The 1000 Day Holiday

U2 – Sydney – Telstra Stadium

Well, Saturday is the D day for the next 12 months travelling. I have updated my itinerary

Got my travel drugs too

Sth Straddy

Gold Coast

Some of the weird and wacky things Ive seen in Japan:

Shop Japan TV Infomercial
The set looked like it was made of tinfoil
The host was wearing a sparkly suit and had a large suitcase full of travel items..
Emergency ponchos, hypothermia blankets etc.
He then pulls out a rigid plastic bag, unfolds it, its a cube, with the opening at the top. he tilts it so we can see that the bottom is lined with foam, so it appears to be self supporting.

At this point I said to Amy & Sarah, I bet its for taking a dump in.

Lo and behold hit sits it on the ground and shows how to squat over it.

BUT WAIT THERES MORE!

He then proceeds to demonstrate how to seal it. and to be extra secure, he pulls out a slightly smaller bag (the Super Zip Lock Bag) and puts the first into that, and seals it.

Then he shows how you could now use this as a pillow!
I kid you not.

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The Euthanasia Bag
I was in the 100 yen shop ($1.20ish) ala $2 shop
And I came accross this package with the picture of a woman with a plastic bag over her head. Ala euthanasia bag!

I couldnt believe that, so i picked it up and on the back was a pictorial for use.
1: open package and remove bag.
2: Flap bag to fill it with air
3: Place over head and hold tight around neck.
4: Run thru the fire and escape..

Aha! its for when you’re in a building thats on fire.
Of course. now theres just the problem of it melting onto your face as you try to escape.
I bought this, so will upload pics when i get a chance.

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Politeness

When cars are stopped in traffic or at intersections they turn their headlights off so as not to annoy cars in front of them or across the intersection. 

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Japanese that want to practise their english

Lonely Planet mentions that you will be able to spot these people a mile away. They lock on and home in on you, trying to prevent escape until they have sated their desire to speak white.

I began to think I couldnt sort them from the masses.. Until.

I was taking a final pic of Himeji Castle, I turned around to continue my exit and there he was.  A 70ish year old man, bad teeth, cardigan and that glint in his eye.

The conversation went something like this:

Are you from America?

No,  New Zealand

Ahh, Have you been to Hiroshima?

Yes, I came from there this morning.

Ahh, Do you have a JR pass (Japan Rail)?

No. I have a 18 Youth Ticket (Uni Holidays)

Ahh, So are you a student?

No, Anyone can use those tickets in the uni holidays.

Ahh, Are you a teacher?

No.

Ahh, Have you been to Kyoto?

No, I’m going there now (hint – train coming soon)

ahh, have you been to Tokyo?

Ok, see you later….   

After a mammoth 12 hour train ride Kyoto to Tokyo, I decided to go back to hakuba for my final weekend. So another 3.5 hours travelling.

Had a great weekend relaxing and boarding in spring conditions.
Again, when Im leaving it starts dumping!

Back to Tokyo Sunday night and headed out to Roppongi for a final big bang.
finished up the night at 7am at the Tokyo fish markets.. Crazy – Insane – Crazy

Then back to Sydney

Well its been a very busy week…

3/3 A day on the train. decided on destination Nikko, not far from Tokyo. 7.30am start on the slow train to hakodate – Aomori -Hachinohe. Then the shinkansen. 22.5degrees of muggy hell!
got to Nikko 8pm…

4/3 Nikko for the morning bouncing around the temples, shrines and avoiding the tacky tourist stuff and overpriced food everywhere. I had had enough by lunchtime. So headed to get my bags and get out of nikko. Alas many places in Japan run things like a concentration camp.

Bath: 5pm-7pm women, 7pm -9pm guys…
The hostel is locked from 10am till 4pm! DOH.. so had to wait around for my bags..
Got on the train and headed south.
Got to tokyo and tried to buy an overnight bus to Hiroshima. Sold out.. i guess thats what the girl on the phone was trying to say earlier to me in Japanese after she said she spoke english..

So on a whim I bought a 5 day pass JR student ticket, anywhere in japan, just not on anything fast.. so the train stops at every little station.

Got to yokohama on my existing pass, when I realised I didnt have a map of what connections I would have to make. so booked for the overnight bus the next night..

5/3: Yokohama.
spent the day wandering around different areas of yokohama. Finished it with cocktails in the top floor of the tallest building.. Quite chuffed on this..
The Tower has a viewing level on 69.. but it was 1050 yen..
So i went into the hotel, up to their bar/resturant where there was no cover charge before 5 on the 70th floor. So in effect had a free very yummy cocktail in very elegant surroundings w a fantastic view towards Tokyo

Got on the overnight bus to Hiroshima

6/3: Hiroshima
After talking to some guys who took a night bus to the snow. it sounded like the seats fully reclined.. Alas no.

Met 2 Slovak guys (andrej & thomas) on the bus so have been hanging w them for a few days.
Did a day trip to Miya Jima Island. Hiked the summit through a valley destroyed by a recent typhoon. Lots of tame deer everywhere, didnt see the monkeys as coundlt find the ropeway summit.

In the afternoon checked out the Abomb museum. Theres some spooky stuff there. Concrete with a `shadow` from where someone was sitting when the Abomb went off.

Had dinner at a Izakaya where noone spoke english – tops food and sat right in front of the grill so it was awesome.

concluded with a night walk around Hiroshima Castle grounds.

7/3 Himeji Castle
Morning train to Hemeji Castle, this was epic. an amazing afternoon. Even found the ritual suicide courtyard. The coroner has a raised platform to sit on, the wood is sloped for easy cleaning, and theres a well to wash the head in.

8/3 Kyoto
Hanging w Andrej & Thomas headed for some remote shrines in the hills of Kyoto.
seems every 50m on the trail there is another little shrine to pay & pray..

9/3 Day trip to Nara
Some huge temples.. a 430 ton bronze buddah thats lost its head a few times.
Climbed through a hole in one of the supporting beams and am now guaranteed enlightenment
Defiantely over the temple thing now.

Heading for Tokyo (and if i stay on the slow trains it will take me 7:30 – 15:30 for the tokyo run… Will play the oops, Wakarimasen (i dont understand in Japanese) and stick to the express trains as much as poss.

Intention is to hit Kagura near niigata (or maybe Hakuba – whichever has the best snow)

Well culture can wait.
and it was well worth it.

Had a totally epic day at Teine. had snow like the best of them.
and even ran into some kiwis that have 1 degree of seperation from me… tinny.

showed them the stashes of pow that was shown to me last week.
Im totally speechless as to how good it was… just check out these pics…
Willy and his rooster tail
Andy hitting a natural kicker
View of Sapporo from the hill

Now to see if I can do culture and not be tempted by snow as I head south.

on a recommendation i bookeing into pension kiraku in niseko hirafu. a fab spot.

had some variable weather w a day of rain. all was restored in the end with some great powder.

it is very strange to be in japan and surronded by so many aussies. i much prefer resorts and places that you actually dont hear english.

the dairy/seicomart sells vegemite & sandwiches which you wouldnt see in any other place…

ala Sapporo Kokusai where it appeared that I was the only whitey on mountain and one of only 3 people riding of piste all day!

Niseko is a large resort with some great terrain.

my last day riding was a day trip to rusutsu w todd. had some amazing tree runs there. and to top it off met Ziggy from boardtheworld.com who had an awesome eye and camera.
Rusutsu pics

how about this sequence:

1
2
3

That was supposed to be my last snow day for this trip, but its just kept dumping so Im heading to tiene for one final day

this trip is far too rapidly coming to an end.