Just a quick special post for Fleur to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! For anyone who doesn't know, Fleur is my sister and she turns 31 today, the little witch that she is!
Have a spookily happy birthday Fleahead (don't ask!) and don't forget to open the card I left for you.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fi's Travels...
Sunday, 31 October 2010
I wish they hadn't been listening...
The Shinto Gods in Japan have been very kind to me. I wished that I would please find my rail pass. However, for the future, I think I will be more specific and remember to add some timing into my prayers if that's an important element.
I found my pass today, exactly where I left it, in my bag. Where I had placed it away from all the other bits of paper for 'safe keeping'.
Still, can't complain really. They did grant my wish for me.... it's my own fault for not saying I needed it before I left Japan.
I found my pass today, exactly where I left it, in my bag. Where I had placed it away from all the other bits of paper for 'safe keeping'.
Still, can't complain really. They did grant my wish for me.... it's my own fault for not saying I needed it before I left Japan.
Koalas, the Opera and how to have fun on your own...
So Saturday was a really fun day. I caught the bus into the City and it was lovely weather for the first time here - it's warm but been cloudy or raining a lot. I wandered around a bit and then went straight to the Chinese Garden. I think I now really like all things Asian! It was similar to the gardens in Japan and I loved it.
Next I went to a wildlife centre which has Australian animals... and I got a photo taken with a koala bear! So very cute...
There were lots of other animals as well including possums and kangaroos and wallabies and even a butterly enclosure! More photos on facebook:
By the way, please excuse any typos, I've read back a couple of entries and have spotted a few - it's just that I'm usually rushing when I write these!
So anyway, in the evening Isabel took me to the opera in Sydney Opera House. It was a German one called Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss and I did enjoy it, although we both agreed that Italian ones are a bit nicer!
And to anyone who advised me not to bring all my dresses - I was able to wear a beautiful, full length turquoise dress from Monsoon and looked better dressed than a lot of other people! So that made me happy...
And as to how to have fun on your own? Well, after the Chinese Garden and the wildlife centre, I went to find myself some dinner before the opera. Anyone who's been out to dinner with me more than a couple of times will know that I love Wagamama's, where I alwasy eat the same thing - Ginger Chicken Udon. It's divine! So I sat, in the sunshine, eating that with a glass of chilled white wine, looking out over the harbour. Heaven:
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| Bonsai trees in the Chinese Garden in Sydney |
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| Chinese Garden in Sydney |
Next I went to a wildlife centre which has Australian animals... and I got a photo taken with a koala bear! So very cute...
 |
| Me looking very happy... |
There were lots of other animals as well including possums and kangaroos and wallabies and even a butterly enclosure! More photos on facebook:
By the way, please excuse any typos, I've read back a couple of entries and have spotted a few - it's just that I'm usually rushing when I write these!
So anyway, in the evening Isabel took me to the opera in Sydney Opera House. It was a German one called Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss and I did enjoy it, although we both agreed that Italian ones are a bit nicer!
And to anyone who advised me not to bring all my dresses - I was able to wear a beautiful, full length turquoise dress from Monsoon and looked better dressed than a lot of other people! So that made me happy...
And as to how to have fun on your own? Well, after the Chinese Garden and the wildlife centre, I went to find myself some dinner before the opera. Anyone who's been out to dinner with me more than a couple of times will know that I love Wagamama's, where I alwasy eat the same thing - Ginger Chicken Udon. It's divine! So I sat, in the sunshine, eating that with a glass of chilled white wine, looking out over the harbour. Heaven:
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| Ginger Chicken Udon and wine at Wagamama's |
Friday, 29 October 2010
Birds, frogs, birds, bats and more birds!
So, here are the things I had not realised about Sydeney:
1. It's really very beautiful place. I had imagined it to be rather like any big city - full of grey buildings - apart from the opera house. But actually, it's really pretty with lots of parks and pretty buildings
2. there is wildlike EVERYWHERE! possums, rats (cute ones), lizards, frogs and crickets are just a few that are in the garden! There are amazing birds everywhre, not just rainbow parakeets but Mynah birds, Cockatoos, Ibises... and huge fruit bats in the botanical gardens!
3. It smells really nice, from all the tropical flowers and plants everywhere
I had a walk around today with isabel, who I'm staying with. She is my mum's cousin and has lived here for over 20 years. I'm living in comparitive luxury with my own bedroom and my own bathroom, which is lovely.
Here is a link for non-facebook people to the Sydney pictures I have so far:
1. It's really very beautiful place. I had imagined it to be rather like any big city - full of grey buildings - apart from the opera house. But actually, it's really pretty with lots of parks and pretty buildings
2. there is wildlike EVERYWHERE! possums, rats (cute ones), lizards, frogs and crickets are just a few that are in the garden! There are amazing birds everywhre, not just rainbow parakeets but Mynah birds, Cockatoos, Ibises... and huge fruit bats in the botanical gardens!
3. It smells really nice, from all the tropical flowers and plants everywhere
I had a walk around today with isabel, who I'm staying with. She is my mum's cousin and has lived here for over 20 years. I'm living in comparitive luxury with my own bedroom and my own bathroom, which is lovely.
Here is a link for non-facebook people to the Sydney pictures I have so far:
I've also updated the photos for Japan with the last few including a view of Mount Fuji:
But here are a couple of Sydney anyway:
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| The beach a few minutes from where I am staying |
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| Sydney Opera House |
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| Ibis birds |
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| a Fruit Bat! |
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Down Under
Hi all,
Just a brief post to let you know I have arrived safely down under. I am very tired as I was an extremely good girl yesterday and set off at 11.30am for the airport. I got there over 4 hours before my flight left at 8.30pm and had to hang around for an hour before I could even check in, but better safe than sorry. I didn't sleep on the flight and have been battling tiredness and sore eyes today as I really feel like I was travelling for about 24 hours. Although I wasn't.
More tomorrow when less tired.
xxx
Just a brief post to let you know I have arrived safely down under. I am very tired as I was an extremely good girl yesterday and set off at 11.30am for the airport. I got there over 4 hours before my flight left at 8.30pm and had to hang around for an hour before I could even check in, but better safe than sorry. I didn't sleep on the flight and have been battling tiredness and sore eyes today as I really feel like I was travelling for about 24 hours. Although I wasn't.
More tomorrow when less tired.
xxx
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Hiroshima
So, today I went to Hiroshima. Words can`t describe really. I had only 3 hours in total and half an hour was taken up each way getting there and back. I spent the first hour or more reading everything single word, which was downstairs, and that was awful enough, but then I went the main museum... and it was just too much. I was running late for my train anyway so I ran through most of it, but don`t think I could have stayed much longer anyway. I won`t go into too much detail, but when you read about how calculated the Americans were (and the UK, they were in on all the meetings too) in choosing somewhere so populated for maximum impact, and how they chose not to give any warning... and how part of their strategy was about proving that they hadn`t spent so much money and time for nothing... it just was utterly appalling. I don`t think I`ve seen anything so harrowing. I was close to tears by about half way through and then it just gets worse... I was still on the verge of tears on the tram to the station and on the train as well. I just didn`t want to cry in front of all the Japanese business men on their way home. But it was hard.
It`s an incredible museum and I really recommend you go if you`re ever in Japan. There is an eternal flame, only to be extinguished when the last nuclear bomb is got rid of and one wall is filled with letters from successive Hiroshima mayors to every country when they conduct nuclear tests asking them to stop.
So from that I went back to meet my new friend Regina, the German girl from last night. We had some more sake a met a guy from Clapham. Dinner went out the window again. I wish I didn`t have the 11pm curfew here. I`m really sad to say goodbye to her as I really feel like a made a new friend, but she has invited me to see her in Hanover and I`m sure I will meet more amazing people soon.
I have an 8.30pm flight to Sydney tomorrow. I`m excited to be going, but sad to be leaving as well. 1 week doesn`t seem long enough. Just a quick moan about he trains though... 10,000 Yen was actually only the one way price. A return ticket was over 22,000 Yen... that`s I think around 180 pounds. Ouch. Lesson is, don`t lose your rail pass. I dread to think how much the return to the airport will be... I`m still trying to be Zen-like about it!
Next post I think will be from Sydney... unless I get bored waiting for the flight!
xxx
It`s an incredible museum and I really recommend you go if you`re ever in Japan. There is an eternal flame, only to be extinguished when the last nuclear bomb is got rid of and one wall is filled with letters from successive Hiroshima mayors to every country when they conduct nuclear tests asking them to stop.
So from that I went back to meet my new friend Regina, the German girl from last night. We had some more sake a met a guy from Clapham. Dinner went out the window again. I wish I didn`t have the 11pm curfew here. I`m really sad to say goodbye to her as I really feel like a made a new friend, but she has invited me to see her in Hanover and I`m sure I will meet more amazing people soon.
I have an 8.30pm flight to Sydney tomorrow. I`m excited to be going, but sad to be leaving as well. 1 week doesn`t seem long enough. Just a quick moan about he trains though... 10,000 Yen was actually only the one way price. A return ticket was over 22,000 Yen... that`s I think around 180 pounds. Ouch. Lesson is, don`t lose your rail pass. I dread to think how much the return to the airport will be... I`m still trying to be Zen-like about it!
Next post I think will be from Sydney... unless I get bored waiting for the flight!
xxx
All the way to the top of a mountain...
Hey people,
So, night before last I ventured back to the `no fish eyeball in the ramen` place and took a little longer over he photos this time. I went for meal 28 which was udon noodles in a miso soup with chicken and spring onions and it was... very nice! Finally...
Yesterday I just wandered about Kyoto from about 10am, going into any shrines and temples I saw. Had a really, really lovely day. It`s raining here, but that doesn`t really matter, I have an umbrella. You`re supposed to make a wish/pray at the temples and shrines so I had fun doing that... firstly I made two wishes for a safe and happy journey for myself, then made a wish for my dad`s business at the shrine to the god of business (seemed to make sense!) and then made two more wishes for my sister Fleur who`s not feeling very well. Let me know if they worked Fleur!
At 4pm I was making my last temple visit, which was up about a million stone steps, up a mountain. Kyoto is bordered on 3 sides by mountains and I had been heading towards the nearest set all day, I was hoping for a beautiful view out over the city. In the end, although I did get to the top it was obscured by trees. But very good exercise I can tell you!
Going up the stairs I also met a German girl called Regina and we spent the rest of the evening together. She invited me back to her guest house which had a bar, and although we had meant to made it to dinner we ended up chatting away until suddenly it was 10.40pm and I had to run to make my curfew. We`re meeting again for dinner tonight. And yes, probably some more sake too :-)
I`m starting to get the whole travelling thing. What it`s about as much as anything is the people you meet. I`ve been so lucky to have met several amazing women and had the most interesting chats My flatmate Christopher was right when he said `it just happens` - it really does! I`m not lonely at all and have been learning so much about other countries, other people`s lives and just how very kind and friendly and lovely other people can be.
And now, I really am off to Hiroshima finally (no sign of the pass, so will just buy the ticket) to see the very opposite of the above.
Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday xxx
So, night before last I ventured back to the `no fish eyeball in the ramen` place and took a little longer over he photos this time. I went for meal 28 which was udon noodles in a miso soup with chicken and spring onions and it was... very nice! Finally...
Yesterday I just wandered about Kyoto from about 10am, going into any shrines and temples I saw. Had a really, really lovely day. It`s raining here, but that doesn`t really matter, I have an umbrella. You`re supposed to make a wish/pray at the temples and shrines so I had fun doing that... firstly I made two wishes for a safe and happy journey for myself, then made a wish for my dad`s business at the shrine to the god of business (seemed to make sense!) and then made two more wishes for my sister Fleur who`s not feeling very well. Let me know if they worked Fleur!
At 4pm I was making my last temple visit, which was up about a million stone steps, up a mountain. Kyoto is bordered on 3 sides by mountains and I had been heading towards the nearest set all day, I was hoping for a beautiful view out over the city. In the end, although I did get to the top it was obscured by trees. But very good exercise I can tell you!
Going up the stairs I also met a German girl called Regina and we spent the rest of the evening together. She invited me back to her guest house which had a bar, and although we had meant to made it to dinner we ended up chatting away until suddenly it was 10.40pm and I had to run to make my curfew. We`re meeting again for dinner tonight. And yes, probably some more sake too :-)
I`m starting to get the whole travelling thing. What it`s about as much as anything is the people you meet. I`ve been so lucky to have met several amazing women and had the most interesting chats My flatmate Christopher was right when he said `it just happens` - it really does! I`m not lonely at all and have been learning so much about other countries, other people`s lives and just how very kind and friendly and lovely other people can be.
And now, I really am off to Hiroshima finally (no sign of the pass, so will just buy the ticket) to see the very opposite of the above.
Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday xxx
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