Nogami President Hotel Iizuka

... The next morning I wandered the side streets and lanes, and found myself at Yusida Shrine, welcomed by a Nandi on the left (later learned there is also a sacred cow/patron god in Shinto)

Then to the blast of the main streets, and ticket on to Yufuin. (I fly out of FUK, so will explore more of the city when I return).

... like? I have no friggin' idea. I've been trying to research it on the internet but have come up with very little as to what kind of life we'll be living there. Which is one of the reasons I've decided to revive the travel blog and maybe somewhere down the line, someone else is moving to Salalah and will actually have some idea of what it's like before they get there. Here's hoping it's good!

-M

... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemon) robot, the "life-like" pet cat robot, and perhaps my favorite, the "SUMO WRESTLER ROBOT"!:)

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CLOSING COMMENTS:

6 pm came around before I knew it and they had to run me out! I was the last one there. I kept snapping photos as I backed my way out, trying to capture the last little bits of my robot experience in Japan!.

And so yes, in the end I DID get to see some robots:)
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... That will have to wait for my next trip!

What better way to finish off my retro day than to stay at the Comfort Hotel in Hakata. The carpet in the rooms has a pattern that could be Polynesian art, a Rohrshock test, or an artifact from a well-preserved 1950's American living room. It's located across the street from the Hakata railroad station. Compared to the other hotels where I've stayed in Japan, this ...

... br> Neil, Allen and I went to Kokura, Japan via an extremely quick ferry called the Japanese Beetle. Kokura is beautiful and the people are beyond welcoming. All of us made lots of friends in this smaller city by sharing sake and laughs with each other. This trip will not soon be forgotten.

We stayed in Fukuoka for one night as we were getting the Beetle at 9am in the morning from the port here. We knew it was a bit of a party town and had many street stalls so went out in the evening for a wander. We walked for miles but ended up back at the first street stall we saw as it had a good view and seemed busy enough that it was ok to eat in!! Sat down and got noodles as we couldn't decide ...

... eingepackt.

Was ich noch vergessen habe zu erwähnen, wir haben hier den besten maguru (thunfisch) unseres lebens gegessen. Zugegeben es war nicht billig und eigentlich war es nicht der hauptgang sondern nur das Gedeck (das man hier auch zahlt wie in Italien, nur kriegt man hier noch ne kleine Vorspeise diese bestand eben aus besagten Maguru der eingelegt oder so war und etwas ...

... colorful sky-high portable shrines carried during the Hita Gion Festival and Kangien (a progressive educational institution that produced some of the famous personalities in Japanese history and was run by the ancestors of the current Oita governor).
The hotel itself looks out on to Mikuma River and offers a variety of plans for rest, relaxation, meals, and best of all the yakata-bune which is a traditional river boat with tatami mats and ...

... capsule once in a lifetime.. (just once)
8. They apologize several times a day for rudeness they haven't committed
9. When you speak English, nodding and smiling on their part does not mean they are understanding (their English is terrible)
10. The most reserved guy in the street can become the most gregarious one in a sake bar

Uniqueness of Japanese probably comes from their history of isolation, the crowded conditions imposed ...

... marchar para Hiroshima.

Isla de Miyajima
El hostal estaba en Mijayimaguchi - la entrada a la isla templo.
Mija: templo.
Yima: isla
Guchi: entrada
Teniamos que coger el ferry a la isla. El hostal esta convenientemente situado junto a la terminal. La hora de marea alta, cuando el torii esta flotando en el mar era a las dos de la tarde y la marea baja a las ocho. Cuando llegamos era hora de marea alta, asi que nos hicimos las correspondientes fotos ...