Hi there
Just wanted to say a big thank you for your fantastic website and for sharing your wonderful travel experiences and trips.
I actually came across your site by accident - was searching for some help via Google (my fave search engine) on planning a month-long trip to Australia in March 2002. Et, voila! Your site popped up - and thank God because, as usual, my partner and I have left it to the last minute to plan everything. Your superb itinerary is bound to prove to be a huge source of inspiration, and having just touched the surface of your site (hope to delve much, much deeper as soon as time allows) I can't wait to get started! The best bit? The cute koalas and dolphins. Gorgeous.
So, once again, for your generosity and cool website. May you both have many more happy trips abroad and a very merry Christmas. Best wishes

Chris & Lena
As an Australian who has recently visited Uluru for the first time, I was very disappointed to read your comments about the sacred site. I travelled with a small bus tour company with about 12 other international travellers from Adelaide to Alice Springs, staying at Yulara for 2 nights. Our guide was careful to explain the Aboriginal significance of the site to our group including their beliefs, both cultural and spiritual and reasons for requesting people not to climb Uluru (although the majority of Australian's are aware of the request not to climb). Most of the international travellers in the group had the notion of climbing the rock. However, once at the site, ALL of them decided not to climb Uluru out of respect to the native owners. While not all of them necessarily understood the reasons fully - after all we are talking about a different culture, they made an informed and moral decision. We all walked around the base of the rock and enjoyed that thoroughly. Not one of those who had intended to climb felt any disappointment in not having climbed, in fact it was more important that they were respectful of the owners' wishes.
In your account you admit the walk around the base of Uluru was actually more interesting (not to mention less strenuous) than climbing. Nevertheless you did climb the rock after being politely asked not to and to respect another's spiritual wishes, it seems simply because of your personal desire and because other people were, somehow that reduced your feelings of guilt. It is not that I am making personal judgements, after all, it is not against the law to climb the rock. However, I do believe in respecting other's rights and beliefs, despite them being foreign to my own. I think this is important to acknowledge this as a traveller and in light of recent world events. If you want to look at it simply, think how you would feel if people kept trampling over your property or were disrespectful to your home or church. For the Aboriginal people, Uluru is the equivalent of a church to Christians. This is evidenced by the fact there are many particular sacred sites you would have noticed around the base requesting you not to take photographs, in fact if you are caught taking a picture of these areas, the fine is AUD$5,000. In churches and cathedrals, you are asked to be quiet, in many museums and galleries, you are asked not to use video cameras or flash photography. What do you do?
It is worth considering the effects your actions may have on others, future generations and the preservation of such natural wonders as Uluru. Simple acts of selflessness do make a difference and perhaps if we all kept this in mind, the world would be a better place!
Happy trails
(Ed: We made a lengthy and quite apologetic reply to Rebecca as she made some very valid points. We did point out, though, that our description of our selfish climb up Uluru stressed the pointlessness of the climb and strongly discouraged our readers from making the pointless climb themselves.)

Hi Chris & Lina,
I am possibly going to be working over in Japan for 8 months next year, not having been before, or even come close!
I really enjoyed looking through your website, and it has calmed some of my unease at what I might encounter whilst I am out there. Also, I always think forwarned is forarmed so I will certainly be taking on board some of your advice and hint & tips for when I am over there. It seems that you had a great time whilst out there - so I am looking forward to my trip.
Thanks again for taking the time to write it all down for us!

I just read your Australia tour in my computer, and was fascinated. We have been in Australia 2 times, by ship, and we loved the country. Hope there will be a next time, and then we would like to visiy Urulu tooo. Loved the birds.

konnichiwa
your site rules! the pictures are lovely! now i can longingly stare at them until i actually get to Japan... which will be in the distant future... well, i'll go before i die for sure... but by then i would forget all my Japanese! the horror! sorry, back to the point... please keep the site running! it's saving many hopeless addicts like myself
arigatou

Dear Chris and Lina,
I just came across your traveladdicts website and would like to ask permission to use your photograph of sparrow kebabs taken in China. I am working for a London-based environmental non-governmental organisation - a registered charity called Environmental Justice Foundation. I am currently working on a report on pesticide problems in Cambodia, where eating of sparrows in a manner similar to that you saw in China, contributes to outbreaks of insect pests of rice. The report will be a non-commercial publication circulated to the Cambodian Government, United Nations agencies and other international funding bodies. If you are happy for us to use your photo, we will naturally include an appropriate credit.
I look forward to hearing your reply. Best wishes.
(Ed: Mike used our picture in his report which is available at: http://www.ejfoundation.org/reports.html)

Very nice page on Japan you have there. I am a travel addict myself. One little remark if I may, leave the prices in the local currency. It will be easier for non-British people. (Ed: Good idea. We will do this in future reports)
very informative, nice work, Bye,

Hello Chris and Lina,
I want to thank you for your excellent web site! I know a little about html and creating web pages, so I know how hard you have worked and the time you have spent sharing your travels with the world.
I am about to embark on a three-week study-tour of Japan as a participant in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program. I have used your site to learn about Japan and all the intricacies of travel there. I have organized a week-end trip out of Tokyo for myself and five other teachers to Mt. Fuji and Hiroshima/Miyajima Island. We will be staying at ryokans near Mt. Fuji and on Miyajima Island. It's going to be a whirlwind week-end, but we figured since FMF was footing the three-week visit, we could at least part with some of our hard-earned teacher pay and see some other parts of Japan we wouldn't have seen otherwise.
I booked all our travel via the Internet and have been quite pleased with the responses from our Japanese innkeepers. I used Japanese Guest Houses (www.japaneseguesthouses.com) for our ryokan near Mt. Fuji and Takamakura Miyajima (http://gambo-ad.com/english/index.htm) for our ryokan on Miyajima Island.
I'd be glad to let you know how things turned out on my return from Japan. By the way, I sent your URL by e-mail to the other 199 teachers on my trip so they could read about your Tour of Japan. It was such fun to read that I wanted to share it with my fellow teachers. Please put me on your mailing list for updates to your web site. Thanks again for sharing your travels with the rest of us.

we are off to japan before Christmas having been to Tokyo 2 years ago. we are going to be more adventurous this time (ryokans etc.!) and your sites been very helpful.

Dear Chris and Lina,
A very good day to you! I'm from Paperclip Communications Singapore. On behalf of Singapore Airlines (SIA), we publish KrisWorld, our client's monthly inflight magazine.
In November, KrisWorld will be highlighting Tokyo as its choice of 'destination for the month'. To facilitate the layout of the page, I seek your kind assistance in providing us with images of general city snapshots of Tokyo. I have been to your personal webpage, and would like to request permission to use a few. I am sorry that the list is long, but out of this list, we will be using three images, maximum, with your kind permission.
1. Buddha statue at Sensoji temple
2. Pagoda at Sensoji Temple
3. Sensoji Temple Gate (<-- Ed: Cheryl used this one. )
4. Nakamise-dori shopping street
5. Ginza Shopping street
6. Wedding at Meiji-jingu Shrine (Bride in red)
7. Meiji-Shingu Shrine
8. Mount Fuji Postcard
Rest assured that photo credits will be included. Please indicate the full names you would like the pictures accredited to.
I would greatly appreciate it as well if you could respond soonest if this request is possible (hopefully by tomorrow? Apologies for the very tight deadline). Thank you for your kind attention and assistance, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
(Ed: Cheryl sent us some copies of the in-flight magazine that featured our picture - thanks!)

Cracking website. keep up the informative work.

enjoyed looking at your site about your China tour. Im going with CTS in 3 weeks time and visiting some of the same places, some different.(Yangtse, Shanghai)
I am wondering what the plugs are like in the hotels for hairdriers etc. (Ed: Some were UK style. http://kropla.com/electric2.htm & http://www.voltagevalet.com/country/all.html contain worldwide electricity information) and was it easy to buy bottled water everywhere? (Yes. ) do you need it for teeth cleaning etc? (Yes - except in some hotels which provided filtered water. )
Many thanks, Celia.

Hello, Chris & Lina.
I've read Postcard from Japan. It's very interesting, particularly Japanese Technology page.
I am Japanese, and sometimes the technology spoils us.
I 've been to Britain more than 10 times, enjoyed everytime. When in Britain , I was aware that we're spoiled. For instance I waited door's openning automatically in front of the shop or taxi. Just imagine it !!
Hi-tech toilet is quite common now even ordinary home. It's good one.
I live in Sapporo where you can enjoy winter sport. If you have a chance, please come here.

I would like to congratulate you for your site. It is very funny and entretaining. Having lived in KL for 3 years and being a Mexican from Mexico City, it was a joy to see reviews of both KL and Mexico City in the same website.
I have to take issue though with your description of Mexican food! (Taco Bell better than the real thing? Never!). I think you missed the advice of a knowledgeable local about Mexico City's food local scene.
Have you considered doing a similar travelogue about one or two of the cities in the UK for people living and visiting here? ;-) (Ed: If only we had the time! Nice idea though. )
Good luck and keep the good work!

Hello, Chris and Lina! I was browsing the net because I was missing Japan....and found your site. It really is a nice site with lots of beautiful pictures. It even made me proud of my own country with its beauty and punctuality...and of course with its toilets!
It is also very informative with lots of tips, which I found very amusing that ordinary things for people live in Japan can be strange to foreign eyes e.g. businessmen nodding off in a train, rules about changing slippers in a ryokan and so on. I have to point out though, that you mentioned in the ryokan section there had been snails in the dishes...I didn't know the Japanese ate snails!! Maybe people in Takayama do...I don't know. (Ed: We subsequently found out from Satomi that what we thought were snails were actually “Sazae” - a type of shellfish (disguised as a snail!) That actually makes more sense as the other food items served with it were fish & seafood. Thanks for pointing this out to us Satomi!)
But apart from this, your site is quite correct especially about the price. In fact, I am happy that you challenged the idea of "Japan is expensive". I don't like when people say "oh, Japan is MEGA expensive!" (even BBC said something like this in the travel programme). Don't you think England can be MORE expensive sometime? (Ed: It certainly is! We have cheaper apples though!) But still England is a popular destination for Japanese tourists so why not Japan for more British people, eh?
I hope your site encourages them as well as people from all over the world to go there and find out "real Japan"! Well anyway, I just had to tell you how I'd enjoyed the site and thank you!!

Dear Chris and Lina, I really enjoyed your travel experiences. I, too, suffer from wanderlust, and have traveled to several really great places. It has been my good fortune to visit London a few times, and my graduate school advisor teaches at Oxford. My husband was employed by a company whose offices were in London and Aberdeen, and my daughter and I visited him there. It was wonderful.
Have you visited the USA? If you find yourself heading in our direction, please email me. I would love to meet you if you are in my region of the US. I live near Dallas, Texas, and have been teaching in the public schools for about 20 years. I recently retired (young retiree-49) and now would like to do even more traveling. My youngest, Ashley will begin University in August, so I will be scheduling some travels to keep my mind off my empty nest syndrome.
Once again, your adventures are so interesting and full of information. Your photos are wonderful, and you are a very impressive writer (my second calling). I look forward to reading your future escapades.
I have forwarded your website address to my son who has also developed a love of travel. He just returned from Spain a week ago, and has his heart set on Austrailer after graduation in December. Thanks again.

Hello there, Just finished reading about your travels to kuala Lumpar. My partner and I went out there last November and had the most amazing time. Our first day out was to Batu caves although I have to say we were slightly disappointed at their size. The opposite was true of the petronas towers, you really got a sense of scale when up the menara tower. We were lucky enough to have stayed with a friends family so we got to see and do things that most tourists don't. I would love to know if you went out of the city and if the barking dogs and chickens kept you awake? Take care.

Hello I just thought Id write to say I enjoyed reading your escapades to China and Japan, I am off there alone in a fortnight having just graduated so will hopefully see some sights for myself...cant wait!

Good Evening Chris and Lina.
Having just read the whole of your web site I thought I would drop you a line to say how informative and interesting it was. My husband, and 2 boys, are planning a trip "Down under" in August 2002. We are staying with friends just outside Brisbane in Queensland. Although this was not a place you wrote about I found all the other information on your web site i.e. climate info, Fauna and Flora, etc most interesting.
I took particular notice of your comments on Singapore Airlines, the airline you used on your trip to Kuala Lumpar. Having two boys, who next year will be 13 and 8 years of age respectivley, I found the information on "in flight entertainment" invaluable and will definately have this Airline as one of my preferred carriers when I look to book our flights. It is going to be a long journey so anything to pass the time for both them and us is obviously a good thing.(Also myself being not a huge fan of Airtravel will have something to take my mind off the journey!!)
I know it is a long way off, but the way time flies August 2002 will soon be upon us, but on our return I will visit your site again and email you both to let you know how we got on on our "holiday of a lifetime"
Take care and enjoy your travelling.

Wow, Chris and Lina - what an awesome website!! I have bookmarked it and can't wait to go back and spend more time reading. Your photos are beautiful and resource information is so extensive...someone should hire you just to travel! And I think we must have been in Hong Kong around the same time, I was there in early '97 also. I am beginning to plan for my next trip, although I may move to England if everyone gets 7 weeks vacation : ) (Ed: Well not everyone in the UK gets 7 weeks vacation. 4-5 weeks is more common.) I'm very excited to have found your webpage! Thanks for all your diligent research.

Dear Chris & Lina, I just wanted to drop you a note to say how much I enjoyed reading your experiences of Japan! I am planning a trip there later in the year and have been researching on the web. Thank you for taking the trouble to create the webpage - it is appreciated! Thats it, all the best,

Dear Chris & Lina, We have just returned from China & Japan, after an exciting, stimulating tour with Kuoni.The hotels were excellent. The food was varied, but as you reported, not too exciting. The best meal was the Peking duck. We went to the oldest restaurant of its type and everything was 1st class, except that the duck came last and we were full from the previous courses. Again Nanking gave some of us "intestinal hurry". Kuoni do not seem to have learnt after your experiences. The strangest meal was in the first hotel. Because we arrived a day early we were given vouchers for the evening meal. The restaurant seemed confused over these and we got the strangest Chinese meal I have ever eaten. We did not recognise any of the dishes apart from the rice!
The highlight for us was Guilin. It had just rained and the trip down the Li produced scenes that were ethereal and very beautiful. Naturally the Wall and the Army were special. We found the Forbidden city rather stark and disappointing. Probably too much pre publicity.
The side trip to Japan, was as predicted by you, too short. The brochure was misleading. Saying "an extra day in Hong Kong and two days in Tokyo". These turned out to be an extra night in HK and two nights in Tokyo. We arrived at our hotel at 10.30pm on the first day! We walked for seven hours the next day and covered a lot of the major sights. Not bad for two old "wrinklies".
Kyoto was delightful, but again not enough time as we wanted to fit in a trip to Miya Jima. Thanks to your help and advice we did it on our own saving over £250. Apart from more shops it was just how I remembered it 49 years ago. Dot and another companion thought it was absolutely delightful.
We really appreciate all the trouble you took to help us with the trip and would like to thank you for all your help and advice.

Hello!! You made a really nice site!!!! I'm going to Australia for a year soon, so I'm obviously trying to get as much information about the country as possible. your site defenately helps! You didn't try to make things look better than they are, you were very honest about everything!!! thanx!!! Can't wait to actually go there!!!!

... for bothering to make homepages on Kuala Lumpur.
This June the 13th I am leaving for Sydney to see my daughter who is studying there, and on the way back home to Norway, I am going to have a one night's stay in Kuala Lumpur. I haven't received my hotel booking, so I don't know where to stay, but when it is about only one night, I know that I have to plan carefully to make the most of it. Maybe you would have a suggestion as to what to do and what to see? Is it a good idea to rent a taxi for a round trip or is there a tourist bus-system? I would much appreciate an answer from you.

This tour sounded absolutely fantastic, and the service provided by the Tour Operator sounds wonderful. Two questions though, how much did this inclusive tour cost, (Ed: The tour currently costs between £1575 (in the winter) up to £2142 depending on when in the year you go based on 2 sharing. There is a single supplement of £267.) and do you think it would be a tour that would be OK for a female travelling alone? (Ed: Yes, you would be fine on this tour)

Dear Chris and Lina, I hope your email ID is still active. Hello from the United Arab Emirates. Your webpage on the Australian tour was very informative. Just writing to ask you what do you think of Australia as a place to migrate to. My wife and I hail from the Indian subcontinent. We're on temporary assignment here in Dubai and are looking for a place to settle down.
We love Australia's mild weather, its friendly people, love for sports, etc. But how would you rate its livability vis a vis the UK or US/Canada.
Please do write back if possible. Will get back to you as soon as I receive your reply. All the best

Hello my name is Ashley, I am 11 years old. I am doing a school project and I need to supply information on 2 natural wonders of each continent and to man built wonders of each continent. Could you please give me some information on all of these I would be very grateful. Thank you (Ed: We were very tempted to do Ashley's project but we thought it best to just send some pointers to how to find out this sort of information on the web.)

Dear Chris and Lina,
Just a little note to say that I thought your website was brilliant. I found it very informative without being laborius to read. One of the reasons that I liked it so much is because I was looking for information and pictures for use in school, (I am a schoolteacher), as we are planning a six week project on Australia which will eventually result in some sort of performance. Thanks very much.

Dear Chris and Lina, I have just found your web page and I have to say is the most complete web page information about Japan I have found so far. I'm travelling to Japan in 2 weeks time and I will print some of it out to take it with me to use some of your recommendations and perhaps visit some of the places you visited. I would like to know if this is a good time of year to visit Japan, I understand the rainy season starts in June and I'm a bit afraid it will spoil my holiday. Didn't you go to Japan around May-June? Congratutalions for your web page!!!
Best regards,
P.S I live in London if you need anything from Japan let me know...

Fantastic article. Where can you stay; in Ayers Rock itself? (Ed: The only place to stay in the area is at the Yulara resort a few miles away from the Rock.) Is one day and night enough? (cheap!) (Ed: Not really) Thank you!!

Hello, It has been very enjoyable going over your experience travelling in Japan on your own and we will certainly make use of some of your suggestions (visits in Tokyo, Hakone and Takayama !)
We have booked a trip, arriving in Tokyo mid-july. We are also venturing on our own this time, after having made an accompanied tour trip in 1998. We are very much looking forward to seeing new things and to revisiting some other places showing them this time to another couple accompanying us.
I am especially keen to visit Takayama cerainly after your report about your stay there. Could you give me the address and fax number of the Hanjin Hiranoya Ryokan you stayed in (Ed: Address: Hon-machi 1-34, Takayama Tel: 0577 34-1234 Fax: 0577 34-7721) and an estimate of what you paid per night per room or per person ? (Ed: £100 per night for 2 people including breakfast and evening meal) Did you book the room via a British travel agent ? (Ed: Yes, we used KR Tours) Was it easy to get to the address, what with travelling by train, carrying our luggage ???? (Ed: Yes - trains go to Takayama from Nagoya and the ryokan is 5 mins walk from the station but they will collect you in their car.)
I would appreciate it very much if you could e-mail this information so that I can try to contact them myself.
Domo arigato !

Dear Chris and Lina, I wanted to congratulate you on your Kuala Lumpur website. Just got back from KL myself. Loved it, exept for one thing you didn't mention. The price of booze!

We are going to Japan next month (May, 2000) and I've been cruising the web for information and your site is by far the best one! Thank you for taking the time to do it.
My husband's brother is getting married in Tokyo, Japan so we get to attend a Shinto kimono wedding. Any other top attraction or sites we should see? We will only be there 1 week and the wedding will of course take up one of the days. We also have to meet the brides parents...who are not really excited about their daughter marrying an American. Can you suggest any gifts we could bring to them?
Again, you guys did a great web site!

From one travel addict to a couple of others. This is a great site. I enjoyed my virtual tour of Mexico and Austraila. Keep up the good work. We need more quality sites like this on the web. I will visit frequently.

Just found your Website and appreciated (often chuckled at) your discussions.
I would appreciate your thoughts as whether there are any special limitations that I would encounter as a middle aged woman traveling alone. I do not believe there are any (or have been oblivious to them in my trips in other Asian countries) but thought it prudent to ask.
Thank you, Another travel addict

Hya travel addicts! I thought id send you a email to say how good your web site is. It was a great help for me, as I am doing a GNVQ and currently doing a project on Australia. Just thought id say thanks! Some good hints on where to go, for my travels, as well.

Hello Chris & Lina, My name is Peter, and I have just returned from a three week trip to Hong Kong & China. I have achieved on of my life's ambitions to visit the Terracotta Warriors at Xi'an. It was for me an unforgettable experience.
I am publishing my photographs on my web site as a sort of photo diary, but due to the very strict photo restrictions I could not take any pictures. There are very few pictures out there on the Internet, and those that are there are of a very dubious quality.
The reason for this e-mail is to ask your permission to use two of your photographs to illustrate my visit, as they are just how I saw them too, and of a decent quality. I assure you that they will only be used for my personal web site, and will not be used for any form of profit. If you do not want me to use them I will of course respect your wishes. I look forward to your reply.
(Ed: We couldn't take pictures of the Terracotta Warriors either! The pictures we used on our page were scanned from the postcards we bought and are credited as such. We told Peter that if he chose to use these picture that he should also provide a credit to the owner.)

Hi Chris & Lina, Thank you so much for letting me know about your Peru Postcard. It looks fabulous! What a trip! I will definitely add a link to my WebQuest. It is coming along and I will let you know when I have it finished. It is far from professional...but will serve my purpose as a first attempt at this kind of project. I am hoping more will come after this course. Class ends the beginning of May so I have really got to get a move on and finish it. I consider your site one of the best sources I am linking to and have given you credit on my credit page. Thanks again

Great stories! I hope your web site encourages lots of people to visit Japan. Have you tried staying in a Shukubo in Koya san or Yamagata? How about the oldest hotel in Japan complete with veiws of Mt. Fuji (Fujiya Hotel - Hakone)? Do you know the best and cheapest place to stay in Tokyo? (Yasuda inn)? Anybody wanting to see some off the beaten track sites should take a look at http://www.insidejapantours.com. We're adding a new link page to our site - your's will be there for sure - could you add a link to our page?

hi! I am the webmaster for: www.manjirosummit.org an organization promoting world pease by providing the citizens of Japan and the USA low-cost trips to stay in each other's homes.
This year's summit is in Hiroshima. You pictures of the peace park are very nice. May I use a couple of them on the web site?

What a fantastic website!!! I came across it whilst using search engines to look for information about Thailand. My boyfriend and I are setting off for our trip around the world in the next few months. We're saving up our money and waiting for me to finish my A-Levels in June. I hope to be a travel writer and am looking forward to the challenge.
I was just wondering if you had any information about some of the less tourist invaded islands around Thailand? If so that would be a great help for my boyfriend and I, if not it'll be a challenge for us to find them first hand.
Keep up the travelling and I look forward to hearing the next installment of your vacations.

Hi Chris & Lina:
You have been great helping me out with my other questions about my upcoming trip to Japan. Well, I have another one. I hope you can help me with this one also.
I have run into a little problem. Between arriving at a new city (Hiroshima, Takayama, and Tokyo), and being able to check into our hotel, there is a gap of a few hours each time. Now sightseeing with our luggage is out of the question. I also don't want to sit around and waste time before checking into the hotel. (Our check-in time is at 3 pm in each city) What did you do with your luggage? Are there any storage lockers at the JR stations? Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
(Ed: We told Vivien that hotels usually let you check in early if they have the rooms but if not then they will certainly look after your luggage while you go out exploring)

Hi, I visited your site and it's really interesting . I've already been to Japan and I found that you developped many interesting themes. The pics are great too especially the shinto wedding and the streets. I was looking for a nice wallpaper and I think I'll take one of the wedding pics if you don't mind :-)

thanks for the information for my project

to chris and co
i am a yr 12 student attending trinity college and i am interested in learning more about ayers rock. if it would be possible, could i get some more information (possibly brochures) to assist me with my assignment?
any information would be of great help.

G'day, Hi i have just finished reading through your site.What else can be said but "Brilliant".
I live in Australia and was looking for a site that had everything but the kitchen sink for a good friend in America.She is hoping to come here soon and i have been looking at sites so that she can get an idea on what she wants to do and see when she arrives.
I sent this link off to her and she thoroughly enjoyed it,commenting on the wildlife.......How cute the koalas are!!!!!.
Excellent to read too,even i learned a thing or two about the country i have lived in all my life(29 years).
Anyway as i have said already the site was brilliant and look forward to your next trip as much as you do.

We are planning a trip to Japan in May 2001. Is it acceptable to wear flip-flops (thong sandals) while touring?
Most of the photos show people wearing socks (tabi) with their zori or geta. Americans obviously don't wear socks with their flip-flops. Do the Japanese have a fixation about this? Will they not allow me into a restaurant if I take off my sandals and am barefoot as a result?
This question is perplexing me. I want to be comfortable while hiking around a foreign land, but I don't want to offend any restaurant proprietors. Please help!
(Ed: We did our best to answer Bruce's question but we have since received the following much more definitive resonse from Aliens In Japan:
Wearing "flip-flops" without socks is fine. I've been living in Japan for 11 years, and every summer I (and countless Japanese) wear geta (similiar to flip-flops) without socks. If you go to a restaurant that requires you to remove your shoes, and you aren't wearing socks....as long as your feet are clean, they don't mind at all.)

This is actually the first time that I have encountered your website, and I must say it is easy to follow, beautifully written, and very, very informative. I admire you both for being so adventurous and open-minded in your travels.
I, too, have a passion for travel, but till this day..I havent had such an organized and planned for trip as yourselves. It probably has to do with my age (23yrs) and of course lack of patience and money. But now I see & understand the importance of a well thought out trip and look forward on planning one real soon.
Thank You again for sharing such quality & cherished memories and of course, some very important facts with me. Your work is much appreciated...I almost feel like I have been on the travels with you!! Take care & best wishes on your next trip!!

Hi Chris and Lina
I thought your web site about Japan was great. Very informative and very interesting. I have been living in Japan now for around a year and a half. The information was fair and accurate.

Hello...my name is zura and I'm sending this from Kuala Lumpur. I would like to say that it's great reading your experience in all those countries especially in Australia. To be short..actually, I will travel to Australia in coming July 2001 under my college trip. ... For 2 weeks we'll attend a seminar conducted in Adelaide and after that, it's up to us to travel on our own. Here..I would like to ask on detail abt travelling to Ayers Rock cause this is the place which I really² wanna visit in Australia. So, I would like to ask abt:-
1) From Adelaide to Alice Springs, how abt the train cost? Where should I stay..in Alice Springs..how many days should I take to travel around the rocks including days in Alice?
2) Since I will travel during winter so is it okay me to visit such place in this weather?
3) Other tips
Any responds according to these questions..I would like to thank in advance..

Dear Chris & Lina,
Your website is wonderful. I just found it today. I am a third grade teacher in the process of creating a WebQuest for my class. We will be exploring World Cultures and your site is one that I would like to provide a link to for my students. I am also requesting permission to use some of your graphics, specifically the flags and postage stamps to decorate my WebQuest. It is not posted yet, but I have put your name and address in the credits. I hope that you will allow me to use both your site and graphics to help my students explore the world through the Internet.
Would you also let me know if you have any future countries planned to add? I'm looking for information on Brazil and Kenya.
Thank you for your consideration.

Hi. I am currently in Tokyo on business and had no idea where to go until I found your website - I have since been to Asakusa, Tokyo, Ginza and later today Kyoto. Your site is great, I went through everything on Japan and agree totally on the toilets - quite amazing Now the small world, I saw your wedding picture and saw we live in the same town Reading!
Thank you for making my short visit to Japan enjoyable!

I am travelling to Japan from Canada at the end of March to visit my daughter who has been living there and teaching English since October '00. I have just started researching for my trip and your site was the first one I found. It was interesting and informative and I could relate alot of what you say with what my daughter has been telling me about JAPAN.
I will be staying 4 weeks and plan to visit Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto and possibly Nara as these cities are closest to where she lives. We will probably only take day trips to keep the cost down. I was most interested in the JR pass information as I thought that might be a good thing for me. I could purchase a JR pass but I don't think I could purchase one for my daughter as she thinks there seems to be something in place preventing residents or people with working visas from getting or using JR Pass. Perhaps it is at this end when I buy it that I would have to produce her passport, I don't know. (Ed: She is correct! They check your passport in Japan when you use the JR pass for the first time and would see that she has been in Japan too long to be a tourist.)
I found a site: www.bijapan.com/cgi-bin/expwww/exp.cgi for all rail service from "any city to any city "and from the train station near her place to the above mentioned cities the price seems to be about $40 -$60 Canadian one way per person. At 28,300 yen and our Canadian dollar it works out to about $400.00 Canadian dollars, and I think the 4 trips I've planned will cost about that, or slightly more, and then we are not limited to when we can travel.
I must confess I am also a bit of a travel addict. We love to take winter vacations, and have been to going to Mexico for the last 8 consecutive winters. We've also been to Hawaii 4 times, and Las Vegas 4 times. I also took three exta trips to MX with some girlfriends on super cheap sell off charters. This trip to JAPAN is very exciting and I am eagerly waiting for my departure date. If you ever need info re: MEXICO, I can help.
Adios

Hi Chris & Lina:
I've written to you before with questions I had about your trip to Japan. Well, I have another one. In Takayama, you stayed at the "Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan" ryokan. How much did it cost per person? I'm trying to get a Traditional Inn (ryokan) in Takayama, and the travel agencies I've found said that ryokans are too expensive and they're quoting me Japanese Guest Houses (hachibei).
Also, please let me know of any other ryokans in Takayama that you are aware of or recommend. Thank you so much for your help.

loved your travel report but was a bit disappointed that you didn't go to South Australia

Hi there Chris and Lina,
We loved reading about your trip to Australia. We visited a couple of years ago, but stayed with relatives in Tasmania, itself a beautiful place. We would love to drive around Australia in a motorhome, infact we would just love to emigrate to Australia!! Whatever though, it's a place we want to visit again.......very soon!

Dear Chris and Lina,
Thank you so much for taking the time to describe your trip to Japan in such detail. I have been planning a self-guided trip to Japan and have found that personal, non-commercial websites like yours offer the best information.
Congratulations on a great trip and a great website!

Hi, Haven't had time to digest your site looks xtreeeemely interesting!!, earlier in life I spent 5 years travelling Aus.
Have book marked, when I get a chance will delve deeper

Beautifully done! Thank you

I have browsed through this magnificent website and have found it extremely educational and cultural for my students (aged approximately 14-18 years.... subject of Japanese language.)
Teaching language is certainly not just about grammar but almost certain that culture and history as well as architecture play a major role. Could I thank you once again for the wonderful information you have provided. .
Cheers

Chris and Lina:
I was reading your trip to Japan and was really impressed about it. Actually, i'm more interested in your trip than anything else. I, too, will be visiting Japan in April, and i wanted to get an idea what to do over there. I will be going to Hokkaido, for 5 days (where i have family relative) and then, i will be on my own to Tokyo and Osaka. Unfortunately, i will only have about 5 days between Tokyo and Osaka, so it will be cramped trip. But, with your trip, i am able to get an idea what to expect to do over there. I will be meeting couple of friends, but unfortunately, they worked till 6:00 pm (hard-working japanese) so i have to fill up the rest of my day myself.. This will be my first trip to Japan by myself, so i am excited to visit them. I always wanted to go and visit several cities. My goal is ride the bullet train and look like a sleek machine. Only problem i might encounter is the hotel/motel room. Is there a cheap place to stay, as i only need it to sleep and shower?? I'm really trying to figure out the cost before i leave home..
Your website is really incredible and helpful. Once i finished my trip in Japan, i will email you back about my own journey. Just like yours, it was more an adventure trip. I will be leaving Canada (Alberta) and travel to Japan, and onward to the Philippines where i'm originally from. I decided to include Japan and find out for myself. If you have any more pointers, please, don't hesitate to let me know. Good to know in advance... :)
Thank you........

Chris and Lina,
Greetings from Sydney! I found your report and photos from Australia very fun and informative. I'm heading to Ayer's rock tommorrow for the weekend.......I've been on the road for the past 3 years (working in 17 countries for an American multi-national). It's great to see other peoples' impressions of place you've visited, or would like to go. Please keep it up!
Best wishes,
Karen - A Chinese-Canadian American working in Sydney

Hi there!! I just wanted to let you know that I think your website about your visit to Japan was great! I have a Brownie Girl Scout leader and we are planning on representing Japan at our International Thinking Day. Your website was informative and fun! The girls got a lot of information from your site and Thinking Day is sure to bea success with all the information that they have! Thanks!!!

Felicitaciones por su pagina Bellisimas las fotos de Australia, pais al cual viaje el pasado año Saludos Mario

Hi, how are you? My name is Daina and I live in Vancouver, Canada. I just finished reading your entire website. I loved it! I had to read the whole thing because it was so wonderfully written, organized well, and contained beautiful photographs. I really appreciate the fact that you reveal that many common myths (expensive prices, hard to get around, etc.) about Japan simply aren't true. I'm so excited because I am moving to Japan in June and your site made me feel more comfortable about making the transition. I was a little apprehensive when you wrote about the businessman groping the young schoolgirl, as I am a female. I hope that my experience in Japan is as lovely and fascinating as yours was.

You Did a Very Nice, Succinct Job on Your Roma Citybreak Page. It Was Enjoyable and I Loved the Sistine Restoration Panorama...It USED to Be Pastel in Coloration!

Chris & Lina, I must ask how you get the time to travel so much. I'm thinking of starting to travel as I recently got a UK passport. would you advise me on any places to start with? being young (less than 20) and thinking of going alone could you give me any tips?
Gary
oh, did you use Dreamweaver as your web software package?

Enjoyed postcard of Australia, especially Ayers Rock area. Have you visited Central America/Mexico? If not, check it out soon.

Hi Chris and Lina: Your website is amazing. It has been a great help. I love traveling myself except that my vacation days are limited. (I live in South Carolina, US). I'm actually planning a trip to Japan in May of this Year. However, unlike you, I will only have two weeks for a self-guided tour. Can I manage the same itinerary in two weeks at a faster pace? Was your 3 weeks pretty leisurarly? Please let me know. Thank you.
PS: I think I'll be talking to you pretty soon (I have lots of questions, even though you pretty much covered everything on your webpage).
(Ed: It certainly wasn't leisurely! 2 weeks isn't enough for what we did but some things could probably be cut or shortened - we sent Vivien more details.)

Hello. I'm an American living in Japan since 1990. I found your webpage today; it's very accurate, and well written...I really enjoyed it.
Also, I was wondering if you'd consider adding a link to my page.... http://www.aliensinjapan.com Thank you

i would just like to know who designed your web site. (Ed: We did it all ourselves!)

Hi we are from Perth, but transferred here to York UK..to work out some railway problems you have! LOL..... think we will be here for the rest of our lives.....we were born in Hampshire many moons ago! Both are travelbugs too!
We have been to Singapore, and Norman has been to Thialand and Malaysia, but I am concerned about all the needles and tablets that the British Medical Authorities are saying we need. We are only going to flake out at Langkowi and have an r and r before going onto Perth. What would you advise please as to what we need to take as regards needles for the bugs in that area!

Dear Chris and Lina, Thank you very much for the excellent report on your trip to Japan. I am an American living in Indiana, and we have hosted Japanese exchange students for two years now. We have been invited to stay with their families and so are planning a trip there this July for two weeks. We will stay with a family near Kumamoto and another near Hiroshima. We are very excited and I am progressing quite well at learning to speak japanese.
Your report has given me a great deal of information and I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the pictures and reading about your experiences. The only difficulty I had was that all your price conversions were in pounds, however I pretty much know the exchange from Yen to dollars, so It was minimal. (Ed: Good suggestion, Mark! Future reports will contain US$ equivalents as well as £)
Thank you again for your hard work on this site. It has been very helpful.

I loved reading all about your trip to Australia as we are planning one in October. I wanted to ask where you stayed at Ayers Rock. How long were you there? Did you ride camels? What do you recommend? We would like to stay one or two nights. Also, would you recommend that we fly from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs? What did you do in Alice Springs? So many questions, sorry! Hope you have time to answer. Thanks

i'm a avid rock postcard collector. i am a disabled vietnam veteran from the united states and will never have the chance to visits these sites except throught postcards.
can you help me or guide me in this quest. thank you for your time.

I thoroughly enjoyed your long and beautifully illustrated travelogue. I was last in Japan in 1954 when I was able to get around on the US Army buses (even though I was a civilian on vacation.) The Japanese drivers didn't dare challenge me.
Your adventures really make me jealous. I wish that I could go back. Unfortunately the idea of facing that long a flight again these days is off-putting.
I would like to suggest that you join the group of people involved with http://www.virtualtourist.com/. You will enjoy the site which includes the travels of many individuals from all over the world. I am on that site underthe soubriquet of seagoingJLW. (Ed: We have joined under the name of Traveladdikt)
My son is, at present, looking into going to Japan with his wife ths coming spring. At present, he is considering Tauck Tours or Maupintours. I would love to have you contact him about your experiences.
Once again, let me say how much I enjoyed your postcards. I just wish I could find a way to make the pictures come up more quickly. (Ed: There was a temporary problem with our ISP. They have since upgraded to cope with extra bandwidth and our page once again is limited by our readers' internet connection speeds.)
Thanks again for a wonderful tour.
Yours truly

Hello Chris and Lina, Nice to read you.
I'm having some trouble with my internet connection. Though I access the web through a cable connection, it is very slow these days. As TV has also some troubles, I guess it might be the cable.
I nevertheless tried to visit your page, and what I've seen of it is remarkable. I will come back and visit when my internet access will improve. I will then check it against my awards rules.
I'm sorry I had not enough time to update my awards program. I redesigned the Awards (they all mention 2000!) and I intend to keep the rules, but I've been so busy that I could not go to the end of updating the whole thing...... I think you won't mind waiting some time until I finish the process of updating.
Thank you for your comments about my site. It's true that I used it to play with JavaScript..... My pages are not a travelogue but only display some pics of places that impressed me... My English is poor, and I could not imagine displaying more grammatical mistakes than pictures :)
Thanks anyway for visiting...
My last trip was to CUBA, but I had not enough time to scan all the pics !! My next trip is planned. I'm going to Alaska next July and have a salmon fishing week with 4 American friends..... Hope I will bring back home a lot of nice picture and have time to update my site :))))
Please be patient, Best wishes for the new year. May you travel more and more and share you nice pics with us.
Michel from France
________________________________________
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but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
Home Page http://www.geocities.com/mygbeau
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!! Please sign my guestbook
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well done on your report about australia.
wondered if u could give us some info my parents are travelling to melbourne in a few week and wondered how much of a distance it is to the barrier reef. any useful info greatly appreciated.