Anyhoo, my trip reads as follows: after taking the train from Kyoto up North Honshu, Josh and I leave Tsuruga at 1:15am on a 20 hour ferry trip to Tomakomai. Arrive the same evening and take the train to Sapporo. Enjoy the snow festival, the freezing cold and the company of SOAS' Sapporo gents, before a return ferry trip (from Otaru to Maizuru), leaving the night of the 10th and I will end up back in Kyoto in time for bed the following day. After another day to catch my breath, it's off to Beijing with Baptiste and Ilan on the 13th February. We'll spend a few days there (shopping, Forbidden City, Great Wall), and hope to take in the sights of Xian and Shanghai (providing we have the time and resources) and celebrate the Chinese New Year. And will also meet up with Rob once I can work out a time our paths can cross. But it's onwards to Thailand on the 24th to meet up with Parn, enjoy the warm weather, beaches, sights of outstanding beauty and whatever else has been planned for us (exciting stuff indeed). And the seasoned traveller shall return to Japan on the 11th March. Hooray!
I've bought a digital camera for my travels, so hope to take plenty of snaps. Not sure how regularly I'm going to be on the internet, so can't guarantee news and photos as and when it happens, but expect a bumper update upon my return, and I should still be checking my emails from time to time. Until I'm back in Japan, here's a little edit I put together using footage from the infamous Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. However, when I made mine, I didn't realise just how many other people had made their own mixes. As a result, mine looks somewhat inferior in the madness department, but I think it works all the same. Once you've watched my effort, be sure to view everyone else's, and the original animations themselves. It's pretty hideous, but no worse than the original American cartoon series ("Well excuuuuuuuse me, Princess!" x infinity):
