After cleaning and precisely folding our bedding we moved to a new youth retreat in fukuyama and once we were settled in we played a surveying game. We were split into about eight groups and handed a map with locations to codes we needed to collect within a set amount of time. I was randomly matched up with Nakita and deemed the team captain of a very diverse group. At the start I sent Tyler and Tanner out to find what they could in the hilly parts with very little direction they were able to find three. The main strategy to getting all of our point was keeping the group moving in the right direction while collecting dead end points. Our group was very slow, but only because we had three little kids. Over all I was pleased with how I handled directing our group and how I kept everyone satisfied, those who wanted to grab more points, or rest. We timed it close but made it back in time and placed second. First place won the right to the firework distribution at the fire that night. Before the fireworks we sung a song, twinkle twinkle little star was the only one we all knew to do. Then we did group performances which were hilarious, my brother got some wanting to do a fire walk which was not approved, I ended up doing on later that night, but since it was a baseball diamond the dirt was hard I was putting more pressure on the coals that with sand and a coal stuck to my foot long enough to give me an awful blister, but thankfully it didn't ruin my trip or get infected.

We spent the next day in Matsuyama and I wasn't able to find free WiFi. Some went to the traditional public baths and the whole day we just wandered the city. After lunch and more wandering we headed to Matsuyama castle but were only able to stay long enough to briefly get a glimpse of the castle courtyard. Once we got back the the youth retreat we played games in the courtyard and well, the usual until it was time to go to bed.

The second to last day we spent our time at traditional shops, saw a samurai house and most things were closed since it was Monday. After the long drive back to Kyoto we made it to our last youth retreat on the top of a mountain next to a dam. We hung out once again and drank the vending machines there dry of CC Lemon. Oh at this place the washrooms had a second faucet for tea, seriously.

Our last day was spent in Nara park which have various temples, gardens, gates, statues, shops and museums. Plus it was filled with tons of domesticated deer that we could feed crackers to. It was a very good day and it was sad to think that it was our last real day in Japan, although some were staying longer most of us had no money left, and work to go back to. Nate had punishment to go back to.

After waiting forever for our first flight we arrived in Narita for the longest of our flights, it's there that one of the students was handed the passport he had lost and spent most of his trip worrying about, plus the money and time he spent buying a new one. Pepe was definitely razzed a lot about losing his passport, more than John and his Hentai collection.

Well, that concludes a summary of my trip with the my old high school teacher his Japanese students, friends, our guides, and Matt's family. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience I'm sure never to forget, and so many friends I hope to keep in contact with as best as possible.