The small group of nineteen students returned from Japan on Monday, April 5.  After nine days on the island nation and a total of twenty-six hours on an airplane, the spring break travel club members were exhausted and happy to be back home in Bailey. 

      Japan not only has major cultural differences such as religion and food, but also is one of the few countries that speak little English.  Considering the language barrier, interaction in Japan must have been quite difficult.  Jacqui Maes agrees that there were situations when communication was an issue.  “We were in a taxi and the driver got lost because he didn’t understand English, but we didn’t understand Japanese either.  It was just really bad,” she said. 

      The food in Japan is entirely different than the American food that the students are used to.  With a diet consisting mostly of fish, rice, and noodles, meals on the trip were not enjoyed by everybody.  “Personally I didn’t like it, the sweets were really good but the food….not so much.  My dinner had a face one night!” says Erin Trinka, a junior that went on the trip.  All the students agreed that the candy was delicious and the world famous Japanese pastries lived up to their standards.  “The candy was amazing, it was a plethora of tastes,” describes Kyle Grabowski.

      After spending nine days visiting sites that define the Japanese cultures such as a traditional bath house and the Tokyo shrines, the group returned home.  The flight home was ten hours from Tokyo to San Francisco, then another three back to Denver. “It was a great trip, I might even go back someday,” says Trinka.  In all, the trip was successful in exposing the students to a new and vibrant culture.