Friday, February 27, 2009
Spider in Tokyo
It has started snowing in downtown Tokyo which is quite rare. We really brought the snow with us!
Have had a busy week in Tokyo with our CEO in town and lots of meetings and work to catch up on.
On way back to Melbourne tonight, and am looking forward to warmer weather.
Not many pictures updated, but I will put some up over the weekend. David took the cameras back with him, so I've been limited to my Blackberry.
The picture here is of a huge spider that is in Roppongi Hills. I am fascinated by the detail everytime I walk by, so tried to get a photo, but it is hard to see.
Have had a busy week in Tokyo with our CEO in town and lots of meetings and work to catch up on.
On way back to Melbourne tonight, and am looking forward to warmer weather.
Not many pictures updated, but I will put some up over the weekend. David took the cameras back with him, so I've been limited to my Blackberry.
The picture here is of a huge spider that is in Roppongi Hills. I am fascinated by the detail everytime I walk by, so tried to get a photo, but it is hard to see.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Couple shot
Hi
Sorry for a couple of days without updates . . we've been on the move, and well, I've been relaxing and having fun so haven't had time!
We left Takaragawaonsen on Friday morning, and took the shuttle bus into Minakami. We then took a local train to Takasaki, then the bullet train to Nagano, where Jamie (the local sales guy for Aconex in Japan) took us to his house in Hakuba Norikura. It was a 45 min drive.
We seem to have brought the snow with us, as it started snowing when we arrived, and by Saturday morning there was apparently 1m fresh! We had a good day boarding with Jamie, who showed us the backcountry and then a nice onsen and dinner at the Olympic Village (Japan hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the village is called Wadano).
The boys have headed out again today, but it is 9oC and sunny, and I have a migrane, so have stayed in to try and beat it. And to update the blog!
Lots of pictures up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/klsinclair
We leave tonight (bus from Cortina to Nagano, bullet train back to Tokyo), and I'm working in Tokyo for the week. David heads back to Melbourne Tuesday night.
Sorry for a couple of days without updates . . we've been on the move, and well, I've been relaxing and having fun so haven't had time!
We left Takaragawaonsen on Friday morning, and took the shuttle bus into Minakami. We then took a local train to Takasaki, then the bullet train to Nagano, where Jamie (the local sales guy for Aconex in Japan) took us to his house in Hakuba Norikura. It was a 45 min drive.
We seem to have brought the snow with us, as it started snowing when we arrived, and by Saturday morning there was apparently 1m fresh! We had a good day boarding with Jamie, who showed us the backcountry and then a nice onsen and dinner at the Olympic Village (Japan hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the village is called Wadano).
The boys have headed out again today, but it is 9oC and sunny, and I have a migrane, so have stayed in to try and beat it. And to update the blog!
Lots of pictures up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/klsinclair
We leave tonight (bus from Cortina to Nagano, bullet train back to Tokyo), and I'm working in Tokyo for the week. David heads back to Melbourne Tuesday night.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Way beyond my Japanese
We are having a lovely time at Takaragawa onsenkaku.
http://www.takaragawa.com/english.html
We were taken by a shuttle to Houdaigi yesterday, which is a local ski hill and had a good day.
The snow continues with 30cm Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and another 60cm + overnight. It is still snowing!
Lots of pictures up now (with stories)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/klsinclair/
http://www.takaragawa.com/english.html
We were taken by a shuttle to Houdaigi yesterday, which is a local ski hill and had a good day.
The snow continues with 30cm Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and another 60cm + overnight. It is still snowing!
Lots of pictures up now (with stories)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/klsinclair/
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Freshies
Woke up this morning to reports of between 80cm and 110cm of new snow in 24 hour period...and blue skies!
Perfect powder day...but alas, not for us. After another dentist appointment for David, we headed on the train from Myoko Kogen back to Nagano, through Takasaki and up into Minikami.
It was about 250kms, done in efficient Japanese style in 3 hours by train (including transfer times).
We're now at a wonderful 1920s Japanese Ryokan called Takaragawaonsen about 40 mins out of Minakami.
There is apparently a wireless connection, but I haven't been able to connect yet, so you get a photo via the blackberry of sunrise from our bedroom this morning.
More to come (we have @ 90 photos to put up when we get internet).
Perfect powder day...but alas, not for us. After another dentist appointment for David, we headed on the train from Myoko Kogen back to Nagano, through Takasaki and up into Minikami.
It was about 250kms, done in efficient Japanese style in 3 hours by train (including transfer times).
We're now at a wonderful 1920s Japanese Ryokan called Takaragawaonsen about 40 mins out of Minakami.
There is apparently a wireless connection, but I haven't been able to connect yet, so you get a photo via the blackberry of sunrise from our bedroom this morning.
More to come (we have @ 90 photos to put up when we get internet).
Monday, February 16, 2009
. . and a little air
Well, we've been lucky, according to the locals, and landing a day that has brought the most snowfall in one day that they have had all season.
It was really quite amazing -- it was bare one moment, and 2 hours later, ankle deep, 2 hours later than that, knee deep and then it just kept falling!
It was falling so hard that we had to stop taking photos as the camera was getting wet! Well take some more tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I had to come in early for a conference call, but David had a big grin (I'm not sure if that was because he got to snowboard without me . . .).
We're a little up in the air about tomorrow . . we have to check out at 10am, and David has another dentist appointment at 9am, but the snow is so good, we might try and stay the day.
Stay tuned!
(more pictures by clicking on photo) -->
It was really quite amazing -- it was bare one moment, and 2 hours later, ankle deep, 2 hours later than that, knee deep and then it just kept falling!
It was falling so hard that we had to stop taking photos as the camera was getting wet! Well take some more tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I had to come in early for a conference call, but David had a big grin (I'm not sure if that was because he got to snowboard without me . . .).
We're a little up in the air about tomorrow . . we have to check out at 10am, and David has another dentist appointment at 9am, but the snow is so good, we might try and stay the day.
Stay tuned!
(more pictures by clicking on photo) -->
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Finally, Myoko Kogen
Well it has been an eventful trip, but not for the good reasons.
While everything went to schedule leaving Melbourne to Tokyo (via Sydney), unfortunately David started to have a pretty serious toothache on departure, which meant a sleepless night for both of us.
Upon arrival, it was clear we need to find him treatment.
Fortunately being the geek I am, I used my Blackberry Bold (the only Blackberry that works in Japan) to find a local dentist near our office and we set off.
So to make a long story short, there was my work, a dentist, the Shinkansen to Nagano, and then the local train to Myoko Kogen, another dentist, lots of pain, more dentists, more sleeping and here we are . . Sunday, and our first snowboard!
Unfortunately, the weather and snow has been crap here.
The snow is 1/3 what they normally receive, and about 10oC warmer for this time of year. So while the pictures look pretty, it is pretty bleak, and the local businesses are feeling it -- all are struggling, which is sad, as it is a nice place.
That said, we're getting old, so the groomed runs, spring snow and sun was easy enough for us. They are predicting snow tonight, so hopefully we'll have a nice day tomorrow! .
While everything went to schedule leaving Melbourne to Tokyo (via Sydney), unfortunately David started to have a pretty serious toothache on departure, which meant a sleepless night for both of us.
Upon arrival, it was clear we need to find him treatment.
Fortunately being the geek I am, I used my Blackberry Bold (the only Blackberry that works in Japan) to find a local dentist near our office and we set off.
So to make a long story short, there was my work, a dentist, the Shinkansen to Nagano, and then the local train to Myoko Kogen, another dentist, lots of pain, more dentists, more sleeping and here we are . . Sunday, and our first snowboard!
Unfortunately, the weather and snow has been crap here.
The snow is 1/3 what they normally receive, and about 10oC warmer for this time of year. So while the pictures look pretty, it is pretty bleak, and the local businesses are feeling it -- all are struggling, which is sad, as it is a nice place.
That said, we're getting old, so the groomed runs, spring snow and sun was easy enough for us. They are predicting snow tonight, so hopefully we'll have a nice day tomorrow! .
Sunday, November 16, 2008
WhitSundays
More photos of the WhitSunday's by clicking on the picture of our boat -->
Off to Tokyo tomorrow . .
Off to Tokyo tomorrow . .
