Pinewood Derby Tanks Templates

Michael and Agnes returned to the Polish ... leaving me JR Railpassa valid for 2 more days!
sin would be not to use So on Thursday and Friday last week we went to Shikoku, the fourth largest island of Japan. I have to say that the JR Railpass is very comfortable, goes up to the cashier, one two three gets a book (on almost everything, only the fastest shinkansenów can not be taken) and an end. Passport to happiness or not the check;).
first objective: the town of Kotohira (琴 平) the famous temple Konpira (金刀 比 罗). This temple is on a small mountain, you have to climb some stairs. Just got to the tour with a very nice guide, so to them przyczepiliśmy. Temple very nice, the views from it too interesting, except that he was a pavilion full of gifts. Since this is świątnia (ok, Tempel, not the temple), the god of the sea, they were stacking models, wheels, even a solar boat that sailed around the world.

second objective was the city of Kochi (高 知) .
It is known from the castle, which immediately poszedliśmy visit. Castle very nice - the whole inner courtyard is preserved from the Edo era. But what surprised us more was the exhibition inside. Much and the lord said Katsutoyo Yamanaka and his wife Chiyo ... just that we already have seen their portraits where inidziej - a week earlier in Gujo Hachiman Castle! Chiyo, wife, apparently comes from Gujo, and that marriage is the famous (sometimes shown as an example), then everyone wants to attach to. But to copy to the exquisite statue of a horse giving Chiyo Katsutoyo that it can donate it to Nobunaga (his senior at the time) ... The plan was to then go to the beach and sleep on the beach, but the beach is 12 km from the town and it turned out that we can not go by bus JR (the connection is not covered by JR Pass), and we need about 6 am to take the train, so as the beach niebyłoby return. In the end we slept on the river at the picnic table and there was most comfortable ...
Another day, 4 hours on the train and we're already in Matsuyamie (松山) . In Matsuyamie saw the art museum - just had an interesting exhibition on the popular novel of the Edo era - "Hakkenden" - the legend of eight dogs. Maybe one day I read as I have time ... Then, locking, mime, think not so interesting as in Kochi, but very corresponds to its name (ie Matsuyama mountain pine, pines are up too, pretty high for downtown ...).
At the end we went to the Dogo Onsen (道 后 温泉). It is reportedly the oldest building onsenowy in Japan, dating back to the Meiji era (2nd half of XIX century). Well, very nice but ... as onsen weak. No saunas, only 2 swimming pools (one woman) ... something has got used to these modern onsenów ... Interesting
in Matsuyamie was that everywhere was Botchan. Botchan is a form of Natsume Soseki's famous book of 1906 with the same title, the book that almost every Japanese read. Clock is Botch, botch train (tram) Special cookies Botch ...

2008 年 08 月 21 日 -22 日 - Shikoku trip

Costume Halter Leotard

Gujo Hachiman dances in

again four weeks have passed ...
first pictures of Michael and Sarah's residence:

2008 年 07 月 30 日 ー 08 月 02 日 - Michael and Agnes Kus

already returned to Polish, but with problems (ie did not check the date of departure and the day we were at the airport too early:)). According to their relationship, liked.
In other news - a week ago was the Obon - the largest Japanese festival in theory day (or rather 3 days) of the dead, but in practice it's time to either go home or somewhere to go sightseeing, play, etc. Tickets for trains or planes with a real need to book advance at this time.
I mostly sat in the lab, but at night czwartkowo / Friday we took hitchhiking with Anna, a small town in the mountains - Gujo Hachiman. This town is famous all-night dances Obonu own time. We went, we saw the castle and town (watching, including people jumping from a bridge 12m down to the river), we waited till the evening. A lot of people came to dance, they were held at the main intersection of town (a small, narrow streets). Danced to Bon-odori dances, simple, easy to learn by podpatrzenie, walking on the cross - from the center lane Jenda, at the sign for screwing rush to the center, the center of the next lane, etc. Wytrzymaliśmy two hours of dancing, then we went to the river and talked back and your feet. Finally slept on a bench that morning to return, even hitchhiking. Impressions: Very nice:).

2008 年 08 月 15 日 - Dancing in Gujo Hachiman

Orbit Car Remote Starter

Michael and Agnes

Oh oh, and again three weeks have passed without a blog entry ...
In the meantime I was with friends on the beach, we found (though not at 100%) of new tenant to the apartment, Enrique from Guatemala, Ph.D., seismology / volcanoes, and in the end we bought the air conditioner!
It was difficult to find one that is popular in Poland - on wheels rather than attaching to the wall, but we already have. It is good only for one room, it's true, so we have to share with Kate - the day is in the common room, at night or with me or with her.

And, of course - on Thursday came to Michael and Agnes!
On Thursday (after leaving everything in our apartment) we visited the castle and the city center. He immediately began to complain about the humidity, although it was not so humid inches;).
On Friday we visited Inuyamę (the castle and museum festival) and the karaoke poszedliśmy Kate, Hiro, Huan and Emil. The castle is probably happy, we have yet to see a temple for men and women, but the day was hot, and eventually resigned. For the first time we went to another karaoke than usual, where they gave free ice cream from the machine + different toppings. Probably the same experience of going to karaoke a little affected, because a lot of time just we ate ice cream instead of singing, but I liked it.
On Saturday we went to first-current Osu cosplayers (those who cross-dress for cartoon characters, etc., were also Smurfs:)) and then fireworks to Gifu. The Osu was just a festival, with jugglers, etc, and besides, on Sunday was a great rally of cosplayers from around the world, so it will work out of their parade in Osu. I have to admit that a lot of them flew, and it's different nationalities, it was nice to look at (sorry, that is with pictures knockin, but will later.) Then we went to the fireworks to Gifu, 30 000 rockets, including over an hour. We were wearing yukaty a mat with you to the seat to be able to experience the fireworks Japanese totally artificial, which is managed, including standing in line for a bus for 40 minutes, sitting in the crowd on the beach back and also in the crowd ... generally liked it.
Since these were Michael's birthday and then went to izakai (bar) to celebrate. Unfortunately, they did not have no dough, so we sang Sto Lat over pizza.
On Sunday we went to Mass (Japanese, English is not a holiday), we met up there with a Polish priest, and then we went to Nagashima Spaland, water park, with Kate and Hiro. As everywhere else - people were a hell, but a very big park with many slides, so it's usually less than 30 minutes to exit waiting for. And water slides are there very cool, twisted, steep ... plus many of which had water wheels or pontoons used. I liked the most, however, which threw the rolling off descending into a large bowl with a hole at the bottom, where it is possible to spin, spin until the speed is not upset, then splash into the water at the hole. At the end of the day we went to a Yakiniku restaurant, where the same fried things on the burner in the middle of the table. Well, yesterday
we went to Kyoto. There we saw as much as we wanted, such as the imperial palace, we were unable to enter, but it was OK (and gorąąco).
Today, they again went to Kyoto, and this time I was a little bit at the end of work (and write something in the blog).