Now that I left Tokyo I’m navigating for myself again, which is a challenge here! As soon as I thought I had the train system figured out, I had to transfer at a small station that had a completely different system! The Japanese that I have interacted with (mostly the ticketing people at the stations and staff at restaurants) speak maybe 5 or 10 words of English, if any. However they have been extremely patient and helpful, playing my game of pointing, writing down times and numbers, and miming. It has been a rather fun challenge.

My first stop out of Tokyo was Kamakura to see the giant Daibutsu Buddha at Kōtokuin temple. It is the second largest Buddha in Japan, built in 1252 and weighing 121 tons. For an extra 20 cents I got to go inside the hollow body.

Next I took an old trolley line down towards the coast. I was hoping to get a good view of Mt. Fuji but it started raining-the front end of the typhoon-so I didn’t take it very far and returned to Ofuna Station to take a local bus to a system of caves that I heard about. It was a bit of a dance with the bus driver but he got me to the right stop with a smile. I was suddenly in the suburbs and wandered around a bit until I saw what looked like a small temple entrance. The place looked closed but I saw the entrance to a cave and went back to ring the button on the dark ticket desk. A lady came out after a minute, all ‘thank you’ and smiles, took my money and showed me how to attach my candle to a wooden stick like a torch, and sent me in. I was obviously the only person there.

They are called Taya Caverns, and were carved out by Buddhist monks between 1200 and 1700 as a form of spiritual practice. It took me more than half an hour to walk through. There are 12 “exercise halls” that are round rooms with amazing carvings of dragons, peacocks and monks. It was worth the trouble to get there.

After the caves I got on a series of trains to Matsumoto, where I was hoping to jump off from the next day to hike in the Japanese Alps. The typhoon was coming on strong, high winds and heavy rain, but I felt pretty unaffected by it as I walked 15 minutes to my hotel for the night. I could have stayed in a dorm hostel for $30, or get a private room in this traditional guesthouse for $35! It was a great decision: the owners were sweet and attentive, the room was beautiful and clean with traditional tatami mats in the floor and a futon bed with a bean filled pillow. After getting a small feast at the food court in the basement of the closest department store (which is actually really good food), I had a great night sleep.

The next day I walked in the direction of Matsumoto Castle, and stopped at a bakery for a white bean, miso and walnut donut for breakfast. The castle was amazing.

After touring the castle and watching some old Japanese ladies feeding monster koi in the moat I wandered around the city a bit and went to a couple small museums.

Before leaving Matsumoto I popped in to the tourist office and got a final confirmation that this is not the weekend to hike around Kamikochi. I returned to my hotel to get my bag, and then walked to the train station. The first train went as planned, although I was briefly stumped by yet another ticketing system. I read an article recently about the benefits of traveling, and one of them was increased problem solving skills. I definitely agree with that!

On my second train, the gentleman who sat down across from me started up a halting conversation in English while we were stopped at some station. It turns out he was in Kamikochi that morning hiking, and was headed to Kanazawa, like me, and hoping to catch the same train! And yet again, a blessing from the universe because the loudspeaker came on and he translated to me that a tree was down on the tracks, and we were delayed indefinitely. The train company called us some taxis and the bunch of us grouped according to destination and away we went; only to arrive at the next station ten minutes after our train was supposed to connect.

This nice gentleman (I never got his name) guided me through the station, talked to the ticket man for both of us, and told me that our connecting train actually hadn’t yet arrived, also delayed indefinitely. So we went to the little convenience store to buy some prepared dinner and wait. He generously insisted on using his telephone card and dialing the pay-phone for me when he saw me struggling to call Steph, and made sure everything was set for me. Our train appeared 5 minutes before it’s follow-up, 55 minutes behind schedule. My escort wouldn’t leave until he delivered me to Steph, which was accomplished! I’ve just arrived in Kanazawa and am sitting on the couch, observing a skype call between Steph and her mother (who is also the aunt of my other friend Kelly who met me in Scotland-Kelly and Steph are cousins!). I’m loving Japan!