2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
While in Japan we had to try a traditional Japanese bathhouse. We found a small one in the suburbs of Osaka that had good reviews and was also suited for the boys.
As most of the bath houses men and women are in different sections, so I took the boys with me which was a fun experience for them.
The bath house had a section that was full of yellow rubber ducks, and the boys spent a fair amount of time playing with them.
It also had a lot of other pools that varied from really hot to freezing cold pools as well a various mineral baths with water pumped up from deep underground.
It is difficult to describe the feeling, but both Kim and I felt amazing afterwards. No photos allowed inside, so the outside and the poster at the local trans station will have to do.
2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
In Osaka we went to the Universal Studios theme park. It was just before Halloween, so everywhere in the park people were dressed up in 'scary' costumes.
After dark the park put on the most amazing zombie show with hundreds of actors and dancers dressed up as zombies - No One celebrates Halloween like the Japanese - amazing!!!!
1. April 2019 20:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
Nara is an area a couple of hours outside Kyoto that is full of temples and deer roaming the streets.
It has a massive temple with one of the pillars with a hole in it. Apparently if you can squeeze through then you are enlightened.
The deers are good fun although Kim and and boys took a while to get used to them.
1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
This castle is close to the centre of the city. It is quite big and lit up at night. Out hotel was just around the corner so we passed it almost every day.
We didn't go inside it as there were too many other things to see.
1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
There are lots of temples in Kyoto. This is mainly because the city wasn't bombed during the second world war.
For historical reasons they are mostly outside the city centre in the hills - apparently they were banned from the city centre long time ago due to the monks growing influence.
1. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
The golden pavillion in Kyoto is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. It is a small zen temple surrounded by a beautifully manicured landscape.
It is however very touristy with large tour buses and large crowds, but still worth the visit.
1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
0 Comments
Asiyama is on the outskirts of Kyoto and this is where people go to see the Bamboo forest but there is also lots of other things to see in the area such as monkeys and more traditional sights such as temples.
The bamboo forest itself is very crowded and the foot paths are fenced in and to be honest there are so many bamboo forests in Japan in the land districts that it is hard to see why this particular forest is so special.
It is lovely to see people in traditional kimono's being transported in rickshaws.
From the place where there are monkeys, there is also a view of all of Kyoto.
Needless to say that I saw a lot of animals while in Kenya.
I don't know how it is today, but back then they were everywhere in the national parks.
Here is some of the Rhinos we saw.
Elephants were plentiful.
Lots of cheetahs.
And lots of lions.
Their kittens.
Lots of Hippos (Lots of these in Lake victoria) and they would be grazing on the golf course across the street.
Hyenas
The vultures eating the remains of the kills.
And of cause loads of zebras and various gazelles.
23. January 2015 15:01
by Rene Pallesen
1 Comments
My time in Kenya was every kids dream.
I got see and do things that few other kids had a chance of doing and it definitely had a big impact on my adult life.
Living at Lake Victoria gave me the chance of catching the biggest fish I have ever caught (A 56pound/25kg Nile Perch).
I also caught the smallest fish I have ever caught in that same lake.
We didn't need fancy fishing gear, just a stick with a piece of line on it.
Life, going to school and emerged in a different culture was a different kind of life (This is our house maid, my brother and my grandmother in front of our house).
This is Filistus another of our house maids. She was working for us most of our time there (we found out the she died from a bad case of malaria years after we left).
Here we are riding a 100 year old turtle.
Life with my brother was also very different. He discovered his talent for Tennis in Kenya and could whoop most of the adults arse when he was 12yo.
No hair dressers around so we also had the worst hair cuts.
There wasn't a lot of Europeans around so we'd know most with a 100km radius.
Family life was simple (not TV) but good.
Our dog was part of the family and made quite a few trips to Kenya.
Every afternoon was spent at the Nyanza Country club where Claus played Tennis and we went swimming.
I taught myself to swim and owe these days to how solid a swimmer I am today...I got really upset that I couldn't swim and my stubborness kicked