This was our hotel room for three nights. You can see the three beds and can imagine the kids jumping from one to the other to the other... all weekend. Needless to say, Elin and I were happy to get out of that room as much as possible. There was also a child crying every night in the next room so our loudness should have been accepted in trade.
This is a picture at one of the main shrines in Utsunomiya. It is right on the main street and an easy walk from the train station.
There is a dragon fountain. Typically, there are no signs, but this dragon had one around its neck. Since we couldn't make out all of the kanji characters, we decided it was best to not drink there.
We walked to Hachimanyama Park from the hotel. It was quite a hike. We also walked back trying to tire the kids out. It didn't work. This was a small rest area with a fountain on our way.
We actually spent Saturday and Sunday at the park so I lumped those pictures in below. This was later in the day when we walked to the Hyaku Yen Shop (100 yen shop = Dollar Store). Most of the Honda associates call this the 'blue bridge' since it is lit up with blue lights at night.
We ate dinner at the Samurai 2. This is one of the most popular hangouts for Honda business trip associates. I have spent many a night in the Samurai and the Samurai 2.
The family on the rather large couch outside the restaurant.
Denny had on my favorite shirt in the world. It is true, he really is a Chick Magnet here. The kids had yakitori (chicken on a stick), yakisoba (fried noodles with vegetables and pork) and rice. I had maguro (raw tuna), yakisoba and some beef dish that Elin and I shared. Elin also had some kind of salad.
Savannah and I at the restaurant. Kampai!!!
The kids received a dish of ice cream for dessert. Denny proceeded to lick the bowl clean. The ladies at the restaurant LOOOOVED him.
This is the famous Samurai 'BIG BEER'. It is a lot of beer at a reasonable price. The last time I looked it was well under 1000 yen ($10) - maybe 700-800 yen, not sure. There is a credit card next to the glass to show some perspective.
Elin's first attempt at a big beer. Strong start...
This was the point where she said she wasn't sure if she could finish... Still early...
Feeling the burn... Almost there...
SUCCESS!!!!
Somehow, the kids ended up with additional treats. Denny has a "Chip Star" package. This is another brand of chips like Pringles.
Hachimanyama Park -We had to walk up a big hill and cross a suspension bridge to get to the park. It was pretty sturdy, but you could still feel the movement. I wonder what it would feel like during an earthquake.
View from the bridge.
This is a view of the kid play area. The slides and playhouses start on top of the hill. There are water stairs and a small river that the kids can play in. They also have go-carts to the left. For some reason, we were allowed to ride for free on Saturday - "Gaijin (foreigner) discount" is what we call most free stuff.
Denny and Savannah at the top of the water stairs. We asked them to not get wet... after 5 minutes, we gave up. It was supposed to rain all weekend, but we actually had really good weather.
Kid's play area.
This is looks like an actual intersection, but it is actually part of the go-cart track. We were really impressed with the length of the course. It went all around the park.
Utsunomiya Tower from the suspension bridge.
Flowers that we saw at the park.
Looking up at the tower. We went up to the top on Sunday.
View of the suspension bridge and Utsunomiya from the Tower.
Quick Mashiko Trip -The kids and I gave Mom some much needed quiet time this weekend. We went back to Mashiko to pick up their pottery that they painted a few months back.
We stopped for a snack and a drink near a fish pond. There were statues of the 7 gods of fortune lining the top of the wall. I don't know their names and meanings yet, but I will find out and add to the blog soon.
Statue in the pond. Again, I don't know the meaning of tossing money onto statues, but it is common. I have to guess it is similar to our wishing wells back home...The kids lost 22 yen trying to get one in her lap.
This was the funniest thing we saw all day... They have a tanuki 'fountain' in the fish pond. For those of you that remember the tanuki, he always has a phallus. This guy was going to the bathroom... Too funny.
Before we went to Mashiko, we stopped at Kainz Home. We promised the kids scooters on payday. Friday was payday so we went shopping. This is Denny's Anpanman scooter. Anpanman is a popular cartoon character here in Japan.
Scooter action shot.Savannah on her new scooter
Denny riding his scooter
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment