inTransit

Day 84 - 90 -- Hawaii

2010-11-08T21:13:00.002+13:00

Day 84

Last early morning start to get to the shuttle from Monterey to SFO. The sun was up though, and it was a nice walk to the shuttle pick-up.. seeing all the wildlife feeding and being careful not to stand on seals.

2hrs got me to San Fran airport, and 5ish hours on a plane got me to Honolulu. Such a great place.. kinda reminds me a bit of Rarotonga, except the skyscrapers and the big city plonked on the island.

After checking into the hotel at 5, I took a walk along Waikiki beach. The beach is a block from the hotel, and the zoo is across the road.

Had a full-on list of things to do in Hawaii, but chucked it in the bin and decided to just relax. One thing I scrapped was Pearl Harbour, as I saw it from the plane and I'm not related to the incident in any way. Justified.

Day 85

Walked around, spent money. Beachyness.

Day 86

Was raining, so went to the aquarium. Small, but some of the tanks were better than Monterey's, and it was cool to see more Nautilus (I'm obsessed) and some cool set ups that I'd like to copy at home someday.

Later, more window shopping, people-watching and relaxation in my room.

Day 87

Beachyness, then visited Honolulu Zoo. A small zoo combined with bontanic displays. Has an African area, primate corner, bird aviaries and reptile house.

Their primate and african animal collection is similar to ours, so was cool to see it done differently.. but it wasn't long before I had seen the whole zoo. The African area is built well, but needs a bit of work for it to reach it's full potential, but it totally can be done - especially with the great keepers and volunteers that I had met there.

Day 88

Killed time at the beach again, and then the outlet mall (lame) before going to hte airport.

Sat by the check-in desk for a good 2 hours, wondering if I really did want to go home, or fly to somewhere else new and exciting.. but the bank balance decided that for me.. and flying home doesn't stop me from booking the next trip, right? Flight at 10pm, would land in NZ the next morning.

Day 89

Today only lasted a couple hours before crossing the date line. I'm really good at time travelling.

Day 90

Cruisy flight, some mega turbulance, but was nice to hear some kiwi accents again, and 'get back to reality' as many people kindly mentioned to me.

Killed a couple hours at AKL airport, and then a 45min flight to Welly. Got picked up by the whanau (bless).. and then just tried to readjust back into my old life.

Maybe in a week or so I'll post some reflections.. but thanks to you all for sharing this journey with me. The support has been great, you are all great people.

Day 81 to 83 -- San Francisco and Monterey

2010-11-01T14:13:00.000+13:00

Sorry for all the spelling and typing mistakes.. Using an iPod which autocorrects.. Can't get the hang of it.

Day 81

After being surprised yesterday about how small San Fran really is, I decided to walk the rolling hills under an overcast sky to the blue-green bay.

The hotel sits between the skyscraper-laden Financial District and the colourful Chinatown, and to balance it out I headed along Columbus towards the green areas below the Golden Gate Bridge via the crookedest street in the world - Lombard St.

The views around the waterfront are great, and by following them I accidently came across Fisherman's Wharf so turned around and went towards the bridge stopping at Fort Mason, Marina Green, Fort Point, and Crissy Field. After a fair amount of walking, I headed along the bridge which was a nice walk, and chatted to other tourists on the way - the people here are great, locals and visitors alike.

Day 82

The clouds still hung around overhead and threatened to rain, so I kept local and visited the touristy Pier 39. Watched the sea lions snoozing for a long time, and later headed down the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building to eat some good food. Had plans to explore more of the city but the weather isn't obliging.

Up early tomorrow to Amtrak my way to Monterey.

Day 83

Two buses, one train and 4hrs got me to Monterey, south of San Fran, to visit the aquarium. Sadly the big Outer Ocean exhibit was closed for redevelopment, but I was meeting an aquarist there who showed me behind the scenes in the other areas which made up for it. Had a great time there - sea otters were great - but the best part was being able to step out of the aquarium to see them out in the bay, and then back inside to see the captive ones closer up. I think I'll have to come back again (when I visit San Diego and LA on another trip) to see the aquarium again and explore the area some more, as I didn't have time on this trip - tomorrow is Day 84, in Hawaii

Day 71 - 80 -- Iguacu Falls, Rio, Buenos Aires, Las Vegas, San Francisco

2010-10-31T08:02:00.000+13:00

Day 71

Visited the Brazilian side of the Iguacu falls which was a great view and is quite a different visit from yesterday.

Saw more wildlife, same as yesterday. The park is quite large but you need permits if you want to go off the track and explore.

Finished around midday, had a flight to Rio in the afternoon.

Landed at 6ish, went to the hotel in Copacobana. It's quite a green city which I didn't expect. During colonisation, most of the trees were cleared for sugar cane and coffee plantations, and in the past several years/decades there have been efforts to re-green the city which is paying off.

Day 72

A tour of the city, including a gondola tour up Sugar Loaf mountains to see the city and play with marmosets.

Later in the afternoon, took another tour to Corcovado, and the giant Jesus statue, partied with more marmosets and my iPod.

Day 73

Had a day to myself - the first so far in South America - so headed to the beaches of Copacobana, Ipanema and Leblon. People-watching is very entertaining!

Day 74

Day was spent getting to Buenos Aires.

Day 75

Tour of the city including LeBoca which was great. Also saw the other sights including Plaza de Mayo. The people in this city are really nice (and easy on the eye too). And it was nice to be back to Spanish which is a bit easier than Portuguese.

After the tour I checked out the Opera house, which is the 3rd best in the world for acoustics, walked along 9 de Julio ave (kinda the widest street in the world.. It's actually 3 roads but the central one is 14lanes wide in some points... pretty much a city block in width and you have to cross it in 2 turns) and the big obelisk in the middle of the avenue.

Spent the day walking around after having a few beers with people I met in the bar.

Day 76

Free day, so walked from my hotel on Callao all the way to San Telmo markets. The city is HUGE but flat, so walking is alright but a fair mission.

The markets have a great atmosphere with Tango dancing nearby and just great people to chat too, full of stories and character.

Later, headed back to the hotel via a few more of the city sights.

Day 77

Did more exploring around the public gardens/zoo, but didn't visit the zoo itself.

Was well into the snotty phase of a cold, so took it easy.

Later was my overnight flight to Las Vegas via Houston.

Day 78

VEGAS! Slot machines in the airport, along with giant banners for everything to do in the city.

Killed some time at the pokies in the airport and then in an airport bar (with some Canadian) until I could check into my dingy hotel, that was a couple blocks if the strip.

Las Vegas Boulevard is awesome!!

Walked along the strip checking out all the sights, and met a local who sorted me out with entry into a very nice bar. Just an unbelievable night, didn't expect it to be as awesome as it was.. can't describe how surreal the 'jewel of the desert' really is. You just have to visit.

It's true though.. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...

Day 79

Up early for a tour of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Had a nice bunch on the bus - Americans are insanely nice. The tour guide/driver was great too, and made the 14hr tour a real great experience.

The canyon itself is really impressive, but I don't think you appreciate it by only seeing it from one angle, because it is so huge you can't comprehend what you're seeing... But I'm glad I saw it with my own eyes.

The history of the towns between the Canyon, in Arizona, and Vegas Nevada is really interesting too, and worth reading about before seeing it to better appreciate the area.

We couldn't stop at Hoover Dam as it's now closed to commercial traffic, but after dark we drove over a bridge that looks over the dam and it was an impressive sight lit up in the dark... almost like something out of a scifi movie with it's sheer size.

Day 80

Left Vegas! How dumb, totally loved the place but also a little glad to be leaving as the masses come on Thursdays to spend long weekends in the oasis.

Will have to get back there one day soon, awesome place.

Landed in San Fran around midday. Lunched in the airport, met some locals and after relaxing in the hotel for a wee while (with spongebob on tv!) I headed out to meet them for a drink.

San Fran exploration starts tomorrow.

Freaking out that there's only 8 days left of fun in the US before heading to Welly. Dumb.

Day 65 - 70 -- Lake Titikaka, Copacabana, La Paz, Paraguay to Iguassu Falls

2010-10-21T11:59:00.000+13:00

Day 65

Puno lies next to Lake Titikaka, and today was spent 'sailing' on the lake (it was a classy motorboat that insisted on sharing diesel fumes). The first stop was Uros Island, made by locals from floating reeds. There was a mini-scale demonstration on how the islands are made and anchored into place. After meeting the villagers and leaning a little about their social structure, we headed towards Taquille Island. It was a 2.5hr ride essentially for lunch, but it was an excellent trout lunch made by a humble woman on the island. During lunch I chatted to an American pair, she was a climatologist and it was a very interesting conversation after seeing the effects of global warming throughout Perú. I'd also met Tom, an englishman, two irishwomen, 2 aussies, a yank and 2 honeymooning italians. Meeting too many people to remember names.

Day 66

Biased across the border to Copacabana, Bolivia. This small town is also located on Lake Titikaka, the prettier side of the lake. The locals say they got the Titi part, and Peru got the kaka part.

Met an Estonian trio on the bus, and kept bumping into the irishwomen and the Aussies from the day before. There were on a different bus (a convoy of 5) and it was nice to see familiar faces.

After lunch on a motorboat on the lake, with a guide and 2 new Australians, we headed to Sun Island, now a tourist spot it once was home to an Inkan village, a different tribe to the Peruvian inka.

After the island, we went back to Copacabana for a tour of the main square - church and candleroom.

Later, we all boarded a minivan to head to La Paz.

We arrived in the evening; La Paz is HUGE! Driving into the valley, there were street lights in every direction. This city is home to 2million people, and has spread to the point that it's joined to the next city, El Alto.

My hotel was in the middle of the bustling markets.

Day 67

Had a tour of La Paz. Saw the main square, government houses, church and then a lookout over the city - Killi Killi. Then headed down the valley to southern La Paz, where you find private communes and the Moon Valley.

After finishing the tour, I checked out the markets that have everything. The shops are grouped by category (electonics in one are, shoes in another, etc) and the stalls of the markets mimic this. My hotel was by the witches markets where one can buy mummified llama foetuses to offer to the gods.

Day 68

Day of transit. B-b-boring. Flew to Santa Cruz, there for 6hrs then onto Asuncion. Got picked up, taken to the hotel and then the next morning headed to another airport to fly to the Paraguayan side of the Iguassu falls. A real shame I couldn't see asuncion, but the flight in was changed to a later time, so missed out.

Day 69

Landed at 11.30am, picked up and taken across the border to Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. Had a wander thru the closed town (it was Sunday) and relaxed in my room.

Day 70

Tour of the Argentine side of Iguassu Falls. Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil all meet at the falls.

This side of the Falls are brilliant. Walked along the trails/paths to see the falls from different angles (including the Devil's Throat) and saw lots of wildlife on the way - one flying toucan (I was too slow with my camera), vultures, other birds, butterflies, turtles, agouti and coati galore! The coati opportunistically hang around lunching people to steal some food, so you have to be vigilant as they carry rabies, but one was docile enough to be patted.

Helped out a school group with an English assignment - an interview - and just had a good day despite being the only anglophone on the tour.

Tomorrow will be a tour of the smaller Brazilian side of the falls, I don't think it's as good as the argentine side, but is the side to get the better views of the falls.

Iguacu Falls is waaaay better than Niagara Falls.

Day 56 - 64 -- Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon

2010-10-16T13:29:00.002+13:00

Day 56

Flew from Lima to Puerto Maldonado via Cuzco. Peruvian planes are chronically delayed.. And on top of that I left my iPod on the plane... got it back though!

After landing, had an hourlong bumpy bus ride to Hell, the riverside dock, and then a 1.5hr motorboat ride to Tambopata lodge nestled in the amazon rainforest. Tagging along with GAP tour group who'd just done the Inka trail.

On the ride to the lodge we came across a capybara, heard macaws, saw vultures and took in the sounds of the forest.

Had a bit of time before our night time creepy crawly hunt, so went to the nearby stream to relax - there was a group of brown capuchins within earshot, but couldn't see them.

The lodge is bathed in the sounds of rainforest birds and insects. As the sun went down, the bats awoke and it was amazing to watch them hunt fireflies just outside my room.

On the night tour we came across a leaf-cutter ant colony, bullet ants, a juvenile tarantula, tree frog, stick insects, spiders, mini snake and sloth.

It's insanely peaceful at the lodge, no phone or Internet - awesome.

Day 57

Fell asleep last night to the chirps of insects, woke this morning to birdsong and calls of howler monkeys.

Back on the boat at 6.30 for a hike to a nearby lake. Saw caiman, fowl, and B&G macaws, terrapins and more capybara.

Back to the lodge for lunch and had a swim in the stream.

After sunset we went on a Boat ride in search of more caiman, which was successful.

Day 58

Back to the town of Puerto Maldonado for a flight to Cuzco. It was sad to leave the amazon and the friends I made whilst at the lodge.

Arrived in Cuzco early afternoon, a bit tired from the early starts and lack of oxygen at the altitude of Cuzco. Had a grand tour of Cuzco and surroundin ruins - mind-boggling sites.

Day 59

Headed to the Sacred Valley to see more sites - the Sun Temple at Ollantaytambo was amazing (using that word too much).

Stayed overnight in Urubamba.

Day 60

Back to Ollantaytambo for a train to Aguas Calientes(AC) at the base of Machu Picchu. Met some good peeps on the train and took in the beautiful scenery on the way to A.C. There, I strolled around the 2 street town and relaxed.

Day 61

Up at 4.30am to get in line for the bus to Machu Picchu(MP). You have to get there early to get tickets to go up Huayna Picchu(HP) - limited to 400 per day.

Met a Spanish dude on the bus who had visited the day before and so I followed him into MP to get HP tickets, but alas he was wrong and so in the end, when got the tickets, I was number 398 of 400.

So after arriving at MP at 6am, had a look around and waited for my 7.45 tour. That lasted 2ish hours (saw a chinchilla) and then headed up HP. That was tough! It was rainy/wet, I had too much crap in my backpack and it was a near vertical climb (steps) to HP's peak - but totally worth it.

MP is a grand place, but not really the most amazing Inkan site. Apparently they've discovered another inkan village in the valley and are extracting it more carefully than MP was, so will have to visit that when I return - if it's a true story.

Walked around MP some more as the cloud and rain had cleared, and after 7hrs there in total, I headed back to AC for lunch and much needed shower.

That evening, got the train and minivan back to Cuzco via Ollantaytambo.

Day 62

Finally a sleep in! Then flight to Arequipa via Jubliana.

It was late when I landed, so had a quick look in the main square in Arequipa before sleeping.

It's a nice town, watched over by majestic volcanoes.

Day 63

Up early, again, for minivan-ride to Chivay in the Colca Valley. Met more cool people and had an awesome guide! Driving over the Andes is a great trip. We drove through national parks full of Llama (indeed pronounced 'yama' as I thought!), the cutest Alpaca in the world, and Vicuña (camelid).

Also saw Flamingoes and Andean Geese.

We descended into the Colca Valley, the shallow part of the Colca Canyon -one of the deepest in the world - to our accomodation in Chivay. That afternoon we went to the Hot Springs which were so relaxing, all we wanted to do was sleep but some of us had a dinner appointment.

Dinner was a hoot. Live traditional band, local traditional dance performances and audience participation.. such a fun night.

Day 64

Early wake up to head to the Condor Cross in the Colca canyon.

Bumpy van ride, arriving at the lookout at 9am. Didn't have much luck seeing condors.. They were deep in the canyon, and it was laying season so not very active in the canyon.

Chatted to an American (there were dozens and dozens of tourists here) who gave me good advice about San Fran, and at 10 I headed back to the bus tongi back to Chivay. As we were about to leave, awesome me spotted 3 condors in the distance, so we hoofed it into the van and headed to were they were.

They were flying high in the valley, at our height - it was an unforgettable experience. These giant birds with 3.5m wingspan flying maybe 10m above your head. Just stunning birds.

Our minivan was buzzing on the way back to Chivay for lunch.

After lunch I boarded a bus for Puno. Saw more flamingoes, in snow. My first time being snowed on, and it was in the Andean altiplano with flamingoes! Perfect!

Day 47 - 55 -- Toronto, Niagara Falls, NYC, Lima

2010-10-04T10:55:00.001+13:00

Day 47

Got up early so went looking for more bookstores. Stumbled across the "World's Biggest Bookstore", not so big or good. Then decided to visit AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario - which I liked, had a lot of Canadian works, African artefacts and religious items. The coolest piece was a statuette of a woman holding a web. White, in a white room. Periodically a OHP would start illuminating a coloured disc and a bat/butterfly over the statuette and wall behind it which changed the piece completely.

Later went to the CN tower for a view over Toronto and Lake Ontario. Brilliant view, could even see the buildings of Niagara Falls.

Went to the mall on Dundas, and walked some of Yonge St - once the Longest street in the world - a category no longer listed.

After dinner near the hostel, went back to the CN tower as it was lit up with a DNA barcode to celebrate the International Barcode of Life Project. Yay science.

Day 48

Up early to get the train for Niagara Falls. The streets were set up for a marathon.

2hrs later, on the Canadian side of the falls. Walked, with pack, to the falls, then to 'the Whirlpool' which was lame. Doubly lame because it was back up by the train station, so walked back 30mins to the falls.

After checking it all out, I crossed the bridge to the American side of the falls and found the hostel. An awesome hostel, well it was a guesthouse. Met 2 Aussies, Anushka and Tara.

Day 49

The three of us went on the Maid of the Mist, a boat tour past the 2 waterfalls. Was amazing to be close to the power of the water, sounds lame but you gotta experience it.

We later visited Goat and 3 Sisters Islands.

Then went back to the better Canadian side of the falls and walked up Clifton Hill, full of kitsch touristy shops and amusements. Back to hostel on American side and got lessoned by a hippie. Creepy creepy hippy.

Day 50

Up at ridiculous o'clock for the 7am train to Penn Station, NYC. Hit a low point, getting soaked in my last set of clean clothes on the way to the train.

Arrived in NYC at 4.30, didn't do much, just found my hostel at Times Sq and slept/laundry.

Shared a room with another Brazilian, and 2 Spaniards.

Day 51

Saw Central Park, or some of it. It's huge! Went to the zoo there, and though a bit lame, it had species I'd not seen before including Polar Bear.

Walked through the Diamond district and visited the Chrysler building, Empire State (queue too huge to go up), went to good ol' KMart for supplies for South America. Walked through Bryant Park and later back to the hostel, not before being personally serenaded by the Naked Cowboy in Times Square.

Met up with 3 Brazilians and had a drink and dinner at Bubba Gump's. Did pretty well for someone who dislikes prawns.

Day 52

Subway'd to the Natural History Museum, that was awesome. Lotsa animal stuff with an exhibit on Primatey goodness. Really liked the Human Evolution exhibit, and I watched Journey to the Stars in the planetarium, narrated by Whoopi, glad she still gets work.

Subway'd downtown to see Wall St, WTC site, and catch the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Then back to walk the Brooklyn bridge - sadly it was overcast so the pics of Manhattan are spectacularly unspectacular. Checked out Union square and Times square (toys'r'us) and m&m store.

Day 53

Saw the Guggenheim and Jewish museum from the outside (I'm poor), then thru Central Park to the 'Alice in Wonderland' statue. Down to Rockerfeller to it's lookout - another overcast day so pics suck - and then the Lego store. Walked past Tiffany's en route to the train station to head to my hotel by Newark Airport.

Just relaxed at the hotel, cheaper to stay here than one more night in the NYC hostel.

Day 54

Plane at 2.30pm. Had to take shoes off for security.

7hrs later, landed in Lima! Love customs here, you push a button and it randomly flashes a light. Green means go through and red means luggage search. I love green.

It was late so just went straight to the hotel. I'm on a tour so the next 24ish days are prescribed.

Watched SNL and Spanish spongebob.

Day 55

A tour of modern, colonial and pre-Incan Lima.

Saw St Martin Sq, Plaza Mayor, Palace Bolivar, San Francisco church and many places inbetween. Will have to wait til the pics are up to describe what I saw.

Later checked out the cliffside Larcomar mall.

Gotta get up early for the flight to the next destination tomorrow, can't wait.

Day 39 - 46 -- Jasper, Montréal, Granby, Toronto

2010-09-25T11:31:00.010+12:00

Okay this entry will be full of typing errors as I'm doing it off my iPod. Fat fingers and predictive typing not a good mix!

Day 39

7am bus. Didn't get much sleep even though it was an early night after a couple drinks at the Sherlock Holmes pub with Jim and Pete.

The 5hr Greyhound busride from Edmonton to Jasper was nice, through only a couple of towns before driving into Jasper National Park. Jasper is amazing. From the bus alone, at midday, saw geese (okay, not that uncommon), deer and even a coyote just off the side of the road.

Jasper itself is stunning, a small town, really small, but was what I was needing after the hustle and bustle of Europe's cities. I has an evening wildlife-spotting tour. I wouldn't recommend doing one here but as I don't have a drivers licence I had little other choice. Tour guide was great, telling many stories. Apparently the week I chose to see Jasper was just outside of the best time to see bears, that didn't bother me too much because there's so much to see here. We drove all around the Park and weren't having much luck until twilight when we headed up to Maligne Lake and saw Elk (even juv. males practice-fighting), deer, bighorn sheep, and fox. No bears.

Day 40

Crisp morning in Jasper, camera not working in the chill though it's really not that bad. Frosty.

Walking through the centre of town you could see evidence that deer and elk had been wandering through early morning. Very cool. Walked/hiked up a track to find a nice spot for lunch and reading. Was peaceful until a mamma elk decided to evict me from my spot, not very politely. They're the most dangerous animal here, so was happy to come out unscathed. In my retreat I finally saw bears! Two cubs and mum eating berries in the trees just across the road, amazing! Really gutted I was still avoiding elk to take pics.

Apparently the day I arrived was the first sunny day they've had all summer, so the shrubs have been producing berries for a longer period of time meaning more bear food, which equals more cubs next year.

Went out looking for Beavers. Found dams, and a lynx, but no beavers.

I really liked Jasper. It was great being in a town immersed in the national park - deer/elk proof gardens (stopping them eating people's shrubs) and bear-proof trash cans.

Caught my train at 5.30pm, due Toronto at 10am in 2days time.

Day 41

Not much to comment on. The train is called 'The Canadian' and is the only cross-country train. Popular sightseeing train, as no-one would commute this far! It's unique in that it's a stainless steel train, has cabins and sleepers but I went for the good ol economy seats - they recline, and you're given a blanket and pillow so it's not that bad.

The crew are cool, they announce over the intercom any sights of interest including animals. Saw more sheep, bears and a bison farm. And the biggest Potash deposit in the world.. Now just gotta work out what potash is exactly.

Had a stop in Winnipeg. Was a little disappointed but I was too harsh on this place. If I had time I would have travelled north for a while til I got to the viewing places for polar bears and narwhal.

Day 42

More train. In Ontario now after leaving Manitoba overnight. Met some cool folks after the crew change at Winnipeg. Meredith - a staff member who told us an unbelievable story that recently happened to her - and by 'us' I mean I met a well-known former disc-jockey and we had a great evening over a few Canadian beers.

We were sitting in the Panorama car drinking and I was telling him what I did for a living in wellington, little did I know I had the whole car entranced with my talk of working with primates. Bless their geriatric souls.

Day 43

Finally arrived in Toronto at 10.30, one hour to kill before a 5hr train to Montréal. Metro'd to the main station (Berri UQAM) to Longueuil to meet MJ at 6.30pm. Yay MJ!

Drove maybe an hour eastward? to the zoo MJ works at, as she was called to pop in as a giraffe was giving birth. Saw two hooves, all seemed well so we popped out for tea. Had a go at Poutine! Tasty, but so bad for you. The cheese curds on it were yummy as though. It's fries, cheese and gravy.

Went back to the Zoo de Granby and bubba was born. Hung around til he made his first steps which was great to see. Watched for a while longer before heading to MJ's house at 10.30.

I really liked staying with MJ. Two cats surely help but the setting, rural Quebec, is just perfect. But yes, Canada is HUGE and it would take a while to drive places. Had a cuppa and a great night's rest (hmm, maybe equal with Hollie & Jays airbed).

Day 44

Totally slept in while MJ worked a half day. Then I dragged her back to the zoo to get a personal tour.

I really really REALLY like this zoo. So much to see, it's laid out well, has an amusement park, cool staff (though my French wasn't good enough to converse with anyone here - Quebecois French is quite different to Parisien) and lots of species I've never seen before. No chimps or spider monkeys, but still I was happy!

That evening we headed back to Montréal, stopping in Chambly for a great dinner at Fourquet Fourchette. Ate deer and tried Caribou - delicious! And they had kumara! Hooray.

MJ dropped me off at my hostel, it was sad to say farewell but I figured I oughta see the city AND I had prepaid for my hostel bed that night.

Day 45

Halfway point!

Quiet day, wandered through town. Down to the amusement park (on an island in the river, as the city is) and back to my hostel via the lively Gay Village as I was supposed to go the other way to get to Mont Royale. Walked along Rue St Denis and Rue Jacques Cartier en route to the forested hill that takes you to the lookout at Mont Royale. A nice walk, and a great view of the city. At the top was a big group of gals in pink tees celebrating their fundraiser (Girls for the Cure), so listened for a bit - inspirational stories about dealing with cancer - before heading back downtown for some people-watching. And the people-watching is GOOD (though Croatia and Poland better). Blue-eyed brunettes - much appreciated, thanks Quebec.

Day 46

5hr train back to Toronto. Arrived in rush hour and the sidewalks/footpaths are packed! I just swayed my pack like a maniac and people gave me space. It feels like a stock-standard kitset city, but will go exploring tomorrow and let you know what I find!

Day 30 - 38 -- London, Edmonton Canada

2010-09-17T08:37:00.003+12:00

Day 30

Up at 7.30am, as usual. Trekked to the train station and half an hour later at yet another airport to head back to London.

Back at the hostel at 3, did some much needed laundry and by the time that was done the day was nearly over.

Decided to head out to Alperton/Wembley to check out the Hindu temple. It's impressive! Something like 14m Pounds.. had a look around and got some pics for dad. Alperton is full of indians! I actually got a bit freaked out by the sheer amount, so headed back to the tube and hostel. Spent the rest of the day trying to fit in everything I want to do in my last week in London.

Day 31

Tried to get to Highgate cemetary but didn't check for service announcements and my Overground route wasn't operation.. so with that mission failed, I backtracked to Westfield to spend all my money.

Later headed to Charing Cross road in search of a bookshop. Got about a dozen to choose from! Spent a loooong time in there. Brilliant.

Day 32

Posted stuff back home! I'd accumulated 3.5kgs of stuff so far, so after spending more of my life savings I was glad that I could go right back and accumulate some more junk to take with me around the world.

Met Kelly at Hammersmith, and we made our way to Baker St to see Madame Tussauds' Museum. Bit of a queue but a rad place. They had a small part called 'Scare' that you walk through and actors jump out and try to scare you.. kinda like the Maize Maze but a bit watered down. Then onto the History of London ride.. A converted Ghost Train ride pretty much. That was cool. And the 4D Marvel movie was pretty good too.

Day 33

Up at 7! Headed to Victoria station to meet Kelly and Pete for our day trip to Windsor. First stop: Legoland! Made it! Totally worth it for me! The mini cities were awesome, and went on a couple rides that weren't too bad.

Later checked out Windsor Castle. A bit posh. Really interesting to see inside it though, as I hadn't gone into many places in London, let alone a place like this.

Got back to the dorm, met a Brazilian trio. Finished book #7.

Day 34

Tubed to Embankment to see the Tate (not visit, too early) and Globe theatre. Walked across the Millenium Bridge as I hadn't done that yet, and then headed off to Camden Markets. I didn't have much time, and didn't get to the main area of the markets.. but I liked this part of town. A bit alternative - people with more piercings than me, awesome.

Later, took the train to Bournemouth. Once there, visited the Oceanarium. Hmm, nice quaint place but not really worth a visit.. but it had marine life so I was stoked.

Met Hollie and Jay! Was staying with them for the night and the next day. It was awesome to catch up, and kinda made me wish I had time to catch up with everyone else through Europe, but alas that will have to wait til next time. It was great catching up with this crazy couple.

Day 35

Adventuring around Bournemouth! We took Cookie (H&J's cute Choc Lab) to the beach for a walk; the beach is very pretty. After that, and dropping her home, we went to the New Forest to see Wild Horses and MooCows (very cool) en route to New Forest Wildlife Park.

The Wildlife park is nice, it's a bit like Staglands. Mainly Otters and Owls as most British parks, but it now has broadened it's collection and it wasa great setting to spend the late morning.

After the park was time for Cream Tea in the Black Cat Cafe in Burley. My goodness Cream Tea is amazing!

After a quick look around the old Witch Town, we headed towards Poole Quay, visited the Museum which I enjoyed (found out what all those fish statues around Europe are about - Dolphins! King of the Sea) and later onto play some 2p machines.

Sad farewells as I was heading back to London that evening. What a great couple of days though!

Day 36

Met up with Kelly in Camden Town to visit London Zoo. I thought I wouldn't really want to see a Zoo whilst on holiday, but I'm glad I did.. I kinda realised that I do like working with animals more than I thought I did. London Zoo is great. We met up with Tony who showed us the off-display Aye-ayes, who are much bigger than I thought, and absolutely stunning. Tony then organised for us to later chat to the Okapi keeper, Mark. We spent a good 5.5hours all up at the Zoo - their collection is so different to ours and nearly everything was novel and captivating. Gorillas, Diana Monkeys, Black Spider Monkeys, Tamandua, Sloth, Anteaters, Vultures, Okapi - everything was great.

Later we went to a pub near Hammersmith? for a couple beers and dinner with Pete. Watched a soccer match (might be the only time I do it) and later packed my bags for Canada.

Day 37

Visited the Monument to the Great Fire of London for some exercise (a million steps up a narrow spiral stiarcase) and a great view of London. Almost as good a view as the Eye, but far cheaper and less time consuming - I hear.

Loooong flight to Edmonton. Mainly because of following the Sun, so the day ended up with an extra 6-or-something hours in it. Canadians are very nice and open.. a bit like New Zealanders, which seemed really odd after being in a place like London. The 60min shuttle from the Airport to Downtown was entertaining... Cougar alert.. all in good fun I guess!

There isn't too much to Edmonton, and my stay here is only for 2 nights before heading to Jasper so a nice place to stop and relax.. despite the cold!

Day 38

Went to the smaller mall, near to the hostel. Bought more books! (Though I have no room in my pack, which is now pushing 10kgs after staring at 7), and another memory stick for photos.. all very exciting stuff. The guy at the Electronics store is an aussie, and he gave me some good advice about Canada and after a bit of a chat I headed back to the hostel.

The leaves here are changing already, and the hostel is near a nice lookout over the River, and there are hillsides of green and yellow trees, with every shade inbetween. Stunning!

Met an aussie dude in my hostel room.. might go for a beer later.

Day 24 - 29 - Dubrovnik, Rome

2010-09-08T00:36:00.005+12:00

Day 24

Didn't really do much apart from buy return ferry tickets to do a last minute trip to Croatia. When I was maybe 13 or 14 I'd seen one photo of orange rooftops leading to the bluest sea, and ever since then I'd wanted to see Croatia for myself. This little side trip means only 2 nights in Rome, but I'm sure it's worth it.

Day 25

Quick train from Florence to Bologna, then train from Bologna to Bari. It was a long train ride, 6 hours along the east coast of Italy. I was entertained by an old woman who sat at my table.. she ordered fizzy water, had a sip and then burped for the next 4 or 5 mins until she was so embarrassed she moved tables. The trained passed many resort towns bordered by nice beaches before arriving at Bari.

Bari, a bit plain.. just a sleepy port town. Maybe the rain had washed the sheen off the place. From the train station I had to find the ferry terminal. Once again.. got lost. Once again, I was going the right way, second-guessed myself and turned around.. only to find I should have just kept going in that original direction... I seem to do that a lot which is dumb.

Checking in to the ferry took bloody forever, 45min wait to serve the 3 couples in front of me. Then another 45min wait at Customs. Finally got on the ferry at 9 for a 10pm departure. Set sail around 11pm.

You're meant to sleep on the ferry, the ticket costs a little more than a night's stay in a hostel. You can't sleep on the ferry. I didn't have a sleeping mat or bag, like most the other people, so you just find a little nook somewhere to sleep. It was far cheaper than booking a cabin. Managed to perch on a narrow ledge with my butt getting cold as it was up against a window.

I was too excited about Croatia to sleep anyway.

Arrived in Dubrovnik at 7am. Dubrovnik is a smaller city, maybe a large town, near the southern tip of the oddly-shaped country. The sun hadn't quite risen by the time the ferry pulled up at the dock, and all you could see were ominous mountains that line the Croatian coast. As the sun came, it showed Dubrovnik for what it was.. a stunning place! Just like the picture the houses are white with terracotta rooves, the sea is a deep blue-green, there are green hills and the mountains are a white/grey presence in the near-distance. Amazing. It has to be my favourite place along with Krakow, for much the same reasons: beautiful place, people and language.

Hiked over a hill to the Old Town - Stari-Grad - a walled part of town where the early settlers first resided. Dubrovnik has since spread a lot since then, but many people flock to the Old Town.

Stari-grad is beautiful too, lots of chuches and tourists, but amazing views over the water and residents were very friendly.

After having a decent look around, I walked 45mins to my hostel, more a B&B, dropped my bags off and went back to Gruz to sit in the park and read/people watch.

Was knackered after getting very little sleep on the ferry, so went back to my room.

Day 27

Must've coma'd out around 7pm, woke at 3am, back to sleep at 5 and awake at 7am. Met the hostel owner - Milica - who is very nice and welcoming, before heading back to see the Old Town again. I walked the lanes that I'd miss the day before, careful not to do all of it because I want to come back here again, and went to the Synagogue Museum. Small but holds some important documents regarding the formation of the local Ghetto, Jewish emancipation, and has some beautiful artifacts. The synagogue is the second-oldest in Europe.

Headed back towards the ferry terminal as the bus station is just a little further north from there, and caught my bus to Split. A german guy at the station tried selling me a lame leather bracelet as he had no money for the bus. Later confessed he spent his money on beer so i bought a beer of him for 10kuna and we drank til the bus was due to depart.

Getting on the bus to Split, I was missing Dubrovnik already! The beautiful city in 27degree heat.. just perfect.

Sat next to an older Swiss lady on the bus and we chatted about nearly everything. I think she was more excited about Croatia than I was, it was nice sharing the enthusiasm.

The 5 hour northbound coastal drive is absolutely stunning. Blue sea and orange rooves to the left, and green bush and white cliffs to the right. So picturesque I can't say it enough. Crossed the border into Bosnia Herzegovina, just for an hour through there, and then back into Croatia, arriving at Split at 5pm. Had left 2 hours to explore and get to the Ferry terminal from the bus station in Split.. but lo and behold they are right next to each other. I decided to stay put and watch the sunset over Split harbour. Got on board the ferry which departed at 10pm for Ancona, Italy.

Day 28

Nothing much to Ancona as it's another port city. Headed to the train station and got the 8.25am train bound for Roma, arriving around lunchtime.

A nice train ride through valleys and farmland. There are a lot of sunflower farms/fields in Italy.

Found the hostel in Rome, really tempted to sleep after another dumb night on the ferry - at least I got some sleep by lining up 4 spinning green chairs very precisely to fit my body - but decided to explore instead.

Rome's top highlights are rather close together, and only maybe a 15min walk from my hostel is the Colosseo. Rome is expensive and after blowing my budget majorly, I was doing Roma on the cheap - just looking from the outside this time and when I visit Europe next time I'll see inside everything.

Checked out the Palatino and other ruins, past the Imperial forums and the magnificent monumento a vittorio emanuele. Charged my way across town to the Vatican - wasnt dressed appropriately to enter, and the museums were ridiculously expensive - heading later to the Piazza del Popolo. Went down the Via del Corso towards the Pantheon and Tempo Adriano.

Got back to the hostel at 7ish.. long day, need sleep.

Sharing a dorm with a guy from Amsterdam and two lads from the South African Air Force. Cool bunch.

Day 29

Today. So far went back out to see the Singoga, later see the Campo de Fiori to get some fruit for brunch, en route to the amazing Piazza Navona. This square has magnificent fountains and spent a while sitting there listening to live italian music.

Later headed to the Fontana di Trevi. You're meant to throw a coin on over your shoulder to ensure your return to Rome.. but I'm sure that fate isn't sealed in an underwater coin. I spent my dosh on more gelato. That will bring me back to Roma.

Day 22 & 23. - Pisa, Lucca, Venice

2010-09-02T08:43:00.003+12:00

Took the train to Pisa and Lucca.

Pisa was surprisingly compact, straddling the Arno river further north than Firenze. I didn't feel like exploring so just followed the masses of tourists to the Campo dei Miracoli, home to the Leaning Tower, Duomo, a baptistery and nearby Camposanto (cemetary). Despite being a somewhat humble town, the square was an amazing place to be. Despite the hundreds of snapping shutters, it was easy to imagine them all gone and enjoy the magnificent monuments for yourself.

Lucca was a half hour train ride kinda northeast from Pisa. A nice place to go to get a better feel for Tuscany, though not idyllic countryside with rolling vineyards. There is a walled part to this township, and inside is a maze of alleys that was a little hard to navigate, so despite buying a map I just roamed through the town. There are dozens of churches and little piazzas set adjacent to many of them. What better thing to do than eat gelato with Jesus.

I survived the maze but my shoes didn't, gonna have to get a new pair and wish there was a big Red Shed on this side of the world.

The next day (today) I visited Venice, about a 2hour express train ride from Firenze. Took my breath away. As soon as you get out the station you're greeted with a small taste of what the set of islands within the lagoon has to offer - a canal, massive copper dome, souvenir shops, a church and friendly locals. I spent a good 5 hours covering what I could on foot, managing to see almost all the sights without using a map. Again I'd bought one but the maze of Venice was more overwhelming than Lucca. Had I been smart about it I couldve stuck to the main roads but I wanted to get away from all the other tourists. I conversed with a chap who ran a Gelateria and we talked about travelling and also a bit about how Venice is actually built, and a bit about Wellington. He wished me well and I headed back to Firenze for a good rest after another good, but long, day on my feet.

Day 11 - 21. - London, Paris, Florence

2010-08-31T01:36:00.004+12:00

This hopefully won't be too long an entry, but figured an update was due.

Day 11, 12

Back in London from Poland, a pretty uneventful day topped off with a 40min wait to get through immigration at stanstead.

The next day I ditched the backpack that seemed to be attached to my body and went for a wander through central London. Stumbled across the Houses of Parliament after getting off the tube, and headed to Trafalgar Square, then the long way around to the London Eye. I tried getting lost as a way to see the city, but ended up back where Iàd started 30mins before.. must have been only taking left turns. I spent the afternoon at Hyde Park again, itàs probably my favourite spot in London. Expansive, quiet, full of animals.

I lost a few hours sitting at the Italian Fountains watching a family of ducks tend to their ducklings whilst adding to their nest. People were collecting long dry grass and giving it to the grateful ducks who quickly added it to their home. The ducks were good parents, scaring off dogs 10 times their size. Though I mightàve lost a few hours, it was nice to watch animals do their thing, it's universal and you forget you're miles from home.

Spent the evening back in the hostel, shared a room with 4 crazy brits who were celebrating one of their 21ss birthdays. Crazy bunch, very cool gals. Interesting to watch.. primates definitely far more interesting to watch than ducks.

Day 13

Took my camera and visited the sights I'd seen yesterday as well as Buckingham Palace and Wellington Arch. Walked back to South Kensington via Knightsbridge. Did menial tasks... laundry.. bought a notebook to remind myself of the experiences I was having, despite them hopefully being with me forever. Sat in Hyde Park again, amongst squirrels and wrote up my trip so far in my notebook and enjoyed my own company. Sounds lonely, but I like it.

Got some good news from my sis. Felt a little homesick, probably from being nervous about the next two weeks in Paris and France.

Day 14

Woke up with a sense of feeling ready for more travel. No homesickness, no nervousness. Walked to the centre of London. Hyde Park to Wellington Arch to Picadilly Circus onto Trafalgar Square, St Pauls Catherdral, The Gerkhin and then to the Tower Bridge. About 3.5h walking with breaks along the way. I was a bit tired, and then it started to rain halfway across the bridge. Hurried to the tube station and took a ride back to my room to dry off. Wet shoes, awesome.

Both Tokyo and London are odd places where shops don't have shelter reaching to the edge of the footpath, nor are their benches to sit and rest. Is this why people hardly smile? That's one thing I miss about home.

Day 15

Leaving for Paris today via Eurostar. Woke up early wanting a change of scenery, so left early for St Pancras station. Looked eagerly through bookshops to find another book to read.. ended up with Life Of Pi.. had already read it but it was worth another read.

The train to Paris is huge.. 18 Carriages with at least 90 seats in them each.. ended up with a backwards facing seat. It was like being pulled towards a new destination as opposed to being pushed away from where you were.

The hostel is in Montemarte, right on the border of the interesting Pigalle (where the Moulin Rouge is found). The lady at the desk put me in the same room as another Patel, thinking we might be related.. Turns out she was from Oz and we saw most of Paris together. She had a mate who we met for dinner and we had a nice evening around Ile de Paris.

We saw the Notre Dame at night, the area full of street performances.. felt a little like Cuba Mall. We'd earlier heard and saw fighter jets go overhead, that's not so much like Cuba Mall.

Day 16

Big walking tour od Paris, starting from the Notre Dame, heading to the Louvre, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. Went up La Tour Eiffel aftera long wait and got a good view of Paris.. going in every direction to the horizon.

Once we got back to the hostel in the evening we met two british lads from Rugby. We headed out to see the Moulin Rouge at night, got distracted by an Irish pub, later went past the Red Windmill and had a few more drinks along the way. Seeing as we were in Pigalle, we went to a Strip club, stayed for a couple routines and then headed back to the hostel. Met an eclectric group on the street drinking: a kiwi, a fin, two austrians and later two australians.. accosting a brazilian on the way. Drank on the street til 3, got to sleep at 5.. alarm set at 11 for visiting the Louvre the next day.

Day 17

Tired, hungover.. went to the crowded Louvre. The wait wasn't as long as it was at La Tour Eiffel but was glad to get inside. Massive place! Didn't see all of the museum but spent a goot 5 hours there. Felt a bit indifferent and impious towards the paintings but made my way to the sculptures and loved it!

Headed back to the hostel late afternoon (had lost Dhana by that stage) and walked by St Augustines, Opera, Grand and Petite Palais and Hotel d'Invalides. Back at the hostel, met two kiwis! Glenn and Rhea - awesome folks.

Day 18

Went to the Catacombs. Amazing place. The cemetarys around Paris were filling quickly, especially after epidemics rushed through the city, so bones were moved into a system of tunnels beneath the city that were former limestone-mining paths. Now bones line the walls placed in intricate patterns, so numerous you sometimes doubt their authenticity. Headed back to Montemarte via the Bastille monument.

Visited Sacre Coeur, a beautiful cathedral near my hostel. Got souvenirs, got harrassed by merchants and scammers.

Had my first proper french conversation with the lady running the pizzaria we were dining at.. i was glad i could still pull it off! Dhana left that night and I was getting ready to leave the next evening. Not before visiting the Eiffel at night, lit up amazingly, with the kiwi couple.

Day 19

Last minute sightseeing. Chilled out in the Jardin de Luxembourg (probably getting all these names wrong), visited the Pantheon, saw the Hotel de Ville for lunch, later onto the Centre Pompidou. Headed to the train station for my overnighter to Florence. Shared my cabin with Tony, a stone carver from the UK who makes an annual trip to Italy to collect marble to carve from. We talked about many things, one being the book Dhana gave me - Her Fearful Symmetry - about Highgate Cemetary in London that Tony knew about. Will have to visit there after finishing the book.

Day 20

Arrived in Florence around 7.20am after a decent but less than desireable amount of sleep. Couldn't check in until 2.30 so spent the day walking around Florence. It's a small place so saw most of it on this first day. Visited the Gardens in the morning after crossing the famous Ponte Vecchio, later whilst drinking coffee in one of many Piazza (squares) met a local guy who showed me around a few of the nearby sights. He took me to a synagogue, later to the museum that holds the Statue of David, onto the Duomo.. beautiful place.

Later, sat in the park to read some more and relaxed.

Day 21

Today! Did some laundry, planned the next two weeks loosely (hopefully will visit Croatia) and just relaxed after a few days of non-stop touristy stuff.

Kraków

2010-08-20T02:42:00.002+12:00

In short, Easyjet are cheap and you get what you pay for.

However I made it in reasonable time to Krakow, the cultural capital of Poland that escaped unscathed after WWII. It's the type of place where you can wander the streets all day and enjoy the sights - beautiful architecture, beautiful people, beautiful language.

I spent half the day wandering around the Old Town and Kazimierz (Jewish quarter). Tried taking photos but they pale in comparison to the beauty of the place - google search them to see for yourself.

Today I went to see Auschwitz. I was tossing up between the Salt Mines and the camps and decided after hearing so much about the camps from important people in my life that I'd visit them.

Again, words cannot express how you feel when you're in a place like that. It's almost ruined by the thousands of tourists that are also there.. but like me they want to experience the place first hand themselves and all have very personal reasons for being there.

Got back early afternoon, and had another wander around Kazimierz and the Main Square, before heading back to Londontown tomorrow.

English Summer Rain

2010-08-17T23:01:00.002+12:00

Slept amazingly last night, tummy full of deliciousness thanks to Ben and Louise cooking a great dinner last night.

Who knew there were little canals through London! I spent a great evening on a boat on the other side of Hyde Park with Ben and Lousie, it was so nice to see a familiar face after moving through crowds of thousands of unfamiliar and unfriendly faces.

The hostel I'm at is just around the corner from Museum Lane. I spent yesterday morning in the Science Museum. Not nearly as cool as I'd hoped, but still a nice way to spend a couple hours. I'd have to say that Te Papa is streaks ahead of this place. After being inside for a while, I spent a few hours in Hyde Park, which is just around the corner in the other direction of the Hostel. It's a really nice park, with wide open green spaces, statues and monuments dotted along various paths. I found a nice spot and had a snooze in the sunshine.

Today it's a bit grey and gloomy, but it's against a grey sky that the architecture of London seems to really stand out. I had no plans this morning so took the time to appreciate the grand buildings in the area, and then decided to visit the Natural History Museum. This is nextdoor to the Science Museum but I didn't go yesterday because the queues went the length of the block.

This museum was pretty big, but when FULL of people from around the world, it became very small. Most of the exhibits were 'vintage' style, with a lot of writing and not a lot to keep your attention. The dinosaurs part was pretty neat, but the rest of the exhibits were overshadowed by the brilliant architecture of the place.

Now it's lunchtime, time to take it easy and work out what I'm doing in Poland for the next couple days.. almost regretting having to get on another plane after feeling like I just got off one!

Day 4 - 6 -- Japan/UK

2010-08-17T00:01:00.003+12:00

Day 4

Staying at Kawaguchi-ko was the break I needed - away from the hoarded of people that inhabit Tokyo. however out here are hoardes of tourists that want to visit Mt Fuji.

Unfortunately for the camera, Mt Fuji was covered in cloud which is quite common for humid August, however though you could barely see any of the mountain, you could feel it's presence.

The hostel was full of people who were going to do the overnight climb of Mt Fuji. I had seriously thought about it but with it being near 33degrees, and with lungs that I've got (especially with the tail end of the flu) I figured I'd just relax and enjoy the township.

I visited Lake Kawaguchi-ko, nothing that exciting really. Then boarded the bus destined for the city.

I had another look around Shinjuku, mainly for a charger for my iPod, but the shops are full of iPad and iPhone 4 stuff.. I'm so out of style. Man.

Headed back to Shinagawa, back to my hostel for a nanna nap.

Day 5

Another stinking hot day.. after sleeping in an air conditioned room I was beginning to second-guess leaving the room to enter 30-something degree heat. But then my room was literally a matress on the floor, with a lamp and a small table. About the size of the laundry at home.. so after slathering on deoderant I headed to Tokyo Central.

I had a walk around the Imperial Gardens. It's quite an impressive area. Open gardens that surround a moated Palace. It was nice to stroll around the place, but the masses of tourists (should get used to it!) put me off hanging around here any longer, so I headed off to Odaiba.

To get to Odaiba meant taking the train to Shimbashi. Not a lot here - that I saw - apart from it's the best way to get to the manmade island of Odaiba. You catch the automatic (no driver) monorail from Shimbashi station to one of many stops on Odaiba. It's a great ride if you can handle the crowds. It takes you above the streets through the city, across rainbow bridge to the popular tourist island.

At Odaiba the breeze was so welcome! Still hitting about 29 humid degrees (I really couldn't handle the heat!) but the variety of things to see kept my mind off it. Ate some street food (delicious, can't recall what it was though), went on the Hello Kitty Ferris Wheel and checked out the Fuji TV building.

After that exciting excursion I went back to my hostel room to get ready for the next day's flight to London.

Day 6

Took the incredibly efficient public transport back to Narita airport.. and after waiting 35mins in line to check in (which you do youself on a machine at the counter, and hand your bags at the counter only), I checked out the shops in the airport.

Souvenir shopping is hard when most of this stuff can actually be bought back home!

I had an 8hr flight time stuck in my head.. WRONG.. 12 hours. Lucky for me I got a free upgrade to Business Class. I was not prepared, in my zoo shorts and tacky tee shirt. It was amazing! A seat that reclined into a bed, that would give you a 20min massage at the touch of a button.. a-ma-zing.

Not a lot to watch though.. Couldn't sleep so entertained myself with How to Train Your Dragon, and Before Sunset.. a movie I wanted to watch again for aaages.

After stuffing my face full for a good 9 of the 12 hour flight, I waddled my way into Kensington, London at about 6pm. Found my bed, in a room with 5 18/19yo girls, and slept through til 7am.

Day 1-3 -- Japan

2010-08-12T19:24:00.005+12:00

Day 1

After freaking out last minute about having not-a-heck-of-a-lot organised for Europe, I decided to stay up all night to get accomodation and transport booked. Running on empty, I looked at the glowing red numbers on my alarm clock, which read 4:07am. Bugger. no sleep.. gotta head off to the airport.

So with my eyes as red as the digits on the clock, I made my way to the airport. There were a few other backpackers there, but my bag looked a lot smaller than theirs and I wondered if I was well enough prepared. Too late, don't look back.

Left Wellington at 6.30am and into Auckland at about 7.20, sharing the ride with a bunch of suits. I galloped my way to the international terminal to make the 8.30 flight to Narita Airport, Tokyo.

The flight was pretty good apart from feeling flu-ish. I slept 5 of the 11-ish hours (slept through dessert - dumb!) and watched Date Night. Landed in Tokyo at 4something'o'clock and lets just say that this city is organised! Literally one door separates the airport from a tram that takes you to customs/immigration.

Of course, me with red, baggy eyes and a small pack got questioned by customs, and the language barrier was interesting.. but seems pretty common as they don't use xray machines here.

From the airport was a 1hr train to the district I was staying at - Shinagawa. The stations here are HUGE, with a million gates and exits, and I think we all know where this is going - i got lost.

No one in the area around the station knew the place nor the streetname of where I was staying, and after exploring the city and searching for my hostel for 2 hours, I figured it was time to seriously look for it. I asked a taxi driver who didn:t speak much english, but he looked it up on his GSP and drew a crude map for me.

Funny thing was that it ended up being a block away from where I had ventured to when I first left the station.

I got there just before check-in closed. It's a cool little place in a small neighbourhood about 10min walk from the city/district centre.

The room was big enough to fit 3 matresses snug up on the floor, and the first night I shared the room with a huge german man. Not a lot of conversation but seemed nice enough, and he looked like he was gallavanting the world too. I feel asleep not long after arriving at the hostel.

Day 2

Ventured outta Shinagawa, to Shinjuku.. a big metropolitan area with a big population, full of skyscrapers, fancy hotels and shops galore. I booked tickets to Kawaguchiko for Thurs/Fri, and went to have a look around.

For someone from wee NZ, it got pretty claustrophobic walking the streets of Shinjuku, so after checking out the views from the 42nd floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices, I headed off to Shinjuku-gyoen (park). Really nice place, open green areas, paths through trees intertwining streams which lead to ponds. The ponds have he HUGEST koi I have ever seen. and the water is even murkier than the chimp moat, so now I don't feel so bad.

Trying to cool off in the shade doesnt work.. humid, low 30s.. I needed to head back to the air-conditioned train!

I stopped off in Shibuya, huge bustingling town (city by NZ standards), and had a decent wander around. Saw the sights. Was feeling a bit crook so went back to my room in Shinagawa.

Day 3

Well, this is where I'm at now.

I had a decent exploration around Shinjuku again, before my bus to Kawaguchi-ko, a small town near-ish the base of Mt Fuji.

I met an awesome man by the name of Kohno Takeshi who simply just chatted for the 90min bus journey. He told me how he imagines New Zealand is all sheep and no cities, so I told him to come visit. We passed Sagami-ko Lake, through a mountain range (can't remember the name!) and told him that if he likes this kinda area, he'd like Aotearoa).

Made it to my hostel, with bunk beds, wohoo! Everyone gets a top bunk!

I'm off to catch me a pikachu. Catch y'all soon.