Irreverently irrelevant.
Sysadmin, developer, web dude in a science research organisation. WordPress, Japan, planes, trains, Arduino, Raspberry Pi/Pico, puns, dad jokes, etc
- Blog
- Profile
- Homepage
-
Trams, trains and pedal cars
Trams once plied the streets of Tokyo, as they did many other cities across the world. Sadly, all that remains today is a single line through mostly obscure northern Tokyo suburbs. Judging by the patronage today it is still a popular option. After reading this article by Gianni Simone I knew I had to ride on the…
-
Flowers and French toast
As I gaze out at the bright red dots forming an outline of a city skyline at night I am feeling a little melancholy. I love this little room, the amazing views and all those familiar little places around as well as all the unfamiliar nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered. It’s a form…
-
Tokyo Disneyland
“It’s a small world”, “Mary Poppins” and “Yoda’s Theme.” Yoda’s Theme??? Nooooooooo! A reminder, as we followed the crowd towards the entrance of Tokyo Disneyland, of how Disney now owns my favourite movie franchise. As you can tell, I’m not a huge fan of Disney. Mickey Mouse and friends entertain me only in thinking up…
-
The ups and downs of Chiba monorails
Ever since I first caught sight of the great overhead monorail tracks above Chiba station, back on that first Narita Express in 2003, I have wanted to ride them. Each subsequent Narita Express ride I promised I would but never did. Today I finally had my chance. We had caught the Chuo-Sobu Line to Koiwa. The…
-
Tamsui to Taoyuan
Both B and I agree. Taiwan is a place that we want to return to. On our last day in this island country the list of places we could visit was far too extensive. We could traverse the island on a high speed train or take another slow ride along a scenic route. The gold…
-
Going slow in Taipei
One of the things I love about travel is the lack of housework. No cooking, cleaning or gardening required. The weekdays and weekends are ours to enjoy. Well, almost. On a long trip like this there is still washing to be done. The laundry facilities of the CityInn II may be free to use, but…
-
Pingxi and Shilin
Taiwan has three scenic branch lines, along with the Alishan scenic railway. These are railway lines deemed uneconomic for normal operation which now exist solely for tourist trains. Naturally, I was attracted! The closest of these, and one of the more scenic, is the Pingxi line. It once served coal mines in the mountains around…
-
The ups and downs of Taipei
Today we reached great heights and plumbed great depths. From the top of Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world until 2010 we gazed across the greater city of Taipei, at least until the clouds came in. But despite the Lonely Planet claiming that Taiwan’s street food rivals that of Singapore, we ended the…