Chicago vs. Nagoya

Recently, my good friend, Heather, and her mom, Mary, made the trek from Chicago to Japan just to see us. Ok, well, maybe not just to see us. ;) 

Heather and I were randomly placed together as roommates our freshman year at Mizzou. And, we've been great friends ever since then. We lived together three out of our four years of college. The only year we missed was due to Heather joining a sorority. She had to put her time in at the sorority house. We had so much fun together during those four years, and I really can't imagine what it would have been like without her. We laughed so much, and cried some, too. She's a great friend, and I don't really believe our meeting was random at all. We were definitely put together for a reason. Oh, and I just have to mention that you should have seen the filthy apartment we shared in downtown Columbia our senior year of college. Domestic disputes, nasty carpet, homeless folks in the stairway, paper-thin walls, a rusty tub, mini-stove, irritable garbage disposal and wood paneled walls were among the luxuries we enjoyed. 

I derailed. Back to the trip highlights.

Travis graciously picked Heather and Mary up from the airport after work while I anxiously waited for their arrival. After they arrived, we went to a delicious sushi restaurant so we could win them over right away. The next morning, we headed to my favorite place in Japan, Kyoto. I think this trip marked my fifth trip there, and I have plans of returning next month. Just can't get enough of the place.

This trip was the most unique, though, because we stayed overnight in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. It was such a fun experience. Upon arrival, we were greeted with authentic green tea and some Japanese desserts. After that, we left the inn and explored the city a bit. After returning to the hotel, we put on our yukatas.

Here's Travis and me posing in our traditional Japanese room complete with paper screens, wood carvings and tatami floor. 

Shortly thereafter, Heather and Mary joined us for dinner. We ate dinner in our room in our pajamas! The food was a bit difficult to handle as it was very traditional. Much of it was raw, and some of it was unidentifiable. It was all presented beautifully, though, and I think I at least tried it all. It was certainly a very unique and authentic Japanese experience. We had a great time laughing through dinner. The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast in our rooms in our pajamas again! Breakfast proved to be no less challenging, but it was still a ton of fun.

From Kyoto, we headed to Nara. We walked around Nara Park and enjoyed lunch at a quaint little French cafe. Heather and Mary checked out the world famous Todaiji Temple, and then we headed back to Nagoya.

We managed to relax a little bit after returning to Nagoya because the next day we headed to Shirakawago, Takayama and Gero with my friend, Miyoko, and her husband.

We took this picture at one of the rest stops in Japan. The view was really beautiful. I love the rest stops in Japan. They always have very clean restrooms and lots of good snacks to enjoy. They also include a gas station, so they're quite convenient.

Our first stop was Shirakawago, a village famous for its thatched roof buildings and homes.

We took a little jaunt up a mountain and enjoyed this view. The photographer suggested we make triangles with our hands to resemble the shape of the thatched roof houses. We also enjoyed some really yummy snacks atop the mountain.

After Shirakawago, we headed to Takayama for lunch and sightseeing. It was my first time to Takayama, which is often described as a little Kyoto. The town was calm and beautiful. I definitely would like to return there sometime soon. After leaving Takayama, we headed to Gero, a town famous for hot springs. We didn't have time to fully enjoy the hot springs, but we did stop off to enjoy a free foot spa with a nice view of the mountainous region.

We returned to Nagoya and decided to spend the next day relaxing a little bit and did a bit of shopping. The following day, we visited my friend Miyoko at her home and dressed in kimonos for the day. I feel like I'm almost Japanese now that I've worn a kimono three times. As always, the day didn't disappoint, and we shared some good laughs together. 

My Japanese friends tried to teach us how to pose properly. This was our attempt. After taking a few pictures, we headed to a nice lunch and then to sing karaoke. Singing karaoke in the middle of the afternoon feels a little strange, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

The following day, we headed to Gifu to watch cormorant fishing on the Nagara River. It was my second time, and I enjoyed it once again. The weather was perfect, and we had a really fun time.

We also got to see this beautiful sunset. 

The next day was the last day of Heather and Mary's visit. I was so sad they had to leave, but we had a great last dinner at a Brazilian restaurant downtown despite the fact that the owner was quite interested in Mary. That was a bit annoying, but she was a good sport. Afterall, it's not easy being beautiful. ;)

Here we are enjoying our final dinner. Several of our friends in Nagoya joined in on the fun, too, and we were able to enjoy dancing to some Latin tunes as well. I'm so glad they came to visit us.