Yee-haw for train-trips! I had an absolutely fabulous weekend. Of course, as typical of me... I had a bumpy start. Friday night after all the snow, I jumped on a couple of trains and got myself to Nagoya (peek at a map?). Actually, I just wish it had been that graceful. Back to reality: I was stressed all afternoon about the snow getting the train system all jammed up. I enjoyed a brief period of relief when my train from Misato to Matsumoto arrived as schedule.. then plunged back into freak-out-mode as we just sat on the tracks waiting for the (late) train from the opposite direction. According to the train schedule, I would only have 6 minutes to run from track 6 to track 1 to catch the train to Nagoya. I was frowning and checking my watch obsessively when we pulled out of my station, about 7 or 8 minutes late. Things were not looking good. I knew there were a couple later trains so I refused to get too worked up, but still really wanted to get to Nagoya on time. We chugged towards Matsumoto in what seemed to be the slowest possible way... and by the time we got there it was already a couple minutes past when the Nagoya train was to leave. I was surprised to see it still listed on the board for track 1, as there was no train there. Unsure as to whether the train had left on time or was still on its way.. I tried to deciher the digital displays. All I gathered was that the next train had been canceled so if I'd indeed missed my train, I had at least two hours to sit around before leaving.

Fortunately, my limbo-hood was ended with an announcement and an arriving train. We had about 30 seconds to board before the doors slid shut and the train started moving. Since I had a reserved seat, I had to wander through a couple of cars before I found my spot then sat. Whew! With a sigh of relief I took off my jacket and got comfy with a snack and a magazine. Only ten minutes into the ride I realized that I'd stowed my tickets in my jacket above my head, which would be inconvenient when the conductor came by to check them. I stood up, grabbed my jacket, and stuck my hand in a pocket. Nothing. I checked the other pocket. Nada. I checked my pants pockets.. all four of them... twice. Zipp-o. I began to panic. I thoroughly searched my backpack then went through all available pockets at least three more times. It occured to me that I could easily have dropped it on the station platform. But no, I checked the tickets when I boarded the train in order to find my seat number. The guy seated next to me was getting a bit nervous. He staired at me and I just grimaced and kept checking. When the conductor started walking down the aisle, I finally explained. My row-mate began to help me, standing on his seat to check the overhead shelf and looking on the floor. I had a brief moment of false relief when I spotted a ticket beneath my seat, but alas, it was the ticket I'd used to get to Matsumoto from home. I knew that I was holding the tickets together and so again.. it just had to be on the train with me! I was so frustrated! The ticket had cost me almost $60 (one-way) and I was going to have to buy another one. I didn't know if the conductor would even let me stay in my reserved seat or boot me out to another car.

When the conductor neared, (he had been checking tickets in front of us, then would leave to do something else, then return and leave again.. which was really not helping my nerves!), the man next to me stood up and practically dragged him to the end of the car before I could even say a thing. I didn't know if I was supposed to follow so I just sat in my seat waiting for the verdict. After a minute, they both came back and the conductor asked to see my ticket. Assuming he'd gotten the full story I showed him my ticket to Matsumoto. (At least I could prove where I'd started!). He asked me if I'd looked for the missing ticket. Yes, of course! "Ok" he very calmly explained, "Please search thoroughly one more time. If you don't find it.. you will just have to talk to the people in Nagoya". I said thank you and he wandered off. This was at least half-victory since I could remain in my seat. I tried to relax and read. Every five minutes or so, I would check everything again.. I could not figure out how it had dissappeared.

When we were nearing the end of the trip, the man next to me started to pack up. He was getting off at the next stop and Nagoya would be after that. He told me to wait for everyone to leave at Nagoya (the last stop) then to really, really search. I thanked him for his help and he left. He told me he was certain I would find it and wished me luck. (I felt like such an idiot). Finally, as we rolled into Nagoya station, enough people had moved to the end of the car to allow me to get down on my knees on the opposite side of the car and do one more look. And there.... it.... was! Of course, right where my feet had been for two hours of searching. The bright turquoise ticket had flipped over and so only the dark black back was showing... or not... it was almost invisible on the dark floor. I was ecstatic and impulsively announced to the men staring at me that I had found it!! They quickly nodded and looked away (what a freak!). I bounded off the train with a huge sense of relief... I was not lying, I really did have a ticket!!

Ok, seriously this stuff happens to me all the time.

Later, Tom arrived from Tokyo and we went out for dinner at a great restaurant near the station. We stayed at a very comfy Marriott hotel (strange how identical they all are) attached to the train station. In the morning, we didn't even have to leave to board the shinkansen (bullet train) for Kyoto. In only forty minutes, we were already in Kyoto! Excited for our sightseeing agenda (um, yeah.. neither one of us had an agenda we realized... so where do YOU want to go... no, where do YOU want to go...ahhh!) we stored our backpacks in a locker and rushed out of the station... into the rain. Yes, it was rainy! Rainy and cold, to be precise. After a bit of backtracking to the train station's tourist office and newly armed with directions to an art museum (we are so smart!) we headed out in a taxi. We started at Heian Jinju, a pretty modern re-created temple where the half-marathon would start on Sunday. After that, we checked out the museum's exhibit of japanese artists' take on the rest of the world. There were some really neat paintings (and it was dry and warm). Tom checked in at the race headquarters then we headed back to our hotel. We both needed to rest our feet a bit.

In the afternoon, I wanted to see if I could find a shrine that I remembered visiting but couldn't remember the name or location. I really want to go there with my parents. Luckily, it was the place we'd guessed by looking at the map. Inari Shrine, which is famous for over 4k of sidewalks sheltered by torii (the traditional orange gates). It is still one of my favorite sights in Kyoto, if not Japan. It stopped raining long enough for us to wander around the mountain side. After considering the fact that Tom was planning to run 13.1 miles on Sunday morning, we headed down and took a taxi across town. For this week and next (until just about when my parents arrive) there is a section of Kyoto being lit up at night. We decided to start at Kiyomizudera. It was raining but still the temple looked amazing lit up at night. After we wandered around the grounds we were cold enough that we decided we didn't need to do the entire light walk and instead went to find a pasta dinner.

Sunday morning was the big race. I went to the start with Tom and promised to meet him when he finished. It was cold.. and snowing! Kyoto is typically much warmer then Tokyo and Nagano so neither of us expected the snow, nor did the other runners! It was both cool and really depressing to watch all 10,000 of them run down the street, under the giant torii and off for the rest of the course. I had little to do for the next hour and 40ish minutes so was very happy to see the winners when the came streaking back (finish was the same as the start). I don't ever see the elite racers so I guess this was a great opportunity for that. I got pretty chilled standing in the snow waiting for Tom so I may have even been more ready for his finish than he was! He ran really well, though was a bit dissappointed that the course wasn't more scenic.

After he showered, we hooked up with an older couple who are friends of his and they took us out to lunch then out to see Byodoin Temple which is featured on the back of the 10yen coin. It was another really ancient, awe-inspiring spot that I'd never visited.. so even though it was still really chilly, I was really impressed.

Tom and I caught the Shinkansen back to Nagoya together, then grabbed our separate trains home from Nagoya. Jaclyn & Danielle generously put "The Godfather" on hold to come pick me up at our train station and I arrived back at my cold little house around 10pm last night. Sigh.

It was a very short trip, but it was wonderful and a really nice sneak peak at my longer trip with Mom & Dad!