Odds n sods

Well the Nihon shock is waining but the vastness of Japan still amazes me.

it just has everything - an in abundance - except dairy. There dairy here is shocking. I'm sure as time goes by I will miss blue cheese.

But anyway - here are few tidbits from our travels thus far.

JCMC: We stopped and had a fare of the local delicacy in Takayama. A warm smiling chap welcomed us off the cool streets and warmed us up with some complimentary sake. It was delicious. We yarned away to him through the impediment our shattered Japanese and his broken English. He had no problem with Hannah’s name but he struggled with Brendan and thus started referring to me as Arnold Swarzzenneger… because that is much easier... I forgot his name and after asking him to tell me again he replied: John Cougar Melon Camp… Lovely fellow.

Screen shot form that scene where they create Robocop

Being a unit: As Hannah mentioned - yes Japan squeezes everything it can from its space and that mixed with the tradition of bowing upon entering rooms equals Brendan getting thwacked in the head by cross beams. Not only that - bathrooms are squeezed into tiny compartments that make it a smidge tricky for a unit like me. For those that have been asking - yes I have tried the flashy Japenese toilets with there bidet splashes etc and no i don't like it. It's tantamount to violation and only seems to make the whole tiny space ordeal that little bit more disastrous.

Eagles ahoy

W(tf)akarimasen: I'm in love with the bath houses here (Sento). At first I was confused and confounded but after carefully watching the naked men around me I got a hold of it (theres gotta be a better way to say that). It certainly is an experience. You basically wash yourself on a little stool and then get in a hot hot pool. There are many temperatures and often a sauna. The absolute bliss of rocking form the sauna or hottest pool into the cold pool is just phenomenal. They say Japan has an aging population - it's no bloody wonder these Sento public baths take years of your life. I'm suprised they haven't reverted to diapers. SO GOOD. I'd recommend you try it if you come here.

 Must cut this short as we're off to see some Macaques today. A good friend of mine once said - I didn't start to live until I saw monkies.