Emails from Takayama

We try to blog our experiences, but it can be less personal than other forms of communication.. So for this blog post, I took bits of an email to the girls, summarising how I’ve experienced the last couple of days!

Day 1 Takayama
After 3 days in Tokyo, which is very similar to London actually with signs in what look like pictures and more lights being the main differentiators, o ye and more Japanese people, (Doh!) We have come to a little town called Takayama in the mountain area… And the temperature here is -1!!! That’s right, there is snow in parts of the town!! Additionally I have left my thermals aka my leggings in Tokyo and my cheapo sneakers don’t quite cut the mustard in these temperatures… Oooh and to add insult to injury, I had to put my own bed linen on the bed, have a shared shower, which actually is an area in the laundry room and lets just say the shower curtain does little to protect your shame! Lol…

Despite the above or maybe in spite of the above, we are having a good time… Having a backpack is actually pretty good, we move around faster and the ones we have make them pretty easy to use like a suitcase… Only thing is every little bit of shopping adds to the weight, and I went shopping in Tokyo!! Eek, worryingly I think I’ve bought stuff I have at home or vvv similar… But I couldn’t help it., its not even much but backpack is not spacious enough.. May need to post it back… ok will deffo have to! Apart from that, trying and hopefully succeeding in appreciating what we see and experience…  The people here have been very friendly, the sights have been beautiful and we are healthy! So can’t complain!

Day 2
I am now on a train to Kyoto… This morning it was snowing where I wass!!! I wore trackies under my trousers, 2 socks, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, hat and scarf, gloves and was STILL cold!!! Lol… Taking it as a different experience in a different land, and moaning my ass off to Rishi. Lol…

We did go see some old school houses with thatched roofs… Although very interesting, think my favourite part was getting an ice-cream on the way back while waiting for the bus back to town… (That was the only way we could stand inside by the big heater).

Also went to the markets, as Rishi LOVES markets and insists on seeing all possible markets… The one here only had 3 or 4 stalls, it was actually quite funny… Hmm, you had to be here… The town is super quiet, may have something to do with low season, or could just be a sleepy little place… Its supposed to be a MUST-SEE location… Hmm..

Ok enough moaning about this place, it does actually look very pretty at night particularly around the bridges and the old merchant homes… The scenery on the train journey to Takayama and the surrounding Japanese Alps are absolutely stunning too.. Being so cold, it’s pretty spectacular to see the frozen waterfalls on the mountain sides…

And we did manage to eat a very good Italian meal last night plus the best cheese on toast EVER today, which means I have been fed well and thus am happy!

I pretend to moan, but in reality I think it will be hard to come home, still unsure of my life’s bigger plan… No spurts of wisdom from heavens have arrived yet! Lol… 3 months to have an epiphany, hoping it does! Got a mini ‘fortune-telling’ thing at a temple we went to in Tokyo and mine says ‘Reflect on whether you know your situation’… ‘Your business is for the sake of the world. Please stay with your work.’… Greeeeat! Lol, while Rishi got some excellent luck stuff!!!

I know that everything is as you perceive it, so I’ll have to think of a inventive way to perceive what my fortunes suggests me to do! ..

Anyways, all about the now …so next stop Kyoto… Whoop, whoop! Or should I say Chooo Choooo…?!