On the Bottom Half

Safe!

No bears to speak of, flights great (as always)... From Sapporo to Tokyo was a full 767-300 with myself and a black dude representing westerners. Tokyo to Melbourne was a shocking number of westerners, beside one of which I sat. He was from Winnipeg, but calls Melbourne home now. I figure that the accent he had is something like the one I may or may not acquire and I can expect ribbing accordingly!

When travelling to Japan bring with you: modesty for the onsens (Googling it is probably best); an adventurous palette because the Japanese know how to enjoy food and it is wonderful cuisine, unless you are a no-fish vegetarian or vegan. If you are, you can't travel in Japan unless you are fluent in Japanese: you will not be able to eat most dishes, take that as fair warning. A stomach for lots of rice because, well, because everything is rice - the food, the sleeping areas, the pillows, the sweets, the tea, etc., etc; a phrasebook; a taste for tea; lots of pocket change because there are vending machines everywhere; an appreciation of subtleness and the not-so subtle; expectation and knowledge about using an 'asian squatter' (another Googler, I should think); an adventurous spirit; ability to survive without technology if you are going into the country for a while - everyone has internet at home, so you won't find public terminals very commonly in the country; ability to distinguish grey from green - public telephones come in different varieties and only certain, grey-coloured telephone boxes work to call internationally - green ones are local only. A belt because after a month of gorging on the wonders of Japanese food, your clothes will slip off when you aren't looking (I'm down 3.5 kg - 7 lbs).

The Japanese are so very kind and friendly - I've had meals prepared or bought for me by five people, most of whom spoke very little english. They go out of their way to help you.

It is not the land of the sub-microcompact that I had expected. Most cars are like a Toyota Matrix or something simliar. The Japanese-only cars have alarmingly high head space, which is odd for a culture in which I proudly number among the average 'heighted'. The roads are comfortable, even if they do drive on the left. The speed limits are ludicrously low, and the Japanese know it so they drive 30 or 40 kms over the limit all the time - for example, highways are 50 km/h.

Anyway, pictures and stories on their way, just wanted to give a little bit of reading. Now, a moment of silence for poor Pluto, which was downgraded from full planet status. ... Okay, be back shortly.

K

posted by Kyle @ 19:33