Tokyo Disney Resort-- here we come!!!

As we landed, Rodney made the comment it looked like the airport is actually on a man-made island!! 

While waiting outside the terminal for our bus to take us to the resort, we realized, according to the map marking, "You Are Here," he was right!!

 

Our chariot...
ready to take us to where our "dreams come true"!!

 

 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for travelling with Japan Airlines."

In case you don't know how to fasten your seat belt....

I was VERY thankful we weren't having to figure out those road signs!!

There it is!!! Our first glimpse of Sleeping Beauty's castle!!
And, Tower of Terror :)

Almost there!!!!!!

 

Outside the Disneyland Hotel...

Once we were checked into our hotel (pics to come), we got out and about.
We found "The TOWN," which is like Disneyland California's Downtown Disney. Home to MUCH shopping and food, as well as our first Tokyo Disney Store :)

 

Most exciting for Rodney was the "penny" machine at Rainforest Cafe!!
Since, of course, the Japanese don't use pennies, it was actually a copper 'plug' pressed into the design.

We also saw this cutie ;o)

When heading to the parks from any of the hotels, besides walking you have two choices---
You can ride one of the Resort Buses or the Disney line monorail!!

On the monorail, the handles are cute Mickeys!

On our first ride we were able to sit in the front seat!
We had a nice view of the Disneyland Hotel and our stop for DISNEYLAND!!!

Lordy, Lordy, Rodney's 40!!!

Since we were going to be in Tokyo for the Fourth of July, our friends the Baileys had us over for a cookout before we left. What we didn't tell Rodney was that it was also a birthday celebration for him!!

He found out when we walked into the tower and found the first sign:
"Lordy, Lordy, Rodney's 40!"

"Forty isn't old if you're a tree!"

"In dog years, you're dead!"
"OMG, you're OLD!"

But, his favorite signs were the ones made by his "little man" buddy, Clark :)

 

They look tough, don't they?!?!!?!?

But, believe me, they're not ;o)
Our friends and fellow chaplains, Father "Papa" Chapa and Brian Bailey.

His favorite gift was his Star Wars travel mug... Notice the button on the bottom piece? Press it and it plays the Star Wars theme song!! He plans to make use of that when passing information at a staff meeting :)

His other favorite gift was a bottle of DUKE'S mayonnaise!! We'd heard about Duke's from some other friends from South Carolina, but had never had the opportunity to try it until that night----YUM!!!

Happy Birthday, Rodney!!!

After that much fun evening, it was time to get home and get to bed. We had an early morning plane to catch to TOKYO!!!!

Fukushu-En Garden

After our visit to the Tomori Stone Lion, we stopped off to explore Fukushu-En Gardens--- a peaceful, gorgeous Chinese garden in the middle of the city!

This wall with all its character surrounds the grounds.

We entered the gardens by walking through this little building and were greeted by a sweet little Japanese lady sitting at the reception desk who simply wanted to know our home country.

These two shisas stand guard to the gardens.

 

 

 

The architecture is fascinating!

 

 

 

When we were visiting Chinatown in Singapore (http://wanderingweavers.blogspot.jp/2010/02/singapore-part-3-chinatown.html) we learned the Chinese years of our births. On this little bridge there was a post for each Chinese year, so Rodney had his picture with the rat and me with the goat. 

 

And, of course, in true Rodney tradition--- life imitates art!

This is the crown jewel of the garden...Notice the rock stairway on the left that leads up to the pagoda and the 'doorway' in the center of the picture....

....leads in behind the waterfall!

 

 

This garden is a lovely place to visit!!!

The Tomori Stone Lion

Original photo taken June 18, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa according to blog.mikesryukyugallery.com.

According to "Map It! Okinawa" he was placed here in this position by a Feng Shui Master facing the Yaese Mountians to prevent fires.

The exact date of origin is evidently a mystery, but is reportedly first mentioned in an article written in 1689! Looking at the bullet marks.....oh, the stories he could tell.......

NOTE: I had taken some really cool pictures of Rodney re-enacting the original photo and a couple of good ones of what I think was a banana spider. Sickeningly, on our next stop, my camera fritzed and deleted ALL the pictures off my SD card!!! So, I guess now we'll just have to go back ;)