Mom and Jason's visit pt.3

MOM AND JAYSON VISIT

PT.3

JOURNEY TO THE CASTLE

Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay. It's hot here...we spend most of the day complaining about the weather, so there is little time to update, or move in any way for that matter. Here though, are pictures from Himeji Castle, and the garden's next to it that we visited when Mom and Jay were here. Enjoy!

In our search for food, which was Subway incidentally, we had to make a bathroom break. And check this place out; even the toilets are welcoming to the tourists in Himeji! What a town!

Ah, sorry these are out of order. This is the view from the very top of the castle. You have to climb up a ton of narrow stairs but it's worth it.

Haha, this is Aaron doing his best impression of the creepy girl from "The Ring." Why? you may ask. Well, see the well behind him...it's called "Okiku's well." The legend goes, there was a maid in the castle named Okiku. She was in charge of guarding these 10 sacred plates. One day, she overheard a plot to destroy the Lord of the castle. She told him and saved his life. In retaliation, the man who she over heard stole one of the sacred plates. Once the Lord of the castle found out that one of the plates was missing, he killed poor Okiku and tossed her in the well...or something like that. Story goes that you can hear her sad voice counting the plates up to 9, then starting over. The Japanese novel "Ringu," of which the Japanese movies and the American movies are based, draws some inspiration from this well.

Here we are at the gardens. Cool bridge. There are hundreds of Japanese carp, koi, in the ponds here. Some are HUGE! bigger than my arm for sure.

Mom and I resting on a rock.

This is in the tea garden. Jayson is a very bad gaijin who can not read signs. (it says "keep of the grass") They clip the grass in this garden with scissors...I've seen it.

Wowie! That's pretty. The pretty hanging purply flowers are Japanese wisteria. So pretty.

This is in the garden that is famous for having these awesome black lava rocks.

Now, we are back to the castle grounds. There is the castle keep in the background. Behind that fence I am leaning on is the inner moat.

There was way too many bees hovering around us here...I ran away as soon as the picture was done. (look up info on the Japanese hornet and you'll know why)

Aaron by some cool old samurai armor.

Back at the gardens now. Jay and I lounging on a rock in the middle of the pond.

Nice little resting spot,ne?

I should have cropped this one. Jay and I are making some weird faces and pointing, but Aaron's face is the best. I'll have to post it later.

Jayson is trying to be all crouching tiger, hidden dragon or something.

Okay after we got back that night, we drank a lot of screw drivers. Jayson is brandishing a banana at me!

Looks like Aaron is putting in the Best of Christopher Walkin DVD. Nice choice. Oh and on the grill are some rice balls! yummy.

Someone is showing us some grilled chicken on a stick.It kind of looks like it is stabbing Jay in the head...Is this before or after Jay wrote that email to Andrea confessing his undying love for her?

Oh nope, he's okay! and eating cabbage...with his mouse hood on. Oh boy.

Well, that's all for now. I'll post our trip to Osaka next.
Hope all is well at home. Drop us a line on here. Anyone still reading this thing?