What is that you say? Why can't you read the stuff on the walls? Because we were in Japan! That's right, Ella got her first stamp in her passport at the little ole' age of 6 months. She is such a mover and shaker!
We'll start from the top...
First there was an 11 hour flight and then a 2 hour bus ride to get there. As always, Ella was a trooper! (Of course it was nice to have a hand full of other wives that were traveling with us to pass Ella off too as well :o) The only thing that didn't fair well were Ella's cute little cheeks...
Ella was all smiles once she saw her daddy though. She wanted nothing to do with me if Mark was around...three cheers for having a break!!
We even took a day trip to Nagasaki. Here we are in Chinatown. That's right, Chinatown in Japan. Weird...yes. Delicious food...yes.
We went to a Chinese Temple as well while in Nagasaki. Can you pick out which ones aren't ancient Chinese artifacts??
They were a quiet group...
Family photo at Peace Park in Nagasaki.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery...right?
Peace Park. The statue's right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the repose of the bomb victims' souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world. Installed in front of the statue is a black marble vault containing the names of the atomic bomb victims and survivors who died in subsequent years. (Wikipedia's words, not mine.)
It was great getting to see the Peace Park, Ground Level and the museum in Nagasaki. It reminded me of being in Dresden, Germany and seeing the destruction still left over from WWII and of course Pearl Harbor. As sad as it is, these places are part of our history and serve as great (and much needed) reminders of our own mortality and how easy it is to destroy that.
Japan was amazing. I can honestly say it's never a place that has been high on my "visit" list, but I would gladly go back if the opportunity presented itself. The country is beautiful, but it's beauty is nothing compared to the people. The Japanese people were so incredibly welcoming and loving. And let me tell you, they wanted to eat Ella alive. Our little blue eyed, white baby was a superstar in Japan! Everyone wanted to see her, people wanted to hold her and take pictures of her...it was crazy!
Granted, I can't blame them. Yee. Haw.
