Kakunodate-Samurai House

This weekend we went to Kakunodate to visit two notable samurai houses, the Aoyagi House and the Ishiguro House. I was excited to go but didn't think I would enjoy as much as the other things we have been doing.

Yeah, I was wrong, this place was really cool and the history of samurai is fascinating.

This is the entrance to the Ishiguro House. The house was constructed almost 200 years ago and remains almost exactly the same.

I thought this had to be an entrance to some elaborate room...nah, it's storage.

Then, on to the Aoyagi House. This house had a collection of artifacts from the 15th century through the 19th century.

After the Samurai houses we had some free time to go and get lunch and explore a little. We had lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant across the street. I tried the udon noodles, I definitely like ramen better. Dan had some really good curry.

After lunch, ice cream time. Rayce got chestnut flavor, IT WAS SO GOOD!

Hinokinai River. This place is a cherry blossom viewing hotspot in the spring, lots of cherry blossoms.

Hakkoda Color

We try to make use of any three day weekends, there is just so much to see. I'd really been looking forward to seeing some fall colors so on Columbus Day we decided to go hiking up the Hakkoda mountains...but Avie woke up with a fever and Danielle wasn't feeling good either. I was bummed! Dan was on call anyway so he said he would stay home with the sick ones and let me go with Rayce. He didn't have to tell me twice.

There is a ski resort up there as well as a spa and an onsen (public bath).

My friend, Rachel and I, made it to the top.

Beautiful.

Geibikei Gorge

After Hiraizumi, we went straight to the Geibikei Gorge for a boat ride a mile or so up it. We've heard this is a very authentic Japanese experience. The boat is motorless and there is a gondolier guiding it up the gorge with a long stick. On the way back he sings a traditional Japanese song. It was really neat and relaxing after all the walking around we did. The kids liked that they could buy fish food and feed the koi and ducks all the way up and back

They were selling little clay stones with phrases on them like "love", to throw into the gorge for luck.

Sweets

So the Japanese must like Kit-Kat candy bars, because they have them in so many flavors. They change with seasons so we have been trying a few.

So green tea, not our favorite. Tastes like sea-weed with a cracker around it!

Hiraizumi Pt. II

You might be able to tell from my pictures that I'm a little camera happy. I take loads of pictures wherever we go. Here's the second part of our visit to Chuson-Ji.

This is Hondo (The main hall), it was busy. Lots of people there to pray.