Sorry it's been awhile... long time, no Internet in little 'ol Beppu and I really didn't have enough time in Kobe as it was to see the sights, nevermind finding an Internet cafe... but I found one here in Hiroshima and wanted to post a little bit since an awful lot has happened the past few days. Now if I can only remember it...

In Nara the big draw there is two-fold: Nara Koen (Nara Park), where a thousand tame deer roam the area freely, and then the great giant Buddha statue (which I included pics of earlier). The deer are really incredible and seeing them interact with the kids (and adults) is priceless. They're all really just hanging out! It's quite a scene that I doubt we'd ever see anywhere in America. The giant Buddha is interesting because it is enclosed by what I've read is the largest wooden structure in the world. Not only that, but it is apparently one of the three largest (enclosed?) statues in the world - the Lincoln Memorial in DC being another (not so sure about the third). On my first day I saw both of these with my two Aussie friends, and then the following day I visited the Kasuga Taisha shrine which is lined with over 2,000 stone lanterns (very cool, and somewhat spooky at the same time). Most amusing was the small group of 13-year-olds that thought it'd be funny to chat me up on my walk out of the area. They were there on a field trip from Osaka.

On this same day I traveled to Osaka - which I have to say I had a *really* good time there. The day I arrived I was overwhelmed with everything there - I can only imagine how I will react to Tokyo. I guess in the way that I planned my trip maybe it's better that I experience the cities from smallest to biggest, haha. My time in Osaka was so great only because of the people I met. If there's anything I've learned on this trip it's that it may be fun to travel on your own, but in all honesty the best times I've had are the ones which I've shared time with other people. The first night I was in Osaka [last Friday] I really just wandered around the city around the district where my hotel was [Shinsai-bashi, America Mura, Nanba area]. After dinner I decided to try and wander back, armed only with my compass. But I'd gotten myself pretty turned around since I walked for who-knows-how-long and finally got to an area where I recognized some of the streets and shops and stopped to look around to determine what the best direction to go would be. Then some guy called out to me, asked if I was lost, gave me directions, and then offered for me to join him for a beer. Shane was a bit older than me, originally from New Zealand and had been living in Osaka now for about 12 years. He played guitar and was a lead singer and had been in and out of a few bands and just happened to not be with a band right now, but was doing some promoting for some.

Well to make a long story short (oops, already made it long, doh), we hung out for the rest of the night hitting about 4 different bars with him and his friends (both Japanese and foreigners) until after 3 o'clock in the morning. Then the next day I did a little sightseeing during the day and took him up on his invitiation to go to dinner (again with both Japanese and foreigners) and then to a rock show afterwards. It was all absolutely fantastic - I got to meet some really great people and it felt good just to have a little companionship in this giant city. I don't know where the cool places are to hit, but he sure did. Rock shows in Japan aren't all that different than they are in America - but there are a couple key things worth noting. They start *really* early. Like, we're talking 6pm. And they end early too - like 9:30. Apparently it's a big deal for everyone to get to the show early, stay for the entire show and then all of the bands go out for dinner and drinks afterwards with some of the fans/friends too. We missed the first band as we got there at 6:30 or so, and there were four bands after them. Every band played about 20-25 minutes, and I guess that's standard over there. Also, there were NO slackers on the bill at all, and all of the bands were pretty much local to the Japan scene. Shane explained that most bands in Japan hole themselves up in their rehearsal space for a couple years perfecting their songs and show before going out to perform, and it showed. I was really impressed!

I left Osaka on Sunday morning and traveled to Kobe which ended up being an easy trip as there's a train line that ran straight to Kobe from Osaka. But finding my hotel was another matter - neither maps nor people could help me and it took awhile. My idea of using the coin lockers at the train stations for my spare luggage did not end up working out too well as the lockers only allow you to store your belongings in there for 24 hours, so I've had to carry a bit more around with me than would be ideal. But I found my hotel, got all checked in and headed out to see Kobe...

Now it was Sunday, and it's important to note that this weekend was a Japanese holiday (they had Monday off). So traveling was pretty crazy (lots of people) and Kobe was packed with people. Kobe was an interesting city and it definitely reminded me of San Francisco. I checked out their area of Chinatown, sampled their bubble tea (which was literally about 1/3 the size of the bubble tea we usually get in the states), had some Italian food for dinner & it was my first time eating Italian food in Japan - good stuff! They put edamame in their pasta. Sounds weird, but I'll probably start doing that at home too cuz it tasted good! I also found the 'Oriental City' and behind it, the ropeway that went up the mountain and offered an impecable view of the city. I took the ropeway at night so it was incredible seeing the entire city all lighted up! Sure, I was practically the only person there who was in a cable car by himself (mostly couples, big date spot ya know) but it was still a cool experience.

The next morning I spent some more time wandering around Kobe, but it was more trying to find an American bank where I could actually use the ATM than it was for sightseeing (doh). American banks have not been easy for me to find, that's for sure. Then it was off to Beppu! Figured it'd be a good place to relax as it's known for it's hot springs (onsen) and is a resort town. However, I ended up having quite a busy schedule there.

The first evening I was served dinner in my room at the Ryokan I was staying at and although it was good, it was not as good as the dinner I had at the previous ryokan I stayed at. This Ryokan though was run by a sweet older couple and their daughter, Mutsuko, who was close to my age, took care of things in the evening while her parents worked during the day. All three of them were incredibly hospitable I couldn't have been more appreciative. Their daughter was studying English so not only did she take out an English map of the area but she also wrote out bus information in English for me to help me get around, gave me brochures in English and was interesting in chatting. The first evening I just took a bath in the onsen that was inside the ryokan, and then the following day I was a little more touristy...

And in Beppu I didn't expect to run into many other foreigners, but I think I ran into more foreigners there than anywhere else. I was touring the hot spring 'hells' in Beppu (there are 8) when I met Jennifer, a woman originally from Tennessee (I think) who had lived in Korea for 7 years and had been in Japan for a few months (teaching English). We had lunch and then she went to catch her boat back to Shikoku as she was in Beppu on holiday. Then later I met another girl who was in the area teaching English and she was with a guy who she met who was from Britan, so we chatted for awhile. Then while I was waiting for the bus to come these people stopped and offered me a ride - it was a woman and her mother, and it was her mother who wanted to stop and chat with me. So they picked me up, brought me to her sister's coffee shop where they chatted with me (almost all in Japanese mind you) and then took me back to the ryokan I was staying at. Then I got to experience a sand bath and an onsen (hot spring) that was close to the ryokan, which was very relaxing, but the coolest part was the man who was working at the ryokan (Mutsuko's father) walked me there himself and spoke to the woman at the front desk to take care of me. Most of you probably don't care to hear the details of onsen bathing, but if you're really interested you can ask me later... =P

That evening I took the bus downtown (the ryokan was pretty far outside from the main area of town), had a fantastic dinner at a place Mutsuko recommended to me (and found out later that she actually called the place and told them I was going there and to take care of me, which they really did). At dinner I met a Japanese guy named Takuya and after dinner we both chatted (again, mostly in Japanese) on our way to another bar for a couple drinks and then to a cafe where his friend was working. There have been times when I really feel as though my Japanese is lacking, and there have been times when I really think that I must be doing OK to be getting around and meeting people and being able to chat as much as I have been! Granted there's still a LOT to learn but I at least (sometimes) feel like I'm getting somewhere. And when I returned last night Mutsuko was up and so we chatted for awhile before I retired. Like I've already done with several foreigners and Japanese people, I gave her one of the old DTT CDs in an attempt to generate some interest in the band (I can't go anywhere without promoting, haha!). I brought something like 20 of the old CDs with me and a bunch of stickers and have given out most everything except for a few I saved for Tokyo. Mutsuko, like everyone who I've given a CD to, really appreciated it. Planting seeds for a Japan tour?! You bet!! I even know a damn cool venue in Osaka I'd like to put on that list, heh.

So that brings me to today! I left Beppu this morning and traveled to Hiroshima. The big thing on my list was honestly to see the memorial museum and learn more about the history of Hiroshima. Words cannot even describe what it is like to be moved by such an event. It is truly remarkable to see the city as it is now in all of it's glory - it really is a gorgeous city. All I can say is that I was truly moved by what I saw today and I admit I did not hold a strong stance on nuclear weaponry before based on my lack of knowledge on the subject (as I will attest I don't tend to have strong political views in general) - but now after having seen what happened in Hiroshima with the atomic bomb... I hope that we never see the likes of anything like that ever again, and I have to really encourage anyone who doesn't hold a stance on the topic should do a little research or maybe make the trip to Hiroshima yourselves.

And to answer the question about Hello Kitty merchandise... I can hardly escape it, actually. It's *everywhere*. The funniest part about it is the fact that in every place I've visited there has been a unique site or landmark or theme, and there's always Hello Kitty merchandise there to support it as well. I've seen Hello Kitty in a deer outfit in Nara and a picture of Hello Kitty being held by the giant Buddha. I'm convinced that there's no shortage of Hello Kitty merchandise in any part of Japan... and it's not just the younger girls that like Hello Kitty. It's young girls, young guys, and frankly all women. I've seen little old ladies with cell phones that have more Hello Kitty bling on them than 2-PAC ever had. Totally serious!

Lastly, apparently I've confused people with my red hair. Apparently, Jannelle, your memory is not so good... didn't we hang out in DC for that wedding in August? =P Well I first colored my hair red before the TT Reynold's gig we (dtt) had back in July (9th, to be exact), and then I did it again before our next show at TT's two months later (mid-September). Have to say at first it was a bit much but now I kinda like it. =)

I know this has been a long one but there are still so many details left missing! But that's all for now kids... I'm sure I'll have more from Tokyo!!