Go reader Domhnall Banks got in touch in response to David McNeill’s guide last week to his adoptive city of Tokyo
Great to see that people might now get rid of their idea that Japan is the most expensive place on earth – we live in Ireland, for God’s sake. My girlfriend and I spent three weeks there this summer, as part of a backpackers’ trip.
We have some tips for the budget traveller: you can eat cheap and healthily at any of the 7-Elevens or other convienence stores, with their bento boxes, and there’s usually no or very little cost to visit any of the amazing shrines around the country. Also, as you pointed out, the rail pass is a must to travel with – and much better value than anything you can get at home.
We are also both traditional musicians, and spent a week in Tokyo with a Japanese musician friend – making a Japanese friend is a great idea to see the hidden sights and get to try the food that you’d be too afraid to order otherwise.
Incidentally, we are still travelling, in country number 29 of this trip, after 20 months, and Japan is definitely my favourite.
Brendan Lynch from Co Wicklow got in touch about Conor Pope’s In Transit column last week, on airline food
The worst airline meal I got was with United Airlines, flying from Saigon to Hong Kong. The box was a dull grey-blue outside, with “Enjoy!” written on it. The inside was plain cardboard with a soggy clingfilm-wrapped chicken sandwich and cracker in it. On the return leg I was sure to buy a Whopper at the airport.
Recently I’ve had a two-leg journey to southeast Asia, where the “reputable” airline ran out of meat dishes three rows after starting food service on both legs. As a frequent flyer I’ve let both them and airlinequality.com know my feelings about that episode, although on the return journey I got an excellent chicken kebab and Nescafé espresso from the same airline, so maybe it just had a supply problem on the outbound journey.
Brian Mac Aongusa of Blackrock in Co Dublin was alarmed by Patricia Callan’s account of her holidays last week
I was horrified to read the following advice, which you so inexplicably highlighted: “You have to risk going outside the walls and going past the Do Not Pass sign to get the true Cliffs of Moher experience. It’s a stunning place.”
Is the writer of this dangerous comment not aware of those deadly updraughts at the cliff top, which can cause one to lose balance, or that some nine people have tragically lost their lives in recent years directly because of going outside “those stupid walls” near the cliff edge?
I personally witnessed the body being fished out of the sea of a young man who followed such irresponsible advice.
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