Well it is hard to believe, but today is my last day in Asia…
What a wonderful journey these past 6 weeks have been. I am exhausted, but just thrilled over having met such wonderful people and experienced such a great variety of cultural exchanges. And I am so happy to have had the chance to share many of them with you. Thank you all so much for virtually traveling along with me. I have enjoyed all your comments and concerns and look forward to sharing again with you my next adventure. Where ever that might be…
As for now the last few days have been full of such incredible moments, there is just not enough space for me to describe them all. From catching the turtles of Toji sunning themselves, to being asked by a group of Japanese girls to pose with them for a picture with the “foreigner” to driving up into the mountains of Kyoto to visit the studio of Kyoko Ibe a well known Japanese artist who works with hand made paper, to being dressed in a traditional kimono to attend a 4 hour tea hosted by Kaoru Motomiya. This was a once in a life time experience. of being served a traditional Japanese meal of simple foods, a beautiful sweet and both the thick and thinner matcha tea. Every detail was attended to from the Tea House, bowls, Ikebana, plating of the food and even the layout of the charcoal in the fire pit. The smell of the freshly woven tatami mats filled the air of the traditional tea house, with a gentle breeze of a gorgeous day hinting through the bamboo screened windows.
We ended the evening with a dinner high up in the clouds of Tokyo looking out at the expanse of the city in night lights.
Best,
Michele
