Iburahashi
You know we have been in Japan a long time now, because we are now posting pictures of events that happened last year and are already on here!! This weekend we went back to Iburahashi for the Fighting Fish Festival, our very first festival here in Japan, and still one of our very favourites!! This year was also really cool, as the town is divided into two teams that carry giant fish around town, and finishes with a bonfire outside of the shrine! It is really neat, and the whole town comes out to celebrate! This is a festival that reminds you how great and magical it is to be in Japan. A special highlight this year was my friend Yuta-- here is the little boy in the picture. I met him at the festival, and he was so cute and kept dancing around, and then he would hold my hand as we followed the fish throughout town, so that I had to keep returning him to his mother!
More Iburahashi
Here are some more pictures from the Fighting Fish Festival this weekend.
Taiko
Sometimes here we forget that we are actually in Japan, as we lead our normal lives and worry about normal things, but every once in a while you are reminded, and when that happens it is usually really, really great. We had a nice weekend filled with these type of experiences this weekend, and it started off with a taiko show here at the castle. Taiko is traditional Japanese drumming, and it is so, so cool to see, espcially at night in front of a lit-up castle surrounded by hundreds of people as you sit on the grass (amazing, too, to be sitting on grass!).
Uchinada
Last weekend I went to help Bart help some children for the day (I thought they were going to be special needs children, so I was a little worried, but it turns out that I was wrong.) We had a ton of fun, and while swimming was definately great, one of the highlights was our BBQ dinner we had!! The platter of meat that you see was eaten almost entirely by just Chris and I (we didn't eat too many of the veggies), as we had dinner with three of the mothers. It was a really great day!! Also note my sexy red hat!
Tasha's Birthday
For Tasha's birthday last week, she and Zach spent the morning in Tokyo, and then we went bowling with our friends that night-- always a favourite pasttime here in Ishikawa!! We had a great time, and I was very excited as I won the first game for our lane (even though I lost terribly in the second!)
Yosakoi & The Shrine in Kanazawa
Last weekend my friend was dancing in a Yosakoi festival around Kanazawa, so we went out in full force to watch, only to discover that her performance was cancelled due to a huge amount of rain! So, we watched some other dancers and then toured around the main shrine here in Kanazawa in an attempt to escape the heat! The Shrine was really cool!
A Trip to Shirakawa-go
Last week, the day before we left Tokyo (more on that later), Tasha and I (Zach) took a trip from Kanazawa to a small town in the Shirakawa Valley named Ogimachi. Tucked away in the Northern Alps, this UNESCO World Heritage Site village is famous for its
gassho, or 'Hands-in-Prayer,' style architecture. We wandered the town and visited shrines, temples, and quite a few private homes now open for public viewing. All in all, it was an interesting visit. The weather was gorgeous (if a little hot) and we even got to enjoy sake-flavoured ice cream, which you'll see below.
Wajima
Yesterday the three of us headed up North to the very end (or at least close to it) of the Noto Peninsula, to the small town of Wajima. It was a really cool day trip. At first the town was really neat, especially where all of the markets are held. But, then we discovered a great little beach that was absoutely beautiful. The day kept getting better as we then discovered a little foot path that led through all of these rocks in the ocean! It was really neat, and suprisingly, we can't wait to get back!!! Plus, the bus ride there was absolutely beautiful!!!
Highlights From Home
We had a great time at home ! I especially enjoyed the football game--and it was really great to be able to visit with everybody!! It was entirely too short, but long enough that we entirely missed the rainy season here!!!!
Vancouver
Here are pictures from our brief stopover in Vancouver!! We had a great time, especially as we discovered that we move at about the same pace as Cameron-- it is a tough call to decide who fell asleep more during Risk, but I think I beat him! It is always so nice to be in Vancouver and to see Mark and Lisa, and it is even more excited now that we can see Cameron, too!! (Plus, Cayley, of course).
