May 15-Toyama

This is our life...
pretty waterfalls
Sarah, Yu and me
Wada san and his 3 favorite girls

Baca americajin :)

Ice ice baby..na na na na nana na na
Me and Wada San in the temple ...

My name in Katakana in the snow..kinda hard to see...

Sarah and I went to Toyama with Wada San, Yoshi mi San, Toru, Tomoko, Wada's daughter, her husband and their 5 year old daughter, Yu chan. We drove 2 cars and left at 6pm on Sunday and arrived at the Ryokan (Japanese style hotel with Tatami floors, it's basically a big sleepover party with everyone's futons next to each other. The baths are communal, there were 3 showers where you wash your hair and body really well then get in the bath..where you share the BIG space with many other people..kinda like a naked hot tub) around 2am and passed out.

we got up the next morning early to go see the river, a damn, some waterfalls and to play tennis. Sarah and I played for a bit then decided it was a great day to go for a run. It was perfect weather but after almost stepping on two snakes we decided to go back to tennis! Afterwards, we all showered then went to a restaurant for a Japanese style dinner. Then we went to a bar to have some drinks. The bartender was one of Wada San's friends from when he grew up..turns out he's in the mob..Scary. He was quite possibly the weirdest, most perverted guy I've ever met. Anyway, after the bar we went back to the hotel to pass out. The next morning, we got up at 8, had a Japanese style breakfast (fish and soup for breakfast anyone?) then wada and yoshimi san went to their niece's wedding and the weird bartender picked us up and drove us to a bus, which took us to the top of a mountain, Takayama. It was soo cold and had 15 meters of snow (In may!) So Tomoko, Toru, Sarah and I spent a few hours playing in the snow and staring in awe at the snow walls. Then we got back on the bus and went to a sushi dinner and back to the bar for a few drinks. Anyway, it was a nice 3 day vacation. We taught Yu chan to say "peace out" she's so cute!

Toru, me, Sarah and Tomoko near the 15 meter snow walls..crazy aye?

My Bento (lunchbox style lunch) =delicious

Rice fields..really neat