Walking Alone

Last weekend I got a little restless and decided to try to *walk* to this Recycle Shop that a friend took me to about a month ago. I walked to the Akaden (20 minute walk), then took the train to Hamamatsu City. From there I walked for over 2 miles (which feels like forever in a city!) to get to the Vintage Pick-Up store. I decided to document the trip a little, so here is an average street/sidewalk in Ham. Notice how WIDE the sidewalk is? And the yellow stripes? I'm glad you asked! Those have raised bumps and grooves for visually impaired people (of which there are MANY). I think the system is really great!

Something about this house intrigued me. I think it was the massive bamboo-looking privacy fence they constructed on the blamcony. Hmmm....

I arrived!!! I was trying to take a picture of the store front but I moved the camera too fast.
I think this looks cooler than the store front anyway, LOL!

This is a very creepy character that is popular in Japan. I can't remember his name but he's a cute teddy bear with BLOOD dripping his his sharp claws and mouth. Nice, huh?

This picture is especially for Lydia. It's a VW van that I think looks pretty cool, too!! =D

In Japan, *every* KFC (even the little ones in malls) have a statue of Colonel Sanders.
That is insanely funny to me.

This picture has three points. One: to show off the uniformity of most cars in Japan and how "squarish" they look. 2. To demonstrate how every SINGLE driver BACKS INTO their parking spot (when Americans usually avoid it like the plague, LOL!), and 3. This building (beautiful building, sorry the pic didn't capture) is called the Hamamatsu Fashion Community Center. I have no idea if it's about fashion... or a community center... or what. I should have run inside but I was on a mission!

So that you don't have to cross the wide, busy streets, there are also lots of tunnels that run underground. This door reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. It was super tiny (as evident by the boots left outside it!)! The door was so tiny! I wouldn't have been able to fit through it! And inside I could see bags of cans and maybe trash. But then I ran away because I heard something moving in there and you never know...

I thought this would tickle my Dad. Look! It's the Ford dealership in Hamamatsu!!

The sun is setting and I'm stillll walking (and in the wrong direction, LOL. I got home long after dark!)

A new bookstore opened in the station with a small selection of English books and magazines. I flipped through this Vogue and then noticed the price: $25.00. Seriously people?! Hmmm....

My conclusion: Walking alone is really fun when the weather is decent. But it takes forever! I have to get a bike (hehe, spoiler alert!) =D