I was worried that Visiting another shrine would be a bit like ABC in Europe but no worries there.  It was as a great, big day out, and we were really glad we didn’t miss it. The Nikko Toshogu shrine built in the 1600’s is a Japanese treasure and rightly so as it’s amazing.  It sits in amongst ancient Cedar trees and it’s ornateness contrasts starkly yet somehow sits  quietly alongside.

Above is the stables which has the carving of the three monkeys on which is aJapanese proverb.  These are the origins and was made as a mural to children on virtues they should hold.

It’s really hard to pick just a few photos that can capture the space.

The above pictures are just of the roof.

We wandered around but didn’t go inside.  Two reasons, one because it was really busy with school trips and I didn’t want my hand squished and secondly you have to take your shoes off and I can’t tie my laces. There was plenty to see outside and around so was a great excuse to keep exploring.

We leave here and head to the lake for lunch. It’s an amazing road that winds through the national park which is stunning in its colour. The Japanese call it “Koyo” and evidently in a couple more weeks if you came up on the weekend the 30 min trip would take you over 2 hours due to the traffic. At the top it was cloudy and misty so we didn’t get to see the mountain reflecting in the lake but it was still pretty.

The swans layed up around the edge of the lake waiting for a summer, the low mist and the changing leaves all added to its presence.

From here we headed to the Keogan waterfall which was really hard to capture in a photo so this doesn’t do it justice.

Then it was back down the road to Tokyo

I have realised that I havnt talked much of the group tour thing, which can Be a bit of a lottery. We have been very lucky that Penny and Rob have been brilliant. They along with our guide Eiko have not only ensured that we all got to where we are going but that we had a great time on the way. A three hour bus trip is only actually only two and a bit as you stop on the way for 20 mins and have no hold ups. The two and a bit feels nothing as Rob keeps the comraderie going with games of interesting facts. It’s a great time, with a great bunch of people a good time has been had by all and we are very lucky.

I don’t really care who wins.  We had a big night last night watching the AB’s vs Wales game in a pub with some English and Sth Africans and of course the odd Australian.  It was a good night and the locals are very much All Blacks fans.  This young fan sat on a bar stool next to us with his mum.  He cheered his heart out every time we got the ball.  So although I have called the post “Today” here’s a face from yesterday.

Th faces of Tokyo is what today has been about.  There was a festival around us today which I can only describe as like a “Pacifica” festival but Japanese.  The dances and movements where spectacular but it was the faces that made your eyes water and your hairs prickle.  Much like when the All Blacks do the haka.  It’s spine chilling because it’s filled with passion and honour and pride.  That’s how I felt watching there joy.

If you take a look at the costume above and then look at the next series you will see how the costumes change. The unison of movement, sound, colour and expression is magical.
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It was fabulous to watch and I just have to add a few more images so when I print this journey out and am flicking through its pages reminiscent of all that was Japan, I remember the flags waving high and the kids practicing and the discipline and the order and the flow and the costumes.

Was another day of wonder in Japan.

we caught a ferry up the river from our hotel which wasn’t that exciting but filled the time before the other semi between Wales and Sth Africa.

We skip the tour buses early departure and head to the game by train much later still arriving in good time.  I find the stadium  experience quite daunting with my hand.  I walk with my hand clasped to my chest and the other out like a protective shield.  The game goes on.  It’s not exciting.  We leave with 4 minutes to go to assist the stadium departure.Psychological Causes The brain is the most important organ of the man which in turn leads him to such issues. generic levitra is considered to be the best drugs for combating erection woes. Shackles – These are basically used to lock the slings in shop for viagra order to enhance their use while lifting heavy loads. Online VigrX plus can be ordered and viagra prices http://robertrobb.com/start-with-limiting-north-koreas-missiles/ its benefits can be obtained after the third treatment. These manufacturers are approved and have india cheapest tadalafil http://robertrobb.com/what-trump-did-was-wrong-but-it-wasnt-bribery/ licenses from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved this medication to indicate that is safe to use.

Days merge. We see this, we see that. Lots of smiling friendly faces.

We pack up from Tokyo and leave it’s stadiums behind whilst we change pace and head to Niigata.

We visited a Japanese garden yesterday and it was all things a Japanese garden is supposed to be.

Peaceful, tranquil and picturesque.  The gardens are beautiful and with the autumn colour quite spectacular.  Each corner turned unveils something new.

there is so much care as things are trained and strained to go a certain way and others just go there own way.  It feels like nothing is left to chance and everything has its purpose, Be it sight or sound or smell or texture.

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Colour

the gardener made me a little boat out of a bamboo leaf.  The kindness of the Japanese people will be something that I take home with me and remember always.

I could sign off there and make it the end of the post but I will  add a couple of pics for good measure.

The knights in shining armour were not ours.

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We didn’t manage another cup on the sleeve.

Its not as fun when you lose,  the walk back seems longer,  the bus trip even longer.  Some kiwis on our bus led a rendition of tu teremai which considering there was only 6 of us was pretty good.  We then asked the aussies and of course they gave us waltzing Matilda, which by the way is really long when they know all the verses.  The Irish then gave us a ballad and luckily we had no poms as another round of swing low might have been just too much to bear.  We were getting ready for ten quitars but the Irish had found form and weren’t giving the opportunity back.  Oh well was a night of lost opportunities so a couple of bed time drinks and bed. Another day tomorrow.

Mt Fuji can be seen reflecting in the lake by Hakone so we were looking forward to getting closer.  You take what they call a romance car to get there and it was a pleasant journey now we are dab hands at working out the lines.

there is a lot of cyclone damage as you head into the provinces and we knew that on arrival the old train lines that service the area would be replaced by buses.  You could see how high the rivers got up and the trees and boulders washed down.

we got on the bus and then got off at the open air sculpture museum and it was amazing.  You wander through the gardens which are beginning to show all the shades of autumn

i am not sure that I can describe it all so just wander through the pictures and you will get the picture.

There were so many sculptures from artists all over the world.  They even had huge ones for children to climb in and explore.

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Then wander some more and check out this one

Then wander some more.  They even had an exhibition dedicated to rugby.  Famous artists who love rugby all contributed.

wander some more

you get the picture

was an amazing place and funny thing is that since we have got back and all the people we have talked to went to Hakone but didn’t know it existed.    It is a must if you visit Japan.

I thought I should at least write something so you all know that I am still in good spirits (apart from severe camera aggression), enjoying Tokyo and it’s surrounds.  Hopefully I will be able to download the images soon and remember enough to describe the journey.

I often  say to WH on our travels, “sometimes you just have to picture it in your minds Eye”, so test your skills on these,  use your imagination and picture the below scenarios in your minds eye.

The frustration of being right handed when you can’t use your right hand.  

Eat with chopsticks using your left hand only

tie your hair in a ponytail.  If you are really game ask your WH to do it and have your pulled, and stretched and remind him ever so nicely of course, that your hair is actually attached to your scalp.  I want my daughter back here she could do it.

put deodorant on the armpit of the arm holding the deodorant

tie your shoelacesThe nervous system cheap cialis pushes the blood to the penis. Urinary infection is caused due to bacteria that can have cheap viagra prices an effect on any part of the urinary system. An exercise high gives you a mouthsofthesouth.com cialis properien euphoric feeling for longer hours after workout. The entrepreneur CEO can easily be the most powerful steroid commercially available. soft cialis pills

take a photo with your cellphone.

cut up a piece of meat or try an egg. Tip – eggs are slidey.

Open up a water bottle with a screw lid.

the list is endless but I think in support of bung hand tourist you should have to try at least three of the above.

now just because it’s been a bit of a S#+t of a day (not really but goes well with photo and annoying camera)  and because I already had a photo I have to say how amazing Japanese toilets are.   Most have heated seats.  If you push privacy They play music, or a bubbling brook sound.  They have front wash or rear wash and you can control temperature and pressure.  The one in the picture below is a simple version taken in a public toilet.  There are occasionally the old squat over a hole toilet but even these are exceptionally clean. Anyway that’s enough for today as tonight we are going to another special Japanese dinner.  Hope there is no eel or yellow fish thing.  Wish me luck.

Bit of a mishap yesterday which probably has to go into the travel archives and one day maybe even in just a couple of years, I will look back and laugh. Hahahaha, but not just yet.

the kids were heading home and it was decided to grab an Uber and head to a shopping precinct that D and D had been to before.  Whilst wandering through the lobby with the phone in my hand I tried to walk through a glass wall.  I literally looked straight through it to the cafe beyond.  The good news is the glass didn’t shatter but my finger did.

It was pretty grotesque and out of shape and as it had bent the wrong way it split the skin on the underside of my finger.  Ouch.  No pictures required.  Popped it back in but blood and grizzling and people, and then  Men in suits, security guards, Tokyo fire department, sirens she was all go.   Ouch ouch

It all gets a bit lost in translation as the paramedics ask if I have been drinking alcohol and WH says “yes”.  “No” I say at least not this morning. they repeat “you ok now, calm down please” despite the fact that I am very calm with my hand wrapped in a bloody towel and very very sore.   They all think I have cut my finger and  I try to explain the dislocation.  Lost in translation.
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We get to the hospital and a lovely nurse with wonderful English gets the message of the dislocation and across I go to X-ray.  WH has been posted somewhere in a waiting room.  My lovely nurse has disappeared and I the dr comes back to explain treatment and sutures and tendons and I have had enough and ask for WH.  “ No, no after sutures” they keep saying.  I decide to just hold onto my hand and repeat that I would like my husband please.  The theory of repeating something over and over works as the poor young just out of high school dr leaves and returns with the English speaking nurse who then gets WH.

With WH there to help me translate I get 6 stitches, ouch, ouch the anaesthetic really stings, the cleaning, stings, ouch, ouch.  I have decided Japanese are hard ass.  “Calm down lady ok”.  They don’t say that but I say it to myself and breathe deeply.

We eventually get discharged and pay the bill rushing to get back just in time to bade farewell to the rest of the whanau.  What a bloody drama to end what has been a fantastic week with the family.   I feel bad that I ruined their  last day in Tokyo and sad that I didn’t get to spend it with them.  Miss them already.

Today the weather has been wet and it’s a good day to have time out, let the swelling go down and get set to hopefully feel better tomorrow.  Just in case you’re wondering the photo at the start is a mural in the subway.  I thought it could represent the seeing eye and be reminder to watch where you going.

The booze lines were shorter. The rowdy Irish and Kiwi fans tamed by the spoils of the night before now united in a uniform of red.  There was no Japan merchandise anywhere so a mishmash of T-shirt, bandanas and flags ensued.

The Japanese are amazing with their hospitality and manners.   They are friendly and fun and a good time is had by all. I am only going to post pics for now so you can see a fun time had by all.   I have earlier today had a wee accident and dislocated my finger which now has 6 stitches so typing a bit tricky.  Enjoy the photos and will come back and finish the post maybe tomorrow.

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Beep, beep i’m A sheep had become a buzz word for when we were trying to find somewhere for dinner but it became highly appropriate now as we just went with the flow, quite literally and followed the flock.

We wait for the train and stand first in line rather than push into the pack, as kiwi sheep we like our space and the plan works and we even manage to get a seat.  The scrum becomes larger with each stop and just when you think it’s fill “but wait there’s more”.  I am very grateful for my seat and the bit of extra space it affords in front of me.

We make it to the stadium and the atmosphere is buzzing.  We can’t get into the fan zone where we planned to watch the England vs Aussie game so wander round to find our seats spreading and receiving good cheer as we go. We are very early but this is not a problem as the stadium begins to fill and the karaoke crowd begins to sing “Sweet Caroline” off the big screen ( yes Cal I wanted to call for you to hear this stunning rendition but couldn’t get reception).  Our singing prowess only got better as the main event drew nearer with “the summer of 69” being a firm favourite.

we are surrounded by Irish and our neighbours are the instigators of an enormous Irish flag which we have to play a hand in unfurling across our row.   We do this in good cheer but I do have to give them a stern telling off for singing through our haka.  They bleet on that we have two anthems and a haka which is not fair, I tell them they sound like whinging children.    Next door Lived in Dunedin for a year playing rugby so joins in our anthem, insisting We join in there chorus which is simply Ireland, Ireland.  We are ready.  

What a game.  What a crowd. What an atmosphere.

No point saying anything else about it as you would have seen it and by now will have had hashed up and broken down into minute pieces.

I could probably go on for a very long time explaining the journey home but shall leave you only with these images for your minds.

G, D and WH playing “rugby” on the concourse with some Irish.  WH got tackled,  D got the ball and wasn’t letting go,  the crowd gathered,  the crowd roared – and then the security guards put an end to it.  We shall say no more except that WH now has an aching knee and I shall not remind him of his age.  Jerseys were swapped.  Good RWC 2019 All Blacks jerseys for old dodgy Irish ones.  Again I shall say no more.  Children were lost, then found, then lost again.  Trains were got on, got off and then got on again.

yet somehow we managed to all make it back to our hotel.  What a game.  What a crowd. What an atmosphere.