Welcome to Japan

With the adventures in Thailand coming to an end (it was a good thing we left Thailand when we did because my visa expired the day we left - talk about perfect timing) it was off to Japan.  We got our flight at 6am and sat on the plane for 6 hours before arriving in Tokyo International Airport.  The screening to get into Japan is kind of crazy.  To get through customs you hand over your passport and then put your index fingers on a scanner so they can scan your fingerprints.  Then you smile for the camera so you can have your picture added to the file.  This was definitely the most rigorous screening we went through.

After all of the security checks we were released into the airport and it was time to find the train system so we could head out to Yokosuka (pronounced Yokoska) and meet up with Patrick.  Even though the train system in Japan is incredibly extensive, it was not too hard to figure out where to hop the train - that is once you get your pass and figure out the basics of the train system.  If you are heading to Japan for a week or two, I definitely recommend getting the Japan Rail Pass.  It is a little pricey (but so is the rest of the country) and has to be bought outside of Japan, but it will save you a lot of money and works on the bullet trains as well so it is a heck of a deal (if you plan to travel a lot on the train systems).

We got it figured out and hopped on a train to Yokosuka.  The train ride was about an hour and a half long and the train was pretty crowded for a bunch of it, but it was still very convenient.  We arrived at our destination and I called Patrick so we could meet up.  He came to get us at the train station and it was great to see his face walking down the street with a big grin.  The cab to his house was fast and pretty easy so most of our trip went off without a hitch.

Patrick has the sweetest house he is renting in Japan.  It is pretty close to where he works in Yokosuka (close enough that he can either bike, take a short train ride, or walk) and is much nicer than staying in a hotel.  It is a 4 bedroom (small bedrooms and two are used for an office and storage) place with 1.5 baths and a full kitchen.  He also has a washing machine which was great to use since we had been doing a bit of hand washing as well as having others wash our clothes in Thailand.  It is a really warm feeling home and I am glad that Patrick has found some place where he can relax while in Japan.  

Once Keith and I were settled in we headed out for some sushi (you can't go to Japan and not eat sushi).  Patrick knew of a great place that was only one train stop away from his place and it was really cool to see him speak Japanese with the waitress (at this point I was still trying to not say hello in Thai instead of Japanese).  One of the most helpful things on the way to dinner was Patrick explained a little bit about the local train systems and how to get where we needed to go (very, very, very helpful).

When dinner was over we headed over to the hotel where Patrick used to stay to get a drink and meet some of his co-workers (most of the guys who are working in the ship yard for a short amount of time stay in the hotel).  I was also introduced to the best Japanese drink known as a Chu Hi (spelling is probably not correct on that one).  It is Japanese vodka mixed with some kind of citrus juice (most of the time) - either lemon, lime or grapefruit.  You can find them canned, but fresh juice chu his are definitely the best.  While in Japan I definitely recommend trying one (if you drink).  My favorite was the grapefruit, but all three are really good.