So we left off with me in Yokote after seeing the Akita Kanto Festival with all the lanterns.
DAY FOUR
Day Four started off badly. I didn't set my alarm the night before, because I'd been naturally waking up around 6 everyday and wasn't in any hurry. However, I was apparently exhausted, because I woke up at 10:03. Check-out was at 10. This was not good.
So I scrambled to get ready and gather all my belongings and managed to check out about 10:20. Thankfully, they didn't charge me for a late check-out and I was on my way.
I had a couple hours before the next train left for Sendai, so I just walked to the station. It was soooo hot. Thankfully, the station wasn't really that far, and it was a straight shot from the hotel, with a minor detail to get to the entrance on the other side. I waited inside where it was a little bit cooler until my train came.
The trip to Sendai was mostly uneventful. I say mostly because this is the leg where I met the man who loves American. He got really excited and sat across from me and wanted to talk and talk and talk. Then he saw my camera and told me about a really cool scenic spot coming up that I HAD to take a picture of. As in, I had to get up and stand by the door so I could get a good shot out the window.
He was really impressed that I was able to get a shot (though I cheated and did a video) and said that 99% of people can't get it. So, go me. Then of course, he had to take a picture with me, and of me with his cell phone. Oh and he gave me the weirdest compliment - he said my face was pretty because it was round, unlike Japanese faces which are flat.
When I reached Sendai, I actually only had a few hours because I was staying with Jul, who lived about another 45 minutes away. While in Sendai, I scouted out the area a bit, and grabbed some lunch.
The station was huge, but there was an information stand set up for visitors coming for the festival. Some school girls came up to me to ask if I needed help in English, and we chatted for a bit. They were way cute and impressed with my Japanese.
Eventually, the time came to head to Hebita and meet up with Jul. Her husband Josh met me at the tiniest station ever and we walked back to their place. We had a nice dinner and I got to steal their electricity and recharge everything. And their daughter is absolutely adorable.
DAY FIVE
The next day we head back to Sendai. After discovering that every locker in that huge station was already taken, I suggested to try my hotel and see if they'd hold my stuff until I could check in. And success! I could. So relieved of my bags, we were free to go look at the decorations.
There's a huge shopping street, that was completely filled with these things, and crammed full of people shopping and taking pictures.
We look around for a bit before their daughter (who is about 14 months old, I think?) passes out and they decide to call it a day. We get lunch at this cute little cafe, and then we head back to the station.
After I say goodbye, I can check-in to my hotel, so I do that and just kind of chill in the air conditioning for awhile, because once again it is reeeally hot outside.
When I finally do venture back outside, it's a little bit later, and it's because there are mascots that I can see from my window and I want a picture.
Also because it took me some time to get dressed, haha. Now, I'm pretty sure I Gaijin Smashed my way into this picture. I'm fairly sure now that the assistant was announcing that no more people can get in line because time is up, but I stood in line anyway. Because he was using polite words I didn't know because they're long and I wanted a picture. But I figured it out when no one else got in line and I heard 'ah, owari?' which is just, 'ah, it's over?' But still, it was worth it.
I took a couple pictures in the station, too, and then I changed back into normal clothes, because it was hot and yukata are hard to move in. I only wore it because it was a festival and pretty much every female under the age of 30 was wearing one.
Anyway, it was back to the festival and I found the stage where there were some performers.
In addition to this awesome fan dance, they had the most unusual band festival I've ever seen. Basically, a different band stands and performs every 50 feet or so, then rotate after a couple minute performance. It was really interesting, but soooo loud and difficult to hear. One group was a high school band doing High School Musical, no lie.
After all that was over, I head back to the hotel. I picked up some food at a conbini and was promptly annoyed I did so because food booths were all over the place on the streets back. They had awesome foods like yakitori or oknomiyaki. I went ahead and bought a chocolate crepe regardless. Those things are delicious.
And then, back at the hotel, I promptly passed out.
DAY SIX
Day six was uneventful. All I did was got back to my apartment. I was going to go to Matsushima and another shrine nearby, but I was tired and just ready to get home. This was about a 4 hour train ride, I think.
Funnily enough, I ran into someone I knew at my station. It's a small world even in Japan.
And that was my trip.
DAY FOUR
Day Four started off badly. I didn't set my alarm the night before, because I'd been naturally waking up around 6 everyday and wasn't in any hurry. However, I was apparently exhausted, because I woke up at 10:03. Check-out was at 10. This was not good.
So I scrambled to get ready and gather all my belongings and managed to check out about 10:20. Thankfully, they didn't charge me for a late check-out and I was on my way.
I had a couple hours before the next train left for Sendai, so I just walked to the station. It was soooo hot. Thankfully, the station wasn't really that far, and it was a straight shot from the hotel, with a minor detail to get to the entrance on the other side. I waited inside where it was a little bit cooler until my train came.
The trip to Sendai was mostly uneventful. I say mostly because this is the leg where I met the man who loves American. He got really excited and sat across from me and wanted to talk and talk and talk. Then he saw my camera and told me about a really cool scenic spot coming up that I HAD to take a picture of. As in, I had to get up and stand by the door so I could get a good shot out the window.
He was really impressed that I was able to get a shot (though I cheated and did a video) and said that 99% of people can't get it. So, go me. Then of course, he had to take a picture with me, and of me with his cell phone. Oh and he gave me the weirdest compliment - he said my face was pretty because it was round, unlike Japanese faces which are flat.
When I reached Sendai, I actually only had a few hours because I was staying with Jul, who lived about another 45 minutes away. While in Sendai, I scouted out the area a bit, and grabbed some lunch.
The station was huge, but there was an information stand set up for visitors coming for the festival. Some school girls came up to me to ask if I needed help in English, and we chatted for a bit. They were way cute and impressed with my Japanese.
Eventually, the time came to head to Hebita and meet up with Jul. Her husband Josh met me at the tiniest station ever and we walked back to their place. We had a nice dinner and I got to steal their electricity and recharge everything. And their daughter is absolutely adorable.
DAY FIVE
The next day we head back to Sendai. After discovering that every locker in that huge station was already taken, I suggested to try my hotel and see if they'd hold my stuff until I could check in. And success! I could. So relieved of my bags, we were free to go look at the decorations.
There's a huge shopping street, that was completely filled with these things, and crammed full of people shopping and taking pictures.
We look around for a bit before their daughter (who is about 14 months old, I think?) passes out and they decide to call it a day. We get lunch at this cute little cafe, and then we head back to the station.
After I say goodbye, I can check-in to my hotel, so I do that and just kind of chill in the air conditioning for awhile, because once again it is reeeally hot outside.
When I finally do venture back outside, it's a little bit later, and it's because there are mascots that I can see from my window and I want a picture.
Also because it took me some time to get dressed, haha. Now, I'm pretty sure I Gaijin Smashed my way into this picture. I'm fairly sure now that the assistant was announcing that no more people can get in line because time is up, but I stood in line anyway. Because he was using polite words I didn't know because they're long and I wanted a picture. But I figured it out when no one else got in line and I heard 'ah, owari?' which is just, 'ah, it's over?' But still, it was worth it.
I took a couple pictures in the station, too, and then I changed back into normal clothes, because it was hot and yukata are hard to move in. I only wore it because it was a festival and pretty much every female under the age of 30 was wearing one.
Anyway, it was back to the festival and I found the stage where there were some performers.
In addition to this awesome fan dance, they had the most unusual band festival I've ever seen. Basically, a different band stands and performs every 50 feet or so, then rotate after a couple minute performance. It was really interesting, but soooo loud and difficult to hear. One group was a high school band doing High School Musical, no lie.
After all that was over, I head back to the hotel. I picked up some food at a conbini and was promptly annoyed I did so because food booths were all over the place on the streets back. They had awesome foods like yakitori or oknomiyaki. I went ahead and bought a chocolate crepe regardless. Those things are delicious.
And then, back at the hotel, I promptly passed out.
DAY SIX
Day six was uneventful. All I did was got back to my apartment. I was going to go to Matsushima and another shrine nearby, but I was tired and just ready to get home. This was about a 4 hour train ride, I think.
Funnily enough, I ran into someone I knew at my station. It's a small world even in Japan.
And that was my trip.
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