16 Days in Japan

Today, on the day they depart for Australia, we have the special pleasure of a guest post from Evelyn:

Well...16 days in Japan....and now it is starting to feel normal - is that the word?  On Thursday we were standing in the line at Thunder Mountain in Disneyland and I had to kick myself...we could have easily been in Dreamworld in Brisbane..except ...wait...we were surrounded by Japanese and Buzz lightyear speaks Japanese and the Haunted House is not really scary because you can't understand the words.... Oh yes...and then there is the train trip home.

It is the 16th day and today we head home. Wow what an active lifestyle!!  I have eaten all different sorts of food and I have still lost 1kg! Saying that, everything from my waist down aches...my bottom muscles, thighs, calfs, feet...my lower body is exhausted.  I suppose that maybe from the past 5 days..

Shinrin Park (Forest Wood Park)

A massive park that you have to ride around to see things and then when you get there you have to walk another kilometere to the ...."jumping pillow"...to the "water park"...to the "big balls"...to the "massive 24 part obstacle park"...oh and I forgot to say the temperature was 34.5C in the shed where we got the bikes from.

Tokyo City (Metro Building and Imperial Palace)

One of the gates of the Imperial Palace

Ever done a "stairmaster"?...well come to Tokyo subway and experience one of these...does the same job but with more interesting views.  The mass of humanity from the top of the Metropolitan Building was absolutely amazing...a sea of humanity (30 million people - pick up every Australian and put them all in Tokyo city and that's it!!)

Disneyland

Tokyo Disney

Yakiniku - cooking our meat in the middle of the table at a restaurant.

What can I say - take Californias Disneyland...change the language to Japanese...and then just change the people to Japanese that all wear Mickey or Minney ears or wacky hats of Goofy, the Cheshire Cat, Buzz Lightyear or the like....is this where the Japanese come out of themselves??? Oh I forgot to say that we had 5 children with us, 4 of which were boys...and left to run on Tom Sawyers Island ...I definitely did my gym workout as well as my swimfit session about 10 times each.

Department Store Shopping

Hooray!!!...we can drive to the shops and walk lazily through the airconditioned shops. But no...it is quicker and easier to ride. Ouch...ok thighs...we can do it. Having a 6 year old daughter in front of you is enough to give you grey hairs...will she smash into a car, will she hit someone....Ahhhhhh...stay to the left, stay to the left!!! Then the shops...my daughter and I now both have beautiful summer kiminos (Yukata)....as well as many accessories!!!

So can you now see why I ache from the waist down....actually my back now too...oh and my head (it was 30 degrees and 80% humidity when I went to sleep and when I woke up!!). But boy what a fantastic time we have had. God has been soooooo good and we have had sooooo much fun!! If you want to experience Japan, David and Wendy and their boys are the best tour guides...we have done the most fabulous things!

Another time I (or maybe Wendy...I'm running out of time to catch the plane) will tell you about our wonderful trip to Karuizawa. Such an amazing time of both Walks in nature (to active volcanoes and beautiful waterfalls) and shopping Japanese style as well as an outlet malls...if it was winter then there would have been skiing!!! 

Outside the onsen - hot bath.

OH IF ONLY I WAS THERE NOW....the Onsens!!!! Please, Please bring me an onsen ... now, that would take away all the aches and pains...I might even fall asleep in the beautiful baths!!!  Oh, just to think of it!!  There is only one catch for all of you reading this....you have to go in naked!!!

And we cannot forget the time we spent with mutual Japanese friends at a restaurant – in our own private room. So loud – seven lively kids and six adults.

We have had the BEST, BEST, TIME!!! Thank you God and thank you to the Marshalls!!!

The things we will miss...

Evelyn will miss...Onsens of course, Cream french sticks, Chocolates eclairs that melt in your mouth, Shopping along Kyu-Karuizawa Shopping Street and Coffee Milk!

David will miss going to the supermarket to find something that he has no idea of what it is and then eating it...and SQUIRT Time (Seriously Quiet Uninterrupted Individual Reading Time)!

Rebecca will miss Jamie, CC Lemon drinks and the hundred yen shop!

Joshua will miss Thunder Mountain, CC lemon drinks, Salty Bread and the hundred yen shop!

And all of us will miss the Marshalls!!!