We take the shuttle bus to Tokyo airport at 7am, try to check in at business class but get politely turned away and have to queue up with everybody else (as usual). This is suprising as I've gone to a real effort with my appearance, sewing up the big hole in the arse of my trousers with a snazzy blue thread. Obviously the Japanese don't recognise high quality tailoring when they see it. We've been pretty thrifty and bought breakfast from the 7/11 last night, we spend the rest of our change on some cans of hot coffee (much better cold). [View Full Entry]

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We get the shinkansen at 8:15 from Hiroshima to Osaka, we buy some little pastries and ice coffee for the journey, very civilised. I love these trains. In Osaka we store our big bags in a locker and take the city loop train around to a station south of the city where we buy a combined train, cable car and bus ticket to get to Koyasan. It's very humid and we're glad not to be carrying our big bags, we have lunch at a brilliant, really cheap and tasty stand up noodle joint at the station - slurpy slurpy. We have [View Full Entry]

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We have a reservation on the Shinkansen (bullet train) at 930 to Hiroshima from Tokyo, first we have to negotiate the subway at rush hour which is fun with big backpacks. We let one train come and go because it is so busy, the second one we just force our way onto, the doors just about close behind us and we're off. We buy some supplies for the journey - sushi, crazy pastries with hotdogs in and green tea. The Shinkansen have dedicated platforms and it is quite exciting to see them for the first time, they look mint, really long [View Full Entry]

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We have a delightful 9 hour flight to Tokyo - the food on the plane is excellent and we both sleep for most of the trip after our very early start. Everything seems 'normal' at first, easily through customs and collect our bags. It is when we leave the airport and go down the escalator in to the station that we enter another world! Not being able to read anything or understand anyone is expected, but what we weren't prepared for was the noise. Strange bingy, bongy noises from every direction! And it is relentless - when a train arrives bingy [View Full Entry]

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We arrive into Brisbane about 11, take a taxi to our motel, shower and straight to bed.  We're back at the airport the next morning at 6 for the flight north to Mackay, it's a perfectly clear but cold morning.  We fly on a propellor plane which gives a good view as the wings are above the fuselage, although there isn't much to look at except a very barren and rocky landscape as far as you can see. Landing in Mackay, the weather is very pleasant, sunny and warm - not too hot.  We pick up our little hire car and [View Full Entry]

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We arrive in Sydney tired and hungover, luckily we are staying with Matt, who Jenny used to live next door to in Hazel Grove, so we have not only a place to stay but a useful source of information for seeing Sydney.  We go out for a couple of beers with Matt, his girlfriend Amanda and his brother John - talk a about Hazel Grove and Australia, then go for a reasonably early night. We are sleeping in the lounge and are woken up about 730 by he return of Matts housemate Robbie, a scouser who lives up to the stereotype [View Full Entry]

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Leaving Home ... again So after 4 brilliant months in Melbourne we're on the road again. We've said goodbye to all of our new friends and left our house in Albert Park. The first month in Melbourne was quite challenging, first of all looking for somewhere to live and then trying to find a job. We were lucky to find a 2 bedroom victorian terrace which we sublet from a girl called Kate who was going to South America for 3 months, she left us with the keys to the house and all of her personal possessions. Our focus then turned [View Full Entry]

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We arrive in Rio after a 24 hour bus journey from Iguazu, although the thought of a 24 hour bus sounds horrendous this one is actually pretty good, it has massive seats which recline almost to a bed, they show films and serve food and drinks, the scenery is pretty good too. I almost don´t want to get off ! When we arrive in Rio it is hot, although not uncomfortable. We arrive at our hostel in Ipanema - the coolest and most popular beach area, and are pleased to discover that we are staying in a private house just down [View Full Entry]

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Iguazu Falls - Argentina We are very excited about going to Iguazu and it is a relief to arrive in Puerto Iguazu after a 24 hour bus journey from Salta. Contrary to our earlier experiences, this bus was not quite as luxurious. True, you could put your feet up om the coffee bar in front of the seats, but whenever the bus went round a corner coffee would pour out of the bottom of the machine. Puerto Iguazu is a small town and is little more than a stopover for people going to see the falls. We stay in a lovely [View Full Entry]

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And so commences the proper ´travelling´! We strap on our backpacks and board the bus for the 20 hour journey to Salta. The journey begins well - a very nice attendant serves us little snacks and puts on a very loud action film to keep us entertained. The drinks served with dinner help us sleep and we curl up under our blankets and manage to get some sleep. By the time we stop at services at 2 in the morning the novelty has worn off slightly but surprisingly the journey passes quickly and we arrive in Salta on a beautifully sunny [View Full Entry]

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