Organized Chaos

*welcome to our world*

Tug of War October 22, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 11:13 am

October 12, 2008 was the date set for the annual Naha Tug of War and the Day’s were determined to be a part of it this year. Rain keep us away last year but this year the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. First a little background on the tug of war…..

Naha has been holding this traditional event for over 400 years. It is a battle between eastern and western villages with a promise of a bountiful harvest and safety for the winners. Legend has it that if the west side wins, farmers will boast a plentiful harvest and if the east side wins, fisherman will do the same. All participants are encouraged to take a piece of the rope home with them as a measure of good luck throughout the year. After the year is up and the next tug of war rolls around, the  old rope is to be burned and replaced with a new piece. As for the rope that is used in the tug of war…..it is in the Guinness World Records book for being the largest of its kind. It takes a crew of 16 people 8 weeks to hand make the rope from rice straw. It is approximately 600 ft. long and weighs a mind boggling 43 tons.

I played tug of war with a 43 ton rope.

The city was even more crowed than usual and the main highway was shut down for the event. It was crazy to say the least. We had to push and shove our way to the rope. You had to be aggressive if you wanted to participate. It was relatively easy for me and the kids but Danny had some reservations about shoving his six foot frame through frail old ladies and small children. He eventually made his way. He and Amy were several feet away from Brian and I but we all had our hands on the rope. When the pulling began the chaos stopped and like little worker bees everyone fell in and began tugging with a defined rhythm. It was amazing! We swayed back and forth using all our strengthh together to move the rope. This lasted about 20 minutes before a winner was declared. And just as quickly as it had halted, the chaos resumed. Participants whipped out knifes from their bags and pockets and started hacking away at the rope. Not pocket knives. I look around and see elderly men sawing through the rope with 10″ blades. Picture it: there are 25,000 people crowded around a 600 foot area pushing and shoving trying to get their hands on a piece of the rope while knives are being flung around in every direction. Scary! Only in Japan could this take place with no violence. I’ve never seen anything like it and probably never will again. We managed to get our hands on a decent sized piece of rope and made a bee line for a less chaotic section of town. We did some late afternoon shopping and enjoyed local snacks before we headed home. The best part of the day was the intoxicating smells coming from the food vendors lined up on the streets. There is nothing better than traditional food cooked by the locals! I doubt that we will attend the tug of war next year. Not because it wasn’t fun and exciting but it’s one of those…been there, done that, got the t-shirt, catch it on TV next year! Plus, my ribs were nice and bruised the next morning from all the pushing and shoving!

 

Tokyo Day Five August 10, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 11:52 am

Not much to say about day five since we slept through most of it. When we finally did get out of bed it was lunchtime. Soon after that it was time to head to the airport. Amazingly we were not nearly as sore as we had expected to be. That was certainly a nice surprise! Anyway, here I will post a few photos that didn’t really fit in anywhere else.

 

Tokyo Day Four August 10, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 11:07 am

This was it. The day we had been anticipating the most. The whole purpose of our trip to the mainland.

The bus pulled out from the hotel at 3am sharp. The two and a half hour drive to Mt. Fuji was full of nervous excitement. Everyone thought they knew what to expect. After all, the tour company required that we watch a video of tourists climbing the mountain a week before we even left the island. They wanted to make sure we all understood what we were about to tackle. Looking back, there is no video that can ever prepare you for such an adventure. We purchased all the recommended gear, did the research, brought appropriate high energy snacks, lots of water, etc. No one could have been more equipped for this challenge than we were. Oh, how very naive we were.

At the base camp we purchased our “Fuji Sticks”, aka walking sticks, located the rally point in which we were to meet back at 7pm and then set out on our own. It was 6am. The first hour was terrible. I really didn’t think I would be able to make it up. Danny and the kids were fine but I was dragging. Then we made it to the first station, got our very first stamp on our Fuji Sticks, and l got my second wind. I discovered a technique that ensured I would be able to make it. The trick? I pulled my hat down so that I couldn’t see anything above me. Looking forward was too daunting. Seeing how far I had to go to get to the next station was overwhelming and very discouraging. I hiked for the next two hours with my eyes focused solely on the ground beneath me. It worked. The next leg of the hike was different however and didn’t allow me to use my new found technique. For the next two hours we were rock climbing. I didn’t see this coming. No where on the video did it show people climbing up piles of crumbling volcanic rocks. It was challenging but fun. A nice change of pace from just walking up hill. Amy almost got knocked out from falling rock at one point. Lucky for her a Japanese tour guide saw it coming and reached out to divert it with his hands. Ouch! Falling rock wasn’t Amy’s only worry. She was hurting in a big way. She finally broke into tears and said she couldn’t go any further-that this was the worst vacation ever! At this point we were too close to not finish. And so we pressed on.  

The final hour and a half was hands down the worst. Put aside the fact that we are so high its hard to breathe and our heads are throbbing with pain from the thin air and that we are thoroughly exhausted from climbing up a volcano for the last five hours. Now imagine climbing the final leg of the hike and for every step you take you slide back half a step. Really, could it get much worse? Grown women were in tears all around us; giving up so close to the top. The volcanic rock had turned to sandy gravel and it was near impossible to make any progress. But finally, finally, finally we made it. Six and a half hours, twenty one stamps on our Fuji sticks, one can of oxygen and two $5 bottles of water and we had made it. Like magic our headaches went away and we felt invincible. Adrenaline is a crazy thing. There wasn’t much a view, only clouds, but that was okay it didn’t matter. We had done what each of us at one point in the day had thought was impossible.

And then we had to get down.

Thirty minuets into the decent and our heads were pounding again and we were miserable again. It only took two and a half hours to get down but it was not easy. Gravity takes over and you practically slide down the mountain. It’s brutal on your ankles and knees. And if you’re me or Amy it’s pretty hard on your bottom too since we were on it more than our feet. Even Danny’s hiney hit the dirt a few times going down. But Brian, he was the real star of the day. He made it up and down to each station much faster than the rest of us. He would get to the next station and just sit and wait on us. He probably could have made it up in four hours and down in one on his own. Maybe less.

When we finally made it to the base camp we were starving. We ate and then crashed until the rest of our tour group made it down and we could leave. It was a long drive to the hotel because it was the beginning of summer break for the Japanese and traffic was a nightmare. I can’t recall a time that I was happier for a hot shower and a warm bed than that night.

Many people have asked, 1) would you do it again and 2) if you knew then what you know now would you have still done it? To them I say…No, I would never climb Mt. Fuji again. Once is enough for me. And yes, I absolutely would have done it even if I knew how miserable it would be. The sense of accomplishment is worth every drop of sweat.

Mount Fuji = 19,055 grueling steps

 

Tokyo Day Three August 9, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 6:39 am

Day three was much slower than the first two. The reason? We had to be well rested the next day for the climax of our trip …Mt. Fuji.

We ventured out to a small man made island in the middle of Tokyo called Odaiba. Once we again we were subway challenged but with a little help from some English speaking locals, we found our way. We weren’t sure what to expect but you can imagine the joy Danny and the kids experienced when we wandered upon a five story, yes five, arcade. ”Sega Joypolis”- I imagine that in their minds the building was surrounded by bright, glowing light and they must have heard beautiful music as if they had stumbled onto some new found promise land. Needless to say we spent all of our time in Odaiba at the arcade. But that’s okay; even I have to admit that it was pretty awesome. They offered lots of 3D rides which is something that all four of us enjoy. Brian and I went on a 3D hang glider ride and he screamed like a girl the whole time. During the ride he asked me if I thought the people waiting in line could hear him. They could. Danny said they were laughing and really getting a kick out of him. We all competed against each other in a track and field game. We raced, hurdled and long jumped against each other. It was like the old Nintendo Power Pad but on a much larger scale. Overall Brian came in 1st, then me, Danny and Amy. We also played a racing game against each other in real, life size cars. The cars moved as if you were actually driving. I was the passenger in a car driven by Amy-I got car sick. I had to take a little break and regroup before I could do anymore rides/games.

The kids won lots of prizes playing the claw machine games. Mostly snacks and candy. I have never had any luck at those games but Brian wins just about every time he plays. Danny and I spent a good hour playing the slot machine version of Monopoly. We were on a winning streak for a while but ended up walking away empty handed.

At one point during the day the building started shaking. The prizes hanging from the ceiling were swinging back and forth and once again I started to feel a little woozy. I told Danny, I think this is an earthquake. He said, no it’s probably just the roller coaster downstairs. It wasn’t the roller coaster. When we got back to the hotel everyone was talking about the earthquake. We got all carbed up at dinner in preparation for our big day. Spaghetti and meatballs for four; it actually wasn’t bad, who knew? After dinner we set our alarm for 2:30am and turned in at 7:00pm for what we hoped would be a very restful 7 hours of sleep.

Day three….6,024 very shaky steps.

 

Tokyo Day Two August 2, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 12:48 pm

Our feet were still sore from our excursion the day before but not enough to keep us away from Tokyo Disney. There are two different parks: Disney Land and Disney Sea. We opted for Disney Sea since we have done Disney Land more times that I care to admit. We were really excited to visit a Disney park that we have never experienced before and we weren’t sure what to expect. Not surprisingly our expectations were exceeded. Disney just never does disappoint! Everything in the park was water based, hence the name “Sea”. It was split into different “lands” just like all of the other parks. There is Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Port  Discovery, Lost River Delta, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast and Mysterious Island. We couldn’t have chosen a better day to go. The weather was a little overcast so it wasn’t too hot and summer break hadn’t begun yet so the lines were not long at all. I think the longest we stood in line was maybe 15-20 minutes. The park as a whole is one of the prettiest Disney parks we have visited; beautiful architecture and lush gardens. Anyway, bottom line is this….It was great fun!

Almost forgot…..day 2 =13,513 steps.

 

Tokyo Day One July 27, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 10:56 am

Well, as expected, Tokyo was a blast. I took close to 400 pictures with my new camera (my birthday present). That being said…..it may take me a while to pick and choose which ones to upload to the site, so please be patient. (you know who you are)

We left Okinawa early and arrived in Tokyo at 10:35am. After we checked into the New Sanno Hotel (highly recommend this place) we set out to conquer the subway system and find lunch. Everyone we spoke to about the subway said “no worries, it’s so simple, anyone can do it” – Anyone but us apparently. Even after a quick lesson from an seasoned subway passenger, we still had issues, many issues. Let’s just say that it was an experience and leave it at that. Once we had filled our tummies at the Hard Rock Cafe we were all in a better mood and ready to explore the area. Our first stop was the Tsukiji Fish Market. I was really excited to see this place but we apparently went at the wrong time of day because it was a ghost town. A really smelly ghost town. Trading goes on in the early morning hours and by the time we got there all that was left  to see were buckets of fish heads and other unidentifiable fish parts. So we had to resort to plan B, which turned out to be an impromptu visit to the historic Hama-rikyu Gardens, located around the corner. I enjoyed this more that Danny and the kids but that is to be expected I suppose. The park/garden was very pretty and the trees were very unusual and unlike any I have ever seen before.

When we finished up at the gardens we attacked the subway again and headed to Tokyo Tower. The tower is the worlds tallest self-supporting steel tower. It is 333m tall; the Eiffel Tower is 320m tall. I got into the tower for free because it was my birthday. They also gave me a birthday card and cake! The view was amazing but my knees got a little wobbly when we approached a section of the floor that was made of glass. Well it probably wasn’t glass but you could see the ground under you. Way, way, way under you. Aside from the view, the tower boosts many other attractions which we decided to partake in…..A Space Wax Museum (lame), A Wax Museum (very cool), A Trick Art Museum (very, very cool) and a Guinness Book of World Records Museum (very, very, very cool).

Overall we had a great day. We were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel but the kids couldn’t resist the indoor pool. One other key thing to mention about day one: when we checked into the hotel we found out that the tour company had booked us two rooms instead of one that would house all of us. Yes, Brian and Amy had their own room, across the hall from us, for the entire trip. Ten years from now, when asked about their trip to Tokyo, you mark my word, that will be what they remember “We had our own room!”

And last but not least………I am obsessed with my pedometer so I have to mention that day one ended with a total of 16,721 steps. In case you were wondering.

 

Forest Adventure July 13, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 10:33 am

Yesterday we went on a tour to a place called “Forest Adventure”. It is pretty much the coolest thing I have ever done. We spent two hours zip-lining through the Okinawan jungle and it was a blast. We have been looking forward to this tour for the last two weeks and it was well worth the wait. The park it is brand new and our tour was the very first one of its kind. Actually aside from the 15 or so people on our tour there were only a handful of other patrons. Not for long though. As soon as word spreads about this place it will be packed every weekend. We are hooked and will be visiting on a regular basis. When we first arrived and Amy saw how high the bridges and zip lines were she started to chicken out. We basically had to force her onto the first zip line. And needless to say, all it took was one time flying through the jungle like a bird, to have her craving more.

 

Okinawa World June 14, 2008

Filed under: Uncategorized — natalieday @ 8:09 am

So last weekend we took a day trip to “Okinawa World” in Nanjo City. We (Danny, Amy and myself) had a great time. Brian on the other hand just stared at his watch all day and stressed about the possibility that he might not make it back in time to meet his friends in “American Village” later that afternoon.

The main attration at the park is the “Gyokusendo Cave”. It is noted for having the greatest stalactites and stalagmites in all of Asia. We are not cave saavy; this is only the second one we have ever visisted. But WOW, it is amazing! It is only a fraction of the size of Mammoth Cave in KY but it more than compenstates with a breathtaking interior. It blew me away! 

The park also features a tropical orchard, craft village, glass blowing factory, brewery and snake museum. Check it out……….