Big in Japan

Well... not quite. Everyone is taller than I expected, shame. Yeah it's quite tricky for Hana being a veggie here but I had some fish noodle soup which was pretty good, although a bit unnerving as we we're the only people in the restaurant and they were all watching me eat it. Plenty of slurping was involved but gochiso-sama deshita (it was a real feast).

It's a good job the city is laid out in a grid system, otherwise we would have no clue where were going as most of the signs are written using Japanese symbols rather than words and so very difficult to translate.

Everyone is very friendly and respectful here. Just getting the bus from the airport with Heisa (aka "the kind lady") we found that every time the bus stopped someone from the bus company would get on, bow and announce where we were before bowing again and jumping off.

From the temples I've seen so far I am very impressed, even lighting my own incense stick and "washing" the smoke over me. It's quite an odd sensation but very calming and serene. The city itself is a really interesting mix of old and new but many of the traditions are still very much in place.

Anyway, I've written a good essay here (the result of not being able to sleep!) so I'll round it up. Off to the fish market tomorrow, one of the largest in the world - they have 300kg tuna for sale, might bag me a fresh one! Hope everyone is well, please email or comment on here to stay in touch - mobile doesn't work.

- Phil x