A 3 City Whirlwind-- First up, Kyoto

With the 3 amigos/stooges (up for debate) reunited, we grabbed our luggage and headed to our hotel in magnificant Kyoto. We arrived before check in so we ditched the bags and went on our first excursion. There was no time to waste- Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan and requires much more time to take in the sights than we could afford, so we had to strategically plan out our day and hit the pavement. Thankfully we had a half hour bus ride until our destination- just long enough to give the rents a much needed cat nap. The first stop was the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Temple). As you can see from the photo of mom and I, the entire temple is covered in a gold film. It was built in 1397 as a country villa for a shogun. In 1994 it was registered as a World Culture Heritage site. Next on the checklist was a famous Zen Garden. A little fun fact about my family- we love rocks from different places. And if you're not familiar with a Zen garden, it consists of big boulders surrounded by pebbles that have been raked into precise lines and circles - score! Buddhist monks maintain the garden for meditation and viewing pleasure. Apparently the longer you stare at the rocks and lines the deeper into contemplation you fall. After walking a great deal and feeling serene from meditating we were ready to head back to the hotel and call it an early night. It being only the second full day in the country, mom was still battling the jet lag. We did have one snag in the plan. I wanted to give mom and dad full Japanese experience so I booked a Japanese style room on that first night's sleep. When Marissa and I stayed at a traditional inn there was a room for eating and a room with the futons. Well, apparently things got lost in translation this time cause we got into the room and there was a very nice table, a tv, great views, but no beds! Mom was ready to collapse so this was not good, not good at all. I sent mom in for a soak and shower and called the front desk. Ah- the beds don't get made until 7pm and since it was only 6pm the staff hadn't come around to pull out the futons from the closets and make the beds. Well, with some simple English words like, airplane, long time, sleepy, and have bed now- they got the picture and came up to put us to bed. A great first day.

Lost in 60 Seconds

It was 6.15am on Tuesday and we were on the Shinkensin (bullet train) platform waiting for our 6.57 train to Kyoto. Get it? We were EARLY!! Yes, the Paykos Pod was ready and waiting to start the first leg of our trip across Japan. It's pretty hot and humid here in Japan, even in the early morning hours so I headed back to one of the station convenient stores to grab some agua for the ride. I remember smiling to myself as I strolled back toward the down escalator thinking about the adventures ahead and how incredible it was to have had my great aunt visit and now my mom and dad here. As i stepped onto the escalator I saw my mom walking toward it at the bottom shaking her head back and forth with an annoyed look on her face. Naturally, I thought there had been a coffee mishap down the front of a certain someone's (ahem, dad) white collared shirt and the tide stick was missing- nothing unusual. When I got halfway down I looked at her and said, "What's wrong?" I did not expect her reply. "Your father's gone." Dumbfounded, I smiled and said, "What?!!? What do you mean gone?" I thought maybe they were playing a trick but it was way too early in the morning for games. My mom was more worried than mad and I was just confused. "Yes, he's gone. The train came and he put our luggage on, went to ask an attendant a question, she made some motions toward the luggage, so he got back on to get them and then the doors shut and the train left! And he's on it! Without any ticket. Where is he going?" I got this nervous smile on my face- the one you get when you know you're about to play a prank on someone and they're trying to call you out but you want them to fall for it anyway. I looked around and my dad was really gone. So I did what anybody would do at that time. I started cracking up- I couldn't stop laughing- just the absurdity of it. I mean bent over, slapping my knee laughing. Of course things were going too smooth with the pod! "Pull yourself together, Alisa!" After a bit of a game of charades with the attendant we figured out that all trains on that track head to Kyoto, so that was one relief. Here is the jist.

It's been a Family Affair

Ever since the flights were booked and the dates set, I've been anticipating the family's arrival. In the past three weeks, I've been blessed to have my Dad, Mom, and Aunt Louise come to visit, take in the sights, surround me with love, and leave me with some priceless memories. I miss them already. I've always heard that as you grow older your parents will become your friends. When I was told this, maybe at 18 I thought it would never be. Looking back over the years, I realize this has been coming true. We do more listening to each other instead of hearing, we laugh more, argue much less, and help each other through tough times instead of being the source of tough times for each other. This trip was the most awesome time I've spent with my mom and dad. We did miss Marissa and Mark, but time just the three of us was something that we hadn't done in a very long time, if ever. Aunt Louise met my Dad and I mid week and because I still had work we were only able to get out and about a couple of the days. It was worth the wait- they were great days. Here is a picture of Aunt Weezie and I at one of the waterfalls in Nikko. That weekend we picked up my Mom at the airport and headed to a great hotel in Tokyo so we could be at the fish market when it opened early Monday morning. Mom battled the jetlag like a trooper. After saying goodbye to Aunt Louise we then headed to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nara for the rest of the week. We got home just in time to rest up for a few days before we climbed Mt. Fuji. I haven't posted in a while and I'm kicking myself because it's hard to capture all the great times all in one. So here is a snippet and there is more detail to come on our trips. Much love to all.