This should be our Christmas trip up to date. As much as I would like to claim credit, it is Hayley who has put in the marathon effort getting this all written. I'm currently writing up Paris so we should be all caught up by the end of the week
I have managed to upload a few more photos so you may want to look at those, but only after you've read the update.
We decided that for our last few days in New Zealand we would split up, so Nick headed up to Auckland to spend some time with his parents and I stayed in Hamilton with Mum. Mum and I had quite a bit of tripping around planned but we started with morning tea at Chartwell with Gran. We even managed to slip in some shopping, sunglasses for Gran and a summer skirt for me. Mum and I then headed out for Rotorua. Dad was coaching the under-15 Northern Districts cricket team in the annual North Island tournament so he was down in Rotorua for the week. Mum and I thought we would go down and take in a bit of cricket and have a meal out with just the three of us. We stayed in Dad's motel unit. This was a step up from the previous years when he has stayed in a rather tiny cabin with no indoor bathroom. So we were pleased to at least have internal plumbing. We had a lovely dinner out and then drinks back at the unit with the team manager and his wife. The boys were watching the Dukes of Hazzard on the outdoor movie screen the complex had. The next morning we watched a bit of cricket and Mum put her first aiding skills to use when one of the team was hit in the mouth by a ball, fortunately no great damage just a rather swollen mouth.
We then set off for a return drive to Auckland. We made a slight detour to Pukekohe to visit a shop that has a wide range of gluten free products and Mum made a few purchases. We then headed for Takapuna. We had arranged with Sarah to spend a girls night in a very nice hotel that has views out over Rangitoto. We checked in and then went to see Nick and Robyn who were having a swim in Robyn's new pool, we joined in and it was lovely to feel the cool water after our long drive. Mum and I headed back to the hotel to meet Sarah. We decided to dine in the hotel's restaurant and we all had delicious meals, Mum's was a whole fish, mine steak and Sarah's some kind of game bird (I forget which one) then headed back to the room for bed. We awoke to beautiful views of Rangitoto and much of the harbour. We decided to try out the hotel's spa pool and had a relaxing swim before checking out. We met Sarah's Mum Norma and Pam for morning tea and then picnicked with Duncan at Campbells Bay for lunch. Nick came and met us and the effects of his day in the sun were obvious. He was a rather unpleasant shade of red!! We headed back to see Karen and Kate, before Nick and I went back to his parents to undertake the dreaded packing. Sarah was a good sport and accompanied us through all of this. It was so nice to see her and catch up.
I went back to Karen and Duncan's to say farewell properly. I fed Kate dinner and had a big cuddle. Unfortunately, Duncan and Karen didn't want me to pack her in my suitcase. It was awfully hard saying goodbye, she seemed to develop almost daily and it will be quite a while before we see her in person again. Mum and I went back to Robyn and Steven's for dinner and then we all had an earlyish night ready for the morning flight.
We had an early morning flight, so at least the day didn't drag. Robyn and Steven and Mum came to the airport to see us off. We all surveyed the various teams of pre-teenagers who seemed to be flying about the same time as us and hoped fervently they wouldn't be on our flight. No such luck we did have one team on the flight and they were seated all around us. Never mind, at least they distracted us from the fact we were leaving. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in New Zealand. Thank-you to everybody who made time to see us, had us to stay or to a meal. It did make us a little homesick but only in a good way, we won't leave it too long to visit again.
We arrived in Tokyo in the late-afternoon. Having been organised we had established that the easiest and cheapest (though not necessarily the fastest) way to get into the city was by airport transfer bus. We managed to successfully negotiate obtaining tickets and in no time were sitting comfortably driving the motorways of Tokyo. Tokyo really is different to any other city I have ever been to. It is so huge and so busy and there is so much concrete and glass everywhere. We stayed in the Park Hyatt Tokyo (the Hotel from Lost in Translation for those of you who have seen it) which is located in Shinjuku, the central business area of Tokyo. The Park Hyatt was the last stop on the bus' itinerary so we got the Tiki tour of the locality. However, the hotel was more than worth the wait. It is absolutely beautiful. We had splashed out by staying there in honour of my 30th but it was worth every penny. It is a quiet oasis in the bustle of Tokyo and the rooms are amazing. The service is also out of this world, you barely have time to think you might like something before it appears. The hotel is well equipped with a downstairs patisserie and delicatessen, two restaurants upstairs, a bar and grill on the top floor and a fully equipped pool and gym. Oh, and did I mention the rooms are at least 43 floors off the ground. Ours was on the 48th floor, at least 200 metres above the ground. So as you can imagine the view is magnificent.
We spent quite some time looking at the lights of Tokyo before I took an executive decision that we were too tired to head out for dinner so would have room service instead. When it came it was on the cutest little table that they set up right by the window so we could eat and gaze at the view. We both had baths and climbed into the supplied yukata before crashing into bed. Neither of us had slept on the flight so it was a well deserved rest.
We awoke refreshed. We decided to take a walk in Shinjuku first thing to see if we could locate breakfast. We didn't have much luck so headed back to the hotel for the buffet breakfast at the main restaurant. Like everything else in the hotel this was superb. Fresh fruits, cereals, bircher muesli, pastries, breads, cold sliced meats, cheeses, salad and more. It was probably not quite as filling as the Swedish breakfasts but it was more posh!!
We then headed out to take a proper look at Shinjuku. Although it is mainly a business district there are lots of small cafes and restaurants and some massive department stores. We really just wandered looking at all the different things on offer. The highlight was when we stumbled onto the food floors of one of the major department stores. The first floor was like a market with all manner of food stuffs available for immediate consumption but also for later cooking. Seaweed, whole fish, bits of fish we didn't recognise, soy products, fruit and vegetables, soups and the list goes on. There were all sorts of bento boxes (lunch boxes with various little bits and pieces inside them). It was amazing. Lots of the stalls had bites to try but I don't think we were brave enough to get through the throng to try something unrecognisable. The second floor had sit down restaurants on it. They all have plastic representations of their food in the window. Something I'm used to when it comes to Japanese foods but plastic pizza and chips. Actually, even the pizza looked pretty life like.
We had arranged with the hotel to obtain some tickets to the Sumo Basho (tournament) that takes place in January. So we went back to the hotel to pick the tickets up before heading to Shinjuku station to figure out the Metro. Although the tournament runs from early morning we had been told that the action really starts heating up from around 2pm on. The wrestlers are all ranked and in each division each fighter has one fight a day. Each division contains progressively better fighters so by mid afternoon you are into the top two divisions.
It turns out the metro is really easy to use as long as you know where you are starting and stopping. You simply look up the two stations on the chart overhead, it tells you how much it will cost. You push the appropriate amount on the machine (conveniently with both English translations and the ability to buy more than one ticket at a time) and voila the tickets pop out and you are on your way. This time we were heading for Ryogoku. Fortunately the train goes right past Ryogoku Kokugikan (the Sumo stadium) and it is impossible to miss. It is a huge green roofed building reminiscent of a temple and flying huge banners. The building is almost worth visiting for its own intrinsic interest. It is lavish on the outside but surprisingly utilitarian on the inside. The wrestling itself was fascinating, even more so when the top division began and we could listen to English commentary on the radios that could be hired inside the stadium. The bouts are highly stylised, with lots of salt throwing, water drinking, stomping and slapping preceding each engagement. The fight can be remarkably tense, see-sawing from one wrestler to the other before one uses either his strength or the opponents weight to push his opponent out of the ring or onto the ground. Some of the contests were really close, there was even one draw. The poor wrestlers had to get up, shake themselves off and begin again. I'm afraid however that I can't tell the finishing moves apart they all look the same to me. I guess I would learn with time.
When a division ends and before the next one begins all the wrestlers in the upcoming bouts parade to the ring. First those fightlng from the East and then those from the West enter the ring, form a circle and undertake some ritual moves. After all the wrestlers have entered and left there is a further display of ritual before the bouts can begin. Once the wrestling has begun you begin with the lower ranked wrestlers working up to the final bout which involves the Yokozuna (highest ranked wrestler). On the day we went he did his duty and duly won the bout. The current Yokozuna is from Mongolia but isn't all that large (well comparatively speaking, the smallest of the wrestlers was 98 kg and he looked like a midget) so he must have superior technique I guess.
As with most sporting events there is a lot of merchandise available for sale. You can pick a pack from your favourite wrestler or buy chocolate Sumos or get general Sumo souvenirs. There is also a variety of food available as well. So we did the correct thing and bought snack food to consume. Sumo seems to be a family friendly event with lots of young children and older people in attendance. We were told it finishes at six sharp and it did. I don't know if they tell them to do less pre-match preparation but some of the bouts sure seemed to speed past. I personally think attend a Sumo Tournament should be added to everyones lists of things to do before they die. It gives a taste of both culture and sport and this particular form is unique to Japan. It was just fantastic.
I was a little concerned when the Sumo let out at six that we would hit rush hour trains but while they were busy I didn't think they were any busier than rush hour on London's trains. Given that a full Sumo hall of people had to get home somehow I didn't think they were too bad at all. We decided to try one of the various Sushi restaurants in Shinjuku for dinner. After some deliberation we picked one. It is really quite a shock to enter a restaurant and be greeted by a rousing chorus. You would think they had never been so pleased to see any one in their lives. We had miso and a selection of sushi from the conveyor belt as well as some from the menu. Nick had a beer. It cost us less than £7 all up. So much for Tokyo as an expensive city to eat in!! It was tasty and filling and we wandered back down the neon-lit streets to the hotel. We had a bath and headed for bed.
Following another delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant we decided to head out to see some of the famous shopping districts in Tokyo. We started with Harajuku. Harajuku is famous for its youth fashion and its toy and anime shops. Japanese toys are really, really cute, so cute that they are almost sickening. They all have big eyes and wide smiles. We found one of the most famous of the Tokyo toy shops Kiddyland and had a look around. There were just floors and floors of toys and games. Some Western, some Japanese. We were only a little tempted to buy a souvenir of our visit. The main focus of our trip to Harajuku was a visit to Snoopy Town, the home of all things Japanese and Snoopy. Western Snoopy items differ immensely from those available to Eastern audiences so we had a lovely time browsing the available stock. We were very restrained however, only picking up a couple of small, light items.
Next we headed to Akihabara, or Electric Town. Just to browse you understand, we had no intention of adding to our collection of gadgets (yeah right). The electronic shops are enormous but didn't seem to represent nearly as good a value as they used to. Nick thinks this is due to the encroachments made by internet shopping. Things are available much more cheaply over the internet and physical retailers find it difficult to compete. The sheer scale of the shops and the vast numbers of them were a sight to behold and worth the visit never-the-less. The most memorable thing however, was the weather. The skies opened. It absolutely poured. The shops must be used to this though as out came the umbrella stands. I'm sure some of them did better in umbrella sales than they did in electronic sales that day! We also had a delicious lunch in Akihabara, this time a set menu with miso, rice and salmon. This cost less than £5, an absolute bargain.
We ventured out into the rain again and headed for the Ginza. The Ginza is famous for having some of the highest land prices in the world. It is lined with upmarket shops, like Chanel and Prada. The area also has a large number of commercial art galleries. The weather however, was not playing ball. We found it extremely difficult to negotiate the area due to the heavy rain. I felt quite sorry for the protest march we passed, they were getting very wet indeed, I hope the cause was worth it. we did find a big Sony showroom where we played with an Aibo (electronic dog). They are so cute, they fetch and carry and can right themselves if you put them on their side. If it hadn't been £1000 we might have come home with one. After this we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere as we ended up outside Kabuki-Za (the Kabuki theatre) which is on the non-shopping bit of the Ginza. It is a very dramatic building, another which would be hard to miss. At this point we decided we were wet and cold enough so we headed back to the hotel for a shower to warm up.
We had booked into Kozue, the Japanese restaurant in the hotel, for a birthday dinner. We had decided that we wanted to try a proper Japanese banquet and Kozue has an excellent reputation. We had booked a table by the window but due to the weather we were up in the fog and couldn't even see the lights of the city. The food was divine, well with one or two exceptions. Nick had a full 8 course banquet, including dessert and I picked and chose from the a la carte menu. Nick's favourite of the many soups was the snapper-head soup. He enjoyed picking at the tasters like black beans dusted with gold. His favourite overall was the sashimi platter. The platter was actually a huge bowl filled with ice with the sashimi rested on it or nestled into hollowed out pockets in it. Fortunately I too had order sashimi so we had one each. I also ordered a taster platter, though different to Nick's, it had the only real failure of the evening Sea Cucumber. It looked like snot and had the consistency of snot and was so very salty. I had one tiny mouthful before I couldn't continue. I did however also have a whole, grilled flounder which was absolutely delicious. Nick's dessert was yuba (a soy delicacy), soy jelly with a green tea sauce. Apparently more delicious than it sounds. He ate the whole thing and it actually did look rather nice. It was a lovely way to end the day.
After all the rain of the day before we were lucky to wake to an astounding clear view of Mount Fuji. It is one of the selling points of the hotel that you may get a view of Fuji but I wasn't sure if we really would but sure enough there it was. It is pretty surreal to have all the bustle and buildings of Tokyo in front of this serene old mountain that just sits and watches it all. I spent quite some time gazing out the window at it. When we could tear ourselves away we headed down for a final breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
We had decided that we wanted to visit Senso-Ji, the Buddhist temple at Asakusa. You enter the temple through Kaminari-mon (the Thunder Gate) between representations of the god of wind and the god of thunder. This seemed strangely appropriate given the weather of the previous 24 hours. Apparently, we too were tourist attractions as a family asked us to join their group for a photo. We are not sure quite why we were so interesting but I hope we are not on somebody's mantlepiece somewhere.
Once you have entered the gates you are on Nakamise-dori, a shopping street. Here you can buy trinkets, crafts, yukata, kimono, chopsticks and various other art objects. Oh and food, lots of food. The temple itself is beautiful. Outside is a huge vat that wafts incense smoke that is said to bestow health. The ceiling is painted with elaborate motifs including dragons and kites. The temple precinct is full of lanterns of all sizes as well as prayer trees. There are also several Buddha statues and a pond full of giant carp. It is not really a relaxing place to visit, especially on a weekend as there are masses of tourists, mainly Japanese although a fair few gaijin (foreigners).
The place is awash with food stalls. Nick managed to locate some yakitori, which he said was excellent. I found some delicious freshly fried rice crackers that were dipped in Soy. They were warm and yummy. We munched and walked as we looked at the various stalls.
One of our aims in going to Japan was to return with some noodle bowls so we decided to go back to the department stores of Shinjuku on this quest. First, though I wanted to stop at Harajuku, to take a photo of Snoopy Town (something we had forgotten on our first visit). While we were here, I also popped to the shop next door and bought a mini canvas bag I had been eyeing. We also walked down the main youth thorough-fare. It was absolutely humming. At the top they were filming a music video and everywhere people wore fun fashion and hair. We also managed to pop in to a corner-shop and buy me an onagiri, a rice and seaweed wrap with a savoury filling (in this case salmon). These are intricately packaged to keep the rice and seaweed separate to maintain the crunch of the seaweed. Unwrapping them took some working out.
We then caught the train back to Shinjuku and browsed the department stores. The range of bowls and cups is amazing. We could have spent a fortune. In the end we found some bowls we both liked and ended up with a set of four. What we hadn't counted on was that they each came in a separate box. We ended up with quite a large package. On the walk back to the hotel we also decided we would each like one of the hotels yukata, having not seen any others that took our fancy.
Back at the hotel we decided on a swim. The pool had been closed for the first few days of our stay and this was its first day back open. We wanted to do the Bill Murray thing and swim there. Bathing caps are mandatory and the pool is not heated, or at least not that much. Once we got under though it was fun. we had a splash about and looked at the view. How many people can say they have swum on the 49th floor?
We again headed down town for dinner. This time we found a bar/restaurant that served tempura as well as more Hayley-friendly alternatives. It also, we subsequently discovered, cooked up the inhabitants of the tank in front of us on request. This of course isn't really any different to what we do to crayfish or crabs so we actually weren't terribly disturbed but one patron thought we should be and took great delight in ordering a meal of one of the fish and making strange noises as he ate. Even the waitresses didn't seem too keen on him. The food was good though. Nick's tempura was yummy and I had rice, miso and sushi. We wandered back through the neon-streets wishing we had a little more time in Japan.
More time was not to be however. We were up before 5 am for our flight out of Tokyo, back on the airport transfer bus, back through the much quieter streets to Narita. We had an uneventful check-in. We did manage to dispose of some of our smaller yen. We both had breakfast, I had sushi and Nick the more traditional bacon and eggs. We bought some chopsticks and a range of confectionary for people in England. Nick also managed to slip some Pocky for himself into the bags. The last of the coins went on a can of Pocari Sweat in the waiting lounge.
The flight was much emptier than any of the others we had been on so it was nice to have a bit of room and some peace and quiet. There were delicious Japanese options on the plane and we made the most of the various nibbles on offer. We breezed through immigration at this end and caught a cab home. It was nice to be back.
Posted by Hayley
and here's some more of our trip. We'll get there eventually.
The following morning we headed down to Wellington. Well, that was the plan anyway. Instead we were diverted to Palmerston North because Wellington airport was closed. We were a little horrified to think how bad the weather must have been in Wellington because landing at Palmy was no piece of cake. Nick felt awful so instead of taking a coach down into Wellington we hired a car so we could go at our own pace with plenty of stops. We eventually get into Wellington a little after lunch time. Poor Bronwyn had had an unnecessary drive to the airport to pick us up but it all worked out all right in the end. We managed to negotiate the Karori hills and locate Duncan and Bronwyn's new house up in the clouds. Of course, this was also an opportunity to meet the newest member of their family, Eden. He is such a wee cutie, full of smiles and very well behaved.
We had an awful lot of catching up to do in Wellington and I apologise that we didn't manage to catch a few minutes with everybody that we wanted to, it was all so hectic. On Tuesday we (Nick and I and Bronwyn, Duncan and Eden) ventured down to Oriental Parade but Wellington was living up to its reputation and it was blowing a gale. It was all far too much for at least one of us, though we were amazed to see some hardy souls venturing into the water. It was fascinating to see how much the waterfront had changed, including the importation of sand to create a new beach front and the construction currently being undertaken to build Waitangi Park, on the former Chaffers Park. Apparently when it is finished it will have green space, a children's play area, a skateboard park and various indoor recreation options. The development for the motorway has also started and behind our old flat is now a giant hole, although the dental school has been redeveloped into very nice looking flats. We ended up at Kelburn cafe for lunch before heading home for the first in a series of Cranium games.
The following day we headed into town again and had a coffee with Charlotte and Craig at Olive before heading up the road to see Nick's brother, Steven and his girlfriend, Nicole. Steve lives in a beautiful apartment in central Wellington and it was almost enough to make us homesick. We spent the afternoon catching up and shopping before going out to dinner at Capitol, next to the Embassy theatre. The food was fantastic and we had a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Prior to my arrival in Wellington I had put in a request with Julie and Adrian for some of their barbequed mussels and they were kind enough to oblige. We spent some time with Julie, seeing the new house and doing yet more shopping before Adrian got home from work and then they cooked up a feast barbequed mussels followed by divine seafood paella and homemade (by Julie) Christmas cake. Next time I think I might request crayfish.......
I also managed to sneak in some time with my family, not as much time nor as much family as I would have liked, next time we think we will spend longer in Wellington. I spent a few hours one afternoon with Nicky, Aunty Suzie and Harrison. It is quite hard to believe that wee babies like Kate and Eden will turn into active, funny two year olds. Harrison is a delight. I bribed him with hundreds and thousands biscuits which seemed to do the trick as he didn't seem at all shy. Ernie (yes as in the Sesame Street Ernie) seemed to enjoy afternoon tea as well so that was good. Nicky and Wayne have done a wonderful job of their house and it has certainly come a long way from the shell it was when we left the country.
On Saturday evening we had been invited to an 'Engagement Party' for Julie and Adrian. Now, being naturally suspicious, I had been a little sceptical about the true nature of the said 'party' so it came as no great shock when they announced after dinner that they would be getting married in 15 minutes. Nick and I were honoured to be asked to do a reading, The Owl and the Pussycat, and I was excited to be a bridesmaid (first time ever). It was a beautiful ceremony and we had a lovely time catching up with people we hadn't seen for ages. Julie looked beautiful and Adrian handsome so all in all it was a pretty perfect wedding!
We flew out on Sunday morning and were surprised at the airport by my Grandma and Aunty Suzie. They had very kindly come to see us off. Fortunately this time there were no hiccups with the plane and we landed as scheduled at Hamilton airport.
Posted by Hayley
Here is the next installment of our update. If you haven't seen the first part, check out January in the Archives.
Following Christmas we headed to Hamilton to spend a week with my parents. Grandma had arranged to spend an extra week with them as well so that we could all spend quality time together. So this was an extra special treat. Duncan, Karen and Kate came for a few nights visit as well. I think poor Gypsy was thoroughly put out. All these strange people descending on her house! Actually, she greeted Nick and I like we were long lost friends. We stayed in "my" bedroom, which coincidentally is her bedroom too so we had a little furry friend at night for the length of our stay. She had just started jumping again, only tiny jumps, following her knee construction so was feeling quite sore and cuddly still. Her fur was growing back remarkably well and I am pleased to report that she still has the same unique pattern of stripes and swirls (apparently sometimes when they have a whole section of their body shaved the fur grows back completely differently).
We did quite a few things while we were in Hamilton. One afternoon, we headed out to Lake Karapiro with Karen, Kate and Liz so that we could catch up with Uncle Gary and Aunty Jenny and Duncan could show off his skiing. Duncan has this idea about Kate following in his footsteps but the rest of us think she will have to wait a couple of years. Well at least until she is big enough for a life-jacket. The day wasn't the best but Nick and Duncan had a tube together which they both claimed was lots of fun. I observed a couple of times, it has been quite a few years since I had that dubious honour! I even had to try and remember how to throw a rope to a skiier on the dock. I was quite surprised by how well I did.
We spent quite a lot of time relaxing and barbecuing lots of different meats including steak, lamb, scallops, snapper and venison. Mum, Duncan and I took Kate to visit my Grandad and Gran one afternoon. Mum, dad, grandma, Nick and I also made an outing to Cook's Landing,a vineyard at Te Kauwhata where we had a divine lunch, the family tried the local vintage and Nick and dad investigated the possibilities of buying a section!! We followed this with a jaunt to Te Awamutu to see Hazel and Jim and their new section via a few places that my mother had always wanted to go. On the upside we bought some plums from a roadside stall which kept us in the back seat amused. We had to pick up Jim and Hazel from Morrie's garage first so we were lucky enough to make the acquaintance of the resident guard goat. The goat is actually way scarier than any guard dog I've ever seen. I wouldn't be taking him and his horns on! We had a lovely cup of tea at the section before heading back into Hamilton. After all this driving we felt as though we really should have ended up somewhere more exciting than back home!
We had a quiet New Years Eve. Duncan, Karen and Kate had returned from a couple of nights visit to New Plymouth so we had a nice dinner followed by board games and then the cricket highlights on TV. Kate isn't really up to partying until midnight just yet. As for the rest of us, we made it to midnight, just. So at least we can say we saw 2006 in. We then had a very special dinner on New Years Day, a family dinner to celebrate my up-coming 30th. It was lovely to have everyone together and I was even allowed to open the odd present.
More to follow... Although the observant among you will still notice that the photo gallery has made a return.
Posted by Hayley
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