This is just a quick note to say hi, and let you know that I’m still alive and well, exploring Japan and making friends with random animals here 
As those of you who I’m connected with on facebook will know, I have uploaded some photos to facebook. My internet connection here is patchy at best, so once I upload the photos, I don’t email them or anything because it could take an entire day for the thing to send. I might send some pics to Picasa once I get back to Tokyo, but for now, add me on facebook (if you haven’t already) if you feel like looking at some pics of Japan. I think it won’t come up with a photo at first, but it will be me if it’s Cass Brisbane.
Anyways, right now Tim and I are in Himeji. It’s almost four hours by train from Tokyo, and about an hour from Kyoto. Yesterday we visited Himeji Castle, and it was amazing. Today we had a tour of Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle, and that was really cool also. Tomorrow we’re going to Hiroshima to visit the peace museum, the A-bomb Dome, and Hiroshima Castle. We’re also going to visit Miyajima, which is an island with floating torii (those red shrine gates – wiki it if you’re interested 
and we’re also going to visit Kyoto again, and Nara, which is where some deer live, plus a giant buddha.
On 1 December we head back up to Tokyo, back into the bright lights and crowds of the big city. We’ve got a few more things to explore in Tokyo yet (we haven’t even been to Shibuya Scramble!) and we also want to visit Tokyo Disney Sea.
I’m doing well in choosing the destinations and sights to visit, and Tim is doing an excellent job of sorting out the logistics of that, such as which train line we should catch, which side of the platform we should be standing on, which station we should get off at and which direction we should be walking when we exit the station. He’s a natural at all that kind of stuff, whereas I’m mostly distracted by all the shiny, pretty things (of which there are many here in Japan). All in all, I think we make a good team. I take all the photos, and Tim sometimes cooperates by posing (even when I don’t ask him to).
So far I have found Japan to be convenient, innovative, friendly, polite, navigable (if you have a Tim), beautiful, ancient and modern, and not really that expensive at all. I don’t know what everyone goes on about, I’ve found Japan to be less expensive than any other overseas country I’ve visited. Everything seems to be very reasonably priced, some things are downright cheap, and the 100 yen shop is the cherry on top of an already deliciously affordable cake.
Japan is awesome. I thoroughly recommend it.
I hope you’re all well and happy, and coping with the heat (for those of you in Aus, that is 
)!
