Tokyo

There are more people in the Greater Tokyo Area than in all of Canada. They can't really build the city outwards, so they build it upwards. Most buildings are over five stories high and many much more than that. Tokyo is like many cities built very close together.

It has by for the most complicated train system of any city, but the trains are very frequent, although sometimes very crowded. Actually crowded doesn't even begin to describe the Tokyo subway at a peak time.

Harajuku is the shopping area... it can be a lot of fun on the weekends because Japanese will dress up in all sorts of crazy costumes.

Akihabera is where you can buy any kind of electronics you can think of (and some things you can't believe exists). There are also video game arcades, maid cafes, anime stores. Its the Otaku heaven.

Japan is a very formal and polite society. People working in stores all wear uniforms. Even office workers seem to have a uniform of a black suit and tie. There is a formal etiquette that staff in stores and restaurants follow.

People are very friendly here. Some cities you might worry about opening a map in public as it indicates you don't know where you're going. In Japan people will offer to help you, and walk you to where you want to go. People really go out of their way to help.

Hawaii

Aloha!

Hawaii has a pretty cool vibe, especially the North Shore of Oahu. This is where all the best surf spots are. Unfortunately the waves were a total mess the days I was there so no one was allowed to go out.

There weren't any waves at all in Waikiki, but it was a nice little hike up Diamond Head, which is a volcanic crater nearby.

Now I'm off to 日本 !

Hopewell Rocks

I think I should put some photos of something near to home on this thing.

I haven't been to the Hopewell Rocks in a long time, so it was good to see it again. It was a really clear day, we could see all the way to Dorchester Cape from there.

Also did some repelling at Cape Enrage. I'm not really that good with heights, but once I figured out what I was doing I was abseiling downthat cliff like a pro.

Lunenburg

It was good to see Lunenburg again. Went out for a sail on the Bluenose. I wish we had a little more wind but we had fun anyway.

Chester

While growing up I spent many summers visiting my great-aunt and uncle, Marion and Johnny. It was really cool to go back and see all these places again.

Vancouver

Sorry for taking so long to update this thing... just slackness, no excuse for it.

I'm going to be putting my photos on Picassa now since its nicer to view them and easier for me to upload them. I'll still put some description of whats going on here too. You can press play to look at photos below or just look at all of them at http://picasaweb.google.ca/bulmer

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a pretty cool city. Maybe it was just the constant rain but it really reminded me of Bladerunner.

The public Transit was good for the most part, but what's up with the long walk from Hong Kong Station to Central Station?

Anyway its apparently one of the most crowded cities in the world, but it didn't bother me too much. I really liked the octopus card... the card you use for the trains can be used at canvenience stores and fast food joints. Really cut down on having to deal with change.

Mark Twain once said "buy land they aren't making any more of it". Well HK and Macau are exceptions to this as they are constantly expanding their islands by dumping fill into the ocean.

All in all HK is a pretty cool city. I just wish it didn't rain so much.

The city

New expansion

Te little demonic mascots of the Beijing olympics

Traffic

Busy street

Countdown to the Olympics