Ladies Road Trip!

Matsumoto Castle

Japan is a not-so-small island with much to experience, all one needs is a really good map and an adventurous spirit. My neighbor’s mom had come to visit and experience Japan, and she is full of such an adventurous spirit.  Tavi, my neighbor, and her mom, Chris, decided that they wanted to see Mastumoto Castle and the snow monkeys that live further north, and they were going to spend the night in a traditional Japanese hotel called a "ryokan". Fortunately for me they were willing to have a tagalong. Road trip!!!

We started our journey around 10 am on a rainy Monday morning. Navigating in Japan was intended to be confusing; first of all, they drive on the left side of the road due to an ancient belief that developed from the Samurai warriors (it enabled them to draw their swords quickly if their opponent was passing on the left). Additionally, the roads were meant to confuse any invaders that entered the country, and this plan has been successful thus far. To say the least, ensuring that all directions were followed perfectly would be a falsehood. Chris took the role of head navigator, and she definitely had her work cut out for her, but completed her job successfully.

I should add that driving in Japan is also costly, and I’m not talking about gas prices. The cost of traveling on the highways is shocking. In order to use the Express Way, one must take a ticket when they get on the freeway and when they want to exit they must return the ticket for the total traveling fee, which is in addition to the yearly tax one must pay on their car (each car they own). For our journey, it took over five thousand yen each way (more than one hundred dollars). It took about 3 hours with Tavi’s “need for speed” to reach Mastumoto Castle and leave the rain clouds behind for a gorgeous sunny day.

The castle was stunning with black walls and clay demons strategically perched on the corners of the castle for added protection. We were honored to have an elderly Japanese woman volunteer to take us on a guided tour around the castle.  She taught us about the castle’s mission and structure. It was built with a secret floor, and to the unknowing outsider, the castle has 5 floors not 6. Our tour guide led us inside, and we discovered that the entire castle was made out of hand carved wood. Inner parts of the castle had archways that covered steep and narrow staircases, due to the amount of wood required to build such a castle, other guardians that looked like a fish was placed atop of the castle to keep fire away during battles. This castle was not like any castle I could have ever imagined; yet it’s intricate designs made it absolutely amazing.

Swans

The Castle Courtyard

The Demon 

Steep stairs!

Tavi is protecting the Castle!

Japanese Guns

Samurai Uniform

We left the castle starving, and went to find place for a picnic lunch. Seven-Eleven was on the corner across the street from the castle and we purchased cold drinks, salads, and other snacks.  In Japan, 7-11’s are everywhere, and they sell several nutritious snacks such as rice meals, salads, seaweed dishes, and for those that are gluten-free it is easier to find a plant based snack to eat, though one must be cautious as many sauces that accompany a meal contain wheat. We found a spot in a local market area and sat down to enjoy our food, then walk around the area exploring more shops. After our picnic lunch we were off to find our Ryokan, this time we had quite a time finding the place even with Google maps.

Ryokans are wonderful places to spend a night or several days on a relaxing vacation. To be classified as a ryokan, the hotel must have a natural spa on the property, and they serve dinner in your room with the option to eat in your robe.  Our dinner was very elaborate, yet not friendly to the gluten-free.  They offered me white rice, and I mixed my own tuna packet into the rice. Though my dinner was “humble” it was still very satisfying. Additionally, they offered me a cup of fresh fruit.  It is best to call these establishments before hand to ask for a gluten-free option, as most are willing to accommodate. After dinner we went for a dip in the natural spring water. The three of us enjoyed the bath very much, though the water was very hot. After our dip in the springs, we were ready for bed.

Breakfast was a traditional Japanese meal as well, and not safe for the gluten intolerant.  Before we left I prepared a batch of spinach and chocolate chip bars (with added protein powder) for breakfast with a banana. This was a great start for my day and was very inexpensive.

After breakfast we headed to another castle, called Arato-Jo Mountain Castle. It was far from elaborate, but it was used as a lookout post over the Chikuma River Valley.  The original structure was destroyed and the current structure was rebuilt to create a piece of Japan’s history.  Unfortunately, spiders are the main inhabitants now, and I was struck with fear when I noticed one on my clothes. On the border of hyperventilation, I yelled, “Get it off me!!” Chris came over and heroically grabbed the web to remove the arachnid from my shirt. It was then I realized it was lifeless, and thank God for that! I wasn’t endangered of being bitten. Spiders are amazing creatures from a safe distance.

It was time to see the snow monkeys – up close and personal – after a short detour on the expressway in the opposite direction. Again, driving can be a mental puzzle in this country; however, one should not be discouraged because of a little road confusion. We arrived and started our mountain trek to the monkey’s home. How cute!

These monkeys have access to a mountain spring year round, and bathe frequently.

The monkeys run the place just make sure you keep your belongings close to you, and watch your back; they just might jump on you. One of the juveniles suffered a disciplining sort of bite on the back of the head then proceeded to run across my foot! AHHH!! How can I lie? I really don’t like monkeys, and I don’t think they are cute. They actually strike a little fear into my heart. You just never know what they are thinking. What do you think about monkeys?

Alas, our adventure was coming to an end, as it was time to drive south for 3 hours back home. I had a fabulous time getting to know Tavi, Chris, and a “new” place in Japan. It was a wonderful trip! 

Weather – 1; Don and Amy - 0

It started months ago, with a desire to become one with nature through the use of a cabin at a local mountain resort, so reservations were made. As it turns out the resort lost power the weekend we had reservations, so we decided to go camping at the resort instead.

The tent, air mattress, clothes, bug spray, gluten free food, ice chest, dog stuff, and other odds and ends were crammed into the little van and we set off on our adventure. At the time, the weather was “nice” and muggy, the perfect kind of weather to let a homemade loaf of bread rise outside.  The weather report stated that there was a chance of rain and lightening, but the weatherman is usually wrong anyway, right? As native Californians, 90% chance of rain means your good to go with your plans; if it rains it might drizzle.  Due to our background of little to no rain in our corner of the Earth it is easy to infer the same meaning in other parts of the world.

We got to the resort around 8 pm and made our way to the campsite. It was spacious, and private due to the surrounding forest; a large fire pit was centered in the grassy field with two picnic benches. The ground looked relatively level, so a spot was chosen next to the forest not too far from the fire pit. Ashta was let out of the van and proceeded to check out the grounds, then continuously barked though the duration of setting up camp. 

Finally, it was time for dinner, roasted campfire hotdogs! We relaxed by the fire, and continuously Ashta circled the campground, barking nervously at the dark or something worse. We went to bed around midnight just as light raindrops fell over the tent. Ah, nothing like some rain to listen too as one falls asleep. 

Hours past.

Something wasn’t right; Ashta was circling the tent and shaking her collar wildly. I surfaced from a deep sleep, “Ash, what’s wrong?”

I uncovered myself, and stepped out of bed, SPLASH! At this point sleep completely evaded me as my sensory organs told me we certainly going to sink; “Don. Don, wake up. DON!!”

“What?”

“The whole tent is filled with water. Ash’s bed is completely soaked.”

“Well, move it,” he said in a state that indicated he was still in dreamland.

“Honey, the tent has FLOODED!”

“It’s not that bad, just put her in the van.”

“Don, put your hand on the floor of the tent.”

“Oh, yeah… I guess this is a problem that needs immediate attention.”

“Turn on the light, please, above your head,” I requested urgently.  We surveyed the situation, and Ash’s bed was not the only item submerged in the nearly floating tent, our clothes bag and other personal items as well as the bed had fallen subject to the wrath of the monsoon.

We opened the door for further investigation; the fire pit was now in a small pond along with our camping chairs and ice chest.  Looking behind the tent, we soon realized that we were also sleeping half way into another pond.  Convinced we would be drown by morning and there was no hope of ever drying out, we started to pack up. 

“At least the mosquitoes aren’t out now!” I said smiling, “Hey, do you want your rain coat? Wait, never mind, it’s already soaking wet!”

We worked for 40 minutes packing as quickly as we could.

“You know, we are only a few zombies short of this being a horror flick.” We laughed, though we were more than damp, our sense of humor had not left us and continued to crack jokes until we left. 

Eventually, we finished and drove 45 minutes back home, hungry, tired and defeated. Due to the wetness of everything we owned in the van, we unpacked it and hung out the tent, mattress, and ice chest to dry out. It was bitter sweet returning home as the weather looked partly cloudy and perfect for camping. We rested for most of the day, remembering that the weatherman isn’t always wrong!

** Due to the heavy rain, no photos were taken. :(

An Unexpected Meeting with Mt. Fujisan

My day began like every other usual day with my walk with Ashta, reading my Bible, going to the gym to lift weights, then to the pool for laps as my cardio workout.  After swimming I headed to the commissary due to the lack of food in the fridge.  I saw a friend from the women’s Bible study group on base and we started chatting about our summer activities, yep, a typical day on base.

Just then a man began to walk by, and then stopped, “Hi ladies, do you by chance know anyone that would be willing to drive to Mt. Fuji today? We are looking for someone to take my family and another family for the day.  Do you know anyone who needs money?”

I paused, waiting for more information, “Why, do you need a ride?”

“We are a military family from Korea and are stuck here for a couple of days, but we don’t have a driver’s license, so we need a local to drive. And we really don’t want to take the train.”

I’m certain God had allowed “Destiny” to touch my life that morning.  My friend looked at me and stated she would gladly do it, but she had a little one to take care of.  Slowly, cautiously I answered, “Well, I don’t have kids.” His face began to lighten, and I went on,  “I don’t have a job, and the only thing I really must do is go to the store as we are out of food.”

Eagerly, he showed me his ID to show that he meant what he said and promised the rental of an 8-passenger van, all expenses paid, and eighty dollars for my time. 

“I’ll meet you at the hotel at 1200,” I stated with a hint of uncertainty and complete exhilaration.  I planned on BBQ-ing a chicken and reading my book, not climb Mt. Fujisan!  I practically ran through the commissary, drove home, and came home to find my wonderful hubby home for lunch.

“So, honey, how do you feel about me earning 80 bucks today?”

“Sounds good so far.” I proceeded to explain the situation and he graciously helped me unload groceries, feed me, pack a lunch, and send me out the door with plenty of time to spare; with one concerned question, “Did you look at his ID?” “Yes,” I beamed.  

I arrived at the hotel on time, and saw 5 kids and 3 adults just as he had promised. As we rented the van, my fears of driving a MASSIVE van through the skinny streets of Japan welled up in my heart, “Dear Jesus, Please help me drive safe! What was I thinking?!”

So we embarked on our journey.  The children found their voices, “Mom, how long is it to Mt. Fuji?” “Hey stop pushing!” “Mom, he called me dumb!” “Let’s sing a song!”

The sound of fatherly authority reigned over the confusion of noise, “Okay kids, you need to keep your voices down while we are driving, no shouting!”  So this is a big family road trip, the movies aren’t wrong!  After, the kids were well behaved and the trip was rather enjoyable, as we traveled through winding mountain roads, various species of trees densely covering the mountainside, and small towns scattered on the side of the road. Though the drive was beautiful, we questioned our whereabouts several times.

Half way through the drive, the families broke out their snacks and were munching on Chex Mix, gummies, and cookies.  Suddenly I heard, “Hey Driver! Do you want anything? We have tons of stuff!” I burst in to laughter as I heard, “Uh, her name is Amy.” Regaining composure I declined, “No thank you, I’m fine.”  I can’t count times I have heard “Hey Teacher!” but “Hey Driver” was new material for me!

Two hours later we reached the national park, which appeared to be socked in and raining, the gusts of wind made it feel as if this trek would be impossible to make; yet again, the clouds were blown away to become beautiful swirls caressing the mountain top, some created a formation that literally looked like a stairway to heaven. Seeing the fullness of these clouds made one want to jump off the mountain to run and play on the dense fluffy white playground, (what could go wrong?). 

Mt. Fujisan’s trails were made of rock formed from lava, some looked like pumice, others thick and deep red, all forms of igneous rock.  The trails were wide for many people to climb it at the same time; “Konichiwa!” (Hello) was heard all around.  The Japanese that had learned English were enthusiastic with the opportunity to talk with Americans and ask us questions. 

We hiked for about 1.5 hours and reached the 7^th station where the wind grew stronger and trees no longer grew due to the lack of air. Short stubby bushes and tiny flowering plants scattered the dense, rocky mountain.  There were several buildings to be used as shelter for hikers during a storm, one offered snacks and a Mt. Fujisan stamped on a piece of paper or walking stick.  We turned around and headed to the van due to a lack of time and the clouds began to sock in around the mountain and the wind blew even harder.  

Everyone was exhausted and extremely happy with the outcome of the trip.  It had been so much fun.  Now it was time to go down the mountain, and make sure the GPS was directing us in the right direction, which was a challenge as all of the buttons and instructions were in the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana.  The trip home went much quicker and we stopped at a rest stop on the side of the road. Unlike American rest stops, these are establishments with food courts, grocery markets, clean bathrooms, and places to sit and rest.  We made it back to the base around 2200 and said our goodbyes.

What an amazing day God had blessed me with!

Risky Shrimp

I contemplated the meaning of “parasite” and the millions that could be pictured next the word in the dictionary, quite literally becoming the dictionary of parasites, the tiniest of life forms seeking out different hosts to complete each stage of its lifecycle; blood suckers, possessors, nutrient robbers, parasites have many roles in the world, and the majority of humans have at least one kind of parasite living in them. I returned from my thoughts of pure amazement with simultaneous horror, to the very raw shrimp decorating my plate, it was the second course in an eight-course meal my husband and I were sharing together – what would be on my plate in the next course? I was definitely guessing!  Picking up the shrimp with my chopsticks, I took a bite.

This particular moment was the result of a string of spontaneous events that had occurred earlier in the week.  My friend Claire had flown from Korea for a brief trip in Tokyo and then to California.  It was great to see her and spend the day catching up.  She has lived in Japan before and offered to show us around Tokyo for the duration of her trip; unfortunately, we were unable to meet her until the four-day weekend began.  We agreed to meet her at the New Sanno on Friday around noon for lunch.  So our adventures began on the train and subway system, neither of us truly confident that we would make it even with our previous experience in Korea. 

Once we arrived at the train station, we proceeded to the ticketing machines, at which point confusion began to take hold.  A moment passed and an elderly lady asked us in perfect English, “Would you like some help?” “Yes, please.”  She purchased tickets for us and was about to send us on our way when another lady stepped up and began talking to her in Japanese.  I told her where we were heading, “Hiroo”, she looked at the tickets and then went to ask for a refund of the tickets.  Don and I stood staring at each other the whole time, not completely certain what we should be doing, while the nice lady exchanged our tickets and purchased the correct ones.  Then she looked at me and said, “I go too. We go together.”  Smiling I said, “Okay”.   We were finally on the train and began chatting in broken English and Japanese.  It was very amusing, she used a translator on her phone and questions we asked were apparently not translating correctly.  The three of us kept trying to communicate and get to know each other better. If you have ever been in another country and attempted to talk with another person in their native language only knowing a few words yourself, you know this is challenging and very funny. We learned that Milkaru runs a shop in our local area for massage and selling body lotions, and has two young boys who are athletes; the most significant thing we learned was how kind this woman was. She helped us so much! I wish I knew where her shop was!  She made our train trip very enjoyable, and even rode with us to our next stop past hers to make sure we got to the right place!

Finally we made it to the New Sanno and met up with Claire, we chatted and walked around the district for awhile then headed to a enjoy a glass of wine at a wine bar.  The wine was very good and we also enjoyed dried fruit and cheese, well Don and Claire enjoyed the cheese.  It was so relaxing to sit, sip on wine, talk, and people watch.  What could be a better way to unwind?  Claire left us to catch a plane back to Cali, and we decided what to do with ourselves. 

Tokyo Tower was just two train stops away in Ruppungi and close to the restaurant that had advertised a gluten-free menu!  We made it to the tower quickly, and I was completely ignorant of the fact that it was replica of the Eifel Tower in Paris. We went up the tower to see what we could see.  Tokyo is a massive city! From the top of this tower we saw several graveyards, temples, high-rise and apartment buildings, parks, the tallest building in the world, “Sky Tower” and the grand Pacific Ocean.  It was rather hazy, so we missed many things in spite of the density of the city. By this time our stomachs were telling us it was dinnertime!

At last we made it to the coveted gluten free restaurant, S. Komatsu. I was completely elated and very excited. We sat down and were informed that we would be served an 8-course meal, and they had gluten free beer, which of course we ordered two glasses.  The beer is imported from Australia and could be compared to a Corona, yet not as bitter; it was delicious!  Our waiter brought out the traditional warm cloths to wash our hands with, and then the appetizer created from fresh greens topped with salmon flakes.  Sashimi followed, and reminded us of all the different types of parasites we had read about in Parasite Rex (Sashimi is a traditional Japanese dish with thinly sliced raw fish and served with wasabi, and no rice).  Of the animals presented on the plate, the shrimp was our most questionable item as it is a bottom feeder and the texture is unlike anything we had ever experienced before.  This could be cause for future concern, but what an experience! A “savory-cup” custard comprised of mainly cooked egg followed this adventurous plate, and the custard was very mouthwatering.  The next dish was the most delicious grilled fish we had ever eaten, if I knew what the sauce was, I would definitely try to make it at home.  Gluten-free tempura was to follow; I cannot express the many times I have seen other people indulging on this “delicacy” and have been green with envy as they raved about it’s delicious flavor.  This tempura was made with rice flour and was cooked to perfection, completely fabulous! (This has also sent me on a quest to make this delicious food at home.) Traditional sushi followed, and then miso-soup, both were amazing just like the rest of the dishes.  Finally, gluten-free, dairy-free “brown sugar” dessert with green tea; could this get any better? I doubt it.  The cost of the meal seemed expensive, but it was most enjoyable and truly worth every penny. After dinner we headed back to the New Sanno to catch a bus back home, and I would definitely put this day on my list of perfect days (minus the fears of the body snatchers possibly living within us)!