Spain (Seville, Majorca, Madrid, Toledo)
May, 2004
Japan
October 2006
*COMING SOON!!!
As most of my friends and family know (and are sick to death of hearing about it already ^_^), I'm going to Japan this year. It's been a lifelong dream to visit the land of samurai, geishas and Godzilla and I'm finally going to do it.
I've been doing a ton of research because, being the insane person that I am, I'm insisting on going completely on my own. I'm going to travel by myself and I'm not going to be taking a tour so it was important for me to really do my homework to see where I wanted to go and what I really wanted to do. I was hoping to make the trip a full three weeks, but I had to be realistic with money and how much time I could actually take off from work. My trip totals 17 days, which is plenty long enough.
It's a pretty busy itinerary, but I'm trying to make sure that I leave enough time in each place so that I can really enjoy it.
I've started language classes so I can have at least some ability to communicate. I've been told by numerous people that it is possible to manage without speaking Japanese, but I feel it's important to be able to speak at least a little bit. I've never been great at foreign languages, but I am learning quite a bit. I'm even starting to recognize some of the characters in the written language. By the time I leave for my trip, I shouldn't have any trouble making myself understood.
Have bought my plane tickets and booked most of my hotels. I'm spending the majority of my trip staying in ryokans, traditional inns with tatami rooms and futon beds. Right before I leave, I have to buy my rail pass for the Japan Rail system - one of the few real travel bargains. That will allow me to take just about any train I need to for a flat fee that I pay before I leave home.
Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about this trip. It's going to be a real challenge, trying to navigate in a country where I can't blend in, where I don't speak the language fluently and have no one to depend on other than myself. I'm really looking forward to it. It would have been nice if one of my friends could have joined me, but I'm realistic to the fact that this is going to be a very expensive trip and that most of them just can't manage the money or the time off from work right now.
Ta!
Like any smart traveler, I like to know where I'm heading before I actually set out. Follow the links below to see where I've been and what I saw there.
