Trip Report *COMPLETED* I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river, and I'm almost there!

Introduction

We've only been back from Japan since Saturday night but I am just itching to get started on this report! We had an absolutely AMAZING trip and I'm not ready to let it go, and writing my TR is one way for me to delay the inevitable return back to "the real world." :) This was the longest vacation I've ever taken, and like any long trip-or any new experience, for that matter-there were ups and downs, good moments and not-so-good moments. There were mistakes, mishaps, mountains, and monkeys. Yes, monkeys! There were surprises and there was DRAMMA!* There were things we will do differently next time we visit Japan, and believe me, we knew less than halfway through the trip that there WILL be a next time someday!

In case you missed the PTR, here it is: Bee's Big Birthday! There you can read about the cast, the general plans, and the reasons for planning this particular trip.

Now about the title: It's a reference to this song from The Princess and the Frog:



I have been kind of obsessed with this song lately and I found myself singing it in my head repeatedly during the trip. You'll see why soon!

So, if you're ready for a journey halfway around the world, thousands of photos, and Double Disney bookends, keep reading!

EDIT: The Tokyo Disney stuff starts here.

*I've mentioned it in previous TRs, but I like to spell "dramma" the Italian way because I'm an opera singer and what's more DRAMMAtic than Italian opera?? So please don't think I'm an idiot (for that reason anyway :hilarious:)!
 
Last edited:

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12: Friday, December 28

Today the plan was for the three ladies to take a day trip to Nagasaki. We had breakfast and home and then hit the road!

tumblr_pkr4x2yILy1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

More coffee for the car!

tumblr_pkr4x37TrN1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x4GVSD1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

In Sasebo there is a theme park called Huis Ten Bosch (from the time of Dutch colonization) with some beautiful hotels (which look even more beautiful when it's not overcast!). Here is some more info about it. The photo above is Hotel Okura.

tumblr_pkr4x4Mxus1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x5mruM1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x5iMBe1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x6155e1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x7tilP1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr4x8wnpP1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


In Nagasaki proper...

tumblr_pkr51m3Ogz1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51mIgKR1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

The city has lots of trolleys and, unlike the San Francisco trolleys, they are actually used by locals for transportation and not just tourists!

tumblr_pkr51nvtJe1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

Cruise ship!

Our first destination was an old Catholic church. We parked in a garage nearby and started seeing ads for it:

tumblr_pkr51nrfG21qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51o94811qhyy8p_1280.jpg


On our way...

tumblr_pkr51pnpPW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51pihmt1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51qQFeq1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51rkyhz1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr51sOIbb1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

MOUTH OF TRUTH!

Up next: Two lesbians and a Mormon walk into a Catholic church...
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

The church was on a small hill, so we climbed towards it. Along the way there were several small shops.

tumblr_pkr5rtKL7V1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ruvYnf1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ruO8fC1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

😻

tumblr_pkr5rvHPlb1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


The church's full name is Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan but it's also known as Oura Church.

We had to pay a small admission fee to get into the church grounds. Before going inside we walked around a sculpture garden.

tumblr_pkr5rwo8MQ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ryYcEW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5rz6mXG1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s0UjNj1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s08LlO1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s2C45k1qhyy8p_400.gif


tumblr_pkr5wk5E5Y1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wlCGbm1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wlt31R1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

KITTYY!!!

tumblr_pkr5wmionV1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Up next: More church
 

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
Day 12, cont.

The church was on a small hill, so we climbed towards it. Along the way there were several small shops.

tumblr_pkr5rtKL7V1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ruvYnf1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ruO8fC1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

😻

tumblr_pkr5rvHPlb1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


The church's full name is Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan but it's also known as Oura Church.

We had to pay a small admission fee to get into the church grounds. Before going inside we walked around a sculpture garden.

tumblr_pkr5rwo8MQ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5ryYcEW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5rz6mXG1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s0UjNj1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s08LlO1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5s2C45k1qhyy8p_400.gif


tumblr_pkr5wk5E5Y1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wlCGbm1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wlt31R1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

KITTYY!!!

tumblr_pkr5wmionV1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Up next: More church

Kitty is in this last picture too, but you can barely see... was it following you?
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

More photos from outside...

tumblr_pkr5wn76rG1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wo8aFi1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wo9HhL1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wpGiri1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wqAd7T1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr5wqTVmH1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Photography is not allowed inside the church itself, but it was very pretty inside. I have visited plenty of European churches and it was strange to see such a similar church in Japan!

From there we made our way to another building, which once housed a seminary and now serves as a museum about the church's history.

tumblr_pkr6lhI4K21qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6li8oY11qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6ljKmIs1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6lkPCaS1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6lkIoSU1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6llBHkl1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6lmjB3W1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Inside the museum part we weren't teeeeeeechnically supposed to take photos either, but I maaaaaaay have sneaked a few...

tumblr_pkr6lmoeNP1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6lnQ3VC1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6ln4zyJ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


It was a room about music! Can you blame me??

Up next: From a Catholic church to a Buddhist temple!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

We left the church and walked back through the nearby shopping street.

tumblr_pkr6twduMb1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6twPNDs1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6txYpSe1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Our goal was a nearby Buddhist temple. S hadn't been there before so we were relying on Google Maps to get us there. As you may have already noted from my report, Google isn't always the best way to find things in Japan! It often got us pretty close to something but not quite there. In the case of the temple, it helped us find the general area but we had to figure out for ourselves how to get to the temple itself. And it involved lots of stairs.

tumblr_pkr6tyz5lf1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6tzm5to1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


At least we could see it!

tumblr_pkr6tzorQs1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6u05FqS1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6u1cigs1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6u24tbz1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkr6u2Sc3Y1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Getting to this point required more stairs and some weird maneuvering around a garden. We discovered later that there was a better way to get here, but oh well!

tumblr_pkskcpo5Jg1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcqmhus1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcr98y41qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcrMMaU1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcsXPlF1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcsAlY91qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskct0isV1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcuJ8vA1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcvjxw81qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskcvxI6O1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Up next: More outside the temple, and going inside!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

tumblr_pkskm50YEJ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm6mhiW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm6XZJx1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm7ArAJ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3db3fp1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3dTa8f1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3eM4bT1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3fXeUg1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3fEAZW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


We found a machine that dispensed fortunes for 100 yen.

tumblr_pksl3gbYHp1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3hChA71qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3hpMdK1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


I still have no idea what mine says...

tumblr_pksl3ibRSK1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl5z39So1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl60hC491qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl61QMJQ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


This temple was definitely less of a tourist attraction than many of the temples and shrines we visited in and around Kyoto. It was really cool to see!

Up next: Back outside, and a walk through Nagasaki
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Day 12, cont.

tumblr_pkskm50YEJ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm6mhiW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm6XZJx1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkskm7ArAJ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3db3fp1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3dTa8f1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3eM4bT1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3fXeUg1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3fEAZW1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


We found a machine that dispensed fortunes for 100 yen.

tumblr_pksl3gbYHp1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3hChA71qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl3hpMdK1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


I still have no idea what mine says...

tumblr_pksl3ibRSK1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl5z39So1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl60hC491qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksl61QMJQ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


This temple was definitely less of a tourist attraction than many of the temples and shrines we visited in and around Kyoto. It was really cool to see!

Up next: Back outside, and a walk through Nagasaki
Ok....I looked some stuff up on your fortune. (I know....I'm a total nerd) and that second picture says "omikuji" in hiragana. So I googled omikuji....it says "Omikuji (おみくじ) are Japanese fortune-telling paper strips that can be found at shrines and temples throughout the country. The fortune that one is granted can range from having a great blessing (大吉) to a great curse ". I haven't found the symbols on your first picture, but here's a bit about them: http://goinjapanesque.com/07489/
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love those little nekkid and bald Asian babies!! hee hee hee :geek:
:hilarious:

Ok....I looked some stuff up on your fortune. (I know....I'm a total nerd) and that second picture says "omikuji" in hiragana. So I googled omikuji....it says "Omikuji (おみくじ) are Japanese fortune-telling paper strips that can be found at shrines and temples throughout the country. The fortune that one is granted can range from having a great blessing (大吉) to a great curse ". I haven't found the symbols on your first picture, but here's a bit about them: http://goinjapanesque.com/07489/
Cool! Yeah, there are a ton of words inside too! I guess you are "supposed" to tie them up like in the photos, but we never did.

Ditto what @dizfan917 said! I love the little naked baby bums!! All of those dragons reminded me of Mushu.
original.gif
Haha yes!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

As we were leaving the temple I started looking up restaurant options for lunch. There was a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly place not far away, so we headed that direction. On the way, a Japanese man passed us and said, loudly, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" I said thank you and S wished him a Merry Christmas as well. I got a kick out of it!

We found our destination:

tumblr_pkslb8a1NN1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslb8gbQ61qhyy8p_1280.jpg


But when we walked in the hostess told us she didn't have room for three and that we could wait 30 minutes and come back. :arghh:

We decided to wait it out because we didn't know that we would find anything better nearby. It was chilly and windy, and even I was cold waiting outside.

tumblr_pkslb9IQvq1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


But after fifteen minutes or so, we saw two people leave and checked inside, and there were three seats together at the bar. Hooray!

tumblr_pkslbaUBXL1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslbbXnGj1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


I ordered a set meal and one of the drink options was red wine. I can't pass up a glass of wine when it's included in my meal!! The hostess who had greeted us was now our server as well and she spoke excellent English. She exclaimed, "I like the drink alcohol with lunch too sometimes!" :hilarious:

tumblr_pkslbbHJQe1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

I don't know what it was, but I enjoyed it!

tumblr_pkslbccre71qhyy8p_1280.jpg

My veggie set meal. Everything was good and it was nice to have several different veggies.

tumblr_pkslbc6iEA1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

M's meal-sandwich, soup, salad, chips (a mix of corn and potato chips!)

S had some kind of sandwich meal as well, I believe.

We were all very happy with our food and it was priced reasonably. We also had fun chatting with both the server and a customer who was seated next to S and was happy to practice her English with us. They both were interested in where we were from and what we were doing in Japan. M and I told them we live in New York (close enough, I don't think anyone from Japan cares that our town is literally right across the Hudson from NYC but in a different state) and they had lots of questions about living there. The customer told us her cousin lived in New York for work for awhile and loved it there. Then she asked the server something in Japanese, and the server (whose English was a little better) corrected her and said it was her nephew. THEN, the server asked us if a nephew was a boy or girl, and we said boy, and she said the right word was niece. We had a really fun time and enjoyed the food, so I'd call that a win!

Next we walked back to the car as our next destination was in a different neighborhood.

tumblr_pksldx811E1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksldxFUYw1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

🏳️‍🌈

tumblr_pksldy0q9C1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksldzCZ1k1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksle0fy481qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Up next: Nagasaki Peace Park
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 12, cont.

We parked and walked to the entrance of the park. It starts with stairs and escalators with flower beds in the middle:

tumblr_pksle03XkC1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


Looking down from the top:

tumblr_pksle2b9sT1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksle1Vfw01qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksle2sv4u1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksle3iQzS1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


The park is full of lots of beautiful statues made by international artists, along a path leading to the centerpiece statue.

tumblr_pkslivGvui1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslivasQN1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksliwcdUZ1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pksliwpr6C1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslixQ28T1qhyy8p_1280.jpg

This was the site of a former prison building. The remains of it from after the bombing have been left intact.

tumblr_pkslq4vQyF1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslq5sJ7I1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslq5ijte1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


We arrived at the main statue, which combines traditional features of Buddha and the Judaeo-Christian God.

tumblr_pksliyNWNA1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslizhmqL1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslizFEgc1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslj0nGkz1qhyy8p_1280.jpg


tumblr_pkslj1i8I51qhyy8p_1280.jpg


It's hard to convey how huge this statue is. It is really overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

Up next: More statues, and the Hypocenter Park
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom