Ok, I have done many, many things since I last updated this journal so here goes. Let's see if I can remember it all! Where is my diary of daily adventures.
February 24th
First thing. I went hiking to ... Nyutsuhime Shrine. To get there we took a train that headed in the north easterly direction. We got off and walked through a small town and then got onto the trail. It was a fairly steep walk and quite chilly. The weather in an attempt to encourage us stayed cool (to the point of snow!) The walk took around 5 hours (I think) and was fairly steep. We got to walk through citrus orchards and a forest. Very beautiful and I was a little unsure as to how many people would volunteer to go walking with me again after the exertions I put them all through! That evening we had a dinner party at one of the hikers, great company and good times.
March 2nd
This was another diving weekend. This time I went to Shirahama and did two dives with two people from the dive shop. One was a wreck dive (the boat had been scuttled about 3 years ago to make a home for fish.) I saw some amazing cat fish schools, an eel, some nudibrancs, the same fish I had for dinner last time I went diving, a fish that was apparently pretty rare and many other fish (what a surprise!). Lunch was bountiful and delicious. We were given a citrus fruit for desert that was a little on the tangy side. All I could think of was 'mum would really love this!'. Second dive was like London bridge (on the great ocean road) only an under water version. There were so many different types of nudibrancs, soft corals, fish, holothurians (sea cucumbers) and we even found an octopus so that was exciting.
March 3rd
This was children's day. I went with Felicity and Nori to Kada to the slightly scary doll temple. Watched dolls go for a swim and get burnt. All in the aim for getting good health for children in the coming year.
9,10th March
This weekend Christine visited (a fellow Aeon teacher based in Kyoto) came to visit to do Japanese tea ceremony. We ended up doing a lot of walking around Wakayama. I discovered how the buses work (Christine apparently had no idea that I was a novice so I covered well!). We went to Kimiidera temple and visited Wakayama castle the first weekend. As well as a bit of karaoke and dinner with friends.
16th,17th March
This weekend was also tea ceremony and we actually got dressed up in kimono and were on TV! Very international crew at the tea ceremony - Russian, Chinese, Korean, American (Christine), Australian (me) and Phillipino/Japanese (Kei). On the Monday Kei and I went for a walk around Wakayama castle and went to the free zoo.
29th,30th March
Whew, almost up to date! Ok, this was meant to be a diving weekend however that didn't quite happen. Instead it found me attending a takoyaki and okinomiyaki party on Saturday night - yummo! Sunday I saw a festival at the castle/another temple that I can't remember the name of. There were lots of people dressed up in costume, either very traditional or cosplay (think manga comics and that is who they were). I ate some delicious nabe (type traditional to the area) and got to dress up in a samarai helmet. Then I got to eat these pancakes shaped as fish filled with delicious custard. They were GOOD! Last night I went to a taco party at my tea ceremony teacher's house. Japanese people are so friendly and hospitable it is AWESOME.
