Typhoon #23

Hi, I:m here at the Sasagawa home now (awesome host family) which is still so beautiful I can]t really comprehend it all. LIke I said, pictures forthcoming, but I haven:t had a chance or time to upload them all.

I have survived the worst typhoon in 10 years...and yes we DID go to Nagoya. Gerry, Jim, Andy, and I to Nagoya Castle, a famous castle from the 1600:s which was actually destroyed in WWII and then reconstructed. We met up with ex-Convesa student Keiko there. There:s a museum in it now. So I:ve seen 2 castles...Gifu Castle and Nagoya CAstle. Each has a museum with all the samurai stuff in it-helmets, fight uniforms, scenes of daily life, etc. Nagoya castle has a stone with a rope and 3 mannekins that are pretending to pull the rope, and a place for the spectator to try to pull the stone. WE all gave it a try and we all succeeded. Fun.

While sitting down for a minute all of a sudden I was approached by a guard and simultaneously everyone else was approached by guards. Sumimasen ga, they said. Typhoon. Typhoon. We:re closed. They shuffled us out immediately into the rain...which was getting stronger and stronger...our feet were soaked...I:ll put up the pix ASAP. Impressive castle and impressive view, too.

We got back on the trains to Gifu. Gerry had a meeting one stop before Gifu so the other 2 guys and I went back to Gifu. Well JIm got a stomach ache and didn:t like the looks of the storm so he went on home. (OK I don:t wish anyone sick but...I was glad NOT to have to spend too much time with the guy...small doses is all I can take though Gerry and Andy have toned him down a bit.) Anyway it was good to talk to just Andy because he is a really nice guy. I went out and shopped for some Engrish (not English- it:s Engrish) stuff for Nathanael and I actually saw somethign for myself that was cheap and comfy. It:s got little bunnies all over it and it says repeatedly A Rabbit Flies and Jumps and A Rabbit Hops and Turns LOL

Then we met up with Keiko (different Keiko) from HSJ and Keiko took me and Andy to the spa. Keiko:s friend was there with her daughter. I went in with them (Keiko wasn:t well, leave it at that...) Andy went to bathe in the men:s side and in the outdoor section there were 3 guys in the spa under the typhoon so Andy went in, too. Keiko and I stayed on the inside section on our side. There:s an outside women:s pool, too, but we stayed inside. There:s one section of the pool wehre you sit and an electric current passes through your body. Um, no thanks. Just sat with a bunch of other naked women in front of hot jets of water. :) Very relaxing!

After that we went to Mrs. WAki]s house for dinner, which was very delicious. HEr husband prepared variuos types of mizo soup as well as a HUGE assortment of egg noodles and vegetables and various kinds of drinks. I chose a light lemony drink with just a tiny amount of alcohol. The guys had some beer and sake. During this time the eye of the typhoon passed. The wind blew pretty hard. Things were waving everywhere and the rain came in sideways. But then it was gone. And it:s still warm and balmy out. Tomorrow should be a pretty day, they say.

Will stop for now. Will write more later.