Japan

A tree at the Heian Shrine holding paper fortunes (tied to the tree in the hope they come true)

Our time in Japan was wonderful. For me, it was one of the best destinations. With only seven days available, we decided to spend three in Kyoto and four in Tokyo and I think we got the mix just right.


Sashimi


The infamous Fukuzushi Sushi Restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo


Polar Bears at the Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo


Ling Ling the Giant Panda at the Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo


Cherry Blossom - Tokyo


Tokyo Street


The Asahi Brewery HQ - Tokyo


Deb at Nakamise Market - Tokyo


Dried squid or octopus - not quite sure


Definitely octopus amongst other delights


Ameyayokocho Market - Tokyo


Shibuya - Tokyo

From Kyoto we boarded a Shinkansen or Bullet Train to Tokyo. The 500km+ journey takes only two hours and twenty minutes. We arrived in Tokyo reasonably fresh from our journey and prepared ourselves for a whistle-stop four day tour.

During our time in Tokyo, we ventured to the Nakamise Market where you can buy lots of traditional Japanese souvenirs. We also went to the Ameyayokocho Market and saw some weird and wonderful food stuffs. We ventured to the zoo in Ueno to see the Giant Panda Ling Ling but we weren't overly impressed by the zoo's facilities and some of the animals appeared to be a little distressed so we didn't stay for long.

The highlight of Tokyo for us though was Karaoke. Danny and I headed to Shibuya which is a bustling area in Tokyo boasting huge pedestrian crossings that appear to cater for thousands of people at any one time. We found a restaurant called LOHB situated on the eighth floor of a tower block so as to have a great view of the goings-on. After a suitable amount of the very tasty Kirin Ichiban lager, we made our way to Karaoke-Kan. Again, this venue is featured in the film Lost in Translation and we managed to get room 701, one floor up from that used in the film. If you've seen the movie, you'll know that Charlotte and Bob (Johansson and Murray) spend a night singing tunes by the likes of Roxy Music and Blondie whilst overlooking the Tokyo streets. Well, we did exactly the same. We'd planned on spending an hour in there for the bargain price of 3000yen (twelve pounds) but with this you get all you can drink. Three and a half hours later, Danny and I finally dragged ourselves out of the very brilliant and very hilarious Karaoke-Kan and attempted to make our way back the hotel. We missed the last tube so had to grab a cab but it was absolutely worth it. We have some video footage which we thought would be excellent for the blog but having watched it again sober, there is no way these films will ever be brought into the public domain!


Our bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo is announced


One of the bullet trains (or Shinkansen)

"Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial capital between 794 and 1868 and remains the cultural centre of Japan. Its raked pebble gardens, sensuously contoured temple roofs and mysterious Shintō shrines fulfill the Japanese fantasy of every Western cliché hunter.

With an astonishing 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shintō shrines, a trio of palaces, and dozens of gardens and museums, Kyoto is Japan's cultural treasure house. Seventeen of Kyoto's ancient structures and gardens have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites." - Courtesy of Lonely Planet's Online Destination Guide


Deb putting incense in sand at the Nanzen-Ji Temple - Kyoto


Nanzen-Ji Temple - Kyoto


Cherry Blossom


Dan at the aqueduct found in the Nanzen-Ji Temple's grounds


Murin-An Garden - Kyoto


Wooden plaques - Kyoto


Gate at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Cute sushi sign - Kyoto


"Tea's up"


Deb at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Dan admiring the lanterns at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Girls in Kimono

The Heian Shrine and the Nanzen-Ji Temple are featured in the film Lost in Translation, a favourite of ours, so we felt it only right to pay them both a visit. We also visited the Gion district in the hope of seeing Geisha but unfortunately, we weren't lucky on this occasion.

Kyoto is a calm, clean and spiritual place and I don't think anyone could fail to be touched by this very serene and beautiful city.


Toilet - Japan style

China & Hong Kong

Chinese lanterns lining the streets in Hutong, Beijing

From Bangkok, we flew to China and the temperature plummeted. We left behind 30° sunshine for 10° cold, wintry weather. Suffice to say one of our first excursions in China was to buy coats, hats and gloves - no joke.

In contrast to Thailand, which is affectionately known as the Land of Smiles, China is referred to as the Land of Elbows. Manners seem to evade a lot of the population and clearing your throat followed by spitting on the floor is somewhat common place and not only for the men. There is no concept of queueing and quite honestly, it was refreshing being able to barge your way in bus queues and the like.

Eating with your mouth open, burping audibly, smacking your lips and slurping, coughing and sneezing without raising a hand to your mouth well, this is all normal and to be honest, who are we to judge? No-one other than us was offended by any of this and why should they be. This is their way of life and how they conduct themselves.

China and its people are fascinating. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves despite the cold weather. Whilst in Beijing, our day at the Great Wall in Ba Da Ling was mesmorising and although it was minus 7° but feeling like minus 12° with the wind chill factor, we wouldn't have missed it for the world and it was probably our best experience in China.

Shanghai was a little difficult to negotiate at first with the language barrier but after a visit to a concierge in one of the upmarket hotels, this was remedied and we successfully explored the city before heading to Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, we were both polaxed by colds so didn't get to do as much as we'd have liked but it was great nonetheless and will probably be worth a second visit at some point in the future.


Danny's suit packed and ready for home courtesy of one of HK's finest - William Cheng & Son


The King's Road in Hong Kong Island's Fortress Hill area


Victoria Harbour waterway between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island


Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise


View from Victoria Peak or "The Peak" - Hong Kong


View from Victoria Peak or "The Peak" - Hong Kong


Where there's a wall there's an advertisement


Skyrise - Hong Kong


The Star ferries coming in and out of Central Pier - Hong Kong


Star Ferry - Hong Kong


Star Ferry - Hong Kong


William Cheng & Son on Hankow Road, Dan's suit makers - Hong Kong


MTR Subway, how clean??? - Hong Kong


Crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island - Hong Kong

Although a little under the weather, we thoroughly enjoyed Hong Kong. Being a former British colony, there is a lot of Western influence and it was therefore very easy for us to get around. We explored the very busy Central area, Tsim Tsa Shui in Kowloon, Temple Street Night Market, Victoria Harbour and we even managed to venture to "The Peak" which is Hong Kong's premier scenic outlook. Finally, Danny got a gorgeous suit made for his imminent return to work.


In the absence of a TV... - en route from Shanghai to Hong Kong


Dan aboard the K99 from Shanghai to Hong Kong


A Vegetarian's dream - tukker aboard the K99 from Shanghai to Hong Kong


Amazing what a few Tiger beers will do and no, I'm not embarrassed


Not another Brummie - Dan, Adrian & Deb at the British Bulldog - Shanghai


Our attempt at Chinese writing to circumnavigate Shanghai


Real old city Shanghai


At the entrance to the Old City - Shanghai


Pagoda, Old City - Shanghai


Old City - Shanghai


Zoom in and take a look at item #2 - made us laugh (taxi notice)


Dan outside the Science & Technology Museum - Shanghai


Shanghai's night time skyline as seen from the Bund


Dan at the Bund - Shanghai

Shanghai, with a population of 17 million, is a busy city but in contrast to Beijing there seems to be more suburbs so the crowds are effectively dispersed. There is the Old City, the French Concession Area, Pudong, the Bund and many more sprawling enclaves. We ventured to each of areas mentioned above and despite struggling initially to get around (our hotel reception staff spoke very little English), we managed to get a tourist map and destination guide in English from a very helpful concierge at the Intercontinental in Pudong so after that we were suitably equipped to tour Shanghai successfully.

There would appear to be a number of ex-patriots in Shanghai and as a result there are quite a few British and Irish pubs. Naturally, Danny and I felt it our duty to go and sample their wears so made it to O'Malley's one night and the British Bull Dog another where we met Andy from Erdington of all places. We thoroughly enjoyed an evening of Tiger beer and Cornish pasty and chips!

The highlight of Shanghai for us though was the Bund. The view of the Pudong skyline from the other side of the river is spectacular.


Deb in our deluxe sleeper aboard the train from Beijing to Shanghai


Dan looking suitably pleased with our deluxe sleeper compartment


Jeff, Danny and Jordan at the Zhong An Hotel - Beijing


Toilets Chinese-style


Chinese chess being played in the streets of Beijing


A colourful little spot - shop in Beijing


With a population of 13 million, Beijing is bustling


Food market vendors - Beijing


A portrait of revered Chairman Mao at Tian'anmen Square (read more about him at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong)


Duanmen


The Great Hall of the People


The National Museum of China


Zhengyang Gate


Tian'anmen Square Map


Dan near Beijing Station


The Great Wall at Ba Da Ling - near Beijing


The Great Wall at Ba Da Ling - near Beijing


Traditional souvenirs at the Great Wall


Warrior statues


Don't know what it says but thought it looked pretty cool


A chilly Dan at the Great Wall


The Great Wall of China at Ba Da Ling, just outside Beijing


View at the Ming Tombs - Beijing


Statue of one of the Ming Emperors


Trying to stop my ears falling off - Ming Tombs, Beijing


Pagoda at the entrance to the Ming Tombs - Beijing

Beijing was our first stop in China and probably the most memorable. The daytrip to the Great Wall was absolutely brilliant and although it was incredibly cold, climing the wall and actually visually taking in what was achieved there was inspiring. The toil and hard work that went into creating the Great Wall is unimaginable and considering that construction of the Wall commenced in 700B.C., the mind boggles as to how building materials were made available and how the workers coped with the weather.

Whilst in Beijing we also visited Tian'anmen Square. The square is said to be one of the largest open spaces in the world and it can accommodate upto one million people. The area is surrounded by official buildings and when you make your way through Duanmen (which has a huge portrait of Chairman Mao on it), this is how you reach the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, we arrived a little late in the day so couldn't get into the Forbidden City but it is said to be much changed from its former days when many artifacts were on display and the decor was opulent and rich. We were told to watch "The Last Emperor" instead as apparently the Forbidden City is depicted in the film as it was all those years ago.