Slowly but surely my Australia adventure is coming to an end, and at the same time my Japan adventure is getting started. But for now the main focus is on the ending adventure. There are still four exams ahead, but tonight the School of Sport, Tourism & Hospitality at La Trobe has a BBQ for all students finishing this semester. My end-of-highschool party memories come drifting back. I’ll need to make sure I have a camera with me tonight, so I can take some snapshots.

After spending about 16 hours in an airplane I arrived back in Melbourne this morning. So let me summarise the highlights of my trip.

Hiroshima
As soon as I arrived in Japan on the 7th of October we jumped on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima. Our first stop in Hiroshima was the island Miyajima, mostly famous for it’s floating shrine. We walked around for the best part of the afternoon, enjoying the beautiful village and of course the shrine. Around 4pm we returned to the mainland and took a tram into the city of Hiroshima. First we checked into the hotel, and then headed out for dinner. Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake filled with cabbage or noodles, depending on the region) was the plan. That was delicious. After dinner we went for a walk to the Atomic Bomb Dome, the only building left standing in the city centre after the atomic bomb was dropped onto Hiroshima. Seeing that building was quite a humbling experience. We had already seen it by day from the tram, but by night it looks spooky and peaceful at the same time. The next morning we visited the museum next to the Dome. In the afternoon we took a train to Kurashiki.

Kurashiki
We arrived around 4pm, a little earlier than expected. After finding the hotel we headed to the historic area, the main attraction in Kurashiki. The area consists of a canal and a host of traditional buildings in the surrounding area, as well as a museum housing some of the world’s greatest masterpieces. We had the museum visit planned for the next morning, so we just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere of the area. After dark we walked to the train station for sushi. After have a strawl around the entrance of the Kurashiki Tivoli Park we returned to the historic area to see it lit up in the dark. The next morning we made good on our plan to visit the museum, and after lunch and a bit more walking we headed back to the train station to catch a train bound for Kobe.

Korea
On Wednesday the 10th I caught an afternoon flight to Incheon, the airport of Seoul, South Korea, to spend two days with my friend Jerry. After arrival we headed straight for the pub to enjoy a Korean pub meal with some of Jerry’s colleagues. This, and all the other Korean dishes I tried, was delicious. The next day we took the subway into Seoul. Jerry had to return to work, but I staid and visited some amazing sites. The day after I had breakfast with Jerry before heading back into Seoul for a little more sightseeing before making my way back to the airport.

For more photos check out my photobook.