05/07/09 - Mito with Lucy
This time we woke late. Very late. About midday. Lucy was happy with the lie in and apparently Karen and myself had awoken at one time, seing light through the curtains and seeing no one else up - so thinking it must be early. We all happily slept. However we didn't realise what time everything closed! And so when we did stir, after a shower each, change of clothes and things, breakfast and coffee and planning what we wanted to do, it was nearly 3pm by the time we were at the station!
Waking up past lunchtime means there is light enough for all the gardens, they were all very small but so much care had gone into them.
First we were off to the Art Tower but looking for food on the way. At this time there didn't seem to be many/any places open for food and whilst we walked into one ramen place, heading back out to choose what to order, both girls said how bad it smelt and how they were both off food. I was just hungry! The room was a cooking and serving area so I thought the smell was just the cooking area, but they both seemed to want to move on. And so we said goodbye to the only open food place!
The Art tower is a giant metal twisting cube-ish structure heading into the sky. It looked odd enough to go and see and was indeed a strange sight. Glad we saw it, but with only an estimated 3 hours of sunlight left, we had to leave the museum and head back down for the park. Via any food we found on the way, which considering it was the same way, seemed unlikely. Lucy popped into a supermarket to grab a snack and Karen followed with a sandwich (which ironically may have given her a stomach ache) whilst I remained strong looking for somewhere to have some real japanese food. That's when we went past the fish place.
Oh. Not normal fish. But fish shaped somethings. Lucy had seen them but not had them. Again the chance to have something witout knowing what it was, was too great and I dived in! I wanted one. My Japanese extent was to say "One" and smile. This is when the fact of choices means what would otherwise be a 10 second transaction, takes 15 minutes. There were hot and cold it seemed. Which did I want? I'll have one of each. Wait. There are different flavours for hot and different ones for cold, and they aren't the same for both... Oh dear gods. I ended up with a standard cream hot fish snack and a cold Matcha (green tea) fish snack. Smiles all around and I felt I had to eat infront of the servers once I had them, after taking up their time.
Wow. They were delicious! Basically a crumpet tasting outer pasty type shell and with custard (standard cream one) or think green gunky sweetness with white sweet cream in the cold one. Both lovely (if the green one somewhat sickly) and both totally different to anything I've had elsewhere in the world! I was glad to try them and would recommend (both girls agreed they tasted good, with Lucy getting a standard cream fish) At least the thumbs up and smiles from us made the servers laugh - to the point of crying it seemed! Glad to help! ;)
Onwards to a GIANT electical store, to get a wire connecting my camera to the computer (as typically one of the most important wires, I forgot or have lost?) Yet after asking one man, who asked another and another to finding the area with them in, then asking another (as they had the standard camera connection not, apparently my camera's unique entry - even though it's an Olympus - I joked) with another girl checking the back room it became clear they didn't have it, it was on order. No matter. However after looking around at a few things, just as Karen and myself were leaving (Lucy haveing gone earlier to satisfy her ever increasing caffine fix) I was stopped as they had found an alternative, a card reader.
Which they gave to me, for free.
If only english stores were the same. I said I'd pay more than once but they said it was free. It seemed as they were sorry for not having my cable? It didn't seem to have anything on the packet, so I was't sure if they were actually free (or had been) but thanking them a lot, with bows and waves and all sorts, we headed out. Lucy couldn't believe it, nor could we? And as the pictures on here show, it works a treat! :)
So after this we walked off in search of park. One of the top 3 parks in Japan - so everyone says. It is indeed a large and lushious park. Everything seems so much more cared for. Japanese people are proud and have a right to be. No crime as it's not done. Things are clean as they looke better that way. People smiling and helping. Everything that England seems to have lost? We walked off still in search of some food, but after the snacks were thinking of going for food once it got dark, to see the park now in the light.
There are hundreds of vending machines all over the place. And everyone uses them. So we're not alone. At 70p to £1.40 a drink, for a COLD drink when you need one, they are a godsend. This time I was opting for one I had seen earlier, and bought just before walking around the park. Yes, drinking cider in the park - could it be more fitting? Turns out their cider is refreshing non alcoholic fruit juices - one of the better ones we've tried. A mix of Sprite and bubblegum flavour.
Part of the park we walked past on the way to the temple.
The park is large, well the water expanse is, which were were mainly walking around. We had missed all the various attractions which all close at 4pm on sunday, but could still see their exteriors. So after taking pictures of various park features we were off to the temple. As it was close we could only see so much and it was now we had to think what to do?
They like stairs, especially for temples. From my manga it was all part of the monk training, carrying the heavy items up the stairs meant you got strong and fit!
It was starting to get dark, we had to head back to the station (as Lucy didn't believe the maps) and the only route back was around the lake inbetween the railway. Or... I take us off track and follow the map?
Backpacking is full of adventure! We headed off. One of the reasons I wanted to walk the way we did was there was another temple. This one seemed open (to the grounds) and no one was around, so not being told otherwise we took many photos! Some fantastic architecture and buddha statues. As Lucy says, one temple looks like them all, but she took photos too. And we're likely to see more in our travels yet! After this we headed off and started getting lost in roads and carparks (dodgy maps) hearing bullfrogs and losing light.
As these were our first real look at shrines up close, we took a few pictures!
And our first pavillion/pagoda (we weren't sure the correct term)
Detail on the roof, with the recontruction of my house I was interested in the work and detail they use!
The other shrine, they seem to have many in one location, I expect for slightly different reasons and gods/buddhas.
This statue seemed to be throughout Japan as a wandering type. But also popular in shrines.
The main white temple.
Again a close up detail of the contruction.
A tree in the gardens of the temple. Even the trees look different and you have to wonder if they have been cultivated this way or this is a natural occurance.
Soon we were back on track following the giant steel tower again and had done a giant circle. But now more places were open for food. Checking the smell, we headed in and got beers, before being left for a long time. When we did order food (it seemed like there was only one person cooking) it was very nice, our first taste of ramen (Lucy), curried ramen (me), mixed rice (also me - a meal deal) and a mixed beansprout dish (Karen) all very good and devoured as our only meal today (makes up for the 3 meals we had the first day) - with another 15 minute discussion to find out the toilet and pay the bill!
We then headed back to the train station slowly, stopping at a bar for a drink (I had red eye - which is beer and tomato juice mixed, which was alright... but may have prefered a straight beer!), Lucy having Kir which i've had before but apparently is popular with the japanese girls. This was in an 'international' bar (not japanese drinks?) So now headed off to one of Lucys favourite bars (which she knew had japanese drinks to placate me). I hd a Zima (sort of bottled drink - think smirnoff ice - but the japanses version, which was nice - tasting like lemon sugarbombs?
After this we headed out - feeling very overcharged (unless the whiskey and coke really was £10?) but again had been given some snacks which may have been paid for, to the station to find the next train was 45 mins way - also the last train. So we went off to another bar (after some help from an Auzzie) and had more cocktails like the night before. I have to stop ordering the green tea things. They're nice, but some are a lot nicer than others! Karen complained hers didn't have much alcohol in it, but apparently when we left, the outside air helped it rush to her head! :)
Soon we were on the train heading back and talking in loud Gaijin tones, joking about all osrt of things and generally having fun (though being loud, where no phones are to be used on trains etc. Still others have all talked before, it happens, so we knew we weren't in the wrong (though they were youngsters before?) Arriving home everyone settled in, the pictures were sorted and sleep was found by all but me, who is up now at 3am catching up on all the days! :) Photos to upload now, and then I'll fine 3 hours sleep! :)