travelling allrite

My leave was approved. I feel a bit bad about potentially leaving work a little understaffed for a few days. I wondered if maybe it would be better to have split up the trip. That way I could look forward to another holiday later in the year. September kept popping into my head. Now I recall why September. I've been to Japan twice in September, including our first ever trip there in 2003. Both times it was very hot and sticky. So maybe it isn't such a great time to visit. We've been once before, in later June of 2008, and it seemed okay then so hopefully it will be true for this trip. April is definitely my favourite time, when the cherry blossoms are out, the lanterns are strung between the trees and the nation is in a festive mood. March last year was cold and still a little bleak. Nikko's autumn foliage of early November 2005 was another highlight. I should like to see winter in Japan one day. My experience of snow is very limited and there is nothing like a hot

A couple of days later and our travel plans may be thrown into disarry with there being some dispute over whether I can actually take leave from work for the entire period. This after we have already paid for some accommodation and fares. I must await a decision on Monday, but if it is in the negative then it is likely that we will have to rebook the Japan leg for later in the year and lose the first class flight from Hong Kong to Osaka, returning to Australia instead. There goes my opportunity to experience a different class of travel... The uncertainty is depressing because it felt so good to be dreaming about Japan again. Tonight I sat down at my piano and played music from John Williams' score to Memoirs of a Geisha . I was instantly transported back to our 2006 trip to Japan. I saw the cold grey skies and greyer buildings, but rather than find them dreary I could feel the hot baths inside and be warmed by hot tea. I am addicted to Japan. In some ways I feel more at home th

I need a holiday. I really need a holiday. It's been so busy that I haven't had time to relax at all, let alone update a blog. Moving to a new house, a highly mobile toddler who has bad nights, the even longer journey to work now that I take him to child care. I need a holiday. I've booked a holiday. I used our combined Qantas frequent flyer points to book us an Asian adventure on Qantas, Jetstar and Cathay Pacific. Flying up to Bangkok, then Hong Kong and finally my beloved Japan before returning to Australia. And thanks to those points I was able to splurge on short ride in first class on Cathay Pacific between Hong Kong and Osaka. Oh well, flying Jetstar home again. Unfortunately, we are not adding any new countries to our list, having visited all of those destinations before. I tried to include South Korea or Taiwan, but they are difficult to book for Qantas frequent flyers. The list of countries in Asia that we haven't visited, apart from Taiwan, only include