Yokohama Fun!

Despite being so close to Yokosuka, I haven't spent much time in Yokohama. It's a short train ride away between where I live and Tokyo. I really LOVE hanging out in this city. It's much more international and has lots to offer. Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of 3.6 million, although it doesn't really feel like a impersonal big city. A friend planned the day, and I love it when someone else makes the plans, so we hopped a train to Landmark Tower. It's the tallest building and the 3rd tallest structure in Japan with highest observation deck. To get to the deck on the 69th floor, we took the world's 2nd fastest elevator...28 miles per hour to the top, which only took 40 seconds! Needless to say, it was quite the rush. Much like the Tower of Terror in reverse.

Once at the top, I had to pop my ears before enjoying the 360 degree views. It was amazing to look around and see the never ending city. If you look, you'll notice that in Japan, the roads don't run parallel and perpendicular...they just criss and cross sporadically. This is why I am so nervous about getting lost here...that and I can't read the road signs.

Here you can see Tokyo Bay. Yokohama is one of the busiest ports in Japan. This is where my mail is confiscated...well, just the wine from Missouri that I was craving. This is also where all my household goods were received from the States. It seems like everything comes in and out of here.

The best part of Japan is the random beauty and attention to detail. Here, in a parking lot, there is an outline of a flower. It's pretty common in Japan to see things that make you do a double take. I love it when something so simple makes me smile.

This is a view of some of the bayside attractions. There is a huge ferris wheel, an amusement park, and lots of shopping all along this walk. I really like the building on the left...it reminds me of a ship's sail.

After leaving the tower, we came across this generator that was made in Chicago. I just thought that it was ironic to see something from my state that's so far away. It's pretty common to see things in America that are made in Japan, but not too common to find things here that are made in the US.

After a few hours of shopping and relaxing...and believe me, I could have shopped for hours with so much to see, we hopped another train to take our chances with spontaneity and try to catch a tour of the Kirin Beer Factory without prior reservations. Living in Japan, I realized that you pretty much have to call ahead for everything. But, we walked in and thankfully it wasn't too busy, so we joined up with the very next tour. Kirin Beer has been brewed in Japan for over 100 years.

These are brewing kettles. Malt, hot water, and the other ingredients are put into this kettle so that the starch turns into sugar. Hops are added and the mixture is boiled again. This process gives the beer its aroma and bitterness which is unique to each individual brew.

These are filters where the young beer is left to mature to a couple months. This is essential for balanced flavor development. See, I'm learning all this, so someday I can start my own home brew...it will be fantastic!

So, I was only kidding above. But, it's good to learn a little about what I am actually going to drink. The whole purpose of the free brewery tour is the get the samples at the end. Anyone who has been to the Budweiser Brewery knows that! Of course, they take the longest possible route, so here it is below. This buggy was a replica of a real one that was pulled by horses. I love that it is shaped like a beer bottle!

Here I am sampling the brew...my face was red from the sun and heat...not from the libations! Although I must say that we got four full-sized samples...enough to make me giggly. And, they were all fantastic!

Here we are, enjoying our beers after a long day! This dark one was actually my favorite...I think my tastes are maturing with my old age.

Ha! This was my favorite character. I kept seeing him on posters and walls throughout the tour, but didn't realize until this point that he was actually Beer Foam Man! I LOVE HIM!

Kirin Brewery releases a different can design each year and this one was my favorite...I took a picture of my birth year can, but apparently creativity wasn't valued until a few years later.

Here is the Kirin label. The first year for the brewery was 1888 and they have used this mythical creature called the Kirin since then. In Japanese, Kirin means giraffe, but in Chinese mythology, it is one of the four spirits along with the dragon, phoenix, and turtle. It means the harbinger of good luck that appears before something great happens, like the birth of a saint. See, it is true...if you enjoy the topic (or beverage) you will retain more information. Or, if bribed with the prospect of free beer, you will listen intently until someone gives you a drink! I know that you can find this Stateside, so you beer lovers should really give it a shot! Cheers!

Fun with Food at 290 Yen Restaurant

One of my coworkers introduced me to this fabulous restaurant called 290 Yen. Most everything here is that price, which with the exchange now is about $3.78 in US dollars. It is pretty traditional, so we have to take off our shoes before entering and we sit on the floor at the table. It has good food and it a favorite of Gaijin (foreigners) and Japanese alike.

Here I am holding the device used to order the food and drinks. You have to use the interactive screen to choose what you want to eat. Fortunately, they have an English menu included. Even then, some things are left up to interpretation.

This is a favorite drink to get here...a Mikan Chu Hi. The mikan is similar to a clementine orange. Chu hi drinks are usually derived from shochu, which is an alcohol usually made from rice. All of the flavors are delicious here, but very potent!

When you order alcohol on the screen, this will pop up making sure that you are of age and not driving since there is zero tolerance for drinking and driving here. It's amazing to me that the Japanese are truthful when ordering. Can you imagine this system in the US?!

Some delicious sashimi (uncooked fish) with some not so delicious wasabi.

Another crowd pleaser is the pizza. Different from the American version with mayonaise, pesto, and very thin crust. Delicious!

My personal favorite, Edamame (soybeans). Yum!

Another one of my favorites...Tofu. It is delicious with the sauce, onion, and pepper. It comes cold, and the texture is interesting, but it's still fabulous!

The staple of any good drinking menu is Yakitori.

Everyone who comes to visit always gets a kick out of the toilet shoes. Since you have to leave yours at the door, these are provided for you as you use the facilities. I love that the Japanese think of everything!

Beach Bum

One of the first things that I looked forward to doing upon my return to Japan was heading to the beach to hang out. Thankfully, my good friend had the same idea, so we packed up the car and headed to Kamakura Beach. Beach season here is different from the US. In the summer, the beach months are officially July and August. During these months, the Japanese open beach shacks to offer food, drinks, and dancing all along the beach. These shacks start going up in May and will be taken down again in September. Thankfully, we went during the week. Otherwise, we might not have had a spot to set out our towels. Many people from Tokyo come down on the weekends, so the beach is packed with good weather.

A view of the beach shacks from our spot on our towels.

It looks pretty busy, but compared to weekends, this is dead.

I love that the beach goers have such a great time playing soccer, volleyball, or just about any other game on the beach. We even watched these teenaged boys making sand balls. They were so excited, and seriously spent at least an hour working to make them perfect. I preferred to lay in the sun for awhile and then cool off by walking out to the water. My next purchase will be a tube so I can float around enjoying the sun from the water.

There are constant reminders that this isn't America. The most obvious being this couple who came to the beach and were there standing at water's edge for at least 2 hours. He has on tons of clothing, but she had even more including a sun umbrella. They didn't get in the water or lay on the sand. They just stood there enjoying the sounds of the sea.

Here I am soaking up the sun!

Sensational Seattle and Beyond!

On what I hoped was my final destination before returning to Japan, I stopped in Seattle to visit some friends that I had made while they were stationed in Yokosuka. At this point, I decided that travel on the first leg of my trip home is best, and travel on the back end while trying to return is just crazy! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the McGathey's and really appreciated that they opened their home to me. I had a blast just doing the day to day things with some of my favorite kiddos, Sophia and Aydan. Since they live about an hour and a half from Seattle, we didn't spend much time there, but we did make it into Seattle for a day.

Our first stop off the Bremerton ferry was the Crab Pot. The food was fantastic! We ordered a crab boil, which was mussels, oysters, crab, shrimp, and potatoes all cooked together. The waiter laid down a plastic sheet on the table and just dumped it all in front of us. We stuffed ourselves with all the delicious food...to be honest I have had dreams about eating here again!

Here's my "boyfriend" Aydan showing off his crab leg.

Here's the sign outside the restaurant. This place has been featured on Man vs. Food. I highly recommend it!

We took the whole crew to Safeco Field to enjoy a baseball game. Mariners vs. Rays.

We ate lunch at Silver City Brewery and I couldn't resist a sampling of their local brews. I didn't think that I would like the dark ones much, but the Fat Scotch Ale all the way to the right was by far the most delicious!

The food to accompany my beer. It was one of the most scrumptious pizzas that I have ever tasted in my life! And, as you can see in the background...I was well on my way to becoming a beer connoisseur.

After waiting and waiting to get out of Seattle on the Patriot Express to Japan, I found out that all military flights were delayed due to a typhoon heading toward Okinawa. So, I continued my visit with my friends. Thankfully, they were fabulous hosts and if they minded me extending my stay, they didn't mention it to me. Finally, on August 9th, I was able to hop on the first flight to Japan. Even though my adventures in travel were far from over, I was elated to be chosen for the flight. I did hold my breath until boarding was final, and then I settled down for my flight. Fourteen hours later I was home in Japan. I arrived in Yokota and had to wait another 6 hours for the shuttle from Yokosuka. I hopped the shuttle for another 3 hour ride and finally made it to base. My friend Mollye was a lifesaver as she agreed to pick me up and take me home. I think that my crazy line of travels helped to combat jet lag. Thankfully, when I returned home I fell right asleep and have been on a normal schedule ever since. Thank you to everyone who helped me to return home safe and sound!

Lovely San Francisco

As many of you know, I ended my Space-A travels in San Francisco. That worked out quite well, because on my route back home, I stopped back there to visit two Pi Phi friends from college. I absolutely LOVE the atmosphere of the city. It's eclectic and fun, and we had a blast touring around for the week!

One of our first stops was the De Young Museum in the Golden Gate Park. All of the exhibits were brought over from the Picasso Museum in Europe while they remodel. This is the first time that they have been in the US and it will be the only time. All of the pieces were a part of Picasso's personal collection. I was surprised at the variety of styles of the artwork. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside the exhibit, so I can't share the exquisite pieces with you.

An attempt at my creative photography in a different section of the De Young Museum. Can you see me?

This is a common "teacher" look. I am practicing it for when school starts back up. Obviously, he won...but I might return for a rematch!

This was taken from a tower at the De Young Museum. What a gorgeous view of San Francisco in the background!

Me and the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square.

Finally, I got to see the famous California Redwoods at John Muir National Park. This is at the entrance.

Wow! Look at how humungous this tree is compared to my arm span!

Sheila had never ridden the cable cars, so we waited in line for almost 2 hours in the freezing cold for our experience. It is always a great time, but I definitely didn't plan for cold weather this summer. It was a huge shock to come from 90 degree Illinois to 55 degree California!

We took a tour of the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park...it was like an appetizer for my return to Japan.

After Sheila left, Sarah and I decided to take a trip down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz. We saw this lighthouse from the road and decided to take a short detour. This is Pigeon Point Light House, a State Historic Site.

The scenery was spectacular!

We finally arrived at Santa Cruz and walked along the Boardwalk. It was definitely a lot like an experience at the Illinois State Fair, which was good since I was disappointed to miss it this year. We walked along the boardwalk and down the pier to get the full experience. This is California's oldest surviving amusement park, founded in 1907.

My view from the Skyride...just like the fair! These boys were really excited to get in my picture...what cuties!

Sarah and I getting ready for our ride on the Giant Dipper. It's the 5th oldest roller coaster in the United States. It was quite a fun ride!

Here I am leaving the Boardwalk. I was sad to leave, but ready. It had been a really long day already, and we had to drive all the way back to San Francisco.

Here I am on my final day in California with the Bay Bridge in the distance. We made some time to shop at the markets near Pier 39 where I frantically searched for more unique jewelry made from flatware. Success! It was from here that I caught my flight north to Seattle...the adventure continues.