We've been in Japan for about a week and a half and I just realized that I've been peeing backwards. Everytime you enter a bathroom it's a new experience. We arrived in Tokyo from Vancouver and proceeded directly to a basball game in Tokyo with some friends from my Mount Abe days. Great game, great spirit, amazing excitment and fortunately some adrenaline rushing through our jet lagged bodies. Just needed to use the bathroom, so I took a chance. Now I had heard about "having to pee in a hole" possibility on this trip but wasn't fully expecting a japanese ballpark to be the time or place. But, if you know me, I take it for what it's worth and do was the locals do (later I find out the locals do it facing the other direction but give me a little credit.) Traditonal Japanese style toilets are quite simply a basin in the floor that you squat over and try your best to aim properly. Coming from the outdoors of Alaska actually helped in this situation, I was well practiced in my backcountry stance.

From my first run in with the culturally shocking women's room I've become quite facinated with this piece of Japanese tradition. In my time here I've come across the automatic lid lifter, the flushing sound effect button, the blacklight backdrop, the apricot cleanser spray, the preflush, the bum washer and sometimes, if you're lucky, it's all rolled into one. And of course, clearly stated "Please use cleanly".

Japan is completely different from anything I've ever known culturally, this just being one small piece of the puzzle but a fair representation of my culture shock. Ryan and I have prepared ourselves by going into these experiences with an open mind and appetite for a challenge but Japan has been an amazing test.

If you've never been you should go- we had a very short stay but took advantage of every waking moment we had there. Vancouver was basically built yesterday so everything is very new and doesn't have that old brownstone, Boston feel. They did however learn from others and protected an amazing amount of open space when they drew up plans for this wonderful city. Stanley Park, 1,000 acres or 500,000 trees, is at one end of the city and has a great seawall that goes all the way around the outside with a one way bike/walking path that's five and a half miles long. We were able to borrow bikes from friends and made the trip around, views of the ocean and the massive mountains in the back ground made for some amazing sights. We stayed with Jamie and Beth who have been living there for a year and a half and absolutely love it. They say the best part is that you can get to the mountains for a few runs in about twenty minutes and then hop back home and go to the beach for a swim. As we were riding the bikes around through the farmers market, arts communities and plethora of green space we looked at each other and said there's something just a little too quaint and perfect, what gives?
Part of all the new growth is in preparation for the 2010 winter Olympics and it's everywhere. They just built a new section of above ground train out to the airport and a whole Olympic village right on the waterfront. They've cleaned up some of the shadier parts of town and put in whole new blocks of stores. This place is going to be hopping come February. Look for Jamie and Beth at the women's curling event.

All in all a great stop on the tour, one of those that we didn't really plan as a destination but it did make itself on the list of places to come back to. We've passed through a few spots like that that we've decided require more exploration. So thanks Jamie and Beth- we'll be back.

We closed out our Alaska visit with a quick stop in Skagway, over to Sitka, then a few days in Juneau.

Skagway was a blur, highlighted by our day trip to Laughton Glacier.  A quick train ride (short gauge yukon pass train of Klondike fame) gets you to the trail head.  The 3 mile hike up to glacier was specatcular, with a rushing river of glacial water as your guide and views of the glacier soon into the trip.  Annie and I beat the majority of the other hikers (a couple of tours and some independents) up to the ice, so we basically had the entire monstrous beauty to ourselves.  We then had a super fun, walking day in Skagway with Rosie.

On to Sitka where the heavens seemed to open in a gush of rain.  Luckily we had secured accomodation before hand, so it was the perfect time to be sopped in.  We spent our nights at the Jamestown Bay B&B, owned by Gary and Connie McCanty.  Gary we met on our first day in Ketchikan, he also was on our Bellingham ferry.  During breaks in the rain we did the typical exploring and hiking.  Sitka was billed as the "San Francisco of Southeast Alaska".  There was certainly some charm and you could tell that there was a decent community (the last farmer's market of the season was a treat) but we just didn't get the time or the vibe to substatiate any claim of that caliber.  I'm thinking a return trip is in order.

Our last ferry ride brought us to Juneau.  Annie fell head over heels for the capital. She can't pinpoint why, but I think after the build up for Sitka and the negative press Juneau had received, I think she wanted to route for the underdog.  Our second day in town happened to land on opening day of the NFL season.  We watched the New York Football Giants beat Washington at the Imperial Saloon, with a dozen other Giants fans, free chili and hotdogs, and Alaskan beer on tap.  Straight up local!  In Juneau we were also in touch with Patty Collins, one of those dad's coworker's, wife's, brother's wife connections, which turned out to be terrific.  Patty and husband Bill weren't able to spend much time with us, but they offered up bikes, which we used to the fullest - tooling around to different places in the area.  With bikes we were able to see Perserverance Theater's performance of By the Skin of our Teeth (Douglas, AK),  get to Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves and get out to the nearest hatchery for two salmon fishing sessions (you're damn right, caught a nice silver, legally even).  We also did some hiking, enjoyed a free movie at a local bagel shop and met another cast of characters, including Bruce and Judy, a couple we first met in Skagway.

A 4:15 am cab ride to Juneau International and we said so long to the 49th state of the Union.  So, thanks for the folly Mr. William H. Seward... we've enjoyed your icebox immensely.

Quick post to let everyone know we've made it to the Land of the Rising Sun!  We finished our time in AK, spent a few night's with Jamie and Beth in Vancouver and landed here Saturday afternoon.  From Narita Airport we ditched our bags in a railway station lockers and b lined it to Tokyo's Jingu Stadium to watch the Yomiuri Giants take on our Tokyo Yakult Swallows.  What a start! More to come... Until then all the best.

Southeast Alaska. Part one of our year long adventure is drawing to a close as we pack up in Sitka and hop aboard the Alaska Marine Highway one last time. Our time here has been amazing in many ways but the two things that stick in my mind the most are two very different modes of transportation, hiking and ferry rides.

One day we were walking in the woods, actually a lot days we walked in the woods, and I looked at Ryan and asked "Did you know we were going to be doing this much hiking in Alaska?" I guess I knew that you go to Alaska to see the outdoors and the beauty of mountains but I really didn't know it was going to be the center of our journey to climb everythig we could get our hands on. It has however made for some amazing views and frequently quality time just the two of us. It's not like hiking up to sunset rock in Lincoln where you're bound to come across three or four groups along the way, we often walked alone. I cherish our time on top of those mountains as the wind creates sound and all you can see are more peaks. We've also found that the Alaskans are not afraid of a good pitch. When creating these trails, they get to 3000ft in a hurry. It's been great to get out in the wild and get our bodies ready for whatever comes next.

Alaska has been a great stepping stone for us as we settle into our packs, our budget, and each other. I think we're figuring it out and Japan will test that in a little over a week as we enter a new culture, land and mode of transportation.