So today was a very busy day! It started early, with another adequate breakfast at the hotel. I then wandered down to the local tube station and took the short, but busy ride to Shin-Osaka, the main overland train station out of the city. From there, it was just the mere matter of a 30 minute train ride to reach my destination for the day: Kyoto. This area had been highlighted to me as a good area for day trips, so that is exactly what I did. On arrival in Kyoto...

Today was to be my first full day in Osaka, and as such I wanted to spend it getting my bearings of the area immediately surrounding the hotel. I started my morning by waking early to partake of the hotel breakfast. It was simple fare, but good none the less, a buffet style breakfast half Japanese, half what in England would be called continental. I chose some small soft breads and fruit, and it did just the job. I also managed to exchange the instant coffee from...

Hey people! So another day dawned bright in my shared hostel room this morning. I let myself have a bit of a lie in, as I knew today would be hard going. The aim of the day was to relocate myself from Japan's capital city to the more centrally located Osaka. As soon as my fellow room mates in the hostel realised I was moving out, they immediately put into action their traditional going away ritual, namely by providing me with a cup of "sweet tea" (which...

Another day, another dollar as they say. Or not as the case may be in Tokyo, as it is well nigh impossible to find a working ATM. My advice, take cash and try not to rely on debit cards etc. Keep most of your cash safe in one wallet, out of sight, and then just put a few yen in a second wallet to handover if you get mugged! Here Endth the Lesson! On a brighter note, last night went very well. I met up with my old friend Atsuko and her friend Chiyuki. We went ou...

Hello again! So today has so far been no where near as exciting as yesterday. I had a good sleep in the hotel last night, but didn't have the chance to visit the spa, which was a shame. On the plus side, it seems that I have magically worked out how to use the Tokyo metro, but this still did not stop me getting lost looking for my new hostel. After some help from a (useless) taxi driver, a policeman, a delivery boy and the YMCA's receptionist I finally found the ...