London-Oslo-Bergen

I'm in Bergen on the west coast of Norway, got here late on Saturday night. I'm glad I didn't have a chance to write anything about Norway until now as I would have written a very bad post. Luckily I just emailed Kim instead and complained about ebery little thing that happened so far in Norway. Every transport was late, my plane, every train, meaning I kept arriving late first in Oslo at 3am, then in Bergen just after midnight. Oslo is weird, although I had a nice full day there as it was perfect blue sky and everyone was out baking in the sun right up until after 10pm.
It's a nice city in some ways, although it doesn't feel like a city, fee ls like a big town. But the main thing that would make me not come here if i knew is the price. It is insanely expensive, a big mac is 18 aussie dollars. i didn't get one but i wanted to find out. Even the cheapest sandwich at a little 711 place was about 12 dollars.
But yesterday i went ot the Hardangerfjord for the day and it really was spectacular. ALMOST worth all the other hassles. Tomorrow I'm gong to see Songnefjord so maybe that will add up to make coming to Norway worth it.
London was really great. I was surprised at how beautiful it is, but I won't go on about it as I guess it's like writing to Martians about Mars or something.
I also had a realy fantastic day with Grandpa and Kelli at Seaford near Brighton. The weather was perfect and the area is really beautiful. I am running out of time though as I am sing the library internet as it is free for half an hour!














Having a beer with kerrin near Hammersmith bridge, still awake after flying 12 hours from Tokyo, i think that's how i avoided any jetlag














Me and Grandpa at Seaford














Kelli enjoying the view while Grandpa ties his lace!















ooh i forgot to mention i spent some of the morning in Oslo wandeirng around the nearly completed new Opera House. It is SPECTACULAR! I couldn't leave, kept taking photos...gotta go
10 seconds left aggh

Tokyo

i don't think i've written anything about Tokyo yet, but i've been here nearly a week and is my last day. I arrived and went straight to Shinjuku where i was staying before going to Fuji. I knew it would be amazing, but then i didn't realise until i got here. It is definitely more interesting, more exciting than NY. And, strangely enough, despite being in Japanese (and English) the subway system is about ten times easier and more efficient than NY. I don't know why i'm comparing it to NY, proabaly becasue that's what everyone thinks of when they think of a big, modern city. But here, there is an interesting sense that you are simulatnaeously in the past and in the future. Also feel very safe walking around at all hours in any area (almost) by myself.
Onyl one thing happened where i was trying to find where i was staying in shinjuku when i first arrived and a guy rode up to me on hisbike as i was looking at my map and aimlessly walking. He got off and said he would help me straight away and after few minutes lookingat the map says i am over here, and not here, where i thought i was. I was tired and hot so i slightly beleived him and he said he would take me to the right direction, but i wasn't very trusting. I followed a little with him wheeling his bike ahead, then i notice his sneakers, which were ultra-cool sneakers. That was the clincher, i just couldn't picture ultra-cool sneakers going with random acts of kindness to strangers. So i let him keep walking and asked someone else. Turns out i was exactly where i thought i was.
So after returning from Fuji i spent practically a whole day wandering Harajuku, after going to Yoyogi park and the free view from the Tokyo Metroplotian Government Buildings. I LOVED harajuku, if i had time i would have spent another whole day there in the back lanes with a dozens of interesting little buildings. I love the way here behind every main road is an equally, if not more, active back road just for pedestrians. I found the GA Gallery evetually, and found the Sunwell Building i was told about (tho only given a description). So when i stumbled on the Tokyo Design School and the guy there gave me a tour (he seemed to think it was strange soemone would want a tour of the building, but he was nice and showed me around, it was a cool building) then i asked him about this building i knew was nearby and (as with everything here) needed a map instead of an address. So i found it and the pictures are up here.
The rest of the times have been almost equally fadcinating and full of tiny streets, and interesting shops and very very very hot weather and the continual need to find a public seat (but no where are they to be found).
But i would definitely come back and see more of Japan with a longer rail pass.
Tomorrow fly to London!

sunwell building, Harajuku

love this building

Mt Fuji sunrise...

Mt Fuji Sunrise photos

Mount Fuji

I;m too tired to write proper description of the climb. Basically i got up yesterday morning at 6.00am to get the bus from Shinjuku station where i met everybody doing the climb. We get to the 5th Station by 11.30, wait around, then start climbing. It was actually a very easy climb in some ways but the things that made it really hard were the crowds (there was never a gap or a moment when someone was not directly behind and in front of you), on top of that being in a group we had to all stay together and our guide insisted on walking at snail:s pace so we wouldn:t get altitude sickness. I kept trying to go past. After we climbed for four slow hours on the first afternoon, we had dinner at our hut and went to `bed` at six pm. The `bed` is one big mattress and nearly impossible to sleep. I maybe nodded off here and there. Then at 11.45pm it was time to get up, in the dark and the cold and climb to the summit in time for sunrise. This part was even more crowded and more steep than the first, but made worse by really really slow walking. We made to about a few metres below very crowded summit in itme to watch the red sun come up from under the blanket of white clouds. It was like seeing the sunrise from a plane, except we were on a mountain. The climb down was extremely steep and dusty, but lower down it was really beautiful near the forest and even closer to the clouds.
We went to an onsen after which was so good to have a shower after all that sweating and dust for 24 hours.
Must go sleep now.

photos...

At Hida near Takayama, aggh so peaceful...

Street off Shijo-dori in Kyoto lined with tiny restaurants all tucked away

Lanterns of the Gion Festival in Kyoto

SpiralTower Nagoya

Nagoya to Takayama

I stayed with Kazumi on thursday night a her place in Yokaichi. I took an hour to meet her at Nagoya as the station is so big and confusing. We walked around Nagoya for a while (it has 8 million people!) and went to this cool new building called Spiral Towers. Will put picture up. Went To Nagoya Castle, saw a lot of Sumo men walking around as there is a tournament on there at the moment.
Yesterday morning came back to Nagoya and got the Hida Wide View train to Takayama. Nearly three hours north-west of to Takayama. Nearly three hours north-west of Nagoya. Thought there would be some releif here from the heat, but no. Got off the train and it was still disgustingly hot and sticky. But the night was a bit cooler which was nice. Ｉ‘ｍ staying here at Zenkoji Temple, which is an old temple here at Zenkoji Temple, which is an old temple that is now a hostel. I got up at 1am and snuck down to the empty dorm room (tatami mats and thin little futons and hard pillows) just next to the internal garden. My room had cigarrette smoke seeping thruogh the thin walls from the other room and light coming in. I haven`t slept properly since i got got here so needed sleep. I stayed in that room till 5 as i was scared the owner would come and tell me to get out (we already heard him telling someone off because he wanted to look at the toilets before he made a booking!).

Tomorrow head for Tokyo, then Mt Fuji for the climbing. Apparently there is a typhoon coming, so i hope it`ll pass and won`t bring rain!
Oh i also wish i took more time to learn even a little bit more Japanese other than please, thank you, hello etc. Every little thing is an effort. I think that is also why i am so tired, because by myself figuring out every bit like even yesterady getting my bag out of the locker at Nagoya, i couldn`t even read the characetrs on the screen to know what to press. Eventually a nice lady helped me, but i was cutting it fine for making my reserved seat train.
Oh and with Kazumi we went out for sushi train, but they don`t call it a train (although special orders came out directly on miniature bullet train!) I had raw octopus and other fishy things.

still Kyoto...

ok i don't know i thought Kyoto was so cool on the first day. I mean it was cool. But after two more days it is even more cool. I love this place. yesterday I walked around the Gion district, some parts touristy, some parts not. On the east side of the main road in this area is the eastern hills of Kyoto with steep narrow streets (gotta love a steep narrow street) winding up to all different temples. I cannot get over how disgsuting ly humid it is. If anyone is thinking of coming to Japan, then DO NOT, under any circumstances contemplate coming in the middle of summer. The only relief is the afternoon downpours, but then it is still really hot anyway.
The other side of the main road seems the more 'real' part with again tiny alley streets with lots of wooden tiny facades of little buildings. Every time I pass another street it looks so intereasrting i just have to walk down it. That is why I am always lost. But not really, becasue I'm not usually trying to find my way in the first place. I'm only really lost when i try to find the bus stop and it takes an hour.
SO i did that most of the day yesterday, then decided i would rest from about 3-5pm back at the hostel so i could go out to the lantern festival. The Lantern Festival lasts for three nights leading up to the 17th July and lines all the main roads with Lanterns and floats and at night the streets close off and packed with people, especially young people in kimonos (girls and boys) and lined with stalls for hundreds of metres every direction selling all sorts of food. It is the biggest festival of the year in Kyoto. It was so fascinating that i went back there again tonight and didn't each much today to save room. But that wasn't necesary as i wasn't hungry all day anyway. Must be the heat. 34 every day so far. Also, last night wandered a side road and down another alley lined with lots of tiny sushi bars and small restaurants. It was such a beautiful sight with all the tininess and the lanterns and the timber slats, the 'road' so narrow that two passersby would have to squeeze past each other (no room for cars obviously). This alley stretched for blocks and blocks but just felt like one long street. The other side of the tiny restaruants was the river, so they all had little view of the river. It was all so private though. Anywhere else and there would be glass windows and diners sitting right in the window watching everyone go by. But i had to put my face to the slats just to see anyone or see inside the restaurant. Even the doorways have a bamboo cutain pulled down to about knee level so all you see is the floor of the entry and no people. In somewhere like Vietnam all the living happens on the street - families eating etc, but here it is all behind shutters and blinds. Very hard for a tourist to see how people live. That is why it is good i'll be staying with Kazumi.
Also, that is why the Lantern Festival was such a contrast. The markets right there cooking out in the open and people sitting all over the road and over the median strips eating barbecued fish and sausages. I had this delcious savoury crepe thing with crunchy bits of prawn and cabbage and chunks of fresh ginger all bbqd and rolled up in chopsticks and smothered with sauces and more ginger. Aggh it was delicious.
I keep taking so many photos of cool buildings. Actaully that's mainly my photos.
I know everyone says this, but it's true - I am done with temples for a while. Except today I went to the Golden Pavilion, expecting just another temple, but the gardens, up in the north-west of Kyoto with bright green maple leaves and moss everywhere really was nice. And then the temple itself is spectacular. I thoughtit would be "golden" as in not really, but it really was golden and in a beautiful setting. Maybe it was my imagination but i think they streaked the lake with gold as well (?).
Hopefully I can put up some photos soon, tomorrow i leave for Yokaichi to meet Kazumi (via Nagoya). I hope it's a bit cooler (?) maybe not.

kyoto

Wow don't know where to begin. I LOVE Japan already. Or at least I love Kyoto. Have had one day so far. Arrived last night after being strangely disorganised despite my masterplanning of the trip. Turns out I had no idea how I was going to get from Osaka to Kyoto at 9.30pm when i landed. That was fine as there was express train but envountered bad taxi at 11.30 pm when finally arrived in Kyoto. Was trying to save time becasue I was pretty sure the hostel was closing before midnight. I show him the map and I know it's not far but he has no idea. Then keeps stopping and yelling at me in Japanese using his hands as trumpets to make me understand him! Then eventually he roars all the way back to the station and the auto door opens at the intersection. So i drag my bag out and walk back to the taxi stand and start all over again. Anyway, cut a long story short, same thing happened again and I was resigned to sleeping in the station last night but the second driver drove to the polive and three cops came out and helped him look at the map. Anywho, so i made it. Everything here though, so far, is difficult. Even buying milk for my b'fast. I bought this lemon flavoured milk accidentally, it was the only one with a picture of a cow. So had yuk sour muesli.

But today was amazing and exhausting. It is so so hot and muggy here i hardly slept and even when i set out at the beginning of the Philosopher's walk at the Gingkakuji temple i was already ready to faint. By the time i wandered off all the sides lanes and took way too many photos of wierd and cool little houses i finally got back out to the main road. Intended to come back for a rest but got distracted by the main city area, so got off the bus at Shijo-Kawaramachi and walked the Teramachi arcade then the very fishy but fascinating Nishiki Food Market. Got lost along more side lanes. Tried to find the right bus for ages. Foudn it then got distracted again becasue i could see the Lantern Festival I'd been looking for that is on now for three days. It was dusk so they were just lighting all the lanterns, it was beautiful. Also saw on estall where they selling the tiniest little turtles in tiny plastci containers. They were all squirming and trying to get out.

This sounds wierd but so far, at least Kyoto, is more Asian than i thought it would be. If that makes sense. From what I'd heard i thought it would seem very western. Also, another cliche (but true) the mix of new and technological and fast-paced is interesting mix with the also obvious oldness and tradition and also extreme politeness. The train ticket man in the express last night, for example, bowed and said a little 'speech' to the carriage, and removed his hat, every time he left the carriage or came in, and that was many many times in the hour and a half trip. I looked and no one was looking at him. And he was pretty old. So (assuming he may have been doing his job a while) despite people probably not usually noticing he sincerely bowing and thanking everyone he still keeps doing it.

The other cool thing (and possibly also cliche) is the smallness and bigness of things. Small houses, buildings, cars and small laneways and attention to detail with every aspect of life from every possible thing you might need...And then the big things - massive train station in Kyoto, huge transport network, huge shopping malls, i mean HUGE...