Japan: Let the Analysis Begin!

I'm still organizing the pictures, hoping to pull together some sort of greatest hits slideshow i.e., all the photos where I look thin and my hair is somewhat under control. Sadly, I spent most of this weekend encased in marshmallow (or at least thats what it felt like) so that exceedingly difficult task may take weeks.

Incidentally, there ARE photos. Oh ARE THERE PHOTOS. 500 of them to be exact, and that's just mine - havent downloaded Iain's yet. If you are really bored, and I mean REALLY bored, and want to test the speed of your web link, you can look at them by clicking here: I AM REALLY BORED AND WANT TO LOOK AT RACHEL'S VACATION PHOTOS.

There's SO much to say, I might try and organize this in the most pedantic way possible: lists. If you have any specific questions (ha!) let me know.

FIVE BEST EXPERIENCES ON MY JAPAN HOLIDAY.
1. Kyoto as a whole was pretty cool, but the temples (esp. Golden and Silver Pavillions, Kiyamizu, and Ryoanji) really rocked the Zen house.
2. Morning prayers at the Buddhist temple on Mount Koya was a really different experience. Before you think I'm going all Richard Gere on you, it was more observational than participational, but v. v. interesting. Not the sort of thing you do every day.
3. Cold sake is my new best friend, but it still took me till the end of the damn trip to learn how to say "cold sake, and fast please" in Japanese. I think its something like "reishu" followed by a snort and a dismissive hand wave. I couldnt really carry it off.
4. Naoshima is an entire island that's been transformed into an art project. A fascinating idea, and has to be seen to be believed. You must go. Now.
5. This is going to sound incredibly shallow, but the big department stores in Tokyo are superfun and sent me into a frenzy. I need to lie down just thinking about it again.

FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING THINGS ABOUT MY TRIP TO JAPAN.
1. Very few people speak English, or are very very shy about speaking it, so we didnt really meet a lot of new people.
2. No Sumo. Was the off-season.
3. People still smoke there.
4. We didnt really do any nightlife in Tokyo or Kyoto.
5. The Japan Rail Pass doesnt cover the top fastest level of the bullet trains, so I didnt really bullet.

TOMORROW: Five best meals and Five best hotels

We saw Blades of Glory this weekend. Really really funny. I love that dopey crap.