The Japan Lowdown

I have yet to even finish writing everything in my journal, so I am holding off on a blog post for now and am not sure if I will be able to do it until after Vietnam since we only have one more day on the ship until China and then two days between Vietnam and China. BUT, I figured I would give everyone a little idea of what I was up to in Japan. After getting back on the ship yesterday and sharing stories with everyone, it seems that my friend Elena and I did the most traveling out of most people- 8 cities in 5 days. So, here is what I did:

Day 1: Got to Yokohama, took pictures with the skyline, went to a post office, tried to find the subway.

Took the subway to Tokyo, checked into our hotel, toured around Tokyo for some time, ate, drank, was merry. Went to sleep at 2 am

Day 2: Woke up at 4 am. Went to the Tsukiji Fish Market (largest in the world). Saw a tuna auction. Left Tokyo for Koyasan. Spent 10 hours traveling to Koyasan. Arrive at Koyasan where the largest Buddhist cemetery is located, stayed at a Buddhist monastery. Took a tour of the cemetery at 9pm. Slept in the most comfy beds ever.

Day 3: Woke up for Buddhist service and fire ceremony. Left for Hiroshima. Arrived in Hiroshima 6 hours later. Toured Hiroshima, loved Hiroshima, was reminded a LOT of the Holocaust Museum. Left for Osaka. Arrived in Osaka, checked into hostel, went out for dinner and karaoke, went back to hostel, skyped, slept.

Day 4: Woke up at 8am, left for Nara. Nara was beautiful, toured around, ate lunch, left for Kyoto. Toured Kyoto's Gion area and a few shrines. Checked into hostel, went out for dinner and ended up at the most incredible bar I have ever been to, met some incredible people from all over the world. Passed out back at hostel.

Day 5: Woke up early, finished traveling around Kyoto, headed over to Kobe. Toured around Kobe, did some shopping, experienced a Japanese internet cafe (they are ridiculous) and finally got back on the ship. Never did I think the ship would look so comforting.

So, that's my trip to Japan in a nutshell. Check back for more details later! I miss everyone!