Okay, I haven't blogged in almost two months. Shame on me, I know. But I will try to update you on what I have been doing, where I've been going and what myimpressions were of the places I've been to. I will start of with the two final weeks of Jaaaapaaaan:

My last post left me in Kyoto. Kyoto was awesome. Monkeypark, torii-gates and the like. While being in Kyoto, I went on a day trip to the ancient capital of Nara. It has a huge-ass temple, and a crazy amount of semi-domesticated deer. Douchebag deer at that. There where signs everywhere, with illustrations of what the deer can do to you, and from what I gathered, they will steal your purse, knock you over and bite your ass. Not nice. The people I met there on the other hand.... As I've said before -no one- can match the Japanese when it comes to kindness. It is just baffeling.

After Kyoto and Nara, I went a bit south to Osaka. Osaka was a pretty standard city. The most exciting thing that happend there was that I had to go to the doctor to check my toenail. I had managed to partially rip of the toenail of my left big toe four days before I left for Japan. Awesome, I know. Over the couple of weeks I had spent there, it gradually became green and slowly started falling off, so I decided to have it checked. I was helped by my new super-nice japanese friend whom I had meet in Nara, but she lived in Osaka. She helped me find an English speaking doctor and helped me fill out the necessary forms, before she had to hurry off to Tokyo. In any case, I went to the doctor, he checked it out, and said that it was fine. Then he gave me the wierdest advice. He said that when the nail eventually falls off, I should keep it, and tape it back on my toe. Not s***ting you. The reason for this was that if I didn't, the bone in my toe might pop up, mutilating my toe and f***ing it up permanently. Then he gave me some anti-fungural cream and wished me luck. Mhm.

After Osaka, I went all the way down to a city called Kagoshima, the port city from which you catch the ferry to the island of Yakushima. I took the shinkasen (love those maddacrackas), and arrived in Kagoshima just before a typhoon started. To say the least, they are quite windy and wet. I went to the store for some delicious rice and salmon rolls, and when I was 5 meters from the door to my hostel, and I'm not kidding, it started pooring down. By the time I had managed to get myself inside, I was soaked. Suhweeet. After another night at the hostel due to the ferry not running due to the typhoon, I went to Yakushima, for three days of omgevrytinkisbootyful. Did a 10 hour hike with some awesome folks, that took us through mossy forests taken out of a fairytale, GIANT FREAKING TREES, and neat viewpoints. Andnot a single drop of rain fell during those 10 hours, on and island where it is sai that it rains 35 days amonth. mmmmhmmmm, I was pleased.

After Yakushima, I went up noth again, to a mountain called Koya-san, where I spent the night at a temple, joining early morning prayers, and eating weird buddhist veggie food that tasted like shampoo. Woooooopitywooop. It also had an amazing graveyard, which was just amazingly amazing in it own amazing way. Really.

From Koya-san, I went to Hiroshima, which I must say was my favourite big city in Japan. It was just... I don't even know what in particular I liked. Maybe it was the pleasantly cool climate, the history, the architecture, the food (okinomiyaki yummy)... Or maybe just everything. After a couple of days crammed with history and food.... And ARCADES YEEEAH, I went back to Osaka, waiting for my flight to China.

Japan is the best country I have been to so far. The natural beauty is stunning, it truly is, with its ancient cedar forests, majestic mountains, beautiful lakes and sea..... I'm in love. Food-wise grurglegurlglegurgle. Ramen-noodles, okonomiyaki, and salmon and rice balls are just among the few of the many mouth-watering dishes you get here. I was not dissapoint. Ed. Transportation-wise, it's a breeze. Get on the shinkansen, and WOOSHZOOMPYIOUUUU, and you are there. A 10 hour train ride in Norway would take like 7 minutes in Japan.Luuuv it. And last, the people. What-the-f***ing-hell. After a month in Japan, I felt like the worst person ever. They are just too kind. They keep on giving and giving and giving, and don't expect nothing in return. After my friend had invited me to dinner with her friends (which she paid for, and wouldn't let me contribute even a tiny bit) AND helped me with the doctor, (which delayed her for Tokyo, but of course she didn't mention it), I wanted to give her something in return. I bought a lousy box of chocolates, in loss of what else to give her in the short time I had to figure something out before she left. When I gave it to her, she almost refused me, saying that her helping me was nothing, and that she just wanted me to enjoy my stay in Japan. Yeah, I kinda had to force her to take it. So all in all: GO TO JAPAN NOW. NOOOOOOOOOOW.