http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Japan en-us Tue, 01 Dec 09 11:41:04 +0000 Tue, 01 Dec 09 11:41:04 +0000 Today was a really and I mean really slow day at work. The students are all in exams so I quite literally had NOTHING to do all day. I graded papers but you can only do that for so many hours before you want to stab the pen into your eyeballs instead. Wound up heading over to the library with the intention of talking to one of the teachers but chatted with a few students instead. They are all st http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Mie/blog-457385.html Ie Shima Okinawa JapanToday I went bike riding on Ie Jima with my friend James. Despite some slight hickups along the way adventures as I like to call them we had such a great timeWe met up a little after 8 am set up the bike rack on my car and headed for Port Motobu. We made a brief detour on the way to the island so we could pull out some yen from an ATM. We were too excited about http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Okinawa/blog-456691.html Lots to squeeze in today. Firstly we went to the Sumo museum in Kokugikan had a look around all the art work and the videos of moves and matches. Wanted to go to a Tea ceremony at Happoen Garden unfortunately fully booked so scrapped that plane and went on the tube to Shinjuku to the sky scraper district where we went up in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. Had views of all over Tokyo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Asakusa/blog-456302.html Todays adventure was to what I like to call Techno Town the technology district Akihabara. There were shops and stalls after stall selling all sorts of technology games consoles new and classic computers watches all sorts of cool MAN THINGS' I decided to buy a Acer Netbook which was cheap as chips although it is Japanesenot always easiest to use. Went for lunch in this strange little http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Akihabara/blog-456300.html A day of enchantment and astonishmentSo after dragging myself out of bed at 4 30 am getting dressed doing my hair and brushing my teeth I was all set for my journey to the Tsukiji Fish Market open the door and all I can see is rain... not feeling so optimistic I turned right back around and crawled back into bed till 9 at which point it was still raining.By 10 am the rain had turned to a driz http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-455792.html Thursday 10th September to Tuesday 15th September 2009Blog writing being the long and tiresome business that it is I only do it cause I love you guys so much it's easy to get behind with updates. The week I spent between my time in the very south of Japan on the island of Yakushima and my arrival in the very north in Hokkaido was one week that I never really got the chance to document whilst http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Miyagi/Sendai/blog-455768.html Gieshas hello kitty soft serve green tea ice creamWhere can you find all these wonderful things KYOTO So even after my crazy bicycle journey yesterday there was still so much of Kyoto to see It is such a contrast to Tokyo really beautiful with old style buildings being more common than not and more temples and shrines than you can shake a stick at pretty much one of every corner Hav http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Kyoto/Kyoto/Gion/blog-455530.html Sightseeing the true Japanese way Maps are for the weak So my first encounter with the infamous Japanese Bullet train was peachy keen.. 3 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto... my kind of speed.. Unfortunately it was a three hour wait for non smoking so I did the unmentionable and sentenced my lungs to 3 hours in a smoking car leaving some Texan fellas I met in my dust Little thing to love ab http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Kyoto/Kyoto/blog-455520.html My time the rank I attain my outward appearance mdash all of these are secondary. For a runner like me whatrsquos really important is reaching the goal I set myself under my own power. I give it everything I have endure what needs enduring and am able in my own way to be satisfied. From out of the failures and joys I always try to come away having grasped a concrete lesson. Itrsquos http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Kyoto/blog-455366.html CRAZY TOKYOSo have landed safely... unforuntaly no pictures to put up as I left my photo cable in my bag in the airport My trip has been an adventure so far.. Starting with trying to figure out the Tokyo subway and train system after a 10 hour flight... when it would be 4am in Canada time.. Fun. Finally arrived at the hostel in the nick of time as reception closes at nine.. met some gr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-455245.html Well it certainly was a dark and early start at just after 445 am. I hope its worth it. Last chance right might as well make it happen. SO as quiet as i could be i sent off into the dark. Trouble was i didnt have a key so i had to leave it unlocked. Hopefully they dont get pissed at me. When gay ppl get mad its not pretty haha. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Ryogoku/blog-455047.html Ahhh well the bed was amazing. Better than a hotel and waaaaaaaaaay better than anything i could afford I woke up and headed upstairs and they had french toast for me with maple syrup and everything.fist the pics so i can keep up with the drinking http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Shinjuku/blog-455038.html Our family can't stay home for more than 12 hours a day. We need to constantly be away from our house or our kids will go berserk. But we can't travel very far as it is very inconvenient for me and my wife as we need to rush back home for our kids afternoon siesta. And traveling far is not really a great option for parents with a baby and a toddler. So we always ended up going to the same mall http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/blog-454957.html Despite a distinct lack of snow it only takes on short trip to Nagoya to solidify that the Christmas Season has indeed arrived in Japan. You wouldn't know it out in my quiet shanty town but in the big city there are lights and Christmas trees galore skating rinks in the shopping mall and Christmas music playing in every other store. It was almost like being back at home but not quite. One hug http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Mie/blog-454851.html Woke up bright and early when Kyoko woke up to go to work around 8am. Had some of my chilled coffee and read the Tokyo eyewitness book Kyoko gave me to use for the day. She also gave me keys to the house so I could pick my stuff up from her place without having to wait for her to get off work. That was pretty nice of and trusting of her. Delia was on her way to some place on the outskirts of Tokyo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Ueno/blog-454710.html Sorry for the late posts on these next few but internet has been hard to come by as has time so we finally have some time in an internet cafe so get ready to be caught up.We were on the plane seat belts fastened ready to begin our journey around the world for one year...or so we thought. The pilot announced that we had to change planes in LA due to a mechanical failure of some kind but we go http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Ikebukuro/blog-454346.html Well i was a bit hung as we got into Narita International. Got though customs no probelms at all. It was kind of cool. They took pics of my fingerprints and my face as well. Not too many questions at all. Got into the bag pickup and mine was one of the last. I was kinda worried that it might of continued on to Bangkok without me. I was ready to report it when i finally saw it shoot out on the conv http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Asakusa/blog-453302.html Well it was an early wake up call for me today. Mom drove me out to the airport shortly after 420. Not for any paticular reason but i had to be there 2 hrs early. It was just pissing rain outside on the way out. My dad even got up to say goodbye. He even waved out the window which almost got me. Mom made me a cup of coffee and told me the whole way out that i should keep this travel mug in case i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Akasaka/blog-453299.html Story TimeWow I was looking through my pictures that I have taken and I realized that in one week there are enough to tell at least 100 stories already. So instead of selecting just a few I decided to post a whole bunch of them to give all of you a great view of all aspects of my life here in Japan I put details under each picture so be sure to read them to get the story behind each one. I h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Saitama/Shiki/blog-453289.html I climbed Mt Fuji at night Saw a beautiful galaxy in the night sky and a sunrise over the clouds.httpyodas.ws2009Jul31httpyodas.ws2009Aug01 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Shizuoka/Mt-Fuji/blog-453098.html