Day 243 - 30th of April

9:06pm　ホテル

天気：晴れ、曇り

Well, we woke up a little late this morning (8:30), so that only gave us 30 minutes to eat breakfast; which was included in our accommodation package. It was a huge, traditional Japanese breakfast, so there was miso soup, 漬物 (tsukemono – pickled vegetables), shredded cabbage, sweet egg, salmon, seaweed and of course rice; it was so filling! We’re going to hopefully leave for the ferry soon, and go out to 竹生島 (Chikubu Island); looking forward to it…

12:03pm　彦根港

We’re at the port now, waiting for the ferry to arrive. It doesn’t leave until 12:30, so we have a bit of time. Apparently, it takes 40 minutes to get to the island, so it’s going to be a great ride… We walked from the station (after taking the bus), and have been here for about half an hour, taking heaps of photos of the port area, and the lake, which is absolutely massive you can barely make out the mountains on the opposite shore; so excited!

2:18pm　船舶

We’re on the ferry, making our way back to Hikone now; we’re sitting outside on top and it’s so windy. The island was absolutely magical!!! We went around to a load of temples and shrines, me switching between photos and video. There were lots of steps leading right up the three-storey, red pagoda on top. In a nearby temple (called 竹生島宝厳寺 – Chikubushima Hougonji), I lit a candle for my poppy, who passed away recently; Alex lit one for her pop too. I think it was the most perfect, serene place for me to take a moment to remember him… And the wildlife!!! There were so many birds – eagles, seagulls and other sea birds, all nesting in the trees on the cliffs; their cries were all so beautiful. Alex spotted a large brown snake, and coincidentally we had just past a snake shrine; I think it’s a good omen. At this shrine, there was a torii on the outcrop below facing the lake, and around it were scattered hundreds of little ceramic plates. People would throw them from the platform above where we were, with their names and wishes written on them; I thought it was a really interesting practice. Also, in the temple where I lit the candle, there were thousands of babushka-esque dolls, in which you could insert a scroll of paper with a wish; very cool. Coming to the island was definitely worth it, and even though time was fleeting (we only got an hour and 20 minutes), we got to see everything it had to offer. We did have to rush a little on the way down, to catch the ferry on time, but I couldn’t help pick up a souvenir on the way. Now, I am seriously considering writing about the island for my field report in Religion; I could start as soon as I got home. I took plenty of photos, and the video will help me to remember… Well, I think once we get back to Hikone, we’re going to return to the hotel, and then hit the baths. Might get something to eat before that, although I’m really not that hungry; that breakfast really was filling…

4:24pm　バスのりば　－　彦根駅

We’re in the bus stop waiting for the next bus to the hotel… After getting off the ferry, we were making our way back to the station when we came across a quaint little café and decided to get something to eat; I noticed they had curry rice. The inside was just as quaint as the exterior (I felt like I was stepping into a cottage), and was up to its ears in cute paraphernalia. We were soon seated in High-back chairs, enjoying the curry; it certainly hit the spot. Upon leaving, the lady there gave up each a mini copper matchbox car, after Alex commented on them; that was unexpected and wonderful. Still waiting…

6:37pm　ホテル

Just had a dip in the Jacuzzi, and now I feel wonderful. I wonder what we’re going to have for dinner; always thinking about food I am. After that rice, I’m not really hungry anyway. Well, Alex isn’t back yet, so she must be enjoying herself…

9:39　ホテル

Just got back from eating dinner; we ended up going to Roppongi House again. This time, I tried the tonkotsu ramen, and Alex stuck with her tomato ramen; it was that good! After talking for a while, we again went to Lawsons for some dessert, and I got some caramel/chocolate ice cream; yummy. Today was absolutely incredible, and even though we did heaps of walking, my feet aren’t sore at all; I find that pretty surprising. Anyway, I’m not really sure what’s in store for tomorrow. I think we’ll just make it up as we go along…

Day 181 - 27th of February

天気：曇り
Against expectations, it did not rain today, which meant that I was at least active during the afternoon… I tried to get up at 9:30, but ended up falling back to sleep, finally getting up at about 11. Hugo was still in bed, so I had breakfast, and then went out to the lounge, and played Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on my DS; it was really great to be able to read most of the text. Shortly after 12, I went up to ask Ash if she still wanted to go to Yamada Lake. She did, so we decided to leave at 1; Rachel came along too. Since Ash doesn’t have a bike, we walked, and it was a very pleasant walk; the sun was out and it was warm. Soon enough we reached the lake, and circumnavigated it clockwise. There were many cats out enjoying the fine weather, much to the girls’ delight. We walked through the Queensland fauna exhibition (which was very familiar to me), and then made our way around past the bamboo grove. As we approached it, we noticed a large group of people with telescopic cameras on tripods set up. We were unsure of why they were all gathered around this spot but were soon to find out. From out of the trees came 1, 2, 3 beautiful green breasted, purple-winged birds that might have been parrots or doves; it was hard to tell. Straight away we knew that they were the photographers’ focus, as a flurry of flashing noises filled the air; I didn’t get a very decent shot since I was so far back. We figured that they were a rare species, or only came here during a certain time of year. It was really cool to be able to see them; the photographer’s must have put food there to coax them out. We came just at the right time, as they soon flew off.

We continued on to the plum grove, to find the ground a patchwork of pink and white. There were still a lot of flowers on the trees, but not nearly as many as the other day; yesterday’s rain had not been kind. It was still a very pretty sight, and I couldn’t help but to take another round of photos. We ended up spending about two hours in the park, walking through the woods, going out to the pagoda on the lake, and finally making our way back round the lake to the south exit; it was a lot of fun. Feeling hungry, Ash suggested we go to かっぱ寿司 (Kappazushi), a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Since I had never been, and hadn’t had sushi in a while, I thought, why not; Rachel was keen too. It was only a short walk from where we were too, on the highway. I was really amazed by the set up; three lots of conveyor belts coming out from the kitchen, surrounded by booths. And basically, as soon as you sat down you could start eating, taking what you like off the conveyor belt.

Pretty much all the selections were 105円 each, with some items (like the desserts) being a bit more expensive; calculating the bill was just a matter of counting the number of plates. They mostly served 握り寿司 (Nigirizushi – lit. “hand-formed sushi), which is basically an oblong mound of rice, with a bit of wasabi, and topping draped over it. This could be some sort of fish, including salmon and tuna, octopus, roe, eel, squid, shrimp, or sometimes egg. There was also 稲荷寿司 (Inarizushi), which is a pouch of deep fried tofu filled with rice, and takoyaki, the octopus-filled dumplings. If you wanted to order something in particular, you could a touch screen system to make your selection, which is exactly what Rachel did; she wanted to try takoyaki. It was promptly delivered to our table on the back of a mini Shinkansen that came straight from the kitchen; no need for waiters. I was just content with the selection that came around. I really liked the Inarizushi, and the eel Nigirizushi. I also got a dessert; a sort of tiramisu pudding. Considering how small the portions are, I was full after 6 plates. As Ash explained, it probably has something to do with the break between servings, allowing your stomach to “catch up”.

Feeling very satisfied, we paid and left; I’ll have to go back again sometime. Actually, Saigou Sensei told our class about a really good sushi place past Yamada Lake, which is, in his opinion far, superior to Kappazushi; have to check it out. Ash wanted to go to the uni, and do some grocery shopping, so we walked back down the highway, towards Midori. On the way, I was informed of what, or rather who, Don Quijote was; a fictional character of Spanish literature written in the 1600’s. Apparently it’s really well known novel, though I’ve never heard of it; I’ll have to try and find it and read it now. Anyway, we walked over to the uni, to find it still open, and went to the CIE. Ash was expecting a parcel, and was disappointed when she found out it hadn’t arrived; it’ll probably be there on Monday. Having nothing else to do at the uni, we went on to Fresco, and the Lawson 100円 store (recently converted from the 99円 store), and I picked up a few things. When we finally got home it was after 6. I stayed in the kitchen for a while and chatted with Simon, then went down to my room and read some more. Finally feeling a bit hungry again, I went up and made dinner at 8; gyudon.

After cleaning at 9 (it was Ash’s week, but Rachel and I also chipped in), we contemplated on what we should do, considering Katie and Sarah were still out; they had gone to Kyoto today. We didn’t want to watch firefly without them, so Ash invited the two of us back up to her room to figure out something to watch on her laptop. I suggested we watch Hetalia, and Rachel was immediately taken by the idea, having never seen it before; Ash was more than eager to introduce it to her. So we got set up on the futon, laptop on the table, and proceeded to watch the entirety of the first season; 26 episodes. Keep in mind the episodes are only five minutes each, so we finished up just after midnight. Katie came back in that time, having gone to eat at a Mexican restaurant; that would have been great. She soon went to Sarah’s room, leaving just the three of us. I was really tired by the end of it, and went straight to bed.