A cold christmas was requested.....
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cxthomps
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Country #4 - Canada (Toronto) cont'd
As we had booked a private tour for Niagra we arranged for a slightly later start and to miss out on the wineries. The trip to the falls was interesting, lots of big industry and car manufacture still going on. Just one diversion to Niagra on the Lake on the way, to be honest I wish we had managed more than the 45 minutes here. Some interesting little shops and I would have loved to have gone inside the Prince of Wales Hotel for a pit stop.
We got dropped off at the Falls with a plan to meet some hours later back near the shopping area. This turned out to be a bad call as the snow moved in horizontally and the temperature dropped to -14 C. That was one of the coldest walks I have ever done, the only thing that kept me going was the sound of my children whinging (parents will get this). Niagra itself seems to want to be another Vegas, maybe it is better in Summer but in winter it just came across a bit sad to me really.
As we had booked a private tour for Niagra we arranged for a slightly later start and to miss out on the wineries. The trip to the falls was interesting, lots of big industry and car manufacture still going on. Just one diversion to Niagra on the Lake on the way, to be honest I wish we had managed more than the 45 minutes here. Some interesting little shops and I would have loved to have gone inside the Prince of Wales Hotel for a pit stop.
We got dropped off at the Falls with a plan to meet some hours later back near the shopping area. This turned out to be a bad call as the snow moved in horizontally and the temperature dropped to -14 C. That was one of the coldest walks I have ever done, the only thing that kept me going was the sound of my children whinging (parents will get this). Niagra itself seems to want to be another Vegas, maybe it is better in Summer but in winter it just came across a bit sad to me really.
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IMHO it doesn't get any better in summer. Niagara on the Lakes was the highlight of my tour there.
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Ha! Was just about to post the exact same comments, but you beat me to it. Great TR!
cxthomps
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Country #5 - USA (Chicago)
Chicago was a necessary stop due to flight availability, I just couldn't find flights on both Star Alliance and One World from Toronto to Tokyo. Another morning flight on a United Embraer 175 (E7W) for the short flight across to O'Hare. We found out that an incident had occurred later in the same day at Toronto airport with 2 planes colliding (no-one hurt), glad we avoided the chaos that caused.
I booked us into the Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago right on the magnificent mile in the full knowledge that this was probably going to hurt my credit card. By the time we left we had acquired an additional suitcase with around 25kg in it. It would have probably been a lot worse if the exchange rate was better and the sales tax was lower. But January sales is sales and the wife / daughter still found their 'bargains'. It was extremely cold at -18 C (-26 C with the wind) so keeping moving was essential.
Everyone we met kept telling us beautiful the city is in the Spring, might have to keep this on the list and return some day.
Chicago was a necessary stop due to flight availability, I just couldn't find flights on both Star Alliance and One World from Toronto to Tokyo. Another morning flight on a United Embraer 175 (E7W) for the short flight across to O'Hare. We found out that an incident had occurred later in the same day at Toronto airport with 2 planes colliding (no-one hurt), glad we avoided the chaos that caused.
I booked us into the Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago right on the magnificent mile in the full knowledge that this was probably going to hurt my credit card. By the time we left we had acquired an additional suitcase with around 25kg in it. It would have probably been a lot worse if the exchange rate was better and the sales tax was lower. But January sales is sales and the wife / daughter still found their 'bargains'. It was extremely cold at -18 C (-26 C with the wind) so keeping moving was essential.
Everyone we met kept telling us beautiful the city is in the Spring, might have to keep this on the list and return some day.
cxthomps
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Country #6 - Japan (Tokyo)
My Wife/Daughter were on ANA, my Son and myself were on American. From the pictures my wife took it looks like they had the better seats, especially my daughter. I found the American hard product to be comfy enough once you stuck some blankets under you, but I am a frequent turner and it was just too narrow for comfort. However I am calling it a draw on food as both were awful, I returned my meal (steak) after the first bite as it was rubbery and my wife said she didn't even let the tray hit the table before declining. She said the smell alone was enough to make her stomach turn. The American crew were a real mix of experience and rookies and it definitely showed.
Unfortunately ANA land at Haneda and American land at Narita, but as I was 4 hours earlier than my wife I thought this would give me plenty of time to get to the hotel and then back to meet her. I obviously did not do my homework well enough as it took nearly 3 hours to get to my hotel (Hilton Tokyo) in Shinjuku (including over 1hr 30mins on the Narita express). I chose to taxi it to Haneda to make sure I was there in time and $80-$90 later I was 30 mins early for her flight, which was then another 30 mins late
If we ever go back to Tokyo then I will definitely look for a flight into Haneda (~25km) rather than Narita (~80km). On the return trip to the airport I took the Airport Limousine (= a bus) and whilst this was much easier (door to door) it was still a 90 minute journey.
The Hilton Tokyo (Shinjuku) provided us 2 nice interconnecting rooms. I found the executive lounge to be the usually reasonably stocked drinks area and poor food area, at least the view was nice. The breakfast in the Marble Lounge was reasonable, once I got the hang of asking for everything to be well cooked, especially the omelette station. Beyond breakfast we had previously made the decision not to eat in the hotel but to get out into Tokyo and try as much as possible, plus we were told the restaurants were normally fully booked most days. There was a very fancy looking mid afternoon tea in the Marble Lounge each day, which we were told was sold out until May. I am glad we were not fussed by the look of it because I think you would be a bit annoyed if you stayed at a Hotel to find out that one of the (tripadvisor) recommended options was only available if you booked 4-5 months in advance.
My Wife/Daughter were on ANA, my Son and myself were on American. From the pictures my wife took it looks like they had the better seats, especially my daughter. I found the American hard product to be comfy enough once you stuck some blankets under you, but I am a frequent turner and it was just too narrow for comfort. However I am calling it a draw on food as both were awful, I returned my meal (steak) after the first bite as it was rubbery and my wife said she didn't even let the tray hit the table before declining. She said the smell alone was enough to make her stomach turn. The American crew were a real mix of experience and rookies and it definitely showed.
Unfortunately ANA land at Haneda and American land at Narita, but as I was 4 hours earlier than my wife I thought this would give me plenty of time to get to the hotel and then back to meet her. I obviously did not do my homework well enough as it took nearly 3 hours to get to my hotel (Hilton Tokyo) in Shinjuku (including over 1hr 30mins on the Narita express). I chose to taxi it to Haneda to make sure I was there in time and $80-$90 later I was 30 mins early for her flight, which was then another 30 mins late
If we ever go back to Tokyo then I will definitely look for a flight into Haneda (~25km) rather than Narita (~80km). On the return trip to the airport I took the Airport Limousine (= a bus) and whilst this was much easier (door to door) it was still a 90 minute journey.
The Hilton Tokyo (Shinjuku) provided us 2 nice interconnecting rooms. I found the executive lounge to be the usually reasonably stocked drinks area and poor food area, at least the view was nice. The breakfast in the Marble Lounge was reasonable, once I got the hang of asking for everything to be well cooked, especially the omelette station. Beyond breakfast we had previously made the decision not to eat in the hotel but to get out into Tokyo and try as much as possible, plus we were told the restaurants were normally fully booked most days. There was a very fancy looking mid afternoon tea in the Marble Lounge each day, which we were told was sold out until May. I am glad we were not fussed by the look of it because I think you would be a bit annoyed if you stayed at a Hotel to find out that one of the (tripadvisor) recommended options was only available if you booked 4-5 months in advance.
cxthomps
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Country #6 - Japan (Tokyo) cont'd
Once I had figured out how to buy Suica cards and get us onto the JR line it was time to soak in a bit of Tokyo. First day I thought it best to stick to the tourist trail, we could get a bit more adventurous later in the week. So ..... Meiji-jingu Shrine, Omotesando Harajuku all the way to Shibuya for lunch, then spend the afternoon exploring the laneways around Shibuya.
The family didn't make it much past lunch time, jet lag caught up with us all pretty quickly and we were forced to call it early.
Once I had figured out how to buy Suica cards and get us onto the JR line it was time to soak in a bit of Tokyo. First day I thought it best to stick to the tourist trail, we could get a bit more adventurous later in the week. So ..... Meiji-jingu Shrine, Omotesando Harajuku all the way to Shibuya for lunch, then spend the afternoon exploring the laneways around Shibuya.
The family didn't make it much past lunch time, jet lag caught up with us all pretty quickly and we were forced to call it early.
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cxthomps
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Country #6 - Japan (Tokyo) cont'd
and now for probably the best fun on the trip..... Mario karting around Tokyo
The next day and after breakfast the kids begged to be left in the hotel room to recover. I was fine with this although the wife could not work out why, until we rolled into Akihabara for maricar. I really should have taken more pictures but was having way too much fun.
and now for probably the best fun on the trip..... Mario karting around Tokyo
The next day and after breakfast the kids begged to be left in the hotel room to recover. I was fine with this although the wife could not work out why, until we rolled into Akihabara for maricar. I really should have taken more pictures but was having way too much fun.
amaroo
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Did you walk over the bridge?
cxthomps
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It's really easy, just rock up with ID (passport) and a driving license, we took international licenses but saw others with Australian licenses have no problems. We did the middle Tokyo tour, took just under 2 hours. The guide is really nice and helpful, my wife was very nervous but he talked her through the controls and we were off, it helped he had a headset on and talked to us the whole way round. You just have to opt for the costumes, it makes it so much more fun, everyone stops and stares the whole time, plus even other drivers were more courteous and forgiving. It cost just over $100 each but so worth it. You might have needed to book on a weekend but we had no issues during the week, especially in the winter.
cxthomps
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We did walk, brutally cold and very windy going up. We took the below photo before going onto the bridge.
cxthomps
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Country #6 - Japan (Tokyo) cont'd
We spent most of a day to Tokyo Zoo near Ueno. The first thing to note is that it cost us about $6 each for adults to enter, $2 for my 13 year old and free for my 10 year old, very reasonable. Its obviously an old zoo from the layout and look of some of the enclosures, and there is plenty of building work going on around the park. The big attraction was the birth of a new panda about 6 months prior, but tickets to see the cub were apparently for the winners of a lottery only.
We thought the park a little small until we found a walkway that led through to another part of the zoo. There was an overhead tram but it was only a short walk between the sites (over a road). The other part had some quite small and close enclosures, always nice to see kangaroos.
We spent most of a day to Tokyo Zoo near Ueno. The first thing to note is that it cost us about $6 each for adults to enter, $2 for my 13 year old and free for my 10 year old, very reasonable. Its obviously an old zoo from the layout and look of some of the enclosures, and there is plenty of building work going on around the park. The big attraction was the birth of a new panda about 6 months prior, but tickets to see the cub were apparently for the winners of a lottery only.
We thought the park a little small until we found a walkway that led through to another part of the zoo. There was an overhead tram but it was only a short walk between the sites (over a road). The other part had some quite small and close enclosures, always nice to see kangaroos.
cxthomps
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Country #6 - Japan (Tokyo) cont'd
Today was a visit to Asakusa, the moment you exit the station you can tell you are in a popular tourist area. Multiple rickshaw's stand on the road, mostly pulled by men in ninja outfits. Then though the gate is the line of small shops that lead to the temple (Senso-ji) and shrine (Asakusa-jinja). With the exception of the tourist shops we found the temple and shrine to be very impressive and surrounded by a small garden that was very peaceful to rest in.
Following some tips from the internet we headed towards a small shopping mall (well lane really) to the east of the temple. We found some lovely small shops selling freshly made sweet bread and some more reasonably priced souvenirs. We wandered for a good couple of hours through the lanes, avoiding the tourist lane to the temple as much as we could. At one stage we arrived at the Hanayashiki Amusement Park, a small theme park with rides, but the kids weren't fussed so we didn't go inside.
Today was a visit to Asakusa, the moment you exit the station you can tell you are in a popular tourist area. Multiple rickshaw's stand on the road, mostly pulled by men in ninja outfits. Then though the gate is the line of small shops that lead to the temple (Senso-ji) and shrine (Asakusa-jinja). With the exception of the tourist shops we found the temple and shrine to be very impressive and surrounded by a small garden that was very peaceful to rest in.
Following some tips from the internet we headed towards a small shopping mall (well lane really) to the east of the temple. We found some lovely small shops selling freshly made sweet bread and some more reasonably priced souvenirs. We wandered for a good couple of hours through the lanes, avoiding the tourist lane to the temple as much as we could. At one stage we arrived at the Hanayashiki Amusement Park, a small theme park with rides, but the kids weren't fussed so we didn't go inside.
cxthomps
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Country #7 - Home
My son and I were returning JAL - NRT to MEL (I could not get a direct flight to Sydney), my wife and daughter Singapore Airlines - HND - SIN - SYD. We all took the airport limousine (bus) from the hotels, the trip to Narita seemed longer than the near 2 hour journey but at least it was door to door. The JAL lounge was very busy for 9am in the morning, I am always surprised by the number of people drinking beer at that time of day. My son and I arrived a few minutes early at the gate to see the boarding ritual, lots of bowing and queuing as we were boarded by groups (group 2 being business). A lot of airlines should study this and maybe make theirs less of a scrum to the plane.
The JAL J product was pretty good, massive TV screen to watch. I had a window seat and my only issue was the narrow ext to the aisle, a bit tight if you aren't the width of an average Japanese person. I seem to remember the food was pretty good, however as this was flight number 11 all I really wanted to do was sleep, watch movies and get back to Australia.
We landed late at Melbourne and stayed overnight at the Park Royal, nice and easy to get to. The next morning we caught a Qantas flight back to Sydney, got to say I was very impressed by the QF J product, I actually wish more of our flights had that type of hard product.
My son and I were returning JAL - NRT to MEL (I could not get a direct flight to Sydney), my wife and daughter Singapore Airlines - HND - SIN - SYD. We all took the airport limousine (bus) from the hotels, the trip to Narita seemed longer than the near 2 hour journey but at least it was door to door. The JAL lounge was very busy for 9am in the morning, I am always surprised by the number of people drinking beer at that time of day. My son and I arrived a few minutes early at the gate to see the boarding ritual, lots of bowing and queuing as we were boarded by groups (group 2 being business). A lot of airlines should study this and maybe make theirs less of a scrum to the plane.
The JAL J product was pretty good, massive TV screen to watch. I had a window seat and my only issue was the narrow ext to the aisle, a bit tight if you aren't the width of an average Japanese person. I seem to remember the food was pretty good, however as this was flight number 11 all I really wanted to do was sleep, watch movies and get back to Australia.
We landed late at Melbourne and stayed overnight at the Park Royal, nice and easy to get to. The next morning we caught a Qantas flight back to Sydney, got to say I was very impressed by the QF J product, I actually wish more of our flights had that type of hard product.
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