Our Last Day & Night of the G'parents Visit

We had a great visit with Grammy and Pepere and were very sad to see their visit end. The next morning both Scarlett and Quinn asked "Where is Pepere and Grammy?" We hope they come back for one more visit but Grammy has threatened this was her last trip to Japan. Guess time will tell.

Friendship Festival 2010

Neal, Pepere and Quinn headed down to the Friendship Festival on Yokota AB on Saturday. The festival is the one day that the base opens up to the locals. There's lots of static displays and includes a small air show. It is usually brutally hot and very crowded. I was glad to stay home and avoid both the heat and the crowds. But the dudes seemed to have a good time.

ZZZZZZzzzzzz

Seibu Lions vs. Orix Buffalo

On Sunday, Neal and I took my Dad to a Seibu Lions game. They were playing the Orix Buffalo (Ichiro's original team). The Lions dominated the game but we did get to see a player get kicked out of the game for bad behavior. The Buffalo player made a line in the batter's box to show he didn't like the umpires' calls for the strike zone. It was funny because the umpire then makes an announcement over the PA to announce why the player was kicked out and the crowd cheered. It was a Western who got kicked out, of course.

Only in Japan do young girls carry mini-kegs on their backs and walk through the stands selling it cup by cup. My Dad took a picture with a beer girl to bring home and show his friends. I must say that there were a lot more young guys selling beer this time. Hmmm?

Takao Trick Museum

Today was another scorcher of a day. So we decided to check out the Trick Museum in Takao. It was busy with lots of other people trying to stay cool and do something fun. The basic premise of the art museum is optical illusions. The paintings are flat but if you cover one eye or look at them from a certain angle they look like they have depth, move with you, or change. It's all interactive and you are allowed to touch the walls and paintings. What kid or adult doesn't like that. Hope you like the funny, fun photos.

Miyajima Island

First stop on the journey was Miyajima Island with the famous Torii Gate in the water. It is supposed to be the third most picturesque sight in all of Japan. We took the ferry over to the island and what is the first thing we discover but that wild deer roam around freely. They often rub up close to you in hopes of finding something to eat. Quinn loved this, of course, and would talk to them and pet them. It was sometimes hard to get Q to keep walking because he wanted to hang out with the deer instead of checking out the sights. Neal and Scarlett took a picture with the world's largest rice scoop and Scarlett visited the Hello Kitty store. We visited many temples (good for my stamp book) and did a little geocaching. All around nice day in the sun.

Hiroshima

On Wednesday, we rented a van from base and loaded up and headed on the road for the long, long journey west to Hiroshima/Miyajima Island/Iwakuni. It was a very long drive and that's all I'm going to say. The pictures include images from Peace Memorial Park and Museum and Hiroshima Castle. The colorful paper cranes are made by children from all over the world to wish for peace.

Tama Zoo

We just had to bring Grammy Sue and Pepere to the Tama Zoo to experience the Lion Bus. Unfortunately it was an adventure that had it's ups and downs. First off, Neal had to work which meant I had to drive (and we all know I am directionally challenged). I got lost, of course, but was able to ask a police man for directions to Tachikawa ecki so I could follow the monorail to the zoo; which i did with success. Plus last Thursday was very hot and humid which doesn't mesh well with the hilly terrain of the zoo. But Grammy and Pepere hung in there with me and survived the trip. Quinn and Scarlett had fun too.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Lion Bus, here's a quick explanation: You board a bus and sit sideways facing out while the zoo workers place pieces of raw meat on the outside of the bus. You are then driven through the lion's habitat where lions are sitting on platforms that have large bones chained to them. The end result is a bird's eye view of lions and their mouths through the bus window. All I can say is, "you'd never experience that in America".