This afternoon I had the opportunity to explore downtown Yokosuka. The energy of city life here is fascinating and the people are so friendly! I'm not at the airport anymore so English is sporadic at best and I am so thankful for pictures in store windows. I have to admit that I couldn't resist trying the local McDonalds -- partly because it is a familiar site and I wanted to experience fine dining =) After my first (and most likely last) McShrimp burger, I stopped at the local Starbucks where I had (of course) my first Asian chai latte. Again, thanks to pictures, I was able to point and grunt my order quite effectively.
One major faux-pas during my first purchase was not placing the money in the tray by the till but handing the money to the cashier direct. She was a little startled but kind of smirked and proceeded to give me my change. I'll know better the next time.Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of approximately 3 million people; it's located 30 minutes south of Tokyo by train. The Lighthouse (hospitality house where I am staying) is in a suburb of Yokohama called Yokosuka. Since this region is mountainous, most homes and businesses are nestled together along narrow streets and close to panoramic views of the harbor.
