I thought you said Paris?

I know, I know - you thought I was moving to Paris, and I am, it's just that sometimes things come up that take you on a bit of a detour. And that's what happened to moi ...

Minutes before resigning from the College (of Surgeons),I received a surprise email from my old Jundee buddy, Jane. She was looking for geos to do expat fly-in, fly-out work in Mali (that's Africa, not Indonesia) - not that I was looking for geology work again but she had a database administrator role available, which was a bit more appealing to me as it wouldn't require being outside on the rigs in the 30+ heat that is the average Malian day (and night, as it turns out).

So after much deliberation and consultation with Jane (how big are the generators? i.e. will they power the air cons appropriately, and what about the food? I remember minesite catering at Jundee) I decided to take the more adventurous route to Paris - and I have now arrived in the southern corner of this hot west African nation!

And it is H-H-H-Hot ...

Tofu crazy

Tofu anyone?

eStephanie, Carrrmen - just for you.

Postcard from Tokyo

Oh yes I do love Japan.

I am so glad Dom moved to Tokyo giving me an excuse to visit him until he decides where he wants to be next. When I went to visit him and Anna in August 2004, I was hoping to see the beautiful autumn colours rising like a tide up the volcanic slopes, yet as luck would have it, the leaves were late and I arrived on the tail end of the hottest summer on record instead. Throw in a 4.6 earthquake in Osaka, a volcanic eruption and a 30-year typhoon that shut down the shinkansen so that we were marooned in Hiroshima and you have the complete adventure holiday.


Ali and Dom in the mad rush that is Shibuya after dark


Shinjuku - any night, any corner

This time, however, it was all a little more relaxed. The glorious summer weather followed me northward on my travels and the sakura (cherry blossom) front arrived with me. I can't begin to tell you how stunning those delicate flowers are swaying over your head as you stroll through the parks and gardens and chaotic streets of Tokyo - it's very much a time of happiness when the sakura arrive in Japan. It put a silly grin on my face too and I went nuts photographing every blossom I saw.


Pink sakura


Sakura in full bloom at the outer temples, Senso-ji


Outside Dom's house - Japanese style - with the weeping sakura and Anna


Sakura-san

Aside from viewing sakura and crashing other people's hanami (sakura viewing) parties (we got lollies, a song, a photo and a kiss - good job!), I spent plenty of time checking out the variety of produce in the supermarkets,


Snack food


Special sandwich?


Goya (bitter melon) soda??

the range of items available in specialty stores,


Two inch-high collectibles


Rent-a-pooch

and of course, I ate!


Avocado and tuna creation


Hot soba lunch at Hakone - good choice


German-style (?) rice lunch at Nihonbashi - bad choice

Anna and I took Dom to the hottest salsa club in Tokyo - Salsa Sudada (there's a fine joke there for those of you with enough Spanish) - and my newly aquired dance skills were tested out by some of Tokyo's finest Cuban movers. We took a spin in the vintage Mazda to try to see Mt Fuji (what a great volcano!),


The shy mountain says hello (sort of)

I did a spot of temple-going,


The Great Buddha at Kamakura

and naturally enough, I also spent a large amount of my time people watching.


Is that a tanuki?


Material boy - the man-bag is back, so long as it's Vuitton

After falling in love all over again with the overwhelming all-sensory assault that is Tokyo, and the abruptness with which it all changes once you leave the city limits or wander through a torii, it was time to leave this amazing county where every inch of available space is used to full effect and where everything is super-compact - including the doorways!


Leaving the izakaya