Ok guys. Let me start out with my sincerest of apologies. I know I haven’t posted anything in the last two weeks. But I do have a very good reason… well if it is not good then it is a reason nonetheless. When I landed in Japan, I was hit with a barrage of sicknesses and body pains that rendered me unable to do much of anything. First it was a cold or flu… I can never tell the difference but I did have the worst sore throat I have ever experienced. Swallowing saliva was one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced. And if you think I am exaggerating and over reacting I reassure you that I am not. I barely ate and could hardly drink because of the swallowing issue. Next was the sore body and neck. I couldn’t turn my head properly and the few hours that I was able to fall asleep was extremely uncomfortable. If this wasn’t bad enough, toward the last couple of days of the trip in Japan my gout flared up on my right foot and rendered me unable to walk for an entire day. I’m fully aware that my attempt to redeem myself seems like I am throwing excuses left right and center. And to an extent they are, but it is my way of minimising my own guilt for not doing work. I’m sorry!

So let us get into the crux of this story and speak more about Taiwan and Japan. So the last time I wrote to you I was in Taiwan. Let me say again how much I truly adore the country. Spent the days simply walking the streets, learning what the locals do and where they go. I went shopping, eating, night markets and some of the night spots that really drew a crowd. It was exciting! Taiwan is a place where it is hardly ever quiet and even though places are crowded with people, everyone seems to be well mannered and acceptably courteous. It is a place that is rich in culture as it is in diversity. A country that is more than high tech yet holds on to the traditional aspects that make the country such a joy to visit. Like I said before, I will in this life time, live for some time in Taiwan. So the time there soon ended and that was when I packed my bags once again and darted off to Osaka, Japan.

In total I spent 6 full days in Japan. Arriving in Osaka, I was glad to land once again in the land of the rising sun. This would be the third time there and each time has been as pleasant and the time prior. The people are too nice and too well-mannered that it feels as though you warped to another realm and ended up in Pleasantville. It’s almost hard to fathom if you haven’t experienced it for yourself. So I encourage each and every one of you to put Japan on your list of places to visit. To be completely honest, I didn’t do much in Japan this time. It was mainly due to my sicknesses but regardless, the time spent there was still magical. Oh and guess who I bumped into in Japan? Stinky! What a coincidence hey!

Since I was kind of handicapped, I didn’t get much time to spend with Stinky. The one place we were able to go together was the Kaiyukan. What is this you ask? It’s the Osaka Aquarium! You must think that we love aquariums or something because last time we visited the one in Melbourne. Well to answer you, yes we do love them. Sea life is amazing but this time it was extra special. All my life I had wanted to see a whale shark and this time my childhood dream would come true. Not only did I get to see a whale shark but we saw two! It is the largest fish in the ocean and what a spectacular sight it was. I’m not sure how I can put into words how great an experience it was. Maybe you should visit and tell me how much it blew you away. But sometimes, words aren’t enough when it comes to describing dreams and fulfillment and happiness.

The rest of the time in Japan I got the chance to travel on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo for a couple of days. Thing in Tokyo seem very much unchanged since the last time I was there. It is still a place where organized chaos rules with people busily rushing from point A to point B. We visited some local attractions but it was not as exciting as I hoped. My sickness sort of diluted the fun on just about everything. We sped back down to Osaka to spend the last couple of days and then headed home. On the way back we stopped over for a night in Singapore. We were able to have a couple of good meals as my throat was giving way and watched a couple of recent movies which was pleasant and relaxing.

Since coming back home I am really feeling the effects of holiday withdrawals. I was sitting in the doctor’s office the other day and was thinking how much I miss my time overseas. It seems kind of impossible to just drop everything and go, but there are stories of people doing it all the time. Why can’t that be me? Well I will think on this and let you know in the near future what I decide. Until then, please enjoy some of the cool photos that we were able to take on the trip. Take care!