It was pretty difficult to get to Port Douglas from Cairns. Even though it's just an hour up the coast, most transports were a ridiculous 68 AUD round trip. Instead, I found a hostel who would get me there for free and then I paid $18 to get back after a few days. I had hoped to get all the way to Cape Tribulation, but it was too expensive. I could have found a tour that took me to a few places (Mossman Gorge) and then to the Cape, but I found that all out too late and it was pretty complicated. I expected all of this on some level. Australia is for campervans, working holidays, and posh condos. I felt left out without cheap ways to get around, much like many must feel when visiting ... read more

After a stay with Peggy at possibly the best hotel room I'll ever be in (the Executive Suite on the 53rd floor of the Marriott), I walked around the city a bit before my flight to Australia. I stopped at a shrine and the browsed some interesting shops. The food looked fantastic; hopefully I'll get to spend more time here someday. There are a couple of photos below.... read more

Other than Tokyo, Hiroshima was my favorite place I visited in Japan. It's a small, unassuming city with plenty of river walks and tasty food, and its history is ubiquitous and palpable. Anyone visiting here should absolutely read John Hershey's novel Hiroshima. It was published just a year after the bombing and it brilliantly laces together the lives of several survivors who basically never should have survived the blast. After visiting the museum, these people weren't just in the blast zone where some survived- they were in the area where practically no one survived (beyond a few days). Reading the novel ahead of time was so much more valuable than just reading the descriptions on the historical landmarks; actually, it enhanced my understanding of the landmarks around the city that tell brief stories about the condition ... read more

It takes about two hours each way from the Ginza area of Tokyo to get to this hike. If you have time, however, the whole area is renowned for its onsens (natural thermal baths), so it would be worth spending a night or two. It looked like the sort of area that would be incredibly busy during the Japanese week-long holidays; I can only judge it from my experience when it was pretty well empty. From Tokyo, we took the Shakaido Shinkansen (Kodama- the faster trains don't stop at Atami) southeast to Atami and switched to the JR Ito line to continue to Jogasaki Kaigen (the JR line only continues for part of this, so if you have a rail pass you'll have to pay 500-600 yen when you get off in Atami, and then 680 ... read more

Lisbon was surprisingly The subway system is fabulous, and... read more