Winter Blues and Whites in Tokyo Part 2

Ok, this is a bit confusing but this is PART 2 of the post, so if you clicked on this one, please read the one below first. お願いします。

So, where was I? Ah Christmas stuff, that's right.

Skytree with Karan

Karan and I decided to have an outing to Tokyo Sky Tree, Japan's tallest tower and second tallest tower in the world with a grand total of 634 metres - whooaaa (mind = blown). Anyway, we really wanted to see the christmas illuminations and catch a night view over Tokyo from the top. Going up in the lift was quite scary because you really realise how high you are going but once we got to the top it was well worth it. Tokyo is an amazing city, especially at night. 

Here are some photos for you, so behold and enjoy my friends:

fantastic views from the top floor - 29th, i think

Tokyo - the endless city

sky treeeeeeeee - also endless

Rikkyo University Christmas trees

So, to heighten the festive spirit, the two absolutely humungous trees in front of University were decorated with lights and looked gorgeous! Just wanted to show you some pictures of it but because mine are so rubbish, I have also included the "official" one that I found on the internet; i.e. one taken with a fancy camera and not an iPhone.

"St Paul's Christmas" - can't get more festive
than that, eh?

I really love Rikkyo University, it's
so pristine

And now here is a more professional one, the angle lets you see how huge the trees really are:

Apparently our Uni's xmas decorations
are famous in Tokyo and I did see a few people come
and take photos (as I said, not my pic - found it online)

Christmas and New Year back in Neckarhausen, Deutschhausen (As my Gran would say)

I was excited to head back home for Christmas, even if it was just for 10 days and the flight was 16 hours. In my opinion, Christmas time is a lonely time in Tokyo because while the country does celebrate, it is not a traditional holiday and the atmosphere just isn't quite the same. Ironically, in Japan Christmas is a holiday for couples and New Year is the time you unfailingly spend with your family. It's the opposite for us, I think.

Anyway, after a stop in Hong Kong for 2 hours - I'm really starting to get to know this airport - I was off on my plane to Frankfurt, where I was picked up by my wonderful mother who I had really, really missed. Actually, words can't describe how good it felt to arrive to a hug from her :) Hi Mum!! (if you're reading! )But there was no time to waste and I was whirled away that very same evening to enjoy the last night of the Christmas market (my faveee) in Mannheim by two of my very bestest fwends Anissa and Julia. It was almost as if I had never left and we enjoyed an evening of warm Glühwein (mulled wine) and various christmassy foods I had most definitely been craving (Bratwust, gebratene Mandeln etc. the Germans will know and understand).

very blurry photo of the xmas Market at the
Wasserturm, Mannheim

Paradeplatz illuminations

Ahhh Glühwein, how I missed you :)

One thing I have really missed and come to value since living in Tokyo is space, just having the space to stretch my arms out in public without hitting 6 people off their bikes, space to do cart wheels (if I could), yes, basically just space. So I spent a lot of time going on walks though the fields behind our house and reflecting on things. It was very peaceful.

fields behind our house in Germany

didn't think I would miss these paths
so much

Freedom

Then, there was the fact that my family came over as a surprise to spend Christmas with us and this just made coming home even better. So, I got to spent loads of time with my two favourite little boys :) I had been dreaming about Christmas dinner for weeks before I came home so when the day had come and that beautiful, perfect ham was in front of me, I could hardly believe my eyes (nor contain my appetite). It was the best Christmas dinner I have ever had, or maybe it's just that I appreciated it more. Presents were opened in the (early) morning, hundreds of plates of food were eaten and then the evening went merrily on with piano playing and christmas carol singing. Happy memories. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My boys :)

our Christmassy living room and presents
(looks so warm T.T )

table set for Christmas dinner

Oh God! This ham ... I have no words

Nothing beats Christmas dinner; nothing!

Then Derek came over from Japan to join us for New Year which was nice except I, being my super organised self, got my return dates mixed up and left him in Germany for two days without me (sowwyyy). Basically we mostly relaxed and did some German touristy stuff ( i.e. eating different sausages in different places). Spend New Years in Darmstadt in Otto's flat (cheers again for that) but I am ashamed to say that I have hardly any photos from Christmas time and none at all of my friends which doesn't mean I don't adore you because I do!! In any case, Time went by way too fast as it always does and before I knew it, I was back at Hong Kong airport waiting for my transfer flight to Tokyo (while Derek was stuck in world metropolis Neckarhausen - oops). But I had a great time and felt recharged and ready to face Tokyo madness once more. 頑張ろう！

New Year's Eve

Good Morning Hong Kong! the sun was
insanely red; can't really see it here

J3 Yokohama Trip and Lunch in China Town

After trying to figure out when everyone was free we finally managed to set a date for our long planned and overdue J3 adventure trip. We decided to go to Yokohama with the intention of finding an awesome Chinese restaurant for lunch. Sadly, it was a bit cloudy that day but the view of the ferris wheel was still impressive and the girls - Merle, Wendy, Zoe, Tessa and myself - decided to take a ride on it. It just feels like something you need to do. All very romantic, especially when we were spying on the couple kissing in the carriage in front of us.

J3 hoes - miss this group already

Ferris wheel in Yokohama 

Tessa and Wendy in the carriage

After this, we took some Purikura (which we never really saw again, now that I think about it - what happened to those?) and headed towards China Town by foot so that we could see more. There really is a difference in atmosphere between day time and evening; the evening being more lively and you can appreciate the street lanterns and lights more. We left it to Master Wendy to go sniff out the best restaurant - she is extremely talented at finding and ordering the most delicious food - and she did not disappoint! Wendy found a place that gave us an extra room just for ourselves. Probably so that we could stuff our faces in private and didn't scare off the other customers. We had a great afternoon of laughing, good conversation and eating millions of plates of chinese dishes. By the end of it, pretty much everyone was in a food coma. After saying goodbye, Wendy, Zoe and I decided to have a walk around to enjoy the night time atmosphere and happened to stumble upon the most awesome temple. As we always seem to do in Japan.

All in all a great day with great company - so glad we managed to go out together and I hope to see all of you again in the future!

J3 crew pre food Coma

China town by day

food, food and more food
(endless gyoza and prawns - AMAZING)

and again by night. much nicer, I think

amazing temple we found down a
side street!!

Okinawa Times

I must say, I may have fallen for Okinawa! While I do really love Tokyo and life in this city, the chilled atmosphere and genuineness of the Okinawan people is such a nice change and you can't help but find yourself unwind. You are in constant contact with nature and even just arriving at the airport, the first thing you see are palm trees or driving along the high way which winds itself around the coast. And because Derek has a car - which actually made me realise that this was the first time I had been in a car in Japan - it was relatively easy to get around and out of the touristy places. There are a few fun things we did, so I have decided to split this into mini subheadings ( and you are thinking " Oh no, when will this end?").

Also for anyone heading off to Okinawa soon, the Cherry blossom is out already! :) :) 桜 times!

beautiful sakura in Naha-shi

Camping on Dedleg Cove

Ok, so I am 80% sure that it's not the real name and the boys made it up but this place is really beautiful! It's almost like a forgotten beach and you hike down this forest trail for a bit and when you get to the bottom, you find you are the only ones on the beach. In fear of accidentally breaking or setting something on fire, I steered well clear of the tents and left it to the boys (professional campers and boy scouts). Felt like I turned my back for a second and when I looked over my shoulder, there it was - a perfect camp site, fire and all! This was very different to my past camping experiences (yes, I am talking about collapsing tents at Southside or trying to pitch them in the rain/dark - Anna, Hannah you will remember?). It was a great night in good company but I guess my Scottish genes attracted the rain because it decided to chuck it down in buckets that night (guess who left her shoes outside? amateur ..) The next day, while the boys went climbing on the rocks, I walked along the beach and saw a lot of shoes washed along the shore, including  many tiny little children's shoes. Apparently they were washed up from the mainland when the Tsunami hit and this thought made me quite sad. So many things lost in the flood but never forgotten.

Dedleg cove 

absolute raw beauty; never knew forgotten
beaches existed anymore

WE FOUND A CRAB TO DRINK WHISKEY WITH!
(also perfect camp fire to be seen in the background)

Shuri castle and AMAZING dinner

To anyone visiting Naha: please go to Shuri castle! We were lucky with the weather and the sun was shining, so it made for some beautiful views. So, basically Okinawa is traditionally not Japanese and used to be it's own land named Ryukyu. Back in the day, the King of Ryukyu built a fantastic castle with the most insane and intricate defence structure and called it Shuri castle. It's not far from Naha centre and definitely well worth a visit.

lookout over Naha

amazing defence walls of the castle

the entrance - when enemies tried to enter
they would ambush from behind and trap them 

a female traditional Shisa dog -
you can find them all over the island and they
come in pairs; female one's have their mouthes
open (har!)

So, one you find your way to the main entrance which is not so easy due to the intricate structure, you reach the actual castle which is beautiful and nothing like I have seen elsewhere in Japan. You can clearly see the Chinese influence in the architecture. And we went inside and had a walk through the castle's different rooms, absolutely stunning! For 300 Yen, you can sit in one of the tatami rooms with a view over the garden and drink tea and enjoy traditional Okinawan biscuits! Well worth it, it was super relaxing!

Shuri castle, i love the striped ground

Jasmin tea and biscuits
(almost tasted like short bread) 

perfectly balances tatami room with a view ..

..over this garden! I will never forget it

King of Ryukyu's throne

Across the castle is a little park and we went to play with the ducks; another rare wild life species I have never spotted in Tokyo, except at the Zoo which is pretty sad.

cute little park

can't remember why this pose was
struck ( maybe "This is my bridge")

So, I know I talk a lot about food. But we went for a meal that same evening and I just have to tell you about it! IT WAS AMAZING! It was a Teppanyaki place on 国際通り in Naha that specialises in Lobster (I think?), which I had never eaten before but was excited to try. And my God was it good. But it wasn't just that, there was so much food! All of it so good I felt like crying when I couldn't finish it all. If you go here, you need to eat the steak... it was fantastically soft Japanese beef and the best thing I have eaten so far - I know, I keep changing the top position. To sum up: absolutely fan dabby!

Shisa mug - and the best thing?
you got to take it home!!

amazing Lobster!!

Rice on fire - also called
Volcano rice

Camping on 座間味島 - Zamami island

Zamami island is located about 50 mins from Okinawa by ferry and has only very few inhabitants making it a secluded and wonderful spot to get away from people. We (Derek, Alex, Moses, Pat, Pat's evil twin Patrick and I) headed out there on Sunday to go camping. The camp site was once again beautifully erected with no help whatsoever on my behalf and it is right next to the most beautiful beach! Basically we spend the weekend walking along the ocean road to the village, singing Karaoke and having a laugh with some of the locals who were camping there as well. And at night, when the sky is clear, the stars illuminate the sky and it was one of the most breath taking things I have ever seen. I will honestly never, ever forget this trip! It has been a long time since I have laughed so much and from my heart, I will keep it in fondest memories. I was very sad to leave.

ferry out to Zamami

walking along the ocean to the camp site

Beautiful Zamami beaches, i will never forget
this scenery

Zamami port

saw the happiest salary man ever,
just skipping down the side - he
made my day :)

stunning view from the hill top
overlooking 古座間味

Sorry guys, had to rush the last bit, I am exhausted and please forgive the spelling mistakes! I feel I turned 110 years old while writing this post! In other news, my dearest friend Hannah arrived from Germany today and is currently passed out and snoring on the guest bed (haha just kidding).

So stay tuned for my reports on our Kansai Adventures!

じゃあ、またね！

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