Was Mike naked or not? Well arrive back in in Tokyo and just get settled into the hotel and first thing get the blog off and catch up on what you have all been doing on facebook. Facebook is a little bit of home for me finding out what you are all doing. Anyway a good friend (Amanda) sent me a message through facebook to facetime her. So quick like a shot I try using my MacAir and cannot seem to connect. So try via my phone and hey presto there is Amanda talking to me from Starbucks at the Fort in Manchester - isn’t technology brill. So we are catching up on what is going on from both Amanda’s perspective and mine and Mike decides to wave at Amanda. Now picture the scene I am ... read more

I am in trouble again - I keep on losing my umbrella which acts as a sun barrier - sorry to mention it but it is cracking the flags here and has been since we arrived in Japan. Anyway, this time I left it on a bench - but true to form when we got back it is there ready and waiting for me to pick it up again. England we could take a leaf out of the Japanese way of life. Everyone is polite, cannot do enough for you and appears to be totally honest. Well I think Mr F is getting into the spirit of being retired - yesterday we were walking along and he stopped suddenly - whats wrong I say "in a loud voice he says where's my hat, and again anxiously ... read more

Well up early and off on another train journey - glad we got the Japan Rail passes as we have really used them. Anyone going to Japan you must purchase these outside of Japan and I can honestly say it will save you an absolute fortune (this is my advice for today! see also getting wise whilst in Japan). I had decided that we were going to experience an onsen and also a natural sand bath. Well after and 1 1/2 hour train journey and then transfer by bus for another 10 minutes we arrive at Ibusuki Sunamushi Onsen. Mike is really apprehensive by now and is thinking what the hell has she roped me in for this time. Up the escalator we go and join the queue. The lady then takes our money and gives ... read more

Last meal with our adopted friends was brilliant we had oysters, squid and pork and chicken tempura washed down with a couple of beers (yes, only a couple). Anyway whilst eating our meal we were watching TV and noticed that they were showing landslides in Japan. We asked what was going on and they said to us in pidgeon Japanese "no wowies souf (not quite Japanese but that is what it sounded like)". We explained we were going south (or souf, ha ha) - "ah so" they said "no go souf, bad". We showed them on the map we were going to Kagoshimo - "oh bad, bad" laughing at us. We decided to get up early and go to the information before we set off south to Kagoshimo, the lady there said everything ok - so ... read more

After a good night sleep in a really small room - and I mean small. We decided to go to see the A-Bomb Dome which is a stark reminder of the destruction that happened in Hiroshima. The bomb exploded 600 mtrs above the ground and 160 mtrs south east of the dome. The bomb caused total distruction 2 kilometres from the centre and around 140,000 of the 350,000 inhabitents had died by the end of 1945 (the bomb went off 8.15am on the 6th August 1945). I have added a picture so you can see what is left standing. Everyone inside was killed but this part of the building survived. We also went to the Peace Memoria Park where there is a children's peace monument which was inspired by a little girl named Sadako Sasaki. She ... read more