Travel diary
11th July 2002
Hopefully this second attempt at writing this will actually work after the first time a couple of days ago, the computer decided very kindly to lose the entire thing, grr...
The last 10 days in Japan was cool - I headed up to a little fishing village called Ogi, which had the best youth hostel I've ever stayed in, it was right on the bayside - my room overlooked the bay. And the food was amazing; in the morning the owner came in with a bucket of fish he'd just caught, ready for dinner that night, was excellent! Spent a few days around there cycling along the coastline and relaxing in a great outdoor spa, then headed back to Tokyo for my last few days.
Nobuko whoosed out on climbing Mount Fuji with me, so I was left to conquer the mountain by myself - well, I met a couple of people on the way up who I ended up climbing with. Sunrise at 3,800 metres made the whole climb worthwhile, although it was quite tiring - left at 4pm and got down at 10am.
Left Tokyo on Friday and spent 5 days in Hong Kong, which has the most amazing city skyline I've ever seen. I went up Victoria Peak to look over the bay at night with all the buildings illuminated, was stunning! Then went up to the New Territories for a couple of days of walking with a Canadian guy I met in the hostel I stayed in, before heading to Lantau island, which has the largest outside Buddha in the world...
Got to Thailand yesterday afternoon, spent today stocking up on fake sunglasses and clothes! Couldn't believe it yesterday when I got to the place I'm staying in - I'd literally just got into my room, and a familiar face knocked at my door - Helen, a friend from Borough Green. She'd just checked in to the place next door!
I'm going to the Kanchanburi (Bridge over the River Kwai) tomorrow for a few days, not sure where from there, we shall see... got until 1st August to get down to Singapore for my flight to New Zealand
Oohh, what fun, it's just started pouring outside, great! Well, the sun's been beating down all day so I can't really complain!