Beauty tip?

I found the latest in skin care - snake venom! I do not plan on trying this.

Sinbad!

We got to see Sinbad do stand up! I've wanted to see him since I was little, and I must say he still has it! Great guy and great comedy!

The Mukade

While hiking, we found one of the baddest bugs in Japan! This giant centipede is called the mukade, and can grow up to 9 inches long. Its venom is not lethal, but the sting is very painful and is likened to being shocked by a taser.

If feeling threatened, mukade are extremely aggressive and can run VERY quickly. They are fearless and will put up quite a fight. Even when cut in half, each end can still function, and if squished it will release pheromones that will attract others.

Crab in the Morning

Early this morning I was gazing out the backdoor and saw a crab scooting across the patio!! That was the last thing I expected to see in our backyard! I don't know what kind it is... looks like some kind of shore crab, but I couldn't find any with this coloration. He is pretty cute though!

Hiking an Island

We went with some friends to an island the other day for a nice afternoon hike. It was soooo much fun! Lots of great trails, views, and critters! We saw kites, crabs, sea anemones, and various bugs. The boys liked climbing on all of the rocks and giving us heart attacks. We finished up the hike while the sun was setting, and it was gorgeous.

Striped Shore Crab 

Wild Hydrangea

Coffee Fest

We went to the Coffee Fest in Tokyo. The weekly farmers market was set up too, right by the festival. It was so much fun going from booth to booth, enjoying coffee from around the world and seeing all the glories of the market. They also had some alcohol (Japan doesn't have open container laws), so we got to walk around sipping raspberry champagne! Best way to spend a Saturday morning!

We tried local honey, and home made, organic ginger ale. We wandered around town, in search of coffee shops, and found a Dyson store! We had never seen a stand alone Dyson store before. We went in and ogled at the over-priced fans and vacuums and other electronics. Did you know that Dyson makes hair dryers using the same bladeless technology as their fans?

We found a little restaurant for lunch that specialized in beef tongue. That was our first time eating it, and I must say, it is fantastic! It tastes like a succulent steak. Yum!

I know I've mentioned before about how amazing the florists are here, but I found rainbow roses, and had to include a photo of them. Too cool!

Delicious beef tongue. 

Crepes

Crepes are no joke here in Japan. There are several stores and booths that sell hundreds of different crepes - they even have savory ones with seafood and such. They are gigantic, and come rolled up in a paper cone so you can carry it around and munch on it. You can get them filled with chocolate, whipped cream, fruit, and all sorts of delicious things. Look at all the choices!