Spring Break-Part 1: Fujikyu- Highlands and Fussa

Hello friends and family! Things have been pretty quiet since I returned from my spring break trip to Tokyo. I will give a brief synopsis, accompanied by some pictures, but will split it into two parts because it was SO incredibly busy and I did SO many fun things and saw SO many sights!

March 24th, Thursday- A friend here at Meysen rented a car because her boyfriend was coming to visit Japan from America, so I bummed a ride with her and two other girls to Tokyo.  It was definitely a more inexpensive route; a shinkansen bullet train ticket would have been about 120 dollars one way! I was dropped off at Shinjuku Station, the busiest station in the world. It was a little bit overwhelming, but it you pretend like you know what your are doing, like I did, you get by.  I am good at observing other people and just doing what they do... Luckily, I also watched a You-Tube video so I was prepared and knew how to buy a Suica Card to make traveling on the trains easier.

I arrived in Fussa about 3:00, and Heather was there to pick me up.  The trains and subway systems are SO easy to use, although it is definitely a labyrinth, and you need to know where you are going.

It was great to be able to reconnect with a friend I hadn't seen in a few years, and a familiar face was a joy to see! 

March 25th, Friday- I didn't do too much on Friday, just bummed around and explored the town of Tachikawa, where Heather and Deaven live with their little girl.  We ate at a fabulous Japanese chain restaurant called "Pepper Lunch" for dinner.  Your food is served in a cast iron skillet, so the meat cooks in front of you, and you can start eating when you want!

March 26th, Saturday- This day was so incredibly fun, and one of my favorites on the trip. Some guys and girls from the base through the AMC, Airmen's Ministry Center, had planned a trip to an amusement park, Fujikyu-Highlands, about and hour and half away from Yokota Air Force Base. I am pretty much the only one in my immediate family that likes roller coasters, so I was absolutely thrilled. 

It was freezing cold, but I got to stand in line with complete and total strangers, that by the end of the day, I knew quite a bit about. Although we only rode three rides, we had a blast, and enjoyed the day together.  Hopefully it won't be the last time I see the new friends I made! The amusement park wasn't huge, but had some coaster that were World Record Holders just a few years ago.  Here are a few pictures of the park.

 

It was so difficult for us to leave, because there were light shows everywhere on the way out, and we just wanted to watch everything. And I was so hungry! (I hadn't eaten lunch, and had just been snacking on some pretzel goldfish my awesome sister sent me from America). We found an amazing Italian Restaurant right down the road from the hotel we spent the night at, because we were all pretty famished. Great day. Great memories.