• Fern Russell
  • Kate Bougoure
  • Findlay Russell
  • Fern Russell
  • Kate Bougoure
  • Findlay Russell

Inferno's Asian Odyssey

A 139-day adventure by Fern, Kate & Findlay Read more
  • Arrived in Cambodia

    November 24, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We left Bangkok at 4am and flew to Cambodia. The name of our town is Siem Reap. We drove to our hotel which was an hour drive. Our hotel is called Babel Guesthouse and I really like the garden and pool. It also has a play area. Mum and I had a swim in the afternoon and we had a lunch by the pool- yummy fried rice. It was a relaxing afternoon.
    We walked to pub street- it's called this because of all of the pubs. Beers are cheap, only 70c. Grinch is happy about this.
    I think Cambodia is a really good place so far. Daddy said there is no shopping here- we'll see about that!
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  • A hairy hike to the temples

    November 25, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We had breakfast at our hotel and I wore my new pyjamas down. We did a lot of school work this morning and daddy went to collect our new Tuk Tuk. I got to name him Marshmello- because he is white and shaped like a Marshmallow.
    The plan was to start seeing the temples and ancient ruins, maybe some as old as Grinch. The drive was a bit painful... The doors were rattling and the road was bumpy. Our first temple was called Banteay Srey. I thought it was pretty and it was very old. It was a bit crumbly because it's so old. We were lucky to walk around it It was a browny/red colour with lots of carvings.
    The next temple was a bit of a shock 😲. We had to walk through the jungle for 2 km and I was not expecting that. I had a few sit down protests along the way. It was called Kbal Spean the 1000 Lingas. It wasn't really a temple but carvings in the river. How did they do that I wonder?
    I did like seeing the carvings but the walk was a bit of a challenge. I have a bit of a sore hip so it was a bit hard.
    Today was pretty good. It would have been funner if we went horseback riding.
    I did get a lovely massage tonight and I fell asleep while they were doing it.
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  • Two days of temples

    Nov 26–27, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    The last 2 days have been temple days. We took our own tuk tuk to the temples. We visited Angkor Wat on one of the days. It is the world's largest temple. It must be extremely old because lots of temples are usually very old and crumbly. It was a hot day but I looked around for a few hours. The carvings on the walls were pretty and there are so many that I thought they must be done by a machine- but no! All done by hand!
    I reckon it would take hundreds of years to build it. It must have been for someone very important
    The next day we went to some more temples. One was in the jungle and the trees were eating it. I thought it was the best temple because of this. We walked around this temple in the shade and I couldn't believe they could put it back together like a big puzzle.
    I didn't see any animals but I bet there are lizards and birds that live here.
    Bayon Temple was the next stop and it had lots of faces on it. We got a bit lost walking inside this one. And when we got back to the tuk tuk there was trouble. Monkeys!!! They went inside our tuk tuk, opened our bottles of water and drank them! I didn't like the look of these monkeys and we got out of there very fast. They are little cheeky pests these monkeys.
    We have spent the afternoons in the pool at the hotel which I have loved. It's been relaxing and fun in the pool.
    At night time we have been going to Pub Street for dinner and massages. I could get used to a massage every night!
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  • RaTemples Circus

    November 28, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    My title is a bit of rats, temples and circus!
    We tuk tuked to a surprise this morning - Apopo Rat landmine facility. It was all about training rats to sniff landmines and bombs and TNT. I thought it was great because the rats are so smart and they are nice and light. They live for 8 years, which is a lot longer than normal rats.
    Our last temples for our time in Cambodia was interesting. We climbed up to a temple on a hill at least 1km- dad said it was only 60m. Yeah right!.
    I liked the views and that we could see Angkor Wat- which is the world's largest temple if you didn't know. But you should because I wrote that in a previous post...
    We had a DELICIOUS chicken curry for lunch which I loved. As good as roti canai and butter chicken.
    My favourite temple was the last one. It was cool and shady and peaceful.

    We were lucky enough to go to the Cambodian Circus for our last night. It was fun and we got to have yummy chicken satay- satay ayam is what you should call it. My favourite character was the funny nerdy man.

    I thought Cambodia was a really nice country because of the lovely people and amazing temples. Did you know that Cambodia used to have one of the largest populations in the world a very long time ago!
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  • Delicious food and claw machines

    December 1, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Our first day in Taipei was a bit cold but we went out and about and saw a few different things. Our first stop in the train was to a big memorial. There was a huge room with a big statue of an important man. He looked like a kind man though and probably did something very good for the people. Mum said he was an old Prime Minister that helped Taiwan not be ruled by China. I also watched a hip hop group practicing at the National Theatre.
    We walked through a food market called Donsanshuai, and boy was there some strange stuff. We did try a few little things but I had to hold my nose sometimes too. I can't believe some of the crazy food- like who wants to eat chicken feet!
    We walked further to a big shopping area- Grinchy wasn't too happy about that. Still lots of new food for us to try and I bought my first Taiwan bubble tea. And I must say it was delicious! We walked around the shops and there were lots of things I wanted to buy one of the most favourite things to do with brother is to play the claw machine games- they are everywhere! You put $10 in (but not Australian dollars, it's about 50c) and it's hard to win anything! Mum and dad go crazy watching us. Daddy says they are all rigged but we saw some boys win and we want to keep playing . Every place we go has them.
    I tried some mochi strawberries with red bean in Dihua, which is an old area of town. The red bean paste was not for me. I am trying lots of new food here in Taiwan though.
    We visited a night market for dinner - with even more yummy stuff and of course more claw machines! My favourite food was a little cheese filled waffle. And I liked the dumplings too. We are eating lots of dumplings in Taipei, but I am ok with that!
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  • We climbed an elephants trunk!

    December 2, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We started our sunny Taiwan day with a beautiful morning climb up to Elephant Mountain. It's called this because some of the mountain area looks like a trunk. It was a fun climb because we saw so many view points of the city. 1089 steps to the top so my legs were a bit sore. I ran down with Brother and passed mum and dad. My legs felt like a bowl of jelly. It was a really high climb but nothing compared to being at the top of Taipei 101. At the bottom of the mountain we had some McDonald's. I finally got sweet and sour sauce for my nuggets!
    Visiting Taipei 101 was great in the afternoon. Did you know it used to be one of the tallest buildings in the world, but now I think it's not even in the top 10! It's still really high though. You can't imagine how fast the lift to the top was! I saw lots of buildings in the views and the city was huge!
    We went to another night market and I had some yummy dumplings. I also bought a cute bag and wallet to keep my metro card in.
    I wouldn't mind living in Taipei. I love the cold and hot weather and all the things we have seen so far. The food is also really good.
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  • What a waterfall!

    December 3, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We went in a gondola ride up the mountain and I was really scared. I held dad's hand. We were going to have one to ourselves but had to share with a lady.
    We went on a hike through the bush and I saw lots of ferns! Some were big, some were little. Brother kept telling me they were weeds!
    The walk was long but it was worth it when we got there. There was a beautiful waterfall with a shrine. I lit some incense and made a wish and said what I was grateful for.
    Not such a big walk down and we found a taxi to drive us into town.
    It was a bit crazy how close the bush is to the big city.
    We went to some markets for dinner and I won my first prize from a claw machine! I was so excited I ran to Brother to tell him and he was so happy for me.
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  • Hiffen and Jiffen

    December 4, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We left Taipei and headed to Jiufen, which dad calls Hiffen and Jiffen because he can't pronounce much here.
    Our little house is really nice. There is a weird bath tub that I love. It's little but really deep
    We are close to the old town which is full of markets with delicious food and Boba drinks. I could just eat all day here!
    This town is up in the mountains and the road is steep and winding. It's also a bit colder here and we have our winter clothes on. I really like this place.
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  • A walk to the waterfall

    December 5, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We took a taxi to the waterfall town on the windy road this morning. I liked it because we were up high and next to a mountain and if I reached out I could touch it.
    The town we went to was called Shifen. We had a quick walk to the market area and the first thing we did was write on a lantern all our wishes for the future. I wrote to become rich and I wrote Pappy and Florrie and love. We all had a turn writing and then we put a flame in it and it floated away in the sky. It was fun to do and it is something I will remember for a long time.
    We walked to a big waterfall which was really big. It would be nice to swim in during the summer. It was way too cold today though!
    We caught the train back to Jiufen, and it was pretty empty. I had to use my metro card for the train.
    We spent the afternoon at our little house and Frog had his year 6 graduation. I am proud of him.
    We had our final dinner out in the Old Street. I liked staying here because it is up in the mountains and a bit cold
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  • Crazy caves

    December 7, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    Today we hired a car to drive around Kenting. Our first stop was some caves up a mountain near our house. It was a fun walk to see some caves but first I saw my cousins in the fern house. We went to 3 caves which were amazing. My favourite was fairy cave because it was the longest. Inside the caves there were lights so that it wasn't pitch black. The walk we did was really cool, we saw some butterflies a centrepede and monkeys which were big and buff. After our walk we went to Macca's and then to a surfing beach where we can surf tomorrow. We went to the bottom of Taiwan and our last stop was a James Bond looking island called Sail rock. For dinner we went back to the markets and I had my favourite beef and rice but Mum made me eat the vegetables. Tomorrow I am looking forward to surfing but Dad reckons I will freeze but I won't.Read more

  • Doggy beach day🐕🐾🐶

    December 8, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We spent the day at the beach 🏖️ and it was amazing 😍 I loved it so much and when we got to the beach we found a restaurant with puppies out the front and I got to play with them. I asked if I could walk them and they said yes so Frog helped because there are 3.
    They were crazy but cute at the same time.
    The wind was so strong and the sand felt like bullets! The puppies didn't like it.
    I was the only one in the family who was brave enough to get in the water. It was freezing and I got used to it- probably because I went numb! I didn't stay in too long or I might have turned into an ice block.
    There were people surfing which we really wanted to do, but mum and dad didn't think it was a great idea. Before we knew it it was 6pm and we caught a bus home. We nearly missed it.
    For our last night in Kenting we had my favourite dinner again. It was scrumptious stir-fry beef and rice. Mum kept sneaking Vegetables into my bowl. I am really good at using chop sticks now too
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  • What a ferris wheel!

    December 9, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    School was in this morning on our bus ride to Kaoshiung.😫
    When we got to this big city we dropped our stuff to our hotel but had to wait a couple of hours before check in. To fill in the time we went Central Park which was great. We played on the grass hill and the swings for ages. I was surprised to see how beautiful our train station was with a big colour filled dome for the roof. You could look up and see every colour.
    I went on a tram today. It's like a mix between a bus and train and monorail. It goes on the road though.
    We found Dream Mall. My dream, but not Grinch's dream. We didn't look at shops because it was night time but we did go on the mega Ferris wheel. It went so so high and it was really fun. It felt like a thousand metres in the air!
    And the best thing to write about today was the fried rice. I firstly saw the man making it and it looked good. I told the others we should have it and what a good idea that was! Rice, pork, eggs, shallots and some special sauce. I could eat 100 plates of it. It was so tasty and cost $70 which is about $3.50. Everyone loved eating it and we all sat down and gobbled it up.
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  • My dream of a shopping mall

    December 10, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We are in Kaohsiung at the moment which is in the south of Taiwan. We went to some temples today. The temples were good but the Dragon Temple was a bit not great because there was a turtle enclosure that was a bit cruel, mean and disgusting. It was filthy and in a tiny area was about 80 turtles. They didn't look happy. I wanted to set them free.
    The colours of the temples were beautiful - bright blue and red and oranges. Temples can be boring though.
    We then caught a taxi. I am surprised we made it out alive. We got scammed but Dad screamed like the tigers at the temples. And then he dropped us to the right place. Our kidnap driver was a nightmare.
    We went to Dream Mall and I tried on some clothes. I didn't buy any. Brother and I went to the toy shop and played there for a bit.
    We went back to the markets at night and I cried because the fried rice man was not there. I don't know why he wasn't there. 😫
    We do have a nice toilet at the hotel. The seat is warm!
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  • Electric tandem bike rides

    December 11, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    7-11 again for breakfast. The ladies that work there are so nice to us. We left Kaohsiung in a taxi to go to the ferry. Next to the ferry was a fish market. Not for me! It was a bit stinky as usual.
    The ferry ride to our next place which is called Xiaoliuqiu was short but rough. I bet you can't say the name of this place!
    Our hotel is great but no heated toilet. Mum, dad and I went for a walk and came across a bike rental. Dad got a scooter and me and Mum have a shared electric bike and brother has his own. It was already late so we only used them for a bit before it got dark. We went to Vase Rock and there was about 20 turtles swimming near us! So so cool! We are riding again tomorrow and I can't wait.
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  • A forest of ferns

    December 12, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We jumped on the bikes straight away this morning. I was on a tandem bike with mum, I just had to sit back and relax! I did peddle sometimes because it was heaps of fun. We visited caves and one of them was called Black Devil Cave. It was a big cave and we had to really squeeze through it. It was actually a bit scary some parts.
    We came across lots of beautiful ferns when we were walking around, dad gets excited when there is nice plants.
    The ferns were at Beauty Cave- they should change it to Fern Cave.
    We had to ride on the right side of the road - I think mum was nervous some times.
    We did ride to an icecream shop but didn't get one because the man said we all had to buy something for at least $100 each. That was a bit annoying so we didn't get one.
    We walked around the town area at night but not much was opened. We found a man with a taco stall set up so had some and then of course we ended up at the beef noodle soup shop.
    The island is quiet at the moment because it is the middle of winter. It's good not to have heaps of people walking around though.
    The coolest thing about the island is the turtles. There are about 800 of them swimming around the island and we certainly saw lots of them.
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  • Ice ice baby! It's COLD

    December 13, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We left our favourite little island early this morning on the ferry. There was only about 10 people on the ferry and we were back to the mainland quickly. We had a bus ride for an hour and then onto a bullet train! It went very fast, nearly 300kms an hour!. I love how fast they go- you look out the window and zoom, it's gone.
    Our next place is called Taichung. It's a big city and the hotel is right across from the train station and next to a mega mall!! I am pumped, Grinchy is not so pumped.
    Me and brother went to to movies this afternoon by ourselves to see Moana. Going to the movies in Taiwan was pretty similar but they had subtitles in the movie. It was a bit more expensive than Australia too.
    We caught a bus to some night markets and found more delicious food to try. I found a curry pork and egg scallion and it tasted like Keens curry- we all loved it. On the way home we went through some Christmas markets and we stopped to make a pendant. We melted some plastic and then stamped the coloured plastic onto a design. I chose a sea turtle to remind me of the great island we were just on. I really enjoyed making my pendant. The lady helping us was kind.
    And the weather here is sure different- freezing cold!!!! I have to go buy some more long pants it is so cold. What a shame, means we will need to go shopping tomorrow! Haha Grinch!
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  • A little girl in a big world

    December 14, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today we went to Anime Lane and it was a bit chilly! I had to wear 2 jumpers!. There were heaps of fun paintings and Frog and I copied some of the paintings. My favourite was Garfield. Next stop on Grinchy's tour was to a local day market. I am not sure about these markets but this one had some good stuff and some stinky stuff. I bought a passionfruit, some pineapple, gingerbread men and a jumper from an op shop. I liked the op shops because they were cheap and good brands.
    We visited a park with a huge tree that had roots all over it. Frog and I had a play here and really enjoyed ourselves.
    Our afternoon was at the museum. I just loved it here and my favourite area was the physics building. We could do heaps of fun things and there was so much to do. But the dinosaurs were epic and they were like real life. I growled at them because they growled at me.
    I also liked looking at the cavemen- looked like Grinch. I think Grinch was actually around with the dinosaurs 🦖🦖🦕.
    I liked the skeleton of the wooly mammoth- quite big!
    We went to the Botanic gardens but I was really tired by this stage. Too tired to even see my fern cousins growing...
    I thought today was really great because we saw so many different things. I like Taichung a lot.
    We had some dinner at the mall and finished with Christmas lights on the river.
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  • We are out of here Taiwan!

    December 15, 2024 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Well this town of Taichung comes to an end today. I have liked it a lot and it feels like we did a billion different things whilst we were here. All of the Christmas lights everywhere have been so pretty and it makes me feel like we are still celebrating Christmas away from home.
    A bit more walking around (we do a lot of that!) And then on a bullet train to the airport for the night. We were excited about going on the bullet train again, but not so excited when we got on and there were no seats! Lucky Frog and I squeezed into a spot behind some chairs.
    We are just staying in a hotel tonight because we have a really early flight tomorrow morning to Japan.
    But we are having a practice at how cold it is going to be.. because this afternoon was chilly chilly billy!
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  • Jumpers in Japan

    Dec 16–17, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We had to wake up at like 3 in the morning to get our plane. I wasn't really in a deep sleep though cause I was so excited to get to Japan. But boy it was a big day of travel. From plane to train to train to train- what a pain!
    But when I arrived I felt so good! Maybe a bit cold but I can handle it. We went straight to Osaka which is south of Tokyo in the bullet train. We need to get a bullet train in Darwin that goes straight to Toowoomba.
    It was dark when we got to our hotel but gee it was cool! I have never been in a little house where we get our own Pacman game! We only had time to go to a sushi train (thank god, I have been waiting for one!) and then bed.
    Our first real day in Japan started off cold! We visit Family Mart a lot and dad gets his beers and I get my chocolates. Frog likes the sushi here too. We caught the Osaka metro to our first spot of sightseeing - Osaka Castle. I liked visiting here because it had a beautiful garden with trees that were gold and red. The Castle was very Japanesey - I really liked just being able to run around with Frog. And of course we tried a vending machine for ..... an ice cream of course! Freezing weather needs a freezing snack.
    At night we went to a crazy place full of lights and lots of people. I was a bit confused cause dad said we were going to see the running man, and I thought we were going to watch a race but it was actually a big bright sign at Dotonbori. Strange things happen sometimes when you travel.
    We tried our first piece of Wagyu - deliciousness melting in my mouth. I could get used to eating that!
    First impressions of Osaka are pretty good. Maybe a bit cold and I don't really like wearing so many clothes but all the yummy food is worth it.
    And the best thing about today was that I found a 3 storey Daiso!!! My most favourite place on earth. I HAD to stop in for a shop!!!
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  • Lots of layers in Japan

    December 18, 2024 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    Today we decided to go to the Osaka Aquarium. My favourite animals were the seals, penguins and the best thing was whale sharks! They are so much bigger than great white sharks. Baby Gray blue with spots and they were beautiful. Their mouths could swallow me whole. I do have some questions to ask Florrie about these because I heard she swam with them! I was so grateful to see these big sharks. I also liked the dolphins. They swam up to me and talked to be. And I saw a bird that was a mix of a penguin and a puffin - too cute. It was one of the best days visiting the aquarium.
    We had a play at the Lego shop too. I miss playing with Lego at home.
    We had a rest in the afternoon because the days are busy. We walked back to Dotonbori again tonight and it was busier than last night. A bit hectic to be honest!
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  • A day at Daiso

    December 19, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    We have hit the jackpot and found a chicken karage shop. You have to place your order at a little ticket machine and it cost 120 yen for some of the tastiest chicken in Japan. Not regular Coles chicken, but unique homemade Japanese fried chicken.
    I have found my doggy heaven in Japan - the cutest puppies in the world. Mum said we can only get one if we lived here. I am thinking about moving. Time for some shop shop shopping and I found the best Uggs with flowers and I begged mumma for them.... And success! Perfect for Japan because they are so warm!
    We went shopping at Daiso and I had a cart I could push around. Would have liked to fill it to the top but mum was keeping an eye on me.
    It's so cold here so we have a big bowl of delicious hot raman at night to warm us up. It tastes so good and we also have gyoza with all our Japan meals.
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  • Super slow sloths in Osaka

    December 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    Chicken karage to start the day and then a bit of a walk to a trendy shopping area. Dad even shopped but he doesn't like spending money. My middle name is spending money so I don't know why he is like that. He was looking for a new pair of jeans- the cheaper the better🙄. He got some and said he has now done all his shopping for the next year. As if!
    We found a very cool place that was a rare zoo. We could visit and look at some strange animals and even touch some. Armadillos, rabbits, tortoise, funny little dude that looked like a rabbit and cat, bear cats, sloths, foxes and owls. Also a monkey that looked like Grinchy with a beard. Probably related to him.
    The sloths were a bit intimidating because of their big claws, I didn't want to get to close.
    I had fun playing with the baby rabbits who were 1 month old- I should have put one in my pocket.
    The Harry Potter owls were big and I was a bit scared. The baby ones were also a bit scary - kept staring at me with the side eye.
    Osaka has been pretty cool- Daiso has been the best and I hope that I find it in every place we go!!!
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  • 9 million deers in 900 acres

    December 21, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We started the day with a scrumptious smoothie from our favourite 7-11 and then caught the train from Osaka to Nara. It is hard to travel sometimes with the backpacks- they feel heavy.
    Our little house was cute in Nara and the owner left us some good food to eat. We caught the bus to the deer park and we spent hours there. It was a so fun and I loved patting them. It was really funny watching the deer chase people. The deers liked to eat biscuits and people fed them out of their hands.
    Of course we had to go into another temple🙄 when we should have been out playing with the deer.
    I actually did the research about us going to Nara and it was one of my favourite things. I love that Jaan lives animals so much.
    You wouldn't believe it but it rained in the way home so we had to duck into a little bar. The people were a nice and they gave Frog and I some lollies.
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  • Too many temples in Kyoto!

    December 22, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Only a short stop in Nara and then we headed to Kyoto. Brrrrrr, it was chilly! I do love the little house we are house- it's tucked away in the back alleyways.
    Kyoto is full of temples. I am not sure about visiting them all! But we did walk to a nice one this afternoon called Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It was up on a hill and you could see Kyoto which was pretty amazing. It's a pity there were so many other tourists there. Mum says most of them are pretty stupid. I agree. They always stand where we want to take a photo with a stupid grin on their face. I give them a stare and a side eye.
    I can remember the temple had lots of red and orange.
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  • Oishi means delicious

    December 23, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Even though we were cold, we went for a walk to another Japanese park. There were lots of beautiful ladies with their kimonos having photos taken. We are lucky to have good things to see so close to our house.
    We crossed the river into the new part of town and found a food market- Nishiki Markets. Brother was looking swish and bald with his new haircut though! Of course the markets were stinky in the fish areas as usual. I found some delicious donuts and I will be coming back for more.
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