DAY 18

Saturday 15th May

Hong Kong

So that's it then. Reluctantly picking up my luggage and jumping into the waiting taxi, we wave goodbye to Kubota at 6:30 a.m. The train from Kubota takes us to Saga, where we pick up a coach to Fukuoka Airport.

Checking in at the airport was a doddle and takes less than ten minutes. We then sit around staring into space as we wait for the departure lounge to open- it's always difficult to know what to say at these moments. Nothing adequately summed up how grateful I was to have the opportunity to visit Japan, and so I sit in silent contemplation until it was time to board the plane.

Around 3:00 p.m., we arrive in Hong Kong. The weather was perfect- no clouds for the mountains to hide behind this time. We happened to have nine hours at our disposal until our flight to England, so we take the opportunity to investigate Hong Kong.

The recently built airport and public transport systems are easy to navigate, and we pick up some Hong Kong Dollars before boarding the direct train to Hong Kong Island. The ice-cold carriage lulls us into a false sense of security as we speed through Kowloon into the island- we see the sun blazing down, set in a blue sky, but I wasn't prepared for the real conditions outside. Our first inkling we get about the outside temperature occurs when we wander around Hong Kong station. Going up an escalator, it's as if we break through a ceiling of hot air near the top. Top- warm. Bottom- cold. Strange. We eventually find our way onto the city streets, and bang- the humidity is immediately smothering. I'd never experienced anything like it, apart from maybe in Taipei- but it definitely felt more oppressive here. Within five minutes I'm mopping my brow, and my jeans are stuck to my clammy legs. It's a nightmare for those that don't cope well with heat- like me. Still, the scene is amazing- a seething mass of neck-strain inducing skyscrapers and bustling crowds.

Our main objective during our brief foray is to take the funicular tram to the top of Victoria Peak, a mountain overlooking Hong Kong harbour. So there I was, thinking that there wasn't much you could do to make a tram journey exciting- how wrong I was. The tram takes a virtually direct route straight up the hillside, tilting backwards to an angle of 1 in 2, 27 degrees to the horizontal. Your own body weight squashes you against the seat, and even stranger are the views that accompany the ascent- skyscrapers appear to lean at impossible angles.

Shortly we arrived at the top, and negotiated our way through the tack-laden souvenir shops of the terminal. Somehow I find the strength to resist having my photo taken with Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, at Madame Tussaud's Hong Kong. A three-quarter of an hour walk takes us up winding roads to the Victoria Gardens. It's easy to see why those who could afford it moved up to the peak- it feels several degrees cooler and the humidity had lessened. Looking back down across the harbour, over the rooftops of hundreds of tower blocks and skyscrapers, I think about how difficult it must be to work and live efficiently in such heat.

We explore the gardens as the sun sets, the harbour reflecting as though filled with liquid gold. Our time was up, and we head back down into the madness of the city. By the time we get back to the haven of the air-conditioned train station, I feel like I'm swimming in my own clothes. Hate the heat. Hate, hate, hate it.

At Hong Kong Airport we have a three-hour wait for the 11:55 p.m. flight. Our nine-hour journey home is uneventful, apart from three hours of turbulence that makes it difficult to get my evening meal to my mouth.

Sunday 16th May

Back in Blighty, we are welcomed home with a bright, sunny morning (after the way it had sent us off, I worried that it might still be holding a grudge against us). Paul and I make our separate ways at the tube station, and I head off to Upminster reminiscing on the past few weeks. We had done and seen so much in those 18 days that the task of writing up my journal is daunting (though evidently I finished it in the end).

So was Japan what I had expected it to be? Kind of. In terms of appearance, I was strangely familiar with Japanese cities and countryside as it bears a resemblance to Taiwan. I do feel that had I not been to Taiwan, I would have found the differences to England more striking- as it was, I had already experienced the overall appearance of a far Eastern country, so kind of knew what to expect.

Of Emma's Japanese friends that we met, and various other people along the way, all were generous and kind. I have heard it said that Japanese kindness is 'programmed in' rather than freely given- done because society deems it the 'right' thing to do rather than a matter for the individual's choice. I don't find this at all; everyone that I met seemed genuine and sincere. Of course, this is only based on my three weeks' experience, and so it's difficult to know for definite- Emma, I'm sure, would have several examples ready to prove me wrong. I am glad that the traditions of respect, kindness and generosity still seem to be honoured, regardless of how genuine the person's intentions. Here's an example: upon entering a convenience store, you will be greeted by the simultaneous cry 'Irasshaimase!' (Welcome!) , which is pleasant the first couple of times round. But when you hear it being called every two minutes, and to the sound of the door chime rather than the appearance of the customer, you realise that of course there comes a time when it can't be genuine- it is all a show of protocol to promote 'social harmony'. Still, it's something we could do a lot more with in this country; for a week or so after my arrival home, I felt irritated by the sheer indifference of English service. Also unusual is the feeling of anonymity that comes with being back in the country. In Japan (as in Taiwan), you almost feel like some kind of local celebrity as people eyeball you in the street. I can imagine that while a novelty at first, it can soon grind you down- there are only so many times you can smile at the umpteenth pointing kid.

For a country that only came back out of isolation a hundred and fifty(ish) years ago, The Japanese have truly embraced many aspects of Western society (to the chagrin of the Kubota fascists, no doubt). But while they have been importing Pizza Huts and 7-11's, I get the feeling that the social structure has remained solid- reliance on others above individualism, and a desire to keep cultural traditions alive.

All in all- a fantastic place to visit, even better if you have a guide to help you (thank you, Emma)! I scratched only the very surface of Japan- I hope that one day I'll get to go back again, to further my knowledge of this unusual and unique country! The End...