Kyoto

Monday morning we took local train from Nara to Kyoto. Monday happened to be public holiday and one of the best days in whole year to vistit Kyoto. It was day of becomming adult and all 20 year old girls were wearing kimonos to celebrate it. Lucky we. Those sticks we bought from Nara's temple seemed to start working already. Let the pictures enlighten our day in Kyoto. Only pictures of girls with kimono and the Geisha are missing (still in Israelis computer). (^_*)


Train Station.


First step out from the station.


Market.


River.


Two ugly guys with kimonos.


Drum game. Made me sweat like a small pig...like Timbe uses to say.


Can't keep hands off from that huge bell...


A big ramen pot.


A Monk.


The Gion, geisha district. Here we saw many of them in that night. :)

-HALPOJA LENTOJA TOKIOON-

Sorry about this Finnish commercial post but I think this is not much use for others than Finns. ;P

Finnairilla on nyt tarjoukses lentoja Helsingistä Tokioon meno-paluu 459 euroo helmikuust maaliskuun loppuun (1.2.-31.3.). Tässäpä linkki lippujen varaukseen.

Elikkäs nopeat syövät hitaat, nyt on loisto tilaisuus päästä vierailee tääl puoleen hintaan normaaliin verrattuna!

Nara

Decided to go Nara today. So, blog will be updated on Monday...nope, later... ;D

Here you have finally some updates: hiking trip to Mt. Takao and the K-1 tournament

Rest of the week will be so busy that you may have to wait updates until next week. Just be patient and you'll be rewarded with picture of a real GEISHA from Kioto. They are quite rare nowadays around here.

23.1.2007
Ok, some time passed before got these pics here. Life here starts to be a bit around here. I thought that updating once a week would be possible...apparently not. But I'll make it as my goal from now on. At least few words, every week.

And now to Nara. Friday evening couple of weeks ago I made my last exam of my home University in Finland (HUT). While we were drinking sake at the same evening to celebrate this, we go a great idea. Israel told me: "tell me scientist, why don't we go travelling? Only we and chinese are in the dormitory this weekend? I have a friend who lives in Nara". "Yalla, let's go", I replied. Next afternoon we were standing in the station waiting for our very first Shinkansen ride.


The Shinkansen...mean looking fastest train in Japan. Excited to feel how does it feel to go REALLY fast.


So far everything looks good...like a airplain cabin.


And who did we found from the train sitting the very next seats to ours... Jenni and her boyfriend from Finland. To make the world feel even smaller I have to tell you that we both are from the same hometown of 80 000 people. Both have been born in 1981 but never have we met before comming to Tokyo (hey, we have at least 5 different high schools in Kuopio:). We met already once before here in Tokyo (Independence Day party in Finnish embassy). What is the probability of us to meet in the country of 120 000 000 people...twice?! -Osaka girl, take care in cold and dark winter of our home country- ;P

2 h later (and disappointed to the Shinkansen's speed...only 240km/h...steady ride, nothing special) we were standing in Kioto and meeting Israeli's friend Nobu-san. He came all the way from Nara just to get us with a car. First stop to onsen...damn, I love those hot baths! Eating, and we head to Nobu's house. Some catching to do between Israel and Nobu, they haven't seen each other in last two years.


Our bed room in a house of 13 rooms. First time in Japan sleeping on tatami with Futon.


Garden in the middle of Nobu-san's house.


Corridor to the other rooms.


Sunday morning and time to do some sightseeing.


Entrance to Nobu-san's house.


Quiet neighbourhood of Nobu-san's.


Snow! Unbeliavable, I got to see (and feel) it. Felt cold.


One of the holy deers of Nara.


Big Buddha, biggest bronze statue on whole Earth sitting in the biggest wooden building on the third rock from the Sun.


Luckilly I was only playing to feed them...


...she had something to give.


Guy from the temple area.


Time to check our luck for the next year. Israel: super-lucky, Samuli: semi-lucky. Next time have to use 5 yen coin instead of 1 yen in the temple when wishing good luck...


Temple area.


Japanese limousine.


Biggest bath place I've seen so far. Like a small town center. They had everything in there you could possibly need for relaxating. And you are not in a hurry there. Middle of the bath session just wear your bathrobe and enter one of the many bars and restaurants. No time limit. Open 24 hours. No money needed while inside, everything paid with a magnetic bracelet key. Like a casino, they want you to stay in and spent as much as possible.


Put your bracelet in and feed the amount of money shown on the screen.

Next morning we headed to Kyoto but that's a story of next posting.

Holiday season over

Oops, sometime passed since I put these pictures here. Ok, now is perfect time to update the blog. Next Monday is the deadline for my report of latest results to Finnish professor. Updating blog, cleaning my room, doing laundry and cooking are priority no. 1 at the moment. Let the pictures tell the story once again....


6th of December I gave my first big presentation. I think I mentioned it already before...


Hyatt Park Hotel from the movie "Lost in Translation". With Inga our mission has been to drink cup of tea in 52nd floor of this famous hotel's sky bar. Did this few days before Inga was returning to her home country Lithuania.


Hee, can't control my hands after I bought the book of origami's. :) From farewell tea evening went back to the lab to finnish my first research report to Finland.


My very first sun rise in my lab. Still not ready with the report...luckilly time is 7 hours behind in Finland.


My home campus in its all beauty. Will I see all this beauty once again after few nights?


In this seminar people could voute by cellphone and result could be seen in real time on the screen. Future land.


Almost Christmas, so time to dive in electronic paradise look for new toys.


Israel and our new friend.


Little Red RidingHood and her fans.


Wow! This was somenthing! Can you imagine, this robot was doing one hand push ups keeping other hand behind his back. Like real aerobics. That was only one of his many tricks...


And what have we found here...full hentai manga place.


Christmas parties, here we come!


This year's Christmas dinner was a bit different than the usual (pork in Finland).


Israel is a amazing guy, somehow we end up always in interesting parties...and most of the time for free or at least with big discount. :)


Pet shops are NOT nice here. Picture taken from the street outside of the shop. Puppies and kittens are many time WAY TOO young to be sold and separated from their mother.


How about saru-san instead of basic dog or cat?


New Year's eve and time to head to BIG comic festival in the Tokyo Big Sight conference hall. Wasn't so hard to find the place. Just follow the continuous stream of people from the station.


Inside.


I slept a bit too late. Everybody was starting to finish just after I arrived.


This huge place was full of people selling their own comics!!! (mostly hentai;) Unbeliavable, I must be in heavenl.


Sun set in the Tokyo Big Sight.


And in the evening headed to Shinjuku.


White bat mobile.


Party is on!


Trance.


I thought that this is impossible sight in Tokyo. It starts to be quite clear that nothing is impossible in this circus.