It’s been too long since I wrote about eating in Japan – this time, my favourite discovery: okonomiyaki. What is okonomiyaki? Some describe it as Japanese pizza, others say it is more like a crêpe or pancake. I’m not sure I can accurately describe it in words…so I will describe it in pictures instead. The dish starts by combining eggs… Read more →
Whether you start your trip with a partner/existing friend or meet someone along the way, there are bound to be times during your long-term travels when you find yourself travelling with someone else, which can be great…until you fall out with your travel companion. I have form for doing a moonlight flit. I’ve done it definitely once, creeping out in… Read more →
One of my personal highlights when travelling is trying new food and I’ve eaten many curious items over the years – so it seemed only natural for me to want to try fugu in Japan. What is fugu? For those who don’t know, fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish. Not so remarkable, you might think, until you discover that,… Read more →
It was my birthday yesterday, a day that always prompts in me a brief moment of reflection, probably more so than the turning of New Year. And I have a confession: this year I have reached the grand age of 37. Yes, I know many of you are familiar with my ‘travel age’, which is 26 (though I think it… Read more →
Life forever changed for Hiroshima and its residents on 6 August 1945 when the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Although I knew a visit to the city, with ‘highlights’ that include the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum, was going to be tough going, I spent a day there nonetheless. There is… Read more →
Japan is renowned for being one of the world’s most expensive countries. Fortunately, of all the things you’ll pay a lot of yen for in Japan, food doesn’t have to be one of them. Of course, there are endless opportunities to spend big on food in Japan (a recent trip to Kobe and a $135 bill later was personal proof… Read more →
If there is one thing Japan is famous for beyond the cherry blossom, it is Mount Fuji and I was determined to visit this snow-dipped wonder during my stay in Japan. However, things didn’t go to plan. Learning from my mistakes, here is how NOT to visit Mount Fuji in spring. Don’t assume that seeing Mount Fuji in spring is… Read more →
I consider myself to be a reasonably savvy traveler, yet the Japan Rail Pass had me stumped for a while. Why? It’s not the simplest rail ticket around. After several days researching what the pass is about, whether it is worth it, how to get it and how to use it (which I’m currently doing in Japan) here’s my guide… Read more →
The first sights, sounds, smells and experiences of a country are often the most enduring. Here are my first impressions of Tokyo. It’s not as crazy as I expected In fact, it’s not crazy at all. Popular media portrayal would have us believe that Japan (and Tokyo in particular) is a place where the teen generation lives in manga comics,… Read more →
One of the main attractions of The Gambia was its prime location in the midst of Senegal and despite such a short trip to the region I was determined to cross the border to see the sights of Senegal even if it was only a brief glimpse. After some research (yay – I can do it!) I concluded that the… Read more →
