Today, Saturday, with Tomoko at Himeji and Sannomiya.

Well, chances are that I won`t be able to blog much the next few days beacuse I will be hiking in the mountains, with my totally over weight bag, and soaking in Hot springs yay!!! I think that`s a great way to end a trip, especially considering that mom says this is the trip she has walked the most on. The same goes for me, but I haven`t gone on half as many as she has. I can`t wait till I have 18 year old daughters, then I can go on trips without having to plan a thing!!
Anyways, today was tons of fun. Tomoko is really cute. Very lolita, even though she wasn`t wearing lolita, you can just tell. She says she is going to wear lolita tomorow. I`m really excited!!
So, we left Gojo Guest House at about 8 and took the subway to Kyoto sation. Then we struggled to figure out what we were doing for the next two hours, especailly considering we ended up somehow on a Nozomi Shinkansen, the fastest train, which isn`t suppse to use a JR pass, but somehow it did. However, we ended up in Himeji right on time! 10:00!! We were suppose to meet Tomoko in front of the ticket gate. We didn`t know which one, but guessed that it might be the central exit and headed that way. I was convinced that I would spot her before she spotted me, buit once again I failed. I walk throught the ticket gate and then hear someone calling my name. Darn it!! How come they always see me first?　Is it possibly becuase I am American? Isn`t my hair dark enough? Why God didn`t you give me hair that was just maybe 2 shades darker than it really is?!!!
So, we went and got in her mom`s car and headed with her mom as well, yes, someone has to be driving the car. You can`t drive till your 18 in Japan. Then we headed for Hemiji castle. We went in one of the side Gardens and it was so beautiful!! The we walked in the maids corrider of the castle. The castle is huge!! Most of it is under construction. Which is also really neat. Then we went out to eat. We had tempura shrimp in soba. Or something like that. All I know is that once again it was delicious, and that my nose was running again.
Then, Her mother, who was VERY nice by the way, dropped us off at Hemiji stationa and we headed for Kobe. We went to Sannomiya, and went shopping. I actually bought some clothes for quite cheap. Yay!!!
And we got ice cream and pie which was very oishii!!!
Oh, ya!! I almost missed one of the most memorable events of the day! Purikura!!!
In case you don`t know what that is, I will explain. So, this is what I knew before we went:
basically it is likethe booths where you take pictures in the mall, only in color and you can decorate the poicture with stuff and it makes you look a little different, like your eyes are bigger.
So, I told Tomoko that I wanted to do Purikura. She takes us to this shop that is filled with purikura booths and other games, very bright colors and music so loud you can`t hear yourself think!!
You go in this HUGE bright booth, enough space for at least five people, and then there is a screen. You insert ￥400 and then on the screen you pick 6 picvtures of gurls doing really cute poses. The peace sign, hearts etc.. Then you take your picture doing whatever poses show up on the screen that you picked. After this, you go to another booth and decorate the pictures with more things then you havce time to do. I decorated 2, she decorated 4.
The you print them. That`s it!!!
sugoi!!! I liked it! Mom didn`t so much, thanks to the really loud music.
Then we went to the station and mom and I tooik a train here and now we are in Kobe Dears Backpacker House, where the two girls that run it are hilarious and think everything is cute and cool!!

Talk to you all later!!