Dear All Greetings from a small city in the south of South Korea, called Gyeongju. It may be small today, but is actually a very important historical site in the whole of Korea, as it was once the capital of the ancient Shilla kingdom. I had originally planned to write my next entry from my next destination after this one, Andong, as I currently have three places to visit in quick succession, spending two nights in each rather than three. However, I have a bit of free time now, and feel I would like to write a blog entry about my time here in Gyeongju. I last wrote about to leave Busan, and on Sunday morning, made my last long metro journey northwards, to the end of the number 1 metro line, to the Express Bus ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Fukuoka, the largest city on the island of Kyushu, and at just over 1.5 million people, the sixth largest in Japan. It is definitely an urban centre, it’s been good to have arrived here, and although there really isn’t that much to see and do in the city itself, it’s been a great place in which to spend my final three nights in Japan. Indeed, this is my last stop on the Japan-leg of my summer adventures this year – I feel quite sad about this actually, as if it is not evident in these blogs I’ve written, I’ve had the most amazing time travelling in this wonderful country. The people are super welcoming, friendly and hospitable, the country is beautiful, there are so many things to see and do, so many ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Hiroshima! After a blissful few days off the beaten tourist track on the island of Shikoku, I have returned once more to the tourist trail. But this feels very different to Kyoto, with many more Japanese tourists here. It also just feels a bit different here – I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I feel the people here seem a little feistier, hardier, than I’ve seen in other places. There are some really friendly people, but this doesn’t always seem the case, and compared to other places so far where everyone greets you in a lift, for example, not everyone does so here. I wonder if it’s just the way people are here, or I do indeed wonder if in fact the memories from 1945, some anti-western sentiments, still continue ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Kyoto! One-time capital of the country, for around a thousand years between the 8th and 19th centuries, but if not the political, administrative or economic capital nowadays, it certainly remains the cultural and spiritual capital of the country. I arrived here on Wednesday from Kawaguchiko, and am planning to leave for Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku tomorrow. That is, if circumstances allow. Indeed, as the title of this blog suggests, I arrived in Kyoto during the hottest point of the Japanese heatwave this summer, and leave tomorrow just as Typhoon Jongdari (meaning "skylark" in Korean) is expected to have battered the region. Although when I arrived in Japan I realised it was hot, I didn’t actually realise it was hotter than normal for this time of year, and earlier this week ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Tokyo! And Japan, country number 77! I still can’t actually believe I’m here, it is one of those places which you know exists because you have seen it on TV and in films, but you don’t imagine you’ll ever set foot there, or if it really exists at all. I had a similar feeling when I first went to New York. This is Tokyo – actually the world’s largest urban conurbation, at a staggering 37 million people – that is more than half the population of the UK in just one city. This really is a mega-city, and makes London, at 14 million people in its conurbation area, only the 28th largest in the world, feel like a sleepy village. Just flying past the city on the way to Haneda Airport, the ... read more