Hey Kids,
I thought I was going to take it easy today but Paul called last night to suggest we go to Asakusa instead of Kamkura. So I rolled out of bed at 10:00am (against the wishes of every fiber of my body) and caught the train to Shinjuku to meet him at Virgin Records (NOT Virgin Freshness). From there we jumped on the JR and went to Asakusa which ended up being very cool. I took a lot of pictures that I HAVE to get developed SOON so that I know that they turned out before I leave the country. When we first got off the train, I'm like, "Ah...did we even leave Shinjuku?" because it just looked like another HUGE city. But tucked away inside this modern-day-metropolis were these incredible ancient Japanese temples. This is what I had EXPECTED to see when I stepped off the plane a month ago. There was this big cauldron-looking-thing in the middle of the walk way between temples that people were standing all around waving their arms over. And smoke was pouring from the
cauldron. I asked Paul what that was all about. Apparently, you buy these sticks that are kinda like incense and they come in a bundle of about 10. You put them in the sand in the cauldron and they burn and give off a lot of smelly smoke and you rub the smoke all over you and it absolves you of bad stuff or brings you luck or something. Then inside the biggest temple, people were tossing coins into some funky
metal thing and praying (God don't work for free, you know) and beyond this pay-to-pray area, there was a huge, extravagantly decorated area where I think you
could pay extra to pray some more. It was awesome to look at but i don't know if my pictures turned out because there was a big fence-type-thing that separated the high-paying-holy-rollers from the cheap, coin-tossing chumps. But it was nice to finally see some ancient Japanese stuff and explore another part of Tokyo. I forgot that I felt like crap there for a while. Maybe I stood close enough to the burning
cauldron that the good-luck smoke cured me momentarily.
After Asakusa, we took a train to Ginza which is supposed to be like the Beverly Hills of Japan with expensive, fancy-shmancy stores. I don't even know why we went there because we spent more time waiting in line for the money machine than we did exploring the area. It was Paul's idea to go and his idea to leave so I just went along with whatever he felt like doing. He is a hard nut to crack, can't figure him out. He gave me a little insight the other day at lunch when he told me about his ex=girlfriend whom he is still in love with but has been broken up with for at least a year but still talks to almost everyday. He said he has been depressed for a long time but now he is perking up because she is showing signs of interest again. So that explains his darkness but it still doesn't explain the strange outbursts of goofiness he has. they aren't things I can explain, you just have to be there to understand what I mean about his goofiness. He just doesn't have any problem acting crazy in public. He took some pictures with his digital camera that he said he will forward me so maybe I will be able to send a few pictures of our adventures in Asakusa (everytime I say "Asakusa," I get that Michael Jackson song in my head that goes "Mama-say-mama-sa-mamakusa, mama-say-mama-sa-mamakusa!" Am I the only one?
When we got back to Shinjuku, I had Paul take me to the Odakyu travel booth and help me buy my tickets for Hakone. If this place is HALF as beautiful as the brochures, I may wet myself. Along with my tickets, I got free passes to ride all the different modes of transportation around Hakone which includes sight-seeing ships, gondolas, cable cars, and ropeways. Ropeways (for those who don't know...I
didn't know) are these ski-type things (like a ski-lift but it is a metal box you ride in) that carry you high above the land and up mountains on so you can get a bird's eye-view. The train you take to get to Hakone is called the "Romance" train so I guess this place is supposed to be really romantic. I'll spare you an details regarding that but in case you ever come to Japan with your love, I guess this is the
place to go.
I guess that is all for now. I am picking Michael up from the airport tomorrow afternoon (if I can find the train to get there) so you will be hearing from me
again in 4 or 5 days. Hopefully by then, Paul will have also sent pictures that I can e-mail to you.
Thanks for your e-mails!
Love Rachel
(Me and Paul in Asakusa...I think...)
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