Hotels

     We have officially made all our hotel reservations!! Our trip is now for certain mapped out as follows:

5 nights Tokyo, 3 nights Matsumoto, 4 nights Kyoto, 3 nights Matsuyama, 2 nights Takamatsu, 4 nights Osaka, and 1 last night in Tokyo.

     A couple of our hotels are guesthouses- sort of like hostels but without an age limit- but mostly we will be staying in what's commonly known as (in Japan) business hotels. These are cheaper than high-end accomodations yet have all the amenities we could possibly need. Another major factor in choosing a place to stay was the distance to train stations. Since we'll be riding the train all over creation, the closer we are to a station, the better! Luckily I managed to get us what I think are good deals without sacrificing distance or quality.
     In Japan, traditional hotels are called ryokan, where rooms are generally smaller, contain simple furniture like a table and cushions, are carpeted with tatami mats, and use futons at night for sleeping. We will be staying at 3 places with rooms such as these, although only one of them actually calls itself a "ryokan," and even then it's more of a guesthouse hybrid. True ryokans are incredibly expensive- rightfully so, as extravagant meals are usually included and service is excellent- so we are avoiding those.
     I can't think of anything else to say at the moment, so I will just say good night. :)

Flights

So we finally got our flights all settled! We leave home on July 18th and return on August 10th. It seems like a long trip, but looking at our itinerary, it's definitely a lot of stuff to pack into 3 weeks. Fortunately we are spacing things out a little, so no crazy "one day here, one day there." The nice thing is we're traveling with Delta, who has in-flight entertainment plus provides a meal. It's definitely going to be a new experience... The first flight is 9 hrs and 45 mins, while the second is 9 hrs and 15 mins. :)

It may be a bit scary, but I think we're all really excited for this trip. Later this week when I get done with finals we're going to make some hotel reservations. I'll post some news about that when the time comes.