June 28 2010 found us (Mom, Katie, Andi, Mykah and myself) to what is known as "Horse Land", or home to the big roller slide. I had to do it from memory, as could no longer find the directions. Was quiet proud of myself, making it strait there, with no wrong turns. Except to find that it is closed on Mondays! There is one thing that I still have a hard time remembering. Lots of things in Japan are closed on Mondays. So after poor Mykah learned the fact that Miss Marnie has a mouth like a sailor when met with unexpected surprises, and Katie got over her giggles at her Auntie's uncensored mouth....we went to "Liberty Park" where the Statue of Liberty is. As you can see, we found that!
Above: Katie getting ready to do the zip line. Which is in sad shape. The line is loose, so there is a bit of a sag. Making it much more challenging to avoid the giant mud puddle in the middle of the run.Below: She cleared it!
Above: At the park, and various parks around about it is common to see the older folks engaged in some sort of croquet style game. I have looked it up on Google but am unable to find what this exactly. It's not golf/croquet as there aren't traditional wickets involved. Plus their clubs are different than the traditional mallet. But it appears to play similar to golf and croquet. I guess I shall have to leave my comfort zone and ask what this game is.
They "tee" off in a stroke similar to golf. Then as approaching the "hole" which is a portable four sided wicket (for lack of a better description) they use the more traditional croquet stroke. But it appears to be a rather serious past time in the warm months. (it was warm, don't let the long sleeves hat and gloves throw you off....they just like to cover well)
The kids had a good time at our impromptu Liberty Park visit.Tuesday the 29th would prove to be much more of a successful visit.
First we stopped off in Towada City to enjoy the art museum. They have some new outdoor exhibits. Plus the regular indoor (which I have featured before with the REALLY tall lady sculpture)
Anyway, it was a slightly drizzly day. But that doesn't stop bicycle riders in Japan. When worried about getting wet.....just use your umbrella. This is actually a common site.
The outdoor display is a real treat. Andi and Mykah just loved it. I think Katie got a bit of a kick out it as well.
At times we do get to see women dressed in traditional wear. Whether they are on their way to a function, or this is their everyday wear, I don't know.
A little info about the artist: http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/biography/index.htmlhttp://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html and her describing the display
Above: Andi picks out her favorite dog and below, Katie tries to see if she can take off with her favorite. No luck, they are anchored in place.
Below: Andi and Mykah....he seems to blend in with the art work.
Below: ok, this one was a little weird. This is what you see from the outside. Turns out this is a bathroom building. A museum docent was walking by and led us inside. The window is actually part of the men's bathroom above the urinals.
So, if you were to be standing there and look up, this is what you see from the inside.... a "peeping Tom". (look carefully and you can see the eyes....kind of hard to see) The women's bathroom didn't have any artwork. (and no fears, the window stops a bit above the urinals, so there are no screams of terror coming from those walking by on the outside)
A puffy car. This was as close as we could get to it. Don't know what it was made of.
And a puffy house. Looks kind of like a sculpted marshmallow. One of the videos below is a video that was showing inside this structure. Is it art? Or is it a home. (you may have to turn your sound up to hear the video.)
Below: City marker, I assume letting you know that you are in an area of Towada where horse information abounds. I think there is a horse museum in Towada City, but have yet to find it. I do know where the one is up at horseland (Komakko Land.....though note that Komakko does not mean horse....that is Uma)
I know, I've had it on before....but well, it's pretty.
From the museum we went to lunch. An adventure when one has to order by what the picture on the menu looks like. Andi, Mykah and myself ended up with cold egg noodles. Which aren't to bad...just not what you expect when you get noodles, one usually expects warmth. But they were good. And once they realized this was their food option for hours yet to come...they ate right up. Mom and Katie got some "flied lice" which was very good as well.
Above: Two grounds keepers taking a lunch break.
I'm not going to do to many pictures of horse land, as we have been here before. However, it was fun to watch Mom and Katie do the big roller slide.
Above: Andi picks out her favorite dog and below, Katie tries to see if she can take off with her favorite. No luck, they are anchored in place.
Below: Andi and Mykah....he seems to blend in with the art work.
Below: ok, this one was a little weird. This is what you see from the outside. Turns out this is a bathroom building. A museum docent was walking by and led us inside. The window is actually part of the men's bathroom above the urinals.
So, if you were to be standing there and look up, this is what you see from the inside.... a "peeping Tom". (look carefully and you can see the eyes....kind of hard to see) The women's bathroom didn't have any artwork. (and no fears, the window stops a bit above the urinals, so there are no screams of terror coming from those walking by on the outside)
A puffy car. This was as close as we could get to it. Don't know what it was made of.
And a puffy house. Looks kind of like a sculpted marshmallow. One of the videos below is a video that was showing inside this structure. Is it art? Or is it a home. (you may have to turn your sound up to hear the video.)
Below: City marker, I assume letting you know that you are in an area of Towada where horse information abounds. I think there is a horse museum in Towada City, but have yet to find it. I do know where the one is up at horseland (Komakko Land.....though note that Komakko does not mean horse....that is Uma)
I know, I've had it on before....but well, it's pretty.
From the museum we went to lunch. An adventure when one has to order by what the picture on the menu looks like. Andi, Mykah and myself ended up with cold egg noodles. Which aren't to bad...just not what you expect when you get noodles, one usually expects warmth. But they were good. And once they realized this was their food option for hours yet to come...they ate right up. Mom and Katie got some "flied lice" which was very good as well.
So up to Komakko Land
which, yes, if you went to look at the link....it blatantly says is closed on Mondays....
Above: Two grounds keepers taking a lunch break.I'm not going to do to many pictures of horse land, as we have been here before. However, it was fun to watch Mom and Katie do the big roller slide.
Below: The do's and don'ts of roller sliding.
Mom came down in good form. I think she made a few more runs as well.
Andi reports in that going down on the belly is more difficult than it would seem. It must of jostled her egg noodles around a bit!
Only Katie would figure out a way to have true form when coming down the slide. And she went just as long as Grandma was going.
Katie and I decided to take a ride on the safe hobby horses. Now that's my kind of horse!
Mom took the horse out for a spin as well.
All right, well it is horseland, so just one picture of an actual horse. There were several out. This one was particularly frisky....must of known I was in the area.
A couple of videos. The first (if they got loaded in the order I thought they did) is the Towada City Fire Department practicing their drills. They are going up that rope using only their hands. Feet aren't on the wall.
Mom came down in good form. I think she made a few more runs as well.
Andi reports in that going down on the belly is more difficult than it would seem. It must of jostled her egg noodles around a bit!
Only Katie would figure out a way to have true form when coming down the slide. And she went just as long as Grandma was going.
Katie and I decided to take a ride on the safe hobby horses. Now that's my kind of horse!
Mom took the horse out for a spin as well.
All right, well it is horseland, so just one picture of an actual horse. There were several out. This one was particularly frisky....must of known I was in the area.
A couple of videos. The first (if they got loaded in the order I thought they did) is the Towada City Fire Department practicing their drills. They are going up that rope using only their hands. Feet aren't on the wall.
The second is the puffy house debating what constitutes art and home. (that's the one you might need to turn up your volume on)
