Just the tip...

It's been a wee while since we updated... let's see what's happened in the meantime. Well, our last full day in Okinawa started out at the stalactite cave.
Actually, it started with the three of us being forced to finish the rest of the lime / pineapple juice we bought yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn't realize it was unsweetened. Of course, we're all asian and tres cheap, so we just can't waste it - retardedly sour or not.


Back to the caves.... (It's too bad I have absolutely no idea how to spell stalactite). 29oC, 90% humidity. Wow. Hey, it was pretty to boot too - too bad it was way too dark for me to get any decent photos. Then we tromped outside and enjoyed the 'tropical fruit nursery' -- the random things you can find in tourist traps! We sure confused all the Japanese though, we walked backwards -- against the 'usual route' that seems to be posted in every trap. Oooh, we're rebel rousers now.

We ate lunch at a seaside cafe, booked it over to the Okinawan land bridge and then travelled to one of Okinawa's most popular beaches to watch a free concert. The concert itself was amazing - the only thing that marred it was... again... the 10 bajillion drunken soldiers on shore leave. I don't think belligerent quite covers it. But the concert itself was amazing, and we sure couldn't balk at the price.

We sadly then had to part with Momo (*sniff, sob*), and flew back to Tokyo before travelling to Hakone. The train ride was... interesting. Imagine the worst rush hour EVER, all packed into a Tokyo subway train. Imagine you're crushed to the point you can't move... and then imagine adding another 50 people to that pack at the next stop. Then throw in 3 Canadian travellers all wearing gigantic traveller's / backpacking packs and you've got a fun recipie for hillarity. The tiny lady behind me got me back though... so sneezed all over my pack.

Damn swine flu.

The fun and adventures didn't end after we got off the train. we then had to hike up a vertical hill (well, almost vertical) that switched back 3 times. It made me very, very sad I brought such a big pack, and a heavy camera. After we got to the hotspring hotel, the front desk lady refused to believe we came that way. We found out after the fact that most normal (Japanese understanding) people walk to the hotel at the bottom of the hill, take the elevator all the way to the top and walk across the flat ground to our inn. I like to think that at least I burned off 1/5 of breakfast.

Speaking of getting fat -- we sat down to the most enormous dinner ever. Jack's got photos (screenshot or it didn't happen, right?). And the beef... OMG... marbeled and even better than the beef from Okinawa. It basically melted in my mouth. We went dipping in the springs afterwards, but that definately didn't help with the impression that I seem to have gotten pregnant during this trip. Or at least, I've now got a gigantic bulge in my abdomen from something...

It's OK though. I already told Jack my ultimate teams hate him. :) (I promise I'll run it off when I get back... eventually).

What else... well, we went to Japan's version of sulphur mountain. We even saw Mt. Fuji (although veiled behind fog). Or... as Jack put it... 'just the tip.'

Anyhoos... that's it for now. See you when we exit the 'no internet blackout' zone :).