Have I got some stories to tell today! Brace yourself, this is really good blog material, and not in the least exaggerated as many may believe me to be!........ The ritzy digs of the AGUNESU hotel (Agnes hotel) were worth their weight in quality sleep, Japanese TV travel programmes, and toilet privelidges..........I tried my very first bidet, yes I was a newby to this invention, and I have to say have not really developed a taste, or feel should I say, for it! There was so much scope for flow changes, pressure changes, temperature changes, duration....you realyl if you wanted could sit there all day and have your backside preened and pampered onsen style.....I digress.... It was wet in other ways however. Tokushima is at the mouth of the naruto straits, and had I ventured out ... read more

Now to turn the slant back from shirtless japanese samurais photographed at the shimane art museum, fighting over who found pauline's memory cards, to the delights of Matsue and Shikoku! Matsue is a wonderful town worth at least a days visit or two. I've met so many lovely people; one from the USA who teaches in Matsue and has done for 4 yrs (!), several japanese who are happy to help a foreigner takes thoughtful photos at the top of the Matsue castle, you get the idea. I never remembered having so many positive experiences in dealing with humans in one short space, I love this place and how gracious the japanese are, the food id affordable and varied, the sights cultural and historical. Before visiting the castle I went for a jog this morning - ... read more

Being a bit spent of all my memory card emotion, it was time to get positive again, and back to the purpose of seeing this beautiful country and it's gracious, polite people! That morning was himid, and I got up and went for a long walk into the huills of Mt Ogi and Tsurumi, above Beppu town. The colours and agriculture were beautiful and reminded me of my times in north queenlsland. On the memory stick front, I picked up one for 3000 yen for a 1gb memeory stick, sony of course, and got busy with some sightseeing. Beppu is lovely, and after some cleansing activity at the train station with the staff regharding my lost items, and kooban (police station, no it is not the TORENDI uniformed policeman that made me visit there, but my ... read more

After an interesting day and night chasing my lost yoofuku and strange men about the Aso Youth Hostel, a group of us decided to get physical and hike around Aso national park. This area is at elevation 1200-1600m, actvely volcanic, and very prone to closures due to gas vapours, much like say White island in NZ, or the case where Ruapehu erupted. Someone I met, Marcelle, a brazilian who was travelling with Donelo his partner, is making this a research trip for his journalism work in Brazil, writing of adventure tourism. Part of this involved interviewing Shinotani san the elderly owner, with a japanese guy from yokohama to　help. A question was posed about does she mind living under a volcano - not a problem, as it is very common in Japan! Makes for some rich onsen ... read more

Pictures from this morning whilst I lost and found myself in the beautiful port city of Nagasaki.... Well Nagasaki was truly fantastic! The tourist brochures describes Nagasaki as historic、romantic and exotic....well it certainly was historic with the peace dome that I got lost trying to find,　the Dejima port and the memories of Dutch settlement ihere and in the Glover park region and atrocities of the early demise of japanese christianity.......exotic in that it was bloody hot and gloriously exotic, on the edge of japan and the tropical okinawa chain of island...., but I am not sure abouｔ the romance of it all...... Maybe that is eluding to the architecture and easy relaxed environment that comes with warmth and holiday makers that flock here. It is worthwhile seeing Chinatownm megane bridge, portside and the atomiv bomb museum ... read more