Trying to play catch-up! KAMAKURA

It's been so long since my last documented Japan adventure! So much to say, so little time!! Ah! haha. I'll try and do as much as I can with the little time I have this morning!

A long time ago: Kamakura ADVENTURE!
Joy and Becca and I met up with Kazune at kamakura. It was a slightly grey day, but still lovely. We walked to a temple that is famous for its Ajisai (Hydrangeas? What an ugly English name!!) It was spectacular!! My camera, sadly, was almost out of batteries, though, so I only got a few pictures. But it was so much fun to wander around, enjoy the lovely company and the beautiful flowers. It started raining near the end, which was nice because it was prettty hot and crowded. When it started raining, most people ran off. Bahaha, fools! Ajisai are prettiest in the rain!



After the lovely Ajisai temple, we walked our way over to a famous Buddhist temple area place. We wandered around a bit, enjoy some lovely scenery, and made out way to our NEXT STOP! Which was... another temple of some kind. According to Joy, Yoshitsune's (a famous character in Japanese history; I love him!!) wife was captured by his half brother Yoritomo, who was out to kill him. Yoritomo forced Yoshitsune's wife to dance for him (Shame! anger! etc!) But she was AWESOME and the dance she danced told all about Yoshitsune being awesome and stuff like that. TAKE THAT YORITOMO!! >:D

At the same place, I bought omikuji, which is a type of fortune telling thing. I got good luck! yay! haha.

Then we headed off to Kamakura station, took an old-fashioned train thing to Enoshima, an island off the coast. It's a pretty cool place! We ate lunch, enjoyed the ocean, and went up to the big temple they have there. I paid ten yen (about 13 cents maybe, with the currently HORRIBLE exchange rate!!) to the god if showbiz. Haha. At shrines, you throw money into a thing, bow twice, clap twice, say a prayer to the god, clap again, and bow again. I think. Anyway, my prayer was a super short GIGGLE. I'm sure the god of showbiz understood what it meant, though. Lol!

We walked around to some of the famous sites of the island, including a monument to Matsuo Bashou, a famous poet. Down by the rocky shoreline, waves crashed powerfully onto sharp rocks. We wrote haikus.
つよいなみ
うみのうえから
たかがなく

えのしまや
いえからとおい
かにをみた

さきほこり
あじさいのはな
うみのかぜ

Then we headed back to the mainland. Becca and I brought swimsuits and SWAM IN THE OCEAN. It was fun. But kind of dirty. And full of poor Japanese surfers who were really, REALLY desperate. Because the waves were NOT good surfing waves haha.
After swimming, Becca and I were trying to dry off a little bit. And we were ACCOUSTED by two CREEPY GUYS OMG. Well, one was really creepy, the other didn't really say anything. But the creepy guy was all like "We're going over to the spa tonight. You should come and we can have some fun." creepy creepy smile.

CHO KIMOCHI WARUKATTA!!! D: The funny thing was right when they came up to us, I was like "I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD PRETEND I DON"T SPEAK ENGLISH. AH OH NO WORDS ARE ALREADY COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH!!!!"

Then I headed out. I went to stake conference, which was REALLY GOOD even though I didn't understand most of it and I got SO LOST in Yokohama station. Cry. It was traumatizing. But on the way home, a lovely lady from my ward was also going home and kept me company. so cute. I LOVE MY WARD OMG.

And that was my kamakura adventure. I'll try and update again soon. We've got Tour guide activity with our students, dinner with roommate from america, Tokyo sight seeing, Ghibli museum, Fireworks... Zoo activity this wednesday, closing ceremonies on friday, and then OFF TO VACATION IN KYUSHU!! And then going home. So sad! I miss Japan already.

Off for now,

-Jejira