The following morning the last child puked in their bed, luckily more contained. So I don't know if too much garlic, something from that restaurant or unlucky timing on a virus?
We did get to see everything on our list. There is no way to have seen more than one thing if you stay out of the way, have children, old people or injured people in tow. I didn't get to do proper window shopping. Next time. Missed out on getting some cute Japanese print shoelaces, some beautiful cloths(truth is I couldn't decide which ones I liked, so I didn't get any). I did stock up on cute change purses. Didn't really see the wallets I remember made of the pretty matching material.
The boys did get some mementos here and there, a Michigan boat keychain, a train keychain, material swords(thought this to be a better idea than the wood swords they have at home) and foxes from Fushimiinari.
So I was way under budget since they were young enough not to have an entrance fee for most places nor needed a bus or train ticket. Only on-line could I find on 1 out of 3 train lines to specify children under 6 don't need tickets. It's not posted on any ticket kiosk for train or bus. Amy thankfully asked both and found out neither required ticket for non-school age kids(under 6). I thought prices came down a lot at least at Shakey's pizza buffet. My friends also said it is cheaper now than it was 15-13 years ago. But there is a tax now and it will be going up.
My mom's impression of Japan: beautiful, CLEAN, expensive(hard to wrap your head around 1000 yen is really $10 in a week), too much walking! My in-laws impression of Japan: expensive, too much walking, silly that they keep bowing, believed the water and environment made them sick. My impression this time: still clean, so much more English on signs and spoken, didn't see the cute face covers(too keep out the dust/pollution) of China, just sterile white ones(to keep others from getting your sickness). I still think they are a kind people. And it's refreshing to get help for free from an information booth. Like the map showing how to get to our airport bus outside of a hotel and where we could "check" our bags while waiting since all the big lockers at the train station are taken early. I passed this map on to the French couple we saw trying to verify where the airport bus would be when it was there time to leave.
Elevators at train and subway stops aren't always in a really obvious place, but at least they have them. We made sure to use them every chance so as not to waste precious energy of our travel group. People are more curtious and not pushing their way to be first or get ahead of a line.
I'm glad I got to see some of my friends: Amy, Reiko, Corey and Matsumoto-san, as well as visit Fushimiinari and Otsu again! My kids have now experienced Mr. Donut and Capricciosa's that I still talk about 15 years later. Michigan boat songs(John & Sheri) still dance in my head as does "Biwako shuko no uta" (I'm still kicking my-self 13 years later that I didn't get a music box of this while in Nagahama.)
I had to pass on trying any fun flavored gum since I can't tell if it has aspartame in it(most likely does since in America all the gum company idiots try and poison us by adding aspartame to gum that already has sugar in it!) Tried to drink a C-1000 Vitamin lemon jelly drink each day along with my favorite chocolate candy Galbo! Now they make lots of different flavors like macha and strawberry in mini size, I prefer the original. It's like a chocolate cookie crumb mixed with chocolate in a small log dipped in more chocolate.
Sayonara Nippon!
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