Yokohama, Kobe, and more... Oh my...

So day two in Yokohama - we took a tour of a local cave, and two shrines, one of which had a huge Buddha. I think Lauren included a picture of the Buddha on the site. Shrines and temples are like Starbucks in the US, there seems to be one on every corner. Not quite that many but definitely like churches in Italy. Early in the trip Lauren and Elsa discovered these temples sell these special books that they will put their special stamp in. It is said the more stamps the longer your life. The stamp is typically a red stamp which they write around using Sanskrit and Japanese calligraphy - it is really very beautiful. Each temple has its own stamp that they will put in your book (for a small fee – between L & I we have probably amassed a small fortune in stamps) but it has been fun and an incentive to get to the next temple not to mention an inexpensive memento. That said it is a bit of a competition between Lauren and I. At this point I think she is ahead - damn her! Don’t tell her but I am waking up early and victory will be mine!!!

Japan has two major religions Shinto and Buddhism. Both religions have many temples and each temple appears to honor a different deity. Each deity covers a certain area: health, wealth, success, etc… The challenge for me has been telling what temple we are at. Generally they do not have anything in English. What I can tell visiting the temples prepare you for paradise (what they call the after life). Each temple also seems to have an area for children who have died and the thought is they place a small statue at these temples on the child’s behalf because they did not have the opportunity to visit the temples to prepare them for paradise and this will help the child find its way to paradise. So remember the cave I told you about. Well – the cave is like the Cliff Notes version of hundreds of temples. In the cave there are several areas where they are marked with the sign of 10-20 different shrines. So instead of going to all of the shrines individually you can just go to this one… Bad news you don’t get the individual stamps… just one…

Just before leaving Yokohama we were treated to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, taiko drums and a master calligrapher… Which was a real treat, the taiko drummers were awesome, all women in unison. Ok so I guess I got to say something about the tea ceremony. This was the first of two we would experience. Women in traditional kimonos began with serving what looked like a fondant persimmon they refer to as a sweet. Well it is not particularly sweet and my assumption is it is bean paste – I have learned when in doubt it is bean paste. Oh – and don’t think you can take a quick bite and be done… No – you have to finish it – and they ARE watching. Following the sweet they served tea. There is a lot of pressure because you have to bow and hold the cup in a particular hand and twist it but not too much… I don’t want to insult them and I have to now drink the tea. OKAY – here is the honest truth – I don’t like tea, not even a little bit. Not English, chamomile, Lipton or even iced. I do enjoy a good Long Island iced tea but that is because it doesn’t actually have any tea in it… Not the tea they use for the ceremony is a powdered green tea the whisk into water, its thick and very green and if not whisked completely it is chunky, regardless to me it tastes like the bottom of a fish tank. Oh and yes I have to finish it and slurp loudly to show how much I am enjoying it. Yummy…. And yes, I did it again. But I do love the tradition and the Japanese are so gracious, warm and attentive you just want to make them happy.

So since starting this update we spent three days in Kobe and are now sailing the inland sea headed for Nagasaki. I spent one of the days touring Kyoto temples and Lauren and Elsa spent some time at a traditional Japanese Inn called a Royokan. Maybe L will give us an update on that…. Many of the Japanese cities have suffered fires, earthquakes and wars so they have been updated over the years. Kyoto is probably the most traditional and oldest of the Japanese cities complete with a Geisha district called Gion. If you read Memoirs of a Geisha this will sound familiar. … By the end of the day I walked so much my feet almost fell off! A travel tip: if traveling to Japan with Temple visits on you agenda do not wear sneakers, you will be asked to remove your shoes at least once for every temple and maybe more. I visited 5 or 6 temples I must have taken off my shoes 900 times. Good for the back and gluteus max…. It was a great day and an adventure getting there, then navigating the area and finally returning. They have maps every where which you might think would be helpful but not necessarily. Sometimes north is at the top of the map sometimes it is to the right…Its just crazy but fun and we are having a great adventure….

Next up the food… we have not stopped eating but you will find about that tomorrow!