Technologytastic

This is the city where the lifts open as soon as you walk Into the foyer, the toilet seats opens as you move into the cubicle, as you can get your bottom sprayed with water and hot air blown on to you after you finish, all the while sitting comfortably on a heated toilet seat - many times you literally don't  have to lift a finger, as it willow course flush after you have finished!!! This is a nation that takes going to the toilet very seriously. In fact it takes a lot of things very seriously, from everyone wearing the same somber black work suits,  it is no surprise that office workers are transformed to karaoke stars when the office day is done. On the streets the young follow their own crazy fashions, dressing as manga characters, wearing crazy heels and coloured wigs, as they are all desperately trying to look so unique, but incredibly all look the same.  

Despite the cherry blossom coming early this year there is still traces of blossom thought out the city, and a journey to the Ueno district, where only a few weeks ago the park was full of cherry blossom parties, there is now still a few trees still In full bloom and the paths are lined with confetti like blossom, bringing a hue of pink to the grey of the pavement. 

The old traditions really do permeate throughout the city when you see geisha like ladies, minus the amazing white makeup, walking along slowly, with their shoes clattering against the pavement. Along the ancient side roads around the Sensoji temple in Asakusa, traditionally dressed men and women wander around, to the delight of us tourists. This is an ancIent side of life that is still around and a joy to see. In Asia I usually spend my time monk watching, now I have something new to gaze at!!!

Something that I didn't want to gaze at was the view from the stop of the enormous Ferris wheel - what possessed me to agree to go on? and in a totally glass see through capsule.  Feeling like I was in the glass elevator in Willy Wonkers factory, this glass capsule rose high above the city, swaying in the wind.  Not my best use of 900 yen, as my eyes stayed firmly shut most of the time!!! and in true WW style when we visited The Sony showroom, they were staying tight lipped about the spec for the impending ps4 ! Innovation is such a secret. 

 Still I was rewarded with crazy sights after p,to make up for the views that I had missed. In the nearby games world, manga style teens gambled on the slot machines, danced to the games and preened their purple hair.  How many times can I say that Tokyo is such a crazy city -  a mega metropolis of 35 million people ..... That's half the population of the UK!

It looks like cheese, but it's not cheese, it's fish!

OMG what can I say about my first impressions of Tokyo. It's an enormous sprawling new city, but there's an incredible clam and order around. I expected crazy streets with millions of people trying to cross a road, and In rush hour that does happen, but there's ordered calm in the air. No pushing,  no rushing, no beeping of horns, even on the bus coming in an announcement was made not to use your mobile phone as it will annoy your fellow passengers!!! Despite incredible tiredness there's a huge city to explore and lunch was had in a city noodle bar, a lunch special delivered a large bowl of noodles, rice, a weird  tofu square (left untouched) and some amazing deep fried wantons. We were surrounded by groups of black suited office workers, who we saw later letting their hair down in the packed bars enjoying their Friday night beers. 

So far we have been met with smiles and support, from the waving man outside the train Station, the reception staff at the near by Best western, who let us sit in their lobby and use their wifi, to the patient waiter at our dinner stop, as we excitedly pointing to practically everything on the menu that could be grilled on a stick to then wash down with a cool beer.

Sinjuku is the place to stay, here the young and old mix in the crazy bars, rooms in hotels are rented by the hour, for intimate hungry couples and there's a vibe of excitement on the streets. We headed to the amazing Golden-Gai alleys in the evening, where there Are rows of bars as small as my spare bedroom, and are packed with really friendly locals in it for the long hall of having a bar to yourself and relaxing. We were beckoned Into a tiny bar my a waving group of locals and spent a couple of hours laughing, drinking and sampling local bar snacks (hence the title of today's pub), and huge cheers for picking up the tap - to the guy on my left at the bar -what an amazing first night :)

I didn't expect to be drinking whiskey sodas to midnight, I didn't expect to be greeted so warmly and I didn't expect this city to have such order and calm. So far Tokyo, you have blown my mind !!  

One sleep to Japan

Ok I'm not counting the plane snooze - almost packed and slightly regretting the two pints of Guinness in the pub after work!!!! Now on the computer syncing up my itouch, making sure that I have enough episodes of DID's to occupy me on the long train journeys ahead, what a tech savvy world we live in now.....

So buckle up and enjoy my travels with me, I can promise funny stories, interesting banter and a real cultural experience.

さようなら

Sayōnara

And it's not just the monks who collect food

Across all of Asia the monks rise at dawn to walk barefoot across towns, cities and villages to collect food from the devout. I neither travelled barefoot (let's not forget the orthotics), rise at dawn (I'm just not a morning person) or obviously am a monk!! However there were so many times when I was treated to a meal, or a tea and as always I come away from this absolutely incredible trip with a spring in my step knowing that the world is full of the most amazing, kind, thoughtful and generous people. 

Interestingly I had a long conversation with a Burmese guy now living in New York whilst I was waiting for a coach.  He noted, as he had been away for ten years, that Myanmar had changed beyond recognition. Even a year ago people would have been too scared to speak to travellers for fear of reprisals from the military. Now under the ever present guidance of Aung Sung Suu Kei, she is asking everyone to embrace travellers and make them feel truly welcome to this incredible country. These are such wise words, as across the globe travellers are spreading the word of this incredible country and its wonderful people, and this is really powerful. The recent visit from President Obama put all eyes on Myanmar - just to witness his over zealous embrace of this gracious woman!  Even though he was only here for a few hours, the significance of the visit is huge. 

My travels are all about the people first and the places visited take a second place, and this is definitely the order!  My thanks to everyone who made the trip so special, to the National league for Democracy household who gave me a flag, to the woman on the bus who brought me lunch, to my excellent guide in mawlamyine, who was an amazing guide for two days and made a special trip to take me to the bus station with a Christmas card to present!,  to the man at the bus stop who was so interesting, to the boat drivers, cycle rickshaw drivers, the teachers who invited me into their schools,  the monk in Mandalay who gave me some cakes, the women at the noodle shop who gave me lunch, my tuktuk driver who waited with me at the train station for an hour, as the train was delayed, to everyone who I sat with and then let me take their photo - here's a huge 'jay-zu ding ba-de' - thank you.....

I asked my wonderful guide when I was in the south what I should do to support the democratic movement when I returned home and his advice was to spread the word as to how wonderful Myanmar is and get as many independent travellers coming, as this will make a huge difference, in both opening up the country and bringing in money that will increase entrepreneurship - so come, come to the most amazing, welcoming and stunningly beautiful country.....
For those of you who love to travel and hear of others travels please subscribe to 'Betty in the sky with a suitcase' - Betty is an American flight attendant and her pod casts are fab, with hilarious stories from flights and interesting travelling tales. 

Is it wise to fly with an airline that has just had a major crash ?

Checking out my next travel options I was not too thrilled to discover that my next bus journey would be 15 hours to get back to Yangon! So I decided to fly and the only option for the time that I wanted was with Bagan Airlines, whose plane had recently crashed up north. What's the chances of lightening striking twice? Anyway as I write this I am back in Yangon and all is good - and I am relieved that I am making the most of this extra time by heading to a local park where there is a huge concert, celebrating Independence Day and you've guessed it - I am the only traveller here !!!! 

Life on the lake

The whole focus of heading to Inle lake is to explore life on the lake, so I took a boat with drivers for the day and I have to say it was one if the best travelling days ever!!! The river is fascinating, teaming with bird life, amazing fishermen, using the same fishing methods to fish as they would have hundreds if years ago. There are temples, towns,  markets and newly opened restaurants all round the lake and you could be here for days discovering all that is to explore,, but the usual room supply and demand has meant that I only have two night, but I am amazed that mrs Jasmine in Mandalay even managed this!!!! 

So after a day of getting on and off the narrow boat and sitting in the sunlight, we were all knackered and needed to be revived by a cold beer and beautiful sunset!!!  The next day we headed to a local market on the nearby shore line and then checked into a guest house in town and biked up to the local vineyard to have a wine tasting session and watch sunset over the lake from the hills - stunning!!! 

I've found paradise

This wasn't too hard, as I was staying at the paradise Inle resort, which was a taste paradise. Reached only by boat,  it is a resort on the lake completely on stilts and water locked. I felt like a VIP arriving by boat and then checking into my bungalow to rest, after dozing in reception until my room was cleaned! 

So after a really lazy day I was watching sunset from the sun lounger when I got chatting to two other solo travellers and it was then when we started to celebrate new year - a few beers and a few more whiskies made sure that we were fully toasting 2013 in style!