Fish and Rice

Raw fish is obviously a staple in Japanese diet. Fish was often served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Super fresh or in a to-go box from the store, fish was everywhere.

When it wasn't fish and rice, it might be noodles. Sold from a vending machine, if you couldn't read the sign, you might not know what you were going to get. We coined the term "Ramen Roulette." You might get a big bowl of who-knows-what... or you might get the American style ramen we all know so well, "Cup-O-Noodle."

We also had some very fancy meals. Take that Benihana! This place was incredible!

We also tried a few of the classic Yakitori bars, known for their chicken skewers that pair well with happy hour beers.

And yes, we were also very confused as to why there where mannequins seated around the restaurant??? Maybe so you don't have to feel alone if dining solo? Odd...

Triver Rip

Just outside of Kyoto, the Hozugawa River flows. We enjoyed a beautiful trip down the river in a small wooden boat... pretty low class rapids, but there were a few short drops causing some ooohs-and-aaahs.

A small boat selling beers and snacks was well-timed with the end of our trip - an Asahi toast to celebrate a great afternoon!

Kyoto

Kyoto is a city full of history and classic Japanese scenery. From the Golden Pavilion to the numerous temples and shrines, there's a lot to see!

Luckily there was so much to do in Kyoto that we didn't have to spend much time in our hotel room.... Yes, that is really where all 5 of us slept. Cozy quarters!!

Sleep Train

Life on the Tokyo trains can get exhausting...

Sleeping passengers are not uncommon, as evidenced by these shots...

(ha ha, sorry Mom!)

Taste Test - Japan

There were the classics such as Asahi and Kirin that are found at every sushi bar in America...

We also tried Japan's timeless (since 1890!) Yebisu beer at Tokyo's Beer Museum.

But we probably had the most fun tasting the micro-brews.

Yona Yona translates to "every night," so it comes as no surprise that this was a beer we often drank... not quite every night, but it was a refreshing hoppy treat in the land of lagers. We're guessing the hoppiness of this beer might be influenced by the fact that one of their brewers completed an apprenticeship at Stone Brewing in San Diego... no wonder we loved it so much!

SUMO!

Saw a few sumo wrestler statues in the heart of the sumo district of Tokyo... and luckily we got to see one real guy walking the streets. Wow, we felt small next to him!

FC Tokyo

Our first full day in Japan was timed with a home game for FC Tokyo. We enjoyed our seats amongst the locals and our game time snack - can't say we've ever eaten soba noodles out at a major sporting event!!

Tokyo Crib-ette

After leaving our sweet suite, we moved to a different district of Tokyo into a hotel room that was a little more typical of rooms in Japan. Check out our little "dorm" room:

Tokyo Crib

We had been warned about the tight quarters that awaited us in Japan... we didn't get a taste of that until our 2nd night in Japan since our hotel upgraded us to a suite for our first night in Tokyo.

Check out Luke's parody of MTV Cribs ...

Cat and Luke vs. the Volcano

We spent a few days hanging out at the Banks Peninsula, a has-been volcano off the coast of Christchurch.

We spent our first night in Akaroa, right on a bay in the center of the crater before heading off to Okains Bay in the North.

We had this campsite amidst the pines right on the beach in Okains Bay all to ourselves. Amazing views and solitude, ahhhhh.