We enjoyed a late breakfast after the guys watched a Top Gear DVD of their Burma challenge (very entertaining), then we went off to the park and enjoyed some ball and frisbee games on a lovely but unusual expanse of flat, mowed grass. Finally the cricket bat we'd hauled around on our trip was pulled out and given a hit.
After a picnic lunch and more playing we headed back to our friends' house. After dinner the "girls" (two mums) watched The Queen, and the "boys" played board games. It was a delightfully quiet day. A really nice way to finish off our camping tour.
On Sunday we went to the small church where our friends work. It is the only church in their city. We were given a wonderful welcome by the church folk, it seems to be a lovely community. It was really good to get another glimpse of the sort of work that many missionaries in Japan are doing: labouring away in small churches.
We ate lunch with them and then headed home. Thankfully it is the middle of along weekend and the traffic was very reasonable indeed. I'm always a little depressed at coming back to earth after a much anticipated event, and coming back to Tokyo after all the wonderful green we've lived amongst is not easy. But I do admit it is nice to be back at home. It's just a little easier life than life under canvas, even if it isn't as pretty.
We've got many memories from our journey that will stick with us for many years. I'm so glad we were able to do it.
I'm left with an enduring impression of a green Japan, the land of many mountains and hills, of much natural beauty and rich intricate history. A land that I'm growing more and more attached to as the years go on. But one that will always remain my adopted country, not my home country.
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