Ise Roadtrip Adventure!
October 6th and 7th was a road trip weekend. As expected when Aussie Jen and I pile into a tiny car and head out with nothing but a vague plan, several boxes of Jagarico, and some clean towels, the whole ordeal was craziness. I’ll try to sum it up as best I can.
We started off pretty genki for 8 am on a Saturday, and our first stop was at a truck stop on the IseWanGan expressway in Aichi prefecture. We had heard about truck stops (rest areas) being pretty sweet in Japan so we decided to try our luck at the Kamiya Highway Oasis (sounded promising!). However, upon arriving all our expectations were BLOWN AWAY. This wasn’t just a rest area; this was a luxury vacation in itself. They had a ferris wheel, shops, restaurants, a park, a game center, an omiyage superstore, an onsen (hot spring bathhouse), and deluxe bathrooms. They deliver what they promise. These toilets were the epitome of deluxe. We decided we could happily live in the bathroom, but Jen said we didn’t need all those toilets (I’m not so sure, I definitely know enough assholes to fill it up). The room was bigger than my house, had marble floors, and a lounge area with leather sofas and polished mahogany vanities. The sinks were this beautiful modern glass, chrome, and marble affair. The toilets themselves were each in a private room with floor to ceiling wooden walls/door, lights on a motion sensor, soft background music that you activated when entering, and typical Japanese super toilets complete with heated seat and bidet. We were total tourists and snapped pictures.
We looked around the shops and Jen and I bought each other presents. Which turned out to be the exact same hideously pink Takos (octopus). Mine is Kota-chan (Tako backwards in Japanese) and hers is Henry. Go figure. We also bought ice cream pancakes. You heard that right. Two soft, buttermilk pancakes with blueberry ice cream in between. *Salivates* We couldn’t control ourselves.
Further along the highway we spotted the Nagashima Spa Land theme park. It’s right on the Pacific Ocean and looked amazing. We almost pulled off and went because the roller coasters were so tempting (the longest one in the world!), but we wanted to hurry and get to Ise. So we may return in the Spring (hey J, wanna come??).
We managed to visit Ise Shrine that afternoon. It’s the most venerated shrine in Japan. It holds one of the three holy relics of Amaterasu (the goddess who created the islands of Japan). It’s also the oldest shrine in Japan. Well, in a sense. They rebuild the entire thing every 20 years to keep it “clean” (spiritually clean). They retain the exact dimensions/style for each new incarnation, so it’s been stylistically unchanged for thousands of years. It’s in a very muted Japanese natural style. No flashy ornamentation that you find on Chinese temples. It’s very beautiful and peaceful. However, pictures are forbidden because it will somehow degrade it/spoil it/steal its soul/make it look fat or something or other. So that’s a bummer. No postcards of the interior either! Even at best, most of the buildings were hidden behind large wooden walls. I felt like I journeyed all those miles just to be within a few hundred meters of some really holy place that I couldn’t see or relate too. It was the main reason for our trip to Mie, and even though I’m glad I visited, it was the least exciting part of our trip.
We traveled a few kilometers down the road from Ise to Futami. We stayed in this bizarre little hostel that was inside a temple along some back alley hilltop. It was a dusty dive with the single most uncomfortable futon and pillow I have ever encountered in my life. I got 3 hours of sleep and killed the largest cockroach I have ever seen in the communal shower room. I can’t complain though because it only cost about $25 for the night. Jen and I woke up at 5 am to go see the morning sunrise over Meitoiwa. They are the “wedded rocks” and are connected by this large knotted rope. It was really beautiful to watch them in the sunrise. The cool morning sea breeze, tasting the salt in the air, and the brilliant pink and orange sky soothed my soul in a way I’ve been craving these past few weeks. It’s been hard getting over M, but life moves on. There’s always a new day, and new possibilities, new friends (Mr. C!) and new adventures. I don’t have time to waste on people who don’t think I’m worth fighting for. Because standing there in the brilliant sunshine of a new day I realized I am *really* worth fighting for. I’ve seen the girls out there and I’m one in a million. Not only that, but I’ve got loads of friends in my corner who are rooting for me. I don’t think I can truly convey how much you guys mean to me: Beanfang, le Juste, Walla Momma, Aussie Jen… even Choco. You’re some of the best friends a girl can have. I love you all.
Ok! Sidetracked. Sorry…. I’ve been getting mushy lately. Gotta harden my heart up or I’ll never learn. While sitting in the sunlight on the jetty, we ate a breakfast of vitamin water and calorie mate looking out at Meitoiwa. At the same time a swarm of leaping fish came by! I heard a splash, then another and another real quick… we turned around to see a billion silver bullets shoot out of the water towards the sunshine. In a flash they were gone, but it was a really cool sight.
We were totally bushed from a shit night of sleep and waking up early. Nothing else was open yet, so we drove town to Toba and found a Kappa Sushi (one of those conveyor belt sushi chains), parked in the empty lot, kicked the seats back in little grey Monica, and had one of the best naps of my life. We woke up almost 3 hours later with sunlight streaming in and a TOTALLY packed Kappa Sushi lot. I remember hearing car doors and giggling around me as I slept. I can only imagine the shock and delight (and maybe a few cel phone pictures) of the poor Japanese seeing 2 crazy drooling gaijin sleeping in a car park… curled up with hot pink octopuses as pillows. Bitchin’.
And now for the best part of the trip! We went to Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba!! Mikimoto is the guy who discovered how to make cultured pearls. This site is also famous for the “Ama”, or women pearl divers. They are amazing. They range from 20 to 65 years old and can hold their breaths for a ridiculously long time. They wear this billowy, pure white swimming gown, tie themselves to a floating wooden bucket and dive for pearls! We visited an amazing pearl museum, learned all about how pearls are made, saw a ‘piece’ be inserted into an oyster, and viewed a great collection of art made with pearls. Some between 500-1000 years old from Europe, India, and the Middle East! They even had replicas of famous things recreated in pearls (like the liberty bell!! With black pearls marking the crack!!). We saw them insert/grow/sort/create the pearls and jewelry. I learned a lot. Of course they had beautiful jewelry stores were you could buy jewelry made from original Mikimoto cultured pearls. They ranged up to $15000. I felt modest when I picked out my favorite for only $5000. I have expensive tastes, dammit! Even though I couldn’t afford much, I ended up buying myself an early birthday present. I bought a single Mikimoto pink pearl set in a pure silver swirl pendent necklace. It’s beautiful!! I figured that I’m getting ready to mark my 25th birthday; I’m a successful, educated, independent woman who deserves some real classy jewelry. It’s fitting I bought my first precious stone (gem?) for myself. I would show a picture but Jen has forbidden me from opening it until my birthday in December. I won’t say how much it cost me, but it’s a genuine Mikimoto pearl with certification, and the man who sold it to me was wearing head to toe pinstriped prada. And I am now on a very tight budget. Meh.
Later that day we drove down to the Ago islands and took the *most* ridiculously touristy “Spanish” tour boat around the Islands of the southern IseShima peninsula. We saw all the oyster farms, viewed a lady inserting a “piece” into an oyster to make it start producing a pearl, and caused general mayhem in an area that doesn’t often encounter “foreigners”. We also ate the best Ebi Tempura OF MY LIFE. *more salivating*
We started the drive home but couldn’t resist stopping again at the Kamiya Highway Oasis for more shenanigans. It was about 9:30 at night when we pulled up, grabbed our towels and headed for the onsen. It was my second onsen experience, but much more daunting than the first because it was really crowded. At the onsen, it’s pretty much a whole bunch of women stripping naked and running about scrubbing and soaking in giant communal outside mineral baths. It’s deliciously wonderful for the skin, but irritating when EVERYONE stares at you like a mutant. Just because my skin is a different color doesn’t warrant old ladies peering at my intimate parts expecting tentacles to come springing out. It doesn’t help that 98% of Japanese women have failed to come to grips with shaving. Since I like to keep myself …*ahem* …. “tidy” down there, it just instigated more blatant staring. Good thing I’m not fat or that experience would severely give me a complex.
We finished out the journey much more refreshed, but very tired. Mad props to Aussie Jen and li’l Monica for driving!!
We started off pretty genki for 8 am on a Saturday, and our first stop was at a truck stop on the IseWanGan expressway in Aichi prefecture. We had heard about truck stops (rest areas) being pretty sweet in Japan so we decided to try our luck at the Kamiya Highway Oasis (sounded promising!). However, upon arriving all our expectations were BLOWN AWAY. This wasn’t just a rest area; this was a luxury vacation in itself. They had a ferris wheel, shops, restaurants, a park, a game center, an omiyage superstore, an onsen (hot spring bathhouse), and deluxe bathrooms. They deliver what they promise. These toilets were the epitome of deluxe. We decided we could happily live in the bathroom, but Jen said we didn’t need all those toilets (I’m not so sure, I definitely know enough assholes to fill it up). The room was bigger than my house, had marble floors, and a lounge area with leather sofas and polished mahogany vanities. The sinks were this beautiful modern glass, chrome, and marble affair. The toilets themselves were each in a private room with floor to ceiling wooden walls/door, lights on a motion sensor, soft background music that you activated when entering, and typical Japanese super toilets complete with heated seat and bidet. We were total tourists and snapped pictures.
We looked around the shops and Jen and I bought each other presents. Which turned out to be the exact same hideously pink Takos (octopus). Mine is Kota-chan (Tako backwards in Japanese) and hers is Henry. Go figure. We also bought ice cream pancakes. You heard that right. Two soft, buttermilk pancakes with blueberry ice cream in between. *Salivates* We couldn’t control ourselves.
Further along the highway we spotted the Nagashima Spa Land theme park. It’s right on the Pacific Ocean and looked amazing. We almost pulled off and went because the roller coasters were so tempting (the longest one in the world!), but we wanted to hurry and get to Ise. So we may return in the Spring (hey J, wanna come??).
We managed to visit Ise Shrine that afternoon. It’s the most venerated shrine in Japan. It holds one of the three holy relics of Amaterasu (the goddess who created the islands of Japan). It’s also the oldest shrine in Japan. Well, in a sense. They rebuild the entire thing every 20 years to keep it “clean” (spiritually clean). They retain the exact dimensions/style for each new incarnation, so it’s been stylistically unchanged for thousands of years. It’s in a very muted Japanese natural style. No flashy ornamentation that you find on Chinese temples. It’s very beautiful and peaceful. However, pictures are forbidden because it will somehow degrade it/spoil it/steal its soul/make it look fat or something or other. So that’s a bummer. No postcards of the interior either! Even at best, most of the buildings were hidden behind large wooden walls. I felt like I journeyed all those miles just to be within a few hundred meters of some really holy place that I couldn’t see or relate too. It was the main reason for our trip to Mie, and even though I’m glad I visited, it was the least exciting part of our trip.
We traveled a few kilometers down the road from Ise to Futami. We stayed in this bizarre little hostel that was inside a temple along some back alley hilltop. It was a dusty dive with the single most uncomfortable futon and pillow I have ever encountered in my life. I got 3 hours of sleep and killed the largest cockroach I have ever seen in the communal shower room. I can’t complain though because it only cost about $25 for the night. Jen and I woke up at 5 am to go see the morning sunrise over Meitoiwa. They are the “wedded rocks” and are connected by this large knotted rope. It was really beautiful to watch them in the sunrise. The cool morning sea breeze, tasting the salt in the air, and the brilliant pink and orange sky soothed my soul in a way I’ve been craving these past few weeks. It’s been hard getting over M, but life moves on. There’s always a new day, and new possibilities, new friends (Mr. C!) and new adventures. I don’t have time to waste on people who don’t think I’m worth fighting for. Because standing there in the brilliant sunshine of a new day I realized I am *really* worth fighting for. I’ve seen the girls out there and I’m one in a million. Not only that, but I’ve got loads of friends in my corner who are rooting for me. I don’t think I can truly convey how much you guys mean to me: Beanfang, le Juste, Walla Momma, Aussie Jen… even Choco. You’re some of the best friends a girl can have. I love you all.
Ok! Sidetracked. Sorry…. I’ve been getting mushy lately. Gotta harden my heart up or I’ll never learn. While sitting in the sunlight on the jetty, we ate a breakfast of vitamin water and calorie mate looking out at Meitoiwa. At the same time a swarm of leaping fish came by! I heard a splash, then another and another real quick… we turned around to see a billion silver bullets shoot out of the water towards the sunshine. In a flash they were gone, but it was a really cool sight.
We were totally bushed from a shit night of sleep and waking up early. Nothing else was open yet, so we drove town to Toba and found a Kappa Sushi (one of those conveyor belt sushi chains), parked in the empty lot, kicked the seats back in little grey Monica, and had one of the best naps of my life. We woke up almost 3 hours later with sunlight streaming in and a TOTALLY packed Kappa Sushi lot. I remember hearing car doors and giggling around me as I slept. I can only imagine the shock and delight (and maybe a few cel phone pictures) of the poor Japanese seeing 2 crazy drooling gaijin sleeping in a car park… curled up with hot pink octopuses as pillows. Bitchin’.
And now for the best part of the trip! We went to Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba!! Mikimoto is the guy who discovered how to make cultured pearls. This site is also famous for the “Ama”, or women pearl divers. They are amazing. They range from 20 to 65 years old and can hold their breaths for a ridiculously long time. They wear this billowy, pure white swimming gown, tie themselves to a floating wooden bucket and dive for pearls! We visited an amazing pearl museum, learned all about how pearls are made, saw a ‘piece’ be inserted into an oyster, and viewed a great collection of art made with pearls. Some between 500-1000 years old from Europe, India, and the Middle East! They even had replicas of famous things recreated in pearls (like the liberty bell!! With black pearls marking the crack!!). We saw them insert/grow/sort/create the pearls and jewelry. I learned a lot. Of course they had beautiful jewelry stores were you could buy jewelry made from original Mikimoto cultured pearls. They ranged up to $15000. I felt modest when I picked out my favorite for only $5000. I have expensive tastes, dammit! Even though I couldn’t afford much, I ended up buying myself an early birthday present. I bought a single Mikimoto pink pearl set in a pure silver swirl pendent necklace. It’s beautiful!! I figured that I’m getting ready to mark my 25th birthday; I’m a successful, educated, independent woman who deserves some real classy jewelry. It’s fitting I bought my first precious stone (gem?) for myself. I would show a picture but Jen has forbidden me from opening it until my birthday in December. I won’t say how much it cost me, but it’s a genuine Mikimoto pearl with certification, and the man who sold it to me was wearing head to toe pinstriped prada. And I am now on a very tight budget. Meh.
Later that day we drove down to the Ago islands and took the *most* ridiculously touristy “Spanish” tour boat around the Islands of the southern IseShima peninsula. We saw all the oyster farms, viewed a lady inserting a “piece” into an oyster to make it start producing a pearl, and caused general mayhem in an area that doesn’t often encounter “foreigners”. We also ate the best Ebi Tempura OF MY LIFE. *more salivating*
We started the drive home but couldn’t resist stopping again at the Kamiya Highway Oasis for more shenanigans. It was about 9:30 at night when we pulled up, grabbed our towels and headed for the onsen. It was my second onsen experience, but much more daunting than the first because it was really crowded. At the onsen, it’s pretty much a whole bunch of women stripping naked and running about scrubbing and soaking in giant communal outside mineral baths. It’s deliciously wonderful for the skin, but irritating when EVERYONE stares at you like a mutant. Just because my skin is a different color doesn’t warrant old ladies peering at my intimate parts expecting tentacles to come springing out. It doesn’t help that 98% of Japanese women have failed to come to grips with shaving. Since I like to keep myself …*ahem* …. “tidy” down there, it just instigated more blatant staring. Good thing I’m not fat or that experience would severely give me a complex.
We finished out the journey much more refreshed, but very tired. Mad props to Aussie Jen and li’l Monica for driving!!