Rebranding - introducing 'World Journeys'

Howdy folks! If you look above this writing you may notice that after more than seven years, I have changed the name of the blog. Why is that, I hear you ask? Well, I am trying to align all my travel works together. I have – ebooks (the only source of income from my travel writings, which nets me less than 10 dollars a month), the blog, a facebook page (please join/like!),  a webpage – a new one coming to Wordpress as well, and a youtube channel. All hopefully will soon feature the new banner of ‘World Journeys’ (which incidentally I think is a more accurate title for ‘what I do’).

Also coming later in 2014, I hope, will be a ‘World Journeys Podcast’. I am looking at talking to various people for about favourite destinations, travel stories and more. I hope to start uploading around the end of March, but this is very much still just in the pipeline at the moment.

I may even get, shock horror, a twitter account. Amazon Kindle has been a good start for travel publishing. I run a few giveaways a month there and from now on I will be letting people know when something’s for free on the Facebook page (this is where twitter maybe useful too). I’m looking to publish on other platforms as well, looking at Lulu and Payhip to increase my reach. Also, kindle is proving to be very difficult to get paid from! Heading back to Australia too and there’s no good way to get paid in Australia for my publishing sadly.

Anyways that’s the latest from ‘The Greater World’ – now ‘World Journeys’. Tomorrow I promise you a great tale from Cameroon about getting from A to B, African style!

Take care until then

Andrew

Top Ten Countries Number Five - Central Asia

Zenkov Cathedral, Almaty

Yes, I am going to cheat here and instead of specifying a country, I am going to lump ‘Central Asia’ together in my top ten. Technically I already cheated when I included the UK, right? But for me, Central Asia was the ultimate in ‘different’. I visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan over six weeks back in May-June 2011 and had a wonderful time. I visited three countries bordering each other with dramatic differences. Beautiful mountains, flat steppe and searing desert.

Kazakhstan is the biggest of the three, in fact it is the 9^th biggest country on Earth. From the cultural Almaty to the mind-blowing capital, Astana, Kazakhstan is full of surprises. Almaty is a wonderful city, the ‘soul’ of Kazakhstan. Wonderful museums and theatre – I went to see traditional dancing there, friendly people, beautiful parks. The Russian influence is unmistakable, but it definitely has a European feel to it. The small but interesting Kazakh Museum of Musical Instruments was an unexpected highlight, where I got to witness a small concert of traditional instruments played. This is in the beautiful Panfilov Park, where stands the impressive and decorative Zenkov Cathedral.

Almaty is surrounded by stunning mountains, I headed up to Medeu one day, a favourite play-area in winter, but also lovely in summer. Kok Tobe is a peak not that far from the middle of town, where bronze statues of the Beatles stand (and sit!), and a cable car takes you up and down the big hill.

Inside Dostoevsky's old digs.

Semey was also a very interesting place. Behind my hotel is a park full of statues of communist figures such as Lenin and Marx. For a time Semey was home to Fyodor Dostoevsky, and today the house in which he lived is a small museum to the great Russian writer. The number one writer in town, in fact all of Kazakhstan is Abay though. This poet was also responsible for translating countless works into the local Kazakh language, and is a national hero.

Palace of Peace and Accord, Astana.

But is he a bigger national hero that Nazabaev, President of Kazakhstan since it became independent of the Soviet Union? Perhaps not. Nazabaev is a man of daring vision, and it was his vision that saw the capital moved from Almaty to the more central Astana. Now Astana is one of the more amazing cities of the world, with countless daring buildings designed by architect Norman Foster. This includes the Palace of Peace and Accord, a giant pyramid inside which are conference halls, a giant atrium and a concert hall, the Byoterek, a 97 metre tall tower resembling an ice cream cone, and the Khan Shatyr, a giant shopping complex enclosed in a tent-like structure, the likes of which you are unlikely to see anywhere else in the world. Come to Astana to be impressed, to be wowed, or even just to wonder ‘why?’ It’s simply an astounding place.

National Museum in Bishkek reminds us of the past.

I headed south from Almaty to Kyrgyzstan. I was now travelling by small mini-buses called marshrutkas for the most part, and every journey was an adventure. The capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, is a really pleasant, smallish city which I liked very much. An interesting museum there revealed that possibly Kyrgyzstan thought that the Soviet Union was still going, but the parks brimmed with a different kind of life, and art. People played table tennis on outdoor tables whilst others took wedding photos by fountains. In the evening, for a dollar or two, I saw an opera in town. Those are my lasting impressions of Bishkek.

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Kyrgyzstan boasts great natural beauty. Lake Issyk-kul, a huge freshwater lake 182 kilometres wide (by 60 metres) gives life to a whole region of the country. Around it I went to reach Karakol on the far end, an interesting and pretty if somewhat ramshackle town with some amazing old houses and a striking wooden orthodox church. I took a jeep up the mountains to a place called Altyn Arashan, and stayed a night in an old, large, wooden shack. It was party night there, the place had a big gathering, and despite the lack of electricity, it was a great night. The next day I took in the stunning and very European mountains as I hiked back to Karakol.

Bukhara.

Tombs in Samarkand.

I had to go via Bishkek and again Kazakhstan to get to Uzbekistan. That journey in itself, going from marshrutka to taxi to taxi to taxi, crossing two borders in one day, was an incredible adventure I won’t forget. Bukhara and Samarkand both proved to be amazing places, from the old silk road, with incredible Islamic architecture. Uzbekistan felt very different from the other two Central Asian countries I visited. It was very dry and hot – Bukhara was over 40 degrees, Samarkand just under it.

Statue of Temur, Tashkent.

Despite the heat (and the heatstroke) I adored Uzbekistan. It reminded me a lot of Iran, and there were a number of friendly people I met there on my journey. Tashkent was more like the other countries, its boulevards very wide, and it even had a working metro-system! The parks were the highlight, as were the statues of the greatest Uzbek hero of all, Temur! I visited his museum too. Again there were impressive monuments and fantastic parks, where people cooled down from the heat. Swimming in the fountains was an extremely popular way to escape the heat in Uzbekistan, especially for but not only for, the children.

 

Tashkent

I’ve rolled three countries into one today, which doesn’t do any of them full justice. They are three amazing countries in the world, at one time they were one country with the rest of the Soviet Union. As individuals, I’m not sure they would make my top ten (they wouldn’t be far off) but together, they are just a brilliant travel experience. You can trek, you can see cities, history, culture, the future. Admire Islamic architecture or breath the mountain air and think you were in Europe. Central Asia offers the traveller so much. The tourist – maybe not so much, but for those willing to go the extra mile in paperwork, Central Asia rewards in bucketloads!

Writings :

Short Journeys – Kazakhstan (Amazon Link)

Coming February/March 2014 – Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

The top ten so far:

10 – Slovakia

9 – Romania

8 – Mali

7 – The United Kingdom

6 – Japan

5- Central Asia

A Day in the Tokyo Sun

Well, I am back in Ichinoseki and the difference couldn't be more noticeable when it comes to temperature. Actually today it was around 3 degrees, but coming from Tokyo which now seems like the sunniest warmest place on Earth, I am really feeling the cold. Was very difficult for me to get to sleep last night because I was so cold!
In Tokyo and Yokohama we enjoyed sunny days with the mercury rising to around 12 degrees on every day. I didn't need to wear thermals! Now, well, there was a hint of snow and there's a bit on the ground, but the wind cuts through you like a knife! It's seriously freezing! And the worst is yet to come!

Crowds at Shinagawa.

Still, my last day in Yokohama saw me head into Tokyo. I brilliantly got off at the wrong station which was a good start - I wanted Shinjuku, but I got off at Shinagawa because I still get all my shins mixed up! Outside the station there was a crowd lined up waiting for the runners in this massive 2-day race they have here around New Year every year to pass. Teams (of seven I think) link in a big relay to run a total of 109 km each day of two. It was on television, every second of it! Still, Australia has it's traditional New Year's Cricket match at the SCG too, sporting events are special this time of year. And it turned out to be a special test match, didn't it...

This building is not like its neighbours.

I think the runners were curiously still some time away, like an hour or two if not more. But already there were plenty of people in this area of town with wide streets and shiny buildings. Nestled in between two buildings was this small and ancient-looking temple which I thought was very interesting. Across the road I looked at a map of the area and couldn't work out why it didn't correspond to the one I was looking at in my trusty guide book. Oh... I'm not where I think I am. At all! D'oh! Yes... a proper fool was I.

On the train again, it took 45 minutes plus to get to Shinjuku, more than double the time you'd expect. There were fires near the tracks, according to the information screen in the carriage. So we stopped at Harajuku station for over ten minutes, taking on enough passengers in that time that no more could fit inside the train. We stopped again two or three times, the last time for over ten minutes 200 metres from the Shinjuku station platform!

I have to admit, I like a good whopper. And I enjoyed one at Shinjuku station - McDonald's and KFC are the big winners in the American Fast Food Wars here, Burger King is much harder to find outside a couple of main centres. I was a bit disappointed in the size of large fries and drink, but the meal was satisfying. I'm sure that large in Australia is bigger than Burger King here, the fries are bigger here at McDonalds than Burger King, I am sure of that!

Walkway on the 29th floor of the NS building, Shinjuku.

I revisited the NS building in Shinjuku for some good views of the city with blue skies in the background.
Then I made my way through an interesting residential area to get to the vast Meiji Shrine park. It's a really big park I visited back in 2011, however, this time I was not able to get close to the Meiji Shrine itself, although I'm sure I could have if I waited long enough. Getting to a temple around New Year is very important here, and despite it being the 3rd, the queue to get to the temple was an hour plus long, at a guess. The park was wonderful to walk about, and if you can fade the faint sounds out from Tokyo, you might think you're in woods somewhere. Then there were policemen stationed at different points, not allowing access towards the temple from the north. They wanted to control the flow of people which is reasonable I expect.

More food stalls could also be found and this visit was clearly a family affair for many.
I walked down to Shibuya, wanting to see if a couple of museums were open. The Salt and Tobacco museum had moved when I eventually found it, the Tepco Electricity Museum I couldn't find at all. I suspect it has been closed down completely, probably after the 2011 tsunami - Tepco is the company responsible for the Fukushima Daichi Plant. You know the one.

So, more time spent in Tower Records, where I had a good hard think about J-pop. And, well, I think there's a whole blog in my thoughts, so I won't elucidate here and now. However - Watch this space!
The next blog should be up in the next few days, however I will save J-pop for another time because it's going to require a little bit of research. Around Tuesday - ish you can expect to see the continuation of my top ten destinations - we are up to number five!

I left Tokyo yesterday on the Shinkansen. It's easily the best way to travel in Japan. It's smooth and fast and pops you back at the centre of the city you're heading too. It's raging hot with fires in parts of Australia now, but I can barely feel my feet! Take care 'til the next time...

A Very Japanese New Year

So this is my first New Year in Japan. It's kind of a big deal here, well, Christmas is a time to eat sponge cakes with cream, see Santa-san and go to KFC for dinner. No, that is not a joke! So New Year is more special, involving spending time with family and visiting temple. Which is what I did.

Lining up at the temple.

People decorate the front of their house with pine tree-branches, sometimes combined with bamboo. Actually this simple piece of decoration can be seen many places around town and Japan. We made the trip down to Yokohama on the 30th and have another day here before heading back to Ichinoseki, where it is much colder than here. We left snow, no sign of it here. Day time maximums around the 12 degrees (positive) so that's a mercy, I can tell you!

I went with my wife yesterday to Iseyama Kotai Jingu (temple) where there was a long queue but nothing compared to many other temples. People line up to make a prayer. When you finally reach the temple, bow five times, throw some money into a wooden receptacle, and clap twice. This temple is famous for a rock (without a name) too, which apparently gives off good energy. Stalls went down the street selling mostly fried delights for those who dared to test their stomach.

Food stalls.

Looking down on some Osechi.

Kamaboko

We also enjoyed a traditional New Year's food. Osechi it's called, but sadly I failed the cultural food-based test badly. Although the chicken was ok! I found most of what I was offered very difficult to eat. The hardest was Kamaboko, hard to describe but my wife likened it to ham, but to me it tasted very seafoody. In fact I was just told it's made of fish paste! It looks like some sort of sweet, but it doesn't taste like that at all!






We did get to see a wonderful sunset over Mount Fuji on New Year's Eve, but it's not so much the party-celebration western countries experience, rather it's for the family. And otherwise it was pretty quiet. How was your New Year's?

And a very snowy new year to all!

Ice over the gutter on our cabin.

It's evening here in Japan, with just over four hours left for 2013 in Japan. You find me in Yokohama with the inlaws, having taken the Shinkansen down last night. It was around 12 degrees here today and lovely sunshine. It's a far cry from Ichinoseki, which got a sizable dump of snow on Friday night last week. I woke up on Saturday morning heading to Hachimantai.

Hachimantai, where as you may recall I have already visited this year, is home to some creepy apartments and the Lava Flow. The Lava Flow, set lava from an old eruption of Mount Iwate, is known locally as Yakehashiri. And not too far from it is an onsen and a group of cabins. In fact there are something like 48 4 or 8-person cabins in the woods next to the lava flow. The place has an English translation which is somewhat baffling to say the least - Iwate grilled run international exchange Village.

Inside the cabin.

Yes, not only is it a mouthful and a half, it makes no rightly sense at all! But the cabins were WARM! You have to pay an extra fee to use the heater incidentally, but you wouldn't in your right mind not. Despite it being something like minus 7 outside, we were toasty and warm inside. We were there basically to shoot a short little film as I am want to do from time to time, but if I thought we had had a lot of snow in Ichinoseki, I was to see more than double that at Yakehashiri. Never the less, a very beautiful place indeed, and as we had a lot of fun. It wasn't so cold whilst we were active.

The Onsen turned out to be cooler than the last one I visited. I enjoyed it much more as I could bear much longer in the water in one go. The only issue was the driving - three hours each way on the snowy roads. In fact it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it might be. Snow does not pose the same issues (slipping, sliding and crashing) as ice on the roads does. There's far more traction. I hope you enjoy the photos. 

And the curtain sets on 2013, and 2014 dawns. Please watch this space for more blogs and of course, the top five of my top destinations. Wherever you are this New Years' Eve, stay safe and all the best for 2014!

Merry Christmas and all that! (a little bit about surviving winter in Japan)

Dear everyone,
Merry Christmas to you all, if indeed you celebrate Christmas. The world is a big, wonderful place and I hope that 2014 will offer me more chances to explore, perhaps back in Australia around mid-year! Here in Japan Christmas is quiet I guess. I havent really done anything today at all. I took receipt of my new computer at least. The old one died last week which is why you haven't heard from me of late. Expect that soon the blogs will be coming again, as I will finish up the last five top destinations of my top ten, write more about Japan and do my best to brave this winter.So far we have had a bit of snow, but not a lot.
To keep the place warm we need to winter-proof the apartment. Unfortunately Japan is not as well equipped for winter as you might expect - for starters, double-glazed windows aren't that common. So, bubble wrap is the order of the day to provide a small bit of insulation.
Here you can see my attempts at insulating the doors/windows. Even the front door, not made of glass, gets a going over in an attempt to keep the cold out. Nevertheless, we find that after turning off the heater, the temperature plummets pretty quickly.

A cold winter's day, through the bedroom window.

Bubble-wrapping in progress!

Last night in Ichinoseki it was around -3 or -4 degrees celcius outside. The temperature inside when we woke at about 6am was plus 4. When we went to bed it would have been around plus 15 or so, which is freezing in Melbourne, but really quite toasty here! It's amazing how your outlook changes.

Front door with bubble wrap and kerosene tank.

Our kerosene heater.

We use a kerosene heater, popular in Japan. Last year we used the reverse cycle heater/air conditioner, and it took ages to start giving us warm air. The kerosene heater has been much better, and only a little more expensive to run. The difference is well worth it. We were fortunate that someone had a spare and very kindly and generously let us borrow it. We have to fill it up from a tank every few days because we are burning fuel, and it's not the best on the eyes, we need to ventilate the apartment regularly. But that's the price you pay for warmth.
Melbourne, my home town, enjoyed a 31 degree Christmas day, we were about 30 degrees less for a maximum here. Next year we hope to go back to a hot Christmas. Everyone here says a hot Christmas is just not right.Speaking as an Australian, I have to disagree...

Short Journeys: Laos

Hi everyone. My latest kindle addition is up and ready, so if you'd like to read about my time in Laos, my opinions, and a little information too. Here is the front cover:

And a link to the amazon page where you can buy the book:

Short Journeys: Laos

And some snippets from the book and photos.

Introduction: Why go to Laos?

Laos is found in the depths of South-East Asia. It borders China to the north, Thailand to the south, Vietnam to the east and Cambodia to the south-east. It’s right in the thick of it, you might say. It’s not everyone’s first, second or even third thought when they think of South-East Asia, but, perhaps that’s what makes it special - because it is special, very much so.

The peaceful Luang Prabang, perched on the Mekong and the gateway to less-explored north of the country, is one of the most relaxed and calm places to visit in all of South-East Asia. The unassuming capital, Vientiane, is a delightful spot right on the border with Thailand, and out in the east is Phonsovan. Phonsovan is famous for the Plain of Jars, a collection of huge stone jars dotted about the plains near Phonsovan. It’s also in an area that was heavily bombed in the 60s and 70s, and some 30 percent of them didn’t explode on impact. Laos is one of the most bombed/mined countries in the world. The way the community has dealt with the problem of unexploded ordinances is eye-opening and perhaps inspiring.

The Mekong River

Well, it’s a mighty river flowing through different countries winding its way across land to eventually meet the sea in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. In Luang Prabang you are more than a thousand kilometres up stream, but it’s still beautiful. Walking along the banks is a nice experience in the late-afternoon when it’s cooled down ever so slightly. You’ll find the occasional long bamboo bridge which the locals use to get from smaller villages to the town.

Luang Prabang is actually situated on two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan. A confluence of rivers is often a popular place for a town. Walking along either and both in the late afternoon or early morning is a very pleasurable experience. Stop at one of the open restaurants overlooking the river and have a cold drink and take in the serenity. There’s a lot of serenity there!

Kuang Si Waterfall (entrance 20,000 kip, 2011)

For me this was the real highlight of Luang Prabang, a waterfall not that far from town which admittedly a lot of tourists head to. It’s a superb place for a swim and to cool off, and its setting is somewhat idyllic and beautiful.

On said path is a sanctuary for bears which is worth a little look. The company running the bear sanctuary is called ‘Save the Bears’ and the bears there are ‘Asian Black Bears’. They are kept in enclosures of a decent size I guess. I don’t really know what an appropriate size is for a bear to live in, but at least they are safe there and it’s nice to check out.

After you’ve said hello to the bears, keep on going to the waterfall. It’s not that far and it’s a truly beautiful spot. Green and lush, the vegetation parts for the river, and over the top of some rocks the Kuang Si Waterfall heads down to a deep pool of still water, the perfect place to go when the heat is getting  to you. It was regularly in the mid to high thirties when I was there, so it was truly a welcome sight. A small tropical paradise hidden away in the jungle.

Phonsovan - Plain of Jars

Phonsovan was the place I most wanted to visit in Laos, because of the ‘Plain of Jars’ – hundreds of ancient large stone jars spread over three separate areas which has been a mystery for many years. Although really it’s not that much of a mystery, I think, personally, it’s pretty obvious what the jars are, or at least were, they were, for want of a better word, coffins. In fact, this is one of the theories and to me the most logical one.

They are well over a thousand years old, and therefore today they are a tourist attraction, for foreigners and locals alike. Although often they are not high on the tourist’s list of things to see in Laos, I think they should be! The issue that a lot of travellers have is the distance, it’s not in the middle of the Vientiane to Luang Prabang road, and many don’t want to go.

Phonsovan itself is a dusty old town; it has almost a frontier feel, dusty, a little forgotten. At the peak of the day there is plenty of traffic on the wide, main street, but that’s about all there is. There are a few hotels, a couple of places to eat and the MAG centre.

Craters restaurant, main street, Phonsovan.

We had a great guide, informative, helpful, fun. That’s all you really need right? Good English too. We headed out to the third site (Plain of Jars Site III on the ticket) first. We had to walk across fields to get there, and as we did we passed little markers on the ground with white and red paint. They were markers that signified that bombs had been located and removed in the area. Usually they marked out a space and between the markers it was safe to walk. You do have to follow your guide and watch for the markers. Anything that looks like a solid trail will be safe, but don’t go wandering off on your own for hundreds of metres, because there’s plenty of land that hasn’t yet been searched and declared safe as yet. Not that I’m trying to scare people, it’s 100% safe if you just use common sense!

View of the capital, Vientiane

Inside the Gold Stupa, Vientiane.

Laos is a wonderful place... take a look at the book - or why not visit yourself?

Top Ten Countries Number Six - Japan [PART TWO]

Japan is not a huge country, but it is a pretty big island. And there is so much to see and do. After enjoying the sights of Kansai, I headed to Tokyo. Tokyo in many ways is the ultimate in cities. It’s huge, with a highly efficient metro system to rival that of Moscow or St Petersburg, with more sky-scrapers than you can poke a stick at. Never the less, you can still find some amazing parks and temples there too to keep you occupied. Not satisfied? Well, fear ye not, there are museums a-plenty as well. Still not satisfied? Well, head up a tower to see the city from above. Tokyo tower is great, but there’s also the skytree as well.

If you still aren’t impressed, not so far away in Chiba is Tokyo Disneyland. I visited in August 2012, which wasn’t the best time to visit. It’s was absolutely packed in there, everyone was going. Well what could I do, my holidays are when the school is on holiday, which is basically every school in the country is on holiday. I spent much of the day waiting in queues sadly, however, it still was a lot of fun! The rides are enjoyable, you get a parade in the evening, and for those who felt it still wasn’t quite like theme parks elsewhere, the food they sell is fried, unhealthy and very expensive! It’s hard to go past Splash Mountain as the best ride, but there are of course many rides. I didn’t have time to go on Space Mountain…

Tokyo’s museums are very good. Head to Ueno, also home to the zoo, and you’ll find the National Museum, and the fun Science Museum, both worthwhile, but you may find the Shitimachi Museum more interesting. It is in an old house that has survived wars and quakes, and recreates Japanese life from around 100 years ago inside.

Temples? Well Senso-ji(Asakusa) and Meiji-jingu are perhaps the best two shrines to visit, the latter in the middle of a huge park near Shinjuku. Get off at the Harajuku station, the area there is also a popular spot

Postered wall in Akihabara.

and very interesting. You may meet people cos-playing too. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, there’s the Imperial Palace not so far from Tokyo station in beautiful gardens, and then there’s Akihabara. This famous district of Tokyo is not only the place to buy your cameras and electronic stuff, but it’s full of the strange Maid Cafes, is steeped in ‘geek culture’, and is where the group AKB48 is purported to come from!

Yokohama.

And yet there is more and more in Tokyo. It’s an amazing place. However, Japan offers more and more. Check out the beautiful castle in Nagoya, a very pleasant city (as long as you’re not there in August where the heat and humidity is unbearable). If it is the height of summer and you want to escape the blinding heat, why not head to Nagano-ken? Former winter Olympic Games site, I visited Hakuba last year where it was pleasantly cool in August, not to mention very beautiful. Great opportunity to relax, enjoy the cooler weather, and go hiking.

The down the road you have Yokohama, a wonderful bay-city with a beautiful bay, skycrapers and a ramen-museum (a museum for noodles!). What more do you want?

Further north Sendai is the main city of note. A really nice city with an interesting museum and a great citadel watching the place a-high. Not far from Sendai is Ishinomaki, now my favourite place to go when I want to see a movie. It’s an interesting town, devastated by the 2011 tsunami. However, it is well back on its feet today, and has a couple of things of interest. It’s quite the centre for Manga, and one of the best places in the country is the Ishinomaki Mangatten Museum. Devoted primarily to a famous Manga artist from Ishinomaki, Shotaro Ishinomori. There’s also the replica of the galleon, San Juan Baptista, worth seeing on the bay.

Closer to home, Iwate Prefecture has a bit to see and do as well. Not too far from Ichinoseki are two gorges with annoyingly similar names. ‘Geibi Gorge’ and ‘Genbi Gorge’. Both are very pretty places indeed, but the first is slightly more famous because you can take a special boat trip where the punter will sing for you. It’s a very special place.

Golden Hall, Chuson-ji

The crowning glory of this region though is the town Hiraizumi – only 7km from Ichinoseki. There’s more than one temple of interest in this town, but Chuson-ji, perched atop a hill, is really spectacular. Part of this hilltop complex is Konjiki-do, a gold-leafed hall, not quite as spectacular as Kinkanhu-ji in Kyoto, but nevertheless an impressive sight.

Japan has much more than I can cover reasonably in two blogs. I enjoyed hiking in Yamagata-ken over the peaks known as ‘Dewa Sanzan’, staying in the eastern town of Tsuruoka. In town Zenpo-ji is a very interesting temple complex too. Then there’s Kyushu in the south of the country, and Hokkaido in the north. Both with great beauty and interest, but of the three main islands of Japan, Honshu remains the only one I have visited thus far. Japan is an amazing place, with so much packed into three main islands (and indeed others).

What will be number five on my list? Well, again you’ll have to wait for that one!

10 – Slovakia

9 – Romania

8 – Mali

7 – The United Kingdom

6 – Japan

My travel writings (available on Kindle) can be found here:

Dhaka to Dakar