Sydney and the Cherry Blossoms

Actually the cherry blossoms are blooming here in Tokyo. I figured I better mention them now because they'll be gone in a few days time. When I was out running at 7AM today, people were already out at the parks, on the riverbanks and in the cemeteries claiming the prime spots under the cherry trees. Yes, that's correct, in the cemeteries. Actually only Aoyama cemetery is where I know people have cherry blossom viewing parties but it wouldn't surprise me if it happened at others. It is a chance to get outside and enjoy a bite and a drink with friends. It is raining now so I wonder how that is working out for them.

We had a great time in Sydney in spite of the cost of things. I think it is now Robyn's favorite city. Our hotel was right by Sydney harbour and so we took the ferries from the wharf there and went all over. We were basically situated right between the harbour bridge and the Sydney opera house. I must say the opera house is more impressive in person than in photos. There is a path that goes along the waterfront and around the opera house that Robyn and I walked and ran on in the mornings.

The first day there was some hoopla festival at nearby Darling Harbour so we went to watch musicians, acrobats, street performers etc. there. The next day we took the ferry across the harbour to Manly. Although you might think it was named after me, you'd be incorrect. Anyway there is a beach and little shopping area there. The kids played at the beach a little but that afternoon we swam at Bondi beach, Australia's most famous. The water was way too cold though. On Wednesday we took in the zoo and the Imax theater. The zoo was fun, it is nice and big and has great views of Sydney harbor. We went to the top of the Sydney tower to get a view of the city on Thursday and then went back to Darling Harbour to see the aquarium. We were go, go, go all the time and the kids were troopers about walking so much.

I'm not sure which city is more expensive, Tokyo or Sydney. We couldn't even have a casual breakfast in Sydney without the bill ballooning up to $50 or $60. Our first eating establishment was, any guesses? Yes, it was Krispy Kreme. Unfortunately they were selling donuts for $2.30 apiece. Good thing we didn't have any more than 19 dozen of those. Actually just a half dozen. We couldn't afford any more. Maybe it was just because we were in the prime restaurant/real estate area. If you are planning a visit, bring an extra suitcase full of cash.

Here are our pictures.

Baseball Game at the Tokyo Dome

We went to the Boston Red Sox vs. Hanshin Tigers baseball game yesterday and had a lot of fun. Boston won 6-5 and hit a couple home runs. You can see we were all decked out in the proper colors.

Today we are off for Sydney. I'll let you know how that goes in a week or so.

And the winner is...

Sydney. Yes we are headed to Sydney for 4-5 days next week. From what I've seen it is as expensive as, or moreso than Tokyo. We couldn't find a hotel room for less than $200 per night. Also, most all the hotels limit rooms to three people; meaning a family of four like ours is required to get two rooms. Is that not crazy? Luckily one hotel that originally was going to require us to have two rooms is letting us stay in just one.

On the other hand there seems to be a lot of things for us to do. This weekend is some sort of Darling Harbour Hoopla festival, then there's the aquarium, zoo, IMAX theatre, ferry boats and more and more. We are looking forward to it; should be fun. When we are there I'll have to see which way water goes down the drain. Did I say that about when I went to Africa too? I can't remember.

Spring Break!

Okay, so it's not exactly spring break yet but it is coming up in a few weeks. So we are planning on a trip but not quite sure where we want to go yet. Of course it does depend on how full some flights are but currently here are our options:

Australia: Kind of a long flight to Sydney, about nine hours but it is in the same time zone as Tokyo so It wouldn't be a huge adjustment. We could fly at night and sleep on the plane and be ready to go the next day. It is definitely easier to get to Australia from Japan than the U.S. so if we are going to make a family trip there, this is the time to do it. Haven't really looked at activities there yet but many of our friends here have been to Australia and highly recommend it.

Bali or Phuket: Both of these are resort areas, Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand and are also highly recommended by friends. Much closer to Japan than the long flight to Australia and only an hour or so time difference. These two places are also ones I'm sure we wouldn't visit from the U.S. so we must get there from Japan. Beach, sand, ocean in a tropical climate; sounds pretty good doesn't it? The shorter flight makes this a potential for a long weekend trip too.

So, what do you think?