Around the World in 150 days

Day 140: The Pyramids

2005-12-23T03:40:00.000-05:00

The Pyramids, Giza, Egypt

Day 139: 'Peace out!'

2005-12-23T03:39:00.000-05:00

Chillin' with a cup of tea while puffing away on a waterpipe, a common sight on the street, Giza, Egypt

Day 138: 'Polish engineering gets a boost from the Egyptians'

2005-12-23T03:38:00.000-05:00

Fiat 125p, Giza, Egypt

I was amazed to find that Egypt is where old Polish cars go to die. And they weren't exactly the model of reliability when they were new either. Notice that safety features like side mirrors or working lights are very much optional...

Day 137: 'Magic Mushrooms'

2005-12-23T03:37:00.000-05:00

The Mushrooms, White Desert National Park, Egypt

Day 136: 'Hot-Rod'

2005-12-23T03:36:00.000-05:00

Farmer and his donkey cart, Bahariyya Oasis, Egypt

If I had to guess the specs: 0.5 horsepower, 0 to 6 in under 5 seconds, low natural-gas emissions…

Day 135: 'Joy of the simple life'

2005-12-23T03:35:00.000-05:00

Farmer, Bahariyya Oasis, Egypt

Day 134: 'Giza Sunset'

2005-12-23T03:34:00.000-05:00

View west from the Cairo Tower, Cairo, Egypt

Day 133: 'Scribbles'

2005-12-23T03:33:00.000-05:00

Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt Building, Cairo, Egypt

Day 132: 'Not all that glitters is gold'

2005-12-23T03:32:00.000-05:00

Brass wares, Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo, Egypt

Day 131: 'The street'

2005-12-17T04:07:00.000-05:00

Young bread vendor, Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo, Egypt

Day 130: 'Spires'

2005-12-17T04:06:00.000-05:00

Mosque of Quaitbey, Cairo, Egypt

Day 129: 'Beauty and the Beast'

2005-12-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

Beduin and his camel, Giza, Egypt

Day 128: 'The Dome'

2005-12-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Dome, Mohammad Ali Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Day 127: 'Love the eye-lashes!'

2005-12-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

Bar-pouched Wreathed Hornbill (captive), Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

I don't normally photograph birds in captivity but my efforts to photograph hornbills in the wild have come to nothing. I had a nice chat with the handler at the park and found out among other things that hornbills are the only flying birds with eye-lashes and they look rather striking!

Day 126: 'Christmas Madness'

2005-12-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

Orchard Road, Singapore

Day 125: 'Ring my bell!'

2005-12-10T23:41:00.001-05:00

Main Gate, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore

Day 124: 'Funny house'

2005-12-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

Hill Street Building, Singapore

Day 123: 'Don't try this at home kids!'

2005-12-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

Tribal Perfromance, Night Safari, Singapore

Day 122: 'Lion City'

2005-12-10T23:36:00.000-05:00

Merlion Park, Singapore

The curious statue in the foreground is the merlion: half-lion, half-fish. First historical references to this mythical beast go back to 1970 AD and the marketing department of the Singapore Turism Board…

Day 121: 'Dark clouds'

2005-12-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Masjid Putra (Putra Mosque), Putrajaya, Malaysia

Day 120: 'Worshippers'

2005-12-06T10:20:00.000-05:00

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Day 119: 'Foyer'

2005-12-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Day 118: 'Fssst!'

2005-12-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

Wagler's Viper (Temple Viper), Temple of the Azure Cloud (Snake Temple), Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), Malaysia

Yes, they're venomous and I have been assured that the snakes in the temple have not been de-fanged! Still, they are well fed, nocturnal, generally not an aggressive species and likely doped-out on the incense that is burned continuously in close proximity. The temple itself is a bit of a tourist trap. Yes, I've had my picture taken with about a whole bunch of these around my arms and neck. They only told me that the snakes they use for picture taking have been de-fanged after I've had my picture taken...

Day 117: 'Forget Goldfinger...'

2005-12-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

Statue of Luang Phu Tuad covered in gold leaf by worshippers, Wat Buppharam, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), Malaysia

Day 116: 'What's with the funny hat?'

2005-12-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

Jubliee Clock Tower, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), Malaysia

Day 115: 'For a little monkey you got balls to wake me up from my afternoon nap running around on the roof!'

2005-12-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

Baby Long-tailed Macaque, Teman Negara National Park, Malaysia

And for goodness sake, cover up!

Day 114: 'Don't look down...'

2005-12-06T10:14:00.000-05:00

Canopy Walk, Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia

At 500m in length the canopy walk in Teman Negara National Park (confusingly 'Teman Negara' means 'National Park' implying there is only one which is not the case...) is the world's longest. It's also 50m above ground in places which elevates it above the rainforest canopy for a wicked perspective! And it's seriously wonky!

Not very long ago in a land far, far away...

2005-11-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Here are some random thoughts, observations and experiences in no particular order. I kept meaning to put all this into a more coherent whole and fill in the many gaps but life's too short so here is what I have...

I mentioned to a local traveller how uniformly, exceptionally dire the roadside culinary experience is in Australia. With a sort of apologetic shrug he explained 'We're an ex-Britsh colony, what do you expect!?'. I haven't thought of it that way. Good point there mate!

Fraser Island is Australia's second largest island. It also holds the distinction of being the world's largest sand island. Essentially a 150km long sandbar with no paved roads, it is a great place for a 4x4 off-road adventure! With my previous sand driving experience limited to a semi-controlled sideways slide through an unexpected patch of deep sand on a shortcut through Death Valley a few years back, this was going to be fun! The first test of driving skill came earlier than expected. I got stuck in deep sand before I even boarded the ferry to the island. And then immediately again after getting off. Clearly there was something I was doing wrong. Fortunately in both cases I regained traction with just a little rocking back and forth. After discovering that the secret to success it to never stop in deep sand the next few days were a breeze. There are essentially two kinds of roads on the island. And I'm using the word 'roads' very loosely here. First, there is the beach. Wider then the widest highway at low tide and unpassable in places at high tide, the eastern shores '75 Mile Beach', a national highway with an 85km/h speed limit, is a blast. With no lanes traffic is very much freeform with a mix of mindless beachgoers, drunk fisherman, small planes landing and taking off, deep stream run-offs and countless opportunities for playing chicken with oncoming traffic, providing hours of fun against a backdrop alternating between bald sand dunes and cliffs covered in lush vegetation all to the gentle rythm of the ocean surf. And then there are the inland tracks. Imagine riding a rodeo bull down a bobsled track, for hours at a time. I'll give you two tips. Bolt down anything you don't want to hit you on the head as you amaze yourself time and time again how much abuse the suspension of your vehicle can take. And don't attempt it on a full stomach...

I stopped at a small noodle shop on the way from the airport and found that the water taps in the sink in the restroom only work after you've flushed the toilet. The only logical conclusion that I could draw from this was that the Japanese don't wash their hands before they eat. I was sure to remember this next time a friendly local offers to share her chopsticks with me. It also didn’t fit with the image of the Japanese that I had in my mind. I was therefore greatly relieved when upon sitting down at my table I was given a small plastic bag containing a wet towel to clean my hands. Ah, the Japanese efficiency, that’s better!

It was with great disappointment that I found that the average, young, Japanese female in knee-high boots, a short skirt and a funny hat, in essence the fashion here, speaks little more English than my in-car navigation system. This, combined with my just having acquired, but not yet studied, a basic phrasebook, was really a fairly serious roadblock to meaningful communication, nevermind being in any way helpful in solving my immediate problems. Some three weeks into my trip as I passed a group of young girls at a stroll garden in Nikko I noticed that one of them had a leaf caught in her hair. I casually remarked on this to her and to my great surprise she replied in fluent English. Well, it turns out she and her friends were Chinese on a day-trip from Tokyo where they're studying Japanese. Another time I was sitting in a coffee bar in the entertainment district of Tokyo when I overheard a girl at the next table practicing her English. She and her sister were Korean. I'm not making this stuff up! In Japan, if she looks Asian but replies in English, she's probably a turist...

A couple last minute itinerary changes and I ran out of cash in the somewhat out of the way town of Ise. I tried my cards in a half dozen ATMs, first in roadside stores, then in every bank I could find, with no luck. It was time for a new approach. I walked into the biggest of the bank buildings and in a loud voice asked if anyone here speaks English. The large open plan room fell silent and some twenty pairs of mostly female and clearly startled eyes looked up at me from above their desks. It then occurred to me that perhaps I raised my voice just a tad much and not wanting to add getting arrested for accidentally holding up a bank to my list of adventures, I stopped playing with my knife, slowly pulled my left hand out of the pant pocket and, now clearly unarmed, beamed them all back a goofy smile. I could see that they started breathing again and I even got a few faint smiles back. But no reply. However, it appeared that I was in fact understood as suddenly a burst of chatter ensued and a short hushed phone conversation later a young woman in a pin-stripe suit appeared out of a room in the back to deal with the rude barbarian in front. She spoke very good English but no, she did not know where there was an ATM that would allow me to withdraw cash from an overseas account but she would try and find out. Over the next twenty minutes I waited while the crisis management team at the bank scrambled to find a gaijin-friendly ATM. At one point there were four people shouting a visual description of my bank card into their phones. Eventually the woman came back carrying a humongous taped together sheet of paper that turned out to be a photocopied street level map of the central part of town. Not only did the map show every building and traffic light, it left enough space for you to draw in the rooms and doors. She apologized for the wait and explained that she does not know for sure but they think that maybe a machine at another bank would work to which she marked directions on this here map. I was doubtful but thanked her profusely for her efforts. As I left she bowed and wished me good luck. The deeply concerned expression on her face told me she thought I would need every bit of it. Because of the scale of the map, streets that looked like major thoroughfares were barely wide enough for two cars to pass and despite being able to visually locate the bank building from a few blocks away it took me a while to navigate the narrow and mostly one way streets to the right building. The machine inside didn't accept my cards. By now over two hours have passed since I started my search and I was getting hungry. I went back to my car and with great sadness carefully unwrapped a perfectly crisp ten thousand yen note, nary a crease on it, that I was saving as a souvenir and went to lunch...

After observing me for a few minutes a suited Japanese gentlemen seemed somewhat perplexed that I'm photographing the girls instead of the exquisite cars and bikes on display at one of the world's premier motor shows. I explained that we have lots of Japanese cars and bikes in America, but very few cute Japanese girls. His big smile told me that now he understood perfectly!

Day 113: 'Latest zombie fashion'

2005-11-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Kuala Lumpur Asia Fashion Week, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 112: 'Majestic'

2005-11-28T21:12:00.000-05:00

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 111: 'Your nails are fine, now get on with it!'

2005-11-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

Dancer, Cultural Show, Malaysia Turist Center, Kuala Lumpur

Day 110: Wat Arun

2005-11-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

Wat Arun, Bangkok, Thailand

Day 109: Mister! You want fried banana mister? Only 20 baht mister!'

2005-11-28T21:09:00.000-05:00

Floating Market, Damnoen Saduak, Thailand

Oh, go on then...

Day 108: 'Shy'

2005-11-22T22:08:00.001-05:00

Young girl from the Kayen 'long-neck' tribe in a traditional dress, Ban Huay Pu Keng, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

This is the middle of the three daughters of the woman in whose house I stayed. Her mother told me that she is always very shy around foreigners. This is the closest I could get to a smile from her...

November 22nd, Huay Pu Keng Village, Thailand

2005-11-22T22:08:00.000-05:00

The village, some 190 heads strong, has no road (access is by boat only), no electricity (except for a diesel generator for special occasions and a solar panel to charge batteries) and only the most elementary plumbing. It is inhabited by people of two tribes famous for the unusual customs of their women, the 'long-neck' Kayen and the 'big-ear' Kayew. The women of the first tribe wear brass coils around their necks. They start at the age of 5 with a 1kg coil and increase the weight of the coil by 1kg every few years up to 6kg. The weight and eventually the length of the coil pushes the shoulders down deforming their bone structure as they grow, causing them to appear as if they have unusually long necks. They never take the coils off except when changing to a longer, heavier coil. The women of the other tribe force increasingly larger rings into their pierced ear-lobes. They also start at the age of 5 increasing the diameter of the rings over time with the largest ring exceeding two inches in diameter. There are three villages in the Mae Hong Son vicinity inhabited by the two tribes and most tourists stop for a quick picture in one of them before moving on. I was fortunate enough to visit all three, eventually spending two days and two nights living in the smallest one. At first sight the tribes would appear to be better off than others in the area being heavily visited by tourists doing the Mae Hong Son loop. When you talk to the villagers you find out what the guide books don't tell you. The Kayen are refugees from Burma and are essentially living under indefinite house arrest. They're not allowed to work in Thailand other than to produce and sell their simple crafts in their villages. The Thai government will not issue them with identity cards and they're not allowed to travel. This is enforced by the many military and police checkpoints in the ares (my car was inspected several times). No-one I spoke to has ever been further than the town of Mae Hong Son, only 15km away. Still, their situation is much better than that of the Kayen living in refugee camps (off limits to visitors) and those still living under persecution in Burma. They are extremely proud of their tradition and who they are and do the best with what they have. I was most impressed with their little school where all the children are taught and speak four languages: Kayen, Burmese, Thai and English. Living in the village, even for such a short time, was a beautiful experience and I am forever grateful to the people of Keyen for their hospitality.

Day 107: 'At work'

2005-11-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

Woman from the Kayen 'long-neck' tribe in a traditional dress, Ban Huay Pu Keng, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Day 106: 'My, what big ears you have!'

2005-11-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Little girl from the Kayew 'Big-ear' tribe in a traditional dress, Ban Huay Pu Keng, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Day 105: 'Waitress! When I said 'bring me a couple long-necks!', this isn't quite what I had in mind...'

2005-11-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

Mother and daughter from the Kayen 'long-neck' tribe in traditional dresses, Ban Huay Sua Tao, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Day 104: 'Umbrellas'

2005-11-22T22:04:00.000-05:00

Bo Sang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Day 103: 'Guardians'

2005-11-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Day 102: 'A whole lot of love'

2005-11-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

Heart shaped krathongs (floats), Loy Krathong Festival, Sukhotai Historical Park, Thailand

Loy Krathong is a traditional Thai festival celebrated annually on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. By moonlight, people light the candles and sticks of incense on their floats, make a wish and launch them on canals, rivers and even small ponds. It is believed that the custom originated in the old city of Sukhothai, the first Thai capital, now a historical park and still the site of the grandest of celebrations.

As darkness fell the launching of the floats began. To my amazement, an army of kids, mostly boys, would try and fish out the floats as soon as their owners walked away. After dunking the still burning incense sticks they would carry the float back to their mothers’ stalls where they would immediately be put up for resale. As I stood there watching a particularly skilled little boy use a stick tied to the end of a string of ribbons going after the most impressive krathongs furthest away from the edge of the pond, a little Thai girl launched her simple float just next to me. I could see her concentrate as she made her wish and strain as she pushed the float as far away as she could. She was quickly whisked her away by her parents, likely to spare her the disappointment of seeing her float recycled. And I just stood there and puffed my chest and frowned at any little brat who as much as looked in the direction of that float until it was too far for them to reach. Whatever the little girl’s wish, I hope it comes true…

Day 101: 'Touch-up'

2005-11-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Performer, Loy Krathong Festival, Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand

I spied two young girls touching up their makeup in amongst the ruins of an old wat (temple) getting ready for the evening show. I started taking picture, they started giggling. The more they giggled, the more touching up their makeup needed, the more pictures I took, the more they giggled…

November 12th, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

2005-11-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

Leeches suck.

Day 100: 'Light snack'

2005-11-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

Fried grubs, Loy Krathong Festival, Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand

This is just one of about a dozen different varieties of 'finger food' that was available from the many stalls at the festival. I did confirm that Thais, mostly children, actually purchase and voluntarily consume these before indulging myself. In fact, most stalls sold out of all but the nastiest looking critters every night. The vendors offered free samples to farangs and took great delight in watching them grimace is disgust as they declined. Armed with a can of local beer to cleanse the palate I took on every challenge and even purchased a bag containing a sampling of each at the stall with the greatest selection. The two varieties of grubs offered were definitely my favorite, a sort of delicate, crispy but juicy French fries. I was a little apprehensive of the grasshoppers after noticing the dozens of barbs on their legs but upon sensing my hesitation one of the vendors, clearly impressed by my unflinching performance on the grubs, showed me a little mercy and explained that the rear legs should be removed before consumption. And then there were the beetles and the roaches. With some specimens getting on close to three inches long I limited myself to one of each and to everyone’s great amusement visibly cringed before biting. It’s hard to say what they taste like, they’re mostly just crunchy with the shells getting in between your teeth. Bring a toothpick...

Day 99: 'A walk in the park'

2005-11-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

Asian Elephants, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

It’s one thing seeing elephants standing around bored in a zoo and another entirely hearing them in the wild crashing through the rainforest or seeing them destroy a tree only feet away from where you are standing. I was upgraded from small SUV to a monster truck only thinly disguised as a full size SUV that would make any redneck proud (notwithstanding that it was made in Japan) and yet I doubt that its cab would provide much protection should the sound of the camera shutter tick one of them off. That’s assuming I could even make it back to my vehicle before the elephants got to me…

Day 98: 'No Feed Monkey! Monkey small, teeth big!'

2005-11-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Pig-tailed Macaque, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

I'm actually not being fair. I've met more Thais who spoke decent basic English in my first four days in Thailand than I've met Japanese in the four weeks that I spent in Japan. Obviously foreign tourism is a much bigger part of the economy and a knowledge of English a much greater business advantage here...

Day 97: 'Tileand'

2005-11-11T06:37:00.000-05:00

Chao Fa (roof finials), Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

Day 96: 'Must… Not… Smile…'

2005-11-11T06:36:00.000-05:00

Guard, Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

Day 95: 'It's mine, all mine!'

2005-11-11T06:35:00.000-05:00

Golden Chedi, Wat Phra Kaeo, Bangkok, Thailand

Day 94: 'If he's so tough, why didn't he make the impression after the concrete had set?'

2005-11-11T06:34:00.000-05:00

Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong, China

Day 93: Symphony Of Lights

2005-11-11T06:33:00.000-05:00

Symphony Of Lights, Hong Kong, China

Day 92: 'Kawaii!'

2005-11-11T06:32:00.000-05:00

Mother and daughter in traditional kimonos, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan

Day 91: 'Bright Lights, Big City'

2005-11-11T06:31:00.000-05:00

Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Day 90: 'They're coming...'

2005-11-04T06:10:00.000-05:00

'Maman', Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan

Day 89: 'Make go fast! Can't make go fast? Make look go fast!'

2005-11-04T06:09:00.000-05:00

Shinkansen (Bullet Train), Tokyo, Japan

Day 88: 'Go Team Suzuki!'

2005-11-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

Tokyo Motor Show, Tokyo, Japan

Oh yeah, there were cool cars and bikes too! ;)

Day 87: 'Hot Tuna'

2005-11-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

High quality frozen tuna on a warehouse floor, auctioned off and ready for pick up, Tsukiji Wholesale Market, Tokyo, Japan

Day 86: 'Rainbow Bridge, Sans Rainbow'

2005-11-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo, Japan

Day 85: 'I'll race you down!'

2005-11-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

First Irohazaka Slope, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

Day 84: 'Wait for me!'

2005-11-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Street Art, Taiyuin Mausoleum, Nikko, Japan

Day 83: 'Gold on Black'

2005-11-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

Yomeimon Gate, Toshogu Shrine, Nikko, Japan

Day 82: 'Fall Canvas'

2005-11-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Shoyo-en Garden, Rinnoji Temple, Nikko, Japan

Day 81: 'He's just another nosy photographer baby…'

2005-10-28T02:21:00.000-04:00

Japanese Macaques (food conditioned), Jigokudani Onsen, Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park, Japan

Day 80: 'The Monkey King'

2005-10-28T02:20:00.000-04:00

Japanese Macaque (food conditioned), Jigokudani Onsen, Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park, Japan

Day 79: Matsumoto Castle

2005-10-25T07:42:00.000-04:00

Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Japan

Day 78: 'Pretty in Pink'

2005-10-25T00:57:00.000-04:00

Mount Fuji over Lake Ashi, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan

Day 77: 'City of Lost Children'

2005-10-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

A few of the thousands of statues of Jizo, the guardian deity of children, representing children that have been miscarried, stillborn, or aborted, Hase Dera Temple, Kamakura, Japan

Day 76: 'Michael Jackson fan?'

2005-10-24T22:16:00.000-04:00

Woman from the court of Lady Shizuka, 12th century, Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages), Kyoto, Japan

Day 75: 'Wicked Slides'

2005-10-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

Footware, 12th century, Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages), Kyoto, Japan

Day 74: Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks)

2005-10-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks), Futami, Japan

Day 73: 'Just then she remembered she's still wearing her nightgown…'

2005-10-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

Ama (Woman Pearl Diver), Mikimoto Pearl Island, Toba, Japan

This was shot during a demonstration but I was assured that working divers still use the traditional hooded white outfits which look like a cross between a nightgown and a bunny suit...

Day 72: Lanterns

2005-10-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

Lanterns, Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan

Day 71: 'Full moon'

2005-10-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

Grey Herons on top of the A-dome, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan

Day 70: 'Dude, you're in my picture!'

2005-10-17T12:10:00.000-04:00

Photographer, Gates of Peace, Hiroshima, Japan

Ever wonder why serious photographers carry two cameras? Well, you need one to pose with and another to take the picture...

OK, no more pictures of me, I promise!

Day 69: Paper cranes

2005-10-17T12:09:00.000-04:00

Chains of paper cranes, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan

Day 68: Otorii (Grand Gate)

2005-10-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

Otorii (Grand Gate), Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima Island, Japan

Day 67: Five Story Pagoda

2005-10-17T12:07:00.000-04:00

Five Story Pagoda, Ninna-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Day 66: Kinkaku (Golden Pavillion)

2005-10-17T12:06:00.000-04:00

Kinkaku (Golden Pavillion), Rokuon-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

October 10th, Kyoto, Japan

2005-10-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

It's tough being a famous photographer, everyone wants to have a picture taken with you...

Actually, if you could read the poster behind the woman on the left you would find out that these are not real Maiko (apprentice Geishas), for a little over a hundred dollars several companies in Kyoto will make you over into one for a day. I read this poster very carefully and nowhere does it say that you have to be Japanese, or for that matter, female. Now there's an idea for Halloween...

Day 65: Torii Gates

2005-10-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

Torii Gates, Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

Day 64: Fountain with sacred water

2005-10-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

Fountain with sacred water, Gion, Kyoto, Japan

Day 63: Prayer tablets

2005-10-11T22:03:00.000-04:00

Prayer tablets, Gion, Kyoto, Japan

Day 62: 'Maiko for a day'

2005-10-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

Apprentice Geisha wannabe, Gion, Kyoto, Japan

October 8th, Kyoto, Japan

2005-10-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

On arrival at Osaka's Kansai International Airport I was somewhat alarmed to see a big board with my name on it on the conveyer belt which should have my luggage on it instead. On contacting the indicated desk I was informed that one of my suitcases didn't make the connection in Singapore. Not being one to stress the little things I decided to play it cool and see if I could squeeze some compensation out of the airline. I explained that this is most inconvenient, I mean, how am I supposed to even brush my teeth without my toiletries before going to bed! Last I tried this in the United States I got a bag of amenities containing, among other things, what can only be described as a budget model toothbrush, a tub of paste the size of half my pinkie and a shrug, so it came as a bit of surprise when this time I was handed an envelope with 12,000 yen in it (over a hundred dollars). On one hand, I felt that this was fairly generous; on the other hand, I've heard that Japan can be a little expensive but it does make you wonder about the price of toothpaste here.

My newly acquired wealth didn't last. No matter how many times we added the various charges, surcharges and taxes, the total cost of my monthly car rental came to about 20,000 yen more than the estimate I received via email. Easy come, easy go. Fortunately I always pack my toothbrush and toothpaste in my carry-on anyway.

Renting a car in Japan may seem like a flawed idea, what with the ridiculous cost of tolls on motorways, record gas prices worldwide and generally outstanding air, rail and bus networks, but if you have a lot of luggage and routinely need to be somewhere, often out of the way, before sunrise, you really don't have a lot of options. To avoid the tolls I would simply not drive on the motorways, to conserve gas I would avoid taking 100km detours only to get a taco and a satellite positioning system would ensure I was never lost. There was only one little wrinkle. The available in-car navigation system was in Japanese only and I can't tell my Kanji from my Katakana. Well, actually, I can, but it doesn't help. Still, I figured that as long as I always know where I am, the direction the car is facing, and have a decent English map to cross-reference and plan my route, getting to where I wanted to be would be a piece of cake. And of course I made sure my car had an automatic transmission so that I would always have one hand free to spill coffee on the map.

I should really have asked how to operate the navigation system at the rental counter but it simply didn't occur to me until I was on my way. Having burned over two thousand yen in less than twenty minutes on the motorway I soon switched to a toll free highway where red lights and Saturday night traffic in pouring rain provided ample time for a game of trial and error. By systematically selecting every menu in turn I fairly quickly figured out the how to zoom in and out. However, in the process I've also accidentally enabled the turn-by-turn voice navigation feature. At first having a not entirely unattractive Japanese female voice guiding me along was mildly entertaining. However, it soon became obvious that her place, or where ever it was that she was trying to take me, was not where I was going and once we passed it she kept on repeating the same two words before every intersection (judging from the directions it was 'turn left, turn left, ...'). This very quickly became unbearably irritating and reminded me of some of my female friends back in D.C. who seem to think that they can drive better than me and as passengers in my car feel the need to reassert this verbally at every stop sign, traffic light and driving maneuver. And for good measure sometimes in between too. It took me about half an hour to switch off the voice directions and yet after several years I still can't figure out which buttons to press to stop my female passengers nagging. I suppose that's why I'm a software engineer and not, say, an editor for the 'Cosmopolitan'...

Day 61: 'Well, if it isn't little Joey'

2005-10-11T21:01:00.000-04:00

Eastern Gray Kangaroo and Joey, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia

Day 60: 'Good bush tucker!'

2005-10-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

Emu, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia

Day 59: 'Time for a diet?'

2005-10-11T20:59:00.000-04:00

Wombat, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia

Day 58: Twelve Apostoles

2005-10-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

Twelve Apostoles, Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia

Day 57: 'Down on the farm'

2005-10-11T20:57:00.000-04:00

Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 56: Admirals Arch

2005-10-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

Admirals Arch, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 55: Cape Barren Gosling

2005-10-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

Cape Barren Gosling, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 54: 'I killed Skippy…'

2005-10-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

Tammar Wallaby, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 53: 'Hot Lizard'

2005-10-03T21:53:00.000-04:00

Lizard (precise id?), Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 52: Remarkable Rocks

2005-10-03T21:52:00.000-04:00

Remarkable Rocks, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 51: Silver Gull

2005-10-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

Silver Gull, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 50: 'I thought you had the key...'

2005-10-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

Western Gray Kangaroos, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 49: 'Poser'

2005-10-03T21:49:00.000-04:00

Australian Sea Lion, Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 48: 'Three's Company'

2005-10-03T21:48:00.000-04:00

Australian Sea Lions, Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia

Day 47: Pandanus

2005-10-03T21:47:00.000-04:00

Pandanus, Great Sandy National Park, Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia

Day 46: Lake McKenzie

2005-10-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

Lake McKenzie, Great Sandy National Park, Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia