Tokyo reflections.

It seems such a short time ago that I got off the plane at Kansai International Airport and made my way into Kyoto (It was 17 days) and now here I am in Tokyo blogging for the last time in Japan, a country that poses more questions than answers. A culture that is unique, a land stricken recently by disaster. But to be honest, the places I have been don't show that. Life goes on here even in Tokyo.

The national holiday week 'Golden Week' has started here, and many people are out of Tokyo at this time, preferring to go further south. So Tokyo is a bit strange. I visited Ginza today - a main shopping district. This city has so many districts, big buildings, it never seems to end. I then walked through one of the main parks of Tokyo past the Imperial Palace and its gardens.

A building at the Imrperial Palace Gardens

A street in Ginza

 Yesterday I visited a couple of museums, including the Tokyo National Museum. I usually find excessive pottery works boring, but this wasn't too bad. Some of the information was really interesting.

At the Meiji Shrine

 My first day in Tokyo was spent visiting the Meiji Shrine and Gardens surrounding said shrine. A nice peaceful place in the heart of Tokyo, it wasn't as interesting as some of the shrines in other parts of the country, but still worth visiting. The parks here are huge, and some of the wooden gates are certainly grand. The buildings in Tokyo are also fairly darned big! It's a modern city which still has roots in the past and in nature. But then, it is not your average capital city...

Wall advertisements, Akihabara

 If you are into gaming, if you are into Manga or the Otaru culture, then head to Akihabara. This district is a fascinating walk into another world. Here you can find 'Maid Cafes', where young girls dress and act as servants and treat the customers as 'Masters'. What can I make of this? I'm not sure. I fully intended to visit one of the cafes but when I saw the girls in the streets giving out flyers I changed my mind. They seemed very young and there seemed something not quite right about the whole thing. There are some places that have performances, and others where the maids deliberately abuse the customers. Elsewhere in Tokyo there are 'butler' cafes I believe too, so presumably they do the biddings of the 'Mistresses'

Cool Old Dude? Akihabara

SO tomorrow I leave to head to Hong Kong. I leave Japan every bit as bemused as when I arrived in Kyoto on the 14th. Tokyo is very different from the rest of Japan, perhaps not as friendly, but that is a big city mentality that can be found over the world.

I've met some great people here and wish I could have spent more time with them. An ENIGMA- I think this is a good word for Japan. It seems like I stopped for Japan and now resume my trip in Hong Kong.

What will China bring???

Miyajima & Osaka Fish

Hi everyone! Since my last blog I visited the beautiful island of Miyajima, an easy day trip from Hiroshima where there is a beautiful Shrine with this amazing gate out in the water, paths criss-crossing the hills, and deer aplenty again! Then yesterday, on my way to Tokyo I stopped in Osaka to visit one of the worlds best aquariums, which did not disappoint! Please enjoy the photos!

Gate at the Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima.

Five Storied Pagoda, Miyajima.

View from the hills, Miyajima.

Dolphins & Friend, Osaka Aquarium.

Could You?

The A-Bomb Dome

So today is the 25th of April, 2011. It is my birthday, and in Australia it is Anzac Day, a day when we remember those Australians and New Zealanders (in particular) who fell fighting in War. For those unfamiliar with the day, it commemorates the same date in 1915, when Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, and well, found themselves trapped in a fierce battle for months in which thousands and thousands of people died. 

So today, spare also a thought for the people of 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Because in the months that followed the 6th of August 1945 140,000 people died as the result of single bomb. The first Atomic Bomb ever dropped on people, on a city, on a population. Think of them, and pray that it was the second last. The one dropped on Nagasaki was bigger by the way.

Hiroshima, after 'Little Boy'

Hiroshima is a remarkable and indeed beautiful city. It was rebuilt from total devastation after that fateful August morning in 1945. 66 years later it stands as a monument to peace, to no nuclear weapons. Every mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter of protest before every nuclear test. Who is listening? 140,000 people was only the beginning. People suffered and died for years and years after the bomb was dropped. Cancer, Leukemia. Ask yourself if you could do this. Could you? Could you imagine the destruction that was let loose? I couldn't. And I won't accept ANY 'Ends Justifies the Means' argument. So ask if you could? Then ask - How could anyone?

At the memorial to those who were killed, these are some of their faces.

There is a museum here. There is the A-dome - a building directly under where 'little boy' exploded, some 600 metres above - which was a prefectural office at the time. Because of the position it somehow, in part, survived. I sat in silence and just looked at it. People walk past every day for work. It's part of the city. The Peace Garden, so beautiful. But then, what lessons have been taken? How do we as the Human Race look each other in the face? So we have not seen a nuclear bomb fall in war since 1945. 66 years. But humans kill humans all the same.

Hiroshima as it stands today, a beautiful, modern city.

I have been through three countries so far on this trip. Vietnam I saw the effects of war there,　and the effects of Agent Orange. Birth defects, burns, destruction. In Laos un-exploded bombs, 1.7 tonnes of explosives dropped on a nation of (at the time) 2.4 million farmers. And now here, two atomic bombs. Most of those killed women, children and POWs.
I am not anti-American. Please understand that. Please understand that I have American friends and I know there is a lot of good in the USA. A LOT of good. It has given the world so much. So much music, great movies, technology, the internet.

But I look at what it did in these three countries and despair. The most powerful country in the world for over 100 years now.
So maybe it has changed somewhat. I think it has a long way to go though, because War seems to be its business,　and I don't know if it conducts itself in war in a good way.
Think to yourself. Imagine you are the decision maker. Would YOU make the decision to bomb Laos once every seven minutes for seven years? Would YOU use agent Orange? And finally would you use a bomb that could kill so many? People died instantly. People died slowly over the next few days from burns and radiation. People died over the next few decades from Cancers.

And think on this, 'Little Boy' was the merest fraction of the weapons created since.

The Mighty Carp

Finally, a little bit of sun! I am likely to blog again later today but I felt that this blog does not belong with the blog I am likely to write after visiting the A-bomb dome and peace memorial. For you see I am now in Hiroshima, which experienced the first ever atomic bomb back in 1945.

However, it is also home to the Mighty Carp! The local baseball team sits somewhere at the top of the Central League, and yesterday played host to the Yakult Swallows from Tokyo.　Sadly, the result did not go their way in the form of a 8-3 loss, but it was an enjoyable day none-the-less. Lots of chants and songs, some raucous noise and clapping, and at the bottom of the seventh innings they released thousands of pink balloons in the air for good luck! Didn't have the desired effect though...

Sight seeing in Takayama!

 Okay, just had another long day of sight seeing that ended in me being lost in the rain, again! I started at the above Hida Kokubunji Temple, which was closed but the grounds were open. Another multi-storied pagoda inside which is always interesting.

 This photo is from the Takayama 'Showa Hall' - A small museum which has a collection of artifacts and kitsch from the 50s to the 80s. It was quaint and funny, yet cool also.

 Twice a year Takayama holds a festival where floats such as the ones above are paraded through the streets. There is a centre here which displays some of the floats as you can see. The ticket also got me into a nearby museum with models of temples from the Nikko region. The lighting would slowly dim and brighten to simulate dawn to dusk. I then visited the Hida Folk Archaeological Museum, full of things that don't really interest me, ie bits of rock from 2000 years ago. However the house was really interesting, it used to be a Samurai's house.

I walked to the far side of Takayama, past the station to find this temple - 'Sukyo Mahikari Main World Shrine'. It was a long uphill walk in the rain, and I found the place closed. Then I got completely lost.....
But these things happen when you wander off the boundaries of your map! Takayama is a nice little place, worth a day or two, probably no more. Tomorrow I head to Hiroshima...

Nara, Bamboo and the Amazing Atomu!

 As usual folks a lot has happened since my last blog! For starters I have done two road (well, rail trips, met a gazillion people and am now in Takayama where I finally have a few moments to myself　to blog and get my diary up to date! So a few days ago now I journied to a place called Takarazuka. The purpose of this trip was to visit the Osamu Tezuka museum.
Tezuka was a Manga artist who created some amazing work over his too-short lifetime, including Astroboy (pictured) known as Atomu in Japan. The museum was small but I managed to spend several hours there reading Manga and learning about this gentle man. If you're a fan of Astroboy and in Japan, this is not to be missed!

 The next day saw me travel to Nara. A beautiful little city that, like Kyoto, is surrounded by mountains. In those mountains are many many deer, who have no fear of the human being and walk right up to inspect bags for food. Okay, they are not the main attraction. There are several gardens, countless temples and beautiful hills and forest to roam. The centre piece is the Todaji Temple, which is the biggest temple I have seen in Japan thus far (and used to be much bigger. It houses one magnificent Buddha (pictured) as well as several other large statues. Nara, like Kyoto, was once the capital of Japan.

 Other temples seen on this day include the Five-Storey Pagoda (above) and the Kasuga Taisha. There are more and impressive Halls as well. I did not give myself enough time in Nara unfortunately, it would be easy to spend the whole day walking around this area, however I only had a few hours. And then the rain came, which made it less fun, and then I was lost... but it's all part of the experience.

 Arashiyama is a district on the edge of Kyoto I visited for a couple of hours yesterday. A beautiful area not sure of souvineer shops, I managed to snap two girls dressed as Maikos on the street which was great (above). A beautiful river, yes - more temples too! And a bamboo forest that was quite enchanting (below)! I wandered the paths and found a couple of graveyards in amongst the bamboo, and a train line. It's amazing how these things appeared from nowhere in this high dense grove.

As you can see, there are even rickshaws through the grove if it takes your fancy!
So Kyoto is past already. I was there a week, the first time I have just stopped somewhere for so long in this trip. It is an amazing place. Now I find myself in Takayama after a breathtaking train journey through the mountains. After a week in Kyoto it feels weird that I will be back to moving on more frequently. A week seemed like I was there for ages, and at the same time I feel like I just touched down in Japan. One thing's for certain,　in Kyoto, I only scratched the surface...

Kyoto - Geikos, Temples, Toilets & Manga

What　can you say when you just fall　in love with a place on arrival? Kyoto is simply a beautiful city, so cultured, so clean, so friendly and so polite. My only issue is thiｓ keyboard which has a tiny space bar and the button next changes the text to Katakana or some Japanese text. 

This temple is in the Geiko (Geisha) district, and is devoted to the Shinto God of Money. However, I am not finding Japan a windfall for the budget. It is every bit as expensive as one might think. However, people smile and are the most polite I have ever met.　

On my second day here I saw a Geiko & Maiko performance (Maikos are the apprentice Geikos). Above a Maiko collects for victims　of the Tsunami outside a theatre. There is a whole district in Kyoto where the Geikos and Maikos live. The lanes are interesting to walk around, there are also many temples　in the area as well,　it makes for a fascinating tour. The hostel here put on a walking tour, lots of information!

Yesterday I visited the above - the Golden Pavillion, perhaps Kyoto's most well known site. The Gardens are also very impressive - generally gardens　here are pretty special. Everything is manicured and　looked after so　well. And if　you need the toilet - Japan is one place where the visitor need have no trepidation when going to the public loo! There are impeccable! In fact, most toilets are quite automated here. There is a bidet function, warm seats, and some have a button to make a flushinｇ sound. Why would you need such a button? I have no idea, maybe it helps people feel the need to pee???

I also visited the Manga Museum yesterday, where I learnt a little bit　about Japanese comic strips - Manga as they call it. An interesting place with　a HUGE library of Manga books. The locals come to sit and read, and some come　to 'Cosplay' - as pictured above. The museum has a range of Manga costumes and some, girls in　particular, pay 1000\ to put on the costumes and pose for costumes out in a courtyard.

So Kyoto, I have had a mere three days here, it feels　like a lot longer! I have another four nights, 　I will be doing a couple　of day trips Monday and probably Tuesday to Nara and Takarazuka to visit a museum to the creator of my favourite Anime/Manga character (really, the only one I know) - Astroboy, known here as 'Mighty Atom'!

Arrival in Japan!

Hey folks
A quick update. Just spent a night in Kuala Lumpur then a sleepness night on the plane from KL to Kansai/Osaka Airport. Now I am in Kyoto... it's already amazing me and I am barely awake. Will follow soon with more! Need to find my land legs I feel like I am still on the plane!

Vang Vieng & Vientiane

So now my time in Laos is gradually coming to an end. Tomorrow I have a flight to Kuala Lumpur, a night there and then a flight to Osaka! So I should write a little intitally about Vang Vieng.

 

It's a place for the young backpacker, there's no denying it although there a plenty of expats living there and there is some beautiful scenery. Then again, there is beautiful scenery in all of Laos, it's really a stunning place. The Nam Khan river runs through Vang Vieng (pictured) from its starting point in Luang Prabang. It is on this river, some four kilometres upstream from Vang Vieng, that the action is found. Vang Vieng is famous for tubing. I have no idea how this actually started, but at some point maybe 10 or more years ago someone came up with the idea that you hop on a tube (tyre interior) and float down the river to Vang Vieng. However, today it is much more than that, and quite possibly less. 

The idea of floating down the river appealed to me. I won't deny that, but I came to Vang Vieng to see the phenomenon that was the tubing culture, for down the river are more bars than you can poke a stick at. People tube from one to the next, get off, drink buckets (literally) of alcohol, and then onto the next. The result is generally people stay at the bars in the first 100 metres of the course and party. The music beats out, and the back packers are generally shirtless, drunk and high. I guess it pumps some money into the Lao economy. So THAT'S not a bad thing. However, if you are local who lived in the area all their life....

It gets dangerous too. At the moment the water levels are so low that the tubes take forever to get back to town, but the water must be a good two plus metres in the wet season, and I hear it moves like lightning. There are slides and zip lines across the river.... land in the wrong spot where it's shallow and you are in big trouble. People die every year. Enough said. I went down the river and stopped briefly at two bars but didn't drink. I wanted to make it back to Vang Vieng before 6pm when the deposit disappears for the tube, and I did. It was relaxing but a bit boring all told. Vang Vieng is a place for backpackers. There's an Aussie Bar there too, I watched football.

 

This is a view of the main road through Vientiane, the capital. I arrived yesterday and booked into the most grim room I've had for a long time. I'm out of there now. It's a pleasant and attractive place with a bit of a bad wrap from travellers. Okay, it's not the MOST interesting place on Earth, but there's a couple of things to see at least. The museum could be a lot better, somethings are labelled in English and some are not. I like to know about the more recent history of a place, and this was told mostly in photos. I would have really liked a timeline of events.

Today I did some mega site-seeing. I started with Patuxai - a sort of Arc De Triumph rip off which provided me with the above picture (taken from it). Inside were a lot of souvenir sellers. 

 

Above is the That Luang Stupa. This is the most important national monument in the country apparently, and gets on post cards a fair bit.

This is Haw Pha Kaew, another temple I saw. Very impressive stuff, inside are a lot of Buddhas. The column art is quite intricate too.
So Laos... What an amazing country. I leave tomorrow, and it's been a fleeting visit. And a hot one too, I am very thankful I have air conditioning tonight. Japan awaits in two days time, and I am excited about that. I am now keeping well clear of Tokyo and the north, as it seems prudent after what has happened there, but it will be interesting to visit and see how people's lives are even in the South.
Anyone who's thinking of going to Laos... don't hesitate. But maybe go January February when it's a bit cooler... Then again, I am a whimp when it comes to heat!

Loads of Jars, no jam in sight

This blog post sees me in the Lao city of Phonsovan. My last day in Luang Prabang was amazing, I visited the Kuang Si Waterfall, pictured below, and had a wonderful cool swim. Not far away 'Save the Bears' had a sanctuary for a few Asian Black Bears which was also very interesting.

 After the heat and fun of Luang Prabang, (yesterday) I took a long bus ride to Phonsovan on one of the world's windiest roads. Through the mountains there was just never a straight stretch anywhere! And what makes a long bus ride longer? When you break down of course! Half way through the journey the bus was making some unhealthy sounds, so we pulled over and the driver made a phone call. A two and a half hour wait ensued before another minivan arrived and whisked us to Phonsovan in just under three and a half hours. But sometimes these things are okay. We had a little bamboo shelter, a dam near us, farmland and mountains, it was cool... and quite a nice little spot for a relaxing break.

 Phonsovan is not an amazing place. Spread out, but not packed full of goodies really. The hotel is fine, the main road has a bit of traffic but there is that 'ghost town' feel. Nevertheless, the countryside around Phonsovan is incredibly beautiful and green, as is much if not all of Laos. Really full of farmland and jungle, it's quite the picturesque country. And Phonsovan has one of the more curious tourist attractions in all of South East Asia - The Plain of Jars.

 

Really, there are multiple plains of Jars, I was on a tour that saw three of them today, filled with these stone jars, some are only three or so feet high, others are massive, one measured up to 2.7 metres in height and was also suitably rotound. What is the secret? What aer they for? Som many jars - site one has some 300 plus. Well, to me and other in my group they seem like they were once tombs, that people weren't buried, but encased, as they once had lids. The age of these jars is said to be 2500-3000 years. A tradition that now appears a mystery. This is also the place to avoid the tourists, the jars only see 3000 a year. However, this area has a more recent and violent history that affects it to this day...

The area surrounding Phonsovan and incorporating the plain of jars was heavily bombed by the US from 1964 to 1973. There was more than 1.3 million tonnes of ordnance dropped on this region. This means land mines, bombs and cluster bombs, the size of a tennis ball which explode outwards spreading shrapnel everywhere. They estimate over 30% did not explode. So now they litter the countryside and could explode when enough downward pressure is used (ie people walk on them). It affects farming, destroys families. Why the US cared so much about LAOS going communist is a bigger mystery than Vietnam. A country that only recently reached 6 million in population whose majority are farmers. Poor, subsistence living by people who are warm hearted and Buddhist. So any answers???
A group called MAG works tirelessly clearing landmins and bombs from this area. They do amazing work.
http://www.maginternational.org/laopdr
This is a link, please follow it. This country is amazing. I love it. Highly recommend Lao to anyone.... Until next time!

Lazy Little Luang Prabang

Time goes by... apparently. Where it went, I'm not sure. But here I am in a new country - Laos. Whereas Vietnam is teeming with people - around 85 million, Laos sits next door, a little smaller, with a mere 6 million. Yes, this means it is quieter! And in my old age I am appreciating the quieter moments in life these days.

I hobbled into town flying Lao Airlines - formerly Lao Aviation with a pretty, ummm, poor safety reputation. But the little AT7 touched down in a cute little airport not far from Luang Prabang where visas are issued and paid for, passports are stamped and that's, well, about all.

The town itself is sleepy and possibly has more (white) tourists than locals. Things tend to close rather early - banks at three, museum at 4pm (although wouldn't let me in at 3.45pm). The temples here, as seen in one of the photos, are known as Wats. I have visited a few, including one atop a hill that overlooks Luang Prabang and I nearly died climbing. It's 100 metres high you know! The weather here has been 35 in the day and humid, which has been knocking me about and the exact opposite of my last week or so in Vietnam.

The Mekong river (see first and last photos) flows through Luang Prabang, joining with the Nam Khan river here in town. The town is sleepy day and even night, although there is a bit of a party section where you can have a few beers and be offered opium and any other drug you'd like to name. Good luck to you if you do and it turns out they are bad. I sometimes think I am getting old. So many young partiers out on the backpacking 'circuit' now. On my last night in Hanoi I discovered 'Hanoi Backpackers' with mostly Backpacking staff, lots of beers, people a lot younger than I and the game 'Beer Pong'. You have to throw a ping pong ball into cups of beer. It's apparently harder than it sounds, I didn't see one ball land in the beer. If it does land in the beer, I suppose you drink. Or the opposition does. Can't say I cared.

The above photo is inside the Pak Ou caves. I took a trip along the Mekong today in a boat - not the one pictured below. We passed that. More stair climbing was in order, and as you can see the caves are and have been used for worship since the 19th century I think it said. They don't hold your hand here like in Vietnam - off the boat, go see it, get back in 30 minutes. In case ye reader is interested, one of the bars had an 'Ethnik Fashion' Show on two nights back where clothes from different Lao tribes were shown to the audience. It was pretty interesting all said.

So tomorrow I aim to beat the heat and head out to a waterfall where much swimming can be had! Now, I think adopting the siesta approach to life makes a lot of sense...

Halong Bay

Howdy folks. Back in Hanoi for a day after visiting the beautiful Halong Bay. Well, the trip was okay, not everything I had hoped for but nothing ever is, right? RIGHT?

This here is the Imperial Cruise, the boat that would take me and others around the large area known as Halong Bay, in the north of Vietnam. Giant rocks protude from the water. It's eerie and beautiful at the same time. Perfect place to hide a boat if you planned to attack, and over the years many people have, French and Americans included. Unfortunately the weather was still cold, and with a wind chill factor over the ocean... well, I was one of a few to wake up on day two with a nasty cold.

The islands, rocks, waters are full of some interesting sites. Above are some caves we visited. Breathtaking really, beautifully lit for the tourists, giant caverns. A special place where the French and Americans hid at different times. The downside in the area are the tourists. So many of them everywhere, all pretty much following the same itinerary - which on reflection is an issue all through Vietnam. You arrive on a boat - all rather similar. The Imperial Cruise was a great boat, great staff, very comfortable cabins, the best bathroom I have had in Vietnam. Food was good and way too much to finish too!

So anyways, you have lunch, you see the caves, you go kayaking, have dinner... Day Two! The point is it's all standardised and leaves you wandering if there's a tour company out there doing anything different.

As you can see this cove and many similar boats. Day two was an issue. Bike riding on a special part of Cat Ba Island, the biggest island in the region, took us to a village called Viet Hai where Oreos and Coke were for sale. Naturally! :) But in fairness the villagers have such a limited choice in how to make money.

This is a view from behind the village. Actually, most of Vietnam is a lot cleaner than this. It was when we arrived at the hotel in Cat Ba Town  that things sort of fell apart. 1st of April is the opening of the tourist season. So all week long there is a festival in Cat Ba town. Tents adorning Ho Ch Minh  - was he also the founder of tourism in Vietnam? And LOUD LOUD music all night. Well, in fairness, it stopped at 1.30am and didn't resume until 5.45 am, just over four hours later! So no sleep for me. I was on Open Tours Vietnam, a fairly reputable company, but anyone coming to Halong Bay should definitely ask as many questions of their tour operator as possible because a bad night's sleep, compunded with a bad cold, does not make Andrew a happy boy. Especially as there were bungalows available in a secluded part of the island which would have been mega blissful. I thought in choosing the hotel I had made the better choice, but you need to be armed with all the facts!

A beautiful place though, Halong Bay. Cloud cover for the whole time was very disapointing though. In a few hours though, I say good bye to Vietnam, and hello to... Laos!