Trip to Phuket!

We just came back from our first trip to Phuket! It was fantastic.

A day before we left I realised it was wet season over there, oh dear.

BUT when we got there it didn't really hinder our trip.

I loved the shopping it was so cheap!!! We stayed at Banthai Beach Resort & Spa on Patong beach, across the road from the resort was Patong Beach and as you can imagine once you leave the gates of the quiet resort its BUSY.

The purpose of the trip was to surprise my bestfriend - her husband knew we were coming and made arrangements to meet the night we arrived but after waiting for 20 minutes in the lobby, I figured being typical male, he got the dates wrong or forgot.

I sent a note around to their room to gently remind him that he forgot somehting, we met up the next morning at breakfast - it was fantastic to see her!

We went on a day trip to Phi Phi Island - the date we booked it for got cancelled due to heavy rain so we went the next day.

Boy the seas were rough, we made the mistake of sitting at the front of the speed boat and we spent most of the trip being thrown off the seat.

The scenery was breath taking except for all the rubbish tourists leave on the beach and in the water - it is a real shame.

On the way back the boat stopped at an area where monkeys live in the trees overhanging the ocean, there were so cute.

Tyson had a great time snorkelling and swimming.

Everything is so cheap there!

Miraikan

Asimo
Originally uploaded by Yogobear

We visitied Miraikan - The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. It is like the Powerhouse Museum only "cooler" as Brian says.

We saw Asimo, I had no idea what an Asimo was until Brian told me it was a robot - he was most excited.

There was an Asimo show where he walked around and waved etc and he ran but not like a robot - both of his feet leave the ground at the same time like a normal person. It was amazing, I thought the robot would be noisy but is totally silent.

http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/index_e.html

If you come to Japan, this is one the places you must visit - majority of the information are in English as well and there are translators all through the museum who will explain everything to you.

Nikko

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Originally uploaded by Yogobear

We went to Nikko for a weekend away 2 weeks ago. It is in the mountains with temples, waterfalls, hiking trails, monkeys and onsen.

We enjoyed the cool weather as it was about 33 degress in Tokyo.

First day - we went around the temples, shrines and waterfall.

Kegon waterfall would of been spectacular but as it was sprinkling rain all day it was foggy and we didn't get a clear view of it but it was still spectacular, you go in an elevator that takes you 100m underground and as soon as the door opens - your hit by the freezing temperatures.

The next day - we went to Edo Wonderland, it is like a theme park mixed in with a museum. It was a lot of fun!

For more photos of our trip to Nikko, check out my flickr

Tokyo Bay Fire Works

Tokyo Bay Fire Works
Originally uploaded by Yogobear

11 August was the Tokyo Bay Fire Works. We knew our apartment had a good view but had no idea we were so close to the fire works.

I have never seen fire works so close, it was fantastic!

Golden umbrella

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Originally uploaded by Yogobear

another one..

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Originally uploaded by Yogobear

Hawaiians....

We went to Spa Resort Hawaiians - at the moment ads for this place is everywhere. There is 5 themed areas and the most popular is the area with water slides, whirl pools and a gigantic pool.

We went via bus tour, it took about 2 hours from Tokyo station.

I got a shock when we got inside, it was packed to the rafters with people. I went to the change rooms to get changed and it was so full that you couldn't move!

It was even worse when we went to the water slides, the wait was 30 minutes - I was told this was good as at peak times the wait can be as long as 2 hours! Bugger that!

The whirl pool was so full that you had to walk while being elbowed.

BUT the slides were good in particular the biggest slide there, you go on it on a donut. Tyson of course wanted to go by himself so he went first and Brian and I went together on a twin donut.

The slide is enclosed and I had never been scared....maybe a close second to the space mounting at Disneyland. It was pitch dark so you couldn't see where you were going and it twisted and sloped and.... anyway it was scary BUT FUN!

The queue was soooo long we could only go on each slide once.

By this time I had a enough of the crowds so we decided to go to another area - the outdoor heated pool & spa zone.

This was nice - Tyson loved it as it starts with a pool inside but you swim through a tunnel and it leads you outside and they had caves and waterfalls.

Brian and I spent most of out time here in the spa areas - there were 6 different ones and each spa had natural spring water pumped into it with each one good for your skin, or sore muscles etc.

Best of all it was quiet as it was located up the stairs and back from the pool.

After that we went to Spring Town which was indoors and packed to the rafters as well.

Over all - We will never go there again in holiday season!

Typhoon & an earthquake in 1 day

Saturday
There was a typhoon warning for Okinawa, my brother was there for a holiday and was due to fly back on Friday but couldn't get back until Sunday. The typhoon was really strong and caused flooding, damage to buildings etc

Sunday
In Tokyo there were forecast/warning for heavy rain and winds as a result of the typhoon. We woke on Sunday and it was raining but was nothing out of the ordinary, so we decided to go to Sega Joypolis (an indoor theme park of virtual rides, normal rides and games) in Odaiba, we live 1 stop away on the monorail and thought even if the heavy rain hit we weren't that far to come home.

We got a shock when we got there, it was packed to the rafters with people, nothing stops Japanese people on vacation!

Let me tell you about the queues! every ride had a minimum waiting time of 75 minutes, we only got to go on 3 rides! Its a great place though, even with the wait, the ride didn't disappoint, there is nothing like it in Australia. We plan to go back when its not a long weekend and holidays.
http://www.sega.co.jp/joypolis/tokyo/home_e.shtml

Monday
we were woken by an earthquake, it only measured in at 3 but because we live in a high rise apartment, the building is designed to move with the earthquake to cause minimal damage so we shook for a while but wasn't strong enough to do damage. Niigat & Nagasake was the worst hit with Niigata measuring in at 6. Soon after every tv channel had broadcasts on the quake at first it seemed like there was not much damage but as the day went on there were reports of 6 dead and over 200 people injured and countless homeless from their houses collapsing etc.

Last night there were reports that people who evacuated to make shift emergency centres had shortages of water & food. There is no running water and there were number of gas pipe that burst.

It was the worst timing as this weekend was a 3 day long weekend and start of the Summer holidays.

All over Japan experienced heavy rains & winds from the typhoon and earthquakes.

This Saturday we are going to "Hawaiian's", what is that you ask? It is a oversized, gigantic water theme park. There is 5 theme parks and 5 hotels - 3 water parks complete with water slides, whirl pools etc and 2 onsen parks (natural spring). We wanted to stay there but they are booked out until Janauary 2008! so we settled for a day trip tour run by a bus company for only 5,800 Yen (about $60) which includes the but trip there & back, buffet lunch and entry into the park - soooo cheap! We have realised that eveyrthing is so cheap here.
http://www.hawaiians.co.jp/english/index3.html

Watch this space for my report on our trip.

View at night from our new apartment

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Originally uploaded by Yogobear

This is our view at night of Rainbow Bridge and Odaiba.

Its really beautiful at night and my mum tells me we have prime seats for the fire works every July for the Tokyo Bay summer festival.

I don't think we will ever get sick of this.

You can see more photos of our view during the day & night here

Photos from Farewell in Sydney

Jen & Yoko
Originally uploaded by Yogobear

Thank you to everyone for coming and making the night so memoriable. It was great to catch up with you all before we left.

You can see all the photos here

5 weeks in Tokyo

It's hard to belive its been 5 weeks since we left OZ. Time has flown past and we have been very busy.

The first month we stayed in a serviced apartment Brian's work provided. It was fantastic didn't have to clean and it was 5 minutes walk to Brian's work.

On the 2nd day we were taken around to look at apartments and from then on we went house hunting practically every day.

We have been living in our new apartment for a week now and finally have most of our furniture, electrical goods, Internet connection, cable TV etc.

The amount of foreigners living in Japan, you would think electricity, Internet etc companies would have forms etc in English BUT NO! I have no idea how people get by, I guess they use relocation companies.

As I write this I am looking at our view of Tokyo Bay & Rainbow Bridge. At night the view is fantastic!

I promise to post some photos soon.....