All alone on the train!

I show off my Pasmo card. It's preloaded with money so all I do is swipe it when I get on the train or bus and swipe it when I get off. No standing in line to buy tickets or figure out the machines.

I had roller derby practice this morning in the Ikego Hills Housing area, which is an area of the Navy base located about 20 minutes from the main base (where I'm staying). Ikego only holds a few indoor basketball courts, a small gym, a camping area, and lots of Navy family housing.

For morning derby practice, I had been getting rides from other girls coming through Yokosuka on their way out to Ikego. I really wanted to try taking the trains, though. There is a train stop right outside of the Ikego housing area.

So, I took the base bus (it's free) from the Navy Lodge to the Main Gate of the base and walked out into the town of Yokosuka. I walked about 5 blocks to the Yokosukachuo train station. I stalled here because I was afraid to go up to the ticket window and ask for a train pass card. I pretended I was looking through my bag while I gathered up my courage.

Side note: It's hard here to ask for simple things. I get embarrassed about my Japanese, so I use it sparsely. Plus, you can never be too polite here in Japan and unfortunately, "Thank you very much." has little to no meaning to them. So, you have to "aragoto gazimasu" your way through a conversation...then there's custom things that come into play, like you have to make a big deal of handing your cash to the cashier and they get a little miffed if you deviate from the norm....so all of these factors combined can make for some nervous face-to-face experiences for me.

Once I gathered my courage, I managed to purchase my train card and load it with money. The train card can be used in the station to buy snacks, drinks, reading material, etc. I bought a donut like item with no problem.

My frst train arrived and I counted the stops to my transfer. I had read online it would be six. so after six stops, I transfer to a smaller train station. I hop aboard the next train and before I know it, I'm facing the entrance to the Ikego Hills Housing area. Painless, and took less than an hour.

It was so easy! I did the same going back and made it back to Yokosuka just fine. I noticed a few things about the train stations here: 1) They're quiet. Westerners tend to babble....even to people who aren't even with them on the train but join them on the phone. And when us Westerners get excited, our voices tend to rise. The Japanese barely talk, not even in the station. It's very few groups of riders and mostly single people like me making their way to work or school. 2) There were no bums. In the US you're liable to share the public transportation with a few ill-mannered bums who may even try to sell you homemade bum bracelets....no such thing here in Japan.

On my walk back to the Main Gate of the base, I stopped by 7-11. The 7-11's here are amazing. The food is made fresh each day. Each dish is scanned into their system and if it has passed it's "fresh" date when its sold to you, they will refuse to sell it. It's not like in the US where the sandwiches have been sitting there for 3 days. The 7-11's have a delightful sampling of all sorts of Japanese foods and drinks.

My lunch is below. It's fish in an orange/ginger sauce and rice. I also had a tiny egg salad sandwich. It was made without any mayonnaise, which was really interesting to me, as all the egg salad sandwiches I've had have been loaded with mayo.

After my stop by 7-11, I walked from the Main Gate to the Navy Lodge hauling all my derby gear. That's a 5 mile walk and it was intense.

Now it's time for me to go take a shower and maybe an afternoon nap! It's been a big day! :)