And the trip continued...

This comes from Greg Anderson - sorry it's late, but I was on vacation.

Konnichiwa!

I'm sitting at home, and am finally getting around to writing up a guest post for the last few days of our Japanese experience. Our travel days after leaving Arao City were so full, I never had a chance to compose this before returning to wet, cool Colorado.

Sumimasen for two things:
Taking so long to pen this guest post.
For this guest post being so long.


My memory of the end of the exchange is that when we boarded the train bound for Kyoto, It felt kind of bittersweet. Boarding that train marked the end of the exchange, and the end of Shanlie's last event as a member of Trebol White (for at least a year). I'm so happy that Shanlie's last outing with this team was for this exchange. What a great experience.

So here are my recollections of our post-Arao travel odyssey.

As the rest of the team and parents were boarding the bus for Fukuoka, The Andersons, Ciaglos, and Formans went to Arao Station and got on the express train for Hakata. At Hakata, we boarded the Shinkansen (bullet train) Hikari for Shin-Osaka. The bullet trains are fast, smooth, and comfortable. We could not even tell how fast we were going. At the Shin-Osaka station, we changed trains to get on a Shinkansen Kodoma for Kyoto. The Kodoma is a larger (and I believe faster) train than the Hikari. It seats 3 on one side of the aisle and 2 on the other (the Hikari seats 2 and 2). This was our first train riding "challenge" of the trip. We had a 6 minute layover. We had asked in Arao, and the attendant there said we should be able to get to our new platform in 5 minutes, so we should be good. But we had lots of luggage, and our train arrived 2 minutes late, so we only had 4 until the next train left! So here we were running through the station, and running up the stairs (Reed was great, carrying his bag up those stairs). We made it right as the train pulled in, and got on in time. Yeah! our first success. Our success was short-lived, however, as Greg mis-read his schedule and thought we had 45 minutes until Kyoto (we really had 15 minutes). Fortunately, the conductor came by and told us we were at the Kyoto station while we were just sitting in our seats. You've never see 8 people gather luggage and get off of a train so quickly!

In Kyoto, we left our luggage in lockers, and boarded a train for Nara. Upon arriving in Nara, we got some ice cream at 7-11 (the strawberry twist was excellent), then we took a bus to Nara park where we were almost immediately accosted by crazed deer. They ate Carol's map and surrounded Natalie. Once we escaped the deer, we went to the Todaiji Temple (the largest wooden building in the world). It houses the Daibutsu, a 16.2 m (53.1 ft.)-high bronze statue of Buddha. In the Temple there is a column with a hole in it the size of the Buddha's nostril. Apparently it is good luck if you can crawl through it. Carol and I didn't even try, but everyone else made it through (although Michael had to pull Shanlie a little bit). From there, we walked to the Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do Halls on a hill overlooking Nara. Then we walked to the Kasuga Taisa Shrine. This is where we first figured out that shrines and temples close at around 5:30. We couldn't enter the Shrine, so it was a little disappointing. From here, we took the 2 KM hike back to the train station. We were all getting tired at this point, so the walk seemed like about 5 KM instead of 2. On the way back we went by the Kofukuhi Temple, which has a 3 story pagoda and a 5 story pagoda.
We realized we needed to hurry back to the train station or we would have a 1 hour wait for the next train. It was a bit of a forced "double-time" march, but we made our train and collapsed for the ride back to Kyoto. Once we got back to Kyoto, we gathered our luggage and took our "short 8 minute walk" to the Ryokan Sukura. The Sukura is a great little Ryokan, and is comes highly recommended by all three families on this trip! But that 8 minute walk was about 20 minutes, and since we were already tired, our luggage felt like about 100 pounds each! After checking in, we asked where we could get dinner at 9:00 PM. They pointed us to a little noodle place a couple of blocks away. WOW! If you ever find yourself in Kyoto, do yourself a favor and find this little place (see one of us for the name and address). Order #1 -- cold noodles and spicy sauce. We all agreed it was the best restaurant we went to, and it was less than $10 per person (not including beer for the adults).

On Friday, we got up, purchased the 500 Yen (about $5.00) all-day bus pass, and headed out to the Golden temple. This is one of the must-see places in Kyoto. It is beautiful. 2/3 of the outside being coated in gold-leaf. The gardens and pond were beautiful as well. Since we got there early, we were able to see it before the crowds arrived. From there, we caught the bus to the Heian Shrine. I loved this place. With the orange/red trim on the buildings, it is an amazing site. We paid the small fee to head into the gardens (even though it wasn't the best time of year for blooming plants), and walked through. They are peaceful and well worth the money. We stopped at an area where there are stepping blocks across a pond. Michael put his photography skills to good use getting multiple exposure shots of the girls and Reed on multiple blocks. Then he set up a timer and got a photo of all 8 of us on different blocks. They are great, look for them on the Ciaglo's smugmug pages. Hopefully, we can get at least the photo of us all posted on this blog as well. From here, we walked through the Higashiyama area down to the Kiyomizu Temple. There was a lot of shopping on these narrow cobblestone streets, and it took us pretty much the rest of the day to make the walk (our guide book said it was a 1 hour walk, but we took closer to 4). We saw the Marcias on this walk, and chatted for a bit. Oscar said that they also took about 4 hours to clear all of the shops in this area. The Hiyomizu Temple sports what we later referred to as "holy water" or "smart water". The name of the temple means pure water, and it (the water) is supposed to have power to heal, give wisdom, and give success. We brought some home for Brock, since he has SATs and ACTs coming up! This temple is constructed without the use of a single nail! From here, we caught the (very crowded) bus to Sanjusangen-do Hall, which houses 1001 Buddhas. At this point, we were reminded that historical places close down early, as we arrived after it was closed. So we made our way back to the Ryokan, and prepared for an evening in the Gion district of Kyoto. This is a fun area at night. We walked up Pontocho alley, with lots of lights and lanterns. We saw girls in Geisha outfits, and we went to a great restaurant for dinner in our own private room. After dinner went went to the bridge over the river Kamo and saw all of the couples sitting on the banks of the river.

On Saturday, we decided to utilize the taxi and train forms of transportation rather than the bus since we were leaving for Odawara that day. We got up in the morning, and took a taxi back to Sanjusangen-do Hall where we were able to see the 1001 Buddhas (each with 42 arms). We then took taxis to Kyoto station, had some breakfast and took the train to the bamboo forest. It was raining like crazy, so we all purchased umbrellas and set off for our short walk in the bamboo forest. From here, drenched as we were, we took the train back to Kyoto, and took the Nara train for two stops to the Fushi Inari shrine, which has thousands of Toriis (those big orange/red gate structures). It was great to see both the Bamboo forest and the Fushi Inari shrine in the rain, as we were able to see the sight in relative isolation. From here, we sloshed our way back to Kyoto Station, and boarded the Shinkansen Kodomo for Odawara, a seaside community famous for its hot-springs. In Odawara we stayed at a Hilton Spa that had its own hot spring pool and Japanese baths. Once we checked in, we went to the pool for an hour of fun in the warm hot springs water. The pool was more like an aquatic playground than a pool. After swimming, the kids stayed at the hotel and went bowling, while the adults went to the Odawara Castle to check out the Cochin festival (festival of lanterns). We wondered amongst the food tents, and some men had Carol come over and try their "treat". They gave her some Sake, and we all tried her treat. Our "hosts" were laughing with us at our faces as we tried it. It turns out it was pigs foot. For the umpteenth time on this trip, we felt a little bit like we were on "The Amazing Race" (between running for trains, getting in cabs and saying "follow that cab", trying "interesting" foods, and seeing amazing sites, we could have been on that show). We then got a picture with the men, and they showed us their badges; they were Odawara Police officers! When we returned to the Hilton, we decided to try the Japanese Baths. These are traditional baths (one for men, one for women), where even swimsuits are not allowed.

On Sunday, we got up and headed to Hakone in our quest to see Mt. Fuji. Hakone is an awesome area in the mountains (about 3500 ft) that contains Lake Ashi. To get there, we took a train from Odawara, changed to a smaller train, then got on a cable car (that was like a cog-rail in that it was used for a very steep ascent), and finally two tramways. The second tram ended at Lake Ashi, which we crossed on a boat cruise. The scenery was amazing, but Mt. Fuji never made an appearance. We are not sure that Mt. Fuji actually exists, we think it might just be a tourism marketing gimmick . We took a bus all the way back to Odawara. Once there, I went back to the hotel to get all our luggage (in a cab) while everyone else had some time at the Cochin or shopping near the train station. Once we hooked up again, we got on a train for Tokyo. We arrived at our station (Shinjuku station), and after a few mis-steps, found the free shuttle to our hotel. After checking into our hotel, we went out to dinner at a small restaurant nearby (we got tempura and noodles, yum). We then went to Shibuya Station where we were able to go to the busiest intersection in the world. So what happens there? You guessed it, we ran into The Veros and Matinos. I mean a city of 13 million people, the busiest intersection in the world, and we run into our friends! Amazing! After a short chat, we did some shopping in the area; at about 10:15 the store starts playing "Auld Lang Syne". It seems all stores play this as they are closing (we also heard it at the end of the Cochin festival the night before). So we move on to the next store, and they are playing it too. Pretty much every store in the area of the world's busiest intersection closes at 10:30 PM. Can you imagine all of NY Times Square closing at 10:30? So we went back to the hotel for a well-earned night of sleep.

On Monday, our last day in Japan, the Ciaglos got up at 5:00am and went to the fish market where they saw the fish being sold, and they were able to get fresh sashimi from fish that were just about still flopping! The rest of us got up around 7:30, and we all went back to Shibuya and did our last-minute shopping. After shopping we returned to Shinjuku, got lunch, went back to the hotel to pack, and left for the airport. We took the Narita Express train to the airport. It's a good thing we decided to get reserved seats, because as we were standing on the platform we heard that there was no free-seating on the train, only reserved seats. whew! At the airport we re-met up with the Matinos and Veros and we all flew home together.

It was a long, tiring, enlightening, wonderful trip! Here is a big arigato to everyone involved. Especially the Sanvino parents and players who were perfect, gracious hosts; to Joe for this blog and his coaching and leadership of the girls throughout the trip; to Terri and Bill for helping us to communicate and for the educational insights into the area and culture; to coach Yamada for his tireless efforts when we were there (and for knowing all of the girls' names); to Paul for his "sister" blog; and to Carol and Michael for videotaping the soccer and the excellent pictures.

A special arigato gozaimasu goes to Tara and Hiro for coordinating everything.

And a very special domo arigato gozaimasu to Oscar for allowing us all to take part in his dream; it was truly a gift.

Finally, To the ladies of Trebol White and all of the siblings: You behaved with dignity, class and grace, and were perfect ambasadors for Trebol, Colorado, and the USA. I for one was proud to be associated with you.

Video highlights from our soccer games in Japan

This video at YouTube was created by Carol Ciaglo. THANKS CAROL!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBVGF6LlsAU

Our trip made the local paper

The Lafayette Times and the Louisville Times both ran the same story about our trip. Aside from the few factual errors (the team we played in March was a mixed boys and girls team; the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb museum was not about Hiroshima; the Kumomoto coaches didn't rearrange the tournament schedule - the tournament sponsors did), it's a nice story. Thanks to Ken Forman for alerting the paper!

Here's the link: http://www.coloradohometownnews.com/sports-story.asp?ID=4410

Videos from Greg - 6 - Playing Kumomoto

videos from Greg - 5 - GOAL!!!

Videos from Greg - 4 - The Band

Videos from Greg - 3 - The President Gets a Shout Out

There is a video here - just click on the arrow.

Videos from Greg - 2 - DInosaur Rollercoaster ride

Videos from Greg 1 - Photo Op!

From Felisa

The last three days of the group trip were a blur. I can say that, on the main, our girls remained in good spirits despite the long days. Everyone took off for their separate destinations after heartfelt and somewhat tearful goodbyes. Joe and Tara boarded the plane from Fukuoka with the bulk of the girls. In a change of plans, Coach Oscar and the entire traveling team (less Formans, Ciaglos and Andersons) went by bus to see them off at Fukuoka. At curbside, he reminded them that while they have had a wonderful, activity filled week, yet the critical part of the journey was still ahead of them. . . staying together and arriving home safely to Denver. As I see no emails saying "where are our kids?", I am hopeful that everyone got home who was supposed to get home. It was a great trip for us all.

From Fukuoka train station, the Pattersons met with their Japanese family. The Marcias, Veros and Matinos were trepidatious with our next jaunt, but we managed to get reservations for the Hikari to Kyoto. Once on the train, we started with an Asahi toast to the success to the international exchange. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this experience possible; it will be remembered by all. As Coach Yamada said, we are now family. And, FYI, he expects an invitation to the wedding of the first girl to marry!

The Forman travelling group left directly from Arao City for a stop at Nara prior to Kyoto. As it turns out, though, we ran into both groups at different times in the area near our ryokan (Higashiyama). Dahlia has been terribly amused with Peter's (aka Family Guy's) antics. I found on this trip that Joseph, too, is now ready for college . . he was able to point out where to go for beer!

We had dinner with Vero/Matino group our first night in Kyoto. It was great to walk up to a restaurant, realize there was a 1200 yen/per person table fee and have another person say "NO WAY". It was on the canal, but come on, we're happy to pay for food, but not just to sit down. As it was, we found a great meal in a private room and, again, found reason to toast our good luck and good friends.

Kyoto was an interesting juxtaposition of new and old. We stayed in a ryokan that was established over 100 years ago. The family run inn was the ultimate in understated and subdued comfort. We were greeted with cold tea and exquisite cakes. The ritual was repeated every afternoon. We ate traditional japanese breakfasts. It is true that we did not always know what we were eating, but Oscar and I found it an epicurian delight;I particularly enjoyed the first morning because the kids slept in an skipped breakfast. The tranquility of the ryokan permitted us a leisurely pace and many naps. The evening shower and traditional bath afforded me a relaxed sleep.

Just outside the doors of the ryokan we could find geisha, a french coffee house and so many shrines that it was impossible to stop at them all. The highlights of our visit, though, were the 2/3 scale imperial palace (the original was destroyed) with its immaculate gardens and the Gion Days fesival parade late one night. Tens of men carried golden shrines (we saw the largest in Japan, weighing as much as a car) through the streets. (Think Semana Santa in Sevilla or Latin America) Each shrine held a soul wanting to escape and get home. Amazingly, the men would lift and shake the shrine throughout the walk.

Today, we left Kyoto for Tokyo. We were unable to see Mt. Fuji from the train as it was quite overcast. We plan to visit the Gibli Museum (dedicated to Hiyo Miyazaki's studio films) and take in a Tokyo Giants game. If time permits, we'll make a side trip to Mt. Fuji. But no climbing it this time.

Regards to all,
Felisa

We're home safely

We made it. Tara and I, Claire, Chase, Kyle, Caity, Belle, Whitney, Cassie, Dani, Ivy, Brynna and Amelia survived the 25 hour journey with only a few hassles. Our only complaint was that the airplane food was awful. Sleeping was the rule, no matter how hard we tried to stay awake. At one point, I couldn't see any of the girls because they were sleeping on each other. It was very sweet.

Our journey started with a great send-off from Sanvino (and the hotel staff) after some last minute on-the-spot repacking to avoid overweight luggage charges. Fortunately, I had received a great soccer bag as a gift, and several of the girls made use of it. Somehow, though, I got stuck with many pairs of cleats and shin guards (when I got home, Michele practically feinted from the smell!!) Many of our hosts and I think all of the Sanvino players accompanied us on the bus to Fukuoka airport. There were plenty of tears and hugs when we finally arrived and had to leave our new friends at the security checkpoint. As we waited at the gate (our flight was delayed because of a mechanical issue), there were plenty of sad faces. Nobody was ready to leave yet!!

But once we were underway, we were all eager to get home. Our first flight was short, and we had plenty of time of last-minute shopping in Narita airport and a quick lunch. Then came the long flight across the Pacific - Dani and Tara got upgraded to business class - lucky them - but to be honest, coach was comfortable enough. There was a collective hurray when we finally got off the plane in Los Angeles. We cleared immigration and customs quickly, and then had nearly 3 hours to kill in LA, so we took an 8 minute forced march from the international terminal to the United Terminal (at the opposite end of the airport) because we needed the exercise at that point. Then it was sit and wait, Starbucks Frappacino's ruled, and some of us even napped. Finally, we were boarding our last flight and it was off to Denver.

No surprise, parents were waiting for us, and Michele even brought an American flag to welcome us home. There were lots of happy faces and hugs. Before we headed off to baggage claim I made a point of calling everyone together and letting our parents know how great our girls did and how proud they should be of them. I certainly am - I go with these girls on another trip in a heartbeat.

So that's it for our soccer exchange, though the memories and impacts of this trip will last for years to come, I'm sure of it. Thanks to everyone who made this possible, and to all of you who followed our trip on this blog.

Our last day in Japan

It's just after midnight, and I've just finished the last full day of our visit to Japan. What a day it was, and I still have to pack! So please forgive the brevity of this post - but you'll see us in just a day.

We had a long bus ride this morning to the soba noodle center, but in what was the icing on the cake for this trip, we got to witness today's solar eclipse. The maximum coverage was at 10:56 AM here, and what a sight it was. In this part of Japan, the sun was 92% occluded, looking something like the sliver of the new moon. We lucked out in that it was an overcast day, so that we could actually view the eclipse with the aid of the Mylar candy wrappers that were all over the bus. WAY COOL! There were some great pictures, and I'll try to post some when I get back to Colorado. Thanks to Sanvino for thoughtfully arranging a near-total solar eclipse during our visit!!

After stopping to watch the eclipse, we continued our journey to the noodle school, where we learned how to make soba (buckwheat) noodles - and then we at them. Yummmy!! Then it was off to Mt. Aso, an active volanco. Very cool, and stinky! Vendors were selling chunks of pure, yellow sulfur - we wanted to buy some, but were afraid they'd be confiscated since sulfur can be a bomb-making material. Still, there was plenty of shopping at the volcano, just like at any tourist attraction in the U.S.

Then it was a long trip back to Arao. We arrived 1.5 hours later than scheduled and had to rush immediately into the farewell party since the mayor of Arao was already there. Nonetheless, we acquitted ourselves honorably and had a great time. Many speeches and gifts and hand shakes and bows, some tears, lots of hugs and smiles, and a wonderful send-off. Oscar and I sat with the Mayor and the other officials, and we had a wonderful conversation with the Mayor about democracy and ways in which our two countries pursue our versions it. I had a fascinating time, and all the Arao officials were gracious and seemed genuinely glad and proud to have hosted us for the week.

Time for me to pack, but I just want to say this for the record. As many of you know, I have visited a great many countries in my life and in all those travels I can honestly say that the Japanese people are the most gracious, kind, and warm-hearted people I've met. The Sanvino parents were generous beyond belief, and I leave here feeling that I've made friends for life. Thank you to Hiro and Tara for making this trip possible and to everyone who made our stay in Japan a wonderful, memorable experience. I want to thank all the parents and siblings who came along - Peter, Ann, Greg, Terri, Bill, Pat, Paul, Felisa, Carol, Sharon, Joey, Dahlia, Reed, Dylan, Emiko, and JoJo (in no particular order) - you added laughter and friendship and were wonderful travel companions. Thanks, too, to all of the parents and siblings and our two teammates who didn't come - Lauren and Cindy; we missed you and thank you for sending us on our way with love and friendship. But above all, I want to thank Oscar and the young woman of the Trebol U15 team who came on this trip - Chase, Kyle, Belle, Amelia, Ivy, Brynna, Whitney, Cassie, Dani, Caity, Katie, Midori, Kayla, Haley, Natalie, alumna Shanlie, and my daughter Claire who have allowed me to be Coach Joe and be part of one of the most memorable trips of my life. It was an honor to be in Japan with you all.

And in case you can't get enough here...

Paul Vero is also blogging about the trip. Go to http://japanjuly09.blogspot.com

It's really worth it!

From Felisa - pottery and soccer

7-11. The convenience store. Slurpees? Sorry, but no. Lottery? Not today. Japanese style was different, yet incredibly similar. Refridgerators against the walls. Newspapers at the front. Atm? Check. Bottled soda? Check. Junk food? Check. Candy? Check. Kitschy paraphanalia? Absolutely. But lets venture out a bit. Sushi, onegiri, and mini bento boxes galore packed in miniature sushi trays (like the ones you can pick up at our grocery stores). The clerk (in this case the owner) will put it in the microwave and heat if for you. And lest we not forget, the hot water dispenser for the cup of noodles or cup of tea. 7-11. Pronounced "seboon eleboon". The preferred quick lunch stop for the full day pottery hunters.

I would have gone to Greenland instead of making the pottery rounds. REALLY. But once Oscar said we had enough chaperones for the rainy amusement park, it was not hard to imagine how quickly my mind was made up. And all for the better. With the indispensible help of Bill's Japanese, Michael's directional sense and Carol's adventuresome nature (have you seen how narrow some of these roads are?), we spent 4 hours taking a potter's tour.

We were so very impressed with Bill when he got us to the first place. Big parking lot, big smokestack. Lots of cars. He pushed the intercom by the door. (It triggerred some vague recollection from my days in Europe. Remember that, Sharon Sargent?) Bill stated the essential sumimasen (and a lot of other words I don't know) and the owner said ie. No. It was not a potter's studio. More words passed. Lo and behold, before we could even say "go trebol", an older woman appeared. She had come outside to greet us and point us on our way. Ann gave her a Trebol sticker for her troubles. Go, Ann.

Back at the hotel, we met Coach Yamata for an early dinner. It was a walk across the street to a "sushi train" restaurant. Little plates moving around on a conveyer belt. No waiting. Think Hot Shoppes (or McDonald's) with sashimi on tapas plates. Worth doing once. Funny thing is, over half the adults went twice in the same day. I think there is such a thing as too much sushi. Or at least too much mercury.

The soccer games in the evening were beyond my expectations. Coach Joe has already blogged about the games. Now it's his turn to hear what he missed, through no fault of his own, by being on the sidelines coaching.

It was so much fun. All three teams brought parents and boosters. You could smell the excitement in the air. I took on my customary role . . . being loud and cheering. Lionel, you were sorely missed. One curucurpai gaijin was probably enough. Your presence might have altered the world's chi (qi). The poor girls had a hard time because they were on the same side of the field as parents. My chants were distracting. I didn't care. I was in Japan. I was watching good soccer. I was cheering Oscar and Joe and every single player. I was an ambassador for soccer fans the world over. And boy was I loud!!

But the true ambassadors were our team. They performed like diplomats and heads of state. They have every reason to be proud.

Our day in Nagasaki

Yesterday's soccer matches were meaningful for several reasons: they gave us coaches a means of measuring how the girls were doing in assimilating the new, international style that Coach Oscar has been teaching this summer, and they represented in the most concrete manner the international exchange itself. Our girls were introduced to some of the pomp and circumstance associated with international soccer, from lining up to greet the opposing team before the game to bowing to the other team afterward.

But whatever the significance of yesterday's events, today's trip to Nagasaki will, I hope, be what sticks the most in the minds of our girls. Even now, hours after being there, it is hard for me to write about our experience at the museum without breaking into tears. It is hard to express in words how moving an experience it was to tour the Atomic Bomb Museum. I for one struggled to retain my composure almost from the very minute we arrived at the museum, and I know that I wasn't the only one to experience a profound sadness at witnessing in such an intimate manner the horrors of war, and particularly of nuclear war. I'm sorry that I cannot describe in writing what it was like to tour the museum; it's too hard for me and I will leave it up to each of you to talk to our girls when we get home and have them tell you about the experience. I would recommend, though, that if any of you ever have the chance to come to Japan, this museum is a must visit as far as I'm concerned. I will add, though, that our daughters treated their visit to the museum with the utmost respect, and for that, I am very proud of them, and you should be, too. You should also know that after we left and had lunch at a Nagasaki restaurant that Oscar called us all together on the banks of the river, in a quiet spot, and talked to the kids and adults about the museum and let them talk about how the museum impacted them. It was a beautiful moment, and we all owe Oscar a big thanks for the way in which he helped us all deal with the emotions of seeing the effects of an atomic bomb blast. I also must say that seeing the way our daughters reacted and hearing what they had to say about our visit to the museum gives me hope for the future of our world.

Fortunately, our next stop was the Peace Park, which was close to the epicenter of the bomb blast that devastated Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. For me, this park was the yin to the museum's yang, a place where peace and hopefulness, not war and hopelessness, were the theme. It was a healing place, and I'm very glad we had time to wander through the park and see the many statues and fountains that countries around the world had donated in the name of peace. Our visit to the Peace Park certainly gave me comfort and helped heal my wounded soul. I hope it did the same for your daughters.

It almost seems trite to write about the rest of our day, but I will for the sake of completeness. We started the day with a short bus ride to the Ariake ferry, which took us across the bay in a mere 45 minutes. From there, we reboarded our bus and headed to Nagasaki, stopping briefly at a rest stop/souvenir shop, where many of us bought things to bring home for family and friends. Once our visit to Nagasaki was complete, we headed for the Taso Outlet Mall, a thoroughly American experience - we could have been at any outlet mall anywhere in the U.S. What was interesting to me, though, was that our girls realized this right away and used the time to talk and walk rather than shop - way to go, ladies!

The day ended on a big positive in my mind - a thoroughly enjoyable evening with the Ikejiri family, which hosted Chase and my daughter Claire. Though at times we struggled with the language barried, I had a wonderfully delightful time, and I just hope that they did, too.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Japan. I can't believe the time has zoomed by, even though I knew it would. As I reflect on today and the week we've had so far, I'm struck by a couple of thoughts. Perhaps most importantly, I've seen nothing but the best from our daughters, and you shouldbe extremely proud of them. They have represented our team, our club, our state,our country - and themselves - extremely well, and not just on the soccer field. But I've also seem them grow right before my eyes. Think about it - these girls have taken an amazing journey to a far away country just as they are about to start a new chapter in their lives with the impending start of high school. I was talking with Oscar and we both agreed that this trip couldn't have been better timed in that respect, and I think I speak for Oscar as well as myself when I say that I hope this trip will give them a big boost as they enter high school. I see the way they've have carried themselves here and I feel nothing but pride for them, and have little doubt that they will have a leg up on their fellow freshman in the year(s) ahead. I think we all owe Oscar, Hiro and Tara, as well as ourselves, for making this journey a reality. Way to go, Trebol!

More from Felisa

Somehow I lost a night. It's hard to recall today's events; I have to comment on the missed day before I forget. From what I have seen, the photos and emails of bowling (which I did not attend) and the barbeque were thorough. Let me just say, however, that the noodle run made us look eerily akin to pigs at the trough.

Sunday was FANTASTIC. Sure, it was hot (thankfully, we had cloud cover much of the time). And, yes, the sand was itchy. Nothing new here. But the joy on the faces of all the kids and the absolutely fanciful, almost fantastical nature of playing volleyball in such beautiful surroundings practically wiped out any irritation, of unknown origin, that brought the girls running out of the water almost as soon as they got in. Ah, but I get ahead of myself. That was after the games had concluded.

Before we even started, Oscar told the girls to have fun. He emphasized that games were their reward for all the hard work they had put in to get to Japan. It was not a competitive tournament. Second, they took it to heart. Third, they looked GREAT! Having seen them practice sand soccer back home, I almost didn't recognize them. They moved the ball fast, passed well, and smiled almost the whole time. Our host families provided a ton of water, juice, soda, and bento boxes for lunch. The shave ice was a particular hit. Bathing in a barrel was an added bonus.

In the afternoon, we moved on to Kumamoto Castle. Michael's pictures speak volumes. The pictures, however, fail to capture two of the most important aspects of the two hours. I hope that you will forgive my impertinence, Michael, but where, pray tell, is the sweat? Lest you forget, we spent two hours in a sauna. Indoors, outdoors, upstairs, downstairs, Castle, Palace. Everywhere was sweat. People were fighting each other for a breeze; they were praying the next building would be air conditioned; they were stepping around no entrance signs to intake one cool breath from the only air conditioner they could find. And it wasn't only the gaijin. I saw Japanese doing it, too.

But the most amusing and, unless I am mistaken, also unphotograped event was unfolding as Oscar and I exited the palace. We saw some of our group sitting inside a small building. And who's hanging out? Pete, among other. I thought there must have been some English language presentation. I wanted to head over to hear what was keeping Pete entranced for so long. What, I wondered was going on in that building? Have you guesed yet? The attraction was the air conditioning. Good air conditioning. Cold air conditioning.

The doors were made of two fabric panels. Outside it was 98 degrees with 98% humiditiy. But this building had the best air conditioning I've yet felt anywhere in Japan. Unless you count the cars. The building must hold a masterpiece, I thought. Something that required temperature and humidity control. Well, it did if you think Pete's in that category (I know he does) Alas, in this case, the main attraction was the vending machines. Yes, you got it, this was the refreshment area. If it had afforded us showers and a change of clothes it might have come closer to fulfilling it's name.

The place, I mean the Palace, was amazing, though.

Finally, you guessed it, the families cooked us dinner for the umpteenth time. The beach had taken it out of everyone. Some had slept on the bus back. Others, Oscar included, were almost too tired to eat. The girls, you ask? Still playing around and keeping it light. The food? It was oyshii (delicious). And no nuts. We were all happy (ureshii).

More tomorrow on today. Oyasuminasai or good night.

A short note

It was another full day and we have a very early morning tomorrow, so I'm going to be brief now and write more tomorrow evening.

The amusement park was great.

Soccer was fantastic. The girls had an excellent scrimmage against the Kumamoto 16-18 year-old team. Though the score ended up 0-0, we had many great opportunities, but more importantly, the Trebol girls thoroughly dominated the game. They played fast, aggressive, and moved the ball well. Coach Oscar was pleased, which says it all.

Though tired, the girls played much better against the Sanvino team, and though the score was 2-0 in favor of Sanvino, they acquitted themselves well and showed that they were a much stronger team than they were in March.

The Trebol girls then played the staff (Oscar and Joe, coaches Yamada and Yoshifumi, and other miscellaneous adults). The first half was lively, with both teams scoring a goal. Coach Joe just missed converting a header off of a corner kick (no vertical leap in those 54-year-old legs proved the difference). The second half was hillarious pandemonium as all three youth teams played against a slightly supplemented adult team, and though the adults had some good scoring opportunities, the game ended tied, as it should have. :-)

Bed time and an early day to Nagasaki tomorrow. The girls all send their best and lots of love to everyone.

And even more photos from Greg

Still More Photos

Katie's brother, Michael, has been taking a lot of photos and in the spirit of filling the void left by the absence of team photographers Ken and Yvette, he took a ton of pictures at the soccer tournament yesterday - way too many for Joe to put on the blog, but we thought you'd like to see them!

To look at the photos, go to http://ciaglo.smugmug.com/Vacation

Click on "Japan Beach Soccer"

For the sections that need a password, please email Michael at michael.ciaglo@gmail.com

Slap hands game at dinner
A wall mural in the guest house
Kayla takes advantage of a Sanvino shoulder on the way back from the castle
(thanks Greg for the pictures)

It’s 6:45 AM here in Arao, it’s raining. Today, we're supposed to go to the water park, assuming the rain stops, and then play soccer tonight against Sanvino and the Kumomoto team. It ought to be fun.. One thing I have to say is that the girls were very good yesterday about using sunscreen and drinking water or fizzy lemonade…maybe they are growing up!

OK, more about yesterday. As I mentioned last night before collapsing, sand soccer was a blast. There were 8-10 teams of all ages, with the two older teams treating the event as totally fun. In fact, when the last game was over, Terri rallied all the parents and Trebol girls to form a tunnel, and not only did the Trebol team that just finished playing and its opponent run through, but team of 21 year olds also came running over from where their game had ended and ran through, and then so did all the other teams, and then the referees came running through, too! It was the perfect way to end the event…way to go Trebol!

So after the watermelon smashing event and treasure hunt – I didn’t catch much of the latter as like many of us, I was trying to stay a little cool – all of the girls and many parents went down to the water, which was 100 meters away. The water was WARM – if we were scuba diving, I would have worn my skin…which would have been a good idea because within a few minutes many of the girls were running from the water, their skin itching and burning from something in the water; I’d guess some algae of some sorts. Claire wasn’t bothered, neither was I, nor Paul or Greg and a few other girls. Weird. Fortunately, there were showers at the beach, so that helped relieve the discomfort.

Next stop on our day’s adventures were to Kumomoto castle, which was built in the early 1600s and is one of three major castles left in Japan. The main castle sits on a sprawling estate that is home to several prefecture museums (prefecture is the equivalent of our states, and Kumomoto is the prefecture capital), which unfortunately we wouldn’t have time to see. We broke into groups and headed off into the castle or a stunningly beautiful guest house that the government had just finished restoring (all construction was done using period tools, an amazing feat considering that some of the beams in the building were made of tree trunks that were 5 feet in diameter!). All the gold in the guest house was real – gold leaf covered fixtures and gold paint in the many large murals – the floors were beautiful bamboo, and the detailing was stunning. To protect the floors, visitors were handed plastic grocery bags in which to carry their shoes as they toured the guest house. When we exited, we handed the bags back for reuse. [As an aside, recycling containers are ubiquitous in Japan, as are vending machines.]

The castle itself was massive – six stories of rock and wood – and the entire structure was restored to match its external appearance prior to a huge fire that destroyed much of the castle during the last civil war, in the mid-1800s. The inside was retrofitted to serve as a museum, and it was filled with artifacts from when Japan was ruled by feudal lords. As we climbed from one floor to the next, the temperature inside soared, but on the 6th floor there was a wonderful breeze coming from the big windows that afforded a nice 360 degree view of modern Kumomoto. After touring the castle and guest house, nearly everyone discovered the air conditioned “drink house,” which contained soft drink vending machines. Most of us spent the final few minutes there cooling off, as it was very, very hot.

At 6 PM, we piled back into our buses and vans for the trip home and an awaiting dinner. At one point, one of the Sanvino players started chanting, “Obama, Obama, Obama…YES WE CAN!” Soon, that chant morphed into naming each person on the bus… “Brynna, Brynna, BRYNNA…YES WE CAN!”, etc. I understand that there was plenty of laughing in the vans, too, which is not surprising given that we’re all seemingly having a great time.

We arrived at the community center where we had the welcome party to find a lavish spread of leftovers…Japanese style. While we were at the beach and in Kumomoto, the Sanvino parents had taken all the leftovers from last night’s BBQ and turned them into an array of dishes that were, well, scrumptious. Everyone was ravenous, and both Sanvinos and Trebles dove in, stuffing ourselves once again. And then, when it seemed we could eat no more, Mrs. Kuwamoto (who was one of two parents who came to Colorado) brought in eel sushi – it turns out that Sunday was a national holiday and eating eel is traditional on this particular holiday. Oh my, was it good, a marvelous way to top off a marvelous meal. Who needs dessert when you can have eel sushi! Following dinner, the scene became chaotic, with parents cleaning up and the younger kids running around screaming and chasing each other. YIKES! Meanwhile, the older kids sat in a huge circle and played a camp game that involved slapping hands and singing a song, kind of like musical chairs. They finished – Haley was the final survival in a dual with Dahlia – just as it was time to go. Everyone left at 9 PM, happy and exhausted. What a day!!