Ski Trip

I went on the most awsome ski trip this weekend with my basketball team! It was
the best weekend since ive been here!
Jumped on the bus at 9pm to go Nigata ken.. was supposed to be a 3 hour trip but because of all the snow the expressways were closed and we had to take other routes... it took 6 hours!!!! But we had a great time! The front of the bus was normal seats but the back was all the seats in a circle around a table! Coach bought us drinks and we ate food and played drinking games most of the way :) and of corse all the toilet stops we had to make from all the drinking! hehe!
We also seen a HUGE car pile up on the highway! The next day we found out that it turned into a 61 car/truck pile up!!!!! I dont think anyone got hurt but it was on a curve and there was soo much snow that you would have no hope stopping before you hit the car in front!

The Arrival .
We arrived at around 3am and carted all the luggage in! I couldnt believe how much snow was around... It was pilled up HIGHER than the bus on the sides of the road!!!! And you couldnt see the road cos it was just all ice!! The icycles hanging off the roofs of houses and even under the cars were HUGE!!
Anyway the place we were staying at turned out to be more like a bed and breakfast and i stayed in a room with 4 other girls!! It was freezing too... -16 degrees!!
We were up at 7:30 in the morning and marched downstairs to a Japanese breakfast! Anyone for rice, fish and vegies??? rrr! Not your typical bread and cerial but i ate the rice!




1st Day At Mt. Naeba PIC- Me and Nao
We were all suited up and gone by 9pm!! Coach got me my snowboard and boots and i bought some goggles and i was off!! Had the bestest time ever!!! Nao was my teacher and a great teacher at that! I was up and snowboarding in no time!! lifts were a different story though.. i feel sorry for the lift guy whos arm i was grapping on to at the end of every lift but hey it was that or stop the lift altogether!!! I cant count how many times i fell over but i had the bestest bestest time ever!!! Thanks Nao!!

The Onsen experience!
After skiing everyone went to the onsen or "public bath" and i contemplated whether or not to go with them.... my pals convinced me and oh my god i swear it was the hardest thing ive had to do in my whole life!! Get naked in front of all my friends and strangers!! But i did it and it was not so bad.. the baths were really nice!! They had an inside one and an out side one! It was tottaly unreal running to the outside pool in the nude in -16 degrees weather to sit in a bath with snow falling on and around you! Almost Magical i would say!! But i did it HOORAY!! My new years resolution complete! :)

The Party!

Now, whats the ski trip without a party? hehe came down at 7 for the most awsome dinner! Sukiyaki, sashimi, rice, soup and of corse the side vegies! We all toasted with sake (not saki) and ate our scrummy dinner! After this we all sat around drinking and talking! It turns out that my Coach bought me a bottle of scotch to drink. YOUR A CHAMP COACH.! Anyway we stayed up for ages drinking and the doctor that came with us was passed out on the table and everyone was quite drunk when we headed outside and troddled to the pub down the road!! It was awsome!!! Just like a normal pub! First one i have seen in Japan! There was a labrador there who sat, shook both hands and you could put food on its nost until you said "Yosh" and he ate it!! Awsome! Coach just kept feeding us drinks and by the end we had made friends with the other people in the bar and planned to meet them the next day!! then we troddlesd back home to bed!! (p.s. i have no recollection of this)

The pic is of a random cow i found skiing .....And you thought Japan didnt have
Mad Cows disease!!!!!!
2nd Day at M.t Naeba
Ok, today i was crap!! I woke up my whole body aching from the falls the day before and i just couldnt stay up!! I ended up eating and choking on SOO much snow that i became the laughing stock of the trip! But hey it was all fun.... coach took me and Eri to a cafe and we drunk hot cocca and ate hot pancakes and i felt heaps better!!! But unfortunatly still couldnt snowboard any better! lol!! At midday it was time to leave and the long bus ride home was spent mostly sleeping!!

Im so glad i decided to go on this trip!! I have had the chance to spend more time with my team mates and get to know them heaps better!! There a wild bunch! lol

Cheers for a greatest weekend in Japan so far guys!! Thanks for all your help! Especially Nao! me and Eri ganbarou!!
Thanks Coach!!

COACH!! .. I stole an icycle :P