Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Krispy Kreme
After being too sick to get out of the house for 5 days, Maddie was finally feeling better. The reward: hot, sweet goodness. There always seems to be a snaking line outside the store, but the employees bring out trays of hot glazed donuts to the waiting patrons. It is so worth it! We sat in window seats overlooking the holiday shoppers and tourists in Shinjuku.
Harajuku
After our fill of donuts we headed over to Harajuku to Kiddy Land, a famous toy store. We searched the 6 stories of toys looking for a diabolo for Maddie. 
We didn't find the diabolo, but we had fun seeing all the treasures!
Next door to Kiddy Land is Shakey's pizza. Troy swears it's exactly like the ones from his childhood.
Except for the Japanese beer and tuna, corn, and mayonnaise pizza.
We sat in the window with a view of the lights on the street below.
We didn't find the diabolo, but we had fun seeing all the treasures!
Next door to Kiddy Land is Shakey's pizza. Troy swears it's exactly like the ones from his childhood.
Except for the Japanese beer and tuna, corn, and mayonnaise pizza.
We sat in the window with a view of the lights on the street below.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas 2009
We had so much fun in Tokyo last year we planned to do the same this year - Krispy Kreme Donuts with a view of the lights in Shinjuku - but Maddie woke up on Christmas Eve morning with a temperature of 102F. She missed her last day of school for the term, and we put our plans on hold. We did enjoy a quiet Christmas with our little family, Santa's visit, and phone calls full of good cheer to family in Texas. Merry Christmas!Monday, December 21, 2009
Kotatsu
To celebrate the first day of winter we purchased a blanket for our kotatsu table. It fits between the frame and the tabletop and holds in the heat from the heater which is built into the frame in the middle of the table. We spend most of our time at home seated around it with the blanket pulled over our laps. The coziness has to be experienced to be believed. Maddie tends to get sucked under by the warmth. Here she is working on her homework. Jelly Bean loves it too - it's dark with the quiet hum of the fan to lull him to sleep. Actually we are all prone to naps underneath.Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Kawazu River in Izu Peninsula
The weekend after the Hakone trip we hopped back on the bus for a trip to Izu Peninsula. This was a hiking trip along the Nanataru hiking trail that follows the Kawazu river. It was an early start with a long bus ride but well worth it. After driving up a mountain, we got out and began hiking down a beautiful trail.
I was fascinated by trees that were growing on rocks.
Maddie brought a friend on the trip. The fall colors were brilliant.
This area is famous for growing wasabi. This is the green spicy radish they serve with sushi. The Japanese put it in all kinds of food from crackers to ice cream. (We tried the ice cream. It was very strange and delicious but we couldn't finish it.) This picture above shows how they grow the wasabi. The water from the river is flowing down these terraces where the wasabi is growing.
Still walking on the trail! This was a rustic wooden bridge over the river.
This was one of the seven waterfalls we walked past on the hike. This was one of the higher ones.
This bridge was swaying quite a bit as we walked on it. Fun and scary at the same time!
The rock formations were very interesting here. They were almost tubular, five sided formations. It is hard to describe and the pictures don't do it justice but we thought they were cool looking.
Click on the picture to see it full size.
At the bottom of the trail there was a rest area with some shops and a nice lady to join you in a picture
This was a basket and a small shrine along the river. You could make a wish and throw a rock into the basket. We threw several rocks and Maddie was the only one to get the rock in the basket!
Maddie made a couple of new friends! She asked them for directions to a nice restaurant but they were too shy to respond.
After the hike we went to a hot springs place called Amagi-so. This place is situated along a cliffside and has 28 kinds of hot baths. At the bottom is the Oho taru (waterfall.) The water was icy cold in the river but oh so hot in the baths.
Vanessa and Maddie decided to get in the cold water after soaking in the hot baths. The water was so cold it took your breath away! I thought they were crazy to get in it.
They encouraged me to get in so I manned up and gave it a try.
I ended up swimming out to the waterfall. My body adjusted to the cold for a while but then my muscles began to freeze up and ache. I couldn't swim all the way to where the water was falling because the current was too strong. The hot baths felt amazing after being in the icy water.
After the hot baths we had a quick lunch and got back on the bus. We had to run to the bus and were a little late but we were not the last ones. On the way back we drove along the coastline of Izu Peninsula and it was spectacular scenery. We stopped at a roadside rest stop. The rest stops in Japan are pretty amazing. They usually have restaurants and shops in them. This one was really cool and had a great view of the ocean.
Vanessa enjoyed the hot water where you could soak your feet! 
There were a couple of places for dogs to run around too. They had obstacle courses and things for the dogs to play on. Too bad Jelly Bean couldn't join us for this trip! We decided we would return to Izu Peninsula some time on our own so we can have more time to check out all the sites. Thanks for reading our blog and we wish you all the best!
I was fascinated by trees that were growing on rocks.
Maddie brought a friend on the trip. The fall colors were brilliant.
This area is famous for growing wasabi. This is the green spicy radish they serve with sushi. The Japanese put it in all kinds of food from crackers to ice cream. (We tried the ice cream. It was very strange and delicious but we couldn't finish it.) This picture above shows how they grow the wasabi. The water from the river is flowing down these terraces where the wasabi is growing.
Still walking on the trail! This was a rustic wooden bridge over the river.
This was one of the seven waterfalls we walked past on the hike. This was one of the higher ones.
This bridge was swaying quite a bit as we walked on it. Fun and scary at the same time!
The rock formations were very interesting here. They were almost tubular, five sided formations. It is hard to describe and the pictures don't do it justice but we thought they were cool looking.
Click on the picture to see it full size.
At the bottom of the trail there was a rest area with some shops and a nice lady to join you in a picture
This was a basket and a small shrine along the river. You could make a wish and throw a rock into the basket. We threw several rocks and Maddie was the only one to get the rock in the basket!
Maddie made a couple of new friends! She asked them for directions to a nice restaurant but they were too shy to respond.
After the hike we went to a hot springs place called Amagi-so. This place is situated along a cliffside and has 28 kinds of hot baths. At the bottom is the Oho taru (waterfall.) The water was icy cold in the river but oh so hot in the baths.
Vanessa and Maddie decided to get in the cold water after soaking in the hot baths. The water was so cold it took your breath away! I thought they were crazy to get in it.
They encouraged me to get in so I manned up and gave it a try.
I ended up swimming out to the waterfall. My body adjusted to the cold for a while but then my muscles began to freeze up and ache. I couldn't swim all the way to where the water was falling because the current was too strong. The hot baths felt amazing after being in the icy water.
After the hot baths we had a quick lunch and got back on the bus. We had to run to the bus and were a little late but we were not the last ones. On the way back we drove along the coastline of Izu Peninsula and it was spectacular scenery. We stopped at a roadside rest stop. The rest stops in Japan are pretty amazing. They usually have restaurants and shops in them. This one was really cool and had a great view of the ocean.
Vanessa enjoyed the hot water where you could soak your feet! 
There were a couple of places for dogs to run around too. They had obstacle courses and things for the dogs to play on. Too bad Jelly Bean couldn't join us for this trip! We decided we would return to Izu Peninsula some time on our own so we can have more time to check out all the sites. Thanks for reading our blog and we wish you all the best!
Hakone
Recently we took a trip to the Hakone area. This area is famous for hot springs and mountains. Maddie took a friend with us. It was a beautiful day!
We had beautiful views of Mt. Fuji everywhere we went. Fuji-san was looking quite majestic.
After several hours on the bus, our first stop was the hot springs. All over the mountain steam was billowing out of the ground. It was quite sulphorous and there were signs warning you not to stay too long because of possible poisonous gas. The views were great but it was quite stinky! This area is also famous for "black eggs." They cook the eggs in the hot spring water which somehow makes the outside of the shell black. The eggs were delicious but they just tasted like boiled eggs. Thank goodness they didn't taste like the area smelled!
We left the springs and got on a big gondola to take us down the mountain. There was a sign advising us that these gondolas have a Guiness World Record for most passengers.
As we headed down the mountain to Lake Ashi, we saw these amazing ships. We would soon be taking a ride in one of them. 
Maddie and her friend Manami enjoyed playing around the lake's edge while we waited to board the ship.
It was a little cool and breezy on the ship. Madeleine took her hat off and her hair went flying!
The shop docked and we found ourselves in a quaint little lakeside town. They had a restored "checkpoint" area from the Edo period. They used to check your identification papers if you were traveling in this area back then. We had a nice noodle lunch at a lakeside restaurant and spotted the big swans on the lake.
Maddie, Minami and Vanessa took one out for a spin. They told me I was too big for them!
We hopped back on the bus and they took us to the Hakone shrine. The foliage was beautiful.
Entrance to the shrine.
There was a second shrine inside the bigger shrine. We think it was for children and it had this really interesting dragon fountain to wash your hands before entering. This water was drinkable!
Stairs to nowhere.
We left the shrine and went behind it in this area where there were no tourists and found these small shrines. It was enchanting not only because of the old shrines but because it was dark and deserted.
Vanessa looking lovely. After the shrine we got back on the bus and headed home. It really was a beautiful day!
We had beautiful views of Mt. Fuji everywhere we went. Fuji-san was looking quite majestic.
After several hours on the bus, our first stop was the hot springs. All over the mountain steam was billowing out of the ground. It was quite sulphorous and there were signs warning you not to stay too long because of possible poisonous gas. The views were great but it was quite stinky! This area is also famous for "black eggs." They cook the eggs in the hot spring water which somehow makes the outside of the shell black. The eggs were delicious but they just tasted like boiled eggs. Thank goodness they didn't taste like the area smelled!
We left the springs and got on a big gondola to take us down the mountain. There was a sign advising us that these gondolas have a Guiness World Record for most passengers.
As we headed down the mountain to Lake Ashi, we saw these amazing ships. We would soon be taking a ride in one of them. 
Maddie and her friend Manami enjoyed playing around the lake's edge while we waited to board the ship.
It was a little cool and breezy on the ship. Madeleine took her hat off and her hair went flying!
The shop docked and we found ourselves in a quaint little lakeside town. They had a restored "checkpoint" area from the Edo period. They used to check your identification papers if you were traveling in this area back then. We had a nice noodle lunch at a lakeside restaurant and spotted the big swans on the lake.
Maddie, Minami and Vanessa took one out for a spin. They told me I was too big for them!
We hopped back on the bus and they took us to the Hakone shrine. The foliage was beautiful.
Entrance to the shrine.
There was a second shrine inside the bigger shrine. We think it was for children and it had this really interesting dragon fountain to wash your hands before entering. This water was drinkable!
Stairs to nowhere. 
We left the shrine and went behind it in this area where there were no tourists and found these small shrines. It was enchanting not only because of the old shrines but because it was dark and deserted.
Vanessa looking lovely. After the shrine we got back on the bus and headed home. It really was a beautiful day!
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