Solved!

I solved one of Japan's biggest mysteries this weekend! I've made almost every dressing room mistake since living in Japan from not taking off my shoes before going into the dressing room to putting my dirty shoes in what I discovered is a "face bag"...I was in the Gap last week with a fellow American, waiting to try on some overpriced clothes when the guy hands her this weird bag and I get nothing. We didn't know what it was so she just left it in the dressing room and when we came out everyone looked at us like I had just picked my boogers and eaten them.

Same story, different store. I'm waiting in line and the guy hands everyone this weird bag except for me. I finally see the box and it says FACE COVERS on it so I put 2 and 2 together and get 5 and realize that you put this weird bag over your face so when you try on clothes you don't get make up or boogers or whatever all over the clothes. Those Japanese...they've thought of everything...

Roppongi Hills

Roppongi Hills is paradise. I know Mike was getting sick of me telling him how badly I wanted to live in one of the million yen condos. The development features shops, restaurants, a rooftop garden, luxury high rise condos and lots of neon lights and plasma TV's. Basically paradise. There was a Starbucks on almost each floor! We walked around all the little shops, had a drink at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe and then ate dinner at Tony Romas. Oddly, the restaurant owner was Mexican, the decor looked Italian, and the music was Caribbean.

Cherry Picking

Mike and I went on a guided tour to go cherry picking in Yamanashi prefecture, which is fondly known as the "belly button" of Japan. After gorging ourselves on cherries, we went to Shosenkyo Gorge where we took a cable car to the top and went hiking. Mike made some new friends (see Hello Kitty picture below) and had a beer. Then we were given a map, which we later discovered was in the back of Mike's jeans, and were given time to explore. We were supposed to meet the tour bus at the end of the first trail. Well we somehow missed the end of the first trail and ended up walking all the way to the end. Actually running by the time we figured out we were lost. The tour bus had to pick us up by the pony corral and when we got on the bus, the whole group clapped and cheered. It was quite the spectacle.

Big Buddha Belly

The Big Buddha is located in Kamakura, about an hour train ride from base. Once you get off the train you walk about 10 minutes down streets lined with street vendors selling everything from Batman halloween costumes, samurai swords to ice cream and raw horse. We walked up the longest set of steps I've ever experienced in my life and I swear it was uphill both ways. On the way back, we saw a group of old Japanese ladies just staring at the steps as if Godzilla were crashing through. There was no way they were going to make it. We also walked along the "beach" which cannot even begin to compare to the tropical paradise of San Diego. The sand is a dingy brown, similar to the color of a used band aid, and about just as appealing. It's no wonder the Japanese are the palest group of people I've ever seen. You can imagine how Mike and I stand out!

We ate lunch at this amazing little restaurant over looking the ocean. Mike and our friends had sashimi and I stuck with the curry rice. It doesn't look very apetizing, but I licked the plate clean! We explored some more around Kamakura and went inside these caves that were formed completely by the erosion from the waves. It smelled like the petting zoo inside, but it was pretty neat. On the train ride back we saw a couple of business guys totally passed out, heads back, mouths wide open. A friend told us that she once saw a row of men sleeping on each other like a line of dominos. Everyone always looks so tired here. Can't wait to show you all Kamakura when you come to visit.