10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow en-us Riding Japan’s shinkansen bullet trains, some of the fastest trains on this planet, is the highlight for many tourists – but have you ever sat in a coffee shop and sat watching them whiz right past your nose? I had such an experience when I wandered into Café JUNE in Yurakucho. An ‘”All Round Café” since 1965’, this café embodied an age forgotten. The understated atmosphere momentarily put me off, with dark, wooden chairs clustered around dark, wooden tables. But I was greeted at the entrance by a friendly old waiter who looked as old as the café itself, and as soon as I sat down, I was welcomed by the flawless smiles of waitresses in tuxedos to a background of 70s music. It seemed to be a café popular with businessmen who come for a quick rest and a smoke. As a result, the air was pleasantly musty, enveloping the little chandelier hanging in the centre of the room. Tokyo, Japan pinkmarshmallow Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:53:15 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow/experience/1374 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1374 When you think of the Izu Peninsula, you think blue sea, fresh seafood and relaxing ryokans. What you don’t necessarily expect is to be hounded by a hundred hungry monkeys with your flesh vulnerably exposed to scratching. And yet, these simian beasts clawed their way into my heart’s soft spot when I visited them last year. Along the craggy cape live packs of monkeys waiting for inquisitive, if slightly wary, tourists to throw food at them. We decided to join a boat tour of the nearby rocks, where we were promised close encounters with monkeys. As waves crashed against the dubiously rocking motor boat, we clutched paper bags full of sweet potato, our eyes peeled for monkeys appearing from the dark crevices of the rocks. Izu, Japan, Japan pinkmarshmallow Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:18:03 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow/experience/1373 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1373 As summer approaches and the temperature gradually rises, two other factors increase exponentially for students at Oxford – the stress of Finals examinations and the need to get away. Just 8 miles from Oxford, Blenheim Palace relieves both, providing a perfect day out and, if desired, some countryside rambling. Oxford, United Kingdom pinkmarshmallow Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:44:28 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow/experience/1372 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1372 As a student at Oxford University, affiliated with one of its most grandiose colleges at that, I always crave a little spot of unprententious, ‘unkept’ nature when I emerge from hours of studying, locked up in one of the city’s “dreaming spires”. For the picturesque college quadrangles and awe-inspiring architecture hundreds of tourists visit Oxford every day, yet some of the city’s most precious treasures are located on the north and south outskirts of the city centre, and are invariably complemented by the soothing presence of cows. Oxford, United Kingdom pinkmarshmallow Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:08:27 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow/experience/1371 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1371 Foreign travelers visit Japan hungry for an exotic taste of tradition gravitas and a healthy dose of the hypermodern bizarre. It is then perhaps only on someone who has been there long enough to exhaust the shrines, ‘manga’ cafes and sushi fests, stuck in the middle of the swirling maze of Tokyo, that a humble craving for ‘home’ suddenly descends. No more green teas, no more geishas in kimonos, all you want is just a good sandwich and coffee. Such a need struck me one day when I was, of all places, in the heart of Shibuya, one of the trendiest and busiest business and entertainment district in the capital. Where to go for some quiet downtime with a few loose change and a short lunch break? I found my oasis in ‘Gooz’, a conveniently-located café on Meiji Dori. Tokyo, Japan pinkmarshmallow Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:27:08 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/pinkmarshmallow/experience/1370 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1370