Once in Japan our very first meal provided me with the phrase that would serve to describe all my meals in Japan: "I have no idea what it is I'm putting in my mouth, but it tastes fabulous!"
Of course, not knowing what you're ordering can also lead to some other issues, as Steve discovered when he ordered a bowl of ramen literally larger than his head. This is the photo evidence, but I'm afraid this shot does not do justice to the sheer gargantuan-ness of this particular bowl of ramen (don't forget you can click on these photos to make them larger and view all the gory details!).
Once we settled into our hotel for our first night in Japan, we had the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with a few important items. First, Japanese money. Something we would all spend a good deal of time frantically shuffling through as we tried to provide correct change during various interactions, already complicated by the language barrier (did I just tip the cab driver three times the fare? Ah well - he was really nice.)
Then of course there are the various exciting moments in "The honorable motion place" (literal translation for some versions of "bathroom" if you're female). Many of the toilet options were lost on me (some of the control panels suggested the seated party ought to have had an engineering background), but as a former resident of Minnesota I had some serious appreciation for the heated seats. Quite lovely. Sadly, did not fit in my carry-on for the ride home.
The next morning had us on a exceedingly clean and comfortable train zipping at astounding speeds towards Kyoto. A few shots of our lovely group on the way (please note the footrests, placed to provide extreme comfort for a vertically challenged soul such as myself! yay!)
Aww...who is that lovely traveling companion??
Yep - a merry band of travelers indeed. More to come...
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