Gosen-Tulips

Of course there's always a story.
This week some of my English students showed me pictures from the Bunsui festival last weekend that I missed. I was kinda thinkin it would be little, plus I missed the train. Then, after I saw pictures I was really really kicking myself. Then to make the matters worse (not really worse just thought it was) on Friday I found out that I had missed the Gosen-Tulip vestival too. That was supposedly held last weekend as well. Dang! So for the rest of the week I kept an eagle eye on the Tulips in the area. By Friday night I decided I would go to Gosen even though the festivals where over and probably the tulips where gone. Friday night I packed a lunch (save on money) so I packed some seaweed tuna rolls, peach jello, yogurt and my nalgene of course (I never go anywhere without it). I left this morning not expecting to see alot but I thought I would give it a try. After all, I had packed a delicious lunch and my bubbles to entertain myself if it didn't go so well. The train ride worked like clockwork. (I'm getting a little better at this.) When I got to the Gosen station I asked the station ticket salesman how to get to the tulip fields. He laughed and told me that I had missed the festival. (I began to doubt if I should have come or not.) Then he told me you have to get there by taxi! NO WAY, I thought, I don't care if it takes me 4 hours of walking. I'm donna see some tulips! So politley I asked him how to get there by foot. Again he laughed as said it's too far. How far I asked. He said over an hour. Oh, well that's cake, one hour isn't bad. So I got directions and headed on my way. (Even though he advised against it, he thought it was too far to walk). I'll admit I figured he knew more about Gosen than me so I was a little nervous but the morning was fresh and I had alot of energy and I was ready to see some tulips!

I followed his directions.

It took me 23 minutes. ^____^

The walk was gorgeous! The Japanese country side is so green. This week I've noticed more birds, bees, bats, bugs and everything about Spring it out and amazing!!!! Oh and there will be more to come on the rice fields. Yes, it's the time of year to flood the rice fields. I'm really excited. All the little streams and water holage on the sides of the road are now getting lower.

Anyway, here are a few flowers. This is what I first saw as I walked over the bridge!

Oh, and while I was stopped at Niitsu there was a cool, super old, really big, coal engine!


















Although I missed the actual scheduled tulip festival, I'm glad I went today because they took down all the ropes that keep people away from the flowers and we where allowed to walk in between the rows and out into the middle of the fields! (Don't worry it really was ok, the field workers where all out there popping the heads off the tulips) Soooooo since I was there and decided I'd make most of the day of it I sat right down in the middle of the field (in a furrow of course) and ate my lunch! It smelled sooooooooo good! I enjoyed my lunch so well. It had been really windy the whole day but slowed down for lunch and long enough for me to blow a few bubbles while sitting in the field. It was incredible!