Last day in Japan

7.47am fast train to Kyoto, again, seen off from the train station and then had Dalton waiting for me in Kyoto!

Went to their batch where they had a study meeting, then shared lunch with Dalton and Dan before heading back to the train and jumping on another one for Tokyo to get my flight!

Just 1 flight to go before home :-)

Had a great time here in Japan with its obsession with order, love of uniforms, unstable looking power lines, slow buses and fast trains, naked public bathing and interesting way of dressing.
Its a strange country - but I think I could spend a lot more time here.

Next stop. Aotearoa


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Location:Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo

Hiroshima

Joyce came and saw me safely on the train and on my way to Hiroshima the next morning - Thanks :-)




so shincansen'ed my way down to Hiroshima where I was met at the train by Verdun! - defiantly the royal treatment :-)

We headed to Tadako San's place for the study meeting



They had a go at lifting my pack after the meeting - and one of them even tried it on, sounded like a pack of teenages giggling away :-)





I dropped the average age by a few years!
Stayed for lunch/dinner and then stayed for the next to nights! Japanese hospitality is hard to refuse!

After chatting until late (with the help of google translate!) Verdun met us the next morning to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park Museum. Prior to leaving Tadako San told me a little of her family's experience with the atomic bomb and that 30 members of her family died at that time.
Can be easy to think of it as just an event in time but it is still very real for lots of people here, including Tadako San.

The visit to the museum, and viewing some of the footage/images of that time was quite powerful with her right next to me.

8:15- the time the bomb detonated



Before




After




A young boy who was killed's trike and helmut




Tadako San pointing to where she was when the bomb went off.



Memorial - where the names of the victims are reccorded, including Tadako's Mother, Sister and Brother





Went out to lunch with another lady from the morning meeting




She makes Kimono as a job and invited us back to her work space to try one on!






Also got a quick lesson in origami







Then headed for a walk in town before having dinner together as well.
Main shopping street




I think it's hard to beat the hospitality of the people in Japan - had a great time in Hiroshima.


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Location:Hiroshima, Japan

Kyoto

Just incase you were wondering, the night bus isn't the most comfortable way to travel.

Off the bus and Dan, Dalton and I hunted around for somewhere that was open to grab a bite to eat. After consulting with my two helpful guides we headed to a local hotel (in the pouring rain!) to hop onto a bus tour for the day.

Visited most of the tourist spots, great way to see things when your short on time.

Stop 1 - Nijo-jo Castle



Stop 2 - Golden Temple




Stop 3 - Kyoto Imperial Palace





Stop 4 -




Stop 5 - Sunjusungen-do temple



Stop 6 - Pure Water Temple Kiyomizu-dera





Walk up to Pure Water Temple





Tea time Ekonomiake



After dinner with Dalton, Dan and Elizabeth (one of the local friends with a Kiwi connection) I jumped (or was put) on the train for Osaka to spend the night with Joyce there. Great to see her again after meeting in Tokyo.

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Location:Kyoto, Japan

Tokyo Japan

Arrived safe and sound in Japan after the 10 1/2 hour flight from Frankfurt, sorted out a phone card and some mobile data and then headed out into the big wide world of Tokyo.

Made my way to where the special meetings are held in Tokyo at a massive youth centre and hung out until the morning meeting finished and people emerged. Nice to sit in the sun for a few minutes and catch my breath!

Dalton sorted out a room for me which was great so a quick refresh then off to the afternoon meeting. About 40 people there, met a family from Australia/Canada and a few of the Japanese friends afterwards.

Evening was free so Dalton suggested visiting the famous Meiji shrine which is right next to the youth centre - but entry closed in 8 minutes. Dalton, Verdun and I made the mad dash across the centre and around to the temple entrance (talk about run!) and just made it in the gate which was closing, with Japanese efficiency, exactly on time.

Was worth the exertion though, incredible gardens and lovely wide walking paths leading to a massive temple - we were even lucky enough to see a Shinto wedding taking place!

Entrance to shrine



Wedding


Went for a walk down the Champ Elesse of Tokyo and had a coffee before heading back to the centre for a sing and to hear from 2 workers who had returned from a visit to Malaysia.

By this time I had been awake for over 30 hours and was feeling like a shower and a sleep - which led to my next adventure.
My first Japanese bath. Hmmm. Bit of a shock to the system. Enough said.

Next day Verdun, Dalton, Dan and I made our way to the bus station before I headed off on my own little adventure around Tokyo ending with a massage at the Hyatt Regency. As you do.

Largest Sumo Stadium in Japan



Didn't see any real Sumo so got a photo of these man mountains instead.



Tokyo Skytree



Glow in the dark jellyfish at the aquarium in the sky tree complex




Hopped on a night bus to get down to Kyoto.





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Location:Tokyo

Roadie (4,5&6)

Day 4 - Black Forest
Kept Karlsrehu as our base but went for a dirve in the Black forest today. Headed down the highway for a couple of hours to the lovely little town of Tittasie where we stopped for lunch. Talk about clocks trev!





Clocks. and more clocks.



Lunchie, MEAT and POTATOES


Duckduckduck




After that we headed back up through the Black Forest - lovely drive with a stop for coffee at the top

Schwarzwaldhochstrasse - Black forest high road


Oliver



Sebbie with a truck just the right size!




Back to Karlsrehu where Hamish came around for tea and yarns
mmmm, steak!



Day 5 - Heidelberg
After a morning of shopping in Karlsruhe we headed up a little town just out of Heidelberg - we wondered why it was so hard to find accommodation in the area, turns out we chose the weekend that the final of the German touring car champs were being held 1 town over. Good one.

dumped our gear and headed in for sight seeing in Heidelberg. Cobbled streets, funky shops, lovely big river, castle on the hill. Everything you could want in a tourist city. Amazing place to relax and wonder around.
Had a perfect Autumn day for it as well

Wheres Lechelle?






Lechelle and Ollie :-)


Just to prove I really was there








Hamish and Charlton both came that night and we had a bit of a Kiwi catch up.

Day 6 - All over rover.
Packed up and off for breakfast in Mannheim the next morning before a mad dash to get my pack and onto the train bound for Frankfurt and the first leg of my journey home.

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Location:Black Forest/ Karlsrehu/ Heidelberg

Roadie (1,2,&3)

Day one - Paris, France to Reims, France
Picked up the car in Paris and headed for our first destination - Reims, France.
Rocked up to our accommodation (after a few adventures around the city :-) ) which is a VERY basic hotel right close to the heart of the city.

Day 2 - Reims, France
Sebastian and I went for a walk to the local supermarket and got some breakfast stuff, went back and had a picnic in our hotel room then off to town! jumped on the local tram that took us right to the cathedral here - which is beautiful




then did a spot of shopping before heading up town a little more to visit a champagne producer, have a look around and find out a bit more about the process and then of course, the sampling! Seb slept the whole time and kept Oliver distracted with the magical Ipad.






Back into town and more window licking before a quick stop off as a awesome candy store and then back to the room for dinner.

Beautiful weather, sunny and around 13 degrees so quite cold in the wind but lovely in the sun. The city is stunning as well.

Lechelle did find herself in a bit of pain tonight when she managed to get sherbet stuck in her nose. Hi-la-ri-ous.

Day 3 - Reims, France to Karlsruhe, Germany
Bit cloudy today, up and packed then into town to send some junk home and then on the road! 4 hour drive to Karlsruhe in Germany. Loads of tolls on the French roads which make for an expensive trip.
Into Germany and got to have a blat on the Autobahn :-) that was fun.



After sorting out somewhere to sleep we caught up with Hamish McBeth who calls this part of the world home. We went out to a local beer garden for tea.








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Location:Paris & Reims, France; Karlsrehu, Germany

Belgium/Paris

Arrived at the town of Genk after another day on trains.




Was great to see Charlie and Lechelle that night - we had booked into the same campground (booked a mobile home) so they came around for a cuppa before we all crashed out for the night.

Sunday I hitched a ride with them up to their union meeting about an hour north - first try at singing in Dutch. had transation which was great as well. Stayed at the home for lunch with a few - This is Ruben helping a grumpy Sebastian to sleep, ohhhhh.





Down to the mission in Brussels that afternoon (an hour south east) where 2/3 of 30ish people at the mission wear headphones for translation and everything is translated into 3 languages.

Next day was a relax with Sasha and Lechelle, Oliver and Sebastian at the campground. Swim in the pool there, coffee and lunch at the restaurant then Sasha and I babysat for the night while Charlie & Lechelle went out for dinner. All good.

Sasha left for the rest of her adventure on Tuesday morning and I spent the rest of the week with the Brownrigg whanau just hanging out.

On Friday we all headed down to Paris for the weekend - specifically to visit the creepy catacombs which turned out to be shut grrr. Met up with Dot Smith though and had a great time. Rain and all :-)



Sebbie lapping up Dots coffee



Ice cream from the island across from the Notra Dame




Ended the day with Chinese takeaways in our apartment. As you do in Paris :-)
Met up with Dot again on Sunday for lunch before we left - lovely Crepe place off Rue St Germain.




Then Charlie headed back to Belgium, and Lechelle, Oliver, Sebastian and I started our road trip.


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Location:Belgium