Dissociative Fugue

Lost In Translation

2007-08-29T13:33:32Z

The first thing you notice about Tokyo is the humidity, the second... oh, I've done that line already. OK it's cooler now, so I can stop whinging and shower less. About 20 years ago a friend of mine complained that he could not practice his Japanese in Japan, because everyone he met wanted to practice their English. These people have moved away since then. I am a stranger in a strange land. The strange thing is that there is English all around, in advertising, on T shirts, in restaurants, it's just that hardly anyone speaks or understands it. Luckily the Japanese seem a friendly and tolerant people, and so far I have got by with pointing and miming. I am also surprised by the lack of foreign tourists here. Walking down a busy street, or on a crowded train, I am often the only caucasian face in the crowd. It is only when you go to a really touristy place that you will find a few more westerners. The plus side of all this is that Japan hasn't had it's culture destroyed by globalisation. Yes McDonalds is here, but it is far outnumbered by traditional food outlets (even if I have no idea what they are selling). My overall impression of Tokyo is that although it is a modern brash city, in it's details it is still quite sweet. The manhole covers have pretty pictures on them, schoolchildren dress like schoolchildren, even in KFC they bow as they hand you a tray of crap. Think how great it would be if I could actually communicate with someone

Lost In Translation remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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In Search of Wild Koalas

2007-08-27T08:16:23Z

I think that it is fair to say that my planning for Australia would not exactly constitute a masterclass. However, by sheer luck I landed on my feet on Magnetic Island. It was virtually my only choice of destination after Port Macquarie (which, following accusations of whinging from my wife, I will gloss over), but it turned out to be a little slice of paradise. The accommodation was as good and well-priced as anywhere, there was a restaurant on site which served good reasonably priced food, and a bar with a happy hour. You could walk five minutes down the road to the main beach, or take a half hour hike to one of two secluded bays (see photo gallery). The only downside was that the dawn chorus was earsplitting and started at 6:00am, as I discovered after crawling into bed at 3:00am on my first night there. I also finally realised my dream (maybe that's too strong a term) of seeing a wild Koala. It was about a hundred yards off and consequently looked like a ball of grey fur in a tree, but it was definately a wild Koala. If you find yourself on Magnetic Island go to Bungalow Bay, it's way better than Arcadia.

In Search of Wild Koalas remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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More Green Light Than Red Light

2007-08-16T03:35:20Z

The $10 minibus ride from the airport was scary, and misleading. Scary because the little chinese lady driving was a maniac, and misleading because it seemed that we drove miles from the centre of Sydney before arriving at the hostel. I was a bit taken aback to find that the hostel was in King's Cross, a district with a reputation similar to it's namesake in London. However, apart from a few strip clubs and adult shops, King's Cross seems quite a respectable area. I'd certainly rather walk alone around there in the small hours than I would most parts of London. Once I'd got the hang of the layout of Sydney I realised that the hostel was in walking distance of all of the sights, indeed the central part of Sydney is all easily walkable.
Sydney is a very pleasant, laid back city and whilst I was there the weather was perfect. There's no one trying to hustle you on the streets, and it's not an expensive place either. In short probably the nicest city I've visited on this trip. I did all the tourist sights, but decided to forgo the opportunity to walk across the top of the bridge for a mere $180.
I seem to have made a bit of a cock-up by choosing to travel by train here, as the services are very infrequent and don't seem to go to the places I want to go to. Never mind, I'll know next time. Eventually I found somewhere that the train stops and I can afford the accommodation, so Port Macquarie here I come.

More Green Light Than Red Light remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Kia Ora - Not Just For Me And My Dog

2007-08-09T22:01:02Z

What a fabulous place New Zealand is, no wonder they put it so far away. If it was any nearer the place would be overrun. It's got mountains, Keas, snow, beaches, fjords, whales, seals, rivers, bungy jumping, jumping off anything, rainbows, sea, basically everything. It hasn't got traffic, a huge population. The country is so set up for touring, it's hard to go wrong. I must have made some kind of faustian pact about the weather for this trip, because despite the season it has been great while I've been here. I had one day where it rained all day, but most were sunny, and several were T-shirt days.
There's too much to see, and definately too much to do, but I have managed a complete circuit of the South Island in the 19 days I've had here. So that just leaves all the interior and the North Island for next time.
Off to the airport now to catch a flight to Sydney, I can only hope it's half as good.

Kia Ora - Not Just For Me And My Dog remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Life's a Beach

2007-07-31T22:12:52Z

Didn't really see much of Los Angeles, I was just waiting for the plane really. I was staying right next to Hermosa Beach, where there was a beach volleyball competition taking place. I was there when it was the men's competition, timing as ever. Living in North Devon, it was nice to see people surfing in ordinary swimwear, not looking like they were constantly on the edge of hypothermia.
Anyhoo, I was really just waiting for the plane to Hawaii, which I took on the 17th July. I was really looking forward to Hawaii, which is probably a mistake when travelling like this. It is probably better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. First thing you notice about Hawaii is the humidity, the second thing you notice is the humidity. As soon as you get out of the shower, you expend enough energy drying yourself to ensure a healthy sweat, and then you feel like another shower. Even lying dead still in bed at night was enough to bring you out in a sweat. Of course it didn't help that the hostel I was staying in thought that a ceiling fan somehow constituted air-conditioning. Still at least I could go and sunbath on the world famous Waikiki Beach. Well I could, but it's tiny, when the tide is in you can have your feet in the water and reach out and touch the hotel behind you. Then I found out that the beach is man-made, and most of the sand has been shipped in from Australia. Still the water was beautifully clear and warm, and I'm pretty sure they don't pipe that in from somewhere.
In all I was quite glad to be heading off for the New Zealand winter, and a rest for my sweat glands.

Life's a Beach remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Awesome Like a Hotdog

2007-07-26T21:42:18Z

The Grand Canyon gives Americans the opportunity to use the word awesome in it's proper sense. I have seen countless TV programs, seen countless photographs, and yet it still took my breath away. Our guide made us do something that we all thought a bit silly. He got us to cover our eyes with one hand and only look down at the feet of the person in front as we shuffled up to the canyon. Once we were all lined up along the rim we did a simultaneous reveal. He got it just right. As you lift your hand, you just can't believe that the canyon just keeps going and going in every direction. As usual I have scores of photos that will just not convey the sheer scale of it. We went to various different points and had a couple of hours trekking down into the canyon, but it all pales in comparison to that first impression.
On the way back in the van, when we were discussing the day, I said that it was one of the few occasions where the word awesome was appropriate, and our guide Micheal told the story of another british guy who had picked him up on his use of the word. He said that every time he had used the word during the day, the guy had said "awesome, like a hotdog or like the universe"

Awesome Like a Hotdog remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Johnny Vegas

2007-07-18T19:25:59Z

There's barking mad, and then slightly to the bonkers side, there's Vegas. At first I didn't really get it, but then I had a drink and it all became much clearer (or much more hazy). You can indulge almost any vice you like in Vegas and you can choose exactly when you want to do it, and that's the point. I should think the only thing you can get arrested for is littering.
When you enter Las Vegas they search you for any sort of budget plans or spending limit you may have decided on. If they find any, they tear it up in front of you, laughing hysterically. You can do Vegas cheaply, but it's much easier just to spend some money.
I thought that I should gamble, as it would seem almost rude not to. I fancied Blackjack, as I can just about remember the rules. I walked up to a table, and then clocking the $50 minimum bet, stopped short and pretended to be watching. After a short while I slunk off to the 25c slots, and threw some money away. The 25c machines don't even do anything, there's no holding, nudging or gambling, you just press a button and win or lose. People load them up with hundreds of credits, and then just sit there for hours pressing a button until all the money is gone. The people I like best are the ones who have a charge card on a coiled cord, connected to their belt. When I saw rows of them plugged into the slot machines, connected by this little umbilical, I couldn't help thinking of the matrix.
Having experienced the thrill of gambling for a few brief moments, I had to see a show. Being the high net worth individual that I am, I went straight to the cut price tickets booth. Of course none of the really big shows are going to feature here, but as Celion Dion and Elton John are currently the big names I wasn't really bothered. The biggest comedy show at the moment is Rita Rudner (who used to be quite big in the UK) , and they had tickets for her show. What's more they were VIP tickets. This meant that I got to do a "meet & greet" with the star herself. This was a really bizarre event where a group of sad individuals like me lined up in order to have a few words with, and be photographed with, Ms Rudner. So I now have another hideous memento photo to go with the one of me praying for death on the Stratosphere ride.
So, completely overspent I move on to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, and hopefully some semblence of sanity.

Johnny Vegas remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Streets of San Francisco

2007-07-07T15:38:50Z

At last a city with a difference - hills. San Francisco really does stand out from the crowd. It has all the usual Starbucks and Subway overload, but it also has stonking great hills that nearly kill you then reward you with a spectacular view. Again I was lucky with the weather, because the notorious fog would take away most of the views. Even then you'd still have the fabulous cable cars running up and down the hills.
People had told me that the 4th July celebrations would be, in the American sense, awesome, so I went down to the waterfront to see if I could be awed. Apart from a couple of bands and a few street entertainers, it was all a bit low-key. The locals seemed to celebrate by covering every available inch of grass with barbecues, drinking beer, and throwing footballs to each other. The main event was the firework display in the evening. It was an impressive show, and at times I did feel a slight bit of awe. The problem with fireworks of course ( or the advantage, depending on your point of view) is that the better they are the less time they last, so it was all over fairly quickly. Walking back across town it was all very quiet, I suppose most people had work the next day.
Having walked over the Golden Gate bridge on the 4th, my tourist head suggested a trip to Alcatraz. It was only $21.75 which seemed quite reasonable for what you got, then reality bit. It was Thursday morning, and they were taking bookings for Sunday afternoon. Oh well, $21.75 back in the kitty.
My last day saw me with some time to kill before catching the bus. As I had been wondering about the workings of the cable cars, I headed for the cable car museum. It turned out to be fascinating, and even better free. If you go to San Francisco, as well as making sure to wear some flowers in your hair, spare an hour for the cable car museum.

The Streets of San Francisco remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Hostel or Hostile

2007-07-07T15:12:58Z

My stay in Vancouver didn't get off to the best of starts when a drunk guy blocking the hostel doorway greeted me with the traditional Canadian greeting "Go away unless you're checking in". I explained politely that I was checking in and he let me through. The girl on reception explained that he was one of the bar staff from last night's shift. Apparently he had been undergoing some customer empathy training by getting completely sloshed. I think he was just trying to be jovial, but it came across badly after a long bus journey. That kind of leads on to the main problem with the hostel. When they said that there is a bar next door, what they meant is that there is a licensed zoo underneath all the rooms where you are supposed to sleep. Admittedly the bar closed at 11pm, but I like to choose when I go to bed. Even after 11 there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing by young people looking for cigarette papers. Why they were so desparate for a cigarette at that time of night I don't know. The good news was that they did a stunning breakfast for $2.75. See my priorities - sleep and breakfast, I guess I'm officially too old.
Vancouver is a pleasant enough city, but not as fabulous as the guide books make out. It does boast the world's first steam clock, which should put it on everyone's to see list. Stanley Park is a nice place to spend time, and the semi-tame furry animals that abound make for some good photo-opportunities.
To give you an idea of how much there is to do on a tight budget, on my last day I ended up at the aquarium. It was a good aquarium, but a bit of a last resort I think you'll agree.
Not really sorry to leave Vancouver, but sorry to be getting back on the bus.

Hostel or Hostile remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Rolling with the Dog

2007-07-05T16:58:53Z

When I was a child, you could get a matchbox Greyhound bus. It was shiny, and looked like the ultimate in travel. Another childhood illusion shattered. The 2000 odd miles from Winnipeg to Whitehorse passed slowly and uncomfortably. Upon arrival, it really didn't seem worth it. It was 4:30am and the place was deserted, and frankly a bit dull looking. I had expected a sort of wild west frontier town with saloons, instead I got an average Canadian town with a Walmart and two Tim Hortons. Thankfully the surrounding countryside and the people at the hostel made up for my initial disappointment. I arrived in the buildup to the Yukon Quest canoe and kayak race, and the hostel was filled with a strange collection of long distance canoeists. Didn't get to see any bears in the woods, but I nearly got to see The White Stripes play in the park. Which is the same as not seeing any bears or the White Stripes I suppose. They were both there, I saw neither. To compensate I did get to see the world's longest fish ladder, and not many people can say that. It was the wrong time of year for Northern Lights, so instead we had the midnight sun. It is really strange walking through the deserted town in the middle of the night, and it being as light as day.
On my last morning there I got to see the start of the canoe race. It starts in the middle of town, and all the competitors have to run to their boats. It was quite a spectacle, and then it was time for another 48 hours in a bus.

Rolling with the Dog remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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My kind of town

2007-07-05T16:35:02Z

Had a great time in Chicago, staying with an old friend and his family. I got to stay in a real home, was fed in style, and entertained for the whole weekend.
Didn't get off to a great start, as I had put his old address in my address book. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I managed to make my way from the bus station to his apartment unaided, which was shattered when the security guy said no one of that name lived there. The rest of the weekend went much better, probably because I wasn't in charge. All too soon it was back on the Greyhound.

My kind of town remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Niagara Fools

2007-06-18T22:38:55Z

Niagara Falls the Natural Wonder - 10/10
Niagara Falls the town - 4/10 must try harder
Must see attraction (after the falls obviously) - The Daredevil Museum. Here you can see the contraptions used to traverse the falls by various people who thought that a few minutes of fame was better than continuing to exist. The ingenuity and effort put into killing themselves is truely inspiring. Those who fail in their attempt and survive the falls are prosecuted and heavily fined so that they do not feel it was a total waste of their talents.
One day is enough to see the falls from both the US and Canadian side, and as there is virtually nowhere decent to eat a short stay is recommended.

Niagara Fools remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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How big are whales?

2007-06-18T22:21:32Z

The weather got so nice in Bar Harbor that against my miserly instincts I paid out $50 to go on a whale watching trip. We went out on a state of the art jet catamaran, with all the latest whale finding equipment. So the only explanation for the total lack of so much as a spout during our 5 hour trip is that whales aren't as big as they make out. Remember that fishermen are notorious for exaggeration. All those David Attenborough programs could be easily faked with a bit of CGI or camera trickery. It's just not possible to hide an animal the size of a bus for such a long time.
Whinging about not seeing a whale aside (the next day I saw some porpoises in the harbour, which are members of the whale family, so technically I did see some small whales), Bar Harbor was great once the sun came out. It is probably a hell-hole of unbridled tourism once the season starts, but at the beginning of June it is tranquil and beautiful. The hike up Mount Cadillac (the first place in the US to see the rising sun each day) stretched my definition of hike by requiring the use of all four limbs, but the panoramic views from the top made it seem worth the sweat.
Bizarrist event of the week must be being asked to be a witness for a wedding in the park near the pier. The couple had forgotten to bring a camera so I doubled up as photographer too.
Sorry to leave really.

How big are whales? remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I'd forgotten about rain

2007-06-05T15:01:24Z

Seriously, this is the first time it has rained in the daytime since I left England. I'd forgotten how much it can spoil your day. I arrived in Bar Harbor (yes, I know they spell it wrong) after a twelve hour bus,bus,ferry,bus,bus,minibus connection-fest had a bite to eat and went straight to bed. Rising late I was dismayed to see how dismal it was outside, like England in October. Still I got some shopping and cooking done, and there's always the laundry for a bit of light relief. The sun came out today and Bar Harbor was starting to look like the kind of place I like. Being such a nice day I went down to the pier to enquire about a whale watch trip, but appearently it's too rough out there so I'll have to try again tomorrow. The forecast promises no rain for the rest of the week so fingers crossed.

I'd forgotten about rain remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Playground of the rich and famous (and me)

2007-06-02T19:16:59Z

If you ever get the chance to go to Martha's Vineyard, take it. It's a tourist resort that they haven't managed to spoil yet. I guess there's enough money here to keep things tasteful. Even the airport building is clad in cedar shingles. This is the perfect time of year to be here as the season hasn't started yet, but the weather is superb. For $25 you can get a weeks bus pass which allows you access to the whole island. Get bored with one bit, just get on a bus and go somewhere else.
Definately worth the ferry ride.

Playground of the rich and famous (and me) remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Manhatten Project

2007-05-29T13:21:47Z

Been a real tourist here in New York. Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, went up the Empire State Building, went on a cruise round Manhatten Island.
To be quite honest, I don't know what all the fuss is about. Apart from the aggressive street selling and begging you could be in London. Less likely to be shot in New York than in London these days I know.
The Empire State is the worlds tallest money printing machine. You put thousands of humans in at the bottom, squeeze them really hard and loads of money comes out. I made the mistake of buying a bottle of water in the gift shop and it was $2.70 as opposed to $1 at street level. It's not like they carried up there like on the Inca Trail.
The river cruise was much better value for money, $30 for a three hour trip. Because the island is quite narrow, you really do get to see a lot by cruising round. The guide was quite informative and funny too.
Central Park is nice (the bits I saw of it) and it is quite amazing how quickly you leave the noise and traffic behind. I don't know what was chasing all the people I saw running there, mortality probably.
All in all I'm not sure I heart New York really, but at least I've seen for myself.

The Manhatten Project remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Nashville- City of Dreams

2007-05-25T22:38:27Z

It's getting really hard to find the time to do this, especially as most hostels charge for the time used. So apologies for the lack of content. The big problem with these whistlestop tours, is that just as you start to work out where eveything is, it's time to leave. This is definately the case with Nashville, as I eventually got to the really good downtown area on the morning I left
However I had had a really good night out the night before. I went along to a local place that boasted a lot of famous past performers, and the night started really well when the doorman insisted on ID to prove I was over 21. Then I got chatted up by two members of the local lonely hearts club, they were good looking women too, if obviously a bit desparate. I manage to put them off with some caravan stories, and they moved on to I guy in a cowboy hat. To top it off there was some good music and beer. A slight dampener was that it turned out to be a benefit gig for the family of a local country music hero who had been killed in a car crash.
In New York now after a 23 hour coach journey, hoping to be more organised about getting around here. I'll post again as soon as possible, and try to get some pictures up.

Nashville- City of Dreams remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Doing the Charleston

2007-05-20T21:37:18Z

Having passed quickly through Miami (more lice than vice) I'm relaxing in Charleston. The Greyhound bus trip was reasonably stressful, but in fact got me here on time and none of the security guards shot me (one wanted to, but contained himself). And I made the journey from the Greyhound depot (they put them in the middle of nowhere, obviously) to the hostel with only one bus journey and a reasonable walk.
The hostel here is nice, which is good because the one in Miami was crummy and I was hoping for better. Charleston is nice too, which again makes a pleasant change from the frankly underwhelming bits of Miami that I got to see. The neighbourhood that I'm staying in is a wierd mix of up and coming and guys outside the local store drinking from the traditional brown paper bag. Even the guys with the bags seem friendly enough, although you wanted want to engage in more than a hi, how you doing kind of conversation.
Downtown upped and came back when we owned it, and it's still mighty posh today. The amount of money just in the cars driving past is unbelievable.
Anyhoo, the sun is nearly over the yardarm so I'm going up to the verandah with a beer - it's actually the law here.

Doing the Charleston remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Tired Calves

2007-05-15T19:50:59Z

I've done it, I've walked the Inca trail and survived(just).
The toilets are hideous, the altitude crippling, and the scenery is stunning. It's quite difficult to get your head around the fact that you can only walk about five steps before having a rest, but believe me at 4200m for some of us it's a fact.
We were really lucky to have perfect weather all the time, and the Trek company turned out to be really good. I can imagine that bad weather or bad food and accomodation could make the trek a really miserable experience.
A key skill for walking the Inca Trail is precise bowel control, beacuse some of the toilets were just unusable, and any good ones needed to be taken full advantage of.
Was it worth it? Yes. Would I do it again? Only on the train.

Tired Calves remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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It's A Long Way To Peru

2007-05-10T14:28:09Z

Eventually I'm here in Peru (well I've been here a while but the altitude sickness, and catching up on the sleep I missed on the journey have occupied a lot of my time). It is a hell of a long way to Peru, even by jet aircraft. It took about 32 hours in all, half of it in cattle class, half of it hanging around in airports - neither is much fun.
Upon arrival at Cuzco the sun was shining, and the journey started to seem worth it. Then the altitude sickness kicked in and I started to doubt the wisdom of all this. In the nick of time I was introduced to cocoa tea (all perfectly legal), and I am starting to feel a bit better.
Tomorrow at about 5am I'm off on the Inca Trail, so if I survive that I blog again.
No pictures at the moment as the computer here doesn't have the necessary bits.

It's A Long Way To Peru remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Nothing happening yet

2007-04-10T16:50:09Z

There's nothing to say yet, I just wanted to see what this looks like.

Nothing happening yet remains copyright of the author jehan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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