Back in Australia
I miss Japan already.
Where to start? Japan is painfully efficient and often embarrassingly helpful. No space which could be put to any conceivable use is wasted - the public transport system would have had some of my university 'sustainable suburbs' lecturers in tears of happiness. We visited I don't know how many temples and castles (damn do the Japanese do some gorgeous architecture), got to see real fireflies and try out real shuriken, caught up with a couple of friends on exchange, met two of Lisa's host families (both of whom were absolutely wonderful and would not stop buying us stuff) and visited Osaka Aquarium and Universal Studios Japan (Terminator ride + Spiderman ride >>> EVERYTHING ELSE EVER). We lugged suitcases up and down far too many stairs, got lost in lots of train stations and came home with the inevitable pile of loot. We even got to see Mt Fuji from *above* the clouds on the flight over there. Also, family vote came to the very definite agreement that someone in Perth needs to start selling Japanese waffles. It was the kind of holiday you end by thinking 'how soon can we go back?'
I don't have any photos uploaded anywhere at this stage, but Lisa's posted a few up at her her deviantart account if anyone wants to see.
Two final things which amused us to no end: firstly, I shouldn't be surprised, but did anyone else realise there's a *manga version* of the Da Vinci Code? We found copies in half a dozen shops, which we didn't buy, but it gave us a good laugh.
Secondly, this is a copy of an actual list of things we weren't allowed to bring back into the country which we picked up at the airport on our way out.
Not "wild animals of any species", not even "poisonous snakes", quite specifically *cobras*. The best part is you know the only reason that's on the list is because someone's done it, and probably acted all confused when he got back into the country and was told that wasn't on. The rest of the list is pretty brilliant too. Giant clamshells, blowpipes and electric flyswats, anyone?
Fortunately for us, rubber shuriken remained A-OK. *g*
Where to start? Japan is painfully efficient and often embarrassingly helpful. No space which could be put to any conceivable use is wasted - the public transport system would have had some of my university 'sustainable suburbs' lecturers in tears of happiness. We visited I don't know how many temples and castles (damn do the Japanese do some gorgeous architecture), got to see real fireflies and try out real shuriken, caught up with a couple of friends on exchange, met two of Lisa's host families (both of whom were absolutely wonderful and would not stop buying us stuff) and visited Osaka Aquarium and Universal Studios Japan (Terminator ride + Spiderman ride >>> EVERYTHING ELSE EVER). We lugged suitcases up and down far too many stairs, got lost in lots of train stations and came home with the inevitable pile of loot. We even got to see Mt Fuji from *above* the clouds on the flight over there. Also, family vote came to the very definite agreement that someone in Perth needs to start selling Japanese waffles. It was the kind of holiday you end by thinking 'how soon can we go back?'
I don't have any photos uploaded anywhere at this stage, but Lisa's posted a few up at her her deviantart account if anyone wants to see.
Two final things which amused us to no end: firstly, I shouldn't be surprised, but did anyone else realise there's a *manga version* of the Da Vinci Code? We found copies in half a dozen shops, which we didn't buy, but it gave us a good laugh.
Secondly, this is a copy of an actual list of things we weren't allowed to bring back into the country which we picked up at the airport on our way out.
Not "wild animals of any species", not even "poisonous snakes", quite specifically *cobras*. The best part is you know the only reason that's on the list is because someone's done it, and probably acted all confused when he got back into the country and was told that wasn't on. The rest of the list is pretty brilliant too. Giant clamshells, blowpipes and electric flyswats, anyone?
Fortunately for us, rubber shuriken remained A-OK. *g*