Wherein is written an account of the far flung journeys of Chris & Hayley,
on their way home from Japan via China, Mongolia, Russia and Europe.

Put the kettle on.

The time in Japan..........China.............Mongolia.............Russia..................UK

Monday, November 26, 2007

I walked this street (Kyomachi Dori) to the station nearly every morning the past week gone, as Chris had borrowed my bike. It gave me the oportunity to take these and think about walking more often.


Kyomachi Dori, Nr Tsutaya

Kyomachi Dori


Sunday, November 25, 2007

View towards Kawasaki Centre and Main Station

I have always looked for different ways... different ways to work, different ways home, a different way to the local shop. Recently I found this way into town, which avoids walking through the throngs of crowds at Kawasaki Station.

A more calming way, but most of all a visually overpowering route that is so exciting. With the millions of lines, made up of tracks and power cables and looming tower blocks, cutting roads, fences and road markings, the city opens up with it's mouth wide open swallowing the trains as they speed or chug by. Each time I take this route I half expect people on mini space/hover crafts to zoom out from that mouth, following each path, road, track and cables, in all directions. That would be great, just like the films Fifth Element or the obvious comparison, Blade runner (a comparison of Japan, 'done to death' says Chris).

It excites me to think I can still find new ways of seeing this place, our 'home', and also saddens me too, that we'll be leaving here without seeing all possible routes and views. I've seen Mt Fuji a few times this week, such a tease I love it, peeking out from behind some buildings on my way to work, another view I really want to put in my pocket and take away with me.

We have exactly eighteen weeks to go until we leave this house, our home for the past 3 years for Chris and 2.7 years for me. Kawasaki, our city, our shitty city, but still our base. Tokyo, which used to be my hide away, Chris' neighbour, now our neighbour. It seems more and more essential everyday, to take those different routes to work, home, and into town, but also to capture those same everyday routes to work, home, and town. The shopping street, our alleyway, our neighbour's garden, each and every bus stop into town with it's quirky seating, the sky line of every view, the progress of each building site, each angle, and each corner of everything that we are going to leave behind.

Enough talking I'll get snapping then!