Home again

Wow, kinda weird, but cool, that I could say "I`m going home to Japan" to people I met on the train back to Pusan. I like the fact that Sasebo does feel like my home now.

Well, Tues was another fantastic day!!! Said goodbye to Dae Gyu`s mum in the morning, and she gave me another set of chopsticks and spoon - the mens spoons are slightly different, and so she gave me a man`s spoon - for my husband!!! My first wedding present!!! LOL! We drove to the Korean Folk Village, getting to see some more of the country side along the way. (Very mountainous like Japan, but I think the mountains are a bit lumpier in Japan - kinda hard to explain.) The folk village was UNREAL! Like Sovereign Hill, for those who`ve been there, but Korean style. Heaps of awesome, gorgeous little old style houses and buildings. And the shows were awesome too - these unreal dancers, women on a see saw - sounds unimpressive, until u see them - they use the see saw to launch each other way up in the air and do stuff with tamborines and hula hoops and stuff, and this amazing guy bouncing around on a tight rope - so spectacular!! Had a really yummy Korean style lunch, and met some American mormans. There was a little activity park there, so we went on the pirate ship and bumper cars and this other ride too! Unreal fun!! And all this for just $14 per person! (Not including lunch) Sure beats Sov. Hill!

After that, we drove back to Seoul for a quick shopping trip - I bought a skirt, blouse and a few souveneirs. Then, alas, it was time to go. Caught the subway to the train station, grabbed a burger for tea, said goodbye to Dae Gyu and jumped on the express train for Pusan.

Once in Pusan I found my hotel with the assistance of some very helpful Koreans who walked me right there when I showed them the paper which Dae Gyu had written in Korean asking for directions to the hotel. This hotel was also amazing!! Once again, just US$40 a night, and it was even bigger than the first hotel! I couldn`t get the internet working, so I just had a spa instead! :) I was so tired, but I just had to enjoy the spa while I had the chance!

The next morning tho, the extent of my tiredness became apparent - I slept thru my alarm!!!! DOH!! I woke up at 7:55, and my ferry was due to leave at 8:30! I freaked out, and made it out of that hotel faster than I`ve ever left a building in my life! I knew if I missed that ferry, I would be late for work, and there would be big trouble! I made it to the ferry, got my ticket and checked in just in time! Phew!! On the ferry, I went to the bathroom to change, repack my bag, and freshen up a little, but couldn`t do much about washing my hair - doh!

In Fukuoka, I caught a bus to Hakata Bus Station - it was a 5 or 10 min taxi ride in the opposite direction on Sunday morning, but took close to an hour because of the traffic on the way back!! Another DOH! I just made it in time for the 1pm bus to Sasebo! Was pretty hungry by now, so I ate a packet of biscuits on the way - healthy brekky/lunch, eh? The bus was just entering Sasebo at 3:10, so I just had to get off at a stop near Daito (where I was working yesterday), cuz I didn`t have time to go into town, home, and then catch another bus to work. So I had 45 min to walk to the office, stop at the supermarket for food and body spray. Wow! Action packed day! Work wasn`t bad, but the bus didn`t come for almost an hour after work, so I just walked home - 40min or so. Was SO TIRED by then!

But overall, it was an ABSOLUTELY AWESOME holiday! Totally worth it!!