Lost in the Wild

August 8, 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMls7fLvLJY
Here is a video I made that should go along with the story.

So one of the biggest events in Japan as some of you may already know, are usually accompanied by amazing fire works displays...most that dwarf any sort of displays that we have in the States. And sometimes, more often than not, the event IS the fire works display. 

This weekend in Gifu City (about a 2 hour non-stop train ride away from my town, Takayama) the biggest fire works display in all of Japan occurs so I made it a point to go down there and meet with the JET group that I met at the orientation in Tokyo, the first weekend of the trip. I know one word of Japanese at this point: Wakarimasen which translates to "I don't understand". So you can imagine the process of buying the right ticket, getting on the right train and getting off at the right stop without knowing any of what anything says. I pack up all the things I need to stay for the night, which includes some books, my ipod, money and whatnot. I put it in a bag and just as I'm walking out the door, I look at my umbrella stash that was left for me by my predisessor, and since its drisling outside today and everyone owns umbrellas here, I decide to take it even though it means carrying something extra the entire time. 

The train station is about 3 blocks away so its nice and close. I ask the man at the counter to help me, who is pretty good with English and I get on the train. The train ride was probably one of the more beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. This place is very similar to Colorado in the sense that there is a lot of green and a lot of mountains, however, I've never seen GREENER mountains, if that makes sense. These mountains are covered with lush, bright, thick trees, rather than pine, like I'm used to. Not only this, but the train and the road, right underneith, follow a river that has both high and low points, so at times, the river will just drop into a magnificient waterfall. Amazing. So I get off the train in GIFU and while its about 80 % humidity in Takayama, based on my meteorology knowledge, I'd say its closer to 1,000,000 % humidity in Gifu. And not only this but the sun is out, which it hasen't been in Takayama for a few days. Thus, I'm wearing Jeans, an undershirt and a dress shirt, carrying a satchel type bag and my umbrella, which I'm not using because it's definitley not raining. I'm dying. After walking about with the group of JETs we decide to begin the walk to the spot alongside a river to watch the firework display. Now, after looking back on it, I was impressed with the fire works display no doubt, but I have to say that I just may be more impressed with the number of people I saw during this excruciating hour long walk. There must have been over 200,000 people for this one event.
It was really incredible. So after the treck to the sitting spot, we get there about an hour late, after all we were about a group of 25 or so, so it took a while to move this many cattle basically. We watch the display which is awesome. Then because I'm staying with my friend Sandra, who lives about 1/2 hour away, we have to leave early to catch her bus. Side note: Sandra was in Gifu last night and got on a bus that USED to go to her town but did not anymore, and she ended up getting stranded. She was given these flash cards by her supervisor that have specific phrases in Japanese written down so she can just show them to someone and they can read it. These really are hilarious because they are so specific. An example of one translates to be "I have an acute pain right now, please take me to the hospital." haha. Anyway, she had to call a taxi and wait with the bus of people waiting there also for 1/2 an hour to take her back to her town. Being lost sucks. 

So anyway, we leave and in the hoards of people, we're rushing to beat the crowd to the street. In our huslte bustle she asks, "shouldn't we be going that way?" She points to the right and I say, "yeah you're right." I begin to go that way and as I look back, she is gone. Gone, gone, lost. This means we've separated from the big group and now we're both all alone. I shift into panic mode because she just got done explaining how she's just glad she's with someone else. I can't find her, even after yelling her name and now that the display is over, thousands of people are coming and going in every direction. I have to say, I haven't felt that feeling since I was around 5 at DisneyWorld with my friend Pete and I was lost for a brief moment. Needless to say, you don't like that feeling. After rushing around, my addreneline pumping trying to find her, I know that the big group is gone now too and the train/bus to my town has already left. It's about 9:00pm. I go back to our sitting spot and wait there for about 25 minutes hopeing that she will do the same thing. She never comes so I decide to huff it back to the train station, where I MIGHT find someone I konw. I have no cell phone and I live 2 hours away. As I'm walking, I am dripping sweat from head to butt crack and I'm looking for anyone. In addition, my  bag and
umbrella are really pissing me off because they are adding to this
treterous walk and I keep accidently hitting Japanese people in the
head (because they're smaller) with my awkward umbrella. I'm sorry, I
don't usually carry these things around.
Somehow, probably because its easy as shit to spot an American in a
group of Asians, I see Kaite, another JET accross this huge street and
yell her name. She is the only one I know who has a cell phone at
this time and so I get the number of a married JET couple who lives
about 15 minutes from the city. As I get to the train station, I call them and luckily they just got off the train. I get a ticket to their
town and crash with them for the night. Wholly balls.
The entire train ride back I'm just dead tired and as I get off the
train in Takayama around 1pm, I step out of the train station and walk
into the downpooring rain. I feel for my umbrella and realize its on
the fucking train. That, my friends is irony. So now I'm soaked in
my apartment, writing this email. Stil haven't talked to Sandra, but
lets hope her flash cards helped her out again. Hope your Saturday
was just as fun. Talk to you guys soon.