As many of you know, I love the reality tv show: The Amazing Race. One of these days I hope to be on it! Although I will first have to learn to drive a stick shift and not be deathly afraid of deep ocean water and not hate flying so much- besides the point, right?!
Anyways, as I've been living in Japan I've been managing to take overnight trips about once a month. As I explore a new city I imagine the show having some sort of task related to where I am.
Well I got to compete in a challenge today that would perfectly fit on the race!
At the visitors center in Nikko I was given a poster with 11 empty spaces where I was supposed to collect stamps. If I returned in a certain amount of time, I would receive a prize. Today happened to be a festival with large decorated wagons, music, costumes and a long parade. The wagons were pulled up the main road about a km to a historic bridge. Children dressed in traditional kimonos rode inside playing drums and flutes. Men pulled the wagons up the hill. Each wagon had its own special stamp and I was my job to go from wagon to wagon asking the parade participants to stamp my poster. Luckily stamp in Japanese is: "stampu" so all I had to say was "stampu onegaishimasu" and if I asked the wrong guy, they were still very helpful. I was even provided with cupfuls of sake!
My prize? you ask, two bottles of local beer brewed and bottled in Nikko! Can't wait to try it with some friends.
What good luck to come upon a local festival!
ReplyDeleteSerendipity at work :)
-Mom