Oh, what a country Japan is. After Russia and other than that after the kind of trip we have been doing this is really on a different level. We spent wednesday running around with the car issues. First to the local car union, JAF, where we had to get the permits, and after that we got the car insurances for a month, because it isn’t possible to take them for shorter time. At four o’clock we got the papers in order and headed for the harbor, where the cars where waiting for us. They checked the papers and showed us we are good to go. Jeah, the last episode has begun.
We had been invited to a Japanese family in Fukuyama, so we went straight there since the schedule was messed up already. We got there late, at about eleven o’clock. The reception was the best. Finnish flag was waving and we were received like royals. We got straight to the table and got chance to take a shower. We got to taste Japanese food with local wine and beer. Where else than in Japan?
In the morning we woke up on tatami and ate traditional breakfast. We talked about the trip and about world, until we headed towards a nursing school that we had been offered a tour into. Not a bad place to visit, probably better than many museos. As a surprise we had been reserved a night at a traditional Japanese spa, onsen. Exatly what we needed after the long and exhausting journey. The place was awesome, right next to the island of Shikoku. We bathed in hot bath and took a Japanese shower. It is quite different from Finnish shower. You sit on a bench and wash yourself there, between other people who are doing the same. Interesting system. The view whas also great from the eight floor balcony. There was also a sauna. I haven’t felt this clean in six months. After the bath we were invited for a dinner at our Japanese guethouse restaurant, where we had an incredibly big dinner, with sake and beer. The stomach still feels tight after all the food. The food hear really hits the spot. Only Toni has had some trouble with his fish fobia, but he’s been fighting it all right.
In the evening we were planning to sing some karaoke but the place was closed early and we’ve been wandering around in kimonos, wondering about the high-tech bathrooms which we also have in our room. We went to watch a local drum show and chatted with the people. We were invited to some guys sixty year birthday where we made people laugh with some baby clothes. People has been interested about where we are from and when we told about the trip we’ve been treated like some heroes, someone even compared us to gods. Maybe I should move here since I’m getting so much respect. But the people, they are really friendly here. Even now when I am writing this blog some guys came and gave me a beer with some nuts. This is impossible in anywhere but Japan! The country has blowed our minds.. The cars get respect and someone wanted to was them, but when we told about the trip he thought that they shouldn’t be washed, since the dirt tells about the status of the long journey. Nipu keeps hearing that there hasn’t been a car like that in twenty years. Someone wanted to buy it but the car taxation ruined the great buy. The left side traffic here hasn’t been as difficult as we expected, we only had trouble when we were looking for an intersection to a highway from the right side.
Every morning, day and night we find something new and amazing. We were invited to Shikoku island to ride with a boat. Tomorrow the trip goes on and while waiting for that… I want to thank Riitta, Mr. and Mrs.Mori, they know why.
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