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<title>My RSS Feed</title><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/index.html</link><description>Hot News&#x21;</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2008 Robin Jeeps</dc:rights><dc:date>2005-04-01T07:18:14+01:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:40:52 +0100</lastBuildDate><item><title>Back to Kansai</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-04-01T07:18:14+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e1bc74a1466077a7fba5c009f1086a56-23.php#unique-entry-id-23</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e1bc74a1466077a7fba5c009f1086a56-23.php#unique-entry-id-23</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[One of the girls in the cafe gave us a message from the girl who had served us the night before; she wanted to say hello to us which was very sweet. ...  Went back up the valley through the same amazing scenery and then north through much flatter land with rice and vegetable crops.   Saw many herons looking for food in ponds and riverbeds and a buzzard making off with its lunch from a field right next to the train.


...Last leg was another train to Kansai airport and we checked into hotel tired and hot after being cooped up in trains all day.   Had uninspired Japanese version of Italian pasta in the airport and then wandered around a bit before heading back to our room.   Airport at Kansai is built on a man made island and is accessed by a single bridge a couple of miles long. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Katsurahama</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-31T07:17:44+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/97d2fb5c0778afac7f4c48ee090d9d91-22.php#unique-entry-id-22</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/97d2fb5c0778afac7f4c48ee090d9d91-22.php#unique-entry-id-22</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[ Bought tourist bus tickets at the hotel and caught the bus to Godaisan which is an ornamental garden on top of a hill overlooking the river estuary.   Bus ride was very scary going up hairpin bends hundreds of feet above the city but worth it when we reached the top. 

...When we reached the bottom we found ourselves in front of the most stunning beach with grey gravelly sand and turquoise sea stretching on forever.   The sun was so warm we were able to lie on the beach and also paddle in the water; it was pretty cold though.   We spent about an hour or so soaking up the sun, eating a weird Japanese version of a vanilla ice cream and taking photos of the lovely views. ...  We walked back down to get a drink and I had a strawberry icecream out of a vending machine - very strange, although it tasted great. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Kochi</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-30T07:17:14+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/afc9cc39bf1f7aeb6ee06fc4c35bdc3b-21.php#unique-entry-id-21</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/afc9cc39bf1f7aeb6ee06fc4c35bdc3b-21.php#unique-entry-id-21</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Checked out of the hotel and got the local train to Awa Iekeda where we changed for another local train down to Kochi.


...One minute we were over the river on a bridge and the next running next to the main road but all the time shuttling along several hundreds of feet above huge rocks and crystal clear water.   Eventually the line came down to the valley where the land is so flat that much of it has been flooded for rice growing.


Kochi is a small town which is very relaxed and it has a tiny tramline network with some quaint 1950s style trams. ...  After checking at the tourist information office we got a taxi to the Hotel New Hankyu and checked in for 2 nights. ...  A quick look round the shopping centre and a cup of coffee and a cake in the Daimaru department store and then back to the hotel to get a meal and watch the Japan vs. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mt Bizan</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-29T07:16:46+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ff4b832a85accf8cb6fe806573592586-20.php#unique-entry-id-20</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ff4b832a85accf8cb6fe806573592586-20.php#unique-entry-id-20</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After breakfast we set off for the cable cars to go up Mt Bizan, Robin having decided that he could conquer his fear long enough to cope with the six minute ride.   The building from which we took the cable car was also home to a very nice souvenir shop and the Awa Odori dance theatre.   We had a cable car to ourselves and were behind two very excited, giggling japanese girls who took our photo from their cable car in front of us. ...  It levelled out a bit more towards the bottom and we ended up in some sort of very old cemetery where some stones had been up-endd by tree roots. ...  Walked back to the town centre and got a big supply of delicious cakes from a patisserie and then stopped for lunch in a student cafe. ...  In the evening we went to see the Awa Ododi dance display at the theatre which was very colourful and noisy but we decided against getting up on stage and joining in ourselves.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Tokushima</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-28T07:16:02+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/2db8568e98f64e47d8fd7b827c35185d-19.php#unique-entry-id-19</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/2db8568e98f64e47d8fd7b827c35185d-19.php#unique-entry-id-19</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Many people chose to lie on the floor and sleep but we sat up to look ouf of the window and watch inane game shows on TV. ...  We joined the queue outside for the bus and stood on the bus for ages to get to the city centre with 30 others who didn't bat an eye at us or our huge cases.   We decided to get off where it looked busy which turned out to be one stop around the corner from the station anyway.   Main lessons about riding the bus in Japan - get on at the back and leave at the front and pay when you get offand not when you get on. 

...We walked into the huge Hotel Clement on top of the station and took a double room on the 16th floor with view over the city and Mt Bizan.


...Too worn out by ferry journey to do anything else except go for cheap and disgusting Chinese meal in station shopping centre.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Wakayama</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-27T07:15:28+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/eb7bcda31ae9bd0e70877ab8711e11dc-18.php#unique-entry-id-18</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/eb7bcda31ae9bd0e70877ab8711e11dc-18.php#unique-entry-id-18</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Ate a delicious bento box en route and saw some countryside at last with many houses growing an orange tree in their garden.


No sign of a tourist office at Wakayama but were spotted by a resident American who pointed us in the direction of the station hotel called Hotel Granvia. 

...On the way we met an Irish girl working here as a teacher who showed us the way to a cheap internet cafe in a shopping arcade so we checked mail, bank accounts, football scores and weather forecast - all for 100 Yen.


Wakayama seemed like a ghost town after Osaka; hardly anyone on the streets and the railway station and streets played calming music just to make sure nobody got too excited. 


...It turned out to be the best meal so far and was served by a very cheery girl who did her best to speak in English. ...  We washed our meal down with an Asahi beer and then went back to our room to write postcards and get some sleep. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Football</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-26T07:15:00+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/bd5449534851d998fdeaddc60c4be527-17.php#unique-entry-id-17</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/bd5449534851d998fdeaddc60c4be527-17.php#unique-entry-id-17</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It was a great example of japanese organisation as each person had their blue tarpaulin laid out in a square marked on the ground with white string.   Those people selling had gone to a great deal of trouble to make their goods look attractive, laying them out nicely, hanging them on rails and presenting them in clear plastic wrapping.


Off to do some more shopping in department stores and sandwiches in a very English type cafe with japanese girls waiting at table dressed in black dresses with white lace collars. ...  After lunch we caught the tube south of the city centre to Nagai to the Nagai Stadium to see the local team, Cerezo Osaka play Shimizu S-Pulse in the Nabisco Cup. ...  Although a huge stadium only 6,000 people turned out which did not make for the sort of atmosphere found at a British footy match and all very civilised apart from the two very noisy groups at each end. 

...It was starting to feel very claustrophobic so we headed back to the hotel once we managed to find our way into one of the 25 entrances to Namba station.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nagoya</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-25T07:14:21+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/43d19f6ed52e5d3d99111427659367c3-16.php#unique-entry-id-16</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/43d19f6ed52e5d3d99111427659367c3-16.php#unique-entry-id-16</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Really cold but sunny and we were up early to battle through the Osaka rush hour to get the bullet train to Nagoya.   An hour later at Nagoya we got the local train for 50 minutes to the end of the line and finally the local tube thing to the Expo site. 

...We visited some of the pavillions - India, Mexico, central America - and had some chicken and chips to warm up but everywhere in the open air was just too cold to wait in line for.   The queue to see the woolly mammoth was 2 hours long at 4pm but we did see some small robots.   We decided to call it a day and headed back to Osaka by various trains and went to find food near to Namba.   Three helpings of okinomayaki washed down with cold beer did the trick and we also went for a walk around Dotombori again to watch the young and trendy people go past.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nara</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-24T07:13:16+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/38ebf9ce3f0ec64a79090705d7a3fc5f-15.php#unique-entry-id-15</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/38ebf9ce3f0ec64a79090705d7a3fc5f-15.php#unique-entry-id-15</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Tube to JR Namba to go to Nara but got off at Namba instead so had to get Kintetsu line to a different station in Nara. 

...All the park area is occupied by the local deer who are extremely tame and quite happy to come and eat out of your hand especially if your hand is full of deer crackers which are on sale for 150 yen a packet.   Favourite deer tactic is to wait near to a deer cracker vendor and then jump on the person who opens the first packet of crackers.


Walked back down to the town centre and had a truly disgusting chicken sandwich before stopping at a 100 Yen shop for some gifts and finally to JR station for slow train to Kyoto and get out of the freezing rain.


Jumped on a bullet train in Kyoto and back in Osaka in 20 minutes so in time to find excellent model shop where he gave us 30% off since he was so pleased to see a customer.   Had a Macdonalds in the station and then took the subway to Umeda where we went to internet cafe to check email and weather forecasts. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Himeji</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-23T07:12:44+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/c7256213fd951fa3f11ae63328e49e5b-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/c7256213fd951fa3f11ae63328e49e5b-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Had breakfast at a reasonable hour and set off by tube to Shin-Osaka station to catch a bullet train to Himeji. 

...Really wet and miserable in Himeji but we were determined to see the castle so climbed up through the rain through all the winding passages an gates that got smaller in turn to make it ever harder to get through.   Once inside the main building we had to take our shoes off and xhuffle onwards in slippers carrying our shoes in a carrier bag. 

...Once back on ground level we headed for the nearest cafe and a welcome bowl of steaming noodles with beef, deep-fried tofu and shredded kelp washed down with green tea. ...  Enjoyed nice restful hour on bullet train once the ticket inspector was happy that we were sat in the correct seats; amusing really given that the whole carriage was virtually empty.


...Managed to get fairly lost in the shopping malls but eventually rediscovered Starbucks after about 50 minutes of wandering around which just goes to show how big the station's shopping area is. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Osaka</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-22T07:11:30+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e62141f880fd1cf7236524c3c4659f51-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e62141f880fd1cf7236524c3c4659f51-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Went to the aquarium and saw spectacular fish from all over the world including porpoises, a whale shark and huge Japanese crabs.   We were also entertained by otters, dolphins and penguins, all of which were well practised at playing to the crowds.   The aquarium was very well designed and we went deeper under water as we walked round.   After the aquarium we had some lunch in an italian cafe and then went to watch a 3d film at the Imax cinema. 

...Went to look around Den Den Town which is the electronics district and saw millions of tiny devices on sale in a bizarre jungle of overcrowded shops.   Some had as many as six floors of electronics on show all piled on top of each other haphazardly. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Osaka</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-21T07:10:34+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/d150c4d9ae4799db0ed4d8fe565dabea-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/d150c4d9ae4799db0ed4d8fe565dabea-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Started the day with a swim again and big breakfast then walked up to the castle through the grounds. ...  We came back down to get a river boat up to Osaka Amenity Park and saw the main city areas from sea level. 

...OAP was very eerie place and almost deserted with some extremely upmarket shops and a basement section of incomprehensible Japanese restaurants but we found an excellent local cafe for a lunch of dumplings and noodles and cold oolong tea. 

...We went to the Daimaru department store instead and had cakes and a disgustingly strong green tea.   We got some presents for people and looked at designer clothes from Paul Smith, Chanel etc.


Walked for miles through endless covered arcades of trendy shops which were thronged with bizarrely dressed Japanese teenagers with their Louis Vuitton handbags and high heels. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Osaka</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-20T07:10:06+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ef1d1927e5291357a0839b7bb90efdc8-11.php#unique-entry-id-11</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ef1d1927e5291357a0839b7bb90efdc8-11.php#unique-entry-id-11</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We had to cover up our tattoos with elastoplast so we will need plenty of that by the end of the week. 

...Not fully blooming yet for another week but very pretty nevertheless and enough to have all the locals out for their picnics under the trees. 

...Late leaving the hotel to go and meet Jun Jun and got lost finding the local tube station whih turned out to be just 5 minutes walk away and got more lost finding Junjun's hotel so we were an hour late and she thought we were coming the following day so had gone wihout us.   Hotel staff were very helpful and gave a written map to the taxi driver and he got lost too but we eventually arrived at the Little Wonder cafe to meet friends who welcomed us like long-lost family. 

...On the way out Sarah managed to trigger the emergency alarm in the Japanese-style toilet by pressing the wrong button; she thought it was the flush!   Spent some time wandering around in a ginormous underground shopping centre full of clothes and cosmetic shops as well as many different types of eatery. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sheffield to Osaka</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2005-03-19T07:08:39+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/fb57aaefdc891ce30dae185231766e05-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/fb57aaefdc891ce30dae185231766e05-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Up at 5am to get a lift to the airport. flight to Frankfurt was late leaving and arriving so no time all to hang around at Frankfurt airport. 10 hour flight to Osaka was uneventful but on a much more cramped plane than last year. route from Germany took us over Warsaw, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Ulan Bator, Beijing and south Korea.


landed at kansai on a lovely sunny morning and nice to get some fresh air after 15 hours in airports and on planes. ...  Bit unlucky to be on the 13th floor but as the japanese think 4 is the unlucky number guess we shouldn't worry about it.   The hotel has something like 15 places to eat in it so we are not going to go hungry whilst we are here.   Like many places in Japan, the hotel is overrun with little uniformed men and women scuttling around being super helpful so no danger of suffering poor service here.


...Bravely embarked on a large bowl of soba noodles with some cooked rare duck and spring onions, all floating in something resembling brown hot water. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Osaka to Kings Cross</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2004-03-14T07:08:03+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/8c47f6b6a08312056b5b2a3ff93e03e9-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/8c47f6b6a08312056b5b2a3ff93e03e9-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Scrambled eggs and bacon and 4 cups of coffee so a v good start to the day.   Taxi to Kyoto Railway Station for 0800 and caught train to Kansai Airport which is an amazing place and very futuristic looking, incredibly clean and efficient.


Bought a few more last minute presents including sweets and biscuits for the office.   Flight uneventful and very long - plenty of space to spread out as the plane wasn't full.   Arrived back at Heathrow pretty much on time and caught the Heathrow Express.   Went from Kings Cross to Cambridge and got back to Robin's mum's house at 1900. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Kyoto</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2004-03-13T07:07:14+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/4e8e4a11500c9c93b052ed1c48e9adc9-8.php#unique-entry-id-8</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/4e8e4a11500c9c93b052ed1c48e9adc9-8.php#unique-entry-id-8</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We decided to go and find a cafe before sightseeing and were very happy to discover a Starbucks down the road - 'real' food including chocolate chip cookies and coffee! 

...Walked back into the city along one of the main shopping streets which went on for miles of immaculate shops with beautiful window displays. ...  More endless shops from there but this time in long arcades forever with thousands of people everywhere enjoying the sun on a Saturday afternoon. ...  Third cup of decaff in a week - now so used to the routine that it didn't matter when the girl at the counter explained it all in Japanese. 

...Dinner proved to be a pleasant surprise as we had beef sukiyaki cooked at our table in our room by the Japanese owners in traditional dress. 

...Also met a very friendly Japanese family, who insisted on taking our photo; I think his hands were as cold as mine judging by the camera shake.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Kyoto</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2004-03-11T07:06:43+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/15d98775ad840d41f98cbd82c92b4fc5-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/15d98775ad840d41f98cbd82c92b4fc5-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Couldn't check in so left our bags and walked by the river to the station and then got completely lost on the subway trying to get back to the station. 

...Rather bizarre eating chinese food in Japan but we were anxious to eat something filling before returning to the Ryokan for a traditional Japanese dinner. 

...Small and packed Starbucks we were amazed to find ourselves sitting next to a woman called Eri from Bowienet, who we had met at the concert in Osaka the night before. 

...After our showers in what was described as a westernised bathroom but contained an extremely short wooden bath, we dressed in kimonos and tabi (socks) ready for our dinner which was served very promptly at 1900 by a Japanese woman in traditional dress. ...  The evening started to take on signs of a Brian Rix farce as the Japanese woman kept coming in and out to clear the room and put down our futons. ...  The Japanese woman seemed very concerned about not being able to find us a night light and eventually returned with one that she plugged in. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Osaka</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><category>Bowie</category><dc:date>2004-03-12T07:05:56+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/0080c7de263f8141c5a15d3870bf1a27-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/0080c7de263f8141c5a15d3870bf1a27-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Early start in order to check out of hotel and get cab to Tokyo Station in plenty of time to catch bullet train.   Lucky we had lots of time so that Robin could go to the bullet train shop and buy bullet train souvenirs for the team and Em.   Station was amazing - immaculately clean with an army of Japanese women in pink uniforms lined up to get the next train ready. 

...Difficult to tell where all the temples were from the brief encounter with the station but no doubt we will find out tomorrow.


...Went for a walk around and found huge electronics dept store with one floor just for cameras but unfortunately not long enough there to spend any money. 

...'Bring Me The Disco King' was stunning as ever but we were just a few feet from him as he sang it off his gantry above us. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Day four</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2004-03-10T07:05:19+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ec7c4a9c47c2e2fe4971050b95ac1cea-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/ec7c4a9c47c2e2fe4971050b95ac1cea-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Made after lunch purchase of perfume and aftershave as it turned out to be considerably cheaper than even duty free at Heathrow. ...  I pressed my nose up against the glass counters inside Tiffanys and dreamt of being Holly Golightly. 

...Met some talking gates, a taking drinks machine and, finally, an entire talking park which played 'Auld Lang Syne' as we left. 

...Finally found a Starbucks so could get some decaffinated coffee at last, although the man serving advised it would take three or four minutes - he then forgot to bring it!   Headed back to the tube via Tokyo's financial district and past the main railway station. ...  Robin managed to eat more of the sashimi than I did - neither of us ate the thing that looked very like a garden snail! ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Day Three</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><category>Bowie</category><dc:date>2004-03-09T07:04:39+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e6c17d6c3e867c236696f9d44b1be8ef-4.php#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/e6c17d6c3e867c236696f9d44b1be8ef-4.php#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Got off the boat at Asakusa and found another dept store where we managed to order some food - shrimp egg fried rice in a cafe using the tried and tested method of pointing at the plastic food in the display cabinet outside!   Robin continues to be captivated by the tuneful doors on the tube trains on the blue line and is threatening to record the sound using one of his techno whizzy cameras tomorrow!


...Walking through the gates of what looks like a Japanese palace did not have the same feel as the NEC in Birmingham or getting off the Jubilee Line at Wembley Arena. ...  We also met some more Bowienetters from England - easy to spot because at least a foot taller than anyone else in the crowd.   When we left we were starving so we had the Japanese equivalent of hot dogs : noodles cooked with cabbage, onions and soy sauce from one of many street vendors.   Catching the tube proved challenging as we failed dismally to purchase tickets for the right line and had to resort to arm waving and pointing. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Budokan first night</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><category>Bowie</category><dc:date>2004-03-07T07:03:25+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/44e135654cb50a1e27068fdb332b7026-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/44e135654cb50a1e27068fdb332b7026-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Coins were thrown into a large wooden box with slats on the top and then some sort of incense powder was sprinkled on to the smouldering ashes. 

...Robin was very successful in his attempts to order us some lunch in a cafe in the basement of a dept store. 

...Found JunJun very easily and she took us to the ticket office where we were successful in getting our tickets for both Tokyo concerts. ...  We were six rows from the front and met some people from Bowienet who had also come over from Europe as well as two who had just been around Australia and seen all the shows there for two weeks. ...  Concert started at 7:30pm and was over by 9:30pm so we went home on the tube with all the people coming home from work.   Lots of street vendors outside afterwards with little stalls selling photos and keyrings by gaslight - photos won't do it justice. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Cambridge to Tokyo</title><dc:creator>rjeeps@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Japan</category><dc:date>2004-03-06T07:02:45+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/2afa8b291d7c8fd449f12c85a1baf3ea-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.robinjeeps.com/blog/newblog_files/2afa8b291d7c8fd449f12c85a1baf3ea-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Flew over Hamburg, Stockholm, St Petersburg and all the way across Russia and Siberia until Khabarovsk and then south over Japan.


Landed safely and then 2 hour bus rid to hotel through Tokyo from the airport - 60 km.   Tokyo is such a huge place and motorways are 5 stories up in the air above railways, rivers and canals. ...  Flew over Hamburg, Stockholm, St Petersburg and all the way across Russia and Siberia until Khabarovsk and then south over Japan.  Train Cambridge to Liverpool St, tube to Paddington, train to Heathrow.   Flew over Hamburg, Stockholm, St Petersburg and all the way across Russia and Siberia until Khabarovsk and then south over Japan.]]></content:encoded></item></channel>
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