Arty farting on Naoshima

After accidentally underbooking my stay in Hiroshima I had a night free so I thought I'd head to Okayama which is the jumping off point on to Naoshima my next major port of call. The first main point of difference is the relative lack of English spoken, and signage for that matter. It's not exactly off the beaten track but outside the Tokyo - Kyoto - Hiroshima route most taken. I found a small hotel near the station for 4500 yen a night and after changing rooms to get wifi reception I settled in for some blogging and postcard writing. I ended eating takeway in the room after an attempt at sushi train with no English menu saw me choosing what I think was raw pork which freaked me out somewhat. I know it's all part of the adventure and I have a cast iron stomach but... a solo traveller freaks occasionally!

So a 30 minute local train the next morning brought me to Uno, the ferry teminal for Naoshima. A short boat ride later (with some of the more colourful ferry decor I've seen) I arrived at Miyanoura, my home for next night. I say night because even though I'd intended to stay two days one of those was a Monday when everything is closed (except for the Benesse House Museum thankfully) so instead of being bored and lonely (and possibly hungry!) I cut my visit short and packed almost everything into my day of arrival. Now don't get me wrong - Naoshima is well worth the visit, just not on a Monday! I dropped my stuff at Little Plum a restaurant and dorm accommodation where I slept in a (well appointed considering) shipping container which I had all to myself. A 40 minute walk later with some lovely views, only slightly marred by the industrial smoke stacks in the distance, I arrived at Chichu Museum one of three built on the island in the 90's by the Benesse Corporation to house its art collection. The buildings are designed by Tadao Ando and are works of art in themselves. Chichu is subterranian and houses a few late Monets and a purpose built installation by Walter De Maria among others. The De Maria is certainly monumental and you have to take your shoes off to view the Monets. But all in all not my cup of tea. Likewise was my next stop the Lee Ufan Museum, very much of the 'a couple of rocks and sheet of metal and call it art' school. Now It might sound like I'm a bit down on the place but things improved imeasurably when I saw this:

The famous yellow pumpkin and sort of mascot of the island. Its so unlikey and adorable! But it was my next experience that made the whole visit worth it, and why I can recommend going there. The Art House Project are a bunch of houses in a quiet fishing port that were given over to a group of contemporary artists. By turns funny, surprising and downright beautiful they have to be experienced. After dinner and an early night watching Howl's Moving Castle it was up early to see the Benesse House Museum before catching the 11.10 ferry. The museum opens at 8am and as it was I got there by 9 after forgetting that the walk there is quite long and uphill most of the way! By 9.30 I was done - the collection is not very big and with few surprises. There was a Bruce Nauman work I liked! So a wander around the outside art and another wander past the yellow pumpkin and it was back on the road (sea, bus, train) to Osaka and the shopping that is inevitable in the last few days of a trip (well for me at least)!

Nuclear destruction and a floating tori - Hiroshima and Miyajima

So after ringing in the new year it was time to move on and pick up the pace. Next was 2 nights in Hiroshima which with travel days really meant only 1 whole day but compared to a whole chapter in the Lonely Planet for Kyoto, Hiroshima is dealt with in a few pages. That's not to say its less important but it can't help be overwhelmed by its relatively recent history. I threw my bag in a locker at the station for a couple of hours of sightseeing before checking into the hostel. I had intended to see the A Bomb dome first but I got on the wrong tram and ended up closer to the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art Museum which was on my list anyway. I've been loving the art and museums I've seen in Japan. Hiroshima MOCA is relatively small but with fantastic architecture. I wandered through the permanent collection and saw one work, Each and Every by Koki Tanaka which fascinated me. Check it out on Vimeo if you're so inclined. Checking into another great hostel (K's House) I was in a proper shared dorm for the first time. It's been so long I wasn't sure of the protocols. I'm thinking it doesn't include rolling in at 3am after karoke and beer. Yes gentle reader, I ended up at karoke, crowded into a small room belting out The Passenger with an assortment of fellow backpackers from the hostel. When in Rome right? I did get to the A Bomb dome after walking for a little bit in light snow. It is quite a sight. Its hard to imagine a whole city wiped out in seconds with just a few buildings left standing at the hypocentre. On my last morning I went to the Peace Museum which gave a non sensationalist account of the lead up to and aftermath of the bombing. Although I must say for a peace museum the architecture of the building itself is squarely in the Brutalist school.

Hiroshima is also famous for its proximity to Miyajima and its floating tori. At high tide (1:38pm for all you nautical types) the tori which is a few hundred meters offshore, appears to float. It's rather fab. And so thought the other hundreds of holiday makers on the island that day. Between me, them and the wild deer that roam the island, it was quite a crowd.

And with holiday crowds come the yummy snacks like this custard filled fish shaped cake consumed near the shrine at the (reconstructed in the 60's) castle:

Another tasty fish! So with that I will leave you until we meet again on Naoshima, my next destination. H.

 

Ringing in the new year in Kyoto

After the craziness of Tokyo, it was a relief to get to Kyoto - a more compact, easily navigated city (in other words I didn't get lost once!). Continuing my return to hostels after a long absence I can highly recommend Khaosan Kyoto Guesthouse, a fabulous hostel in which I blissfully had my own room. On my first full day I went on a tour run by some lovely local university students. The walk went through the old streets of Gion past the geisha houses and to a temple that from memory was dedicated to to the god of the liver (yes, I know, that's one god I should be getting on side!). Then on to one of the most popular temples, Kiyomizuda. The temple is two stories off the ground and the story is if you jump off your wish will be granted. And apparently most who have attempted it have survived. But I think the practice had been stopped now.

It's interesting being in Japan at the new year. All the shrines and temples are busy with people getting ready to literally ring in the new year by ringing the bell of the temple so the god will hear their wish. As for Kyoto's other sights - I had a wander through the Nikishi Market - it sells fresh pickles, seafood, miso and so on. Its a long, narrow lane so crowding and bottlenecks are inevitable! I also visited the "bamboo forest" in Arashiyama by way of an adorable electric railway. Now, being from Australia where it takes a concerted effort to see snow, when it falls somewhere like the middle of a bamboo forest I giggle with wonder like a child! Luckily it was a few flutters of the stuff not a blizzard so it was romantic without me worrying about frostbite!

Even lovelier was the Fushimi Inari temple, most famous for its lines of orange tori (gates) winding up the hillside. And when you got off the main pathways into the surrounding woods there are smaller shrines to discover and its own bamboo forest. If you've only got time to see one major temple in Kyoto, make it this one!

I also walked the Path of Philosophy that has many smaller shines branching off of it. And just in case you are thinking it was all temples and philosophy, I did end up on a pub crawl and at a club (yes, a smoke machine, laser lights, expensive drinks club) on New Years Eve for the countdown with a bunch of other backpackers. We will never speak of this again ;-)

Hiroshima next. Signing off. H

Tokyo Times

After 14 hours of travel where everything was on time (surprisingly for Jetstar!) I arrived in Osaka. Immigration was fine, validating my Japan Rail pass went fine, getting my first convenience store purchase likewise. Then I went to the wrong station. You see, there's Osaka and Shin Osaka. And I was at the wrong one wondering where the hell my hotel was. With some assistance I got where I was going. To my ahem, compact hotel room. But for one night after getting lost and after 14 hours of travel it was most welcome. However lost was to become a constant theme over the next few days. I had experienced Tokyo station before in all its vast madness before and again it was only with lots of help I found the right subway platform. Now, word to the wise, print out the directions to your hostel before hand. Unusually for the hyper organised me I'd forgotten and in the absence of any free wifi (there will be a whole entry on that later) I had to rely on vague memory to find the hostel. Khaosan Tokyo Ninja hostel (my first in over a decade) was interesting. I was in a cabin dorm - think capsule bunk beds. Apart from the thin mattress it was quite cosy and private. And lockable. Downside, up 4 flights of stairs - no lift. And thus my Tokyo adventure began. I must admit my time there was mostly acclimatising, to both the weather and Japan in general. Lots of getting lost. The subway stations are vast with multiple exits that even with a map I managed to be at the opposite end of where I needed to be. Not to mention the shopping centres they are invariably encased in. So to day one. Museums, well, one museum. Many museums close from around the 27th to the 3rd so my choices are limited. But I spent a fun couple of hours at The National Museum of Science and Nature. Their prep team must be huge because sooo many dioramas! And this:

CSIRAC's Japanese cousin! The museum is near Ueno station which has an astonishing view, its hard to tell from this photo but it looks like somethings out of a science fiction film - The Fifth Element maybe:

It was also a day for provisions namely indoor slippers. No shoes inside the hostel. So I bought a rather fetching pair, red with white spots from Daiso - very me! The next day I headed for the Ghibli Museum, a place high on my list. I had tried to buy a ticket before I went but the agent's allocation was sold out. So I bought one from Lawson, a chain of convenience stores on the day which I didn't expect to be able to do. But luckily I did because it is the sweetest, loveliest place. A monument to one man's vision and love of film. And it taught me a good lesson - this is their no photography philosophy:

Photography and video recording are not allowed inside the Museum. The Ghibli Museum is a portal to a storybook world. As the main character in a story, we ask that you experience the Museum space with your own eyes and senses, instead of through a camera's viewfinder. We ask that you make what you experienced in the Museum the special memory that you take home with you.

How beautiful is that?

I had a wander through Aoyama Bochi, a large cemetery. Among the Japanese graves were those of Westerners, mainly from the late 19th century. They each told and intriguing story, the baby who died at 3 months old, the Scottish missionary or the American envoy who married a local and lived the rest of his like in Tokyo. It's also where when eating my lunch I tried natto for the first time. Natto are fermented soy beans that are held together with a caramel like goop. Certainly an acquired taste but not inedible.

Speaking of food, its all so good, even the bentos from the 7 11. I could eat all day. I've been eating rice balls for breakfast most days (purchased the night before from the convenience store), had sushi train where i tried 3 different grades of tuna, ramen from a little hole in the wall place, curry and rice ordered on a ticket machine and beef/chicken and rice bowls from cheap chain restaurants like Yoshinoya. Oh, and check it out:

Supermarket fugu! Tasty fish!

And with that I will sign off. Until next time when I'll be reporting from Kyoto.

H.

 

Japan, just for something different...

Its that time again - I'm off on a new adventure. Where? Japan. More specifically? Osaka - Tokyo - Kyoto - Hiroshima - Naoshima - Osaka. How long this time? 2 1/2 weeks.

 

Why Japan? As some of you may remember, I spent a week in Tokyo in 2005 (!) for work and managed an overnighter to Osaka and Kyoto. Since then I've seen much more of Asia and have developed a love for the region. And I got cheap flights on Jetstar! I contemplated heading back to Vietnam or maybe even Thailand but with this being the only break I'll get before the project I'm working on is finished mid next year I wanted somewhere that's still Asia but without all the in your face hassle of SEA's tourist trail. So Japan it is. Not exactly a cheap option but a fascinating one. From hot coffee in a can, to the instant ramen museum to castles and temples I plan to wander and marvel.

And something new - This time this blog will be brought to you via my iPad Mini my first foray into travelling with tech. Those of you who are familiar with my travels may remember my heading off with no more than an ancient, unlocked Nokia and a Moleskine note book, declaring myself quite content and travelling light. Not for me lugging around a 10", probably Windows or Linux notebook that was a massive pain to connect to wireless anyway, blah, blah, etc. But now, within the space of 18 months or so we have 7 -10" tablets of various flavours to slip into our bags adding just a few hundred grams extra weight. I won't bore you with geekery but suffice to say Apple's new Kindle killer will be put through its paces.

 

This blog is being written using Blogsy, chosen because it will load photos directly from my local library unlike the Blogger app which doesn't. Combined with the Apple SD card connector my blog entries should resemble previous ones which took a combination of SD card readers and internet cafes to achieve. Now I can create them anywhere, like on a Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo (where I'm seeing snow out the window and wondering if I have enough clothing to cope which I'm starting to suspect I don't...)

 

Anyway - please join me on my new adventure as I ride the rails and try an avoid frostbite in the fascinating place that is Japan.

 

 

H.

 

 

Books read

Century Rain - Alastair Reynolds

I don't read much science fiction but this was a really interesting mix of space opera and 1930's noir.

Brooklyn - Colm Toibin

My book group book and a beautifully written novel set in Ireland and Brooklyn in the 1950's.

The Broom of the System - David Foster Wallace

Foster Wallace's first book, before the behemoth that is Infinite Jest (which is on my 'to read' list but one which I'm apprehensive about attempting) - I enjoyed it well enough. And the cover art is fabulous.

Kidnapped/Catriona - Robert Louis Stevenson
These two are usually found in the children's classics section but the writing and the language are like attempting Dickens or Dumas for the first time - the writing seems antiquated but once you get into the flow very rewarding. Must read Treasure Island next!

Shakespeare: The World as Stage - Bill Bryson

Bryson points out how little we really know about Big Bill in his engaging, approachable style. I read it in a night.

The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

Well written novel about the weight of history and love for two Jewish Americans one 80, the other 15. Some of the themes bring to mind the books of Jonathan Safran Foer (who incidentally is Krauss' husband).

Casino Royal - Ian Flemming

I promised a friend I'd try some Flemming so I now have with the first in the Bond series. Quite enjoyable and I intend, over time, to read the series.

Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens

I'm glad I still have many to go before I've read every book he wrote - that's the good thing about starting to read Dickens later in life!

One of Our Thursdays is Missing - Jasper Fforde

The latest in the Thursday Next series and this time narrated by the written Thursday. It begs the question - where to from here for the series?

Singapore without the Sling

After my Chinese New Year experience of Singapore it was interesting to get back and see it in full swing. Initially this meant more food choices around the hostel - chicken rice, fresh soy milk and tofu pudding as well as, somewhat disconcertingly, an Australian themed place called Mad Jack which apparently serves ridiculously large burgers. So I had two full days to do - stuff. To be honest I was pretty exhausted by this point and didn't feel like doing much. Singapore is an interesting place but I felt I needed more time and energy to really do it justice. As it was on my first full day I spent hours in bookshops and found the bookshop of my dreams - Kinokuniya on Orchard Road. It took me 2 hours to browse through the fiction section alone! The store is so big when you do a computer search it prints out a map of where the book you are looking for is located. Heaven! I caught up with my old workmate again who showed me around his 'hood - he lives in Holland Village which consists of lots of high rise apartment blocks but in the middle is a single street of restaurants, hawker centres and bars that is a strange sight amongst the towering concrete jungle especially at night. On my final day I went to a couple of museums, had lunch at a hawker centre and had a wander to the Raffles Hotel thinking I might have a Singapore Sling in the Long Room bar. Well, every other tourist had the same idea, so much for romantic notions of a bit of old colonial charm! So I left without trying the cocktail it is famous for and Tom Waits sings about in "Shore Leave". It just felt too cliched. And with that my adventure drew to a close, 7 hours on a plane (have I mentioned how much I love Singapore Airlines?) and back to old Melbourne town and weather that doesn't have you seeking out mega malls just for the air conditioning.