Anyway, as you can read in my previous entry, I arrived in Fukuoka on Saturday 19th. After my long bus ride I figured it was time to get clean. The awesome thing about Japan is you can go to an onsen (hot spring) for an average price of about $3 - $20 depending on how resort like or classy it is. I for one am actually not a huge fan of Japanese onsen. I just can't relax fully when sitting completely naked in a warm bath filled with other naked men. But if the time is right, such as really needing a bath after a long journey or the onsen seems extra awesome or has a long history, I usually will take a venture in. Actually I find it easier for me to do onsen hopping alone instead of with friends, just because I know I will probably never have to see the strange naked men in the onsen again.
At about 8AM I went out to search for a pretty nice onsen that cost about $15, but alas it turns out the onsen didn't exist anymore. It was actually a really odd conversation I had at a convenience store trying to ask where this onsen was, when technically I was standing over it.
Me: "Can you tell me where Shiroyama-onsen is?"
Clerk: "Shiroyama? This is Shiro...do you know the address?"
Me: "No... But I looked at a map, and it was suppose to be around here."
Clerk: *consults co-worker* *pulls out map* "Oh, it is this building?"
Me: *confused* "This building?! What floor is it on?"
Clerk: "No...the onsen doesn't exist anymore. This convenience store was where the onsen was."
Yeah, I was a bit embarrassed and I am sure the clerk was thinking "What the hell was that?," not to mention this was all in Japanese, which probably made it more amusing...for him.
So anyway, after about 3 hours of wandering around and taking a wrong train, I arrived at an onsen in Futatsukaichi city, normally only about 20 minutes outside of Fukuoka city. After a bit more wandering and talking to another convenience store clerk for directions, I arrived at what I think I was looking for. In all reality I think I was suppose to go to another onsen which had outdoor pools and stuff for about $5 but I ended up at one that cost about $1 to go into and only had two pools. It was weird to, because when I walked in it was mainly old people and a Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) covered in tattoos. Anyway, I didn't care too much, just figured get clean and get out. So after scrubbing down and sitting in the hot spring for about 10 minutes, I decided it was about time to leave before the Yakuza got enough courage to start talking to me.
Onsen Entrance
After feeling refreshed I wandered around Fukuoka for a couple more hours and got some food. Then decided, I better be on my way to Kumamoto.
About this time I found out I was super tired. Got on the bus and basically wanted to sleep the 2 hour ride away. After laying back for about 10 minutes, plugging in my ipod and falling asleep a cute girl sat next to me on the bus. WOW, that has never really happened to me in Japan before but although I was like "sweet" my mind was more focused on the rhythm playing in my ears and the nap to come. After about an hour, I was awoken to realize that cute girl that was next to me must have been equally tired because she was basically passed out, half laying on me... This would be surprising in a place like America, but in Japan people will literally sleep anywhere (or on anyone in this case) whenever they have the chance. Later she got up and left to get off the bus, not one word was exchanged between us.
Arriving in Kumamoto I paid for a coin locker to throw my backpack, although small and not very heavy, the heat and humidity makes wearing one...sweaty. Then I was off to get some drugs (read that as lots of caffeine) and wander around for a couple hours before I was to meet up with friends at 7PM for dinner.
The city lights of Kumamoto
Dinner was great! Well, I am not too sure about the food, but the company was awesome! Afterwards we went to my old hangout place "Jeff's Bar" talked to the owner, Jeff, and had a few drinks. Even ran into some people I knew when I was a student there. Honestly this bar is a place I really wanted to go to while I was in Kumamoto. Lots of memories.
Some friends and I at Jeff's Bar
After this, about 1AM it was time for me to find a place to stay. Unfortunately most of my friends had plans the next day or had someone else at their house, so it looked like they were going to help me find a hotel. But because it was Silver Week, every place was booked full. I was just about to say, "Hey no worries, I will find a place." Then go find a nice patch of grass by the castle wall and call it a night. But just before the search was about to end, my friend Yoshino said I could stay at her place. It was an hour drive out of the city, but I was really thankful. Also Yoshino's parents are super cool, and somehow her father wanted to speak philosophy with me in Japanese. Somehow I could understand most of that, but still can't understand how to pay my rent when my supervisor talks to me...wtf?!
Anyway, a few hours talking and it was off to bed. The next day I just lazed around Yoshino's for a while, and even had an awesome breakfast made by Yoshino's dad and mom. Then it was off to the city where I went to visit the international dorm (my old home). I met some of the new students and hung out a bit. Then I was off to try to find another place to stay. After no luck, my host sister called me and said, "Are you staying at my house tonight?" So obviously, I said yes.
It was good to see my host sister and host father although the other sister was gone and the mother was too.
The next morning I left early to catch a train into the city for a festival. I was suppose to be meeting one of the new exchange students from Montana, Lauren. After a bit of searching I met up with Lauren and we watched the rest of the festival, got some coffee, wandered around even more (I was looking for another shirt because I ran out of clean ones), and went to visit the castle. I love Kumamoto Castle!
A parade of horses
The festival continues.
This ninja wears glasses.
The night was finished off with meeting back up with my sister and her friends for Karaoke. I also remembered how lonely and isolated it was when I first got to Kumamoto, so I invited Lauren along. It was a good time, I think I sang the most I ever had at Karaoke, and I also ate Basashi! Basashi is a delicacy in Kumamoto, and for the whole year I lived there before I never ate it. I guess I couldn't get over the cultural barrier of EATING RAW HORSE!!! When I left Kumamoto last year though, I promised myself I would try Basashi if I ever returned. So that I did, IN KARAOKE from a styrofoam plate. Very classy...especially for your first time trying something so...weird?
Karaoke Time
Anyway, although some people might hate me (I even hate me a little), raw horse is not that bad. It may even be tasty...although hard to admit. To get over the cultural shock of eating horse, I had to remember... If I eat cows, chickens, fish, etc. What is the difference? If I was in India, eating a cow would be insane! In the U.S. we don't even have holy horses, so it shouldn't be that taboo. And when thinking about animal intelligence between different species, who are we to judge the intelligence of certain animals? I think it is near impossible to even understand their "culture" "language" etc., if we even acknowledge that they have one. Anyway, enough about horses.
In Japan the saying, "I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse," is taken pretty literal.
My last day in Kumamoto, September 22nd, was basically spent saying goodbye to everyone I could. We were thinking of going to Mount Aso to see some flowers that were blooming there but instead I decided to have lunch with a friend before she left for exchange to Australia. We ate okonomiyaki (it is like a savory pancake) at a place called Daimonji where I went often as a student. It was weird, she was the last person I saw last time I left Kumamoto and dropped me off at the bus station, just like this time.
My size is very apparent when standing next to my host sister and father.
But before I jumped on my bus I needed to get some drinks (non-alcoholic ones) so I stopped at a convenience store (you may notice Japan runs on convenience stores). Then I was off to the bus stop, I missed the bus by about 2 minutes. This was a very good thing though, as it turned out I didn't have my wallet. This was dangerous because I had no way to get money, or have extra money, my credit cards and bank cards were in there and my Foreign Registration Card was also in there. It is illegal for a foreigner to not have their passport or registration card on them at all times. Police can stop you whenever and ask for it, and if you don't have it, you can be arrested. So LUCKLY I remembered, I probably left it at the convenience store. So I ran back, and thankfully it was there, money intact.
Caught the next bus back to Fukuoka and endured the extended bus ride thanks to Silver Week Traffic.
My last day was spent in Kyoto going to two temples and trying to find some cool stuff to buy. I even had the chance to run into a toothless old Japanese man when I was sitting in a small temple alone, he offered me a Nashi (Japanese pear) and some traditional Japanese sweets and told me something about an old saying, "If you eat sweets made of anco (sweet azuki bean) you will not get sick." I figured with all the swine flu in my area, I needed all the help I could get.
A view of Kiyomizudera, one of my favorite temples in Kyoto.
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