Hello all in Blogland! Furlong Junior reporting for duty. How have I managed to finally make a long-overdue entry I hear you cry? Well, Mr Kieron's reluctantly loosened his grip on our online manuscript - this feet required more negotiation skills on my part than a Middle East peace envoy (interesting change of career Mr Blair) - so I'll flex my little pinkies and try to entertain you with tales of love and heroic deeds. Okay, I'll tell you about our day (as un-matter-of-factly as I can)... Morning - Headed off to the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art to see [View Full Entry]

---

---

In Japan, you work every hour God (or Buddha) sends in the employ of the same company for your entire life. You respect your boss (fellas back at Henry, please take note). In the unlikely event of knocking off work in time to spend some "quality time" with your wife, the walls of your tiny apartment will be too thin to get into heavy petting, and you'll have to hot foot it to a "love hotel". If that sounds as dreary as a dull grey day in the city, bear in mind that life insurance, pensions, healthcare, even family holidays [View Full Entry]

---

---

We treated ourselves to a lie in. With no alarm, we emerged the floorbound futoned furlongs rose at 9.30. Even your humble omniscient narrator slept in - it is Sunday for heaven's sake. Quested for breakfast croissants but had to settle for long life pastries & bananas. Further faddling decyphering Tokyo's cryptic metro fares (there are actually 3 or 4 competing subway companies), before heading out to Yoyogi Park, home of Tokyo's "Coz-play-zuku" - disenfranchised kids vamping it up and posing for gaggles of voyeuristic tourists. The kids' kinky costumes, black lipstick (worn by both sexes) a [View Full Entry]

---

---

The youngest member (excuse the pun) of our party was subjected to rigorous molestation en route from Beijing to Tokyo today. Had the Chinese security dominatrix been any more thorough, the rubber gloves would have been deployed. Another 5am start and even I'm becoming jaded. Taxi-plane-train. We're staying at a lovely, minimalist in a Japanese Ikea-like sense, "ryokan" (Japanese guest house). Our tiny triple room has simple mattresses placed directly on bamboo matted floorboards, cushions round the kettle (green tea bags of course), a paper panelled sliding screen window and a bathr [View Full Entry]

---

---

Furlongs ejected from bed at 5.45 this morning for our early bus to the Great Wall at Jinshanling, some 3 hours and 110km distant. Not for the feint hearted or weak limbed, our itinerary had us schlepping up to the wall, grinding 10km to the adjacent town, often on hands and knees over 45 degree gradients, before dismounting via a several hundred meter death slide. We conclude with a double tuck somersault and clean landing on the mat. Okay, that last part was　an exaggeration. The distance & adrenalin quotient of this section of the wall means it's almost deserted - [View Full Entry]

---

---

Brought the Furlongs up to speed; dragged 'em outta bed kicking & screaming at 6.45. Actually, neither achieved consciousness before 7, but the improvement was noted. The Rough Guide had warned that one needed a plan to tackle sprawling Beijing and, with a single ay to absorb the Chinese capital, I had devised a demanding itinerary and put on my Commie taskmaster boots. Citizens Furlong & Furlong were thus marched from Tian'anmen Square to Zhenyangmen Gate to the huge Forbidden City to Jingshan Park to the Temple of Heaven, all without the aid of a tour bus. 11 hours later, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Airports are all starting to look the same. Flight #11 of the trip so far, Hong Kong to Beijing, 3 hours with China Southern. I'm tuning out the travel days, relaxing with my trusty iPod and dozing. Listened to the new Arcade Fire - not as good as the old album, inevitably Josh Rouse and some cracking Fela Kuti which had been foisted upon me by bro shortly prior to departure. Beijing is shrouded in a browny-cream mist. Office blocks loom up out of the dinge as our airport bus sludges through the traffic, frequently mired in taxis. It's not [View Full Entry]

---

---

Undertook an abbreviated, non-compliant supplier selection process for excursions to Halong Bay and Sa Pa - gave up in the midday heat and followed the Kangaroo Cafe recommendation of Terry and June (no Terry & Sue - too late; bah ba ba badah ba ba ba bah bah - SHUT UP CAV! Thanks to Junior we’ve had the theme tune from Terry & June on a loop in our heads for a week). Sought out a picturesque arthouse cinema down a distinctly Parisienne side street but decided against watching Maria Full of Grace. Much of Hanoi has a strong French [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hué, Central Vietnam. Executive summary: avoid. - Advertised stop at Marble Mt en route from Hoi An to Hue failed to materialize - boo. Paused instead at cookie cutter roadside café and dodged inevitable fake $20 note scam - Yacked to nice Aussie gal, received further verbal abuse for our abbreviated tour Down Under and its duration relative to NZ. Oz itinerary now officially under review with consideration for extension - Crap lunch in Hue - more tears from chilli intolerant Furlong Jnr. Took pity this time & gave him a slab of my “tuna” - fake fishy that neither [View Full Entry]

---

---

There’s a statistic, the details of which escape me now, about the incredible surface area of the largest human organ - our skin. Most of mine hurts. I present the following audit: - The aforementioned Jason accounts for the bloody mess encompassing 3 of my 8 toe pits - The moped exhaust burn seared into my right calf appears to be going gang-greenous as a result of my repeated swimming and profuse sweating (it is 38 degrees centigrade and humid!!) - To add insult (well stupidity) to injury, I ill-advisedly cycled - swam - sunbathed - swan - cycled without [View Full Entry]

---

---