Fukuyama

Before doing our visa run we and another gaijin couple were invited to visit some of our new rally friends at their house in Fukuyama.  This required a couple of trains and a Shinkansen (Bullet Train) until we met them.  They picked us up and we went to a very nice onsen before heading to their fantastic house.  Their house, is the last one on the road which reminds you of the tight winding drives along the Med.  The grounds are gorgeous and the house has ocean view on three sides.  A great dinner and drinks session with just the six of us that night.

The next morning we took out Sakura his Swede 36 to figure out how to run his spinnaker.  Great day out sailing for probably everyone's last sail of the year.  This was followed by a sushi lunch and then a tour around a local shrine/ zen training center.  This also included a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.  After all of this we still had the energy for a dinner party back at the house which some other locals from the rally also joined in.  Fantastic night,  but there is a scary video roaming around of us trying to butcher Rod Stewart's song, Sailing!

Anyway an early start Friday to get back for a large Sushi dinner on Sari Timur with the last four of us gaijin rally people hosting five of the locals from Tannowa,    But in true Japanese style we couldn't do much of the hosting other than provide the venue and conversation as they provided all the food and drink.

How Come These Things Always Come With So Many Steps?

At The Tea Ceromony

Some Temple Pics From Fukuyama