Live from Higashiyama Youth Hostel

I only have like 7 minutes left to throw this out since everyone insists on chatting to me on MSN. Davis and I are in the Higashiyama Youth Hostel tonight, in Kyoto, Japan. We arrived late last night at Kansei Int. Airport - it's on an artificial island in the Osaka bay, and it's MASSIVE. We got off a the plain, and hopped on a monorail to go somewhere else in the airport to get our luggage. Customs was a breeze, they just asked the group 'do you have anything to declare,' we said no and just walked straight through. We caught the train and bus to the YH, through the city FULL of neon lights, vending machines, pachinko parlours and taxis. And an Astro Boy sculpture on top of an information sign. I love Japan.

Today was our 'Temple Day'. We caught buses around to a heap of old, historic, wooden temples. Lots of walking, but it was great. The Shinkakuji temple is covered (like, covered) in gold foil, it's incredible. Tonight it was dinner back at the Youth Hostel, then we just went down to a manga/book/magazine store. It's amazing the GIANT books of manga you can get for say $7, something you'd never find in Australia.

Almost out of time, I'll try and blog again later - Jono