Mission 30 by 30

Okay I have a bucket list.

On my bucket list is one goal, with credit to Quinn ;), is to visit 30 countries by the time I turn 30.

Well my thirtieth bday is coming up in November so I need to step on it as I have been to 24 countries so far.

Where can you knock off 6 countries in 3+ weeks??? Yep, Europe.

So here is the plan.

26 July- Paris
27 July- Paris
28 July- Munich
29 July- Munich
30 July- Prague
31 July- Prague
1 August- Berlin
2 August- Berlin
3 August- Vienna
4 August- Venice
5 August- Venice
6 August- Nice
7 August- Cannes
8 August- Monanco
9 August- Barcelona
10 August-Barcelona
11 August-Barcelona
12 August- Rome
13 August- Vatican City
14 August- Rome
15 August- London
16 August- London
17 August- London
18 August- Home

Japan

I have to say China was a struggle for me. I love travel and love to get really into the culture of the place I am visiting but after China I thought perhaps my travel days were over!

It was hard core, the spitting, line butting and smoking. I wasn't sure I really wanted to see much more of Asia. Plus I was getting excited about the next phase, starting my new job with RIM.

But the second I arrived in Tokyo I was refreshed. What an incredible city. With the most amazing people. I was staying in a really lovely guest house. Tiny, but that's Tokyo for you.

At the hostel I met a really lovely girl travelling with her dad. This was her first trip outside the US and we quickly bonded as I showed her the ropes of travelling. We headed out to Shinjuku which is the Times Square of Tokyo.

Tokyo was all lit for Christmas with a mix of Buddhist culture. You press a button on the light displays and it tells your future.

The next day I explored the temples in Tokyo. Again an amazing mixture of Buddhist culture. From the healing incents to the fortune sticks I really loved the atmosphere.

For those that heard that Japan was a crazy expensive city... yes it could get expensive and compared to the rest of Asia it is. However, there are plenty of inexpensive if not free things to do. Such as the view from the 47 floor of the Police office tower in the city. Where I was lucky enough to get the very few days of the year you can see Mt. Fuji.


Of course there are some must when in Japan. Sushi! I love sushi, so I had it for lunch and dinner 6 days in a row! As well as for breakfast at the fish market (more on that later).

Another is the "lifting stone". I heard about the stone on a Japanese News Show (think "Thank god you're here" or "Royal Canadian Airfarce") apparently you go to this rock and perform a few cleansing rituals then try to lift the heavy stone. Then you ask the stone a yes or no question and try to lift it again. If it is lighter than before is it a yes answer, heavier then a no. I travelled to this small neighbourhood, found the temple and the stone. I got a no answer :(

The imperial palace is another must do in Tokyo. It really is gorgeous and a lovely walk in the middle of the city, kind of like Central Park.

And last but not least, the fish market. The morning of my flight home I woke up at 3:30am to get to the fish market for the 4:30 Tuna Auction. This is a real market where 100kg Tuna's, fresh from the ocean and auctioned off to bidders from around the world.

After the auction I walked around and was spotted by a fish monger who immediately stopped his work to ask me about the sweater I was wearing. It was my Vancouver Olympics jumper. In very broken English he proceeded to explain that he and his new wife were heading to the Calgary Stampede for their honeymoon! Hey not my choice of romance but whatever :P. At this point we were now BBFs. He takes me to his stall and explains how to "fillet" (not sure the proper name) a tuna. Explaining how the belly is the fattest and best part, slicing a sliver off for me to try (yes at 5am in the morning).


Now righfully tired I head off to the airport for my trip home to Toronto! What an amazing trip!!!!

Here are a few stats from the past month and a half.

- 42 days
- 10 countries
- 2 hemispheres
- 7 time zones
- 7 flights
- 61 hours on trains
- 7 ferry's
- 35 nights in hostels
- 27158 km or 16876 miles
- 6 Pad Thais
- 8 Sushi meals in Tokyo
- 2.5 buckets of drink
- 3 stitches
- Hearing, Blue's "Too Close" a dozen times on the way to the Volcano in Bali
- one million fantastic memories

Next... mission 30 by 30 :)

Beijing- better late than never

Before I start my next blog I find it only fair to finish the last.

I left off with Beijing.

I arrived in Beijing after my 12hr train ride from Xi'an. I was bunked with 2 men and they desperately tried to teach me Mandarin the whole trip. I think they thought it was quite the novelty to have a blond girl travelling with them.

Needless to say I arrived tired and not feeling 100%. I decided to forgo the bus as I was finding it very hard to read the street names and communicate with the drivers to let me off in China. So I opted for a taxi! Well that was an adventure.

I arrived in a queue of at least 200 people. I was an immediate target as they tried to sell me an inflated fare. But I knew exactly what I wanted and that I was only paying 25 yen, the 150 they offered.

So I wait in the line which was quite possible the only line in China, as Chinese do not queue. This line was monitored by the police, but of course someone tried to jump the queue and a full on fight ensued! The police were distracted by the fight so chaos broke out in the line. I just stood back and waited for my turn as the punches flew.

One lovely treat of this part of the trip is that a few of the backpackers from other parts of my trip were in the same hostel at the same time as me. Dave that I met in Shanghai, Sarah also from Shanghai and some new people doing a gap year from Holland and I were the only backpackers in the hostel and it was really lovely!

However, when I finally arrived at the hostel I was now feeling quite ill. Considering I had been spit on in Shanghai I suspected I had some form of flu. Well I don't remember much of the rest of that day or the next as I curled up in bed (unheated room, in north china in Dec, after spending 6 weeks in SEA, no wonder I was sick). I had a bucket to keep me company that the hostel lady found for me. All I knew is that I had to get well for my trip to "the wall"!!! I did at some point get out to the Olympic grounds and Tienanmen Square but not even sure how I did that, it was a bit of a blur. Thank goodness for pictures :)

So gathering all the strength I could (no food for 2 days) I venture with the crew to the wall, our section was 12 kms long and all steps. It was incredible. Not entirely what I expected. First off you take a chair lift up to the wall.

Then you take a go cart down to the bottom?!?

 

Still it was awe inspiring. Frigidly cold, I had to used my PJ bottoms as a scarf but fashion was not the goal today, it was conquering the wall.

Our last day in Beijing we did some hard core shopping! The Silk Market, now I thought I was a good deal finder/haggler. Well Sarah mopped the floor with me ;)

Poor Dave was such a good sport not only going shopping with us but shopping Beijing, where even the most season shopper can I only handle a few mins of "Pretty Miss, you my friend, I make you good price"

To celebrate our survival of shopping we all went out for Peking Duck, Beijing specialty.

Next Japan, nearing the end :(