The Adventures of Relic and Sikosis http://travel.sikosis.com/ Depot CMS Thu, 31 May 2007 18:28:00 +1000 31st May, 2007 06:28 PM - At 4:55am this morning, we arrived at Cairns airport from Osaka. We guess Cairns, due to the Great Barrier Reef, but all we saw was a rainy day from the airport terminal windows, before we boarded another plane at 6am to Brisbane. After landing safely and getting through customs, still haven't slept yet, we were greeted at the airport by Margo at 9am. All I want to do is put on a movie, have a Meat Pie and crash, but we head off to the post office to see if our mail from London has arrived and ... it had. :) Awesome. Must sleep. Zzzzz ... http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=56 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=56 Wed, 30 May 2007 18:19:00 +1000 30th May, 2007 06:19 PM - Today is our last day in Japan and the last day of our World Tour :) ... As our train to Kansai Airport in Osaka wasn't til 4pm, we decided to bum around at Kyoto station, going to another shopping mall called Porta. Lots of school kids everywhere again, they seem to always be on school excursions or something. We then did a few last minute shopping purchases at that large Isetan department store, where up on the 12th floor (roof) is a tranquil garden. What was funny was there was an elderly Japanese business man in his suit, drunk rolling around on the walkway. Too much sake for him. ;) At 4pm, we got our bullet train to Kansai and then checked in on our Qantas flight to Cairns, not direct to Brisbane unfortunately. Today is also a day to reflect on all the experiences we've had over the last 40 days in 18 different countries on all major continents. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=55 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=55 Tue, 29 May 2007 22:34:00 +1000 29th May, 2007 10:34 PM - This morning, we went back to Kyoto station, which is absolutely huge to check out the Tezuka Osamu Studio store, home of Astroboy. :) After picking up a few items, we headed to Isetan, this gigantic department store, were Lisa did some more shopping. After a quick bite to eat at McDonalds, we then started our tour walking along the 2km Philosopher's Path, stopping along the way for another tea ceremony. We then went to a Machinya house in Gion for some more tea and Lisa got dressed in a kimono. The tour then concluded in Gion, where we had to get a bus back to Kyoto station and then the free shuttle back to the hotel. For dinner, we had the all you can eat buffet, which was awesome (I'm stuffed) and then went back to our room to pack our bags for the last time and our last night in Japan. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=53 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=53 Mon, 28 May 2007 22:34:00 +1000 28th May, 2007 10:34 PM - This morning, Lisa slept in, so I went downstairs to have a haircut, then grabbed a little breakfast to go and came back and ate it whilst reading The Japan Times - all the news without fear or favour. ;) We then embarked on our Nara Afternoon tour, driving past Kyocera's main headquarters (one of the largest buildings on Kyoto's outskirts), which had solar panels down one side of the building. The tour guide also said Nintendo's HQ was in Kyoto as well, but we didn't drive past it. We then visited the Todaiji Temple where the largest bronze statue of Buddha resides. Way cool. The temple is very simple but elegant, certainly not over the top like the Vatican. We were also at Deer Park, were there was lots of deer running around that people could interact with. Next, we visited the Shinto - Kasuga Shrine; another peaceful and beautiful place. For dinner, we took the free shuttle to Kyoto station and then went to a sushi train restaurant, where they had plates of salmon for $1.80 AU. Needless to say, I went ballistic, devouring 11 plates (ala Homer Simpson style) and the total price of the meal was still under what we'd normally pay at home. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=54 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=54 Sun, 27 May 2007 22:28:00 +1000 27th May, 2007 10:28 PM - I'm a little sad to leave Tokyo, but thems the breaks, as we got up early and caught the subway to Tokyo station and then bordered the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) bound for Kyoto. It was quite a smooth ride, taking just under 3 hours, stopping at 4 other stops on the way. Being a Sunday and not knowing the best places to go, we went walking around the hotel but didn't find anything open, so we had some room service for lunch, whilst watching the Sumo Championships on TV. The winner got this big ass trophy. I guess a big lad needs a big trophy. :) For dinner, we had Teppanyaki (ala carte) at a very expensive restaurant. Needless to say the food was awesome and it was sufficiently washed down with my Japanese favourite - Asahi Super Dry. Might have to get a case of it, when we get home on Thursday. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=51 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=51 Sat, 26 May 2007 22:12:00 +1000 26th May, 2007 10:12 PM - We slept in this morning, but still managed to get ready and race downstairs in time for our tour. It took a couple of hours drive to Mt Fuji's 5th station of which there are 10; Mt Fuji is 3306m in high and station 5 is at 2300m. Impressive view, but I wish I'd known to bring warm clothing, as it was freezing. We then went to a local hotel, that had a nice view of Mt Fuji, for a traditional Japanese lunch box. Unfortunately, Lisa didn't like it, but I thought it was alright, so I ate most of hers. We then proceeded to Hakone for a short but nice boat cruise on Lake Ashi. We were then supposed to take a cable car ride at Komagatake, but the station had been closed, because it was too windy, so we went to another station and saw (and smelt) the sulfar mines. The tour concluded with our first ride on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Tokyo station and then we used the subway to get back to our hotel; later having dinner at a local restaurant called MOS Burger. MMMmmm ... Japanese Burgers with cheese and jalapenos. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=52 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=52 Fri, 25 May 2007 09:46:00 +1000 25th May, 2007 09:46 AM - This morning it was pouring down in Tokyo as we prepared to explore Akihabara aka Electric Town. Despite the rain, there was still heaps of people shopping. Whilst the Lonely Planet guide said there was porn / manga porn everywhere, we only saw 2 shops in amongst the gazillon other shops selling cameras, mobile phones, laptops, MP3 devices - you name it. So much choice, so little yen. ;) As well as picking up a cheap suitcase and some other gifts, I bought a Sony Vaio VGN-UX71 for $700 AU cheaper than I could have got it for at home. It works great, however, it is running Vista Home Premium and due to MS and their wisdom (licensing restrictions), it only ships with one language pack - Japanese. Apparently, Vista Ultimate and Enterprise don't have this issue. Thanks for nothing Microsoft. :( Anyway, after a tiring day shopping, we then headed back to the hotel to freshen up. Whilst I'm loving it here, Lisa is having difficultly adapting to the number of people and the culture. Take dinner for example, we went to that sushi restaurant I found, where you write down what you want by the piece. Of course, I just ordered 16 pieces of Salmon :) - Lisa tried her luck and ended up with Eel and Abalone. Needless to say, she wasn't happy, whilst I had a belly full of sushi. To make up for it, I said she can choose dinner tomorrow night. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=50 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=50 Thu, 24 May 2007 10:11:00 +1000 24th May, 2007 10:11 AM - Today, we embarked on our full day tour of Tokyo, first starting with views of the city via the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower; Japan's slightly taller and less heavy version of Paris's Eiffel Tower. As the Tokyo Tower is surrounded by other high-rise buildings, it doesn't stand out as much as the Eiffel Tower, though it does have more practical uses, beaming digital TV/radio and analog signals. Next stop was at Happoen Gardens for a traditional tea ceremony, where we got to try some green tea. It's chock full of vitamins and caffeine, giving me a much needed fix to press on (still feeling a bit jetlagged). At the garden, we also got to see 300 year old Bansai trees - very cool and the garden was also very tranquil. We then visited the gates of the Imperial Gardens and then headed off to the Chinaznso Garden Restaurant for a delicious Japanese Stone BBQ meal. I asked our tour guide what was his favourite beer to recommend was and he said he drinks Guiness. Lol :) So, I then asked what was his favourite Japanese beer was to which he replied - Asahi Super Dry, which wasn't a bad drop. Next, we took a boat cruise on the Sumida River to Akakusa for some shopping and also to see the Kan-non Temple. The company, Canon, derived their name from this national icon. The tour concluded at the expensive Ginza district, where we saw all the designer labels (think Rodeo Drive or 5th Avenue) as well as a poster for Die Hard 4. We then successfully navigated the subway system back to our hotel, it's much like London's Underground, but busier. For dinner, we picked up some cheap McDonald's and then did some more shopping at the Tobu department store with it's 7 levels of shopping nirvana. I was in heaven at HMV, which had lots of CDs that were $20-$30 AU dollars cheaper than they are in Australia. I've also picked out a nice sushi restaurant for tomorrow night. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=49 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=49 Wed, 23 May 2007 13:03:00 +1000 23rd May, 2007 01:03 PM - Unfortunately, we didn't get any sleep on the plane, thanks to the uncomfortable seats and some rude people, who chatted the whole way. The only time I drowned them out, was while I was watching Music and Lyrics, which was quite a light, funny movie. We arrived at Narita airport at 10:30am, gaining 8 hours crossing timezones. We then had a 2 hour bus ride to our hotel room (due to traffic), where we then checked in and crashed. At 7pm, we got some room service, whilst watching many bizarre Japanese game shows - lots of cooking ones at that, which makes me want to play some Cooking Mama. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=48 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=48 Tue, 22 May 2007 12:52:00 +1000 22nd May, 2007 12:52 PM - First thing this morning, we went to the Fulham Post Office to send some of our shopping home. The Post Office, according to 3 internet sites, was due to be open at 9am with our shuttle to the airport arriving to pick us up between 9:30am and 10:00am. So, we knew it was going to be touch and go; unfortunately, the Post Office didn't open til 9:15am and then we got a slow teller. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was 10am. The concierge told us that we'd missed our shuttle, so we got him to arrange a mini-cab, whilst we waited outside. To our surprise, our shuttle then arrived, with the driver apologizing for being stuck in traffic ... thankfully. We then arrived at Heathrow with plenty of time to spare and proceeded through all their security points. We ended up going through 3 scanners, getting padded down twice. :( The flight was then delayed for 2 hours, due to a problem with the plane and then by 3pm, we were underway on our 11.5 hour flight. Joy. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=47 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=47 Mon, 21 May 2007 17:54:00 +1000 21st May, 2007 05:54 PM - Today was the last day of our European Focus tour. After having a light breakfast, we headed off to Calais, to get the ferry across the channel, landing at Dover. It was a long travel day and whilst the majority of people on our tour are heading home, we can't think of home just yet, as we're off to Japan tomorrow on a 1pm flight. Though, I'm hanging out for a meat pie. :) We're now in the Fulham Internet cafe, updating this blog, along with uploading some more photos. We survived Europe, spent probably too much money, but still enjoyed it alot. I could definitely come back and spent a week at Lucerne in Switzerland, that place is just amazingly beautiful. I don't know if it was just the contrast having come from Italy, but the place is just clean and peaceful. It's only down side is that goods, other than watches and chocolate, are expensive. Tonight, we're going to have a pub meal and repack our bags. We're hoping to go to the local post office tomorrow and sent some stuff home, as our suitcases are bulging. We're also looking forward to watching some TV in English for a change. The only channel that we've been able to see in Europe in English, was CNN and when they show the same news headlines every 10 minutes, it gets really boring very quick. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=46 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=46 Sun, 20 May 2007 17:36:00 +1000 20th May, 2007 05:36 PM - A rather wet day this morning, as we made our way into the heart of Paris, to see more sights; in particular, Notre Dame and the Lourve. There are currently approx. 400,000 items at the Lourve, so if you spent 1 minute on each piece, you'd need more than 9 months to see them all. As we only had 1 day, our local guide took us to see many of it's more famous masterpieces such as the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. You aren't allowed to take photos of the paintings, as the flash could damage them, but of course, some people just don't seem to care and were taking photos anyway. We then had some lunch, did some more shopping, which we shipped home and then had a relaxing walk from the Lourve to the Place de la Concorde, where I snacked on a Hot Dog Fromage (Cheese) and Lisa had a sugar crepe. For dinner, we stayed at the hotel and had a risotto whilst watching Die Hard 3 in French. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=45 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=45 Sat, 19 May 2007 17:32:00 +1000 19th May, 2007 05:32 PM - Today, we got back on the bus for a travel day, as we left Switzerland behind and made our way to Paris, France. With a couple of road stops on the way, we still made good time, arriving in Paris at around 4pm. After a brief freshen up at the hotel, we then headed out to see the Arc De Triomphe and then for a spot of local food (barely cooked rissoles and brie). Next, we went up to the second level of the Effiel Tower, to see some rather spectacular views. We then took a boat cruise along the Seine river, taking in alot of Paris's major sights by night. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=44 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=44 Fri, 18 May 2007 17:26:00 +1000 18th May, 2007 05:26 PM - An amazing day in Lucerne today, it kicked off with a boat cruise on Lake Vie Val for about an hour. We then took a 40 minute train ride to the top of Pilates Kulm, where we got to see snow for the first time. Of course, we had to have some snow fights, followed by a brockworst and hot chocolate. :) We then took a 30 minute cable car ride down the mountain; very peaceful. Next, we went watch shopping, where I got a good deal on a Tissot Touch Titanium. It's an awesome watch, jam packed with features - certainly right up my alley. For lunch, we had a really nice donar kebab and walked around the beautiful town of Lucerne. Dinner was at a local restaurant, where we had some more local dishes, jugs of beer and for dessert - Chocolate Fondue. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=43 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=43 Thu, 17 May 2007 13:22:00 +1000 17th May, 2007 01:22 PM - It's now Day 11 of our European tour - today, we went to the small town of Pisa, to see their leaning tower. Unfortunately, there was lots of street sellers pedaling their fake crap; very off putting. We then made our way to the beautiful town of Lucerne in Switzerland. As we travelled, we had to go through the longest driven tunnel in the world at 16.9km long. To make things interesting, our tour director got us to guess how long it would take for the bus to go through the tunnel. First prize was a large 27 Euro Toblerone chocolate bar, Second Prize was a smaller one and guess who won that - yep, Lisa did. For dinner, we had a traditional Swiss meal starting with Cheese Fondue, then Veal and Mushroom with Rosti and some very nice dessert. Along with the meal was 2 steins (2 Litres) of Beer, which went down rather nicely. It also make the local entertainment of yoddling, flag tossing and other acts alot more interesting. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=42 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=42 Wed, 16 May 2007 12:17:00 +1000 16th May, 2007 12:17 PM - This morning, we were given free time to wander the streets of Florence. We started the morning off by doing a little shopping in the local markets, then had a leather demonstration at one of the many stores. Florence is well known for their leather and gold/silver products. Next, we sat down at one of the many cafes and I had pizza, of course and Lisa had a focasia. I then went and got a much needed haircut and we're now in an Internet cafe catching up on a few things and just generally getting our net fix. :) We then spent the rest of the day doing some shopping, Lisa got some nice shoes and I had a a very nice lemon sorbet gelati. For dinner, we went to a pizza restaurant, where they served up 5 different types of pizza to each table in our tour group. I'm now aware that 14 slices is my limit. ;) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=39 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=39 Tue, 15 May 2007 13:13:00 +1000 15th May, 2007 01:13 PM - Back on the road again, this time we travelled to the town of Siena. It was another lovely day in Italy, so we had a gelati, whilst taking in the sights. Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed due to the siesta. Still, the tour director gave us a bottle of wine he percured from the town, which I'll give to my dad when we get home. We then headed out into the Chianti Hills for a Tuscan dinner consisting of Antipasta, Pasta, Florentine Steak and Tiramisu. Washed down with all you could drink beer and wine, everyone on the tour group got stuck in and a great night was had by all. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=41 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=41 Mon, 14 May 2007 13:05:00 +1000 14th May, 2007 01:05 PM - Today being a Monday, we got up early to beat the traffic and also so we could get in the cue for the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. We were told that 27,000 people a day visit the Vatican, at 15 Euros each; meaning the church gets approximately 405,000 Euros per day !!! Whoever said the church was poor ... After seeing the Sistine Chapel (No Cameras Allowed), we headed off to see the Colosseum and the Forum. We then went to the Catacombs, I sent Lisa down with the video camera, but of course, no cameras allowed. Then we visited Michaelangelo's statue of Moses and his chains. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=40 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=40 Sun, 13 May 2007 18:12:00 +1000 13th May, 2007 06:12 PM - Today was mostly spent travelling as we left Venice behind and headed towards Rome. Our tour director played Gladiator on the bus TV screen to give us some idea of the ancient romans and also to pass the time on our journey. After having an awesome meal at a local trattoria, we then had some free time to explore the city at night. We walked around, had a gelati and took lots of pictures of the Pantheon. Rome seems like a great city; full of history, so we're looking forward to our day trip tomorrow. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=38 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=38 Sat, 12 May 2007 18:04:00 +1000 12th May, 2007 06:04 PM - Today, we took a boat cruise to the mainland of Venice (again) to see a glass blowing demonstration by Murano Glass and then we had free time to explore Venice on our own. We were told not to have a big lunch, as dinner was going to be huge, so we had a light sandwich, washing that down with the local drink - Bellini. Shopping is very overpriced in Venice, however, the odd bargain could be found. For dinner, we took a boat cruise to the fishing island of Murano. Unfortunately, all the dishes were fish-based (would you believe Fish Lasagne ?), however, they were very accomodating by providing spaghetti and chicken instead. This meal was washed down with their local beer - Prinz or as I called it, the beer formally known as. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=37 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=37 Fri, 11 May 2007 17:56:00 +1000 11th May, 2007 05:56 PM - This morning, we visited the gorgeous town of Innsbruck in Austria. It was only a short visit, but we got to spend some time at Swarovski's main store. There were many beautiful pieces on display and of course, Lisa couldn't leave empty-handed. :P We then got back on the bus and headed off to our hotel on the outskirts of Venice, Italy. We then travelled by boat to the mainland for a traditional meal of Lasagne and Chicken with Bell Peppers (Capscicum), followed by a drink, listening to a string quartet. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=36 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=36 Thu, 10 May 2007 17:50:00 +1000 10th May, 2007 05:50 PM - Today, we visited the quaint town of Heidelberg to see the world's largest Wine Vat and some amazing views from the top of this huge castle. Very breathe-taking. We then made our way into the clean city of Munich, where it was late night shopping. First, we walked around doing some window shopping and then went to Hofbrauhaus (Beer Hall) where I downed a stein (1 litre) of their local drop. XD For dinner, instead of eating the local delicacy of Roasted Pork Knuckle, we went to an all you can eat sushi station for 13 Euros. The salmon niguri was flowing and Lisa said the staff were looking rather nervous at the number of plates I managed to devour. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=35 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=35 Wed, 09 May 2007 07:45:00 +1000 9th May, 2007 07:45 AM - Today, we left the Netherlands behind and travelled into Germany. It pretty much rained all day, but we still went for a boat cruise along the Rhine river, seeing some of the castles that still remain in this area. Along the way, we stopped in to see the World's largest Cuckoo Clock, Steif Bears and Beer Steins. I picked up a collectors Red Baron Stein and had it shipped home. :) We then stopped to have dinner and have a traditional German meal - Pork Schnitzel and sampled the local drop - Heidelberger beer. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=34 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=34 Tue, 08 May 2007 13:43:00 +1000 8th May, 2007 01:43 PM - This morning, we went to Gassan Diamonds to see how diamonds are cut from raw into the finished product. Of course, Lisa's eyes were popping out of her head, when we saw this 2.15ct diamond worth 35,000 Euros. Lisa bought some smaller diamonds and she was over the moon; I got a free Diet Coke out of the bargain, so I was just happy to have some caffeine in the morning. ;) We then bought some perfumes from a store selling them cheap and I found my old fragrance, XS, which I can no longer get in Australia. We then walked through one of the large department stores in Amsterdam, which on the inside, looked exactly like Myers. We headed towards the Dam Square and saw a Madame Tussauds wax musuem and decided to have a look. It started with wax people from Amsterdam's history and then on the other floors, into the celebrities. We got lots of really good photos there and hope to have those up soon. I'm actually in an Internet cafe across from Central Station called easyInternetcafe. They have lots of Win98 terminals and I've had 3 crash on me so far. No USB support either, so no uploading of photos just yet. http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=33 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=33 Mon, 07 May 2007 13:14:00 +1000 7th May, 2007 01:14 PM - This morning we left London and headed for the white cliffs of Dover to board a ferry bound for France. Once in France, we drove for several hours past many picturesque farms and canals and then through into Belgium, which was more of the same. As we entered to the skirts of Amsterdam, our tour guide played "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" by Ian Dury over the PA system and we then stopped at a local servo, Lisa and I weren't sure what to eat so we though these sausage roll / pasties were a safe bet. We then took a canal boat cruise through the city and ended up at this floating restaurant called the Sea Palace -- it's was chinese looking Indonesia restaurant and the food was fantastic, as was the Heinekin. After dinner, our tour guide took us through the Red Light Distict to see all the legal prostitutes in the window. Certainly an interesting bit of culture we soaked up, though Lisa thought the whole thing was a bit tame. :) http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?blog=31 http://travel.sikosis.com/index.php?rss=31