Our new ride

We just purchased a 2001 Toyota Altezza...otherwise known as a Lexus IS300 back in the states.

It has about 57,000 kilometers on it which is about 35,400 miles; clean title, the interior was in great shape, & only a few minor scratches. So here's how it all happened....I registered my bicycle on base (yes, crazy to think you have to register your bike but rules are rules) and then decided to ride to the used car lot here to see what was for sale because the inventory changes quite frequently with military members leaving all the time. I ran into a gentleman who was trying to sell his car and told him what I was looking for. He mentioned that he had a friend named Matt Stephens who buys cars at the Yokohama auction for a living and gave me his number. There are auctions every Tuesday and Friday so I called Matt and he wanted to meet with me right away so I could check out the inventory. The cars were graded in a system where the exterior was given a number 1-5 (5 being like new) and the interior given a letter grade A-D (A being the best). The Altezza was given a 4A. There was also information regarding the condition of the tires and if the car still had JCI (Japanese car insurance) remaining. I picked out a few cars I wanted him to bid on, wrote up a contract, and had to hand him over the cash. To be honest, I was a little hesitant at first because I never met this guy before in my life and here I am handing him over a lot of cash. But thankfully, got a call from him the following day and he told me we won the car. There is still a good amount of administrative tape I still have to go through (base inspection, road tax, weight tax, getting "Y" plates which signifies I'm a foreigner) but overall, pretty excited that we get to drive around town in this beauty.... Just have to get used to the fact that I'm on the right hand side of the car driving on the left hand side of the road!                

The Great Buddha & Hasedera Temple

Bern and I went recently went back to Kamakura to visit both the Great Buddha & Hasedera Temple. The Great Buddha was made way back in the 13th century. It's managed to survive hundreds of years of heavy rain storms, typhoons, & even a tidal wave since it's so close to the shore. We went during a perfect time too because the cherry blossoms were in full bloom so they looked really beautiful against the backdrop of this incredible statue.

 

We then headed to Hasedera Temple which was only about a 5 minute walk from the Great Buddha. Even though there a lot of visitors, the place still felt very peaceful & serene. This temple sits along the mountainside overlooking Kamakura so there were amazing views of the beach to go along with the all the lush greenery. We were unable to take pictures inside the temple but there was an interesting section outside of the temple where little mini statues laid; dedicated to all unborn children who passed away. Visitors had a chance to buy some incense and pray. Afterwards, Bern and I walked up a few hundred stairs to get to the top of the temple area. Our legs were really killing us but it was all worth it in the end.

 

 

 

 

Since we finally got internet service at our place I'll be posting more often now so hopefully you're still keeping up. Can't believe we've already been here for over a month now. Still adjusting to our new lives here in Japan but missing everyone back in the states. Hope everyone is doing well!      

     

 

 

 

 

 

      

Our New Home, Part 1

Goodbye Navy Lodge! Bern and I have been searching for our new home and finally decided on a great apartment in Yokosuka. It's so close to everything...we are only about a 10 minute walk to base and surrounded by many shops & restaurants. Our new place is also located between two of the major train lines which is super convenient. It's a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment with a balcony. The kitchen has no oven which is the norm here in Japan. Instead, they have a fish grill which is right below the stovetop. The bathroom has a western style toilet....the funny thing is that after you flush, the new water filling up the bowl first comes through a nozzle atop of the toilet in order for you to wash your hands. Our washer & dryer are also located in the bathroom as well...
Here are some pics:

Here's the view from our balcony:

And the view from our front door which faces the bay front of the military base:

So the best part of our new apartment (atleast in my opinion) is the Tatami Room. It's a traditional Japanese room with straw mats on the floors and shoji screens for the windows. We are not quite sure what exactly we are going to do with the space yet, maybe an office or another spare bedroom. But jokingly, I told Bern that I was going to make it into my personal dojo...well maybe semi-joking! haha

Right now, the Navy has given us loaner furniture & appliances to use while we wait for all of our household goods arrive. Once we get fully settled in, I'll make sure to post Part 2 of our new home. But as you can see, we have plenty of room for family & friends to stay so please visit if you can! We would love to have you here!