To Shiori and back

So I returned home yesterday, after spending 3 days in the company of my new girlfriend, Shiori, down on Shikoku. I had a fantastic time and it's amazing to be given such an opportunity to get to know someone like her and spend time in her company.

Anyway please enjoy my journey to Shiori and back...

CATCHING THE BUS

Now as an avid user of the "fabulous" services of the UK's own National Express, I was in a positive frame of mind about catching the bus to Takamatsu. Its cheaper than the Shinkansen and Shiori had even reserved me a ticket. (What a star!xx).

Finding the Travel Agents in Hiroshima station proved to be a minor hassle, but this was nothing with the gargantuan pain in the arse that lay ahead...finding the bus stop. Firstly its about a 10 minute walk from one side of the station to the other, so imagine my frustration when I was unable to find the stop.

With time running out on me like sand in a sieve, I asked a lady who worked in a sweet shop. She wittered on in Japanese (I'm guessing something about crazy, ugly foriegners that bother her from her Shidoku puzzle) and made me stand by two bemused, elderly Japanese ladies. In the end this old, homeless looking guy came up and helped me out. He spoke in broken English and even though I told him in Japanese that I was a teacher, he kept thinking I was in the army...

As the bus turned up I gave him my lunch (a tuna sandwich) and climbed on board. He waited there until the bus pulled out, waving me off like my long lost Uncle...

The trip took 3 hours, but crossing the famous Seto Ohashi bridge, the longest in the world, was really amazing.

HOTEL

Shiori collected me , and after a kiss (he he) we went and had dinner at a really nice chicken restaurant, where the meat just fell off the bone and melted in my mouth.

Then onto my hotel. I only stayed here one night, because Shiori's Mum, arrived home from China and didn't want to me to see her "tired face". I obviously obligied, and the hotel was cool and pretty cheap.

I had a bath in my micro-bath (it felt like I was a child again, in the sink), watched a little TV, read and waited for Shiori to return.



Shiori had to work the next day, so this left me from 10ish until 530 ish with the whole day in the City. Shiori had lent me a bike, so soon enough I was whizzing around the streets like a Gaijin typhoon.

The City has one the best and longest shopping (or shoppig as my map informed me) arcades in this part of Japan. After looking in shops and buying two t-shirts (I changed twice that day, because it was sooooooooo hot and humid), I met Shiori for a Ramen lunch. Then after eating a delicious bowl of noodles, sped on down to Ritsurin park...(see the photos below).

Its a beautiful place, with two gardens taking over two hours between them to walk around...

THURSDAY

On Thursday, me and Shiori spent the day together. We ate Udon (Kagowa prefecture is famous for Udon noodles); had our photos taken in this large booth, where you can alter and write on the images before collecting them in sticker form; and went to Gold Tower in Utazu, where we went bowling (I lost...), played video games and sang Karaoke all for 1000 yen...

For dinner we drove into the mountains and she took me to a smallish Gyoza resturant run by a Chinese guy...As the Japanese say...Oishi!

SHIORI'S MUM

I had the pleasure of meeting Shiori's mum, who speaks very little English...but she is really funny and sweet and gave me some slippers from her Chinese trip.

NIGHTMARE JOURNEY HOME

I decided to stay an extra night and come home on Friday,as I didnt start work until 1:20. Getting and 8:37 train left me with no problems...however I got on the wrong train and ended up in the middle of the countryside.

Shiori was a star here and spoke via my cellphone to the train driver who gave me the best route to get home. In the end I made it and was in work by 12:50...