hey everyone, its about half 8 in the evening on the 24th. today we travelled all day so im really tired :( and its pouring with rain!

i think i last wrote after just arriving in kyoto so...kyoto is not as traditional as i thought it would be, i was expecting no cars or electricity i guess lol. instead there are lots of tall buildings with flashing lights, shops and department stores. there is one alley where all the geishas hang out which was very cool. we even went to see a geisha dance and traditional tea pouring ceremony! got some great photos but i havent figured out how to put them on the site yet!

the next day we went on a day trip to nara which is more rural and spent the day with about 300 school kids, tame deer and even more temples and shrines. the school kids love talking to us and are so polite! infact everyone here is polite and they all queue, wait their turn, bow and apologise profusely if they do anything wrong.

on to kobe where we visited the earthquake memorial museum and talked to a lovely old man who had survived the earthquake and followed us around the whole museum asking us to read this and that and telling us lots of stories. ended the day in hiroshima which is very big and busy.

the next day we spent about 4 hours in the peace memorial museum, an experience i wont forget, was sad, moving, hopefull and difficult.

we are staying the last 4 nights in tokyo in the cheapest hostel ever. the rooms are about as big as my bathroom at home so im glad im not a tall man! from tokyo we are going to go to hakone and shin-fujion day trips. tomorrow we are spending the day in tokyo and going to the animation museum, the parasite museum and harajuku!

i havent figured out how to reply to messages individually so....

gemma, i hope the exhibition goes/went really really well and i wish i could be there to support you! i have been practising rummy so i will surely beat you when i return, you wont have a chance! i hope you arent collecting up awful films specially for me because from now i im choosing! miss you!

helen, excellent news im glad that went well and hopefully itll make things easier for you to stay for longer. hope fudge is well and your cats and have an otimo summer!

janet, so many questions so little computer time! i will get all the answers and write them in my next blog. love to you and mike x

ellen, love to everyone. can you repeat all this to nonna and send her lots of love and tell her i miss talking to her. i will purchase you some excellent miso soup if you like?

konbanwa xx bussi to everyone and curri to nonna xxx