From Seoul

Okay, so I will do my best to take advantage of this free internet and give you blog-junkies something to read (motherS!!).
I have been a bit lazy. I know when I get back home I will be knackered down with school & moving, and all that, but I am sadly lacking motivation to get myself moving anywhere these days...I've met a couple people at the hostel who I went out with last night, so at least I am not spending an unnecessary amount of time bonding with myself & my ipod :)


Some grafitti in a Seoul underpass.


Exercise machines - these are lots of fun to play with. Like adult playground. I suppose they are actually healthy to have as well. Canada, time to invest.

A very chinese looking old palace in Seoul. Ch---something---?

Lunch. I think it was meant for two people? Because it was 14,000W. I didn't finish. Poor starving children.



Cute stuff.

Funny toy in the bar...

Today I am off to a mall, and maybe some skating?!

Once again, I've fallen behind

My apologies...I've never been good without deadlines.

I have now added some pictures to my previous blog, so please check those out. I am not sure how to post videos, but I have some great ones of the sumo. It was a very cool thing to watch, and you get used to seeing large men in very little 'clothing' quite quickly - odd?

After Japan, I hoped through Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, meeting up with my Aussie sisters!! I can't believe how fast my time there went. That happens when you are having fun, right! (or not paying attention?)

What did I do in Australia:
-road tripped to Jervis Bay (pronounced jArvis) with Fizz and Nickers (aka. Fiona and Nicole)

--> It was cold for winter, and we all had to huddle around one small electric heater - no central heating. We checked out the world's whitest sand beach, ate small-town chinese food, and practiced my netball skills.

Back in Sydney, I caught up with some friends...and got caught up in the Twilight book series (ignoring other responsibilities to finish them...such as med school forms, and sunlight!). But they are so addicting.

-enjoying ribs at Hurricanes

So now Australia has passed, for now, and I am back on my own :(

I am nt sure what Korea has in store for me, but it should be interesting...lots of spicy food and late night if the stories are true. Time to go check it out!

Miss you all!!!!!!!!!!!

Shinkansen...I love you

My last post was from Hiroshima...since then I have rocked back up the country to Tokyo, stopping in Takayama, and Nikko on the way, which meant a whole lotta train rides. All good fun though. Tomorrow I am planning on getting full use of my JR Rail Pass by taking the shinkansen to Nagoya in the morning and back in the evening, all to watch a day of sumo wrestling. Should be a good 2 hours each way.

No pictures in this post as I am too lazy to sort & post them at the moment, apologies.

Takayama is this funny, relaxed little town up in the mountains. I stayed there for two nights. Hit up a couple local bars, saw the old private homes and sake breweries, and this bizzare World Shrine of some new-age religion. Maybe a Japanese scientology? But they give you a free saucer of sake if you go and visit! They also had a Teddy Bear Eco-village in Takayama, featuring Smokey the Bear....you explain.

Next from Takayama, was Nikko. At this stage, I think I am searching for more in Japan than just temples, shrines and castles. They are all beautiful ^ historic, but i know I am missing something in the country by only seeing them. When I finally arrived at my hostel in Nikko, after a good hike uphill, I saw some signs for an ice skating rink. So of course I had to check it out. They may have public skating from 10-3.30, unfortunately I was temple/shrine-seeing during that time, and didn't get to go back. But at 5pm, there was an old-timers league playing...not great skating, but a great feeling to be back in an arena!!

Now I am back in Tokyo, saw a bit og Harajuku? today, but I think I missed most of the kids dressing up, sadly. I am sure I have a seen a few bizarre things today that I wanted to tell you about, but my mind is a bit frosty at the moment. Perhaps a bath will get me in shape.

Will give a full play-by-play of the sumo tomorrow :D!!!

Added:

Off to Oz in a couple days.

Catching up...

Its been a few days since my last post so heres some pictures to get you caught up on my adventures...there are many stories to go along with them, but for now i will just try to include a few anecdotes. Most of my stories just invovle getting lost....



Vending machines in Kyoto...







After Kyoto, I took a long day's work to find my way to Mt.Koya...though the complicated Osaka train network, and poor maps to find the tourist information office...why is my backpack so heavy!?!

Dinner during my temple stay at Mt. Koya. I am not resilient enough to have sat like that the whole time - there was no circulation going to my feet!! But the vegetarian meal was mostly delicious, with some weird goopy stuff included. I only left the mushroom :(



My very own room!!







Along the Entrance Path- sando, lined with hundreds of year old cedar trees and thousands of grave stones.







Konpon temple.









A brif stop-over on the train to visit Himeji castle...beautiful!






Getting lost in Kurashiki...what stop am I going to!?!?!?






After getting terribly lost trying to find my hostel in Kurashiki, which included a brief stroll in the woods at night...creeepy. I was not at all happy with this place by night, but by day, they have this gorgeous little canal and awesome Ohara Art museum that houese Monets waterlillies, El Greco, and Picasso. Oh, and lots of cute things to buy for pressies "D



Onward to Hiroshima...mostly shot in Black and White - i thought it set the mood better.


The Atomic Bomb Dome.



Shadow left by the statue during the bomb.









A source of colour in a bleak story of history...colourful paper cranes. Still made as a tribute to the thousands who died, during and resulting from the bomb.

Hiroshimas Peace museum was also a brilliantly tragic display of the events of the day the bomb dropped and the horric scenes that were imagined throught the city. They don't hold back on showing how people really looked and what the devastating consequences. And there were many many school kids there, so the education of the new generation is continuing, and they admit that the war atrocities were not only one-sided...peace, that is the main message conveyed through all of the Hiroshima monuments, memorial and museum.

A brief trip over to Miyajima to see this famous Torii gate. There are many deer on the island, I took a picture of one, and then thought, I am from Canada...what am I doing, I see these at home all of the time. But my camera has not liked the rain so much and was malfunctioning after this picture...so I just went back to eat Okonomiyaki.



Onwards back north today, up to Takayama.

xx

Temples and shrines in Kyoto/...








Proving I was there...












i will explain this later.








Okonomiyaki dinner...delicious!





I think I am too lazy to write much, so heres a few photos instead.
xx

From Tokyo to Kyoto

Bright lights of Tokyo








Yesterday was an adventure...up at 4:30 ^just in time for morning practice...but instead of figure skating, i was going to be immersed in the Tsukji fish market in Tokyo. If you get there early enough you can see the HUGE tuna brought in fresh that morning being auctioned off. And after that viewing closes at 6:15, so can wonder through the stalls of other merchants selling every kindo f resh seafoodm while trying to dodge the trolleys speeding around the @place and splashes of fish blood/water! yummy. it was brilliant though, and rewarded afterwards by some delicious melt-in-your-mouth sushi for breakfast at 7am!

After having a nap & checking out of my hostel, I took my first Shinkansen superexpress train ride in Japan to Kyoto. I transversed the station about 3 times before going out the correct exit, becfause somehow, my compass has been turned around yet again! and north is south, and south is north...and when you are trying to go out the south exit, that is not helpful. Eventually found my guesthouse. and then ventured out to the Fushimi INari Taisha (shrine) which is famous for the approx 4km long path lined with thousands of red Torii gates...and it was so lovely in the rain. Also met to Calgarians along the way...and had a delicious ramen meal for dinner.

Now its time for a day full of temple wandering in Kyoto.

A day in Tokyo

I am exhausted from walking around the city today...obviously not the whole thing, but enough that I need a nap. It:s been a soggy day so far, so thanks for the rain jacket mom.　Although I stand out like a tourist, for many reasons, but also because I dont use an umbrella, and I wear thongs/flip flops - not done here.





Akihabara








My first lunch on Japan.







A bridge at the Imperial Palace.









Prayers at Ueno park.





I need a nap..

Konichiwa

I landed yesterday evening *Canada Day* in Tokyo...and after a long flight, and a few train rides I found myself in the city. Fighting off crowded trains with my massive backpack, and soon roaming alone...although we had first started out from Narita Airport as a clan of Canadians who'd all come over on the cheap Northwest flights!!
Once I finally found my hostel, which was about 200m from the subway station, and not the 2km i probably walked around trying to find it...I had a shower and passed out. After a very good rest, I am trying to plan my first day in Tokyo.


My first picture in Tokyo - the self-washing toilets!! They do exist, so of course you have to try them...fancy stuff.