Day 4

Today I woke upp at 8:am and ate a quick breakfeast at Mizukis house. After finishing eating she drove me to the Isawa Onsen Eki (Eki=station). From there I took the train towards Tokyo and stoped somewhere a bit before entering Kyoto regions and from there I changed trains and took a local train to Yokohama. The trains are so beutifull, clean and comfortable!!! My friend lived in Switzerland for a year while he was on an exchangeprogram and he kept talking on and on about how he loved the trains there and how modern they were. Well now I can finaly relate to his fealings cause it is such a breeze to change and to take a train anywhere, and if you don't know how, they will help you to the extreme.

The group

Well back to the story, after Yokohama I took the superexpress train, called HIKARI, towards Kyoto. This train ride was very pleasant because when I finaly got a seat (Because I didn't have a seat reservation) there was an elderly lady siting on the seat next to me and she started to talk to me and tell me all kinds of stuff and interviewing me about where i was from etc. Then she gave me her bento box that she bought telling me that I could have it cause she had bought it but wasn't hungry any more (it was unopened). So I gladly recieved it from her :)  so the train ride was succecfull.

Kiyomizudera

I arived at Kyoto Eki at aprox. 1 p.m. and was met by my other aquaintance, Miho, and her friends and boyfriend.
We were going to go immediately to Kiyomizudera (Kiyomizu= clear water, Dera= Budhist temple), so I had to leave my luggage in to a coin locker at the station and after that we took the buss. It was an amazing tempel indeed. Large mainbuilding, pilars the size of whole trees, stones aranged according to zen teachings, the whole nine yards.
We spent about an hour there and it was amazing, truly amazing. From there we took the bus back towards Kyoto city center and we all went to eat at a ramen restuarant (ramen = Chinese noodle ).

Me and Miho

From there on we split our ways. The other people went to their respective homes and places and me, Miho and his boyfriend went to Kyoto station to pick up my stuff. After that, Miho and his boyfriend took the train from the station and went home where as I started heading to my Ryokan. I'm staying at Matsubaya Ryokan and recomend it warmly. The staff speaks english and will help you with anything, even the most smallest thing.
A ryokan is an Japanese style in which means that the rooms are like the ones that japanese people used, and still do, to live in. There is usualy an Futon that you sleep on and the floor is tatami.
I went out for a stroll in the evening to see what the surroundings were like. I live near the station so its allways a big plus. 

NB.please forgive me my gramatical mistakes, I'm usualy writing this in a hury and while I'm tired. Plus the keyboard in Japan is a bit different.

 

Day 3

Today I woke up early, 6.00 a.m. because I'd made arangements with my host persons father that I'd come with him to the market. It was really cool, a lot of people and a lot of fish and different things! Everything was so fresh. I ate out with the father at an restuarant and ill tell you, it was awsome!
Afterwards we took the stuff we bought back to their shop and fromn there on I helped out at the store. Many customers liked to talk to me because i was a foreigner :)

Afterwards we ate and i went to take a bath and from there to sleep. Prety loong day at the store so i didnt go anywhere special, even though i went shoping with Mizukis aunt to a supermarke. Got some looks there too, Yamanashi isnt really a turist spot you see.
But yeah thats what I did today and tomorow Im heading towards kyoto.
Ill upload som pictures later and try to catch up with my blog writing tomorow.

First and second day

Day 1

Finaly, it's departure time.
My flight started from Helsinki-vantaa airport. The first flight was to Munich in Germany and it took about
two and a half hours. They served some mushy "crepe" with coffee and or other beverages during the flight. Then it was the longest part of the trip, the twelve-hour flight from Munich to Narita. I did't get any sleep so it really helped to have movies and croswords to do during the  flight, and also its allways a good idea to bring own snacks to the flight even if they serve on the flight as well. Something to drink is allso great because the air from the aircondinton is pretty dry. They served Japanese food during the flight towards Narita, it was delicious for flightfood.
So The next day 28.12. I arived to Narita airport and the wheter was just perfect! And here's the best part, As you know, I traveled alone so I got a real independent fealing when I went and changed mny voucher for my JR pass. I'm telling you, If its your first time in Japan, take the Train! seriously! the senerys will blow you away!

I bought a bento box on my way to
Isawa onsen

So i took a train (N'EX) from Narita to Shinjuku where I was going to change trains to go to Isawa onsen.
While I was waiting for the train i bought my Bento for my trip and a Macha povderd tea. [Macha=Green tea](tarkista ennen julkasuu)
So I hadent slept in over 24 hours and it started to show in the train, but i got through the trip.
When I arivedat Isawaonsen station, I was met by my host from CS community and from there we went to her house. There I met her parents and grand parents [In Japan it's customery to eighter visit your parents or have them coming over to you], they were amazed that I knew a bit of Japanese. (writers note: I'm self learnd in japanese so I don't speak japanese so well but I understand it beter than I speak it.).

My futon bed

A bit later me and her brothers friend went to an ONSEN ! My first experience and it was an Rotenburo onsen that means that it was a hot spring pool outside with a view. So you can imagine that it felt very awsome. So if your visiting Japan, have it on your "to do list"!!!

Later that day we ate and talked very much, and I even played a bit of "Wheres waldo" translated to Japanese. When I went to sleep i noticed that it was very cold in the room so i slept with a good layer of clothes on. They had laid me a futon :)

I'll post tomorow of my new adventures to the fish market where Mizukis (the host) father will  take me at 6.00 a.m. Japanese time







NB. Sorry I havent posted this immediately when I wrote it but the internet wasnt working. 
When im in kyoto ill try harder. Here are, as you can imagine, no internet cafes and I still havent asked the parents for the password. 

Traveling soon

So I've got things ready to go and honestly, I'm nervous.
I got my JR-Pass voucher last monday and I'm totaly ready to go to Japan. [JR-Pass = Japan Railway Pass, It comes in 7 days-,14 days- and 21 days-passes and they allow you unlimited use of the JR company's trains, subways/metros, busses and even some ferries. NB! The JR-Pass can only be purchased outside of Japan, for more detail visit their website at: http://www.japanrailpass.net/, or just google JR-Pass/Japanese Railways]

Me and my JR-Pass

So yeah, nervous as hell, but also very, very excited. I've had a great Christmas eve with my family and there is still christmas day left and 2nd day Christmas and then I'm of. Don't know how I'll manage to endure the waiting.

Upcoming trip. Destination: Japan

So finaly my wating is about to come to an end. I'm wery exited to finaly travel alone somewhere and of all the places, to Japan! 

I've been to Sweden and Estonia as any normal Finn. I've also been to Spain and Bosnia and herzegovina with my school, which by the way rocked ass!

So now it's time for Japan and I'm specially exited because I've now started this blog that I always wanted to do. 

So you might be wondering how i came up with the idea to go to Japan, well it's simple. 

I have had an genuine intrest for traveling and exploring places, cultures etc. and me and my buddy came upp an idea on the 8th or 9th grade that we should travel to Japan, and it sort of stuck in my head for the years to come. 

So here I am in the present with my flights booked, ryokans arranged (accomodation) etc. 

I have aranged everything alone and i can tell you, it feels great!

I have a contact person in Japan called Miho-san, she is an outsandig person, truly friendly and funny. She will help me if there is something i need. 

As for my plan, I'm starting with arriving at Narita airport on the 28th of december. Narita lays near Tokyo and is the most common airport used by foreigners in Japan. 

From Narita I will take the train to Isawa Onsen in yamanashi prefecture, there I will stay for a couple of days as a couch surfer, sleeping at an host from Japan. And from there i will leave on the 30th to Kyoto. I'm staying in two different Ryokans (Ryokan=Japanese guest houses) for that "authentic Japanese feel".  In Kyoto i will spend my new year and most of my time in Japan. Here I will also meet upp with Miho, with whoom I'll allso be making a quick trip to Osaka that lays near Kyoto.  On the 5th of january I will leave Kyoto and  head towards Tokyo where I will spen my last remaining day in Japan. I leave Tokyo on the morning of the 6th of january and take the train to Narita and from there take the flight bake home to sweet sweet home. 

I will be uppdating my blog and posting information DAILY when I'm in Japan so be shure to folow me on my jorney.

Introduction

Greatings to one and all!
In this article I'm going to present the idea behind this blog and give you a bit insite of the future of this blog.
Well I mainly created this blog to write about my travels with a focus on the actual place and surroundings of where I'm traveling but allso on the people. I intend to post tips, "fun facts" and ideas related to the countries I'm in. Also, I hope that other people will collaborate by helping me to fill in facts if I would forget to mention something. This is a great way to make my blog more interactive and more social.