Back to Nagoya

Arrived into Tokyo yesterday and been bumbling about like a tourist all the way to Nagoya. Two years has effectively wiped most of my Japanese language skills and navigation sense from memory so it's been interesting finding my way around. It feels like home though, albeit surreal and transitory.

Not much has changed, though I had forgotten about the crazy Japanese dress sense. The Japanese are a very uniquely stylish bunch and it always surprises me how well put together their disparate styles are. Only the japanese men and women can pull off their funky looks with such confidence and panache. The weather right now is hot and muggy, but since the calendar dictates it to be Autumn, all the knee high boots, heavy plaid and woollens have been pulled out. Here I am traipsing about in my thongs (or as Dwayne keeps correcting me in exasperation- my flip flops), shapeless skirt and bonds t-shirt, looking distinctly hot and flustered, whilst the Japanese sail along without breaking a sweat. How do they do it?!

I'm heading to Osaka today to cool off at an aptly named place called Spa World. It's like a water fun park with bathing sensibilities. I have planned an onsen holiday for the 2 weeks that I'm here, visiting as many famous onsens as I can, so even though it's hot here, I'll be constantly squeaky clean.

Finding Nemo

Lady Elliot Island Eco-resort, Great Barrier Reef

Lady Elliot Island is only one of 3 islands right on the coral cay. The coral lagoon in front of our cabin was inhabited by the most beautiful marine life. I searched for nemo, but unfortunately didn't find him. His other friends though were more than accommodating as I chased them around the lagoon and stalked the poor turtles at sunset.

My favourite memories of this week-long vacation:

1. Finding myself being circled by a school of bright yellow fish, I didn't know which way to turn in the sea of glittering yellow,
2. Chasing a group of leather jacket fish around the lagoon,
3. Sighting a school of Picasso Trigger Fish, very aptly named for the abstract strokes of bright blue, green and yellow across their body,
4. Floating on the calm surface of the ocean after completing my final scuba dive and seeing a pod of dolphins in the distance,
5. A manta ray gliding gracefully below me, seemingly out of nowhere,
6. Going down to 18m for my dive, it was so strange looking up to the surface to find the faint glimmer of sunlight so far away,
7. Enjoying the sun setting one night and suddenly spotting a turtle popping its head out of the water. As I followed its journey across the lagoon, I saw another turtle following in its wake, and then another, and another... All up there were 7 turtles swimming along as though on a conveyor belt. I was so happy to see the one turtle, let alone the 7 I ended up seeing that night!

It was hard to wind down for the first few days, I have never experienced such a relaxing vacation. Lazing about soon became second nature, especially with the abundant good food and sunshine. My days consisted of lounging on the sunchair in good weather, or retreating back to my room when the sun got too hot; reading a good book, watching the waves break on the outer reef and the tides rise and fall in the lagoon. I'm not capable of rewiring my brain to cope with normal life yet, it's just as well my sedentary lifestyle can continue for the next few weeks...