Toyahashi here I come

OK all set Money....Check, Mobile phone ....Check, Backpack....Check ,Omiagee....Check, 7.2 surfboard??....Oh yeah Check...... I was off.
Mum dropped me off at the local Kachigawa station about 1630 (She really had her doubts that I could find my way) .
First off I had to catch a JR (Japan Rail) train to Kanayama, 15 minutes (how hard can it be?)
Well I got more than I bargined for as it was packed and I couldn’t hear the conductor's announcements properly so what sounded like "When I was at high school I liked to eat banana....."
In actual fact was "blah,blah ...... MAMONAKU KANAYAMA DESU!" (soon we will be arriving in Kanayama)

But I squeezed and politely shoved my way out (sumimasen) so I could change to the Meitetsu line bound for Ina.
I chose to wait till 1848 to get the Semi Express which would not stop at every station (so I figured less crowed)
As I waited and watched "another" train go past I was approach by a young girl asking if I was ok? (in Japanese)
Of course I said "Dia joobu desu" (I'm fine)
I guess I looked lost and definitely out of place but she insisted I "needed" help and proceeded to explain at 100mph (in Japanese) the finer points of the train schedule.
Turned out Rihoko was going to see her boyfriend in Ko (1 station before me) so she was getting the same train and again "insisted" that I need help.

The Meitetsu line was packed so tight the platform conductor said twice "that he can’t close the door as we were spilling out.
I was getting the look from just about everyone (Stupid GIJIN....I wasn't winning any hearts with my surfboard taking up all the room)
Anyway an hour into the trip it finally started to empty out and Rihoko told me that I should get off at the next station....2mins later I arrived at Ina station.
Taka has not changed one bit still a free spirit with eyes wide open to the world.
We walked 2 minutes down the road to the local Yaki niku (barbque & beer)
10 minutes later and 2 and a half beers (what?? It was a hot night and we were dehydrated) it was like we had "caught up" last weekend and not the 3 years he's been back in Japan.
Missed my bro and was good to hang out.
After we got kicked out (we were still drinking and eating but they wanted to go home pfffttt whats up with that???)
So we wandered (stumbled) down the road to the local Izakaya (another pub) and continued eating drinking and generally talking shit.
Home time about 1200 to watch Surf DVD's (and talk some more shit) till about 0145.