Day 238 - 25th of April

10:55am　特急
天気：晴れ

I’m on a limited express train, sitting down in the lower compartment, heading towards 出町柳 (Demachiyanagi), final destination 比叡山 (Mount Hiei); how did I get here? Well, I woke up at 9:30, and went up to have breakfast. Coming back downstairs, I was just about to return to my room, when I bumped into Sarah. She told me she would be going to Mount Hiei today, and after I showed my interest, she asked if I wanted to come with. As I’ve found before, spur of the moment decisions usually turn out really well, so I accepted her invitation, and then got ready as fast as possible… Thinking back on it now, I could have easily spent today basically repeating what I did yesterday (which I had intended), but somehow our meeting was timed just right; what luck, I say. It’s a beautiful, sunny day today, perfect for climbing a mountain. There was no way I could pass up the opportunity and besides, I deserve it…

4:49pm　特急

We’re on the limited express back to Kuzuha (to switch over for Makino). We’re actually sitting down, which is amazingly wonderful; that’s the beauty of getting on the start of the line, or should I say the end? Well, I’m going to rest a bit now, it’s been a big day…

10:43pm

Just showered and got comfy. I guess it’s time to describe my wonderful day… Well, after getting to Demachiyanagi, we transferred to the 叡山電鉄本 (eizandentetsuhon line), which took us to 八瀬比叡山口 (Yasehieizanguchi). It was a single carriage, more like a tram than a train, and there was even a ticket vendor on board. As we made our way further out, the mountains looming ever closer, I couldn’t help but feel excited. Once we got off the train, we headed straight for ケーブル八瀬 (Cable Yase), the cable car that would take us closer to the top of the mountain. We opted for the roundtrip fare, which included entry to the garden museum. I was reminded of the trip to Rokko Mountain as we rode upwards, although the incline seemed a lot steeper this time around. I used my regular camera to record the ride; while wishing I could have used my video camera. The mountains were a million shades of green, with the odd smudge of reddish pink denoting the sakura trees in the twilight of their blooming; it was truly beautiful. Kyoto also came into view as we got higher, just as my ears decided to pop. After about 10 minutes, we reached the end of the cable car line, now considerably higher. But we hadn’t reached the top yet.

Still, the view from where we were was stunning, and there were still a few sakura trees in flower. We noticed a metal ring, rigged up by two ropes over the precipice. I remembered seeing this ring in Carly’s photos. She had explained that you had to try to toss coins (which you could buy for 100円) through the ring, supposedly to bring good luck. We didn’t have time to indulge in such trivialities though, as the ropeway was beckoning. Yes, now we had to take the 叡山ロープウェイ (Eizan Ropeway) to reach 比叡山頂 (Hieisancho), where the Garden Museum is located. So, we crammed into the small cabin and off we went, Sarah never failing to remind me of her fear of heights; this was especially significant since we were hanging in mid-air. If I am not mistaken, this was my first time on a ropeway, which is quite cool actually; again I took video. After a short ride (in comparison to the cable car), we had reached the top. Eagerly, we made our way out, and over to the Garden Museum, receiving a ticket, pamphlet and information in English at the front desk before entering. Almost immediately, we were taken aback by the view. Far below us, the city of 大津 (Otsu) hugged the shore of Lake Biwa, which stretched out to the left until it was obscured by the mountain peak.

The view did not divert our attention too much though, as we found ourselves surrounded by gardens and paintings. The Garden Museum was designed my French garden designers, in an attempt to capture the essence of the world of Impressionism. Impressionist paintings have been reproduced, and are all around the open air museum, some set up on easels among the flowers. We slowly made our way around, marvelling at the multitude of flowers bursting with colour; we had come at a good time. Getting to the other entrance of the museum, we considered our next move. We knew we wanted to go and check out 延暦寺 (Enryakuji), the huge, central temple complex on the mountain, but weren’t entirely sure how to get there. We also knew we were getting hungry. So, I went up one of the ladies at the ticket counter, and enquired as to the whereabouts of Enryakuji, and the lady kindly recommended that we take the bus, as it is the most direct route there; otherwise it would be a 40 minute walk. Conveniently, the bus terminal was located right outside the exit, along with a great ugly car park; I guess it can’t be helped. So, we decided we would exit now, and come back through later; now all we needed was something to eat. As luck would have it, just by the bus terminal was a restaurant that served udon and soba; didn’t need a second thought.

We were soon seated, and both ordered the kitsune udon, which is basically a warm broth filled with udon noodles and diced vegetables, and topped with fried tofu. It was absolutely delicious, and so filling too; both of us were feeling very satisfied afterwards, and Sarah kept on praising the meal. Hearing the bus pull in, we quickly payed, and exited the restaurant, and ended up just missing it. Oh well, I gave us some more time to appreciate the view. Just offshore of the city, I noticed that there was a huge fountain in the water; I thought it must look spectacular from the waterfront. There were also heaps of yachts and speedboats out on the water, brought out no doubt by the beautiful weather. The next bus soon arrived and we hoped on that one, soon off down a windy road that hugged the cliffs, the view of the lake to our right. Enryakuji turned out to be just two stops away, but walking there would have definitely been heavy going. After paying to enter (which was discounted since we had the tickets from the garden museum), we made our way around the complex; it was really incredible.

We visited a number of buildings, including the 大講堂 (Dai koudou – Great Lecture Hall), the 根本中堂 (Konponchudou – Foundation Halll), and the 阿弥陀堂 (Amidadou – Amida Hall). One particularly memorable building was the文殊楼 (Monjuro – Manjusri Watchtower), where you have to climb stairs, which mightas well have been ladders, to get up to the altar on the second floor; that was quite intense. In fact, there was lots of stair climbing throughout the time we were there; great workout for the legs. Near the lecture hall, I had a go at ringing one of the huge bells, which was so cool; the sound really resonated inside me. There was even an Inari shrine, which I guess is a given; they’re everywhere. I guess I should include a bit of history. Basically, the monastery (that’s a better word than complex), was founded in the early Heian period (8^th century) by Saicho (Dengyo Daishi), who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism to Japan from China. Today we visited the complex clustered around the 東塔 (Toudou – East Pagoda), which is where the most important buildings of the monastery are concentrated. Further along the mountain are the 西塔 (Saitou – West Pagoda), and the 横川 (Yokawa) complexes; perhaps I will visit them someday.

It really was a beautiful place though. The trees were massive, and the atmosphere was sublime, and drenched in history; wandering around, it felt like we had taken a step back in time. The only thing that was a little bothersome for me was the fact that we had take off our shoes each time we entered a building, so my converse we not the best option for that. It was a bit after 3, when we decided it was time to get going. We had a quick look at the gift shop, not buying anything, and then got on the bus that took us back up to the garden museum. There, we wandered through an area we had missed the first time through, and also spotted an eagle, which flew very close by. Craving something sweet, we each bought an ice cream; Sarah got vanilla, and I got rose. They were the only two flavours and seeing バラ written, I was intrigued to find out what I actually was. When the lady said rose I was like, “gosh I should have known that”; it always puts me off when they write Japanese words in katakana. Well I suppose it is a lot easier than writing the kanji for rose: 薔薇. Anyway, it definitely smelt like rose and the taste, well it was very obscure; like the sakura flavour, I just can’t place it. I did very much enjoy it though. After that, we looked around the art gallery, before making our way up the observatory, which offered a wonderful 360 degrees view of the surrounds. After that, I was finally time for us to make our way back home, which was the exact reverse of how we got here; save one thing.

We decided we’d walk home from Makino rather than take the bus; trying to save some money. When we got to Makino, Sarah wanted to by a donut from Mister Donut since she had never tried them before, so of course I bought one too; failing at saving money. Oh my gosh they asked so many questions – “Are you taking out, or eating in?”, “Do you have a membership card?”, “Would you like a coffee with your order?”, “Would you like us heat it up for you?” – it was quite overwhelming; all I wanted was my donut. Anyway, we eventually got out of there and made our way to Sanko; the day wasn’t quite over. I had to buy some eggs for my okonomiyaki tonight, and luckily they were on sale; Sarah had to pick some stuff up too. While there, I also bumped into Mori Sempai, who was buying snacks for a scary movie night with Maarika. Finally we got back home, and after putting the groceries away, I got my washing in. While putting that away, I had another crack at transferring the video to the computer and this time it worked; I was so happy. Hugo and his two partners were in here as well, working on their presentation for psychology; they all had their laptops in front of them. Soon enough, it was time for dinner, and I managed to make one, wonderful okonomiyaki; well, technically it was modern-yaki, since I put yakisoba noodles on top. I stayed in the kitchen until about 9, and then went downstairs to find Katie, Ash, and Rachel watching a movie; Paprika. They were already an hour into it, but I decided to stay and watch it anyway. It was really far out, and I wish I’d seen the whole thing; maybe I’ll borrow it from Ash sometime. And that was basically the end of my day; back to uni tomorrow…

Day 223 - 10th of April

8:37am　普通

天気：晴れ

I’m on the local train to Amagasaki, to change over for 姫路 (Himeji – lit. “Princess Road”); I’m with Rachel, Rachael and Sarah. I got up at 6:30 this morning, showered and had porridge for breakfast; and a very hasty breakfast that was. The four of us left for the Hirakata station at 7 by bus, and then took the train to Kyobashi. There, we went to the JR ticket office and picked up an all day rail pass to Himeji, which was really convenient and saved a bit of money too. We’re at Amagasaki now…

8:58am　新快速

Now we’re on the “special rapid” (never been on one of these before) to Himeji; just got to sit down. It’s a beautiful sunny, warm day today, and it may actually end up being too hot; especially since the line to get into the castle is going to be very long. Oh well, it’s definitely going to be worth it. I’m going to do a bit of study now; well, try too…

5:00pm　新快速

We’re back on the special express now, home bound! My feet are very sore, but it was definitely worth it; I knew it would be. The only problem is I’m too tired to write about it now; I’m going to doze for a bit…

10:51pm　セミナーハウス

Feeling a bit better now that I’ve had a nice hot shower and I’m lying down. Today was… gosh I can’t even describe it, but I know I have to. I just have to say right now that I’m so, so glad that I decided to go; it really was an amazing experience…We arrived in Himeji at about 10, and after I picked up the second volume of Reborn from a book store in the station, we made our way through an underground shopping arcade, and up onto the main street. Already, we could see the castle, standing proudly at the end of the busy main street; I already had both cameras out. Walking there, we past many interesting statues, an information centre with a cool model of the castle, and also got some food from the convenience store to eat when we got into the grounds, since there aren’t any food stalls within; I just got some onigiri, anpan, and a bottle of orange juice. Getting closer, we noticed the remains of the outer walls of the original castle town, now not much more than grassy mounds topped with ancient trees, with stone skirting their bases. Soon enough, we had reached the end of the street, the castle looking increasing grand; a huge moat, and stone walls surrounding the bailey; the “White Heron” proudly standing atop a cloud of pinks and greens ~ it is sometimes referred to as 白鷺城 (shirasakijo – “White Heron Castle”) because of it brilliant white exterior.

We crossed the white arching bridge, and entered the gate to the bailey, and were soon surrounded by 100s of sakura trees. We really had come at the perfect time! Just about all of them were in full bloom, or just past, which meant that we not only got to appreciate them at the height of their glory but also, when the wind blew, the petals would be caught in a flurry, before landing silently on the ground; it was truly a magical sight. And believe me when I say, I got my cherry blossom fill today; there must have been at least a thousand trees on the grounds if not more. Since it was still relatively early in the day, we decided to tour the castle first, before eating lunch. Already, a patchwork of blue tarps skirted the sakura, families and business colleagues enjoying their meals and the shade; it was actually getting quite hot. Waiting in the line-up to purchase tickets proved to be relatively short. Upon entry, Rachel bumped into one of her classmates, and they chatted for a bit with we planned our next move. After passing though another gate, we decided to check out the gardens first, before entering the main keep; cherry blossom heaven. I noticed that the palace was nearby (like the one at Nijo castle, this one was also called Nishi no Maru), and asked if the girls wanted to walk through it. It was free to go in, but when we got to the entrance, we had to take off our shoes and carry them with us in plastic bags; this was understandable, but odd. The interior was all wooden, and at some points very low or narrow; the stairs, which were almost ladders, were especially scary. “Stone throwing holes” were one of the cool features of the castle, which was a long curving structure of interconnecting rooms, almost all of them offering a view of the main keep.

Exiting at the other end, we put our shoes back on, disposed the plastic bags in the designated bins, and then made our way back through the garden; I found some pin dispensers on the way, so now I have two more. Even though they were doing a lot of construction work already, for the most part it didn’t obstruct the beautiful scenery. There was a giant crane set up next to the main keep, but even then you could easily take photos that didn’t include it; they had positioned it at an ideal angle and distance away. Unlike the line to the admission booths, the line to get into the main keep for far from short; our “siege” didn’t seem very dramatic at such a sluggish pace. When we finally found the end of the line, we were in a small courtyard with a well that someone had apparently been thrown into for being “naughty". By this point, it was very hot in the sun, and my bag was feeling heavy, but I endured; we were soon in the shade of the trees and the wall. In the same way that I couldn’t get much study done on the train this morning (because I was too distracted by the scenery), I didn’t have much luck reading Reborn. Even going at that pace, there was so much to see so in the end, while it took about an hour to get into the keep, it was far from boring; incidentally, I noticed Natalie in the exiting lane about halfway up.

I would have been very difficult for besiegers to even get to the main keep; the castle is such an intricate complex of paths and walls. The walls themselves have holes of alternating shapes in them, and each one could potentially have a rifleman on the other side, poised to fire. When we did finally get to the entrance, we went through the same procedure as the palace. Carrying my bagged shoes in one hand and my video camera in the other proved to be a little unruly especially when climbing the stairs. The central tower was six storeys high, and there were a few historical artefacts displayed throughout, including samurai armour, scrolls and rifles and spears; it had a very different feel to the museum-like set ups of Nagoya and Osaka castles. It was lit only by natural light, which meant that it was actually quite dark in many places. Like the palace, it was relatively unfurnished. It was quite crowded and near the beginning, Rachael and I got separated from Rachel and Sarah. We ended up getting to the top first, because the other two got stuck in the crowd at the bottom of the stairs on one of the lower floors, in order to limit the number of people in the top. At the top, we took in the amazing view of the grounds and the city beyond; it was very impressive. Interestingly there was a shrine, 刑部 (Osakabe), on the top floor, which was actually originally situated on the hill that they built the castle. They ended up moving the shrine during construction, and then relocating in inside the tower when they were finished; I think that’s really cool.

Going up the stairs was a bit worrying, but coming down was even worse. Like the palace too, these stairs were precariously steep, and I had to bend over to get under the crossbeam near the top. Going back down though, I had to basically climb under it, which was no easy task, especially when the stairs were slippery and I was in socks; Rachel, tall like me, had a similar struggle. We met up again on the 4^th floor, and then made our way back down, past more interesting artefacts; including a model of the original castle town. Again exiting from a different side, we made our way back out of the main keep, our descent much faster than our climb. Feeling very hungry, after a few more photos we exited out into a park and sat down on a rock for lunch, watching playful pigeons. After a bit of a rest, we continued exploring the grounds coming across 姫路神社 (Himeji Shrine), which was absolutely beautiful; I could understand why I would be a popular location for weddings. We walked through more gardens, and climbed to the top of the wall surrounded by the moat, finding a fiery ginger cat sleeping in the top of a water feature; it wasn’t running. We were now on the east side of the castle, were the construction work was much more obvious. It had gotten cloudy, and subsequently cooled down, so walking back around to the front of the complex was much more comfortable. To the left of us was another park filled with people enjoying the sakura, and to the right, a zoo. Once we got to the south east corner, we took our last few photos of the castle, with two shachi (tiger-headed fish) in the foreground. It was about 3:30 by this point, so we decided to call it a day, and headed back towards the train station; the castle would be closing at 4 anyway. On the way back, we past a market, and went over to a convenience store so Rachel could pick up some food; she hadn’t eaten yet.

Finally, we went to a ダイソー (Daiso), a100 yen store. It was basically three floors of cheap goods, most of them 105円; cause of the tax. Sarah was looking for gyoza press (which she found), and ended up buying a whole heap of other things; reminded me of Mum a discount shop. I found a big teddy bear to cuddle and some children’s books, one of which was kobutorijisan (the story we read in Reading and writing); I didn’t end up buying anything though. Before leaving for the station, both Rachael and I bought bread from the grocery store on the first floor. We made our way back to station, and were soon riding the special rapid back to Amagasaki. I was so sleepy and dozed off a couple of times. Rachel on the other hand, was too intent on seeing the sea to sleep; understandable since she lives in the middle of America. Once we got to Amagasaki, we hoped platforms and took the limited express back to Kyobashi; not that it made much difference since it stops just as frequently as the local. I read a little bit more of Reborn and now I’ve only got about 10 pages left; glad I bought the second volume today. Once we got to Kyobashi we went over to the Keihan side and Rachael suggested that we try to use the all-day passes that we got today on the Keihan line. So, I went up to ask one of the station attendants if we could use the ticket, and he said no. But he directed us around to an office, and said we could exchange the all-day JR ticket for an all-day Keihan ticket; very cool. So we relinquished our JR tickets, which were stamped twice, and then we received the Keihan tickets; so we ended up saving 320円.

After getting back to Hirakatashi, Rachael, Sarah, and I took the bus home, while Rachel decided to walk; she does like to walk. Getting back, I dumped my stuff in my room (Hugo-less) and then went up to make dinner. Ash was there, and I talked with her about her day; she had gone to Shinsaibashi and bought some magazines and a costume of one of her favourite anime characters. Sarah soon joined us, but just as soon left; I hadn’t even started eating dinner. I mixed the leftovers from last night with the rest of my pasta, and it turned out very nicely. It was very quiet in the kitchen (everyone was out), and apart from Ash and I, there were only about 4 other people in there, including Sam. He had wanted to come today, but hadn’t woken up; I wonder if he’ll go tomorrow with Jazz? Katie was next to join us, and she recalled her wonderful day in Kyoto, seeing the Philosopher’s Path and 平安神宮 (Heian Shrine, which I still want to go to), all transformed by the sakura. I think that seeing Himeji castle during sakura season tramps almost everything else, so I’m extremely glad I went; can’t say that enough. Katie soon left, and Rachel replaced her and we continued to chat for a while going our separate ways. To end this post on a rather dramatic note, I found out something from Ash tonight that I couldn’t believe; this was later confirmed in an email from the CIE. One of the students from Kansai Gaidai was arrested for the possession of marijuana!!! Who in their right mind would be stupid enough to think they could get away with something like that, especially in a country like Japan that has zero tolerance of drugs; obviously someone who isn’t in their right mind. Ash and I were speculating who it might be, but it might be someone we don’t even know; so many questions left unanswered. Needless to say, there will be severe repercussions for whoever did it, including detention without bail for up to six months, and deportation from Japan for up to 10 years. Absolutely crazy…

Day 168 - 14th of February

8:30am　特急
天気：　晴れ
We’re on the train to Kyobashi now. Well, this morning was a bit of a mess up on my part. I set the alarm on my iPod for 6:30, but forgot to turn the sound up, so I slept through it. Luckily, I was woken up by Hugo coming back from his night out in Osaka; thanks Hugo. It was already 7, so Simon, Jeremy, and Rachael were already ready; I had to quickly apologise to each of them as I saw them in that order. I ate breakfast, and then had a quick shower, and made it out to the lounge by 7:30; not so bad. After some more apologising, we set off for Makino, and made a quick stop at Mini Stop (a convenience store), so that Jeremy and Rachael could get some money out; we all bought some food too. Then we got on the local to Hirakata, switched over, and here we are now. It’s a warm, sunny day, but I think it’ll be cooler in 六甲山 (Rokkosan – Rokko Mountain); I’m so excited.

8:51am　普通
Now we’re on a local train to 尼崎 (Amagasaki) on the JR Hanshin line. This line actually goes to Takarazuka, so once we get to Amagasaki, we’re going to switch, and continue on to 六甲道 (Rokkomichi). This isn’t the way I’d intended to go, but when we got to Kyobashi, we found that we could go directly to Kobe from there, instead of taking the loop line around to Shin Osaka, and going from there as I’d originally planned; I think this way works out cheaper sine there’s less transfers. This line seems more like a subway; we’ve been underground for a while now. Simon’s taking a little nap…

9:14am　普通
We’ve just transferred at Amagasaki. We ended up on a local, because I didn’t realise the rapid express (which was bound for Himeji castle) stopped at our stop; oh well. It’s so cool that we’re in Kobe! I can already see the mountains looming on our right side, and the port on our left; there are so many bridges. We’ve got about 7 more stops until we hit Rokkomichi…

13:01pm　バス
We’re on the bus back to the cable car now. Wow, the traffic to get to the ice festival has backed up so far down the mountain; they’re going to be waiting for hours. We came at a really good time; and what a spectacular place… After getting off the train at Rokkomichi, we waited for the bus bound for 六甲ケーブル下 (Rokkosan keburu shita), where the cable line is; very convenient. We considered walking it, but I’m glad we didn’t; it was at least 20 minutes by bus, up a very steep slope. Getting the cable line, Jeremy noticed that they were doing a package that included cable car return fare, bus return, and the ice festival admission for 1,700円; that saved us at least 400円. So we went for that, and joined the very long line. We didn’t have to wait very long at all for the cable car, and the entire queue managed to fit. The car was so cool, with tiered seating and open-air; we stood up near the middle.

Once we got started, we were treated to music, and a spiel on the history of the cable car and the mountain; not that I was paying much attention. I was too exciting about riding a cable car for the first time, and taking in the awesome scenery; we even got a few peeks at Kobe through the trees. It took a little over 10 minutes to reach the top (I know because I was taping it), and after disembarking, we climbed the stairs, and quickly made our way outside to be rewarded with an awesome view of Kobe. We just missed getting on the bus (it was packed as), but I didn’t care; I wanted to take in the view. We climbed a bit higher to an observation deck, and thought about how amazing this would be to see at night; they had a panel showing what it looked like at night up there. It was a bit of a shame that it was quite hazy; we could only just make out KIX. We caught the next bus, soon noticing that there was a little bit of snow on the ground, covering the bamboo. We climbed further up the mountain, making tight turns, and coming up the town, which we’re back in now. We’re getting off at Rokkosan hotel, because we’ve decided to walk to the cheese castle, so I’ll have to continue this later…

2:45pm　バス
On the bus again, back to the cable car for sure this time; we’ve got to get back home… We’ve just been to the Rokkosan Pasture and “cheese castle”, which wasn’t a castle at all. We should have read the Japanese for this one ~ 神戸チーズ館 – Kobe cheese “building”. It was actually situated on the 1st and 2nd basement floors of a barn house in the pasture, and since we had to pay to get into the grounds, we didn’t end up seeing it. We had less than an hour so it wouldn’t have been worth it anyway. We ended up walking a little way and petting the two Shetland ponies (a male and a female), that we could just reach over the fence. An American guy’s come over and has been talking to us (well mainly Jeremy), about this and that. It’s extremely warm on these buses, and I feel like drifting off. Hopefully, we don’t have to pay to ride this bus, but I have a sneaking feeling we do, since it’s not on the route to the Ice Festival; just have to wait and see.
3:39pm　バス
Now we’re on the bus back to Rokkomichi station, making our way back down the hill into Kobe; much of the city is on the slope actually. We’re packed in here like sardines (at least we got to sit), and the poor bus driver can’t even let anyone else on; he’ll slow up at the bus stops, and then continue on. The look on one women’s face when she saw how full the bus is was priceless. But priceless was not the bus back from the pasture, unfortunately. After getting back to the cable line, we had a quick browse in the small souvenir shop (I bought some postcards), then hoped on board the car once more. I decided to stand right at the front, to film our descent through the Perspex; so cool. At this point, I think we’ll have no problem getting back home for the food party at 6. Anyway, back to earlier this morning…

After going through the town and up a winding road past lodges, pine trees, and frozen ponds we found ourselves stuck behind traffic, right before a bus stop. Since everyone was getting off, we decided to follow suit; we were in fact only about 400m from the Garden Terrace where the Ice Festival was being held. Stepping out of the bus, we had actually arrived the Rokkosan Country House and artificial ski slope. But that’s not what caught my eye. All the trees were covered with ice, and with the warmth of the sun, it was starting to melt. We had noticed it on the bus, and Simon and I especially looked on in awe. Small chunks were falling off the trees like snow, hitting the road and cars. It made the most amazingly beautiful sound as it fell and hit things, and I imagined how serene it would be to sit in a forest with this sound all around me. For me, seeing all these trees covered in this layer of delicate ice was probably the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen; almost better than snow.

Like me, Simon was over the moon, leading the way with such an enthusiasm. He found joy in breaking bits of ice of the trees, and making snowballs out of what little snow he could find on the ground. We noticed a field of snow where a heap of kids were tobogganing, and tried to find our way in. We came to realise that, to get in, we had to enter the ski slope area, and that meant paying 2500円; that wasn’t happening. Slightly disappointed, we made our way back onto the road, and continued to follow it toward the festival, past the backed up traffic. After a short while, we found a crossing, made our way up a precarious set of stairs, and then walked further up a hill to find ourselves and the venue for the festival. Passes stamped, and we were in. I’d better stop here since we’ve made it back to the station…

4:03pm　特急
Now we’re on the limited express back to Kyobashi; not that it skips many stations. Anyway, back to today… So, we got to the festival, and were immediately greeted by two proud eagles of ice. I remember ages ago, going to see ice sculptures in a place in Brisbane with Nanny and Poppy, and I do remember playing with a little bit of snow. Those faded memories were revived as we snaked our way through the display area. Among my favourites were a pair of Phoenix, a tiger, a unicorn, and a ship passing through huge waves. A lot of them were ocean themed (lots of fish and mermaids), but there were also dragons, birds, people, and even Doraemon. Past the food stalls, there was a section for kids to have fun, with slides, and pinball machines curved out of ice and a fishing game where you had to hook small blocks of ice. There was also an area where you could make your own creations from ice; most people seemed to be making pots. Hungry, we decided to eat there; I went for a nice warm bowl of ramen. As we were sitting down, Simon and I got showered in ice from, as we later found out, kids playing in a pile of it above; and once again I got ice down my back.

After eating, we left the venue, climbing some stairs, and exiting out into an area with shops and restaurants, and a viewing deck providing another amazing view of Kobe. We browsed a nearby shop for a while. There was so much great looking food (Kobe is famous for its cheese among other things), but we didn’t end up buying anything. Deciding to head back, we made our way for the bus, but not before making a side trip up a watch tower in a very European-influenced “village”. After taking in even more of the view from the height of the tower, we walked through the village, and came across a little shop called Little Horti. Just inside the entrance was something that made Simon whoop with delight; Tim Tams. It was pretty funny; he actually embarrassed himself because he was so loud. So of course, we bought a few packets (I just got the original), along with some other goodies that are a rarity in Japan. We emerged very satisfied, and just made the bus in tie too.

As I mentioned earlier, we caught the bus back into town, with the intention of seeing the cheese castle and pasture. At the ice festival, there was a stall there selling products from the pasture, and after trying the sample (a caramel), we wanted to check it out; they also had a poster of sheep which Simon in particular wanted to see. Since the bus didn’t go directly from the festival to the pasture, we decided to walk there from the town. After passing a small Inari shrine, and the YMCA, we thought we’d be clever and take a “shortcut” to cut across the curve in the road and get there faster. This turned into an hour trek through the wilderness! I hadn’t anticipated doing any hiking today, but here we were going through the forest. Admittedly, the scenery was very beautiful, and it was so quite. We found a small waterfall, with a log over it covered in ice, and inevitably come out to a place called Diamond Point, which offered us a view inland; very cool. We even found a few settlements (small and simple), which would have been private indeed, and stumbled across a small lake.

Finally, we emerged from the forest, and descended back onto the main road. By this point, I was very much in need of relief, so we followed the road for quite a way until we came across the pasture; I was practically running by the end of it. I was directed to the toilet, which was actually inside the grounds; I managed to get in without paying. Rachael followed suit, and when she came back out, we decided not to spend the money to go in; didn’t have enough time to appreciate it properly. So yeah, we petted the ponies, and then caught the bus back to the cable line. It was really funny (but really not) when we realised just how close the YMCA was to the pasture; we had turned off just after it. But anyway, it was a lot of fun, a great bit of exercise, and I got some good photos. So now here we are, back in civilisation, speeding towards home. I am quite certain that we will make it back in time for the party; almost back to Kyobashi now…

10:43pm
I’ve finally finished my speech for Japanese. I’m really happy with it, and I’ve even made a power point presentation to go with it; lots of pictures of the Sunshine Coast. Now I can have a shower, and get some sleep... After getting back to Hirakata station, we caught the bus back to the dorms, and managed to get back just after 5:30. I dropped my things in my room, and then went up to the kitchen to find the last of the preparations for the party taking place. Biancha was almost finished baking a Betty Croker cake (packet mix found at the military base), for Asami, and Victor was feverously cooking up his Spanish omelette, which I never did get to try any of; oh well. All my cooking was done, so I busied myself putting chairs out, and stealing chunks of Biancha’s corn loaf; Oh my gosh it was so yummy. She gave Yuji and I free pickings so I couldn’t complain. The mini okonomiyaki were already in the dining room, a neat little cooker set up to keep them warm; six at a time.

I got my biscuits out, along with my plate and cutlery and plonked myself down in preparation for the feast. People began to pour in just before 6, and we finally got started at about 10 past. Asami made a short announcement, and then asked us who cooked to introduce ourselves and our food, and then we got stuck into it. My biscuits went so fast, as did everything else. Unfortunately, they had gotten very hard in the fridge, so I decided to heat them up in the microwave. This meant that I was stuck in the kitchen, and missed out on trying a few things; that’s the story of the cook. After doing the rounds, it was finally my turn to eat, and wow everything was so good. I especially liked Barbara’s rice dish from Kenya; it had so much flavour. The mini okonomiyaki also tasted great, as did Biancha’s pasta salad. People also brought out chocolate and cookies, and I think the headache I have now was caused by an OD of chocolate; couldn’t help myself.

Pretty soon the cake was brought out, and we all sang happy Birthday to Asami. I was lucky enough to get two pieces, as Biancha didn’t think people would want to eat the under cooked bits; maybe that’s what gave me the headache. Anyway, I stayed up there for a while chatting with people, before sneaking away, with Asami’s permission, to get my speech done; that must have been just after 7. And here I am now, left with probably to longest blog entry to date, so I really better wrap it up. Today was absolutely amazing, and I’m really glad I made the choice to go; I was totally worth it. I know that the others really enjoyed themselves too, so other job well done on my part, since I always seem to be the organiser of these things; I don’t know why that is. Well anyway, headache is telling me that I really need to sleep so I’ll leave it at that; hopefully I can get up at a decent hour for uni tomorrow.