After a grueling eleven hour flight disjointed journey from Brisbane through Singapore, I finally arrived in Dubai at the local time of 6:30am. If the heat that blasts you leave the plane to join a transit bus was any indication, today was going to be a hot one. Summer temperatures in Dubai range from 29°C to 40+°C on any given day. Today was certainly no exception and although we were walking around in the 41°C day maximum, we were lucky enough that today was not such a humid one.

I met up with my sister at the airport (who flew Air Italia), and we quickly made our way to our hotel. Australians, like many other foreign nationals, are given free entry upon arrival to Dubai. It is something that the United Arab Emirates intentionally does as it tries t move away from oil as its number one source of income to incorporate a wider portfolio including tourism. I was thankful that my sister had done a lot of planning as I had enough to take care of, tying off loose ends before moving countries. After checking in at the Le Meridian Fairway on Internet rates (it’s definitely worthwhile getting these), we caught the complimentary bus into town.

We ended up in the city rather late, and ended up in a Vegetarian Southern Indian restaurant to grab something for a lunch (it was well past breakfast time by now). Dubai is heavily populated with many foreign nationals, with a percentage of something like 60% being Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos. Budget eating is not very well advertised, with most of the advertisements you see catered for restaurants in your Marriott, Hyatts, and Burj Al Arab (the only 7-star hotel in the world), although I believe there is a good lonely planet guide that might have helped in our journey. We stumbled across a decent looking place called “Vege World” where we feasted on three different bread and curry dishes including Aloo Paratha, Puri Bhaji, and a Cookie (an southern Indian chilli-bread like dish) for a measly AED15 (AU$6) between the two of us. Dubian (is that a word?) people are lovely and the person who served us also helped tell us what it was we were exactly eating. It’s always pretty exciting ordering things you have no idea about and then being pleasantly surprised.

We walked all throughout the souks (think marketplace) in the Deira area, with the gold and spice souks being the most visually stunning. The gold souk is, of course, the most obviously eye-popping with such intricately detailed necklaces, bracelets and rings lavishly draped all over a number of hanging bars in the store windows. Although we did not enter any of the stores (my budget certainly wasn’t extending to buying any jewelry), we have read that it is apparently a bargain.

We also managed to hit the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s house, the Dubai museum, Bastakiya, Creekside Park, and the mega shopping complex that is Wafi City. Taxis are relatively cheap with fares starting at AED3 (about AU$1.20) and is slow to actual tick over. An even more bargain way of traveling around Dubai across the water is the Abra. A short small boat driven by a single person only costs a person 50 filas (a half Dirham) and gets you from one side of the creek to the other.

Food here is pretty amazing. We stopped for afternoon tea at the Basta Art Café, a hidden treat nestled in the buildings of the Bastakiya area where we indulged in some delicious mint Moroccan tea, some Arabic tea and some baklava. Although we ate inside an air-conditioned tent because the heat is pretty ridiculous, it does have a court yard that would be lovely to sit in during the cooler months. We also ended up having dinner at The Spice Club, a restaurant in the hotel where we indulged Indian banquet of 11 dishes for about 80AED (AU$30). Completely stuffed we went to bed, ready to hit the city for the second day.

I’ll continue to post some more pictures, but for now you can check them out here.

I finally arrived back in Australia after leaving three weeks ago for holidays. It’s been a whirlwind trip but at least the three weeks vacation has actually felt more like a month and a half. I’ve been hurting without Internet access for the last week and a half, so unfortunately I haven’t had any opportunity to update the blog. So much has gone on since the last post, so here’s a brief summary:

• Last days in New York – Our second last day in NY was spent with my Aunt and family walking around Chinatown. Manhattan’s Chinatown is pretty huge and offers so much in terms of food and interesting stores providing for things to look at all day. There’s even a bus that leaves from Flushing to get right into the middle of Chinatown for the same price as the subway (all without having to transfer either)! Our final day in New York that I spent with my brother and sister walking all around Manhattan was jam-packed with so much. From a foodie perspective, we stuffed ourselves by visiting the Doughnut Plant, Il Laboratorio Del Gelato and Brother’s BBQ (you’ve gotta have the beef brisket). We dropped into J&R somewhere along the way to pick up some decently priced MP3 players after failing to pick up anything in Japan. We somehow also managed to fit in a trip on the (free!) Staten Island Ferry, and visits to the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Times Square, FAO Schwarz, and the Chrysler building before meeting up with Gerrod and Kristy for one last dinner. One cocktail from a Mexican place, lovely dinner at an Asian fusion restaurant and a cupcake from the Buttercup Bakeshop later and I was well and truly stuffed and made for a lovely finish to our time in NY.
• Knott’s Berry Farm – This was our first theme park visit in LA and one that caters for the younger crowd with a theme based around Snoopy and the Peanut’s gang. It was good thing for us though because we had our 11 year old cousin along for the trip. Fortunately for us, our visit to this theme park happened to be the week after spring break, so there was very little lining up for any of the rides and we were able to hit most of the big and many of the small ones as well. If you want to schedule time for any of the shows, the ones worth visiting including the Wild West show and the Mystery Lodge show. I would also recommend going on the Perilous Plunge in the middle of the day instead of the end because you will be soaked by the time you get off it. Traveller’s Tip – Buying tickets online can save you significant money off the entrance fee.
• Six Flag’s Magic Mountain – My brother, sister and I spent our last day in LA at this theme park and is one of those theme parks that is just full of rollercoasters. I therefore recommend you not taking younger family members or people that have a bit of a weak stomach as they may not be able to enjoy many of the rides. Once again, buying tickets online can save you significant money, and I also recommend trying to sneak some food in because the prices they charge can be pretty ridiculous (try USD9 for a slice of pizza and coke)! Despite the theme park being slightly more crowded than Knott’s Berry because of a number of field trips from local schools, we still managed to get on all of the rides we wanted to, including the fantastic X ride which is really worth the wait (imagine a normal rollercoaster with plenty of loops and G-forces, and then imagine being flipped around in your chair at the same time). An awesome day where you really don’t want to eat much at all.
• Los Angeles – The rest of our time was mainly spent with family, with the whole purpose of our trip leading up to a grand birthday celebration for my grandmother. We did manage to make it out to places like Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu, and drove around Mulholland Drive in my cousin’s Mini Cooper S (which I will say handles really really well!). I also managed to fit in time to catch up with Sanjoy (who I used to work under at Oracle) and had a great night out on the town (and such a nice Z4 convertible as well!).

It was only about three/four years ago that I was out here hitting all of the touristy joints and reeling at the events of September 11. Yesterday was therefore for me was really just a great way to catch up with Gerrod and Kristy, two Aussies I know from back home who moved here just late last year. I brought with me a care pack containing all of the essentials (who could forget the Tim Tams) so they wouldn’t miss Australia so much. By some miracle, no subway guide and only verbal directions, I managed to find their place okay in Manhattan only just a little bit late, and off we were for the day

We headed out for a (much needed) cup of coffee to meet up with another couple of Gerrod and Kristy’s friends (who happenned to also be fellow Aussies) Michael and Lucy. Meeting them at the latest Joes (as in a cup of Joe) store, I had the best coffee I had drunk since for a while. It was made just right that no sugar was necessary (not that I have any normally anyway). It was great having some locals to give the tour and somehow we hit so many more places that I was expecting and walked our little feet off. We managed to fit in places like Union Square, the Village, Hudson River (near the Chelsea Piers), Ground Zero, Central Park, 5th Ave and St Patrick’s Cathedral. I even managed to indulge in one of the things that I missed about New York so much, a bagel with (only a smidgen) of cream cheese.

New York put on its best and brightest, with blue skies for pretty much all of the day making for perfect walking weather. See the rest of the pics from the day right here. Thanks again for the awesome day guys.

Day 6: Aichi World Expo 2005
When we were planning for this trip, my Dad stumbled across the mention of the World Expo in Aichi in Japan in the Reader’s Digest, which just so happened to open during the time that we were there. He wanted to go, so we worked it into our last day in Japan. Getting to the Expo required catching a bullet train (or shinkansen) out of Tokyo. For those that haven’t heard of it, it’s a train that can reach up to 300km/hour and so is excellent for long distance travel. This year’s expo’s theme was based on “Nature’s Theme” and so was showcasing a number of technologies and promoting messages on the importance of maintaining our environment. The Robot Station exhibit was pretty impressive showcasing a number of robots used throughout the Expo site including both cleaning and security ones. There were also a number of other ones including Papero, a child-minding robot used for interactive teaching and learning combining advanced visual, touch and voice recognition technologies.

Like the Expo we had in ’88, this one also meant a lot of standing in line to get to see many exhibitions. The largest line was for the Toyota Showcase which showed us their latest robot technology and other concept cars. Not only did we line up for two hours to get a reservation ticket for the event, but we also then lined up another hour to get in! It was a pretty interesting day all up, with so many new exhibitions and halls making for a good walk around. I even managed to get to go to the Australia pavilion which actually had a pretty impressive showcase to give it. Our mascot for Expo was a female platypus which certainly made for some very sellable merchandise. I think it was a crime though selling Foster’s beer in our food area, and then charging 900 Yen (almost AU$11) for a Crownie!

Trip Summary
Japan’s an awesome place, steeped in amazing technology and a very traditional culture. Although a number of Western influences can be seen, Japan still seems capable of continuing to sustain and grow its own unique culture. Here are just some of the things that I found were different or funny:

• The influence of the French (who were the first to trade with the Japanese when they opened up to the rest of the world) can still be found today. The French word Prefecture is used to describe regions, and there are a numerous little bakeries serving croissants, sweet and savoury breads on every little corner. The French emphasis on presentation and quality can also be found in all aspects of daily life including food, gifts and clothing.
• Technology is everywhere, including in your toilet stalls. It was hilarious to find that some toilet seats were electrically heated, and usually had a control panel performing a wide range of functions such as fake flushing noises, or nature noises as you went about your business.
• Japan is immensely clean despite the seeming lack of rubbish bins on the streets. When you do manage to find them (be sure to carry around your own rubbish), you will find that the Japanese are accustomed to recycling and there are distinct bins for paper, plastics and cans.
• Vending machines abound all over the place, containing items you would normally expect such as a food, drink and cigarettes, but can dispense pretty much anything, even clothing.
• Politeness is engrained in the Japanese culture in all aspects such as all the welcoming shouts and thank-you’s when you walk in or out of stores. I thought it was funny that by the end of my trip, I found myself bowing constantly.
• Trains and subways definitely get packed especially during peak hour. There seems to be a certain art mastered by those that ride on these constantly of being able to stand in the isle without holding onto anything, and then others that somehow manage to sleep while standing up holding onto a single strap. This is certainly the country who has mastered the art of the power-nap.

Visiting Japan is definitely like visiting another world and something I will need to put back on my agenda in the near future! Sugoi Desu Ne!

Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Markets, National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology, and Toyota Megaweb
Peak travelling season for cherry blossom viewing means booking accommodation near Shinjuku (the busiest subway station in Japan) was nigh impossible. Despite the low availability, we managed to get accommodation just near the Tsukiji subway station and only about four blocks from the famous Tsukiji fish markets. The markets are famous for its amazingly large area spanning several blocks and comprised of really fresh seafood and associated seafood products. You can tell how fresh the seafood is by the writhing life of live crabs, prawns and other varieties of sea creatures all with the saltwater smell but without the really bad fishy odours accompanying less fresh varieties. It is also here that each fisherman prepares their freshest tuna and puts it on display in only the way that the Japanese do so elegantly.

If you can make time to visit the National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology, it is certainly worth it, at least even for the few rides that you get to go on. Probably the most exciting science museum I have ever visited, they had a number of exhibitions and interactive demos including Honda’s famous human-interactive robot, Asimo. They had a number of motion simulator rides there was well (think Batman ride if you know movie world) and one was even a 3D simulation of the real world but on a ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids Scale’.

There were many other things to do in the Mitaka area, but we only really had time to fit in Toyota’s Megaweb. Amongst holding the latest models of all makes in Toyota’s range of vehicles (including the latest Landcruiser!), it also contains a number of futuristic concept vehicles (although when we went, there was only one but I assume the rest were at the Aichi World Expo). They too had an exciting racing car simulator ride for free which was heaps of fun. Traveller’s Tip: If in the vicinity, visit the upper levels of Palette Town (a shopping centre) and enjoy its amazing decorations and day/night sky themes.

Day 4: Mount Fuji and Hakone Tour
This day was our first of two Hato Tours further out of Tokyo. Our first one involved a combined trip visiting both Mount Fuji and Hakone. Mount Fuji (also called Fujiyama or Fujisan) is the tallest mountain in Japan, measuring 3776 metres tall. Approaching its base made for some spectacular landscape views, and with some freshly fallen snow from the day before keeping its top all snow-capped, also made it pretty much perfect for some great photo taking. Although the snow prevented us from going extremely far up the mountain, we still managed to get a good view of the Japan Alps from where we did get and had a bit of fun throwing a few fresh snowballs about.

We visited Hakone after having lunch near the base of Mount Fuji. This place is famous for its hot springs, outdoor activities and just natural beauty and this retreat’s popularity is evident by the vast number of corporate-owned houses spread all throughout the hills. Its placid lake is spectacular, and there is a golf course here that is apparently the most difficult to play in Japan. A good view of the area can be taken by taking a cable car to an outpost overlooking the entire region and where a Shinto shrine can also be found.

Day 5: Nikko
Nikko is an area of Japan that contains a lot of historical value so much so that its famous Toshogu Shrine is World-Heritage listed. I highly recommend going on a tour for this area because we got so much more out of the buildings when someone was explaining its significance and relevance to the Japanese. Each of the buildings in the area had amazingly intricate details and many Buddhist monks still work there today, maintaining all of the surrounding environments and facilities.

As my last post indicated, I’ve just spent the last week with my family travelling around Tokyo and hitting as many of the most popular tourist destinations that we could. Six days is really not enough and I think even one month would really be pushing it to fit in every single thing in. Of course, this just means I will just have to go back to Japan 🙂

Although the trip started off on a good note (we got moved to an earlier flight from Brisbane to Sydney) we were slightly put out by technical difficulties in Sydney resulted in an additional three hours delay on the tarmac on top of the eight or nine of flying. The flight itself was at least relatively painless and soon enough, we were arriving at Narita only a couple of hours behind schedule.

Day 1: Studio Ghibli and Shinjuku
Our first day was going to be cut short with the delay from Qantas and after checking into the hotel, we headed off to the Studio Ghibli Museum at Mitaka. Studio Ghibli produces amazing anime (Japanese animation) films that are spectacular, appealing for both children and adults alike. Fans would know of the more recent rereleases of versions dubbed in English by Disney including Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. The creativity and detail of each of their movies is even more so reflected in all aspects of this museum, from each doorway, doorknob, closet filled with intricate detail and with some really funky stop animations that I cannot give any justice to by describing it in my blog. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures inside this place, so I felt compelled to buy the book which has pictures of the museum. I highly recommend putting this into your schedule if you get a chance. The official website can be found here.

With the day almost over and our bellies almost empty, we headed for Shinjuku. This area has the busiest train/subway station in Japan, with over 3 million people passing though its gates every day. It’s an amazing area with so much always happening and an entertaining place just walking around. The East side is the seedy area, filled with adult shops, pachinko (think Japanese slot machines but much more entertaining), restaurants and shops. The West side is apparently commercial and the rest is just generally busy. It’s an easy place to find a cheap but delicious meal and we ended up having the best tempura set I’ve ever had – the batter so light and crispy served with an excellent miso soup and various vegetables, pickles and dipping sauce. Unfortunately it was so good I forgot to take a picture! Traveller’s Tip(s): The bottom floor of most department stores has a food section that you can generally find inexpensive but good quality food to eat for dinner. We also visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on this day (it’s the tallest free building that you can go up in and has a great view of the city)

Day 2: Edo Museum, Akihabara and Roppongi
Our second day saw for a relatively relaxed departure for the Edo (former name for Tokyo) Museum that not only gave us a great insight into the Japanese culture, but a great and visually stimulating appreciation for its history as well. Although many of its explanations are mainly in Japanese, there were enough English translations and amazing artefacts, paintings and objects that made the visit worth it.

Our next stop was Akihabara, with its famous district called Electric Town. In this area, floors, buildings, streets and blocks are completely devoted to all types of electrical goods and one can be sure to find anything that they really need (and even don’t need). The Japanese are well known for being technologically advanced and all of the latest gadgets and certainly the best range can be found here. I was surprised at prices as well as I thought they would be pretty expensive, but after seeing some of the newer Ixy/Ixus cameras, I came very close to upgrading my current camera. Some of the models were yet to come out of Australia, and a quick google just told me the prices were actually really competitive. Somehow I managed to resist the temptation so I’ve still got my year-and-a-half-old camera that is still taking great pictures. Traveller’s Tip: If you get tired walking around Electric Town, go find one of the floors with the massage chairs and have a good rest for twenty minutes or so. It’s really worth it!

With some time to spare for the evening, I wanted to head out to Roppongi. This area of Tokyo probably has the highest concentration of foreigners as well as (or maybe because of) the (seemingly) highest concentration of bars and clubs. With so many people and travellers about, expect no less for this area to be much seedier than the rest of Tokyo. This mix makes this place even more interesting for people watching, with the most outgoing makeup, hair and fasion sense of the Japanese coming out at night.

I’m in a bit of a rush (my flight is now boarding) but I’m writing this from Narita airport in Japan where I have spent the last week doing all the touristy things and marvelling at the Japanese culture. I will write more about the trip when I get more of a chance, and post all the great pictures I’ve managed to capture along the way.