Tokyo - Kamakura - Kawaguchiko - Kyoto - Nara - Hiroshima - Miyajima - Narita - Nikko - Tokyo
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
- Night views of Tokyo from a skyscraper.
- Seeing a Japanese wedding in Tokyo.
- Seeing Mt. Fuji at dawn from Mt. Tenjo.
- Stumbling on a religious night parade in Kyoto.
- A night of Karaoke in Kyoto (with the hilarious communication difficulties in actually getting a karaoke booth in the first place and then figuring out how it worked).
- High speed trains (especially exciting for Robbie).
- Hiroshima International Youth Hostel - a palace for all backpackers.
- The thought-provoking Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
- Cheap sushi.
(As the Austrians would say) "NEGATIVE HIGHLIGHTS":
- The smell of our dorm in Kyoto.
- For Robbie, his bites that are very red and keep spreading, rather uncontrollably.
SOME OBSERVATIONS/THOGUHTS/THINGS WE FOUND INTERESTING
- Very technical toilets (heated seats which rise automatically when you enter the toilet, wash and dry functions, "music" buttons which sound the noise of a toilet flushing, electronic bin lids).
- Extreme order and efficency with an abundance of white glove-wearing officials who like to bellow orders down funnels. Perhaps the Japanese should actually rule the world... maybe they already do.
- Polite and helpful people. One bank clerk felt the urge to not only tell us where the nearest ATM was which accepted our cards, but personally lead us out the bank and down several streets there.
- Little poverty/equal distribution of wealth.
- An obsession with fashion. For women, high heels, varnished toe nails, styled hair and sometimes whacky, futuristic-looking outfits. Men seem to be keen on the classic black trousers and white shirt look and often have fans and umbrellas. Everyone seems to have, of course, the latest phone, blackberry, ipod etc.
- Bird and ice-cream van sounds from loudspeakers at train stations and pelican crossings. What is that all about?
- Very quiet-sounding cars.
- Temples galore.
- Supermarkets/7 elevens are great retreats from the heat. A quick walk around one, regardless of the need to buy something, does wonders for the body temperature.
QUOTES
Robbie on justifying not climbing Mt. Fuji despite my pleas: "It's not the height of the mountain you climb but the path you choose to get the best view." Whatever.
"Sag niemals 'Kekko', bevor Du nicht Nikko gesehen hast." (Polygott guidebook.) Well, I say Kekko, kekko, kekko. We went there today and the place was swarmed with tourists and there was one too many a temple for Mr Noonan's liking I think.
On the train from Hiroshima to Narita we were discussing my tendency to lose keys. I asked Robbie what the most important thing was that he has lost in his life. He replied: "My vaginity ... although I think I've probably found it again." I'm guessing it's been a while.
On discussing the cleanliness of hostels in Japan we agreed: the hostels in Japan are much cleaner than we are. We imagine that we will probably be cleaner than any hostels awaiting us beyond Japan and that says a lot about our expectations of the hostels to come.
