Grounds for Sculpture

New York

Princeton

Visas

Our visas to America have

h

been approved!

We were told that they would take around a week when in fact they were posted on Thursday (the same day we applied). This means that there is nothing to stop us from going to America!

The American Embassy and Kyoto

With time ticking away we visited the American Embassy in Osaka to apply for our visas. The price of a package deal (shinkansen tickets plus 2 nights in a hotel) is actually cheaper than just buying the train tickets so we decided to stay over. Having visited Osaka just a couple of weeks before we decided to revisit Kyoto.

After a 2 and a half hour shinkansen ride we arrived at our hotel ready to sleep. The hotel lobby was shabby (the pattern on the carpet was worn off) but the rooms were even shabbier! The semi-double bed was in fact just a single bed with 2 pillows and the bathroom was so small that your knees touched the door. The bathroom did have an ashtray fitted to the bathroom wall though so that you could poo and smoke at the same time!

That night we didn't sleep! The room was too hot yet the air-con sounded like a bear growling and the bed was way too small (we ended up sleeping top and tail).Oh and you could hear everything the people in the other rooms did! Still we were up at 6:15 and out of the hotel by 7:30.

We arrived at the embassy at 8:00 and found that even though we were half an hour early that about 20 other people were even earlier than us! Getting into the embassy took time as one guard made us sit on a bench in the street whilst he touch our clothes with a white piece of cloth. Then we had to queue in three lines outside the building before going through airport type security. Once inside we had to queue to speak to an advisor who then told us to go for an interview on a different floor. We had been dreading the interview! We had read that they would try and trick us and get us to incriminate ourselves. In fact we were asked how long we had been in Japan and what we would do in America!

After that we decided to go and explore a wet Kyoto. The first stop was Kiyomizudera Temple. The temple is applying to become one of the 'new' seven wonders of the world.

Although it was a Thursday and raining the place was really busy.

A very tired Andy and Amanda at the top of the temple.

The temple is set in the mountains.

A nice view

Some trainee geishas (maiko)

The rain just wouldn't stop!

On our second day in Kyoto the sun actually came out! We visited Nijo Castle which is a world heritage site.

I thought the bells looked like Daleks!

A view of the castle grounds

Still in Maniwa

Amanda goes to Maniwa

It that's time of year again when my company get the idea that I should spend 6 weeks in rural Japan. This time they have decided to sent me to a place called Maniwa City which is in Okayama Prefecture. It takes 6 hours from Susenji (where we live) to get here.

When they told me I was going I wasn't really happy, but I thought that it would give me a chance to meet lots of cool little people. My boss told me that they would also give me an extra 200 pounds (I thought wow!!!). It soon came to light though that the 200 pounds was for me to travel home every weekend. I'm not great at maths, but at 130 for a round trip I knew 200 pounds wasn't going to stretch to 6 weekends. After lots of haggling I got them up to 275 pounds (I know I am rubbish).

My hotel is pretty new and it's cosy. The view from the window (above)shows just how much I am in the countryside. If you walk for 10 minutes the houses disappear and you just see hills. I don't have a car this year so if no one hears from me in a while it's because I have gotten lost up a hill!

Hills in that direction

Hills in that direction too!

There is a big river close to the hotel. On the river bank there are lots of cherry blossom trees so tomorrow I am going to have my own hanami (viewing cherry blossom party). Well it gives me something to do. I will do as the Japanese do and try to take photos of me and some cherry blossom (sakura).

They love their cherry blossom here.

I am teaching from Monday so I will try to take lots of pictures. I went to school today, but the kids spent all morning cleaning the school before going home at 12!