Kamakura

It's Sunday and today we are going to stay with my uncle in Kamakura. After last night it was a bit difficult to get up...

Got showered, checked out an hour late and then made our way. Needless to say, I had lost the directions to the place. Got some bad directions of the guy at the station and jumped on the train anyway.

Fortunately it was right! So we trundled along and after a couple more stops, we were well on our way. I thought we were there so we jumped off the train and yes, of course, we got out the wrong stop. I was so pissed off with myself it was actually quite funny.

My uncle was gonna meet us at the station and he explained which exit we had to take but of course he would think we got the exit wrong and he:d try to go to the other one and then back to the next and then back to the next... as trains are so punctual here, people are really anal about time　keeping which makes it difficult to be late...

Anyway, managed it finally and then met up with him and walked to his house. I think Phil was a bit nervous, but it was all ok! heheheh...

Their house is beautiful and after chilling out with my aunt and cousins - yay! hadn't seen them in years or spent time together with them ever! - we went for a walk to the beach and watched the surfers while waiting for the sunset. It was great - we saw Mt Fuji in the distance and it was all very beautiful.

The next day, we embarked on a bit of a trip to make it to Hakone, which is a place quite close to Mt Fuji. My cousin came with us which was cool and we set out early taking a number of trains and funiculars - is that how you spell it? - they were very slow! Also took a ropeway up a mountain and you had a backdrop of the Japanese Alps which was beautiful. Over a couple of gorges - scary! - and then stopped off at the 'Valley of Greater Boiling' which is where sulphuric springs gush out the mountain and it smells of eggy wind.

It's really interesting to wander among the geysirs - slight exaggeration - and the smell is quite powerful but after a while you get used to it. You climb up the hill and then you have a lovely view of the mountains and Mt Fuji. It was very pretty.

We then had some Black Eggs! They are eggs boiled in the sulphur hot springs and they turn black. We made Phil eat the first one to be safe! Heheheh but it tasted like normal egg - shame. So Akiko and I had one too. This nice guy told us to have them and he said that if you eat one, you live 7 years longer than your allocation. So I asked him if he ate one every day just to be safe. He said no.

Apparently the egg absorbs all these minerals in the process which is why it's good for you. We then went on to this lake which is meant to be very beautiful - it is! and we rode on a boat across the lake. The boat was a reproduction of a French sailing ship and had Napoleon and a pirate on it. There was another boat also which had the Union Jack painted on it. I felt like part of the Pirates of the Caribean set and was waiting for Johnny Depp but all I got was a bloody french boat!

The 'cruise' was quite funny because the tape was explaining the sites in Japanese and English but by the time we got to the English, we had passed the sites and you saw loads of confused tourists while the japanese were looking smug! Afterwards, we hired a row boat - by the way, the lake is massive! and went for a little row. Phil rowed at first and we got on very well. It was quite scary because you could row out as far as you wanted and you had all these other cruise boats passing you and making big waves and you were on a lake in the mountains that was about 70 metres deep, so if I were to fall in, my feet would not be able to touch the ground obviously. That made me a bit insecure...

Anyway, rowed on and all good, when Phil rocked the boat. Well, we got rocked, because the Mississippi cruise liner passed us by and then we decided to swap so I could have a row. Bad idea. Big lake - little boat - Tanja rowing... it will take you a long time to get back to shore... I row in zigzags... I enjoy it but directionally do find it very challenging.

Both Phil and Akiko had to shout directions at me and after rowing straight for a few strokes, we would go in a circle. Then straighten out and then go again in a cirle. There's a video of me rowing. Will try to put it on the blog. Phil pissed himself laughing the whole time. Poor Akiko was just scared I think.

On Tuesday, we went around Kamakura which is so lovely! Really recommend it. It's a bit Hawaiian and surfer scene and has a small town feel about it. Very nice! We went to the very famous big buddha statue and around a number of other temples which were great. The big buddha is hollow and you can climb inside. It's very hot in there! The weather was great and we had a good walk around whilst taking some cool pics.

In the evening, we went to a traditional Kushiyaki where everything is grilled and served on a skewer. So yummy! We ate loads! Phil was very happy and ate lots. We had fish, mushrooms, onion, yam cake, ginko seeds, hanpen, chicken and lots more. It was all delicious and they cook it in front of you - will try to upload the picture soon - and it was great fun!

Wednesday morning we took it easy and did laundry and then got ready to leave for Nagoya, where we are going to stay with my former teacher from university. Should be good fun - have never been to Nagoya.

We had such a great time at my uncle's house and it was so nice to spend time with both my cousins! We had a laugh together and Miki the little dog got lots of extra cuddles from Phil and me.