Also for the duration of Golden Week my friend Suzuna came back to visit
The most exiting thing we did was go white water rafting in Gunma… thanks to my friend Tatsuya, his car, and special cheap highway fares. I have gone rafting before many times in the states, but this was the first time to go rafting in Japan. Besides being a bit expensive, it was still a lot of fun. The water was cold so we all wore wetsuits. Everyone, except me, also rented water shoes. I decided to use my ‘uwabaki‘ shoes that I used when I was teaching at the elementary schools. Unfortunately, my feet were really cold as the shoes do not have insulation and when we went in the river for a swim one of my shoes fell off and sank to the bottom of the river.

This time of year in Gunma was also great for flowers. The apple tree flowers were in bloom, and the sakura flowers were starting to fall. On the way back we also stopped at a ski slope turned into a Suisen garden.

At BigWave rafting!

Me holding my one remaining uwabaki shoe.

Lunch was at a cafe that specialized in cheese topped curry.

Apple blossom

Suisen flowers…