Tag: japan

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Back from Kyoto

two days in Kyoto
Monday i went to Kyoto by Shinkansen, the fast Bullet-Train. I Kyoto i had reservation for some cheap hotel called Uno-House, an german couple in the New Koyo had told me about. A really funny place, with japanese-style dorm (4 matrasses on the floor and nothing else 😉 ). The rest of the house was really chaotic but a nice atmosphere, like living with a family.
the first night there i went out with some guys (GB, NL, DE) who stayed there, too. after dinner we found some original japanese reggae-bar 😉 hehe … had to take off our shoes and where laying aside the small table … a nice place with a calm and darkatmosphere.
the next day i took for walking Kyoto, starting at the main-station, wich took me some hours for itself, really amazing architecture!!! later i went to some area with lots of temples and park, a nice walk for the whole afternoon, but sadly there were masses of japanese tourists.
in the evening i called my grandma back in hamburg, who went 84 that day. in the evening we went out with the ppl from the hotel again. we startet with 6 ppl (Sing, Jap, GBx2, NL, DE)on the way we acquired an english couple, and in the restaurant we met some friendly american guy. after a good dinner and lots of japanese beer we went outside and split up in smaller groups. The Sing and GB went to some club with two japanese girls the met in the restaurant, some went back home and the US-guy and me got us some sake and had a nice talk on some bridge with a view on a river floating through Kyoto. in front of an ampm we ran into a really friendly ozzy guy in his 50s, who took us with him to his favorite japanese restaurant where he knew the chief and staff. we’d been living in Japan for 15-20 years or so and did the english translation of the menu there. after some really tasty pork-sticks and some french wine i got home to the hostel at 330.
In the morning everybody at the hotel got up around 900 and nearly everyone had a good hangover 😉 the others who went to the club came back around 200.
after searching some international ATM, i went to the station to get on my bus back to tokyo.
having a nice talk with a friendly and english-speaking girl, the 8 hours to tokyo didnt seem very long. even though i’m getting better in seeing differences in japanese faces, it still hard for me to guess their ages, so i thought she was around 26, but in the end i realised that she was 37!!!
at some 15min stop in the evening we had some hearty japanese noodles for dinner.

back in Tokyo
arriving in tokyo around 1900 i went on to the starbucks where martine and i set up a date. with a big cup of hot chocolate i waitet for her, later we dropped my stuff at the New Koyo and went on to Ueno, where we looked for some english pub.
after some beer we had to get the last train home, each of us in another sirektion. we set up some date for the next day (today).
after a long sleep till 1000 i had some cup-noodles and went to the place where we wanted to meet, as trains had to wait a while (probably some track-works) i got there about 30 mins late, and couldnt find her. after another 30mins waiting i gave up and went to the HotSopt in Shinjuku to update my webstuff. well here i am … up to date again. 😀 two more days in Tokyo and on i go for Sydney.

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back in Tokyo

YHI @ Asakusabashi
spending just one night here, i didn’t unpack my things. spending the evening with a nice chat with some older guy from Oz, i went to bed around, 2200, Martine really got me done!!!
moving to the “New Koyo”
the New Koyo i probably the cheapest place to stay in Tokyo, aside the sleepingboxes at some station! I got this tip from some japanese looking canadian at the YHI Tokyo International.
Beeing designed for Backpackers, those are the usual guests there. Just the kind of place I’ve been looking for.After a short trip with JR and subway and a 15min walk, i checked in at the hotel. When i first saw my room (single room for 2700yen !!!) i was completely amazed, just the perfect thing. A really small room japanese style (i had booked jap just because i was interested in what this meant). Jap style means like nothing i the room except some rice-mats on the ground and a TV-Set. As i dont want to type my fingers off, i made some video of the room before. (room @ New Koyo)
this really seems to be what i was looking for!
My further plans are to get some nightlife (in the New Koyo they’ve got no curfew!!!), and spending one or two nights at Kyoto (probably Mon-Wed).

Greets, Tim.

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Mt. Fuji with Martine

first day
Martine and I met at around (;-) … martine) 730 at some Starbucks near Shinjuku station.
After some hot chocolate we went to the highway-bus-terminal, where we bot on the bus to Kawaguchiko, some town near a lake belwo Mt. Fuji. The day before we had booked a hostel there at the tourist information, who also helped us with the busses.
After a short walk we checked in at the hostel, a small, flat building, run by a grandpa in his 70ies-80ies. Seemed like an older english couple where the only ones at that place.
Looking for some place to have lunch at the lake, most restaurants were closed, as we were out of season. After some japanese lunch we had a nice walk around a part of the lake and across a bridge. As it had stopped raining right when we went out for lunch, and the cloud had risen, we had an really interesting view over the lake. With the coulds hanging in he hills around it’s been a really interesting athmosphere!
To some japanese ppl we must have looked like aliens, as they were greating us as they’d never seen redheaded girl and a tall man before!
In the evening the friendly old man running the hostel, helped us heating the burritos we’d bought before for dinner. With a bottle of Sake (I think it was, as we couldnt read the label, but it was standing beween other sake bottles) we had a nice movie on the notebook.
second day
Getting awake with loud classical music at the floor and some announcement throu some really loud loudspeaker a really nice day started. The clouds had disappeared, and the sun was shining from a blue sky!
Together with the english couple we had a kinda mixed japanese/western breakfast, wich gave us the power we’d need later that day! Leaving my bags in some locker at the station, we got on the bus to 5th station on Mt. Fuji, arriving about one hour later.
When we got to the 5th station, there where clouds all around us. But jut this mad a really amazing atmosphere!!! getinng a walk up the Fuji in these foggy forests was just amazing, sometimes supenly sun was shinig, as some free spot in the clouds opened. hiking further up the mountain, trees got few and disappeared. as Martine really loves hiking in mountains (as there are so few in Holland 😉 ) she made me climbing up to 7th station with her! she ‘s in a really good condition, unlike me ;-)… but i made it. arriving there, getting really cold, having some snowballing, the clouds opened just for us and gave us an amazing view on the top of Mt. Fuji, the sun right above it! (there are quite few fotos in the gallery, as i took most pics with the good old analog cam). After a shorter walk back down to 5th, we had some hot coffe waring us, waiting for the bus back to Kawaguchiko. Back there we had dinner in some nice japanese restaurant with an beatuiful view on Mt. Fiju with sunset right aside it. After another bustrip back to Tokyo, we divided and i went to my new hostel.