqGUEIkH0FfEIGV6AlQKNFsLEttNjDPZqFCnOlh7wO-L98G2qyksBFQZm7VgAjreSw7yXQY8HnQLHE/s1600-h/IMG_3156.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371133624974073954" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_37Ess1uZ29TrEg2TIQaf1t6tI6oBm08SvLyXphQob2wNR9rtVZyqgWKS1Q5VbuqGUEIkH0FfEIGV6AlQKNFsLEttNjDPZqFCnOlh7wO-L98G2qyksBFQZm7VgAjreSw7yXQY8HnQLHE/s320/IMG_3156.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We took it easy on Monday because Tuesday we were off to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) down to the Hiroshima area. This was my first time on the bullet train and is my preferred way of traveling - no security lines, lots of leg room, and fast! We got some good views of Mt. Fuji on the way down and Ed was able to capture a couple of pictures from the train. We arrived in Hiroshima early in the afternoon and after taking a little break we went to Hiroshima Castle. This was mom and dad's first time inside a traditional Japanese castle and we enjoyed seeing the grounds and playing samurai inside! We went out for okonomiyaki for dinner - this is a traditional dish in Hiroshima and I think dad will want to eat lots more of it when they come back! After this we went out for wine and cheese at a little place Ed and I found the first time we visited Hiroshima.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMHxwidNIrcqRTt6_wLyTKtwo3WBgHN7yVjiF7qfTA33zQPjtGNYvaIPR5RHXdr3-O9Fd1A-QxRnckmtbydEaprX-8FPOOJ-U23PrpN4sH3n-xZ9RuL7988AHcaqB1bvYEN0jHqM52II/s1600-h/IMG_3160.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371136304528260546" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMHxwidNIrcqRTt6_wLyTKtwo3WBgHN7yVjiF7qfTA33zQPjtGNYvaIPR5RHXdr3-O9Fd1A-QxRnckmtbydEaprX-8FPOOJ-U23PrpN4sH3n-xZ9RuL7988AHcaqB1bvYEN0jHqM52II/s320/IMG_3160.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw2LFHXvvYn7JX40qn8T-1VB0t8sb-xk9v7-pT7-TOwXItW6CV2a3W0pMbq82CFgOXEacCbhgzVi6YL0dN6ZG2aDZo8EU1_jzHvFnSngtHL1tGdhJFjEBfRSpWd2_Rdf3ZaVPt2Ed4fs/s1600-h/IMG_3165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371136758294437154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw2LFHXvvYn7JX40qn8T-1VB0t8sb-xk9v7-pT7-TOwXItW6CV2a3W0pMbq82CFgOXEacCbhgzVi6YL0dN6ZG2aDZo8EU1_jzHvFnSngtHL1tGdhJFjEBfRSpWd2_Rdf3ZaVPt2Ed4fs/s320/IMG_3165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPweD6-F4kDR6ws5RB_JEgsQpittpL5s-WPm7_Quh8MeIRWJb-LTMPnBS-hbb89bWcLHy0r_aTcTXziKl7zhItOGh1cTE57QD7-odUDo6R-Yx6ltE6HllqBOaYoHDtbq3nKqJY2nZ4JlA/s1600-h/IMG_3178.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371137434138421442" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPweD6-F4kDR6ws5RB_JEgsQpittpL5s-WPm7_Quh8MeIRWJb-LTMPnBS-hbb89bWcLHy0r_aTcTXziKl7zhItOGh1cTE57QD7-odUDo6R-Yx6ltE6HllqBOaYoHDtbq3nKqJY2nZ4JlA/s320/IMG_3178.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi_RrVv0OAbTVEE8P07CVZMvlTLnTvbx4l5bJq5NfuYzHweOu-OJcm-Y2tRFpBo1p3yAnlz2gDXluFBPn4NQozR9mGmw51sFmjjOxHmjv6OSmvY8033IGr5LXpyNrgeYD4VUnz3OJevc/s1600-h/IMG_3193.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371138130565001346" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi_RrVv0OAbTVEE8P07CVZMvlTLnTvbx4l5bJq5NfuYzHweOu-OJcm-Y2tRFpBo1p3yAnlz2gDXluFBPn4NQozR9mGmw51sFmjjOxHmjv6OSmvY8033IGr5LXpyNrgeYD4VUnz3OJevc/s320/IMG_3193.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5YQpaj3435615fDHOiPerTHo_g6ehetFrD98FHIlrFpshLXzkOxKvM8Co-xwjnEwTPemltT9fR7VuCXK4iAJviPRpIa9vPAlM-DYl0V1iyhIKAxyy7-NIDDoCZdsWGJ6xyTo8ueZxik/s1600-h/P1000642.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371139104814225410" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5YQpaj3435615fDHOiPerTHo_g6ehetFrD98FHIlrFpshLXzkOxKvM8Co-xwjnEwTPemltT9fR7VuCXK4iAJviPRpIa9vPAlM-DYl0V1iyhIKAxyy7-NIDDoCZdsWGJ6xyTo8ueZxik/s320/P1000642.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The next morning we took the train to the Miyajima ferry station and took the ferry across to Miyajima island. You will recognize a lot of these pictures from our March visit to the area except this time the tide was out so we could walk right up to the "floating" torii gate. I got to enjoy the oysters this time around and we took the ropeway up to the top of the mountain. This island is a beautiful place and we enjoyed some hiking and birdwatching on some of the nature trails. We rested for a bit when we got back to the hotel and then headed for dinner at a Spanish style restaurant where we shared some tapas and enjoyed some more good wine. We really love all the good places to eat and drink in Hiroshima - it has all the variety of Tokyo but is much smaller and easier to navigate.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aLlfqvnI-XbMi2CH5xMP_SX4E6kBaEnhul5MJStc-BCVSSlB5DoWP4pI5_8ywiL0-4Ju-r09SzGaGvPO92z7XUNHyPx4m3678LtgpOWv0PWfkwpQk8Z8-WL79oOfyTkSUEJF5XFWWhM/s1600-h/IMG_3240.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371140296894147794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aLlfqvnI-XbMi2CH5xMP_SX4E6kBaEnhul5MJStc-BCVSSlB5DoWP4pI5_8ywiL0-4Ju-r09SzGaGvPO92z7XUNHyPx4m3678LtgpOWv0PWfkwpQk8Z8-WL79oOfyTkSUEJF5XFWWhM/s320/IMG_3240.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUUUulKYN5gp3VE2Fit4bi8V7Ea_SNPj7gLdH-x_wM1lUUQ8cAfdz8H91_J_HU8MwM6HgU5pmlH1VjUKM2CzZsZiVRe75_WVA2n3Dy5mH-kf5FovYvmbJfUzFK6U2LBk5bmvK4kStyfE/s1600-h/IMG_3254.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371141067207635586" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUUUulKYN5gp3VE2Fit4bi8V7Ea_SNPj7gLdH-x_wM1lUUQ8cAfdz8H91_J_HU8MwM6HgU5pmlH1VjUKM2CzZsZiVRe75_WVA2n3Dy5mH-kf5FovYvmbJfUzFK6U2LBk5bmvK4kStyfE/s320/IMG_3254.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0poZbRnSoDTLUu59XsZpztVb8TsXiGGAb9wIJAKIOod-AcoRFMf35kXAOHLkJKuKRvG_TJKunoerf7HmAGSAkUUM1rlVf8ubx_Bs898mEJLPulv8dGG2h6-sxYT8rvHKvWYVCW3mXRc/s1600-h/IMG_3258.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371141684843693906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0poZbRnSoDTLUu59XsZpztVb8TsXiGGAb9wIJAKIOod-AcoRFMf35kXAOHLkJKuKRvG_TJKunoerf7HmAGSAkUUM1rlVf8ubx_Bs898mEJLPulv8dGG2h6-sxYT8rvHKvWYVCW3mXRc/s320/IMG_3258.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFC_06bPusM42sz0EsvCaZgjmqhycv0-UO6mg1i_PTT5XWOnhAOBsYvSWjmuq-zDHRbtMrlrba55YZFqpgfEnstaZdNAQCN597iSVIPDePL0GbvZ_zEMmoAF0Ry2l2Y5-cr2Ste86X9c/s1600-h/IMG_3290.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371142307821436770" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFC_06bPusM42sz0EsvCaZgjmqhycv0-UO6mg1i_PTT5XWOnhAOBsYvSWjmuq-zDHRbtMrlrba55YZFqpgfEnstaZdNAQCN597iSVIPDePL0GbvZ_zEMmoAF0Ry2l2Y5-cr2Ste86X9c/s320/IMG_3290.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQAYv7TDBiacHyAcL1bG8pziFJGdtvuQMoJfH7YDO8frTVN9nquEaAumeeykNHNsj5evov5ta-2t56VR0XBmlYmK4v2_Ow3vq_aeCEzS3imQ89_DFgQLeFLImoQx4QACzCNBiLbbY7hk/s1600-h/P1000673.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371142960891769714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQAYv7TDBiacHyAcL1bG8pziFJGdtvuQMoJfH7YDO8frTVN9nquEaAumeeykNHNsj5evov5ta-2t56VR0XBmlYmK4v2_Ow3vq_aeCEzS3imQ89_DFgQLeFLImoQx4QACzCNBiLbbY7hk/s320/P1000673.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ3eAMmibZlO7c5jw1OSiDx9eo5C_hYjo4SePcUTphfvEE4BF6Bi88C8YT_sMYb13vdZ2-rtGPzqxQXeUjYCjXQTZht3D4zlhsTUxw9TLmJaVz7zNkRAghBS6fMyKN6JPTFH8WxlyZI0/s1600-h/IMG_3293.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371143661816464498" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQ3eAMmibZlO7c5jw1OSiDx9eo5C_hYjo4SePcUTphfvEE4BF6Bi88C8YT_sMYb13vdZ2-rtGPzqxQXeUjYCjXQTZht3D4zlhsTUxw9TLmJaVz7zNkRAghBS6fMyKN6JPTFH8WxlyZI0/s320/IMG_3293.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We spent our final day in Hiroshima at the Peace Park and Museum. We were only able to spend about two hours in this area during our last visit and giving it a whole day really made the trip worthwhile this time. There are many interesting things to see and read about not only in the museum but throughout the whole park. We saw many monuments we hadn't gotten to see last time and I even got interviewed by some Japanese school children regarding my visit to Hiroshima. We had okonomiyaki again for lunch and then headed back to pick up our luggage and catch the train.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijocISSjzgDbR6vgudUY8vaw-KzwTIX48TGuv2niK-CbZ5y75chYKjt6c0m_Lyx2G6kkoVwEhKpQ4uMpvMkIxA9SE7rlESWvafhvA4WN77TlEDvqmLX5EB28n2MWPvWT1M1_zJOwd6mFo/s1600-h/IMG_3314.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371145256297427810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijocISSjzgDbR6vgudUY8vaw-KzwTIX48TGuv2niK-CbZ5y75chYKjt6c0m_Lyx2G6kkoVwEhKpQ4uMpvMkIxA9SE7rlESWvafhvA4WN77TlEDvqmLX5EB28n2MWPvWT1M1_zJOwd6mFo/s320/IMG_3314.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZp1ujdYMUehEWad8RGEWIjSwV3C-ef4IsN0jFeLsxNru0j8KXAFSgHllnMACbdC3vPO344fubXrf6AYd-o76JJrnm-GVfi6YoJ-bpw1-2lskbhKNL-PTYUoi-X65cIL0qIwB_9bPrfA/s1600-h/IMG_3322.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371146912080531202" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZp1ujdYMUehEWad8RGEWIjSwV3C-ef4IsN0jFeLsxNru0j8KXAFSgHllnMACbdC3vPO344fubXrf6AYd-o76JJrnm-GVfi6YoJ-bpw1-2lskbhKNL-PTYUoi-X65cIL0qIwB_9bPrfA/s320/IMG_3322.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt027hTdsH_eEQ1UT6B3dyisZ9K8TWkp6ds80PF3lLW9qeRp8U6blLVnH2gkdxlykgV-dQ2f7szpMym6APy3bR-pyCHqgVqeUS8PW4sHns1HkhT6h1xC756kT-MtqeS0CmqHowuJGM-PE/s1600-h/IMG_3330.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371148266902249858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt027hTdsH_eEQ1UT6B3dyisZ9K8TWkp6ds80PF3lLW9qeRp8U6blLVnH2gkdxlykgV-dQ2f7szpMym6APy3bR-pyCHqgVqeUS8PW4sHns1HkhT6h1xC756kT-MtqeS0CmqHowuJGM-PE/s320/IMG_3330.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoMnB-zuNsQR6FzXAjRT92vgSmitBUj3Tq9iIS_O-C3CLgVTUrWpuA8PsYNFpUKtmBg99cnzcpzvKDtyFLLecLC9jpKfa_p9l-uX0Qdv52Nzd0gJ35zUb7_tHSgBYtWJLx6JFXrKMY3U/s1600-h/IMG_3337.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371151589593058050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoMnB-zuNsQR6FzXAjRT92vgSmitBUj3Tq9iIS_O-C3CLgVTUrWpuA8PsYNFpUKtmBg99cnzcpzvKDtyFLLecLC9jpKfa_p9l-uX0Qdv52Nzd0gJ35zUb7_tHSgBYtWJLx6JFXrKMY3U/s320/IMG_3337.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS1g6HofEnysnB13v49-MWb6Ec-hKZ-U22Imwce0bwNLo68943iKZbG8nDgYQEQ-IaE68Qz4qMewPyM4fw0ONRfS8uAMcVVKAVZkIf98uPUswxDf_LtZrYCMF-MiIu94_K4Gr1BFFYrM/s1600-h/P1000709.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371153123563847762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS1g6HofEnysnB13v49-MWb6Ec-hKZ-U22Imwce0bwNLo68943iKZbG8nDgYQEQ-IaE68Qz4qMewPyM4fw0ONRfS8uAMcVVKAVZkIf98uPUswxDf_LtZrYCMF-MiIu94_K4Gr1BFFYrM/s320/P1000709.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOqQL-Yuh_nmJqoWpdYM-Y40kjhj9-ZvSz-WUTqwQe3RahRjoNJtdUYXcpiNUIGQn-W6G62UWq92k4FRTKYQz3ETyJL-PatzdMl10amXo-mfTGArMA1gTmIC5kJ8T5C6FQ8bYva1CccQ/s1600-h/P1000710.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371155750848598818" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOqQL-Yuh_nmJqoWpdYM-Y40kjhj9-ZvSz-WUTqwQe3RahRjoNJtdUYXcpiNUIGQn-W6G62UWq92k4FRTKYQz3ETyJL-PatzdMl10amXo-mfTGArMA1gTmIC5kJ8T5C6FQ8bYva1CccQ/s320/P1000710.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Our next adventure was on Saturday when we went on a Tokyo highlights tour. This tour included stops at the Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Tower, and the Asakusa temple. We saw a couple of traditional weddings at the shrine and walked on some of the nature trails surrounding it. It is hard to believe this shrine is in the middle of Tokyo because you are completely surrounded with woods and trails. The views from Tokyo Tower were not the best but we could at least see a lot of Tokyo. We ate lunch there and then visited a 3-D art museum where we took some fun pictures. We ended the day in Asakusa where we did some window shopping and people watching before the trip home.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj0B1r6-oSQsaQNdRZ7o78U-Zb8R0IqX9Za9jvf5cF0DlIC0n8Rkj6WhjPNQP_RYUu2ZdVhyseuZhBGA8UN9EhuUoXMyxUsR3scuuEvhJTWWfBzr6X6cFeb6qbuJ0MSNqbVPC51D0JAA/s1600-h/P1000718.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371169030604535362" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj0B1r6-oSQsaQNdRZ7o78U-Zb8R0IqX9Za9jvf5cF0DlIC0n8Rkj6WhjPNQP_RYUu2ZdVhyseuZhBGA8UN9EhuUoXMyxUsR3scuuEvhJTWWfBzr6X6cFeb6qbuJ0MSNqbVPC51D0JAA/s320/P1000718.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg3xJ3zWzeHPltrsNzDr-LWIC4t0dyoU0Ft_1qjyazI6n_nl4MUWfVRsn3fNGYhIlqlrFjM3MgyUdenBNeS_qBhJuU4UcByHb098CgZfCLYGU9FxSZNBcqFgkFzQ46D9d2NAryR8-24M/s1600-h/P1000722.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371185779667852162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg3xJ3zWzeHPltrsNzDr-LWIC4t0dyoU0Ft_1qjyazI6n_nl4MUWfVRsn3fNGYhIlqlrFjM3MgyUdenBNeS_qBhJuU4UcByHb098CgZfCLYGU9FxSZNBcqFgkFzQ46D9d2NAryR8-24M/s320/P1000722.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDdLTzPIW_b_M1uKzqWVCVZUK6Cn9VCwpyWELqAAbS7LpFBPxo8Qb5hmVl5vtAxhSXBLsRWCtudvyhLT2vi58i0wLAbMUw1TwEMheXU8LOUrUXRXjggLSum6l5eNYwguOkIMgq70e1ck/s1600-h/P1000729.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371186666117687042" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDdLTzPIW_b_M1uKzqWVCVZUK6Cn9VCwpyWELqAAbS7LpFBPxo8Qb5hmVl5vtAxhSXBLsRWCtudvyhLT2vi58i0wLAbMUw1TwEMheXU8LOUrUXRXjggLSum6l5eNYwguOkIMgq70e1ck/s320/P1000729.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseiBp7BWbShml3w4Pri80vMeddoa_qBEsNdPnHc6i0wqT8Iwl1qqL3TeSbvBE052gNy45CH6UM7Sk4OcSfv2XQoFowr894vEGQbNZyBWnqttT8rTwgoOiXNTu2HyIo5lkxWaQq0bN1mE/s1600-h/P1000739.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371187547181297730" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseiBp7BWbShml3w4Pri80vMeddoa_qBEsNdPnHc6i0wqT8Iwl1qqL3TeSbvBE052gNy45CH6UM7Sk4OcSfv2XQoFowr894vEGQbNZyBWnqttT8rTwgoOiXNTu2HyIo5lkxWaQq0bN1mE/s320/P1000739.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWPIgvT2ndDjB_dwVEW_W_hEboOA0As_gHQX59Ky-Gixjv_qu861EBQGRJOvTcl4inSlwkMuvIAPWOCfjCsiVYiB74-YSPKK_Wv71AKIJ9yeKrvhyphenhyphenBY4ZeqIZCWWI3Nr0lyAiEVxUPM/s1600-h/P1000772.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371188485414499602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWPIgvT2ndDjB_dwVEW_W_hEboOA0As_gHQX59Ky-Gixjv_qu861EBQGRJOvTcl4inSlwkMuvIAPWOCfjCsiVYiB74-YSPKK_Wv71AKIJ9yeKrvhyphenhyphenBY4ZeqIZCWWI3Nr0lyAiEVxUPM/s320/P1000772.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sunday it was time for some baseball at the Tokyo Dome! On the way, we saw a parade of portable shrines so stopped to watch that for awhile. We got to the Dome early and Ed and I were able to ride the roller coaster in Tokyo Dome City. We would have had good views of Tokyo at the top except they forced us to take our glasses off and keep them in storage lockers. We had a pregame beer and then headed inside to find our seats. Our seats were out in left field and the left fielder was an American named Ramirez (Lamilez in Japanese!) so we had fun cheering for him along with the rest of the fans. We heard two very loud rumbles toward the end of the game and went outside to discover a thunderstorm had hit. It was lightening and pouring rain, but we had umbrellas so had to make a dash for the train station to make sure we got the last train home!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5S9I8uZAIkSXFQLZet2hJD3TveoyNran9Fk4oOUsQmb3229IEF5ATbFRSi-UluySHMsQM2AnUVu9ZeAClajav_KYK8cVAhapl_r86oJPj0OwT6ytbf2dZOXkZMEfJ4DQ1thTJ6dJQ3eQ/s1600-h/P1000781.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371191671414308978" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5S9I8uZAIkSXFQLZet2hJD3TveoyNran9Fk4oOUsQmb3229IEF5ATbFRSi-UluySHMsQM2AnUVu9ZeAClajav_KYK8cVAhapl_r86oJPj0OwT6ytbf2dZOXkZMEfJ4DQ1thTJ6dJQ3eQ/s320/P1000781.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiju3M4BaZYUCgYtUk0pkndopT0mAtc1K0g-3QBWRayOOsJH8dWJoGlwlxvG1ZMed-fAM7t3zflZMvn5XzjgQjeJbZ9JiO2n2Y_hinAJvEnV-iizliswiqyIfU2BXPgTFDJc_Br4qHVjmQ/s1600-h/IMG_3352.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371193211112150434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiju3M4BaZYUCgYtUk0pkndopT0mAtc1K0g-3QBWRayOOsJH8dWJoGlwlxvG1ZMed-fAM7t3zflZMvn5XzjgQjeJbZ9JiO2n2Y_hinAJvEnV-iizliswiqyIfU2BXPgTFDJc_Br4qHVjmQ/s320/IMG_3352.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj64GHDDUlZ-DnWMREL03QnD2pfrKrxhcQpll2oU-z_Gyakn7d6KFXFC5pUUcrEjuINcmvVZHaT1LgoqDNmSLGjB_OJNoLlD2fReS6udwwtRmq3_7SnnizmsYhgvnNb447u_a_ETLSHlM/s1600-h/P1000787.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371194128967261362" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj64GHDDUlZ-DnWMREL03QnD2pfrKrxhcQpll2oU-z_Gyakn7d6KFXFC5pUUcrEjuINcmvVZHaT1LgoqDNmSLGjB_OJNoLlD2fReS6udwwtRmq3_7SnnizmsYhgvnNb447u_a_ETLSHlM/s320/P1000787.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn-WkswP__hsgXRRd2_9RS6322Ru291RxzU50sWjWyuKPDGlRwMUb3Z4ErLh6r5PGlhbx610ZkLB0MC4TwMm2vaE1OyUWZvEPHvi5AVtazzvBwcB1lKFj0ANrhK9XHtWqXIti3jpeEFY/s1600-h/P1000793.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371195089133131314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn-WkswP__hsgXRRd2_9RS6322Ru291RxzU50sWjWyuKPDGlRwMUb3Z4ErLh6r5PGlhbx610ZkLB0MC4TwMm2vaE1OyUWZvEPHvi5AVtazzvBwcB1lKFj0ANrhK9XHtWqXIti3jpeEFY/s320/P1000793.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Down to only three days left in Japan for mom and dad! We hit Miurakaigen, the beach near Yokosuka and did a little birdwatching. We also visited Ueno park and did some street shopping in that area. On the last full day we did some souvenier shopping at the exchange and the 100 yen store and of course had another lunch at CoCo Curry. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxxz8REZ5aeSHSfYXNhoVOQHyrUBcG8HctPHHDz_e7HKZ1hmZsAwfknHfdGNMFs4qyH6fhvbrmKmszdAKq4J4WidIRLJb4-4WbR6A-Ec_XtqyxHQ5sjpEMIjwzB5dxyzAcbbT7uRN2s8/s1600-h/P1000795.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371196365335447474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxxz8REZ5aeSHSfYXNhoVOQHyrUBcG8HctPHHDz_e7HKZ1hmZsAwfknHfdGNMFs4qyH6fhvbrmKmszdAKq4J4WidIRLJb4-4WbR6A-Ec_XtqyxHQ5sjpEMIjwzB5dxyzAcbbT7uRN2s8/s320/P1000795.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpfR469su1hCBsOzqlB4FwoiAohtBHVFYqqBshMIVZTyPt7LHNZzzP8fWf6LqYLkjNL3vNdCmfVIbTE-v_2sauNdihs6_hG32teSn70FQUnZMhbU2pURIfjpVUa27-Owt65CWTwjJQGA/s1600-h/P1000800.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371198471684723842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpfR469su1hCBsOzqlB4FwoiAohtBHVFYqqBshMIVZTyPt7LHNZzzP8fWf6LqYLkjNL3vNdCmfVIbTE-v_2sauNdihs6_hG32teSn70FQUnZMhbU2pURIfjpVUa27-Owt65CWTwjJQGA/s320/P1000800.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IqjuEPgdU0C2IBbFWhXnsOpM6zpB_vhRmDK7EvRD6861I-k2cOH4SD1B032SCCf1RBgsunHyu5PkykaCVXmU5Nj3YiG4XY28Lm3bwH7j5fGxTblp-B8KhuINM-wxajPjerFbYa6UQNA/s1600-h/P1000804.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371199416839406690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IqjuEPgdU0C2IBbFWhXnsOpM6zpB_vhRmDK7EvRD6861I-k2cOH4SD1B032SCCf1RBgsunHyu5PkykaCVXmU5Nj3YiG4XY28Lm3bwH7j5fGxTblp-B8KhuINM-wxajPjerFbYa6UQNA/s320/P1000804.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW2S1Ok6N7YC5r4ZoKq9qaoPEP3uRB2VC8DufaJDiHKbZbpsZyO85Tm6lgjKP-KMIqlWyCjjJ55h-TZBQmFFbDgmqhCVR1e4CsQND5sTGHvVMIX9f3A9qw4rrccG054tVHfW6hXjtFc0/s1600-h/P1000808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371200349769761554" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW2S1Ok6N7YC5r4ZoKq9qaoPEP3uRB2VC8DufaJDiHKbZbpsZyO85Tm6lgjKP-KMIqlWyCjjJ55h-TZBQmFFbDgmqhCVR1e4CsQND5sTGHvVMIX9f3A9qw4rrccG054tVHfW6hXjtFc0/s320/P1000808.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We hope mom and dad had a good trip! We think they did since they are already talking about the next one. Hope everyone enjoys looking at all the pictures and that it encourages everyone else to come visit! :-) </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-31610568707425882512009-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:002009-04-08T18:52:43.683-07:00Hiroshima AreaOur most recent trip was back in March when we took an 11 hour bus ride to the western most part on Honshu island to visit the Hiroshima area. We slept overnight on the bus and arrived in the town of Iwakuni the following morning. It rained the whole trip but cleared up when we arrived and besides a brief hail storm (only lasted a couple of minutes) we had great weather for the trip. There are two somewhat famous attractions to see in Iwakuni. The first is the Kintai Bridge, an arched bridge made of a "Lincoln Log" type construction using no nails. Once you cross the bridge, you can go to a small (one room) museum to see the other attraction - white snakes. These snakes are not albino, their white color is a genetic mutation and they can only be found in an area of Iwakuni where three rivers meet. Iwakuni has some other sites to offer and we saw a pretty fountain park and took the ropeway up to see Iwakuni Castle as well.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA4XEPlCWel9vw2D6x7XlPgaeGF_dbF50ZhtHzZj4EgB3ctThb0auHex4EKfXY-ygTTbmNOwD8CnDfk3zHY6NiHBOwA568Rntm1ZIGPIqln8z7x9bLg7K2WaboNmUxaPU4J0GOG9vZ3s/s1600-h/IMG_2367.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322483465119603698" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA4XEPlCWel9vw2D6x7XlPgaeGF_dbF50ZhtHzZj4EgB3ctThb0auHex4EKfXY-ygTTbmNOwD8CnDfk3zHY6NiHBOwA568Rntm1ZIGPIqln8z7x9bLg7K2WaboNmUxaPU4J0GOG9vZ3s/s320/IMG_2367.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSIASDOTytK68Okb7a2HkSMezwoByZM_IaDJUaFnJXundjtpADxChEb09IRGQzdze5CiOOkV5RLP3Czn8iJQSnKH1YwOYrN7A9B6_VFmJe1_wvxfMtb_EmG80q3jq3ni3y7D2HyKe-cg/s1600-h/IMG_2385.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322482801984815330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSIASDOTytK68Okb7a2HkSMezwoByZM_IaDJUaFnJXundjtpADxChEb09IRGQzdze5CiOOkV5RLP3Czn8iJQSnKH1YwOYrN7A9B6_VFmJe1_wvxfMtb_EmG80q3jq3ni3y7D2HyKe-cg/s320/IMG_2385.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR56TOHllaM0L63nAdYHR8o9d5qMn9ObI5Dkl_QtLlMIxdIgdEGFmFI9KP1nbWc_Cc1vvhb-m8ybxJHFQdzD2aCT_W3SHqljQ9sZ4Vf6gEOBJIEOBeKDNiXnyZerkkWO9znjSosnuMfN4/s1600-h/IMG_2410.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322483984073214514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR56TOHllaM0L63nAdYHR8o9d5qMn9ObI5Dkl_QtLlMIxdIgdEGFmFI9KP1nbWc_Cc1vvhb-m8ybxJHFQdzD2aCT_W3SHqljQ9sZ4Vf6gEOBJIEOBeKDNiXnyZerkkWO9znjSosnuMfN4/s320/IMG_2410.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6t3Z57Zbeu2jwhJKHAOEuF79HyWnSgaYanDUSuP924M6HVSQJH-eZGx-Gm2ai-lxCGw-Ua615bSQUGGnG5zerpFtpry_IG8L4XAA6syBxsl-0eoGDvWLXjmGOR1IdDvcLdB9WbfvKJXs/s1600-h/IMG_2398.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322484554482122466" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6t3Z57Zbeu2jwhJKHAOEuF79HyWnSgaYanDUSuP924M6HVSQJH-eZGx-Gm2ai-lxCGw-Ua615bSQUGGnG5zerpFtpry_IG8L4XAA6syBxsl-0eoGDvWLXjmGOR1IdDvcLdB9WbfvKJXs/s320/IMG_2398.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>We stayed at Iwakuni until about noon and then left to head on to Hiroshima. We arrived around 3pm and our first visit was to the Peace Museum and Park. The museum was only open until 5pm and it was very crowded so we were somewhat rushed to get through the exhibits. We plan to go back soon and spend much more time there. We thought the museum portrayed a very unbiased view of World War II and the events that led up to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima - the museum really promotes the idea of peace and the destruction of nuclear weapons. We had a little bit of daylight left to get out to the park and take some pictures of the memorials and in particular the A-bomb Dome, a building that remained partially intact even though the bomb went off almost directly over it. It is now a symbolic memorial in the Peace Park. We ran into some Yankees fans along the way and took some pictures with them in the park.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3schgrrqCeRB4Y6QnWmIfd2tl-AFy-EQWGfcYVCE6YK8VXFnH516VQ9sCeyaR_cTzKvkOf375m0ZXRTlYQArxQdWAYN2Dz2_7PaYMlWIMMxpa9RCfCM4jQP2jtbnY-bIscffiKWvFUb8/s1600-h/IMG_2416.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322484968811156114" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3schgrrqCeRB4Y6QnWmIfd2tl-AFy-EQWGfcYVCE6YK8VXFnH516VQ9sCeyaR_cTzKvkOf375m0ZXRTlYQArxQdWAYN2Dz2_7PaYMlWIMMxpa9RCfCM4jQP2jtbnY-bIscffiKWvFUb8/s320/IMG_2416.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0agAOu914F9l8wrmMTVSXOTJ_tFazqJ50y4zKa8zs9NNqtrcqrXxwCw9yRRucKb3XCI3gQVqSvvSOaMEfZ4SAWEAYIvz5RuqcipfRVBNBRdurmOi7MqHgPKbm5Kr4V_11XOmqoyXWgoA/s1600-h/IMG_2422.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322485561706862706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0agAOu914F9l8wrmMTVSXOTJ_tFazqJ50y4zKa8zs9NNqtrcqrXxwCw9yRRucKb3XCI3gQVqSvvSOaMEfZ4SAWEAYIvz5RuqcipfRVBNBRdurmOi7MqHgPKbm5Kr4V_11XOmqoyXWgoA/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFnG6RWZfsAhLQaRp-Ym58_WA73rkfCW_uxsbnCRO3f69TRtwzamVHPGn-LC-ZX419-Za-eDSkO-MFlUHGFdD6ir9VRQwqHtP19nmPIQ2_rDr8YzcfD-kzG0-4eDt5MK9LBuKcIh-pXc/s1600-h/IMG_2432.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322486157922924594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFnG6RWZfsAhLQaRp-Ym58_WA73rkfCW_uxsbnCRO3f69TRtwzamVHPGn-LC-ZX419-Za-eDSkO-MFlUHGFdD6ir9VRQwqHtP19nmPIQ2_rDr8YzcfD-kzG0-4eDt5MK9LBuKcIh-pXc/s320/IMG_2432.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p5dBXy17jOzL4vE_mW-j278-VRlghOwqkZVSGWdglS-bLutpaa853xXeS2qBkhlM5f1T_098b3UQk8Iod2ug35hhJ-pP-f1GIB6Y6WEvKhOn6BaKca4SipoH7lmG3t10Ftkw0G9Rgoc/s1600-h/IMG_2434.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322486892218553874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p5dBXy17jOzL4vE_mW-j278-VRlghOwqkZVSGWdglS-bLutpaa853xXeS2qBkhlM5f1T_098b3UQk8Iod2ug35hhJ-pP-f1GIB6Y6WEvKhOn6BaKca4SipoH7lmG3t10Ftkw0G9Rgoc/s320/IMG_2434.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>We went to dinner at one of the many Okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima. Hiroshima is famous for this type of food - the bottom is like a pancake and the it is topped with meat and vegetable and finally an egg is added to hold everything together. It went very well with our ice cold beers and we enjoyed it. We followed up dinner with a stop at a wine bar near the hotel and had some cheese and a bottle of Sangiovese for dessert. We were finished around 10pm and decided to try to find the marker for the hypocenter, the spot the bomb exploded. We knew it was close to our hotel, but our map was not good and we walked by it twice before we noticed it. The marker is a small plaque on a street lined with apartment buildings, auto shops, and parking lots and no one working on the street even knew where it was. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBzMjFWIBMAR2tfX6rTEhg8X6yXMrqPFYK2-tOQ2JhCMe8ODcBJNhSSCzD8vyJg09oHl5ji8HNkp2IYpSK1hTls1hG-MNt_Gf-VPoPAQD3sUJ_SKiBxV2KY0QhGAATTShMwkCl5RH5SM/s1600-h/IMG_2486.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322487389578209554" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBzMjFWIBMAR2tfX6rTEhg8X6yXMrqPFYK2-tOQ2JhCMe8ODcBJNhSSCzD8vyJg09oHl5ji8HNkp2IYpSK1hTls1hG-MNt_Gf-VPoPAQD3sUJ_SKiBxV2KY0QhGAATTShMwkCl5RH5SM/s320/IMG_2486.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo_x4nyhrPiO8WV6JjyX3-phG1xJ8Uj9AjIw4GA1Bq5M4p1ls2OMFksttARHvvcS2RLnjMChJa88cw1BIlvJPU1Uznylj9MpujlMCx9aPdt6is1IokF3tqqUS-hLqYrWwZv7iIwoi9tM/s1600-h/IMG_2495.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322487998542029138" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo_x4nyhrPiO8WV6JjyX3-phG1xJ8Uj9AjIw4GA1Bq5M4p1ls2OMFksttARHvvcS2RLnjMChJa88cw1BIlvJPU1Uznylj9MpujlMCx9aPdt6is1IokF3tqqUS-hLqYrWwZv7iIwoi9tM/s320/IMG_2495.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The following morning we checked out of the hotel and took off for the Miyajima Island ferry. Miyajima is very famous for the floating red torii gate of the Itsukushima Shrine. The torii gate is built in the water and appears to be floating. Miyajima is very scenic and there are lots of hiking trails and wooded areas to explore. The island is crawling with tame deer and we learned that the Japanese believe the deer are sacred and that they carry messages to the gods. Miyajima also happens to be home of the world's largest wooden rice spoon!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfscG97gMNpISeqhp96WViynOuv1GKVQlGgYHPgvYo6QdophWqacTc55h2T4CCjdgJ6-yrev_764uF-eDspANp3yYTq6lSSXrVzEgf3GMx39Y0f2peFN4tcmcuqCG4cYw8UgU2MB8htvE/s1600-h/IMG_2523.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322488875215545554" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfscG97gMNpISeqhp96WViynOuv1GKVQlGgYHPgvYo6QdophWqacTc55h2T4CCjdgJ6-yrev_764uF-eDspANp3yYTq6lSSXrVzEgf3GMx39Y0f2peFN4tcmcuqCG4cYw8UgU2MB8htvE/s320/IMG_2523.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjA3NT8nVDyzj5mCAdZPXG7jtJtfAC8FDiRGh8fb2uKsD__EW2knZaTvDAxJDRLrYCSTBbecqTtKAUbVao643IwEHeaouWw3mZ0pA1A7aTyvPUkkHr2SD6xg7N64oEBZ2ygCVUuOTp1A/s1600-h/IMG_2536_2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322489064663591138" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjA3NT8nVDyzj5mCAdZPXG7jtJtfAC8FDiRGh8fb2uKsD__EW2knZaTvDAxJDRLrYCSTBbecqTtKAUbVao643IwEHeaouWw3mZ0pA1A7aTyvPUkkHr2SD6xg7N64oEBZ2ygCVUuOTp1A/s320/IMG_2536_2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6BM2zSOMZJ4l4catTfsoX2Cp2dw94_dicyxPwQzo9g2wO47hyphenhyphenw8b4hpotNE2ScuyI-JSPOx-tPq9DLhAwVmpNRMNuqEDKqG7tkAUEegsH33MARE9Rn4RT19JCQRstE8sN7AUYc5qj98/s1600-h/IMG_2612.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322489679309449362" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6BM2zSOMZJ4l4catTfsoX2Cp2dw94_dicyxPwQzo9g2wO47hyphenhyphenw8b4hpotNE2ScuyI-JSPOx-tPq9DLhAwVmpNRMNuqEDKqG7tkAUEegsH33MARE9Rn4RT19JCQRstE8sN7AUYc5qj98/s320/IMG_2612.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus84_ZFAHLAcArwofRbOfQBilKHL5QU0AkLvjryuCZAnoXbc_1S4GSov7ovvOC7uf5nQsZ1q_8h3iOGZlWkf9bshoUuZbt09alBqZMkT-_g9CdBF1Ayg4DYZb9PEN1QX9AgRJRBVTME8/s1600-h/IMG_2609.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322490428191679970" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus84_ZFAHLAcArwofRbOfQBilKHL5QU0AkLvjryuCZAnoXbc_1S4GSov7ovvOC7uf5nQsZ1q_8h3iOGZlWkf9bshoUuZbt09alBqZMkT-_g9CdBF1Ayg4DYZb9PEN1QX9AgRJRBVTME8/s320/IMG_2609.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcqH0r_kDV2_DAAHqxQbGEteU9srNcG8wLcBMezT5BERh8ffchf5eAWyT8yr-lX8wag4op5A5NBGFFEHApFWUCm06JjscFKA30rSSvlpHEWpZz_HondIdO3hBa0sR9ODn_4uif2kn0gY/s1600-h/IMG_2614.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322491247415826466" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcqH0r_kDV2_DAAHqxQbGEteU9srNcG8wLcBMezT5BERh8ffchf5eAWyT8yr-lX8wag4op5A5NBGFFEHApFWUCm06JjscFKA30rSSvlpHEWpZz_HondIdO3hBa0sR9ODn_4uif2kn0gY/s320/IMG_2614.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-7wR9xKwXJiGcRN_KUviVqc0R-qSdgUx24Xuc9N4bFBWaYTJn6Kkr6AOWTEIdP6L7NITEko26ZA0iu9tHkPFZtboUYCFVXT6PLxDay9DJzypbwcxsrPgLsYrvcXBl_U__aR52cCyk24/s1600-h/IMG_2618.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322491846058721250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-7wR9xKwXJiGcRN_KUviVqc0R-qSdgUx24Xuc9N4bFBWaYTJn6Kkr6AOWTEIdP6L7NITEko26ZA0iu9tHkPFZtboUYCFVXT6PLxDay9DJzypbwcxsrPgLsYrvcXBl_U__aR52cCyk24/s320/IMG_2618.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM73FmhyphenhyphenVDE17XcRzo-smLUqZYS3WJHc40P4unVIRV4cmd0K5yCAZDK-NDVK0koLwXJTrB8ftkTsyq5l7WXh_s0xZXRJc2WDtUKHbLz6_c8a8zsn1H2TnoisYlPvSzaD2YKhmqvx5xpuo/s1600-h/IMG_2623.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322495168575837682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM73FmhyphenhyphenVDE17XcRzo-smLUqZYS3WJHc40P4unVIRV4cmd0K5yCAZDK-NDVK0koLwXJTrB8ftkTsyq5l7WXh_s0xZXRJc2WDtUKHbLz6_c8a8zsn1H2TnoisYlPvSzaD2YKhmqvx5xpuo/s320/IMG_2623.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After leaving Miyajima, the bus took us to Himeji for the evening. The next morning we visited Himeji Castle, considered Japan's most spectacular castle. The grounds of this castle were much larger than any we have been to before and it took about two hours to see everything. Other castles we have visited only have the main building remaining, but Himeji has many of the original castle structures (including the quarters of the princess and her maids) still standing. According to our tour guide, though most of Himeji City was destroyed during WWII, the castle escaped untouched because they built giant camouflage nets and draped them over the entire castle so that from the air the castle looked the same as the woods surrounding it. This is very fortunate because is truly is a beautiful castle. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVrYh8tderlQUorrCSYdWyZMJXFmYAEuPj99Ntqs5NcibbyUbpZ0NOHHI4I99zY8uDbDc2y9kgHQT3J5_Bmk4IrhqRopzi-YdKBvDTxqUXuvdzQwtLVev7FNICQhyphenhyphenZrVNkbu6Xicsd9A/s1600-h/IMG_2647.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322495748264221474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVrYh8tderlQUorrCSYdWyZMJXFmYAEuPj99Ntqs5NcibbyUbpZ0NOHHI4I99zY8uDbDc2y9kgHQT3J5_Bmk4IrhqRopzi-YdKBvDTxqUXuvdzQwtLVev7FNICQhyphenhyphenZrVNkbu6Xicsd9A/s320/IMG_2647.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT99T_XKnXSX9oR0Cznoaj1SiUTTBjuF6zNCT0n1ywc1vUFZiICQ7H5AcII3ZcPD6XJ-2u159mZP9f8xMeMJQPy_Csd8aECDIlJJ8-P4sNr1CwcAfXIYPmBX_VFivmVLp7gINqxgOCf9I/s1600-h/IMG_2671.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322496292242386610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT99T_XKnXSX9oR0Cznoaj1SiUTTBjuF6zNCT0n1ywc1vUFZiICQ7H5AcII3ZcPD6XJ-2u159mZP9f8xMeMJQPy_Csd8aECDIlJJ8-P4sNr1CwcAfXIYPmBX_VFivmVLp7gINqxgOCf9I/s320/IMG_2671.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7airtCIwz6kK5RxSfSzahEDn8sngm2Yfg5wiT_VpPIN_WGtxLsYBslKn09FuwfryrLSpuxcK1wj1BHMlH2c-9rWIw811zEOy_0CQb_eZmxqoIdMvw90IrTyGRv4pex-VkODPOZg5cCSc/s1600-h/IMG_2687.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322497118178995202" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7airtCIwz6kK5RxSfSzahEDn8sngm2Yfg5wiT_VpPIN_WGtxLsYBslKn09FuwfryrLSpuxcK1wj1BHMlH2c-9rWIw811zEOy_0CQb_eZmxqoIdMvw90IrTyGRv4pex-VkODPOZg5cCSc/s320/IMG_2687.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilid1Sf8fkNWD3mENkU6wtNDSQ_ikN9otjEBslMajWHY9jLWQDlfwWaOzGLuMUnKM42_s2i8nZE017qnTTY7jyBflgL26ZYtDjl3Gi6ODfDb-GhoIdka_hBGXeKgd88igsvLO6Srg2aAY/s1600-h/IMG_2685.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322497711110083618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilid1Sf8fkNWD3mENkU6wtNDSQ_ikN9otjEBslMajWHY9jLWQDlfwWaOzGLuMUnKM42_s2i8nZE017qnTTY7jyBflgL26ZYtDjl3Gi6ODfDb-GhoIdka_hBGXeKgd88igsvLO6Srg2aAY/s320/IMG_2685.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4POn2tbzGryP3I0q4lzbYwid2DbX3s095gcGMCEF_D6MHeSxtRvn1lBixyJGkYBuyEYBjC1ui7PF57m2rji0mKd5CqyhGLQgshyphenhypheng0QhSjZzNPHiq4rww_YRjPfaU_qeJF_NZBkz-QBwo/s1600-h/IMG_2706.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322502052257471282" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4POn2tbzGryP3I0q4lzbYwid2DbX3s095gcGMCEF_D6MHeSxtRvn1lBixyJGkYBuyEYBjC1ui7PF57m2rji0mKd5CqyhGLQgshyphenhypheng0QhSjZzNPHiq4rww_YRjPfaU_qeJF_NZBkz-QBwo/s320/IMG_2706.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This was out last stop on our tour of Western Honshu. Three days was not nearly enough time and we are looking forward to the next trip to that area coming up in May when the Hubbard's come to visit.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-44051074874595860292009-04-02T22:17:00.000-07:002009-04-04T20:54:37.581-07:00SUMO!!After returning from Sapporo we immediately turned around and headed for Tokyo and our very first Sumo Tournament. The sumo arena is located in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo, also known as "Sumo Town". Neither of us know a lot about Sumo, but it was fun to watch anyway. It is the national sport in Japan, but you don't have to be Japanese to participate. There were a few Europeans (one made it to the final round) and Mongolians among other nationalities. As soon as we got off the train and approached the arena we saw Sumo wrestlers walking around outside, signing autographs and chatting with the fans. We took a few pictures outside of the arena before heading in for the action.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwx59KPWGD6BXv0jwnK_VLYSbAGWZv7czuo2pIqo-cZwqcH8beZEF4-2HBQz75JmbGVDwR4YyEDQ_fi2F7sY4P22kLpIs_UssUIPO6ryTrJLfm5tc6n1PId5y6o5-Zzat7U0RnUiOANk/s1600-h/IMG_2179.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321043131258472962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwx59KPWGD6BXv0jwnK_VLYSbAGWZv7czuo2pIqo-cZwqcH8beZEF4-2HBQz75JmbGVDwR4YyEDQ_fi2F7sY4P22kLpIs_UssUIPO6ryTrJLfm5tc6n1PId5y6o5-Zzat7U0RnUiOANk/s320/IMG_2179.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d7dGQqS1fhFY9B0-QxXa5jbDqtrfBrT8iHJqBrUKBuu7ItOJtER8esrAEvvdNWVukmI7xD3ZvoJRRog8gFUs82Jrj190HhovBTKly3AKGym2Qqyms6ATDZv1GsLkY1cBM8lL7UTn0Rk/s1600-h/IMG_2180.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321043608923383810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d7dGQqS1fhFY9B0-QxXa5jbDqtrfBrT8iHJqBrUKBuu7ItOJtER8esrAEvvdNWVukmI7xD3ZvoJRRog8gFUs82Jrj190HhovBTKly3AKGym2Qqyms6ATDZv1GsLkY1cBM8lL7UTn0Rk/s320/IMG_2180.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMLonalmX5rvmDuh_yMy5yC1wGARBgsnqbJ2DU8DBReU2bnHS7geupjGgyInDO71zFpfrPrU98jNS7CvWgfSUH-LvqW6BNHYs9e3BF-Lyw7wohEdyI5yqGYpJycIOgaGNqrlNLz0HaFg/s1600-h/IMG_2184.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321044137390607618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMLonalmX5rvmDuh_yMy5yC1wGARBgsnqbJ2DU8DBReU2bnHS7geupjGgyInDO71zFpfrPrU98jNS7CvWgfSUH-LvqW6BNHYs9e3BF-Lyw7wohEdyI5yqGYpJycIOgaGNqrlNLz0HaFg/s320/IMG_2184.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs6LOhQ3XyLA-RbHIkCrajkzXvVklogf3pGUcZRk6x4zS4IUDaokv6rDWTyVZJlH13mqiTsXw7dk6HxTkEYQ_OiKTLeaA2804V54DtaVgQRyWMMUveeCpnhJbgsNY9YYz5fCTkfbQjZw/s1600-h/IMG_2191.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321044674730243378" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs6LOhQ3XyLA-RbHIkCrajkzXvVklogf3pGUcZRk6x4zS4IUDaokv6rDWTyVZJlH13mqiTsXw7dk6HxTkEYQ_OiKTLeaA2804V54DtaVgQRyWMMUveeCpnhJbgsNY9YYz5fCTkfbQjZw/s320/IMG_2191.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Each match begins with a ceremony where one of the officials walks around the ring saying something (we're not sure what!) while waving a fan in each direction. After this, both wrestlers throw salt into the ring and do a series of warm-ups before their match begins. Finally, both wrestlers approach the white lines in the center of the ring, bend their knees, put their fists on the lines, and then go! Some matches were over in a couple of seconds, while others went on a bit longer than that. Once a wrestler loses a match he is out of the tournament and eventually it dwindles down to only two wrestlers left. In the last few rounds, the wrestlers were given cash prizes for winning.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyoyYSceNi30l_syagb73M5qYuUElxx2gWbUH4G5y9Z6ADuNemRPnh74mApU-373IKM1fDCX9iSGMcx1vtXTVMEfddXwOqi4Ixidt2O4nY1ZwXkE9zK0RGPPr-baOtk-iwPiVXKRmmVo/s1600-h/IMG_2254.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321046011556590594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyoyYSceNi30l_syagb73M5qYuUElxx2gWbUH4G5y9Z6ADuNemRPnh74mApU-373IKM1fDCX9iSGMcx1vtXTVMEfddXwOqi4Ixidt2O4nY1ZwXkE9zK0RGPPr-baOtk-iwPiVXKRmmVo/s320/IMG_2254.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYomQ7PioegGALBD6es10zZirBeMGuFp_XIJxsG8FwS831sAnVANGA3MwfbOtaeGhp0u-hhlNjoe4d4D7qFgwl-DEqNZ2kLxkrMI7SBmRyHz1zCUJYgsXacFnIsKWZc1LapepiSfUeCXc/s1600-h/IMG_2259.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321046552134094722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYomQ7PioegGALBD6es10zZirBeMGuFp_XIJxsG8FwS831sAnVANGA3MwfbOtaeGhp0u-hhlNjoe4d4D7qFgwl-DEqNZ2kLxkrMI7SBmRyHz1zCUJYgsXacFnIsKWZc1LapepiSfUeCXc/s320/IMG_2259.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJqqXBmq2Uv9gFmPhfypBQnpTwHIofDumD_kPEfoXj_Gg_s-JStNRv_NCpsmZScY4In37JVB7IZyJ1l36DiFqGupq94ruAEouyZNmCIEs5J4JwaQHDKz68rqt075VSbS1Spm-kuLAsjk/s1600-h/IMG_2261.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321047386362262050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJqqXBmq2Uv9gFmPhfypBQnpTwHIofDumD_kPEfoXj_Gg_s-JStNRv_NCpsmZScY4In37JVB7IZyJ1l36DiFqGupq94ruAEouyZNmCIEs5J4JwaQHDKz68rqt075VSbS1Spm-kuLAsjk/s320/IMG_2261.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCmUiNchywxOzs5isVt250mXeC4ExuPRdpx6t1sqPgrK24J6NfIIw44gACjsony25TtX9NVY5flsSjWN6AYxoRcmCYUAfbQORsNGDIbWv-nyF-IIBQdHCxqxHPlp4ZiyzeaOA4sHVpY8/s1600-h/IMG_2262.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321047810986242002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCmUiNchywxOzs5isVt250mXeC4ExuPRdpx6t1sqPgrK24J6NfIIw44gACjsony25TtX9NVY5flsSjWN6AYxoRcmCYUAfbQORsNGDIbWv-nyF-IIBQdHCxqxHPlp4ZiyzeaOA4sHVpY8/s320/IMG_2262.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nBZpMXqEDf0IW-G0rnHHe-FmJa0_lx-4F3GJwe2V8M_qM0EcFqZnJYzIKZNyb65IH4MH6TUa2l35cmbLiGj6HYiG1Q2dm1oYgLhn3MVPSazomFee-QcCCB9qUSBX3sSIJMQZxajLNtU/s1600-h/IMG_2286.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321048618062090546" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nBZpMXqEDf0IW-G0rnHHe-FmJa0_lx-4F3GJwe2V8M_qM0EcFqZnJYzIKZNyb65IH4MH6TUa2l35cmbLiGj6HYiG1Q2dm1oYgLhn3MVPSazomFee-QcCCB9qUSBX3sSIJMQZxajLNtU/s320/IMG_2286.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Like many sports in the U.S. you can buy souveniors of all types at the arena. You can get everything from t-shirts to sumo shaped chocolates (which Ed couldn't resist!). We need to learn the rules and more about the wrestlers so that next time we know whats going on. But now we can say we've been to see Sumo!</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqmN-xEqKE5YV40mDR-zr2-5ovHr1dB6ZMzIgQK-6oaUe-MxnrBXZVZa8H2c-RJGSCxH-56Ac_U36aKZCG1vjLkPYN3hXbAeSgvR1CorJVofzadJ40sGmy3wVAF3MuGWS7wfLmo2hVFs/s1600-h/IMG_2202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321045383162151938" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqmN-xEqKE5YV40mDR-zr2-5ovHr1dB6ZMzIgQK-6oaUe-MxnrBXZVZa8H2c-RJGSCxH-56Ac_U36aKZCG1vjLkPYN3hXbAeSgvR1CorJVofzadJ40sGmy3wVAF3MuGWS7wfLmo2hVFs/s320/IMG_2202.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB1af4FdhC9e2147K6bhjdPKg6YIiw_0POA96bYLU2eKONa_mKq80GYbIYV0LbYvyGv1qCJOj5ZYNr_m5mtKhBxklqppm3RtfsNxWsVhi1FgwO2DGOBXfGPSrng2QoD3ptCR18lAcoLM/s1600-h/IMG_2201.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321050521952859874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB1af4FdhC9e2147K6bhjdPKg6YIiw_0POA96bYLU2eKONa_mKq80GYbIYV0LbYvyGv1qCJOj5ZYNr_m5mtKhBxklqppm3RtfsNxWsVhi1FgwO2DGOBXfGPSrng2QoD3ptCR18lAcoLM/s320/IMG_2201.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-38992513372684134612009-04-02T20:22:00.000-07:002009-04-02T22:14:21.628-07:00Snow Festival!<div>I apologize to those of you who have been following our blog for the delay. I know its April now, but we will look back to February and tell you about some of the trips we took. Every year in Sapporo there is a snow festival in February. This year the festival was from Feb. 5-11. Before the opening day of the festival, artists come to Sapporo to carve magnificent sculptures out of packed snow and ice. These masterpieces line the center of Odori Park in downtown Sapporo.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>Ed and I stayed at the Hotel Gracery, a modern hotel near the train station. This was our first experience in a Japanese hotel and all in all it was a pretty good one. The room was small but functional, the bathroom mirror had a defogger built in (you have to have a steamed up mirror to appreciate the brilliance of this!), and we were close to all the sights. The breakfast included traditional Japanese and traditional Western style foods. The first morning we opted for the Western style breakfast, but I decided to be adventurous the second morning and go for some salmon, rice, dumplings, and other Japanese morning foods.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaJLEbljqlXUv7cs54zm1a4OGCDrwmEviyuZmiA8wkHqZ1I591WKNjkWb792b0CbLSiyZPUalxYM58ugMweIPz18AvVXFds7SbkduXXl3eM7dfIC-P1Lh-XVyd6dWeMp02_pGEoPnLVw/s1600-h/IMG_2034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320325727647320354" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaJLEbljqlXUv7cs54zm1a4OGCDrwmEviyuZmiA8wkHqZ1I591WKNjkWb792b0CbLSiyZPUalxYM58ugMweIPz18AvVXFds7SbkduXXl3eM7dfIC-P1Lh-XVyd6dWeMp02_pGEoPnLVw/s320/IMG_2034.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVJmiUfjuT9xYpprzUtnaymCKzZWhbQiQHLBbXYSscxZEuzF6pGesv6PoKNKU_ENcYzN84P4GQ-pJHHA_QNlcCh3xngYE7x0SZQiIyxmn8EGE_vfkDroH7Yr6y3e4ARqDhUniZqeBjh0/s1600-h/IMG_2099.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320328807469374818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVJmiUfjuT9xYpprzUtnaymCKzZWhbQiQHLBbXYSscxZEuzF6pGesv6PoKNKU_ENcYzN84P4GQ-pJHHA_QNlcCh3xngYE7x0SZQiIyxmn8EGE_vfkDroH7Yr6y3e4ARqDhUniZqeBjh0/s320/IMG_2099.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We met up with a friend of ours at the airport and on the first night in Sapporo we went to dinner with him at the Sapporo Beer Garden. You would have to visit to appreciate the scene as we walked in...imagine a large redbrick warehouse style building filled with smoke and the smell of grilled meat...every man's dream right!? The hot item on the menu was all you can eat lamb and veggies plus all you can drink Sapporo beer for 3500 yen (so about 35 bucks). Well, this may not be a good deal for light eating Japanese, but for three hungry Americans it was a steal! After eating about an entire lamb and more than our fair share of beer, we headed to Odori Park to see the ice sculptures at night. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CVu3-fIDWO8l-bwiJZqLWkywdXcqMBPPBtfD0Pq-wwkR2ULgbMB1GDAQEb-dNhY55f-SrP0OEltAtWEPZ_mIspVjh_cu7_fQOgmVlvWvSc1TCNkHoy20ewsX2n3ow90rArjqDT0_gy4/s1600-h/IMG_2042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320326283172416514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CVu3-fIDWO8l-bwiJZqLWkywdXcqMBPPBtfD0Pq-wwkR2ULgbMB1GDAQEb-dNhY55f-SrP0OEltAtWEPZ_mIspVjh_cu7_fQOgmVlvWvSc1TCNkHoy20ewsX2n3ow90rArjqDT0_gy4/s320/IMG_2042.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZM5NumrtmGl-apNXbwjuACa57r4gQb-fLpnyAWBLrh9SxPG_6AlRXoQ1Z6sJdYv7rvEtPc-KcJIRoweuSZBI4Q4HFLsf1Ga8gOhZcfNGISFIelu01ae5YFOb29e_IS8SaDAMCgd1SOkg/s1600-h/IMG_1972.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320306533878226834" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZM5NumrtmGl-apNXbwjuACa57r4gQb-fLpnyAWBLrh9SxPG_6AlRXoQ1Z6sJdYv7rvEtPc-KcJIRoweuSZBI4Q4HFLsf1Ga8gOhZcfNGISFIelu01ae5YFOb29e_IS8SaDAMCgd1SOkg/s320/IMG_1972.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYwEcaeh7afOh2hxGAzsvgSPfM6by7GQsf4L-rzxBcqP5sB5RHlY_Ixw3xW0AKqriwaMOGI2ZBKjfFcict3zOaAKsjrbpH53u8BaWuHEXKc7ndSSFc2xcU7pdIyGWSvJ-dHw0wJmJFKQ/s1600-h/IMG_1964.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320307082654207250" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYwEcaeh7afOh2hxGAzsvgSPfM6by7GQsf4L-rzxBcqP5sB5RHlY_Ixw3xW0AKqriwaMOGI2ZBKjfFcict3zOaAKsjrbpH53u8BaWuHEXKc7ndSSFc2xcU7pdIyGWSvJ-dHw0wJmJFKQ/s320/IMG_1964.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHmXRLBeSlj5CXBw3Lm7Ff4qLR0x3XicwvVHQ17Gli2iS7rNDx3K-1sDa5uidZ-qTMWO_P66g1qW5FEMZ1Qgz47IIA3Dp-Vt8byMnde2WmMHLmvFIQ1HClqMVF8mnU2E3e5_kf8_2uPc/s1600-h/IMG_1974.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320307798436455042" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHmXRLBeSlj5CXBw3Lm7Ff4qLR0x3XicwvVHQ17Gli2iS7rNDx3K-1sDa5uidZ-qTMWO_P66g1qW5FEMZ1Qgz47IIA3Dp-Vt8byMnde2WmMHLmvFIQ1HClqMVF8mnU2E3e5_kf8_2uPc/s320/IMG_1974.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hBfufoUvL53nMa1jD7UvYBLmaDxLOPe74O0XfL66d8EOQfWv7mkf4ZSv107RPJrQoZA1YB00AN4-S1eGQsyqAhXobsA5ecotJoikkkWltUDQcW0cbrRG6zHNMuTIB1cadfhsb3CXlQ0/s1600-h/IMG_1980.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320308725507338402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hBfufoUvL53nMa1jD7UvYBLmaDxLOPe74O0XfL66d8EOQfWv7mkf4ZSv107RPJrQoZA1YB00AN4-S1eGQsyqAhXobsA5ecotJoikkkWltUDQcW0cbrRG6zHNMuTIB1cadfhsb3CXlQ0/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaucsvg_oGiUhRlIX5Mv7KaLqqQDnlq7X6t8NTOIF-GCgygFW4T1D7UxCvYqK_C6R-J0uvXnQnhpXDZEz7-jqlF-pL69gfTlSAJhB42ryf89ERWCCUfyhIi7tg7xwUZaQtdM3EKQ8MjEw/s1600-h/IMG_1983.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320309598715242194" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaucsvg_oGiUhRlIX5Mv7KaLqqQDnlq7X6t8NTOIF-GCgygFW4T1D7UxCvYqK_C6R-J0uvXnQnhpXDZEz7-jqlF-pL69gfTlSAJhB42ryf89ERWCCUfyhIi7tg7xwUZaQtdM3EKQ8MjEw/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After viewing the sculptures, we made friends with a Japanese vendor in a cow hat and bought some hot beer with honey from his friend. This may sound like a weird drink, but after walking around on snow and ice in the freezing weather it really tasted good and warmed us right up.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kdshedouVFwBxR8M7Xmc8zG_sqoP_BOhc75jvfr7Xm_50kywY-jH5ZVzlu93PqKGHQDatZC6yFuace_PaCApG2LxAN487x37OHuVkSnviRXsQ_i8lVFGU0M6yNNFkHAeaoSSd1monbA/s1600-h/IMG_1993.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320310160498864482" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kdshedouVFwBxR8M7Xmc8zG_sqoP_BOhc75jvfr7Xm_50kywY-jH5ZVzlu93PqKGHQDatZC6yFuace_PaCApG2LxAN487x37OHuVkSnviRXsQ_i8lVFGU0M6yNNFkHAeaoSSd1monbA/s320/IMG_1993.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBvTTqp7FaZGeh108pXejjBolZdnPj0pOt8SiNz2gD3RmRqEYZPai4a70Q-bEodfqKOtNeBVA7eroav1l1ITkVTUYxvjOv-A9yu66cNSYZVyqwL7spVZY0vAY-cV6L-ZiN0HS9-Wvcys/s1600-h/IMG_1995.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320310746551853250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBvTTqp7FaZGeh108pXejjBolZdnPj0pOt8SiNz2gD3RmRqEYZPai4a70Q-bEodfqKOtNeBVA7eroav1l1ITkVTUYxvjOv-A9yu66cNSYZVyqwL7spVZY0vAY-cV6L-ZiN0HS9-Wvcys/s320/IMG_1995.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAllYSZU67qaZmJyobdP2xOok5Bc8EIVAAQfC65W29lBV1iVB5t6FsY3bCWl2VqpHFDnyPttHan9HFutS0Fkq258chnS3bhDCIYj3VuznuAHJxD0J-IsdcIyesnw0Bf4OysZcXmpca6nk/s1600-h/IMG_2027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320324057594195906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAllYSZU67qaZmJyobdP2xOok5Bc8EIVAAQfC65W29lBV1iVB5t6FsY3bCWl2VqpHFDnyPttHan9HFutS0Fkq258chnS3bhDCIYj3VuznuAHJxD0J-IsdcIyesnw0Bf4OysZcXmpca6nk/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLTuFr4V6b7ZIR2B2lJ5_ucuDD8d87wLRWocW2s3MSLOE9H7voYRYd7cOq910SJCMPEIrHMFTjoFwjgvwbqQu-XhD7Q-mt2jfY0Jq-cbHd_rQkURw0AZt8YZuEhjB-r6yavkdmSvZxtc/s1600-h/IMG_2009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320312810885859682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLTuFr4V6b7ZIR2B2lJ5_ucuDD8d87wLRWocW2s3MSLOE9H7voYRYd7cOq910SJCMPEIrHMFTjoFwjgvwbqQu-XhD7Q-mt2jfY0Jq-cbHd_rQkURw0AZt8YZuEhjB-r6yavkdmSvZxtc/s320/IMG_2009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMhGJ_4ixPYdvxWvnBeEDrb4le-9537bSR7tTFdA9cHxjbpC3ovCRKr5mhfGtpCnXV4_QJktgX1E2tJE178lhiirwJchxdOng54kaPyPR8QG5YCAag-2jwY23lnW34mjC3kkFtOiLNPA/s1600-h/IMG_2013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320319260472584802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMhGJ_4ixPYdvxWvnBeEDrb4le-9537bSR7tTFdA9cHxjbpC3ovCRKr5mhfGtpCnXV4_QJktgX1E2tJE178lhiirwJchxdOng54kaPyPR8QG5YCAag-2jwY23lnW34mjC3kkFtOiLNPA/s320/IMG_2013.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdzkdF4FY-rvwxcjmabq5ZugAoLMB4ofmEr5V7K0ikyU5ftCZW6kGYR7e-0ji774pvYGn0E9CBx6xJyB1TQOOUseb95_FkTqHnqA8etaUoH3yu13lWcRhF6aycmiiDeW5FWga5ivTgWY/s1600-h/IMG_2019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320320421018527714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdzkdF4FY-rvwxcjmabq5ZugAoLMB4ofmEr5V7K0ikyU5ftCZW6kGYR7e-0ji774pvYGn0E9CBx6xJyB1TQOOUseb95_FkTqHnqA8etaUoH3yu13lWcRhF6aycmiiDeW5FWga5ivTgWY/s320/IMG_2019.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy3qY7SoB19PceiJJZkAQVZ7v6wOBKWThLWWWZnePBUFynI76Ik7MA0mp_I7nyjwttAwYgsfOIdv6lfYrYX-wUAj1IyirVlj8k5-LHNuTsN3veNAcGMeOw-Ox9Rr_E06d2Vil0SlVgA8/s1600-h/IMG_2025.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320321159041646818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy3qY7SoB19PceiJJZkAQVZ7v6wOBKWThLWWWZnePBUFynI76Ik7MA0mp_I7nyjwttAwYgsfOIdv6lfYrYX-wUAj1IyirVlj8k5-LHNuTsN3veNAcGMeOw-Ox9Rr_E06d2Vil0SlVgA8/s320/IMG_2025.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8OGXvjtiQyS2ZsttCgkBrl-QFFIllUb93sPzX8N75gjLstEbz95tZPCtyLrCQxCyfZtsEiuCQEnSRwwsUs1lLPDY_Yl5KMkzzzrKXICaR5vc2XHYDtWRas2JBiu7NcvK4oRbLBxQW3k/s1600-h/IMG_2032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320324973237326050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8OGXvjtiQyS2ZsttCgkBrl-QFFIllUb93sPzX8N75gjLstEbz95tZPCtyLrCQxCyfZtsEiuCQEnSRwwsUs1lLPDY_Yl5KMkzzzrKXICaR5vc2XHYDtWRas2JBiu7NcvK4oRbLBxQW3k/s320/IMG_2032.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5OKP8n5P4rxKKUBSws7yYn0i-NAzsVPpLrRUv7YBgsWkY1P28C7zjQ_7xtFXGrU6fcmGR3uQ0qVEFcgLcSu-Mi22qdatnoD1mq8CTGUkQvDKbTNrD4VkrcQpmu4St_kXWKAcHbXzoLk/s1600-h/IMG_2029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320324462572127970" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5OKP8n5P4rxKKUBSws7yYn0i-NAzsVPpLrRUv7YBgsWkY1P28C7zjQ_7xtFXGrU6fcmGR3uQ0qVEFcgLcSu-Mi22qdatnoD1mq8CTGUkQvDKbTNrD4VkrcQpmu4St_kXWKAcHbXzoLk/s320/IMG_2029.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3mgB6pwcQN_P2jqRvst_-GqROPIu-2HWVQKDAMCGTVJ2dLivI5mSn1IlH0H1ZDMCIZ4xUfC5T88o5UtjmHJYxs4MtLQYxHBZl94aj4O61uaqmeDrXP8QaE1kYI3hMap8H23qlynCJSE/s1600-h/IMG_2052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320327379211378194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3mgB6pwcQN_P2jqRvst_-GqROPIu-2HWVQKDAMCGTVJ2dLivI5mSn1IlH0H1ZDMCIZ4xUfC5T88o5UtjmHJYxs4MtLQYxHBZl94aj4O61uaqmeDrXP8QaE1kYI3hMap8H23qlynCJSE/s320/IMG_2052.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjNEbFIaY3HqJ0bdvpxRHqgqhamNTNScYl9G0hVyBIYPlx3pEJ_zdROhsL4bg7aa3s2ALaOPGyN2K7Mzng8WmWD7E2zy0MdFrpZlGeSXb-La8YhUGxLUOeRhdItHDFL5eXdwn2nsiPqg/s1600-h/IMG_2049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320326938230692210" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjNEbFIaY3HqJ0bdvpxRHqgqhamNTNScYl9G0hVyBIYPlx3pEJ_zdROhsL4bg7aa3s2ALaOPGyN2K7Mzng8WmWD7E2zy0MdFrpZlGeSXb-La8YhUGxLUOeRhdItHDFL5eXdwn2nsiPqg/s320/IMG_2049.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On our last day in Sapporo we visited the old government building, which is modeled after the Maryland and Massachusetts State Houses. Then we went back to the park one last time and watched some snowboarders jump off a ramp for awhile before we had to get to the train station to head for the airport. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifACIdLLGEYYS7z5a_H7LRWKJPyu7XF8KsqVKvjI8331xVToYykjF6nFULYi6G99jx411V0TUhZOOIn8HPL-nw5zk_R2K5-Y7KL3LggTvT7-PYF1j1FjcU1oaggrdCWv_YF7HRh6y-F5I/s1600-h/IMG_2080.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320328025097052258" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifACIdLLGEYYS7z5a_H7LRWKJPyu7XF8KsqVKvjI8331xVToYykjF6nFULYi6G99jx411V0TUhZOOIn8HPL-nw5zk_R2K5-Y7KL3LggTvT7-PYF1j1FjcU1oaggrdCWv_YF7HRh6y-F5I/s320/IMG_2080.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf79BLCJ4nscToOyHaY5099DN9f2BPvvNlTv2z04Xt6zrAH_DltKMtj6HkMtUv1uRSXo8PlshBFXW4jBMAJ2lrtn7_gDaQzkbruFVyg0CGvtt7hAtnTTzkmbDwSaPza0IrMn3nBPisqlM/s1600-h/IMG_2093.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320328355119547458" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf79BLCJ4nscToOyHaY5099DN9f2BPvvNlTv2z04Xt6zrAH_DltKMtj6HkMtUv1uRSXo8PlshBFXW4jBMAJ2lrtn7_gDaQzkbruFVyg0CGvtt7hAtnTTzkmbDwSaPza0IrMn3nBPisqlM/s320/IMG_2093.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sapporo is the major city on the northern island of Hokkaido and we had fun, but still have much of that island to explore. It is a big change from the crowded and busy Tokyo area. Hokkaido is full of national parks, mountains, wetlands, and other places of natural beauty so we would like to go back when the weather is warmer to visit some of these locations. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-47859036369226339572009-01-26T03:05:00.000-08:002009-01-26T19:26:19.969-08:00Wild Snow Monkeys and Matsumoto CastleThis past weekend (Jan. 24) we went on a fabulous trip to Nagano prefecture, the location of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. The scenery was wonderful as we drove around the Japanese Alps and we got our first taste of real cold and snow in Japan.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n2x7dxSvECKCEHB8U4gtewp4vIoRU3zgwFuyINNsuh0O9OyMOawKoey_vdcBosfZGei3YDLQPx0Wwej1YeYVAkA-Ol5djbw0MCSTI5S8wnA-cucZ4Jzb60Bg2N1rr0U9jnq3gJrcIaU/s1600-h/IMG_1902.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295594228008405874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n2x7dxSvECKCEHB8U4gtewp4vIoRU3zgwFuyINNsuh0O9OyMOawKoey_vdcBosfZGei3YDLQPx0Wwej1YeYVAkA-Ol5djbw0MCSTI5S8wnA-cucZ4Jzb60Bg2N1rr0U9jnq3gJrcIaU/s320/IMG_1902.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhlSueKHdHDIzQd-BilshXGWvVnbEU1XZ38UxAk-lmgqa-XyCbLJEvZA1kctOtTchEcKNhPn-mHTFKFgr5iEWI34A3DyaVzZk3oojDzBQ5S-GpgkMVUoJ5dfzQvyjs-4RKAXdG3P-qS4/s1600-h/IMG_1904.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295598165163426050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhlSueKHdHDIzQd-BilshXGWvVnbEU1XZ38UxAk-lmgqa-XyCbLJEvZA1kctOtTchEcKNhPn-mHTFKFgr5iEWI34A3DyaVzZk3oojDzBQ5S-GpgkMVUoJ5dfzQvyjs-4RKAXdG3P-qS4/s320/IMG_1904.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The first stop of the day was at the Wild Snow Monkey Park. These Japanese monkeys live in a hot springs area on a mountain and actually bathe in the hot springs. They really do seem to be wild - they are timid when humans get too close but as long as you are just walking around and looking they go about their business. It was a neat experience to watch them play in the snow and then hop into the "hot tub". The hike up was not too difficult although the trail was covered with snow and ice. There are signs on the way up telling you the names of different birds and animals to be looking for and we took a picture of one bird called an Alpine Accentor. On our way back down it started snowing and the temperature dropped and we were very glad to be back on the bus. We stopped quickly to take a picture in the snow in front of the shrine - maybe next year's Christmas card! </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs-h51EBccTkH3M2HRju6CUVia6WVgGcnZ5mlo3iuEnBm8eDlHOg_4vCT9SJ5yHlq5yHmp-fDe80hje9Q_1GvdoKAkfCRtlUbIPHYxMbjf0L_ZycZFBfA-Z2rhzm-pn2WN4nyRn4xUEo/s1600-h/IMG_1797.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295598949016764786" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs-h51EBccTkH3M2HRju6CUVia6WVgGcnZ5mlo3iuEnBm8eDlHOg_4vCT9SJ5yHlq5yHmp-fDe80hje9Q_1GvdoKAkfCRtlUbIPHYxMbjf0L_ZycZFBfA-Z2rhzm-pn2WN4nyRn4xUEo/s320/IMG_1797.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrX-QoUy27oxn8HaVah3Zfhl3_0fEjeKn-pORTcT1Tz4dSJT_Ryl0RjpofACAJFrBeBsjh20Hxk7NtI6z7oHec-afLriR8v3m5-kqOHR8X1rww7d25PCMdwoQKtj75SA_iYrOiLU8dJo/s1600-h/IMG_1814.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295599671723899298" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrX-QoUy27oxn8HaVah3Zfhl3_0fEjeKn-pORTcT1Tz4dSJT_Ryl0RjpofACAJFrBeBsjh20Hxk7NtI6z7oHec-afLriR8v3m5-kqOHR8X1rww7d25PCMdwoQKtj75SA_iYrOiLU8dJo/s320/IMG_1814.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcSZhaXHaomLaSonL1BGfBJoFJ8k5_cxBYUwYy_yN9uXzqhjKt65gjC0J0yRPO71Xu-ELomDZXpZ3MTVIkG8NrnjmoRZhMIKJ_hWOJYBAzmEM1ErjVnraAAKB2XZt1PuFp6G84YnOPtA/s1600-h/IMG_1803.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295600653291318690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcSZhaXHaomLaSonL1BGfBJoFJ8k5_cxBYUwYy_yN9uXzqhjKt65gjC0J0yRPO71Xu-ELomDZXpZ3MTVIkG8NrnjmoRZhMIKJ_hWOJYBAzmEM1ErjVnraAAKB2XZt1PuFp6G84YnOPtA/s320/IMG_1803.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaha8676MLZwmryds74mcAZqL1RomTiMnpGNBX4AY2-wZ4B5nHzYHwXdPDM1KuRedI9BTJaFdQ0uXXHWy1D35DjS7bD20bSzxMx09UvM2JbkWVBIuBak5VcKjT5vRAA5_ZVMSIbgA8Xrc/s1600-h/IMG_1837.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295601309948240210" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaha8676MLZwmryds74mcAZqL1RomTiMnpGNBX4AY2-wZ4B5nHzYHwXdPDM1KuRedI9BTJaFdQ0uXXHWy1D35DjS7bD20bSzxMx09UvM2JbkWVBIuBak5VcKjT5vRAA5_ZVMSIbgA8Xrc/s320/IMG_1837.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWqwvXo1IgGoSBa7haIqxr2M_4-i8DFtQbzAjqwnYUcU4qGa4l0EmhG3_a-r5thQ7QHQ0_K-pHlIv1mA0S6Don46VyyE5NVBhNz1faUzqar23JZ-8c2-qizOKWn5JJvg10-N-riiNp8o/s1600-h/IMG_1839.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295606686260729410" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWqwvXo1IgGoSBa7haIqxr2M_4-i8DFtQbzAjqwnYUcU4qGa4l0EmhG3_a-r5thQ7QHQ0_K-pHlIv1mA0S6Don46VyyE5NVBhNz1faUzqar23JZ-8c2-qizOKWn5JJvg10-N-riiNp8o/s320/IMG_1839.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7kicTz9hdz43Bl5msKqGn5bCPYQnVVymeVKwj859N7SdRvabq1VHFiWCbujFZtEMSZy6ea6y_RFNfx8XjsN83w6R3k2Ujty7iT4cP04KhW3_eH_qhTkBroLoOpLK31aT6HUOzcw0C4E/s1600-h/IMG_1843.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295607406946824162" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7kicTz9hdz43Bl5msKqGn5bCPYQnVVymeVKwj859N7SdRvabq1VHFiWCbujFZtEMSZy6ea6y_RFNfx8XjsN83w6R3k2Ujty7iT4cP04KhW3_eH_qhTkBroLoOpLK31aT6HUOzcw0C4E/s320/IMG_1843.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteZuk-N0V3IqR6rPIMT1QcO9t4u9xe7GCcT7-sGd7flldqNhi_PZQHN7SsYg8BO2mGXD7pCuGbHLlZc_kUD7TNnyg-FacLpXuRd8sNUC0YAfyT0o32KXb6lCS27X1yDZfm1cKx75YtZo/s1600-h/IMG_1848.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295787372669785490" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteZuk-N0V3IqR6rPIMT1QcO9t4u9xe7GCcT7-sGd7flldqNhi_PZQHN7SsYg8BO2mGXD7pCuGbHLlZc_kUD7TNnyg-FacLpXuRd8sNUC0YAfyT0o32KXb6lCS27X1yDZfm1cKx75YtZo/s320/IMG_1848.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckZd9-ekRDqqpgn7V7VUT69h3vCFZLj_we84rQ91Tt-4NZx9sdY7l2pt3sKDDAgehc6Uvgm3XCyKpSRLBCJv-OfUO2fSZKZgm-a0CtXXcYPSva17Vn9ADLjrQkINPB3GP04pvuQP5-RI/s1600-h/IMG_1860.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295794620102104786" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckZd9-ekRDqqpgn7V7VUT69h3vCFZLj_we84rQ91Tt-4NZx9sdY7l2pt3sKDDAgehc6Uvgm3XCyKpSRLBCJv-OfUO2fSZKZgm-a0CtXXcYPSva17Vn9ADLjrQkINPB3GP04pvuQP5-RI/s320/IMG_1860.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mrOUy3obmQjT50s6bA0uB-FRo3z_5WZ-jHJGf-XauVdBvtnSkhmImBS1OEPD7V7wNdl4tyBdcPO5OlWRh43gQdD8_DuIiF03N6G9_FgILmvpqgnNOH_-nol_sNhqsq_a6fjOZTinXbk/s1600-h/IMG_1870.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295795688233683026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mrOUy3obmQjT50s6bA0uB-FRo3z_5WZ-jHJGf-XauVdBvtnSkhmImBS1OEPD7V7wNdl4tyBdcPO5OlWRh43gQdD8_DuIiF03N6G9_FgILmvpqgnNOH_-nol_sNhqsq_a6fjOZTinXbk/s320/IMG_1870.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc88LvhyphenhyphenZMBZbvIb3kqVmdp7d9DHwMHIz7sKKUX4Zyx9oi2DdFlfMfO7fpEAEiGr8x-JsLX7QzC9syqFuxCxpFmISPz5VsqralXqeRJ4K42FkH80sh7GJMViXnMggouTNZFAA6Hn6Pl4/s1600-h/IMG_1882.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295797964015451458" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc88LvhyphenhyphenZMBZbvIb3kqVmdp7d9DHwMHIz7sKKUX4Zyx9oi2DdFlfMfO7fpEAEiGr8x-JsLX7QzC9syqFuxCxpFmISPz5VsqralXqeRJ4K42FkH80sh7GJMViXnMggouTNZFAA6Hn6Pl4/s320/IMG_1882.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfz0Ez2TvrSYricVhhSBPlEhoHV7WjAJUzXTPcC2nKeQLrQ36RdVYai6DHcA_s95a6KCqLicwlYLxEqUxc9z8pj4KuJOk-hAQCJmz5be1r3nu-kKNsfQUT8Fz6Rdk_LCtb13FlJEYL8Y/s1600-h/IMG_1892.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295799281011651058" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfz0Ez2TvrSYricVhhSBPlEhoHV7WjAJUzXTPcC2nKeQLrQ36RdVYai6DHcA_s95a6KCqLicwlYLxEqUxc9z8pj4KuJOk-hAQCJmz5be1r3nu-kKNsfQUT8Fz6Rdk_LCtb13FlJEYL8Y/s320/IMG_1892.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UD6M_JYaLb_8iLKqEQ9wRsDl5mBACY0F8rZGCacaL1SwkRHJIzgNehtMa9cyxTdyHSy28hdx2Eg0-ChFtZYshSy9iCfTrydtbtex8sVjWaeK5lZjs0ZjCJgNMKi-zMq5mUDAl1e84-E/s1600-h/IMG_1893.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295800741994116162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UD6M_JYaLb_8iLKqEQ9wRsDl5mBACY0F8rZGCacaL1SwkRHJIzgNehtMa9cyxTdyHSy28hdx2Eg0-ChFtZYshSy9iCfTrydtbtex8sVjWaeK5lZjs0ZjCJgNMKi-zMq5mUDAl1e84-E/s320/IMG_1893.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS5LShWcpYdMD1dWJ6zHXEdNkBAJMgpbSbFzHFEmI2K-L-RuWVglp4NVs5AOR7Jv-Bao2WqZgLVNqeZMBuMnAkx-Qgh6IGL9-Pw3K1vVKRS85TDMJGvhEtDWsTNydw1QntqMZ6mdJAEQ/s1600-h/IMG_1895.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295801872685355010" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS5LShWcpYdMD1dWJ6zHXEdNkBAJMgpbSbFzHFEmI2K-L-RuWVglp4NVs5AOR7Jv-Bao2WqZgLVNqeZMBuMnAkx-Qgh6IGL9-Pw3K1vVKRS85TDMJGvhEtDWsTNydw1QntqMZ6mdJAEQ/s320/IMG_1895.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Next we drove about 45 minutes to Matsumoto Castle. This castle is one of the oldest five tiered castles in Japan and is the most intact of any Japanese castle. We learned that the difference between Japanese and European castles is that the Japanese castles are made of wood rather than stone so it really is impressive that any of them still exist. The castle is painted black which is unusual for a Japanese castle - they are usually painted white. Because of its black color, the nickname for this castle is Crow Castle. The castle was very cold and we had to take our shoes off and wear slippers while we walked inside. There were some collections of guns and Samurai uniforms inside the castle. The woodwork on the interior was amazing - it looked like they used whole trees as the support beams.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQlWDjV9ZPn3jSifG7tTSvqsL_6CDKhdkgRaRiRC10eMd2ObEwWJl1eNW08Evz_kHUh3_bJqP2itPq9aWHzR-i8cY_p7KXvxMe9p45GK7QHtOuzyr3i0vmEGzmXHxmuZl_H0kmBiCJyI/s1600-h/IMG_1905.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295802913044045682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQlWDjV9ZPn3jSifG7tTSvqsL_6CDKhdkgRaRiRC10eMd2ObEwWJl1eNW08Evz_kHUh3_bJqP2itPq9aWHzR-i8cY_p7KXvxMe9p45GK7QHtOuzyr3i0vmEGzmXHxmuZl_H0kmBiCJyI/s320/IMG_1905.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22o1ti2MBeWSMNSQabt98oCbXNf37F9HM1M2iiTeyc8Af_pQgkIQJBtCc6KNpMgY3CzEw_vTDx8FfOGImIwZqknJzLD9uoxN6fi_8htdAhU90XyNxgXsFtaFkEXnANFgh5HXSEoJQFJ8/s1600-h/IMG_1910.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295804847093650210" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22o1ti2MBeWSMNSQabt98oCbXNf37F9HM1M2iiTeyc8Af_pQgkIQJBtCc6KNpMgY3CzEw_vTDx8FfOGImIwZqknJzLD9uoxN6fi_8htdAhU90XyNxgXsFtaFkEXnANFgh5HXSEoJQFJ8/s320/IMG_1910.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpy2vVPYP_nI-NC5hEEtE-oQbYuy79-wrvc8ILG1iKAucUi5xofiX1tURrMBYmxLk0foz2i_95wQkCBE-2hbnNyyOsH_h1FkeCPgj1iwRQVsK4Ka_NLJqrmsPWeqAydU8XljF96X3rV8/s1600-h/IMG_1913.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295805978240297618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpy2vVPYP_nI-NC5hEEtE-oQbYuy79-wrvc8ILG1iKAucUi5xofiX1tURrMBYmxLk0foz2i_95wQkCBE-2hbnNyyOsH_h1FkeCPgj1iwRQVsK4Ka_NLJqrmsPWeqAydU8XljF96X3rV8/s320/IMG_1913.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZQvs9GhuZ6yC3L9MZW2SvDT8Ax-49T3Ms38hTIr2Tf3JtwsfAIVzvFmY1Cu-jnd4syKU_Wo2oR4UiMC-4WF4CzYPSd_4IMM1Ul0SpyFfOPbfOfxkUwn6scq2FQ19cgTs3O5qSrRmhNo/s1600-h/IMG_1919.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295806704925198178" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZQvs9GhuZ6yC3L9MZW2SvDT8Ax-49T3Ms38hTIr2Tf3JtwsfAIVzvFmY1Cu-jnd4syKU_Wo2oR4UiMC-4WF4CzYPSd_4IMM1Ul0SpyFfOPbfOfxkUwn6scq2FQ19cgTs3O5qSrRmhNo/s320/IMG_1919.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgQKsFfnKu8nGndft0KIwstnuo6h87MR6rcm4KXY-vtbFT8rcQ-gUqPPd9cQ57oNX0XOPkfDbetyiEDGEak5lAjGs74MrPDWdvjXdcrPL4Hk5T6KRmNAGvpSROCQzy22YBj9ccaEXZXo/s1600-h/IMG_1948.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295807852217807714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgQKsFfnKu8nGndft0KIwstnuo6h87MR6rcm4KXY-vtbFT8rcQ-gUqPPd9cQ57oNX0XOPkfDbetyiEDGEak5lAjGs74MrPDWdvjXdcrPL4Hk5T6KRmNAGvpSROCQzy22YBj9ccaEXZXo/s320/IMG_1948.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCy1-FvamNImgj9bMB-vfy9anj0foK1Xplb07V8C7FJLTampzJvv2xbMdZUuWhaEZL4WIkL1OhB-W-ySQoaZ5kekq9BjBpbkhAxp7_DuoQLaUUNlTvqs3npbMp2cRQRBRM-sHF0tHmKFw/s1600-h/IMG_1949.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295808736178333026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCy1-FvamNImgj9bMB-vfy9anj0foK1Xplb07V8C7FJLTampzJvv2xbMdZUuWhaEZL4WIkL1OhB-W-ySQoaZ5kekq9BjBpbkhAxp7_DuoQLaUUNlTvqs3npbMp2cRQRBRM-sHF0tHmKFw/s320/IMG_1949.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We would like to go back and visit the castle when it is warmer. We saw pictures when flowers are in bloom and it is quite beautiful. Our next trip is to Sapporo for the Snow Festival so be looking for more cold weather pictures in a few weeks!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-4534734721670666492009-01-25T19:12:00.000-08:002009-01-26T01:58:51.519-08:00Tokyo Part NiFor those of you wondering what Ichi and Ni are, it means One and Two. There are several different counting systems used in Japan and I'm not sure that I'm using the correct one, but you get the idea. We went to Tokyo again, this time with a Japanese friend who showed us around town. It was great having someone to help us with the language and since she is trying to learn English we can help her also. Sometimes communication turns into a game of charades, but for the most part we are all able to communicate well! <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>We started the day by heading to the Tsukiji fish market, a very famous fish market in Japan. If you arrive between 4:30am and 6:30am you can witness the fish auction which is supposed to be very entertaining. For awhile this was closed to tourists because of poor manners, but now it has reopened. We did not arrive early enough to see the auction but there are many restaurants in the area that serve the fish they have purchased at the auction and this is supposed to be the freshest sushi in the world. Since we missed the auction, there was really nothing to take pictures of but we are planning to try to make it to the auction when we stay overnight in Tokyo in April for the Submarine Ball.</div><br /><div>The next stop was Tokyo Tower, which is a slightly taller replica of the Eiffel Tower. We paid the admission to go to the 150 meter deck of the tower but it was pretty hazy so we did not pay the extra admission to go to the higher deck. Reiko, our Japanese friend, is afraid of heights but still appeared to be having a good time. There is a glass window facing down toward the ground that you can look through and stand on and see all the little people and cars below! </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31KuUQW6NXj66nB5HtNv_XPrOhlYXVRou99esIlpBy6zDU_5rkt6DfMctGaqF217tCcViL_XC0GblI20pClcfkI6G9HTi6kUri4AW0yfw7UpWjteL2datsdOWizD3EV9gGX-wS2i6FIg/s1600-h/IMG_1713.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295439464763266050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31KuUQW6NXj66nB5HtNv_XPrOhlYXVRou99esIlpBy6zDU_5rkt6DfMctGaqF217tCcViL_XC0GblI20pClcfkI6G9HTi6kUri4AW0yfw7UpWjteL2datsdOWizD3EV9gGX-wS2i6FIg/s320/IMG_1713.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_b9Nqq-OGLIkkM5ce-riS9A0MunEyfKMGNgE5wW3vFKTyVO9J_E-k0oaCOzz1aHQi_oQvgR59iveBF0-r5PDKpnydvW9ps0B9oY97oMbSHmpNU0pcGZ30G3ejvH8EPFM3itzqsRGjn4/s1600-h/IMG_1630.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295440284482834114" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_b9Nqq-OGLIkkM5ce-riS9A0MunEyfKMGNgE5wW3vFKTyVO9J_E-k0oaCOzz1aHQi_oQvgR59iveBF0-r5PDKpnydvW9ps0B9oY97oMbSHmpNU0pcGZ30G3ejvH8EPFM3itzqsRGjn4/s320/IMG_1630.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUupvvp-LRfDR5TVYzL26HXKoJySXCo7IDpJtQTxgMhFWAcTxyuXiX2Ow34th9NvVye5OqqQlwSIGKlxXuwVKH_4NrHWHw4PM3n7NYHF7yp2icgwpSbF_bMPr3h9mYze1fE_Dg4H8Ht4M/s1600-h/IMG_1652.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295441692486785330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUupvvp-LRfDR5TVYzL26HXKoJySXCo7IDpJtQTxgMhFWAcTxyuXiX2Ow34th9NvVye5OqqQlwSIGKlxXuwVKH_4NrHWHw4PM3n7NYHF7yp2icgwpSbF_bMPr3h9mYze1fE_Dg4H8Ht4M/s320/IMG_1652.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGkGuV7CgE34mw027S-nCqbIIHelDthDCoTdh6PLocXjcVexDLC_XVK2pYe4jjW1yk4kYS5IK7UxgOTJy-BTSr2pB1jVF71h1aJ18JRvoaCPnXqHWiJcY8nsWfn7i8eF1wPNkWs2LDj4/s1600-h/IMG_1648.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295442944474529554" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGkGuV7CgE34mw027S-nCqbIIHelDthDCoTdh6PLocXjcVexDLC_XVK2pYe4jjW1yk4kYS5IK7UxgOTJy-BTSr2pB1jVF71h1aJ18JRvoaCPnXqHWiJcY8nsWfn7i8eF1wPNkWs2LDj4/s320/IMG_1648.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We went outside to get crepes when we came back down from the tower and saw a monkey doing tricks outside. We took some pictures and thought to ourselves that it is a good thing they don't have PETA in Japan.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN46IE8JCO0B1eSxfBSpY-fmRUR_ngcbHfaYaoWofJrKu1RQruCFbcpxhYoOrb5ucImkxD8EBzBvIp65grnCMBzP18M8Rxjx3eAyoRJl8YkFZ7BH7eNyAmnlAPbIXgE9j9SnlsD3_2viQ/s1600-h/IMG_1656.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295444111111882178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN46IE8JCO0B1eSxfBSpY-fmRUR_ngcbHfaYaoWofJrKu1RQruCFbcpxhYoOrb5ucImkxD8EBzBvIp65grnCMBzP18M8Rxjx3eAyoRJl8YkFZ7BH7eNyAmnlAPbIXgE9j9SnlsD3_2viQ/s320/IMG_1656.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR318tCwwsXaceAK_Mqv8W-62TAgTvwRpUcS2SJmvNG7_5CRx2G6kkweJsUdhS0aqhVJObZWdHL99VW9Xd9cbsPaCdmRqhet3AP1o1HhfW-ycrAi-ZDAtimXJFRNaWAKP7yZyESyctRE/s1600-h/IMG_1660.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295445203617981154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR318tCwwsXaceAK_Mqv8W-62TAgTvwRpUcS2SJmvNG7_5CRx2G6kkweJsUdhS0aqhVJObZWdHL99VW9Xd9cbsPaCdmRqhet3AP1o1HhfW-ycrAi-ZDAtimXJFRNaWAKP7yZyESyctRE/s320/IMG_1660.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On the first floor of the tower is a small aquarium and they were having a discount for foreigners so we decided to check that out. There were a lot of eel and piranhas and at the end was a peaceful coy pond with a fountain.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES61biggk4JkXM3GfWOfocryceERpKrjZP1BawaCdclYR0evprroFdroLuF-xcLR1KWttryumls4Ob4UZeMFLYCLjM-23LXeareWdADBjCQAotsVWrhqymKhJkxALWQXLpttoYmj6lRo/s1600-h/IMG_1670.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295445974389332834" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES61biggk4JkXM3GfWOfocryceERpKrjZP1BawaCdclYR0evprroFdroLuF-xcLR1KWttryumls4Ob4UZeMFLYCLjM-23LXeareWdADBjCQAotsVWrhqymKhJkxALWQXLpttoYmj6lRo/s320/IMG_1670.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPqpIByTdCVZ0qdk8uThnkI3LB9k90zUsPvflnP6X1-wNYxuVpHhmlDPS2lXkReCa6XUOz48DCBylYSW9E8GkWO5yupkFRAc_BbXYpzRrjEfJiInj-RP5HVRfttGImdUgYVv7EnzaZ_s/s1600-h/IMG_1672.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295446797979142930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPqpIByTdCVZ0qdk8uThnkI3LB9k90zUsPvflnP6X1-wNYxuVpHhmlDPS2lXkReCa6XUOz48DCBylYSW9E8GkWO5yupkFRAc_BbXYpzRrjEfJiInj-RP5HVRfttGImdUgYVv7EnzaZ_s/s320/IMG_1672.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsxza6vtE0F8gp-B2yxClPatz7SOo_yvNOuqCU-DFi_oz9-Rg43LPzBNKxCJB2o1ju_pWahF0EN4LL2WzhzB5O-rSmiYscg9HtqDJH7jsPI0SPeWxMAl8vTbTSNSyV5qcIRXz01kVsFo/s1600-h/IMG_1694.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295447726407819682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsxza6vtE0F8gp-B2yxClPatz7SOo_yvNOuqCU-DFi_oz9-Rg43LPzBNKxCJB2o1ju_pWahF0EN4LL2WzhzB5O-rSmiYscg9HtqDJH7jsPI0SPeWxMAl8vTbTSNSyV5qcIRXz01kVsFo/s320/IMG_1694.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>At this point it had been a long day so we all decided to pass on the Tokyo night life and head back to eat dinner and watch movies in Yokohama. Ed took some cool pictures while we waited for the train to go home.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-fBiH7rHgwPCHbUNj7lkvZF0WSSg7xtePi9rF3hcN-cgJgXGICba-G8EoO2_1DKafqgy6BIXmPyrXm9SMR8vS-Etguv4SYxjyYvejg5RtiqNCjqTxtu3YWDHErl-L3n2DPO_B78acZ8/s1600-h/IMG_1746.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295449375382603874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-fBiH7rHgwPCHbUNj7lkvZF0WSSg7xtePi9rF3hcN-cgJgXGICba-G8EoO2_1DKafqgy6BIXmPyrXm9SMR8vS-Etguv4SYxjyYvejg5RtiqNCjqTxtu3YWDHErl-L3n2DPO_B78acZ8/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_hkD9PIjQeHOuGEZNEUXVX2NHtoSi6meyXDJPFsgQf9dtp5TOeKwTviscSyNl6JZmvg5bRQAYmJTlVBQLfoT8nI8J2xTvLCs0z5v0-ZllrkejhnTBBCs4jRZuvFHlcp1-lAbIYUjK-0/s1600-h/IMG_1749.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295458504592105122" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_hkD9PIjQeHOuGEZNEUXVX2NHtoSi6meyXDJPFsgQf9dtp5TOeKwTviscSyNl6JZmvg5bRQAYmJTlVBQLfoT8nI8J2xTvLCs0z5v0-ZllrkejhnTBBCs4jRZuvFHlcp1-lAbIYUjK-0/s320/IMG_1749.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-9581668410292773072009-01-12T03:15:00.000-08:002009-01-12T05:05:41.721-08:00Tokyo Part IchiNow that the holidays are over we have taken some time to explore Tokyo. We took our first trip on January 3rd which is still part of the New Year's holiday here in Japan. New Year's is celebrated for three days starting on New Year's Eve. Japanese people traditionally visit shrines and temples on New Year's Eve to pray for good fortune in the new year and then watch the first sunrise of the year in the morning. We saw that there has been some western influence and there were some fireworks in the larger cities like Yokohama. However, partying like we do in the states is not the popular thing to do here. <div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>We started our trip by arriving at Tokyo Station and walking to the Imperial Palace. Because of the holiday most of the palace grounds were closed to the public, but we could still see the palace and the famous bridge at one of its gates.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MIAKlWaTL39Axjch3KfLwhtTTUMiUaG4V5YNqnRfhNg1yUNZ0r_IvpXZY7scQuIxDeWbSp82qPG1VZlcq3Y9HKmJExaKdRscZxhXDzeTyXNWjc7yUIEEsIDVZHlW_UO0anFzXQt9VWE/s1600-h/IMG_1585.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290376017737307474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MIAKlWaTL39Axjch3KfLwhtTTUMiUaG4V5YNqnRfhNg1yUNZ0r_IvpXZY7scQuIxDeWbSp82qPG1VZlcq3Y9HKmJExaKdRscZxhXDzeTyXNWjc7yUIEEsIDVZHlW_UO0anFzXQt9VWE/s320/IMG_1585.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlyrKO91ym6stBTA0GtrWtHIyMPIR5lQAjtI4I9ZnevTVpsSMb1a8em9AyQ_oC3-diNre7kelu0mpc6lmZBoZ0PR5JeZ_vpE6hi4qoFFJjFL4dG5GVaap8tlFLuBE7hylh2f79CL-RW4/s1600-h/IMG_1568.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290376661568468962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlyrKO91ym6stBTA0GtrWtHIyMPIR5lQAjtI4I9ZnevTVpsSMb1a8em9AyQ_oC3-diNre7kelu0mpc6lmZBoZ0PR5JeZ_vpE6hi4qoFFJjFL4dG5GVaap8tlFLuBE7hylh2f79CL-RW4/s320/IMG_1568.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Next we went to Ueno Park in the northern part of Tokyo. This park will be beautiful in April and May when we can see the cherry blossoms and it is the location of the zoo, the National Museum, the Science Museum, and the Western Art Museum as well as some shrines, temples, and statues. We decided to go to the Tokyo National Museum where we saw military apparel, swords, art, sculpture, and many other Japanese artifacts. After the museum we visited the Toshogu Shrine where I threw my 5 yen coin in and wished for good fortune in the new year. From the shrine we could also see the five story pagoda that is located inside the Ueno Zoo. We left the park passing the statue of Takamori Saigo, a famous figure in Japan, and headed for our next stop.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihAdDoBK9VsDczyirqwnmrKpMvEBkad3FCQ7U2hu5hqpgUfp1ZbF28akznbA24p9QJY9Pl6eba5-K9VMZBWs-AvSaJcu1mABDTlFbvyg43gR_SbhrpIz8RIJNyf8krW1XzgRlNdgqybs/s1600-h/IMG_1594.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290377397406926722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihAdDoBK9VsDczyirqwnmrKpMvEBkad3FCQ7U2hu5hqpgUfp1ZbF28akznbA24p9QJY9Pl6eba5-K9VMZBWs-AvSaJcu1mABDTlFbvyg43gR_SbhrpIz8RIJNyf8krW1XzgRlNdgqybs/s320/IMG_1594.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE0Cgzgg5gKJ51n-Xlpm9mUVzfGnesqe40xomYHibLIugBXNcL_u8nzXfQyER9mW_HagMjoVCLD_7yy2ME5SP0uhJpto1UB8bq2d_Rjay-7gZ909fKYNqQhJLTncSC2Dh-BPnGlh-KZo/s1600-h/IMG_1601.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290378304815020866" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE0Cgzgg5gKJ51n-Xlpm9mUVzfGnesqe40xomYHibLIugBXNcL_u8nzXfQyER9mW_HagMjoVCLD_7yy2ME5SP0uhJpto1UB8bq2d_Rjay-7gZ909fKYNqQhJLTncSC2Dh-BPnGlh-KZo/s320/IMG_1601.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz10cCegyklrN_iCBJygoO3gFLcXGV1dgsODPN3-pLd8T178mDU4A30nOZlE-pZD3rNV16kCH5wN7CgfX6Vba3UNMYOdOkPPMt-fmTowz3gBs9t3WBtYY2XOLatbcgd7Jlx3Bw7rJxkCk/s1600-h/IMG_1598.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290379312244635106" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz10cCegyklrN_iCBJygoO3gFLcXGV1dgsODPN3-pLd8T178mDU4A30nOZlE-pZD3rNV16kCH5wN7CgfX6Vba3UNMYOdOkPPMt-fmTowz3gBs9t3WBtYY2XOLatbcgd7Jlx3Bw7rJxkCk/s320/IMG_1598.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgicHw61f1mpXlUh3dM6YbQ8rgWrGiE9Zk3c1ziR-pz6aE6_4QKj2XX0bEwF56tue8qqrVT96ZMQp5ygw_7jXISw5lrjYqSTe7KLZk9cIUkNfje0-veFB8TidyR6JmlRi02hUFwbkbHY/s1600-h/IMG_1603.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290380714156321906" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgicHw61f1mpXlUh3dM6YbQ8rgWrGiE9Zk3c1ziR-pz6aE6_4QKj2XX0bEwF56tue8qqrVT96ZMQp5ygw_7jXISw5lrjYqSTe7KLZk9cIUkNfje0-veFB8TidyR6JmlRi02hUFwbkbHY/s320/IMG_1603.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We went to the Shinjuku area as it started to get dark outside. This is one of the hot spots in Tokyo for partying at night and among the neon lights you can find restaurants, bars, and even the red light district. Times Square is located across from Shinjuku Station, the busiest train station in the world. We ate at a Yakatori restaurant which serves meat (mainly chicken) on skewers. Some of the appetizers were a little strange and I'm not exactly sure what I was eating.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBFnrIKJSYfPfmcGCkQ8lUrVCDwaWhHDgMA0nWgo5djvaavm_ZVATp0NMQP7sAcrHPSXfnaDagWM3HRejZjIeYlc8QJ7pKhuCfygXvfPhnSoOV61goChvXzF8LVhD1bppfXwXDseeG4Q/s1600-h/IMG_1612.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290390747616280466" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBFnrIKJSYfPfmcGCkQ8lUrVCDwaWhHDgMA0nWgo5djvaavm_ZVATp0NMQP7sAcrHPSXfnaDagWM3HRejZjIeYlc8QJ7pKhuCfygXvfPhnSoOV61goChvXzF8LVhD1bppfXwXDseeG4Q/s320/IMG_1612.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvtaoPgQQpfotWkcurmHg34ICpDyYs9PgzJ32_ezPpls10XlnnZxSkWtgAoX-dlhPeir_2f3VCM0M0Q07K2YRfGgnGYKjqEidVzBXisROc8MLEJSpbDaiIduIfnfOXSX5le9tehBTG8I/s1600-h/IMG_1611.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290391997560580066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvtaoPgQQpfotWkcurmHg34ICpDyYs9PgzJ32_ezPpls10XlnnZxSkWtgAoX-dlhPeir_2f3VCM0M0Q07K2YRfGgnGYKjqEidVzBXisROc8MLEJSpbDaiIduIfnfOXSX5le9tehBTG8I/s320/IMG_1611.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We left from Shinjuku Station for the approximately one hour train ride back to Yokosuka satisified with our first big trip to Tokyo. We were looking forward to our next trip as we hardly made a dent in all there is to see in Tokyo!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-13941704045802802242008-12-17T13:05:00.000-08:002008-12-17T13:55:40.332-08:00Landmark TowerWe recently took a trip to Yokohama to visit the Minato Mirai 21 (MM21) waterfront area. This means port of the future and the city has renovated this old port area with high tech earthquake proof buildings and piers. The major attraction to this area is the Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan. When the building was completed it featured the world's fastest elevator at 750m/hr, but recently became only the second fastest elevator in the world. It was incredible as the elevator was a perfectly smooth and quiet ride to the 69th floor viewing area.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kbKGFRWePgrDtWRfJUzAP5ibmQjjXcIWsN3ATiFyUfH2RuVYpyC2gdbR7Mov3JYRRdXkLl8h9cBPYuNiU4Iv2om6gx48FflSYDWsi6lMclvy8loZ1iBSVKjSz8TM2N5D-3jd4CO88nE/s1600-h/IMG_1536.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280871386513880562" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kbKGFRWePgrDtWRfJUzAP5ibmQjjXcIWsN3ATiFyUfH2RuVYpyC2gdbR7Mov3JYRRdXkLl8h9cBPYuNiU4Iv2om6gx48FflSYDWsi6lMclvy8loZ1iBSVKjSz8TM2N5D-3jd4CO88nE/s320/IMG_1536.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKRQ1TlruF_8NSR0TulHVouTJOg3RCADL9sxPe-PkW6Cl52RhO3FOM3iZpBaUfmuXv4F1Q8fx1yCbobisuaq9IoK3PsCgnfbKDR_fHb3Lnm_C3slaQkAKL7bOtLiCaOd87yURR0Rm41I/s1600-h/IMG_1553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280876854361877890" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKRQ1TlruF_8NSR0TulHVouTJOg3RCADL9sxPe-PkW6Cl52RhO3FOM3iZpBaUfmuXv4F1Q8fx1yCbobisuaq9IoK3PsCgnfbKDR_fHb3Lnm_C3slaQkAKL7bOtLiCaOd87yURR0Rm41I/s320/IMG_1553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2BJt_QCLkfyWxlU9bDk4AwgNJ8R7vOsO8OvxvSV0QE69IlN3HmS9ARjHBH53k_0WLkKGNCnpq7knjHJyyVip0QNDTUxrjl3G6vYmZJyMdSkUWqPpo2yTakkdBJ5-3ykZuOYssfCYyhg/s1600-h/IMG_1555.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280877507327246642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2BJt_QCLkfyWxlU9bDk4AwgNJ8R7vOsO8OvxvSV0QE69IlN3HmS9ARjHBH53k_0WLkKGNCnpq7knjHJyyVip0QNDTUxrjl3G6vYmZJyMdSkUWqPpo2yTakkdBJ5-3ykZuOYssfCYyhg/s320/IMG_1555.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>There are many other interesting buildings and styles of architecture to see from the top of the tower. The ones shown here are the convention center, the Minato Mirai Towers, the restored red brick warehouse, and the Yokohama Bay Bridge. This area is also the location of the world's tallest ferris wheel which happened to be closed the day we visited.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnHX-ZcXQ8Soq7I0Ov7UPjjkvNyI1k1N1ODyMlG-U6uBrS06X9nsBwpkL20AWCI2OJbD8n8fTl8DiG2y3oDiNG26ZuodWL5BrZ4lkClBGiwmsDFG9J2WkKPkPSPdMxrRByoCvzvbNbnA/s1600-h/IMG_1539.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280871899739404850" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnHX-ZcXQ8Soq7I0Ov7UPjjkvNyI1k1N1ODyMlG-U6uBrS06X9nsBwpkL20AWCI2OJbD8n8fTl8DiG2y3oDiNG26ZuodWL5BrZ4lkClBGiwmsDFG9J2WkKPkPSPdMxrRByoCvzvbNbnA/s320/IMG_1539.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdA3xo5sHLyv7xwIFuU8vAjWp__aPIFfoSo9PNeIuwByS9suefjs2EQODmQZbYGSsxNW0KK53Fq6AsJAFF52II9_G3BUQ4uXIfLFF3RDonh-H4xKxLaz4Hac1LJAgbOiKWSr3GvmDwYk/s1600-h/IMG_1554.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280874277815429794" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdA3xo5sHLyv7xwIFuU8vAjWp__aPIFfoSo9PNeIuwByS9suefjs2EQODmQZbYGSsxNW0KK53Fq6AsJAFF52II9_G3BUQ4uXIfLFF3RDonh-H4xKxLaz4Hac1LJAgbOiKWSr3GvmDwYk/s320/IMG_1554.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTcJRfcNFU1Rgk9vRd-fE1G2XHwWPw36fmCC0F61qnlo-s46D1ueU4Q0qsbW-O2GSsZshTX_TgRs7JLhk3hEdL9drCBd_oXBLzz3lpupL_cXG_BoxzxASksb5VelVGrlVY5FSLpHfIB8/s1600-h/IMG_1541.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280875181744139074" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTcJRfcNFU1Rgk9vRd-fE1G2XHwWPw36fmCC0F61qnlo-s46D1ueU4Q0qsbW-O2GSsZshTX_TgRs7JLhk3hEdL9drCBd_oXBLzz3lpupL_cXG_BoxzxASksb5VelVGrlVY5FSLpHfIB8/s320/IMG_1541.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Our last stop was a tour of the sailing trainer ship, the Nippon Maru, also known as the Swan of the Pacific. The white sails are hoisted twice a year and this ship is part of the Maritime Museum of Yokohama.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTPAt9pEVq_yIVZ9no_HBVnArYoJvXxDI9pYCEh8nGCH2NIRBEyQGAgzgveY-_XlHiHTrBqEySEWKDP1KF5VxEqH514KMTdA7YmK7xANs0SGInbVxFimuZsHnuxPlipgTEzKWM-q-t3w/s1600-h/IMG_1540.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280878108284071762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTPAt9pEVq_yIVZ9no_HBVnArYoJvXxDI9pYCEh8nGCH2NIRBEyQGAgzgveY-_XlHiHTrBqEySEWKDP1KF5VxEqH514KMTdA7YmK7xANs0SGInbVxFimuZsHnuxPlipgTEzKWM-q-t3w/s320/IMG_1540.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQRbTibhGCXoQK5HAwVHpXpKR6H-IRGySuWsB2awldg166pcghyphenhyphenlcHwomaWbtDPKHhe9_phq48jLmMgyFfKQesUPm4-9Ueq4LrU2N63-CGrcTY5n3KRu8VB1fisXqDxc1sf1fdx5LVTo/s1600-h/IMG_1556.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280878747621505714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQRbTibhGCXoQK5HAwVHpXpKR6H-IRGySuWsB2awldg166pcghyphenhyphenlcHwomaWbtDPKHhe9_phq48jLmMgyFfKQesUPm4-9Ueq4LrU2N63-CGrcTY5n3KRu8VB1fisXqDxc1sf1fdx5LVTo/s320/IMG_1556.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-39583971310737672962008-12-13T23:52:00.000-08:002008-12-14T00:22:53.770-08:00Thanksgiving and Decorating for Christmas!We spent Thanksgiving with our new friends Sherri and Austin at their house in Negishi, the Military Family Housing development in Yokohama. They prepared a feast for 18 people! Ed helped deep fry the turkey and I baked some desserts (turkey shaped sugar cookies and pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing...yum!). It was great to spend the holiday with friends since we are all so far away from home.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSooydCfej-sGsAdLZmQ6UDnv7Edg__FNJ74zZ9icF-8L5paPl-KtptFcezScBTm-Yocq2KW7tivnDbqTXzy6wFzTdZX27GSNlB5hviGFEVCTn5kxtdqMxlmjprJG_q0RT_ze4t046Co/s1600-h/IMG_1527.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279555576006517506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSooydCfej-sGsAdLZmQ6UDnv7Edg__FNJ74zZ9icF-8L5paPl-KtptFcezScBTm-Yocq2KW7tivnDbqTXzy6wFzTdZX27GSNlB5hviGFEVCTn5kxtdqMxlmjprJG_q0RT_ze4t046Co/s320/IMG_1527.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L74ZIJzkz3yamg7gM2qPZ1o20MeW0dsrJL9lCSnGF-AJjXNIcYlJROa4CrCJ2ovq6N7L_g9pXSZ_WqtBD_yBDbZ2_JNN4TU8OP8zAVdakvWNgf2_EuB9m6DXVosAhBRag_zmNxJQhLw/s1600-h/IMG_1464.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279552636323965362" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L74ZIJzkz3yamg7gM2qPZ1o20MeW0dsrJL9lCSnGF-AJjXNIcYlJROa4CrCJ2ovq6N7L_g9pXSZ_WqtBD_yBDbZ2_JNN4TU8OP8zAVdakvWNgf2_EuB9m6DXVosAhBRag_zmNxJQhLw/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvCK-fj8CsqUfiLj4M3wfsj0PD2Q8ezUY397hLKiysQzrH2chNJWL30EOoVRmcoo9o_sm8wvlTM24-vxO98u0k_RVdH-JyJSoCciRLv07g_ggCjq_XgLfp-K0LadpXZHVdRp3BCqJRNQ/s1600-h/IMG_1475.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279553331977100338" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvCK-fj8CsqUfiLj4M3wfsj0PD2Q8ezUY397hLKiysQzrH2chNJWL30EOoVRmcoo9o_sm8wvlTM24-vxO98u0k_RVdH-JyJSoCciRLv07g_ggCjq_XgLfp-K0LadpXZHVdRp3BCqJRNQ/s320/IMG_1475.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdQbTy7aVBGb6OgkCsJ2XLV6Wd8swk6BN-b-SEm1fetQ0C2qyksCo88U_KVdWM7B6DiUmmMMz0X_HEllBCXcO12Gdh6OHOAln0t3kJa_eWxC0BIsusJO1TKT48l72oY0yfNtkisuOLTg/s1600-h/IMG_1466.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279553625660447282" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdQbTy7aVBGb6OgkCsJ2XLV6Wd8swk6BN-b-SEm1fetQ0C2qyksCo88U_KVdWM7B6DiUmmMMz0X_HEllBCXcO12Gdh6OHOAln0t3kJa_eWxC0BIsusJO1TKT48l72oY0yfNtkisuOLTg/s320/IMG_1466.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFih9jE2ZkWN_cv3Tf_DmSkm8EXw9mpLb_NO76DXX_lfuwPkAQhSG4BOQx0cxtzatfp_HN8nWZUzPvl3MNLu5OI0qQBycwgHSWBa4bkr1NGO5mSAi0lVjBRenCi3Qc6v6I2s8aAjckb0/s1600-h/IMG_1499.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279554121187910466" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFih9jE2ZkWN_cv3Tf_DmSkm8EXw9mpLb_NO76DXX_lfuwPkAQhSG4BOQx0cxtzatfp_HN8nWZUzPvl3MNLu5OI0qQBycwgHSWBa4bkr1NGO5mSAi0lVjBRenCi3Qc6v6I2s8aAjckb0/s320/IMG_1499.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We decorated our little apartment for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. We have our three foot tall tree, Santa, stockings, icicle lights, and Christmas scented candles! We hope everyone has a great holiday season and a happy new year (on which we will be watching the Hokies in the Orange Bowl!)!! </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4c9DfrfEMG8BXImFcRbXqc5cGI2hYwcAyGish7RQgf3ZNiT4NgrwPkw9oLKmuc_xD00UZHWpxMZGI2BY3qwbD-dSmjq22-WMtzMAsITNI22IrT27pU8b5VIe2TchyacTBGmDJj-EHJk/s1600-h/IMG_1528.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279557423552225314" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4c9DfrfEMG8BXImFcRbXqc5cGI2hYwcAyGish7RQgf3ZNiT4NgrwPkw9oLKmuc_xD00UZHWpxMZGI2BY3qwbD-dSmjq22-WMtzMAsITNI22IrT27pU8b5VIe2TchyacTBGmDJj-EHJk/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Osb6KBPb-RLNOS06QZh1K_JJIbVjIYTgwP3mcPkGOc2rFOl2rHf_xUxnYAUjU-XZ0VaAxqRx5lzg3yQqEYgRRaCbfhbrjxhxIYr3acIoYVZtVH6esbWGzCkyOJW-zc3IAZI9iZuOdQM/s1600-h/IMG_1534.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279557830637514610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Osb6KBPb-RLNOS06QZh1K_JJIbVjIYTgwP3mcPkGOc2rFOl2rHf_xUxnYAUjU-XZ0VaAxqRx5lzg3yQqEYgRRaCbfhbrjxhxIYr3acIoYVZtVH6esbWGzCkyOJW-zc3IAZI9iZuOdQM/s320/IMG_1534.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-16430786753391630282008-11-24T17:24:00.000-08:002008-11-25T20:38:03.131-08:00Mount Fuji!We were fortunate enough to enjoy a beautiful day in the Mt. Fuji area on Sunday and have a lot of pictures from this trip. It turns out that Nov. 22 is the Japanese Labor Thanksgiving Day, so we also got to experience some real Japanese traffic jams on the way home Sunday night. If you think big city traffic in the states is bad, try multiplying the number of cars by 2.5 on a holiday weekend! It took us 4 hours to travel 60 km (thats only about 37 miles)! Other than the traffic we had quite an enjoyable day. The sky was clear which is not normal for that area and our tour guide told us that out of the 30 to 40 times he has done the Mt. Fuji trip this was one of the best views he had ever gotten. We stopped at a rest area complete with Starbucks (yes, they really are everywhere) and took our first couple of pictures of Mt. Fuji.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuKAa-tYiKWVUMMctnHkP1mN73g5mDkaAgYRBErRA0hnyRF74G0eHB5hUtUexerZKlBr2J_25qotUH2sAP9asU6GitpeWHwdWGZHFECrwGI5LGF91H1eA9jPa9MmDXt8ky3FIRoED5NY/s1600-h/Ed+at+rest+stop+Mt+Fuji.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272402092751544258" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuKAa-tYiKWVUMMctnHkP1mN73g5mDkaAgYRBErRA0hnyRF74G0eHB5hUtUexerZKlBr2J_25qotUH2sAP9asU6GitpeWHwdWGZHFECrwGI5LGF91H1eA9jPa9MmDXt8ky3FIRoED5NY/s320/Ed+at+rest+stop+Mt+Fuji.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u2nBw1PTVd0wRdGD2eZBAUVE5UDjCK8p7FcasXGUufCROwN-A_CvdAx6tsmXQfZ8zqQH9ozc-TyCQxbRAeLL24rBWSjKePMd8kfcj0lgtGCTR480WKo-wnVurvzPWlaHp489siODaVg/s1600-h/Fuji+4+Rest+Stop.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272402368437910994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u2nBw1PTVd0wRdGD2eZBAUVE5UDjCK8p7FcasXGUufCROwN-A_CvdAx6tsmXQfZ8zqQH9ozc-TyCQxbRAeLL24rBWSjKePMd8kfcj0lgtGCTR480WKo-wnVurvzPWlaHp489siODaVg/s320/Fuji+4+Rest+Stop.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I also had my first experience with a Japanese style women's restroom on this trip. Close to base and in many department stores there are Western style toilets but apparently not way out here. So all you ladies who may come visit us better practice your squats! This toilet is basically a hole in the floor.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3louTneL4-dL0XQkpqHoUEBhwasQ471p2_a5gb9baVlwl3jyRi6kxnk8Mdq52XDYDjgrBUFI55eoj9Jih8YnTEF3SbIRLI-VZdV3Sd8eOVSWq_LnXLMLAKE5X_ivTY4qBxpH64rQXmo/s1600-h/Traditional+Japanese+Toilet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272413377026802050" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3louTneL4-dL0XQkpqHoUEBhwasQ471p2_a5gb9baVlwl3jyRi6kxnk8Mdq52XDYDjgrBUFI55eoj9Jih8YnTEF3SbIRLI-VZdV3Sd8eOVSWq_LnXLMLAKE5X_ivTY4qBxpH64rQXmo/s320/Traditional+Japanese+Toilet.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>Our first stop was at the Mt. Fuji Peace Park. Here is a white Buddhist Pagoda, which was built with a prayer for the peace and happiness of Japan and the world. If you look closely you will notice that the Buddha statue is lying on its side which is extremely rare to see in Japan. </div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE95VEuZOkFK6hTHuv920SuC-OpdvADlA77876d76qs6ND81Jo4p3HEWmnbByfsC_qhZ0uIENG9TKcU9d_nFXdMifcGBz4DTgJNalmFvH92VfduRC-mwDbGavpZQ82T55EbkjIdxmkR1w/s1600-h/Pogoda+at+Mt+Fuji+Peace+Park+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272406348902604658" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE95VEuZOkFK6hTHuv920SuC-OpdvADlA77876d76qs6ND81Jo4p3HEWmnbByfsC_qhZ0uIENG9TKcU9d_nFXdMifcGBz4DTgJNalmFvH92VfduRC-mwDbGavpZQ82T55EbkjIdxmkR1w/s320/Pogoda+at+Mt+Fuji+Peace+Park+3.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UVfGlwBM-LhpWhlgUv1IhQbXVBJcwS0UhtzHrtjVV9munhNqKUTrufWO6UuM2QwvCCZMJvm475XfRoYhDVINDLQyUqZusvbHSIBt_cMaWS7hSQKR7lL8JdgCHjUNYqinqyw6Rq7Q0UM/s1600-h/Pogoda+at+Mt+Fuji+Peace+Park+4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272407205639144882" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UVfGlwBM-LhpWhlgUv1IhQbXVBJcwS0UhtzHrtjVV9munhNqKUTrufWO6UuM2QwvCCZMJvm475XfRoYhDVINDLQyUqZusvbHSIBt_cMaWS7hSQKR7lL8JdgCHjUNYqinqyw6Rq7Q0UM/s320/Pogoda+at+Mt+Fuji+Peace+Park+4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This park is a beautiful Japanese garden with many statues and plants. Ed thinks the trees look like something out of a Mario Brothers game! One of these statues is said to be a healing statue. You touch the part of your body that is in pain and then rub the statue and your pain should go away. My foot has been sore and I tried it but I am not sure that it helped.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzUXMmrh2Df8nyc-N-Xz0zbDAqSUoHYWabLDtw6rnfB3Sob9v6sfd-9GkyKxAXy095A9b0Wqt5c_vOSX4PElzecyBz4tCypi9GVcyOeJkrm87hhH-CQ7qOW2WTZ0nesWrPF30S_s-bkU/s1600-h/Mario+trees+at+peace+park+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272409037905605250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzUXMmrh2Df8nyc-N-Xz0zbDAqSUoHYWabLDtw6rnfB3Sob9v6sfd-9GkyKxAXy095A9b0Wqt5c_vOSX4PElzecyBz4tCypi9GVcyOeJkrm87hhH-CQ7qOW2WTZ0nesWrPF30S_s-bkU/s320/Mario+trees+at+peace+park+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uYwzCQ2-mlC81HfOEfgIIe_-PY-KcwkHQKePcIa5Ng7sVmSFuI8eXJxtDL2pDau3zF4eshiF5okQ1Yj9rxXKlT2q5HEXXkUr6fQiNr-6noulGGU3whUfCcFJiTrlywGx4xhKN55gPI/s1600-h/Tree+at+peace+park+7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272410341148167826" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uYwzCQ2-mlC81HfOEfgIIe_-PY-KcwkHQKePcIa5Ng7sVmSFuI8eXJxtDL2pDau3zF4eshiF5okQ1Yj9rxXKlT2q5HEXXkUr6fQiNr-6noulGGU3whUfCcFJiTrlywGx4xhKN55gPI/s320/Tree+at+peace+park+7.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThTCxhu23rx8Pmf_yONPHMpn0TMlJ3xCAadvYUT4vJIvVQnODgKVIed-Fe_bjtWzgHXRwa-t0ajniKSqZeVHS3zehbb4GMXb7gEcOqcLWhgXIx3cRGbRHueqeJ6hBCLCudHWrRo5irKE/s1600-h/Goddess+of+Healing_Betsy+healing+her+sore+foot+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272411104906875698" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThTCxhu23rx8Pmf_yONPHMpn0TMlJ3xCAadvYUT4vJIvVQnODgKVIed-Fe_bjtWzgHXRwa-t0ajniKSqZeVHS3zehbb4GMXb7gEcOqcLWhgXIx3cRGbRHueqeJ6hBCLCudHWrRo5irKE/s320/Goddess+of+Healing_Betsy+healing+her+sore+foot+3.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMlXbhm3QH1fPL65-0r-_xiq22wyx0V-hzWil4W56PjmhvnrLJOJ6MLAWTMHNiSOjeA-JzpEpPSEbmW-0yB8KtUTNAlVjIRv8FVyhv_s0gHyKgXqCM_XVu3zby85EKMLLqEMymqutuJ0/s1600-h/Goddess+of+Healing_Betsy+healing+her+sore+foot+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272411450578323826" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMlXbhm3QH1fPL65-0r-_xiq22wyx0V-hzWil4W56PjmhvnrLJOJ6MLAWTMHNiSOjeA-JzpEpPSEbmW-0yB8KtUTNAlVjIRv8FVyhv_s0gHyKgXqCM_XVu3zby85EKMLLqEMymqutuJ0/s320/Goddess+of+Healing_Betsy+healing+her+sore+foot+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />On the way back down the hill from the Pagoda we had awesome views of Mt. Fuji. We captured a few of them here.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKnaSW5Pyii-o7KwXEk9zSaP0ARs5WC-gTzEkhTCeyHfA9UYPl3XQHq14zocfsczIK8j-wmMYzcg39LU4jTJvuSRjYzOd_GtJMhfM9ah-wXWQC-cvLtJYHG9qcb-5XosUvzZaF0sc7RE/s1600-h/Mt+Fuij+Peace+Park+Shrine+16.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272574698160201314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKnaSW5Pyii-o7KwXEk9zSaP0ARs5WC-gTzEkhTCeyHfA9UYPl3XQHq14zocfsczIK8j-wmMYzcg39LU4jTJvuSRjYzOd_GtJMhfM9ah-wXWQC-cvLtJYHG9qcb-5XosUvzZaF0sc7RE/s320/Mt+Fuij+Peace+Park+Shrine+16.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQWx1vx1Z7PClLuJ0hzG6HKEIVL-dXL3ogOHOq8eq_BJQu5h26WnD-mM195A6-zNXcbbzih2H7MoBxGNQ649_xPJR329SsffVTtOBNqXg4yqZC_W36Hh0R_0jyxENa9XiT-4G4C2-hKA/s1600-h/Mt+Fuij+Peace+Park+Shrine+Post+Card+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272576093435963426" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQWx1vx1Z7PClLuJ0hzG6HKEIVL-dXL3ogOHOq8eq_BJQu5h26WnD-mM195A6-zNXcbbzih2H7MoBxGNQ649_xPJR329SsffVTtOBNqXg4yqZC_W36Hh0R_0jyxENa9XiT-4G4C2-hKA/s320/Mt+Fuij+Peace+Park+Shrine+Post+Card+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Our next stop was in an area called Eight Ponds. These ponds are formed from subterranean springs that come from the melting snow on Mt. Fuji. The water is very clear and said to be clean enough to drink from. There were many interesting things to see in this area and many street vendors selling goods and things to eat. I tried a green ball filled with something sweet and purple which I later found out was pounded rice dyed green with an herb filled with sweet beans. The center was very good, but the rice outside was bland and dry so I don't think I will try that snack again. Again we had very good views of Mt. Fuji from here, but now we were on a different side.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1vJJlq3ZJSPEkbjauZZyIehF_MAyd_5W6Uw-1yOmhP1y71emfeqsn5FcVh7kb7V3DW2AX_lqbwBP2BAaAnN2BPeul7bpgHvXQVwO8NI5_BPy2FwrX63kEjYbvvORb2QUervY_HpbCuo/s1600-h/Eight+Springs+water++mill+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272578272704329250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1vJJlq3ZJSPEkbjauZZyIehF_MAyd_5W6Uw-1yOmhP1y71emfeqsn5FcVh7kb7V3DW2AX_lqbwBP2BAaAnN2BPeul7bpgHvXQVwO8NI5_BPy2FwrX63kEjYbvvORb2QUervY_HpbCuo/s320/Eight+Springs+water++mill+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbAxxIoLF9l33cHZrLnhJgPrOI1-d4wteSYJWXofAgBYYjli5r1DttKixJnxVDLvMDvMg0uFd5ZlYYpmzYbOPwauqWBgI_XFk4AUEkfc82-Js68jLvl5WRri67t4m2o0dx4T3Q-kGlpY/s1600-h/Mt+Fuji+13.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272578976664519634" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbAxxIoLF9l33cHZrLnhJgPrOI1-d4wteSYJWXofAgBYYjli5r1DttKixJnxVDLvMDvMg0uFd5ZlYYpmzYbOPwauqWBgI_XFk4AUEkfc82-Js68jLvl5WRri67t4m2o0dx4T3Q-kGlpY/s320/Mt+Fuji+13.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgoX70OZvEA-PTjOIMC_uhl4Fh1AZ_i4dBChaaBjqHU5sSZDWjP2JGjzQsQZdYPwO1C_oqiBAWaSQ52rREaVd-sgA2DjdBQoBIBXdfMoAsMMKvViomWNXKTeRfMNlAYVqeE3ikil1qE/s1600-h/Mt+Fuji+Eight+Springs+6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272579705871950914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgoX70OZvEA-PTjOIMC_uhl4Fh1AZ_i4dBChaaBjqHU5sSZDWjP2JGjzQsQZdYPwO1C_oqiBAWaSQ52rREaVd-sgA2DjdBQoBIBXdfMoAsMMKvViomWNXKTeRfMNlAYVqeE3ikil1qE/s320/Mt+Fuji+Eight+Springs+6.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55f4vnMD9edkjOWuTRb2NIr_lx-Ap_VjVA-xr0ZWdbVWopGE3Flk8vKheNYL7Z-ZsYmBGqcesK15bIlsqKGg-dgpcnXbyW9XT0xmmYOrzXVMoR1M1nbDGA2zFaxBi3LbllC_cIKOH4i4/s1600-h/Betsy+eating+green+shit+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272580202135957170" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55f4vnMD9edkjOWuTRb2NIr_lx-Ap_VjVA-xr0ZWdbVWopGE3Flk8vKheNYL7Z-ZsYmBGqcesK15bIlsqKGg-dgpcnXbyW9XT0xmmYOrzXVMoR1M1nbDGA2zFaxBi3LbllC_cIKOH4i4/s320/Betsy+eating+green+shit+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />After Eight Ponds we went to the Sengen Shrine which honors the God of Fugi (or the volcano god). This is a Shinto shrine and you can tell the difference between a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple by the Tori gate that sits at the entrance of a Shinto shrine. We have noticed that many young girls visit these types of shrines in full kimonos and got some pictures of them. Ed was very polite and asked their parents for permission to take their picture unlike many of the people on the tour with us. But we didn't want to be the creepy adults taking pictures of small children! We were also able to see a ceremony that we think was honoring the trees. Shinto and Buddhism are not actually considered religions as they both honor nature. They are thought to be a way of life or thinking rather than a religion so many people in Japan practice both. Many trees at this shrine are very old and are considered sacred. We got a perfect fall picture in front of one of them!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70IBDPOyt54z7DF-_t-V51zSh0EirnT5HN8hW7bYGVEUr5fhYEuGdj-s3_ihBho7sUAGh11i3gkgOyfxBQ4FmAOQ4WZtSLQL8X6UAq4P2bUirHMgnE8UqHISw0UjEtT_GWlsWYkew-xs/s1600-h/Forrest+Shrine+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272584579056871170" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70IBDPOyt54z7DF-_t-V51zSh0EirnT5HN8hW7bYGVEUr5fhYEuGdj-s3_ihBho7sUAGh11i3gkgOyfxBQ4FmAOQ4WZtSLQL8X6UAq4P2bUirHMgnE8UqHISw0UjEtT_GWlsWYkew-xs/s320/Forrest+Shrine+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aNgo6eyzUzz09QLDHbzfsSzJe6kuTQF5erEpCdIubebhUQIZciE0jnFEnOIJAPlfgDh4Awa2ZC6AUce1bFwHDq6IcF_VAp8iLym5MCloQEfBxtSnWncRy0RRdzd3mbocUnZz0K4ysO0/s1600-h/Forrest+Shrine+10.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272806892654791474" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aNgo6eyzUzz09QLDHbzfsSzJe6kuTQF5erEpCdIubebhUQIZciE0jnFEnOIJAPlfgDh4Awa2ZC6AUce1bFwHDq6IcF_VAp8iLym5MCloQEfBxtSnWncRy0RRdzd3mbocUnZz0K4ysO0/s320/Forrest+Shrine+10.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigId1FvaEQuI5ng-Sbqeeltx59ed-GemvErOydN3t7i8cueqFlZJrrlqOOehZ8gIuzIJsOyTK70GtyFa1PZKLt-kSqogYG8OWZ3CK3aSU1ZKBzyHbrICwfvrIljeH8UNRP9qMtoDOkm9U/s1600-h/Forrest+Shrine+18.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272808018983615122" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigId1FvaEQuI5ng-Sbqeeltx59ed-GemvErOydN3t7i8cueqFlZJrrlqOOehZ8gIuzIJsOyTK70GtyFa1PZKLt-kSqogYG8OWZ3CK3aSU1ZKBzyHbrICwfvrIljeH8UNRP9qMtoDOkm9U/s320/Forrest+Shrine+18.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGm4pP9WXk5sEm5Y9luBIVWJAyC1HQmO09d9O5OFq3GCPPqiGq_GgUeWZdQdtFMHp_HCJEgAo0I_5yY5pyWFqTlcJ7fNgsn6Gf3JlkX30Gn7J5Qv9_bga005IF0MdWlOrw7Nob7Rn-UU/s1600-h/Ed+and+Betsy+at+Forrest+Shrine.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272809487789568882" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGm4pP9WXk5sEm5Y9luBIVWJAyC1HQmO09d9O5OFq3GCPPqiGq_GgUeWZdQdtFMHp_HCJEgAo0I_5yY5pyWFqTlcJ7fNgsn6Gf3JlkX30Gn7J5Qv9_bga005IF0MdWlOrw7Nob7Rn-UU/s320/Ed+and+Betsy+at+Forrest+Shrine.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Mt. Fuji is surrounded by five lakes that have been formed over several hundreds of years of volcanic activity. The most commercial and easily accessible of these lakes is Lake Kawaguchi which is where we ate lunch. Ed went with Curry Rice, a dish we have had many times and is quite delicious. I opted to be a little bit adventurous and ordered a deep fried shrimp and rice dish thinking of deep fried shrimp you would order in the States. Well, deep fried shrimp in Japan comes as a whole shrimp, eyes and all. Feeling like my food was staring at me kind of killed my appetite, but I managed to eat most of the meal. Lake Kawaguchi looks like a place we would like to visit again when it is not as cold. Even with the cold there were many people out in swan shaped paddleboats playing in the lake.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgnx1o1ICJ7Praedoip1GKl7sx9xHlSezQLKgK9ZzXavpLXC9y4Xp5iPy27LjfowSDwfmX7kHhagod0GVJtl93IhWN0Y92cutNqxA5PBDFceYCdxSTqhajDXphQzwHeg4Zetl2JsT0-I/s1600-h/Kawaguchi+Lake.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272813651596722610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgnx1o1ICJ7Praedoip1GKl7sx9xHlSezQLKgK9ZzXavpLXC9y4Xp5iPy27LjfowSDwfmX7kHhagod0GVJtl93IhWN0Y92cutNqxA5PBDFceYCdxSTqhajDXphQzwHeg4Zetl2JsT0-I/s320/Kawaguchi+Lake.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lzxudhFrSUbefzBFbZJRfhVgi8ngAFrBr7m2BBqmbQgSFsGvWoDOqPi6FqvMyE4zQkwthjEGJpw61p1NWh077rl_thi9u7Mfo7lxreLGd-WmBjqcSOQbW_s6t0ggWJYCEz0y49fzLyA/s1600-h/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272814332369640194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lzxudhFrSUbefzBFbZJRfhVgi8ngAFrBr7m2BBqmbQgSFsGvWoDOqPi6FqvMyE4zQkwthjEGJpw61p1NWh077rl_thi9u7Mfo7lxreLGd-WmBjqcSOQbW_s6t0ggWJYCEz0y49fzLyA/s320/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+7.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9GC1RQH4y6ets6YwrO8-GnnFjPonjhyEmZiPP307J3XrSa2aLOJoqkSZRjjvkMvHKiUhr_x63CRhD3-C0GZAP7e3dntqBtZcEWJvWcZZNHwwgBoGVHrrEaDN904dMYl2vuSaCK_gDJE/s1600-h/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+11.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272814720192500946" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9GC1RQH4y6ets6YwrO8-GnnFjPonjhyEmZiPP307J3XrSa2aLOJoqkSZRjjvkMvHKiUhr_x63CRhD3-C0GZAP7e3dntqBtZcEWJvWcZZNHwwgBoGVHrrEaDN904dMYl2vuSaCK_gDJE/s320/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+11.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKugTGyPYo4d4dXPWwNDirAP9lGeObFMePNtzx_3rHwgYXmsqny46dO2mGZmLerseA9LmV_QUsXRyw4EDyt60stVRjYNrM7XbnQQbdFZMeiiES7nO9MqpYGTil6pzDSsYnpq3-gYZxq0/s1600-h/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+8.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272815263984440770" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKugTGyPYo4d4dXPWwNDirAP9lGeObFMePNtzx_3rHwgYXmsqny46dO2mGZmLerseA9LmV_QUsXRyw4EDyt60stVRjYNrM7XbnQQbdFZMeiiES7nO9MqpYGTil6pzDSsYnpq3-gYZxq0/s320/Lunch+at+Kawaguchi+Lake+8.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The final stop on our tour was at the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum. The artist, Kubota Itchiku, dedicated his life to refining the traditional tsujigahana textile-patterning technique. This technique is similar to tie-dying, however it is a much more detailed way of using many small knots to create patterns on fabric. His fabrics have been used to create many elaborate kimonos that are on display at the museum. For example, we saw a set of five or six kimonos displayed side by side to create a fire breathing dragon. Unfortunately, we could not take pictures inside of the museum, but if you have time you should try to find pictures of his work online. The had scarves for sale at the museum but a small handkerchief sized piece of fabric costs approximately $1800!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgAiXBmlS1r4YeR4nwV3ccGPqPVV_c5ONLEX6-IHdc5oioV2xSTWydMlLM_cw2MGtSsU3FMKTIKTkyj2BAxs_6ZCfWL4kS8cm8q9HRszzVvFEqmli90ELbAkY9rq-GxQGv7eqOmPW8kk/s1600-h/Ed+and+Betsy+at+Kabota+Dye+Museum+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272818124316814146" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgAiXBmlS1r4YeR4nwV3ccGPqPVV_c5ONLEX6-IHdc5oioV2xSTWydMlLM_cw2MGtSsU3FMKTIKTkyj2BAxs_6ZCfWL4kS8cm8q9HRszzVvFEqmli90ELbAkY9rq-GxQGv7eqOmPW8kk/s320/Ed+and+Betsy+at+Kabota+Dye+Museum+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>That concluded our great tour of the Mt. Fuji area. There are several spots we will probably go see again and we would really like to visit nearby Hakone and its hot springs. In that part of the Fuji area there are many resorts where you can bathe in the hot springs and if you want to spring for it you can get a room with your own private spring just outside the sliding glass doors! As you can tell we have a lot more traveling planned for our stay in Japan! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-19427114792467219102008-11-16T06:13:00.000-08:002008-11-16T06:34:27.023-08:00Job Interview and Curry Festival!<div>As many of you know I went to Yokohama for a job interview this past week. The job is with a company called TUV Rheinland. They hire what they call free agents - basically subcontractors who are not permanent full time employees and are called in to only work as needed. They have offered to train me in the field of Electromagnetic Compatability testing where I will be testing a variety of products to verify that they meet international safety and quality standards. It will be an interesting experience as I will be working with Japanese, German, Chinese, and Korean engineers just to name a few nationalities. The picture below is outside of the subway station in Yokohama. These large ferris wheels are everywhere in Japan usually at department stores.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_XvBJ3mvv9RYCDYruLZ-bbCPXgsbwoAJtfYho-GC9Osx-rBuQrXuzctjLCCM1oakP8SclGcSRi51vC5TNaqkma99UtqMOxgHRFGtazaiW3wq5GWcghf4l51ae60L4J85j52H3JJ15M8/s1600-h/IMG_1251.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269260349113867250" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_XvBJ3mvv9RYCDYruLZ-bbCPXgsbwoAJtfYho-GC9Osx-rBuQrXuzctjLCCM1oakP8SclGcSRi51vC5TNaqkma99UtqMOxgHRFGtazaiW3wq5GWcghf4l51ae60L4J85j52H3JJ15M8/s320/IMG_1251.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>We also went to a Curry Festival this weekend where we had traditional Japanese Curry Rice. This meal was popular with the Japanese Navy in Yokosuka and is often called Navy Rice also. We had a mild beef curry but you can get dishes that are very spicy, too. I tried some sort of crab cake ball that had what I think was squid inside. The outside of the ball was very good...I'm not so sure about squid though. The location of the festival is also the location of the Japanese battleship, Mikasa, which is now a museum in Yokosuka.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOKiOA-oVi-_ER_tpyvNOzLUammILeog5igRfd9S_96ss5hEO8X6K8gCzk5mjAapksaVSr2SoWMu4LGAmEhBEGAvjuYehZ9pplrIiAyTZIKOOFQjnFdovn7DtUhRysbR10VkVziBkzzk/s1600-h/IMG_1253.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269263424736745202" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOKiOA-oVi-_ER_tpyvNOzLUammILeog5igRfd9S_96ss5hEO8X6K8gCzk5mjAapksaVSr2SoWMu4LGAmEhBEGAvjuYehZ9pplrIiAyTZIKOOFQjnFdovn7DtUhRysbR10VkVziBkzzk/s320/IMG_1253.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-27284334554052804082008-11-05T23:41:00.000-08:002008-11-06T00:24:57.013-08:00Almost 3 weeks in Japan!We have been in Japan for almost three weeks now. Ed is getting into the swing of things at work and I have been job hunting and doing all of the check-ins we need to get done. (I have a job interview next Thursday!) We were only in the Navy Lodge for 5 days before moving in to our apartment. We have a two bedroom highrise apartment on the 6th floor of Rokuban Tower. Rokuban sounds really cool and Japanese, but really just means 6th as in the 6th Tower. It is one of the older towers on base but the apartments have been kept up to date and it is really very nice. We have a huge balcony overlooking some townhomes and a wooded hill so it really doesn't feel like we are on a military base.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuMdclJGj-Y_e4vGT5jr-kNMUT0c3CAWrLh-dFWeEA1HHXbqoMAJTH3640f1DlvSdqPa-fTa1yrXUSCTOI0tOX_sWz7QsVI6fDG1yCqxmUOMvzQYQ6EQuFv6gS7kfYI1b462LPsxtLos/s1600-h/view+from+balcony+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265447786878313938" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuMdclJGj-Y_e4vGT5jr-kNMUT0c3CAWrLh-dFWeEA1HHXbqoMAJTH3640f1DlvSdqPa-fTa1yrXUSCTOI0tOX_sWz7QsVI6fDG1yCqxmUOMvzQYQ6EQuFv6gS7kfYI1b462LPsxtLos/s320/view+from+balcony+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsxGU3d8gYYOsbkr8vQiy06yVWs-bNzY8I234bGykRREWi8XbtKuL9VM2ST_4ot_KNm2YU0VcpHM17_t1b-dYHT1WnvYnV8Q9qVT6vJIveQPv7JmGD_Uc6XXBkNLN-PP80Xm0dpj9vrs/s1600-h/living+room+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265448141414119906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsxGU3d8gYYOsbkr8vQiy06yVWs-bNzY8I234bGykRREWi8XbtKuL9VM2ST_4ot_KNm2YU0VcpHM17_t1b-dYHT1WnvYnV8Q9qVT6vJIveQPv7JmGD_Uc6XXBkNLN-PP80Xm0dpj9vrs/s320/living+room+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Some things we've noticed already about the Japanese culture is that they are very respectful, rarely get angry, and they are always apologizing (even when its not their fault!). I can already see why people fall in love with the culture here. Another thing I love about Japan are the vending machines. In the vending machines there is a blue row and there is a red row. Blue is for cold drinks and red is for hot...you can buy hot coffee in a can straight out of the vending machine! Ed's favorite is the Cafe Au Lait and mine is the Aloe White Grape juice with real chunks of grape!<br /><br />We've noticed some of the wildlife in the area. There are crows on base that look very similar to crows back home except that they have very thick beaks. They are called Jungle Crows. There are also falcons called black kites (the Japanese call them tobis) everywhere. We have read to be careful of them because they have been fed so much by humans that they often dive toward your head.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8X01nKhyphenhyphenFQxBROGmxVYAh8RXd3hSURGAb5Crtw3Iz53-HEY7c2YlIUY3fnuv2464OidvkaXDOoWyLsTK04M16c8uyXsrs3ruRVKZZ3RE8iOekm6g318mc2UO6RWsDJJmfqreWGeIdlQk/s1600-h/IMG_1167.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265449589860432450" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8X01nKhyphenhyphenFQxBROGmxVYAh8RXd3hSURGAb5Crtw3Iz53-HEY7c2YlIUY3fnuv2464OidvkaXDOoWyLsTK04M16c8uyXsrs3ruRVKZZ3RE8iOekm6g318mc2UO6RWsDJJmfqreWGeIdlQk/s320/IMG_1167.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQ8L0shJC_91X0D0ZN7yDWHgSdRT6cBmBJndujPbWVdAfmXKK6Hrk40HURlkyz1oQp1Bs-Q616twnPnAHlCK9OVK_98FLgl1TQ4qkjCCjWGoUUEhUoU2zuXAYd3bMN7QSq-86ofuPUCU/s1600-h/black+kite.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265450417134252834" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQ8L0shJC_91X0D0ZN7yDWHgSdRT6cBmBJndujPbWVdAfmXKK6Hrk40HURlkyz1oQp1Bs-Q616twnPnAHlCK9OVK_98FLgl1TQ4qkjCCjWGoUUEhUoU2zuXAYd3bMN7QSq-86ofuPUCU/s320/black+kite.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We have had the chance to go out into town a few times. We ate dinner at a Ramen place on night and ordered by pointing at pictures on the menu. We have learned arigato (thank you) and a little bit of counting. Its tough because its not like you can sound things out and at least read it...we have no idea how to pronounce the Japanese characters! We have three train stations nearby and have discovered that they are easy to use. There is a button for English at the ticket machine and the names of the stops are also written in English letters. So as long as you know what stop you are trying to get to its fairly straightforward. We went to an oriental furniture bazaar the other day and bought a solid wood desk and home bar for what we think was a great price! We visited Kamakura and saw the Great Buddha there. It is the second largest Buddha sculpture in Japan and was cast in 1252. The body of the sculpture has survived a tidal wave and an earthquake which destroyed its base, but the base now has shock absorbers to prevent that from happening again. You can see in the picture below that the Great Buddha also has Great Slippers. :-)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBVK7e2U-5QT9uwm7dOdMY8j1vrf2S0Lw4dM9RfoFeQd8DEujiGN603mun_Op6nc54qwsyIukoIDAnWUcPUzi-9vs7pNDsnNaYX4fLW-H0xzYV9dQkSVAIUsAGw-RnR9KOw2W6yJk3EY/s1600-h/IMG_1212.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265454045972200034" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBVK7e2U-5QT9uwm7dOdMY8j1vrf2S0Lw4dM9RfoFeQd8DEujiGN603mun_Op6nc54qwsyIukoIDAnWUcPUzi-9vs7pNDsnNaYX4fLW-H0xzYV9dQkSVAIUsAGw-RnR9KOw2W6yJk3EY/s320/IMG_1212.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW574SCTKLpknehXPgWAi7R2pBnEUkxKVBdiIfEx3Gy2BuDnlowFVU7qATwwxyrzjd26pM2QmwJwIzDXntFN67Qw5l4xGY1zSGEMo-u19mj2SSpwe-ari_DYfNFuI5RXeBNLguBOVs0Kg/s1600-h/IMG_1218.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265454362317727762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW574SCTKLpknehXPgWAi7R2pBnEUkxKVBdiIfEx3Gy2BuDnlowFVU7qATwwxyrzjd26pM2QmwJwIzDXntFN67Qw5l4xGY1zSGEMo-u19mj2SSpwe-ari_DYfNFuI5RXeBNLguBOVs0Kg/s320/IMG_1218.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />While we were out we also had some tasty snacks. Soy sauce appears to be the main ingredient for street vendors. We had some sort of fried dough balls on a stick covered with soy sauce (see the stand behind me in the picture) and rice cakes dunked in soy sauce and then warmed up. The rice cakes were very good and are served with a seaweed wrap...neither of us ate the seaweed but perhaps I will try that next time. We haven't had any sushi yet, but our household goods are being delivered on Monday and I will be getting my sushi making kit so we'll give it a try!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhN123mMfw8tSpoGqm9ogowETB-eoo1PB4YBQBDEsiFt30Yg8DlcQyJv1fN58oKJafi4_rgjMk4lwqTe8MaoLVkUyfCwauDdR6dQiHiHLJP9wpKfxfkJWgMulNUSzSWwTQqUV-1vTkNtI/s1600-h/IMG_1233.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265455461601173602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhN123mMfw8tSpoGqm9ogowETB-eoo1PB4YBQBDEsiFt30Yg8DlcQyJv1fN58oKJafi4_rgjMk4lwqTe8MaoLVkUyfCwauDdR6dQiHiHLJP9wpKfxfkJWgMulNUSzSWwTQqUV-1vTkNtI/s320/IMG_1233.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0dsv0b3W-IF4cJN1niuiuwr0TrGqqGjA8eCXjbKrmy_afZaUrhYEZH18fFUBHe6rnjo-LbiTdS3SMIa1cCFpmohkh1UY_wGm6eLNzET9PRuUTGwONr6-GwaeEmQRlDT7enEz_5VG4WU/s1600-h/IMG_1242.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265455794454232242" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0dsv0b3W-IF4cJN1niuiuwr0TrGqqGjA8eCXjbKrmy_afZaUrhYEZH18fFUBHe6rnjo-LbiTdS3SMIa1cCFpmohkh1UY_wGm6eLNzET9PRuUTGwONr6-GwaeEmQRlDT7enEz_5VG4WU/s320/IMG_1242.JPG" border="0" /></a>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-84790495576602796252008-10-29T22:30:00.000-07:002008-11-06T00:25:43.392-08:00The rest of the farewell voyage!We finished our time in the States by traveling about 3000 miles by car and taking a flight out to St. Louis to visit our families. We started out in NY to see Ed's parents, Alanna, AJ, and the kids for a few days. Cameron and Hannah have grown even more and we had a great time visiting with everyone. This first trip to NY was short because we wrapped up our voyage again in NY.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhNpQeQGshmuTmJlxGxXIIb43k6pmLtft4LYiPWBziHC5GxyHHOkGA5myjrH14dZJPPvDrmZaN7ZyLIm9eGAWrK2x0naSw6rvwW3JO4AqoG4JRewpN4_-A9xRd99xnb0RMoG1JXuSgxk/s1600-h/100_0091.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262816296419755922" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhNpQeQGshmuTmJlxGxXIIb43k6pmLtft4LYiPWBziHC5GxyHHOkGA5myjrH14dZJPPvDrmZaN7ZyLIm9eGAWrK2x0naSw6rvwW3JO4AqoG4JRewpN4_-A9xRd99xnb0RMoG1JXuSgxk/s320/100_0091.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaQrvIN1w2LdUxv5F5gH15sP5LO0N5U2l_aKSCS6KwrY7XD7kYho8ODqTujNQRDRMWXVTW8Qft-dzoxgdIPPAIb6vHMUiAStLOu-yzqIctj4tFX1Xwg3-Ivn07tQjw-6GYnYHufwpzzM/s1600-h/100_0151.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262816637706443858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaQrvIN1w2LdUxv5F5gH15sP5LO0N5U2l_aKSCS6KwrY7XD7kYho8ODqTujNQRDRMWXVTW8Qft-dzoxgdIPPAIb6vHMUiAStLOu-yzqIctj4tFX1Xwg3-Ivn07tQjw-6GYnYHufwpzzM/s320/100_0151.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Our next stop was WV and we stopped to visit Molly and Fred for a night on our way down to Huntington. Unfortunately, it was a short stop and we had to head out after Molly made us breakfast and gave us a quick tour of Morgantown. We spent a few days in Huntington, visiting the State Capitol building and going to a Marshall game while we were there.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Kn6l0ANC6Boh3XpSasW-p4Cn0VGLZqsV0deBrpx6a3R6Oaps79nvY8sNLsqUMlRupynRatYtNw_LJPTWGCJthzV0JBRSoRoTGFSLI010JAJDg11TXINGZR960OtnzKSCHLPh4GDRFB4/s1600-h/IMG_0907.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262817711730136738" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Kn6l0ANC6Boh3XpSasW-p4Cn0VGLZqsV0deBrpx6a3R6Oaps79nvY8sNLsqUMlRupynRatYtNw_LJPTWGCJthzV0JBRSoRoTGFSLI010JAJDg11TXINGZR960OtnzKSCHLPh4GDRFB4/s320/IMG_0907.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SYAuiYc_s6ZstOj0bia5hbmgy7IDnidrcux526B_rhP6G6pHZl7P4j8vwxDk1fCUT3kD3SthWs95L1iJrVZpGC8xwuilu1Gap1Yo5ExeIwtr1qwOK-TszRdntpGScjEthCTfPQRwjW8/s1600-h/IMG_0923.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262818017981438786" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SYAuiYc_s6ZstOj0bia5hbmgy7IDnidrcux526B_rhP6G6pHZl7P4j8vwxDk1fCUT3kD3SthWs95L1iJrVZpGC8xwuilu1Gap1Yo5ExeIwtr1qwOK-TszRdntpGScjEthCTfPQRwjW8/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />While in Huntington, we decided that since we were only three hours away, we would make the trip down to Blacksburg and meet up with Matt and Rachel for the VT homecoming football game. We arrived a couple of hours before gametime, bought tickets from some guy on Price's Fork Road, drank some Miller Lite (gross!) at Matt's tailgate, then headed to our seats. We are old now and decided to get seats in the West stands where we would be able to sit down marking our first game with seats outside of the student section! Go Hokies!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDGuO66qskkJJi3LvmJc5IEeNXsO_tIr6aLeACubvoKzW0kjXk4Syi2ZOvZhiaPGdggoKADce5ZMjsnC38ldKqh2yPQPqmt99iCLx8dEnLNcOH0P9VbRKUqaE8ZUD10E5WMBbm8qVhCE/s1600-h/IMG_0930.JPG"></a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdI8cO5UTtkJiTmyEXrlxcYvmSjAc00PHq9DYjMDDIDVMXQqDTBKVmmQnDb_Vd_ObXzp-QOs0P8ENve43Xf6amPxTr3F9XH2SoMDTmkObdrLQoMrqkVdIc-b-8MdIM12tVMMiHUwiKMg/s1600-h/IMG_0930.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262819816710465970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdI8cO5UTtkJiTmyEXrlxcYvmSjAc00PHq9DYjMDDIDVMXQqDTBKVmmQnDb_Vd_ObXzp-QOs0P8ENve43Xf6amPxTr3F9XH2SoMDTmkObdrLQoMrqkVdIc-b-8MdIM12tVMMiHUwiKMg/s320/IMG_0930.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We drove back to Richmond with Matt and Rachel and stayed at their apartment for a night before heading back to RI for Ed's 6 week post-op appendectomy appointment. Their apartment is awesome, right down in Shockoe Bottom with an excellent view of downtown Richmond. We spent a couple nights in RI before heading to St. Louis for the arrival of baby Alex! He was born at 11:05am on Oct. 10 and weighed 7lb, 11 oz. (a lightweight compared to me!). While we were in St. Louis Ed and I visited the Arch, went to a Mizzou game, and spent lots of time with Megan and Sparky (Scott's nickname for Sparkles the dog). We also got a chance to have a brief visit with Becky, Barb, and little William (Barb will get mad if I call him Willy...hehe).</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nDiOD33-FLU2yEoy80NXLN_NXD24l3vmtAaYWDzlRfq-QIeUAzpZpKJ2jk7N-29EKuiTzWlXHFfO73F5QqVxtEk2DihZwovloOXATY_a7fdgbzE6AJH2Cc3u-Zsv6dACPWy-7YhhRX4/s1600-h/IMG_0993.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262821475537195970" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nDiOD33-FLU2yEoy80NXLN_NXD24l3vmtAaYWDzlRfq-QIeUAzpZpKJ2jk7N-29EKuiTzWlXHFfO73F5QqVxtEk2DihZwovloOXATY_a7fdgbzE6AJH2Cc3u-Zsv6dACPWy-7YhhRX4/s320/IMG_0993.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uPI8ETZsbR_FD8faU_cWg4ZO_mrZFQFua6u8ZLq8MD65PDwtJJQmwg-CmLYfHgHl05uB3XaWrdxvXesgt1R8fsy767SZ57_P6mN19_M397qw6G6wAKFHSikz8rKVB7vo-2wlgQYWMKQ/s1600-h/IMG_1114.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262821981349085970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uPI8ETZsbR_FD8faU_cWg4ZO_mrZFQFua6u8ZLq8MD65PDwtJJQmwg-CmLYfHgHl05uB3XaWrdxvXesgt1R8fsy767SZ57_P6mN19_M397qw6G6wAKFHSikz8rKVB7vo-2wlgQYWMKQ/s320/IMG_1114.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4QxY8ZPrZwYui5alx3wYAXsGE2jXHW-reA54zM6etOenASrsTf_H2r8YSUTFAI2Ibq7JvAvTXBioAGuaSHbISJkPaNbaghGiy-rKw8MFnYMTN5LwKJiQeX8uDKFwyn5ZG-_BfaL-3i4/s1600-h/IMG_1072.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262822219138310914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4QxY8ZPrZwYui5alx3wYAXsGE2jXHW-reA54zM6etOenASrsTf_H2r8YSUTFAI2Ibq7JvAvTXBioAGuaSHbISJkPaNbaghGiy-rKw8MFnYMTN5LwKJiQeX8uDKFwyn5ZG-_BfaL-3i4/s320/IMG_1072.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cmE66gOPjDLzWXfppoDZm2Jf-wleCAWphJY17Xr4TcUaSITCFcjPcH5P86RBEijHc9zM8lUMuwvijqFpbnF0snX0TlE2X3qgFi826pjneRz9JleuSX2p9IXnEexKvm1p8RrMjpAZt2Y/s1600-h/IMG_1056.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262822756497959378" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cmE66gOPjDLzWXfppoDZm2Jf-wleCAWphJY17Xr4TcUaSITCFcjPcH5P86RBEijHc9zM8lUMuwvijqFpbnF0snX0TlE2X3qgFi826pjneRz9JleuSX2p9IXnEexKvm1p8RrMjpAZt2Y/s320/IMG_1056.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiAy_fvqvC95kIGwOhY9wAXVnC8wmi1tN43xRaKE_x-CJRh-vi2zyPpu_adNZLXWBB4zFXP1D2E3STbuveGsTIQbd7YKS4ZwZKtkTP6H3dULiyuh3dxZ_GmL4uryzmKy-MUBSql__UpM/s1600-h/IMG_1113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262823049006991266" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiAy_fvqvC95kIGwOhY9wAXVnC8wmi1tN43xRaKE_x-CJRh-vi2zyPpu_adNZLXWBB4zFXP1D2E3STbuveGsTIQbd7YKS4ZwZKtkTP6H3dULiyuh3dxZ_GmL4uryzmKy-MUBSql__UpM/s320/IMG_1113.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />After St. Louis, it was back to NY to drop Ed's car off, pick up Hokie, and have his parents drive us back to RI for our flight to Tokyo. It was an adventure but we made it to Japan with no issues. It was daylight for the entire plane ride and we had some nice views of the mountians over Alaska. There ends the voyage and next time we will let you know how we are settling in!</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-17945627914880209542008-09-26T09:27:00.000-07:002008-11-06T00:26:33.107-08:00Beginning the farewell voyage!All the work is complete on the house except for the kitchen countertops which should be done in the next couple of weeks. After 4 truckloads of trash and old boxes went to the dump and then 3 sets of movers had taken all the rest of our stuff we were finally all ready to hit the road for NY. The contractor finished all the painted and helped get the transition pieces down for the kitchen floor. Here are some pics of the work that was done. Most of it was painting and staining the new windows which took forever and I'm glad I didn't have to do it! But for the most part, Ed and I did the kitchen floor ourselves and I think it turned out pretty well.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXcvKiYIqQ2SUlQnHdqDue_jVq0HM0gIXNkzeSxhyphenhyphenZGGtbPuM-jIF1LbB7yi-BD3XCvJwt3u2bhAZ-PZb_WNhasFzeBmcr1CSUG4TrulMLepaBHOH_vmMtR-T2e8jg3hyphenhyphenvc8uQ5vmQ4U/s1600-h/IMG_0887.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250375142224724402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXcvKiYIqQ2SUlQnHdqDue_jVq0HM0gIXNkzeSxhyphenhyphenZGGtbPuM-jIF1LbB7yi-BD3XCvJwt3u2bhAZ-PZb_WNhasFzeBmcr1CSUG4TrulMLepaBHOH_vmMtR-T2e8jg3hyphenhyphenvc8uQ5vmQ4U/s320/IMG_0887.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBMsMXf5ZpJhJmJd_TJKuAre79nzu5n98KvENiYd4QhtsZk_uf7V_bp0xdrOm0IpZL5MejKXdxsXk_L7CQN5jHgAH0qasHHK5BP-8WRIxeC4lLmeuOAUgadBqpMJtkuPLzBHUu2UtShg/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250378199195264514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBMsMXf5ZpJhJmJd_TJKuAre79nzu5n98KvENiYd4QhtsZk_uf7V_bp0xdrOm0IpZL5MejKXdxsXk_L7CQN5jHgAH0qasHHK5BP-8WRIxeC4lLmeuOAUgadBqpMJtkuPLzBHUu2UtShg/s320/IMG_0889.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioOiSvFBMJRRLhiRvxK19zoR6TN_-UgePGkcDjlJoQ6gW8fzFtwUJf8SRBlctjVK3zmizxFYvmmR0bHxphg5fyv6VAfIMGR2OPAfonpX7JKrYTBUPzAUCXx_yW3oVvZ8CHpggSXlJWmQ/s1600-h/IMG_0893.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250375990604730770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioOiSvFBMJRRLhiRvxK19zoR6TN_-UgePGkcDjlJoQ6gW8fzFtwUJf8SRBlctjVK3zmizxFYvmmR0bHxphg5fyv6VAfIMGR2OPAfonpX7JKrYTBUPzAUCXx_yW3oVvZ8CHpggSXlJWmQ/s320/IMG_0893.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR53oNimzEsfwr6PFw0sGw6eI6togsOZQFtVr6qVrOHnh6ZG9Q6rSdd7P4kSC3sg5_buQPt_HpXOeiI_qf7HMFwTUaoqOnbiuAVLAwx7r4W0j-vRQn5nWTdtD4SWxvrapRPrTGDWLzTM/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIiTyUUkizpuAFHCsmh_DJftLP-UyrchNnoAzC1yXKJLx4gVjIDBhYAsMyOHjoI2xTlMZvyY5bC8hUgHsgSSgThRowzZuD_ntPhMW_fQ_F0s6LVflv7oI760HV-OYBEyQj8Z9QOkWf68/s1600-h/IMG_0898.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250375228443162082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIiTyUUkizpuAFHCsmh_DJftLP-UyrchNnoAzC1yXKJLx4gVjIDBhYAsMyOHjoI2xTlMZvyY5bC8hUgHsgSSgThRowzZuD_ntPhMW_fQ_F0s6LVflv7oI760HV-OYBEyQj8Z9QOkWf68/s320/IMG_0898.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaYKKekfAtA4zPhu93kBo30ZY9URQl38Fl2y9QfH999Fh-eU85GAsYVj2CqSP8uhS6xCLWVWhIE8ygRdY1x01SZbc0Sa90jJM7sHp9okpiXhdgdcJlEe9fEpyu0C2c0ZLCR13yenc9HY/s1600-h/IMG_0891.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250377058180111954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaYKKekfAtA4zPhu93kBo30ZY9URQl38Fl2y9QfH999Fh-eU85GAsYVj2CqSP8uhS6xCLWVWhIE8ygRdY1x01SZbc0Sa90jJM7sHp9okpiXhdgdcJlEe9fEpyu0C2c0ZLCR13yenc9HY/s320/IMG_0891.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR53oNimzEsfwr6PFw0sGw6eI6togsOZQFtVr6qVrOHnh6ZG9Q6rSdd7P4kSC3sg5_buQPt_HpXOeiI_qf7HMFwTUaoqOnbiuAVLAwx7r4W0j-vRQn5nWTdtD4SWxvrapRPrTGDWLzTM/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"></a></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR53oNimzEsfwr6PFw0sGw6eI6togsOZQFtVr6qVrOHnh6ZG9Q6rSdd7P4kSC3sg5_buQPt_HpXOeiI_qf7HMFwTUaoqOnbiuAVLAwx7r4W0j-vRQn5nWTdtD4SWxvrapRPrTGDWLzTM/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"></a></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR53oNimzEsfwr6PFw0sGw6eI6togsOZQFtVr6qVrOHnh6ZG9Q6rSdd7P4kSC3sg5_buQPt_HpXOeiI_qf7HMFwTUaoqOnbiuAVLAwx7r4W0j-vRQn5nWTdtD4SWxvrapRPrTGDWLzTM/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"></a></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR53oNimzEsfwr6PFw0sGw6eI6togsOZQFtVr6qVrOHnh6ZG9Q6rSdd7P4kSC3sg5_buQPt_HpXOeiI_qf7HMFwTUaoqOnbiuAVLAwx7r4W0j-vRQn5nWTdtD4SWxvrapRPrTGDWLzTM/s1600-h/IMG_0889.JPG"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIiTyUUkizpuAFHCsmh_DJftLP-UyrchNnoAzC1yXKJLx4gVjIDBhYAsMyOHjoI2xTlMZvyY5bC8hUgHsgSSgThRowzZuD_ntPhMW_fQ_F0s6LVflv7oI760HV-OYBEyQj8Z9QOkWf68/s1600-h/IMG_0898.JPG"></a></div><div><br />The Nissan was packed to the brim with all of our luggage on the way to NY. We have everything we still have in our possession in the car, including the cat! Hokie is having fun playing with the bird at Ed's parents house which is good cause she'll be stuck here while we make the trip down to WV. Finally I'll be away from New England with their pizzer and soder (pizza and soda) and back to a place where I can say "ya'll" and call soda "pop"!<br /><br />So we'll be in NY until Monday and then start for Huntington. We'll be in Huntington for the Marshall game on Oct. 3. Hopefully they will beat WVU this weekend so we can strut our stuff in our Marshall gear!</div></div></div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6818218453468777162.post-16754419791165273582008-09-18T06:13:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:26:43.945-07:00Trying to Get Outta RI<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMrhVNtWVTo4-GVbrpHuAU8S5bW1fX60q9OwNEzgu8vCgNU0sRfXLMEZVjz_IQKi7yXTVsj3TBaWrSQO4-f-IEUhARb1lhJta9BNT3W8RnADyF3ds8ezN1Po7Poi1xbrMxINhlHcJ8ug/s1600-h/guestbed_2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247352588906808610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMrhVNtWVTo4-GVbrpHuAU8S5bW1fX60q9OwNEzgu8vCgNU0sRfXLMEZVjz_IQKi7yXTVsj3TBaWrSQO4-f-IEUhARb1lhJta9BNT3W8RnADyF3ds8ezN1Po7Poi1xbrMxINhlHcJ8ug/s320/guestbed_2.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAxls3HQsRQGmO4SQrrnTGgPrIHkg3oIitCycNN0EEqBrvQL-MyfmyTTLHmIzs2EScThqHb12QL2u-aQA_SXuQWWGM3DshHr1qVQUmQDbnYnN6cmzAlxfpGQw4k1lyg7t4omU2qyA7l0/s1600-h/dining_1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247352509391973410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAxls3HQsRQGmO4SQrrnTGgPrIHkg3oIitCycNN0EEqBrvQL-MyfmyTTLHmIzs2EScThqHb12QL2u-aQA_SXuQWWGM3DshHr1qVQUmQDbnYnN6cmzAlxfpGQw4k1lyg7t4omU2qyA7l0/s320/dining_1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz-ehZe4RAytCNBcUMQvo75AhRBrb0yfyCVqRx7lK9K_8IeDT1mobWL1056g-VmphbvaJs3r5mSEK8wak1Xp8ApA6AliaBxZZKLuq3LRAISTZH6Tc7HDCHJorio79hLMShz_XqjtEccU/s1600-h/bedroom_2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247351910286374754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz-ehZe4RAytCNBcUMQvo75AhRBrb0yfyCVqRx7lK9K_8IeDT1mobWL1056g-VmphbvaJs3r5mSEK8wak1Xp8ApA6AliaBxZZKLuq3LRAISTZH6Tc7HDCHJorio79hLMShz_XqjtEccU/s320/bedroom_2.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1H9ikS6vWU5_JDWRm6T_bvTfpKgxswiXXXXBgmmLacwBkb1zrUCPJqlrGhUiO61nFphh_S_Qv-zx5PDwIvaPwGjJreCNv7D7KuV1kFeHoH0IJ9WtRk3XJ2peJxsm9QxiVvitQkc-AixA/s1600-h/living_1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247351412401483074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1H9ikS6vWU5_JDWRm6T_bvTfpKgxswiXXXXBgmmLacwBkb1zrUCPJqlrGhUiO61nFphh_S_Qv-zx5PDwIvaPwGjJreCNv7D7KuV1kFeHoH0IJ9WtRk3XJ2peJxsm9QxiVvitQkc-AixA/s320/living_1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We are nearing the end of our time in Westerly, RI and trying to get the house rented. We have it listed on a military by owner website and it looks like we are getting a lot of hits, but no interest so far. The base housing people are coming on Oct. 2 to take some pictures and get it listed on their website and we are hoping to have much more luck that way. The neighbor's son is going to do the property management and we really like and trust them so that is a relief. This house had been in their family for over 50 years before it was sold outside of the family so it has sentimental value to them and I know they will take care of things well. Check out the house pics. </div><div></div><div></div><div>The first set of movers are coming tomorrow morning to take our "essentials". Basically they will take most of our kitchen items and any clothes that we aren't packing and bringing with us while we travel. The other two sets of movers come on Monday and Tuesday and then we will be off to NY to start our farewell voyage. We're going to see the Red Sox at Fenway on Monday night. We decided to wear our matching green Guiness shirts so that we fit in but are not actually rooting for the Red Sux.<br /></div><div></div><div>We have plane tickets for Oct. 18. We are flying United and our friend Jim's wife works for United so they are going to try to hook us up with some good service on the flights! That should make Ed happy since he won't be able to ride first class. United will only allow Hokie to ride with us in coach and of course, she is the boss. That will be a miserable trip with her stuffed under the seat in front of us...I feel sorry for the people seated around us!</div><br /><div>The contractor who is doing the finishing touches on the house is coming by in a few to work, so thats all for now. Check back for pics of our farewell voyage!</div></div></div></div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10544976421049112857noreply@blogger.com1