Things I learnt whilst travelling alone in Japan



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 I'm back!

Have had a whirlwind adventure, a whale of a time, a terrific trip, and all of the other holiday cliches you can think of. Except a romance. Although, I think the amount of time and enjoyment I spent with Green Tea KitKats, and maybe that qualifies as a romance.

Just a quick post today- I need to catch up on all of your blogs! Was wonderful to have some time offline, but definitely missed reading them.

So without further ado (what does that saying mean anyway? Can you have a little ado? I know you can have much ado about nothing, but can you ever just have sufficient ado?)

I present to you my illustrious list of lessons learnt during my holiday- (In no particular order, and I reserve the right to add more as my foggy brain remembers them)

1. If you are on a train in Tokyo on your first day, and the trip seems to be going alot longer than the 1 stop you thought it was going to, and you are then on that train for another 3 hours and eventually see farm animals, you have probably not gotten off at the right stop. You are most definitely not in Tokyo anymore

2. Ice-Cream from a vending machine is delicious

3. Squeezing through a hole the size of Buddhas nostril is best left for children

4. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT approach a man who you have just seen blowing his nose into his palms

5. You will never feel quite so body conscious as you do when you are standing in your undies with 5 tiny Japanese women bustling around you, tyring to dress you in a kimono, one flattening down your ample bosom and the others stuffing your fat into the back like they are packing up a sleeping bag

6. Disneyland is the most overwhelming place ever experienced

7. Japanese people are the most polite people on Earth

8. You will get quite a shock if you bump the wrong button on the toilet control panel

9. Japanese desserts are so intricate, beautifully well presented, and delicious

10. Most of the food you will admire outside shops is made of plastic

11. Dont get the currency conversion wrong, and post boxes back to Australia full of shopping. It will cost you $130 per box, but because you failed to do the conversion properly you will think it is a cost effective $13 and post even more

12. Sometimes, a cab driver will abandon you in his cab with the keys in the ignition. He'll come back.

13. One should duck their head before getting into a cab

14. Travelling alone is frightening, and nerve wracking, but once you get past that you will start to enjoy your own company

15. Although around day 17 you may buy a stuffed lobster from the aquarium and start talking to it, longing to communicate with someone

16. Go on a tour. I didnt. I should have (atleast a day tour or something)

17. There is an alcoholic beverage called 'Japanese Spirit' that is overpoweringly strong. Even a tiny bit in a glass makes the rest of the glass undrinkable.

18. Japanese people genuinely want to help you, and go out of their way

19. Desserts in Japan are often sneaky- what you think is a donut is really a fist sized ball of bean paste

20. 7/11 is great in Japan, you can buy good quality, cheap and filling meals for under $10AUD.

21. You can also buy something at 7/11 called 'Sexy Spray' with a tagline of 'To use when you are on the prowl'. It doesnt smell even remotely sexy.

22. Wasabi Kit Kats are not suprisingly, not that great. Green Tea and Cherry Blossom are spectacular though

23. You will fall in love with the culture, the people, the fashion and want to return desperately

And here just a tiny little sample of the *ahem over 2,000* photos I took....

This is just the beginning of the billion posts you will soon be sick of reading about Japan!

And now, im off to catch up on all of your posts!

x