M was keen to try out the Zen Garden train (AKA Kyo Train Garaku which means “Gorgeous Kyoto Train”) that shuttles between Osaka and Kyoto on weekends. We couldn’t make the dates work for using it as our actual travel between these two cities, so it ended up being an activity for its own sake.… Read More (Not) so zen
There’s a permanent Teamlab’s exhibit in the Osaka Botanic Gardens of basically glowing things and it’s sooo pretty! When we got there the line was very long – to the point where they had a person with a light up sign that said “This is the end of the line” 😖 – and I was… Read More Ooh glowy 😍
We headed out to catch the nightlife in Osaka and that means the bright lights of Dotonburi… and the Glico running man. Not that we had any idea what that was exactly but it turns out he’s winning a race after eating energising sweets, including Pocky, since 1935 (that’s a damn long race!). There are… Read More Osaka nightlife (Dotonburi)
Nara is a short day trip from Osaka and a special little town that has free roaming deer that bow to you in exchange for crackers. This was definitely the most foreigners we’ve seen (with the exception of the airport). A word of caution though: the deer can get a bit aggressive especially if they… Read More Oh deer (said Kevin)
After a looong travel day and arriving late to our accommodation we woke refreshed and ready to go… NOT! (teaching the kids sarcasm so we need to be extra obvious currently) We’re moving slowly between getting four people ready, all the toilet stops, food stops, random distractions (e.g. another vending machine) and having no idea… Read More A slow start in Osaka
And just like that it’s done. Work is over for nine and a half months*. One week to pack up our lives and put what we need into our backpacks to live for three quarters of a year. It’s been a long time coming, and I know some were skeptical, but I knew it would… Read More Work is done!
https://w2.countingdownto.com/6138901 (Not dodgy – it’s a countdown clock for our departure which WordPress won’t let me embed)
It’s now less than two months before we fly out and reality is starting to set in! Renting out the house, the amount of stuff we need to pack up 😱 and only six more weeks of work 🎉 I am on a HUUUGE clear out and my local Buy Nothing group* is getting flooded.… Read More It’s getting real!
We have approval from our schools & workplaces for a shortened gap three-quarters of a year and have been in planning mode!! We fly out April 6 to Japan (4 weeks), then head to Java (3-4 weeks) and then into Europe & the UK (4 months) then back east to South East Asia and hoping… Read More Back on the wagon!
This is the highlight of the festivals but the catch is that it is best seen at night which means it’s even colder. And there’s even this lovely clock as you enter that shows the temperature… So we knew we weren’t going to do any of the rides or shows here – the lines are… Read More Harbin Ice Festival
Country Hoppers 