Free as a Bird in the Arms of a Buddha

It was our last morning in Tokyo, so our Airbnb hostess, Sanae made us an extra special breakfast, had us each sit to be drawn by her talented and artistic daughter, Yuma, and dressed us in kimono for a traditional tea ceremony. After saying our goodbyes to our sweet friends, we were headed off to the beach!

On our way toward the beach we decided to stop at the Ōfuna Kannon, the goddess of mercy in a white robe. She is so majestic jutting out from amongst the pines, it's enough to leave you breathless ...plus, we had to haul our luggage up the side of a bamboo laden hill. The origination of her building began in 1929, but because of the tragedy of war, she was not completed until 1960. She houses stones from Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as an eternal flame lit from the fires of the atomic bomb. We happened to visit on the date of Pearl Harbor, and I couldn't help but tear up over the losses on both sides and the horrors of war. It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Mark Twains Joan of Arc- '"Picture a pure and dainty white rose growing up out of the rude soils of war and looking abroad out of it's tender eyes upon the horrid machinery of death, and then- it blushes for the sinful nature of man and turns red in a single night." The one picture during my trip that encapsulated my hopes and dreams for a brighter future was of a little brother and sister who posed for a picture for me while smiling their broadest smiles and holding up the peace sign.

Once we got to Shichirigahama beach, we walked to our new Airbnb that was a bedroom above the Palms Cafe within walking distance to the beach with our new host Kazz. He immediately offered us a welcome treat of homemade ginger ale and fresh pear. We had told him that we were going to head to the Daibutsu Buddha and that we would meet him back at the beach at sunset so where we later sipped on champagne while trying to get another glimpse of Mt. Fuji-san.

The Amida Buddha of Kamakura was cast in bronze in 1252. This monumental statue was originally housed within a building structure but that structure was demolished and rebuilt four times because of  typhoons and tsunamis. So, now the Giant Buddha rests surrounded by nature. It was particularly spectacular during the warm and sunny autumn days surrounded by brilliant changing leaves. Buddhists tell a story of Siddhartha who went walking through the forest with his cousin Devadatta who was a hunter. His cousin shot a swan out of the sky, and Buddha cradled it in his arms and put some ointment on to heal it. When the boys argued over who the swan belonged to, the kingdom was divided until an elderly man spoke and said, “The prized possession of every creature is it’s life,” the elder stated. “As such, a creature belongs to whoever protects it, not the one who attempts to take its life away.”

The following day our goal was to hike to Jinmuji temple built in 724 CE! Lynzie highly doubted my shoe selection for the boulder strewn hike...flip flops! I can't handle it when my feet get hot, but when I pictured how I must look while hiking, I could only get a mental image of a duck-billed platypus trying to get to the top of a muddy riverbank. At one point Lynzie casually told me to watch out because there was something dead on the ground, I screamed and jumped and I realized that I still am the little girl who did not want to get off the picnic table while camping for fear I would get my fingernails dirty. I also saw a sign with a warning to watch out for wild boars which reminded me of how scared I was of chipmunks when I saw them as a girl in the woods. Once we made our way through moss, ferns and a place so clean, there was literally someone sweeping the forest, we made it to the ancient temple. The temple and the stone Buddhas were a worthwhile sight to behold, and it was even worth the fact that I got a bug in my eye and that people laughed and pointed at me for wearing my 'slippers' in the woods. As we gazed out at all the ships in the harbor from the viewing point, I was thankful to be anchored to such a dear and wonderful friend that I have in Lynzie.

We headed from the temple to a natural hot spring outdoor Onsen where we bathed as naked as Jaybirds in the soft sea air. The elements in the water made our skin so smoothe, the stars were glowing in the inky sky, and we let all of our worries slip away into the darkness. After that we went to a Yakiniku restaurant with our new pal Kazz and his adorable wife Sumi. We ate for hours and drank delicious plum sake and soda water and enjoyed the bonds of friendship that we so luckily cultivated while in this beautiful land.

On our last morning at the beach, I walked down to the ocean to watch the sun rise in the East. I felt such gratitude toward people who came before me and people that encourage me to fly freely during this mad and crazy flight we call life.

Persimmon Trees & Marmalade Skies

The following day, our Airbnb hostess, Sanae took us on an older train line in Setagaya to explore the local landmarks. After she told us we'd be going witness the autumnal colors at the cat temple, I pictured live cats lounging in the hazy sun under the protection of the temple and the red Japanese Maple leaves...well, you can't blame me for that after seeing the ten cats in the baby cradle, but nonetheless they were clay. Some Japanese use these as talismans...depending on which paw is raised, you can either attract good fortune or people. Even though I wish I had a fortune to travel the world, I'd always rather meet fascinating people and learn about their culture.

Soon after we left a temple in Setagaya which was built in 1665, walking past trees lined with Persimmons and blue skies with wavy clouds like I've never seen, we stopped and gazed up at this interesting house made of bamboo and tree that had such a narrow and escalating staircase, it was like maneuvering through a classic Atari game.  The owner saw us gazing in awe and beckoned us up to his roof with an unprecedented view of the city. He wanted us to know that he built his house in 1963 and that even though he is 88 years old, he still rides his motorcycle all the time. How cool is that? It must be from climbing up the Donkey Kong ladders every day.

Once we were finished visiting all of the unique landmarks, we went to an Udon and
Soba noodle house that has been open for sixty years! After tasting their Sukiyaki Udon, we could see why. The only glitch was when I went into the restroom, I couldn't figure out how to use it because it was not a Western style camode. I had to walk out and ask exactly how I must go about this precarious procedure. Blush!

After that, Sanae took us to Carrot Tower where we could marinate in the vastness of Tokyo. Our friend Masashi met us there and we parted ways with our lovely hostess to go to the Bohemian area of Tokyo called Shimokitazawa where we were enchanted by incredible antique stores, colored glass stores and record stores. I found David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Stevie Nicks, both of whom my son Alex goes crazy for, so I had to choose one considering the fact that he doesn't own a record player. Lynzie bought a Queen record...because she is a champion. After the vinyl store, we took the train back to Shibuya where Masashi patiently helped me pick out Pokémon cards for the kids at home; where after he took us to the old fashioned Nintendo bar where he works on Sunday nights. He put a giant Mario out on a chair as to let the patrons know they were open, as it was above street view. Looking down at the hazy neons, listening to the Beach Boys and Bowie while Lynzie donned a Mario cap while playing Super Mario Brothers, while sipping on delicious Japanese specialty drinks- particularly the Umeshu, which tastes like snow cones in the spring, I felt a blanket of calm cloak me in the darkness of the empty streets. Unfortunately, our new Japanese friends had never had the pleasure of a snow cone, but our friend Masashi misses Twinkies from America the most, as we will miss him.

After the rain started, and instead of bringing Mario inside, Masashi gave  him an umbrella, we tearfully said our goodbyes to our new friend, who said to say 'Matane' which means goodbye for now instead of goodbye forever.

Abbey Road

One item on our bucket list was Hanayashiki Amusement Park which was built in 1853! Do you know how crazy that seems when you compare it with the events going on in the world at that time? That was the year Matthew C. Perry sailed into Edo Bay in what the Japanese called the 'Black ship' for they couldn't see the Susquehanna's cherry red underbelly beneath the surface of the water. This opened Japan up for Western trade and influence. Also, it is the same year that here in America, Solomon Northrup, author of 'Twelve years a Slave' is freed from illegal slavery while Japan creates one of the worlds first amusement parks. Luckily, the roller coaster we went on was built in 1953, so we had that going for us. And, you know what?! It was so fun! We held our hands up when the coaster dropped, we rode the carousel, and, we drove around on a giant motorized panda which was slower than molasses in January! We were like two little girls freed from the confines of being adults all the time. Just sugar and spice, and everything nice.

After that we went to Asakusa where we visited Sensō-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple. We both put in our offerings amongst so many others, and followed the directions to obtain your fortune, and poor Lynzie's was so traumatizing, I thought she might cry. But, she tied it along the metal lines with all of the other bad fortunes, basically a play on the word matsu, or pine which are also used to tie off bad fortunes. The belief is that the bad fortune will attach itself to 'the tree' rather than the bearer. Thank heavens for that!

We finally ate a steaming hot bowl of Ramen and decided to hurry and catch the train to Roppongi where we could get to the Abbey Road club. This is the place where the Japanese band called 'The Parrots' sing and play phenomenal renditions of Beatle's music. So great are they, that Paul McCartney himself has come to play with them. Our friend Masashi joined Lynzie and I, and we all danced and clapped and soaked up every note they hit. If you saw how happy the guy at the table was next to us while jamming out to 'Back in the USSR' or the whole crowd singing 'You Say it's Your Birthday' to everyone celebrating, or them bringing our entire table champagne and spotlighting us as we waved and smiled like we just won Miss Universe, because Utah was the furthest anyone has come to see them, you can imagine the electricity that was in that room. That's what you get in the Land of the Rising Sun...sun...sun...here it comes.

And with that, we went to bed in our tatami room, sleepy, yet amused.

Fried Octopus in the Garden in the Shade.

Waking up to the smell of the tatami room, the sounds of crows cawing, a cat screeching and the sunlight somehow seeming a bit more muted immediately put me in the mood to go out and explore this new and magical land. A land where amidst the rush of people heading to their own destinations, you can find a hidden oasis such as a temple or a garden where you can zen out, sit in the shade, and reflect upon the dualism of such a place.

Our Airbnb hostess, Sanae was one of the most kind and energetic people I have ever met. She wanted to get us started off with our day with a beautiful breakfast and by showing us some of the local sights before putting us on a bus bound for Shibuya to check out the the famous intersection where four crosswalks converge, and even though it isn't Abbey Road, we wanted to pose on the crosswalk Beatles style. Right before heading out of Setagaya, Sanae took us up to a viewing point where we could see Mt. Fuji-san as clear as day. She told us that it was the first day all year you've been able to see Fuji-san from the city, as the weather cooperated throughout the entirety of our trip.

Our next venture was Harajuku. I must say that visiting Harajuku is like visiting an enchanted fairyland where everything smells like cotton candy, waffle cones and strawberry whipped cream crepes...where you see girls dressed as dolls smiling and happy, and a baby carriage full of ten cats just hanging out...yes, you heard that right. But, it's a fun place that immediately brings you back to childhood happiness and innocence, as well as a Tokyo must!

Later that night, our hostess took us to an izakaya which consists of dining and drinking in an informal manner similar to a pub. There, we let Sanae order all of the food since she knows what she is doing! We tried everything... Delicious fried octopus, entire small fish in which Lynzie could handle, but I could only muster the head, and shark cartilage flavored with pickled plum. The dinner was lovely, as she invited some friends, one of which was a brilliant 19 year old girl named Rina who could speak English, Japanese, and is studying Cambodian so she can teach school children there as she travels the globe. This is why I'm in LOVE with Airbnb, you get to experience the locals and the culture.

Tiger beer and a Japanese Angel

Our journey to the East began with seeing a flight deal on secretflying.com for a $397 round trip ticket to Tokyo from LAX through Singapore airlines. I must briefly reference this, because it was the best service I have ever experienced in an airline. Even though we were in standard seating, we received hot towels, free adult beverages and delicious meals. The airline staff were smiling and gracious and went above and beyond to please everyone. They walked the plane every hour with water and juice to keep everyone hydrated, and once when I got up to use the restroom, they offered me a shiny red apple when I came out. When I politely declined for myself and told them I would take it for my friend Lynzie, they also offered me some Tiger beer and peanuts. Who could say no to that? So, they poured us both beers and followed me back to my seat and served them to us. If that is the level of experience we received in coach, what in the world could they possibly be doing up in the first- and business class sections?

As we arrived in Narita, we decided to take the trains into the city to save a little money. If you are traveling the length of Japan, it would be worth it to by a Japan Rail pass, but since we aren't traveling much beyond the city, the Pasmo pass was the way to go. You can purchase the pass from the airport or the train stations, and it makes it so you can tap on tap off instead of buying a ticket each time. This is a must because I am telling you: it's busier and faster than New York City subways. You literally have to just thrust your body out into space with a trajectory that you've not experienced before or else drown in the sea of people. After three train transfers and a 12 hour flight, we were running on empty and had no phone service to contact our Airbnb hostess who was planning on picking us up from the station. Luckily, a person Lynzie dubbed our "Japanese Angel" noticed we were floundering and saved us from sinking. Our new friend Masashi noticed that we looked lost, so he asked us on the train if he could help us. He lived in New York when he was little, so he could speak to us and we quickly became pals. He got off the train with us so he could help us find our Airbnb. He mapped it out on his phone, lent us his pocket wifi, and called the hostess of our Airbnb to make sure we were all settled before he left us. I was so happy that I brought out some of my jewelry from my Native American friends so that I could give him a gift of a Navajo turquoise pendant. I feel like when people go above and beyond to notice others in need, they deserve to be rewarded for their kindness.

After all of that travel, we got to our tatami room and melted into our beds as limp as jellyfish. And now that we have had a restful nights sleep, let the wild rumpus begin!