Silvano On The Go

The Bullet trains are cool (caught 3 in total). I think maybe I expected to be zoomed across land at the speed of light with my cheek bones pulled backwards and all. In reality it’s mostly a smooth but very fast ride. The trains get up to a speed of over 300km per hr. What I like most is the efficiency of not only the bullet trains but all the trains we caught while here. They pulled off exactly on time and arrived exactly on time – not a minute earlier. The conductors bow on entering and exiting the carriages, which I also thing is really lovely (they all seem so sweet and gentle, it’s hard to imagine what 1 of them might do if someone didn’t have a ticket). And like all other public transport here, they are immaculately clean. As are the streets. We were playing a game of ‘spot the litter’ and the only thing I saw was I small piece of paper blowing along the pavement one evening in Gion... must have been a tourist. Kidnapped A curious Japanese lady struck up a conversation with ...

Beautiful Hakone I left the luxuries of my hotel in Tokyo; the noise, the hustle and bustle for the tranquil atmosphere of Hakone and the simplicity of a Ryokan. I’ve been blessed to visit some exceptionally beautiful destinations in my time and Hakone is right up there with the best of them. As our bus climbed higher and higher, encircling us deeper and deeper within the striking green mountains, I was surprised to see some people were actually bike riding up these steep inclines. Sleeping on a tatami floor We spent 2 nights at a Ryokan – Japanese traditional inn and even though I had pre-warned my husband about the simplicity of the accommodation (no beds, we sleep on futons and no chairs, we have cushions and a small low table) I think he was still a little surprised by the reality of it all. Although I am not too sure just how traditional this Ryokan was with a flat screen, HD TV in the corner of out room. It was a great experience for 2 nights but I'm not sure I could have st...

Konnichiwa Tokyo Jumped on a limousine bus from Narita airport directly to the hotel Conrad in Shiodome. Effortless. Did very little that evening as it was raining heavily and I didn’t want to venture too far. That said, the hotel is based above a massive underground complex so it is possible to shop, eat and jump onto the metro without ever going outside. Woke up early the next morning to visit the world renowned Tsukiji Fish Market . I didn’t get there at 5am as suggested to catch the tuna auctions – after all, I am on holiday! Got there slightly after 6.30am (thankfully it was within walking distance of the hotel). High speed motorized carts weaved their way in and out the stalls making deliveries. One needs to navigate this market with real caution as a collision with one of these things could prove perilous. But the most surprising thing about this market is the absence of a pungent fish smell. I’m told this is because the fish is so fresh it doesn’t stink... hmm, I wonder what t...

Day 2 Boy oh boy did the heavens open up this morning – and stayed that way for the entire day. Didn’t know it was possible for so much rain to fall in one day. But at least it was warm. DMZ & Panmunjeom It was obscenely expensive and there was a bit too much waiting around but I would still recommend travellers to Seoul / South Korea take this tour. The morning tour to the DMZ started with a brief history of the Korean War and the current status on the North, South divide. Then came the first painstaking wait of the day – obtaining government clearance to enter the zone. Passed some lightly armed military men as we approached entrance to DMZ; nothing too scary. We were warned by the tour guide to stick close to her and we’d be safe from the 700,000 landmines that still lined the area. However, there was the reassurance that, in the unlikely event one did go off, we’d merely loose a leg but not our life. Okay then! The first real challenge of the day was the ascent out of the thi...

Looks like we made it out in the nick of time – thank you Jesus! Planes at Heathrow were grounded again less than 12 hours after we departed. The 11 hour flight to Seoul was uneventful and I managed to sleep for a bit of it. While hubby chose the safe ‘western’ style meals, I dove straight in and ordered the Korean. My Bi-Bim-Bab came complete with mixing instructions and I felt a little chef like as I sat in my seat stirring and adding ingredients. Immigration and baggage reclaim was a smooth process and it’s easy to see why Incheon International Airport won ‘Best Airport Worldwide’ 3 years in a row. Night one Got to hotel, dropped bags and headed straight back out to find the Yoido Full Gospel Church – the largest gospel church in the world. They hold seven services in the Main Chapel on a Sunday and I was hoping to catch the end of the 7.30pm but didn’t. I did however catch one of the smaller services. I couldn’t understand a word of what they were singing, save for the occasional...