There comes a point where you make the same mistake more than once, it’s a choice, right? Well, there’s something I tend to do every time I am leaving for a new country, and that leaves my flight until the very last minute…
…which usually means two things.
– The cost of the flight doubles, and I end up paying way more than I needed to.
– The flight sells out and I have to find an alternative for getting to my new destination.
This time, I should have flown from Busan to Tokyo on a nice 11 AM flight, but I didn’t book it in time. This meant a 1 AM bus from Gyeongju to Seoul which took 5 hours, and then waiting 5 hours for my flight to Tokyo from there.
I say lesson learned, but it won’t teach me anything and I will 100% make the same mistake again. And again. And again.
Heading to my final country
Japan was always going to be last on the list when it came to my Asian adventure. Logistically, it just worked from a travel perspective. Making my way further and further east until the time was up and it meant flying home.
I had originally thought of flying through to Hawaii, but that’s a little out of my budget for now so other plans have been made.
Japan has always fascinated me. Enriched by a fascinating culture, a deep and dark underworld, and the history of Samurai and Ronin. It’s a place that many hope to visit before they die, and I’m fortunate enough that I’m able to explore a little bit of this incredible country whilst in Asia.
Having been to South Korea, I wasn’t sure if I would experience such a culture shock flying to Tokyo as there are many similarities, but Tokyo had other ideas.
On the first night, I was rudely woken.
The sound of a loud, deafening siren going off right beside my bed. I leaped up to see what was making the noise, but when my feet hit the floor from the bed the ground shook, swirled and the whole building was moving.
It was an earthquake.
My phone had sent me an alert to tell me to take shelter, as there was an earthquake on its way.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a wake-up like it, but thankfully it was only 5.2 on the Richter scale and only caused minimal damage throughout Tokyo.
Exploring Tokyo
It’s hard to fathom how big Tokyo is, but it is the largest city in the world outside of China’s megacities.
Visiting the 45th floor of the Government building revealed just how big. With towering skyscrapers to the East, stretching as far as the eye could see, and then towards the west is the older part of Tokyo where buildings aren’t as tall but stretch just as far.
It’s WILD how big this city is. But being home to nearly 15 million people, it’s easy to see why.
Despite how busy it is, Tokyo has this weird charm. Its hustle and bustle are part and parcel of visiting Japan’s capital. With the busiest crossing in the world, some of the smallest bars (they literally have bars that sit 2-4 people), the most neon lights and signs I have seen anywhere in the world, and some of the kindest people.
There’s SO much to see and to do in Tokyo that a few days were never going to be enough but visiting some of the main sites gave a good insight into the history and culture of Japan.
Heading to Mt Fuji
Leaving Tokyo and heading to see the iconic Mt Fuji was always going to be first on the agenda. Unfortunately, though the weather decided to play a different game, and despite being in Fuji for 3 days, I’ve yet to see the world-famous Volcano just yet.
As soon as you leave Tokyo, the landscapes change, the lights disappear and you’re reminded that Japan is home to some of the best mountains, beaches, oceans, and nature that Asia has to offer.
Whether the recent rain has made for a more green landscape or not, I don’t know, but the drive through to Mt Fuji was through quaint little towns, through long and expansive tunnels, and through some incredible countryside.
I’m really excited for the weather to perk up a little and to be able to explore the countryside, and the often-forgotten places in Japan to give a real sense of what this country has to offer.
But first I’ll be praying to the weather gods to open a small window so I can finally see the illusive Mt Fuji before leaving.
Monk Mode Week 11
Seems to have been an easy week of getting things done for MM, but again, as with last week I am excited for this to be over so I can reassess and set new goals for the next Monk Mode.
If you’re unfamiliar with Monk Mode it’s basically 90 days of trying to commit to the following:
– Create a video every day
– Write an article everyday
– Run 1 mile every day
Creation not Consumption
Creation has been more difficult, but I’m going to plan the remainder of the videos for the month and then it should be easy to complete.
Writing daily
Writing is good and I’ve still got topics and things to write about, but I do need a day or week, to sit down and fully optimise each article, fine-comb them, and get them up to scratch. That was never the goal originally, so I am happy with being done over being perfect.
Blog Views: 200
One Mile a Day
The fastest mile yet is at 7:30.
More difficult in a mega city like Tokyo, but still ticking the boxes and nearly at the finish line with 90 day run.
The next adventure…
Exploring Japan and hopefully getting off of the tourist track to see some more of this bucket list country.
It’s hard though as it is SO big, and there is SO much to see that it feels like you could spend a lifetime here and still never see it all.
Let’s have a big week.
Explore Strong.