Bondi Beach - tick! Opera House and bridge - tick! Meat pie - tick! 'Roos, emus, possums and koalas all ticked as well; it's a photo checklist out here. No spiders yet though; if I find a redback in my clothes before putting them on I'll try and get a picture for you. That is if I remember to shake my clothes at all... Sarah: "...just hold your trousers out and shake them out before putting them on." Mart: "Oh, I haven't been doing that." Merryn (motioning): "And your shoes, just up-end your shoes and give them a shake before putting your foot into them?" Mart: "Erm, I haven't been doing that either...." - I am reminded of the Bill Bryson book Down Under, in which he writes much more eloquently than I can about ... read more

I know there's an odd-one out in that title, as 'Sword' isn't in the phonetic alphabet (should be Sierra). I'll explain why it's there down below. Another thing always interested me about the Japanese was their capacity for improving something, or practising something to perfection, regardless of how long it takes (or whether what they're doing is even commercially viable). There was something of that attitude on display in that Kyudo session a couple of entries ago and I am curious about a country in which you can get Dan (master) grades just like in martial arts, but for Ikebana (flower arranging). And I know you can find craftsmen and women in the West that take what they do just as seriously, but here, they designate a select few people a 'Living National Treasure' if they ... read more

I think I figured out the bath thing: I need to take my shaving gear in. The 10 minutes it takes gives me time to cool down before the next dip. I must also be doing something else right if when I walk in a guy nods at me (now just wait a second before you get the wrong idea there!), gives me a big smile to say hello, and after I've been washing a while grunts and smiles again, gesturing to the bath, trying to tell me that's enough and I can go in the water now. Population, Earthquakes, Architecture and the Japanese Character I think I can explain why the Japanese are so polite. I can't be the first one to think of this I'm sure, but it sounds plausible. Japan has always ... read more

It's like the End of the World (again) It seems I was worth a shout on the radio: "HEY! I just picked up a tourist, from SCOTLAND!". That was Sheila, owner and chief driver for Mr. Kab in Unalaska and Dutch Harbor, and also my guide for the afternoon. She's not cheap, nothing is in Alaska because of the cost of importing everything northwards. But whilst the rest of Alaska was expensive compared to the Lower 48, Unalaska is expensive like Norway. I hired her for 2 hours, but she was happy for me to stay another 2 after that when she went back to picking up fares, so I stayed and helped people with the doors & their luggage. She spoke non-stop with a narrative of who's boat that was we were passing, which ... read more

Things to do in Winnipeg... I'm afraid to say there wasn't much to report on Winnipeg. I wanted to like it, but it was closed. Like Toronto and Calgary, it has one of those enclosed walkways above street level connecting buildings in the town centre. It enables people to walk in air-conditioned comfort during the blistering cold in Winter or the prairie heat of Summer. The downside is it robs the streets of people and there's less of a buzz about the place. Saturday afternoon, place was like a ghost town. (...in fact, there aren't that many things to do in Winnipeg) So the greyhound took me away again, across Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces, through Moose Jaw, and Medicine Hat (I've always wanted to go to Medicine Hat) to Calary in Alberta, where I stayed ... read more