Aussie adventures in Japan and beyond.
27/04/2026
Day trip to Tokyo🗼Your don't have to wander far from the main tourist strip to find a local cafe with its original soul intact. I visited Cafe Layla 10 years ago. It's great to see a place that is not overrun with crowds, but also doing the same. steady and faithful business that has kept the doors open for many years.
25/04/2026
🇲🇳 Eat like a Sumo! Taste Mongolia in Tokyo!🗼
Kawaii!!! 🤩 Japan has tiny, little, baby bags of cement!
Just re-designing the kitchen.... again...
05/04/2026
What does $30 get you in Australia these days?
Rosemary, the most delightful little place in Atami, serves a multi course meal of French homestyle cuisine with a unique Japanese touch.
The gratin was very memorable, filled with sophisticated cheese and mushroom. We chose the finely sliced lamb and the pudding was in the classic, Japanese retro cafe tradition.
22/03/2026
Sitting cat.
Climbing cat.
Mongolia🇲🇳 Just like Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, with an age gap of over 30 years, two generations test their manhood on the kitchen table.
Young Anir is a splendid fighter, who is competing at an international level. John is just an Aussie bloke who lifts a lot of renovation materials.
I also engaged in a friendly match with sweet little Anyy. John is talking about me being his strong, Russian wife because some drunk Mongolian men had been calling to me on Russian," Hey Russian lady! I love you! Give me money."
But I don't speak Russian, I am Australian and I'm studying Mongolian, so proposals should be delivered in that language.
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09/03/2026
🐏 Three merino sheep from NSW became our coats for the trip to the Mongolian / Russian border. I cut the merino into strips and hand sewed it to durable nylon, designed for repairing tents. At -30 degrees, it was heartwarming to showcase Australia's proudest export alongside traditional Mongolian fabric, with a pattern symbolising long life.
We stood on the Wishing Rock, above the stunning beauty of Lake Khuvsgul's frozen waters. A wish made there is sure to come true.
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🇲🇳 when we stopped for the call of nature, our friend's adorable children got into some snow wrestling.
Mongolia🇲🇳 it is always fascinating to ride the night train. The old, Russian diesel engine slowly rattles its way up from the capital city to the Russian border.
The top bunk is the hottest part of the cabin and we were absolutely roasting. It may have been -30 outside, but we could barely stand it, trying to sleep in our underwear. I asked my Mongolian friend why and they thought it is because some customers complain of being cold onboard... So the staff keep shoveling coal into the carriage's boiler.
A lady came through with a food trolley. She flung open the door and John was standing there, shirtless. Her face was so shocked. John probably has more chest hair than all Mongolian men combined.
I fancied a crumbed sausage that was some kind of mystery meat. I was fine but the unidentified kanana got its revenge on John later...
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05/03/2026
Mongolia🇲🇳 Every time we go to the markets in Ulanbaatar, I look at the adorable cookies and think, "Those are so pretty, they cannot taste good". I finally bought some and they were delicious. In this case, you could judge a book by its cover.
My favourite teenage tour guides, Anir and Anyy, helped me to purchase and consume the fancy bikkies.
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