Melbourne (You....Blade Runner!)

Massive rains and floodwaters rising in Australia, it's the long awaited day (following my recovery) to strike out again and start exploring. Maybe the weather is just trying to make me feel at home? My relatives here think I've brought it (I'm Welsh I must therefore bring rain with me ) Either way - on goes on the rain coat and off to the Airport I go. I do have a small dragon mascot with me. Maybe there is a connection.

Despite a slight delay (which brings the opportunity to watch a Thai Airlines jumbo take off in heavy weather - quite spectacular) we blast up and out of Sydney. It feels like blast off. I'm sat near the back of the Airbus and can see the jets changing rain into mini clouds, small torrents of water appear in mid air and shoot behind us I even catch sight of a tiny temporary rainbow. I'm feeling a bit jaded and odd on the flight. The jetstar airbus is new and comfortable (nice padded leather seats), yet it feels very strange to traveling alone again. Still we're barely in the air an hour and here's Melbourne...

I think? We land flying over fields. No sign on Airport perimeter - just fields and is that a small sewage plant? (I get a flashback of "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines") and we're on the runway. Heading past a farm house (sorry one of the control towers) and to some huts (sorry I mean - arrivals lounge). Still it's pleasant enough inside. The outside toilets are nice and clean. This airport is called Avalon. Can't see any references to King Arthur though there is a reasonably odd and brightly painted statue as walk in.

We hang around arranging for transport to the city. You can rent a car, a go on the bus. I make for the bus and try to enquire which is the best drop off point (there is a choice). I'm with a stony faced - "so you want a ticket", errrr yes. "thats $24". This person (hatchet faced woman) behind the desk isn't in the mood to tell me the difference between the station drop offs. When fate intervenes. One of the other passengers has just discovered a lift waiting - after buying tickets for herself and her family - she's trying to get a refund. Not a chance. Hatchet face hits her with a blunt no - not a chance - nada - please stop asking such silly questions. The woman is upset. Obviously she has a lot of useless tickets and just a collection of rude replies, so isn't going to go in, So she starts offering them to other passengers. I check one - it's for a train station near me hotel so I pick it up. Hatchet face is going purple and laser beams are burning out from her eyes. People are working together to break her monopoly. It's unheard of - don't these people respect the raw brutality of monopoly. Well errm - Nope!

It's a 45 minute bus ride to the city. The roads are wet and traffic light. We start to approach Melbourne through an industrial hinterland. There are bright lights and triangular plumes of smoke rising to meet the low cloud base. As we go over the Westgate bridge it's dark, low clouds chase between and slightly obscure a line of skyscrapers the lights of which are glowing amber and green. There's more smoke plumes and lights beneath. For a moment all I can think is ... Wow - I'm in Blade Runner and start looking up for low flying police spinners. Then we dive down and then up another bridge and we're into the city. An ancient tram rattles across a bridge just ahead. Then we've stopped and I'm in Melbourne. A short cab ride (it's still raining) - 5 minutes and 5 bucks later I reach the UniCity Apartments.

I've got a self contained student apartment booked for the next nights. A nice home to home. Only if this is student accommodation why is there marble tiling on the floor and brass fronted elevators. This is somewhat better than the student digs I used to have. The apartment - is very clean and very pleasant. Also right in the heart of Melbourne.

I have a good feeling about this.

MCA and the DigeriBoom

The plan today was to keep things simple before flying tomorrow. So into Sydney I trundled to take a look at the Museum of Contemporary Arts (The MCA), at Circular Quay. The MCA is housed overlooking the Quay in a big Art Deco building. Inside it's all marble and exhibition spaces.

The art - well the art is contemporary. A lot of installation work, video displays and use of sound and found materials. Some of this stuff is fascinating. A lot though just looks like it's trying too hard to escape the bounds of what people consider to be art. There are times you wonder if this has value or the ability to last and has the artist sacrificed some opportunity by just saying - Hey - I'm going to challenge what you think is art. It's a big old discussion and everyone has an opinion. So long as some is interesting - well what is there to complain about. Except for the big fear that if art relies of mechanical (or electronic) media for it's presentation will future generations be able to look at it? Or will it just vanish into oblivion as equipment breaks down and becomes irreplaceable.?

Before heading back I needed some lunch so found a place on the Quay to sit down, eat and watch the world go by. Every time I come back here it's always the same. A continual stream of people. Most with backpacks and cameras in tow. Still there are people here from all around the world. Take ordering lunch (look at the food, order at desk, get a ticket, go back and get the food, sit down and eat. Watch owners of food stalls case seagulls away. Ignoring the big white birdies and whilst other tourists, and harbour police (with semi-automatic handguns and large McDonalds) as boats go to and fro.

Last thing before the trains - ran into some performers from The Web (a musicians collective that tries to fuse together different styles of music). Sat on the front player Digeridoos, drums, sticks (all linked into an amp, beatbox, boombox and sampling system). It was a cool setup. A sort of combination of Aboriginal music with hints of the Goan Trance, The Ozric Tentacles and Future Sound of London. Ended up with a copy of their CD (about £4) now on my iPod.

New Picture in Gallery

An artistic day today. Decided that a picture I've been working on was going about as far as it was going and so .. it's uploaded into my gallery at: http://photogallery.findingviews.com/

Hope you like it. It comes from a photograph taken at Onuma Quasi National Park - I still love the idea of an important park being Quasi National.

After this - well I hope to try out a few new ideas in coming pictures.

To Cairns (Well booked anyway)

I've just booked the train pass that will take me to Cairns
I'll be stopping off along the way see places such as Port McQuarrie, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise and Brisbane. This will be the longest train journey I've attempted not just in time (well over a week) but with distances around 1553 miles (2500km) quite some track coverage as well.
Quite happy that I'm getting moving. Melbourne this week, Cairns and the east coast of Australia soon after!

This means that between Melbourne and Cairns I will be covering a lot of Australia!

Melbourne Booked

I'm getting back on the road again. I've just booked flights to and from Melbourne, plus somewhere to stay (right in the heart of the city).

I fly again on Thursday the 30th. The flight from Sydney to Melbourne takes and hour and a half. I'll be there for 5 nights with plans to take in the city, surrounding countryside (maybe the wineries), and take a look at some South Australian wild life (I'm hoping for penguins en masse).

It should be a good trip with plenty of really great photo-opportunities.

More details to come as I have them.

After the south - will come the North and with good luck - the reefs

Shock, Horror and big bats

Ok - first a travel update. My plans are coming along nicely - I should be booking tickets over the next few days and back on the road (or rail, or air) before the end of week. Hopefully that will mean more interesting pictures being produced. I hope so - I feel a need to produce work that's a bit more creative than it has been lately. So hang on and stand by - because my foots healed and I'm raring to go - whilst still trying to look all relaxed and aussie.

Now for the shock horror - I went to see Batman Begins. Compared to the last few bat movies - a good step forward. Though perhaps someone should have told Christian Bale that he's not in Equilibrium. To be fair - he's not bad as Bruce and the Bat - just lacks some of the charisma I associate with the characters. So where's the shock horror? Well I've yet to find any Ben and Jerry's ice cream in an Aussie cinema. Something needs to be done. Will someone tell Australia what they are missing. Can messrs Ben and Jerry send a container load of their finest over to Sydney right now please!

Trains, Planes and Ferries

Ok so it should be automobiles, but anyone who knows me, knows that me driving anything but a special car is not the best idea in the world (brakes aren't really important ... are they?).

I've had a quote for a trip to Cairns (very classy - but expensive and three weeks in the future). That's a dilemma - I've just recovered after Japan and if I pick up another injury then that might my plan of swimming (and talking) with tropical fishes amongst coral reefs. The trouble is - if that last quote was expensive then the one for the next couple of weeks was astronomical. School holidays have just started (June school holidays in Australia last for a princely 2 weeks), and travel to the warm north is pricey. The cold south - is much cheaper - and likely to stay that way.

So after talking, reading and investigating and ruling out all other options I'm just about to start on a new plan. Travel north by train - stopping off at key points like Port McQuarrie, Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane on the way up. The journey would take quite some time. Then I get to Cairns - spend my time on the reef and rain forest and come back by plane. If I time it right the plane back will be cheap (less than £80).

Of course all this thinking didn't happen on it's on and I spent some time cruising around Sydney harbour on the ferries (bought a cheap rate bus, train and ferry pass for the day). It was raining intermittently - but not heavily - the locals ran indoors for cover - but myself (and some americans) were enjoying the view too much to go indoors.

I suppose at this stage I'm thinking a lot about travelling in Australia. I guess it's a combination of time and distance. I've got time - and the distances are really big. Huge in fact.

Getting the hang of the local laid back buses and trains now.

There's also been a cold snap (only one hours drive away - there was an early snowfall). Still plenty of parrots and cockatoos in the trees though.

Questing and Gallery

Yesterday and today have been all about deciding how to get up to the Great Barrier and where to stay. I've done a lot of reading and researching and talking and think I am near a booking with a couple of great tours to both the Reef and the Rainforest.

So it looks like this quest will be a success (I never did find deodorant cream in Japan so I need a quest to go well)

In a moment of madness I decided to make use of some web space provided to me by my Mac account and set up another gallery. It'll include some pictures seen already plus a few alternatives that you may enjoy.

The new gallery is at: http://homepage.mac.com/robertldavies/PhotoAlbum1.html

Consolidation

Ok, a quiet day. The plan was simple, go to Parramata (a town just outside Sydney that early in Australia's history was actually bigger than Sydney). talk to some travel agents, perhaps look at alterations to my baggage and do some shopping.

The idea is simple - I need some winter (ok Autumnal clothes) for southern Oz and these will stand me in stead for the New Zealand winter (snowboarding!) and I wanted to get a better low down on prices for booking my trip to the barrier reef (tropical weather). So much weather to deal with on this trip! I also didn't want to go to far as I'm building my damaged foot back up - ready for some swimming on the reef.
After today I've decided that I need to spend some time online and on the phones to sort out my excursion to North (as usual I rarely find travel agents I can work with - they like to sell - I like to shop, change parameters and custom build trips). So tomorrow is booking day. After which I'll get back out doing things.

The slow build up is a little boring - but should pay off dividends in the long run. I planned Australia as a relaxed stop. I won't have so much time elsewhere, but the plan seems to be working out ok.

Return to the Opera

Into Sydney city centre today for the first time in 5 years. Via a short bus journey and a ride on one of the many double decker trains that run in and out of the city.

When I first tried these trains I was really impressed. 5 years on I'm wondering that apart from the novelty of two decks why? I've probably been spoilt by more hi-tech French and Japanese designs in the meantime. One point of note - my return journey was at commuter time and compared to a similar run on a British (or Tokyo) train - very little standing - so mark 1 up for the Aussies.

Are these trips turning me into a train geek? I hope not.

Back into the city and it's wonderful as ever. I didn't do that much today. A short ride on the monorail, a bit of walk, some money changing (I have cash again - Hurrah!!! - I was getting short on dollars), and some time around circular Quay and Opera House. If you don't know circular quay is the major ferry terminus and from the area between it are fantastic views of the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Opera house.

Couldn't help noticing the way people were dressed. T shirts and vests for those not acclimatised to this warmer part of the Sydney winter -all manner of fleeces, coats, and scarves for the rest. Temperature today - around 20 degrees C. In a cosmopolitan and warm place like Sydney you really can get to see how people handle the warm and the cold.

P = Action

Yesterday I saw an Australian podiatrist. The good news is that he did a fantastic job at cleaning things and we took a look a possible problem area. The result is that most of the damage done in Japan is healed (there are few small areas to watch out for and I will be doing that). He also saw me good with some really useful gel based weight distribution dressings.

This is great news

I can start to take a look at things again.

So the plan now - take a look at Sydney (nice to reacquaint myself with the city) and to plan for other Australian trips

There are limits - but as longs as I am careful - seeing things is back

That should mean more photos.

New Picture

There's a new picture.

Not in the Grande Tour photo library

This one is an update to my original online art gallery.

To take a look please visit photogallery.findingviews.com

I hope you enjoy it

Deadly Spiders!

Just spent my first night in Australia

What should make a web just a a foot or so from the front door - a deadly redback spider. It's the first time I've ever seen one of these so good to see.

The even better news - in the tussle for property rights - the spider lost and more anti-redback spray was used to secure the area.

Final Days in Japan

So, I find myself in Narita with a flight booked for the 10th of June heading into Sydney on the 11th. It takes 15 hours on a plane (plus an airport change) to do Tokyo to Sydney. It's quite a haul.

I know this stay in Japan is shorter than I would have liked and I've done less than people would see me do. The Japanese have a saying - Shigata Ga Nai (what can you do). Ok I could push myself a lot harder, but everyday I find limits being put on me by my problems (still can't eat a lot of the food) and I find myself worrying about my foot. It's healing and all healing takes a long time (at least with that foot it does), so what do I do. I head to a place where I think for at least a short time life can be easier. That's important; because although on this trip Japan had great iconic importance; it's the South Pacific where I have a lot of ambitions to do things. To say the leas to reacquaint myself with the ocean. In my current condition I just can't do that.

So I spent my last few days in Japan - Narita

Which is not all that bad.

Most people know Narita for it's airport but it's also home to some of Japans most important and ancient Buddhist temples. These are places that I had marked as really wanting to see and know I am in close proximity to them. True I placed sorting out some shopping and presents ahead - but that's just clearing the way so that I can spend some of my final time here in these places. I think that will give me the memories I want to take away from Japan. Not the ones where I am worrying about being able or not being able to do things. I hope it's a zen attitude.


And ...

I was right to go the temple (to be exact the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple - consecrated by the founder of the Shingon Buddhist sect. It;s an enormous complex of buildings, lakes, and woods. It is everything that you mind suspect such a place to be. I'll be honest and say that it is hard to adequately describe such a location. Instead of trying to capture it in words let's instead but it simply as this - if somewhere is everything you might imagine it to be then it's really quite something. I will be posting some pictures. I hope they help.

I've now left Japan. After having my shoes X-Rayed - my feet went beep on a metal detector (there's metal screws in my right foot), so my shoes had to be X-Rayed. I was offered slippers during the procedure. As usual my feet squished the slippers. My feet really are too big for Japan to comprehend.

I'm going to catch up with things over the next few days; start getting ready for the next phase of the tour. Try and make things more interesting in the future.

So out of the Summer - into the Winter.

Piccies

I've made the move to Australia successfully.

I've blog notes on this that I need to finish and upload - so when I do that this journal may seem a little non sequential - but will hopefully make sense in the end.

Meanwhile I'm back on a good Internet connection and have started the process of uploading and cataloging the backlog of photographs. I hope you find something you like in the new collections

Still no upload

Sorry again about the lack of photos
I have no ability to upload large files from my Mac.
The frustrating thing is that I can't get an ID on the NTT Docomo public wifi system. If I could there'd be pictures to see. I'll update first chance I get as there are a lot of good images coming up.

So Sorry

Sorry about the lack of pictures

The last couple of days I've been in places with either not enough room to work, so hot the Mac wants to overheat or with no Internet access.

I've loads more piccies to sort through - so give me a day or two and I'll get more photos online soon

Sorry

Rob

Morioka - Explorations

I'd had a good night, and didn't really want to get up. Worse there was a strange churning in my stomach... nothing serious though.

The good news was that although the hotel was Internet free (strange to be cut off from the net in a hotel in Japan) the breakfast was fine. A simple combination of water, fruit juice, coffee, and bread rolls (filled with sultanas and raisins). It was simple, it was just what the doctor ordered.

My aim for the day was to explore Iwate Koen - a park built from the ruins of a castle, see the rock breaking cherry tree - deemed to be one of Japans most beautiful cherry trees and to take in anything else I could in the area before the time came to go back to the hotel and do some laundry (sad that I have to break for laundry - but it has to be done - especially in a Japanese summer).

It was raining when I went to leave, so the desk clerk insisted on presenting me with a loan umbrella.

Deciding to take the bus to the park I made my way to bus station and found the start of a festival. I had some difficulty making out the name of celebrations, but apparently this was part of Moriokas start of summer rituals. Involving tying small children to huge horses whilst teams of mothers and grand mothers danced in front of them. Later the children and horses would be taken up into the hills. As - from another part of town would effigies of shrines carried on the backs of teams of men.

Made a nice discovery here. When there's a crowd watching something - anyone taking pictures with a camera is automatically given some deference and space to try and get a good. This rule seems to apply to anyone - with anything from a cameraphone up to whopping great SLR's.

Eventually I left the proceedings and got bussed to the park.

En route the bus passed a Japanese Nationalism Protest. Mostly shouting about the horror of English words diluting their language. I can't say I blame as more and more loan words appear traditional Japanese changes a bit. The French have the same problem. Then again it's in the nature of all languages to change. Anyway - slid a little deeper into my bus seat as we trundled on hoping no agitator noticed the long haired gaijin.

A good move. Iwate Koen is fantastic. Most of the castle walls remain. What's missing are the buildings - well being a Japanese castle they built the defences from huge tapering stone walls. The buildings were all of flammable wood; which is why few original castles - such as Matsumoto remain. Not that I'm complaining Iwate Koen (Koen means park) is an island of tranquility. Steep steps take you up the walls to raised plateaus of lush parkland. I spend ages wandering around and just resting. At this time, looking at the walls ( that all slope inwards) I realised that they wouldn't be that hard to climb. The masonery had really big joints and the incline would make them easier to traverse than a vertical wall. Suddenly all those movies showing Ninjas running up castle walls made the mad Ninja wall dash look very doable. Very very doable. The castle walls looked very inviting indeed.

Tempted I might have been do it - I thought not. For two reasons. One of was slightly inflating bad foot. The other were the elderly locals keeping an eye on me. I decided that that adding Ninja antics to my tarnished reputation (kill the wabbit) wasn't the wisest move. Besides I wasn't really in good condition for climbing.

No proclamations of - I am the worlds greatest Ninja were made from castle wall tops today.

So I made off to see the Cherry tree. Not in bloom at this time of year; but an impressively ancient looking tree it is - seeing as it really does break a great boulder in two.

The rest of the day was domestically boring. Although the coin laundry I had to use was stocked with a vast number of telephone directory sized comics. All weekly editions.

The evening came and I decided to attempt to see some anime in a Japanese cinema. The new version of Z Gundam was in town so I trotted off to see the 8pm showing. Slight problem - the owner decided to close up. On a Sunday - 8pm is just too late to be showing cartoons to an audience in this town. So slight disappointment on my part. Amazement on the face of the guy locking up that anyone wanted to watch anime so late.

Tomorrow - back on the trains as I head south again.

Glad I stopped off at Morioka. It's a cool town - even if it doesn't like late night Sunday cartoons (hang on 8pm is not late .. is it?)

Morioka - Arrival

I've just arrived in Morioka. I'm heading due south back towards Tokyo. The decision I'm making is do I head for Narita and arrange a flight out of the country towards the end of next week (after a few days of sightseeing temples and dropping back into Tokyo for a last look and a few things - Narita is about and hour and half from Tokyo by train). I'm inclined to cut short - It'll put me in a better position for doing more on the rest of the Tour.

Right now my movements are being restricted by my injury and food tolerance problems. If I move to a safe haven I perhaps heal up a bit and can do more in other locations. I've had enough time here to get a feel for Japan, but will be disappointed at not seeing some sights.
Then again the Grande Tour is about more than just sight seeing so perhaps no big loss.

The next few days will be critical in my decision - though I think in my heart it is already made.

So far - Morioka seems a pleasant place. Though I am in my first hotel without Internet. Not so nice when feeling ill Internet is a link to the world. It's also a hotel when the tourist information people have vaguely dumped me. I've had mixed reception from Tourist Info people. Some are amazingly helpful. Some though seemingly helpful just want you booked into the first place that comes to their mind no matter what. I think in Narita I'll try and arrange something myself.

Tomorrow i'll explore Morioka - I think I can fill a day here quite easily. It gives me time also to sort out some laundry that I desperately need to do. I may be forced to use hotel laundry (normally hideously expensive - but I can't find an alternative at the moment).

On the journey off Hokkaido my limited super express train (no - really - thats exactly what it was called), came to a halt in the Seikan tunnel (links Honshu and Hokkaido). Here there were many concrete man sized off shoot tunnels. Most seeming to link up to an underground (under the sea) roadway. You could almost see signs directing hearty workers to the Mecha Godzilla Silo or the offices or Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Every now and then Japan delivers these fantasy images. I suspect they are different for everyone - but when they arrive man are they good. I can't think of another country that unconsciously does this so well.

The journey complete easilly enough and so late in the afternoon I am in Morioka considering both the future, tomorrow (also the future) and what to eat next (a scary version of the future).

In Japan - you need to be mindful of the now (lest a taxi, bicycle or runaway umbrella squish you); and the future. Cause the future is always next.

A little later - still in Morioka

I've been wandering Morioka like a lost ghost. Looking for somewhere to eat that I would not explosively vomit in.

Found one (after about an hour of wandering), under my own hotel. Remember in Japan distance is irrelevant - spatial coordinates are everything.. Must remember that at some point; or next time - come to Japan with a time lord in tow.

Anyway this place does the most fantastic barbecued meat and veg. Using chicken broth as a bar snack. I sat at a bar (with a glass shield between me and the barbecue). Being served up beer, soup and meat on sticks. This probably amounts up to one of my best nights out in Japan.

To me this brings home a point. I've been down at times. Mostly claustrophic, home sick and a little paranoid, but Japan really is a great country. If I'm thinking of leaving a little early it says nothing about Japan. Just my dodgy wounds, strange food intolerance's and inability to think of nothing other than the big picture (ie - gettting over problems and seeing more of the world). In fact my ability to take on a long term view may be one of my problems that needs addressing. Must think more in the moment, with great respect to the long term? Perhaps that is a goal I need to look at.

Also found a place called Cinema Street - lots of small cinemas scattered everything from the basement to 5th floor along the street. Been looking for the new Miyazaki (Howls Moving Castle), but found a re-imagining of Z- Gundam - will take a look if I can make time tomorrow.

Hakodate and the Quasi National Park

I've taken a sleepy train ride down to the southernmost tip of Hokkaido the the port of Hakodate. Hakodate was the place where the West (actually the Americans) first started trading with Japan and broke it's self isolation. Today Hakodate feels like a town that was very rich in the past but is now a little down on it's luck. Still from what I've seen it's a pleasant enough place - and I certainly won't complain about it; especially as from the look of the harbour and train station there is some rejuvenation going on.

When I first arrived my Japanese was down on it's luck and I was communication in English, sporadic grunts, pained expressions and a bit of gesturing. Enough to get me a hotel. Right in front of the morning fish market. Normally - that would have been good, and I'd have taken a chance to explore the market.

However - I still cannot face fish; rice is still a problem - though not as bad as a few days ago. The really odd thing is that I'm having trouble with Miso soup - something I was really enjoying when I first arrived. Now it's hard to tolerate. So is green tea. Something is definitely going on.

All that was yesterday. Today was a chance to go out of town and explore the Onuma quasi national park. So I took the 20 minute express ride out to the park. I'm not sure why the Japanese have named it Quasi National. It's certainly beautiful, with lakes and scenary that packs a punch. Even if some of the town around the park station is a little run down. Though there are plenty of other places like this in the world. However - out in front of the plaza or just past the place where you can hire bicycles, where boats can be hired or cruises taken was a forest of mobile umbrellas. That was the problem today - it was raining a little. Not too bad at first - a light drizzle. Then it got heavier - and heavier and heavier.

A note about umbrellas - where ever you go there are umbrellas
There are convenience stores and vending machines selling cheap umbrellas - normally with white plastic handles and transparent canopies.
Umbrella stands
Plastic sheaths to buy and put wet brollies in
Expensive umbrellas
Big pots of old communal umbrellas

I'm thinking that Japan may have an umbrella population issue.

It is understandable. When it rains - it RAINS!

The Japanese do not like getting wet.

Personally I don't mind getting a little damp, and don't really like umbrellas that much. Besides I had my Mammut jacket on that I'd bought in Bettws Y Coed. Now that is a waterproof coat. Not a drop of rain gets through it at all.

The result - a few pictures taken between downpours. A few taken in a downpour. A little exploration. A bowl of Udon noodles (that my growing miso intolerance made hard to swallow) and a train ride back to town.

Tomorrow - Morioka as I had south back into Honshu

The Biurren

Ok - to the olde Sapporo brewery and beer garden. Well beer has been brewed here for something like 130 years and is probably Sapporos best known export - so the tour of the old brewery had to be checked out.

But first changing money - getting my big new camera cheap had cost me a lot of yen (cash instead of credit card easily enlarges discounts in Japan - although I had originally planned to use a credit card for insurance purposes - but that in the end with the paperwork offered by a Japanese store wasn't so necessary). So had a few other sundry expenses (like getting locked out of luggage a couple of days ago) so it was time to find a bank

Well finding a bank wasn't to hard. Finding the right counter (on the second floor - remember you have to be 3 dimensional in Japan), took slightly confused conversation with the welcoming welcoming manager. Up stairs I proffered some travelers cheques got showed the exchange rate and how many yen I would get. Perfect. Then came the form and a conversation that contained a lot of
"Hai, Hai, ahhh soo desu"
"Aieeeee Iie Iie -(arms waving in air)"
"So desu ne - Hai"
"Ah Hai Hai"
"eerrr - Iie iie"
"ok!"
"hai , Hai - chotto matte kudasai (please wait)"

After a little wait - yen on a plate - phew

Time to catch the number 88 bus (brewery special). A quick stop en route at the factory - a mall that started life as part of the Sapporo brewery and then onto the brewery itself.

The weather is warm, for a change not too humid and I relax in the Beer Garden, Actually inside not out, the seating arrangements are better there; with a medium beer (about 1 litre!). Managed to get a lunch of beef strips - no fish or rice in sight - phew!

Onto the brewery - the tour is more of a wander through 3 stories of working space and some odd little dioramas. Until you get to the end. Then it's pick your beer - and how much you want from a vending machine. Hand it to the friendly bar staff who will serve you. Oddly your in a bar, being served and have no need to talk to the barman. Doesn't seem normal to me.

The rest of the day was questing,
I'm on a quest to find some cream deodorant, so far I only find spray on powder. Not nice, I have some because I'm about to finish my supply of the good stuff, but really would like to find a more comfy underarm cream. Still no luck.

I also wanted something to eat - as tonight I needed to put my bad foot up in my room - the injury is under control so my measures are working. However shop I went into stank of fish and rice - my new intolerance's kicked in and out I ran. Eventually got hold of some bagels. It's wrong to be eating bagels in Japan so hopefully normally service will be returned soon.