Friday, July 1, 2011

Japan!

Konichiwa!

Greetings from Tokyo! I had a bit of a rough time leaving China and getting here but I made it after a long day and have been having a wonderful time. I started the week off with a trip to the imperial gardens and lucky me, as I was leaving I saw the emperor and his motorcade drive by! Tokyo has great public transportation so mostly I've just been wandering around in all the districts. I have been to a few temples and shrines and even took a trip to a sento! A sento is a traditional Japanese bath: it's separated for men and women and everyone strips down, washes up and soaks in natural hot springs. I was of course the only foreigner and the youngest person by about 25 years but a few women were patient and helpful at explaining which pools I should sit in and for how long, it was very relaxing! On Thursday I completed my Disneyland resume by taking a trip to Tokyo Disneyland and it's neighboring park Disney Sea! Disney sea is pretty much my dream park with areas like the New England coast, Mediterannean shore, Ariel's underwater world and the Arabian Coast. I even got a picture with Prince Eric!!!

Earlier in the week I woke up early to see all the hussle at the world's largest fish market. I've never seen so many sea creatures (dead and alive) for sale. After marveling at tuna that were bigger than my bed I decided this is probably the best place to try some fresh sushi. So yes, I, Brianne K. Boardman ate raw seafood willingly. I choked and gagged trying to swallow it but I got one down. Yesterday I spent my evening at one of the world's largest intersections. I found a cool spot to people watch and waited for Tokyo's signature neon lights and signs to be turned on. The lights were pretty cool but because of the recent earthquake much of the city is under power restrictions so it wasn't lit up like it normally is. I had some teryaki pork for lunch and now I'm ready to head to the airport for my flight to Los Angeles. I've really had the most amazing experience living and traveling throughout Asia this past year but I'm so incredibly excited to head home and see family and friends. Time to start a new adventure!

Bi han