September was a very busy month for us! We had something going on each weekend which made the month seem to fly by.
First was Labor Day weekend for which we went back to Oshima Island with the same crowd as last year. This year we spent 2 nights instead of just one. We would have stayed 3 nights but September 1 (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend) was the last day of the season to rent cabins. (The Japanese think summer ends September 1?! If only the weather complied with that.) There was also a typhoon that hit Friday night and stayed all of Friday. This meant rain and lots of it plus extreme waves. Our beach vacation was once again spoiled by the rain. We had a good time nonetheless.
The last 4 km or so of the drive to the cabin. REALLY curvy!
I had found this Super Kawaii floatie at Nafco and was really anxious to use it. Just because Hello Kitty.
So Saturday we made one attempt to go swimming but at the time it was pouring and the waves were huge, strong, and full of rocks, sand and seaweed so it was not pleasant to even try getting into the water. The first time I tried, I got knocked on my butt.
So we spent Saturday in the cabin. By Sunday, the rain had stopped and the sea had calmed. It was still raining- and just a tad chilly without the sun- but I was going to use my new innertube, gosh darn it! So like true Minnesotans, we swam.
Octopus tentacle- we finally gathered up enough courage to try one. It was surprisingly good! (Tastes like chicken, I suppose.)
Fish tanks out back.
Nick's parking job: when we arrived, it was the only place to park. By the time we left, it looks like he parked in the middle of the driveway.
We laid low the following weekend but the weekend after that, Nick went on a Boys' Trip to Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. He did not take a camera with him so I have no pictures from it. There was another typhoon so he was unable to make it to the top yet again and they went to a really wacky Robot Show. This just means Round 3 of Fuji next summer and he'll have to take me to the Robot Show so I can post pictures here! Stay tuned for that!
Oh, saw this van at the grocery store.
I think September is a little early to get your skis ready, especially considering it was still 90*F and humid during the day!
The weekend after that we had more visitors!! Yay! Brittany and Sara (stars from the Seoul trip and Thailand adventure) came to stay with us for 4 days!
They arrived Wednesday night. Thursday Nick and I still had to work so they explored Hiroshima on their own. When they got back, we had an early "Korean Italian Thanksgiving in Japan." (Brittany and Sara were on break for Chuseok, aka Korean Thanksgiving.)
That night was the Summer Solstice/Harvest Moon celebration- the largest and brightest full moon of the year. There was a celebration taking place at the Iwakuni Castle so we headed to Kikko park by night to check it out.
Iwakuni at night
Nick took the day off on Friday and showed the girls Miyajima.
The next day they had fun combing through the convenience store on base for a few American products they missed in Korea. Afterwards, we went back to Kikko Park to see it by day. We, of course, got ice cream!
It was really quite hot in the sun so we then headed to Yuu Beach for a dip in the Inland Sea. That was followed by dinner at the Sushi-go-round.
Then, we took them to YouMe town (a mall) for fun at the arcade. We showed them our favorites: the photobooth and Taiko drum game!
Too funny!!!!
Sadly, they had an early flight the next morning. Their trip was short, sweet, and jam packed! They plan to come back to Japan to see the rest of the sites- namely Tokyo and Kyoto.
For the last weekend in September we went to Okayama and Naoshima but I took enough pictures for it to merit it's own post. See my subsequent post for the story of that trip!
The happiest cat finds the cleanest sheets to sleep on.
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