Tibet

Back in Kathmandu after an incredible two weeks that really seemed like a lifetime, sitting in an internet cafe with some new friends and some mad experiences. Must gather thoughts...

Arriving in Kathmandu, we spent a few days hanging around by ourselves, getting used to dodging the traffic and dismissing salesmen. One of the highlights was visiting Durbar square in Patan, where you can see a lot of very old Hindu temples. Hinduism is the majority religion in Nepal and they are a very spiritual people, and it coexists peacefully with Buddhism (Mahayana, not Theravada like Sri Lanka).

Temple of Kali, Durbar Square, Patan. Yes, those are animal entrails hanging over the door. The priests dance inside the temple in a spiritual trance and drink the blood of the animal to give them strength.


Our tour started out in Kathmandu. We had a Nepali tour guide (B.K.) who we discovered had a very interesting background. He is very well educated (degree level maths and economics), and is a Brahmin (highest caste in Hindu society). Despite this he renounces the caste system, for which I give him great respect. He also speaks 5 languages (English, Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan and Japanese). I think he also speaks some Chinese too. Our group were an interesting mix: mainly Aussies, 2 New York Jewish ladies, 3 Irish lasses, 1 English chap and 1 English woman. Oh, and 1 British Sri Lankan and his French wife. No idea what to make of them when I first met them. Amazing how well you learn to know them after you travel with them for 2 weeks.

Unfortunately, I had to pass on the first day in Kathmandu with mild stomach bug and headache, but since it wasn't serious, Emmie went on ahead to visit some Nepali villages...

Then, flying straight up to Lhasa. 3490m above sea level, and according to Wikipedia 68% of the oxygen at sea level. We had to leave any images, or media critical of the Chinese occupation, including any pictures of the Dalai Lama or the Tibetan flag, back in Kathmandu. So, our first experience of Lhasa was the Chinese. Which is probably a good time to talk about the occupation...



Every Tibetan house has to fly the Chinese flag. If they refuse, they can face over 5 years in prison. They also have to buy this flag from the Chinese government.

At almost every junction in Lhasa there is a small unit of Chinese soldiers. There are also armed soldiers marching along the streets. Although there has been some violent protests, this complete overkill is clearly an intimidation tactic.

You are not allowed to take photographs of Chinese soldiers or checkpoints. If you do, they take your camera away and delete all your photos.

You cannot speak any critical word against the Chinese.

Unwanted Tibetan Religious/Political figures have been known to be taken by the authorities and vanish. For example, the 11th Panchen Lama (one of the high Lamas equivalent and sometimes regarded as higher than the Dalai Lama). On the death of the 10th, the Dalai Lama announced the new Panchen Lama, as is traditional. He was immediately taken from his parents into Chinese custody. The Chinese then held a so called 'random' ballot in which by 'chance' the son of a Chinese politician was elected the 11th Panchen lama.

Chinese agents pose as tourists undercover in monasteries, listening for signs of defiance covertly.

Tibetans are discouraged from becoming monks, and many monks are forced to abandon their lifestyle to conform.

All that being said, its hard to really hate the Chinese people in Tibet. Many are apparently forced to live here as a way to dilute the Tibet culture. Some are quite pleasant, although the soldiers, all young guys, seem to be taught to sneer and intimidate, as Emmie found out when she tried to ask directions from one. Tibetans are, despite all this, some of the friendliest people I have ever met. They seem very welcoming to foreigners, and seem happy to see Indian looking people, maybe because in their religion many of their most revered Buddhist masters are Indian so the connections are strong.
"Go to Tibet and see many places, as much as you can; then tell the world." - 14th Dalai Lama. Photo is the famous Potala Palace.



So, political rant over. Back to the story...

We met our Tibetan guide, Tsilling. He is a very interesting character. Nothing more I can say about that, maybe we can tell you more when we get back. How to describe our time in Tibet? Hmmm. Basically we went overland from Lhasa back to Kathmandu, stopping off in a whirlwind tour of temples, towns and monasteries. I've already spent an hour writing this so I'm going to have to be brief. So much to say.

Tsilling and the guys. BK is the Nepali guy in the orange shirt in the background.


Lhasa is a city divided into a Chinese side and a Tibetan side. Naturally, the Chinese side is the developed and modernised side. Pretty much on the other side of the Potala is the Tibetan side, where the majority of Chinese seem to be soldiers on duty. There is also a large Chinese muslim community placed very near the Tibetan community. It is a city of bustle, but after Kathmandu its no big deal. As well as visiting the town, some highlights were: the Potala, Jokhang temple, the Barkhor (holy devotional circuit around the temple), Sera monastery.

View from the Jokhang temple


Monks chanting


The two Tibetans whom we asked directions to a nunnery. They decided to lead us there themselves and also had tea with us, even though they didn't speak a word of English. The nuns let Emmie meditate in their meditation cave. Nicest people in the world. Also shown are English Dave and Fiona.


Monks debating in Sera monastery


Right, I'm up to two hours on the internet now. I must be concise. So difficult.

North of Lhasa we visited Ganden monastery. Founded by Tsongkhapa, the guy who was the teacher of the 1st Dalai and Panchen Lamas. Unfortunately it was Emmie's turn to get unwell, so I went alone. We walked the Ganden Kora there, a spiritual walk up a hill that takes you from 4500m to 5050m. At that altitude, it was tough, but worth it.

Me and monk. Ganden.


View from the top. If that walk doesn't make you holy, nothing will.


Right, now I find that the really good shots from now on (Everest base camp, me jumping off a bridge...) are in NEF raw image file mode. I need to think of a good way to convert them. And since I've now been 2:40 on the net, I better sign off. More later.

Sri

ayé, on y est

bon mister Sri a bien resume notre épopée sur l'ile merveilleuse.

Voir son post pour les photos des deux Japonais trop sympas qui nous ont gracieusement recuperé en route quand on essayait de faire du stop avec nos gros sacs, pour economiser (impossible de retirer des sous sur l'ile et on avait tres peu de liquide avec nous).

plage de Isso dans le fond:



Voir aussi plus bas (post de Sri) pour une photo de la joyeuse de bande de Japonais/Canadiens, qui etaient nos voisins de tente a Anbo. On s'est bien marres avec eux et sri n'a evidemment pas resisté à sortir sa guitare pour une ptite session musicale avec un des canadiens, qui ressemble d'ailleurs beaucoup a Dave de Side Effect (l'ex-groupe de funk de Sri à Bristol). Et en plus il s'appelle Dave. Peut etre que si on le présente à son alter-ego British, l'univers explosera?

Anbo, plage du camping, le soir:



Petite parenthese sur les insectes: un mille-pattes venimeux enorme est venu tranquillement grimper sur le dos d'un des Canadiens pendant qu'on ecoutait les deux autres jouer. argh! C'est une des rares fois ou j'ai sursaute en voyant un insecte au Japon je dois dire. Mais a part ca, on a passe une bonne soiree avec eux. J'ai appris a dire cafard en Japonais (kokiburi). On sait jamais, ca peut toujours aider!

Le fameux 'Rice' (prononcé Lice, comme le mot pou en anglais - nice!), un des japonais de la bande, arretait pas de se faire titiller par les Canadiens parcequ'il disait des trucs du style 'Mad at the USA' pour dire 'Made in the USA' ou 'Bench on the highway' pour dire 'Venture on the highway'.

J'ai pas mal parle avec les Japonaises, qui m'ont dit qu'elles etaient contentes de leur nouveau premier ministre, et qu'il y avait beaucoup d'attentes, que c'etait un 'changeur', un peu comme Obama...

J'ai aussi parlé avec l'autre Canadien (John je crois??), qui vit au Japon depuis 8 ans. Il a cree sa propre entreprise de rando, et il est aussi prof de plongée. Pas mal comme vie, je lui dis. Mais immanquablement, comme dans toutes nos conversations avec les gaijins du Japon: il ne compte pas passer sa vie ici. c'est seulement temporaire, avant l'inevitable retour 'a la maison'.

Le groupe allait randonner a Insuikyo le lendemain, comme nous, donc ils nous ont amene. Comme je disais dans un precedent post, c'etait mythique cette foret! une de mes randos preferees.





Apres on a passe une nuit a Kurio, a l'extreme sud de l'ile (nos potes Canadiens/japonais y allaient aussi donc ils nous ont amené, trop sympas):









Une fois qu'on a planté notre tente, on s'est installes sur un petit banc qui donne sur la mer et pendant que Sri jouait de la guitare, un petit male macaque a traversé le champ en roulant des mécaniques (tel le maitre de maison), il s'est retourné plusieurs fois pour nous lancer un regard de proprio avant de partir dans la foret... Sri dit que c'etait surtout un regard pour lui, vu qu'il represente de la competition masculine sur son terrain.

Le lendemain, on a repris le ferry avec regret. Je serais bien restee une semaine de plus ici, je vous le dis! Surtout que comme dit Sri, les gens étaient vraiment tres gentils et on a rencontré tout un tas 'd'ange gardiens' sur notre parcours autour de l'ile...

Bref, retour au present: on est bien arrivés a Kathmandou avant hier soir. La on reste dans un petit hotel dans un coin relativement tranquille de Thamel (LA zone pour les touristes). Les gens sont tres relax et gentils. J'aime deja! Il y a tellement de beaute partout que c'est une véritable discipline de ne pas prendre 12 000 photos tout le temps.

Hier, on est allés se ballader dans le coin et j'ai commencé par m'acheter un sarwell et un haut hyppie, histoire d'avoir des habits plus legers mais couvrants, a porter:

La degaine de hyppie en pyjama:



On se fait pas trop brancher dans la rue finalement je trouve. c'est pas tres agressif. On a pris le lunch avec un pote a un pote de Sri, dans un resto/jardin. Tres sympa. Il est a la tete de deux entreprises a Kathmandou. Il a 30 ans. Pas mal pour son age je trouve!

Il nous a explique que c'est assez facile de develloper des projets/des business au Nepal, du moment que tu connais un peu des gens. Mais evidemment le mode de vie n'a rien a voir avec l'Occident. Tout se fait tres tranquillement. 'Everyone likes to take their own sweet time'.

Il dit aussi que les blancs ont beaucoup de succes quand ils ouvrent un business a Kathmandou parcequ'il y a une certaine fascination pour cette couleur de peau ici, et les gens ont tendance a mettre les blancs sur un piedestal...

Apres la conversation est partie sur plein de choses, des benefices du yoga, a Bollywood, des mille-pattes qui mangent des champignons de l'interieur et se font ensuite manger par des Chinois centenaires, dans les hautes montagnes de la Chine, aux histoires de destinées pré-écrites. On a dut sortir du jardin vers 16h...

Après il nous a conduit jusqu'a Durbar Square. On est montés en haut d'un des monuments du centre de la place, et on a regardé les gens. On peut facilement passer des heures à faire ca! C'est fascinant.





Le soir, en revenant vers Thamel, dans les petites rues mal eclairees, on a ete attirés par de la bonne musique funky provenant d'un resto sur un toit. Donc on s'y est attablés. C'était un super groupe de Nepalais, qui jouait des bons morceaux de rock et autre. A moment donné, ils ont fait du Nirvana et ca m'a fait pensé à Florian (alias Ndzzzz). Je pense que tu aurais adoré! Surtout que le chanteur avait la voix parfaite pour! On s'est donc delectés dans l'air tiède du soir, en mangeant nos daal avec des rotis. (J'adore! mais peut etre que je dirai pas la meme chose dans un mois, quand j'aurai mange que ca trois fois par jour tous les jours)...

vue du toit hier soir:



le groupe:



bon on va aller manger. Sri essaie de decaler nos vols de 15 jours pour qu'on puisse rester un peu plus longtemps... yeaaah
bisous a tout et a bientot

emmeline

Yakushima, Tokyo. Goodbye Japan. Hello Nepal.

Kyushu and Yakushima island. Friendliest place in Japan. Also the prettiest.

After a brief stop in Kagoshima, we took the ferry down to Yakushima island. Taking the ferry is a much nicer way to travel if you have the time (and we do to be honest). Stopping at Miyanoura, one of the main ports on Yakushima, we noticed that there are no other foreigners here. This is place where the Japanese go on holiday...

View from the ferry. With extra sea-gull.


Yakushima is a very remote island. They are heavily influenced by Korea (as is most of Kyushu) due to its geography. Because of that, they are more welcoming to outsiders, unlike the rest of Japan that still has a certain level of 'gaijin paranoia' (remember they went through a long period of self imposed isolation until not too long ago, and because of that its one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world.) Also they are a little darker, due to being nearer the equator and people working outdoors, which makes me slightly less unusual than in rural Honshu. Having said that, a large number of people are actually tourists from Honshu anyway.

Starting in Miyanoura, we hired a tent and went straight to Nagata. Quick geography lesson: the island is roughly circular, all the campsites are located on the coasts. The centre of the island is filled with primeval forest, which makes for interesting trekking. It was the inspiration for the Ghibli movie 'Princess Mononoke', and contains some of the oldest cedar trees in the world. It also contains monkeys and deer in abundance, which have almost no fear of humans.

Nagata campsite was a little disappointing. You feel like you are camping in some womans back garden. This is because you are actually camping in some womans back garden. Her house is right in front of you and you have all her clutter lying around. On the upside, they have a nice beach nearby. The tides were a little strong for swimming, but it was great nonetheless.

Nagata beach


It was that night that we realised something. One important thing to remember if anyone is planning to visit Yakushima - there are no international ATMs except in Miyanoura. Therefore, you can't withdraw money unless you have a Japanese bank account. We counted how much we had with us, and realised that we are only going to make it back to Miyanoura if we eat bread and hitchhike.

So that's what we did. We made it from Nagata to Isso (which had free camping) hitchhiking with a pair of kind (and slightly camp) Japanese tourists, who then insisted on doing a crazy photo session. Isso campsite was an experience. Here you basically camp somewhere on a hill. There are toilets (worst squat toilet I've seen in Japan by the way, but it sufficed) and thats about it. However, you get a view of the sun rising and the sun setting from your tent. Also there are almost no other campers and a lot of wildlife very close to you. Its a bit of an uphill climb to get there, but it was worth it.

Emmie and the guys who gave us a lift.


Sunset and sunrise from Isso




Running low on water, we made a little trip to the small Isso port town, where the locals told us the shops were closed. Really thirsty now, with no water in the middle of the afternoon, we asked some old guy with our most pitiful voices if there anywhere to buy water. Taking one look at us, he actually invited us to his house and gave us two bottles of water and two bottles of green tea. Yakushima people are the nicest in Japan.

We then made it to Isso beach where the swimming was a lot easier and much needed after the midday heat. Going back to the campsite, we spent the night listening to monkeys and deer surrounding out tent. Hilarious when I get up in the night to take a pee and see them suddenly scream and run into the bushes. A lot of the time you will see them just crossing the road in front of you, minding their own business.

Monkeys, hanging out.


The next day we got to Miyanoura where we solved our cashflow issues. Having eaten a serious good meal we took a bus down to Anbo, from where you can access the hiking trails. Anbo campsite was a slightly more expensive site with better facilities and more people. We met a group of Japanese and Canadian tourists with whom we could have a drunken sing-a-long by the beach. One of the Japanese guys, called 'Rice' was very much into listening to CCR and drinking whiskey. I told him he should go to Shillong.

Monkeys, hanging out, part 2.


The moment was only slightly spoiled when a giant poisonous centipede started crawling up the back of one of the Canadians. When he got rid of it it decided to hide in the bushes right behind me. I would have minded more if I wasn't a little drunk.

They had a car with them and were kind enough to give us a lift to the forest trails. This was a nice walk, quite easy, in the primeval forests. Quite high up as well, so the air was amazing. Some good photos were taken. Having been getting all Shinto this month, we have a heightened nature appreciation I think.

The primeval forest



Behind the boulder, on the left...



Leaving Anbo, we got a lift with our friends down to Kurio, where they were going diving before they left the island. We stayed over another night however, and manage to see a few more monkeys, including one male who, after I pitched the tent, decided to run across the campsite rolling his shoulders before turning around to stare at me in challenge. Not knowing what to do, I considered peeing around the tent, but it would have upset the other campers. Then I thought about shouting and banging my fists on my chests but again the other campers wouldn't have appreciated it. Instead, I just stared him at him until he got bored and left.

Kurio beach was nice, if a little bit too full of stone and coral. It was a nice place to get creative with shells. This is the kind of thing you do when you have been on holiday for 4 months (yes I know, please don't kill me). In Kurio we went to one of the nicest Soba restaurants we have ever been to in one of the villages, where I decided that cold Soba tea is the perfect thirst quenching drink in the world.

Back to Miyanoura we took the ferry back with some sadness and stopped over at Fukuoka briefly before returning to Tokyo. There we spent the last four days just chilling out, eating good food (including some fine okonomiyake, a kind of japanese omelette that you cook yourself on a hot plate. To some it might seem strange to go to a restaurant to cook your own food... to them I say try it and see), and we visited the famous Tokyo fish market. Also we did some mad karaoke (3 hours of singing...). Fortunately for the locals, it was a private booth so no one could hear us. Also I managed to pick up a second hand 18-200mm Nikkor lens for our camera so we can get a decent zoom and wide angle for those Himalayan panoramas to come.

Our okonomiyake neighbours. Also you will notice his drink which is an ice tea sake. Mmmm.


And then we went back to the airport (Tokyo airport is by the way the best airport I've ever seen, everyone from security to customs is very polite, and it is spotless and incredibly quick to navigate.) Goodbye Japan.

Hong Kong and arriving in Nepal

We stopped over in Hong Kong for 2 days. This was more a moment to reflect and eat proper pizza (which you can't get in Japan). We were staying in a guest house in a high rise building in Kowloon which is quite central. The guesthouse itself was quite clean, but you notice on the way up to the 14th floor that you pass a floor that smells of piss and another where the hookers are hanging out (I know that some of you guys, who shall remain nameless, will say thats a good thing. It really isn't.) Outside the building it was usual big city madness, same as London, but a little louder and a lot of Indian touts trying to sell me a custom tailored suit.

Hong Kong. Yes we all know its Chinese but the photo looked cool anyway.



And that brings us to Nepal. We are staying in Thamel in Kathmandu, quite a tourist area but the facilities are good and its a good place to find your feet after you arrived. We met with a Nepalese friend of AT briefly and went walking around Durbar square and some of the smaller streets, getting used to dodging the cars, people and rickshaws. Soon we will embark on the big Tibet trip. More later I guess...

Man carries instrument. Durbar square, Kathmandu.



Sri

ah oui

aussi petit detail.

je trouvais que mon sac s'etait un peu allege depuis que j'ai file les bouquins de voyage a sri... on a pese nos sacs a l'enregistrement des bagages tout a l'heure et tadaaa:

le mien pese 17.7 kgs et celui de sri 21.3!!!

je n'ose pas imaginer combien mon sac pesait quand on a fait notre rando entre Magome et Tsumago et que je me plaignais que c'etait trop lourd!! (et que j'avais 3 kgs de bouquins en plus!!)

rah - il faut le dire...

pour info, moi je pensais que mon sac faisait 13 kgs et celui de sri 18... pas pareil!

Hong Kong

hello hellooooo

bon pas le temps de develloper. on est a l'aeroport de Hong Kong, ya internet gratuit mais seulement pour 15 mins et on est debouts... j'expliquerai plus en details notre epopee a l'ile magique de Yakushima (it was le-gen-da-ry)a un autre moment. disons que pour resumer, c'est une ile sublime au bord du pacifique, avec plein de biches qui se balladent tranquilles a la plage, des chats partout et des macaques qui se coiffent au bord de la route. On s'est regales a camper en pleine nature, a respirer l'air marin et les pins. Il y a de magnifiques forets a l'interieur de l'ile, dont une, ou on s'est ballades quelques heures, qui a inspire Myiazaki pour Princesse Mononeke. sublime! Je mettrai des photos quand on aura un pc qui marche mieux et plus longtemps.

retour a Tokyo. bizarre d'etre a nouveau dans une grande ville. On a pas pu voir les sumos because c'etait la finale le lendemain de notre retour a la city et evidemment tous les billets etaient deja pris.

Mais on s'est quand meme laches au karaoke! 3 heures de hurlements. yeaaah
Par contre ca n'a rien a voir avec l'image que l'on a du karaoke en Europe ou aux US. au Japon, c'est comme dans la lost in translation: tu loues un mini studio prive et tu chantes dedans. donc tres tranquille. quelques bieres (et de l'alcool de prune bien sur) et c'est parti. On a fait Prince, Michael Jackson, U2, Alanis Morissette... mais je pense que la seule chanson ou j'ai a peu pres pu chante normalement c'etait 'all i wanna do' de sheryl crow. faudra que je m'entraine dans la douche.

J'ai revu Pauline une derniere fois. elle m'a amene dans son ptit bar prefere. tres cosy, avec un cheval a bascule a l'entree et de la bonne musique inde a l'interieur. On a bien rigole avec son voisin Francais, a parler de bons vieux films francais style 'Le pere noel est une ordure'... et oui, des fois ca fait du bieng de se rappeler de la France!

Bref, on est repartis de Tokyo avant hier. petite parenthese a Hong Kong. choc d'etre sortis du cocon disneyland qu'est le Japon.

Rues sales, enormes gratte ciels, taxis qui klaxonnent, pollution intense, des tailleurs indiens qui nous branchent toutes les 3 minutes pour vendre un costard a sri (qu'est ce qu'il a, il est pas beau mon homme habille en touriste anglais?)...

Mais la ville a son charme. tout a l'heure on s'est arretes dans le parc avant de prendre le bus et il y avait des filles qui faisaient un cours de danse et les filles a cote de nous se sont mises a suivre la choregraphie de loin. c'etait a mourir de rire. Et apres une dizaine de femmes chinoises musulmanes se sont assises en tailleur par terre avec leur tambourins et se sont mises a chanter au rythme du tempo. mythique. Sri avait trop envie de leur demander si il pouvait les joindre avec sa guitare.

Quand on allait pour partir du parc, on s'est rendus compte que le groupe de filles qui pique-niquait a cote de nous s'etait arrete de bouger et nous regardait avec un grand sourire. Elles se sont toutes mises a agiter les mains en nous disant aurevoir. trop chou!

a part ca, ce soir on arrive a Kathmandu et on part pour le Tibet le 4 Octobre pour deux semaines. oh my god! le temps passe si vite. j'ai pas encore percute du tout. je dis encore 'arigatoooo gozaimassss' et je continue a faire des courbettes...

Je sais pas quand est-ce qu'on aura a nouveau l'internet donc qui sait quand on viendra raconter nos histoires?

bisous bisous et a bientot, de chez les Kanamas (demander au pere pour comprendre)

et un dernier ptit mot avant yakushima

hier on a dit aurevoir a notre grand-mere adoptive Mme Tani. Elle nous a offert des jolis baguettes et on lui a achete des fleurs, qu'elle a accepte en s'inclinant de nombreuses fois avec le sourire jusqu'aux oreilles. On y a repondu en s'inclinant nous aussi plusieurs fois. ca a dur durer deux bonnes minutes!

Au bout de presque trois semaines au Japon, on peut dire qu'on a bien pris le plis de s'incliner a tout bout de champs!

Kyoto m'a bien plu. Le pavilion d'or etait magnifique bien que rempli de touristes... Mon coin prefere reste le quartier est, ou se trouvent pas mal de petites ruelles pietonnes qui montent dans la colline et qui menent invariablement a tout un tas de temples splendides. Une ballade au hasard, nous a mene tout en haut, dans un petit chemin sous les arbres, a un petit autel shinto magnifique...

bref donc hier, on a passe l'aprem a Hiroshima. Forcement, quand on lit ce mot, on a tout de suite a l'esprit l'image du champignon atomique qui detruit tout.

du coup, meme si ca fait plus de 60 ans que L'explosion a eu lieu, je n'ai pas pu m'empecher d'etre surprise par la quietude et la grandeur de la ville, ou tout le monde fait son train train comme si la bombe n'avait jamais existe! A part le celebre dome au bord de la riviere, il ne reste rien de l'avant 6 aout 1945.

On est alles au fameux musee de la bombe atomique. intense experience. Meme si je conaissais deja l'histoire, les photos, les details de tous ces humains qui sont morts en une seconde, c'est atroce.

D'un seul coup, tout ce qu'on nous raconte dans les cours d'histoire au lycee, devient reel.

En sortant du musee, j'ai pleure pleure pleure comme une madeleine! Il fallait que ca sorte...

En tous cas, comme ils disent dans les bouquins de tourisme: Hiroshima est vraiment l'exemple parfait d'une ville qui s'est reconstruite super vite. donc quoi qu'il arrive, la vie continue, et heureusement...

Le soir on a retrouve Colin, qui sortait epuise de son ecole (il est prof d'anglais). C'etait etrange de le revoir dans ce contexte et de l'entendre parler Japonais comme si de rien n'etait.

Il nous a amene manger une okonomyaki qui tue! Je pense que c'est un de mes plats japonais preferes! Les cuisiniers nous font ca sur la plaque chauffante du comptoir, sous nos yeux de touristes affames. Ca consiste en une espece de crepe fourree aux nouilles soba/oeuf/choux/oignons/poireaux/bacon. et le tout recouvert de miettes de poissons et de sauce un peu sucree... succulent.

Colin nous a raconte que la societe japonaise est tres hermetique, et qu'a priori, si on ne nait pas japonais, on ne le sera jamais. On sera a toujours un 'outsider'. Je me rappelle que Pauline nous avait dit la meme chose a Tokyo. Meme si tu parles la langue parfaitement bien et que tu connais l'integralite des valeurs/comportements/politesses etc... tu resteras toujours une gaijin...

Apres, on est alles dans un centre de jeux videos/machines a sous. (ca devait arriver un jour, we are in Japan after all!). Il y avait des especes de gros oeufs noirs, dans lesquels tu t'installes (chacun son oeuf) et tu as des grosses manettes, pour conduire comme un vaisseau, avec un ecran tout autour de toi.

On a teste... En fait le concept c'est qu'on est des gros robots (style transformers) et on se ballade sur un champ de bataille futuriste, ou on doit tuer les autres robots (ouaaaa, profond!)...

J'ai tenu deux parties. apres quoi, j'ai commence a regretter d'avoir si goulument avale mon okonomyaki!! Mais ca va J'ai survecu.

Bon allez, il est temps d'aller faire qq courses pour demain. On prend le ferry demain matin a 7 heures (argh) pour Yakushima.

On n'a rien reserve et on a pas de tente donc c'est parti pour l'aventure!

bisous

emmeline

From Hokkaido, through Honshu, to Kyushu

Hi all,

So we left Hakodate and travelled down to Nagano, where we stayed in a cheap hotel near to Zenko-ji temple, an important Buddhist religious site believed to house the first image of Buddha to come to Japan.

We started with a trip to Togakushi, a more remote area northwest of Nagano, where we visited a significant Shinto shrine on the lower slopes of the mountain Togakushi-yama (apparently created when one god threw away the rock door of the cave of a sun goddess...) You walk for a bit among the cedar trees, having passed the traditional Shinto 'entering the spirit world' doorway. Emmie and I decided to do this in noble silence. I don't know why, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

The silent walk to Togakushi Shinto shrine:


Of course after 5 minutes some tourists came by and said hello to us and we had to ignore them and feel rude. Then came the fit of giggles. Then, as though the universe was determined to test our resolve, some old Japanese people started to say hello to us... Anyway we made it to the shrine and paid our respects to the Kami in our bad tourist approximation of the traditional Shinto formalities. Our way back was much more informal, so we could take photos of us sitting in trees.

The shrine and the tree-sitting:





Togakushi is also where the ninja's trained. We visited a museum which also had an amusing theme park (technically for kids but nevermind). We got to throw shuriken (I missed them all. Emmie hit them all with disturbing accuracy. I'm starting to get worried.) There is also a house which is set up like a maze full of secret doors, hidden rooms and weird tilting corridors. This was great fun, despite the old japanese people pointing and laughing at the two tourists giggles like children.

It is not the room that is tilting, it is your mind that is tilting:


From Nagano, we also did a day trip to visit Matsumoto and its castle, which was a little boring to be honest.

Matsumoto castle:


On the last day in Nagano, we managed to get ourselves to the temple at 5:45am to escape the tourists and participate in their morning service. This was a really great experience. If you have ever sat on tatami mats for any length of time, you will know that its also slightly painful. However we did get blessed twice by the head of the temple, which more that made up for the slight ankle pain.

Having been blessed twice by the high priest, Emmie follows him around and radiates beatifically:


The nice random lady at the temple who helped us out and actually bought us lunch afterwards


From Nagano we made out way south to the Edo-era village of Magome and took on a famous hiking trail to the village of Tsumago. Normally its quite a relaxed two hour stroll in the country, but we decided to do it with our big bags. So I have my 19kg and Emmie had her 16kg. Not so bad for me in comparison when you realise that for Emmie its over a third her body weight. Still, we made it and stayed the night in an inn in Tsumago where we met a Japanese guy who spoke really no English at all. It was 100% 'point in dictionary and nod'. We must have done okay as he liked us so much he gave us a lift out to the station afterwards which is why he makes it into our blog photos for niceness...

Magome to Tsumago and the nice guy who's name we can't remember





We then made it down to Kyoto, where spent a week taking it easy and seeing a few of the local sights such as Gion, the temples, Zen gardens, golden pavilion etc. We did Himeji castle as a day trip. We were staying at a very cheap japanese inn run by a little old lady called Mrs. Tani. Really nice, although she seemed the kind of strong, Italian-mama type you didn't want to cross. The place had a great vibe and though it was a little dirty it had a lot of charm. Also cockroaches. Two things about Japanese cockroaches. They are big, sometimes around 2-3 inches long. Also, they fly. Nasty. All in all it was good. She gave us chopsticks as a leaving gift. We bought her flowers.

Himeji castle. More cool than Matsumoto Castle, partly because it features in You Only Live Twice and The Last Samurai. Also it has some historical importance apparently.



Emmie and Mrs. Tani. I would be there but I'm hiding from the giant flying cockroaches.



We also visited a small cafe that is run by a guy who is a photographer. Him and his mates set up the place and since then, over the last few decades, it became a centre for civil rights movements in Japan. Interesting fellow. Great photographs. He also makes a passable curry. See Emmie's post for the photos.

We then did a quick stop over in Hiroshima, to visit the A-bomb museum (very moving) and to visit Colin (formerly Side Effect front man, aka The Lyrical) who is now teaching over here. No, we didn't bust some old skool rhymes.

Im running low on time here, but we are now on our way to Yakushima island, a great hiking destination where you can camp by the beach and find some of the oldest trees in the world.

More later,

Sri

P.S. I'm reading Vagabond, a manga comic based on the novel Musashi, which is based on a real life historical figure who allegedly killed 66 men in combat before retiring to live as a hermit as there was no one else worthy to fight. I also bought a travel 'guitalele', its like a nylon string guitar but tuned up a 4th so it sounds like a ukelele. Its also tiny and very cheap. I might have to send some books back to someone as this bag is getting heavy...