TravelStream™ news feed for member uglymaggott on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/uglymaggott en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:48:57 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224470640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224470640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224470640/tpod.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:48:57 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Farnborough, England, United Kingdom

We are back and it is all over now. I am in equal measures sad and tired. Basically too tired to write this as my body's telling me it's 7 in the morning and I haven't gone to bed yet. Still - the map pin location is there.

Big thanks to all who read this and even bigger thanks to anyone who commented, emailed and/or facebook messaged about it. It made my holiday far more enjoyable.

THANKS.

If I can summon the will tomorrow I will add some more detail to this one - then I again I may be to busy throttling my bank manager so we'll see.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224378300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224378300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224378300/tpod.html Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:38:17 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Osaka, Kinki, Japan

Last night we decided to stay in the hostel on account of the the fact that the town we were staying in was roughly the size of the Cove one way system and due to the excellent facilities on offer. By excellent facilities of course I mean cheap beer machine and free TV room with DVDs.

As this blog has been morosely, passably skipping along with a distinct lack of filmic references since I first began, allow me to relay our viewing experiences. The evening began with recent Robin Williams political flop Man of the Year. Don't worry, you haven't heard of it. I hadn't even heard of it. Some Germans picked it and it wasn't great. Our man on the street (Kirill) review: "crap".

After losing the Germans and claiming the room for ourselves we proceeded to bigger, better things with forgotten Tom Hanks classic Joe Versus The Volcano. Seriously, seek it out. It's great. Man on the street: "can we watch The Matrix".

Better still was the not-yet-forgotten Tom Hanks modern classic Road To Perdition. It upset me because I forgot Paul Newman was dead. Man on the street: "good"

After waking up hungover and with a strange hankering for further Tom Hanks comedy films (The Burbs wouldn't go amiss right now) we headed to the 5th Station which is a bus stop halfway up Mount Fuji. Despite the bitter cold of being up a mountain (who knew?) we did get some far superior photos this time around.

Unfortunately time constraints meant that we only had time for a few pictures and a sausage on a stick before catching the bus back down and commencing the quite frankly, ludicrously long, trip back across Japan to Osaka.

We are sadly now on our final night in Japan but there is a neat symmetry as we have ended up not only back at the first hostel we stayed in, but the same room too. I promise this blog is near its end but, unfortunately, I've already made the disturbing decision to do one more entry when I get home. Just so my pin map looks good you understand.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224283200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224283200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224283200/tpod.html Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:04:40 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Fuji, Chubu, Japan

After doing absolutely nothing last night (well I did nothing - the other two went to the Tokyo Tower. It was "orange" and the view was "lighty" according to them). We made the long bus trip to the Fuji five lakes area for our brief, one-night, visit to Mount Fuji.

After arriving at the excellent hostel (they even picked us up from the station for free) and fixing the broken patio door (which, incidentally, was not broken until Kirill used it) we headed out for a short walk around Kawaguchi lake to get the cable car, James Bond style, up to the top of Mount Tenjo.

Mount Tenjo is a smaller mountain to the north-east of Fuji that provides a (far) quicker journey for those with less time on their hands than those who tackle the significantly higher Fuji. It also provides an excellent view of Fuji (pictures to follow).

The cable car didn't actually carry us all the way though and we stopped off at a viewing platform about half way and had some mountain beers. We also were surrounded by some very disturbing models of a rabbit and a beaver frolicking in, shall we say, strange ways. The best part of the viewing platform though, apart from arguably the outstanding view, was the hot food vending machine that produced magical hot noodles after just 90 seconds of waiting, just like something out of Back To The Future 2. So good I used it twice!

We then walked up the remainder of Tenjo in what felt like an extended episode of Lost before discovering the reason why they have a viewing platform half way - you can't see anything from the top due to all the trees. It probably said something on the Japanese signs dotted around to this effect but we still can't read Japanese (I know, disgusting) so we were effectively mugged.

Still, we managed to make it back down to the viewing platform in time to see the sun set over Fuji area. Unfortunately the angle was not right to see it set over the mountain itself but the red sky was still impressive. Even if my camera doesn't do it justice. And Kirill made us wait til the last cable car to get a better picture.

Tomorrow we're going to get a bus to a place about half way up the mountain to get a closer view. A Japanese man we met today told us it wasn't so difficult to walk up but unfortunately time is an issue so we'll have to make do with gawking at it from a distance.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224207540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224207540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224207540/tpod.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:42:42 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Matsushima, Tohoku, Japan

I am writing this entry on the last night of our stay in Tokyo. Unfortunately this means we are rapidly approaching the end of our trip and the dreaded return to grey and depressing normality of our droll lives and office jobs. Kind of like The Matrix in reverse. Still we have Mount Fuji still to come so there is a real feeling that the best isn't behind us yet.

Last night we returned to Shinjuku for the third time, but this time we didn't go to Vagabond. Instead we made our way to the tall 'Gotham City' style skyscrapers on the west side to see them at night. We also made the scarily quick trip up to the 75th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building for their observation deck. The view was absolutely stunning looking out over the whole of Tokyo. It really is a beautiful city lit up at night. The gift shop also gave us a chance to do some last minute shopping. There was also the strange addition of a man at a grand piano playing the Napoleon Dynamite classic "Some Say Love" (without the happy hands unfortunately) as we looked out over the city.

I'm definitely going to miss Tokyo - there's so much to do here, we've barely scratched the surface. But then again that's really the case with Japan as a whole so I guess a return trip sometime in the not too distant future is a definite must. By then I can assure you I will not be banking with Natwest.

We had yet another early(ish) start this morning (and the third morning in a row being woken up by Sergi-oy-oy-oy. I don't know what he's dreaming about but I want in) as we headed up to our most northern destination on this trip - Matsushima Bay. The bay is made up of 260 islands, all of varying shape and size, and a couple of temples. It's a really small town in reality but we did a boat trip around the islands and it was amazing - it looked like something out of Neverending Story. Thankfully without the Limahl soundtrack.

The first shrine was also interesting because, although they don't actually open it apart from once every 33 years (next opening: 2039), the bridges over to the island had gaps in them, supposedly to stop women getting over to the shrine as it would be near impossible in their traditional shoes and tight kimonos. In their face. We also managed to sample the local delicacy of freshly farmed oysters (awesome) and the not so local delicacy of edamame (Japanese pea) flavoured ice cream (interesting).

We then got the train up to another part of the bay described by the Lonely Planet guide as stunningly beautiful, or something like that, and then got lost because we couldn't read the Japanese map properly. Still we did get to see the sun setting over the bay from the train, and meet an old Japanese man who kept telling Amit not to worry(?), so it wasn't a complete loss.

As I type thisCthe others have deserted me to go to the Tokyo Tower near Roppongi (although technically, I deserted them) while I came back to pack and nurse my sore feet. Tomorrow I will hopefully report from Mount Fuji!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224106800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224106800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1224106800/tpod.html Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:55:05 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Nikko, Kanto, Japan

We began last night with a return trip to the Jazz bar Vagabond in Shinjuku, only this time we dragged Sasha along as well. It wasn't a full band this time - just a guy playing piano. In particular he seemed to be playing various versions of The Entertainer on loop. Still, it was good background music as we worked our way through the cocktail menu. A slightly girly Chi-Chi here, a suspectly named Salty Dog there and a few we did actually know what they contained - we were pretty sure what was in the Vodka & Tonic. As Sasha left to get some sleep - he actually works here as opposed to us interlopers - we decided the best course of action was to bundle into the nearest Big Echo Karaoke!

Big Echo is a huge Japanese chain of karaoke boxes where you get your own room, waiter service and, in a stroke of unbridled genius, tambourines. The beauty of Big Echo is the vast selection of English language music available. Needless to say the hits flowed - Let's Get It On, Living On A Prayer, Enter Sandman, erm All That She Wants - as the unsuspecting public walked past the, thankfully, sound proof room. If I do say so myself, we were on fire, with a particularly barnstorming rendition of the legend Rick Astley's 'classic' Never Gonna Give You Up bringing down the house before the last train called to us. The only downside was the slightly suspect choice of background images for each song, Pearl Jam's Jeremy coming attached with a jaunty stroll down a river for a young and in love Japanese couple and, more worryingly, a bikini clad young lady frollicking in the sea to The Jackson 5's ABC. Strange.

Still despite our hangovers we managed to make another fairly early (double-decker) train this morning to head to Nikko, north of Tokyo. Nikko is another cultural heritage sight with more temples and shrines but it is a lot busier than Kyoto. Even early on a weekday morning there were a fair few tourist, both Japanese and foreign. The shrines themselves were more impressive than the Kyoto ones as they were bigger and more decorated but I think they had less charm and character. There were some exellent parts though, including far and away the best garden we've seen, a hall where they bang sticks together and there is one spot in the room where the acoustics are vastly superior (I think you had to be there for that one), the original "hear no evil..." monkeys and a game of hoops, at which we displayed a distinct lack of skill..

Nikko itself was a great little town on the river and we stopped at a small restaurant on the way back that not only welcomed foreigners in particular but also had their walls covered in messages from passing travellers. Naturally we contributed one of my, now patented, Gojira drawings - this time attacking the nearby cultural heritage Shin-kyo bridge. We then left quickly before we could be kicked out for maybe being culturally insensitive.

Some of the eagle-eyed among you may have noted that I didn't have any film references today, but I did actually mention three Tom Cruise films by name. And only one of them was intentional (not the one you think).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223962500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223962500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223962500/tpod.html Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:37:20 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

The excellent news is that we just got back from a night in a Karaoke box - absolutely hilarious, but more to follow tomorrow...

Last night we met up with Kirill's brother Sasha and his girlfriend Mai who treated us to a great night out and introduced us to the wonders of Ginza (kind of like 5th Avenue in Japan) and, more importantly, after missing out last week, Kyoto's local cuisine kaiseki. Basically it's a continuous stream of food. It's like the Temple of Doom but the food doesn't move, and the monkey brains aren't chilled. It was, in short, my dream. We had caviar, edamame, potato salad, lotus, mushroom, white fish, beef, miso soup, etc, etc. Happy, happy days!

After dinner, we walked down the main street of Ginza and said our farewells and headed back to the hostel as we had a early morning looming - a five o'clock start to go to the fish market at Tsukiji. Unfortunately, sleep was somewhat interrupted by our new roommate, the wonderfully Spanish Sergio ("my English is *blows raspberry*") having what sounded like night terrors and a touch of The Exorcist, and shouting "oy, oy, oy" at the top of his voice more than once. It was so bad he shaved his conquistador beard this morning. Sad times.

The fish market was a sight to behold. It was essentially row after row of newly caught fish (some not even quite dead yet), split by extremely narrow alleys with these strange barrel cars speeding down them and, I'm convinced, actually aiming at the annoying gaijin and their stupid cameras. That's us by the way. The main shock of the day was the sheer size of the tuna. I knew they were bigger than most people thought but I didn't realise they were bigger than Amit. One guy was using an industrial saw just to get any purchase on it!

After the market we went to the nearest sashimi restaurant for some incredibly fresh fish - mostly tuna and salmon but I did have some cuttlefish, octopus and eel. The eel was the best. We then admitted defeat and headed back to the hostel to catch up on some much needed sleep.

At 12 we woke up again and set off to do some more shopping in Harajuku (where the trendies shop - yes, we bought some stuff) and check out the Shibuya crossing made famous in Lost In Translation (just watch it Alex, you'll find this blog a lot easier to follow!) We then slipped into one of the arcades to retry Street Fighter 4. This time the Japanese battered all of us and not just me, and we left with our tails between our legs.

We have now extended our stay in Tokyo by two more nights and will be doing Nikko and Matsushima Bay by day trip - the bad news about all this? I'll have plenty of time to write more blog entries!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223935260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223935260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223935260/tpod.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:04:49 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

We went to Shinjuku last night - it's the part of Tokyo with the huge TV screens on the even huger office blocks. It's also home to Kibukicho the "pleasure" district. Don't worry though, we only walked through. In our defence we also wanted to see the Yakuza who apparently hang around there, but we didn't see anything. At least that's what they told us to say. Amit told someone and he woke up with a Panda's head in his bed.

We also visited a corner pet shop with Labradoodle puppies and the cutest kitten that ever lived. Again though - it was all a bit upsetting because they were in tiny glass cages and looked like they wanted to get out. Plus there may be a chance they eat them if no-one buys them before they get too big.

After wandering the depressing streets of Kibukicho, we walked down the, apparently, affectionately titled Piss Alley, where all the cool little bars were. Then Rough Guide redeemed itself somewhat by leading us into an awesomely cosy jazz bar (literal jazz, like Miles Davis, not Kibukicho "jazz") called Vagabond where the cocktails were only 600 yen each (believe me, that's cheap round here) and there was a live jazz band playing. I got to be the Dude Lebowski and James Bond in one night by drinking White Russians and Vodka Martinis (actually shaken, not stirred).

After a morning spent wrestling with the local cash machines, and Natwest in particular, Kirill and I decided we would take Natwest head on when we returned to England and, for now, set off back to Shinjuku to see the huge office blocks during the day and do some all-important souvenir, and Mum birthday present, buying.

The buildings in Shinjuku are often referred to as being a bit like Gotham City and that's not a bad description. Some of them are curved and contorted into some pretty impressive shapes and the centre piece is the Metropolitan Government Building with its two spires - kind of like a Two Towers joined up at the bottom - that really did look like Batman's home town. We then visited the "cheese cake cafe" but had noodles and not cheese cake (in their face), the only Manga shop in town that seems to sell English language books and also managed to get some insane clothing from one of the back street stores.

We then returned to the hostel via the market place for some slightly cheaper souvenir, and Mum birthday present, buying.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223786280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223786280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223786280/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:01:15 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

Last night was spent in the nightlife centre of Tokyo - Roppongi. I say spent there, we wandered around a bit, had a couple of drinks and then head back to the hostel to watch the England game at 1 in the morning, couldn't find anywhere and went to bed in a huff. Still - it was a good night.

Tokyo is really bright - it's literally blinding in places. All of the main parts of the city are like the centre of Leicester Square but spread out over a far greater distance. And probably with higher watt bulbs. To combat this, we went to a place called Hobgoblin for our first stop - a British style pub! One five-pound pint and some pub-grub later and we were on the road again. This time stopping off at Gas Panic, a club described by the Rough Guide as the "sleazy side of Tokyo" and a "place everyone should visit at least once". We did. It was like the club in Basic Instinct minus Michael Douglas in his green sweater. We left ASAP.

Our third and final stop in Roppongi was a whole lot more succesful. Whilst walking down the street, avoiding the people offering us entry to more salacious joints, we heard the strains of David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' coming from a second floor bar. Obviously we had to go in. This place had the coolest DJ of all time (picture attached but unfortunately very blurry because I got scared and was already practically running out as I pressed the button). And we stayed for a while until the last train back to Asakusa where the Hostel is.

After following the Rough Guide to a football bar that didn't exist (I'm telling you, these Tokyo backstreets are like Labyrinth and the Rough Guide is like those floor sprites moving the slabs with the arrows on) we stopped into a Japanese fast food restaurant chain, Coco Curry and went back satisfied.

Today was spent in Akihabara, or the 'electric town', playing video games, browsing shops and looking at robots. There are loads of multi-storey shops and arcades that seem to cater for every need - from the simple computer game lovers to the slightly more disturbing sorts who really like scantily clad women in robot suits. We did managed to impress some locals in the arcade by kicking ass at a punching computer game which, we think, was about two cops, one with a shuriken in the back of his head, fighting a giant Dennis Rodman lookalike. Did I mention this place was a little weird?

I am loving this country and Tokyo is my favourite place so far. It's so bustling and not entirely dissimilar to London, but it has a much friendlier and slightly wierder vibe.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223702220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223702220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223702220/tpod.html Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:42:40 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

We're in Tokyo!!! For those of you paying very close attention to my, ever so subtle, build up to this holiday will be painfully aware as to how - as thoroughly amazing everything has been up to now - this is the big one for me. I am, therefore, a little bit excited. But more about that later...

Last night was spent in the Eko-in temple in Koya-san and the second of our nights with the dreaded public baths. Our cunning plan this time... to take it in turns. Genius! Of course we still had to have a bath with the Buddhist monks, but any future awkwardness between ourselves was successfully avoided.

We also had access to much cooler robes this time round (pictures to follow) and a similarly awesome meal - only this time it was fully vegan. After dinner we took a nighttime stroll around the local cemetary. It was a lot bigger and spookier than any graveyard we'd ever seen before and it was all a little bit Night of the Living Dead. We were brave throughout though and, aside from a few jumps and a rather embarassing slip down the stairs for yours truly, we made it through unscathed to the end - and another temple full of lamps! This time they were lit though and extremely impressive.

After heading back we watched some hilarious Japanese TV (mad woman chucks plates at man till the police come) and went to sleep for our early morning Buddhist ceremony. The ceremony was very simlar to the previous one but we were given better access to the shrine (still no photos allowed though) and there was a second part where they made a fire and hit a drum.

And so our relaxing middle section came to the end and we took the long seven-ish hour train trip to Tokyo. Now here, I hope to find myself a young, disillusioned bride, looking for a connection in a city she doesn't understand. We'll go to sushi bars, karaoke rooms and the hotel lobby bar, striking up an unusually close friendship with an overt sexual undercurrent, despite the percieved age gap. Then the moment will come for us to separate and I will wisper something so sweet, so delicate, into her ear that it will change both of our lives for the better, forever. Or maybe I'll just go to a Love Hotel.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223678400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223678400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/uglymaggott/1/1223678400/tpod.html Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:02:57 -0400 Japan 08 with the Russian and the Bear

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Koyasan, Kinki, Japan

I am writing to you from high up in the Japanese mountain town of Koya-san. This is the second of our two nights at two separate Buddhist temples and they have free internet here. Bonzai!

Since last I wrote we got the city bus to Ninna-ji temple in the north of Kyoto where we stayed the night. It was a fascinating experience - the whole building was wood and tatami mats and we werent allowed shoes in them at all. The beds were on the floor and we were given traditional robes. Just like a hotel version of the temples we had been visiting for the last few days. Unfortunately I am not able to upload photos here but will do as soon as we reach Tokyo.

The main features of staying in these temples are three-fold:
1) the traditional style Japanese food
2) the Buddhist ceremonies in the early morning and;
3) THE PUBLIC BATHS!!

The meal at Ninna-ji was huge and extremely tasty with sashimi, miso soup, mushrooms and fish that you boil yourself at the table. The works. The only slightly disturbing part was the fish flavoured jelly thing that was, quite simply, a bit disgusting. Still, when in Rome...

We had to get up at 6 for the ceremony which consisted of a lot of chanting and clashing of ancient instruments. It was interesting to watch but it was very long and I find it hard to imagine the discipline they have to have to do it every single morning. It must be like a bald Groundhog Day.

Now you may want to avert your eyes and ears for the third part. The public baths are traditional in Japan where, it would seem, there are no prudes whatsoever. In a disturbing moment of self-discipline, we plucked up our courage, took a deep breath and then semi-chickened out with a (brilliantly devised) seven minute staggering system to all make it into the baths with minimum embarassment. Never fear ladies, you did not miss out - it was far more Full Monty than Chippendales. That wasn't quite how I planned on spending my birthday but it was a once in a lifetime experience. "Once" being the operative word.

After touring the Ninna-ji gardens in the morning we made the long slow trip to the mountains where we are now. I will go into more detail on the Eko-in where we are staying tonight in the next entry as I am aware this one is getting quite long (did I mention the internet was free?) and we're spending most of tomorrow travelling so it will be a pretty boring entry otherwise. Suffice to say we have a plan for the bath here that is equally as cunning as the last - so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a fox.
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