Today is the 5th day of our trip and we are currently on a train to Kyoto to go see our host families who we will be staying with for the next week. Last night was a truly unique experience. We went from the action-packed city of Tokyo to the very small, very quiet village of Gokoyama. Gokayama was absolutely beautiful, surrounded by huge snowcapped mountains. The houses were simply and small with triangular roofs made of grass. In Gokayama, we stayed in a small, traditional Japanese inn. It At the door we removed our shoes and changed into green slippers which we would be wearing inside for the entirety of our stay. Our rooms were all traditional Japanese style and it was amazing to stay in a room like this. Océanne’s and my room was small and simple with tatami mats on the floor and two futons spread out. Our window had a view of the beautiful mountains and sakura trees and a small waterfall. One of the best parts of our time in Gokayama was the traditional Japanese food that we ate. As a vegan, I was not expecting to be so well fed here in Japan, but I was pleasantly surprised the hotel kitchen prepared full vegan and vegetarian meals for the vegans and vegetarians in our group. The food was amazingly delicious and like nothing I have ever tasted before. Every meal consisted of many small plates of foods like tofu, vegetables (mostly pickled), miso soup, and rice. We had tea with every meal. Every dish was prepared and plated with such care and each one tasted unique. Last night I also experienced an onsen, which is like a sauna, shower and hot tub combined. It was a really interesting experience and left me feeling very relaxed and happy. Because there was no Internet at the hotel, I did not have a chance to get in touch with anybody from home, so I spent a lot more time with the other people on the trip and got to know everyone better. I have never experienced anything like Japan before in my life and we still have tons of awesome experiences left!