Snowboarding, etc

I didn't spend much time on the computer after the first few days, so here's a quick recap of the rest of my trip.

After our whirlwind tour of Tokyo, we settled down to the real business of our trip- snowboarding. Our host had arranged for us to stay at a Japanese resort near the slopes, which was pretty cool. We had a two-room suite. The bottom level was covered with Japanese mats...no chairs, and had the bathroom. A small ladder led to the upstairs, where there were six beds. Breakfast and dinner was served in a small private room off the main cafeteria. We did have a debate over whether it was because they were afraid we would be too loud or out of respect. Considering how loud some of the Japanese guests were, I tend to think it was more a sign of respect. The food was delicious, with our last dinner being two traditional Japanese soups. Who would have known that they have their own version of chicken soup?

The boarding experience was so much fun! Lesson number one- how to stand up took a little while. My younger sister caught on almost immediately and was navigating the bunny slope in no time. I, on the other hand, took a few runs to be able to make it to the bottom standing up- and going backwards. I finally learned how to turn and then the fun could really begin. By the end of the third day I was much more confident and even doing a beginners carve. The second day we went up to the top of the mountain where there was another green slope and a great view of the surrounding mountains. At the end of the highest lift was a small hike to reach the summit. We decided to go up after lunch and ran into a Japanses lady who told us that there was a saying in Japan that said "you have done a good deed if you can see the view from the top on a clear day." I guess we must have done something good because the sky was perfectly clear and we could see the smoke from the volcano that had erupted two days earlier. Much as I love summitting mountains, my favorite part is unquestionably the long run down the mountain I did the last day. Starting at the top, I rode my board to the very bottom. I went alone, enjoying every moment of the ride. The beauty of the mountains, and the stillness of my surroundings was a powerful reminder of God's power and loving care.

After three days, I was sore, bruised, and slightly swollen in parts. I was thouroughly beat, and unfortunately the weather that night left a thick blanket of snow on the ground the next morning. One day later and we would have had beautiful slopes to ride. As it was, we headed out to do some local site-seeing. We stopped first at a temple, which was quite beautiful covered in snow. Again, I wish I understood the history and architecture, but even lacking that I am glad we made the stop. We then stopped by an outdoor foot onsen. This is basically a big tub filled with hot water from an underground spring. Traditional full-sized onsens are basically very hot public baths. To use them you must first shower very well, as neiher dirt nor soap are allowed in the onsens. After the foot onsen, we headed back to the base, stopping for a quick picture of Mt. Fuji on the way.

Our last full day in Japan was spent retracing our steps a little. We went back to the Forbidden Gardens and spent several hours wandering around. Despite the winter cold, there were still several plants in bloom, including a few cherry trees! That was pretty cool and I'll have to post pictures when I get them back from my sister. Typically the cherry trees don't bloom until later in the spring, so it was a very nice treat to see them in early February. Finally, we wrapped up the day with a souvenir shopping trip.

One last comment before I wrap up this ridiculously long post. People ask me about the food. I expected sushi to be absolutely amazing there and to want to eat nothing but sushi the whole time I was there. As it turned out, I only ate it once. It didn't seem to be all that much better than some of the sushi I've had here in the states, and it didn't beat the tuna I had in Samoa. However, what I did really enjoy were the noodle bowls. I could eat those all day! And yes, those I will miss now that I am back.

Spark's Notes: Tokyo Edition

Yesterday we did a quick highlights tour of Tokyo. We started out the day by trying to take a tour of the C-130s, but after almost getting thrown into a military prison we decided it might be safer to just avoid the base for a little while. Three trains, a subway, and a half-mile walk later we found Tokyo Tower. I must admit that until yesterday I didn't even know such a place existed. It's taller than the Eiffel Tower by a few feet, and weighs a lot less due to advances in technology. I hadn't really researched much about Japan since I had no planning control over the trip so I might end up having to look up the places we go after I get home. The view from the midpoint observation tower was quite impressive. We could see Mount Fuji in the distance since it was very clear day, and the harbor on the other side. Every side we looked was a huge sprawling city. Houston seems small in comparison. On the way down, we stopped at the kids' carnival and took a bunch of pictures. Traveling with two other girls made is making the picture taking lots of fun. We had no problem pretending to be little kids again. Once we reached the bottom we stopped at a crepe/ice cream stand and availed ourselves of some refreshments. One of the boys in our group ordered octopus balls from another street vendor, but they weren't nearly as good as the crepes.

Next stop was the Sony Tower where the boys had a field day looking at all the beta testing products that have yet to be released. By far the coolest thing in my opinion was the piano staircase. Every step was a different note, so it sounded like a little kid banging on a piano as people went up and down.

Although it was getting late by this point, we took another subway over to the Palace, only to find that it had already closed for the day. We wandered around for a little while, then decided we would try to make it back on Saturday, time permitting.

With darkness moving in, we hopped back to see one of the temples and what is apparently tourist shopping heaven in Tokyo. Unfortunately our tour guide had neglected to tell us to bring lots of money for the day so the souvenir shopping will have to wait until Saturday as well. The temple was cool, but again I don't know much of the culture or history behind it. Next time I'll be sure to do my own research ahead of time. :) There was a big incense pot at the foot of the steps leading up the temple entrance. Apparently you are supposed to "waft" yourself in the insense to keep yourself young. There was also a trough with water to bathe yoursel and remove impurities.

Last item on the agenda was "Tokyo Times Square," a pretty busy crossroads. We sat upstairs in a Starbucks and watched as time after time the street would fill with hundreds of people crossing, and then seemingly just as suddenly the people would disappear. It was amazing how many people live in the city and were congregating on this one block, on a Sunday evening. If there's one thing I took away from yesterday it was that- Tokyo is a huge city with lots of people.