... Konnichiwa from Japan. A change of scene indeed!

Leaving South America behind just over 2 weeks ago I caught a flight for the north of the continent. My first visit to North America (my last continent visited) and I had 4 days to explore L.A. - although I have been told that many Americans don't really consider L.A. as America. Maybe it was just the contrast from the last 13 months "down south" but I loved it.

Only 4 days, but still enough time to tour "The Houses Of The Stars", Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Mulholland Drive, Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Hollywood and Universal Studios. My only disappointment was that my trip to Disneyland was cancelled due to a lack of interested people on that day (I believe there was only me signed up for the trip!)

Anyway, that created enough time to shop a little (NOT on Rodeo Drive!) Having 'killed' 3 MP3 players already, I was in the market for a replacement and being in California the Home of Apple, who could resist a new 160GB Ipod Video (the answer to that question is - Not me!).

The time passed quickly and it was soon time to move on again. The next flight would take me so far west that I was east and touching down in Tokyo. Home of Sushi, Noodles, Technology and Chika Sato.