Oct 14, 2019 - The first day on the Kumano

Zalie and I shared a room the previous day and decided to get up early to explore a little of Yuasa before heading off for the commencement of our walking tour. At 6:30 am there was very little happening in the “thriving metropolis” of Yuasa , but it was interesting to wander around as the town came to life. After another wonderful meal, albeit a little different to what we would normally have for breakfast (fish again anyone?!) it was off to the station again to catch the train to the first drop off point. Did I mention that we have to...

Oct 13, 2019 - And on to Yuasa…come hell or high water

The morning saw blue skies and calm winds – you would ever have known that there had been a catastrophic typhoon the day before, resulting in over 20 deaths. Given we had seen very little of Tokyo, we decided to make a early start by catching a cab to the station, stowing our bags in the lockers then heading to the Meiji Shrine. It was such a beautiful morning to be walking amongst the trees in this amazing urban oasis. We even got to see a traditional bride. From there it was on to the usual suspects of Takeshita-dori Street, Shibuya...

Oct 12, 2019 - We survived... the Rugby World Cup fans!

Surviving the typhoon! We woke early to see what the conditions were like but quickly decided that venturing outside would not be a good idea. Luckily, I had the foresight to make a reservation for dinner in the restaurant, even though I was assured by the waiter it would be quiet. It ended up being a fairly laid-back day, spent on the lounges in the reception area with what felt like every occupant of the hotel. The poor employees; they were working on a skeleton staff and up until 3pm it was chaotic. People had to check out of their rooms...

Oct 11, 2019 - Warm seats; fine for a car but not so good in the loo!

As you probably know, Typhoon Hagibis is about to hit (not sure what it is about me and typhoons, the last time I was in Japan it was the same!). Having seen how the whole city shuts down during these disasters, we really wanted to make the most of our first day in Japan before the rain struck. We had organised a 4 hour cycling tour for the morning, commencing at 8:50am about 40 minutes by train from our hotel in Shinjuku. Deciding to grab some breakfast close to the meeting point, we ventured down to the metro to catch the train. What we...

Oct 10, 2019 - Here we go!!!

Welcome to the start of our RTW adventure, beginning in Japan with three girlfriends. Originally, we were a group of five but due to unfortunate circumstance, the fifth member of our group was unable to join us. Helen, you are here in spirit and a speedy recovery!! The flight over was very uneventful (probably what you want when flying!) and we landed into Tokyo just after 6:30pm. Unfortunately, we just missed the Narita Express and had to wait until 8:45pm for the next train. By the time we arrived at the hotel and checked in using the...

Jul 10, 2019 - Kyoto to Kotohira-Visit Shrine of Sculpted Faces,100 Stepped Garden

Todays bus ride is a long one and we visit many beautiful sights. First we make a stop at the 100 Stepped garden. It is located on the grounds of a huge hotel. The final group of photos in this section is of a brand new rest stop on the highway, It had everything from great goodies to eat to a talking robot to assist you. For our accommodations tonight we stay at traditional Japanese ryokan. After checking in we walk 800 steps to a wonderful shrine on the hill above our ryokan. It is mostly shaded and well worth the walk.

May 25, 2019 - Yokohama Day One

Saturday May 25, 2019 Good Morning 𯌏𯒫 from Yokohama, It is currently 9pm in Calgary Friday, May 24 for most readers and noon Saturday May 25 for me! Yes that silver time machine (aircraft) that lands us in different parts of the globe has deposited me in Japan. I have never got over the magic of flying𯛫𯛬. It is simply amazing. Yesterday I took the direct flight from Calgary to Tokyo in under ten hours, crossed the date line, arriving at 2:30 pm. A quick bag collection followed by the direct 90 minute bus trip south east of Tokyo to...

May 9, 2019 - Japan-Jared/Tokyo and beyond

In 2019 Jared's tour in Japan was coming to a close. We decided a visit would be a good idea so he could show us around. We also signed up for a 13 day Trafalgar Tour. We did not know what to expect from Japan and we both did not know if we would have visited had Jared not been there. We planned 6 days with Jared at his apartment in Yokosuka near the navel base. It is a long flight so we decided to take a flight from Redding to SF, then to Haneda the closest airport. This journal tracks our visit and experiences in the Land of the Rising...

Apr 10, 2019 - Fukuoka

Once again the day began with multiple train trips. First an express train for two hours, then a local train for another hour. We continue to be amazed by the rail system; fast, timely, ultra clean, smooth and quiet. The stations in most large cities are incredibly busy and crowded with people rushing everywhere, without our guide we'd probably be lost in minutes. After arriving on a local train in Dazaifu we took a taxi to the Kyushu National Museum to view the collections of calligraphy, sculpture and arts from Japan and its Asian...

Apr 9, 2019 - Nagasaki

We began the day at the Nagasaki Confucius Shrine, one of only a handful of shrines in Japan dedicated to the Chinese philosopher. It was built in 1893 by the Nagasaki Chinese community. The ornate Chinese style building are adorned with yellow roofs and stone dragons. In the courtyard there are 72 lifesize stone statues depicting Confucius' disciples. Next we took a funicular and an elevator high above the city to Glover Gardens. Created by Thomas Glover, Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding,...

Apr 8, 2019 - Nagasaki

After a walk around the small lake near our ryokan we headed out by mini-bus to Nagasaki. Lunch was at a rest stop along the highway that had a convenience store, bakery and ice cream shop. The toll road we were driving on was a 4 lane divided highway but the speed limit (which seemed to be observed by most everyone) was only 50 mph. The highway was nicely landscaped, very well maintained and extremely clean. As this area is quite mountainous we passed through many, many tunnels on the highway to Nagasaki. After arrival we had a short...

Apr 7, 2019 - Kyushu Island

An early morning departure from Hiroshima took us by express train, then local train, then mini-bus to the Tennenji Temple in Kyusa. The temple was built in 710 and is both a Buddhist Temple and a Shinto Shrine. The figures carved in the rock at the river are called Kawanakafudoson and they are guarding the approach to the temple. It was particularly nice driving through the countryside on Kyushu Island away from the very large population centers that we've been visiting. The rolling hills and mountains are lush with trees and heavy bamboo...