Japan plans....shaping up!

Today we finished some of our planning for traveling in Japan. I canNOT believe that in just about 30 hours we will be docking in Kobe. Not surprisingly, plans have changed a bit (already). I'll be curious to see what actually happens while we're there as those of you who've travelled with me before know, it never quite turns out the way I plan, but that's why it's fun!

Nam and I are going to explore Kobe on the first day we're there, meet up with a few other folks and go to a Japanese baseball game that night. We're going to head to Tokyo early on Wednesday morning (3 hours by bullet train) and come back to stay on the ship that night. Thursday we're heading to Hiroshima and going straight to Kyoto after. We plan spend the last 2 days in Kyoto which is the place I'm most excited about - plus there's a huge traditional festival in Kyoto those days! We're going to try and stay the last night in a Buddhist Monastery, but we can't make those reservations until we dock - so here's hoping we can get a spot! I'm told we will get to participate in the morning rituals after staying there! We're staying in a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) with 3 other folks (Kate, Brian and Alden) on the first night. We got a great deal and the five of us are staying for about $40 each. As we're quickly learning, Japan is the most expensive port we're going to and we were ecstatic about that price! There is a traditional public bath just down the street and I think we're going to try and participate in a tea ceremony.