http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/michelleandkev/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from michelleandkev en-us Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:09:18 +0000 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:09:18 +0000 We started off our last full day in Tokyo visiting Ginza once again. Then it was off to celebrate darling Rupert's 2nd birthday at Ueno Park the biggest in Tokyo along with hundreds of Japanese families and other tourists. Despite Kev's earlier plan to visit to the Zoo instead he went to see Ueno Lake and attended a free rock concert while I visited the Metropolitan Art Musuem. Earlier we http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Osaka/Osaka/blog-451582.html Our man in Tokyo aka Ross met us at Tokyo station a few minutes after our Shinkenson pulled in I was talking on the mobile phone to him one minute and the next minute he was there with us After cuddles all round the three of us headed off to our hotel in Ginza advertised as an 'elegant and stylish city where a retromodern atmosphere still lingers in the air'. As it's autumn here the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-450415.html From one Atomic bomb devastated city to another We caught the train to Hiroshima and as in Nagaski we arrived around midday so left the bags at the Dormy Hotel and headed off to the Peace Park less than five minutes walk away. Although we visited Hiroshima two years ago and had spent time exploring the Peace Park area it's somewhere you almost feel drawn to. The Hiroshima Peace Park a larg http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-449866.html When our train arrived at Nagasaki station the only bit of history we knew about the place was that the second atomic bomb was detonated there on 9 August 1945. At the time I was two months short of my second birthday and Kev was a babe in arms at not quite six months old. Now that we are about to leave we know a lot more about this fascinating city.Arriving at our hotel around midday since our http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Nagasaki/blog-449402.html Like the ancient city of Kyoto which for most of its history was the Imperial capital of Japan Nara was once itself the Heijokyo national capital from the year 710. It then grew to become a centre of culture politics art and crafts. Any of you film buffs thinking of traveling to Nara might consider doing so to be there between 2529 August 2010 for the Nara International Film Festival. What http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Nara/Nara/blog-449143.html Well the honeymooners are off again this time back to Japan. After a nondescript flight we stood on terra firma once more at Osaka Kansia airport much to my delight As Cole Porter said in one of his songs ldquoFlying so high in some bird in the sky is my idea of nothing to dordquo Before leaving the airport we hired a mobile phone for the 16 days we'll be here at a cost of less than 1 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Kyoto/Kyoto/blog-448627.html Anyone with a little spare money who needs a holiday should seriously consider visiting Siem Reap Cambodia they need tourists Our taxi driver pointed out all the hotels which had shut recently owing to the global economic crisis others are partially built and will no doubt be left as is until things improve. So visitors would really be appreciated And there should be some good bargains o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-409287.html Our last morning in Hanoi I got up at 5am Wayne and Kev decided to stay in bed and walked down to Hoan Kiem Lake where at 6am each morning many people congregate to practise Tai Chi all around the shores of the lake which has the Ngoc Son Temple on a little island in the middle. Thanks Julie for the suggestion I wouldn't have thought to do it otherwise Music was playing from PA system http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Halong-Bay/blog-408141.html Yes we've been on them all but for fun excitement and a little bit of trepidation the motorbike wins hands down The train trip was the worst it was 40 minutes late then we sat in the station for an hour before finally leaving but at least it was air conditioned.The great motorbike adventure took place when we were in Hue a town which originally rose to prominence as the capital of th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-407054.html Kev once again proved himself to be a genious managing to fix the camera with the use of my tweezers so all's well in that regardAfter a hearty breakfast Kev had the Cramble Eegs our first job was to find the Lifestart Foundation which turned out to be about five minutes walk from the hotel. It was good to meet some of the woman who work there and buy some of the handicrafts they make. Life http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-406073.html By the time we caught the hydrofoil from Vung Tau back to Saigon Kev was mighty pleased to be leaving. Memories of his time there during the Vietnam War in 1966 played its part in making him feel uncomfortable once he'd reconnected with the place. Me I would have been happy to stay for a day or two longer and explore more of what Vung Tau had to offer. When Kev arrived in Vung Tau in 1966 abo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Vung-Tau/blog-405867.html Well I've finally made it to Vietnam and Kev is here for the third time the first of which was in 1966 much against his wishes Saigon now known as Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling metropolis of over 7 million people most of whom seem to own either a motor scooter or a motor bike. What a sight they all make especially in peak hour traffic It really is fascinating and quite fun because even w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-405463.html We've been back home for a few days and already it's beginning to feel as though we've never been away which means we'll have to start planning another little adventure Travel is definately addictive as anyone who has ventured out of their front door knows. For the time being though we're more than happy to enjoy some reconnection time with our precious family and friends And we have lots http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-310372.html Truth be known with Ross gone we both felt a little lost. Well it was to be expected I suppose after all prior to his visit it was almost 10 months since we last saw him and we've been away from the rest of our darling family for almost three months. And those gorgeous grandchildren Grace Rupert have no doubt grown in leaps and bounds since we've been away. Enough to make us a bit blue But http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-307849.html For some reason best known to Kev at the time he insisted that we should have two weeks in Hong Kong with the passage of time he's now got no idea why he made that decision Earlier in our travels we thought we might fly to Vietnam for a week of our 'Hong Kong' time but since we need visas to get into the country we decided against it. SO instead we've managed to change our flight home now http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-306699.html The new look me arrived in Rome where there are more old buildings to amaze us They all have the effect of making us realise just what a short time on earth we all get After all lots of 'old ruins' have been upstanding for thousands of years and most of us have around 80 years as our lifetime if we're lucky. It's all a bit daunting And yes yours truly did get lost in the Sistine Chapel http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-304865.html We're now in a hotel in Sorrento with a view to Mount Vesuvius thankfully over 2000 years too late Our train from Florence to Napoli Naples to you was an hour late but we finally made it here and its very relaxing. The weather has remained our friend so despite having to sit patiently at Florence train station longer than expected we had some nice Canadians to talk to we're really got http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Sorrento/blog-304749.html As soon as we stepped out from our Florence hotel we were once more surrounded by tourists everywhere. Kev said the people all reminded him of the hundreds of rats which were walking along a dry river bed in Hanoi Vietnam when he was there a few years ago. ldquoThe only difference being that rats don't carry camerasrdquo he remarked Florence seemed to have market stalls everywhere and we http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-304027.html Those were Kev's remarks as we walked across St Marks Square Venice towards the Bridge of Sighs Tourists tourists everywhere not only Japanese From the steady streams of what seemed to be school groups there must also have been many empty classrooms all over Europe too Later when we booked for a Vivaldi concert at Campo San Salvador which is close to the Rialto Bridge and a couple of mi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-303733.html We're in love And the weathers gone back to what we expect the sun shining out of a clear blue sky Yes we just love Como despite the fact that Lake Como has flooded a consequence of the recent rains which swept across much of England and Europe and which we luckily only experienced the tail end of in Zrich. But apparently the flooding of Lake Como is a regular occurrence the last http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lombardy/Como/blog-300278.html