Merry Christmas

Roppongi Fun

Mori Gardens

Sorry Atilano, you missed out (LOL)

Beer Price per glass (1000 yen or $10.00), yes we are in Tokyo

Christmas Day 2008

Oh, Erica loves those sweets-

Lets see turkey, ham or roast beef - Hmmmm

The service here is always excellent!

First of all, we would like to wish everybody back home a Merry Christmas. Feeling somewhat burned out with cooking and baking we decided to take advantage of the wonderful Christmas Buffet at The New Sanno Hotel. Our friends also felt that way and decided to join us. After feasting on all that food, we spent the afternoon at Rappongii.

Dance Girl

Birthday Fun

Larissa wanted a homeade cake, so we made this wacky looking cupcake cake.  

Slumber Party Time

Today we celebrated Larissa's 10th birthday a second time.  This time Larissa invited some neighborhood kids and girls from school.  It was a nice sunny day.  Everyone had a blast.  Now all Rene and I have to do is make it through the night.  

Merry Christmas To Our Japanese Friends

Making GingerBread Bird Houses

Well as we all come together to celebrate Christmas, we give thanks for all we have been blessed with.  This is a busy time of the year and we sometimes get lost and tend to forget the true meaning of Christmas.  Sharing the spirit of the season together is important.  This is the time many become depressed and homesick.  For us, staying as busy as we can helps keep us from getting too homesick.  Last night we met our friends at the O' Club for drinks and dinner. This is becoming a regular routine for us on Friday nights.  I will order the kids a pizza and a  movie and they seem to stay content.  It is nice to go out and spend time together.   Yesterday, I also stayed busy as we hosted our Japanese friends.  I picked them up at the train station and did not realize how busy our visitor center would be as I tried checking them into the base.  Many Japanese culture groups take place around base, so I guess this was the day for Christmas parties.  The ladies enjoyed our company, music, crafts and of course food.

Baking Away

Now I understand why mom bought the Pan De Polvo every year.  With no Pan de Polvo here to buy, I had to make it myself.  This was an all day affair.  My feet ached and i was tired.  It seems I am doing quite a bit of baking and cooking while here in Japan.  Nevetheless, my efforts paid off.  The cookies were a hit.

My Sweet Larissa

Today is Larissa's 10th birthday.  As I see Larissa blossom into a sweet kind hearted young girl, I still can't believe how quickly the years have gone by.  Tonight we will have ice cream cake and celebrate her birthday Sunday with a big party and sleepover.  With all the Christmas events taking place, she will have to wait until Sunday.  Happy Birthday Larissa!

The Annual Christmas Party

Happy Holidays!  Tonight Rene and I attended the annual Med Group Christmas party.  The hospital association goes all out for this part and it is always a success.  The theme for the night was a mascarade ball.  The company, food, and entertainment were great.

Roppongi

Friday night we had dinner at the hotel Japanese Restaurant.  For $25.00 a person we got salmon or jumbo shrimp (made by our own Japanese chef), sushi, rice, salad, miso soup and Japanese vegetables.  Oh, and did I mention the shrimp tempura.  Now if this does'nt temp you enough to come visit us, I am not sure what will. 

You can sit and just be fascinated with the people walking by-

Having German beer at Roppongi at 10:30 in the morning-

We had some time to kill on Saturday morning, so we walked to the Roppongi area to show Atilano and Melba a more exclusive side of Tokyo. Roppongi is known for its night life and exclusive shops.  After looking at some of the price tags (3,000 for a coat) Melba and I quickly walked out of the department store.

Relaxing at The New Sanno

We can dream, can't we (LOL)

Renie and Larissa having fun at the pool

The heated indoor pool at The New Sanno is very inviting.  

Very clean, no shoes aloud and a full time life guard.

This Friday we took the day off and spent the weekend at The New Sanno.  The New Sanno is a Military Hotel located in a very exclusive part of Tokyo.  The best part about staying there is the cost (only $63.00/night).   Atilano and Melba met us there for one last evening together.  The rooms, bar, pool, and restaurants are wonderful.  It is the highest security hotel we have ever stayed at.  

Off We Go

Enjoy our adventure by bullet train to Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima.  See more pictures by clicking on Atilano's blog under my favorite blogs A Traves Del Pacifico.

Miyajima

Picture Perfect Day

The Island is known for its Rice Scoop

Some Friends Rene met on the train.  We exchanged phone numbers.

Five Storied Pagoda

Itsukushima Shrine built 1400 years ago on the water

Said to be the home of the gods, Miyajima is counted as one of Japan's three most beautiful places.  With beauty created from religious faith, Miyajima has fascinated visitors for generations.  Home of the best oysters in Japan, and I can attest to that.  

Hiroshima

Taken right after the bomb hit.  Complete devastation-

Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims

The Children's Peace Monument

There are hundreds of paper cranes made by children from all over.  They represent peace for the victims.

This was city hall now called the A-bomb dome.  This is only building the city left standing as a reminder.

I never thought much about atomic bombs until we visited Hiroshima. At 8:15am on August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was hit by the world's first atomic bomb. A US Air Force Pilot was given the order to bomb Hiroshima in hopes of ending the war. Thousands of innocent lives were lost and those who managed to survive suffered countless radiation effects. Peace Memorial Park is a somber place and it's museum is a reminder of how war can devastate so many lives. The museum houses photos, and other materials (clothes, body parts, etc...) that convey the horror of that day. The bomb dome is all that is left standing.

Kyoto Japan

The entrance to the Torii Gates

Starting our climb up the Torii gates.  This is the scene where the girl runs through the gates in Memoirs of a Geisha.  They say there are about 30,000 gates.  The climb was tough due to my ankle injury.

Come on Melba, buy that golden Sake

Kinkakujui Temple area-Talk about a picture perfect landscape.  I just wanted to sit and go into a Zen state (LOL).  The temple is gold plated and beautiful-

What a wonderful trip we had to Kyoto and Hiroshima.  Kyoto had such a magical presence and feel, it is difficult to describe it in words.  It is one of the most preserved cities in Japan. We visited temples, gardens, the Torii gates where a scene from Memoirs of a Giesha took place, Geon Market and much more.  The bullet train ride was wonderful.  Traveling at over 200 miles an hour, you could hardly feel a thing.  Arrival time-2 hours-