Be warned: Foot shots ahead.
We came home from Kobe today. Alek said he wanted to stay in Kobe for the rest of his life. It sure is nice to stay in a hotel, not doing dishes, not making beds. We had fun together, making the most of these difficult days: No school, bad news, sad stories.
Yesterday we had another interesting day. We went to Kobe Kachoen--a bird park out on Kobe's Port Island. They have flowers, birds, and fish. The place is one huge greenhouse.
The flowers smelled so good.
Even the lunch spot was surrounded with flowers.
And then there were birds.
Our favorites were these toucans.
Yep. We fed 'em.
And they had this owl collection! Check it out, dad! Most of these owls are from Africa.
Okay, and then they had fish.
Only one kind, though. The kind that if you pay 300 yen, they will nibble the dead skin off your feet.
Only in Japan, ne.
This was up there with Dog Mind Cafe in terms of expectations not equalling the experience. These fish are big. And they go right at it. And it feels extremely wierd, ticklish, and gross. Max and I commiserated....we decided that if you think that the feeling is from fish eating your feet, it feels awful. If you think you are holding your feet over on astroturf in a stiff wind, then it feels just wierd. 
Alek couldn't take it. 
Max's feet came out very soft. Mine still needed a few more hours....I think I'll stick with pumice. 
Hugo, defiant as usual, didn't mind the experience one bit.
