Japan

Hakone -> Kamakura -> Yokohama
February 18, 2007 - Yokohama, Japan
After Monkey Park, we returned to Kofu. We visited Erinji, a local temple and Kaisen onsen, but the theme for us here in Kofu is friends and food. Terry and I are really enjoying the food here. We agreed to skimp on accommodations and transportation if necessary, but not food, as it is so much a part of the culture. We ate my favorite ramen,...
Placed by Mark & Terry in Mid-Life Crisis Pacific Dive Tour

Hell Valley and Monkey Park
February 12, 2007 - Nagano, Japan
From Tokyo we continued to Kofu city in Yamanashi prefecture. Kofu is where I lived for three years while working in Japan. Just taking the train to Kofu brought back many memories. It was fun to see the things that had changed in a year. We met my friend Miki for dinner at a yakitori restaurant. The next day we went snow boarding with Miki and...
Placed by Mark & Terry in Mid-Life Crisis Pacific Dive Tour

Capsule Hotel
February 9, 2007 - Tokyo, Japan
After returning to Tokyo, we had one night before continuing on to Yamanashi. Terry wanted to stay in a capsule hotel. Capsule hotels usually are men only, but I did know a capsule hotel that allowed women, the Asakusa Riverside Capsule Hotel, so we went there. What is not to love about this place? $25 per night. After paying, you get a locker...
Placed by Mark & Terry in Mid-Life Crisis Pacific Dive Tour

58th Sapporo Snow Festival
February 7, 2007 - Sapporo, Japan
Our stay in Tokyo was only one day. The next day we had a flight out of Haneda airport North to Hokkaido, Japan to attend the 58th Sapporo Snow Festival. Our hotel booking, booked by my Japanese friend Miki, was a snow festival plan and we received free beer and ‘shiroi koibito’ (‘white lover’) cookies. Did I memntion that fee beer...
Placed by Mark & Terry in Mid-Life Crisis Pacific Dive Tour

The adventure begins...
February 5, 2007 - Tokyo, Japan
We spent our final week in the States packing and taking care of last minute things. We packed our 10' x 10' storage unit so tight than there is barely room for a few grains of sand. It is one of my latest engineering feats. Our last day in the States, we played Mahjong with our friends. The next morning, we headed to the airport. We returned...
Placed by Mark & Terry in Mid-Life Crisis Pacific Dive Tour