Stayshi
Stacey Osterman Joined: September 17th 2005
Logged in: July 10th 2010
Logged in: July 10th 2010
Travel Blog Posts
View of the Twelve Apostles
Bare with me! I've been back in Canada for a little over a month now, and memories of this last year seem to be fading fast. It's strange but I almost feel like asking, did it really happen? In truth, this travelblog was as much about sharing my adventures with the people at home, as it was for me. As I add this last entry, I look ahead to printing off all my entries and binding them in a book so my memories of my year become something more concrete. And instead of bruising myself with pinching, I can just look at the book whenever I have my doubts... When we last left the intrepid traveller (a.k.a. me), I was just finishing up my tour of Uluru and the Red Centre. What was about to happen ... read more
Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
From Cairns, I ventured into the Northern Territory of Australia, and flew into Alice Springs, determined to take a 3-day tour of the "Red Centre." When I first began planning my trip to Australia, I seriously contemplated not visiting Uluru, previously known as Ayer's Rock. But, Stacey, I thought to myself...going to Australia and not seeing Uluru would be like going to China, and not seeing the Great Wall...It was decided! To the Red Centre, and more specifically, to Uluru, I would venture! I decided to play it as economical as possible, and booked the lowest priced three day tour that visited all of the highlights of the Red Centre: The Olgas (Kata Tjuta), Uluru, and King's Canyon. Our tour departed at 6:00 a.m. and our first stop was The Olgas, about a 6-hour drive (!) ... read more
Mount Whitfield Environmental Park
After my 4-day stint in Sydney, I decided to head further north to the state of Queensland, and more specifically to the city of Cairns. In summary, my entire trip was based on the Australian trinity of amazing sights: harbour, reef, and rock. I had seen the harbour, and now I wanted to see the reef! My first day in Cairns was spent exploring the city, which did not encompass much to be honest. After all of the excitement and hustle and bustle of Sydney, Cairns had a much more laid-back, relaxed feel to it. It's said that Cairns's strength comes from doing and not seeing, so I booked a trip to see the Great Barrier Reef the following day. My day on the reef involved beautiful, blue skies, sunshine, and cool water. Apparently, according to ... read more
First View of Sydney
July 30th got off to quite the interesting start for me...I had arranged to meet Dob outside our apartment building at 7:30 sharp so we could catch the local train into Hiroshima station, and have time for one last breakfast at our beloved Doutour Coffee (you would have to drink it to understand, I guess...). I was awakened at 7:30 by Dob ringing my bell! After a frantic rush to scoop up last minute things, we caught a taxi to the station, and still had time for a quick breakfast, before I was dramatically swept away at the speed of light on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Fukuoka, from where my plane would depart...Dob was my angel that morning! Before returning home to Canada, I decided to make a pit stop in Australia, and planned a ... read more
Ni nensei Sayonara Party
It always amazes me how easy it is to step into someone's life by saying a simple "hello, nice to meet you" and how incredibly difficult it is to say that final goodbye. I guess really it should come as no surprise...when that goodbye is said, so much time has passed and so many experiences have been shared. I said my "sayonara" to Japan on July 30th, and my heart is still mending a bit. I had a wonderful, incredible year, that I would trade nothing for. How do you say goodbye to a year of excitement, a year of travel, a year of adventure, and most difficult of all, all of the wonderful people you've met along the way? Let me tell you, it's not easy... Really, July 30th was just my departure date, but ... read more
Kitakyushu Sunrise
This past weekend, I experienced my last long weekend in Japan. With still many, many places on my “Sites to See in Japan” list, and time running incredibly short, Dob and I decided to visit the city of Nagasaki for the weekend. Nagasaki is in the south of Japan, and of course is most well-known for being the second city affected by the atomic bomb. However, much like Hiroshima, Nagasaki is a thriving, lively city today. Our first part of sightseeing began with a visit to the Peace Park and its surrounding memorials, as well as the Peace Museum. The central focus of the Peace Park is a large statue, featuring a man with his right arm pointing to heaven in a plea of peace, and his left arm outstretched, warning of the dangers of nuclear ... read more
There's No Mistake...He'll Be Back!
Tokyo...impossible to describe in one word! Exciting, bustling, bright, loud, serene, traditional...12.2 million people! It is described as city that everyone must see once in their lifetime. I agree! Those of you who know me well, generally know that I'm not a big fan of large cities. I find them intimidating and overwhelming, an assault on your senses and peace of mind. However, I had a fair idea of what I was in for before I visited Tokyo. When I first arrived in Japan last August, I spent three days in one of the busiest areas of Tokyo, Shinjuku, in a fancy hotel, attending seminars for my new job of teaching English as a Foreign Language to high school students. Really, the only glimpses of the city I saw were when I went out for dinner ... read more
As the Crow Flies
With a little over a month left here in Japan, my weekends are numbered. Add to this fact, the endless "Places I Want to See in Japan" list of mine, and they're really limited! This past weekend, I crammed in a couple of day trips that I've been wanting to do for a while, and visited the city of Okayama and Mount Misen on Miyajima. Okayama is the neighbouring prefecture of Hiroshima, and the highlights of its capital city are its castle, nicknamed the "Crow Castle" due to its black colour, and Korakuen Garden, which is said to be one of the three finest gardens in Japan (I told you about these top three lists!) Although the castle is unique in the fact that its black, it had a very new, freshly-painted feel to it, and ... read more
On the Railway
The title kind of sounds like a fable, doesn't it? A lone samurai warrior goes on a great quest, seeking the Phoenix rising from the ashes, and the mysterious and elusive White Egret (What is an egret? Apparently it's a type of bird...learn something new all the time!). However, this title basically sums up my weekend visit to the city of Kobe and nearby Himeji Castle. Although, I am far from being a samurai, and for most of my journey, I was among friends! Dob and I took the shinkansen from Hiroshima on Friday evening, and arrived in Osaka in a quick hour and a half (you don't realize the speed of the bullet train until you're standing on a platform and witness one flying by...scary-and impressive-stuff!) Osaka served as our "home base" as we visited ... read more
At First Glance
Japan: a land of contrasts. A blending of the old and new, the serene and the chaotic, the quiet and the brash, the arctic and the tropical....eeeeeeh? (This is the sound Japanese people make when they are really surprised about something. I love it when a whole classful of students will do this in unison! Just say "eh" and draw it out for a long time, making your intonation rise at the end...try it! It's very Japanese and very fun:) Okay, back to the confusion that is the tropical climate of Japan! In the north of Japan there is Hokkaido, home to the snow festival, and in the very far south, with parts being very close to Taiwan, there is Okinawa, home of beautiful ocean views and warm, tropical breezes (and sometimes a scorching sun!) I ... read more
