R.A.T. Your Rodent Around-the-World Traveler (a.k.a. Raz)

Hi, My name is R.A.T., which stands for Rodent Around-the-World Traveler (I like to think it stands for Rodent Adventure Traveler), but everyone here calls me Raz for short. I would love to share my adventures with you. I left my rat family in early January to seek adventure. Everyone said "head west young rat," so that is what I did. I headed west to San Diego, California where I ran out of land and had to hop on a ship to continue my journey. It turns out that the ship I found was going west around the world--a dream come true! The MV Explorer is home to the famous Semester at Sea study abroad program. My shipmates include 629 college students and about 150 faculty, staff, lifelong learners, and family members. Things are really busy here on the ship and even busier when we are in port. Come follow me vicariously as I take this incredible journey. Yours, R.A.T.

P.S. I had such a great time on the voyage that the adventure continues!!!!



Sunday, February 1, 2015

Japan - Temples, Big Buddhas, MIce Houses and More

Here I am on our first day in Japan. We took the bus to Kamakura to visit temples. Now if only I could translate the kanji characters!

Success! We found out first temple. Here is the massive gateway!

Here is the great Daibutsuden - that means "Big Buddha" and big he was. We even were able to go inside of him!

We then went to Kyoto. It was very cold and rainy so we spend much of the day at the national museum. I am in the new modern wing and from here I can see the beautiful neoclassical part of the museum from the comfort of being inside the warm building.

When we were walking to the museum in the rain I stopped to talk to this guy. He was not too talkative. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts!

Next stop Nagoya. We took a bullet train, which went really, really fast!

When we arrived in Nagoya we checked in to our hotel. I called dibs on the bed!
We then went to the fairgrounds for Expo 1970. The big sun deity is still there. This is its back.

It looks a bit weird don't you think?
This strange structure is just one corner of the massive space frame structure that use to surround the sun deity.
Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji again

In Tokyo we had tea to stay warm.
And then we went to the big mouse house--Tokyo Disneyland! Wow--to live in a house like that must be magical!





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