Day Three: Morning at Shin-Osaka Hostel and the Trip to Kyoto

Place: Shin-Osaka Youth Hostel Date: March 23rd Time: 6:20 AM

We made it to our Youth Hostel and I am very impressed by it, it's really cool. I got to call my family and say hi, which was nice. Right now I'm sitting at our little Japanese table in our room and looking out at morning in Osaka, which is really cool looking. I can see across the city to all the sky scrapers in the main part of Osaka.


Last night we stopped at Coco really quick for dinner, well more like a small snack, it was midnight and Coco is a convenience store.

Our rooms are really cool and Japanese style, one half is a tatami room, NO SHOES!, and the other is our bunk beds and table. One floor above us there is a sort of "living room" with a shelf of manga and books and a map with magnets showing where everyone who is staying there came from.

Today we are going to go to Kyoto and our next hostel. I'm really excited, Kyoto is one of the places I wanted to go the most, it has all the old temples and ancient Japanese buildings. Well, my alarm which I woke up before, so I'll talk later.

Place: Hostel Living Room Time: 9:05 Am

Japan is so fun, I'm watching Japanese TV with some other guests and outside I saw the huge shadow of an airplane stretch across a building. It's baseball on TV, Japan vs. US! Awesome!

Place: Kyoto Station Time: 1:30 PM きさってん！！

We're on our way to Kyoto, I'm extremely excited for it, we're gonna see our first temples!

Kyoto has really pretty old houses, we passed a lot on the train. In fact our hostel is a pretty old building too sensei says. Finally we can go somewhere without our suitcases! We've been running around the station shopping for a while, its a massie building, more like a mall than a train station. Amby 'n' I headed to a きさってん, kisatten or sort of coffee shop cafe dealie. We had a little trouble ordering, we didn't really discuss how to do that in class, haha. We shopped around for souvenirs a little which gave me an idea of stuff to get for my family since none of them said what they wanted.

Place: Hostel Hallway Time: 7:30 PM

We explored some more of the shopping districts in Kyoto and got some cool stuff. Amby and I went clothes shopping, yes!!

Chris owes us fries for some unknown reason, and the Coke cans here are cool. Our hostel is even cooler than the last, this time Amby and I used the traditional Japanese bath, its actually not as awkward as one would think after you get used to it. I really love the hostels, its like being in a boarding home and all these cool people pass through and you can talk about where you came from and where you're going, its awesome. =)

Day One-Two, Airplane travels and Long Waits

So I have some free time now I will be posting my journal entries as I wrote them in like a diary format!

Place: SEATAC airport Date: March 21st Time: 9:30 AM

So we're sitting in the airport, most of us have scattered for food already but Amby and I are sitting here with our stuff, she's playing her little Tetris thingie.

We're trying to come up with a team name, it's exciting =) Excitement is building up a lot but I know when I get on the plane I'll miss Washington and my family a little bit. I'm gonna relax for a bit, I'll write later!


Place: Portland Airport Date: March 21st Time: 1:20 PM

We're once again waiting to board an airplane, but this time for Japan!!! Waiting is so boring, uhg. We grabbed some food, Amby convinced me to go to this little resturaunt called Rosie's and we had some awesome--

whoops gotta board the plane.

--Well, we had some awesome French Dips and laughed at some guy who intensely stared at the menu xD

Upon boarding the plane it was a bit overwhelming having everyone around us basically speaking Japanese. The seats have some awesome Tv's in them, I'm ready for this long flight, a bit nervous but excited! The only thing that stinks is the aisle between Amby and I.

Place: Airplane to Tokyo Date: March 21st Time: Sometime around 5:40 PM



We've been on this flight for about 4 hours and I have this sinking realization that THIS FLIGHT IS GOING TO LAST FOREVER! Amby and I have already watched one movie, The Changling, that made her cry, but there is a map on our screens that shows we haven't even passsed ALASKA! *Sigh*....

Place: Airplane to Tokyo Date:March 22nd Time: US-11:30, JP- 3:30

We're about 45 minutes from landing. I'M SO SUPER EXCITED! >w< It's weird, they gave us breakfast but its breakfast in neither Japan nor America, haha.

Colton said something frighteningly true;
"Ready for the biggest Japanese test of your life?"
D= Way to scare us!

Place: Osaka Airport Time: 9:30 PM (JP) Date: March 22nd

I'm so tired. We've arrived in Osaka, but we still have an hour train to catch before we can sleep. Uhg, I'm dying, its around 5AM in Washington so we've been awake for a lonnnnnnnnnnng time.

Japan is so quiet, and its weird being a foreigner for once. Customs was really silent and weird. Lots of Japanese people are wearing masks for colds and stuff, and it makes us Amercians look rude coughing all over the place.

I saw one of the crazy Japanese vending machines. There was some sorta drink in it called "Poca Sweat". Hopefully its not really sweat >>;;

On the plane from Tokyo to Osaka, I fell asleep and when I woke up Amby was passing notes to Japanese students behind us. It helped us brush up a little on Japanese, but its still kinda hard to understand with how fast they talk. Most everyone we've encountered can say at least a few English phrases though.

Before I drop dead I'm gonna go, I need some sleep and food or I'm gonna disinegrate.