The second day in Utsunomiya we hiked Mt. Amamaki. It was supposed to be a fairly simple hike but it took longer than expected with a lot of ups and downs along the way. Also, the way down the mountain was along, and in, a stream where there didnt seem to really be a path. I still enjoyed the hike very much, especially the dangerous decent, and would like to see what the area looks like in the Fall.

I visited my friends in Utsunomiya again, and as always we did a lot of physical activities. The first day we rented bikes and followed the course of one of the famous JapanCup Cycle Road Race. We only did one lap though, and stopped at many places along the way for sweets, a gyoza lunch, and to play with the cows. The dam along the course was also a very nice spot to take a long break.

In celebration of one of the members getting married recently, this month we had more than 30 people for climbing Mt. Takao. At the top, a wedding cake was made from pancakes, anko, and cream.

After the usual Saturday soccer, I went with a friend to the Belgium Beer Festival that was being held in Yokohama. I dont really like beer, but learning about all the different varieties and trying some of the more fruity kinds was very interesting. There was also a guy with a cat.

Advertising the beer festival

The Boon Geuze was actually good. Probably because it didnt taste like beer.

The cat!

On my bike ride today, I noticed a cat with a puffed up tail quickly swatting at something on the ground. Only one thing can make a cat act like that, so I rushed in to save the snake. It was a beautiful snake! I coerced it to leave the area and watched it as it climbed the nearest tree. Then I tried to pet the cute cat, but I think it was mad at me so it ran away.

Today the dollar finally passed the 100yen mark for the first time in years!

Since I get paid in dollars now, this is a very good thing.

After some searching on the internet, I found a board game club that is very close to where I live. The game club is held on the first Sunday of the month in Ofuna, which is three stations away from me. Anyway, since it was also a nice day I decided to put Wiz-War in my backpack and bike the hour along a nice river over there. Everyone at the game club was very nice, and I finally got to play Wiz-War again. I also played some other games while I was there, and especially enjoyed Escape from Atlantis. I look forward to next month’s meeting!