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Month: July 2017

  • From Cairns to Sydney

    From Cairns to Sydney

    The journey is almost over, just a bus ride home remains. It was a pleasant Jetstar A320 flight back from Cairns with a cheerful crew. We had $25 meal credit so instead of food we used it to buy a Jetstar 787 model. We all slept on the flight, which had some lovely views of… Read more

  • At Cairns on the way home

    At Cairns on the way home

    Here we are at the Qantas Club lounge at Cairns eating fresh fruit and wishing we were in bed. The Jetstar flight back was okay. Managed to get a little sleep but basically just had the flight map on with the John Williams album as the playlist or a relaxation video playing.  Couldn’t eat much… Read more

  • A Rapi:t trip to the airport

    A Rapi:t trip to the airport

    Our final day in Japan was spent shopping, partly as a way of escaping the heat. Our JR Passes have run out so we caught the weirdly designed Nankai Rapi:t Beta to Kansai International Airport.  As always, I’d love to spend longer in Japan but I wish the flight were instaneous to home.  Read more

  • Universal Studios Japan

    Universal Studios Japan

    From a Japanese film studio yesterday to a Hollywood theme park today. This was our second visit to USJ and we also visited their Singapore sibling earlier this year.  It felt like Singapore. Hot, humid and big tropical clouds threatening in the sky. None of the miserable wet weather of our last visit. I think… Read more

  • Okonomiyaki in Osaka

    Okonomiyaki in Osaka

    Absolutely exhausted after Kyoto. I used our rail passes to jump aboard the all too familiar Haruka express to the airport, though we got off a Shin-Osaka. It was comfortable with a place to sit and I fell asleep for some of the ride.  We then caught the subway to Umeda and went straight to… Read more

  • Toei Kyoto Studio Park 

    Toei Kyoto Studio Park 

    XToei are a major Japanese film and television studio making shows ranging from historical dramas to animation and live action superhero series. In addition to working studios, the Kyoto Park provides a range of activities.  After another long walk through local Kyoto with its tiny shops, houses and even a temple or two we caught… Read more

  • Kyoto Railway Museum

    Kyoto Railway Museum

    As our train approached Kyoto station this morning I spotted a steam train pulling a collection of open sided passenger carriages. Also at that moment Alex asked to return to the train museum at Nagoya to play with their ticket gate exhibit.  I suggested that we change our plans and go to the Kyoto Railway… Read more

  • Zoom zoom to Osaka

    Zoom zoom to Osaka

    As we passed Hiroshima the amusingly named Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium (for Hiroshima is their home town) was filled to capacity with fans of their beloved Carp baseball team.  More lights at Osaka after I emerged from the subway at Namba, after transferring off the Shinkansen. Dotombori Street and Shinsaibashi Suji were filled with Asian… Read more

  • Shinkansen 

    Shinkansen 

    I didn’t realise it but last night marked the first time I have travelled the entire Shinkansen network as it currently stands, apart from the tiny spur to Gala-Yuzawa. I was only missing the bit between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsuhiro as it was still under construction when we visited in 2009. I’ve done the Yamagata and… Read more

  • To Makurazaki and back

    To Makurazaki and back

    Only at Wakkanai, in the north, does the geographical extreme compass point correspond with the terminus of the line. But I am not happy unless I have travelled all the way until the end.  I rode the Makurazaki Line all the way until it’s namesake, bumping around on the two carriage diesel rail car. It… Read more

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