damn you Nikko >D

let me first explain the series of events over the past two days.

so, i was going on a trip with some friends, i was just happy that they planned it out and figured out how to get there so that i didnt have to, but i didnt realize how far we were really going until it was too late. so we were going to Nikko, which is like.... far.... and all i knew was that they had onsen and i wanted to go. (the hot springs) since it was a birthday wish, i was all but too glad to attend. SO! first, we ride trains for like, ever, starting from 7.30-like 2 or 3, which was long and drawn out, but we were still okay. (by "we" i mean three friends from school, A.J the Canadian, Jake, and Justin). so, we finally arrive at like 2.30 ish and all the shrines close at 4, so we walk forevers up to the first shrine, which, surprizingly, was the same shrine i fell in love with four years ago when i visited japan, Toshogu Shrine. it was gorgeous, like it was last time, and we ended up spending a few hours there. we also got in line to climb up this 218 stair-rediculousness to get to something unknown, which ended up being a wish box, a bell, a statue of a crane with a fish in its mouth, and a souvinir stand. -____-;; so, i made three wishes. bought my dad and larissa a "have a good marraige!" thing, and we climbed back down the incredibly steep 218 steps.

so we see more pretties, and then decide, "hey! what about the onsen?" so we get on a bus that some very helpful japanese women tell us will only take 17, or 70 minutes (we couldnt tell) and head for the onsen! we climbed that god-damned mountain for over three hours. it was the worst traffic jam i have ever seen in my life. when we came down that same mt. this mornin, it took like 11 minutes. it was hell. we were starving, cold, and didnt know where we were going to sleep, because the bus we were on that night was the LAST ONE until morning. so! we get to our destination, have a celebration dance that we survived (after hours of slowly going mad) and get some food. the food sucked and was overpriced, but it was warm and food-like. so then i leave with Jake, so we can pose as a "couple" and get a room in a hotel that we can later sneak the other two into. however, every-single-hotel was booked. "ippai!" but one hotel night-manager was particularly helpful, until he had to lock the doors at 12 and asked us politely to leave. so we did... and we were prepared to sleep in the toilets at the bus station, when my host family becomes God's Angels and find us a room. it was a shitty hotel, the dirtiest thing i've ever seen in japan. but it was warm, had beds for each of us (seperate thank goodness) and an onsen. an onsen! it wasnt the BEST onsen... but i got an onsen for my birthday! it was so scary when we thought we had to sleep on the cold ground outside, that when we got that room (which, they put us in the T.V. Room) we didnt mind when we chased a half-cricket-half-cockroach thing out of our room. we did it with smiles.

we used the onsen, then passed out. i woke up happy, and thinking "yay! this wasnt so bad afterall!" and we went and saw a couple more sights before ultimately, heading back down the mountain on the bus again, at around 11. now, we went DOWN the mt. at top speed (which felt like a roller coaster because of all the sharp turns) so we thought "hey, we can make it!" however, when we reached the bottom of the mt. , the same friggin traffic jam appeared and all hope was lost. so we get out early so we can get to a 7/11 (which, ironically, is the only place other then a post office that i can use an ATM in japan), and then we walk. we walk forever.... for....ev........er....... to get to the eki (station) so we can go home. we finally make it and ride the train for 3 hours. then another hour. and another.... so i was on trains and buses for a total upwards of 8 hours today. yay.... and i felt really bad about not being able to talk to dad, or David... it sucked.

but... when i got home and found the box David sent me, which my host family said was from my dad originally, my heart melted. it made me so happy i cant even describe. and then my host family took me out to an amazing dinner with live piano music, and they played all my favourite classical melodies, it was amazing. so i got home now, and am about to take a shower and go to bed, and i had to get creative with a vase for the flowers (apparently "budou" is rose in japanese) so i cut the top off of a Matsuya Cider plastic jug and make it work >3 and now they are sitting, gorgeously, upon my desk.

and maybe i will talk about Tokyo Disney when i come home early tomorrow for my nap. because i am friggin tired.

night.