Sushi Night in Japan! Yummy!

Tracy and I in front of the sushi/sake bar in the restaurant. I speak for both of us when I say we could have easily camped out here for days... weeks... months... It was amazing!



yum yum yummy edamame! If you haven't tried this before you need to get up right now and go to the freezer section of the closest decent grocery store and buy a package. Don't forgot the sea salt! Then come back to the computer and email me asking how you prepare it. Super easy, so healthy, and absolutely mouth-watering!!! Of course I'm never going to appreciate it back in the States after trying all this Japanese food IN actual Japan! All those years I lived for my sushi nights in Tennessee and now I had to let a trip to Japan happen! :0)



This is the delicious ike sashimi I somehow managed to order. Our waiter spoke no more English than hello and goodbye, which was outstanding because I always hate it when people assume everyone should be able to speak English to us when we (americans) show up in their countries. Plus, it forced me to spurt out random Japanese words and phrases I remembered from the measly 2 semesters of it I took in college.


Doesn't that picture above just make you want to reach into the computer screen and pick up a piece of that sushi??? It was like butter the way it melted in your mouth. I've never had such fresh fish in all my life... See me kissing it?



Here I am with some delicious sake. Honestly, that's kind of a lie. The delicious part I mean. This sake had to be drunk since it was real sake in real Japan. Unfortunately, it had a distinct teliqua-esque taste and smell about it. Just as you brought it up to your mouth to take a drink you could catch a whiff of the sake and it wasn't exactly pleasant. The strange part was that once you initially touched your tongue to the drink it quit seeming tequila-like!







The more we drank the artsier we thought we were... hence the random photography.

Ilbon

2 weeks ago I was in Japan for exactly 2 days. It was beyond amazing, but beyond expensive, too. So it was a good thing I wasn't there for long. :) The sushi was delicious - I ate tuna and unagi rolls and some ike sashimi. Seriously fantastic!

On Saturday when we got there - at 6 a.m. - we caught a train to our hotel. Or so we thought. Upon arriving at the Washington Plaza Hotel and attempting an early check-in, the front desk couldn't find us in the reservation system. After a free breakfast, a mini-nap in the lobby, and lots of searching by the receptionists they discovered that our tour guide at the airport told us to go to the WRONG hotel! Instead of being able to check in and get some sleep there, Tracy and I had to hop in a cab and spend $10 to get 5 minutes down the road to our actual hotel. Which ended up being a blessing because it was a whole star nicer than the 3 star we were initially at and they let us check in and go to our room immediately! We needed the 3 hour nap we got as a result.

After the nap we hit the streets to do some exploring... and SHOPPING!!! In Shinsaibashi. Both Tracy and I racked up on some neat Japanese souvenirs. And we took TONS of pictures, which I'll be sure to post on a separate blog.

Sunday we spent the day in Daisen Park, halfway between the hotel and the airport. There was a teahouse there and we participated in a tea ceremony with green tea. It was completely different - I've never tasted anything like it, but it was a very delicious drink and I hope I can figure out how to recreate it. :)

DMZ Tour Pics

This shows who each toy soldier was modeled after. I couldn't understand, though, who the people were/are, because of the lack of English on the information charts.Here are the actual toy soldiers.
This is the mat as you walk into the South Korea/North Korea joint conference room.
Andy, Vato, and Christina at the freedom bell.
This picture was taken at the JSA (joint security area)

Some random statue at one of the observation decks we went to.
Information on the Stones of Peace Wall. Read for yourself :)
The Stones of Peace Wall
THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN N. AND SOUTH KOREA!

One of the terribly intimidating South Korean guards.

Keeping the North Koreans in check.
I'd be scared if I saw someone staring at me with only half a face.
South Korean guards again
A South Korean highway next to the Imjin River

The North Korean hall of terror

Some random stone - I thought it made a great picture
The original track at Mount Dora Train Station (this is the train station that will one day connect South Korea not only to North Korea, but also through North Korea to Russia and Europe)
Our tour guide in front of the wall of freedom
North Korean propaganda village

the Imjin River - on one side you have South Korea and on the other, North Korea

another view of the Imjin River and North Korea
and again....
yet another...
one of the mountains in North Korea... we learned that the reason there are all those bald spots on the hill has to do with the fact that North Korea is cut off from oil supplies so they have to cut down timber to burn for fuel and heat.

Becca and Andy in front of the Imjin River. Don't worry, we're still in South Korea

A statue at the JSA
Inside Mt. Dora Train Station. The train only travels from here to Seoul right now. One day, to Pyongyang... They're already ready for that day. Minus the train track I suppose

A North Korean watch tower in the JSA
The Freedom Bell pagoda

Another shot of the Freedom Bell pagoda
Another toy soldier. They were all over the place!
Andy and Vato with their afternoon ice cream.
The Imjin River again

Trying to be a photographer. That's the edge of the Freedom Bell's pagoda

Info on the site marking the end of the Korean War

Imjin River
The flags hanging in the joint conference room at the JSA. They represent all the countries in the UN Command

Sorry... I guess it's called the Bell of Peace (not the Freedom Bell as mentioned earlier... my mistake)

I think that's the Bridge of No Return. I'll get back to you on that.
Christina and Vato
the conference table
oops.
in front of the wall of peace/freedom

with the end of the Korean War monument.
Standing next to a South Korean guard. Andy made me do it. I was afraid to get too close b/c I thought he'd take me out.
Look! I'm in North Korea! You can see the boundary and if you look in the window behind me you'll see the half-face South Korean guard!
Straddling the North/South Korea line. So touristy, but I had to do it!
Andy trying to be like the South Korean guard. Think he can pass for one of them?

Inside the conference room
Trying to keep the glare off the sign. I think he's pulling a Juvat
Monument to the Axe Murder of August 18 (not this year!)
in front of the Bell of Peace
On the bus to the DMZ!

We're in North Korea! Such risk takers! :0)
Looking out over North Korea (well, across the Imjin River first...)
Totally in South Korea
Andy in North Korea next to the concrete slab of a boundary.