Disneyland

About 20 years ago I first heard of the myth that is Disneyland. While my desire to visit it over the ensueing years dwindled, it was still something that had to be done so I can say i've done it!This was probably my most tiring day since being in Japan. In order to see/ride all the decent attractions, a lot of walking and waiting was required. Fortunately it was not a "busy day", so the longest wait for a ride was about 30 mins (the fast pass ticket system was a neccessity). Overall the place was stunning for it's visual appeal, but lacked anything really exciting (the only real good ride being the "Splash Mountain" log ride). I've been informed of a good rollercoaster park with excellent rides, so I hope to go there soon to get my adrenalin fix.
Donald greets the hordes; This guy had a hard night on the turps with the Seven Dwarfs; Some crazy castle thingy.

Scenes from the night parade which was pretty impressive

Hanami & Hakone

Part 1: Hanami
The last 2 weeks saw the famous "Cherry Blossom" bloom its way North through Kanto. This is a great excuse for Japanese people to eat and drink under the said trees, so it was a good excuse for me too. Some sub-standard weather during this time hindered my plans to celebrate every night, but the sun shined last weekend and Mark and I set out early to catch the buzz. Unfortunately some misinformation led us to Sankei-en Garden, which is a really pituresque garden.....but we were the only people drinking there. Later in the evening, after a good head start on other Hanami participants, we ventured into a Cherry Blossom park and walked around until we were invited to join a group of party people. Here we drank and ate their food until it was last train time. We also had fun with a homeless guy - excellent entertainment and it only cost Mark a 1/4 can of his Beer!


Cherry Blossoms-people start saving spots from early in the morn; Lake and Pagoda at Sankai-en Garden


This guy makes more money than me and he just sits there!; Fun with a Hobo; CB's

Part 2: Hakone
After 7 months living in the brick metropolis of Tokyo/Yokohama, Aki took me away to the famed hide-a-way of Hakone. The Hakone area is about 1 1/2 hours outside of Yokohama and is famous for its beautiful nature and onsen, the natural hot springs that adorn the region. Our first stop was at Odawara Castle, a big house on a hill that was rebuilt in 1960 after being destroyed in 1870 by Emperor Meiji who had a problem with the Warriors that lived there. We then went to Gora Park and relaxed in the warm afternoon sun before heading to our Ryokan (Traditional Japanese Hotel) in Tonosawa. Our room had an outside bath with a fantastic view of the river below. After a delicious meal, we went down to the onsen, where I experienced bathing-Japanese style. Men and Women bathe seperately, so I entered the Men's, stripped off my yukata, and entered the room. Before hopping in the bath a shower is required, which consists of sitting on a stool, soaping up and rinsing off with a wooden tub. Then I got in the bath and relaxed in the steaming water. Not long after, three old men entered and I yarned to them about NZ and Rugby in broken English. (Note: I had to drink a bit to feel comfortable enough to bathe with guys, but it wasn't so bad and i'll try it again sometime!) The sun took a holiday the next day, so we were unable to see Mount Fuji from the lookout points in the region and were generally robbed from a lot of good scenery. Nevertheless, we took a gondola up a mountain (Owakudani) to see the "volcano", which smelled like Rotorua. We then caught a boat ride on a Pirate ship across Lake Ashi and enjoyed lunch in Hakone Machi before heading home. Overall, a great weekend and I look forward to going back sometime.
Odawara Castle; I was the only person in Japan wearing a singlet on this warm day; Yukata Style; "Well, then, I confess, it is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out"

Enjoying a rest; "But, Why is the Rum gone?"; View from our rooms onsen


PS: Last week I played in my 1st official league match, won by "Burnin"(my team) in a big come from behind win. Thanks to AT and Fumiko for the new kicks, they helped me score 10 and cause chaos in the opposition ranks.
Sweet Kicks - The All Star VC Shox