Changes

Once again I haven't written much because there's been little to report on. I've saved a large amount of money by working more hours than I would have liked to and I should have been on course for a fabulous summer. Alas, the world is in crisis and the ¥/£ exchange rate is abysmal. While it should have been around ¥200 to the pound it is floating around 135-140. Sucks. Big time. But there's not much I can do about it other than hope it picks up. I'd be content with 150, happy with 175 and thrilled with 200 but the way things are going as long as it doesn't go down I may have to settle for 140.

And so, due to money worries and concerns over the cost and difficulty in obtaining a visa extension when in Japan I have decided to cut my trip short. I will now be there between 2nd April and 30th June. I'll still go to school and do everything I planned for those months but my back packing around Honshu is going to have to wait until next year. It's sad. I wont be able to climb Mount Fuji (gutted) and I wont see many of the festivals or fireworks that I wanted to see but I'd rather have more money to spend in those 3 months and less worries. Plus, it gives me an excuse for another trip next year :)

I've rearranged my flights already and there's nothing to change with regard to the course and the accommodation (i need to cancel one hostel but that's just a quick email). However, with this new time scale I need a new plan of action to fit the most in to my Japan adventure. So that's what I'm going to do this weekend. All the things that I had originally planned to buy I have to reconsider. For example, I no longer need mountain climbing gear but I may decide to go hiking so I may still need boots. It's a lot to think about so I'll plan it all out in notepad and come back and post it all when I'm ready.

So just a quick little list to myself about things I need to consider:
1. Golden Week
2. Day trips
3. Luggage
4. Airport transfers
5. Money and finances
6. Contacts
7. General things to do
There might be more but I cant remember. So leave it with me and I'll be back :p