It has been extremely busy these past few days since we took off from Arizona. We are now finishing up our second full day in Japan, and they have been an experience. First, got to talk about the flight since that’s the one thing everyone always asks when you go somewhere. It was LONG. I knew going into this trip that the flight was going to be tough, but that still didn’t prepare me for the 11 hours we were on that plane. I didnt sleep at all the night before, so by the time we were boarding the long flight from San Francisco to Osaka, I was going on 30 hours with no sleep. That and the fact there was barely any leg room, the seats did not recline, and were extremely uncomfortable made for a crappy flight. The one saving grace was the great company I had, but even great company can’t make all 11 hours fly by. It was worth it though, because afterwards we were in Japan!
The first day brought a lot of new experiences. First, we met our pen pals and exchanged our welcome gifts. They also threw us a very interesting welcome party, complete with a song and dance! The welcome lunch was great, but the only utensils they had were chop sticks, so it was quite the challenge to eat without embarrassing myself. They were all very nice, and I am so thankful for the warm welcome to Japan. Afterwards we explored the city of Kobe, stopping to visit a temple, a few department stores and a ramen store. Before the trip, Dr. Katz told us it would be hot and sticky and that we would probably need a fan of some sort. Well, he wasn’t lying and by the time we reached the department store, we were all shelling out 3500 yen for a nice fan. After trying some sake at the ramen store we decided to head back to the university because it was their annual fireworks festival and we wanted to get some decent seats. On the way back was when we realized Japan has a LOT of people. I knew that they did, but it’s different seeing it in person. The crowds were enormous! We were packed in the trams like sardines and then some. Where ever we went, there was people. It was good fortune that we found a great spot on the bay boardwalk to watch the fireworks. Now, nothing beats 4th of July fireworks, but us in America can learn a thing or two from that fireworks show. They shot off over 50,000 fireworks, lasting for an hour. They had them in every color, shape, size. They had times wehrre they got really exciting, like a finale, to times where they would slow down to build suspense. It was like an action thriller, with twists and turns throughout the show.
The second full day of Japan was almost a complete 180 compared to the first day. We took the tram to Nara, a historic Buddhist city. The difference here was it was a lot less crowded and a lot more tranquil. Sure they had a busy shopping cente, but Nara bring a popular tourist location, it’s par for the course. What made it so tranquil was the holy Buddhist sites we visited. First we visited a Temple, which was possibly the largest and most intricate work of architecture I have ever seen. When I walked up and saw it for the first time, I was floored by how truly awe-inspiring it was. There really is not a word to describe how amazing this temple was. The inside was just as awesome, with its at least 100-foot tall Buddha. They had historical Buddhist relics on display inside, and a pole that signified the Buddha’s nostril. If you were able to crawl through it then you would have good luck. The hole was probably less than 3 feet wide, and only tiny children could crawl through. I tried, but the confined space was a little frightening. After the temple, we walked to the park nearby where they had dozens and dozens of deer just roaming about. They were so docile and just walked up to you and bowed. They bowed to you! They let us pet them, feed them and take pictures with them. It was such a different atmosphere in Nara compared to Kobe, as if the Buddhist peace and tranquility you hear so much about was radiating toward everyone and everything. Nara was by far the best place we’ve visited so far.
So that’s it for the first post. Today we visit Osaka, another enormous city like Kobe. Since there is no fireworks celebration, maybe it won’t be so crowded, but you never know. Being in Japan, I think that’s just something we’re going to have to get used to. If I need a break, I’ll just take the train to Nara again and pet some deer and relax at the temple. Thanks for reading!
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