Last Day

Today was sadly our last day - can't believe our time is up already, it has definitely flown. We are really fortunate to be in a position where we can all take a month off so we can experience something like this. I really feel like I've gone back to my old days of travelling, except I come back to the same place every night and I don't have to stay in a dormitory with other sweaty people - huge bonus.

Lunch

Tom's lunch

It was a very hot and humid day today - the type where you are sweating within seconds of stepping outside - yuck. After an early morning game of football with Tom I left him with Matt whilst I went into Himeji to do a last 100 Yen shop (posh bento boxes are all the rage here - mums are in competition with each other to produce the best bento boxes for their children at school, this means there are loads of tools in the shops - tiny knives to sculpt faces on strawberries, cutters to turn carrots and cucumbers into flowers, tiny tweezers to place sesame seeds on rice balls to create happy faces etc) I don't plan to make posh bento boxes for Tom, but all those tools are very handy for sugar craft, last time I came to Japan I was just getting into sugar craft and I managed to get quite a number of tools from the 100 Yen shop, all of which I use a lot and have lasted the course except one pair of scissors. The plan today was to stock up again, it is almost impossible to browse with Tom so Matt had him whilst I browsed and shopped. I couldn't believe it, the 100 Yen shop in Himeji is huge - 3 floors crammed with stuff, but I couldn't find the bento tools - poo, they have been in every other store we have visited. Oh well, I still enjoyed a quiet hour to myself and managed to buy quite a few bits.

Us with Jun and Yoko

Conquering the treehouse

I then went to Himeji station to meet up with Matt and Tom who were already playing with their new friend - Jun, who Matt knows from twitter - another translator. He and his wife took us to a restaurant out in the countryside. It was a beautiful old traditional wood building, with low tables, serving traditional Japanese food beautifully presented in little 2 story wooden boxes. Tom was presented with 2 onigiris (rice balls) with a selection of veggies. It was all very nice, we had a spring roll with dip, then some tofu, egg, fish, chicken, beans and a whole host of veggies and pickles. It was one of those places where you need to be in the know to find it, I'm very glad they were in the know. All the customers were women except our table. Unfortunately Tom didn't behave very well: fidgeting, refusing to eat, shouting, putting his feet on the table etc. Matt took him out for a talking too which worked for a while. We then had dessert: pumpkin pie for me, green tea and strawberry roll for Matt and a jelly for Tom.

Frog

We then went for a look around the garden, there was a swing and a huge tree house for Tom to play in, but the most interesting thing was that we found lots of frogs. There was a little stream running through the garden which obviously attracts them, we saw about 6, all of them seemed very tame, not at all worried about us staring at them.

Swinging with Daddy

The afternoon came to an end when Tom ran to give Jun a hug, unfortunately in his haste to hug him, he didn't notice Jun's camera, and he got a bop on the head from it. Normally we would have tears for a minute or so but Tom was unable to calm down, he was obviously very tired, so we called it a day and got back in the car to go back to Himeji. Tom instantly calmed down and then fell asleep in the most awkward position in the back of the car. We said our goodbyes to Jun and Yoko, they were very generous: ferrying us around and giving us a new type of Japanese experience.

Sleeping or suffocating?

We got the train back to Aioi, then Matt took Tom home for a proper sleep whilst I went down to Aioi's 100 Yen shop on the search for bento equipment - they had it all - phew. Got back and spent the afternoon packing. It all fits, problem we have is weight, getting it equally distributed so that no one case is too heavy.

Dinner: the Last Supper

We went to our favourite local restaurant for dinner - the same restaurant we went to on our first day. Gyoza were on special again today - 88 yen for 6, so we had those with chicken karaage (the best of the trip), fried rice and a bowl of noodles. All very yummy and very reasonable - came to 1,600 yen (about £14).

Then back home, shower and bath in the dark (bulb blew today). Tom went to bed in just his nappy - it is soooooo hot and clammy today. Alarms are set for 6am tomorrow morning, ready for our mammoth trip home, wish us luck, we should arrive in Birmingham 9.15pm tomorrow assuming Air France don't stuff up (we missed our connection last time we came home with them).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location: Himeji