Sadly our short trip back in time to traditional Japan came to an end and we headed to the next big city – Kyoto. I prefer Kyoto to Tokyo so was really looking forward to it. However, on the train Adrie warned me that she had booked another more “traditional” hotel in Kyoto too. I hope that does … [Read more…]
Many people say a visit to Japan is not complete without a stay in a ryokan. Derek, on the other hand, would say a visit to Japan is not complete without fighting off ninjas, but each to his own. Historically, the Japanese have worked diligently at perfecting the art of relaxation and ryokans are prominent evidence of … [Read more…]
I was expecting a lot of things landing in Japan; great customer service, order, a clean city, sensible traffic. Check. I was also expecting it to be a lot more expensive than South East Asia. Double check. What I was not expecting was it to be 7 degrees when we landed! We still had our … [Read more…]
Actually, I should be more specific… Since Derek got a stomach bug right at the start of our two-week trip through Vietnam, he was not so keen on all the weird and wonderful food so it was mainly ME eating OUR way through Vietnam. Although, he did participate in the Happy Hour 2-for-1 cocktails!! In fairness, he did try … [Read more…]
Nothing epitomises the perseverance and tenacity of the Vietnamese people during the war quite like the Cu Chi tunnels – a network of underground tunnels near the village of Cu Chi only 30km from the then enemy capital, Saigon. At their peak the network stretched 250km to the Cambodian border, sometimes even within the perimeter … [Read more…]
Our two-week trip through Vietnam was coming to an end and our last stop was Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. The current name was given after the Fall of Saigon in 1975 and honours Hồ Chí Minh, the first leader of North Vietnam. Even today, however, the informal name of Sài Gòn remains in daily speech, … [Read more…]