When visiting Japan, one has to eat Kobe beef. And where better than in Kobe itself. We hopped on the shinkansen for the short trip to Kobe. I say “short” but I really mean “quick”. It is 250km between Hiroshima and Kobe but it took us just over an hour on the train. I don’t understand … [Read more…]
Our next destination was Hiroshima. No matter who you talk to or where you are in the world, the name Hiroshima will forever be associated with death and destruction. But the city we found had almost no trace of that. The streets are tree-lined and beautiful, pretty shops and lush bakeries are everywhere and the people are the friendliest … [Read more…]
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…]