Exploring Suwa

Submitted by Rebecca Bourke on 27 June 2009 - 7:44am

Konichiwa mina-san! O genki desu ka.

This is my very first post from Japan, and I hardly know where to begin! I`ve only been here for a day, and already I feel at home. The atmosphere is incredible, and everybody is so kind and welcoming. I probably should be suffering from jet-lag, but I`m so excited by everything here I just want to keep exploring. The way of life here is very different from Ireland, and already I`m encountering different customs and habbits. I`m also trying my best to use my Japanese to communicate, and hopefully I`ll begin to improve soon; I`ve been getting lots of help learning new words, and everybody being wonderfully patient with me.

It certainly has been an action-packed journey. I arrived in Tokyo airport at around seven o`clock last night, after a two hour flight to Paris, followed by an eleven hours trip to Japan. Next, it was a four hour taxi ride to Suwa, where I met my host family. Today, after breakfast, we went sight-seeing all around Suwa. The scenery here is amazing, everthing is so rich and green. We also stoped for lunch in a traditional Soba restaurant, where we slurped - a sign of good manners in Japan! - down delicious soups and bowls of noodles. 

Well, that`s all for now. I hope to be updating again soon!