Ok I finally have Internet at my apartment, which means it has only taken 2 months since i originally requested to have it installed. Bravo Japan and your beurocracy!

Anyways alot has happened since my last posting and to keep me busy for the next few days, i will post each account one by one.


First was our trip to Lake Biwa 琵琶港 the largest lake in Japan, we only made it to the tip at 大津 where the lake feeds the Yodo and Uji rivers 淀川＆宇治川. When you see this river you cannot help to notice the disgusting amount of pollution. It reminded me of the Long Island Sound, oh nostalgia! But the most exciting part was when we were on our way to Lake Biwa we found a porno vending machine, the urban legends had proven true!


Here is a picture of Eric contemplating his choice for the evening.


Second was my visit to the Silver Pavillion and the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. The silver pavillion 銀閣寺 is supposed to be the opposite of the Gold Pavillion 金額時 i visted a while back, the difference is they never got around to putting the silver on the pavillion. They loved the bare wood look so much that they could not bear to put the silver up. The Temple also has a extensive garden, which was enhanced by stupid foriegners trying to hit on local college students that happened to be there that day. You can truely feel the magic and the rejection floating in the air.
Next we went to the Imperial castle 御所 as you can see in the picture it is not as marvelous as it can be. That is the outside appearance alone is not what is to be marveled, it is said inside the gate (which you need to make reservations for and you must go at specific times, to difficult to do just to be a tourist.) is a beautiful museam of ancient treasures. Anyways since Ricardo, Erik's friend who came to visit and go home with Erik later that week, had come we decided a tour of the grounds would suffice. We walked the grounds, and were not that impressed.

Anyways that is all for this journey and to end this post a picture of Japanese Litter, once again very peculiar.