Two Weeks Notice

With less than two weeks to go until the big move, one would assume that I would be somewhat ready.  The bags should be packed, forms should be sent in and I should be relatively organized.  But, think again.  Perhaps I'm just acclimating myself to Lao culture a bit early and accepting the slow and easy way of life.  

Although I was worried about focusing too much on Laos while in Japan, the two-week Mailly family adventure was amazing.  We started the trip in Tokyo where we meandered the financial district and relished in the cleanliness of one of Asia's largest cities.  We enjoyed the views from the imperial fortress and wished that public transportation was as quick and reliable in the US.  From the capital, we took a train, cable car, boat, feniculaire, tram and bus to the lakeside city of Hakone, where on a clear day we would have been blessed with views of Fuji.  Unfortunately, the volcanic peak remained hidden behind a dense cloud, so we had to use our imaginations (think spewing lava and dinosaurs!) From Hakone we took the Shinkansen bullet train to Kanazawa, the old samurai village of Edo period. Here we visited Maddie's host family and toured the city that she called home this summer.  After having an elaborate lunch with her parents, we walked to the Kenrokuen Gardens, rated in the top three in Japan and known for a famous lantern positioned at the edge of the main pond.  The immaculate landscape, complete with uniformed workers who were spotted picking out "bad" pieces of moss, added to the magical experience.  Wandering the gardens took us back to the age of the Shogun and truly emphasized the amount of pride taken in harnessing nature in Japan.  That evening we enjoyed a never ending meal of fresh tempura, which was served with a side of dipping salt (not Coke, dad), and of course, cold sake and umeshu (plum wine and Abby's new favorite beverage).

The Mailly Family in Kanazawa's Samurai District

En route to Takayama on day 5, we stopped in Shirakawa-Go, a quiet village town nestled on a plateau between two mountain passes.  The village has been preserved and people still try to maintain its historic culture.  Known for its thatched roofs, the village was perhaps one of the greenest spots on our trip- every inch was covered in blooming rice fields, vegetable gardens and sunflowers.  We were able to finally eat Maddie's favorite curry rice and of course, ended with soft cream. 

The whole family overlooking Shirakawa-Go

Our crazy bus driver, who insisted that he knew enough English to guide us around the village, drove us to Takayama via narrow tunnels and steep bridges along the perimeter of a huge dam in the mountains.  The picturesque views over the water and through the ridged passes were remarkable, but we all decided that main roads were probably the safer way to go.  We were relieved when we finally arrived to our Onsen for the evening and were able to relax in Yukata.  

For those who don't know, Onsen are Japanese public baths and are absolutely spectacular.  While we had our doubts at first about showering and bathing naked with strangers, the whole experience is very relaxing and certainly not judgmental.  You start by entering a shower station equipped with a small bench, bucket, faucet and a variety of shampoos and conditioners.  After completely rinsing off, you may enter the baths, either inside or outside, and soak.  Soaking requires about 15 minutes (it's like a hotter hot tub) and ends in a visit to the cold bath (generally at 20 degrees C).  From there, you shower again, dry off and step into the Yukata provided by the hotel and head off to dinner.  We fully embraced the Yukata and wore them around the hotel, to dinner and even as pajamas!

Our day in Takayama was spent exploring the historic Jinya, the Shogunate's local headquarters, and the daily farmer's market.  We were finally able to eat some fresh fruit which was absolutely delicious! The entire village is lined with small shops featuring omiyage (sweets), sake, and cell phone charms.  After enjoying some Chinese food, much to Patrick's dismay, we boarded a train for Kyoto and the starting point for our Nakasendo journey.

Kyoto is one of the oldest remaining cities in Japan, but like most of the country, the buildings and other historical remains have been destroyed in fires or during war bombings. We started the day at 4:30 am when Todd, our fearless leader, decided we had to attend a Buddhist worship ceremony.  We watched as the head priest entered the prayer hall and for the next hour, listened to recitations, gongs and cymbals.  After sunrise, we walked around the city and at 8, were waiting in line to enter the Sanjusangendo Hall, home to 1001 Buddhas.  The expansive, yet ordered, rows of unique sculptures were breathtaking and we silently made our way down the magnificent chamber, which for centuries has hosted a huge archery tournament inside the buildings gate. From the hall, we were escorted to our private tea ceremony where we drank bowls of macha and learned how to make tea ourselves.  We were taught that making tea is a delicate yet controlled process, done with very quick movements of the wrist.

Carly making tea with the special whisk.  I might actually have a future career as a Tea Master!

Due to our very early wake-up call, we went back to the hotel to nap before our exciting night on the town.  Leaving for dinner, we walked through the Gion, the historic Geisha district.  While we didn't see any Geishas, the narrow roads certainly made for the ancient experience.  As the sun set, we made our way to yet another fabulous tempura dinner, this time with tempura quail eggs, pumpkin and eel.  We have been true food explorers!

Day 8 brought our first encounter with the Nakasendo, the ancient road that connected Kyoto with Edo.  We started in Nakatsugawa where we were met with torrential downpours.  Seriously, the rain never ended!!! We were absolutely drenched as we made our way through the small post towns and it took us an hour to realize that Abby had been holding her thumb out to passing traffic the entire time.  No wonder they had been laughing at us! As we walked, we passed Honjin (senior samurai inns), bamboo forests, and terraced paddy fields before reaching our final destination, an inn in Shinchaya.  We were the only guests for the older couple who have been running the inn for generations and their hospitality was nothing but the best.  Putting on dry boots the next morning, we set out for Tsumago, one of the most famous post towns along the road.  

The classic terrain: rice fields, smokey mountains and steep slopes

Several things stand out as different when hiking in the Japanese Alps:

1. The first and last people wear bear bells to scare away the bears.

2. Earthquakes can happen at any time. No, we did not experience one, but Patrick scared us.

3. The snakes with yellow diamond heads are poisonous. We only saw a little one.

4. The volcanic geography means you hike up, up, up. Then down, down, down. No rolling hills for the weary.

5. And, according to Todd, it's a trans-cultural experience. Whatever that means.

Mom and Dad on the trail.  It was so hot we wrapped cold towels around our necks. 

Fashion Police 911!!!

Once in Tsumago, we took a tour of the Waki-honjin, a historic inn and local museum.  Highlight: it was air conditioned.  This time our inn had a staircase of doom and with shoji slamming all night, none of us slept and were anxious to head out the next morning.  Our third day on the trail brought us through another mountain pass and into the Kaida Plateau, which is home to a horse farm, blueberry patch and ice cream factory.  After trying some pretty interesting flavors: wasabi, corn, soba (buckwheat), and blueberry (Abby!), we walked to our last onsen at the base of Mt. Ontake, an active volcano.  Here we again enjoyed the wonders of Japanese hot springs and our infamous Yukata!

Famous bridge dating back centuries at the reconstructed barrier town of Kiso-Fukushima

Day 4 on the trail began with Patrick telling us we had to climb a set of 575 stairs to reach the Torii-toge pass, the highest point on our way to the last post town of Narai.  We were able to buy some Japanese essentials (chopsticks, bamboo serving pieces and tea) before catching multiple trains to Matsumoto, our last city in Japan.  Matsumoto, home to a very large black castle, is a smaller city, and was celebrating the end of summer festival when we arrived.  Although the castle was closed, we were able to walk around the koi-filled moat and remark on its magnificent architecture.  The night ended with another long meal, complete with fried chicken, the region's specialty.  

Our long journey home began at 5:30 am when we woke up, packed, ate breakfast, and made our way to the train station for our Shinkansen to Shinjuku.  Approximately 3 hours away and half an hour outside of Tokyo station, the train ride was relatively uneventful--- no pillow fights this time!  Arriving in Shinjuku, we insisted on finding an air conditioned coffee shop but with all of our luggage this proved difficult.  After an hour, Patrick escorted us to the Narita Express, the hour long bullet train to the airport.  We said our farewells and prayed that we would be able to navigate the rest on our own.  Luckily we didn't run into any problems and we made it through check-in and security with only minor issues (Maddie hid small scissors in Mom's carry-on, but they passed the inspection and were small enough--- Japanese security actually pulled out a ruler to measure them!)  Spending the next two hours at the gate, we slowly depleted the rest of our yen on vending machine ice cream, the best invention before and after sliced bread.  At 3:10 pm in Japan, we boarded our flight and took off (Everything in Japan runs in a very timely manner).  The flight was uneventful, but I was seated next to a young woman on her way home from a 3-year Peace Corps post in the Philippines. She was just as excited to tell me about her experiences as I was about hearing them.  Needless to say, we talked for hours until both of our Benadryll finally kicked in and we were able to spend the next few hours in and out of sleep.  Finally, at 2:50 pm we arrived.  Yes, we arrived before we even left!

Abby, Maddie and Carly at the Matsumoto Castle at dusk.  

It's been over a week since we got back from Japan and I am still struggling with jet-lag.  Before leaving I joked about staying 13 hours ahead in preparation for Laos, but it is now feeling like a reality.  I have begun to pack, been shot up with more vaccinations and blood tests than I can count and have begun to say goodbye to all the things I won't be able to have across the world (Harry's, Fab 50's, Honey Nut Cheerios... all the essentials).  I finally finished Cutting For Stone, and with my new sense of adventure and worldly motivation, I am ready.  Laos here I come.