Japan 07

Okay, not sure how well this is going to work, but here I go:

Post is a slide show of some of the photos from Japan Trip. I have put a link to the page in the random links over on the right.

Handy eh?

- Grover

Yes...It Lives!!! Bwa ha ha!!

We are in Osaka today. The shinkansen took all of 15 minutes from Kyoto. We nearly missed our train. We got on with, no joke, 30 seconds to spare.

We dropped off our bags at our accommodation (I'll post about that later), then went and visited Osakajo (Osaka Castle). The exterior is amazing. The view from the top floor (8th floor) is pretty good too. Although all big Japanese cities are very hazy about 10 km or so from any direction.

Then we went and checked out Shinsaibashi, a 2.6 km long mall. There are heaps of shops and restruants and good stores. The Hello Kitty store is an overload of cuteness.

We tried to go to a baseball hitting on the 8th floor of a games arcade building (read that last part again), but they were booked out.

I will buy a Yukata while I am here, I saw several shops that specalise in selling them. I'll just have to send it back to Australia as I don't have room in my suitcase ^.^

The title refers to the wonderful fact that 99.9% of all my photos that I did an accidental quick format over have been recovered and backed up. I was really relieved as that was cosplay from Comiket (including Mai Shiranui, D-Grey Man, Rozen Maiden), Wonderfest and me meeting Naruto. Would have been VERY pissed off if I lost that. So all is good.

Pedometer Reading for today: 22500

Currently Reading: Emissary
Mood: Happy but tired.

And Then There Was An Update! Or At Least It Will Be!!

Hi all.

It's was my intention to increase updates as the time got closer, but that that hasn't eventuated!!!

Anyway, met up with my friends who I am going to Japan with. There is talk of attending a baseball game whilst in Tokyo. Also we might be going to a concert or something as well (to what I don't know, the details were rather vague.)

23 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Kushiel's Scion
Mood: Normal

Nothing But Blue Skys Over Me

Well, it seems like I am on the mend. Headache is almost gone. Don't feel so drowsy any more. Still got a sore throat, which air-conditioning exacerbates. But feeling not too bad. As daytime tv is so bad, I hired some stand up performances by Billy Connelly. He is, by far, one of my favourite comedians. The only one who tops him in my book is Bill Cosby.

Wow, thanks to this cold I have, I haven't managed to catch up with any of the other people coming on the trip.

Oh! But I have found some things to do in Hakone. Each of us have been given a area/city with which to gather some points of interest that we will see when we get there. After much searching and some advice from some friends of friends who have lived in Japan, I finally found some good places to go.

The Outdoor Art Museum looks great. The Hakone Glass Forest is apparently a must see. There is a part of the old road to Lake Ashinoko which has some historic temple at the end of it (plus a good vantage for taking pictures of Fuji-san). Taking the cable car up to Tozan.There is a board walk through some wetlands (though it will be summer so not sure how appealing it will be then). And having a ride back across the lake in a 'Pirate' ship is recommended. One of those 'so bad it's good' kind of things.

So there is a bit to think about...

Currently Reading: Kushiel's Scion
Mood: Feeling Better

Come Fly With Me

Gomenasai minna-san!

I have, apparently, been lazy...June 20th was my last update? Is my everyday life that uneventful?

Well, this'll fix that.

Yesterday I finally purchased the tickets that will get me to Singapore to catch the flight that will take me to Tokyo. Yay for organisation. I have had the Sing/Tokyo/Sing part of the journey booked and paid since April, but hadn't yet booked the leg to get me to Sing from Darwin. And the fare options were starting to get less and less so I thought that I should hurry up and get it done.

You see, I was originally I was going to go to Cairns instead of returning straight to Darwin for the return. But after some checking, the fares would have been nearly $1000 more to go Tokyo/Cairns/Darwin than what is to go Tokyo/Darwin then Darwin/Cairns/Darwin.

It is looking like I will be getting a separate flight to Cairns the day after I get back to Darwin.

So am happily booked, my leave is approved. Just need to work out how much clothes I will need to take.

While I am in Cairns I am looking at going out to the Great Barrier Reef for a day Scuba diving and maybe some white water rafting before I head inland to visit Mum and Dad. Mum doesn't know that I am coming to visit yet so it'll be a big surprise for her.

And does anyone else find this funny?

News Story

- Grover

34 Days to go...
Currently Reading: A Man Betrayed
Mood: Normal

50 Days

Holy Hell! 50 Day to go.

Can't believe it is counting down so quickly!!

In some actual news about the Japan trip, we are purchasing our Japan Rail tickets this week. We are doing a lot of travelling around Honshu (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima then back to Tokyo), so a 14 Day pass will save us a lot of money.

Which reminds me that I also need to go and get some AUD changed in YEN while the Aussie dollar is strong aginst it.

Uwah~ getting exciting!!

- Grover

50 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Normal

Digital Camera

I need to purchase a digital camera for this trip too.

I was thinking of going with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. Some info is here: Link

I was wanting something I could grow into. In case I want to start doing more in photography. And this one looks fairly sweet.

The RRP is AUD$700, but I found a site that sells it for around AUD$450...

Let me know what you think.

- Grover

61 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Emperor God of Dune
Mood: Normal

Stand Up And Say Something.

This is my blog for my japan trip...