Kobe was my last trip using the Rail Pass and also my first ever experience Couchsurfing! For those who don't know it, it's a website/network that allows you to connect with people across the world to socialise, get information, sightsee and stay the night on their "couch" (sometimes a bed, futon, etc). I was pretty disorganised this trip so only managed one, but it was so cool!
It was a Japanese girl living in Kobe and it was her first time hosting anyone! We were both a bit nervous but got along right away. She met me at the station when I arrived in the evening and toured me around the cute little Chinatown I didn't know Kobe had and showed me the gorgeous night views at the port. We then went for delicious Vietnamese and headed back to the apartment she shares with her mum. They were both so incredibly welcoming, insisting I take her bed and borrow everything from a towel to facewash. Her mum also wouldn't accept that I didn't need her to cook me breakfast and prepared a combination Japanese/Western feast the next morning, including but not limited to toast, sour plum rice balls, an omelette, donuts filled with red bean paste...yum!!
Kyoko (name changed for privacy) then took me out to see the main sights of Kobe. We wandered around the historical foreigner district, where I was really confused as to what country I was in since the architecture was so varied. After a Starbucks break (her suggestion, not mine!) we found the gondola up to the Herb Garden. Although my main goal was to get a view of the waterfall, the gardens were really nice as well, despite it being the middle of winter.
My plan at this point had been to spend the day in Kobe then head to Osaka to meet my friend after work and go out for drinks. Turns out Kyoko had never been to a club in Japan so I convinced her to come along! The details of the night are the same as any typical night out for me so I won't bore you with them but I think a fun time was had by all and we parted ways (a little the worse for wear) the next morning, me back to Nagoya, Kyoko to Kobe.
