Well, Ive been in tokyo now for a few days and have used the time to take one-day excursions to some fantastic sites. First up was Mt. Fuji. It is about a 2 hour bus ride from Tokyo to Shimodo-Yoshida where there is good viewing of the mountain. I grabbed a Japanesse pastry and a bottle of water and boarded the bus. I had the entire back area to myself with the nearest passenger 8 rows in front of me. I took off my shoes and sox, hit play on the MP3 player and wathed the Japan countryside roll by. I [View Full Entry]

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I woke early and packed my bag, had a quick cup of green tea and then headed out on a 10 mile hike. My first stop was the Bakejizo, and row of mossy-covered seated bosatsu's (guardian deieis of children and travelers). Rumor has it that no matter how many times you try and count them, you will always get differing figures. After Bakejizo, I headed further down the river on a walking path the led me past small shrines and torri's. After about two hours, I turned my direction towards Jakko-no-taki, a waterfall up the mountain. Only 2km up the road, [View Full Entry]

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I woke to rain and cold as I prepared for my morning stretching (a must for my bad back). After my "western" breakfast which consisted of a hard boiled egg, some toast and tea, I adjourned to my room to prepare for my visits to the various temples and shrines that Nikko is most famous for. To my luck, the rain had subsided so I could enjoy a leisurely stroll through amazing gardens, shrines and temples. The cloudy skies coupled with the glistening created by the earlier rain made the gardens come alive with sweet smells. Being the ever wise businessman, [View Full Entry]

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I arrived in Japan on Tuesday and so far everything has gone extremely well. I'm glad I trained a bit back home cause I have been walking alot of miles (or kilometers) since I got here. The weather has been magnificent...sunny and warm during the day with a bit cooler evenings. Spent the first few days in Tokyo seeing the main sites. Visited the imperial palace, the fish market, and a few of the more popular areas of the city (shinjuku, harajuku, shibuya, ginza, akahabra). even got to experience late night Kareoke with some friends I made here (gal from NZ [View Full Entry]

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Been trying to get a lot of motorcycle riding in before I sell my bikes and head around the world. Changed my plans from starting in South America to heading straight to Japan and heading West from there. This gives me more time to enjoy Asia, South East Asia and India before I have to meet my family in South Africa in January. [View Full Entry]

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My friend Steve and I just finished riding over 8,000 Kilometers all over the East Coast of Australia. Starting our ride in Cairns (after celebrating New Years in Sydney), we had an amazing ride that took us along great beaches, high mountains and of course, the Great Ocean Road (which truly is a Great road). While most people hit the popular areas like Byron Bay, Brisbane, etc., we took the road less traveled and stopped in towns like Omeo, Armidale and Daylesford. If anyone is interested in motorcycle riding in Australia, contact Kurt Weider (www.Bikeroundoz.com) as he was great and the [View Full Entry]

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