Okaeri Tokyo!

Tokyo trip started at 4 pm Friday afternoon when Ryota picked me up at the dorm and I said a final goodbye to everyone in the lobby (Joel, Carly, Yuji, and Otousan... now I know who cares LOL) and after a final look back at the place I stayed at since the end of August, I climbed the dreaded hill with my many luggages... ok so maybe only half because Ryota was helping... but USK

So after making it up the dreaded hill and taking my last Keihan bus ride, we arrived at Hirakatashi Eki about 30 minutes before I was meant to meet with my speaking partner for a final goodbye. After sitting at starbucks for awhile to burn time (and let Ryota have a coffee... that boy loves his coffee) I met with her. She gave me a Hello Kitty doll :) I gave her my bunny I won at the UFO catcher... it was the first time I won since being here and I got it on my first try so I think it's lucky especially because I went to Joypolis just to get that bunny. After saying goodbye and resting up, Ryota and I headed to Kyoto station!

We arrived at Kyoto Station where we would be boarding the night bus to Tokyo hours before hand so we used the time to take pictures of the big Christmas tree which lit up in sync with Christmas songs that played and ate dinner. We ate at this place that sold giant hamburgers. I haven't had a burger since I left the US in July LOL. It was nice... even though it had mustard on it >.< I missed burgers. I ate the whole thing too and my fries. After eating and talking we walked to find where the bus would come and went to konbini for snacks. We boarded the bus and left around 10 pm.

I would definitely take the night bus again for the price. It's not like I thought. Just basically a big tour bus. Ryota and I watched videos from the dance booth then Umizaru 2: Limit of Love before crashing. We arrived in Shinjuku at 6 am. Early. Cold. Dark. We hopped on the subway and rode to Tokyo station hoping to get breakfast, but didn't happen yet. We stayed there until we located a hotel in Nihombashi and then headed that way.

Unfortunately, check in isn't until 3 which is when we were due in Disney. Luckily we could still leave our bags which we did. Then we headed back to Shinjuku to find the Love sculpture, which after awhile, we did. Some people were there... one dressed as Santa and one as a Ninja, seems like they were trying to make a movie. It was kinda entertaining but we had NO clue what the heck they were doing. We went into this on building that had a pet store. I played with a cute kitten. After eating lunch and sleeping in a McDs, we headed for Disney.

At first I didn't think it was so crowded... maybe because everyone was in line for Splash Mountain. We rode the Merry-Go-Round and the Star Jets ride. We basically walked, talked, laughed, enjoyed the company of the other. We shopped in the super crowded stores and watched the fireworks. I am glad we go the startlight passport (3 pm til close) because I was so tired even though I slept on the bus and we couldn't enter the hotel and rest so I was slept in McDs and on the trains.

While in Disney, Ryota got this giant Mickey Mouse waffle and ate it. No more than 2 hours later after we left, we were in the station when he mentioned getting dinner because we haven't had dinner yet. And I was like "What do you call that waffle?" and he gave me this look and said "Snack" which I cracked up. That boy can eat... LOL I love him. He's great.

We made it back to the hotel, grabbed dinner, and rested up. I was going through pics on the computer while Ryota was filling up the bathtub. I lay down and told him I was shutting my eyes for a minute and came be side me and we both fell asleep. He never got his bath LOL. We were SOOO exhausted.

This morning we checked out and headed to Erin's to store my luggage. We talked and laughed at her place then headed out to Odaiba. We never made it there... I was trying to meet up with Jun and Manami one more times but plans kept changing so we ended up in Akihabara for awhile before meeting with Jun and Manami at Tokyo station where we sat in Starbucks and talked.

So sleepy...

♥ LIGHT UP ♥

Sounds Christmas-y doesn't it??? WELL IT'S NOT! Light up is when temples light up the trees. Because it's fall now, the trees are pretty fall colors, red, orange, yellow, etc. It is very pretty. So many people go and see the light up. Today I went to Kyoto with my friend Ryota and we walk around and went to a temple at night to see a light up :) Here are some pics!



Mountain with fall colors





Crowd of people from the front and behind us going up to Kiyomizudera



LOOK KANJIS! Can you read the pictures??? ;)



Sakura tree! But no sakura right now :(



Pretty tree :)



Pretty view going up to the temple



Light up in the zen garden



Light up with some SPIRITS =ooo!!!



A bunch of fall colors :)

Note: for light up, 1) wear comfy shoes, 2) get to the temple early unless you want to stand in an uber long line!, 3) don't forget your jacket if it's cold, 4) don't forget your camera!, 5) bring a good friend ♥

We met at 11 at school, got some lunch, then headed to Kyoto. We walked around for awhile, a long while, walking to many temples, including Kiyomizu... we didn't go in, but walked back to another temple to get in line for tickets for light up. This was like Disney World if you stretched the line for Splash Mountain! At least it moved fast. My feet were killing me from my boots, I kept trying to sit, but the line kept moving. The light up was pretty. I'm glad I got to see one!

Current status: tired!!!!!

Kyoto: Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizudera

Monday my dad and I finally traveled somewhere: KYOTO! My usual Monday alarm went off, waking me during my REM sleep and my eyes were still REMing when I woke up >.< I got dressed, almost forgot the big duffel of my clothes my dad is taking back to the US for me (my suitcases were packed when I came here... and after all the things I bought... ZETTAI MURIDAYO!), and met my dad at the hotel. I had to run to catch my bus. Lately, I've been using the bus schedule to get to the bus stop just in time... and I look at it and the next bus is in 10 minutes, which is plenty of time if I go right then. And with the big heavy bag on my shoulder I had to try to run a bit faster.

I got the just when dad was trying to figure how much it would be if he didn't checkout by 10, which he didn't have to worry about after all. We planned to go meet my friends at 11 at the Fushimi Inari station so with time to spare we hit up Starbucks before hopping on a train. For the record, no express trains go to Fushimi Inari... I think the fastest train was the blue train. Which is almost no better than a local train HAHA.

So we start riding and I get off at the wrong stop... in fact I exit the station at the wrong stop! We got off at Fushimi Momoyama (I think is the name). I check my train map in my schedule book (I have the entire train map of Tokyo and Osaka and subways from all over Japan... did I mention these maps are entirely in Japanese? Kanji too), and we buy a 200 yen ticket and continue on to the correct station. Where we meet Mai (we volunteer together). Mai's friend, luckily had my email address because I forgot to write hers down, also had traveling problems. So it all worked out good. We all waited for each other.

Fushimi Inari was awesome. So many toriis!!! I wonder how many there are. We didn't climb all the way to the top though. I guess we took the weenie route down 1/3 of the way up LOL. We did run into TWO pet-able kitties :D I haven't pet a kitty since I left home! The cats here are wild and just run away :( I bought a torii (a little one) and my cell phone charm + a soft Inari cats eye charm! I mean so sooooo soft too! Super cute :) Here are some pictures!!



Inari the fox. His temple!



Seeing double? Both paths went the same way by the way.



Toriis! Feel like you are in Memoirs of a Geisha yet?



Me and the toriis



Fall leaves!!!



The second of two kitties I got to pet :) This one was comfortably sun bathing.

Afterward we went to Kiyomizudera. I decided to go to the Kiyomizu Gojo station... after walking to the temple I started thinking the Gion station that we went to when I went with the dance booth members was closer. Not sure if I am wrong or right... I got a little lost trying to go back the way I went with the dance booth members. I knew I saw a Family Mart and I hadn't eaten really the whole day and I wanted to find it. Anyways, at Kiyomizu we walked around... it was really crowded. I bought an omamori :) AND GOT A GOOD FORTUNE FOR ONCE!! YAY :) I drunk from the fountain... I'm not sure what kind of luck I drank though LOL. I could use some luck no matter what kind it is.

After Kiyomizu we headed back on an overly crowded limited express train. Next time, I'm just going to take sub express. It's not like we were in a hurry. Sub express wouldn't have been so crowded. I was so pooped by the time we go to back to Hirakata-shi. We sat in the atrium of the station and I tried to think of something that to do that involves sitting since we had time to spare before needing to go to the airport... come on... what did I choose to do???? Shouldn't be that hard to figure out... What is something fun to do that involves sitting? KARAOKE!!! So we hit up karaoke for an hour before heading to the airport. It was fun :)

I took dad back to the airport, an easier way that when I went to pick him up. It may not have been cheaper, and may or may not have taken as long, but it was sooo much easier. Hirakata-shi to Kyobashi on the Keihan line, Kyobashi to Tennoji on the JR Loop Line, Tennoji to Kansai Airport on the Airport express train. Then do it in reverse!! I didn't get back to the dorm til almost 11. I hate how much I have been eating McDs lately but I've been so busy. I think starting today it is back to cooking and packing bento.

I'm trying to remember what day of the week it is LOL. Holidays throw me off. Festivals too. And we just had both!

Current status: hungry, sleepy, but mostly hungry.

Kiyomizudera

Sunday was my trip to Kiyomizudera Temple/Shrine with the INFES (International Festival) Dance Booth members. Awesome place. Been wanting to go since my roomie told me about it. Mostly because it has a love shrine LOL and I wanted to cast my love worries and get some charms <3 Anyways, it's a big place on top of a stupid big hill but has a pretty view at the top.



Me and the guys that waited for me because either 1) I cannot tell time or 2) I did not understand the meeting time and they thought I was lost. There was a girl too, she's taking a pic.



Ryo and I (and the other girl is with the guy coming down)... in front of the love shrine.



Beautiful view from the top



I found a Maiko!

Anyways, this week is classes... getting into my routine. Got most of my homework for this week done and I have a quiz tomorrow and a test on Friday. Currently...



... I am drying my clothes inside because we just had a downpour.

I'm going to begin volunteering to teach English at an Elementary school. I'm very excited!
<3
Amber