Damn, I think I’ve had enough mountain driving for the whole year. I’ve had an amazing time but I’m exhausted!!! Hours of single lane winding roads in the rain and fog with local drivers paying no attention to the speed limits, I’ve definitely tested my driving skills to the max. This little Yaris I’ve rented has been perfect for the drive though. The steering is definitely much more light and responsive than what I’m used to in Australia.
e: after some thought I think I’ll regretfully can the Shimanami Kaido cycling part of my trip. It’s just too complicated and expensive, what with mailing my luggage ahead and hopping between accommodation, not to mention bike rentals and having the wrong kind of bag and paying $55 just for the train back that way.
As much as I want to have more of an active experience and don’t want to be that kind of traveller… I think I could get more from a nice accom in a quiet part of Tokyo for 4 days and do more walking and journalling and visiting some cool museums and the like.
I was gifted an entire bottle of sake last night (to have with dinner and then take the rest with me) by my amazing host and after the magic of last night and tonight I’ve ended up in a cheap dump that’s making me a bit sad so I’ll be downing some of that sake right about now
Got to my accom about half an hour ago, booked tickets for the peace memorial museum tomorrow, there’s a cafe right downstairs which is perfect to get myself going asap in the morning. Think I can get it all done in time. I hate rushing through something so important, but it is what it is. I think 3.5-4 hours should hopefully be plenty for the museum and park.
It doesn’t matter how much you’ve seen of the photos and accounts of the atomic bombs in Japan, the museum at Hiroshima still leaves a real impact on you. The crowds are huge though, I’m very glad I booked a ticket to enter the museum earlier (7:30-8:30) and take my time without navigating hordes of school students and tourists
This is the view from my accom tonight that I wished I could’ve stayed two nights at, but alas only one… The sound of the river and the clear, fresh air is so healing… could spend a whole week here soaking up the everything.
Ooh what a coincidence! Yep it’s looking wet all across south and east Japan. I’m only spending one night in Hiroshima unfortunately, and then tootling around Shikoku (mostly driving through amazing scenery, visiting some natural features and seeing some traditional villages). Won’t be going to the big cities aside from one night + day in Tokyo before I fly off. If there’s just one place you’d recommend checking out in Tokyo that’s a bit alternative or off the beaten track what would it be? I confess I don’t do big cities that well which is why I’m spending the least amount of time possible in Tokyo. How long will you be down in Hiroshima?
There are some really unexpectedly neat/chill pockets of Tokyo that make it absolutely worth spending more time at! That bar sounds grouse. I’ll have to see what my last few days are like, I was planning to have a go at the Shimanami Kaido from Imabari to Onomichi, spend a day in Onomichi then take a late train to Tokyo and do a wee bit of targeted shopping on my last day before flying off in the afternoon. But depending of how much energy I have, I might be tempted to be more of an urbanite and head from Takamatsu to do 3 nights in a cute part of Tokyo like Musashino or something hmmm
You’d think that having lived in Melbourne so long, my friends and I would know to check the weather forecast and plan accordingly, but despite knowing that there would be some bad weather associated with a low pressure system hitting the south of Japan today, we didn’t think to bail from the island yesterday… and this morning’s ferries are now all cancelled.
Luckily I was able to change our ticket to an afternoon ferry but it means I might get to my accommodation in Hiroshima rather late tonight - assuming the ferry even runs, because there’s every chance it might be cancelled too and we’ll have to stay here for an extra night… thank fuck I hadn’t booked my shinkansen ticket but hopefully I can still make it to a later leg of my travel where I’ve got accom and car rental booked. Time to just chill for now though
Aaaand crisis averted, the weather cleared and we snagged that ferry, got to the train station with just enough time to wrangle a ticket and grab a bento, now on the shinkansen to Hiroshima. 3 more hours of sitting down… wish I had a little tablet for travelling. It’ll be laaate when I get to my accom and check in, not much time to unwind and do my hair and all that. Need to be up asap tomorrow to check out the Peace Museum and all that and then get my arse to the ferry by about noon, 2 hours of ferry then a mad rush to car rental place and 2-2.5 hrs driving.
Starting to think maybe my last few days should be chillaxing and not activity focused…
I have a whole bunch of gum nuts collected from across the country if that counts. And various Maxwell Williams cups and plates with native plants and animals (including a tea towel from the themed set). Also a poster with a stylised depiction of Melbourne intersections… Nothing traditionally Australiana.
Woops. Apparently had a tiny bingle while parking on a narrow mountain trail in Japan and was in such a rush that I didn’t even notice I had bumped into anyone else. The other driver had a dashcam though so they got in touch with the police and I had an urgent email from the rental company, who thank god took care of everything - there was no excess or fine or anything and they reassured me it was all okay and everything was covered. Couldn’t sleep last night from the anxiety and just gave a statement at the cop shop so that the relative insurances could follow up. I’m so grateful for the lovely lady at the rental car place who was extremely calming and reassuring… 😔
I keep having weird dreams at my current accom. Last night it was a very vivid one where I’d somehow had to move into a share house full of irritatingly self-absorbed and messy adults who were in their little northside cliques and weren’t keen on making space for me. It was so alienating and made me desperate to move back to my own place. I bolted awake thinking I needed to email my previous landlord asap and beg to go back to my own apartment. The relief I felt when I realised a few minutes later that I didn’t need to do any of that…
The day before it was about my brother betraying my location to my dad. Definitely a theme of despair and being trapped, and waking up to remember what freedoms I do have.
I think it’s the humidity. 90%+ every day indoors. It always brings up bad memories…
Yesterday was the only day on the island where we’ve had sun. Today it’s overcast again and this afternoon it’s back to more rain… slept in massively after two days of hiking (with a thoroughly unconditioned body), time to get outta bed and go walk to the nearest town for some coffee and to get some postcards.
How on earth do the trees in Japan look so naturally stylish over waterbodies though?!? Is it the tiered structure of the crown?
Jeez that’s what the structure fire warning I saw earlier today was… middle of a hike and got to a rare spot with phone reception and an unexpected ping.
Seagoon had it. Got to MEL early, flight delayed, transited through HKG, second flights was delayed, then some snafus at immigration for one of my friends, then a 1.5 hr domestic flight + 50 min bus to tonight’s destination. Could’ve gotten here faster with a direct flight to Fukuoka or something but we had a really cheap deal earlier in the year with Cathay.
And the exchange rate certainly helps. Feels like I’m living it up compared to spending the same amount on holiday in Australia.
Well after several delays and 3 flights and a long bus ride, over 24 hours from leaving home we are FINALLY at our first accommodation in Japan and I am ready to eat 50 convenience store meals and then sleep for 50 hours. Trying to bust out the Japanese after so long is breaking my brain. Next few days will be full on soaking up the atmoshere so I might be incognito over here. Thank you all for the wonderful messages this morning.
I still have some question marks for the second part of my trip but I’ve got plenty of flexible options and I’m not feeling quite so stressed out about it now…
Holy shit, the place I contacted to arrange a car booking as a hail mary came through and got us a vehicle at short notice, on a Sunday, less than 24 hrs from my email, for ALL 5 days of our stay - on an island (= few cars). And for a very typical price (~70 AUD/day including insurance and tax). With pickup and dropoff directly at our port of arrival!!!
I’d tried the car rental agencies directly and found nothing, so these guys must have some cars specially kept up their sleeves. Now the fact that my friends’ accom and mine is spread apart is less of a problem, and we can be way more flexible about timings, especially with inclement weather and with not needing to rush hikes to meet bus timings. And it’s cost effective too compared to daily bus trips for 3 people. What a huge, massive relief… I feel genuinely blessed. Much more enthusiastic about this part of the trip now.
Late reply, but I’m going to go for one of the airport pickup SIMs… they should hopefully be fine. I certainly needed an assistant the past three weeks - so much life stuff still undone that will need to be resumed when I get home. I should’ve known it’ll take me a while to build up my stamina for full time work hours and that this would happen! 😩
Feels like I frittered around a lot today, at least I managed to work out which days I’ll be in a certain area and booked another car reservation (area requires a car to traverse). That felt like a lot of work. Plus going to a friend’s place to pick up a backpack kindly loaned for this trip.
Buuuuuuuut I HAVEN’T EVEN REMOTELY STARTED TO PACK and I leave in less than 48 hours and I have work on both Mon and Tue that I have to go into the office for. And I still haven’t organised my SIM card or travel insurance… and I still have some food to cook and freeze before I go… god I’m so last minute with this trip.
Okay, deep breath because I know I can control this and I pack very efficiently at the last minute.
Then it’s all pretty easy from there. Hopefully your policy also provides for a replacement car while yours is in for repair - it’s very handy to have.
I had someone’s towbar back into my rear driver side door while I was out on a job still using my own car. They thankfully left details and all, but it was in the shop for 10 days. (after driving around with a badly dented car for weeks as the incident happened two weeks before Xmas - I was very lucky; 2cm more and it would’ve hit the B pillar and been a write off). The replacement car was a godsend
Alright I’ve mostly got the frame of my travel down pat - still need to work out accom for the latter half of my trip, but at least I know how long to spend in each general area. Still yet to organise travel sim and travel insurance, although my friend is very generously lending me their rather primo backpacking rucksack that I can use for this trip, otherwise I was looking at having to possibly fork out for that too (my own daypack is on its last legs and a suitcase would be a bitch)
I’ve spent the last 3 hours whipping up some curries to tide me over till I leave. Tidied the kitchen, had a shower, ate dinner, and am just wiped out now. Brain overloaded from all the research. Will look through it tomorrow morning with fresh eyes. Over the last couple weeks I’ve noticed that I find it easier to put a natural stop to things rather than fixating/hyperfocusing well into the night.
Maybe at long last I’m getting better at pacing myself… that or I’m getting old and tired more easily. Am definitely taking a cue to have plenty of “do nothing” periods slotted into my travel schedule.
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