Moving Forward!

It's been a long time since I last posted, but plans are certainly moving forward! Plane tickets from the US to Tokyo, then from Shanghai back to the US have been purchased. I also reserved my ferry trip from Kobe to Tianjin, but I don't actually pick up that ticket til I arrive in Kobe. The JR RailPass arrived a few days ago, along with my China visa.

I'm currently looking around for a backpack and a good pair of shoes that I'll be comfortable walking around in for long periods of time. I'm trying to resist buying a pair of Teva's because they'll make me look like such a tourist, but I think getting shoes with excellent ventilation would be a good idea for the summer heat in both Japan and China. As far as a backpack goes, I'm looking at getting a smaller pack and packing light (maybe 40-50 liters?). It's currently proving a bit hard to find something in that range, especially something that will fit someone as tall as myself.

Japan planning is going pretty well. I know that I want to visit Tokyo, so I'll be spending 5 or so days there. I've had Nikko recommended to me as a good day trip from Tokyo. Kyoto also sounds amazing due to it's numerous temples and gardens. I think I also want to visit Hiroshima for the Peace Park and nearby Miyajima, though that would probably only be two or three days. Eventually I want to end up in Kobe to catch the ferry to Tianjin. Planning for China is slow going, but I may have to oust Xi'an from the list of destinations, as I'll only have a little over ten days in China and I want to be able to spend enough time in Shanghai to see all that Expo has to offer.