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Been staring at the screen blinking rapidly for a while because I'm tired, but epic post of awesome really needs to be made so here I go.
NAGOYA WAS GREAT.
We had a little bit (a TINY bit, really) of trouble figuring out which line to take where, but we got it sorted and explained to us eventually and then off we were to Nagoya and the Tokugawa Art Museum. Ate breakfast on the train, including a drink we weren't able to find anywhere yesterday, even after searching every conbini we came across. ( Train times! )
Upon arrival at the Nagoya station, we have the directions to leave by the south exit, walk straight for about ten minutes, and boom! you're there at the museum.
So, of course, we immediately get incredibly lost, even after the help of an amazingly nice lady who came up to us and asked, "are you...okay?" and then proceeded to walk with us two streets before heading on her way. I gave her a chocolate and a postcard. I think she was surprised to see me pull it out of my bag. However, let me assure you, the getting lost was not at all in a bad way. We wandered around the back side streets of Nagoya, just out for a stroll, and got to see some ( pretty awesome pocket gardens. )
We ended up stumbling across a Shinto shrine and just went to town snapping pictures. A man came out from one of the buildings and we went over to ask him for directions, and got into a conversation about where we were. Turns out he was the Shinto priest of that shrine, and we spent a good few minutes having halting conversation about what we were doing, including something that went like this (in Japanese):
Him: What are you doing today?
Us: We were going to the Tokugawa Art Museum, but, *throw arms wide to mean the shrine*.
After a bit more talking, he took us over to the charm station (where people can buy charms and tokens from the shrine) and presented us each with a wish plaque as a gift. Both Donna and I bought charms from him and his disciple there, and I gave each of them a postcard too. So far everyone we've met has been so amazingly nice and helpful, it's amazing.
( Our first Japanese shrine: )
From there we wandered a little bit more up and down streets before ducking into a shop to ask directions yet again, and them from a person walking down the street to finally get to the museum we sought.
( Tokugawa art musuem! )
After finally heading back to Tokyo, we asked and found our way to a Lawson convenience store and, with the help (again) of an incredibly nice Japanese assistant, we purchased ticketsto tour Ghibli studios, the makers of the Miyazaki films on the 17th. I AM MAYBE A LITTLE EXCITED. We've got something cool lined up for every single day.
From there we went on a hunt for a noodle house, finding a not-noodle-house instead. With ( ginormous portions of food. )We managed to finish a lot of it, but the miso soup just didn't fit. And a very cool thing? That meal cost me 680JPY. That is about seven dollars for INCREDIBLE PORTIONS OF FOOD. Not that, you know, I was able to eat all of it, but still. The shredded cabbage was my favorite part. I've been needing some veggies in my life.
All in all, a very good day indeed. And just think--we would have missed half of that amazingness if we'd gone in the right direction in the first place.
Tomorrow, Kyoto!
NAGOYA WAS GREAT.
We had a little bit (a TINY bit, really) of trouble figuring out which line to take where, but we got it sorted and explained to us eventually and then off we were to Nagoya and the Tokugawa Art Museum. Ate breakfast on the train, including a drink we weren't able to find anywhere yesterday, even after searching every conbini we came across. ( Train times! )
Upon arrival at the Nagoya station, we have the directions to leave by the south exit, walk straight for about ten minutes, and boom! you're there at the museum.
So, of course, we immediately get incredibly lost, even after the help of an amazingly nice lady who came up to us and asked, "are you...okay?" and then proceeded to walk with us two streets before heading on her way. I gave her a chocolate and a postcard. I think she was surprised to see me pull it out of my bag. However, let me assure you, the getting lost was not at all in a bad way. We wandered around the back side streets of Nagoya, just out for a stroll, and got to see some ( pretty awesome pocket gardens. )
We ended up stumbling across a Shinto shrine and just went to town snapping pictures. A man came out from one of the buildings and we went over to ask him for directions, and got into a conversation about where we were. Turns out he was the Shinto priest of that shrine, and we spent a good few minutes having halting conversation about what we were doing, including something that went like this (in Japanese):
Him: What are you doing today?
Us: We were going to the Tokugawa Art Museum, but, *throw arms wide to mean the shrine*.
After a bit more talking, he took us over to the charm station (where people can buy charms and tokens from the shrine) and presented us each with a wish plaque as a gift. Both Donna and I bought charms from him and his disciple there, and I gave each of them a postcard too. So far everyone we've met has been so amazingly nice and helpful, it's amazing.
( Our first Japanese shrine: )
From there we wandered a little bit more up and down streets before ducking into a shop to ask directions yet again, and them from a person walking down the street to finally get to the museum we sought.
( Tokugawa art musuem! )
After finally heading back to Tokyo, we asked and found our way to a Lawson convenience store and, with the help (again) of an incredibly nice Japanese assistant, we purchased ticketsto tour Ghibli studios, the makers of the Miyazaki films on the 17th. I AM MAYBE A LITTLE EXCITED. We've got something cool lined up for every single day.
From there we went on a hunt for a noodle house, finding a not-noodle-house instead. With ( ginormous portions of food. )We managed to finish a lot of it, but the miso soup just didn't fit. And a very cool thing? That meal cost me 680JPY. That is about seven dollars for INCREDIBLE PORTIONS OF FOOD. Not that, you know, I was able to eat all of it, but still. The shredded cabbage was my favorite part. I've been needing some veggies in my life.
All in all, a very good day indeed. And just think--we would have missed half of that amazingness if we'd gone in the right direction in the first place.
Tomorrow, Kyoto!
