Although I many a time have ventured from the borders of our beloved land,
never have I gone this far nor done as much of the old enjoyment. 
But why this journey was more pleasurable than the ones of my past, I can only wonder.
Is it the culture of this very land which never, oh never, ceises to amaze me.
Or can it be that I never before have gone alone in my quests and dungeons?
I will tell the tales this travel, oh so great, and you can decide yourselves where the reason lay.

1. A Lucky Start
In the beginning, I was not alone, for my fellow gross of aprentices also had set aim for the land of the rising sun.
The same way a horse will criple under the weigth of too many a boy, a pegasus cannot fly if the weigth is to heavy.
Thus our group was split in two. One part flew trough the golden land of Dubai, and thereby a score of hours flew too.
Lucky as a only a hero in a story can be, I rode the second stable of pegasusses over the cold and empty steps of former Soviet. 
In such a way, I gained ten hours for my experiences.
Filled with jetlag and the joy of having solid, foreign gruond under our feet, we met our guide who would show us the path to our inn. 
For the roads of the eastern capital are like a living maze, and as we later will learn, it takes a man more cunning than I to navigate a path so trecherous. 
Speaking of thretchery, the woman who promised us safe fare left us at Shinjuku station. 
"I will be back in no time", she said. She did not.
Again I luck came to my resque, for one of my fellow lost brothers was in posession of a map. 
Thus we found our way to our home for the week. 
After having gazed upon my leaf thin bed and despaired I saw the time, and would you know, it was lunch time.
I was not the only of the prospective engineers who heard the old belly rumble.
So it was that we ended up in one of the sushi resturants where raw fish has its own train of plates going in circles around the bar.
Alas I was not perplexed, for this country is widely known for their trains.
It must be said, the system where plates have color equal to their coin is beuftiful, for it enables my cheapness. 
My memory of what happened until dinner that day is unclear, but I suspect I wandered around aimlessly, sigthseeing neighbourhood.
A neighbourhood which owns the name: The city that never sleeps.
Sushi is a food known in my home country, and I have eaten it many times before. 
Therefore I wanted a more exotic meal for my first dinner abroad. So me and my frieds went to a store which I have not yet seen on our nothern soil. 
A store with cuisine diverse yet tasty, Domino's Pizza.
After this eqsuicite meal I felt the bite of the jetlag and found the only solution to be my bed.
I must admit, the bed was very confortable to sleep in, and I retract my former critique.

2. Wonders of the East
As a wise man, I knew before my travels that with great plans comes great enjoyment.
Tomohiro is the name of the local me and my fellowship had employed for the good price of three meals.
But as we were charitable, we would not let him give us his great help for such a low price.
For this reason we gifted him a world wonder from our country: The Brunost.
He would now be a happier man with a cleaner soul.
And a happy man he was, as he took us to temples, museums, lemon sour festivals, ramen and more.
Ah, ramen is a stressful meal in the Tokyo. 
Indeed, to sit alone among slurping men in suits, knowing the line behind you will only grow longer is an experience.
To barely know how to hold the wooden sticks of chopping, and see the children beside you finish their meal before you get a good grip.
No man can say he has lived fully until he has experienced such a meal.
Later that day, I saw the second biggest creature I have ever seen, and how the Japanese managed to catch it, is beyound me.
It was called: The Unicorn Gundam.
While watching this magnificent beast, my fellowship and me stumbeled upon an artform so pure, yet so deeply human, we also have it in our humble country up north.
It was the school cuoire, up on a scene, singing the tunes of tradition and olden days.
At my home at the west coast, it is religious tunes and melodies.
Here in this strange land, their tunes are called J-pop and the cuoire wear their school uniforms as is the way.
And also here is the norm to employ mostly girls in the cuoire.
To put a finger on the detail most different, the Japanese singers not only sang, but also exercised the artform of dance.
After listened to these lovely tunes, Tomo took us to the spring festival under the famous cherry blossoms. 
If I had not thought this country crowded before, I certanly did now.
People had traveled from far and wide to this famous park who's name I cannot recall.
Oh the sight, my words can hardly carry it to you. Nevertheless I will try.
The streets packed with people under the fully blooming flowers. 
Pink in the way pink is meant to look, reflecting the light from the setting sun.
In between lanterns hung from poles, and this sight carried on further then my eyes could reach.
Many fo the people who had traveled to this city for the flowers and festival, had gathered on the grass under the trees to start their evening of fun and sake.
 Oh how I wanted to join them there, they all looked happier than I have seen people in a long time, free from burdens and in a place so plesant.
But I had responisbilities, for my class would have a dinner at noon. 
I made myself a promise to return to that place later in life, to taste the happiness I could both see and feel in that beutiful place.
I will return to drink, laugh and enjoy the night under those trees of wonder. And so I will recommend you do too.
We went further into the park and found food for both our tastebuds and our souls. 
For deep in the jungles of people there was a shrine and festival stands for food. 
Here I ate fried noodles, a food so good I think it must have been blessed. 
Then I aquired my first item on this journey of mine. 
Among festival stores of old trinkets I found an enchantement for my tie to enhance my style.

3. A Flock of Gaijin.
Then my fellowship and I went back to our living quarters to joint the rest of the flock before dinner.
As said, the dinner was for all class, all hundred of us gaijin. 
What a sight: loud, tall and white people in a line longer as a train wandering the evening streets of Shinjuku.
At the resturant we got a taste of the meal where each table cook their own cabbage and meat themselves.
I must say, it tastes very much like our national pride, Fårikål. We also got exotic foods from the east as sides.
And so was it that I had my first meeting with Tempura. 
Sadly I must tell that I am not the most eager eater of crustations.
But I ate them, and it tasted of the Okay.
Worse it was for a friend of mine, who has one of the allergies, and so towards the very same type of animal.
He of course did not eat any Tempura, for he asked the servers for food without.
So they served him a vegan meal. And as such things go, the salad of course contained small shrimp.
But fear not, my observant eyes saved this poor mans life, and he did not eat to much.
All he had to endure was some unplesant pain in the digestive areas of his body.
As the humble hero I am, I did not demand any payment for this brave deed of mine.
After this meal in a downtown resturant, there was only one reasonable action available.
I and some aquaintances had heard rumors of bars which histories has root in the Second War.
For then soldiers had to boost their morale even at night. 
So a block was repurposed, where one could have a drink with a pretty woman before one was tired.
Then the bars had its own beds installed upstair, so the tired soldier could boost said morale even further, assisted by said woman.
Now the bedrooms have been repurposed to even more bars. 
Thus The Golden Gai is now mostly small, intimate bars where it is possible to have a drink when trying to communicate with the natives.
On the way here, we were apporched by first one nigerian man who was versed in the language of The Queen.
He ut it so poetically: "You are a free man, you don't have to do anything."
"And you can make youre own choices. But there is one choise you owe yourselves."
"Its to enjoy dem tiddies."
And so he tried to lure us into his trap. As intelligent young men we sensed his trap, and narrowly avoided it.
On the five minute walk to our goal we met two more of the same type, whispering a tempting "Hey kids" into our ears.
Even so, me and my frieds where not the luckiest, for in the first small bar we entered, we heard the sweet tones of our childhood language.
"What are the chances, norwegians here?" my fellows said while I despaired.
Luckily, in the inner corner of this bar, there was a man at least local to the longitude.
Benjamin from Australia had been many times on this Island, and he tought me tricks so I would survive my next weeks.
And he introduced  me to Ume-shu.
So was it that I fell in love, like the soldiers who had slept in the former bedroom which space this bar now occupied had.
Not with a girl, now with this australian and not even with the place. But with the drink.
Such sweet beverage, yet fresh enough to be able to enjoy fully. And on top of it all, it containes the infamous ethanol. 
Yet I did restrict myself, for I wanted not to ruin neither this singular experience nor the next day.
So in The City That Never Sleeps I went home from Abe-chans Bar Asyl and to my bed.
Unfortunally my sleep was not perfect.
For the braver students than me also had to give up in the sleepless city, beaten by both their humanity and their jetlag.
Yet they did it when the few birds started to sing, and they did it by shouting, stomping and vomiting themselves to sleep.
And I have forgotten to mention, our hostell rooms had coded doors, so only the worthy could enter. 
It is clear that too poisoned a mind is no longer worth. 
I heard tales of and unlucky student who was found exercising sleep at the middle of the hallway floor in the good, old fetal position.

4. A Day for Slight Dissaponintements
As our guide from the previous day had been overjoyous by our gift, he had agreed to guide us also on this next day.
Before we left, we met our exhausted professor outside the hostel, for he had gotten a call regarding chaos at the hostel in the middle of nigh.
Even so, he asked if he could join us. Of course we said yes, in a country this foreign, it is wise to respect ones elders.
So Tomohiro took the now expanded fellowship to a city fit for a group like us, The Electronic City.
It was as wonderous as the park, but in other flavours. Flashing signs, electronic noises, stores for both geeks and weebs and a maid at every corner. First waked small streets underground with our backs bent, looking at all the loot a man could wish for. 
But we did not buy anything, for we knew we would return, and there was no hurry to burden our bags so early.
I yet don't know if it was luck or planned by our helpful guide, but the main street got closed for motorized trafic.
So we got walk in the middle of the streets, gazing upon oddities all around us, marveling at the scale of it all.
Then we entered one of the stores which sell figurines at first floor and items which a weeb enjoy at second.
Here the culture shock hit us harder, for what a wierd store indeed.
As shops like this work, the only natural way to venture is through all the shop. And through all the florrs.
And I can tell you, it was more than two floors. 
The higher we got, the more challenging the art displayed in the market got.
Now, remember one detail: Our professor had joined us on this day.
To say it was wierd would be an understatement.
So it was that we all, if a shade more red than when we entered, left this tower of lust and weebness to get lunch.
We ate what I have been told might be the national food of Japan: Churry. 
It was good, with a taste quite plesant and not to different from what we are used to back home.
We realized now that it is not the best utilization of a guide to go shopping, and we did regret not having asked for a tour more suited for the ocasion.
But we had plans for the evening, and soon after we left our guide, we forgot all regret and looked to the future.
Tired after one and a half day of walking this strange country, we had an easy time at the hostel before dinner.
Unsure to how we wished to dine, we aimlessly walked the streets.
This proved to be quite a nice task, so I repeated it several times later in my journey.
As we asked chance to pick us a meal, we ended up alone in a indian resturant, served by people of the mountains.
The food here was mediocre, and its making lasted for  a long time.
All the time I tripped, for I knew I had important things to attend.
But I did not know when the important things begun, for this culture differ too much from our to know.
Uncertanty proved to be a no soother for me, so when the meal was done, I hurried as fast as I could to the location for my plans.
My friends who said they would join me was by now more sleeping than awake, and wanted only their mats and their dreams.
The location for my plans bore the name of Red Silk. 
There I was to listen to two bands of the sweet melodies called garage rock.
First scheduled was The 5,6,7,8s, after which Jackie and the Cedrics would hit the scene.
So I stood there alone on a busy Tokyo street in the evening. 
Looking down very concrete stairs leading down into the earth.
Decend them I did, in where I found two people leaning against the wall, looking rather shady.
But as have learnt from many a mirror, do not judge a man soley(?) for his looks. 
For these fellows were nice and pointed me to the only door in that lead on further.
As I approached this red door in the gray basement, I heard a beat, first faint, but growing louder as I approached it.
Through the door sat a cashier, whom I had to pay for the ticket and an obligatory beer, as was only proper.
The room was full. Not too full for me to get in, for it is always space for more people on a concert.
But no matter which way anyone turned, we would be squeezed inbetween each other.
The air to was filled with sigarette smoke, for it is known that men who enjoy the rocking and rolling often enjoy the cigarettes too.
Now, the crowd was not a obstacle for my enjoyment of the happenings on stage, for I loom at least a head above most people here.
Yet my enjoyment was twarthed nevertheless, for aproximatley three seconds after I entered the room, the song on stage was finished.
I realize then that it was the 5,6,7,8s on stage. The band most famous from a show in the movie aboth the death of bad boy Bill. 
Not just this, for they also did their tunes in the most famous and furios car film depiction this capital.
They was finihed, and walked of the stage. As I had feared, I was too late.
Another lesson I have learned in life is: Never give up when there's more in store. 
So my morales did not falter, and as I had already spent my money on a beer cupon, I tought I might as well trade it into its liquid form.
A disk jockey put on old forgotten garage sounds in the wait, so as I was alone in a crowd of strangers, I did not manage to do even the smallest of talks.
Instead I took in the room, the athmosphere.
At earlier ocasions, I have experienced this kind of concert, and this was not so different after all.
In control of the event was a drunk music lover who everyone in the locale seemed to know and buy beers. 
He had long hair and beard, with a hat and lether jacket.
Among the crowd was several big, white bald men wearing jackets depicting logos of bards widely known in this world of music.
In the back of the locale stood a guy with stylish mustache and beard, yet not much younger than I, and smoked continously throughout the whole evening. He in a brown leather jacket and jeans. 
All these three have I seen before, only at the opposite end of the globe. The world today is more repetetive than it was before.
And just like that, the next bad was playing on the scene. 
Despite being above 50 years old and just three people, Jackie and the Cedrics played with as much life and sound as I have ever heard before. 
After seeing the skilled hands of Jackie changing on the strings faster than I could follow, the cheeky tricks of the assisting guitarist and the utter joy of the female drummer.
I walked home with a smile on my face.

5. A Taste of Rain
The blue day had come: monday.
It was blue both in its basic nature and cause it brought rain.
A truer friend to me an umbrella never before have been.
This day our administrative bunch had decided was a good day for visiting our embassy.
And so we was to do in the middle of the day.
Now, since we had some time to kill before this thing, me and my trusty companion went to the approximate area of the meeting spot.
Here we found some graveyards and a temple, of which we was deligthed by the architecture.
Then we went to get a lunch, and tried to order soup at a restourant.
As these things go, we ended up having pizza instead.
Sligthly confused, we were satisfied nevertheless.
Now the speakers at the embassy were more interresting than expected, and I did not fall asleep.
One of theinterns there had studied the cross knowledge of different genders.
After this sligthly informative event my friend wanted to see the Pokemon senter.
Here I was disapointed by the lack of Nurse Joy and a ton of capitalism.
After doing the buy, we went to the metal tree such high.
On the way, we were plesantly supprised by a studio Gibli shop, where I managed to aquire gifts for me mum.
As you might remember, it was a rainful day.
So we did not scale the tower out of mercy for our wallets. They had suffered enought this day.
For dinner we had my first Yakiniku, but as the noob I was, we but bought normal amounts of edibles.
As you later will see, this is a mistake I learned from, and became a wiser man.
Also I learned that hearts make for good taste.
After this, me and my companion went back to the Golden Gai.
Here we entered a new unknown bar. It was empty besides the barista and us.
So I had a glass of Umeshu rocku, and waited.
And soon later a flock of women from the European steppes appeared.
But before we could act and start the smalltalk, another team entered the arena.
Dressed in suits, older japanese men was going to find the happiness on the bottom of the glass after work.
They setteled between us and the girls, so we were blocked off. 
Now we tought we could smalltalk the men, but they were using their native tounges in a loud volume.
So we finished our drinks and tought of leaving.
But then one of the suits started a conversation with us. In poor english, but talk nevertheless.
We soon found out that they were a group on a work related meeting in Tokyo.
So they originated from medical stores around the country.
Suddenly the girls left, and another gang replaced them.
This new one was known to us, for we had shared lectures many times before.
While they repeated the conversation with the japanese men, I found a guy sitting alone at the bar.
He worked at an italian bank but told me he was in love with Japan.
From him I learned useful skills, like how to never say "Sayunara".
After we left the bar, we wanted to try a singsong. 
So we followed our classmates to a place they new more people lingered and tried to become bards.
Once outside this place, a terrified young man came out and warned us not to go in.
It seemed the place was in chaos. So not eager to take responosibility for these clowns, we ran.
We ran all the way back to Golden Gai, and had one last drink there, in yet a new bar, before going back home.

6. Sirens
My memory faulter some, as it is multiple days since this fantastic journey.
This is not necessary a bad thing, for it results in more memorable details, and less filler material.
Alas, I hope thay I can be forgiven.
On the next day, we had no single task we had to complete.
So we started as a small group for a royal park. Here we studied nature and construction of a caste never before defeated.
It was okay.
After this we took the underground railboats to the electric city, for such a wonder of the world can not be visited only once.
Here I found many items for my quests, and I looked forward to completion and experience points.
I also bought magical cards. Both a deck of one kind of magic and a single of another kind.
The single card was random in the aspect that I can not read the runes of these lands.
After the trikets was gotten we met a girl on our road.
She asked if we were hungry, and we tought yes, we were.
So we joined her for a meal, and it was cute.
Now, I had heard romours about the witches of this area, and had certain expectations for the meal.
But I was both disappointed and plesantly surpised. For we only got attention as if the girl was our waiter, if sligthly more akward.
But as luck would have it, another quest party of many people had also been lured into this dungeon.
And so one of the other witches did a dance much enthralling, for them I mean.
Thus we eskaped the magic, and survived to see another day.
Strange thing is, when I later this evening walked the blinking streets alone, no siren even gave me a glance.
I must be to strong for them to dare try their tricks on me again.
Daring and young as I was, I decided to try my luck and skills on navigation hone without the magical map.
I failed, and had to retrace my stapes for half an hour using the maps after I gave up before I was safely back home.

7. An Emotinal Roller Coaster
Hakone is a national park widely known for its beauty. 
From there it is said one can see both hot springs and the Fuji volcano.
This park was the goal for our wedensday.
So all class was put on busses, four in total. I was a part on the first to leave home base.
The bus ride was two hours. During the first of these I praised my forsigthedness for dressing well and warm.
For outside the rain poored down and the cold reigned.
I also mentally prepared for wet feet I would get.
So it was a suprise to be sure, when the bus turned around. 
For the bus driver was denied entry into the mountains by hit boss.
The bus was not suited for ten cm of snow, which had fell just that fateful morning.
So it was that the leader of the bus had to find entertainement for us elsewhere.
On the return, we saw that a clash of cars had happend sligthly behind us.
This did not affect our journey, but I later learned that the other busses had been stuck in the ensuing trafic jam for at least one hour, maybe two.
The new target now marked a museum of the history of the people of the Edo period. 
As museums go, this was interresting for its minature cities. 
Also, I got to know that in old times, fires was prevented by razing buildings.
While we students watched these, the bus master lobbied with the fey people to open a passage into their realm.
But before that we ate lunch at an rice and omelette resturant, it was very nice, I got one with mushroom sausce.
Then we entered a fantastic dimension. Here I saw many things my mind can hardly process, yet as those things go, it was produced awe and wonder.
 I wandered soft darkness and watched as huge flowerpetals flew through space around me.
Endless spaces, either filled with spectacular light running in streams all around me or ballons I had to climb over or under to get past them.
A lake streching on for miles, filled with people as long as my eye could see, wading together with me.
And in the lake swam coy among cherry leaves. But it was not ordinary fish, for they teleported away if one tried to catch them.
So it was my feet got wet even tough not in the way or dimention I tought it would happen.
After having summoned us back into this realm, the arch busser sent us on our way home.
On the way things got dark really fast. It went something like this:
"On the left side you see the rainbow bridge, it is famous for its colors at night, and you will have to pay to drive on top.
Oh by the way, two nine year olds jumped off a building just yesterday. They died. 
You see, suicide is quite normal here in Japan, for it is hard to work here.
And talking about that, a close friend of mine jumped in front of a train just last month.
You could see her on the film, going back and forward, not deciding finally before in the final moment.
Then she was mashed into a thousand small pieces. 
Of course her husband and daugther had to sell their house in Tokyo and move out of town to afford the fines they had to pay.
Cause the family get fines if a relative slows down the subway trafic like that.
And speaking of sad things, many years ago I put the trash bags out on the wrong day, so my neighbours yelled at me.
After that I cried myself to sleep many times. But it is over now.
Or at least crying for that reason. You see I am born i Mexico, so even tough I live here, I do not always act as japanese.
And because I look like them, they treat me as such.
The point I am getting at is: last time I guided japanese tourists there was this woman taking notes all the while.
And then she wrote multiple letters to my boss complaining about how I did not guide as japanese should.
So my boss yelled at me. And now I cry myself to sleep because of that. 
Thereofre it is a lot more nice to guide non-japanese like you.
Oh, and I am sorry for not being able to show you any more pictures of Hakone.
For you see, my house burned to chars just last month, so I am still recovering from that.
And on the right side you can see the arts college of Tokyo. Ye, the one with all the glass panes."
I cannot remember what we had for dinner this day. 

8. Rooms
The next day we went to visit the space agency of Japan. 
Due to safety regulations, it came with a lot of wating and was generally boring.
But I had an interresting drink from one of the many vendors in this land.
It had the taste of grapes and the concistency of an unholy mix of water and gelly.
After this we went to scholars here, to see their inventions.
Here was the best lecture I have ever almost falles asleep during.
And the scholar answered a lot of questions after, we were pleased.
Long live technology.
The group singing was an activity I had not yet particitated in here.
I heard it had to be done, so I went to search for it in the evening.
Me and my friends first were hungry, so we found a resturant.
Here we got our own room of our own to enjoy an assortement of different food. We were pleased.
Then we met up with another group of the score traveling from Norway.
These were of the few in the class, and we did not know them very well.
But the same goal can unite even different people, so we looked for a good place together.
Our end was at a tower both expensive and as the diner, with a room only for us.
Even tough I was dissapointed not to have sung together with locals, it was fun and we had a great view of the busy night streets.
Then we went to bed before the last day we had with the whole class here.

10. Lone Journey
I rose early this day. Both to keep Mads with company on his way to the Narita Express, but also to have some of ye old Karpe Diem.
On the Namba station I bought myself a sample of green leaves for drinking later on.
Next I entered the quickest train I have ever ridden. I had heard of it only in tales.
Swoosh it went, and I was in Koryiama. 
Not all supertrains stop at every station. Not every train stops at Koryiama.
So I stood on the platform, and realized that this had to be one of the technological wonders of the world.
For the speed was the swooshiest I had ever gazed upon.
A friend later very accurately described it as "Like when you stand on the edge of a cliff, you feel the drag towards the edge".
I sat down outside the station, listening to the rumbeling of the whole building as the traines passed and looking upon the scraper of skies with a big ball inside its top.
There a man came to me and said something incomprehensible. I said "What?"
He gave me a piece of paper. I said "What?".
I repeated "What?".
He said: "No english, this gift.", and left me.
I had no idea what the piece of paper meant, but I brought it home with me. You might find it in "Bevaringsverdig skrot".
So I went back to the station, to a part for lesser trains.
Here mine stood waiting, a tiny thing with but three karts. It was the smalles of its kind I had seen in this country.
It rolled trough neigbhboorhoods. Then woods and hills. And in the distance I could see snowy mountains reaching for the skies.
Especially one was a beuty and a reacher more than the others. Its name is Bandai.
After leaving the train and the station, I started towards my bed for the night. It was a short walk.
On the way, I saw a temple, parked my luggage in a parking spot and had a look.
And I was bewildered and delighted, for it was empty. 
I had just left the myriad of Tokyo, and here I was, alone with an old temple and graveyard.
Nothing but figures of Budda to keep me company.
It was soothing for the soul.
An apartement I also had for myself. 
So I made a cup of green tea and enjoyed having no plans in a quiet town, and all the time in the world. 
Well, I had until the next day anyhow. 
For my plans then was to take a slow train through the west coast of Japan to Osaka. Nine hours in total. But it would not be so.
I tried to take a shower, but could not, for the water was cold, and no matter what I tried, I could note make it heat.
So I got hungry and gave up. I had read in a recommandation the house owner gave me that a nearby place served home made ramen.
The home made ramen was the best I ate in all my stay. I ate it in a small cafe where an old woman who could have been my grandma served me, and I am certain she had made the noodles herself. 
This place was quiet too. None of the rush to finish eating as I had experienced earlier.
After that I decided to go find some hot springs, cause I I could not heat my own water, the earth could do it for me.
Thrity minutes it took to walk there, uphill. Sweaty as I was, I told a clerk at a hotel counter what my wishes were.
And she showed me to an elevator. This I entered, in a jacket and full clothing, smelly from a day of heat and walking.
Of course in the next floor, a group of hotel guests enter in their bathrobes.
I could see on their faces that their noses was displeased. Pity them I did.
At long last, after four agonizing floors, I could leave.
It was all worth it, for the Onsen was amazing. 
The tub was partially outside, so I had a view of the forest from my slumber in the hot water. 
I could have stayed there forever, and regretted my short stay in this wonderful Aizu-Wakamatsu.

A stranger sat beside me, and we started talking.
He had been entertained before he told, by an entertainement regarding a trip with traines in this country.
So he had decided to travel this trip himself. 
And he also was on a pilgrimage to the Three Holy Cities of Ramen.
All the way from the Middle Kingdom he had traveled, on vacation from his profession as economancer.
We ate dinner together close to the springs after both ours minds and bodies had been cleansed by these earthly waters.
Then I went back to my den. But in my bones I felt the noncloseure of the evening, I wanted more.
Beneath my stay there was a bar. There I went. When I walked down the last stairs there was someone behind me.
He looked more western that other in this town.
We sat down beside each other at the counter, and order each our drinks. He lit a sigarette and told me he was a regular.
I told him my story and he told me his.
This man had moved from Down Under to teach english to the children in this little town. 
For his city had been a friend city of the people of the city which was evacuated lately at the coast in this country.
They had been evacuated to the city I currently had a beer in.
And so he came to this bar every weekend. He was one of those who went to sleep when the birds started singing.
When the jockey of music started stepping dub we left for a tavern of wizards. Here we met his local friend, manager of sevenelevens. We had a conversation about anything really while two girls darted at a target just beside our heads.
Then said girls joined our talk. 
They were friends from their time at university, and on had come to this city from the coast to visit her friend.
And of course I enjoyed myself an Umeshu during this.
Then the guy we met first at this bar, the local, volunteered to give me a sigthseeing the following day.
Now, my plan originally was to see the west coast all next day, but both the Chinese guy and these people advised against it.
So I cancelled that, decided to take Shinkansen to Osaka and said yes to the tour.

11. A Day of Multiple Veichles
The next morning I met with my new friend.
He droveth a veicle of the very low vareity. I practically had to crawl into it, as if it was a dirty cave.
The car was however the quite opposite of a cave.
It was a rather raging cruiser of dem mean streets, as the kids say.
We cruised around listening to a new band he had introduced me to: Vreid.
First he took me to a castle, where we watched paintings of teenagers mistakenly killing themselves.
It was a rather interresting castle.
After that we went to the graveyard of mentioned teenagers. 
This was on ha forested hill, where there was the longest stairs to get up.
On the top, we found a statue gifted from Mussolini, it featured a bird and fachism. 
Then we ate a lunch of cold noodles. It contained iced cubes and was very nice.
Lastly he took me to a big crater lake containing swans.
My journey to Aizu-Wakamatzu had ended too early, and with a sad smile on my face, I started a journey across this country.
Wispered words of fables remembered entertained me all the way to Osaka.
Here I found my new stay, where I had a room to myself and shared kitchen and bathrooms with others.
My dinner was a bowl of fried rice from a 24/7 supermarked on the floor of said bedroom.

12. Familiar Faces in Kyoto
Still brave I was leaving Osaka just the next morning, but only for the day.
I traveled to the old temple town nearby and met my friend who is also girl with her classmates.
We looked at bambooic trees and ate some rice. 
Then we split ways, cause they tought there was not time to see more buildings olde.
But I on my own proved them wrong. I found a garden kept like the ancient days with a lake idyllic and diverse botany.
Had my fingers been greener I would have enjoyed its contents, alas I only gathered its calm.
After this I ventured further, over a bridge and into another forest.
Here I waked up a hill and found a big temple. 
This late in the day no other torists was here, so I walked its grounds alone.
After this spiritual journey I found a liquor store in the old Kyoto and bought a bottle Umeshu to bring home.
Now I returned to Osaka. I have not yet told you about the neighboorhood where I lived.
On the streets walked old people in ragged clothes who did not seem to have any goal with their stride.
In the morning, there were long lines in a "park" outside my stay, where hundreds of men and women waiting for free food.
Some guy later told me it was the most dangerous place in all of Osaka, but that my gender made me safe in the streets at night.
Once I saw a man shouting at the sky. Another time when I was about to fall asleep in my room, I heard a loud boom, and I suppose it had to one of them muskets of newer age.
Anyhow, I went back to this area to enjoy my evening. Here I found a eatery, and I ate some rice with meat and an egg on top for dinner.
Alone in a foreign country, I figured spending the evening alone in my hotel room would be to sad. 
So I wandered the streets in search for a bar. And I found a bar featuring music.
Here a young man played the guitar and sang live, with seven older locals and I watched.
It was very cozy, even tough I did not understand a single lyric.
In the end, someone let the lights out and displayed an artificial sky full of stars abouve while playing eerie music.
After which I was more or less pushed into the bar besides this live music place. 
It came to my knowledge that one of the listeners was also the owner of both taverns.
I also learned that the guy I saw was the last of four artists to play that night. 
One of the others gave me his demo CD vol 6, his name was Tooru Kobayashi.
He had toured Japan far and wide and was now here.
Later the elders forced the young man who did not speak many words of the global language to ask me questions.
After a while of this, I was tired, and walked home to practice the Rest.

13. The Value of Experience
It is an uncanny amount of hardware stores in Osaka. Or at least in its "Electronic City".
Unforunally I did not need neither hammer nor saw.
But I found one of the entertainements I had not seen yet in Akihabara.
A room full of old arcades seemed to be open at all times. 
Here one could play away all ones money on Bomberman and Street Figther.
I did not go that far, I but wasted some money.
Then I went looking for dice. The selection was poor, for Dungoneering seems not to be very popular in this country.
Yet I found for a small set for my gone friend, as well as one of directions. Die of Direcions; quaint, wouldnt you think?
In a small cross of smalles streets just beside my stay was a food stand.
His advertising sign had a milk gallon plasitc bottle of the american kind, filled with sand for base.
Then a paper in a plastic sleeve said Okonomiyaki, and over it hung a single light bulb of the wolfram kind.
He looked as tired and poor as the rest of the pople in the streets, but he made food like a professional.
Before my eyes my meal was prepeared, and it both looked and tasted fantastic.
Then I went back to my small stay to watch Clockwork Oranges while I waited for The Froff and The Rafa.
We ate dinner together at a place where one can order almost without human interraction.
I again ate the cold Udon again, but it was not as nice as in Aizu. 
However, this does not mean it was not nice at all, for it was.
After this my two companiens was tired, for they had used much time and energy bto get in the mail door earlier.
So we split ways, and I went home before I did as before when I was lonely in my room: went to a random bar.
This time when I entered, the only people there was two baristas. 
But as these things go, I was to akward to just walk back out, even though I would never see these girls again.
So I ordered a beer, and decided to leave and find another place after that.
Because to keep a conversation with one behind the bar would have been enough for me, but these did not speak the common tounge.
Yet luck once again came to my resque. A man entered the bar, and he spoke languages both I and the others knew.
I now found out that I was in a karaoke bar. One like I had hoped we would enter when looking for one in Tokyo.
In addition I got to know it was a chinese place. The man was a local come to practice his chinese.
Now I changed my kind, and stayed a while longer. Unlike other places I had sake before, this one served it warm.
So I ended up singing a duet of that song from Titanic with one of the baristas. 
For even though she did not know english, one of the local signs can give someone the power to pronounce anything.
Here goes my thanks to the Cancer Crew of Omega Verksted, for they have tought me useful skills.
They tought me the second song I did sing here: Evangelion. 

14. Castles and Backalleys
Next day the way led me to the famous castle in Himeji. I had built it in a game of civilizations before.
Together with my two friends from last day I went. We had a good time, and it was a beautiful place.
Very big and very defendable. But I concluded modern means of war would be able to crack even these walls.
When we got hungry, we went to a side street, searching for hidden food.
Here we experienced a monk wandering from door to door, ringing her bell, asking for food.
I had heard tales of those, but thought they existed only in stories and the past. 
We found a place for food, and I ate ramen, nom.
After this we found the day was beginning to turn into evening, so we had no time for either Kobe or Hiroshima.
Therefore we went back to Osaka, and again wandered the electronic city, for the two others had not seen it yet.
We went to a game station, and I tried the bongo drum game. Very fun.
Then we split up for fifteen minutes, and I could not find back to my friends for an hour, because of a bad internet connection.
We again got hungry, and looked for a dining with cats. We found one, yet closed. So we dined at the eatery beneath it.
Here we had multiple different types of food at once, and it was very decent.
After this we split again, and I used the rest of the evening before bedtime to walk the streets of the night town in Osaka,
sigthseeing all the interesting people roaming both streets dark and light.
Some very nice women tried to offer me a massage in the type of street first mentioned.
But I was tired, so I went home instead.

15. Questing in Kobe
I had a quest in the city of Kobe, so I went there before I took the train to Tokyo. 
Here I went to a free museum featuring sake, where I learned how to make it, and bought a sqare bottle of it.
Then I wanted to taste kobe beef. But I had also heard about the norwegian singers Kobe X Sushi, so I was not sure which to choose.
I found a beef place first, but it served beef sushi. After a mix of misunderstandings I ended up iting this.
It was meh, but now I have tasted both Kobe beef and sushi in kobe, so guess it was worth.
After this the train ride to Tokyo was over before I knew, as it was when I started writing this scoll.
At night, I found my new checkpoint. This also in Shinjuku, by chance. 
Here I shared the whole apartment with seven other people. In total four stacked beds with curtains splitting them.
However, I did not spent much time at this place, for my days were busy. All I did was sleep at the location and use its utilities.
After depositing my stuff here I went out again.
For I had a dinner apointement. A female friend of mine and her friend was to meet with me.
At Ueno we found a meateatery containing mostly locals. 
Here we both got to fry our own food and eat as much as we want. 
For five hundred extra yen we could drink as much as we wanted as well.
To eat as much of this tender steaks as we wanted was amazing. We was there for two hours and enjoyed every minute.


16. The Third Miss
I started this day by walking from New Stay Area to Original Stay. 
First I had a look at plants close to my stay, then I had an icecream in the park.
Here I exchanged fire words with an american.
On a specific time I was to meet a chemical friend and her friend.
So I stolled trough some neighbourhoods, where I can remember I saw someone recording a movie.
I had my bookreader genie with me, so entertainement was not a problem.
Original Stay had one narrow road in which people were everywhere. The people was looking for things to buy.
Meanwhile I was looking for my apointement. After too long I found them, and we went to a Cat Cafe.
The Cafe was disappointing, for it was expensive and the cats did not want my love.
After this the friend fo my friend went shopping.
The pair of us continued the stolling without goal.
We were tired and longed for the day of returning, when one did not have to activate wakeup on phone alarm.
After a long walk we found ourselves in Shibuya. 
Here we detected an underground comic store. I suspect it must have been a villains lair at some point.
Dining was commenced at Wendy's.
Lastly we found a big but hollow mall where we could aquire quest items.
Here I first picked a pair of tea, and then looked at shrooms.
While looking at those, an old lady came to me and gave me advice.
So I picked what she said and brought back home or extra XP.
Then we met my friends friend at the dog by the crossing, then I left them.
I wanted to end the evening by something familiar, so I visited Abe-Chan and his bar.
Here I found both good Umeshu and interesting people.
We were six in total at the beginning. 
The latter two was fans of the first two, and all other than me was long time friends of Abe.
Two was musicans from South Korea. the bartender had once many years ago heard their music from a CD.
As he liked it, he sent a mail to the band Mood Saloon and asked if they could come play.
They agreed back then, and had since had many trips to The East Capital.
As fairytales go, thigs happen thrice, and three times I had now arrived late for music.
I have only enjoyed their tunes at the intercontinental web. 
The band recommended me to travel to a island close to Seoul if I ever was to visit the their country.
After a while the other people left. But I remained for a while longer.
A tourist from Australia entered. She told me she had vacation, yet her boyfriend had not.
So she was on vacation without the guy; Spite on him I guess.
Next a varied group arrived. I remember one fro from Denmark and one from Deuchland.
I only remember them telling they had stayed in a capsule hotel, one of the things I missed at my stay.
Then I went to bed at the place I payed to sleep.


17. One Last Visit to The Electronic Town.
My friend from the small Akihabara at home would be my friend at the big real Electric town as well. 
As he breakfeasts later than me, I entered the area first. I was around, loooking for the rarest of drops, The Punk. 
I used many minutes, but found none. However, I got into a line. At the end of this line was computers.
Asking the guards, I eventually found that it was a competition in Millenials Game or Wallbreakers.
As my level in these skills are low, I did not dare enter the battlefield. 
Wise words I kept to: "Do not look back when retreating." 
So i went back to the station for my friend would arrive.
Here I saw a quartet of bards performing. However, they were multiclassing as maids.
A flyer they handed me, and I deemed it Keepable Trash.
The name on this read: "Hirari too Yami, produced by Hira Taku". And Twitter@HikaritoYami12
The bards was named themselves, I will list their names here, you might find it in the birdsong.
Mahironroon, yuzu_kitty1234, akira_0320D, Rikopin_0327, Yui___1231 and __iorin0.
More noble tunes are hard to find. 
Then together with my friend and my friend we looked for the art from the written artform where the Joes pose.
We found some, but not many. And I found culture I hoped to remember. Alas, the foreign names made it too hard to remember.
After this I showed my friends a discovery from earier that day.
If one passes over the bridge besides a huge game tower, one can find a kind of alley with many old and different vending machines.
Here can be found the strangest of dispencables.
Golden beetles was on display, yet we do not know wheter they are plastic, cursed or real.
One whole machine was dedicated to train figurines.
I think I saw bouncing balls.
Other miscellanious items was also spotted, yet most interesting of all was the boxes with printed paper taped to them.
The print told a story, yet we could not decipher it. We aquired one of those, and I think the Froff has the print, for I have it not.
Inside the box was an item, we got cookies. 
Also, the end of the story seemes to be inside too. Thus it seems like one pays to see the end.
After this grand discovery the party once again split up. 
Since the next morrow would be early, I went to bed without delay.

18. Return and Request
The flight home went as problem free as one could excpect,
as the only mistake was that my luggage returned one day later than me.
Now I will conclude my tales with a request.
Please travel to the great country of Japan.
And when you do, record your own story and append it to the library where you found this.
Together we can record all information which is to be gained, and make a wonder for humanity.
Sincerely, Scriburd