My first full week of school was wonderful! I'll never get tired of my adorable students calling me Sarah sensei and they are so eager to learn because the think I'm the coolest novelty! Anyways, after a brilliant week of classes the next challenge arose, what to do for the weekend... Problem solved when Rhi said we should go exploring! So I picked her up from the train station and we just drove about all day Saturday. First we hung about my park only five minutes away and I showed her my special place in the gorge and my bridge. Then, we went looking for this waterfall, which we found... but it was a bit uneventful so we kept going. I had seen a tori gate along the way on another drive and thought we'd pop in and see the shrine. Where there is a gate, there will always be a shrine.
A ten minute stop turned into a two hour breathtaking adventure. We found two temples that I'm sure no tourist has even heard of and climbed up the hilly graveyard behind them to catch amazing glimpses of Mt. Fuji and the sakura. We found little hidden shrines with brass gongs and golden treasuries and a temple that while usually was closed was preparing for an event so they invited us in. I tried to pray, I really did, but when the whole room before you is painted in intricate golden designs it's hard to keep your mind on inner peace. "I can't take my eyes off that heron candle stand," I whispered to Rhi. "I haven't gotten any further than the incense pot," she replied, which sat right in front of us with two dragons around it. It was all truly amazing, I can't believe they welcomed us so easily. They were so kind. Eventually we decided we couldn't kneel any longer so we left after making a donation and thanked them greatly. Afterwards, we came across a young mother and her young son and baby, the little boy tried so hard to talk to us he was totally cute!, and she invited us into her private stroll garden with a beautiful red shrine and sakura tree. People are so generous it makes me want to cry.
Next, we returned to Otsuki in hopes of climbing our first Japanese mountain. Iwadono san! it was hard work considering it was over 20 degrees and hot. (In April I know it's really weird) And I was totally out of shap but we made it first to the castle site and then with Rhi's encouragement I made it to the top which was worth it because there were spectacular views and we were up there for the evening song that played from the town below. it was one of those perfect moments in the warm spring breeze with raining petals and an accomplishment!
We figured we hadn't done enough so next up was a couple hours of karaoke with us and the boys. Lots of fun!!! Rhi and I enjoyed a `Don`t Stop Believing` duet! Then we headed home and Rhi slept over and the next day we finally had a chance to sleep in.
Then we had an invite to a Japanese shop for dinner by the shop keeper. The served us this amazing miso soup with thick dumplings and tons of local vegetables! There was also this weird fish stuff but I ate it... And then this little green rice pastry with red bean paste that was very sweet but so filling! We decided to climb up to the Iwadono castle site again just to work it off.
We ended the weekend with a local festival at the Saruhashi bridge. There was so much food and I feel like I ate almost everything! Chicken, chocolate pancakes, some little cake things, candy apples, a meet pita yummy thing and even some octopus! A lot of our students were there and came over to greet us and show us off it was so nice to be loved! And as is Japanese tradition at festivals, (at least for the little kids) I caught some gold fish! Our Japanese friends laughed when they say and kept asking me if I thought the were delicious... No! I mockingly gasped, they are my friends!
Finally, after a weekend where nothing else could be packed into, it was time for Rhi to catch the train and go home... oh well we have more adventures planned next week!
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