Japan (關東), 6/2007, Days 1 & 2

Before we get to the pictures, I'd like to thank Jacky for tirelessly taking our pictures for us, because whenever you see both of us in the picture, that means Jacky's working behind the camera!


Day 1

After a 10+ hour flight across the Pacific and some not so appetizing airplane food, we're just glad to walk on solid ground again. But as we approached the arrival gate, our spirits picked up because we're officially "on vacation".













The unavoidable line at the customs.




We stayed at Narita Hilton the first night, and our first Japanese meal prepared by Japanese in Japan was -- kinda mediocre. I was expecting something awesome, but I probably set the bar too high (maybe they have amigos cooking in the back too?). Luckily, this wasn't a good representation of all the other meals that would come later....













Since there wasn't much to do the first night, and the hotel is beyond walking distance from anything interesting, we walked around the lobby (which is quite nice) ...















... and chatted with our tour guides. The one on the left is Mariko, and the one on the right is Minnie.





Day 2

Got up bright and early for our full day of sightseeing. Our first stop -- the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and the man-made island of Umihotaru (海螢島). It's quite an amazing feat considering how much work is involved.








The white dome-looking thing is the air vent supplying air to the tunnel portion of the Aqua-Line.






















Why the big hurry? Are we late again?










Gotta get some of that 蛤蜊肉包 before we leave...







Our next stop was 鶴岡八幡宮 in 鎌倉市. Don't forget to wash your hands before entering the shrine!















Now, that, is an impressive sake collection!








Steps leading up to 八幡宮.









In western countries, you toss a coin into a pond or fountain and make your wish, but in Japan, you come to a shrine like 八幡宮 and write your wish down on a piece of wood and hang it up.







還可以求簽...











But when you ask for ridiculous stuff like this person did, even the gods can't help you.











Looking pretty under the shade.






After visiting the shrine, we headed for lunch at the Soba House on a street just around the corner. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the restaurant didn't have enough seats to fit us all in at the time, so one of our guides took us around and checked out the many shops that lined the street.





Is this a watch dog or a guard pig?










Yum....










Dude, why the shit face? Lighten up!










Freeloaders loading up on free samples.







Ah..... Lunch at last!!



















Our next destination was the Daibutsu (大仏) of Kamakura, which is just a short drive from 八幡宮. The inside of Daibutsu is hollow and open to public (for a small fee). Our guide told us not to go in because it turns into a giant oven on a hot sunny day, but plenty of people still lined up to get baked anyway.




























Daibutsu's sandals.






Odawara Castle (小田原城) was next on our list. It's truly impressive what people could build back in the old days. This castle is actually a rebuilt of the original, and it now serves mostly as a military museum housing artifacts from the 1500s. It's a shame that photography is forbidden inside the castle, otherwise I would've taken a lot more pictures here.





















Our final destination of the day was Hotel New Akao in Atami (熱海), a city famous for hot springs and gorgeous ocean views.




The staff was nice enough to arrange for a short musical performance to welcome our arrival.










The hotel is built onto the face of a cliff, with parts of it hanging over the ocean. It's no wonder we got such a nice view from our room.






When in Atami, do what the Japanese do. Since it's our first time suiting up for 溫泉, we just had to take a few pictures...























What better way to end the day than a relaxing dip in the hot spring, followed by a big seafood dinner?













We all know she's slow, but this is ridiculous!





So what do I do in the mean time? Enjoy the view of course...













It's too early for bed and you can't sleep after a big meal anyway, so we explored the lobby area and the rec center.