Arigatou Japan, now on my way back to Australia.

I cannot believe that I am actually heading back to Australia tonight...

So, recapping back, from my journey in to Tokyo.

Amazingly, after being upgrade to business class on my way in, I managed to get placed next to the only guy that snored. I think if I was in economy class, he would not have been able to snore as he would not have had the chance to lie down. Seriously, how to people learn to breath like that when they sleep? So I didnt sleep a wink, but enjoyed watching endless movies in the business class atmosphere.

Apologies for my series of grammatical and punctuation errors here, this Japanese keyboard is hard to use!

I had a great introduction to Tokyo. I hopped on the train from Narita airport to the train station in Asakusa (where I am staying). I was sitting on the train, watching a beautiful woman, dressed traditionally in her orange kimono, feet bound, hair tied in a bun with sticks, using her iphone phone, with the case matching her kimono. Walking from the Asakusa train station to my hostel, I walked through the famous Senso-ji Buddhist temple, dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, then through the busy markets, filled with Japanese cartoon characters, good luck charms and various foods.

Very common for  a lot of people to wear these masks, to　prevent the spread of viruses. Also, 25% of the Japanese population are allergic to the Rhus tree (full of pollen). You can buy these masks in all sorts of styles and prints. Ladies can get masks that don:t smudge make up.






Although a fellow traveller Nurse and I observed, that actually, these masks only are useable for an hour and are then are innefective.

I had my first, high pressure, hot shower that I have had in a long while, in my little cubicle and had a nap on my top bunk. I hadnt met all of my room mates, but the ones that I had met were all from Taiwan. I enjoyed my bed on the top bunk, with my first real doona, and a view of the amuｓement park next door to the hostel, watching people screaming on the scary rides.

I headed out that evening for dinner, and was suprisingly finding it difficult to find sushi, let alone Japanese style food. I was knackered so I settled for a Western main dish and some Asahi beer. But then had the best pancake I had ever eaten; a Japanese pancake with cream, sweet beans and green tea icecream.

The following day, I made my way to my city tour. The Japanese woman working at the hostel told me it would take half an hour maximum (including walking to and from the train station), to make it to my destination (Shinjuku). It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to get there. So I ended up having to pay about $30 Australian in a taxi to catch up with the tour bus. The tour guide told me that I was literally going from one side of Tokyo to the other (from my hostel to the meeting point), that it takes about 70 minutes to travel as I was passing through the busiest business district in Japan. Apparently there was another pick up point about 15 minutes from where I live. I let my travel agent and the hostel staff know. Ahhh, it is all a part of travel!

The tour was great, we went to the top of Tokyo tower, and saw the very different landscape of high buildings crammed together and smog. Tokyo is so incredibly populated and there is no space for anything! So the buildings get higher and more things get built underground.

 I have been taught and witnessed he Japanese people really do their best to try and keep their city as organised as possible, due to the high population. The Japanese people are also very quite, kind, patient and polite. Despite how busy the trains get (employees called crammers are on the train fitting people in to the train so that the doors can close); people are never pushy, they do not get irritated, you do not get pick pocketed and obnoxious loud music or games is not being played on peoples phones.

Whenever I am lost, I always have a local show me where to go, even if they cannot speak any or much English. I have had people even walk to me to other places in the station (the opposite way to where they are going), just so they know that I get to the right place. I was talking with a local on the bus about this, and he said that they do want to look after their foreigners.

I have really loved learning about Japanese culture and traditions; from prayer and luck beliefs to how expensive and excessive traditional Japanese weddings are.

Oh and the toilets, they are amazing; the sound button for privacy, and a spray to clean your bottom! Even the sinks look completely different. I had my squat toilet experience on a boat later in the trip, that was fun too.

We later headed to the Imperial Palace Japanese Gardens. This was one of my favourite places. It is the beginning of Spring and some of the Cherry Blossoms are blooming.

Bamboo is much greener here.

Reflection of the Lagerstroemia tree over Japanese Koi.

I love the food here so much, especially Ramen. On my second night in Tokyo, I was looking asking at a restaurant if they had Sushi, and they didnt. But the restauraunt owner translated for his customer (an older Japanese business man) that he wanted to eat sushi with me. I politely declines, and lied, saying that I was meeting a friend for dinner.

Look at these beautiful girls! They were excited to have a photo with a foreigner too I think. I told them that they were beautiful, and they said :you are beautiful too.: Then they asked to have photos with their camera too.

The following day, I headed to Mt Fuji and the volcanic area, which was amazing. I also headed on a scenic cable car ride and and went across a pretend pirate boat through the river. Boy, oh boy, I was a proper tourist that day!

Mt Fuji

My new friend Sharon, also a Nurse. Sharon is in Japan, because she escorted a Japanese girl home from Fiji after a car accident, with an insurance agency.

Eating our eggs turned black by sulphar (for 7 years extra life).

First time on the bullet train, amazing!

So there was one girl in my female dorm who I hadn:t met yet。Embarrisingly for me, she was Asutralian and this is how I met her;

I woke up.at about 430am today with a girl coming in to our dorm in Tokyo (6 bed, full, female dorm). I went to use the bathroom and came back to hear some puffs and pants coming from the bed. So in the dark, this conversation happened. Rasa: 'Are there two people in that bed?' Puffing and panting quickly ceases. Couple:...(embarresed) 'Yes.' Rasa: 'Are you serious? This is a female dorm, thats disgusting!' Couple: (sheepishly).'Sorry.' Rasa: 'Someone needs to leave now, or I am going to reception.' Pause Couple: 'Okay, one of us will leave.' 30 seconds pass, no one is leaving. Rasa: 'So is someone leaving or am I going to reception? Couple: (frantically) 'Sorry, sorry, he will go. ' Dude: quickly puts some pants on and scurries out.

My Taiwanese room mate　Chuan Hsieh was really happy that I did this, because she said that the rest of the room were too scared to say anything about the situation, as it made them feel uncomfertable (it was not in their culture to say anything about something like this)

Apparently this Aussie traveller, was on the phone to her mum a few days before, saying that she wanted to stay in Tokyo for longer as she had met a guy.　Previously, the banger guy was apparently hanging out in the room, walking in and out until 3am and asking the Taiwanese girls why they werent sleeping!

Well anyway, that Aussie girl checked out early the next day. ;p

Chuan Hsieh is beautiful, she studied in England and works as a teacher in Taiwan. She said that she feels as though Taiwan is not the right place for her; she works 7 days a week, and she feels as though the fact that she is independant and unmarried is not accepted in Taiwan. Chuan Hsieh said that her mother cannot send emails, but finally learn to type one thing ;find a man and marry him:! Im trying to convince  Chuan Hsiehto come to Australia, where the lifestyle and culture may suit her better

The sky tree.

Chuan Hsieh, my favourite Taiwanese girl!

I also met the sweetest Indonesian couple, who just lived and breathed light:

So now I head on my flight back home tonight, my tummy feels queasy in a mix of emotions, but that is okay and expected.

I am incredibly grateful and happy to have been given an opportunity (and to take the opportunity) to travel in this trip, just like every other travelling trip I have made.

Life is not a Hollywood movie. As much as I love to watch a movie, where people have problems and feel so lost, and then travel and then  have all of their problems resolved and have found their way in life completely, I dont think that this is always true.

However, no matter how much you travel, you always learn more, from other peoples lives, culture, country and experiences.

The more I travel, the less I realise I know, and the less I feel that I have seen. I dont think I can shake the travel bug. I think travelling makes me better and stronger as a person, my horizons are broadened each time, I feel more connected to the world, and I am reminded of how lucky I am to live in Australia.

Also through traveling alone, you may feel lonely, and it is harder trouble shooting on your own. But you learn to rely on yourself, and be stronger, through working yourself out of loneliness and difficult situations.

The things that I have seen have been amazing, but I think ultimately, its the people that I have met along the way, that have really enlightened me.

Through any difficult situation I have had, I have gained perspective and resurrance, from another person, in a completely different country and background to me, who is going through something similar or more challenging then me, and we have been able to help each other.

So thank you for joining me on my travels through reading this blog, and for being a special part of my life.

Iki,

Xo
Rasa

Kiitos Finland!

I arrived in Hesinki, Finland, yesterday afteroon and it has been fantastic. I am definitely a smaller city lass. 

I started off the afteroon speaking with a young Australian traveller who has just lamded her first big part in an up and coming Australia series 'Glitch' airing in September this year. I could not believe how modest and down to earth this girl (Hannah Monson) was. I had always experienced young artists to often talk people who were not artists as though they were 'commoners' or just were not on the same page as them. Hannah has clearly reached great success but only talked about her career when being questioned.  I am reallly pleased for Hannah that she has landed this role, and look forward to seeing her on the telly! It was very interesting to learn more about the acting world.

A little bit about the TV show Glitch: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4192782/

After making some dinner in the hostel, and writing an article about my University study in Lthuania for 'Muso Pastoge', the Lithuanian newspaper of Australia, I headed to the 'Ekmen' jazz club next door for a class of wine. Unfortunately I just missed the band playing (they do not run on Spain time here). The band told me that above the jazz club is someones house and that they have to be quite after 10pm.It was so great talking to the band and meeting everyone in the bar. The singer of the band is a part of the 8% of Helsinki that speak Swedish as their mother tounge. Some of their songs are in English and some in Swedish, and it was the launch of their CD that night. Even though I didnt even hear the band, I bought their CD as they were just such nice people.

There were some tipsy supporters of the band their, who were just so pleased that I was visiting Helsinki, and even more pleased that I was taking photos of them. I have been asked to keep in contact and was given some business cards. 

I had a go at pronouncing all of the long Finnish names, and my new friends were impressed! One of the ladies was telling me that she was considered to be odd, dancing in a lively way, as this is not normal for Finnish people, ad they are considered to be much more serious.

Havis Amanda is one of Vallgren's Parisian Art Nouveau works. She is a mermaid who stands on seaweed as she rises from the water, with four fish spouting water at her feet and surrounded by four sea lions. She is depicted leaning backwards as if to say goodbye to her element. Vallgren's intention was to symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki. The height of the statue is 194 centimetres and with the pedestal it stands 5 metres tall. According to Vallgren's letters the model for the statue was a then 19-year-old Parisian lady, Marcelle Delquini.

'Temppeliaukio Kirkko'. The 'rock church' in Helsinki.

'Temppeliaukio Kirkko'. The 'rock church' in Helsinki.

The  Sibelius-monumentti ' (Sybelius monument) is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). The monument is located at the Sibelius Park (Finnish: Sibeliuspuisto) in the district of Toolo in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.

Underneath the  Sibelius-monumentti ' (Sybelius monument).

In the morning I went on an audio tour through all of the city. It was great to learn about Finland's history such as the tug of war between Russia and Sweden, prior to Finnlands independance,and to learn some funny facts. I found out that the Finns drink the most coffee in the world. I also found out that there are so many Sauna's in Finland, that if every person in Finland was to have a sauna session at the same time, there would still be left over saunas.

Helsinki has about 600 thousand people but an amazing transport system and health care system for that matter- no health care is privatised, it is paid for in tax and is affordable for all. It is an expensive city (prices feel similar to working in Australia) but the people seem to be looked after well, like in Australia.

After the audo tour, I spent a lot of time at the traditional market, which was amazing. I am lucky because it is only held once every 2 months. I ate the most delicious food, including the best fudge that I have ever eaten, and the tastiest fish  'Muikku' (I think) . Sometimes I pretend that I understand what everyone is saying because I love the language so much.

A local Finn enjoys Muikku, yum yum!

I bought some garlic and honey chutney and various chocolates from this mans stall.

Sauna, then eat a sausage like a true Finn.

A busker plays the accordinan.

I warmed up with a black vanilla tea at the famous restaurant 'Kappeliä' in the Eslenadi Park

Restaraunt which was built in the 14th century, which was delightful.

Currently, I am on the ferry on the way to an island 'Suomenlinna'. Suomenlinna  is a maritime fortress that was built off the coast of Helsinki in 1748. Here you can get a real feel for Finland’s position between East and West; Suomenlinna was shaped by three distinct historic eras when helped defend first Sweden, then Russia and ultimately Finland.  

After my islans visit,  headed to the 'culture sauna' facing the baltic sea. I wanted to go to the sauna upstairs from our hostel, but it turns out it was a gay sauna. I found this out, through seeing a cartoon picture of a girls, with a cross over it, then a picture of a man, with a bit tick!

The Culture Sauna was amazing. I feel that the naked sauna experience is a great way for people to be comfertable with their bodies. We took turns going outside to swim in the baltic sea, surrounded by minus 2 degree water and sharp ice and then would hop back in to the sauna, which was so incredible. The man running the sauna (who was a bit of a crabby pants) got angry with us for squealing a bit when we first got in to the water. I think he should probably tell tourists that they need to be silent before they get in to the icey water.

I headed out after the sauna with some Irish gals that I met at the Sauna and we enjoyed some Finnish beer.

Nice to　 see that doggies can also use the awesome public transport system.

With some interesting news back home, it looks like I might be doing a bone marrow donoation soon (only if I am considered to be a perfect match for the person that needs the donation). It will involve more testing, but if I am considered to be the perfect match, I will be flown to Sydney to donate some bone marrow which will be a pretty unique experience, if it happens.

In the mean time, I need to try and understand my Epidemiology Unit, and then I am heading on the plane to Tokyo tonight.

I love you Finland.

Ki itos Helsinki.

Xo

Rasa