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Here’s an overview of what was probably our best ever holiday. Clicking on any picture will take you to a larger version and a link to more pictures from that day or event, on Flickr, our picture hosting service. Clicking on that larger picture will present you with the opportunity to start a slide show, by clicking on the video control at the top of the screen.
Text links below many pictures will take you to pages for specific days.
We flew to Osaka (Kansei Airport, floating in the harbour), followed by a 90-minute limousine bus ride to Nara, celebrating its 1300th anniversary in 2010, home to an 1100 acre park, full of shrines, temples, a snake and the cutest deer this side of Bambi.
This year's puzzle party was to be held in the western city of Osaka, followed by a second event in Hakone, much further to the East, but outside Tokyo. I had spent a day in the mountains of Hakone nine years ago, and I was very keen for Alice to see this truly beautiful part of Japan.
It was a holiday that had been in the planning for many, many months. We had been to Japan before, in 2001, staying for several days in Kyoto, before travelling on for that year's International Puzzle Party in Tokyo. We had loved Kyoto, but found Tokyo somewhat oppressive and far too built up.
Nara was our home for 4 days before going to Osaka for the first of two puzzle parties. After 4 days we travelled by Shinkansen bullet train to Hakone, a lakeside resort, for more puzzle events. To conclude the holiday we and fifty other friends climbed to the very top of Mt Fuji, at 12,388 feet Japan’s highest mountain, a volcano, dormant since the 1700s.
Here’s the view across the rim of the caldera, with the peak in the distance.
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Nara Park, 5th July
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Nara Hiking Trail, 6th July
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Nara Park Temples, 7th July
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Nara Botanical Garden 8th July
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IPP Founder’s Reception, 8th July
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Kobe & Osaka Castle, 9th July
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IPP Puzzle Exchange, 10th July
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IPP Puzzle Party, 11th July
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Shinkansen & Hakone Banquet, 12th July
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Hakone Puzzle Hunting, 13th July
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Alice’s Hakone Tour, 14th July
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Hakone Puzzle Party, 14th July
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Mt. Fuji Part One, 15th July
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Mt. Fuji Part Two, 16th July
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...and of course, the puzzle haul.
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