Category Asia
Japan Part Nine: Neo Tokyo
There is a romance about all those who are abroad in the black hours. Robert Louis Stevenson As the sun sets on the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo it undergoes a transformation. The concrete and glass facades of city streets become faded under a kaleidoscope of neon lights. The Early Birds morph into Night Owls as […]
Japan Part 8: Tokyo Drift
When we are very organised we arrange for a tour on our first full day in a new city. This helps us get our bearings, sample a selection of top sights on day 1 and get some insider information from the guides – “eat in this district”, “get here before 9am to not queue” etc. […]
Japan Part 7: Castle on a Cloud
Located 117km southwest of Kyoto is coastal city of Himeji. More like a town really with its 500,000 inhabitants compared to the metropolitan region of Osaka/Kyoto/Nara. Why were we leaving the hustle and bustle of downtown Kyoto to visit this smaller place? Himeji Castle… that’s why! Its a 17min walk up the wide boulevard of […]
Japan Part 6: All that Glitters is not Gold!
Can you make scrambled eggs in a cup? Not one of life’s most interesting questions. Not one I thought I would find myself pondering in 2018 in modern-era Japan. The answer is – yes, yes you can! As long as you stir the sh1t out of them with a plastic fork. About 5 days into […]
Japan Part 5: We are not in Nara anymore..Kyoto!
Located in the southern suburbs of Kyoto this motley collection of shrines, temples and rest-houses is quite impressive. What blows you away is are the vermilion torii. Thousands of these gates mark the pathways inside the complex. Sweeping up and down slopes and crests in all directions while winding their way up Mount Inari A wondrous […]
Japan Part 4: Chronicles Of Nara
Our next stop on our Japan Journey was the Old Imperial Capital City of Nara in the Kansai Region. The younger sister city to neighbouring metropoli / metropolises / metropoles* of Osaka and Kyoto. The only challenge was that we were 400km away, and on another island. 3 Trains and a ferry later and we […]
Japan Part 3: Miyajima Island
Our next destination would be the nearby island of Itsukushima. It is more popularly known as Miyajima “Shrine Island” and is famous for its large Tori Gate Shrine – Itsukushima Shrine. To get there would involve a train, a boat and a walk to our Ryokan (a Japanese style Inn). It was decided that we […]
