With every step we take, Kyoto to the bay strolling so casually

The bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto took  2hours 40mins to complete the 500 km journey – pretty impressive.  Our accommodation was a hostel about 12 mins from the station with a large room, kitchen (with no utensils which made it pretty pointless) but more importantly a washing machine. Exactly what we needed. It also had a bathroom that turned into a drying room at the flick of a switch – now that was impressive. Mr L a big fan of that.
Thankfully the sun shone throughout our time in Kyoto which meant the cherry blossom looked fabulous & as we walked along the Path of Philosophy we were surrounded by it. And of course there were plenty of temples to explore & the grounds of the palace where, after much walking we found ourselves a nice spot to lay down in the sunshine & have a cheeky snooze. Nice.
One evening we went to  Ponto-cho a street of traditional buildings with lots of restaurants – so many it was hard to chose but we eventually committed ourselves. Over the doorway of restaurants they have material so that you have to bow down to enter. Unsurprisingly queuing is very organised. The restaurant was full as were the two ‘waiting chairs’ just inside the door so we had to stand outside. Then when a table became free we were moved inside to the ‘waiting chairs’ & then when another table became free, to our table. A great system. All the tables had hot plates for warming your food. We ordered our food and Sake. I've never been too sure about sake. I had some in London last year which was nice but it was £11 a glass. This was £4 for a small bottle & it was delicious - I'm hooked! Some Japanese ladies arrived at the next table  & through the international language of pointing I was able to confirm that the sake was a good option so they got some too. After we had eaten our food we were still peckish & liked the look of the food the ladies had,  so we ordered that. They helpfully told us what order to put the toppings on & what condiments to have. Another v tasty dish.
On our way back to the hotel we called into a huge department store – open until 11pm – to look around. On one floor they had a  display of relaxing armchairs that did all sorts of massaging things and lots of people were sitting in them trying them out. As we looked about we noticed that several  were asleep & one person had even got  an eye mask on & was fast asleep in a chair laid flat out. In the TV  department we saw the best sight – a man sitting on a sofa watching one of the display TV’s with a beer in his hand. Brilliant. And it was all perfectly normal & the staff didn't seem bothered by to at all.
Another day trip took us out of the centre by bus to a place called Arashiyama to visit a temple, some beautiful gardens & the amazing bamboo grove – a walk that takes you through the middle of a small forest where giant bamboo trees tower over you and almost every where we went we saw young couples dressed in traditional costumes or in wedding dresses & suits, being photographed.  It was so lovely to stroll around and soak up the views & the tradition of these places. I have to admit that we have, very quickly,  fallen head over heels in love with Japan.
Our last day in Kyoto we hired bicycles & had  great fun exploring the side streets, the market and of course some more temples.  Making sure not to speed, as I cannot afford another fine, it made a nice change from walking & we needed to give our feet a rest as we had plenty more walking ahead of us at our next stop – Takayama – gateway to the Northern Japan Alps. 

Bright lights, big city, gone to my baby's head

Our journey from Christchurch to Tokyo was a long one - the longest  flight we have taken so far on our travels. We have never flown with New Zealand Airlines before & were impressed. Excellent service, good food, a cheeky ice cream treat halfway through the flight & some delicious fizz, which you can order at the touch of a button throughout your flight if you so wish! On arrival at Tokyo airport it was as efficient as I expected then once through, we caught the limousine bus to the central terminal a 15min walk from our hotel.  All straight forward &  all very easy - once we went in the right direction!
We had 3 nights and 2 full days in Tokyo.  We knew that wasn't enough but we had decided to use the time to acclimatise & will return  at the end of our trip to explore further. Tokyo is huge so you have to be realistic about what you can achieve. 
Our first morning we set off on foot,  armed with map & guidebook to explore. we've experienced incredible sights & scenery in the last few weeks but it's so good to be back in a noisy, busy, crowded city. We are clearly city types & our energy levels thrived on it. 

Tokyo is a city of contrasts – they have incredible toilets that warm, wash & dry you from every angle – even playing music if you need to hide any noises but the  public toilets do not have any soap or hand dryers. Outside on the street you can only smoke in designated areas but you can still smoke in restaurants, bars & hotels.  All road junctions, even the tiniest of turnings, are controlled by pedestrian lights & everyone complies – even if there isn't a car for miles. However If you are on a bicycle you can do what you like it seems. On the streets screens & bright lights are flashy & loud, a complete sensory overload at times, yet they play jazz – cool chilled jazz, almost everywhere you go. During the working week all the men & most of the women wear suits & white shirts & look very business like, late in the evening however, they let their hair down & get completely wasted - we saw a number of them staggering along! 
As usual we covered a ridiculous number of kms & visited lots of  must see places. Our highlights – seeing the cherry blossom – about a week from full bloom,  finding the JBS (jazz blues soul) bar up with an enviable vinyl collection. Smoky? Yes but it seemed acceptable there.  Shibuya a vibrant area with bright lights, shops & lots of people; Senso-ji temple & the area around it was well worth a visit. We also found a great bar that sold herbal liquor & a shop that sold dog clothes including a samurai warrior outfit – sadly all too small for A&Gs dog. Food wise, everything we have eaten so far has been fabulous. Ordering it is easy once you work out how. In some places you need to order from vending machines. You simply press the picture of the dishes you want, insert money, get a ticket, put it on your table,  then someone takes it off you & shortly after the food arrives. Easy. 
On our second day we exchanged the vouchers we had purchased previously for  our JR passes (Japan Rail. It cost us £400 each for a 3 week pass & will save us heaps. 

So on our third day we boarded the bullet train to Kyoto & boy was it fast. Mr L clocked the speed on his gps app at 270km per hour. Very impressive & you can hardly feel it. But speed isn't always a good thing as I was reminded by the NSW police this week – I have apparently been summonsed for speeding whilst in Sydney. My first speeding ticket in all my years of driving. So, not only am I a thrill seeking adrenaline junky, it seems I'm now a lawless speed freak. What has become of me. 

Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool

We had initially planned just one night at the grandly named  Highfield View Lodge Motel in Oamaru, but  less than 15 minutes after we walked into our modern, clean, warm, spacious room with king sized bed,  kitchenette, huge spa bath & giant tv we decided to book a second night. Can’t think what made us do that! After a nap, a luxurious bath & some mind numbing tv  we walked into town to eat, then hurried back to our respite care home, shut the rain out & turned the heating up. We were woken by the cleaner the following morning , but we declined her services as we continued to stage our own bed-in. However by 2pm we both knew we had to get some fresh air so reluctantly we ventured out to explore Oamaru. Mindful that it was Good Friday, Our  first stop was the local Catholic Church, then into town, where we discovered a cluster of streets with Victorian buildings that have been preserved, not gentrified, that seem to have  been taken over  by local artists & bohemians, the centre piece of which was the Steampunk Gallery.  The gallery is home to mechanical art pieces made out of old Victorian steam engines & components. Not what we had expected at all in this town. It was intriguing to discover & we enjoyed exploring it all. 

The following morning, reluctantly, we checked out of the respite accommodation & despite the  promise of good weather, for the first hour of our journey we were battling rain storms but then suddenly they were gone & we felt our energy levels return. We diverted ourselves off the highway to a small town called Geraldine – Mr L had been reading the guidebook & thought it worth a visit. We were excited to see a craft market as we pulled in but even more excited to see the blue skies that had begun to appear. We walked around & sampled some cheese before stopping for tea & cake – planning time! We decided to head north  to  chase the sunshine to a town called Ashburton, which turned out to be a v good decision. As we arrived the sky was blue & the sun was hot,  we spent the afternoon with our feet up reading. 
The next day we drove to Christchurch; our last stop, our last few days in the van, our last few days in NZ. We found a campsite on the edge of town to base ourselves & spent the time exploring the city's museums, parks, art galleries & tourist spots. There is still a huge amount to do to rebuild the town following the earthquakes in 2010 & 2011 but there is still plenty to see & enjoy & lots of art pieces dotted around town to keep it interesting. In between exploring we attempted to plan our itinerary for our next stop, Japan & we are so looking forward to it.
We weren't sad to say goodbye to the spaceship- just relieved they didn't spot the mark where I reversed it into another car whilst parking (it was only a bump!)

New Zealand, particularly the South Island is stunning ( I may have mentioned this in previous blogs)  however we spent just a little too long here, particularly as we were here as  autumn ended & the rain set in. It's a country of great scenery & outdoor pursuits & needs good weather to make the best of it. So tomorrow we fly to our fourteenth & final country where we jump from autumn to spring. Our flight home has been booked & the end of our travels is rushing towards us at speed. But for now our focus is on Japan & all it has to offer.

Am I sitting in a tin can, far above the world....

We left Queenstown and headed down south which promised different scenery and sightings of sea life. The  last big town on the West coast is Invercargill, where we arrived  & headed straight to the tourist information (i-site) to pick up a map,  grab some free wifi & get some recommendations. We walked around the big park & gardens then visited the museum but for some reason they had the air con on max – quite unnecessary Given that the temperature was decidedly chilly. Perhaps it was to preserve the fossils & bones but it wasn't doing much good for our bones so we virtually ran  around the place before heading outside to warm up. I-site had recommended we visit a few places in town – one of which was the sheep cheese factory where we could sample the goods. Free cheese? We were there! Only they didn't have any. A whole factory of cheese,  whole cool cabinets of cheese, but the lady in the shop couldn't find her tray of cheese samples so we didn't get any. I will bear a grudge forever more against the blue cheese factory In Invercargill.  Another place recommended was also food related – the delightfully named “fat b**t**d pies”. Both Australia and NZ are very partial to a pie. I'm not but we hadn't eaten breakfast, so gave it a go. It was indeed fat and certainly made me feel that way, when I was gorging on it, before I admitted defeat. I think my pie eating days are over. 

We drove around Town but not much else caught our eye so we got back on SH1 & headed to the Catlin scenic route. The route takes you along the Bottom of the South Island where there is really only one road - a bit like Norfolk - so to get to the beaches & inlets we had to drive along  some very bumpy & dirty unmade tracks. It was worth it though. At a place called Otara  a dozen or so people were gathered in the sand dunes, watching a lone sea lion bobbing about in the sea. We watched for a bit but then walked off along the beach for some distance. When we returned everyone had gone so we sat on the dunes,  as the sea lion reappeared coming out of the sea & rolling on the sand. It was lovely to watch. I was amazed how fast they can move as it started climbing the sand dunes next to us. I was so amazed in fact I forgot to get out of the way & suddenly it was there in front of me, right in front of me & let me tell you they are very very big! Mr L shouted at me to move which I v quickly did & for a few moments it started to follow us before heading into the dunes. As we walked back to the car park we stopped to tell others  & to point out where the sea lion was, only to discover we had met the most miserable man ever! We didn't let it spoil our moment though & (randomly) started shouting ‘sea lion’ all the way back to the car to amuse ourselves . Our next stop was Slope Point, the southern most point of the South Island – just 4800km from the South Pole (no wonder it's so cold). Mr L checked his GPS map which told us we were 19060km from London. That made us feel a very very long way from home. 

We continued stopping off at different viewing points, spotting birds & sea lions, walking along trails & through forest areas for the next the few days.  Athough we have been very lucky not to experience the weather the North Island has, the temperature had dropped significantly & the wet weather was pretty relentless which was hard going during the day and at night made it hard to sleep as you can hear each drop that hits the roof of the van. As my friend A pointed out, ‘you are sleeping in a tin can’ & she's right. So when we got to a town called Oamaru,  we pulled off the road & checked ourselves into a motel for a few nights, to dry out, warm up & catch up on some sleep. After all, this isn't meant to be an endurance test.  

She flies like a bird In the sky....

I said in the last blog I wouldn't mention the scenery again but I have to because nature completely upped it's game once we left Wanaka & headed to Queenstown. The vista was amazing & to ensure we got the maximum enjoyment there were viewing points along the route for you to stop & drink up the views. We stopped at every one. I should apologise in advance to those of you who will be subjected to the compulsory viewing of our photographs (note: no doctors notes or lame excuses for not being able to view them will be accepted). We have taken so many, I fear that there is not enough fizz in the world to help you maintain (or feign) interest. I promise I will try to condense them but you have been warned!  After a brief visit to Arrowtown with its interesting history of Chinese immigration we continued on to Queenstown. As we headed into town We were stopped by the police & Mr L who was driving was asked to count to 5 into a device. There was no explanation & once Mr L had done it we were told we could go. I'm assuming it was some sort of alcohol or drug breathalyser,  or maybe it was a numeracy test. Either way he passed. The campsite we stayed on was 10mins from downtown – a real treat to be so close – & it was really lovely. Even better we had decided to stay for 2 nights. First job as always was to get our laundry done then we were ready to hit town – at 4.30pm !! Rather impressively the town was quite lively at that time of day & after a quick tour we stumbled upon the inevitable Irish Bar & called in. It would have been rude not to. We had a few drinks then went to have something to eat. We were back at the campsite by 8.30pm. Not exactly a wild night out but when a small glass of wine costs more than a decent bottle you can't go too mad. A plus side of this campsite is that it had great facilities – a big kitchen & a lounge area with sofas, a log fire & a tv. We had the place to ourselves so we chilled out & watched Phil & Kirsty's Location, Location, Location. The following morning I don't know what came over me but I suddenly announced to Mr L that I wanted to try paragliding. I have never previously entertained the idea. In fact when Mr L did it years ago in Turkey, I made it quite clear that I would never ever do something like that.  So we booked it. When the mini bus arrived to take us to our jump spot, before we entered the bus we were asked to get on weighing scales. What was this about? Are they going to measure me for a coffin next? Thankfully they didn't. When we arrived at The top of Coronet Peak, or Mount  Everest as it looked to me, I was paired up with My partner. I should make it clear this was to be a tandem jump I wasn't going to do it on my own. I'm not that crazy. I was to be strapped to Tom. He seemed quite a sturdy looking chap & unfazed when I voiced concerns about running off the edge of a cliff. Whilst I was being strapped into my harness and keeping myself under control, Mr L was ready to go. We had a brief  exchange before he ran confidently forward & was quickly in the air and away. I was next. As Tom and his colleague made sure the parachute and strings were in order, I photographed them, for evidential purposes. Just in case. Then we were good to go. Tom told me the plan. I was in front of him & I would run off the mountain &keep running until the canopy pulled us up into the air. Hmmm I wasn't sure I agreed with the plan but just as I was about to propose an alternative, one of the other instructors came over, stood in front of me, grabbed my harness and, as Tom said run I was pulled & pushed off the edge, with my legs moving involuntarily. There was a brief moment where I felt myself falling & let out some sort of sound in panic but then we were in the air flying, where the views (don't mention the views!) were amazing from this angle. The whole flight lasted no more an 10mins & apart from a brief moment where Tom did a tight turn that made my stomach lurch, it was a calming experience. Even landing was straightforward. I have often had dreams where I am flying & now I have experienced it in real life. It felt good . Mr L looked very concerned/relieved to see me alive & smiling. It's official – I am now a thrill seeking adrenaline junky! 

We're lost in music.....

Our first morning on the South Island & the weather was decidedly dull. However, reading about the awful weather & the tragic consequences in other parts of New Zealand & Australia, we were grateful that we are travelling in the opposite direction & unaffected by it. We spent our first week heading down the West Coast, stopping just one night at each spot but cramming our days with exploring caves, treks, visits to museums, towns, hot pools & even kayaking. Our walks took us up alongside both Franz Joseph & Fox Glacier with great views. After we were tempted to take  a helicopter ride but decided to save our money & visit the hot pools instead where we lay in waters set at a delicious 38  degrees & where we still had clear views of the Glacier.  
The  following day we went on a 3 hr kayaking trip with a guide to a beautiful lake that reflected the surrounding mountains & glaciers, then we rowed down a narrow gully overgrown in places by trees & plants. We really enjoyed it. I'm becoming quite proficient at this kayaking lark & this particular kayak had a rudder so Mr L’s steering was much improved & therefore ‘discussions’ about steering were limited to complimentary comments. 
We realised this week that we have now been travelling for six months and to celebrate we purchased an auxiliary lead to plug our iPod into the van & listen to our own music. It was so good to hear something other than Justin Bieber. We stopped at a lake near Ruatapa, where there was a picnic area  and campground,  to make lunch. The sun was shining, our music was playing so we thought,  what the heck, let's have the afternoon off. We pulled onto the campsite to a spot where we were by ourselves,  set up our chairs in the sun, got out the cheese, crackers, grapes and the  wine of course, put on some of our favourite tracks and got totally absorbed in the music. A fabulous, lost afternoon. Sometimes you forget that you don't need to charge about trying to see and do everything, you need to take time to enjoy the moment. We certainly did.
When we woke the following morning to yet more clear blue skies, we took our breakfast with us and sat down by the lake to enjoy the scenery. A great start to the day. Back on the road and the views just kept on getting better. 
The weather wasn't so great when we arrived in a town called Wanaka, where fellow travellers had recommended we visit. It is quite  a tourist hotspot and offers all sorts of adventurous activities, but nothing that attracted us. We purchased some oversized cake to discuss our options and decided that we should drive out of town and do a short trek Along a trail called Mountain Rock. The clue was in the name I guess but I didn't pay attention. The track quickly became a climb. Mr L said he felt more like a mountain goat than a hiker, but every so often the foliage cleared and we had incredible views. When we finally reached the top we were surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The clear skies allowed us to see forever and below us were the Lakes. I'm sure it's getting boring for you now reading about the amazing views & it's equally hard for me to put into words how Incredible they are so can you just take it as read that everywhere we go in the South Island the scenery is spectacular. 
You may be wandering why there are big gaps in between blog posts. To put the record straight it is not tardiness on my part but the limited wifi opportunities. Most campsites offer some wifi but usually 100Mb which is just about enough to check emails, messages & the news. In Australia we relied on McDonalds & Bunnings DIY store to provide free wifi, but there are less of those opportunities in NZ. Even the libraries, when we can find them, another source of free wifi, limit usage. I'm delighted though that so many of you continue to follow & share our experiences with us. 
Our next destination was the worlds leading centre for jumping, dropping or running off things – usually high points – Queenstown. I wasn't sure if it had much to offer us but we shall see. 

Who let the dogs out??

The morning after the Alpine Crossing,  we woke feeling surprisingly perky, as we packed up the van & hit the road. As we traversed the winding mountain roads we couldn't pick any music up on the radio, so  I serenaded Mr L with my full repertoire of songs as he feigned appreciation. We didn't really have much of a plan from this point on, but we were conscious we needed to allow plenty of time for the South Island. Napier was on our list of places to go, but it would have resulted in a 200km detour so we put it on our next time list &  carried on the road to Wellington. At about 3.30pm with the sunshine putting in a full shift,  we pulled off the highway at a place called Levin, to take full advantage of it. As we drove onto the campsite,  I was immediately approached by a small boy who declared he had lost his ‘pop’. Poor little thing. There  were other campers around but he'd selected me to rescue him. I had my eye on a something cold to drink in the sunshine but I put my needs aside & got him to tell me his story then took him to reception, where we  established that, quite bizarrely his family had moved off the site & he had been left to find his way to their new location, which he'd forgotten, which is perfectly understandable given that he was 8yrs of age. Thankfully reception staff reunited him with his family but with no thanks or acknowledgement. It's hard not to judge sometimes. We did our domestic chores – washed clothes, bedding & ourselves, cooked & bed. Life on the road can be crazy sometimes. 
The following day we went to Wellington, where we spent the afternoon exploring the quayside, shops & the city museum – our favourite museum by far. In the late afternoon we headed out of town to  camp for the evening,  at a DOC (Department of Conservation) site, which is cheaper, but more basic, but with lovely surroundings.. We were just getting dinner ready when a Land Rover pulling a battered caravan came on site. Normally you just get tents,  cars or people carriers like ours on these sites so it was unusual to see this size of vehicle. As it pulled up the driver, quite an elderly man, produced 2 large German shepherd dogs & tethered them outside the caravan. I am not anti dogs – but my preference is for well behaved, well controlled dogs. These didn't seem to be either. I carried on cooking (vegetable curry - nice) when I saw a lad walk around the caravan & one of the dogs went for him. He leapt back and I could see he was in pain.  I called to him to come over & let me look at it & he seemed relieved. He was  shaken, bleeding profusely & v shocked. The puncture wound at the front of his leg was brutal & at the back a row of teeth had acted as a knife slashing through his leg. This long & scraggy haired, multi pierced, young man from the north of England, wearing big boots and dirty work clothes,  declared that he'd been working on the roads in NZ. He was 23yrs of age & contrary to how he looked, was  clearly very frightened by the experience. I cleaned the wound (FYI I have no medical training!!) & made general enquiries about his tetanus injection history, then Suggested a trip to hospital. I hope my girlfriends P & C, who are medically trained, are nodding here as I would hate to disappoint them by doing the wrong thing. The lad agreed to go to hospital & said  he would also ring his mum to let her know. Bless. Words were exchanged with the dog owner & they were put in the caravan & not seen again. I would have preferred if he had left the site. I couldn't help but think what if it had been a small child.
The following day we went back into Wellington to get the ferry across to the South Island which took just under 4hrs. It was a pleasant Crossing & the views as we got closer were beautiful. We also watched the beginning of a film “Petes Dragon” – now we've seen the beginning & the end! It was 7pm as we landed & we made our way through the town, along a windy little road that took us to our campsite. It was only a short distance but already this Island felt a lot different to the North Island.