We got a room with a view of an amusement park and a temple. Score!

Our stay in Shimoda is coming to an end. It was a great way to punctuate a week of train travel. So far we have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okayama, Himeji, Nara, and Shimoda. We head back to Tokyo tomorrow. It has been a grueling schedule, but very rewarding.

Spending time in Shimoda has been incredibly relaxing with strenuous activities. Just today we woke up around 8am, got breakfast at 9am, and I was out in the water by 9:45. I boogie-boarded for almost 3 hours before coming in exhausted. My legs felt like rubber, but I wasn’t ready to sit so I went for a walk on the rocks. The tidepools around the rocks are amazing. The water is crystal clear. You can see all forms of aquatic life without getting wet.

After my walk, we got some food from a local restaurant. I had some fantastic chili fries and coffee. The coffee was necessary as I was falling asleep. It started raining sometime after boogieboarding, but I really wanted to get back in the water. However, I went for another walk instead. When I got back, I felt the need to try surfing. Surfers always amaze me, though it’s not something I’ve ever done. My uncle let me borrow his long board and gave me some advice — “stay away from the other surfers.” So, in the cold and the rain I suited up again to get pummeled by the 3ft waves.

Not to sound too conceited, I did damn well. My goal was to get two feet on the board with bonus points for standing up. In the 45 minutes I was out, I succeeded with the primary goal. No bonus points were awarded. As happens, night arrived and it got too dark to surf. I can’t wait to surf again. I’m going to up my goal to getting my feet on the board twice. It’s still too soon to try standing up.