Forgotten Favourite from Kyoto: Sanjusangendo was absolutely mind-boggling....Sanjusan means 33 in Japanese, and that is how many alcoves there are between structural posts for the building. This building is home to 1001 statues of Kannon, the Goddess of Compassion. Try to imagine 1000 life-size forms of this goddess surrounding one very large central statue of the goddess....Many pieces of the puzzle came together here, as we learned about two gods that are often on either side of the entranceways to temples. They are the thunder and wind gods, and they are everywhere in Kyoto!
Sumiya Pleasure House: We found it, we found it! After much searching and a fleeting consoling thought of, `Well, I won`t be too disappointed if we can`t find it,` we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the main level of this sizable residence. Sadly, the second floor is only open at certain times of the day and we would miss our train back to Tokyo if we stayed for it.....The main floor was grand, with a large open kitchen (complete with under-floor rice storage, love it), beautiful screen paintings, woven wooden ceilings, and gardens nestled within....It was very easy to imagine the good times shared in this restaurant cum social hub in the 17th century. From the ink drawings, it looks like they thoroughly enjoyed life in any season (even having snowball fights in the winter). Many haiku poets, artists, and thinkers spent time here.....sounds like a splendid place for dreamers ;)
Ramen Heaven Part Deux: We found an entire floor at the Kyoto train station dedicated to none other than ramen.....There are 7 restaurants on the 10th floor (for anyone who is heading that way). We tried Sumire and it did not disappoint! Mmmgh! The miso based broth was mildly spicy with lots of different flavours, mixed in with moments of zing when you got a bit of freshly ground ginger. It was just what we needed before hopping on the shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Well, only a few more hours and then we`re heading to uncharted territories for me and Kerwood--something that elicits feelings of nervousness and excitement, and the nervousness is more of a curious butterfly-in-the-stomach sensation....Philippines here we come !! :)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
December 9 - 12, 2008
Kyoto: After having an absolutely wonderful sleep at our friend`s place (no more love hotels) after getting back from Hiroshima, we ventured out to Kyoto--the number one tourist destination within Japan.....When we arrived in Kyoto, we had a most wonderful Italian lunch for an astounding 900 yen (so cheap!), then moved on to get our bearings in this fine city. Well, Kerwood managed to get his bearings; I have been intolerably turned around and lost the entire time we`ve been here--a strange feeling for me.
We found the kabuki theatre near the river and tried to find out if we could attend one act of the performance, however we couldn't decipher the signs at all....We enjoyed delicious sashimi in a cozy restaurant in Pontocho Alley, which is very traditional in appearance (narrow walking street with lanterns outside of every restaurant and every restaurant has an elegant entrance way).
We have done so much sightseeing here, there is too much to write about. One of the more unique experiences was witnessing a bat (yes, a bat) being stooped by a falcon at dusk one night. That same night, on our search for a place to eat dinner, we walked by a placed called Tits Cafe....Ker and I were giggling so much, I couldn't even take a picture of it. Compared with some of the seedy `pleasure quarters` we have witnessed here, the Tits Cafe was actually a bright, modern cafe despite it`s misleading name ;)
Favourite Spots: Ryoanji Temple in the Rinzai Zen school--home to a mystery dry landscape garden that was absolutely stunning....15 large rocks surrounded by the combed stones that you imagine when someone says `Japanese rock garden`.
Ginkakuji Temple (aka Silver Pavilion)--the grounds for this place were aesthetically astounding. There were stone formations (dry landscape gardens), ponds, and amazing moss-covered hills....Luckily for us, there was an impressive stone pathway through the forest--a wonderful way to spend time and also soak in the peacefulness of the place.
Interesting Sightseeing Experience: Almost like sightseeing at night is getting into Nijo Castle right before dusk and trying to see the elaborate screen paintings when there is no electricity inside! We managed to get through the castle before it was completely dark, and it was truly a beautiful experience.
Today`s Plan: Try to find Sumiya Pleasure House.....we tried to find this National Cultural Asset two days ago, however it is nowhere to be found on any maps. I suppose it is too lurid and smutty for the whole family, so it`s a well-kept secret? Wish us luck :)
We found the kabuki theatre near the river and tried to find out if we could attend one act of the performance, however we couldn't decipher the signs at all....We enjoyed delicious sashimi in a cozy restaurant in Pontocho Alley, which is very traditional in appearance (narrow walking street with lanterns outside of every restaurant and every restaurant has an elegant entrance way).
We have done so much sightseeing here, there is too much to write about. One of the more unique experiences was witnessing a bat (yes, a bat) being stooped by a falcon at dusk one night. That same night, on our search for a place to eat dinner, we walked by a placed called Tits Cafe....Ker and I were giggling so much, I couldn't even take a picture of it. Compared with some of the seedy `pleasure quarters` we have witnessed here, the Tits Cafe was actually a bright, modern cafe despite it`s misleading name ;)
Favourite Spots: Ryoanji Temple in the Rinzai Zen school--home to a mystery dry landscape garden that was absolutely stunning....15 large rocks surrounded by the combed stones that you imagine when someone says `Japanese rock garden`.
Ginkakuji Temple (aka Silver Pavilion)--the grounds for this place were aesthetically astounding. There were stone formations (dry landscape gardens), ponds, and amazing moss-covered hills....Luckily for us, there was an impressive stone pathway through the forest--a wonderful way to spend time and also soak in the peacefulness of the place.
Interesting Sightseeing Experience: Almost like sightseeing at night is getting into Nijo Castle right before dusk and trying to see the elaborate screen paintings when there is no electricity inside! We managed to get through the castle before it was completely dark, and it was truly a beautiful experience.
Today`s Plan: Try to find Sumiya Pleasure House.....we tried to find this National Cultural Asset two days ago, however it is nowhere to be found on any maps. I suppose it is too lurid and smutty for the whole family, so it`s a well-kept secret? Wish us luck :)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
November 30 - December 8, 2008
Well, things went smoothly with our move-out and we are happy backpackers now....Unfortunately, any future blogs will not have pictures because I have no way to get pictures from my camera to the computer, so sad.
Sianora Party: The day we left our apartment for the last time, we found lockers for our backpacks at Tokyo Station (at absolutely the worst time to try to find empty ones--Sunday afternoon!), then headed to Shibuya to hang out until meeting up with friends for a sianora party of sorts....We had a fantastic time at an izakaya place and then moved on to karaoke. We seem to be forming a pattern of spending our last nights in Tokyo at karaoke places--a fine tradition, I must say ;) Much fun was had singing our hearts out and I am so grateful that we were able to visit with some of the people we trained with one more time before leaving--they are a wonderful bunch of people.....
Hakone-bound: The next morning, we headed to Hakone a little worse for wear....and let me tell you, it is very hard to travel with a slight hangover on little sleep (we had found a cheap love hotel the night before, and no, we didn`t lose sleep for the reasons you`re thinking of--naughty mind;). I was rudely awakened at around 4 in the morning by the `white noise` music they pipe into every room to block out other sounds....which is a great idea, but it makes it sooo hard to sleep. Oh well. I made a mental note to be better prepared next time (and there would be a next time because love hotels are so affordable!).
When we arrived at The Prince Hotel in Hakone, we sunk into absolute relaxation. Wow, this place was amazing. The hotel was at the end of a road, surrounded by lush forests and Lake Ashi. It was peaceful and very quiet. We took a nap and then started exploring. The hotel complex was immense and there were several walking paths. This was the perfect place to replenish our depleted energy stores and get ready to return to the Hakone Open Air Museum.
The day we decided to go to the museum was a crystal-clear, pristine day. We walked into town to catch the pirate boat ferry (couldn`t resist another ride on it) on a lake-side stone path....it was gorgeous. We walked by the torii in the lake and had stunning views of Fuji-san along the way. When we got to town, many people were gathering along the lakeshore, or parking along the lake, to sit and gaze at the majestic peak of Fuji-san....and it really is breathtaking. You can`t help but get caught up in the excitement and honour of setting eyes on it, particularly because it is quite rare to have such unobstructed views of it.
We can officially say now that we have seen the entire Open Air Museum and it definitely takes a couple of days to do it! One of the best parts of it was a foot bath, with fresh hot spring water to soak your weary feet in....65 degrees hot, whew! There are magical, healing properties to the water....after a 10 minute soak, our feet felt phenomenal and ready to go--any aches or pains were gone.
Hiroshima: After spending a night at Hotel La Michelle (yes, there is a love hotel with that name), we headed to Hiroshima by shinkansen (4 hours). FYI, my preparations to stay at another love hotel, and be able to sleep in one, proved fruitless.....even with earplugs the `white noise` is terrible to try to sleep while it`s playing. Anyhow, we were able to catch up on sleep on the train.
Hiroshima has been absolutely amazing. Our first full day consisted of walking to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. It is truly a beautiful city, with two wide rivers and several gorgeous bridges. Interspersed with the physical beauty are several reminders of the horrible atrocity that occurred during World War II--most evident of which is the Atomic Bomb Dome, a building that remained standing after the blast, and one which will be preserved forever as a reminder of the horrible effects of atomic warfare. The museum was very difficult to walk through--many moments of experiencing tears welling up and feelings of immense sadness, anger, and repulsion at what happened. Part of the reaction is shock/disbelief that something this horrible could actually have happened, which is all the more reason for people to go to this museum and/or the one in Nagasaki.....to never forget.
What is more disturbing is that since the bomb was dropped, the mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter of protest to governments every time an atomic bomb is `tested.` As of October 2006, 593 such telegrams have been written by the mayors of Hiroshima....593!!! The elements that put me over the edge were seeing the story of Sadako Sasaki and some of the cranes she folded, along with the drawings and stories by survivors....Sadako`s story had an immense impact on me when I was a child and it felt both strange and powerful to be here to read about the real details of what she experienced....
Ker and I welcomed the time to walk through the park afterwards, to have time to talk about what we had seen and read, and basically to connect with and appreciate our blessings together....until we were approached by two very sweet women, who seemingly wanted to practice English with us, which was great. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with them until one woman asked us if we believed world peace was possible, asked us to read a passage from the Bible, and gave us some Watchtower literature.....It kind of seemed inappropriate to be spreading the word in this way, at this place....
As we were walking past the Hiroshima Carp baseball diamond, we stopped to take a picture in front of a huge billboard, promoting an all-star game happening the day we were there.....to commemorate the beloved home team over the past 3 decades and to have one last game at this park. A new stadium is being opened next year. As I was posing for the photo, a woman walked by with her son, and gave us two tickets to the game--how generous! Ker and I had a heck of a time trying to find our seats, and the guy who took our tickets chuckled because we were coming in so late.....Once we found our spot, however, we thoroughly enjoyed watching the final two innings of the game (yes, we did arrive a bit late;). The crowd was loving the wild antics of the players and the good-hearted fun that was being had.....Ker and I walked out of there a little bewildered at our good fortune to have been able to participate in this moment. We were even given a small vial of dirt from the diamond as a keepsake.
So many great memories from this place, and so little time to write about it. It`s time to leave our hotel and head on to Kyoto....
Sianora Party: The day we left our apartment for the last time, we found lockers for our backpacks at Tokyo Station (at absolutely the worst time to try to find empty ones--Sunday afternoon!), then headed to Shibuya to hang out until meeting up with friends for a sianora party of sorts....We had a fantastic time at an izakaya place and then moved on to karaoke. We seem to be forming a pattern of spending our last nights in Tokyo at karaoke places--a fine tradition, I must say ;) Much fun was had singing our hearts out and I am so grateful that we were able to visit with some of the people we trained with one more time before leaving--they are a wonderful bunch of people.....
Hakone-bound: The next morning, we headed to Hakone a little worse for wear....and let me tell you, it is very hard to travel with a slight hangover on little sleep (we had found a cheap love hotel the night before, and no, we didn`t lose sleep for the reasons you`re thinking of--naughty mind;). I was rudely awakened at around 4 in the morning by the `white noise` music they pipe into every room to block out other sounds....which is a great idea, but it makes it sooo hard to sleep. Oh well. I made a mental note to be better prepared next time (and there would be a next time because love hotels are so affordable!).
When we arrived at The Prince Hotel in Hakone, we sunk into absolute relaxation. Wow, this place was amazing. The hotel was at the end of a road, surrounded by lush forests and Lake Ashi. It was peaceful and very quiet. We took a nap and then started exploring. The hotel complex was immense and there were several walking paths. This was the perfect place to replenish our depleted energy stores and get ready to return to the Hakone Open Air Museum.
The day we decided to go to the museum was a crystal-clear, pristine day. We walked into town to catch the pirate boat ferry (couldn`t resist another ride on it) on a lake-side stone path....it was gorgeous. We walked by the torii in the lake and had stunning views of Fuji-san along the way. When we got to town, many people were gathering along the lakeshore, or parking along the lake, to sit and gaze at the majestic peak of Fuji-san....and it really is breathtaking. You can`t help but get caught up in the excitement and honour of setting eyes on it, particularly because it is quite rare to have such unobstructed views of it.
We can officially say now that we have seen the entire Open Air Museum and it definitely takes a couple of days to do it! One of the best parts of it was a foot bath, with fresh hot spring water to soak your weary feet in....65 degrees hot, whew! There are magical, healing properties to the water....after a 10 minute soak, our feet felt phenomenal and ready to go--any aches or pains were gone.
Hiroshima: After spending a night at Hotel La Michelle (yes, there is a love hotel with that name), we headed to Hiroshima by shinkansen (4 hours). FYI, my preparations to stay at another love hotel, and be able to sleep in one, proved fruitless.....even with earplugs the `white noise` is terrible to try to sleep while it`s playing. Anyhow, we were able to catch up on sleep on the train.
Hiroshima has been absolutely amazing. Our first full day consisted of walking to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. It is truly a beautiful city, with two wide rivers and several gorgeous bridges. Interspersed with the physical beauty are several reminders of the horrible atrocity that occurred during World War II--most evident of which is the Atomic Bomb Dome, a building that remained standing after the blast, and one which will be preserved forever as a reminder of the horrible effects of atomic warfare. The museum was very difficult to walk through--many moments of experiencing tears welling up and feelings of immense sadness, anger, and repulsion at what happened. Part of the reaction is shock/disbelief that something this horrible could actually have happened, which is all the more reason for people to go to this museum and/or the one in Nagasaki.....to never forget.
What is more disturbing is that since the bomb was dropped, the mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter of protest to governments every time an atomic bomb is `tested.` As of October 2006, 593 such telegrams have been written by the mayors of Hiroshima....593!!! The elements that put me over the edge were seeing the story of Sadako Sasaki and some of the cranes she folded, along with the drawings and stories by survivors....Sadako`s story had an immense impact on me when I was a child and it felt both strange and powerful to be here to read about the real details of what she experienced....
Ker and I welcomed the time to walk through the park afterwards, to have time to talk about what we had seen and read, and basically to connect with and appreciate our blessings together....until we were approached by two very sweet women, who seemingly wanted to practice English with us, which was great. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with them until one woman asked us if we believed world peace was possible, asked us to read a passage from the Bible, and gave us some Watchtower literature.....It kind of seemed inappropriate to be spreading the word in this way, at this place....
As we were walking past the Hiroshima Carp baseball diamond, we stopped to take a picture in front of a huge billboard, promoting an all-star game happening the day we were there.....to commemorate the beloved home team over the past 3 decades and to have one last game at this park. A new stadium is being opened next year. As I was posing for the photo, a woman walked by with her son, and gave us two tickets to the game--how generous! Ker and I had a heck of a time trying to find our seats, and the guy who took our tickets chuckled because we were coming in so late.....Once we found our spot, however, we thoroughly enjoyed watching the final two innings of the game (yes, we did arrive a bit late;). The crowd was loving the wild antics of the players and the good-hearted fun that was being had.....Ker and I walked out of there a little bewildered at our good fortune to have been able to participate in this moment. We were even given a small vial of dirt from the diamond as a keepsake.
So many great memories from this place, and so little time to write about it. It`s time to leave our hotel and head on to Kyoto....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
