Tuesday, 05 October, 2010
This is it. It's real. It is happening...It is just so unreal to go to sleep one night...and that next morning to wake up and be in another country. We have arrived in Sendai, Japan...and oh, what a warm welcome we've received! People dancing, playing music and cheering as if we were famous or in some sort of parade...everyone is dressed so professional and smart, even the bus drivers. I opened the gym this morning at 5:45am and as the sun was rising it is such a beautiful thing...my stomach was jumping all around and I couldn't help but to just smile. 
How did I get here?! Today in Sendai, Japan...I have the rest of the morning and early afternoon off from work its been 11 days straight working 12 hours a day...I'm really looking forward to getting off the ship and walking on land! wheee! Later this morning I have to participate in a raft/boat drill just in case of emergency we are prepared and know what to do..So I won't be able to get off the ship for a couple hours. I'm going to just wander around with a friend, Julie from England...her husband works on the ship so we're just going to go and enjoy ourselves and soak it all in! Of course....take pictures, don't you worry...most of you know I am quite the photograph-lover!
- Sendai, Yokohama(Tokyo), Shimizu & Kobe (Osaka)…JAPAN.
All of Japan was so pleasant…so clean…and so friendly. Arriving in Yokohama making our way to the train station from the complimentary bus from the port…I went with Julie and my fellow Wisconsinite, Jacqueline… and her baby Graeme…we navigated our way from the train station to get to Shibuya, Tokyo. Everything was in Japanese…I was so calm and didn’t have a worry how to get there I just knew somehow we would get there! Sure enough we figured it out someway somehow and managed quite well to get our tickets to Tokyo! Once we got to Tokyo my heart jumped out of my chest and we were engulfed in people and skyscrapers….just what I had been itching for. We obviously had to explore and I was completely at ease and so relaxed and just enjoying the moment.
Once we walked all over Tokyo soaking in the crowds of people and the incredible buildings we made our way back to the train station and hopped on to return to the port terminal. We weren’t done yet though…we were back in Yokohama and needed to explore more. Jackie & I went into Chinatown in Yokohama…and I’m so glad we did! We came upon a beautiful Japanese temple which immediately put you at ease with the atmosphere of it all…very peaceful.
Ahhh HA! then we had some delicious Japanese food… Dumplings…delicious with some bubble tea…..the vendor was such a sweet man so of course we needed to snap a picture with him…he loved it! The people in Japan were so delightful…they really went above and beyond to make you feel welcome and so appreciative. AND Japan was immaculate on the streets…It was very impressing and made me want to live there…but I think I would get a little frustrated right away without knowing how to speak Japanese…not yet ;) haha. Anything is possible, right?!
Right after Yokohama we arrived in Shimizu and there really wasn’t that much to see from the outside…more of a smaller big city…there was really just a handful of small businesses and a 100 Yen store wandered around in there just amused mostly by the different ways of advertising on products. I went with a few guests up in this Farris wheel to see the view of the city and the view of Mt. Fuji! It was such a stunning view! 
From Shimizu we headed right into Kobe (Osaka), Japan…I went with a couple of the spa girls and we just wandered around Kobe Chinatown and soaked in the culture there..yess I’m sure you’re wondering now why would you go to Chinatown when you’re in Japan? Right?! Ha…well it was a popular thing to do…everybody was doing it. Nahh I just didn’t look more into other things to do..I hadn’t quite gotten all of the details down on how to do certain tours with the crew or with the guests…still learning. However I fully enjoyed Kobe and everything it had to offer on the inside…As much as I did explore it was amusing and there were so many people it was unreal!!! Here’s just a few pictures I snapped while in Kobe…Oh my goodness and the foooood was mouthwatering in everyway possible. That’s probably one of the #1 things I look forward to when pulling into a new country is the foood! It’s so fun learning new things and soaking up the culture while you can as much as you can while you’re there.
Like I stated before…the people were so sweet there and just so friendly and appreciative you stopped at their shop or their restaurant or special vendor they’ve worked so hard to put together and please all of the tourists and everybody else wanting a hint of Japan. These two girls were so adorable I had to get a shot of them…they loved it it was so special! Anything to gain a smile from somebody makes me smile. 
That’s all I’ve got for Japan….definitely will be looking forward to reaching Hong Kong is the next destination I will be able to get off and go on adventures in China. Won’t be able to exit in Beijing or Shanghai….no chinese visa….yet. Anyway…Thanks for keeping up with all of my adventures and coming along on this incredible ride of life with me. xo. Cheers loves.
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