Did a day trip out to Matsushima today which was soso. The guide makes it out to be a pretty big sight to check out, as it contains 1 of the 3 (i forgot what the other 2 are) that MUST be seen. I also when into Shiogama (dunno if i spelled that right) and took a boat to Matsushima like the guide recommended. The boat was freakin expensive and the view a little anticlimactic. The gist of the place is that there are 260 little tiny islands that dot the bay and its supposed to form a spectacualr view. Ohwell, it wasnt that bad. There was also a temple and a nice little trail around one of the closer islands that was pretty cool.
I am not going to escape the bath thing. So im staying in a hostel, but its Japanese style (called a Ryokan). There is 1 shower. So i get in at 4:30 and i figure nobody else is gonna take a shower (bath time is regimented and supposed to be 5-10:30). Just my luck, an old guy casually breaks in 1/2 way into my shower (theres 3 'washing stations' and 1 bath which your supposed to soak in after you wash yourself). Ohwell, not really a big deal, but just thought feed your imaginations a bit!
Not much else going on in Sendai. I visited a department store for the first time (missed em in Tokyo) and wow, they are HUGE. This one place had a grocery store, complete with restaurants, snack vendors, and food/gift vendors all on a floor of the basement. The subway was beneath and the clothing and other stuff consumed the upper 5 floors.
People out here dress pretty stylishly too. Id say as a percentage, people here in Sendai look a lot better than Tokyo. Funny, cuz now that i think about it, most Japanese dress up ALL the time. When i was in Nikko, romping up 5 flights of stairs and going over uneven stone floors for the temples, there would be women wearing 2in heals there! Just saw a chick with a short short skirt riding a bike too! hehe. They're pretty good about covering the goods though (not that im looking!)
So far, you've reported seeing a man riding a bike in rain with an umbrela while talking on his cell; and a woman in a short skirt riding a bike... Do they wear helmets? Or would doing so ruin ever so stylish hair-do's? And how are they (bikes) treated in traffic? Here, cars rule the road, as you know. -an inquiring mind