A real trip.....

Woo hoo. I got to leave the country on a plane. Hubby is heading northeast for a business thingy, and I went with! Japan is the destination. I am writing this while still here and hope to get it all down so I can remember all the good times.
First off, it's the beginning of winter here. Oh yes, temps are down! 40F at night and in the 50s during the day. There is some sun and some rain periodically, but I love it. Signs of Fall still abound.

coming from the airport

just around town

It's a seven hour flight and while that sounds daunting at first, it went fairly quickly. I would say I could even do it again. The thing about Singapore is, that to get out of the region to other climates, it's just going to take time.
One thing I noticed after a few days, is they like evereyone I guess loves international cuisine.  Last night (day 4) we had our first truly Japanese meal. I thought it would be sushi galore and hibachi on every corner. Not that I have seen. I guess if you know where to go, it's there. Of course that's what I want real Japanese food!

my dinner

cause I knew I couldn't eat this much....

There is so much to see just on the base. I walk out the gate everyday and explore the shops and signs. While I can't read anything and speak only three words, I've had no trouble eating or shopping. The money is easy to  figure out and with a quick conversion, I know exactly what to pay. I love going into department stores or chemists and see what is marketed to the locals. I think you can tell a lot about a culture by that. Also what they are hawking on tv. (US ads are mostly cars and pharmaceuticals)

drink machines everywhere

view of the Bay along the town

cute car!!

Really??!?

nice little shop/bar/eatery (?)

pedestrian overpass which caters to bikes as well

Someone told me Mt Fuji was near. Yup, there it is

elevated car park

just some interesting foliage

Christmas has hit Japan full force, but much more subtle than in Singapore. I think a lot of world cultures enjoy the CHristmas season, even if they don't embrace the true meaning. That's ok.

Blue Street

Hubby and the Colonel

trees!!

too cute....

But the shopping is amazing and unusual. It's very neat to see different hints for sale. In Singapore, I want to explore the less western places that aren't in the malls. the malls are great for when I need western stuff. But I came to a different land to see different things.

I don't want one, but I thought it was unusual....for an adult anyway

toy vending machines

One of the meals we did have was in a little place we stumbled upon: Pepper Lunch. Luckily there were American folks who told us what to do ( contrary to many blog sights, very few people here speak English. I know they do cause they learn it in school, but they are hesitant to use it). First you use a vending machine to pay for your meal. Then you give the recipe to the staff and a few minutes later ( and I mean a few) out comes this sizzling plate ( like a fajita one) with the raw meat beginning to cook. The paper placement is used to protect you from the flying juices. You mix it up to get the meat away from the plate and the rice/corn mixture then has a chance to caramelize on it. There is a sweet or spicy sauce if you need. Oh so good!!

order here

briefly waiting

starting to cook

awesome signage

One more day left, and back we go.  Gonna make the most of it, till we can come back. THere are some great day trips I hear from here ( Yokosuka) and we'll try for those next time....