Day 46 - Final flight.

Good news!That 'request' thing that the lady at the desk put through for me worked out.

I had left the gate area to walk around a bit after eating the yummy cupcake my cousin sent with me - a pain to transport as it involved a plastic container and toothpicks stabbed into the cupcake to stabilize it so as not to waste the yummy icing - but worth it. It kind of tasted like brigadeiro, one of my fave things from Brazil, and also one of my specialties to make. I also got myself a proper frappucino from Starbucks, because I was feeling a but down and needed a pick me up. Hong Kong style milk tea flavour. Yummy. Not available in skim milk (I think that fully customizable thing was mainly in Canada and the US - though partly it might just be that Asia seems to love super high fat contents in their dairy. Honestly, sometimes I forget to specify an it's honestly practically cream) but she did reduce the sugar.

So anyways, was heading back, talking to my brother on the phone (so much HK credit to use up) when I saw that there were finally staff at the gate. I went up to plead my case, and it was already done - she just printed my new boarding pass.

So now I'm sitting pretty. Yummy drink. Comfy chair. And the promise of potentially at least resting on my flight. It's going to be Friday morning for me for the next fourteen hours. We leave at almost 3am, and then land in TO at just past 5. That's a lot of movies.

This might be my last post for awhile, unless something spectacular happens on this final leg of my trip. It's been awesome blogging throughout this trip, and it is especially nice when I hear that someone is following along. It really helps avert feeling isolated while traveling alone.

I do plan on doing some posts recapping, and offering travel advice - not to mention tagging posts and correcting some of the more annoying mistakes I've made - but that might have to wait awhile. In the interim if anyone reading this is planning a trip and has questions feel free to post them, or just ask me. I'm good for general Europe and South America advice too, in addition to the places I visited on this trip. As the blog is called Joana Abroad, I'll also pop in with posts when I take other trips. I have a few in the pipelines I'm excited about. Next up will be Halifax for a wedding, unless I visit my sister in Calgary first.

With starting my PhD (the classes anyways as on papers, I started before I left for this trip), along with other obligations (like earning money. I'm kind if scared to get my next bill) it's due to be a busy fall.

Day 45 - Homeward bound - stopover in Hong Kong.

Starting this post from the plane. We're in the air now, but I managed to use up almost all my Filipino cellphone credits before taking off which was good. Madly sent of texts to everyone I knew on Manila - which isn't that many people, atleast in terms if the number of cellphone numbers I have, so I ended up sending some people multiple departure texts.

The fight is too short to watch movies, so I'm doing tv shows - all on cathays in demand system which is nice. Watching the premiere episode of Murder She Wrote, which should get me all the way to HK. Was previously watching the outside camera, which was working and available for the first time in ages. I really love it, especially during take off - at first it's kind of slow, just watching the plane taxi. But then you're in position, all lined up and the plane pauses before finally starting to speed down the runway. The underside of a plane is super shiny, so all the lights on the runway are reflected on the top of the screen (the camera is somewhere under the plane being the wheel). It wind up looking like you're zooming off into a tunnel of flashing lights, like something out of star trek. Or am I thinking star gate?

Then the plane takes off and I see he lights of Manila shunning super brightly - for awhile were close enough that you can kind of see traffic flowing about, but then it becomes a web of light. The screen gets all foggy when you finally hit the clouds, though periodically it clears up enough - it's super dark, and unfortunately the resolution isn't high enough to see stars. Though I think the planes lights are too bright to see any. Sometimes though, when we were closer to shore, you'd be able to catch flashes of city lights and what must be the roads connecting them. Nothing as bright as Manila, but still kind of fun to watch.

Only annoyance at the moment is that I'm booked on a centre seat for my Toronto flight, which will not work for me. No way am I spending 14 hours sandwiched between two people. I'm told it can be fixed at the transfer desk in HK, which better be true.

Anyways, off to watch some tv and enjoy the meal service - tuna and cheese sandwhich, which sounds weird but atleast smells delicious.

----

Was all set to write about how the cloudy skies in HK look great on the camera feed, as when we fly through one the planes lights make everything glow, but am currently in a bad mood.

My flight is fully booked - while a 'request' was put in the system to get me my requested aisle seat, it's probably not going to happen. So the only way out would be to upgrade my ticket which would be pricy. May possibly try to complain some more, if only to vent, but not sure if I'm up for it. Am currently sitting by the transfer desks, which isn't as comfy as the departure lounge proper. May just hunker down somewhere comfy and rest up in anticipation of a loooong flight.

Hopefully the restaurants are still open and I can get something to drink.

Day 45 - Homeward Bound - Manila Airport.

Turns out that while the airport here in Manila doesn't have free wifi, it does have free internet stations. Which is nice - and also allowed me to get the message from Cathay that my flight will be delayed by 30 minutes. Its not a big deal, as I was due for like a 3 hour layover in HK anyways. The plane I'm going to be taking has just landed, so its not like the last delay where it ended up ballooning to three hours - though that did land me food voucher which was good.

Not that there would be anywhere to spend the voucher here - the facilities in the departure lounge are seriously lacking. I'm having a 'froccino' from the coffee place, which is one of the better options available - and there looks like theres a decent bar, but not really anywhere for a proper meal. Luckily we ate before we got here (actually my only visit to Jollibees of the trip - with a side of corn muffins from kenny rogers) and I'm loaded up with food in my carryon. Which I was made to repack as it was overweight by 3kg. It wasn't a huge deal, as my checked bags were underweight. Atleast it wasn't a big deal once I managed to find the keys to my suitcase. We were about to break out the wirecutters :)

The airport here has more checkpoints than usual, and only passengers are allowed in the terminal building so I was left at the gate. Also be warned that there's an airport tax you need to pay on your way out. Right now its 750php, or 16.75 USD. I paid in US, but ended up getting change in pesos which I have to try to use up before I board my flight. The delay gives me a bit longer to shop. I'm leaning towards a keychain.

And I've been informed that there is indeed free wifi - or atleast sponsored, so hopefully its still around next time I visit here - but Ive gotten comfy at my station, and dont feel like digging through my bag for my ipod so I'll stay put.

The last day or so here in Manila was pretty good. Went out with some of my cousins for dinner last night - we went to the Ayala Tech hub, a little courtyard area with a bunch of shops and restaurants right near the house, in the same development as a whole bunch of call centers and other huge office buildings - one of my cousin apparently works at an IBM office right beside where we ate. We ate at the Crepe Breton, which was nice and chill. Good cafe au lait, and I had a super yummy crepe called the Tarzan - fried bananas and condensed milk. I barely missed the fact that there weren't any strawberry options as they weren't 'in season'. So good - I wish they had it back home, though I could do without all the tempting mango options.

Also had a spa day at the salon this morning with some of the aunts and my grandmother which was nice. Had a chill time having a mani pedi, and getting a haircut and blowout. Its so cheap here, I would do it daily, if traffic didnt make getting everywhere a huge pain. Though maybe with the home service option it would be feasible?  Spent all my other time packing which was a pain. My stuff all fit, but only because I left so much of my things from back home behind.

Anyways I think I need to head to the boarding area. Nothing has come up about my flight officially, so Im a wee bit concerned. Nobody has paged me which is presumably a good sign?

Will post again from HKIA.

Day 44 - Breakfast news.

Just finished having breakfast. Will be heading out soonish I think, but thought I'd write a little bit - don't think Ill luck out into encountering wifi today like yesterday. Apparently some of the malls Ive been in have had wifi, but Ive been having issues connecting, and also rarely stay still enough to take advantage.

I think I mentioned before how I like it here in Manila, because everything seems so familiar. This is in part because they keep everything. I talk about my trip here when I was in Grade 6, but really, the first time I came to the Philippines was when I was something like 6 months old. Apparently, there's a baby blanket my mom embroidered that's still kicking around here, along with a little dress. They've since been used by my younger female cousins, which I think is kind of cool. Though I totally want it back. Maybe to have framed?

And there's even older stuff. They gave me a towel in my room that was apparently last used by my father when he was last here. Which would have been before I was born when he married my mom. It boggles the mind. There's also a little souvenir that he gave my mom before they were married, and I've heard rumours that there are old love letters between my parents around somewhere.

On an unrelated front, to those of you who I've complained to about this, it turns out that my ankles indeed weren't always that fat. I mentioned it to my grandmother, who gave me a cream for swelling which worked like a charm - the reigning theory was that it might have been a combination of causes, like all the plane travel, and the heat, and the walking, not to mention the falling down. One of the ankles has since swollen up a little, so I think I might have sprained it a little when I fell a few days ago - not enough to really notice, but with all the walking I think it might not be healing completely. I think it's getting better now though.

Plans for the day are shopping. And eating. Maybe some sightseeing thrown in there, time permitting.

Not to mention packing. I had bought a bigger suitcase a few days ago, but I'm thinking it might not be enough. Things are cheap here, so I've been going all out. Yesterday one of the stops we made at the mall of Asia was this store called Kultura - all Filipino souvenirs. It's where I bought my brother's barong tagalog among other things (jewelry, snacks, house stuff.... and this was me being restrained). They kinda encapsulate Filipino culture, like those places I went to in Beijing - partway through shopping there, the employees broke out into this synchronised dance. The issue is that some of the things I've been buying are overly bulky - I really hope everything fits.

Worst comes to worst though, I leave some of my things behind. I know they'll be here when I get back :)

Day 43 - Dinner at the Mall of Asia

Having dinner at a Thai restaurant at the mall of Asia - one of the massive shopping malls here in Manila. Apparently the land I'm standing on was part of Manila Bay when I visited here when I was a child. It's since been reclaimed and developed which is kind of cool. We wandered down the new shore front for awhile before heading into the mall.

-----

Rushing this while I still have wifi. Leaving the mall - we parked by the bayside and it livens at at night with variou places having live music. Very cool.

Spent age buying a barong Tagalog - traditional Filipino shirt - for my brother. I can't tell them apart, but apparently its a nice one? Hope he wears it.

Day 43 - Post from Ayala Museum Cafe

Currently chilling at the Ayala Museum Cafe, waiting to get picked up by one of my aunts. With two of my other aunts at the moment. We were initially meant to all go together to the museum but traffic was crap so three of us were dripped off to go by train. The MRT was super cramped - like eat I'm told about Tokyo at rush hour but never quite experienced, due in part I'm sure to helens planning. Also, weird rule where I couldn't take pictures.

Same rule at the museum - even in the lobby which was weird. A guard made me delete a pick of the museum sign. Which particularly sucks as the gift shop was blah. Bought one mug my aunt said my mom would like, and was tempted by a shawl made of pina cloth that the aunts said Id be able to buy cheaper elaewhere. There was a really cool exhibit of boats that was completely unrepresented. Not even a postcard - I managed to sneak a quick pic of it from my purse that I hope turned out.

The museum itself was ok. Standouts were an exhibit of Filipino gold, from pre Spanish colonial times, a section where the history of he museum was displayed via dioramas, and then this really cool art display by victoria d'aboville. It was all sea creatures, polyps and jellyfish and such, made of materials like plastic cups and fishing nets, all lit with black light.

Plans for the rest of the day are shopping, though with views of Manila Bay which should be nice.

Day 42 - Chill day in Manila.

It doesn't really feel as though enough happened today to warrant a blog post, but at this point its really just a reflex to start one when I have access to the internet and some time to spare.

Back at the house after a day out. Dropped off one of the cousins at the university (and had some snacks - avocado shakes and carioca aka. rice balls on sticks). Then went to the mall with my aunts and another cousin (and had more snacks. cake was involved. notably bought a bigger suitcase to fit all of my things more comfortably. things seemed to have expanded since landing here, never mind the shopping I done. On the way home, we stopped by an orchid exhibit at a nearby garden centre (beautiful flowers - no food available). Finally arrived at the house. Where we had a snack, followed by dinner. As the snack was a buco tart, maybe that just counts as having dessert first? And last night, after my last post, we also went to a mall, where I had dinner with cousins I had stayed with in Singapore on my last trip to Asia.

It feels like I'm spending most of my time sitting, eating and shopping. Which normally, count among my favourite ways to spend my time - but are making me feel kind of lazy at the moment. I'm enjoying the slower pace, but it kinda feels like I'm undoing all the fitness benefits of having been so active for the past month and a half. I can almost feel myself losing the little tone I've gained as I sit here. I'll possibly do some crunches before bed.

Though the weird feeling I have is possibly just muscle soreness more closely related to the fact that I fell twice yesterday. Both times in my room here. The first time I blaimed not wearing slippers like Im supposed to in the house. And then the second time I blaimed the slippers I was wearing. Plan at the moment is just to walk super slow, holding on to the walls, just like my grandmother :)

Day 41 - lunch with the family.

Taking a quick break during a family lunch to update. Hanging out with a large group of my extended family is fun, with all the aunts, uncles and cousins I don't usually get to see, but it also takes awhile to get used to. Especially with all the tagalog being used.

Currently eating one of the buco (young coconut) tarts we bought yesterday in Tagaytay. Besides eating lunch with a view of the Taal volcano, we also visited the farm of my cousin's boyfriend's family (papaya. mango. pineapple and god knows how many other tropical fruits. farming in the tropics is so much more delicious sounding than back home), and the pink sisters convent. Where the nuns habits are pink, which is kind of fun.

Though the story of the day was really the horrendous traffic. We hit it getting to dinner at another of my aunt's places, and then again getting home, so we had a really late night.

Today so far, just church (followed by snacks and a spot of shopping - the church is on the campus of the University my mom went to, so I picked up some stuff from the gift shop) and then back here for lunch with the fam. I think there are dinner plans in the work, but we'll see. I still havent unpacked, but at this point it feels like there isnt much of a point...

Day 40 - Morning in Manila.

It seems Im always starting these posts in Manila as I'm about to rush off somewhere. Just had a yummy breakfast of fried bananas, pandesal, and what I think was fried spam. It was definetly some sort of canned meat. Surprisingly delicious. We're heading out soon to visit some family on our way to a day trip to Tagaytay, a city nearish to Manila best known for its volcano. Or atleast that's why I know it...

Anyways, have been having a great time in Manila. I find myself not taking nearly as many pictures as I normally do - I think it's because it's so familiar it feels kind of home like. I was here for 2 months when I was in Grade 6, and was last here 2 years ago. The biggest difference Ive noted so far was at the airport - I think it's been redone since I was last here. Though atleast getting picked up went really smoothly this time around - I think we were the only flight coming in, so it wasn't crowded like last time.

Another perk of arriving so late (I think it was past 1am when we finally left the airport) was no traffic. Which is ridiculously brutal here in Manila. You see three cars where there are two lanes, cars cutting accross lanes at an angle - going to the mall yesterday involved no only cutting accross a sidewalk, but also briefly going the wrong way in traffic. It's a good thing the family here uses a driver who's a pro at navigating the roads.

Yesterday was spent taking a nice shower using the yummy beauty products they had ready for me - honestly, showering before breakfast makes me hungry. Then a mani/pedi, with a fullon footspa which was fantastic. The lady who does it comes to the house, and in total it winds up costing like $5? If I had the time, I would do them every day. Hopefully I get the chance to do it again before I leave.

And then the rest of the day was filled with shopping at Greenhills. Which I think might be a series of attached shopping centres? Part of it is an asian style bazaar with lots of stalls, and some parts are a more traditional shopping mall. Mainly bought jewelry - the pearl products they have available here are fabulous. And such a bargain. We were there for hours, though it wasn't all because of shopping. Because of the wicked traffic here, cars with certain licence plates can't be on the road on certain days at certain times. The van we were usig had to be off the road yesterday from 3-7, so we kind of stalled a little.

Ended up heading home after stopping for dinner at Max's chicken place. Got in at a reasonable hour, so initially intended on unpacking properly. Which didn't really happen, but atleast I have a vague idea now of where my things are. Mainly spent the evening hanging out with my grandmother, which was nice as that's one of the main reasons I come to Manila.

Anyways, I think everyone is almost ready to go, so Ill end this now. Better than having them wait on me as I madly type a few more words.

Day 39 - shopping break at Starbucks.

Just a quickie post so everyone knows I arrived safely in Manila. Sitting at a starbucks after a day of shopping. Only other activity of the day was a mani/pedi. My family knows me so well. Also picked up a sim card to use while here, though they're huge fans of texting, which I'm laughably slow at without a qwerty keyboard.

Also enjoying the little basket of beauty products they had for me - all organic and fruit based. Particularly helpful as I left some of my toiletries in Japan.

Some of them make me kind of hungry. And the mango ones that I can't use are soooo tempting.

Anyways, heading off to dinner. More proper recap yet to come.

Day 38 - picture post from HKIA

i

Edit:  I had written proper descriptions for these pictures, but apparently they didnt post. addingthese now from manila. This is Helen pondering the tokyo train system - and this crazy twisted map doesnt even include the subway lines.

Helen and I with the bronze buddha at Kamakura. who was a name, but i forget it. According to Helen like most relics, this supposedly washed ashore and ws found by fishermen. Also on display are his giant sandals.

Helen and I at Hakone Temple. or is it a shrine? Anyways, this is where she got married!!! So pretty up there, even with all the rain. And this is one of the many places in Japan where I bought temple charms I cant understand.

Continuing on with the post camping pics, this is an illicit picture of the onsen at the Prince Hotel in Hakone. Helen and I were the only ones there on our way out, so I snuck best into the baths to take a quick picture. Not a very good one unfortunately, as I was kind of nervous that a Japanese person would pop in and be angry. So many rules at onsens - but so worth it.

FInally, this is the three of us at the kaitenzushi place after camping. delicious, but definetly ate way too much. Though this pic is from before we really started eating - you can tell because there isnt a gigantic stack of plates in front of us. The sushi was fab, and surpringingly they also had a decent cheese cake for dessert.

Day 38 - to the skies for Manila.

On the plane heading to HK. We're leaving the gate on time, which is a nice change of pace. In my usual seat -33G. Aisle near the front of the plane. I know I requested aisle when I booked my ticket way back when, but the front of the plane thing is a pleasant surprise - walking through the plane is a pain. It's also nice knowing all my seats are reserved. Also lucked out into having an empty seat beside me which is nice and let's me spread out. And possibly take my carrion down to put under the seat beside me.

Anyways prepping for takeoff. More soon.

---------

In the air. In the middle of my first movie of the trip. Video on demand is wonderful. I should be able to fit in two movies and a tv show before landing In HK. Will have to grab a salad or something after landing - meal service just ended, and while decent it was seriously lacking in veggies.

Currently watching My Darling is a Foreigner, a Japanese movie Helen told me about. There was a little shorts of an animated version on the plane, and apparently it's also a manga. Very cute so far. Centres on the relationship between a Japanese woman and an American man in Japan, and the ensuing culture clash.

---------

I've gotten to be such a pro at the HK airport. Got to the departure area way faster than anyone else because I knew exactly where to go when the signs go weird. It's hard to think that I've been here 5 times already.

Having a quick snack then off to rest near my date. Successfully got something with veggies - though I'm not really sure its what I ordered - and a red bean drink. Cafe de Coral is my fave place to eat here.

It's been a long day and it's not over yet. Excited to see the family though - and this will be a comparatively smooth arrival, as I'm only dealing with a 1 hour time difference from Tokyo, as opposed to 12 hours from Toronto.

Day 37-38 - Narita Airport - recap of Harajuku and Tokyo Tower

Currently sitting on the Narita Express, heading to the airport to catch my flight to HK enroute to Manila. It's a nice train, though Helen, who dropped me off at Shinjuku after picnicking on the platform with me, tells me it's one if the older ones. Still though - comfy seats with electrical outlets and tables, ac, luggage space. What more could a girl want? And we watched them clean the train as we snacked. Apparently all the seats spin - they switched them all to face forward, and you can spin them back yourself, so if you were in a group of 4 you could just sit as a group facing each other.

All of today will be spent in transit. So tonnes of time to compose lengthy blog posts :) Trains now, and then planes and airports the rest of the day, arriving in Manila just before midnight. Assuming everything goes to plan - my flights were still on time when we checked this morning, which hopefully means that the typhoon which missed Tokyo isn't in the way of my flight path. And I don't have to deal with Beijing air traffic control :)

The train has just started moving super slow - apparently due to high winds. Maybe related to the typhoon? The weather looks all grey, but there isn't supposed to be rain till later in the afternoon. Hopefully everything holds - luckily, I'm due to arrive to the airport with time to spare, so a slowdown here won't mess things up too much.

----------------

Recapping from the Narita airport starbucks. Bought myself the requisite mug. And one for Barbs as well - the Tokyo one they have here is kind of ugly, so I bought myself the Starbucks Japan airport special edition, and Barbs the Osaka mug. I really hope that it's Osaka she went to last time she was in Japan, and not Kyoto - both seemed vaguely familiar. But I remember that she had been thinking of a sidetrip to Kobe, and apparently Osaka is closer? The bonus of getting two mugs is two free drink vouchers - its like half the cost of the mug. They have to be enjoyed in Japan, which means today in the airport, but it's all good. I have awhile before it's time to go to the gate and I might aswell spend it here at Starbucks. They went all out with the mugs - barbs is nicely wrapped, and there's even a holder in the gift bag for me to put my mug in. Drinking a latte with honey orange sprinkles at the moment. Yum. Though I did forget to request skim milk again. I also got a matcha azuki dacquoise - pretty much a green tea cake with redbean in the centre. They should definitely have these back home.

And I just managed to delete the parts of the post I drafted before. Joy. This one might be shorter than expected.

So anyways, yesterday was a pretty good last day in Japan. After a week of being expertly guided by Helen, I was worried about returning to solo travel, but everything went fine. After having handled Beijing solo, I should have known better than to be overly concerned about Tokyo. The transit system is much more complex, but also more orderly. Between the handwritten instructions Helen had prepared for me, and the decent signage at the stations, I didn't get lost once and was only a little late to meet Helen at the end of the day at Kichijoji.

So back to the beginning. Helen and I split up at Yoyogi, the station near where she does karate. My first stop of the day was actually to be Harajuku, one station past, but as I would be hubbing through Yoyogi throughout the day it was best to get an intro to the station with Helen.

Once I did get to Harajuku, my first stop was Meiji Temple. It's one of the most important Shinto temples, and is the resting place of the souls - but not the bodies, which are in Kyoto - of emperor Meiji and his wife. It's a beautiful place, and the parkland actually abuts Harajuku station so it's really easy to get to.

Wandering the grounds towards the main temple on a wide gravel avenue, you pass what is apparently the largest Tori gate in the world, as well as the empresses garden, which I explored later in the day. The garden is beautiful, though best known for it's irises, which were unfortunately out of season. There was also what I'm guessing is a famous well, judging by the huge line of Japanese people waiting to get to it. I waited in line for a bit, but then left. No point waiting an hour in the heat for a well you'd never heard of.

I was lucky enough to arrive at the main temple while something was going on. What, I have no idea. It involved who I think was a Shinto priest, a lot of bowing and clapping, and some super loud drumming. I lingered for a bit, and then headed back down the gravel path through the park to Ometasando, apparently Tokyo's answer to the champs d'elysse.

Apparently further down the street, there would have been flagship stores for all the major designers, but the part I saw mainly had American chain stores. I had lunch at Lotteria, a Japanese burger chain (though I somehow managed to order something that wasn't a burger) before heading down towards Takeshita dori, which is what most people think of when they hear Harajuku.

It's a part of Tokyo I saw last time I was in Japan, but I'm glad I got the chance to see it again. It's ground zero for Japanese street fashion, though on a weekday afternoon, while the merchandise in the stores was certainly funky, the streets were mainly filled with tourists. It's sort if unabashedly materialistic, and is one of my favorite parts of the city. I stopped by for an ice-cream crepe, and them picked up a few things in Daiso, this massive 4 story 100yen store that sells pretty much everything.

On an aside, just started my second Starbucks drink. Their special summer frappucino flavor unfortunately involves mango, so instead in full on japan mode I got a matcha frappucino. Way better than the green tea frapps you can get back home, and this time I remembered to customize it properly. So delicious.

And back to my recap. Takeshita dori actually let's out right at Harajuku station (which is also where Ometasando starts, though at another station entrance, so I essentially just made a big loop) so I was back on the train to my next stop of the day.

I transferred at Yoyogi from the train to the subway (after walking down a series of ridiculously long staircase) and was off to Akabanebashi to see Tokyo tower. It's a bit of a walk, but since there are signs everywhere and you can see the tower once you leave the station, it's pretty simple.

Maybe it's the red and white colour, but I don't quite see the Eiffel tower. At the base of the tower is this massive building, that houses among other things a shopping complex, an aquarium and a wax museum. So the site is essentially a big entertainment complex.

The weather wasn't good enough to have much of a view, so I didn't go up the tower. I wandered the shops a bit, picking up a bottle of water shaped like the tower, and then headed back to the station to transit onwards to Kichijoji to meet Helen.

I find Helen right away outside the starbucks we arranged to meet at, and we headed off to have dinner (subway, which is way different in Japan - my sandwich had shrimp and avocado, and there were also yummy cheese fries) before going on to karaoke.

I think I'm going to miss karaoke. It's really fun just going in with friends and belting out some songs. My karaoke taste is a bit different from the music I enjoy listening to. Rihanna and Taylor Swift, which I do have on my iPod, but also Celine Dion and the Spice Girls, which I definitely don't.

Anyways, after that stopped off for a coffee, and then headed home to pack. Which was a massive undertaking, filling most of Helen's living space, that involved leaving behind a pile of my toiletries with Helen (apparently selection is crap in Japan - and neither their toothpaste nor their water have fluoride, which explain the bad feet lots of people seem to have) and using my new luggage straps to make sure my suitcase would stay closed.

And I need to get on finishing my drinks so I can clear the security checkpoint. Will post this from HK - no free wifi in Narita.

------

And I was wrong! There is in fact a free wifi in Narita at the NTT broadband cafe. Also computer stations available. Excellent. Will post this now, and then load some things to do on the plane. Have to be speedy though - almost time to board.

Day 37 - Japan picture post!

I was considering leaving this until Hong Kong - assuming that all my flights are on time this time around, i should have a few hours to kill in the airport. But I find myself with a bit of time to spare now, so I figure Ill atleast get started with the posting. Just a small selection this time around - roughly displayed in chronological order, but with gaps in between. We ll see what I'm in the mood for posting next time around.

Helly and I at one of the temples in Kamakura - observe the beautiful sunny weather. It was meant to be that way for the entire trip. No rain storms, and at the moment were monitoring the path of a typhoon - which will almost certainly miss Tokyo, and hopefully wont affect my flights out of here tomorrow. Also observe Helens peace sign. You can tell that shes truly embraced the japanese way of life because she does that in almost all her pictures.

 Stopping for a snack in Asakusa. Honestly one of my favourite bits of Tokyo - Sensoji temple with an avenue of shops lining the way. And my visit yesterday to the Edo museum tells me that the shops have been there for ages and arent just a recent touristy commercialization of the temple. This was where I picked up my yukata, as its one of the best places to get them to fit western heights. I also love the little side streets with shopping, where I bought my vintage kimonos.

Not the most flattering picture of me in my yukata, but it is one of the only shots of my bow. Which I tied all by myself, with the help of a little booklet the ladies at the shop where I bought the obi gave me. I did a pretty good job, and am thoroughly impressed with myself.

Our cute camp site before the rain.

And then after - underneath the kitchen shelter. Helen and Hisashi quite impressively moved it assembled (though emptied out). We successfully stayed dry the rest of the night, though we did have to deal with those lights being on. And then those sirens in the early morning. Not the most relaxing camping trip, but it was definitely an experience.

Day 36 - Chill day in Tokyo.

Very relaxing day. Spent most of it at the Edo Tokyo  museum, right by Ryogoku station. Apparently the area also has a sumo stadium nearby so a lot of the souvenir shops are geared towards sumo paraphanelia, and the food shops have sumo noodles, meant to bulk you up. We ended up eating at this little rice bowl place, one amongst a row of places underneath the train tracks.

The museum was really good - takes you through the history of Edo, from its roots in ancient Japan to modern day, and in doing so provides a really good overview of Japanese culture. There were some interactive exhibits which were fun to do, but my favourite part were the super intricate dioramas. One of them had something like 1500 little people in it. They provided binoculars so you could get a really close look, and it was honestly amazing. Another notable was the really good gift shop.


After that we headed in to Kichijoji for me to pick up some things I needed - mainly luggage straps, as I'm concerned about jamming my suitcase to capacity - the hard sides are good for safety, but don't really have any give. Then dinner at Coco curry house here in Hishagi Koganei, where I had some sort of Japanese style curry (not spicy, and definitely not an indian curry)/dori (apparently an italian preparation really big in japan - essentially covered in a cheesy cream sauce and baked) hybrid. Yummy. And now were back at Helen's early. Or at least it feels super early because I'm not totally exhausted. Doing a load of laundry at the moment, then possibly sorting some pictures before bed. if all goes to plan Ill have a picture post ready for the morning.

Day 34 - 35 - Hakone Adventure.

 Got back from our trip to Hakone. Had a great time, but am absolutely exhausted, so a full recap (possibly through pictures?) will have to wait. In the past two days we visited multiple historical sites, went out on lake Ashi on a row boat, went to to different onsens, and camped. Where we were rained on. And then to cap it all off, we ate at this kaiten sushi place, where any special orders you make are sent to you by a little shinkansen (mini highspeed train). Very fun.

Will add more detail in the am.

----------

Having a yummy breakfast at Helen's place, and thought Id take the chance to recap the last two days before something else exciting happens.

So, after our early start two days ago, we drove past that Kamakura,  where Helen and I saw temples a few days ago, and drove along the ocean a bit which was nice - come japanese surfers commute by bicycle which is fun to watch. We then stopped at a highway stop which was notable for being so high tech. The fanciest washrooms ever - so many options attached to your toilet seat. Speakers to play flushing noises, heating, various sprays. They really go all out. And then I bought iced coffee out of a machine which was fancy because there's a video where you can watch what they're doing to your drink - grinding beans, brewing etc.

Our next (really, our first proper stop) was at Odowara jo, this reconstructed Japanese castle. Apparently really popular as a flower viewing area. We had just missed hydrangeas, which are apparently really popular here, but it was prime lotus blossom season. So after stopping for some pictures, we go onwards to Hakone. Helen and I go off on various trains and cable cars up the mountain, while Hisashi goes off by car to run some errands then meet us at at the end. The cable cars were cool, and we got luckily enough to have a break in the cloud cover and get a nice view of mount fuji out of one of them. Anyways, the main point of the cable cars and such are toget you to Owakudani, this portion of the mountain where its all dead earth and smoking pits - bits of the volcano underneath peaking out. Anyways, we trek up this little path (many steps. but atleast realtively even?) to get to this booth where we enjoy the specialty of the region - eggs boiled in the natural springs. The springs turn the eggshells black which is kind of cool, though the eggs taste pretty normal. Apparently it promotes long life which is interesting. Another interesting photo op is taking pictures with a hello kitty statue where shes dressed as a black egg, and another one where shes all done up in the traditional parquet like wood work the area is known for. She really has been everywhere.

We then headed back down the mountain, where we met Hisashi and headed off to our camp site. Apparently, you cant drive up to it, so we parked and then loaded our stuff (read - like most camping things, Hisashi and Helen did the heavy lifting while I supervised) into this cart and took it down a path to our site. The sites in Japan are smaller than back home, but it wasn't really busy, so it was ok. So we set up camp, had some bento boxes that Hisashi picked up for us, and then Helen and I went for a walk to the nearest little town, while Hisashi went to fish. Helen and I went out on to lake Ashi which was nice. Good views of this ferry boat shaped like a Japanese pirate ship. Why there would be a pirate ship on a lake, I have no idea. When we got back it was time for dinner, which was korean barbecue. A lot of korean barbecue. We started up the fire on the grill, and just kept adding in more meat and vegetables. pork, beef, scallops, chicken. Really went all out by my standards, though apparently it was low key by japanese standards. Some of the neighboring campers would book a second site just to set up a full on kitchen area.

After that, relaxed by the fire for a bit, before heading out to the little onsen at the campsite. Its mainly a way to get clean, with bathing really well preceding sitting in whats pretty much a tub of hot water. It was meant to be an introduction to the rules of using an onsen, of which there are many, but I really enjoyed it partly because of the presence of western showers. Japanese style, like at Helen's place, you sit on a little stool, and then use this water jet thing to clean yourself - it doesn't quite reach standing height. standing properly while having water overhead was a nice change of pace. Got back to the site all nice and clean and started getting ready for bed - it was still relatively early, but already dark so there wasn't much else to do after sitting by the fire some more.

And this is actually where the excitement begins. We get into the tents, start falling asleep, only to be woken up by really loud singing. A group of what we think were boy scouts having a bonfire. We sit there waiting for the magical 10pm lights out time before we complain about the noise, only to have it start raining. Which was fine, except that after a little while we hear thunder, and the rain picks up a bit. Still all good, so when it quiets down, we go to bed again.

Only to be woken up part way through the night (still raining) to discover that water is getting in the tent. So we decided to move it in the middle of the night (still assembled, so it was rather an impressive operation) to this nearby cooking area where there's a shelter. Again, all good for awhile, and while we have the lights of the cooking shelter to deal with, atleast we have the promise of staying relatively dry.

But then we are woken up again at like 5am by announcements coming from loud speakers - which no one can understand because they're a bit too far away, and there was too much fuzziness. And then there was what sounded like air raid sirens. No one seemed to be evacuating their sites, so we similarly stayed put, but no clue what was going on. We were to far up the mountain for it to be an actual typhoon, no matter what the rain felt like, and it was also unlikely that it was an actual air raid. And then this was all repeated at 5:30am. We found out in the morning that it was warnings that the dams to the side of the lake were being opened because of the rain we were getting. Though apparently they do set off the same noises for other reasons, like once a few days previously when an old man got lost in the middle of the night.

After that we doze a bit more before properly waking up. We stay in the cooking shelter to cook our breakfast (mainly food we didn't manage to get to the night before). Only problem was that we didn't bring all our stuff to the shelter the night before, and one of the things we left at our water soaked site was the fire wood. So getting the fire going was a production of finding charcoal from old fires nearby, ripping apart what was apparently a bad book on kayaking, and eventually me tossing in pieces of bacon into the fire. It all worked out though, so we had yummy sausages, soup and noodles for breakfast.

Plan for the day was to visit this super nice onsen at one of the Prince Hotels in Hakone, though that wouldn't be on until a bit later in the day. So we spent the morning visiting Hakone Shrine, where Helen got married, as well as Hakone Sekisho, a reconstructed checkpoint on the ancient road from Edo to Kyoto, apparently in charge of keeping women from escaping Edo. Which I dont fully  understand, but eh. The shrine was really beautiful. The trees were massive, and it was all definitely worth climbing up the irregular stone stairs. we even passed by students having lessons in traditional japanese archery, which was fun to watch. Totally looked like something out of an anime, what with everyone running about in their martial arts/temple clothes.

Still a bit more time to kill, so we have a quick lunch at the near by cable car station. Had taco rice which was fun, partly because Helen and Hisashi ordered it from a computer. Then headed off to the prince hotel. The onsen was definitely nicer here - besides having slippers, and a full set of lotions and soaps and shampoos and such available, the onsens themselves had a view of a traditional Japanese gardens. Helen says that they get even nicer, with some having outdoor baths, but I thought it was nice and relaxing, particularly after our rough night.

Next was our ridiculously long drive back to Tokyo, where we hit a tonne of traffic. Stopped twice for little breaks a long the way, before making it back to the city two hours later than expected. Nearish to Helens place we stopped for dinner at what might be my favourite restaurant in Tokyo. Kaiten sushi, which Ive had before, but at this much bigger place. Like usual, there's sushi on a conveyor belt that you can take off as it passes by you, and little hot water spigots where you can make your own matcha tea. But there are also these computerized screens where you can make special orders. And when your food is ready, it zooms past on this little shinkansen train, stopping right in front of you. very fun, and I definitely ate too much.

And that's pretty much what i was up to for the last two days. Its raining right now, and Ive done most of what I set out to see here in Japan, so just a chill day of running a few errands and then hitting up a museum today.

Day 33 - Kichijoji, Shibuya and Naka-meguro

Just a quick post today, as we have a super early start tomorrow to go camping in Hakone - which also likely means I wont get a chance to post/email for a bit.

Another fun day in Tokyo. Visited Kichijoji a part of Tokyo popular with young people - lots of shopping. We had lunch there are Sharky's, a pizza place they have in the US i think. But the pizza flavours are totally Japanese. Yummy ones included mayonnaise and potatoes, and a dessert pizza with bananas and custard. Very fun. But not as fun as karaoke :)

Helen, Hisashi and I had a private booth for an hour - once we got into it, it was really fun. And I got really really into it once I found out that you get judged when you do it, and then ranked against other people in Japan. Helen and I did a rendition of Rihannas Russian Roulette which was apparently number one in Japan.

After that, some wandering and then a coffee break in Shibuya, followed by a festival in Naka-meguro. This time just watching parades of dancers. Hopefully I get a chance to post a video of it eventually. Quite enjoyable, especially as we lucked out in getting stools to sit on.

And i really should start getting ready for tomorrow. 6am departure, which means getting up by at least 5:30.

Day 32 - Dance Party, Japan Style.

Just resting up after the Bon odori here in Higashi, the part of Tokyo where Helen lives. It was fun - festival food, people in yukatas, and then performances by a rock group, cheer leaders, a japanese singer and then Taiko drummers. Followed by traditional Japanese dances, where everyone goes around the stage. Hopefully you end up near someone who knows what theyre doing so you can follow along. Some of them are kind of complicated, involving spinning around, but it was really fun. The night is capped off by fireworks, which were particularly impressive as you were really close to them.

Partly because I got to rock my yukata and obi. We had spent the day in Asakusa, a touristy area near the Sensoki temple where we wanted to find a yukata in western sizes. Even if I wasnt big, Im significantly taller than the average japanese woman, so going to a standard department store wouldnt really work. Asakusa is an area that I got to visit last time I was in Tokyo, but I like it there and am glad that we got to go again.

Part of why I like it is the shopping. Besides my yukata, a matching obi, and some ties you need to wear the yukata properly, I also bough a second yukata, a little coat, and then this gorgeous vintage kimono from the Taisho period. Its purple silk, and is handpainted, and doesnt fit me (Japanese women were even tinier way back when). It could kinda pass as a robe, but I also picked up this cool hanger made for displaying kimonos so I could just use it as a decoration back home.

Anyways, another busy day ahead tomorrow - some more sightseeing, possibly also including karaoke and another festival - partly so I have another excuse to wear my yukata :)

Just one picture today - Me and Helen in our yukata with the stage in the background.

Day 31 - Temples and Gyoza

Expect shorter potentially less detailed posts from here in Japan. Im updating from Helens laptop, instead of via my ipod touch, so there are actually end of the day recaps, instead of me writing mini posts throughout the day when I have down time.

Today was fun - had a good sleep, complete with a frozen icepack type pillow under my head. We had the windows open for the breeze, but its been pretty warm (though apparently less humid than its been recently) so we have the ac on right now. Woke up kinda early, when the sun started rising, and then also because of the super loud crickets/cicadas. Sometimes it sounds like they're in the house which is a bit off putting. Helen tells me eventually you get used to it?

Spent the day in Kamakura, which is a town about an hour and a half from where Helen lives. We visited this giant buddha statue, and then two different temples. The architecture is a bit less ornamented than from the temples in China, but no less impressive. On entry to the sites, they have this ceremonial hand washing station, and then incense to wave over yourself, both of which relate to purifying and blessing yourself. We think anyways. Had lunch at this cute little tempura place, where we sat at a traditional Japanese style table. i think the novelty will wear off soon though, as that's what we use at Helen's place too.

Going to have dinner here at Helens place - we made our own gyoza! We used a little dumpling maker which I picked up at a little shop, which worked out rather well. Baring the ones we over filled, they look really professional.

May possibly try for a picture post after dinner. It'll be a full day tomorrow. Some time in Tokyo, then watching Helen do karate, followed by shopping for a yukata for me to wear to the festivals we will be going to :)

Day 30 - Tokyo!

Safe in Helens appartment. Yay!

Apparently making a bit of a fuss at the airport (politely - more of a concerned single female traveller than an angry western tourist) totally worked out. When I left Helens number for them to contact her to inform her of my delay, they apparently ended up coordinating my pickup in Narita. Cathay had given me a calling card in HK to try calling myself, but I never quite figured out how to work it. So not only was there a Cathay Pacific staff member waiting at the gate to guide me through the airport, but Helen and Hisashi were waiting for me at the airport to drive me to their place. Complete with bento box :) Very very nice of them and completely unexpected.

The flight itself was ok - kinda empty, so I had an entire row to stretch out in, which was nice. Also, the airport immigration went super smoothly, perhaps because I was escorted through? but anyways, Its getting late, and though I dont feel tired, Ive been up for a long time. 18 hours, which is a bit much even for me, so Im going to shower then go off to bed.

To end on a sad note, when I was going through my bags to find my gift for Helen, I discovered that the ade chopsticks I bought broke. grrrr. though maybe a sign that they were jade, and not marble, which presumably would be more hardy?

Day 30 - delayed by Cathay. Again.

About to lose it completely.

Huge mess here in HK. Being the main hub, a crapload of people are stuck with rescheduling. Pissed.

Sent from my iPod

Day 30 - Beijing flight delay - late to Tokyo.

Sitting in my plane at the Beijing airport. I felt a little guilty, because between Starbucks, stopping to use my last yuan, and then the washroom, I was the last person to board the plane.

But then we get an announcement about a delay - this pilot is much more clear. He's Australian I think, so easier English to understand, and no static in the speaker which also helps. Not weather related which is what I had though, given that its duper hazy out and visibility seems low, Apparently it's very common for this part of China, and especially the Beijing airport, to issue last minute air traffic restrictions, so flights end up stopped. You only get told at the last second when you ask for your final clearance. I really really hope we leave soon, as missing my Tokyo connection would really suck.

On the plus side, it's a Cathay plane, so personal entertainment system. And, now that it's august, it means a new selection of movies for me to enjoy. Though the attendants look like dragon air staff, so maybe code share?

Kinda hoping for food service soon though - just had a bottle of tea and a frappucino so far.

-----------

Cleared for takeoff in time to catch my connection! Mainly because our flight time is due to be like an hour faster than expected. Still sitting on the tarmac though - because of the delays affecting everyone, there are like 10 planes ahead of us waiting for takeoff. Traffic jam, airport style.

------

More delays taking off. Will get in to hK just as my flight or Tokyo is due to board. Apparently the next flight into Tokyo is one hour later, which would normally be fine, but now will screw up my transfer from Narita into Tokyo. Will send this asap after landing, before raising hell at the airport to fix this.

Day 30 - to the skies to Tokyo.

> At the Beijing airport. Just figured out wifi - free, but you have to pass by and get a code.
>
> Got here later than expected, by in time for my flight, with enough for me to spare to stop at Starbucks. Having the yummiest frappucino ever. Plain coffee flavour. Must be the full fat milk and actual sugar, as I couldn't figure out how to order it light. Or i just miss them? This is actually the first starbucks I've seen here in Beijing.
>
> I figure the money I saved by stupidly not taking a taxi at least as far as the airport express should go to a treat. And I totally deserve it after lugging my suitcases up and down stairs. Which is why I'm at the airport late - subway super busy at the mo with morning commuters. Also, shopping would just mean more to carry. Doing pretty good currency wise though - like the equivalent of 5 bucks left?
>
> Kinda wish I waited till here to buy my starbucks tumbler, as the Beijing one has the great wall on it - the china one I bought just has a dragon on it. Though it is red, which is better than yellow.
>
> Anyways, in for a day of sitting doing nothing ending with a mad dash is narita to catch the last airport express into shinjuku.
>
> Anyways, have to head to immigration - posting this now in case wifi doesn't work on the other side.

Day 29 - YuanMingYuan Park and the Summer Palace

At a little restaurant outside of Yuanmingyuan park. Eating chinese style is more fun with a buddy - particularly one who speaks Chinese and can order for you :) though I did end up trying this yogurt drink in a jar. I'd seen people with them all over and was admittedly quite curious. Turns out it's this unsweetened plain yogurt thing. Drinkable, but not sure I get the draw. Apparently it's a childhood thing?

The park is quite nice, and is the site site of the old summer palace, so there are sone interesting ruins to see. What made it spectacular though is the fact that it lotus season, so there are whole lakes of plants in bloom. So many photos to sort through. Another cool bit is that apparently I'm eligible for a student discount. Yay for people who speak Chinese :)

----------

Recapping at the end of the day. Currently getting a pedicure at the hotel salon. They had been closed when I first got back, but I think they called someone in for me. Which is good because i was talking to the lady at the front desk and some of the places in the area aren't necessarily safe, so wandering around to look for some place open so late wouldn't be the best idea.

Quite relaxing. I get to lie on the massage beds as they do it, and the salon is within range of the lobby wifi which is an added plus. Not as much skin treatment as they would have in Brazil or the Philippines, but eh. My feet are kinda gross from walking in sandals all day and it's not like I want to deal with them. I think what I really wanted would have been a foot massage, but meh.

Anyways, good day, but tiring. After lunch and YuanMingYuan park we headed to the summer palace. We took buses there which seemed kind of scary at first, but actually wasn't that bad. Wouldn't do it myself mind you as there are so many routes to choose from, but once you're on a bus, they all have video screens in them, and all stops are announced in English. Apparently a legacy of the Beijing games that I whole heartedly approve of. The subways here are good too - all the cars have little electronic maps that show the route, what stop you're on an what's next.

Anyways, back to my recap. Wandered the Palace complex for awhile - the sun started coming out, and with all the people there it got super hot. Wandered towards the lake which is apparently famous, and then headed towards the marble boat, checking out other sited enroute. Didn't have that much time to explore though, as we had to be at the University for a meeting.

The meeting went well, though I did have to give a last minute presentation. Luckily we arrived in time for me to whip up a quick PowerPoint. Anyways, after the meeting the research team we headed out for a quick dinner on our way to check out the Olympic venues.

Had a 'western style' sandwich at this cute little coffee place. Oddly didn't ha coffee there, as it was way too hot, but the food was good. After, took another bus until we got to the birds nest and water cube. The whole complex is really impressive. We got ice-cream at McDonalds and then wandered for a bit, before splitting up to head home.

Had to transfer 3 times and then walk from the station, but made it in the end. This post is getting very abrupt , so I think I'm going to call it a night. Pedi is done and I need sleep, so maybe I'll fill in details from the airport tomorrow?

Looking at my pink toes makes me happy. Maybe I should I've gotten a manicure too? Next time. Maybe will atleast remove the old polish before bed.

Day 29 - morning picture post.

Hard to believe I've been gone for almost a month. Or just over a month if the month in question were February :)
Anyways, just two pictures this time around as I'm prepping this post the night before, and should really be off to bed.

Day 28 - Great Wall!!!

Sitting in our little tour van. It's going to be a small group - there'll be six of us in total. One more pickup to go. We passed by what was apparently a famous pedestrian street here in Beijing. It actually looks pretty cool. Maybe tonight for dinner?

Excited for today but feeling pretty chill.

------------

And we're live from the great wall. Soooo many stairs, some of them as high as my knee. Didnt quite get to the nearest peak, but thought it was best to start down early. Awesome views and totally had another Mulan moment.

Back down a bit earlier than needed so time to blog and souvenir shop. Bought fans and a keychain with the great wall on them. Which you could probably buy anywhere, but I figure it means more actually coming from the great wall. Interesting tidbit, badaling, the portion of the wall we saw, is named for having 8 gates - the one we went through is traditionally for war prisoners.

Pretty good day so far, though I am glad that most of the walking is done. Bruce, our tour guide has been giving us some history enroute, though we pretty much did the wall climb individually. Our first stop of the day was a jade factory, where it turns out they made all the Olympic medals. Spent way more than I should have buying myself a necklace, but atleast I can be sure it's real. Im kind of scared to test what i already bought. Bargained the necklace down ridiculously, and got them to throw in the pair of chopsticks I was going to buy for free so actually feeling pretty good about it.

Then we went to the Ming tombs - apparent it's one of the few sites not popular with Chinese tourists as it's bad luck. Having the place empty was a nice change of pace. After everyone comes down from the wall, our next stop is lunch, and then a silk factor wig tea ceremony I think?

Beijing is going to be ridiculously expensive for me. I think I might actually be totally broke when I get home.

------

Quickie end to the post as I find myself at a mall with free wifi. After the your ended, I had them drop me off at what I think is wangfung street, a popular pedestrian shopping street. Lots of posh shops, but also cool things to see - there seems to be some sort of festival on. Actually originally stopped into the mall for ice-cream at mcdonalds (when I felt overloaded yesterday I was craving a Big Mac in the biggest way - and i dont even like them back home. Maybe just wanting the americaness?) when i remembered what Helen said about fruit things. So am now enjoying pineapple lemonade with nata de coco from some place called happy lemon.

Anyways, lunch was at this massive road side restaurant/shop filled with tour buses. Had a traditional Chinese meal, with all of us sharing which was kind of fun. I kinda felt left out at the restaurant yesterday all alone, so it was a nice experience.

We then hit a silk museum, where we watched them make silk, which is actually kind of fun looking. Managed not to buy anything. But then we hit a teashop, where we had a traditional tasting. Yummy and entertaining. Taught us how to hold the little cups, and how to drink the different types of tea. Apparently you should aim to have three sips - for luck, fortune and happiness I think? I ended up buying some tea :)

Plans for the day are to wander here for a bit, then subway back towards the hostel before it gets super dark. Then aiming for an early night, as I meet one if our Chinese research contacts tomorrow for some more sightseeing, then a visit to the university.

Day 28 - Good Morning from Beijing!

In the hotel lobby waiting for my tour to leave. Apparently we're waiting for one more person to come down - they apparently want to start the tour asap, so it works out that I got here early for emailing. Dressed for comfort today in case of lots of walking, and unloaded my purse as much as possible - also sunscreened like crazy. My nose is looking a smidge red this morning.

Standing here appreciating my hotel lobby and while my room is pretty basic, the lobby is quite posh. Marble and chandeliers.

Have my Starbucks mug filled with water I preemptively boiled last night, and one of my NZ nut bars (yummy. There's chocolate and coconut in them among other yummy things).

Anyways, leaving now. More later!

Day 28 - pre tour picture post!

edit: I could swear these all had captions when I posted them. but Im going through now to tag all the posts with pictures in them and nothing. anyways, this is in New Zealand - the river in the background is the river Anduin from lord of the rings. apparently from the end of the first movie?

My first food purchase in Beijing, for my breakfast the first day. The night before I had instant noodles in my room - though I suppose I did buy diet coke from the lobby store to go with it. Im pretty sure these were beef buns. I really hope it was beef buns. Anyways, delicious.

At the temple of Heaven.

At the Palace Museum - aka the Forbidden City!

night market neat my hotel.

original message:Went from exhausted to not sleepy. So thought I'd prep a picture post to send off in the morning :) Beijing pics, plus a bonus NZ one I came across while clearing space on my memory card.

Day 27 - dinner in Beijing.

Decided to wander down the hutong where my hostel is to explore a bit, rather than just eating in the hostel's restaurant.

The area really comes alive at night, and gets more reputable closer to what must be a main street. Though now that I've seen the area where my hostel is in daylight, I can say that it's not so much seedy as it is residential. Further down though, tones of restaurants and little shops, and stalls selling food. I had a slice of what must have been the longest cantaloupe ever, a skewer of what I really hope was beef, and a yummy red bean cake.

Am currently sitting in the fanciest of the restaurants on the strip. I think if I do this again though I might try one of the littler places that seem popular, rather than sticking to the places with English menus. It'll still be upper cheap relative to eating back home though - probably less than $5?

Ordering for one is a bit of a chore, as the dishes are all meant for sharing. I stuck to a basic veggie dish (so not getting enough nutrients - just realized I never ended up eating lunch which goes a long way to explaining why I'm so famished.) and an order of rice. Choosing the poshest place is further justified when you consider that this was my only proper meal of the day. Also was adventurous and ordered tea instead of diet coke.

Which I can get a bigger bottle of on the way back to the hostel anyways :) I may also get one more of those giant cantaloupe slices. Or possibly another barbecue stick to up my protein intake?

Anyways, to more thoroughly recap the days events since the temple of heaven. I was inches away from giving up on the pearl market - went out the east gate and didn't see a thing, so I figured it was one of those little unmarked places. So I wander down the street looking for a taxi only to come across this truly gigantic building with 'pearl market' labelled on all sides, and a giant pearl and oyster out front. Success!

It was one of those standard asian malls, selling pretty much everything and not just pearls. Ended up picking up a few things, including a new phone. My blackberry is pretty mug a goner, and the little one I bought in Australia is a bit too basic for normal use back home. And getting ripped off in HK turned me into a bargaining pro here in Beijjing - I think I might now be aggressive enough to make up for my losses. Though I did feel better about it when I noticed that what I'm calling ripped off still came in at less than what the airport would have charged.

The shopping I did at the pearl market pales in comparison with the damage I did in the palace museum - a.k.a. The forbidden city. Especially when I went to pay with credit card because I was concerned with conserving cash and found out that using my MasterCard got me an extra 10% off. And random knickknacks have extra meaning hen bought from somewhere cool?

But I'm getting ahead of myself. So, I taxi over to the forbidden city, only to find that I've been dropped off at one of the side gates so have to treck around to the front. Which in retrospect gave me a chance to see the moat, but at the time had me seriously reconsidering just heading in early.

Glad I stuck to it though. Even splurged and went with the audio commentary option. Which was kind of cool - it had this gps type thing going on, where I just wore it wandering around and it would spout of facts as I reached different areas.

Had another giggly moment when I got in the main gate. Totally brought to mind Mulan, one of the many, many films I've watched on the various flight I've been on.

I don't really remember what any of the buildings I passed were - various temples to earthly or heavenly harmony. I picked up this cool map (well, series of matching maps of all the sites I have/will see in Beijing) which describes the main sights so I can look it up later.

I do remember how super long it was. The weather cleared up so it was super hot and sunny. And there were lots if stairs, and lots of tourists wandering about. I kept wanting to just turn back, but toughed it out. They had benches scattered throughout, and most of the gates, and some of he smaller buildings are now gift shops with cold drink stands attached. I would occasionally stop and sit until I could talk myself into continuing. The shopping probably made it worse, what with the added weight. I ended up making it all the way across from the main meridian gate through to the imperial gardens at the back of the complex, which turned out to be one of my favorite parts. Both the gardens and the temple of heaven have really cool cypress trees, one of which (forget where) is 800 years old.

And am taking a quick break - restaurant is closing up. I've been sitting here enjoying my tea while writing, as I figure it's more pleasant here than lounging in the hotel lobby, but think I'll trek over now before I get too tired. Totally right about the total though - less than 5.

----------

Too full for more food. Or my planned diet coke.

To recap the rest of my day quickly, as I need to get to bed, I made it back across the palace complex, and then cross another series of traditional arches and promenades until I hit tianamen square. Which I partly only went to because I didn't want the cool map I bought off it to be a lie.

Then did a halfhearted search for a recharge card for my cellphone (apparently only available back on HK, so currently cell less) before taxiing back. I considered walking, as it's all meant to be walking distance from he hostel, but really - it's like two dollars. And I was exhausted.

Still am, so am heading off to bed. Early start tomorrow - my tour of the great wall starts at 7:30. I'm doing the Badaling portion of the wall - partly because it apparently involves the least walking and stops at some tombs along the way, but also because it's also advertised as being a 'shopping' tour. Yay :)

Oh and heads up that there's no facebook in Beijing - so if you're contacting me through there, I get the notifications to my inbox, but can't go in to respond.

Day 27 - live from the temple of heaven. And then recap from back at he hotel.

Still get a little giggly about the fact that I'm actually in Beijing. It's harder to get around here than in HK - the transit system is a bit harder to figure out. And not that many people speak food english. I spent like an hour wandering up and down the main street near to my hostel (with stops to get more cash, and a yummy bun for breakfast) before ducking into a tourist info desk where they convinced me to taxi.

Which I highly recommend, and regret a little not doing yesterday. I think that's the huge advantage to the hostel I chose - it's really central, so it cost like 12 yuan to get here. I've spent more on diet coke today, and it's not even lunch.

Anyways, have explored the temple of heaven complex. I got a through ticket which allowed me entry to four different pavilions here including the main one for good harvest. I made it to all of them, but I'm tired and hungry, so will possibly describe it all later. Or just post pictures eventually?

On a bench in a quiet area of the park. Beside the tourists, the place is filled with locals hanging out, singing, dancing and doing various activities resembling tai chi. Having some water and eating a granola bar before heading onwards to find the east gate, which apparently is right by the Pearl Market. Or maybe I'll just taxi straight to the Forbidden city?

-----

So exhausted. Hit everything I wanted to see, but it's 6 and I'm already wiped out. I'm aiming to take a shower, then possibly figure out food. Possibly something at the hotel, where I'd also have wifi....

Will write more later.