Our last day ... Sunday 26th Feb

And so it's our last day - and it's a winter stunner in Tokyo.  Bright blue skies, not a breath of wind and just a slight hint of crispness in the air.  The perfect day for a marathon - if you're mad enough to partake.  And, it seems, the Japanese are quite mad and really go to town with costumes and a lot of joviality.

We get ourselves organised, still coughing and gurking a bit, but feeling the best we have for a week.  We make the short walk from our apartment down to the marathon route, at the 3.5km mark. Start time is 9.10am.

First along are the wheelchair athletes; they come hurtling past to a wave of cheers and are gone in a blur.  There are a few stragglers, pushing with some degree of weariness already.  They roll on by and shortly after, the leading bunch come racing by at high speed. These are the elite athletes - the Kenyans, the favoured runners.  Wilson Kipsang was tipped to win, and was anticipating setting a marathon record - he did win, but with a race time of 2:03:58 (how do they do that!) was just outside the record.  The Kenyans came 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 

In the women's division, Sarah Chepshirchir from Kenya won in 2:19:47, with Ethiopians coming 2nd and 3rd.

Apart from the elite athletes, there were plenty of people in it for the fun of it.  Most of the early runners going by were in lycra, looking like serious marathon runners, but as the pack thickened and pace slowed, there were people in all sorts of costumes - Minnie Mouse, Spiderman, Where's Wally, fairies, brides, fruit, vegetables, animals, dinosaurs, dragons ... you name it, they wore it.  How do you run a marathon dressed as an eggplant?  Or with a cloth toadstool on your head?  Or as a beer can or coffee cup? One guy was dressed as Michael Jackson  and ran past doing all the moves with feet and hat and hands, moonwalking and spinning and showing off.  He was great but I wonder if he made it round the whole route doing that!

We watched probably for about an hour until the very final stragglers staggered past.  They looked completely exhausted already and had barely done 4km!  I wonder how many dropped out ... One thing's for sure, you could not have got better conditions for a marathon - and Tokyo is such a flat city, that it must be a pleasure to run in it (if you're into that sort of thing ...)

We found a cafe and had some brunch (not too much open on a Sunday in this area), went back to the hotel, packed up and hailed a taxi to Shinjuku Station where we boarded the Limousine Bus for Narita Airport.  Cost $35, travel time 1hr (usually longer, but it was Sunday afternoon).

Checked in, went through passport control and bumped into ... Beauden Barrett!!  The Hurricanes had been in Tokyo playing the Sunwolves (bugger, we hadn't really locked into this otherwise would have gone and watched).  Suffice to say they blitzed their Japanese rivals.  Many of you will know that our son Sam plays No.10 and this season played for Auckland U85kg; he gets comments all the time about how much he looks (and plays) like Beauden.  In fact, team mates just call him Beaudie.  So I simply had to have a quick chat to Beauden and I have to say that standing right there next to him, the similarities are uncanny.  Same vibe, coy smile, modest manner.  I brought Beauden's best wishes back to Sam, and hope that bodes (Beauds) well for both of them!


The flight home was great and, again, only partially full (and mostly with rugby players, although they were in Business Class!)  A meal, a couple of wines, a movie and I was out like a light.  I watched Snowden - complex and slow but watchable.  If anything puts you off using social media and whatnot, this film will!  I also watched Le Ride - Phil Keoghan and his mate set off to cycle the Tour de France route taken by Kiwi Harry Watson and his Australasian team back in 1928, following their route as accurately as they could and using old bikes and gear from that era.  I don't think there could be anything more difficult on this planet than cycling through the Pyrenees and Alps on those old heavy gearless bikes. Now or back then.  And back then, three of the four team finished the Tour, against all odds.  A very evocative film and even though I'm no cycling fan, I found it astonishing.
To quote from the NZ International Film Festival:  "Handsomely shot and rich in fascinating detail and photographic evidence of Watson and his teammates' epic achievement Keoghan's film feels their pain so you don't have to. It's a stirring salute."

Swiftly through baggage and customs, we were out the other side in bright Auckland sunshine and warmth, thus bringing a very happy Honeymoon to a close.

Despite our ailments, we had a thoroughly fabulous time.  The skiing was challenging, the snow amazing and the hotel fantastic; the food was fresh and tasty everywhere we went; the wine is cheap, the whiskey excellent.  Tokyo was easy to get around, diverse, fascinating, efficient; weather was great, hotel excellent, garden walks relaxing.  Two very different experiences in one country - we loved it.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: The lack of eateries and shops at Narita was unexpected.  It really is just an airport, facilitating air travel for passengers, rather than being a great retail complex like many international airports are these days.  Quite refreshing in a way, not to be bombarded with consumer goods and bars everywhere you look, encouraging you to spend your money.  Gave us time to just sit and reflect on a really fabulous couple of weeks.

The other side of Shinjuku - Sat 25th

The perfect winter's day dawns outside. It is time to pack and leave our hotel although we are not leaving Tokyo until tomorrow. The city is full because of the marathon tomorrow and not a spare hotel bed was to be had when we booked. So it's an Airbnb for our last night.

We have breakfast in the hotel at their sandwich and smoothie buffet, very nice it is too. We pack our bags, check out and take a taxi to our Airbnb which is also in Shinjuku area, about ten minutes east. It's a less frenetic Neighbourhood and our host Ritsuko is there to greet us on arrival. It's a small apartment - and by small I mean smaller than the small hotel room we have just left - on the 10th floor. It is well equipped, clean and comfy.  But it is not quite ready for us yet as guests left this morning, so we leave our bags and head off for a walk while Ritsuko sorts the room. We walk in beautiful sunshine along the wide street down towards the Imperial Palace and gardens. It's a good hour's walk, just perfect. All the way en route there are joggers out in prep for the big marathon tomorrow.  They pound the pavement in single file, a steady stream of people in Lycra. It's a perfect day for a jog, if you like that sort of thing.

In between and around the runners there are cyclists everywhere. You can ride on the pavement and have right of way, it seems, if you are on wheels.  It's a flat city, perfect for riding a bike from A to B. You can park your bike just about anywhere and most seem to have kid carriers on them.  It's just another mode of transport in this city that moves people around it so very easily.

We walk round the Imperial gardens (well, a very small portion of them, have a tasty ice-cream (today's sweet treat), walk some more and enjoy a very leisurely pace. It's Saturday and not too busy - families are out and about, tourists doing what we're doing, young people sitting on the lawns ... it has that lovely city-park feeling that you get when in green space in the centre of a huge city on a sunny day.  It's very relaxing.

We take the subway back to the apartment, chill for a bit and then Brett declares he feels like a wine - it is 3 o'clock!!! He must be feeling better.  I'm still feeling grotty but hey, Why not ... and off we go in search of a wine bar. There are lots of quaint little alleys and back streets around here with late night bars that offer music of all descriptions. We hear a band practising in one.  But none are open - not until 8pm it seems. We are way too early. We had spotted a liquor shop earlier so may need to head there instead.

Then we turn down a small alley and there is a place called Bar Glossy - it has a sign outside and looks promising.  The sign says "Open 20:00 - 27:00". (Closes at 3am!) We poke our nose in.  There are stairs. We go up. There is a bar and people eating and drinking. Looking good.  Alas, the very nice lady says "Sorry, private function."  We nod  with disappointment and go back downstairs.  Next thing she is calling out "Mister, come - we have area at counter for you" ... and we are back up those stairs in a jiffy.

Like so many bars in this city, it is small. Actually, it's tiny - space for just 15 people. They are not usually open at this hour and we discover the private function is a special "meet up" for young 20-somethings, a sort of Table for 6 dating thing.  The woman swears us to secrecy with a grin and we order a wine. It slips down easily as we chat away. The barman speaks no English but hers is very good.  We polish off the bottle, have a G&T for the road, return to the apartment for a bit and then head out to a local tonkatsu restaurant our host has recommended.  It's down one of those alleys and is, like all these places, tiny. A real local, it is full of people scoffing.  We order oysters to start, washed down with beer. They are huge beyond belief, crumbed and fried and tasty. We share a pork cutlet dish which is very tasty. I am so full I can barely move. The owner/Chef is so sweet, and so proud of his food and offerings.  We have photos with him and his portrait and thank him for a most excellent meal. He gives us some special cookies and we leave smiling.

We had promised to return to Bar Glossy for a whiskey but decide it could be dangerous and head back to the apartment with our sensible hats on.

Tomorrow morning is the Tokyo marathon and we will go watch ...

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: The Japanese like warm bottoms ... heated loo seats, heated train seats ... you become quite accustomed to having your bottom warmed upon sit-down.  Even the loo seats in public places are warm and the loos souped up with push-button this and that.  They are clean and polished and fragrant and fabulous. It seems every one I go into, there is a cleaner coming or going. And they're already clean as a whistle.

Back Here at the apartment there is no special seat warming loo - and suddenly cold-bottom syndrome is not a nice encounter!!  Bring on the warm loo seats ...

On the subject of clean - the city is spotless, despite a surprising lack of rubbish bins about. There are men cleaning the escalator handrails, ladies cleaning handrails everywhere you look. The streets are clean and the whole place feels uplifting.

Gardens, culture and nostalgia - Fri 24th

Another lovely day dawns. We head for breakfast and refuel. We are still slow and weak - the many stooped and bandy-legged old ladies move more deftly than we do!  But we can safely say our lethargy this morning is not on account of overindulgence last night, it is just residue of bugs that won't bug-ger off.  We probably set our recovery back a day or so with that whiskey and wine night, but it was worth it!

We set off for the National Gardens and stroll around the rather lovely grounds. It's the wrong time of year for true garden beauty but there are, rather surprisingly, blossoms and jonquils here and there that have bloomed to denote an early spring. The air is crisp and clear, there are only a handful of people about and it is hard to believe we are in one of the world's most thronging cities on a sunny Friday morning.  It's the most tranquil of times.

There is the Japanese garden area that screams orderliness and serenity with its topiaries and bonsais and bridges and paths and bird baths and ponds.  Then the formal French section with its avenue of sycamore trees (handsome, but not as beautiful as plum tree aisle!), and sculptured look. Then the sprawling English garden area where there are groups of young Japanese school kids having a picnic in coloured hats, with attendant parent helpers on hand. Oh those days of primary school outings and doing my bit as parent help are such ancient history. But not as ancient as the hallowed ground upon which we wander ...

The greenhouse is steamy and lush, full of tropical specimens and orchids. There is a very beautiful punga tree standing tall and proud. Brett's glasses steam up and we are boiling inside the massive glass structure.

This pleasant wander through the gardens perks us up although there is still much coughing and spluttering.  Goodness knows what people must think, Brett's cough reverberates around the greenhouse, and indeed the entire grounds, like there is some  great dying ogre about to attack every living soul. I cower at each heavy guttural hack, and I've got used to it. My discrete hanky nose blows are barely noticeable in comparison!

We head to Ginza and find ourselves in a cute little French style cafe - Cafe de Ginza. Their specialty is the Mont Blanc and this is my sweet treat for today - a meringue topped with a thick cream topped with a Japanese chestnut mixture which is piped over the top in a ball, much like meat is minced. It looks like spaghetti on meringue.  It tastes sublime, the subtle chestnut flavours perfectly complementing the crunchy meringue. Yum!!

We poke in a couple of shops but the coughing is a problem - we best stay away ... so we head Ueno. Brett is keen to see the National Museum and I am always happy to get a good dose of culture. We walk through the sprawling urban park which is mostly paved and not nearly as evocative of dynasties and emperors as the other Parks. It is busy and chunks of it being renovated. Eventually, at the far end, we come to the Museum, which consists of several buildings. We go through the main one to start with  - an insight into the history and evolution if Japan. Swords, kimono, Buddhas, deity, pottery, tools, military, warriors, costumes, masks, calligraphy, art etc ... the usual array of historical offerings. It is nicely done and I get some good Creative ideas.  The acoustics are the best yet, Brett's cough reverberating through the cavernous rooms like some sort of gunfire. I hang back, looking at everything twice, putting Tortoise into slowest gear ... I'm not with him, right!

There is another building housing treasures - they are stunning, but after seeing those we are done with artefacts and treasures.  In fact, I declare myself officially an old lady ... I have had to stop twice on this short museum foray to sit down. I've been in dozens of museums over the years, and have only ever sat down to contemplate or wait for someone - never because I actually HAD to sit down!!! Today, I'm afraid to report, I simply had to SIT DOWN to rest my weary legs and body - twice!  Brett admitted to it even more than that! Thank goodness for plentiful and comfy seats everywhere. Ohhhh, dreaded lurgies, please leave us now, we are done with you!

We head back to Shinjuku and to the Keio Plaza Hotel. This is where I stayed when last in Tokyo back in 1985. Back then it was the highest hotel in Japan and today it's still up there, as skyscraper heights tapered off around the 50-story mark on account of earthquake potential. We go up to the Sky Aurora lounge on the 45th floor and enjoy a cocktail and the most magnificent views of Tokyo's night lights. I feel like my 24yo self, when I was here all those years ago, sipping cocktails up here after a hard day's work (running an international conference).
I remember how sophisticated we felt to be way up high in one of the world's leading and highest hotels in an era where travel and such things were so much more rare and coveted than these days. I made a toast to the old Keio crew of '85 - it felt like those days were only yesterday.

A short walk back towards our hotel and we find a small bar and call in. It is one of the many 24hr bars in the area. There is an attractive young girl who starts chatting to us. She is pissed-as, waffles on in English that isn't too bad, and lights up.  We do not feel like engaging and thankfully  two men turn up and distract her. The smoking is awful, we finish our drink and leave. It was like something out of smokey 1985.

We find a Taiwanese style restaurant that looks quite good. We discover they have no English menu (most places round here do) so we order rather blindly - pork and chicken dishes, they are tasty and hit the spot.  The wine is interesting, kind of piquant and unusual.

Our intention had been to make a foray into a Karaoke bar - there are loads everywhere round the hotel - but we really have had enough and decide to give it a miss. We were just planning to observe, but even that felt like too much effort. Besides - I might be tempted to sing, badly, and disrupt my poor sore throat that has finally almost mended itself!
Cough, splutter, sleep is more our style!
It may sound like I'm labouring the point, but we really have both been pretty ill ... I think we have done wonders considering. If we'd been at home we probably would have spent a week in hibernation! Here, we have soldiered on like Ninjas and seen and done plenty.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY:  Tokyo was once the most expensive city in the world - back in 1985 it was astronomical, even by London standards, and our daily allowance for meals and incidentals was more than our wildest dreams! But we needed it.  Now, it is an incredibly affordable city and I would go so far as to say it is cheap, especially by NZ standards.  From transport to food to taxis, everything is surprisingly CHEAP. Most attractions are free or nominal cost, so most of what we have done has cost us bugger-all. Even our hotel was cheap by comparison to many places, esp NZ. I am pleasantly surprised by this revelation. The days of scary prices here are Long gone - the real scary prices are right back at home!

Shrines, gardens, crepes, sushi - and hangovers! - Thursday 23rd

Well goodness me, this morning we are both in the worst condition of the holiday! Mainly self-inflicted, I'm afraid to say.  WOW may be my passion but WAW (whiskey and wine) has been our nemesis!!  Everything aches more than ever - why is it that last night nothing ached at all, not even our achey bits, and the world was forever fabulous? Pity that the booze wears off and the hangover kicks in whilst one is innocently sleeping ... still, it was a most memorable night with our new Finnish friends and I can only hope they don't feel as bad as we do!

So this new day dawns and we kinda wished it hadn't! Brett gets up, showers, gets back into bed. I notice but I do not stir. I dare not stir or my head might fall off, it is feeling very fragile. A bit later he gets up and put undies on. I do not stir and I get the feeling he wishes he hadn't bothered either. Some time later he is fully clothed, yet back in bed. I have still not stirred. I think I've been dreaming of Lapland and Aurora Borealis. It is getting on for midday!!!  Oh god help us, it really is time to get going. Aaaargh.

We have missed breakfast but our vouchers are good for the sandwich bar at the hotel so we sit and eat rather meekly, feeling worse than death warmed up. I think that death cooled down might be easier to cope with but I cannot be sure as I don't think I'm capable of thinking about very much at all right now. It wasn't just the WAW, you must be assured - we were poorly to start with!!

Today's mission is to make it to Harajuku where we will visit the Meiji Shrine and gardens.  It's a warm day, around 18 degrees. We find our train without problem and alight at the other end. The walk through the shady trees is therapeutic, there is no need to hurry. We are actually in a forest and surrounded by Camphor Laurels - the same variety of tree as the big one our house is built around. Only these are much younger, much smaller. Ours is the granddaddy of them all.  It's a shady and uncrowded wander, good head-clearing territory.

We visit the shrine and it is all very nice and peaceful, with that sacred vibe that is hard to describe. There is a reverence surrounding the place and I think the deities are allowing us to feel better with each passing minute.  We wander through the Meiji gardens - it's not so spectacular at this time of year as the irises and azaleas aren't out, but we stroll and envisage and find a quaint little sacred well and watch lots of hungry carp and it is all good stuff to bring the body back to some semblance of order.

We leave the tranquility of Meiji and head for the mayhem that is Harajuku - we wander down a street the is humming with life. It's lined with trinket shops and bling and pink and candy everything. Costume shops and creperies, cosmetics and junk. It's all here. People are wandering around with huge sticks of candy floss that is a cosmic blend of pastel green, yellow and pink, in the shape of a spaceship or UFO.  Gaggles of girls are consuming just about everything they come across. It's pandemonium in the sweetest way.

We feel tired. We are, in all honesty, struggling to put one foot in front of the other ... both of us have an aching-back-of-knee syndrome which we cannot fathom ... too much skiing? Too many stairs? Too much WAW? Too old, too sick, too knackered ...? We can't put our finger on it and have never had it before. And we both have it. Walking up or downwards is not easy. Good god, what has marriage done to us!!!?

I am transfixed by the crepe places ... there are heaps of them in this one small strip.  You can have virtually anything you like in a crepe that is then presented to you like a massive ice-cream cone.  There are plastic models of every concoction under the sun - banana, cream and ice-cream; strawberries, cream and custard;  cheesecake and cream; tiramisu and ice-cream.  Or ham and egg and so on if you must be sensible and go savoury.  I spend ages trying to decide what I will have and eventually settle on banana, cream, ice-cream and choc sauce. OMG it is a taste treat that far exceeds my excited expectations.  It is Easter Show and Disneyland and Pancake Parlour and the thrill of winning horses all rolled into one piece of edible heaven.  I immediately feel so much better.

We head back to the hotel, oh-so-very weary. We put our aching legs up for a bit, cough and splutter and lament being crook; the hangover is a distant memory but the ailments persist. It's actually a blessing we are both ill - would have a real bummer if just one of us. At least we are both just happy enough taking things easy rather than anyone needing to compromise or sacrifice or feel they are missing out on account of the other or holding the other one back. Thank goodness for small mercies!

We head down for a quick sushi. There is an excellent sushi bar beneath the hotel, it is busy and the sushi is fresh, delicious and filling. Actually, we can't finish it and they don't do doggy bags, dammit.

Soon enough we are asleep, after a tranquil low-key day that was all rather pleasant despite the very slow start and quiet finish.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: The Japanese males certainly look very sharp in their beautifully tailored coats. The fabrics and designs are a wonderful sight to behold and, what's more, all the guys, young and old, seem to really enjoy wearing and showing off these items of beauty. The Japanese man is a stylish being who carries himself with aplomb and confidence. Nice!

Two surprises in one day - Wed 22nd

Whilst still feeling well below par, we are a bit perkier today, especially Brett. I still feel very lethargic and achey, dosing myself up. The sore throat is much better but my entire head feels clogged with gunk and I'm operating at well below 50%. It's a real bummer.

The hotel offers a good breakfast - everything you can think of from cereal to croissant to pasta to Caesar salad to noodles to rice concoctions to tiramisu ... food stations everywhere.  I'm amazed at the amount of people having great slap-up desserts for breakfast!! The carrot/orange juice is very good.

I have a tour of the hotel with a charming Japanese lass - I see the various room options including smoking floors and a Ladiies only floor - the rooms have extra touches like facial steamers and foot massage machines. The hotel is two years old and is a smoothly run machine, part of a big hotel group with hotels all over the country. They have given us one night comp and the others at special media rate and I'll be profiling hem in my article on Tokyo.

Soon enough we are off to explore this big city - it's a bit chilly outside but not too wintery.  A short walk to the labyrinth that is Shinjuku Station.  A city within a city. We follow signs and think we are probably heading in the right direction ... we want the Yamanote line which circles the city. There are miles of shops; stairs, escalators, elevators in all directions; a million different lines going in all directions; people everywhere. I've no idea how many levels the place is. I pick up a map of the station which actually just adds to the confusion.

We find our line soon enough, buy our SUICA travel cards and soon we are on the correct platform, heading east.  The green train comes, all new and gleaming and it whisks us to Ueno where we change to the Ginza line. We are headed for Asakusa on the far side of the city and are there in next to no time.

There are pleasant little lanes with fake cherry blossoms and lots of trinkets. They lead us to the Shentoji shrine, the oldest in Tokyo. There are women in colourful kimonos everywhere, and men in traditional black robes. I wonder if they might be keen on making a quick buck to have their photo taken with you. But, no, they are not hassling for any such thing. Turns out there is such a thing as a Kimono Walking Tour and these people are clearly doing this experience to be all the more authentic.  It adds a nice touch although there is no doubt that white geisha socks are not at flattering.

We make our way back to the station, calling into Burger King en route. Brett needs a burger! It's a quick easy scoff in the least authentic way possible but it does the trick. Brett has read of a place called Pigment which he thought I might be interested in - a Japanese art shop where you can create your own paints and inks in the traditional way. Yes please!  So we head to Shinagawa, in the south of the city.

Pigment is located in an area of canals and new buildings, near the Marine University. It appears to be part of a newish complex focussing on Creative arts. We wander along the canals and over bridges, there is barely anyone about. It's very peaceful and a most pleasant stroll. It almost felt more like London than Tokyo.

We find the shop easily enough and OMG, am I in heaven or what! Now this is my kind of paint shop. There's an entire wall of vials filled with powders of all colours. Another wall of Japanese brushes. Another wall of inks and watercolours, and another wall of animal gum; used in making paints it looks like resin.

I give myself a good overview and then talk with one of the staff. I sit down and have a play with a few brushes and inks. There is a special 'magic' paper I have never come across before - you paint with water alone and after a while the design fades and the paper is like new, ready for another temporary creation. It's brilliant. A great way to try out brushes and techniques without wasting paper.

I choose a couple of beautiful brushes, some ink sticks, a special ceramic ink dish and some bamboo paper.  With these lovely goodies I am all set for further ink experimentation!  Thank you Husband, for a fabulous bit of research in finding that place, well off the beaten track.

We leave, it is dark, and we pass a huge poster of David Bowie. Closer inspection revealed that the "David Bowie Is" exhibition is on right here in Tokyo. Right now. And right HERE in the building we are standing outside!!! I squeal with delight and we go in. Aches and pains are forgotten as I work my way around the exhibits - handwritten lyrics, original artwork, old albums, his costumes, video footage ... and a constant medley of songs. I am captivated and could have spent all day there. As it was, we were there for well over two hours. OMG, of all the things to stumble across in an obscure part of Tokyo. How perfect was that!! Bowie had a great affinity with Japan and its style was a big influence on him so it was very fitting to see the exhibition here.

What a most excellent afternoon! We took the train back to Shinjuku where we emerged from the station not quite knowing where we were.  There are so many exits and so many ways to get lost.  We wandered in the general direction of the hotel and suddenly found ourselves inside a wine bar! We shared a pizza and bottle of red.  After dropping bags etc off at the hotel we headed out for a "quick nightcap" - we found a whiskey bar quite close, and in that whiskey bar we found a Finnish couple. And we drank more wine and whiskey than was good for us!  The Finns can drink, this I do know! I'm not sure we should have been indulging to quite the extent we did, given our states of health, but what the hell...
This lovely couple had lived in Tokyo - he was the Finnish ambassador, now retired. They were back for some diplomatic celebration.  We talked for hours and even made a plan to go visit them and go to Lapland to see the Northern Lights. We drank more, laughed more ... and then we bid each other farewell and somehow we staggered back to our room where zzzzzzz were the order of the night.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY:  sometimes it pays to wander far from the crowds, in a small Neighbourhood, without tourist traps ... you never know what you might find!!! Bowie - brilliant.  I am forever happy having seen that exhibition. He wore a lot of knitted and rather uncomfortable looking costumes, that's for sure. Amazing to see them right up close. (And a few hours later, I see he won at the Brit Awards for his brilliant Blackstar). RIP DB

Off to Tokyo ... Tues 21st

Morning comes and I have to report we are still feeling poorly. We dose ourselves up, pack and check out, giving the hotel a 5-star tick across the board. Ki Niseko has been an exceptional place to stay in all respects. We would stay again, for sure.  Alas, the half-full bottle of remaining Tortoise has to be left behind.  Sad but true - I am not going to be drinking wine before checking in at Sapporo New Chitose airport around noon - and even if I try to convince the bag scanning man it is a special medicinal brew for an ill woman, I don't think he'll buy it

The sun is shining brightly in the village and by 9am we are on the coach and on our way to Sapporo airport. It's a 2.5 hour journey with snowy vistas all the way.   I snooze a little, reflect on some great skiing, lament my ailments and anticipate the big city of Tokyo.

Check in is a bit laborious with lanes here for this and there for that. Everyone seems to be doing everything very slowly and with typical Japanese measured precision. Except Brett who is racing off and - wham - wheels his suitcase right into the heavily bandaged foot of a woman sitting on a trolley, thinking she is safely out of harm's way!

Safely through the departure gates we are informed our flight is delayed by 40 minutes due to late arrival of our aircraft.  A few flights are delayed or disrupted due to weather mayhem. There is a triple blizzard happening outside and the de-icing machines are hard at work.  We sit and wait and cough and splutter. I suggest we should perhaps be wearing facemasks ... most people here wear them to stop catching other people's bugs, but perhaps some pro-action could be good so we don't give ours to others!!!  His cough can surely be heard far away in Niseko where lucky happy people are swooping down lovely slopes.

The wait continues, the delay lengthens. We eventually take off a couple of hours late. No matter, the wait has been peaceful and without drama. We were kept fully informed the whole way through and no one got cross or fed up. That Tortoise sure could have come in handy during the wait though! We nibbled on nuts, chocolate and mandarins instead, the last of our Niseko snacks.

It's a 777-300 plane and pretty full. The flight is streamlined and without incident and we land at Tokyo's Haneda airport. The Limo airport bus (cost $14) takes us to Shinjuku via the impressive lattice of motorways. It is bang on rush hour yet we are moving fast. There is a heavy patch of traffic in one part but no inkling of gridlock, no sign of slow traffic going nowhere, no frustrated drivers. The city is alive with lights and once at Shinjuku station, in less than an hour, we take a short taxi ride to our Hotel Gracery.  Cost $8. This is the Godzilla hotel - known for its massive Godzilla on the roof. Smack bang in the middle of Shinjuku.

We settle into our room which is compact and very cleverly designed. The bathroom is split up into three parts and it makes for an innovative space-saving and quite ingenious way to maximise space.

We wander into the surrounding streets, hungry and weary. We happen upon a small bar with a Jap-Italian flavour, The Olive, and head inside. It is chilly outside.  Inside it is full and we take the last spare table. People in the group across from us are smoking - it's been a Long time since I sat alongside smokers in a restaurant - here such heathen behaviour is still allowed! God only knows why, it's horrific.  Everyone is giggling and having fun.

I order a cheese fondue and Brett a couscous - bringing Swiss and Moroccan tones to the table. The fondue is very good. And the red wine not bad either.  There is so much giggling around us, it's quite infectious.

We are back for an early night to try to rid ourselves of these dreaded lurgies once and for all.  The bed is very firm. The body is tired. Sleep comes very easy.

Tomorrow ... big city time ...

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: Everything here is done with such humility and gentleness. Not to mention efficiency. The soft gestures of the cabin crew's hands, the sweet smile of the check-in lady, the eager-to-please nodding of the ticket collector, the deft white-gloved hands of the bus driver, the calm service from the taxi driver, the humble bows of the hotel concierge - everything they do here, they do to please.  Japanese style and service is highly uplifting in the most subtle and beautiful way. Things get done to perfection, no drama required.

Last Ski Blast - Monday 20th

Oh dear, we are both feeling even more poorly this morning but there is so much snow and a nice dose of sunshine to go with it.  A day off is probably what the doctor would prescribe but it is not an option when there is great skiing to be had.  We join the gondola queue around 9am. It's a Long line but in no time we are in the little cabin and on our way. There is no wind and conditions look great. We head right up to our little one-person chair and enjoy a great first run of our last day. Hoardes of people are off through the gate and the line of people trekking to the very top is ridiculously long. Brett looks longingly but I don't think his lungs, in their current state, would cope. Rather them than me I say, and we stick to our run, a steep black called Dynamic. Sure gets the legs working - and sore throat forgotten about.

We ski over to Hanazono area where there is constant sunshine today. I love the Long  steep wide runs over here, with no one on them.  Being able to see them unfold in front of you is a bonus. That's the one thing about skiing in Niseko - the visibility is often marginal, coming and going in waves. However, the snow is good enough to just trust what's underfoot and go with the flow. As I've mentioned, I still struggle with limited viz and think I always will. I really have no idea how blind skiers do it but they do; I've known, guided and skied with skiers with no sight whatsoever. They trust, I respect!

So here I am skiing this perfect run which is aptly called Stairway to Heaven. Friend Helen's mum died overnight and I said I would do a ski run for her mum - how perfect that I should end up skiing this awesome run virtually all morning. And mostly with no one else on it.  I had no need to seek a better run when this one took me all the way to ski heaven, over and over.

Brett goes off through the trees and we meet at the bottom and go again.  His cough is appalling; you can hear it all over the mountain!  I question his obsession with tackling tree runs that are chopped up and hard work but he has powder skis and they don't go so well on the pistes. I tried a few patches through trees and returned quickly to Stairway to Heaven.

We stop for a well earned coffee. It is only 10.30 and I feel like I've done a days skiing already. I'm feeling decidedly average and Brett is looking like death and feeling nauseous .... yet when we put skis back on he wants to go and do a double black diamond off-piste run through trees with snow that looks completely chopped up as we go over it in the chair.  The absolute silence and lack of blow-by-blow report after the run told me everything I needed to know ... it was not quite the fun he was hoping for.

Despite enduring the sorest throat I have ever had, I was having lots of fun on my heavenly slope.  By midday I thought I would do a few more cruisy runs and then I would just about be done for the day. For the week, actually. Today is our last ski day. Brett wanted to go back over Hirafu side so we agreed to meet at 2pm at our fave Bo-yo-so cafe.

The skiing here is challenging enough when you're feeling in tip top shape, let alone feeling as dire as we do and a few more runs was all I needed. I was satisfied with all the skiing I had done and didn't want to risk anything - having just seen the first ski patrol rescue of a girl who had fallen on the steep face I had skied all morning was enough for me to go back into the warm and welcoming Hanazono cafe and just chill and people watch for a bit. What a smooth operation the place is.

I skied over to Bo-yo-so at the appointed time and there is Brett in a right state, feverish and nauseous. He declares he needs a doctor. Says he fainted.  Good grief, we hotfoot it out of there back to the hotel pronto. This is not good and not the ideal way to bring our ski week to a close!

We discover there are no English speaking Doctors in town - only at the hospital in the nearby town of Kutchen. It's about 15 mins drive. The hotel has a shuttle that goes there but he is having none of traipsing to another town to wait around in A&E. I say I'd be quite keen on medical treatment too, my throat still aching like nothing I've ever known, the lozenges pointless candy. The trek may seem onerous but could be worth it.

Next minute he's throwing up. Then he's in his onsen gear and says he's off to the onsen ... are you crazy, I ask. He looks at me as if I am crazy and is gone. I hope to god he doesn't offload his bugs to other poor unsuspecting onsen-goers and wonder if perhaps marriage has pushed him towards utter madness.  I think I would pass out if I went near the onsen, my head feels so bunged up.

I sigh and pour myself a glass of Hare and Tortoise and wait for him to return, in anticipation of trip to Kutchen hospital where I would have been happy to wait all night to see a doctor who could fix this throat that seems resistant to the various forms of medication I've  tried. The most relief has come from salt water gargles but it's still not doing much to help my swollen uvula! Brett returns, lies down and is asleep within moments. So much for seeing a doctor!

I shake my head and watch ice dancing on tv.  It is around 4pm. I top up the Tortoise and settle in, sprawled across the couch. The ice dancing is beautiful and the snowy scene outside is too.

My skiing is done and dusted for the week and I feel quite replete with the variety and amount I've done. And pleased to be injury-free and without mishap. We've sampled all sorts of weather and snow conditions, skied all over the four ski areas, tried plenty of mountain cafes and bars, got to know our way around, discovered our Favourite runs, got lost and found, whooped for joy, struggled in parts and had an all-round fabulous ski experience.  This place does deliver ski magic and I suspect the more you come, and the better you know the mountain, the more it delivers.  Had we felt better we would have hired a guide today but we weren't really up to it, shame.

View from our room - fresh snow for our last day!

When Brett comes to, around 6pm, we go into town and get some more meds. I swear we have spent more on pills and potions this trip than anything else! There are more packets of painkillers and sprays and lozenges strewn across the bench than empty wine bottles. The Tortoise is only one-third drained.  What is going on here...!?!?

Our plan was to eat at the hotel restaurant for our final night here, so we stuck to the plan - Brett felt he needed food and I wanted to try their offerings. We are there early, around 6.45. There are quite a few other diners. I order a glass of wine, Brett sticks to water.  We order, Brett picks at his food, looking miserable. I'm feeling far from flash but I eat hungrily - delicious oyster, vege tempura, miso, edamame ... Brett has to leave half way through, food was not a good idea, and he makes it to the room just in time.  I finish my meal alone. Alas I have no room for the yummy sounding Snowball dessert on the menu - plum marshmallow encased in cheesecake.

Time for our final sleep in this wonderful hotel; pity about our illnesses but Ki Niseko has been a most excellent place to relax and recover in!  I am rather worried about how we'll cope with a long day of travel tomorrow but we'll deal with that in the morning.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: what a diverse and international resort this is - Annapuri reminds me of skiing in the USA; Hanazono reminds me of Europe; Hirafu has a hint of NZ on a best day. Niseko Village, the area we skied least, is a combination of all.  There are throngs of Australians and English holidaying here. Not so many Kiwis. A diverse range of Europeans. People from all over Asia. And of course plenty of Japanese.
Lift staff are excellent - bowing and greeting and smiling and thanking you as they assist you on and off the lifts. All operations are seamless. It makes for a very positive ski experience indeed.