On the third of June, Donny, D and myself went to Shiga prefecture to hike up 8 waterfalls. This hike was one of the best hikes we've done in Japan. It was a bit challenging at times but well worth the effort. After hiking up 8 waterfalls we pressed on and climbed up a few mountains. Walking along the ridge that connects the montain tops we were able to see Lake Biwa in all it's glory.

We started the hike in a small town called Kurodani.

I was really hoping to go back to Yarigatake this year with Darren, Dave and Donny but it didn't happen. Unfortunately, because of bad weather and sold out bus tickets we couldn't go this year. However, I can show you some of the pictures I took last year when I went. Yarigatake is in Naganao prefecture. The mountain is 3200 metres high (the fifth tallest in Japan). There are several different paths you can take.

Darren, Donny and I took off to Wakayama on Monday to do a short hike. We were using a hiking book that Darren’s fiancé had let us borrow. The hike was supposed to take us across a river, up a mountain and along the ocean. Unfortunately the book is all in Japanese, so we had a tough time reading the instructions. After getting lost about 8 or 9 times we finally found a trail that led us up the mountain. We walked through some orchards (Japanese orange farms). The oranges looked like they were starting to ripen and we saw some farmers picking them. At the top of the mountain we had a good view of the city and river. At the end of the hike we saw a beautiful sunset. All in all, it was a great day out. Good to finally get some exercise again! This colourful spider almost turned us back, but we were brave enough to continue.: spiderThe view from the top of the mountain.Here we are trying to read signs. This took a long time!A beautiful sunset in Wakayama

Hello all, I just got back from my sisters wedding on Salt Spring Island, Canada. The island is just off the coast of Vancouver. The wedding ceremony took place on a rocky shore, overlooking the ocean and surrounding islands. The weather is beautiful right now, warm temperatures and blue skies everyday. Today is the last day of the wedding. We are all going to the grooms house for a BBQ and lots of drinks "hehehe"

Take it easy everyone, and enjoy your summer vacations!

Now that the hockey playoffs are over, its time to switch gears to a different sport. World cup soccer (or football) is pretty entertaining, although still considered a 'sport for the weak' in Canada and America when compared with Hockey or American football. It's hard to disagree with that argument when you see the way some soccer players 'dive' to the ground when they are touched by an opposing teams' players. If I wasn't already somewhat familiar with the game, I would've thought there was a sharp shooter in the crowd with a rifle! Sadly, this year is no exception and it looks like there will be more yellow and red cards handed out to players this year than any other World Cup. Aside from this fact, there have been many entertaining match-ups.
After this weekend there will only be 4 teams left in the Cup. Last night I watched a very close game between Argentina and Germany. After watching the first round, I picked Argentina to go all the way as they seemed unstoppable. However, Germany held their own defensively last night in a tight 1-1 draw. During overtime penalty kicks, the German goalie held his ground after some poor attempts by the Argentinian strikers. Germany won 4-2 in penalty kicks to take the game. The other game was a bit of a wash. I hoped for the Karasiuk's of the world that the Ukranians could pull an upset over Italy but it wasn't to be. Italy took the game in an seemingly effortless 3-0 match. Tonight hosts 2 games that should prove very close. Brazil will take on France, and England will take on Portugal. For tonights games I am inclined to pick Brazil and Portugal to win. Brazil just looks too solid up front and have gelled as a team. I like the way Portugal has been playing so far as well.
Now that Argentina is out, the favourite among many of my colleagues at high school is Germany. I will wait until tonight has passed before I post any predictions about the semi-finals. Hope you enjoy the games!