Hello Kittens 2015

[Stupot]

On Wednesday, Cat and Raeff, Mandle and his wife Misa, and myself met up in Kawagoe, an area outside Tokyo famous for its old Edo-era shops and its own brand of tasty beer.

After that, Mandle took us to an off-the-beaten-track shrine and up a mountain to a hidden, overgrown cemetery. An adventurers paradise.

Then we went for cake and coffee before going our seperate ways.

It was great to meet some AGSers in the flesh. Thanks to Cat and Raeff for coming and I hope you enjoy the rest of your Japan adventure. And thanks to Mandle and Misa for taking us to some cool places.

I'll upload more pics soon, but in the meantime here's one of the five of us enjoying cake :-)

(from left: Stupot Mandle Misa Cat Raeff)

[raeff]

It was a real pleasure to meet you guys!
Fabulous adventure in the Japanese woods. Hope to see you again some day.

Cheers, raeff.

PS: Stu, I can't see the picture, perhaps the permissions are wrong, or there's a typing mistake...

[Stupot]

It was a permissions thing, I guess. I was trying to link it from my Google Drive.
How's that?

[Mandle]

Cheers Stupot! I also have some photos to upload and show off but they are on my wife's phone so maybe over the weekend...

I had a great time with you cool cats and now I'm eager to attend a full-scale Mittens at some point in the future!

[raeff]

It was a permissions thing, I guess. I was trying to link it from my Google Drive.
How's that?

Now it's good!

[NickyNyce]

I don't see Godzilla, small bird, one eyed man or a cat...who are these impostors?

Whoever those people are in the picture, it looks like they're having a good time though.

[Mandle]

I don't see Godzilla, small bird, one eyed man or a cat...who are these impostors?

Whoever those people are in the picture, it looks like they're having a good time though.

Hahaha!!! Nyce!

Kinda makes me worry a little about ever meeting you in real life though if you can read a person's real appearance by their avatar...

[selmiak]

I hope you had a great time. Please tell me you shot some pics of the old japanese cemetery

[Stupot]

I hope you had a great time. Please tell me you shot some pics of the old japanese cemetery

Yep. Many pics. I was having a bad photography day, so mine aren't great, but I think the others took some good ones.

[Andail]

Damn, another event I missed out on!

[Mandle]

Sorry I've been so lazy uploading the photos from my wife's phone...We just haven't had a whole load of non-exhausted-from-work-facetime together this week...Possibly today!

[AprilSkies]

WOW guys!!
Mandle knows cause I told him one week a ago: How I wish I was there!!

and yeah please: more piiiiicssss!

[Mandle]

You asked for it: You got it...

Here's (from left to right) myself, Raeff, Cat, and Stupot posing in the baking sun in front of "Toki No Kane" (Time Bell) tower in Kawagoe City...

[imgzoom]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/Mandle/DSC_0157_zpsga5orjyk.jpg[/imgzoom]

The current bell tower dates back to 1894 or so but has burnt down several times before that. It was originally built sometime between 1624 and 1644. The tower has been telling time to the city's residents for 350 years. Currently, the bell can be heard four times a day (6 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m.), which is great news for anyone living just across the street that they will hear a massive GOOOOONG at 6 a.m. workday and holiday alike...

You can walk under the tower and there is a noisy barking dog that lives in a house to your left that barks despite wanting to go for a walk, being on a walk, or possibly returning from a walk. In front of you you will discover a small shrine housing a god that will help you out with eye-diseases...

I paid my 100 yen and prayed BEFORE my wife told me that this god cannot cure long-sightedness and only actual eye diseases (cataracts and such I assume)...

So yeah...Not the most expensive medical specialist I have ever been to see but still... D'OH!!!

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Here we all are sitting on the steps of a Meiji Period building with our cups of local brew "Koedo Beer" at exactly "Beer O'Clock"...

[imgzoom]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/Mandle/DSC_0158_zpsccdxna42.jpg[/imgzoom]

I myself cannot wait to see the pics Raeff took with his HUGE and EXPENSIVE looking camera you can see nesting in his lap once the charming couple are done with their Japanese adventure and are back home...

[cat]

Finally we are back home! We had an awesome vacation in Japan and did lots of sightseeing, hiking, eating, drinking,...

It was great to meet you all and I really enjoyed our Hello Kittens.
Mandle and Misa: Thanks again for being the tour guide and organising such a nice adventure.
Also thanks for the photos, everyone!

Here is a photo of Stu's transformation into an ogre(?)

[straydogstrut]

These are great pictures, nice to put some faces to names. It looks like you all had a fantastic time; so jealous but thanks for sharing

[Azure]

Lovely pics, I'm really jealous I want to go to Japan again ;_:

[Mandle]

Glad to hear you guys are safely back home and did not get eaten by any bears on your Samurai hiking trails (although I suspect Raeff is big enough to take down your average Japanese bear)...

Any cool shots of the old graveyard and/or the ridiculously amazing model landscape in front of that house?

[Stupot]

Glad you had a good trip, guys.  I hope you'll share some pics of the rest of your adventure :-)
That Totem pole pic came out well. Due to the sunburn you can barely tell us apart

[Mandle]

Due to the sunburn you can barely tell us apart

HAHAHA!!! My wife said exactly the same thing at the time!!!