Saturday, March 13, 2004
JAPAN 2004
This was going to be my first visit to Japan. Jess had been before a few times while her dad had lived here. We were both pretty excited by the time the plane touched down:
The manga welcome helped to shake off some of the jetlag. We only had 4 days in Tokyo so we had to make the most of the time. Sleeping was not really an option.
The comic book imagery was everywhere. Tokyo is a comic nerd's heaven. Even the warning signs on trains have a sense of humour:
The train system takes a little getting used to. After a day or so it actually makes a lot of sense but when you first see the underground map you get a headache:
This building we christened the Death Star:
The architecture in Tokyo is pretty wild compared to London where everything is debated and considered to the point of boredom. This building for example seemed to built from Lego:
Jess in the typical tourist phone box stand. Just out of frame is a very patient salaryman. Japan is the most polite city I've ever been in. Even during rush hour everyone stays behind all the yellow lines on the platform until they are given the go ahead by the train guards.
Thrift stores have their own unique treasures. Jess came close to buying a Ghostbusters jumpsuit but stripes always win out in the end:
Me in the shade. Japan behind me:
A fixation with Charlie Brown and Peanuts leads to Snoopytown:
A cat in a Union Jack eyepatch: 
The third floor and eighth floor of this building don't get along too well: 
Jess was convinced this translated as NO ELEPHANTS:
Here there be DRAGONS:
And we did stumble onto the more traditional parts of Tokyo too:
This was in one of the shrines we visited. You could leave prayers:
Chinese mythology but a Japanese show so I guess its ok:
Part of a wedding we wandered into:
Jess taking a break from the walking. This was a beautiful park to get lost in...
Jess made me put this one up because it's rare I smile
Although I seem pretty damn happy there. 
Japanese Samurai Ducks. There is an English one down there too. Like Tom Cruise, he was probably learning to adapt to their culture or something
A real life FRUIT. 
People tubes in Electric Town. Its not quite Futurama but not far from it either
They take their games seriously. This poster was fucking HUGE. And Gungrave is a great name.
I think this is advertising pens and firearms:
I think this is just advertising girls:
Jess adapts to any culture pretty fast
Robots at our feet. THIS is what Ken should be spending our money on in London
Ok. In the UK we have a music chain called HMV while in Tokyo they have:
Hot Men's Box. That one had me shaking my head...
Tokyo living up to its Blade Runner reputation:
Complete with Popeye:
I was hoping our hotel would be near Sexy World. Imagine my joy when I realised we were on the doorstep to HYPER Sexy World:
For Jess the sight of strawberry sandwiches was jawdropping and well worth a snap
As was the new ONE PIECE movie
I was more interested in MY LOVER IS A SNIPER:
The tagline reads: Although the pursuer and the pursued, our hearts were drawn to each other. I will never forget Wong Kai Ko
But it was all about the ONE PIECE for Jess. The Comic stores here are SERIOUSLY HUGE
Here we try and fit in by adopting Japanese cold masks:
The chap behind Jess is obviously impressed:
Tokyo zombies converge on the taxi:
And before we knew it we were taking our final subway ride:
Next stop London.
AUSTRALIA 2004
The extra time we spent in SF meant we had to crush a lot into three weeks in Oz. Before we arrived we thought this wouldn't be a problem as we had no real desire to see much of the country. Our only reason for getting on the plane was to see our friends Johnny and Frank. We stayed in Sydney for a few days heading for Perth and after a week there onto Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The odd thing was that the more we saw of Australia and its people the more we liked the place. In the end we were gutted we had to leave and plan to get back sometime in the next 12 months.
So here I am happy to be in the sunshine. Later that day I got myself nice and burned...
The Sydney Opera House isn't at all what I was expecting. It's even odder close up. Now that Hollywood is using Oz as a studio they should set Logan's Run 2 here.
Jess ensured that The Clash were represented in even the most tourist infested spots on the planet
The Bridge. You can actually walk over the top of the damn thing. We were content to just look at it eating choc-tops.
More Opera House. The world needs more buildings like this. Are you reading this Dru?
We still haven't quite perfected the self portrait thing have we. This was the end of our first night near the harbour.
Nice olde worlde ships. Didn't help Jess' pirate addiction one bit...
Nice newe worlde ships. The sub was for Johnny.
Detail from the war monument in Hyde Park. I liked this building a lot. While I was in Brisbane I picked up a cheesy comic called Australian War Stories that featured it.
Jess looking cute with her Indian bag.
Sydney is a beautiful city. I can see why so many Brits move out there. London is just nasty in comparison.
The view from the observation deck of some building or other. We really are terrible tourists and never pay any attention to little details. Like where we are.
Another view from the top. As much as I like heights I prefer being down on the streets. 
With the birds. Jess got annoyed at me for befriending the little guys. I always thought pigeons were underrated. No idea what the big chaps are but they had seriously weird beaks but were friendly enough to eat from my hand.
Doesn't get much cuter than that.
We are not big fans of zoos but if you have to have them then Taronga Zoo is the way to go. You can get up close to the animals that don't seem to mind the attention and its situated on its own island.
I didn't mean to kill the kangaroo. I thought they could box.
No bars. You just wander into the enclosure and hope for the best...
A dingo. Always wanted to see one of these close up.
Komodo dragons are also seriously cool
Jess again. Nice view of the city kept well away from the wildlife.
This may be my FAVOURITE photo of the whole trip. Who knew goats could be so cool?
Meerkats. A bunch of them. These guys were lazing around in the sun and shade while one poor bastard had to keep an eye on the dumb tourists.
Another one of those sunset things that Jess gets a kick out of. Must be a girl thing.
Jess on the beach. We must be in Perth.
Johnny and Jess. This was a good day. We had just eaten and were then forced to eat sushi by Johnny's wonderful friend Rachael. This was after the drunkeness, blood gushing and trips to the ER of the previous few days.
Johnny still looking for a rescue ship. This was the first time we had met him in the flesh and the bastard surpassed all expectations.
After being faceless tourists since leaving Mike's in DC in December it was good to be made welcome again. This guy bent over backwards to ensure we had fun among the Perthlings.
I have no idea why this posted so small. Must be the work of the gods so I'll leave it be.
Me and the puppy snoozing after a heavy bonding session. 
Jess and the puppy. I think Jess now finally understands why I think cats are DULL
Johhny making sure his boots are set to 11.
I swear that the power of the devil drilled a hole through the wall
Sometimes I take a really good pic. This was on the way to Johhny's brother's place and a double bill of British humour and Australian gore.
Jess, the sun, some water and some sand. Our last night in Perth.
Refreshed and on the Gold Coast.
34 floors up with half a penthouse to ourselves. Sweet.
Jess got scared because of my fixation with the swimming pool and Lethal Weapon movies
We slept for most of the first day. Once it was dark we awaited our host...
Enter Frank stage left with a bottle of something EVIL.
After an evening of FILTH we set off to explore yet another city.
After living with us a few years ago Frank knows which parts of the city to expose to us. You couldn't have a better guide
Back to reality all too soon. Early morning flights are no fun.
A last goodbye before heading out to Tokyo
After some effort I finally dislodge Frank from my ear. It's better than a simple 'goodbye'
LOS ANGELES 2004
Between Mexico and Oz we only had two days in LA. From what I saw two days per lifetime is more than enough.
The architecture was an interesting backdrop while people offered me rolex watches, girls and methadone.
The hotel we stayed in was full of NBA players and fans falling overthemselves to get photos. I concentrated on the real stars.
Ernest Borgnine once gave my friend Todd a lot of good advice...
As we walked along I kept my head down and sung out all the names of my favourite actors. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.
Jess has this thing where she takes photos of our feet every time we go on holiday. Go figure.
Why they put astronauts down I have no idea. It's not like they ever did anything important like fly in Airwolf or foil the plans of Moriarty.
This is the roof of the subway somewhere in Hollywood.
The set for the townhall used in the Back to the Future movies. I took a lot of photos of this crap but I won't subject everyone to them.
And that's me outside Universal Studios. We went there to kill time before our next flight and as such it wasn't too bad. Whether I'd actually recommend you go there on a bonafide trip is another matter...
MEXICO 2004
We arrived in Mexico at the end of January a week later than we originally planned. This was in part due to the fun we had in San Francisco. In a lot of ways it was like coming home and we didn't want to leave after only a week there. Also I was full of horror stories about Mexico City. It was the one place I wasn't looking forward to visiting.
Obviously I had almost more fun there than anywhere else.
For our time in the City we were relying on this terrible web-television set up to communicate with the rest of the world. There was some fun to be had looking at websites on a regular TV but this quickly wore off once all the limitations kicked in.
Die Puny Humans helped keep me sane:
And it was interesting to see some of Duncan's artwork on a big screen:
Because of the might of the crappy British pound and the poverty of the Mexican economy we were able to stay in a more than comfortable hotel. I mean look at the toilets:
Don't ask me why I take cameras into places like that.
Once we started roaming the city we were shocked at how cool this place is. The good thing about the reputation the city has is that it keeps American tourists at bay. 
The Mexicans have a thing about flags. They don't wave them as much as the yanks but they sure make them bigger:
Jess of course was very interested in the Inca heritage of the place
I was less enthusiastic but the skulls kept me from getting too bored.
I really like this pic. It reminds me of one of the eggs from Alien. Culture has nothing on Ridley Scott.
I told you these guys liked skulls. Skulls everywhere. And once they had stopped the flaying they started rebuilding the damn things
Or just rammed bloody big poles through them
I really liked the eagle warriors. Jess pointed out that the feathers on this particular guy were made from flayed flesh.
This made me think of pizza. Then again a lot of things make me think of pizza
This is a little washed out because of the flash. The actual colours were very deep. This kind of thing had us toying around with the idea of Aztec tattoos for a while
A view of the main strip in Mexico City. You can see the Angel down at the bottom. Jess the Mexpert will fill in the details later.
Again I'll leave the story behind this mural to Jess. The Mexicans are BIG on murals.
My favourite painting in Mexico. It represents the clash of cultures between Spain and the original inhabitants which gave birth to Mexico. If you want a bloody big painting of an impaled eagle warrior kicking the shit out of a Spanish knight then look no further:
And nothing screams THE WILD BUNCH like an original Gatling gun
Another mural. They loved distorting faces to show either the idiocy or evil of the ruling classes
Nice view of the city. It just keeps going on and on past the horizon.
I found myself drawn to the simpler murals below the larger more colourful ones. Again with the eagle warriors
Later I'll post just some of the detail to these things.
Jess wandering the walkways. 
This place was full of armed police and soldiers. As well as fountains and murals.
And the occasional Ramones fan.
One of the more modern styles. This stuff covered the stairs and walkways.
I have no idea who these guys are or what they are up to but they have horns and that is good enough for me.
A detail from one of the larger wall pieces. Again I think this is the upper classes living it up it decadent style.
A detail from a smaller panel. The full thing even has a pirate flag unfurling in the centre but this chap caught my eye. There is a whole new horror franchise hiding under that outfit 
"Stand under the tits! It'll make for a cool photo..."
In context things are never as funny
A Mexican policeman on a horse. That's got to be worth a snap
And now things get WEIRD
This whole series was laugh out loud funny. The detail of the internal organs is a nice touch
Turtle fucking was a recurring theme
See
It goes on and on
I think that's a fox or maybe a wolf pulling a turtle's head out of some guy's arse
Sometimes I take a good pic
Other times I leave it to Jess
Always smiling. And despite me complaining.
I'd like to say more about this but I have no idea what it is. However, as I type this the couple next door are having a hell of an argument...
We saw a few skeletons but this guy was the best, It must be tiring being dead.
And we went to Trotsky's house. Which Jess said I ruined. Damn it was dull though.
Mexico City is full of dogs. If you go there be sure to feed them because no one else gives a fuck. This girl followed us for the afternoon after only a little attention. Its a fucking shame
This was like a scene from a Quatermass movie. The city is rich with weirdness
The little plane that bobbed us up and down and finally down to Chiapas. The weather here was wonderful, the scenery was breathtaking but the whole place was infested with tourists. I got a tan here but would have gone back to the city in a minute if possible.
Buildings like wedding cake ornaments. I'd rather have the dirt and filth we just left. Pretty though.
"Let's go explore the town, Mike. It'll be fun..."
Jess of course takes me in her stride. She was here to have fun and I wasn't going to argue with someone that cute
And I had Hunter with me...
And whenever I thought of London in January I became positively chuffed
And there are worse places to be. And worse people to be with. We actually talked a lot about marriage while we were here
We moved on to Palenque to walk around the pyramids. Jess was on cloud nine. 
And step 856
She loved that crap.
The more old buildings I see though the less impressed I get. Sure they were built to last but they didn't have broadband. If I ever get sent back in time I'd die very quickly. Even 1989 seems very bleak.
Some more rubble. You could build a nice multiplex right there.
Ok. I'm hanging my head in shame. At least you guys can click away from this. Jess had me 24/7
But I had BOOKS. Thank fuck
Waterfalls also became a motif as we moved through the jungle
Back in the town we had fun looking for veggie food. In the city we did pretty good but out here it was a tad thin on the ground. Thank god for cheese & tomato pizza
And the first of the big waterfalls. We got to walk right behind this one in the heart of the jungle. How impressed was I?
I think I was moaning about getting damp here
More water obeying gravity.
This was from behind the falls. No secret tunnels and no dinosaurs though. Shame.
Splash etc
Jess picked all the photos for this section because even looking through them got me all moany. I am not a happy camper out in the wilds.
But as long as Jess was happy it was worth it
I'll quit moaning. Some of it was fucking beautiful.
And impressive as hell.
We got to ramble along the side and eventually over this one
All of which made Jess super happy
Back in San Cristobal we were edging our way back to the modern world. No frogs and lizards running wild in our room here.
Our last night there. We had a lot of fun in Mexico. Especially in the city thanks to Gaby, her brother and their friends.
No life jackets on this flight. If we hit the water we simply grab a hold of the seats and float our way to land...
Here we go.
This is a big job so I have plenty of coffee and a pile of loud music to keep me functioning.
So I guess some kind of introduction is in order...
In December of 2003 Jess and I took off for New York and finally got back sometime last week. We were away just shy of three months and traveled coast to coast across the USA in the first five weeks. Most of those photos I shoved up while we were on the road via snapgallery which is a great little tool. The rest I saved until I was back in my old chair and had the time to sort through them properly.
I eventually decided to set up another blog to host the Mexico / Australia and Japan photos. I like blogs and always have a few of them on the go. In time I'll use this one to host all the pics I have scattered across my main site and other dark corners of the web. As well as all the crap I have boxed away that still needs scanning. But for now this is the home to all my recent pics. The American leg of the trip can be seen here:
USA 1
USA 2
USA 3
Now on with the show...