Hey There.

So I seriously think you are the only one checking up on this blog Papa, but since I finally have gotten my stuff together, well not really. I just haven't been able to get together with Grace and do anything trip related.

Anywho, Grace DID get a tattoo and we were just joking to everyone so we could make it a true surprise. Since she has the pictures I can only post what she actually go (and it was put on the inside of her forearm).

Love you!

Here it is...Dragon in Japanese

Back in the USSR..wait no, wrong acro

It turned out to only be about a 30m delay until boarding. So we took off ~5:40p JST 6/28 and ended up here around 10:50a PST 6/28. Despite it being the hottest cabin ever (seriously Grace's chocolate completely melted) it went surprisingly fast.

Well, then we had to go through customs...30m later, pick up our luggage (really 2 seconds because we walked out right to ours and it was already taking a spin), and last but not least - Erin got tagged for extra security check...damn I wish I hadn't been carring those packaged pringles and slice of bread. Anyway so I sent Grace on her way and headed to the lovely line that was further security...15m later I got up there and shoved my bags through and was finally on my way to the arrival pick up.

It was a nice surprise though, when I came out of security there was Grace with Mary Ann and Charlie. Charlie nabbed a photo of me which I am sure is wonderful looking...but I probably will post it anyway.

And since I am awake at 4am I thought I would make an update then later Grace will be by to make our last posting for this trip.

Oh, I went through all the stuff I brought home, took a little bit of time to sort through but I hope everyone likes what I got them...and if you don't, don't tell me =P. But at least you can say it came from Japan (sorry if it says made in China)

Homeward Bound

So at the airport and they are having some trouble at the boarding gate, hopefully just with loading stuff... Anyway we will be home soon, well 11hrs of flying but home none the less.

Thanks everyone for following us. I probably will have one last post when we get home.

Dang I only get 10m. for this $1.00 better go.

Bye all.

Last minute update: delay...how long?? We'll see.

cHiCken

So, Grace wasn't as brave as we hoped for. We got there and she couldn't go through with it. Meh, I guess maybe at a later date. =(

But, look how happy she was last night spreading the butter on the pancakes & showing off her new scarf.





But I got my hair cut at least, nothing impressive just a trim.

Back in Tokyo

Ok guys, we are winding the trip down. We just arrived in Tokyo from Osaka. I know I didn't have a post yesterday...we went shopping... I truly don't know how I will get all this crap home?!?!?

Finally got to try Takoyaki - good, but definitely couldn't eat it everyday



One of the toy stores we went into had a toy Mr. Donuts it was so cute - yes I was tempted to buy it.



On our way to Tokyo I was so bogged down with stuff.



Anyway, our days are numbered and we come home this Sunday. I suspect I won't have much to talk about, I will try. But, we are just going to be picking up a few things we missed the first time around.

Tomorrow we have a fun activity, Grace is getting her tattoo!!!

P.S. Was shocked to hear of Michael Jackson's death. He may


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In the PM

We totally went shopping some more in Shibuya. I found the last of the manga that I wanted (finally found a Mandarake which is a major otaku chain store..thank you Grace!) and also some hard to find CDs. Then I also got another bag to haul all this junk back home =).

Dinner consisted of a repeat of some of my first meals at Jonathon's family style restaurant and Grace had pancakes/fries.

Tomorrow is Graces big day!

No, we didn't fall off the face of the Earth.

Let me just start by again going back in time to 6/22.

You know that we went to the Aquarium, got caught shopping, and rode the giant ferris wheel. What I forgot to tell you was that we went to this unusual animal center inside the mall that we shopped in. There were goats in a pen, (reminder: this is indoors), several big cages of birds, a pen for small dogs, one for large dogs, a cat room, sheep pen, rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles and even small monkeys. I have to say it was pretty cute that you could feed squirrels in a mall in Japan if you really wanted to. I have to say it is a little irritating all these intact animals, seriously no one spays or neuters.

Missed out on pics from our time out at Dontonbori. Officially went to most of the fast food joints here in Japan. Also we finally played some arcade games - proof!

Wendy's ho!



Gamers!





Then on our way home on the rail, since it was after 12p there were a lot of people going home from after work drinks. So some of the people on the train were a little tipsy. These 2 guys and a lady sat/stood next to us. One guy was a little more tipsy than the others so he was up/down up/down. So we both just got up to let them all sit. And they were saying sorry and telling us to sit. So Grace sat back down next to all three of them. Since we were nice the lady gave us a little gift one to each of us.

Karma is sometimes on our side.



Later that night it was really interesting. I had stopped in at a Claire's earlier at the mall looking to get my ear pierced. Well they do piercing, but all they do is sell you a small, sterile, DIY kit. Sooo, can you guess what I did later that night? Well, Grace was nice enough to tape it, though (like others here) wasn't able to watch.

Exhibit A



Mission Failed...

Time Warp 6/23

Osaka Castle very pretty but again we are pretty partial to Nagoya still. We really didn't do much this day just kinda took it slow, we seem to be running outta steam.

Osaka Castle



View from the Top



On our way back to the station we walked through this park and there were these mini shelters that the homeless set up, it seems like they allow them to live there, which is sorta nice.



Then it was off to Shitennoji Temple. Even though they are suppose to close at 5p there wasn't anyone there and a lot of the temple was already closed. So we just walked around the area a bit. It seems like a common dog walking place so we were happy to see all the goings on.

Pagodas are everywhere



LISA CAUTION: LOOK AWAY BIRDS TO FOLLOW, then look back.

The highlight has to be when we were sitting near the temple and eating bread and drinking sodas and Grace decided to throw the first piece of bread to the pigeons. Called the flock over to us...

Toppins Toppins Toppins a bag


And then the fun began.



That brings us up to date and since you all will be waking up soon I hope you enjoy this, I haven't had much to say these last couple days but we have still been having a great time. This morning we ended up sleeping in longer than we were suppose to but that was okay.
When I got up there was this on the table.



As you can see this was left to us by the Aussies, isn't it nice!?!

Then we needed to get on the road to Nara, so we hit the Mr. Donuts cute little donut mascots.



We got on the rail heading towards our stop to transfer, little did we know that the rail we hopped on was a special trip to the Universal Studios park that is basically on an island. I hadn't really looked at the map until we sat there waiting for about 10 minutes and the train is stopped at the station and we are basically the only people on it....

Train Olympics



Well it finally started again and of course headed in the direction we came from. So we hopped on another rail heading towards a different main station so that we could transfer for sure there. It was about 30m to Nara and then we got off and took a walk to the first Temple Kofukuji.

Please throw your cans away in this handy reseptacle =)



Well what we didn't know was that Nara has a sh*t load of deer and all the people are allowed to feed them...so...we fed them.

Grace was not diggin' it.



And they attack you once they know you have food!



Caught on camera - it got me in the family jewels...



We finally got to Kofukuji, which said they had a tree house but I don't know where they were keeping it?!?!?

Again with the pagodas



Anyway took a few photos and headed on down the lane to the Nara National Museum




Ok, Grace and I discussed the museum at this little eatery afterwards and we did like it and everything. There were priceless religious artifacts, but I have to say, Grace had it dead on, "I think that is the most bells I have seen at one time, not just bells 5 pronged bells"

Oh, the food I ate! Pork cutlet rice bowl.



After some much needed sustinance we walked a little further to Todaiji Temple. This is the most famous of Nara. It has a wooden building that is the largest in Japan and it is 1/3 smaller than it originally was (unfortunately the original burned down). Also has, as Natalie and I researched, a Daibutsu (Buddha) made of 437 tons of bronze, 286lbs of pure gold, 165lbs mercury, and 7 tons of veggie wax.







I haven't forgotten my daily missions either!
Though this is yesterdays...


One of the best things you can do in another country - GO TO THE MOVIES!
Transformers was AWESOME!!!!
We look a little odd, but we were happy.

Forgot to Mention.

The other night we were in the common room that's basement and hardly anyone comes down there so we basically set up camp for the day - complete take over. Then later in the evening this father and son come in guess where they were from!? Australia! So of course we started chatting with them. We conversed about anything from Steve Irwin (RIP) to politics to movies. It was so much fun just spending some time with others. Also there was some clarification - they do not actually say "put another shrimp on the barbie" because they don't have shrimp they have prawns and they don't taste good put on a BBQ. Also no one says crikey, unless imitating Steven Irwin. But, really we just sat around shooting the breeze it was awesome. Then last night we spent a little more time talking in the evening before we all went out again.

This morning we ended up sleeping in a long time. Apparently we needed some extra rest since we went out last night to Dotonbori (sp?). But before we got to Dotonbori we tried Den Den Town, well later at night it isn't really open and not catering to the female crowd...really there were only men out there and porn shop open, hehe.

So we are just now headed to Osaka Castle and the another Temple. Will update later.

Oh, dad we are totally using other bags we bought to bring our extra purchase home, thank goodness for being able to have 2 carry-ons.

Osaka Aquarium

So today was the Aquarium. It is one of the largest in the world. You start on the 8th floor and work your way down. Unlike some of the depressing enclosures like at the zoo, this aquarium was way different. There were huge tanks everywhere. It was nice to see deep tanks for these animals to explore.



Octo-on-the-move



Fishy world





Afterwards my usual ice cream



While we sat, look at what Grace got!



Now we only meant to walk through this shopping center to get to the ginormous ferris wheel on the other side. Well what happens when two girls walk through a shopping center...we buy things.

Chupas!



Hello Kitty Madness

Look something for everyone.



NAT!



So Cute.



Finally when we realized we had spent quite enough we we went out and got on the ferris wheel. It was a great view of the city and the waterfront.





Some of Grace's booty. (sorry about the one that is sideways, forgot to rotate and my computer time is running out...)

Little blurry, but its one of Grace's shirts: Sesame St. Last Supper


My B-day gift early to Grace

Hello kitty hit us real hard, couldn't stop getting things...

For the Dads!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Osaka Afternoon

So since we had more time to kill we went and did our one activity today which was the Umeda Sky Building. There there is a Floating Garden Observatory on the 35th floor that you can walk around. It isn't a garden so much as a viewing area for the city and below.

On our walk there Grace thought it was cool the gas pumps come from above.



It wasn't a long walk at all the Umeda Sky Building really just several blocks.

It was pretty cool I have this video of us going up the elevator.



Once we walked out of the elevator this was the view of the other tower.



All the reflective panels are cool



Going up




Then when we got our tickets they also gave us this little star piece of paper to write some wish on or something. Just some random activity they had for people who visit. We decided we might as well participate. So when we got up to the next floor we wrote our wishes and I was taking pictures when all of a sudden the mascot that the Umeda Building has came up behind Grace and totally molested her. Then they were like wanna take a picture with it...we were like o.k.a.y. It was totally weird. While this mascot runs around greeting people you hear the Mickey Mouse show music (instrumental of course) but it is on continuous loop.



This is the creepy mascot



At the circular observatory. Wheres Erin?



The Top - Its the Best!



At the observatory they have several activities one is this musical/visual bench room have a watch.


More Butt Music



Our trip to the basement to find food..no luck - so picture taking time.
See the little boy on the left he was totally getting in on the picture almost got him in it too. darn.





Next floor up I was a dork but the waterfall that was outside was cool.


On the way back there is a hospital next to the Umeda Sky Building and this really cool sculpture.



Then we decided to try the Chinese food restaurant across from J-Hoppers and then realized most places are closed because it is Sunday here. So 7-11 it was, I got some rice/meat dish and Grace got hot dog/fries. It is right on the corner basically next door to our hostel in the district we are staying.



Then it was down to the basement at the hostel which is the TV room and finished watching The Mummy (YEAH). After our meal Grace whipped out this candy that she got at the Umeda Building.

Whistle Candy