Off to Odawara!

Watashi wa Odawara-jou ni ik i mashita!

Odawara, a place name we see on all Tokaido Line signs (orange stripe trains), a place we pass through or change trains at but a place I hadn't explored! Unsure about leaving the air conditioned apartment to venture out, I left my departure until nearly midday. Not a good start. I headed off on the Negishi Line to Ofuna then changed to the Tokaido Line. Four stops past Ofuna, at Hiratsuka, the train made an elongated stop. I waited patiently. People were getting on...a sure sign we'd be leaving soon and leave we did...but what? We were five stops short of Odawara and now heading in the opposite direction back to Tokyo. Darn! Nothing to do but get off at the next station, Chigasaki, and resume my southwards journey! Finally after nearly two hours, I arrived in Odawara! Baka na!!

Not wanting to waste any more time, I had a quick lunch at Beck's Coffee Shop then started my solo, 'Jenny Lost in Japan Tour'.

Wandering along the streets, I was in imminent danger of not arriving at the first designated 'port of call', Odawara Castle Park (Odawara Joshi Koen). Every town is full of shops, and more shops, but here, today, the beautifully paved streets were wide and uncrowded. Having lost my favourite Japanese sun hat, on a trip to Akihabara, I decided that today was the perfect opportunity to replace it, especially without an impatient male breathing down my neck! I bought one and then saw another one in a different shop that I quite liked so I bought that too. Uh oh! Time to move on!

It was about a ten minute walk to the castle with plenty of distractions along the way. Like many places, the castle has been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries.  After the 1923 Kanto Earthquake and WW2, it was once again practically destroyed. The museum had displays of historical remnants and relics of earlier times. Unfortunately, taking photos was forbidden. There was no charge to wander around the gardens but a 400 yen admittance fee to the castle and museum. I paid 200 yen for something else but never did work out what it was for. Plenty of requests, in broken Japanese, and I was still none the wiser. With a strong samurai history, you could even hire samurai clobber and have your photo taken.

I spent a delightful few hours within the castle grounds, taking the obligatory tourist snaps and even purchasing another himitsu bako (secret/puzzle box) with a 21 step opening process (3,800 yen) and some chopstick rests ( 530 yen each) from Hakone. The puzzle box originated in the Hakone region at the turn of the 19th century. Once opened, it usually contains a lucky charm (very lucky, if I am to remember the 21 steps). Chopstick rests are a 'dime a dozen', actually not that cheap, but these ones were quite intricate and another reminder of beautiful Hakone, the place we have visited so many times. The gardens were lovely and, as usual, the twisted trees which have been trained over the decades and even longer, were magnificent. I liken them to giant bonsai. Many trees, large and small, are very heavily pruned and trained into some form!

Leaving the castle, I just couldn't help but dart up and down streets on my way back to the station. As I exited the park through a different gate, there was a lovely shrine and then a beautiful field of lotus.

See the carp in the water!

There are always so many things to see, so I take photos and try to squeeze as many visions into my head as I can. On this occasion, I couldn't be left behind with all my stopping and starting though. This was another 'solo' venture and 'herself' didn't mind if she dawdled and absorbed!

Drive down this road and it takes you along the east coast of the Izu Peninsula.

Walking back to the station!

When I reluctantly decided it was time to catch the train home (950 yen each way), I had run out of daylight and nearly walked my feet off. For a while, the later it had got....the better the light was for taking photos. It seemed to take an interminably long time to get back to Ishikawacho and, I'm afraid, I even found myself nodding off with all the other commuters. I arrived back at Leyton House just on 8.00pm. I may have made a late start but had made up for my tardiness with this late arrival home! 'Himself', even had to get his own meal!

Great Day for a Run!

The weather was perfect! Why wouldn't you go for a run? There was no rain, lots of sunshine, it was 36 degrees with high humidity and there was a Charity Sumo Hash Run on at Kamakura. Perfect location as well! Naturally, I say this with 'tongue in cheek'!
 

Tomodachi Charity Fun Run... 'In the Sun' 

Come and enjoy the fun in the sun at Kamakura this Sunday

Charity Run:  All donations will go to Tohoku Earthquake Charity

Sumo Hash House Harriers  Run No: 300 14 Aug 300th Anniversary Run!

12:00 PM Start

Starting at Wadazuka（和田塚）

Enoshima Dentetsu Line 江ノ島電鉄線 (ENODEN)

12:00 PM Start　(12時までに来てね)

Kamakura-kaihin Park （鎌倉海浜公園) 

Hares-Miss Piggy and Ice Delight

For First Time Hashers

The Hash House Harriers (HHH) is a running tradition going back to 1938. It was started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by Alberto Stephano Ignatius Gisbert, a British expatriate. Hashing is a noble sport where one or two persons (the hares), lay a trail of shredded paper, flour, sawdust or chalk marks (the scent) behind them, over fields, through woods etc., rather than on roads. A larger group of participants (the pack of hounds) set out later and track them. Hares set false trails, loops and several checkpoints where the scent abruptly stops. This temporarily confuses the pursuing pack, resulting in cries of 'Are-You?' and 'Checking'. On finding the trail once again, cries of 'On-On!' regroup the hounds who then continue the chase. Usually one member sounds a hunting horn or bugle (in our case a whistle)- short toots for checking, a long blast to rally the pack when they find the trail. Runs last roughly one hour, ending with plenty of drinks (mostly beer) and food.

Actually, any sane person wouldn't have tried to go for a run in these conditions, but 'say no more'!  Zan nen desu! Steve and I met up with Moses and Tay, a Singaporean whom Moses had worked with in Sakhalin, at Ishikawacho and caught the obligatory three trains to the starting point at Yuighama Beach. As it was an earthquake charity run it was a fairly large group that called, 'On, on!' and headed off. T-shirts were available for 1,000 yen with the money going to the chosen charity, as did the 1,000 yen per person entry fee. Many people paid more than the 1,000 yen for the t-shirt though, to support the earthquake victims.

Our run, the Kamakura Tomodachi Run, 'In the Sun',  started at midday and, unbelievably, there was another run, the Rising Moon Tomodachi (friend) Run, at 3.00pm. We weren't that mad though! The location was gorgeous and, in spite of being my 'gazillionth' trip to Kamakura, I saw sights that to date I hadn't seen. It may have been a perfect location but the hills were steep, very steep in places. We soon reduced our speed to a slower pace and halfway through, after missing an arrow and having to check back, the three guys said, 'We're outta here, we're going to the beach!' 

Not one to give I up I soldiered on, although by this stage it was more like a walking jog. Like on my Sumo Run at Enoshima last year, I was in imminent danger of becoming a molten mess on the pavement. Phew!! Nearly 8 kilometres later I reached the finish line.

The course took the 'hounds' along streets, up hills, past the Giant Buddha, up more hills, through temples and along paths lined with red and white banners, up more hills, through a cave, through cemetries (no, I wasn't ready to lie down yet), down the busy shopping street and the tree lined avenue of Kamakura township. Recognising my orientation by this stage, I thought I was nearly there. Wrong! The 'hares' then made us weave around and around the streets. I must admit it's easier to find the course on a daytime hash run. At night, I usually don't have the vaguest idea where I am! Mmm! Easy to become, 'Lost in Japan'!

Sometimes it was downhill!

A big guy ahead of me had trouble squeezing through this gap!

Finally, I was back to the start at Yuighama Beach. Jennifer wa o medeto gozaimasu! We enjoyed the customary 'Down, Downs' and ridiculous frivolity that always follows, which even saw me downing a glass of beer or two. Punishment, not because I was a Virgin Hare or new to the group, but because the four of us were having a private chat during the 'Down, Downs'! That was a signal for the Hash Master to publicly humiliate the offenders! We'd already had to down a beer because we hadn't done a hash run in the last four weeks. Goodness, they're a hard lot! There was delicious mahi mahi fish, beer and lots of nibbles and laughter. Well done Miss Piggy (Danny) and Ice Delight, great organisation!

When the battery went flat I had done 6.77 km's but, wait, there was still more!

Our little group headed off to the crowded beach for a long awaited swim. Unfortunately, we soon changed our minds when we saw the water wasn't quite as pristine as we'd hoped. We found a quaint little eating place called, 'Seedless Bar' and enjoyed a 'pricey' snack! Overlooking the beach and with the sea breeze wafting through, this small cafe was a lovely spot to rest before heading home.

We still had to walk back to the station in the sweltering heat to catch the same three trains home. The small, 'street car' like train (the Enoden Line) was insanely crowded, typical of a midsummer weekend. By the time we reached home 'Himself' was suffering heatstroke and questioning the sanity of our decision to go for a run! Simple, if we hadn't done it, we wouldn't have the tale to tell and remember. It's all part of the rich tapestry!

Min'na san ga ki-o tsuke te kudasai!