Tuesday 1 May 2012

Things I learnt whilst travelling alone in Japan


Source
 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


37 comments:

  1. YAY! You're back :) Welcome home, and glad to hear you had a great trip.

    This post made me laugh (as do all your posts!) and I can wait to see more!

    Also, can I ask how many boxes at $130 did you post back?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cat!

      I posted back one large box on the second day, and then....two more in the second week? :S

      Lesson well and truly learnt.

      I will say though- each box made it home in 2 days!

      Delete
  2. HAHAHAHAHA I missed your posts! I'm very intrigued by the Sexy Spray now, did you have some on in the last pic.. if so then it seems to be working =P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bahahaha...you're right, nowhere did the bottle specify what species I would be attractive to!

      Delete
  3. woo hoo you're back!! missed your posts so much!!! omg $130 per box to post it back home? that's insane!!! i laughed at 13.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks kerker! Yeah, it is insane. Very efficient though- they were home in 2 days. How Japanese.

      And yes- number 13...unlucky number 13. I didnt duck my head and banged it against the top of the cab door right outside of Kyoto station, and almost completely lost my shit. Lol

      Delete
  4. Can't wait for more :-) laughing at the train trip...assuming you made it back okay...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou! I did indeed make it home, but got very frustrated with my wasted train day. Although- I was certainly more familiar for my next trip, lol.

      Delete
  5. Lucky girl, all of these things are true and more! Lawson Station was and still is one of my favourite places - you're making me terribly nostalgic!
    Love the photos, glad you had a wonderful time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Aly, I well and truly stalked your post about your wedding in Japan before I went, lol.

      Delete
  6. Looks like you had a great time! I'm looking forward to the rest of your posts!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jess, I really did!

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  7. Welcome back!!!!! Your post made me giggle!! And the photos are amazing!! I love cherry blossom!!! And was that macarons with eyes on them?!

    Can't wait for more posts!

    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jelena, those photos are just from my iPhone! If you like cherry blossoms, just wait until you see how many I will bombard you with soon, lol. And OMG how observant are you, I had never noticed, those macarons DO have eyes on them!

      Delete
  8. Haha sounds like you had such a fantastic time, despite the mishaps! Love the photos, and I can't wait to hear more! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jennifer! I think the mishaps contributed to my great time, plus I wouldnt have been me if I didnt have them!

      Delete
  9. aw I love this post! so funny, I cracked up at #5 and #15.

    looking forward to seeing more pics, I want to go to japan sooooo badly, so I shall live vicariously through you! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rachel, although I leave the country for 3 weeks, and you go and change your name! I had to do a little double take to figure out who rachel was, and why she was using aelie's picture! Lol

      Delete
  10. Welcome back! That sounds like such an exciting adventure! I bet you have some amazing photos. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou! It was an exciting adventure, and you will be bombarded with those photos in no time :)

      Delete
  11. amazing!!!! Hilarious little notes! you make me want to go! Cant wait to read more about it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading Harlem, much more Japan content to come :)

      Delete
  12. What an excellent post. I would LOVE to visit Japan, it's next on my list!!! :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lisa. I want to go back again already, but it would save me money if I could just live vicariously through you!

      Delete
  13. No, definitely won't get sick of reading about Japan - you write so wonderfully :) Love all of these and gasped when you sent back multiple packages at $130 each! Oh no. I know how it feels to be surrounded by tiny asian women, having experienced it recently in Thailand. They're not quite so polite though, I saw one SA look at my (comparatively) giant feet in disgust when I asked her if she had my size - lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou, how kind of you to say! Lol at the tiny Thai women thinking you have giant feet, haha. I had to go into shops and ask for LL sized- an 8. If I didnt already feel like I stood out like dogs balls, I certainly did then. Lol

      Delete
  14. I love this post - haven't been to Japan but want to go, and i will certainly take heed of the points you have mentioned. Sexy Spray sounds intriguing...
    Those desserts look so beautiful! Can't wait to see more photos :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou! Sexy Spray was bizarre, and smelt horrid.

      Delete
  15. I love the thought of doing what you have done. Visiting Japan, alone, Sounds like the best adventure ever!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Steve, yes it was the best adventure I've had so far. I definitely reccommend it!

      Delete
  16. find out x2b32u7r65 replica louis vuitton handbags best replica ysl bags imp source n8i20d5g89 good quality replica bags replica bags in pakistan replica bags from turkey replica gucci bag g2s92c3w88 replica bags online shopping

    ReplyDelete

All comments are printed out and placed on my fridge.