Fukuoka, Japan

Forgot to mention in my last entry that when i went to the Hiroshima mueseam I asked for a guide in Japanese and they gave me a French one! Im obviously doomed to be mistaken for anything but someone from Britain these days!

Headed further west to the island of Kyushu in a city called Fukuoka. The only way I could remember it is by splitting the word into three, "Fuck", "You", "Okay", although I dont think its pronounced like that.

Took the bullet train from Nagoya and it took me about 3 hours to travel 700km. Thats nearly the length of Britain. Amazing. Arrived at 9pm and checked into my box hotel which is like your standard travelodge except the rooms are a quarter of the size. Perfect for what I need though. As there were no real backpacker hostileries I had to go for a hotel which means you dont really meet any other backpackers. So I thought Id head into town for a beer on my own and see what I could find.

Headed for a bar called International Inn which the guide says is full of gaijin (foreigners). Went up to the 4th floor where this bar was meant to be and it had closed down (damn that frickin guide!). So wandered the streets and went into this tiny little bar that had 2 japanese dudes in. Joined them at the bar and sucked on a beer. Had a very broken conversation with them and managed to get across that I come from Wales. "Good at Rugby" I said. "New Zearand" the cocky bastard managed to say back. I left soon after feeling a little dis-heartened that I wouldnt really find anywhere to go.

Walked past two guys who looked Brisitsh on the street and asked them if they knew anywhere to go and they invited me to a party with them for a load of English teachers. Spin forward 5 hours and Im in another Karaoke bar, dressed as a Japanese school girl with a blonde wig, screaming out Micheal Jacksons "Man in the Mirror". Which was also voted the best performance of the night but probably only because the veins in my neck were popping out.

Another 7am finish for a night out and the next day written off. Still, managed to get some laundry done although its impossible to get directions to a laundrette asking for "Raundery". With all the instructions for the washing machines in Japanese it was doubly difficult but managed to get my clothes wet then dry again which will do for now. Finished the day playing a bus driving simulator in the arcade (The worst arcade game Ive ever played) and watching the Brothers Grimm in the cinema which is delightfully dark stuff. Couldnt work out for the life of me why before the adverts came on they played a video footage of a small Greek fishing village with no voice over or text. Just when you Japan cant get any more bonkers itll just hit you with something daft like that. Well done Japan!