We booked the cheap tour of the N / S Korean border and our opening photo is a testament to that. We didn’t get to see the actual Rock Soldiers who guard the South unflinchingly facing the less impressive soldiers in the North, so I hope my improv will go some way to satisfy any curiosity with respect to this topic. I may have slightly overdone the North’s uniform. Read more
These are a few selected photos from what is probably our last day at the beach, this time in Korea. After spending 3 months in Japan we see Korea as having a totally different energy and I think this shows it quite well. Read more
Add lots of sunshine, palm trees, white sandy beaches, coral reefs, a tropical jungle and a few typhoons in a 700 sq km area in the South China sea, mix well whilst adding a few snakes and some rare black rabbits for flavour. Bake in a humid oven at about 30-35 degrees for a few million years and you will have fantastic Amami Oshima. Serves quite a few – but hardly any western tourists can be seen enjoying this little Japanese delight. Read more
“Optional” because I know gardens are not everyone’s cup of tea but we are in Japan which is famous for its gardens, plus we’ve seen so many amazing and beautiful gardens which would be wrong not to have a section attributed to them. Even the non-hortilovers may find them beautiful too! Read more
Tokyo is jammed packed with things to see, do and eat. We have explored many different areas and it’s a city full of contrasts – small laneways next to busy avenues full of neon, old buildings next to new architecture, peaceful gardens and temples in the middle of the city, ladies dressed in kimonos and sumo wrestlers on the metro. Tokyo encompasses the biggest and the fastest but it also retains respect for tradition and history. It’s rare to see people rushing to get places, can’t say why – it could be the city planning, or just Japanese culture but either way it makes getting the full enjoyment out of Tokyo a great and easy experience. Read more
A few shots I’ve taken during the last couple of months. As stand alone photos these are not that special but they challenge you to understand the meaning of what they are trying to say, have a go for yourselves. If not clear click on the image to enlarge and make clearer. Some are just amusing and some like the cheap beer are just for the record, keeping in mind that a pint of beer in Perth can cost up to $12.
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We knew we were in a modern and advanced society the moment we arrived at the port in Osaka. The whole border control and customs clearing was such a pleasant and civilised experience, one which I don’t think I’ve come across before in any other country. Polite to the point you feel they are friendly and yet very thorough, when we had to take off our shoes the customs officers seemed almost apologetic. This was new and we knew we were in for a very different experience. Read more
We had booked tickets for the Shanghai – Osaka ferry. Since we started talking about this trip Japan was always top of list however we didn’t want to go until the weather got warmer. Very excited that it’s now time for Japan and we have loved pretty much everywhere along the way. Read more
I’ve noticed over the years that I/we always miss places where we’ve spent time regardless of how much we’ve liked the place or not. I guess it’s because all places have a nice side. We can’t say Hanoi is our favourite city but it has a charm and is very different from what we are used to. Read more