On our way home...we're going home.

So, this is it. Our last day, our last blog. My friend S recently commented that, as much as she loved me, she didn't want me to come home, as she has so enjoyed reading the blog. Jokingly of course, but I understand where she's coming from.I have to say it's been so much fun writing about our travels and  experiences, connecting with you whether we have known each other forever, met briefly or never even met, I have thought about you when I write. We have been very aware that whilst we've been swanning around without a care in the world, real life has been going on for you.  Sometimes too real, but I hope this blog has bought some light relief. 
I hope also that you noticed the music references in the blog title.  I  like to think you have   listened to them and enjoyed them,  as much as we did trying to find the right one. In light of S’s comments, and for ourselves,  perhaps a fitting song for this last blog would be from The Specials “You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end”. However, there was always only one song that could sum up so perfectly the end of our travels; The Beatles – Two of Us. So many of the lyrics resinate with us. 
Our last day was mostly taken up with travelling. We checked out of the Ryokan, with stooped backs from the roll mat bed, and headed to the train station a 20 minute walk away. The train to the  airport was, as you would expect with Japan exactly on time & arrived precisely 40mins later. Unlike many other connecting trains & buses we have taken, it delivered us right into the departure terminal where check in with Air France was reasonably smooth save for having to pay an extra charge to sit together, which irritated me. This was our longest flight yet – more than 12 hours, but we managed to sleep a little & there were plenty of films to enjoy. We arrived in Paris with quite a tight time gap between connecting flights but we made it with 15 mins to spare – enough time for Mr L to check the football scores & send messages, before we boarded. 
We arrived at Heathrow on time & moved through quickly, although a last minute selfie by Mr L near customs nearly got us into deep water, then  through the exit. There we were greeted by a wonderful sight. Our family. H&M, A&G and of course G-R. All holding up a welcome home banner. Hugs and tears all round, it was so lovely to see them all again.  We blocked the exit and took up far too much space, but we didn't care, we were back with our family. 
We've visited some stunning places and met some great people. Huge thanks to -  B’s mum & dad, J&P in Brisbane for putting us up & showing us around, even though they had never met us; my rediscovered cousin P  for  great hospitality and to M&E for putting us up & making our visit to Sydney so special. Also thanks to D & S from Ireland who were not only great company in HCMC, but provided us with some of  the itinerary for Japan  &  to the lovely people we met along the way, from Sergi  in Russia, to the young German doctors, who we met on our last night;  many friendships made that we  hope will  continue.
Throughout our travels we have been embarrassed by how well people from other countries speak English whilst we have barely managed to learn more than a few words of their language. It's been humbling,  but also hugely helpful! 
A big thanks too,  to our family and friends for supporting us on this adventure & providing travel tips! 
We didn't find ourselves because we weren't lost and we aren't going to come back changed but we've enjoyed each other's company for the past 252 days with barely a moment apart its cross words (except when directions are involved)  &  we have had a bloody brilliant time. 
Thanks for reading. Mr & Mrs L X 

Yes, it looks like we've made it to the end...

As we said goodbye to Aka and the sunshine &  headed back to Tokyo for our last few days, it's fair to say we weren't hugely enthusiastic, but then, after we had booked into our accommodation – more on that in  a moment – we went out for a walk &  found we had put ourselves in a great little area we didn't really explore on our first visit, with plenty of places to eat & drink, shopping arcades & a nice little vibe. We had something to eat & then found  ‘Don Quixote’s 24hr store’. Mr L was lured  by the flashing lights &  expectations of finding random,  obscure things for sale. Whilst he mooched I spotted 2 sumo wrestlers  shopping. I tried to get a sneaky pic but without success. Then as we left  the store I spotted them & grabbed my chance. They weren't keen I have to say, well that's what their faces said, but I snapped them anyway! Then we headed back to  our accommodation. A popular place to stay is Japan is a Ryokan – a traditional Japanese inn. As we hadn't stayed in one I thought it would be a good idea  for our last few days. The room is very basic. No furniture but some shelves, a tiny toilet & bathroom, two roll mats for beds, a quilt & pillow & that’s pretty much it. I think perhaps this level of minimal living is a step too far for us and I'm not sure Mr L's back will ever forgive me, but at least we've had the ‘experience’!
We spent the next day visiting the skyline Tokyo Tower and shopping, looking for a few gifts to bring home. We haven't been able to buy anything along the way as we couldn't fit it into our bags so this was a real treat. In the evening we went to a local Jazz club (I know – what has become of us) to find it was ‘Dixie Night’. It was great fun & being the only westerners we attracted a bit of attention & even got a request played. The music was good and we admired their spirit as they attempted to sing ‘it's a long way to Tipperary’ which is quite challenging with a  Japanese accent.
Our last full day we finished our shopping, sorted our bags  & found a bar, where we sat talking through our experiences. For those of you who like lists and numbers, we put together some statistics for you to enjoy.By the time we land at Heathrow tomorrow we will have:
Been way for 252 days,in 15 different countries and transited through 2 other countries
Stayed in 55 different hostels/hotels
Flown 25 times (plus 1 paragliding experience)
Been on 16 long train journeys (many short ones)
Taken 27 different ferry/boat trips (not including kayaking which of course I am now brilliant at)
Taken long 10 trips by bus (far too many short/local trips to count)
Hired/slept in 3 Camper vans
Rented 2 cars
Stayed in 6 homes/homestays/ friends houses
Been on 5 motorbike/scooter trips – on the back of course - & all hair raising for me at least!
Stayed in 4 Airbnb properties
Seen countless temples and Walked thousands of kms
In my backpack, I am only going back with 7 of the original items that I took with me. I have discarded at least 22 of the original items and even thrown out some  replacements.
These 7  are a pair of jeans, 2 shirts, - pair of trousers/joggers, a jacket, hoodie & a top.
Mr L However goes back with about 90% of the clothes he originally set out with.
The backpacks have been amazing – I would highly recommend Opsrey travel packs.
The washing line and the bag locks have also  been great. If we had our time again we would invest in a GoPro camera but my iPhone 6 did a sterling job. We relied on wifi and FaceTime for communication & apart from a few occasions where signal strength let us down, we managed to keep contact with our children  as we travelled around.
At no time did we ever feel threatened or in danger. I can recall an encounter in a bar In Russia where I was a little concerned  but nothing happened. I've been scared on a number of occasions but as you will know by now that geckos are in my opinion, a  danger to mankind.  So, on reflection, despite our lack of planning it's turned out alright in the end.
Tomorrow we head to the airport.

Sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time...

As we set off on the ferry from Okinawa to Aka Island the sky was still recovering from 2 days of heavy rain but as we got closer, the sun appeared. Our plan was to relax & refresh,  ready for our return home. I had been trying to find a small, quiet hotel, away from it all but had struggled. Japan isn't particularly well known for beach getaways.  Okinawa itself has plenty of beaches but its a large island & didn't quite fit the bill. However the Okinawa prefecture is made up of thousands of little islands a few of which are inhabited so I was excited when I discovered this small hotel on Aka Island.
Aka is home to approx 220 people, all living in a cluster of little houses, most of concrete construction(concrete is very popular here), set near/around the harbour. We got off the ferry & made our way through the narrow streets that run between the houses, to our hotel. Not an attractive building. Concrete construction of course, where the first 2 floors seem to have something to do with marine biology as there were lots of different types of tanks & water pumps. However once we reached the hotel reception the walls were freshly painted & we were warmly greeted & shown around. Our booking included breakfast & evening meal which was perfect given that there were only 2 places to eat on the island & 1 of them never seemed to be open. Our room was large & functional rather than luxurious,  with a balcony & a view of the ‘town’, port & the sea.
As soon as we were unpacked we headed to the main beach, which was initially overrun with 8 other people but v soon we were on our own.  However, you don't really want to read about how we spent every day, save for one cloudy day, on a beach – one of which we had completely to ourselves, with  bright, clear, calm, blue waters; Or that the place was alive with beautiful butterflies of all colours & sizes that danced around us as we walked; or that cute little Keruma deer seemed to appear in front of us every time  we went walking. So, instead I will tell you a bit more about the island. Next to our hotel was a school with  sports hall, running track, classrooms etc. All those facilities for just 20 pupils. Next to our island was Geruma island, connected by a road bridge that wouldn't look out of place over the river Severn despite the fact that the gap between the 2 islands is a couple of hundred meters. On the cloudy day we hired bikes and cycled across the bridge to Geruma which is home to approx 60 people &, we discovered, another school, for approx 10 pupils! The third island, connected  by another unnecessarily huge bridge, concrete of course, has no inhabitants but houses an airport, used only in an emergency or when the boat can't run. It is a proper functioning airport, with a seating area & departure lounge that looks out onto the runway.  We know because when we found it was open we went  inside, but it's barely used. Quite surreal.
Back on Aka, there were so many odd/quirky things we enjoyed about the place; every hour between 12-9pm, a tinny sounding tannoy system played a catchy tune & at 6pm the tune was accompanied by an announcement, apparently directed at the children telling them, 'it's getting late & they should be heading my home'. So sweet. We seemed to pass the same 10-20 people & quickly started to notice their routines – the man on the pink motor bike, the old lady with the Zimmer frame, at times I wondered if we were in the film ‘The Truman Show’ ! We managed to find the one bar in town on our first night but, after the most fantastic, delicious 6 course dinner every evening we were more comfortable with a stroll along the beach, before heading back to our room to read.
Our main quest whilst on the island was to spot a sea turtle. Every day at various times, we went down to the port & sat on the wall overlooking the Bay trying to spot a turtle, without success. We spent hours there, making up songs about turtles. On our last day we decided to get in with snorkels, even though the water was deeper & the current strong. After about 15 mins Mr L spotted one below us. About 2 feet across it was bigger than I'd expected & so majestic. We followed it without disturbing it for about 15 mins. It was lovely. As a old friend used to say, I had a happy attack!
When someone says Island you conjure up an image of a perfect,  idyllic setting. Aka Island is not that but it is a place you can go to stop for a moment. In the words of my favourite poem by W.H.Davies “what is this life so full of care, there is no time to stand and stare”…. And that's exactly what we did.

S(e)oul City walking....

We were v excited to be going to Seoul. We had no idea what to expect & no guidebook so we took to the internet to find out the ‘must see places’. Then Mr L stumbled upon ‘80 facts about S. Korea’ & I drowned in a sea of information. He has retained many of these facts to throw out when you least expect it. You have been warned!  The flight there was just over 1hr, however we hit turbulence that actually lifted us out of our seats  & caused people to scream but it settled down & we landed safely. We had opted to stay in Myeong Dong which seemed like the best place to base ourselves to explore. We checked into our hostel & by the time we headed out it was early evening & the streets were alight with neon signs, lots of music & plenty of people. One street was lined with  food vendors, serving a great selection of delicious food – we know because we had plenty of it! The following day we explored a nearby market where you could buy pretty much anything. Mr L got some reading glasses made up whilst we waited. It was  amusing watching him being asked to read Korean to see if the words were in focus! We also explored one of the recently restored historical entrance gates to the City. Most of Seoul was destroyed in the Korean War so there are v few original buildings left. In the afternoon we met up for lunch with a friends son & his girlfriend who have been living & working in Seoul for a year. It was interesting to hear their experiences.
The next day we headed to the war museum, a huge building with statues outside depicting the struggle of war. However they weren't the focus of our attention – it was the sea of tents –  hundreds of them set up in front of the building with families, sheltering from the sun, drawing. It seems we had arrived on a children's drawing competition day & we could see it was being taken v seriously. We headed into the museum & followed the arrows (at one point we didn't & were v quickly sent in the ‘right’ direction). The displays were interesting but we found the videos more useful in providing a  plotted history of the war. I was impressed to see many exhibits dedicated to role of the UN &  recognition of the contribution other countries made. One particular presentation, called ‘the drop’ used unusual graphics to deliver a very powerful  dedication to those from all around the world who lost their lives.  We were less impressed with the 4-D presentation which showered us in fake snow & pumped the room full of freezing cold air to illustrate just how cold the conditions were.
In the evening we headed to Hong-Dae an area described as ‘lively’ & it was. Along the Main Street every few feet was someone singing or a group  doing synchronised dancing – strangely this seemed to attract the biggest crowd.  We had hoped to take a trip to the border or as close as we could get to the 38th parallel,  but we couldn't arrange it in time. We will have to save that until our next trip.On our last day we visited the Gyeongbok-Gung Palace & joined a free guided tour of the buildings, most of which have been rebuilt in the past 20yrs. Still worth a visit though,  if only to admire the chimneys which the guide seemed obsessed about! From there we headed to the Cheonggyecheon steam – 11km long,  running through the centre of Seoul, which  had been covered up by road but, in recent years the road has been removed & the stream & footpaths either side have been rebuilt making  it a lovely walk. We didn't of course walk the whole of the river but we did  do plenty of walking during our time in Seoul – over 50km which we added to when, on our final evening we decided to forego the cablecar option & walk up the steep steps to Seoul Tower that stands on a hill overlooking the city. We got into the tower  just as the sun was setting, giving us great views. However what caught our eye as we entered the observation deck wasn't the view,  but what was on the windows. All around were the names of cities & their distance from the tower – cities we had visited on our travels – Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Kuala Lumpar, Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Amsterdam & of course our start & end point – London. Still some 9,000 Kms away but getting closer every day.
 Our flight from Seoul to Okinawa was uneventful & we managed to get back into Japan without a hitch, which was a relief. Tomorrow we catch the ferry to a small island called Aka,  for a holiday, where we hope to spend our 6 days  doing very little but lay in the sun (if it decides to come out), swim, kayak, snorkel & sleep.

Thank you driver for getting me here....

Kagoshima is famous for having three things: 1. An active volcano, 2. The worlds smallest satsuma (as verified by the Guinness Book of Records) & 3. The worlds heaviest radishes.
Our mission to see all three was, sadly incomplete. As we arrived in town the clouds had moved in, as had the rain so we abandoned our usual walk about familiarisation tour of the town & opted instead to explore it on a local bus.We were the only ones on it for most of the 1 hr journey & I think the driver took pity on us, as he plied Mr L with mints & cigarettes (which he declined) & as we got off he refused to take our money. How v kind of him. We headed back to the hotel for another layer of clothing before going out to eat. We found a place nearby that did the most amazing/delicious Japanese curry (beef-me, chicken Mr L) , rice, pickles, salad & a cheeky scoop of ice cream to wash it down – all for under £5 each.. 
Our hotel was slightly larger than the last few but with exactly the same layout – small double bed (actually it's a large single) up against one wall, a desk with small fridge under it, tv, chair &  some coat hangers. The bathrooms are all pretty much  the same - a tiny bath you can just about sit in with shower overhead, sink & a loo, with just about enough space for you to close the door without it touching your knees, but plenty of gadgets for you to wash/dry your bits if so inclined. When we had a FaceTime call with G-R recently we moved the phone around so she could see our room. She was fascinated & quite amused by the bathroom. So Now when we ring her first request is  “show me your toilet” ! We duly oblige.

The following day we were hoping the clouds would lift enough for us to see Sakurajima volcano. As we peeped out of the curtain it didn't look very hopeful but we decided to head out anyway. We caught the ferry across to Sakurajima – a 15 min trip & then, for reasons too dull to explain, instead of getting  the tourist bus to the observatory viewing point, we ended up  travelling around on 3 local buses touring the other side of the island, eventually ending  up  back at the ferry terminal 1 ½ hrs later without having seen the volcano. Eventually we got on the right bus & finally got to see the volcano, well enough of it as the clouds would allow. It wasn't erupting, but there was plenty of volcanic ash around as evidence of its activity & that was good enough for me. One part of our mission was complete.  Well one out of three isn't bad, as Meatloaf didn't say. Back in the town we finished our afternoon off with a stroll around the Japanese Gardens – at full speed as it was about to close. 
Our next stop was Fukuoka however, we still had our Japan Rail passes & so decided to divert to Nagasaki to spend the day there before going on to Fukuoka. If you look at the map that's quite a journey, but the trains are fast & we felt we had to. It was ridiculously hot when we arrived & checked our bags into a locker at the station. We got the tram to the memorial park & enjoyed the beautiful sculptures dedicated to peace from many different countries. Like Hiroshima there were many school groups visiting the park & paying tributes to those who lost their lives. The images in the  museum were very graphic & moving and some of the displays made it feel very real, but having already been to Hiroshima we had read a lot of the same information. The memorial hall was however an excellent dedication space, architecturally & spiritually. As many of those who initially survived the A-bomb subsequently perished due to lack of water, water features heavily in the design. As you entered the hall it had a really calming, contemplative feel to it and I was v pleased we had gone there to experience it
Before we knew it, it was time to get back on the train and off to Fukuoka. Our next stop – Seoul, South Korea.

It shouldn't ever have to end this way,

Our decision to head to Osaka for 4 days was driven partly by the lack of available accommodation anywhere else as a result of golden week in Japan & partly because we wanted to put our feet up. Osaka was more about the things we didn't do rather than the things we did. We had picked a hotel with a pool & gym so we could get ourselves moving,  however not only did we find there was a charge for each visit the pool & gym, the pool wasn't even open but it was the same price. We didn't bother.  We also didn't make it to the castle which looked & sounded very much like a place to visit. We had talked about a day trip to Naoshima, a whole island that has been turned into an art museum, but we didn't go. There are lots of great museums there, but we didn't go to any. So what did we do? Well not much. I had my hair done, we read, watched English films on TV, got my diary up to date, blogged, had picnics by the river  & finalised plans for the last few weeks of our trip. A successful 4  days I'd say. Of course we had the usual “we happened upon this bar” moments, where we got chatting to a group of locals who, we were surprised to discover, were huge Paul Weller/Jam fans. One even declared, rather obscurely, that he was a big fan of Stevie Marriott.
We also had a near death experience when we found ourselves in a restaurant that served raw chicken. I was in trauma. I normally cook my chicken to death for fear of getting food poisoning but here “well done” meant if was lightly seared on the outside but totally raw on the inside. Our waitress was so sweet though I felt compelled to eat it, plus we were starving. Afterwards she gave us a gelatine treat on a plate she had engraved with chocolate & caramel with the message “ thank you for coming Japan”. Thank you for letting me poison you it should have said. I took a photo with her in it, to help police with their enquiries if we were  found dead in our hotel. Thankfully We didn't die & We didn't have any side effects – physically anyway. I am still traumatised by the experience even now though.
So after our four days in Osaka it was time to shift gears & move on to our next destination Hiroshima. It felt odd wanting to go to a place where such an awful thing happened but We wanted to know more.
We arrived in Hiroshima to bright sunshine  & set off  to explore the castle & grounds,  before heading to the Peace Memorial Park. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived & the sun was starting to going down behind what  remains of the dome building, where,  at 8.15am on 6 August 1945, 600 meters above it the atomic bomb exploded. As tourists & locals studied the remains that have been preserved as a memorial in a respectful silence, it was impossible to try to comprehend such destruction.   The following day we visited the peace museum where we were overwhelmed by  the facts &  pictures of what happened that day & the awful aftermath , particularly the video accounts of survivors. Then we returned to the  peace park to visit  the gardens, memorials & monuments. The most moving moment for us came when we watched a group of Japanese school children stand in front of the children's monument & sing. Then, in pairs, they all read out what we guessed were prayers or dedications. It was beautiful & very emotional.

As we leave Hiroshima, we only have a few more days left on our Japan Rail pass & there are still so many places to see. However our choices have been made & I have a small confession to make. We said that Japan was to be our final country however, when we looked at how close we are to South Korea we decided it would be a missed  opportunity if we didn't  pop over for a few days. So that's what we shall do. Not quite yet though. Our next town Kagoshima with its active volcano awaits.

It's getting hot in here......

The guidebook  advised us that we must visit an onsen when in Japan. An onsen is a natural hot spring bath & it's something the Japanese have turned into almost a  religion.  The town of Kinosaki is famous for its classic onsen experience,  so we headed there. .
We struggled to find somewhere to stay in Kinosaki. There was only 1 hotel that still had vacancies & by the reviews I could see why. Normally I only book places with a minimum 8 pt review score – although you may recall one of the places we stayed in in Russia scored 9.4 despite looking like a place the police visited more often than the postman. Anyway this hotel scored 6.5 but we wanted to go badly enough that we were willing to take a chance.
When we arrived in Kinosaki we were met by an over-zealous tourist info lady who 'instructed’ us to fill out a questionnaire on departure about how we found the town.  It's quite a compact place with 2 main streets, a river, a canal & of course  onsen.  We arrived at what we guessed was the hotel but there was no sign & when we entered it was like the Mary Celeste – a vacant discarded reception & still no clue as to whether this was our hotel. Eventually I spotted a small sign pointing to the next floor so we went up & found reception with a man who, through the foggy haze of his cigarette smoke, confirmed it was our hotel. Using as few words as possible he checked us in & gave us & our room key - 309. I hadn't clicked the relevance of the room number until we were in it & I saw the stains on the carpet - that's when I recalled a review saying whatever you do don't stay in room 309, the carpet is awful. Well it was awful. The room,  in fact the whole hotel was tired, neglected & grubby. However we knew it wouldn't be good, we had already paid (cash up front) & we suspected no rooms were any better. Tracking the positives, the bed was clean & surprisingly comfortable.It was early evening when we left our hovel, sorry hotel to explore town. The first thing we noticed was the large number of people walking around dressed in Yukata’s (a light cotton kimono) with traditional geta (sandals), strolling along  heading to/ from an onsen. The tourist map indicated lots of bars & restaurants dotted all around town but, whether it was because of golden week, we struggled to find much open. Eventually we found a restaurant that screamed 1970’s. Every chair/barstool/sofa was covered in grey crushed velvet & the walls decorated with gold crushed velvet. We were the only people in there, I think – it was hard to see anything but crushed velvet. The food was fine but I needed to get out & back to 2017.
The following day it was our turn to don our Yukata’s. Mr L was v uncomfortable walking the streets wearing what he described as a ‘dressing gown’ & badly fitting geta but I assured him we would blend in once we got into the Main Street. However, it seemed the other yukata wearers were having a lie-in & the only other people out & about were locals. We felt v conspicuous. There were no instructions about what to do when we arrived at our first onsen so we just headed off behind our respective blue/red curtains. There is a huge amount of etiquette to be observed when visiting an onsen, most of which I breached on my first visit.  The first problem I encountered was with the towel. No clothes are worn in the bath area but you should hold your handkerchief sized towel in front of you, however you can't leave the towel  into the bath area. Where was I meant to put it?  On your head I later discovered. When I was reunited with Mr L he had had the same dilemma but he had also nearly blacked out from the heat. We decided to adjourn to a restaurant for brunch, a regroup & plenty of water before our next onsen. This one had an outside cave area to bathe in which was quite relaxing & despite the water temperature it felt cooler so no overheating. After that we went back to the hotel for a lie down – it was exhausting jumping in and out of hot water – before heading back out to our final onsen. This one had a bath on the roof where you got a lovely cool breeze as you slowly boiled in the water.
The next day we checked out of our hotel &  handed our completed questionnaire in at the tourist information as ordered. I'm not sure my request for more bars & less velvet will be heeded. Next stop Osaka.