2280 miles

I will have to be quick - the internet is well expensive here. 70p for 20 minutes!!

We have done 2280 miles in the last week! Starting from Hanoi, we got the bus to Nanning in China, that took about 9 hours, then we took the train to Shanghai which took 30 hours! It actually went pretty quick though. Shanghai is a world away from SE Asia, so different. And it was really difficult to order food - all the menus are in Chinese. We gave upand had a MacDonalds.

Then we got on a ferry to Japan which took 46 hours. We had a cabin all to ourselves, and it was really nice, we had a tv, a big hot water flask so we could make noodles and tea. They even gave out free travel sickness tablets! I spent hours whale watching out of the window, but I didnt see any. Because of swine flu, they kept coming round and taking our temperature.

Since we got off the boat, we both feel like we are still on it- we have got landsickness, it's weird.

And now, we are in Tokyo! We arrived in Osaka, and got completely lost. We got on the tube and realised me and matt were in a ladies only carriage - oops! Matt wants me to say that you can drink tap water here. It's shocking how expensive it is here, we have gone from paying a few pounds a night in se asia, to paying twenty five pounds a night for a dorm! We have found a dollar shop though, and MacDonalds do a dollar menu so we can afford to eat.

Yesterday, we went to a toy shop, we were in there for an hour and a half! So many crazy toys and capsule machines and lots of plastic food, you can even buy model aeroplane food! Then we went to the Duttonburi area, where thereare lots of shopping arcades. We sat for ages watching people walking past, saw some crazy outfits and hairstyles. The people are so groomed, we felt really scruffy. Back at the hostel, I had a bath with some Japanese ladies, the water was super hot, I had to keep getting out and chucking cold water on myself.

Today, we got the bullet train - it was fast!! We are going to explore more of Tokyo tomorrow, then we are going to see the Sumo world championships!

---

Part of trip: Matt & Nat's big adventure

---