No time to lose

It is only 6 days before we embark on our next trip, so I thought I would kick the travel blog back up.

Preparations started for this trip mid last year, when a possible trip to the snow in New Zealand didn't eventuate, so Dean and I decided we'd head to Japan again. We thought it might be an idea to see if another friend wanted to come, and a quick plan out of expenses had us another travelling companion in Conrad. The tickets were booked with Jetstar, meaning that we couldn't back out now. After getting the accommodation sorted we hit our first snag(?). Mum and Whitney couldn't bear the thought of us going to Japan without them, so a bit of discussion over some wine (as is usually the way) had them booking their tickets on Jetstar as well, and me sending an email to our snow accommodation asking them to book another room. Despite a very slight hiccup with language, I do have to recommend www.japanspecialists.com. This is the second time we've booked through them, and no matter who you are in contact with, they respond/act quickly and efficiently.

The next couple of months don't hold much interest, except both me and Dean bought our first snowboards and bindings. It also included a couple of trips to the local board shop to get Conrad fitted for boots and stuff. He bought his snowboard boots from there but his jacket and pants were bought online from Sierrasnowboards. Boots are something you don't want to get wrong as a badly fitted pair of boots will make even the best snow trip a nightmare. Conrad being the person he is decided that if he was going to go boarding he was going to do it right. The guy has never been to the snow before, but figured rather than spend $240 or so hiring a board and bindings, he'd spend more and actually buy a board and bindings (also care of Sierrasnowboard.com), that way if we go to the snow in Falls Creek this year, then the board will have paid for itself.

This morning, we are off again to the local board shop. We're getting the boards waxed/tuned before we go and will probably pick up a couple of extras like beanies and wax. So until next Saturday, it's over and out.