Flights 7, 8 and 9 – Back to London

It was going to be a long flight and Okinawa to Osaka was just the drop of the iceberg. We had an 8 hour layover in Osaka before boarding our Emirates flight to Dubai, which was killed using the lovely KIX lounge, well worth the 1500 yen to sit on comfy seats, free wifi and nomihodai (All you can drink). A meal later and we were on our flight to Dubai, at 23:30! If youre booking a long flight, I recommend you ask for the 'Exit Seat'. This is the seat near the exit, so no seats in front of you (Don't worry, your tray and TV fold out from the seats). Dozing off and on for the next 10 hours, periodotically stopping to eat something I was sure was meant to be breakfast lunch or dinner. I cannot say enough good things about Emirates by the way. Serious cheap, great service, great food, nice planes, etc etc; or maybe it was a welcomed comfort compared to JetStar (FYI I should mention the problems I had were only on JetStar Pacific, JetStar Japan was totally different). A 3 hour layover in Dubai and onto the next Emirates flight to Heathrow. This 8 hour stretch was tough and there are only so many movies you can watch in a row, but I had the best meal I have ever had on a plane. Warn, tired, irritable and in desperate need of a shower, we arrived back in England. Only customs, baggage claim and a 2 hour tube ride lay ahead of us and the tube ride seemed to go on forever. But I'M BACK IN LONDON!

A Japanese Feast

It's no secret that I'm in love with Japanese food, so being back in this island nation called for a feast fit for an emperor, and my Okinawa friend Yuko-chan delivered with a fish specialist Okinawan restaurant. Sashimi, Tempura and fried fish kept coming to our table, each dish better than the last and Orion Beer and flavoured Umeshu flowing, it was bound to be a great night. I'll miss Izakaya's like this, the food, the drink and the company. 

Japan Retraction

It's hard when your living abroad in any country, dealing with the language, culture and sometimes very challenging views. I now know in hindsight that maybe I should have taken a break from Japan at some point as having time away I appreciate Japan so much more. It's hard when there is no where to escape from the constant foreigness being part of your everyday life as there is only so long you can hide away in your rooms watching DVDs. Even though I love Japan, it's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I feel some of my blogs have been a little harsh because of this, and although I feel they all express my true thoughts and feelings I also want to express that these might be sometimes typed in the heat of the moment. This blog has also been a good therapy for me, either gathering my thoughts of venting my emotions. I feel if I had stayed another year or two, the experience would have been much richer, having had more time to study now my job experience has grown and take more time to 'live' Japan. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Japan and if I was younger, then it would have been a no brainer to stay another year, it just so happened that my situations at the moment sway more towards returning home. The first year is always most difficult and this year has had it ups and downs, but I don't regret doing it for a moment. 

Plane 7 – Osaka to Okinawa

JAPAN! OKINAWA! If I wasn't in serious need of sleep I would be doing cartwheels. I love you Japan with your order and politeness and hygiene. Zzzzz.

Plane 5 and 6 – Ho Chi Minh to Korea to Osaka

One word, tired. And next flight to follow...

Vietnam - Dam Sen Water Park

This water park in the middle of Ho Chi Minh is amazing, with slides galore, wave machines and even a moat that flows around in a circle transporting you calming online on a rubber ring. Vietnamese people here are soooo nice too. From the young to the old, they are here to have fun, smile and get wet.

Vietnam and Cambodia - Strange Fruit

One thing is for sure that South-East Asia has some of the strangest looking fruit on the planet; be it the ones you know like dragon fruit, star fruit papaya, mangos and pineapples, to the oddities of some smelly and uncommon items.

Durian fruit (Or Sau Rieng) is one of the smelliest foods on the planet and it something akin to rotting flesh. It smells so bad that hotels ban you taking it inside and is considered some what of a delicacy. I had wanted to try it since I travelled through Malaysia, almost 11 years ago (Am I really that old now?!), so I decided to take the plunge. I wish I hadn't, as the taste is as bad as the smell and I couldn't even swallow it.

I have no idea what this fruit was called, but the inside resembled a sweet lichee. Quite pleasant for a fruit.

Looking half-way between an artichoke and an armed large berry (On the right of the photo), little clue is given to the sweetness inside, other than the give-way name of 'Custard Apple'.

And there were many more besides, including Polemo, Star Apples, Rambutan, Longan and Jackfruit.  Not really a fruit, but we also tried Lotus seeds. Check out the video to see how to eat: