Japan - June 2011

After such a great time in Japan last year, I was very keen to go back, thanks Eli for pointing out the Jetstar specials! I was looking forward to catching up with Chi again, to contribute some tourist dollars to the post-earthquake/tsunami economy, and to learn more about Japan.

Japan June 2011

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Saturday 4th - I parked my car around 5:15am, and flew out at 6:20. I had reserved seats for each of the 4 legs but ended up with none of the ones I booked... but booking the airport lounge at Gold Coast was a good investment. After arriving (and successfully deciphering my first complete word in Hiragana "ください = Kudasai = please" - yay!) I took the express train to Shin-Osaka and my hotel. I needed to stretch my legs so I walked back to the centre of town - a good hike on a pleasant evening. I passed some guys practicing baseball but without the ball - just swinging their bats; and kids letting off fireworks on the banks of the Yodo river. There was a cheerful Saturday night crowd in the Umeda area; I bought a snack-size sushi pack - breakfast in Melbourne, dinner in Osaka! After some effort I found an ATM that accepted my card, and toasted my arrival at The Frame House ukulele bar in Kitahama, where Mitsuko(?) remembered me from my last visit, and their bar girl had spent a couple of years in Brisbane.

From Japan June 2011

Sunday - I caught the 8am Shinkansen to Tokyo. They announced that you could use WiFi on the train, but I couldn't get it to work on my phone, and the conductor didn't speak English. I noticed the girl next to me had been reading a book in English so I asked her - and between her & the conductor they let me know that WiFi was only for existing subscribers... but thereafter we had a great chat! Her name is Beni & she was travelling with her sister Hana for a holiday at Tokyo Disneyland. When I said I was from Melbourne she immediately asked about the penguins there, so my experience as a volunteer penguin guide & researcher came in very handy! The sisters work at a cake shop in Osaka & I made a plan to try to visit it.

After the trip of about 2½ hours, I got off the train at Shinagawa in the south of Tokyo, to meet Mike, an old uni buddy of mine. He was about to head off to San Francisco but had an early lunch and a terrific catch-up, and he kindly leant me his PASMO card which made my travel in Tokyo very convenient. After lunch I went to Harajuku - an market sort of area with lots of counter-culture on show, & nearby Yoyogi Park. The park was full of people, seemingly all sorts of community groups. There were some picnicing, studying, or rehearsing lines possibly, running through dance routines, playing games and exercising their dogs. I pulled my uke out, and sure enough within a few more paces I found a beginners ukulele class happening so I joined in! I was a bit surprised that they used the English for chord names. I taught them Country Road (a big hit in Japan) and the Sukiyaki song. Continuing on, I stumbled upon Odajima and "Ukulele Afternoon" rehearsing on the opposite side of the park. I joined in a little bit but they had some fairly sophisticated arrangements. I noticed they do a lot more 'picking' than I'm used to in MUK - maybe because they like Western songs but don't know quite how to properly pronounce the words, so they play the melody as an instrumental? After a few songs I continued on - I heard some drumming but it turned out to be African, not Taiko... in fact the only Taiko I found on my trip was an arcade game.

Exploring further, I found myself amongst hundreds of excited teenage girls heading into & out of the Yoyogi stadium - they were all cheerleaders, presumably there was a big competition on (all their uniforms had the team names etc in English). There was a big eco expo next door, just finishing up for the day, and Cirque de Soleil had set up further along. I walked up past Meiji Jingu - it was closing for the day so I didn't get to check it out, but the gardens were a terrific island of calm in the middle of a major city. Nearing Shinjuku the scale of all the buildings increased - it's one of several CBD areas of Tokyo, and a major hub for railways, crowds, shopping, business and entertainment. I had a good look around, I think I found the seedier side of town, but then found a very nice cafe for dinner.

I'd decided to try a capsule hotel. There wasn't much information in English so it was a bit hard to be sure of what was the right thing to do, but basically you get changed in a big locker room and then go to another room containing the capsules. They had a modest bathroom nearby but the main bathroom for washing was upstairs, and full of naked guys parading around... a little bit too communal. I felt very conspicuous, I'm sure it would've been fine but I made it a very quick wash! The capsule was not so much like an MRI machine, or coffin, and more like being on a top bunk, or even a bit like being in a 2-person tent. It had a bamboo blind at the corridor/'foot' end, and I had a very good sleep!

From Japan June 2011

Monday - The funny things you notice: crows in Japan sound like WC Fields, whereas those in Australia sound like Bob Hawke. Anyway, adjacent to Shinjuku Station, Red Bull had set up an F1 car which apparently had driven through Tokyo the day before. I grabbed some breakfast, including a banana - I've been deprived in Australia! - and caught the train to Tokyo Station expecting it to be abuzz with activity, but it was pretty quiet. There were small crowds around the station, but outside there were just skyscrapers and the occasional jogger. I presume everyone was at work - but it just wasn't the Tokyo I expected. I walked down to Hibuya Park, and then up through Ginza. It was good to get my bearings but there wasn't a lot to see. I took a train to Hamamatsucho, wandered down to the river for a quick look at the Rainbow bridge, then back past Zojoji Temple to Tokyo Tower which turned out to be a fairly dated and tacky landmark, although the video screens pointing out the city's sights and history were OK. The food court, however...!

Next, to Ueno - firstly to check out a tourism office... sorry to say but all the tourist info places I found were very ordinary. They did help me find an internet cafe though - and disaster! - my tour the next day had been cancelled. I'd worry about that later. It was a nice cheery afternoon around Ueno and I had fun wandering around the park; there were groups of female student tour guides... perhaps?... overall it seemed to be a bit of an academically-inclined area with lots of museums around. I then set off towards Akihabara - the electronics and gadget district (with added anime girls), yet again misjudging the distance. There were lots of electronics shops- not a lot that you wouldn't find in a big shopping centre at home, though I might not've found the more distinctive outlets. Then back to the hotel for a short break - I was staying at the Shinagawa Prince which would've been great for my tour pick-up the next morning, and which is almost a self-contained resort. I then headed out Koenji to go to Odajima's "Hikoroku" ukulele bar. It was great to get out into a normal suburb away from the tourist attractions, and given that I was the sole patron, we had a great chat, a uke & shamisen jam, we swapped CDs and he even cooked me up some dinner.

From Japan June 2011

Tuesday - I tried the space shuttle controls of the toilet in the hotel; these are commonly found throughout Japan. It was ... unusual.

Downstairs, I jumped online and within a couple of minutes had booked the first hotel I found in Hakone-Yumoto. Accommodation sorted, I jumped on the Shinkansen to Odawara, where I looked lost enough for a girl from the tourism office to approach me with information about the '2 Day Freepass' which for about $50 gave me all transport and a brochure with a self-guided tour itinerary around the Hakone area. Perfect! I took the local train to Hakone-Yumoto, was delayed by a tourism survey for a few minutes on arrival, and found the hotel after a few minutes despite taking the wrong road. The reception area was very stately and distinguished, unfortunately the room didn't quite match the atmosphere but it was OK.

I followed the recommended course for the afternoon - bus, walk through the Ancient Cedar Avenue, Hakone Checkpoint, cruise on a tall ship on Lake Ashi (at first I thought it was "Lake Asahi" and would be made of beer), ropeway to Owakudani to see the volcanic steam vents, then ropeway and cablecar to Gora railway station, and mountain railway back. I caught a brief, faint glimpse of Mt Fuji from Hakone Machi-ko. The transport was fun in itself, the scenery was fantastic under gloomy skies, and everyone was very friendly - though for a touristy area it seemed quiet. More so in the evening where I went walking through town and past a bunch of resorts in search of something nice for dinner... I had a long, frustrating and fruitless trek past a bunch of sleepy-looking resorts. One had a bit of activity - coaches of important-looking salarymen were negotiating the narrow mountain roads. Back in town, I found a fancyish cafe and with the place to myself I had a good chat with the proprietor and his family.

From Japan June 2011

Wednesday - I took the mountain railway back up to Gora to find an ATM and then one station back down to check out the Hakone Open-Air Museum sculpture park where I had a very enjoyable morning (in light drizzle), enjoying the art and resting my feet in the hot spring/foot bath. Back up at Gora I had a horrible railway hotdog for lunch, and caught the bus which, after doing a 180 on a turntable, took me to the Yunessun hot spring & water park resort. I walked in through front reception, and went up the next two floors before I saw a single person. But then I found the spa section and there were enough people to make it worthwhile... it still seemed quiet though. The indoor section had a several huge spas, and a sound & light show every hour. Outdoors I tried a series of small hot pools, with various novelty "flavours", eg coffee, sake, red wine, green tea, charcoal (again, no beer); all very enjoyable. I didn't try the 'naked' section - I'm too worried about committing a faux pas. Like the capsule hotel they had a "no tattoo" policy which I was delighted about, I'm not very keen on tattoos!

Before leaving Hakone I went back up to Owakudani to see Mt Fuji again, but it was too cloudy. I took the train to Shinjuku - I had a carriage with a window facing backwards from the train and it was cool to express through the cities, on one of the plaza of parallel tracks, leaving behind each station's barn-shaped roof and pool of light.

Finding the next hotel was an interesting challenge - it was just north of Shinjuku, in Okubo, which I think is a bit of a Korean district - I'm sure that the hotel was a street to the west of where it's website directions indicate! But once there I found a very comfortable cheap guest house that might've once been all a private residence, and now has a couple of rooms for travellers. The sign-in book suggested that I was the first guest for two weeks, however when I checked out I think another couple of people had arrived. The proprietors were very friendly and we managed a few conversations despite having none of each others' languages.

From Japan June 2011

Thursday - My friend Yoshie from Taiko classes in Melbourne was back home in Japan and working at Foot Therapy next to the Subnade mall, which was a slight challenge to find. She had invited me to try a foot massage, which was great! Afterwards I had a look around Shinjuku, including a couple of the observation decks (Sumitomo Building, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building). These were free but I managed to pay 600 yen (around $7) for a glass of coke. I then took Yoshie's advice and went to Asakusa, a historic district. Although I'd seen enough temples, the Sensoji was great in that it had a real festival atmosphere to it with cheerful crowds, street vendors & stalls and so forth. The district was overshadowed by the spectacular new Sky Tree observation tower which is nearing completion. I explored the local shops & neighborhood, and then headed to the "Music Instrument District" near Ochanomizu. I had a blast window-shopping the heaps of instrument shops, some specialising in certain instruments - one seemed to be solely guitar effects - and lots of general ones. There was no shortage of ukuleles, some of the guitar shops had maybe a third of the shop dedicated to them.

As evening settled in I went to Shibuya and discovered the Tokyo I'd been expecting all along - the massive crowds flooding the streets when the traffic lights changed. There was a good fun crowd around the whole district.

From Japan June 2011

Friday - Keen to explorer another section of Tokyo outside the Yamanote circle line, I took the Yurikamome ("Seagull"... or Eureka Moment"?) to Odaiba, an artificial island in the bay. I'd hoped to see the Science and Innovation Museum but it was closed due to the earthquake & wouldn't open until the next day. Instead I went to the slightly daggy Museum of Maritime Science, which had no English explanations, and was, like the rest of Odaiba, a bit of a wasteland. I walked around the waterfront, and it was hard to understand how the region could be so dead in the middle of such a populous city. At one point the train stopped at a station in the middle of a paddock with no buildings or roads, and more stations just a couple of hundred metres away.

I took the Shinkansen back to Osaka and then off to Tondabayashi to visit my friend Chi - it was wonderful to see her again and catch up on lots of news!

From Japan June 2011

Saturday - We had a fantastic & relaxing day. We went to Kaiyukan Aquarium (they have penguins!) including the "Cawaii [cute] Collection". Chi loves seafood and told me about all of the fish that were on display, that she had eaten recently. Otherwise, we just helped each other learn some more of our respective languages & cultures, and I was able to answer some music/ukulele questions for her. I usually find that the best part of any trip is to experience some of the everyday life of the locals, rather than just going to the tourist attractions, and it was certainly true in this case. Furthermore, I'm sure Chi has been practicing her English; it has been a barrier in the past for us to get to know each other and it was great to learn more about her, her work and so forth.

From Japan June 2011

Sunday - We went for a bushwalk at Mount Kongo, a short drive from Chi's place. We'd left it a bit late to walk all the way up, so took the ropeway instead - this turned out to be a good choice as there was a bit of rain around. Up on the mountain, we had a look at a small astronomical observatory, and continued up to the picnic/cafe area which had a big series of scoreboards for regular climbers to register their numbers of ascents. Unfortunately heavy clouds obscured the views, but they partially lifted for a few minutes just when we reached the lookout tower.

And then, alas, it was already time for a farewell dinner- Chi was back into work the next day, and I had a couple more days' sightseeing.

From Japan June 2011

Monday - I went to visit Beni and her family at Patisserie de Lolo, and ended up staying for over an hour I think! It was great to meet everyone and to try some of their delicious & healthy(!) cakes. I said a careful "Ohayo gozaimasu" when introduced to Beni's father, Show, and he answered with "Good morning, are you on Twitter?" He was very interested in Melbourne and in my ukulele. The whole store had a bit of Disney feel to it after Beni & Hana's holiday the previous week. Be sure to drop in if you're in the Takaminosato area (just across from the station, 8 stations from Tennoji on the Kintetsu line).

I went back to Tennoji for a look around, but not much was open - the zoo and even the park were closed for the day. I had a look at the Tsutenkaku Tower but wasn't very impressed by it and given that I was now in the "pre-departure cash budgeting" phase I gave it a miss. Similarly my phone battery level was dwindling so I kept turning it off, but it kept turning itself back on, I think due to the humidity playing with the circuitry; with limited recharging opportunities and still a couple of rendezvous in the works, this became quite stressful! I took a train to Kyoto, and while waiting for the city bus, I was greeted by three high-school girls who asked for my autograph. I had a great afternoon seeing Ginkaku-ji, and after getting lost looking for it last year, I found and followed the Philosopher's Path (Tetsugaku no michi), past various other temples and along the small river with the occasional carp swimming past. I went back to Gion, past sights familiar from last year; at one point I was delighted to hear someone practicing ukulele, and I waved my uke at the high-school girl when she looked out her window. I found a great shopping arcade and a nice cafe for dinner & people-watching; then walked back to Kyoto station for the trip back to Shin Osaka.

From Japan June 2011

Tuesday - My last day :-( I'd received some messages about an ash cloud affecting flights in Australia, so I asked the hotel if I could stick around to use the internet in their dining room a bit longer, and as a result I got to listen in to the staff's almost military-style daily huddle, where 3 of them reported on the days' news, and then all of them recited the company's mantra in unison.

I had been very impressed by the amount of primary school children through to quite elderly cyclists in Japan; bikes were very popular for local transport with everyone. However as I approached Shin Osaka station for the final time, heaps of bikes that were apparently illegally parked, were being loaded on trucks for removal - I'm sure there would be some angst later in the day when people returned to find that their bike had been impounded! In the station, I asked the tourist office about their city tour, but it seemed a lot more complicated than just seeing the sights on my own; and they didn't take credit cards and it would've been a hassle to get more cash out.

I went to the touristy/restaurant Dotonbori district, which Chi had taken me to last year. I saw a turtle swimming in Dotonbori gawa, and enjoyed some takoyaki for lunch. I found a very cool market arcade slightly away from the tourist section, and it was great to see where locals do their shopping. I went to have a look at the temple district but all the temples were closed, but it was nice to walk past. Next I went to see the Science Museum & planetarium - it was very quiet, there was very little info in English, and the exhibits were pretty standard; but all up it was an OK way to spend the afternoon. I walked over to the newly redeveloped Osaka station via the network of underground shopping malls. I'd left plenty of time to get to Kansai airport, but the trains took much longer, and weren't as frequent as I expected, leaving me a touch stressed in addition to being rather sad that my trip was almost over. I had a great view of the train drivers' cabin though, and was amazed how the stops were accurate to within a couple of seconds of the driver's schedule.

I was delighted that Chi came to the airport to see me off - it was a wonderful farewell, I certainly hope that our paths cross again sometime soon. Thanks Chi!

Wednesday - Arriving at Gold Coast, I managed to avoid being filmed by the Border Patrol TV show. The ash clouds were not affecting my flights, the only incident was that I was seated in 1A and was close to the action during boarding, when a ground technician went to step backwards out of the cabin and someone had moved the stairs slightly and left a gap, which left him dangling in the air for a moment - he managed to grab the door and the cabin staff helped pull him back inside, before he went down the stairs & gave a very stern lecture to the stair attendant.

And then - back home! Thanks Japan! I was 2kg lighter, I think due to the food there being very healthy, and not what my system is used to; plus I'd done lots of walking. But I'd had a fantastic time learning more about the country and meeting friends old and new.

FAQ

- I've had lots of questions about the effects of the earthquake, tsunami and radiation - I didn't feel any tremors, and the disasters had occurred a few hundred kilometres from the places I went. However the tourist crowds were small and some attractions were closed. There were lots of reports about the clean-up and recovery on the news, and a few locals were interested in talking about what the effects had been.

- historically Japan has been very expensive, but with the recent progress of the respective economies, there are some great bargains. I scored some bargains with all the most I paid for a night at a hotel being around $90/night, and in some cases I paid close to half of that.
- it's very easy to travel around, despite not knowing Japanese. One gotcha is the mix of different railway companies, the smartcard tickets generally work across the different companies in a city, but the paper tickets don't always... but it's not a big problem, you just buy the ticket for the next part of the journey. I'd learnt some Hiragana, most signs were in Kanji, Hiragana and English; and the train lines in Tokyo were designated with a colour, a Roman letter and station numbers, it was very easy to figure everything out.

- Since returning home, I've discovered heaps of restaurants in Melbourne named after places I've been, eg "Yoyogi", "Shinjuku", "Shibuya" etc...

- I've decided that the cities themselves aren't very endearing, they reminded me at times of just being giant factories, additionally, tourist attractions and information are a bit under-par. However the people are fantastic and I was very well looked after. And everywhere I went, all the staff were immaculately attired, friendly, thorough and clinically efficient.

The Commonwealth Bank had sold me the idea of using a Travel Money card, which I managed to slightly overdraw by about $16, but its minimum deposit is $200... so it looks like I'll be keeping it in overdraft until I need it again. I'm still to be convinced about whether there's much of a benefit to it.

Big thanks to Eli, Michelle, Chi, Mike, Yoshie, Beni & the Takemoto family at Patisserie de Lolo, Odajima, Stephanie, and everyone else that helped along the way!

Next time: Chi suggested I should try a proper onsen, but I'm not sure I'm game! Also - a taiko show, maybe some more sake. Other seasons.

Tasmania January 2011

Tasmania Jan 2011

Just a quick visit - a nice getaway from all the normal hectivity.

Friday 21st

My second time on the Spirit of Tasmania, & first time in a cabin. It was running a bit late and I was asleep not long after passing Ricketts Point. It'd be nice if you could watch directly ahead, you can sort of see a bit if you lean out the sides & there was a great view of the landing-lights-like beacon stretching many kilometres into the bay, all flashing in sync.

Saturday

From Tasmania Jan 2011

Off the ferry at Devonport, it was great to hear an interview on ABC Local Radio Tasmania about a new uke group starting in St Helens. While driving along the main street - Formby Road!

I drove to Port Sorell for a stretch of the legs around the conservation area and the first of many rivulets that Tasmania seems to specialise in. I'm not too familiar with them elsewhere. Then a meandering trip around the top right corner; an indirect route to morning tea in Exeter, then a stickybeak at Beaconsfield, a short hike around the impressive Batman Bridge across the Tamar River, then on the way through George Town I discovered that a folk festival was on and a couple of my buddies were playing later that day. It would have been great to see them but it would have put a dent in the schedule & I seem them around in Melbourne quite a bit, so I continued touring with a walk around Low Head, then Mount George, then lunch at Bridport. I drove out past the Barnbougle Dunes clubhouse just for a look then headed inland, refuelling at Scottsdale. It was good to be on the sort of drive where if you see the sign for a lookout or nature trail, you can just go & check them out.

I had miswritten the phone number for the St Marys (or was it St Helens? No I'm sure it was St Marys) ukulele group & thought that it'd make sense to drop in a few Melbourne Ukulele Festival flyers for them so after descending through the forests to coastal St Helens & stopping to grab a few nibbles, I made my way back up into the hills in the hope of finding a notice somewhere (in a shop window?) with a contact number for Barbara, the organiser. This plan worked perfectly up to the point of my phone call going through to an answering machine. I completed the last leg of a long day and found the Bicheno Wintersun Gardens motel - very pleasant. Some delicious chowder from the restaurant up the road hit the spot then back to my room to do some work on my ukulele art competition entry & watch the tennis.

Sunday

From Tasmania Jan 2011

Off to Freycinet National Park - via a supermarket for brekkie. I hadn't had much of an idea of what I'd find there - shops, accommodation, and information about the park, but everything was really well set up. I'd struggled to find sub-gourmet-level accommodation on the web but there seemed to be a fair bit of it. The park office was well set-up to cater for crowds of tourists. My 24-hours pass suggested an obvious combination of walks - Cape Tourville (where Shelly called me to report an ill penguin at St Kilda - I touched base with the appropriate people & the situation was sorted out, unfortunately the penguin was later euthanised), Sleepy Bay (Southern End), and then the Wineglass Bay/Isthmus Track/Hazards Beach Track circuit. It was a perfect day for walking, mild and overcast - personally I found it a tad cold for swimming though some other tourists had a dip. I was a bit surprised by the number of very unfit people tackling the Wineglass Bay track, which is reasonably challenging. The rest of my loop was a longer track but fairly flat. Great scenery under the spectacular Hazards, lots of wallabies & an echidna, and friendly fellow walkers were highlights. I saw 4 dead penguins on a small section of Wineglass Bay beach, with a chunk taken out of the torso of a couple of them. I made good time - probably 25% faster than the advertised times.

I'd received a message from Barbara so drove from Freycinet back up to St Marys & had a good chat and dropped in the flyers. Back down to Bicheno for fish & chips, then I went on the penguin tour. I've already got lots of penguin friends but I was interested to see how the tour operated in comparison to the St Kilda experience. Finally back to the room for the cricket & tennis & a deep sleep.

Monday

From Tasmania Jan 2011

On the way out of Bicheno I had a look at the very impressive blowhole - an excellent show despite being mild seas. I still had a few hours left on my 24-hour park pass so I went to have a look around The Friendly Beaches - a gorgeous morning, I was still too much of a wuss to go for a swim. Wading in up to my shins had me wincing.

I turned towards Hobart with stops at Swansea and Triabunna. I drove around Bellerive and had a coffee at Long Beach and did some songwriting, having hitherto foregone my plan of unwinding and instead tried to cram as much as I could into each day. I checked into the hostel, collecting a parking ticket in the process, and went off to the HUG meeting. They were a great group & I hope to see some of them at MUF. It was also nice to have Deidree & Peter drop by for a chat and to exchange CDs with Deidree.

Tuesday

From Tasmania Jan 2011

Back to mad running around. Inspired by Gary's trip, I made an early start to get to the southernmost road in the country. Breakfast in Huonville and a break at Dover, past heavy dark rivers, then finally to Cockle Creek. Including breaks it'd taken a little over 2 hours to cover the approx 120km. Next stop - Antarctica? It was a terrific mild morning, you could see that it would be very inviting to French expeditioners. I took the short walk to the whale sculpture. Heading back I explored interesting diversions - Hastings Caves Thermal Springs pool - disappointingly cool but at least now I've been for a swim in Tassie. Not enough time for a cave tour though. I was starting to worry about cutting my schedule a bit fine but I took the gamble and figured I'd just have enough time for a lightning visit to Tahune Airwalk though I nearly bailed out a couple of times on the journey into the forest. It would have been great to explore a bit more of the forest - as it was it was an expensive single walk particularly as I completed the circuit partly in a light jog.

Well and truly time to head back to the ferry, I turned on Deidree's CD and made my way back up through the middle of Tasmania - a refuelling stop at Oatlands but thanks to Winnebagos doing 80km/h in 110 zones, and roadworks blocking the overtaking lanes, I was starting to stress out about the impending deadline, undoing all the relaxing I'd been doing... but though I cut it a bit fine, all was well & I even had time to grab a slice of pizza before boarding.

Worn out - early night, work up the next morning just off St Kilda pier, Happy Birthday To Me!

Next time: the Ida Bay Railway, Hastings Caves, the other Tahune Airwalk walks, MONA, Bay Of Fires, West Coast.

Cairns & Japan - July 2010

Winter getaway time!

Here's the map

Cairns

Album - Cairns 2010

Thursday 1st - and my plan to reduce the connection risk by splashing out on a direct flight to Cairns sort of worked - Jetstar got us there a couple of hours late and lost my bag. My MUK flightmates patiently waited as I searched the cavernous Cairns domestic terminal - inconveniently located at the extreme end of the airport from the forlornly vacant baggage carousel - for anyone to help. Eventually some Jetstar people came back from where they'd been loading the plane and were able to let me know that they thought my bag hadn't made my flight and would come up the next morning. This was a slight problem as I needed my gear for the cruise the next day, which was to leave at 8:30.

We went to our hotel and then into town to see whether the Thursday night CUF welcome activities were still going - quite a hike. It was getting quite late, thanks to all the delays, so rather than finding the assembling ukulele masses we just had a quick look around. Wanting to celebrate our arrival with some icecreams we went into a convenience store, whereupon a wizened Aboriginal gentleman approached me saying that I looked like a musician (although we didn't have our ukes with us), and would I play him a song? Being in an unfamiliar environment I thought it best to accede to his request and gave the assembled shoppers a muted 1-verse version of Slow Dance Baby on his guitar (missing string and all). He took this as a signal that I would be delighted to hear the extended mix version of his own song, about land rights and so forth; admittedly it was pretty catchy!

From Cairns 2010

Friday - very grey. I got onto Jetstar who said the bag would be on the flight that should arrive at 9:30. But it was running late. Stuff it - I decided to buy some bathers & a towel and take the 10:30 cruise to Green Island. It was a great walk into town along the esplanade (and I was passed by a bunch of ladies jogging by pushing prams, a mums-and-bubs exercise class); I'd been warned that there was no beach but instead there was a manmade lagoon - but it was closed for resurfacing. I got to the ferry via a quick detour to the shops and met up with Jo and some of the Dukes.

It was a great daytrip, snorkling with Marg from BUMS, Jo, and the girls from the Dukes and getting to swim along with a couple of turtles. Over lunch we had uke performances by Jason Arimoto and Matt "The Jumping Flea" Dahlberg and a bit of a jam. On the trip back to the mainland we saw a humpback whale breaching several times which was fantastic, but I felt guilty that Shelly had gone on a whale-watching cruise and didn't end up seeing anything. I didn't get any photos of the whale - it was a kilometre-or-so away and the boat was bouncing around a lot in the choppy seas.

Back at the hotel I asked whether my bag had been delivered, and the desk lady assured me that there'd been no sign of it. I checked the room, no luck. Now quite concerned, I went back to the desk, about to dial Jetstar - when I just about tripped over my bag in the lounge area. Seems to be that whenever an airline loses my bag, it gets lost again on its way back to me.

We headed into town and caught the end of The Mighty Uke screening - it was great to catch up with some of the other ukulele people from around the country. I got to play a few songs (Slow Dance Baby, Reboot, Black Hole, Thank You, Drunk Mosquito, Sinking In) from my Shoulder Season CD - thanks Gail & Ric for helping out! - and despite slightly dodgy PA and an automatic gain control setting that kept kicking in and playing havoc with the levels, it seemed to get a pretty good response and I sold a few CDs. (I managed to sneak into the bar later and see the last 10 minutes of the Hawks victory over the Dogs - very satisfying, cheering along with the bar staff in an otherwise indifferent crowd.)

From Cairns 2010

Saturday - we had a run-through of the MUK set at Gail and Ric's hotel room - managing to blow up the toaster and set off the smoke detector. After lunch a few of us headed into town to check out some of the other big band performances and the art show - both very impressive. Later we gritted our teeth through the choice of song for the world record attempt (Achy Breaky Heart) - but it was quite a buzz to be part of an ensemble of well over 600 ukuleleists. Into the evening, MUK got to perform our set at the Courthouse Hotel which went over a treat - we had comments that we were the most professional group. We were followed by the Dukes who were great fun.

Now off duty, I felt a lot more relaxed & even managed a chat with the Mayor. There were very good crowds at the festival, but the numbers in the pub were swelling towards midnight, many wearing the face paint of the World Cup teams about to compete. We headed off towards the Night Markets where the Dukes were serenading a security guard; we missed them there but Shelly, Susan and Adrian & I caught up with them for a short while at the Casa De Meze.

From Cairns 2010

Sunday - was the main day of the Cairns Ukulele Festival. I walked to the Tanks Art Centre with Jo and enjoyed a great day's entertainment; particularly Rose's and Renee's performances, and the James Hill workshop... and James Hill's show was absolutely amazing!

Afterwards we headed back to the after party at the Cape York Hotel and I got to sing a couple more songs during the open mic segment - Ghost Tram and The Room Next Door, and MUK got up to play Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.

It was a very enjoyable festival, as always it's great to catch up with ukulele people from around the country and around the world, and to get to sing a few songs is always a buzz. There are probably a couple of things that could have run a bit more smoothly from the organisers' point of view but everyone overcame the hiccups with great spirit and I'd definitely be keen to get back to a future festival up there. As always, it's the ukulele community that shines. Big congratulations to the performers from MUK, our entourage, any everyone who supported our trip - particularly, greater MUK, and SEGUE.

From Cairns 2010

Monday - as the ukulele players dispersed, I ducked into town to sort some things out for my Japan trip, and then met up with Llyn for a trip into Kuranda via suburban bus and the Skyrail cable car. It was quite rainy but this added to the atmosphere somewhat - the misty conditions provided a great sense of depth as ridges faded away into the distance. We met up with Bosko and Honey on their home turf and did a bushwalk - bumping into Susan and Adrian. We returned to Cairns via the Scenic Railway which was an amazing bit of engineering. Dinner with Llyn and Adrienne, and then back to book some tours through the hostel I had relocated to.

From Cairns 2010

Tuesday - my friend Melissa was in town for a wedding, and - being a keen SCUBA diver - was keen to get out on the reef. We booked the Poseidon cruise, and I got the early pick-up from Cairns. It was a pretty spectacular drive up - the sun was finally starting to appear, and it was a good bunch of people on the bus. On board at Port Douglas I met up with Mel and her friends & had a great day out with 3 SCUBA dives. There was some fabulous coral, not too many noteworthy animals but it was nice to see a baby shark and a cuttlefish, and the usual vibrantly multicoloured inhabitants of the reef. A big thanks to my dive partners who were excellent company and also to Poseidon for rescuing my luggage when I left it on board (and apologies to the other tourists that I've sneered at on occasion, when they've left belongings behind). I'm only an occasional diver but it's always a lot of fun!

That night I stayed in Port Douglas. I explored the town for a bit and then had a good catch-up with Mel and a couple of her friends over pizza and a beer or two.

From Cairns 2010

Wednesday - started with an early morning swim before breakfast. Then I joined the tour to Cape Tribulation - a place that I'd only heard spoken of in reverent tones, without really knowing what was there. I was on the trip with a bunch of backpackers who were pretty good value but there was a fairly high bogan component - eg European girls with attire more suited to clubbing than rainforests, and prone to leaving things behind and generally not being particularly organised. (I think I'm showing my age here!) Also it struck me that the tour guides are a somewhat itinerant group. We had a short cruise on the Daintree river and saw a few crocodiles, and went out on one of the boardwalks, and saw strangler figs and big lizard things.

We got to Cape Trib at lunchtime and with a free afternoon I grabbed some lunch and had a chat with some guys who were riding their postie bikes from Cairns to Cape York, then went for a wander in the forest and then up & along the beach. Back at the lodge I discovered that all my roommates were female; I told them that it was OK by me and I didn't mind if they had all their pillowfights & so forth. After dinner I went on a night rainforest walking tour which was pretty good but we pretty much failed to see any wild creatures besides the occasional spider... but we did see an awesome stick insect while we were waiting for the bus to take us there. Back from the walk I dropped into PKs and saw the last few minutes of the NRL State-Of-Origin and had a bit of a chat to some fellow tourists, but the grandpa in me called it a night.

From Cairns 2010

Thursday - in the morning I tried my hand at Jungle Surfing which was pretty good fun. The highlight was the kids' expressions changing from considerable distress to absolute delight as they learnt to trust the ropes and harnesses. Then I checked out the bat sanctuary which was a bit shabby but the guides were pretty good value. Then, back on the bus at lunchtime, for the return to Cairns via Mossman Gorge - unfortunately the bus was running late so we only had a short stop there.

From Cairns 2010

Friday - and the lagoon was open! I wandered down at breakfast time, and passed an aqua-aerobics class, and one of the participants yelled out towards me "there's one of the ukulele people!!!". I even had a quick dip myself. I quickly ducked into town to grab my Japan Rail pass and a new SD card and then waited for the airport bus which was very late and proceeded to get lost while trying to find a couple of drop-offs, all the while the driver making all sorts of feeble excuses and me getting progressively more nervous about the countdown to my flight time.

Next time in Cairns: the Undara Lava Tubes, see a Cassowary

Questions: why does every hotel have a swimming pool but no-one ever seems to be in them? For that matter why do they all seem to be too cold to swim in?

From Cairns 2010

Japan

Album - Japan 2010

My sister, Michelle, has been to Japan a bunch of times, and I was curious about what it would be like - and since it's only a single flight to Osaka from Cairns, and it was (I think) quite cheap to get there, and I had a long-standing invitation to visit Chi (formerly of MUK), it seemed like a great opportunity to head there and find out firsthand what it's like to be in a completely different culture (at least, from what I'd heard). I'd heard that it wasn't the best time to visit- it's the humid/rainy season; but I packed a couple of borrowed phrasebooks and a 20-year-old Lonely Planet, and boarded my half-empty Jetstar flight to the land where they build airports in the middle of the bay, and railways in the sky. (The flight was very uneventful - although I had to plead my case to receive the video & meal pack that the agent had thrown in for free when I'd booked. And despite being the middle of the day they got us to shut our shades against the glare; I had hoped to see more of New Guinea etc.)

From Japan 2010

Chi met me at Kansai - it was fantastic to see her again, it's always terrific to have such an enthusiastic welcome! And it was invaluable to have a local contact just to get me started in an otherwise overwhelming new culture. I'd got to know Chi quite well during her time in Melbourne but it was fabulous to see her in her home environment. We caught up on things during a noodle dinner in Kawachinagano, and I started absorbing things like how to slurp my noodles, and how to pronounce some of the place names. Chi had booked me into a Ryokan (Japanese-style guest house) close to her home, and helped me with the basics of checking in and finding where the bathroom was. I had a futon to sleep on, which was very comfortable, and I slept soundly through the chorus of moo-ing frogs in the picturesque dam outside the window.

From Japan 2010

Saturday - Chi joined me for breakfast at the Ryokan. I decided just to eat everything, no matter what it seemed to consist of, and my leap of faith was well rewarded - I think it was all very nutritious. I'm a bit hazy on whether I added the right condiments to the right dish, or used the right cutlery or crockery or whatever. After checking out, we walked a couple of hundred metres to the local Shinto temple, which certainly reinforced the fact that I was now in Japan. It was functional rather than touristy but a great introduction into some of the cultural aspects. Also it was a nice walk in the countryside - it's in the hills on the fringe of Osaka (it sort of reminded me of Lilydale in relation to Melbourne). Other things of note - Chi pointed out the doors of many buildings opening straight onto the kerbside - you have to pretty much look each way not only when crossing the road, but when going out the front door.

We called past Chi's apartment in Tondabayashi, which was great - I'm always intrigued to see just a normal home when I'm travelling, rather than just hotel rooms & tourist attractions. Then we wandered down to Tondabayashi Nishiguchi station for the 45-minute(?) ride into town. I found the suburban railways a little bit of an acquired taste - there are lots of lines forming a bit of a tangled web and there are several railway companies which made ticketing complicated on occasion, although the colourcoded trains and romaji subtitles made it straightforward - eventually, and there were plenty of staff to help. Having a local guide was best of all though!

We had a break from the steamy weather with a spot of lunch at the cafe of the Osaka Museum of History, and then wandered across to Osaka Castle. We were adopted by a slightly elderly and delightful volunteer guide who helped explain the many points of interest. Next we went across to the Dotonbori district - shopping malls and big crowds soaking in the cruisy late afternoon sun underneath the giant animated models of animals available on the menu inside the corresponding restaurants. Chi introduced me to takoyaki - a DIY sort of thing where you pour a savoury pancake mix over a portable gas stove on the table, then add small pieces of octopus, sauces and flavourings. As it starts to cook, you scoop the batter into bite-sized balls - yum!

Osaka isn't reputed for a lot of touristy stuff but we had a nice walk along the canal, and then we went to the Umeda Sky Building observation deck - it was too hazy to tell when the sun was setting, but is was quite spectacular as the city lights started to shine. (Some aspects of the experience were slightly naff but overall it was good fun!) We explored the food court underneath, and then found a small neighbouring garden and tried to spot the loud but evasive frogs. Back in Umeda, Chi suggested that we should try some sake, and we had a great time in a sake bar trying raw fish & wasabi, and being befriended by some baseball fans who thought I looked like Jeff Williams, the star pitcher from their team, the Hanshin Tigers.

From Japan 2010

Sunday - I fumbled my way through the hotel breakfast OK. I met up with Chi and we took the train to Kyoto - only about half-an-hour away. (In fact the suburbs of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara are pretty-much contiguous.) We were greeted by a big downpour, so we had some lunch and then, after checking with one of the many piccolo-voiced tourist information girls, we took a bus to Ryoanji, a very historic and beautiful temple. The rain resumed its ferocity as we waited for the bus so we sheltered in a souvenir shop (Chi bought some gifts for Michelle), before risking a soaking. Next stop was Kinkaku-ji, another tourist highlight - the golden temple is astonishing when you first see it, and the grounds and gardens were delightful despite the grey weather, one of the highlights being a traditional tea ceremony.

Sightseeing finished for the day, we stopped by another souvenir stall where Chi bought me a wonderful charm bracelet with my name spelt in Hiragana. We took a bus back to Kyoto station (I'm sure I was being a pain by trying to find a bus I could use my JR ticket on, which involved a bit of a walk.) We had another great meal with Chi patiently trying to explain what we were eating and how we should be eating it. Apparently I was holding my chopsticks like a small child does. We also had more sake, which I really enjoyed; it comes in different flavours - mostly quite similar to white wine, but one we tried was a lot like whisky.

And then, after a fantastic weekend, we parted company - Chi returned home so she could be back to study her course during the week, and I was off to continue my touring solo - yikes!

From Japan 2010

Monday - prelude - I woke up early for some reason, and twigged that the World Cup Final was on. I'd missed most of the match but caught Spain's winning goal. And incidently Japanese TV was generally pretty normal, as far as I could make out. But I've never seen anything as joyous as the actors in Japanese TV commercials.

I set out on foot towards the Eastern side of the city where there are a large number of temples and other sights. My strategy was based on correlating my tourist maps with the places that seemed to attract lots of people - not a perfect strategy, at one point I ended up in Kyoto Womens' University, and another time I found myself in a railway station I think. Also I possibly saw some lesser attractions and might have missed some major ones. The highlights of the morning were Sanjusan Gendo (33 Pillars temple) - great practice in starting to recognise numbers, Kiyomizu-dera, the laneways and roads leading onwards, Maruyama park (I had a moment of panic when I'd realised I'd left my Lonely Planet at a previous crossroads - luckily it was still there. I then then explored the Gion district, and through the regular suburban streets and markets & away from the tourist strip. I was trying to find an internet cafe but they were surprisingly thin on the ground, and expensive - but this quest took me past Heian Shrine, to the Visitors Centre, a textiles museum and a hostel whose only discernible occupant was a cat. It was a nice tour but ultimately unsuccessful - no internet.

I planned to do the Geico (aka Kyoto's Geisha) tour of Gion but still had a couple of hours to kill so I tried to find the Path of Philosophy but I misjudged the scale of the map. I ended up a bit lost in a very picturesque cemetery, which, it turns out, is only a couple of hundred metres from the Path of Philosphy, but separated from it by a cliff, a river and a highway. So with feet, time and energy all expiring I headed back to Gion to join the tour, which was great. Emi, the guide, was thoroughly entertaining and not a little quirky, and we learnt a lot about the culture & misconceptions about the Geico, the tea houses and Gion. The tour finished at an optional Geico performance which was pretty pricey, I thought, and it appeared to be overly touristy so I gave it a miss. Instead I gave myself a challenge of getting back to my hotel by train. The ticket machines were a bit confusing at first but I figured out that you put the money in and then select what ticket you want - a bit like drink vending machines I guess. I wussed out on dinner and had Starbucks.

From Japan 2010

Tuesday - with considerable excitement I waited at the Kyoto Shinkansen platform, thoroughly entertained by the calisthenics of the platform master who'd oversee each train's departure with enough white-gloved theatrical signalling to make an AFL goal umpire proud. My train approached sedately and probably didn't have enough distance to get up to speed before Osaka and Kobe, but then the driver opened it up and we launched headlong towards Hiroshima at an astonishing, yet very comfortable, rate. Most impressive was how mountains would loom up from the distance, then be gone in moments; with the lasting significance of boulders you might canoe past in a river. (I had a reserved seat for this leg, but as the train was quite empty and all my journeys were off peak, I didn't bother for subsequent Shinkansen trips - there was no problem getting a seat.)

I hadn't managed to book a room in Hiroshima - the websites were basically an exercise in frustration, but I found the tourist information centre who took care of it for me and booked me into the slightly French-themed Hotel Flex. By the way, I was very impressed by the "business hotels" I stayed in - for about the same price that you'd pay for a private room at a backpackers hostel in Australia, you can get a compact, but very comfy hotel room.

I took the train to Miyajimaguchi, and then the ferry across to Miyajima. The mist and rain was quite a theme of the afternoon, and led to some spectacular/spectral sights - and soggy feet. I had a look around the main tourist area, particularly the Itsukushima Shrine, and then took the shuttle bus to the ropeway (cablecar) - in the hope that the rain might be down at sea level but it could be clear up on the mountain. Alas there was heavy mist all the way up (worse than Cairns!) and visibility was only a few metres. But, keen to explore, and with a handy umbrella, I set out on the mountain paths. It was quite an adventure - I found some of the shrines and made it to the peak; the umbrella kept most of me dry-ish, but passing heavy showers turned the tracks into rivers and my feet were soaked. Back at the base station I got chatting to the only other travellers foolish enough to be taking on the weather, and it turns out they were Korean cast members from the touring production of Mamma Mia. (I should have had a couple of my CDs handy!!!) Their English was not good (but better than my Japanese & Korean) but we had a friendly chat while sheltering (with some deer) in the bus stop. Back at the temple the tide was now out so I walked out to the massive gate, occasionally wading through the receding streams, but my feet couldn't get any wetter than they already were.

I took the ferry back (the mainland port seems to be alongside some sort of aquatic speedway...?) and got the train back to Hiroshima. By mistake I got off one station too early but then took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat and then have a wander through the city, past the trams and the castle, and along the river banks - the rivers were raging and carrying plenty of detritus, including a number of pieces of furniture. Back at the hotel I hung up my shoes and socks to dry (the socks were a lost cause) and rewarded myself with a beer.

From Japan 2010

Wednesday - more rain, so I took the tram, rather than walk, for the few blocks to the Peace Park (and was quietly humming Ghost Tram all the while). Hiroshima trams still have conductors, who sit behind a sort-of counter inside the door. I spent most of the morning going around the Peace Park's monuments and memorials - it was all very sobering. I was most struck by the story of Sadako, the models of the city, the watches stopped at 8:15 and the letters that the Mayor of Hiroshima sends to governments of countries that conduct atomic tests. I was heartened by the trees that had been scorched by the blast and had survived, and to be honest I was slightly puzzled as to why the spot on the ground directly beneath the hypocentre was not within the park, but instead had an apartment building on it. I walked back to the hotel so I could have a look around the city.

From Japan 2010

The rain had affected the Shinkansen schedules - but I made the wrong decision to take the first train which was a 'stopping-all-stations' rather than the express so I was about half an hour late back to meet up with Chi in Osaka (sumimasen!). Incidently, I found Japan very musical - stations, trains, pedestrian crossings, doors - everything seemed to have its own little sequence of chimes to let you know what was happening. We went to Kitahama station and were met by Tarasuna, who is a friend of Yuki ("Honey", from Bosko and Honey), and who took us to The Frame House bar, for the Wednesday Ukulele Night. The young ladies that run the bar seem to be ukulele nuts and I understand that they have ukulele events there almost every night. I keep finding that each ukulele group has its own way of running their nights and at the Frame House it seems that the night is basically several uke lessons upstairs (I should have ducked in to check it out); there wasn't any group practice. It was a great bunch of girls & guys though - everyone had a uke and every so often, in between drinks and chatting, someone would break out a song. Great fun - ukes are a great passport for getting to meet some locals! And I was very flattered that they were calling me the 'very handsome Australian' - of course I deflected such praise but then relented and let them call me handsome- once I had donned my Fedora.

From Japan 2010

Thursday - after spending some time fishing around for a contact lens that must have popped out in the shower, I had breakfast while waiting to see if it would re-appear and proceeded to spill my misu soup, thanks to the lack of binocular vision. Finally, with a new lens inserted, I headed off to Himeji (about half an hour by Shinkansen?) to see the castle, highly recommended for its spectacular construction and views. Unfortunately it is currently being restored, and the main tower is closed while an amazing scaffold is being built completely over it. It will be reopened (within the scaffold) next year. This was a bit disappointing but since I was already there I was able to wander around the grounds and some of the associated buildings. I also had a good look around the neighbouring Kokoen Japanese gardens but was slightly hampered by the drizzle and humidity. During my brief time in Himeji I was also impressed by the street art, and was amazed by the sight of a Shinkansen zipping past at full speed on the express track, only a few metres away from where I was waiting on the platform. Returning to Osaka by Shinkansen it was quite an experience to see, up ahead, a large thunderstorm, and to be bearing down on it at a colossal rate. It almost felt like we would collide with it, and then the trickles of rain on the windows suddenly became solid sheets of water, with their own weird physics, for a few minutes as we passed through.

I transferred onto the regular JR intercity train for my journey to Nara, which took in a loop of Osaka and some fantastic gorges. I used the same trick of getting the Visitor Centre to book a hotel for me, which was nice & close to the station and had free internet (nb my main consideration in finding a computer was just to recharge my phone - quite a logistical exercise), but the breakfast was very ordinary - I think it was a vegan-themed hotel or something. I had a bit of a wander around the main tourist mall section of town and then back to rest up for my last full day of this trip.

From Japan 2010

Friday - Nara is celebrating 1300 years since becoming an imperial city... I'm not too keen on their logo though. I walked the tourist route around the shrines and temples, evading the herds of deer, under sunny skies. I checked out Sarusawa Ike pond, Kofukuji, the Daibutsuden and Todaiji Temple, Nigatsu-do Hall, and Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine. I might nominate the iced coffee and cheesecake as the highlight of the tour though! After lunch, some big thunder clouds started to roll in and I could hear rumbles in the distance, so I made a beeline back to town in case the weather turned bad. I then took a free tourist shuttle to see some of the sights around Heijo-kyo, but as I arrived, the lightning started peppering the area and the tourists were marshalled into the visitor info tent. After half an hour of waiting I joined a few people venturing out into the drizzle with the sky still crackling, but the staff prevented us covering the wide spaces between the major buildings of the complex. It looked like it was going to take a while to clear so I headed back to JR Nara and then back to Chi's place. On the way I was charmed by a couple of elderly Japanese ladies who enquired about whether I was carrying a violin, and I mimed and said "ukulele" which elicited much mirth. I found myself ahead of schedule, I took a longer-than-necessary train ride back into Osaka and out again. I was a bit concerned when, a couple of stations short of my destination, several uniformed railway staff suddenly swarmed over the train and disconnected my carriage from the neighbouring one. I asked one of my fellow travellers "Tondabayashi?" pointing along our train and managed to communicate sufficiently to confirm that I was on the right track. Literally. The driver had read out a list of stations on the PA system, but I needed to confirm that he hadn't preceeded his list with "Change here for...".

I met up with Chi, and had a fabulous evening out at a local restaurant - I possibly ate too much and I think I definitely had a bit too much to drink! or at least I should have re-hydrated a bit more first, after quite a sweltering day. But I finally got to try some Japanese pizza. And Chi was kind enough to steer me away from accidentally eating some whale. I came back from Japan about 3kg lighter despite eating well and trying to keep my fluids up - I think the summer humidity was a factor, and enjoying a diet that my system wasn't used to. And heaps of walking of course.

From Japan 2010

Saturday - I'd been having a fantastic time and would love to have stayed longer (and I hope to be back soon!) but it had been a very full couple of weeks and I was starting to wilt. Chi chose a gentle final day - Tondabayashi has a historic district with some grand old manor houses that we had fun wandering around, while she patiently taught me some more Japanese. For the occasion, she was beautifully dressed in a Kimono, which looked absolutely fantastic. (In comparison, the practicalities of travel meant that I was starting to run desperately low on fresh clothes myself.) At one venue there was a photography class practicing their skills; at least a couple of them got frustrated with their fancy cameras not giving them a picture - only to finally figure out that the lens cap was the cause of their problems. Then, we drove a few kilometres to a hillside rice field for Chi to show me where she volunteers sometimes - it was great to get out into the countryside with the farmland, streams and frogs.

And then it was time for farewells - Chi drove me back to Kansai, where we had a final dinner together before it was time to head into immigration. I think I was asleep as soon as we took off (apart from being woken every five minutes or so by a shrill announcement about the meal service, or our flying time, or the video units or whatever, and then by the same thing in Japanese. But I did finally see a bit of New Guinea in the pre-dawn). My journey took me through Gold Coast airport, which must be rare in that its runway straddles a state boundary, and then back to my waiting motorbike at Tullamarine.

I'd had a fantastic time, and my big question at the start of my trip, viz, "is it possible to survive Japan - ie get around OK, find accommodation and meals?" was answered as a definite affirmative, notwithstanding all the help that I received. Everyone was helpful and made great efforts for me when I was trying to navigate or buy something. Sure, I was mainly in touristy areas, but everything seemed well organised & neatly presented; when I saw a Japanese guy with tattoos it really stood out - I don't think I'd seen any other tatts, or piercings etc - everyone seemed "normal but in a conservative way" which suits me fine. And we could do with a bit more of that around Brunswick I reckon. Also you could quite comfortably have an early breakfast in Melbourne and dinner in Japan - or depart from Japan in the evening and be back the next day for lunch at home. And it really wasn't expensive - there are some great deals on airfares and prices in Japan were comparable to back home, and I thought that the accommodation (mainly "business hotels") and the attractions were excellent value.

Things I missed in Japan: perforations on much of the dunny paper, racks of chocolate in shops (there were some sweets, often made from seaweed, like much of the food :-), and for some reason I started noticing that all the crappy, I mean, slightly less desirable jobs were done by Japanese people, where in many other places, things like convenience store attendants, stop/go sign holders and cleaners are done by an ethnic class.

Huge thanks to Chi, who took care of most of my arrangements for me and was invaluable as a guide and dear friend (and helped carry my bags despite my protestations) - I very much hope it's not another three years before we see each other again! Also to Yuki (Honey) in Kuranda for putting me in touch with Tarasuna, Michelle for lots of great suggestions, tourism info & encouragement, and Natsuko at HIS Cairns.

From Japan 2010

Next time in Japan: Hot Springs, Tokyo, I'll be game to try the space-shuttle controls on the toilets, more of the countryside, the Path of Philosphy, a capsule hotel.

Bali April 2010

Bali 2010 Photos

Easter week holidays! My friend Marlee from the Melbourne Ukulele Kollective was going away to Turkey but some of her family were heading to Bali, and had - in an off-the-cuff moment - invited me along. So with only six days' notice I booked tickets and found myself making an early start for Tullamarine on my motorbike on Easter Sunday morning.

The smallish Pacific Blue flight wasn't quite full, slightly surprisingly; but there was a good holiday mood onboard. It's always fascinating to traverse the continent - over the top of Uluru and then Cape Leveque. I arrived around lunchtime - it took over an hour to get through the Visa on Arrival desk ($AUD30) and immigration. The interminable wait was made more frustrating by the lack of immigration staff - only to find around the corner a bunch of idle money-changer booths. I just used the ATM... the Commonwealth Bank one was the only one out-of-order. I played hard-to-get with the taxi drivers for a bit, paid the unwanted porter a $AUD2 tip, and settled in for the short ride to Legian. At a few intersections, small children carrying infants approached the car looking for a handout - not a very classy introduction to the place. On the other hand I was greatly amused by some of the loads being carried around on the small motor scooters; often substantial food stalls were cleverly mounted across the pack rack, so the bikes could be parked and business could start immediately.

Checking in at the hotel I was greeted by Cheryl and Amity - always great to have a wonderful welcome! And for approx $50/night, it was very comfy - 30m from the beach, 2 beds, fridge, TV and air conditioner. I met up with Joel and Janet as well - Wendy arrived late Wednesday night to complete the group. Sunday afternoon was a day for getting my bearings in the neighborhood and going for my first swim at the beach - brilliant water temperature and perfect waves for body surfing - wide sandy beaches though with a bit of mud, and quite a lot of rubbish in the murky water. I suspect that after the rainy season, heaps of street run-off brings all the chip packets to the beach. We went out for dinner at the Flying Piano - which I later discovered was also one of the recommendations of my cousins (Aarron & Peta) and were serenaded by the house buskers. On the way back to the hotel we took a shortcut through one of the big hotels - very swanky!

From Bali 2010

Then... disaster! The combination of early starts, my recent visit to the blood bank, some last minute inoculations, some excellent food and wine, possibly a couple of mouthfuls of sea water, and the change of climate and timezone, all conspired to cause some disruption to the standard operations of the stomach area and I spent much of the first night dashing to the bathroom. Rather spectacularly, I'd imagine. And frequently. Top end, if you're wondering.

So Monday was rather quiet for me. Our group went to a pub for lunch for my one indulgence for the week, of watching the Hawks v Cats AFL game from the MCG (bummer) - it was the Geraldton satellite signal, with lots of ads for big tractors and sheds. My lunch consisted of a couple of glasses of coke and I found myself scouting the venue of pot plants or other recepticles I might be able to reach in case of emergency but they weren't required. After a nap, I took an anti-nausea tablet that Chez had got for me, and I made it out for a late afternoon walk and a swim - then straight back to bed for an 11-hour sleep.

I felt much brighter on Tuesday. Chez had organised to visit Ketut - whose family they had become friends with over several visits. He and his family have been enduring more than the normal share of hardships of late (I'd performed with MUK at a fundraiser for them). Ketut came to pick us up and take us back to their flat in Denpasar, where I meet various members of his family including their niece Nyoman who is helping look after Ketut's son Wayan. Despite the language barriers it was great to be made welcome and to see a bit of daily life in Bali, and it was wonderful to see the bond between the two families from different cultures.

From Bali 2010

Back in Legian after lunch, I ventured out to buy stamps and postcards several blocks away and had fun poking the area. I must have been starting to look at home as I was stopped and asked for directions twice by other Australians - including a pair of deaf ladies. Fortunately "Double Six" is quite easy to mime. Back for a swim, then I thought I'd try the hotel masseuse (60000Rp for an hour - about $AU7) wihle several geckos looked on. Apparently my shoulder makes sounds like 'tak tak tak' in Indonesian. For dinner I managed just half a bowl of soup - the most sustenance I'd had in 2 days, but I was well on the mend.

From Bali 2010

On Wednesday, Ketut took Chez & I to see his family village on the north end of Bali. The road lead through the endless suburbs and traffic of Denpasar, past a flock of ducks being herded across the main road, then through the more stately Klungkung, past rice paddies and then up into the mountains; the mountain pass we took was quite new and apparently shortened the old journey considerably. At one lookout I was impressed by the local custodian walking around the carpark picking up litter... only to then dump it over the edge. On the way down the other side I noticed a couple of water pumps that had been donated by Rotary International Japan, which was interesting given my Dad's involvement in Rotary. We stopped at a general store, of sorts, where I managed a guava juice for breakfast, and we bought some supplies for the village. Then up the mountainside to Ketut's sister's place for a quick visit, and then finally a few minutes further to Ketut's family's farm/village. Cheryl commented that there'd been a number of improvements since her last visit: primarily electricity and a new building of several rooms. Again the language barrier was evident but smiles and gestures went a long way; the kids were playful but a bit shy, and when Ketut was showing me around the family temple next door, his parents taught Chez the right way to shell peanuts.

From Bali 2010

We then headed back via the other side of the volcano - quite a spectacular uphill drive over many kilometres and past dozens of small villages, through the mists and rain - up to the ridge at about 1500m. Then back through the Denpasar traffic which I was starting to lose patience with, as interesting as it is to drive through neighborhoods of other cultures. For dinner we were back at the Flying Piano & I think I actually managed proper food.

From Bali 2010

The next day I did a downhill mountain biking tour - one of the great suggestions from Peta. It was fantastic - in 40km we barely had to turn the pedals. There was still the ordeal of traversing the city - and my fellow minibus travellers were very quiet, it turns out that most of them had been partying it up the night before and were rather seedy. It was good that the first stop was at a coffee plantation for a tour and a tasting, and I regret not buying a couple of packets to take home. Later, getting aboard the bikes on the rim of the crater we were able to start our gradual coast downhill, past fields and villages and towns, schools and shops - it was a great montage of Balinese life. We were constantly greeted by all the schoolkids and other locals, calling out "Hellooo", and giving lots of friendly waves & smiles. There were a couple of 'exciting bits' on the bike ride where we could let loose, on a steep section, but it was mostly quite gentle. We stopped and visited a small house as well. The tour finished with a very nice lunch and I could swap travel stories with my tour companions - as green as they were. The tour bus back lacked aircon and one fellow tourist in particular was torn - window open and get sunburnt, or window closed and feeling flustered and nauseous? I suggested to the driver to drop me off at the top of Legian (in order to bypass the time-consuming navigation of the Kuta streets that make my back laneway look spacious) but it was my turn to be last on the drop-off list. As a result I got the slow-motion tour of Kuta, past the crowds of Bintang-singletted tourists and had a glimpse of the Ground Zero monument - I hope never to require emergency services to be able to get to me in that neighborhood, the traffic logistics are prohibitive.

From Bali 2010

Chez had booked our Thursday evening dinner on the balcony of the hotel restaurant, hoping to catch the sunset. My final evening was a bit of a celebration - Joel proposed to Janet and she accepted, much to the delight of Amity who had been bursting with the secret all week. I got to provide the musical backing for the proposal song "500 Miles", and there was a bit of a singalong into the night - I think I managed to rather impress the waitress.

From Bali 2010

On Friday I had thought to maybe do another tour but I decided to just have a relaxing day. Chez and Amity preferred my room to their own so they moved their stuff down as I checked out. I went shopping (lunch at Mugshots), had another massage, went for a long body surf (brilliant conditions)... all the good holiday stuff. For my final excursion Ketut took Chez, Wendy and myself to Tanah Lot, an ancient temple just off the coast. It was hard to see too much as it was dusk when we arrived but it was quite the tourist spot, and a very nice place to visit.

From Bali 2010

Back in Legian, Ketut dropped the others back to the hotel but first he found me a taxi to the airport for my almost-midnight flight. In the end I was a quite a bit early, even with the numerous security checks and administrative stages. Departure tax was 150000Rp cash - lucky Wendy had told me about this because I wasn't expecting it. That left me with 40000Rp, just enough for a can and a packet of chips.

Huge thanks to Chez, Amity, Joel, Janet and Wendy for pointing me in the right direction, looking after lots of the details of finding my way around, and looking after me when I was crook!
Ideas for next time:
More of Kuta, either just stay in a resort, or stay completely away! Lombok, Gili, Dolphins, elephants + elephant caves, monkeys. But the next trip is looking like being the Cairns Ukulele Festival.