Must put on weight! Triple O’s burger, fries + gravy!
High Tea at The Peninsula Hong Kong to celebrate Lucy’s B’Day.
Mum’s a boozer!
Load up on carbs.
Lucy, Julius and Mum.
Shopping isn’t doing it for me in HK so I’ve just been enjoying having D&M’s with Mum, Lucy and Julius AND eating as much as I can to put on weight! Tomorrow I’m catching up with Anthony who I had dinner with the other night. He’s 14 and crazy into cars so we’re going car hunting! Should be a great day out!
964. Man I still can’t believe how close I was to putting money down on one of these once. I’m so glad I didn’t! Much rather just appreciate them from afar.
Love it!
SO many more money cars in HK since China infiltrated.
Retail therapy.
Out with the old, in with the new.
When in HK one MUST have a bowl of noodle soup from Ho Hung Kee (they have one MICHELIN Star!). They’ve moved into a mall, and it’s not quite the same authentic experience as eating it on the street, but the noodles were just as good as always!
That teal!
Happy Hour at the hotel, free drinks!!!
My new mate.
Then we had an EPIC Chinese dinner with some relos.
These things are EVERYWHERE here in HK. Literally see one every block.
Spotted this bike shop next door to the hotel, will have to check it out during opening hours.
I like to use shit till it breaks and have had my hipster Herschel laptop backpack for 4 years now. I’m sincerely surprised it’s lasted that long as I assumed nothing trendy is built to last these days. The bag has finally had it though, and the fake leather bits were literally disintegrating and leaving bits of the bag all over my clothes and wherever I put it down (lol), so I was crazy happy to find a Herschel store here in HK that had the exact same model! I went even more timeless this time by fucking off the fake leather bits and going all black. #happydays #wouldratherazenbagtho
PS: Culture shock going from Japan > Hong Kong. Japanese = Clean. Chinese = Dirty!
It’s a new day.
Narita Airport. Goodbye Japan.
Hello Hong Kong.
Spotted.
We’re staying at Lan Kwai Fong near Central (not Causeway Bay for a change!), it’s a lovely little boutique hotel.
Was a rough night. I’ve been going through the motions of being both sad, and fucking mad about Howie taking his own life. I’m saying “Fuck Howie?!” out loud a lot. I’m just saying fuck a lot. I’ve had lots of people message me with concerns, but hey I’m fine, definitely not suicidal! I might have depression, but I don’t really mind the suffering, in fact I might even strive in it. I sure as hell ain’t fighting it, I don’t feel I ever really have.
Sure. I have an appetite for destruction, and my dream has always been to crash and burn, to die young even (though I’ve fucked that one up already), but that’s all VERY different to being suicidal.
The show must go on.
When I came down to the lobby this morning I was bracing myself for a new day. A fresh start, but some of the people in our travel group knew about Howie as they now follow me on Facebook. I even had one of the older ladies tell me that she found my blog, and loved reading all of it, she especially loved the honesty and that really touched me. Mum’s a little down too as she’s met Howie many a time over the years. So talk about Howie we did, right up until our bus got here.
Mum and I said our final goodbyes the the group, lots of hugs and kisses, it’s been real sweet. I’m now sitting in the Cathay Lounge waiting for a flight to Hong Kong. In my calendar it says SYDNEY tomorrow. It turns out that at some point, Mum decided to extend her stay with 5 nights in HK before flying back home, she says she did ask if I wanted to tag along (or if I wanted to just go home after Japan) and apparently I said yes to HK, strange as I really am not a fan of the place (just been too many times as a kid). I’m not complaining though! I’ll be sure to eat as much as I can in HK and hopefully put on some weight (I’m now 53kg, way below my natural 58kg weight).
PS: Star is 90% sure that Mia’s peed on my bed. Ah bugger! She must be so upset to do that. Looks like I’ll have to go home and buy a new mattress too!!! *sigh*.
I’ve just heard that my friend Howie took his own life. I’m speechless. I knew he had issues, but I never knew how bad they were. He was always in his head a lot, a really smart guy, deep and he loved to have a good laugh. I’m now so upset that I didn’t take the time to catch up with him the last couple of times he reached out to me. Life is fucked up.
Apologies to anyone and everyone I’ve snobbed off these past few years. I’m a busy guy, sure, but I have PLENTY of time to catch up with friends. The drugs, the laziness, hobbies, they all get in the way of maybe what’s really important. I don’t hold myself responsible, in any way, but I do know I’ve got a way with words, and I do know that if I had caught up with Howie we would have had huge D&M’s because that’s what we always used to do. All of a sudden Berty Nghiem’s Cars For Hope project means so much more to me. I’m gong to make moves to help Berty as much as I can going forwards. This is a wake up call of sorts. If you’re my mate, and need to chat, please, get in touch. I’m all ears.
Tokyo Imperial Palace.
Almost died when I saw what T mum was wearing today!
Hey ladies!
They inspired me to get my own!
#findyourzen
Meiji Shrine.
Dad’s passing away anniversary today so mum and I made a prayer at Meiji Shrine.
NIKE Harajuku.
Luke’s Lobster Rolls!
We then hit up this cute little place that smokes everything.
Smoked duck was intense!
MOMA.
Yoyogi park was super chill.
So great to see so many people just chillin’ and enjoying each others company under the beautiful sakura.
Clean BNR34. Lady driver too!
At a hotel in Narita, last night and managed to find some legit Sushi, FINALLY!
FATTY TUNA FTMFW!
My room, smallest of the trip for sure!
No weed here in Japan, so I had to beer. Beer = truth serum = lots of trouble! Bashing keys till the sun came up, crashed at some point then hit the streets of Ikebukuro to raid Tokyu Hands and scoff down some JDM Maccas! #bliss #daywrittenoff
Best sleep ever!
My view from the balcony this morning. Amaze!
And then holy shit… we could see Mt. Fuji today!!!
30% chance to see = we win!
Next stop, Yokohama!
Shinjuku! I’m home!
Finally! Tonkotsu!
Tonight’s tiny room at The Prince.
Woke up in a dream, I swear. The lake, the tatami matts, green tea, fuck! Where has this been all my life?! Sadly had to check out and hit the road again, but not before passing by Mt. Fuji and seeing it as clear as day (we couldn’t see the peak at all yesterday). Spirits were really high after that, and we hit the road to Yokohama, then Asakusa Temple (I had never been). I’m buggered from all the walking! Tours are relentless! How do these old ladies manage?! It’s crazy!
Hitting Shinjuku was unreal. Literally driving past the last hotel I stayed at with the Acquired Taste boys brought back memories and great vibes. I feel like I’m home!
Tomorrow we have a free day, no plans! That’s the way you should do Tokyo! So looking forward to it!
Ohayou!
Peace park.
Lots of tourists about. In frustration I hit this bell as hard as I could and turned a fair few heads LOL!
Find your Zen.
Beauty in the small things. Japan is full of it!
These eggs have been dipped in the hot springs of Owakudani, Hakone. When they’re dipped the eggs go black! Amazingly it doesn’t happen at any other hot spring in Japan but this one!
I HAD to buy a few, apparently you love to be 100, or gain 100 years if you have one so I forced a few of the group to have one as it’s 5 for $5 and I sure as hell wasn’t gonna eat 5 eggs and live to be 500!
Jimmy, he’s so awesome. Love the guy! Not a bad bone in his body, those kind of peoples always impress.
Mum & I. SO good to see mum so happy!
Tina and Lucy. Snow makes everyone a little kid!
Soba lunch!
Met this amazing 81 yr old Indonesian man on the way to Mt. Fuji today. He was smoking gudang garams like a chimney and had piercing blue eyes! When I asked him about his eyes (in the best Indo I could manage) he said they were brown, and over the years they’ve turned blue!!! Had to ask him for a shot! So glad I did.
Mt. Fuji! *sigh
My room overlooking the lake at Kawaguchiko is SO wow!
We were given Kimono’s to wear to dinner, got mine on so wrong!
Group shot!
Dinner ended too early so a few of us headed back into the lobby to buy more beers from the vending machine and play some pong and Mum played some piano.
We’ve been a little bit unlucky with the Sakura opening in time, and today we had a little more bad luck with not being able to see Mt. Fuji. Ah well! What can you do?! Still one of the most enjoyable days so far on tour. The older ladies love me, and I love them! It’s been great vibes, great laughs, lots of banter and jokes.
We are spending the night in a traditional Japanese hotel tonight, sleeping on the floor on tatami matts. My room is absolutely amazing! I can’t help but want to shoot someone in this room! It’s just SO beautiful and will be even more beautiful in the morning light.
Bamboo forest was impossible to shoot, just SO many tourists being a Sunday (God damn it!!!).
Group shot! YUP! We’re a HUGE group!
Nature design.
Kei.
Traditional Japanese lunch.
Lucy putting in the Fish paste.
We’re getting closer to Tokyo!
Dead stock JDM DC5R.
Yakiniku for dinner on a road stop.
Jimmy the B’Day boy! The guy is a dead set champ!
Tonight’s room.
We had an early start to try to beat the crowds to the bamboo forest, but being a Sunday it was pretty damn packed and it was nearly impossible to get a decent shot. Can’t help but feel a little disappointed with the bamboo forrest. I’ve seen SO many amazing shots online, but in reality it just wasn’t that amazing?! Maybe I’m here at the wrong season? Or maybe, somehow everyone’s images are deceiving?!
Next door to the bamboo forrest was Tenryu-ji Temple, designated by the UN as a World Cultural Heritage site it’s pretty much where ZEN was born! (head temple of the Rinzai Zen Buddhism 1339). Amazing gardens, unfortunately the sakura still aren’t blooming! I’ve seen a few photos on insta though, of people in Tokyo right now, and they’re shooting fully open Sakura, so it looks like were still in for a treat!
Mt. FUJI tomorrow! 30% chance to see it due to the cold weather (meaning snow on the roads). Fingers crossed!!!
Woke up at 4AM, first in at 6am. Japanese buffet brekkie!
Our first stop today was Kiyomizu Temple.
The Sakura are starting to open!
Good luck charms.
Mum getting her Zen on.
Therapy.
Our guide Sayuri!
We then walked on to the Gion area in search for Geishas!
And then we spotted some, hanging with some grandpa’s who looked like they were having a blast.
Then I spotted this crane. And I was mesmerised.
The shop owner came out at some point and fed it in the river next to the shop! So rad!
I’m honestly blown away at how different Osaka and Kyoto are from Tokyo. Can’t wait to come back and spend quality tie in these areas without a tour.
Boomers on Tour!
Sunset in Kyoto. So good it stopped raining today!
Then we checked into a new hotel, much more grand than the last. Of-course I get level 8!
My room.
We ducked out for dinner and found a dark little lane behind the hotel and chose a restaurant to eat at. Loved the little box ad wooden lock system on their show lockers!
We even got a VIP room!
Sashimi!