Northern Hemisphere 2006

Home and hosed

2006-11-08T17:36:00.000+11:00

Yes, we are finally home and our trip is over! We had a great time in London but could easily have stayed longer. We spent a day on the buses checking out all the sights and managed to jag tickets to the musical Wicked witch was awesome. Adam took a bus tour that went to Stonehenge, Salisbury cathedral and Bath. It was an all day whirl wind affair but gave him a glimpse of the English countryside. Madeleine spent the day visiting Kate and little Pablo and had a great time as well. We saved one day for shopping, so it was a tactical exercise. Whilst we didn't really acheive our goal, Maedeline found some treasures before it was back to the hotel and one last night in an English pub for dinner. The flight home was unremarkable though long but its good to be home with friends and family.

So, this adventure is over but more are planned. Perhaps a blog on house hunting might have some appeal?

Until next time....

Goodbye from madam2006

Barcelona or bust

2006-10-23T21:13:00.000+10:00

We´ve had fantastic time in Barcelona. We have managed to squeeze all the museums we wanted to see in. Picasso and Jean Miro had some very interesting work to ponder; who could have thought Picasso could be so rude? The church designed by Gaudi is uncompleted after 100 years of ongoing work but is absolutely incredible, with huge soaring curved columns, towers topped with immense bunches of fruit covered with bright Venetian glass and very striking sculptures. He did not like any straight lines in his work, because they are not found in nature, and the private house he designed feels a bit like a brightly coloured Dr Seuss book. We have now seen more art in the last six months than ever before. Even if we often stand in front of a piece of work with the same puzzled look on our face, there is a lot of it that we have loved.

A highlight of our stay here was to meet up with Pascal and Emmanuelle, a French couple we met in the USA. He is the chief French diplomat to Barcelona, and we were very impressed with his swanky apartment! After travelling for a long time, it is fantastic to meet up with friends and have a dinner and a laugh, and they have promised to come and visit us in Melbourne some time in the future. A bientot nos amis!

Adam is very sad to be leaving the excellent tapas behind. Our friends proposed a minute´s silence last night ´because tomorrow Maddi and Adam will be eating English food!´ We are flying to London today, for a 3 day whirlwind tour. Adam has not been there before, so for the first time on our trip we are considering being total tourists and buying tickets for an open air bus tour of the city, as we do not have enough time to do everything slowly. We are also hoping to visit Maddi´s friends in Cambridge, with their new baby, and see the Tate Modern (Maddi) and Stonehenge and Bath (Adam). Time to sleep when we are on the plane!

This will probably be our last blog entry, as we will be home in less than a week, so we would like to thank all of our patient friends and family who ploughed through our pages and pages of blog. Thank you also to those who sent us much appreciated comments. Adios amigos, and we will see you all soon.

Madam xxx

Piano accordion hell

2006-10-17T02:11:00.000+10:00

We have really enjoyed our tour through Andulucia (Anduluthia to the locals, they lisp at everything) in the southern part of Spain. Several days in Seville admiring the Islamo-Christian history was highlighted by a visit to a local Flamenco bar. The singing sounds somewhat arabic but is specific to this region of Spain. No one is sure if it is a style derived by the gypsies or borrowed from the Muslims; striking and fascinating nonetheless. The accompanying guitarist seemed to have fingers that danced over the fret board and had Adam in complete envy. Needless to say, the Flamenco dancers were both outstanding and full of passion. Clearly we enjoyed the experience. We were similarly in awe of the grandeur of the Alcazar, the former Islamic and then Christian palace.

Our most outstanding food story has us wondering where the lovely ham we were eating was stored. Easily answered by looking at the ceiling of the bar, where around 30 or so uncovered legs of ham were hanging amdist the pall of cigarette and cigar smoke. Each leg had a little cup hanging at the bottom to catch fat, so as not to drip on the customers. Knowing all that, it was still amazing ham!

From Seville we moved on to Ronda, a small town perched high on a mountain but spilt into two by an enormous gorge. The old part of the city on one side dates from the 12th century during Muslim occupation and was one of the last places to fall to the Christians, no doubt due to its strategic place atop the mountain. Lots of little streets to wander around and a mix of architectural styles. Maddi would like to add that she ate the best suckling pig ever. Yes, that´s right, she ate "Babe".

Back to the piano accordion. From Italy through France and Spain we reckon we have heard the same 6 songs belted out on piano accordions nearly everytime we sit down. We both never want to hear "I did it my way" again. Its not particularly adventurous stuff being played. Maddi gives top marks to the slightly addled old bloke we saw just yesterday shaking a single maracca while singing along to his handheld boom box. It´s that sort of ingenuity we wished we saw more of.

We are in Granada now with (unfortunately) less than two weeks to go. More adventures soon.

Buenos dias

2006-10-09T20:41:00.000+10:00

We spent four lovely days in Paris, though the city of romance didn´t really turn on the weather charm, and our umbrellas got a workout. Our hotel was in the middle of a busy bar and restaurant area, which made for good nights out and short walks home, but drunken singing outside our window in the middle of the night (not by us). We met up again with Emmanuelle, a lovely French journalist who we initially met on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. She gave us some tips on what to see and do, and took us out to a restaurant owned by a couple of her friends for some true french bistro food. We are planning to catch up with her and her partner again when we get to Barcelona.

We managed to combine some classic tourist stops with a little soaking up of the culture of the streets of Paris. In one eventful day we went to the Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou Centre (very modern and eye opening, but we have decided that we just don´t have the art appreciation gene, and sometimes just don´t get it!), the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre! We managed to put a lot of ticks on our tourist checklist that day. Maddi had previously avoided the Louvre as a lot of the art is quite old, and it is huge. We did the right thing though, and saw the Mona Lisa (tick!) as well as a random selection from the vast array of art on display.

Adam was very excited to learn that the Paris Motor Show was on while we were in town, as you would know if you have looked at the photos. In perfect man/woman style, he spent the morning there while Maddi went shopping in the Marais district. Not much money was spent, but lots of window shopping. We had considered waiting to get our haircut until we got home, but we both got sick of looking shaggy at the same time, and figured Paris was as good a place as any. It was pretty funny though, because Maddi´s high school French did not stretch to complex haircut terminology, and not much English was spoken by the staff. Still, we both escaped happy with their efforts, despite Maddi´s transient mullet fears as her guy scissored and razored away with abandon.

We are now in Madrid, where the weather is warm and sunny, and the people are out late partying. Standard dinner time here is about 10pm, and even as we head home at midnight, others are just sitting down to eat. We do have a Spanish phrasebook, but when the tapas menu has 30 options, it takes far too long to look up every word, so we do a little bit of random hopeful ordering. No food disasters yet. There is a really great vibe on the streets at night. It is still warm enough for people to wander around wihtout coats, eat outside, and spill out onto the streets from the multitude of bars. It must go off here at fiesta time.

We have missed bullfighting season, but after seeing 15 minutes of it on TV yesterday, that is not a bad thing. A little too much bleeding (by the bull) and poncing about (by the bloke) for our tastes.

Off to the south of Spain tomorrow, so we are looking forward to the Moorish influences on the architecture and food. Adios!

New Photos

2006-10-04T03:36:00.000+10:00

It's been a bit wet in Paris, so we went and had our hair coiffeured and have spent some time, looking stylish, uploading photos for you to enjoy! Included are Tuscany and France with hot off the press pics from the Paris motor show.

Bonnie Beaune

2006-10-02T19:48:00.000+10:00

Since our last entry, we have continued our wandering through the French countryside. Adam was very excited that we achieved 5.3 L/100 km, for those of you with any interest in diesel engines. An afternoon trip to Avignon to visit the famous bridge, after a lunch in Chateauneuf Du Pape (which may be familiar to the wine buffs out there). We had an absolutely scary drive through pelting pouring rain and crazy French drivers along the freeway back to Nice, and after some superior navigating by Maddi in trying conditions, made our train with 2 minutes to spare.

On to Dijon, where we didn't try a skerrick of mustard, and then the gorgeous walled hill town of Vezelay (where relics of Mary Magdalene's body are reportedly in a casket in the Basilica). Ugh! We also spent 3 nights in the wine centre of Burgundy, another old town called Beaune. More wine tasting and cheese eating ensued.

For those of you with a taste for bad food experiences, Adam had his life's worst one on this part of the trip. Suffice it to say, he ordered it by accident, it consisted of tripe and other unidentifiable animal based items, and (as Maddi can attest)it tasted absolutely appalling. With amazing fortitude, he ploughed through 3 quarters of it by slathering it with mustard, while Maddi looked on in awe. Even now, we both gag at the memory.

With that we bid you a fond farewell. Off to Paris!

When deux (2) becomes duh!

2006-09-22T21:38:00.000+10:00

We have left Italy behind after a change in the weather following our recent bragging. We briefly stopped in Turin, home of the famous shroud, then moved on to Nice in the south of France. Adam has now mastered the manual gear box in the little Opal car we have hired and only tries to use the door handle to change gears once a day. We are in Provence now and even the key boards on the computer have the letters in different spots. Azerty not Qwerty.

Adam is really noticing his lack of French and is playing well the role of La Madeleine's silent body guard. So chic....

We have spent the morning in the market at Aix-en-Provence, having a great time buying cheese, olive oil, wine (looking forward to the Chateau-neuf-du-papes) herbs and vegetables. Time to get back to our chalet before the roquefort melts

Miss you all

A Room with a View

2006-09-13T22:44:00.000+10:00

After leaving Montalcino, we headed to the brighter lights of Florence. There were probably more tourists there per square km than anywhere else we have been so far! Despite that, we endeavoured to expand our cultural horizons with a visit to David, Michelangelo's famous statue. A visit to the Duomo, Florence's main cathedral was another highlight, though as always, queueing was required at all locations. Museo dell'Opera was selected out of the many available museums for us to visit, so that Adam could see the statue Michelangelo started to carve for his own tomb, before he changed his mind and attacked it with a hammer. Oh the artistic temperament!

A few other required tourist experiences (a walk across the Ponte Vecchio to look in the windows of the jewellers shops...tourist traps for sure...and a spot of window shopping), plus the mandatory food and wine experiences, and we left feeling that we had made the most of our 3 nights. Due to our landlady warning us about the local cafes and their pricing policy, we became masters of the standing up espresso coffee and brioche for breakfast, to avoid the five fold! increase in price if you sat at a table.

We are now settled in a stunning village in a valley, right on the Mediterranean, called Riomaggiore. It is part of five little villages called the Cinque Terre, which are renowned for their stunning location. We are staying in an apartment high up in the village, with vast ocean views, as well as an eagle eye view down onto the residents. We are both very excited to be able to prepare meals again (yay! cornflakes for breakfast), and celebrated with the biggest T bone we have ever seen, and a bottle of Chianti Classico. Today we have caught the train to the other end of the Cinque Terre, to a bigger town by the name of Monterosso. We really need to make an effort to get up a little earlier, as there is a long siesta from about 1-5 pm, when all the shops close, and that is about the time we tend to arrive at our day's destination.

It is still beautiful and sunny, and the jumpers we brought with us have been unnecessary baggage weight for at least 4 months now. We had enough of constantly trying to arrange accommodation 1 or 2 stops ahead, so we came up with a firm itinerary and have booked all accommodation until we return home at the end of Oct (we know it is not the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach favoured by others we know, but we are very happy!)

Thanks for the comments...we love getting them.

New Photos

2006-09-09T20:29:00.000+10:00

New photos from New York and Rome have been added. Click on the link to the right to view.

Roman Holiday

2006-09-07T19:34:00.000+10:00

Sorry there has been radio silence for a little while, but we were having difficulty with the blog site. Since our last entry we have been experiencing the delights of Italia. Our first 5 nights were in Rome, in a gorgeous little hotel near the Vatican, with marble floors and wooden shutters on the windows. We had a nice mix of touristing and wandering around getting to know the Italian way of life a little. Maddi had been to Rome before, but it was a great place to start for Adam's first time in Europe. We went to St Peter's basilica, where a claustrophobic and very steep walk to the cupola at the top gave us amazing views over Rome. The amount of artwork inside St Peter's was a little overwhelming. Thank goodness for audio guides! Another day saw us at the Vatican Museum, full of items that the Popes have taken from other places at great expense over the years. The Sistine Chapel was a highlight, of course, and we both left with very sore necks from hours of looking straight up.

Wandering around the Roman ruins and the Colosseum provided a look even further back in the past. Without our guidebook it all would have been a bit of a blur, trying to work out what was what. Adam was disappointed that after all the warnings about gypsies out to steal our valuables, he didn't see any. Our one trial of a restaurant from a guidebook was a culinary disaster, and we did much better just walking out from our hotel in a different direction each night, and eating where there were lots of locals. Our very limited Italian skills (cappucino, scaloppine, spaghetti) meant that Adam thought he ordered a very manly strong latte, but ended up with an embarrassing babycino. Our phrasebook is already heavily thumbed, and we can now book a table, order a 3 course meal and arrange a taxi home with confidence!

After Rome we headed to Siena, which is a medium sized old town (established about 100 BC)in Tuscany. It was beautiful to just wander around the old narrow stone streets and up little stairways, never knowing what was around the next corner. It was hard to feel that we had stumbled upon a secret spot though, as the tourists seemed to outnumber the locals by 3:1. One of the best parts of this stay was our bus tour of the Chianti region, guided by a great guy from London who had stopped in Siena 6 months earlier as the first stop on a world tour, and never left. We tried a number of different Chianti Classico, which is a type of Chianti which has tightly controlled production, and can only be made in this small part of Tuscany.

A bus to Montalcino was next on the list, which itself was a gorgeous trip through the Tuscan countryside. Montalcino is another very old town of about 1300 people, high on top of a hill. Another wonderful hotel here, hosted by an Italian American who loved to talk and had lots of stories (ex cinematographer). He arranged one of his mates, called Alberto, to take us out in his car for a day tour of the local region. We were told that Alberto had been knighted for his services for food, and until very recently had been a well known restaurateur in Montalcino. We were also assured that he spoke some English, though after a day with him, he had only spoken one word of it! Who knew our phrasebook, some hand gestures (so Italian) and Maddi's rudimentary French could combine to make communication possible? We went to the locally famous cheese making town of Pienza and had a tasting plate of pecorino delicacies. It was nice, but we are sure that those with more cheese experience would have got more out of it. We tried some of the local Brunello, apparently the best red wine in Italy, and can only be produced in Montalcino. We decided against the AUD $200 shipping cost for a case though, and reluctantly decided there was no room in our packs either.

We are on our way to Florence (Firenze) today, and will keep you all updated.

The Big Apple and beyond

2006-08-30T04:12:00.000+10:00

New York was an amazing experience and a fitting end to our time in the US. Madam became Madamandkate for 5 days when our friend joined us from London. We also caught up with Justin, a mate of Adam's from high school. All in all an excellent time was had. Highlights included a ferry ride around the south of Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island and the former World Trade Center site. We visited the site on foot as well, and it really just looks like a huge construction area at the moment, with a small display of photos to remind people of the day.

Kate and Maddi had a fine afternoon shopping in Soho, as well as picking up a few choice purchases at a designer discount store. Adam had a bit of fun with his own purchases. Some of the best times were just hanging out in different areas. We had lunch in Jewish delis, dinner in Greenwich and East Village, and bar crawls in the Meatpacking district. Justin added some excellent local knowledge and an appreciation for a big night out, so he fit in well with the group! We tried out a number of New York taxis in an attempt to become contestants on the Cash Cab, a roving game show that Adam had loved on cable TV, but to no avail.

Other New York experiences included a hot dog in Central Park, and a trip to the Guggenheim (to prove we are cultured). Adam went to Columbia Uni trying to find the site of scenes from Ghostbusters, but no luck.

It was sad to say goodbye to Kate in the transit lounge at Heathrow airport, as it was lovely to have another travelling companion for a brief time. We had 6 hours in the airport before heading to Rome, where we have just spent our first day. More details in a few days.

New photos for Florida and East Coast now available!

2006-08-21T08:27:00.000+10:00

Click on link in the right hand column to see them.

Boston Tea Party

2006-08-16T00:25:00.000+10:00

Boston is a lovely town. Home to some very famous events in the American revolution, we have had the opportunity of retracing the ride of Paul Revere as he raced ahead of the English Army to warn the patriots. His house remains as a monument to 17th century architecture, and while looking its age is an impressive structure. Travelling through what is now Little Italy is a fantastic adventure with hundreds of caffes and restaurants packed in together, many along cobblestoned streets. The Newbury Street strip shops rival and exceed anything on Chapel St back home. One bedroom studio apartments in the area are going for US$2500 a month. Though we are surrounded by universities (MIT and Harvard are just over the river), it would take serious old money for a student to live in these digs! Maddi decided that she should try hostel living at least once. After standing under a randomly alternating hot and cold shower, with the pressure of a slight trickle from a garden hose, 4 mornings in a row, standing in a queue to wash her breakfast plate and needing earplugs to get a decent sleep, she cracked it. There will be limited hostel stays in Europe we think!

We are in Philadelphia at the moment, and are heading to New York tomorrow to meet up with our friend Kate. Philly has been an unexpected pleasure, with lots of historic streets to wander down. There are restaurants aplenty, but in anticipation of New York have been very good and cooking for ourselves. We haven't even tried a famous Philly Cheesesteak (strips of beef, melted cheese and sauce on a white roll). Today Adam took Maddi on a cultural expedition to the steps made famous in the Rocky movie, but we did not get a photo of him standing at the top with his arms raised, unlike other tourists.

No liquids, gels or pastes

2006-08-12T23:15:00.000+10:00

We managed to clear security at Washington DC in less than 10 minutes. I gues that made up for the hour it took to check the bags in and get our tickets. Both of us are wondering just how much stuff we are going to have to get rid of by the time it comes to going to the UK where carry on luggage has all but been banned. Those Lonely Planet books are quite heavy you know!

DC has been great. The Smithsonian Museums truly amazing and great value (free). Some of the more interesting museums were closing for renovations and had less on display. Adam was disappointed that the "Pop culture" display had been reduced to a corner near the escalators. We also made the trek to see the Washington monument and the Lincoln memorial and are now determined to get to the Shrine of Rememberance on our return home.

Next stop Boston..

Sweltering in Savannah

2006-08-10T01:16:00.000+10:00

We have just arrived in Washington DC after a 15 hour train trip that was scheduled to take 11. The locals just laugh at us when we say we are catching the train, as this sort of delay seems to be standard. Maddi had given Adam "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote to read, and he was very freaked out when he realised that the murderers had visited Miami Beach and stayed at the exact same address as the one where we had stayed! (Bear in mind this book is a true story, though it was based in 1959).

According to USA Today, July has been the hottest month in the USA for the last 70 years, which explains why we have been melting when we are out and about. A standard day in Savannah was 90% humidity and 37 degrees Celsius. We understand now why they have siestas in hot countries, as we had to escape back to the hotel by about 3 every afternoon, and only venture out again for dinner. The historic district of Savannah was gorgeous, with a different shady tree lined square every 5 mins walk, each one surrounded by 200 year old mansions. We can see why so many movies get filmed here. We are fully informed on the history now, after doing a trolley tour, a walking tour, a black history tour, and watching the documentary film put on at the Visitor's Centre Museum.

We had heard that Savannah was know for good food, so we had some great dinners while we were there. We have now tried gumbo, collard greens and grits, though have not yet had biscuits and gravy. The waiters were good ol' Southern boys, and have given us directions to other restaurants in Boston and New York. The Civil War is still fresh in some minds here...we overheard someone at another table saying that a female friend had been going out with a Yankee, but had broken up with him "after he showed his true colours"!

Miami Vice

2006-08-03T06:00:00.000+10:00

Its all about the look down in Miami, but in the middle of summer at close to 100% humidity its hard to be cool when you are sweating like a pig (do pigs sweat?). We are staying in South Beach, just down from Deco Drive. Its a long stretch of Art Deco hotels and buildings built along the beach. All pastel and white wash. Some places even go the trouble of placing classic cars out the front to add to the vibe. It looks awesome. It gets so hot walking along the street, that we have taken to ducking into random shops to escape the heat and have been living with the airconditioning on continuously (bad electricity consumers that we are).

Whilst with car, we travelled to a 1920's mansion called "Vizcaya" furnished to look like 4 centuries of the same family had lived there. Some pieces dated back to 2nd century while other items, such as ceilings, came from French or Italian castles of the 16 and 17 hundreds. Sly Stallone used to live next door but got sick of all the tourists, so sold his house to a rich dog (or so the guide said). I thought we had left LA behind.

We have handed in the rental car, another convertible that we got for $15 per day because the company had run out of the sub-compact that we wanted. We will publish our strategy to achieve this feat upon our return, but we have a game plan and will continue to use it! We discovered that travelling down Orlando's freeways during peak hour with the top down when its nearly 40 degrees is not really a good idea. We both avoided heat stroke by a narrow margin! Adventures in Orlando included Maddi meeting up with a couple of local girls who insisted on taking us to some club where they got us into the VIP room (we think Britney had been there) by buying two bottles of vodka (we can only guess the price but probably $600). We politely accepted the free drinks but were never in any danger of finishing those bottles. We still don't understand the arrangement the girls made with the manager who came up and introduced himself to Adam, to ensure we had a good time. That Aussie accent can do wonders down here!

The purpose of the visit to Orlando was the Kennedy Space Center. An enormous complex about an hour and a half from Orlando, we opted to take the "NASA up close" tour. Highlights of the visit included seeing the tail of "Atlantis" as it is readied for launch sometime in late August, the awesome Saturn V rockets used to send man to the moon (the plans now only available on microfiche, no hard-copy) and the massive assembly building for the International Space Station. It was an all day affair and we were truly spaced out by the end.

Whilst there are numerous amusement parks in Orlando, none offered much extra than places already visited. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to drive through Disney World, so big that it has its own freeway system to ferry people around. Couldn't park anywhere to have a look around without handing over money, so kept driving. One of the oddities of the park is Celebration, a suburb designed by Walt himself to be the perfect suburb. It was like a set from "The wonder years" except that a lot of the locals use "segways" and communal electric cars to get around. Rumours abound that you have to pass CIA investigations to even rent or buy here.

Off to Savannah soon, more adventures to follow..

New Photos of the Wild West available

2006-07-26T05:04:00.000+10:00

Click on the link to the right and go to Wild West to see what we've been up to!

Yabba dabba doo

2006-07-25T07:05:00.000+10:00

Apologies to loyal fans for the week long delay between entries, but the wilds of Wyoming and South Dakota are not exactly awash with internet cafes. This is being typed in the airport lounge at Dallas, en route to Florida. We have had an excellent couple of weeks out of the big cities. After our last entry, we spent 2 nights in Idaho Springs, in what takes the worst accommodation of the trip award so far. The highlight of this town, though, was the people. On the first night, we ended up in the bar above a Mexican Restaurant, where they were having a karaoke night. After trying out her skills in a room full of friends in Kyoto, Maddi decided that she was ready for the large bar full of strangers. She had no idea that she had a secret passion for public performance. Suffice it to say, at the time we departed she had performed 6 times, and been invited repeatedly by some locals at the next table for karaoke in the next town the subsequent evening. She even performed (at his request) a duet with the guy running the karaoke machine. The next night we met a great bartender called Holly who said we should come back the next day before we left, as she had a present for us. As a result, Maddi is now the proud owner of a t-shirt which reads...'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy'. Still not sure where it will be appropriate to wear it!

After that we headed north through Wyoming taking a detour to take some photos of Devil's Tower, the mountain featured in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. We had the phone number of a distant connection of Adam's Nan, a guy called Greg, who lived in Custer, South Dakota, in the Black Hills. Without knowing us at all, he welcomed us into the campground he manages, and let us stay in his RV for 5 nights (thanks again Greg!). It was called "Flintstones" for a reason. Everything looked like buildings from the cartoon, including a Bedrock City Theme Park. As we had the good luck to be there during the biggest day of the year in Custer, Gold Discovery Day, we were recruited to help the campground with the festivities. As a result, we were outfitted in fur (Adam in shaggy grey, Maddi in enticing leopard skin) and represented our campground as runners in the hospital bed races on one of the streets in town, with a fully suited up Barney Rubble on the bed. Maddi was interviewed by the local TV station, and according to our sources actually appeared on the news that night. We don't think it will get syndicated by CNN so you at home might not see it. The next day, again all furred up, we were in the Bedrock City Train as part of the big street parade, throwing candy to the kiddies and waving like celebrities. It was such a laugh that we have told Greg we will be back again next year. We stopped in at the notorious local Gold Pan Saloon, to have a drink at the only bar where the floors are paved in ...foot thick sawdust.

We saw the local sights, including Mt Rushmore, and the Indian equivalent, Crazy Horse, of which only the head is finished after 50 years of work. The Black Hills area was great, and one of the definite highlights was driving in our PT Cruiser through a herd of about 200 wild buffalo. The up close pics may be a bit blurred as Maddi's hand was a little shaky (they are known to be dangerous, and we were only 1 metre away at times). We experienced all the meaty delights the west has to offer, dining on buffalo, beef and elk during our stay. We visited the town of Deadwood, where Wild Bill Hickock met an untimely death with a bullet to the back, but the old world facades hid a collection of poker machine ridden casinos. We were lucky enough to travel through the Badlands during a rainstorm. It is a large area of coloured peaks and valleys made of limestone, with no visible plant life, and the rain brings out the colours.

We also spent a couple of days on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. We did not realise that the accommodation we had booked was predominantly a hunting lodge. On the first night we met an ex police officer from Mississippi who had brought all 12!! of his guns with him for prairie dog hunting. Picture a cute little animal a bit like a meercat, and then imagine our dismay as he described the 'mist of blood' that you see after you shoot one from 400 yards. The Reservation was very hot and dry, and was covered in small collections of 3 or 4 houses that are inhabited by all the descendents of each particular Indian elder who settled there. They are described as the poorest counties in USA, and this is very apparent when you are there. We went through some very interesting small Indian run museums, and met a few Indian people who told us a little more about what life was like for them. It was a diverse mix of rich cultural heritage, poverty and the occasional casino.

Thanks for all the comments, emails and text messages, and we will upload more photos soon.

Yippee-i-o and God bless America

2006-07-14T01:41:00.000+10:00

Today we are leaving Colorado Springs, a lovely town about an hour South of Denver. We were a little concerned that it might be flooded out, because when we landed in Colorado a few days ago they were in the middle of days of downpour and flooding. At least one of the roads we would otherwise have taken was washed out. We are in at about 6000 feet elevation here, and are surrounded by 'fourteeners', which is what the locals call mountains higher than 14 000 feet. It is beautiful country.

Yesterday we drove to the top of Pike's Peak. Maddi had no idea of its significance, but apparently it is the location for a world renowned hill climb car race (missed it by 10 days). Adam refused to go up on the scenic railway...we had to drive the route! The scenery was amazing, and the lack of guardrails when the road was dirt and the drop precipitous was a little hair raising. We took a photo of a car that had just recently run off the side, thankfully only into a little ditch. The altitude made us both feel a little lightheaded when we got to the top. A few photos and a deep fried donut, and we had to descend again because we both felt so strange.

The weather here is interesting. Every morning it is sunny and clear, and every afternoon there is thunder, lighning and downpours. At least it makes us get up early.

Last night we went to the Colorado Springs rodeo, a once a year event. All the locals were there in their cowboy hats and boots. We saw bucking broncos, bull riding, steer roping, and the craziest one...wild cow milking. It basically involved a team of hapless people on foot chasing a wild cow, holding it down, and milking it into a bottle. Weird! It was excellent fun though, and it felt like we were getting into a part of the US you would not see in LA. It was patriots night, so there was a lot of God Bless America and fight the war on terror, as well as a standing ovation for a couple of returned servicemen.

We will spend the next 10 days on the road, heading to South Dakota to stay on a Native American reservation. We will write again soon

Photos of California and Las Vegas now available!

2006-07-11T11:21:00.000+10:00

Click on the link in the right hand column to see them...

All you need is love

2006-07-10T05:17:00.000+10:00

We are writing this in the Qantas Lounge at LAX...finally getting our money's worth from the membership! We are heading from Las Vegas to Denver after a few days of glitz and glitter. Since we left LA, we drove to Sequoia National Park for a few nights in a cabin in a campground. It was a fantastic period of peace and quiet after the hubbub of LA. There were huge trees all around us, and hardly anyone else there, as they were all in the cities for 4th of July fireworks. We cooked our own meals (a real luxury as any traveller knows) and had a great time. Unfortunately Maddi was struck down with her second viral illness of the trip, so Adam had to do the uphill trail walk on his own. There were no bears, mountain lion or rattler sightings, despite the fear inducing pamphlets in the cabin. The guy running the campground said he had to shoot a bear about 4 years ago after some Dutch tourists aggravated one by taking flash photos (good thinking guys).

The drive to Las Vegas was long and hot, through the Mojave desert. It was a little reminiscent of the Nullarbor, as it is really a scrubland rather than the Sahara variety. We could see the Nevada border approaching easily...one minute desert, the next a huge casino with flashing lights. Vegas really is everything you imagine. The strip is wall to wall casinos, all of them with competing neon signs, buffets, stage shows and nightclubs. During our stay we walked through fake indoor Paris, Venice, New York and Rome. We considered the indoor gondola ride but then remembered we have some self respect and decided against it. The absolute highlight for us was going to see the newest Cirque de Soleil show on the strip (there are 4 others also playing!). It was called Love, and the music was all Beatles, put together by George Martin. We blew our budget on the tickets but both agreed it was worth it, and easily the best show either of us have seen. We were literally on the edge of our seats watching the acrobatics, and were horrified at what they were prepared to do without safety harnesses. Adam definitely had his biggest thrill getting a C6 corvette sideways on a racetrack behind the hotel. All of $11 worth. What a bargain. He didn't obey the "no tire squealing" rule but you only get these opportunities once!

Keep the comments coming. It is lovely to know people are reading, and we are not sending these messages off into cyberspace unread.

LA, land of the car (wish we had one)

2006-07-02T03:47:00.000+10:00

LA is an interesting place. We are spoon fed images on TV almost every night depicting LA as a glamorous city. Maybe it helps if you're on the A list or have a limo to move you around because it seems that everything is really spread out without any collection of little communities to amble through. Walking does not seem to be a popular hobby (unless you're a tourist with no car and no chauffeur). A lot of the famous land marks are surrounded by derelict blocks or ugly car parks. If you are getting the vibe that we preferred San Francisco, you would be right.

All that said, we have managed long walks down Melrose, Rodeo, Santa Monica, and of course Sunset. When we decided to check out the music scene on Sunset, we had the choice of three famous venues. The Whiskey-au-go-go (The doors were the house band in the 60s), the Roxy and Johnny Depp's Viper Room. The Viper room got our vote in the end. A little bit of fast talking (and an understanding with the bar maid to actually buy drinks) had us seated at a reserved table right at the front of the stage. We enjoyed the first two bands we saw, and the lead singer of The Committee was channeling Mick Jagger in a major way, right down to the pout. Maddi was upset that none of the bands had middle aged balding stage dancers like the last time she was there but you can't have everything!

We made the long trek down Santa Monica Blvd to the beach yesterday. It was a lovely walk from Santa Monica down to Venice Beach. We loved the Santa Monica pier and had a great time looking through bohemian Venice Beach. It's a curious mix of hippy, artist, and tourist trap. Not forgetting the open air Muscle Beach Gym where you simply must lift weights with your best jeans and dress shows on. You are on display after all.

Last night we headed down to the Red Cat theatre at the stunning Walt Disney Hall to see Redd Kross. The support act were a group of amazing punk brats called "Be your own Pet" who loved screaming and thrashing around the stage. The lead singer had the most amazing mop of platinum blond hair - half of the gig passed before we saw her face! They seemed upset the crowd was not getting into it, but it was a tough gig, when the whole crowd were die hard Redd Kross fans who were there to see the band's reunion show. But, in anyone's book, if you knock the drum kit over at the end, you must be cool.

It was an amazing moment when Redd Kross returned to the stage after a nine year absence; 12 years since their last visit to Australia. With a line-up that hailed back to the late '80s, they put on a show that covered the entire gambit of their nearly 30 year history. It was a great night that ended too soon. Luckily, the bar was open afterwards and the beer still cheap. Adam managed to meet Robert Hecker (guitarist) and Steven McDonald (bass) as they made their way through the bar to the car park. They both seemed like nice blokes.

Off to Seqouia tomorrow and then Vegas. More stories soon!

Fishy tales

2006-06-27T11:43:00.000+10:00

We have had a lovely few days driving down highway 1 from San Francisco to LA. The first day we visited the Napa Valley, and you will be surprised to hear, did not buy a single bottle of wine (though we sampled a few). Unfortunately there was just not enough room in the backpacks. We stayed in a little hotel in Calistoga, that had a very cool blues/ funk band playing in the bar downstairs. Our next drive was to Monterey, where we visited the famous Aquarium. It was massive, and a great experience. Highlights included a blue fin tuna feeding viewed from under the surface (an amazing feeding frenzy), tanks and tanks of different species of beautiful jellyfish, a 2 storey high kelp forest with its own wave machine to simulate the motion of the sea, and some cute sea otters. Last night was in Santa Barbara. The drive down through the Big Sur National Park was very picturesque, though unfortunately a lot of the coast was shrouded in fog. We checked into our LA Hotel today. We are right around the corner from Hollywood Boulevard, and had lunch at a diner that has been here since 1947. It is like a set from Happy Days, and the cheeseburger and chocolate shake were great! Pretty warm here, so have already tried out the pool. How's the weather in Melbourne? xx

Hawaii photos now available!

2006-06-23T04:05:00.000+10:00

Click on the link in the right hand column...

Dinner and a Show

2006-06-23T03:15:00.000+10:00

The charm of San Francisco is not wearing off. We are still having a great time. On the theory that we should experience everything the town has to offer, we had a very interesting dinner at an Asian fusion food restaurant. The main drawcard is that all the waitresses are transvestites, and during the meal the music starts pumping and they each get up on the bar and perform their best drag routine. To quote the ladies themselves, they are truly miracles of modern science!

Yesterday we caught the bus down to the Golden Gate Bridge for the obligatory pics, and then headed into town to have lunch at Francis Ford Coppola's Italian restaurant. We realised half way through lunch that the man himself was sitting 2 tables down, holding court, but Adam declined the waiter's offer of an introduction.

Today is our last one here, and we pick up the hire car to head over to the Napa Valley tomorrow. Miss you all! Photos hopefully in the next 24 hours.

Hookahs on the Haight

2006-06-21T03:55:00.000+10:00

We are now settled in San Francisco, in a funky renovated hotel called the Red Victorian. It is owned by a lady named Sami Sunchild, and we are a little disappointed that we have yet to meet her! There are paintings all over the hotel and cafe which she has made, with messages of peace and love for the world. If you haven't guessed yet, we are staying in Haight Ashbury. It is a great area, with heaps of eclectic little shops and cafes. Maddi is loving this city so much she tried to convince Adam to move here last night. We have both agreed that we would not want to work in the health care system though. Yesterday we wandered around Chinatown and the Italian area, and generally just enjoyed the vibe of the city. After shredding the sides of her shoes while walking over the lava rocks in Hawaii, Maddi had the most impressive shoe shine on the street, by a guy listening to loud blues music while he applied a total of 5 lotions and potions. We found a Middle Eastern bar/ cafe near us, with great food. More interesting though is the hookahs you can have them bring to your table. Great big brass and glass implements, through which you can smoke your flavoured tobacco of choice. It made for a very interesting evening! Unfortunately the downside of this town is the multitude of homeless people on the streets. It says a lot about the social services in the US, that there are so many of them, a lot in wheelchairs. Here for a few more days, and then we are driving down to LA.

Stone temple tourists

2006-06-17T13:13:00.000+10:00

We decided that it couldn't all be about pools and lava, so we took a drive north to visit an old Hawaiian temple. It was relatively new compared to some of the Japanese ones we visited, as it was built in the late 1700s. According to historians, the guys who built it formed a human chain 30 miles long to pass the rocks from the lava flow inland, to the beachside temple site. It all came to nothing though, as in the end the poor royals were overthrown, and the rest is history as they say.

Now we are in Waikiki for the next two nights. There are slightly fewer Japanese here than in Tokyo, but the weather is better and we can get Japanese bento(box lunches)again. Our $55 per night hotel is a real find, and about the only one that has so far come in under our initial planned accommodation budget. Oh well. Off to Pearl Harbour tomorrow, and then San Francisco the next.

The agony and the ecstasy

2006-06-15T13:37:00.000+10:00

For those of you who know Adam and his love of music, you may be aware of his passion for an obscure band called Redd Kross. It was with a sense of fate taking a hand that he realised the band were going to be playing for the first time in 9 years, in LA, the weekend we are there. His sources sent him all the info, but the tickets were not yet on sale and he had to wait anxiously. Finally he logged on yesterday to discover the tickets were on sale! A rapid trawl through the website, we clicked on the "Buy now" and...aaaargh...all sold out. The depths of despair. This morning, on the off chance, he called the box office directly, only to find they had been keeping a few to sell direct over the phone. In the words of the nice lady on the other end, "if you'd called 5 minutes later, they would have been sold out". He is now the very excited owner of 2 of the 125 tickets released. Maddi plans to listen to much Redd Kross on the iPod in the next couple of weeks, so she can sing along and look like she deserves to be at this elite event.

Madam vs the Volcano

2006-06-13T08:22:00.000+10:00

The Big Island has proven to be not as sunny as Maui, but still lovely and warm. Who can complain when the pool is 30m from your door!

One of the challenges for both of us has been driving on the "wrong" side of the road. "If you're not on the right, you're wrong" has become a bit of a mantra. No incidents so far (at least none that were our fault). The Jeep Wrangler we have at the moment looked the part for an adventure and that's exactly what we had yesterday.

Setting out first thing in the morning (11am), we set off on the 90 odd mile drive. This took about 3hrs as the roads are quite narrow and twisty, but we eventually reached the Volcanoes National Park. Our main aim was to see some lava. Having consulted "the guru" and others in the know, we must thank the guru in partiular for his sage advice. "Ignore the warning signs and keep walking". Well, we did just that for nearly 2 hours across the lava flow that has set hard since 1982. We timed our visit to coincide with sunset and when we finally saw the lava hitting the sea and exploding into the air, of course we got closer! About 400m was as game as we were happy to get. The rangers stories of the flow collapsing into the sea had gotten to us. Besides, its always the foreign tourists that get into trouble! The return trip was aided by a full moon, but was no easier in the dark. Maddi nearly face planted on the lava flow but in the end, superficial abrasions and exhaustion were the only repercussions for our adventure.

For now, its back to the pool!

Where's my maitai?

Cruising on Maui

2006-06-09T11:45:00.000+10:00

As we have too much self respect, we have not asked a passer by to take a photo of us sitting in our Chrysler convertible with the top down, so you will just have to believe us...we look really cool and not AT ALL like tourists. It has been 30 degrees every day, and it is lovely and cool in the evenings up where we are staying. Last night we drove to the top of Mt Haleakala, which is the highest peak in Maui. It is renowned for its beautiful sunrises, but the sunsets are just as good and at a much more humane time. The drive up was a little scary, as the clouds were so low we drove through them, and it was like incredibly thick fog. At the top, you emerge into shining sun, and it is like being in a plane. It was amazing. Heading off to the Big Island tomorrow for a week in a condo...no Hawaiian shirts purchased as yet, but Adam has acquired a local politician's campaign t shirt which he wears with pride. Joe Pontanilla for Maui County Council!

Feast at Lele

2006-06-06T11:18:00.000+10:00

The weather remains divine - a perfect 29degrees C (84F for those from stateside). Plenty of snorkelling and fun in the sun. Thanks very much to Tommy and the Four Winds II crew for a delightful trip out to Molikini. Crystal clear water and and abundance of marine life including giant turtles on the way home.

We are currently up in Kula; halfway up Mt Haleakala. Amazing how much the temperature drops with a bit of altitude. Lots of eucalypts in places, so at times its easy to think we're back home.

Last night we attended a luau of sorts. Delightful food from polynesia and traditional dances including the haka (go figure!).

Thanks to everyone leaving comments. We are really loving hearing from you all. If you don't want to join blogspot, thats ok. All you have to do is click the comment button, scoll down the page (you can't see it in the small window that opens initially) and select anonymous comment. Put your name at the bottom so we know who sent it (it won't appear straight away, so relax!).

Hawaiian Paradise

2006-06-01T06:00:00.000+10:00

After a gruelling 26 hour journey from Tokyo to LA to Honolulu to Maui, we made it at last! Yes, we know you can get here more quickly and directly but the flights were cheap. Thanks to Tommy and Marilyn for extending their hospitality in their lovely home. At last we have some glorious sunshine and a view to match, looking down into town and across and up to Mount Pu'u Ulaula (10,023ft).

Whilst we haven't checked out the north shore just yet, we have put snorkel and flippers on to have a look at the local fish population on the south side. We really feel like we are on holiday now!! Surf reports to follow.....

More photos

2006-05-28T18:15:00.000+10:00

We have added a few more photos of Japan. Enjoy!

Farewell Nippon

2006-05-28T17:45:00.000+10:00

This brings our travels in Japan to a close. We decided that we couldn't leave Tokyo without one trip to Roppongi, the suburb where all the foreigners go. It is a sea of western style bars and restaurants, and definitely not local prices. We had dinner at Tony Romas (the best ribs in the world apparently) and then on to Gaspanic bar for a few drinks. You could easily experience nothing of the real Japan as a foregner if you spent all your time in this part of town. Today we went to Harajuku and took some photos of the freakishly dressed locals (will arrange pics ASAP)and visited the Meiji shrine. We just couldn't leave without seeing one more shrine. Sayonara from Japan, and we will see you in Hawaii

Croaking Karaoke

2006-05-26T11:03:00.000+10:00

Finally tuned up the vocal cords and let loose. My version of Dolly Parton's Jolene was deeply moving while Maddi's threat of singing Islands in the stream with me came true and with much humour. This morning the voices are hoarse, but it was worth it for the Japanese back-up vocalists and bad video clips alone! Til next time....

Photos, photos, photos!

2006-05-25T18:21:00.000+10:00

Yes, after some technical issues we have finally been able to put some pics on the blog. There are more of Japan to come, but we hope these give a taste. Click on the link in the right hand column.

Kyoto and the crowds

2006-05-24T18:15:00.000+10:00

We have spent today looking at some impressive Japanese cultural icons in Kyoto. It seems we have shareed the experience with half of Japans year 7 and 8 school kids which made us feel a little bit like being on the tour conveyor belt! Most impressive was the golden pavillion, burnt down in the 1950s by a crazed monk and then rebuilt soon after. They sentenced the monk to exile for twenty years on an island in the pond surrounding the temple! To calm us after battling the crowds, we went to a lovely zen rock garden and meditated(until the next school bus arriverd).

Last night we were lucky enough to see a geisha as we wondered down a side street. Between appointments, once sighted she was caught in the cross fire of flashes from all the tourists in the street! She proved the worth of her training by paying the cameras no attention and progressing on to her next client.

Hiroshima

2006-05-21T19:26:00.000+10:00

The weather has taken a turn for the better with a lovely sunny day and temperature around 25C. This provided a counterpoint to the sombre visit to the Hiroshima Peace Park and A-bomb memorial. The people of Hiroshima have dedicated themselves to spreading the message of peace and have created a beautiful city in which to live. It has been a very moving experience.

Traditional Ryokan dinner

2006-05-19T13:58:00.000+10:00

Shy Fuji san

2006-05-19T13:32:00.000+10:00

We spent two days in lovely Hakone, one of the best spots to view Mt Fuji. Usually best in the winter when the sky is clear. We caught a brief glimpse of the shy mountain (which is absolutely massive!) before the clouds ruined any chance of a photo. A cable car ride into the hills allowed us to sample one of the black eggs of Owakudani, cooked in the sulfurous thermal springs for 15 minutes. (Perhaps someone with a background in chemistry can explain to me why the shell turns black). We spent the rest of our time checking out an open air museum with a range of impressive sculptures and the world`s largest collection of Picasso ceramics. The switchback mountain train provided awesome views and the cutest scene of little Japanese school girls being woken up bt their teacher to get off the train.

Today we are in Takayama. Maddi has likened it to Japan`s version of Sovereign Hill, but it is impressive to look around a very traditional peasant village. We head off back into the old town to sample the wares. They are famous for making miso paste, sake and the local hero is siru bobo, a little doll who is all red with no face (very cute indeed). The ryokan we are staying in is an old farmhouse that has been refurbished. Huge timber posts and head hunting cross beams - a work of art, but not for those over 170cm tall! We had a traditional dinner in the ryokan (very dishourable to eat anywhere else outside the ryokan) and ended up doing traditional dancing with a group of locals from the next room. Bit like the nutbush but older! Bear in mind we were all wearing our supplied kimonos, so we looked the part. Sayonara

Shogun

2006-05-15T17:44:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we had an amazing trip to the kabuki theatre, and saw a 2 hour play about the end of the Shogun era in Japan. We had English headphones which meant we could follow the action. The crowd yells out the acting house names of their favourite actors every now and then, like they are barracking at the football.

We arrived in Nikko last night, which is a small town about 2 hours from Tokyo on the Shinkansen, which is the very fast train. We are staying in a Ryokan with tatami mats on the floor, and are sleeping on futons. We had our first onsen last night, which is the traditional Japanese shared bath. It was a private one, so a good practice run for when we go to the shared public bath. Today we spent the morning around the Shogun shrine complex for which Nikko is famous. It felt very traditional, and we took heaps of photos. We will put some on the blog once technical difficulties are resolved. If only the renowned 3 wise monkeys on the shrine here could help us. We have run into a number of schoolkids who love to
yell hello at us and then giggle. Having a great time.

Reminiscences of old school days

2006-05-13T22:36:00.000+10:00

Today, in another day of rain, we went to St Mary's, which is the school Adam used to go to in Tokyo. As luck would have it, they were having their annual Carnival, so there was a sea of people of all nations. Each nation seemed to be running their own food stall as well, so there was everything from Kenyan, to an Aussie steak sandwich. Thought we would mention food again, to satisfy the guru (see prev comments). We have caught up with the tour group, but do not head out of Tokyo until tomorrow afternoon. We are staying in a number of traditional inns, so very much looking forward to that. Yesterday we checked out the Budokan, which is a traditional sumo wrestling venue, that hosted the Beatles back in the day. Would have to queue before 7am tomorrow to have any chance of seeing the sumo, so no go. Please let the sun be shining in Hawaii!

Lost in Tran$lation

2006-05-11T22:40:00.000+10:00

Yes, for those of you who haven't seen the movie, please do. While Bill Murray is paid to drink whiskey at the New York Bar and Grill at the Park Hyatt, we had to pay for the privilege. Yes, there was a $25 entry fee each to get into the 52nd floor restaurant but it is just as it appears in the movie. Subtle lighting, jazz band in the corner, and an extensive list of drinks. Regardless of price, the view was spectacular with the city visilble to the horizon from all directions (20 million do live in Tokyo). A highlight of the visit!

Today we ventured out into Shinjuku to see what life is like there during the day. It is amazing what you can find in the basement of a Japanese department store. We decided to make our way out into the burbs (if there is such a thing here) to sample a "traditional" tea. We had green tea "soup" with ice cream and red beans and I think tofu of some sort. Sound funny? It was one of the best desserts I've had in a while. Dinner found us at Niniku-ya, a garlic restaurant. We managed to sample Japanese spirit and then fill up on garlic flavoured food which was divine. It is hard to walk around anywhere without falling for the food.

Culture and Food

2006-05-10T18:42:00.000+10:00

Have had a very cultural day today, heading off to the Tokyo National Museum. The whole first floor was a chronological depiction of Japanese art and culture, with silk paintings, tea ceremony ceramics and (Adam's favourite) swords and armour. Absolutely fascinating, and a real taste of Japan. Followed directions to a little back street retaurant for a tonkatsu lunch (deep fried pork pieces which was our first sizeable piece of meat in days, and delicious). Maddi has had a beer a day, which is more beer than the rest of her life combined, as it seems to be the Japanese drink of choice. Crazy morning at the Tokyo Central Fish market yesterday, with 3 wheeled trucks buzzing around at full speed between rows and rows and rows of fish stalls. Best sushi ever...it is hard to get fresher than 1 minute from the market. We have been too tired for night life until now, but are making the effort tonight. Those stilettos were worth packing after all.

Disney and dinner

2006-05-08T20:59:00.000+10:00

Had a trip to Disneyland in the rain today. We really wanted to put a pic on the blog of both of us with Mickey, and our fingers held in the traditional Japanese photo V, but Mickey was in a hurry and not stopping for pics with the fans. Had a delicious traditional Japanese fry up for dinner, cooked in the middle of our table for 2, and thanks to Jenny for the recommendation. The Japanese spirit (like sake but stronger) mixed with hot water and a pickled plum was a real pick me up. No karaoke as yet.

Omotesando adventures

2006-05-07T19:38:00.000+10:00

Well it rained a lot today, so it seemed to make sense to hit the shopping strip for some adventure. We had fun working out what a heezernut latte was and I'm sure it tastes alright too! We even managed to find a store selling Ugg boots that were actually made in Australia! Felt like we were at home. We have discovered that it is possible to put a double room inside a broom cupboard as long as you have a window to look out of....

Asakusa and Akihabara - a world apart

2006-05-06T19:04:00.000+10:00

We decided to bookend today with two extremes.

We started the day in Akihabara which is Tokyo's "Electronic Town". Maddi decided that we need a keisan-ki (calculator) to better aid in working out those exchange rates. We also managed to buy a contactu rens kess. We are well on our way to learning Japanese but that may be because of the liberal use of English based words.

Second half of the day included a trip to Asakusa which is an older area of Tokyo with a very large temple and lots of markets and food stalls. It felt like half of Tokyo was there but maybe I'm just used to Melbourne crowds!

Tales from Tokyo

2006-05-05T18:08:00.000+10:00

We have safely arrived and are already flitting back and forth across the city like seasoned Metro professionals (apart from the occasional wild guess of boarding a train with no idea where it is going and crossing our fingers). We have had a couple of great local meals, and our first Japanese beer. We found a lost little Japanese girl and handed her in to the local police, who had a bit of trouble understanding what on earth was going on, but the family are reunited now. No pics yet.

2 days to go and no time to pack!

2006-05-02T10:19:00.000+10:00

We've nearly got everything ready but where do you find a large supply of cute stuffed Australian mammals to take away as presents?

All suggestions welcome!

"Party of the century" report media sources

2006-04-30T22:39:00.000+10:00

Thanks heaps to all of you who dragged yourselves out on such a rainy night for our going away party. As you can see from the photos (click the link in the side column) we had a fantastic time. Unfortunately there are no action shots of the funky dance moves that were pulled out under the spinning mirror ball, but the DVD will be released shortly. The bar tab lasted through to about 10pm, and eventually ran out after a couple of rounds of tequila shots (no, not us, we were keeping ourselves nice!) Departing in 4 days!

Party Plan

2006-04-27T10:14:00.000+10:00

Yes!

Its not long to the party. (A) DJ (called) Andy (who comes) from the UK will be spinning discs and a great night for all is planned. Make sure you contact us for details. You don't want to miss out.

7 days to departure and counting...

Using the Blog!

2006-04-22T14:05:00.000+10:00

If you would like to post a comment, please feel free. You may join blogger if you like but don't have to. Press the comments link below. If you have not joined blogger, you must choose either other or anonymous from the list below the text box to leave a comment. Please make sure we can work out who you are so that we can reply to you if needed.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

Final Countdown

2006-04-22T13:46:00.000+10:00

We have moved out of the apartment, put everything in storage across Melbourne and spent several days cleaning. 12 days to departure and counting…

April countdown

2006-04-06T17:46:00.000+10:00

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog because we have been so busy arranging to go away!!

We picked our tickets up today and have shortened our list of things to do somewhat! Some times I cross off two things and add three. We'll get there...

The most important thing is letting everyone know about our going away party on April 29th. We will let you know details soon or contact us to find out more.

2006-03-17T14:07:00.000+11:00

Tickets sorted and departure date finalised. We set off on May 4th for the land of the risnig sun to discover Tokyo and then an intrepid tour for something different. The blog seems to be working well!!

Hopefully you can now post without needing to join blogspot. See how you go!

Preparation Update

2006-03-02T23:21:00.000+11:00

Airline tickets booked today. Preparations continue......

2006-02-05T21:58:00.000+11:00

Preparations are under way......