Ugly Weather and Wonderful Westminster

To start with an aside... I have to point out that I do realize how outstandingly lucky I have been with weather this trip. 7 weeks on the road and I think I've only had 1 day that was severely hindered by weather. So, to the weather gods out there... thank you.

That said... today the weather was poop. 39 degrees and drizzley... The morning today contained nothing fancy. The most notable thing is likely the bacon, egg and cheese I made for breakfast. That was delicious and the first western style breakfast I've had in far too long. That said... english bacon is far too close to ham with not nearly enough fat. But... still delicious.

As for the sights for my day, I took the tube down to the Westminster station. There, I walked out to the street literally at the foot of Big Ben. Big Ben is if nothing else... big. And I found the entire building of parliament to be really quite beautiful. I walked out onto the bridge crossing the Thames, and had a really great view of the building and of the clocktower. Sadly, it had to stand against the grey and gloomy clouds, but it was impressive none the less.

From there I walked around the edge of the building until I was standing outside of Westminster Abby and St. Margaret's Church. Next to the Abby the church is not so spectacular. I started out finding myself outside on a dial of some sort on the sidewalk, with a line from Shakespeare. Sadly, I do not recall the play or the quote precisely, but it spoke of reassuring the actions of a person (in a way). I found it remarkably fitting considering those who are hurried within the abby.

The abby is if noting else... impressive. Walking in it's sheer size can take one by sunrise. That said, it was not my first impression upon entering. My first observation was about how absolutely ornate everything was. Marble cultures everywhere... high vaulted ceilings with intricate paintings and carvings... tiled stone floors... etc... everywhere you looked there was a sight in something small.

Walking through the abby was a ... humbling experience. You go from king to king, each one hurried in the abby with a tomb more elaborate than the next. There is a chapel, the Lady Chapel, built by Henry VII I believe... where there are high-backed benches for the most prestigious orders of knights. In the Quire you stand where prominent figures such as Princess Diana had their memorials.

Then there was "Poet's Corner" which was one of my favorites. The section received its name originally from the burial of William Chaucer. However, the section is now home to dozens of famous writers and poets. In the same corner we find the tomb of William Shakespeare and Chopin. Standing in the place of burial of all these prominent figures is... as I said... humbling. Near the exit I also stood at the tombs of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin... prominent figures indeed!

This brings be to the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. A solid black slab of marble, laid into the floor. The stone is surrounded at all times by a ring of red flowers. On the tomb is inscribed:

"Beneath this stone rests the body of a british warrior, unknown by name or rank, brought from France to lie among the most illustrious of the land..."

And the text continues, but I found this opening line quite powerful. I also thought it was a wonderful memorial, in that it commemorates all those who serve but are never famous. I thought it quite nice.

So, leaving Westminster Abby the weather continued to turn for the worse. But, while here I thought I'd go see Buckingham Palace, as I had so many years ago. I walked through St. James Park, which is lovely with a very large duck population. En route I stopped by a cafe and was remarkably underwhelmed... the service was ...cranky... and neither the coffee or cake slice were very good... sadface.

Anyway, I arrived at Buckingham Palace and was less impressed than I had once been. Its just not that fancy of a building. It looks a lot like a cube with columns. That said, the Memorial to Queen Victoria that stands in the circle in front is quite beautiful. I did not stay for much more than a look because the rain was continuing to be unpleasant. So, I returned to the tube and headed back to the flat.

There, I made a spaghetti dinner with ground beef and veggies in the sauce. Its so easy... and so good... And then jet-lag is stupid! By 9 I was dead tired and by 10 could fight it no longer...

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For England!

Yes, it is time to head west, to Europe and the England. And this is a day that I think should be started at... the beginning... 12:00 am, Tokyo time. We'd successfully arrived in Tokyo Haneda by 1 am, and check in would be in 3 hours. So, we found a 24 hour cafe where I had a cappuccino and some chicken curry with naan. Nothing to fancy but enough to stay awake.

We then proceeded to some benches where I found an outlet and Margaret found a nap. So, over the coarse of the next 3 hours, I worked on some blobs, a few plans, and many emails. All in all, I thought I was very productive using these wee morning hours.

Anyway, 4 rolled around and we checked in without issue. Then, while waiting for another hour or so, we had our final meal. It was cute because we found a place serving chicken curry and rice... the very same meal we had upon arriving in Tokyo. Much to my surprise I found something I had completely forgotten about. Perhaps my parents remember this from our rare trip to Abis, but, this shop had those sodas in the glass bottles that are sealed with a marble. Then you jam the marble into the bottle to open it. I always had fun with those... so despite the early hour, I had a soda.

The plain ride from Tokyo to London is approximately 12 hours, and we gain 8 hours from timezones. So, we departed at about 6 am, and landing on time, we arrived a bit after 10 am. The flight was great. I had trouble sleeping on it much, despite being tired, but even that had its perks. I slept the first 2 hours, sadly missing breakfast. I then woke up for some spectacular views of northern Russia. With not a cloud in the sky I could just look out over fields of snowcovered mountains and iced rivers. It was gorgeous. Then I did some note taking, watched some movies, had a snack lunch and a chicken dinner... slept a bit more... all in all the smoothest flight I've had in a very long time. I don't remember any turbulence more than a vibration.

In the airport, immigration and customs went smoothly. We then had some time to kill, so we went to a cafe. I had coffee and a bacon, sausage, Brie panini. It was the most western thing I've eaten in a long time. Then I found a mad of the tube (the subway...) and having thought I'd figured out what I needed I thought I'd confirm. So I asked at the help window... and the answer came in english. I felt like I was cheating... Then, the airport had a grocery store with some reasonable looking prices. So I bought food for the next 3 days of breakfast and dinners.

We then took the tube to head to Westminster and the flat. This is where things started to get weird. I believe London was my first international trip when I was 7, and my only memory was of the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park. But the more I saw and did the more the memories came back. I remember standing next to one of the tiled 'underground' paintings in the subway for a picture for example. Anyway, we got to our station and walked towards the flat (a short walk). Passing Hyde Park I remembered the building I sat in to play chess with my grandfather. Arriving at the flat I recognized it from the street. Inside I remember sleeping on this couch, in this room, having nightmares about Dante's Peak (which I saw on the airplane my first time coming). It has been odd to have those all come back.

Anyway, we called and met up with Lula, the flat's caretaker, and she let us in and gave us a key. We then got settled, found a grocery store, figured out turning on the hot water, etc... Before long I started dinner. I made burgers with sautéed veggies and wine. I also toasted some pita to make chips for our cheddar and blue. It was quite tastes... I was pleased.

Then fatigue started racing in. So, it was about time to settle in for the night. A few more emails and then all went dark.

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Bonus Issue: Journeys in Japan

First of all, Japan is awesome and I give it as much praise as any place I've ever been. If you're a city person, you can't go wrong. If you're not a city person (like me) you'll still have a blast. The cities are clean and open, and the ability to get to parks and temples is really easy. I've rarely found places I like to sit, relax and think more than those. Anyway... I can truly only speak for a few of the cities on the mainland, but I'll give what tips I can.

Public transportation is great and I highly recommend it, particularly the trains and the subway. The taxis are very expensive, and unless you're trying to get around during the wee hours of the morning... you don't need them. For travel withing the cities (and for this I can really only speak for Tokyo), the subway is amazing. The ticket purchasing system is a breeze and the subways are all very well labeled. I feel more comfortable with the Tokyo subway than I do the one in NYC. As for busses, this I can only speak for Kyoto. I only took one once, but it was well labeled and pretty cheap. Other people I'd talked to also praised it.

Trains I'll take a bit longer to mention. First and foremost, if you plan to take any time traveling between cities, buy a JR (Japan Rail) Pass. For me the 7 day pass was the same cost as a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto on the bullet train. The pass itself is only available for tourists, and must be purchased outside japan, and then can easily be exchanged on arrival. I highly recommend it. As for knowing what trains to take, I would begin by recommending the following website: www.hyperdia.com/en/ . This site was great, and you could tell it specific dates and times, departures and arrivals, and even what lines your taking. For example, with the JR Pass, I told it to only search JR lines and the bullet train. (Note, the JR Pass is valid for unlimited service on JR lines and the bullet train ('shinkansen'), not the fastest ('nozomi') but any other... so keep that in mind.) Anyway, the other thing is every train always left exactly on time. So, knowing the departure time and destination was frequently enough to get the the right platform in the station. Again, I highly recommend the trains for intercity travel.

As for what to see, I will speak for Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo.

Hiroshima is a powerful place. I'm sure that more time can be spent there but I was quite pleased with my day trip. Its easy to see the war memorial sites in a day, and it makes for a pretty full day. I recommend doing it, I'm glad I did. However, do be prepared for some pretty moving things.

Kyoto was great and beautiful. I extend the advice I was given though. When you go, pick a handful of temples to see. Spread them out and see them... but other than those temples, Stop going to them! There are over 300 temples in Kyoto and I've heard people talk about how simply overwhelming their numbers were. I saw a solid handful and they were beautiful. Take the time to see a few (my favorite was the golden pavilion), see them well, and then remember them. Then, I lightly recommend seeing Fushimiinaritaisya Shrine. It might go by a shorter name... but its located in the southeast of Kyoto. Its the shrine with all the red arches. Give yourself a few hours and maybe a snack or drink to just walk through. Its very cool, relaxing and has some great views.

Tokyo is probably the most fun I have ever had in a city. Even just walking around the streets I found pleasant. I would say definitely visit the fish market in Tsukiji, and if at all possible, see the tuna auction. It requires catching the first subway line, but I think its worth it. Also, if you like sushi, set some money aside for this. Go to Sushi Dai, (its the shop with the huge line). Waiting is a bit annoying, but the sushi was great, and it is small enough that the chiefs can give you personal attention. I think its well worth the wait. Other than that, just take subways to different regions of the city. There is so much that's different in such short times. Asakusa is great for some old, cultural sites of the city. Akihabara is a massive electronics and gaming center. Roppongi is the international business center. Shibuya is the most crowded place I've ever seen and it and Harajuku (a short walk) are huge shopping districts. The diversity of sites in such close proximity is great. Lastly, if you want to tour the actual imperial palace I believe you need to make reservations in advance. Otherwise, the gardens are beautiful and the views of the palace (if you can find them) from the public grounds are terrific.

Lastly, the food. Nowhere is the food such a blessing... and such a curse. Eat everything! Everywhere! All the time! Also, be very open to trying new or even random things. The sushi, tempura and upon are all terrific. But there are mysteries like okonokiyaki that I did not know about and am absolutely in love with now. You will find yourself leaving Japan wishing you could just eat Japanese food for the rest of your life.

So yeah, in a nutshell, visit Japan!

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A Slow Day for A Sad Departure

Well, last day in Japan... of course its going to be sad. Japan is awesome! Be that as it may, it was a bit of a slow and relaxed day. I got up around 8, and did my routine. I added a trip outside to see the weather... it was cold compared to yesterday, but I still misjudged it and was a bit chilled many times today. Anyway, I went back inside to shower and pack... those things that need to be done before one can leave. I woke Margaret and spent some time identifying what the evening train options were and negotiating to be allowed to leave our bags at the hostel until 10. I was successful on all counts.

At 11 we checked out and left our bags at the hostel. For lunch we walked the streets without anything in mind. At one point I mentioned some Takoyaki, the cooked riceball with octopus. Margaret had not had any yet so we got 8 each for a very tasty meal on the walk. After that I headed to Harajuku, a section of the city I'd not yet been to.

There, I spent a long time at Meiji Shrine. It is another Shinto shrine, though very different then the one we saw in Kyoto. Where that one was a massive path of red arches, this one was more reminiscent of a temple for prayer. That said, there were clear similarities. Most notable to me was that the arches (while different in number, color, and size) were all the same style.

The most interesting occurrences at the shrine were the weddings in occurrence. I believe I saw 2 throughout the day. Apparently this is one of the most popular places for them in the area. They were small, about 50 people (not counting all the tourists watching). They formed (different times but same procedure) small processions, lead by the shrine figurehead (I do not know the terms... I apologize) and another member. Then walked two geisha, followed by the bride and groom. They walked under an umbrella carried by someone behind them. Following that was the wedding parties. There were many people wearing comonos (spelling) and for me it was quite a sight (both times).

I spent a bunch of time just walking the grounds too. They were wide gravel paths with nice lanterns and lovely forestry on all sides. I explored around to the back side of the grounds where there was a bridge over a small river that fed 2 small ponds. I stayed there for a while and watched some fish and ducks, and just relaxed to the sound of the water. There was also a huge grassy clearing there which was fun to sit it. On the other side of the path in this section stood a treasures museum, which housed many possession of those that the shrine commemorated. There was also a fighting dojo, but both were closed at the time.

So instead I continued to loop through, which is what brought be back to the shrine to see the second wedding. Anyway, around 5 I started to head out, and had a cool but random sight. I knew where the sun was... setting over a hill to the right of the path. But, suddenly I saw the sun blast through the trees to my left. Confused, I backed up a step, and after a bit of wandering and puzzling, found that I hit the angles perfectly. From exactly where I stood I could see the sun set through the trees on my right. But, at the same time, the sun was reflecting over the trees onto a building to my left. That reflection was then shining through the trees on the left to where I stood. However, I could not see the building. It looked very much like there were 2 suns at that moment.

Anyway, another interesting thing to see in Harajuku was another aspect of japanese culture (or a section of it). Apparently, and so it appeared, Harajuku is the heart of the cosplay culture in Japan. That is, people who dress up as some of their favorite characters in fiction (manta, anime, books, sci-fi...anything) and to my knowledge... just dress that way. I don't know much about it, but walking the sidewalks there were TONS of people participating.

Around 6:20 (due to a communication debacle), I met with Yuki again. This time we walked through Harajuku and headed into Shibuya (where that really crowded intersection is). She took me through a street which was full of small clothing stores. Apparently this is the place to shop in high school. Soon after, in Shibuya, we passed through another shopping strip that targeted more of a business audience. However, it began to give me more of a feel of the shopping strips in Japan.

We also stopped into possibly the coolest mall I'd ever seen. It had elevators and escalators for the more direct routes, but the floors were all slanted. That is, there were no stairs and the entire mall was a ramp! You could walk from the ground floor to the top by just walking. It was awesome. When we left the mall we were in 'the squares and if I thought it was crowded before... I was wrong. Turns out 7:00 pm on a Saturday is THE time to be there. Where before it looked like swarming ants... now it was simply solid. It was even crazier than before.

Then, for my final dinner in Japan we went out to another okonokiyaki place. While it has started to be a lot of times for it, its something I've not found in the states. Better yet, I now feel fairly confident cooking it. That means all I need is the recipe and ingredients, and I think I'm close to knowing that too. I hope I can make it one day. Its just so good...

After dinner we went to a place called 270, where all drinks and all foods cost... 270 yen. The purpose was to have plumb sake, which had been recommended to me twice. I had mine with hot water (so basically just hot) and she got hers with soda (sprite maybe?). I tried them both and they were very different, but both very good. I quickly decided that I liked regular sake more though because this was just too easy to drink. But... it was tasty...

After that we got to the train station and bid farewell again. I took a train back to the hostel and met Margaret, where we then returned to the train to get to the airport. We are now here... and staying up to check in rather soon. Hopefully I can sleep the whole plane trip and take tomorrow easy. This flight was trouble for sleep schedules no matter what... Anyway, with this I'll call it a day and count the flight and check in as tomorrow...

All in all, it was a relaxing day and a nice way to go. But, I loved Japan, far more than I thought I would... I do look forward to coming back.

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Passing Palaces and Finding Friends

Well, another early morning. This time I got up to follow a suggestion given to my by Yuki. That is, I returned to the temple in Asakusa that I had visited on my first day here. That and the street in front of it that I referred to as reminiscent of Chinatown. I arrived there at 7:30, before all the shops opened, and it was great. That early, none of the shops had opened. So, there were all closed shut with metal screens that slid down over their fronts. But, each of these screens was painted with hand-done unique works. There were paintings ranging from fireworks to geisha, dragons to temples, and more! They were very pretty. This trip was also nice because not only were the street and temple clear, but the sky was crystal clear too. So, I was able to retake many of the pictures from my first visit with ease.

After my walk I returned to the hostel at about 9:30. There I did my usual morning or reading and sending emails, some random tasks, and drinking coffee. I received 2 particular emails of note today. The first from my dad, suggesting a trip to the US Embassy if I had time. The second from Yuki, confirming my suspicion that there really is an Imperial Palace and I simply got caught in the east grounds and was bested by some walls. This was unacceptable. So, I planned a short trip to Roppongi, and from there the US Embassy and the Imperial Palace.

They were all relatively close to each other and in line with each other. The first thing I noticed was Roppongi itself. I arrived around 11:30, and recalled that Yuki described it as a very busy center for foreigners living in the area. That was very obvious at noon. The entire area became the center for international businessmen. People of tons of ethnicities, all rushing around, all wearing suits, carrying briefcases, talking on phones, and moving with purpose. It was really quite impressive.

Before long I turned up the street that the US Embassy was on. There, I found the building at the top of the street (hill). Unfortunately, it was not quite the site I was led to believe (dad...) (though it was still nice to go ). Anyway, the building itself as fine I thought... it was a nice building with nice security. The hilltop was nice though. I think what took away from the building though was the newly constructed massive building that stands on the slope of the hill in front of the embassy. By dwarfing it so much it takes quite a bit away from the US building.

From there I continued north to the palace grounds. There, I started on the west side, and worked my way around the perimeter counterclockwise. Never... have I seen so much garden, with so many walls... and such massive walls... with so few buildings. There were none! And I was beginning to give up and think I'd been bested in round 2 as well. But, as I turned north at the southeast corner, hope was restored.

The grounds were suddenly more crowded and had a good vibe. As I walked north along the moat, the water turned west, passed under a bridge and forked. The bridge was flat on top, but ornate with arches beneath. 1 fork turned back north and out of site. The other fork continued straight into a dead end of a valley after passing under another higher valley. Then, the valley rose steeply with bright green grass. There, at the top of the north face of the valley stood the palace. A beautiful building, white, with a green ornate roof, stood on the edge of the drop, looking down over the valley, moat, 2 bridges and all. It was quite a sight and definitely worth the time to find it.

After that I returned to Asakusa, where I joined Margaret for lunch. We ended up in what I believe was a chinese place, but its food was not quite chinese or japanese... interesting. Anyway, we ordered a spices noodle soup and a dish of deep fried rice with seafood. Both were quite good. After lunch we grabbed some dessert off the street. It was very similar to 2 pancakes, sandwiching some boston cream, and then warmed. Delicious...

I then headed by subway back to Akihabara. There I had plans to meet Charin, a friend of Nozomi (the girl I met in Osaka). Turns out, he and his friends play magic and invited me to join them friday night. I could hardly refuse. (Again, if you care for it it will be described in my other thread). So I met Charin and a few of his friends. They took me a round Akihabara a bit, and while I don't claim to know all about the area, I did not feel like I saw much I hadn't before.

We did however go to a ramen shop, which was something I'd been curious about. It was really good! Inside we were given a sheet of paper. On that sheet was "Make your custom ramen". We could choose the noodle size, spice amount, oil amount, firmness of noodles, types of veggies and meat, and all the toppings we wanted. It also came very quickly and was really good. No ramen will ever be the same again. I have definitely confirmed that even the "bad" japanese food is totally awesome!

I apologize for my tardiness with this update. With that I am off to write another!

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When Things Get Fishy

Well, all those other times I've said I had an early start... they were false. Today I was up and dressed by 4:30. Why in god's name would anyone voluntarily do this? The answer is Tsukiji, that is... Tokyo's fish market. There is stuff to do there, and it only takes 20 minutes to arrive, but all the really interesting things happen around 6.

So, I grabbed the first train out of the station, and without too much effort and just 1 rail change I was at Tsukiji station. From there I was not certain of where to go, so I opted to just follow the few people who were up and were "walking with purpose." My plan worked as I was at the market by 5:30. Now, the real event, and reason to be so early is the Tuna Auction. Turns out a few years ago there was a big issue with tourists and the auction became closed to them. Now, tourists are allowed, but only the first 140 people each morning to show can get it. So, as I wandered through the rows upon rows of vendors, mostly crushing ice, cleaning fish, making labels, etc... I eventually found the building (note... I didn't know all the stuff so exactly before all this). There I was met by a security gourd who, after confirming I was a visitor, pointed me in the direction of 'information'. I worked my way in that direction, periodically asking guards, and eventually arrived. There I was given a ticket, a map, and a BRIGHT green vest to mark me tourist. I joined a group and at 6 we were taken to the auction building.

There we were let in the center and stood in a narrow path down the center that was roped off. We were given strict instructions of no cash! Anyway, this was a bit before the auction started. There were literally hundreds of tunas frozen and displayed on racks on the floor. HUNDREDS. And each one was bigger than a full grown man. They were HUGE. They all also had their chest cavities hollowed out and cleaned, and the tails where chopped at the base of the fin, and sliced just above. The vendors used these bits of information, and small picks to hit the tunas, to determine their quality (I guess...).

Anyway, then the auction started by having close to a dozen people ringing bells. Then it became apparent that the tunas were actually in 4 or 5 columns, and at the head of each was a worker prepping to begin the auction. Then all at once they began yelling and writing, selling fish faster than I've ever seen fish sold. I had trouble following... as it was in Japanese, but it seemed like there was remarkably little bidding. It looked more so like he counted down until someone raised a hand? But that seems less auction-like to me. Who's to say though. Before long, all the tuna had been sold and were being slid onto flatbeds and out the door. It was pretty crazy and a lot of fun.

I then left the auction room and headed over towards the food/restaurant area. Very briefly, there were a bunch of random cool things I saw while I'd tried to find the auction. My favorite was the guy making crushed ice. He loaded cubic feet of ice on a belt, that took them into something that launched them up into a grinder, and after a hideous mashing noise, a flood of crushed ice came rushing out into a collection bin. I also saw dozens of vendors cleaving, scaling and slicing fish. More opening shellfish and displaying them. Many placing labels on all there stuff. In terms of size... if Sydney truly has the second largest fish market, then I choose to edit the claim. Tokyo has the top 5 largest fish markets and they are all in the same square. Then... maybe Sydney. The place was huge! Lastly, walking from the auction house to the restaurants, I passed literally a mountain of Styrofoam boxes. The sheer number was intimidating.

Anyway, at this point I called Margaret who had arrived with some friends she's made, and figured out which shop they were in. There, we had... a small sushi fix, and I had a simple tuna roll. I thought it the default and an appropriate starting point. That said, the tuna just tasted so fresh... so good... and it paled to what I had later.

Margaret and some other people then tried to find another place for a bowl of sushi or sushi to split and then headed out (I think). I joined with 3 Australians (Kiwis) and went into the waiting line at Sushi Dai. Apparently, this is THE place to have the best sushi in the entire market. Apparently, a few hours later the waiting line gets up to 3 hours. Luckily we only waited 1 to 1 and a half... anyway, we were lucky as the drizzle started just as we got under a tarp. But, our order was taken while we were still outside, and all 4 of us got the chief's suggestion. It consisted of green tea, miss soup, an egg cake, 1 roll, 10 sushi pieces (of the chief's choice) and 1 of anything we wanted.

When we got in the soup and tea were enough to make us happy as it warmed us completely. The place was great though. About 12 seats, all at the bar with 3 chiefs, and on a lower shelf we had our drinks, chopsticks and soy sauce Owe were asked about wasabi and when we said yet they just made it part of the sushi). On an upper shelf the sushi and ginger was placed directly. The soup was great, including more veggies than I'm used to and some fish. We quickly got the egg cake, which was good, but a bit reminiscent of scrambled eggs... but still fine. Then came the sushi...

First was the fatty tuna. It was... so good. Arguably the best we had. And it was a beautiful pink with white lines all over it, making it reminiscent of pink marble stones. Best tuna EVER. Then was sea bass, which was my personal favorite. Partly because while the tuna may have been the best, I thought the sea bass gave me a nice balance between unique and delicious. Next was Snapper, which was also great, but I have fewer specific comments for it. After that we had sea urchin, which was very unique. It was very soft and wrapped in seaweed. It was good and very creamy with an interesting flavor. Then we had Spanish Mackerel. It was a very lovely slice of fish and it too was good (a common theme). We were then given shellfish. I've no idea if it was clam or otherwise, but it was not nearly as tough and chewed as I'd expected. It was also still alive... but very tasty. Next we were given Horse Mackerel. This had to have been the single most beautiful piece of food I have ever received. It wasn't one of my favorite tastes of the day... but hands down the prettiest. Baby shrimp was next. It was actually a lot of them atop the rice mound. They are small and white though and look a lot like the rice. I thought they were the worst sushi we had, just not having a lot of taste or much character. Next was a tuna and shellfish roll. It was fine, but unexciting. Our second to last was lean tuna, and unlike our first piece was a lovely dark red. It was good... less flavorful, but so smooth to eat. The last of our preset menu was sea eel. It was ok, but eel sushi has never been one of my favorites.

This leads me to our pick. We asked our chief for his suggestion, and he opted for something that took quite a leap of faith to eat. Both he and the chief next to him advertised the "sperm sacs of cod fish". It is apparently also seasonal. So all four of us got it. And it looked a bit like white sea urchin, again wrapped in seaweed. The hardest part about eating it was actually just that it was a very large bite. That said, it was better than I ever would have expected. Not one of my days favorite, but it was good, and with a very odd texture. That concluded our order, but we each then ordered one more fish sushi for the road. The 3 Aussies all got the fatty tuna but I had the sea bass again. Hands down... the best sushi I have ever eaten!

So we left, the shop and wandered through the isles of the market for a little bit. Afterwards headed back to the subway where we went separate ways. Getting back to the hostel I learned that Margaret headed out to Nikko... Anyway, I took a short rest, working with some emails and having some coffee. I then took a walk through a new part of the city and headed to the Imperial Palace. I believe it is actually just the Imperial Palace Gardens, as I saw no palace. I think it might actually just be gardens now and used to be the palace. Anyway, the walk got me there at 3 and I had an hour to explore it, which was fine, as they close it at 4.

In short, the whole complex is surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. Inside, the walls continue to shape the paths and ramps leading to different parts of the garden. My favorite site was the Tenshudai Doujon Base. Standing on the highest point of the garden an enormous stone square rose even higher and gave quite a view. Turns out this was the standing site of the previous Doujon... details are a bit hazy... I was tired... but the view was great. I then worked my way through the gardens to the other side and saw the Mt. Fuji View Keep. Sadly we weren't allowed very close, but it was still intact and pretty.

After that I killed my last few minutes or so wandering the gardens and the trees. I headed out of the gardens and headed to Shibuya. My last site of the day. The train ride was easy, and walking out of the station into Hachiko-Mae square is impressive. Its similar to walking into time square, both in size, brightness and number of people. I crossed the street to a Starbucks (this time it was the recommended vantage point as it has a few floors with good views). For kicks I got the last seasonal sakura drink and another scone. Anyway, from above you could watch the square go from empty to Absurdly packed in seconds. It was like dropping a bit of food into a MASS of hungers ants. I proceeded to sit here and people watch for a little over an hour as rush hour increased and it became more impassive. I now plan to go have a small bowl of some food and head to bed. So, with that, I take 1 last view of one of the most crowded streets I've ever witnessed and head out.

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Returning to Tokyo

So a slow morning and relaxing day was nice. I slept later than usual, got up around 8:30, showered and had some coffee. I sat around and talked online with some people from home... always a nice change of pace. Anyway, checkout was at 11 so I woke up Margaret at 10 and at 11 we left the room. Margaret put her stuff in storage so that she could go see Hiroshima and I headed to Tokyo to check in and have my day.

The train ride was uneventful, though timing worked out perfectly. I walked to the platform, grabbed some food, walked onto the train. Perfect timing all around. Anyway, the trainride too was relatively uneventful. The one piece to note were the terrific views of Mt. Fuji. I think we were on the same train line as our way to Kyoto... and were that true I've no idea how I missed that site. It's spectacular. It's really a very smooth mountain with a perfect curve to the top. At this time of the year its snow coating covered it about halfway to its base. So, I could see over trees and over towns to this massive peak rising above everything else that could be seen. Quite a site indeed.

Anyway, I got to Tokyo Station, where I then had to take a series of local trains and subways back to Asakusa. I was run down in the station trying by an English pair who were looking for help getting to Roppongi. Sadly... at the time I knew not how to get there and I didn't know where it was and they couldn't tell me. Sadly, I left them with no more information then they had. Had they asked me now, I could tell them, but that in due time.

I got back to the hostel just fine, and set up the check in so that Margaret could just pick up her key without me needing to be here. From there I set down my stuff and had a cup of coffee and a few snacks with Jacob. Turns out he's flying out tomorrow evening, so he's having a quiet night/following day.

Anyway, I first used the hostel's printer for some information about London as well as my remaining plain ticket confirmations. Then I figured out how to get to Roppongi. Just the other night I got in touch with Yuki Senaga, who is cousins with my friend Minerva from back in good old Pleasantville. Anyway, she was apparently working near Roppongi and we thought it could be fun to meet up.

So, I grabbed a subway and 1 transfer later was in Roppongi. I got a few looks around while I waited for Yuki... but that was really only enough time to enjoy the bright green Roppongi lights on all the street lamps. Turns out, this is a big party/nightlife strip, and mostly for foreigners who are living in Japan. These lights certainly fit the bill.

Anyway, a after a few minutes we met up, exchanged greetings and wandered a bit. We walked around and she showed me two of the more recent and more massive buildings in the area. The first was Mid-Town, which is apparently full of high end restaurants and shops. We headed out the back to where there is a small ice-skating rink which is beautifully lit by blue and white christmas lights. From there I also had my first decent view of Tokyo Tower... which looks much like a small Eiffel Tower, and is used to broadcast stuffs. Apparently they are building a newer and larger one here in Asakusa. Then we went to the other slightly less new but still very large and tall building. This one was Roppingi Hills, and it's front terrace area seemed to be making a point of having elaborate fountains. We did not go in because apparently it is mostly lame offices. Anyway, there were some places here for improved views of the tower. Lastly, on our way to dinner we walked down the main street until our view of the tower was great for some pictures.

After the photo opp we headed to dinner. We went to a local shop serving various forms of okonomiyaki (the pancake one from the other night). The biggest difference here is that we did all the cooking which was quite a bit of fun. Our first dish was very similar to one I had in Osaka, so I'll skip that. Then we had some monjya-yaks, which is the Tokyo style version of it. Even after cooking... I described it visually as "eating goop..." its the same type of foods and flavors, but rather than forming a type of pancake, its more... like a goop. That sounds rather not good... but it tasted great and was fun to eat too! Our last dish was yaki sobs, which literally translates to grilled (or burnt) noodles. Apparently, this is a dish eaten a lot during times of festival and celebration. It was noodles, dried shrimp, dried green onions and dried squid, fried in 2 sauces. It too was delicious. At the time I said the more standard okonomiyaki was my favorite... but the more I think about it... I did really like the mojya-yaki (the Tokyo version).

Throughout dinner we had some great conversations. We talked about school and travel and hobbies and the like. Though the details of that I see no need to share! Hahaha! Anyway, the subway back was almost eventful. I was not paying attention and chatting until Yuki pointed out that we were at my stop. So, we parted ways, hopefully for just the night and not forever, and the rest of my return was uneventful. And now... im off to bed.

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Hiroshima

Part of me wanted to come up with something whitey for a title... but I was having a hard time with that. Anyway, I got up today really early, and I choose to omit such details. However, I had some coffee and food and headed to the train station at 7. There, I caught one of the bullet trains from Kyoto to Hiroshima. On these trains the trip is about 105 minutes. They are impressive trains. I have begun to realize that trains here are really good and not too hard to know where to go... so long as you know what to look for. But, if you know the time of the train you want and the difference between bullet train and normal, you should be golden.

That said, I got to Hiroshima without trouble. However, after scouring the train station I was unsuccessful in finding a map. As a result I was a bit disoriented leaving the station, and used my phone for a map, but did not know where I was exactly. So, it turns out I was facing north, away from the city center. Either way, from where I stood I saw a shining dome atop a small mountain not too far off in that direction. I figured it must be something to see and from there I could know where I was and plan my day.

The hike was really steep and climbed up a very windy road. Along the way I passed a few good vantage points of the city. As I reached the end of the road I came to part of what I'd seen from below. From far off it looked like a large grey wall beneath a shining dome. And in a since it was. It was a series of terraces, climbing steeply up the face of the hill, and each terrace was a row of strobe graves. It was pretty powerful, and even more so when looking down from the top. On the top I found the dome, and learned that it is the Futabayama Hill Peace Tower, and was donated my a few muslim groups from India (if memory serves). Similar, it and the graves were in memory of those who died in the bombing.

On a lighter note, the view from the hill was tremendous. I could see all of the mountains that surrounded the city and even across the city to the opening into the ocean. It was pretty spectacular. From there I could identify the major river in the city and the train station, and with that and my phone I figured out about where to go for the day.

So I climbed down the mountain and headed south past the train station. After a few bonehead moves of crossing bridges after consciously thinking not to, and turning around, I made it to my goal without issue. That is to say I made it to the green space I had picked out on the map... but I'd gotten 2 of these spaces confused. Either way, I had wanted to get here. The majority of the walk took me through a well groomed sidewalk with flowers and trees along the riverside. Every dozen meters or so was a plaque in the sidewalk. Each one labeling the walk: Promenade of Peace. Then I arrived at Hijyama Park.

The park is currently the home of the contemporary art museum. As such it has a lot of large outdoor statues... that don't make much sense to me. However, this park is an elevated hill with lookouts in each direction across the city. At the southern view, there was a picture, taken from that spot after the bombing. In the picture you saw mountains in the distance, and rubble everywhere else. Looking up, you saw all the buildings that are there now, and you imagine all the buildings that were there before...

From here my route took me west across 2 rivers to the Peace Memorial Park. The walk between the two parks and two rivers is known as Heiwa Odors, or Peace Boulevard. It was very wide and very open, with a huge walking path. There was not that much else to it. However, the end of the walk had me arrive at the Peace Memorial Park. If there were one place to embody the memorial of the atomic bombing, this park would be its home.

There are a number of buildings on the premises. I believe these include a museum... but I am uncertain. I was enticed by an arch that stood out alone in the center of the open park. When I reached it it was pretty impressive. It was an arched tunnel, only a few meters long and maybe 2-3 high. It was not really a tunnel, but more of a roof for a stone box with a short inscription. The arch and box stood in the near side of a shallow rectangular man-made pond. At the other end, stood torch that is set to always be burning. It's stand is cement and fans out to become the width of the pool as it holds the flame in the very center. From my end I could see through the arch, over the flame, and across the river. There stood the building now known as the A-Bomb Dome, one of the eeriest ruins I've ever seen.

But, I started out by reading about the arch. But it was not the arch that mattered. The plaque that lay at the edge of the water read the following (please forgive the formatting. I know where the line breaks are but am uncertain of how it ail transfer into the blog):

Memorial Monument For Hiroshima, City of Peace
(Memorial Cenotaph For The A-bomb Victims Erected 6 August 1952)

LET ALL THE SOULS HERE REST IN PEACE
FOR WE WILL NOT REPEAT THE EVIL

This monument embodies the hope that Hiroshima, devastated on 6 August
1945 by the world's first atomic bombing, will stand forever as a city of peace.
The stone chamber in the center contains the Register of Deceased A-bomb
Victims. The inscription on the front panned offers a prayer for the peaceful
repose of the victims and a pledge on behalf of all humanity never to repeat
the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima - enduring grief,
transcending hatred, perusing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning
for genuine lasting world peace.

As I read those words, and knew the magnitude of what happened where I stood, I was a bit in shock and had tears in my eyes by the end of the passage. Reading it again know has the same effect. Everyone should stand there once, and everyone should read those words.

My last stop was at the A-bomb dome itself. The bomb exploded 160 meters southwest of the building and 600 meters in the air. As a result, the force of the explosion was straight down on the building. While most things were incinerated, the cement and steel reinforced walls and supports remained. In the years following and during reconstruction of the city, some groups desired to keep the ruins as a reminder to the world of what was endured. Others wanted to remove it as it was a reminder of painful memories and loss. However, as the city began to rebuild, the movement to preserve it grew. It has since become a member of the World Heritage Convention and is both protected and preserved my a number of groups.

I then walked back to the train station and headed back to kyoto for dinner and an early bed. It was strange to stand in that park and feel as I did. The park itself was so pretty that it was simply the knowledge of what transgressed that carried so much weight. I stood and watched businessmen walk by on walks they must do everyday. For me its something that I can't imagine getting used to being there. I am very glad I went there today.

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I Want to Ride My Bicycle...

Well today had a slightly slower start then some. I got up and ate and did the norm, but we weren't out about on the day until after 11. However, Margaret hadn't gotten much sleep the few nights before so it was good to rest.

So, for the day's start we each rented a bike from the hostel to ride around for the day. I had planned on biking today because we'd be slightly more on the outskirts of the city. That said, I thought it'd be less crowded and easier. That was false. Things all seemed more crowded because all the roads and sidewalks were narrower! Lame! Also, the city center is designed on a grid... but the further to the outskirts you get the less order the streets have. That made navigation sort of a pain and I stopped a lot to check the map.

So, around noon thirty we puller up to our first and I think best site of the day. In the southeast corner of kyoto lies Fushimiinari-taisya Shrine on Mt. Inariyama... yes... I just read those off my map... Anyway, this is a pretty famous Shinto (I believe) shrine and anyone who has seen Memoirs of a Geisha has seen this site. There is a seen with a girl running through thousand of closely placed red/orange arches. So many and so close together that it appears similar to a solid tunnel. That is this place. It full, it is a trail of these arches, with no more than a foot or so between each that loops to the top of the mountain and back. I believe the path exceeds one and a half million arches. It was really stunning, and in many ways felt unreal.

We hiked our was from the bottom for about 45 minutes. I've no idea how far we made it, but every now and then the steps cut into the trail would open into forks. There the path continued or there were shorter paths to small alters or temples, shrines or lookouts. Our hike took us to a very large shrine, and if you walk through it you find yourself on a steep ledge with a tremendous view of the entire city of Kyoto. Again... stunning. Through the path though, and frequently all over the shrines and between the forks in the path there stood statues of foxes in red ribbons. I don't know their symbolic relevance... but they were also beautiful, though in a bit of an eerie manner.

After the shrine we headed out on bike again. We stopped at a supermarket to pick up 2 box lunches of rice and tempura. We then went to the parking area of what I believe to be Tofukuji Temple. We stayed in the parking lot mostly, and really just used it as a relaxing place to sit, eat, and enjoy some good scenery.

After lunch we continued to our second big site of the day; Kiyomizudera Temple. This is apparently another tourist hotshot and it too was pretty magnificent. It stood at the base of a mountain, yet at the top of a hill. We parked our bikes and climbed the long road uphill to the base of the temple... which was a lot of stairs. So, we climbed the stairs to the temple. Again, we had a great view over all of Kyoto. The buildings were colorful, with teals and reds and oranges, including a 3 story pagoda (my favorite), a 2 story arch, a bell house and another building that I don't recall. And this was just the entrance.

The temple is actually build out from the side of the mountain, and much of it is supported from beneath by massive scaffold structures (though all wood and ornate looking). The path wound behind these opening buildings to reveal close to a dozen other buildings of prayer that hugged the mountainside. There were fountains and incense and statues and view... all to be had. It was also cool to get views of the building's scaffolds as we walked around.

After this we headed back to the hostel where we split up for the evening. Yesterday I'd gotten in touch with Emmy and through her a friend named Nozomi who is living in Osaka. So, around 5 (which it was now) I hopped on a 30 minute train to Osaka. There I went to the central entrance where we exchanged a few emails, and then I tried to be tall and look lost until she found me... which she did. So we had introductions and then just headed out the station and just sorta walked aimlessly while chatting.

And that eventually brought us to a restaurant, which is apparently fairly standard Osaka style, though the name did escape me. We sat down and I confessed to know nothing on the menu and so Nozomi did all the ordering. We split a few things and I finally got to try sake cold. I did enjoy it, but I think I'd still lean towards hot sake.

Anyway, the food was all things I'd never had and they were all delicious. We split 3 dishes, which were put on a hot plate build into the center of the table to keep warm. In no particular order... we had Takoyaki, which is a type of ricecake with cooked octopus stuffed inside. There were 5 of 6 of these balls with some extra octopus in the middle. The whole thing was sort of drizzled with some cheese, which is apparently not quite normal. Anyway, it was really good. Then we had Okonomiyaki, which is a type of pancake that is stuffed with delicious! The pancake itself is not sweet, but its coated in some kind cheesy/sweet topping (that's I think a bad description of it). Then, it is filled with noodles and cabbage and meat and rice and egg. It was sorta like an owlet, but a dinner owlet and japanese and more awesome. The last dish was Kyoten-yaki. It is similar to the pancake I just described but with different toppings. In this case a sort of salad and dressing. The inside was also more seafood/shrimp based. I think my favorite for the night was the Okonomiyaki.

We also talked about all sorts of things, ranging from language, to manga (she also reads One Piece!), to sports and schools... a lot of things. It was just all around a blast. After dinner we walked around a bit more. Apparently Monday is when all the comics are released in Japan so she took me to where the Jump (as its called) is sold. It was a bit crazy and fun to see. We also walked around to see a large red ferris wheel, apparently a symbol of Osaka. While I didn't go on it I can imagine it giving some pretty great views.

After that she helped me find the train I needed to head back to Kyoto. Then... I headed back to kyoto. And thus I arrive at now...

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A Walking City

Day 1 in Kyoto for me started just fine. Apparently some others in the room did not fare so well with sleep due to another person's snoring, but I cannot vouch for that. Anyway, followed the usual morning routine and headed to the common area to have coffee, examine my map and the weather, and make some marks on said map based on some email suggestions I've received. All that said and done, I had a general but proposed plan for our 3 days here in Kyoto.

We started our adventure of the day by heading into the center of town to a Starbucks. The purpose of this was to have Margaret experience the local and seasonal flavoring of sakura. So, we each had a scone and frappachino. Despite Margaret being confident that it would taste lake cherry, she was finally convinced that it didn't and agreed that it was good. With that I hope to be done with my time at Starbucks for the trip.

Anyway, Kyoto is known a bit as a walking city, and its designed on a grid, so navigation is pretty easy, though street names are close to impossible... anyway, we headed north for a few kilometers. En route, we passed and stopped by the Higashi-Honganji Temple. It was nice to have something to see so early in the walk but it was not that impressive. That said, it was still pretty but we continued northwards.

Our first real stop was Nijojo Castle. It was pretty cool and not at all what I expected. That said, all I expected was that it would look different then both european castles and the disney castle. So... I suppose it was what I expected. Anyway, it was a square/rectangular, walled in grounds with a moat full of colorful fish. We entered and it was quite gorgeous. It had decently high stone walls surrounding the grounds, but what I first noticed was how ordered it was and how open it was. All of the walkways were massively large gravel paths, and every building and every wall was made with right angles. We first stopped by a large enclosure, which I believe was the shogun's home/living building. We were able to tour it, and it too was very neat. That said, it was dark, the reason being we could look into all the rooms and see the original artwork.

At this point I made some four observations. First of all, in the days that all the doors stood open, it would have been magnificent. As far as I could tell, you could open every door, and have basically a roof and no walls. So nice! Next, i've been told that japanese art tries to focus on simplicity, and I've noticed bits and pieces of that elsewhere. Here it stood out. Both in the architecture of the buildings and the openness of the gardens, but also the paintings. They were just trees, or mountains, or birds. That's it. Maybe a cloud. But they were so simple and yet stunning to look at. Lastly, I wondered how much animals were used to represent specific themes. I noticed this when the only room I saw with pairings of birds of prey was the room for the shogun's arms. There there were hawks...

Anyway, the grounds in general were great too. All the gardens were very open and very manicured. What I liked even more were the tiny rivers and streams, all just subtle, but seemed like the most soothing places to just sit and relax. We then found our way up a set of stairs to an elevated square that felt more like a fort. High walls, elevated ground, good views, massive doors... a fort... I liked the castle.

After that we had 2 quick stops. First we had lunch. This was at another place where you place your order by vending machine. That is fun every time I do it and I've come to enjoy the "hit a random button" game. Anyway, Margaret enjoyed it quite a lot as it was her first one. After that we stopped by the Kyoto International Manga Museum, which Margaret had someone recommend to her. For anyone who doesn't know, manta is the form of illustrated japanese art most commonly associated with japanese comics. Many modern cartoons know as anime are the animated versions of these illustrations. The 2 comics I read are examples. Anyway, I thought as a museum it was unimpressive. However, as a library was another matter. They had shelves and shelves of different comics in different languages, all accessible to the public to just pick up and read. It was cool.

From there we continued our walk north. Before long we reached a pretty massive wall... the border to the imperial palace grounds. So, we headed in. For reference, the grounds overall are like a giant park, and the palace itself is walled again further inside. So, we walked around the park and saw a number of gardens as we headed towards the palace. There we were met by yet another wall, also long and impressive and with magnificent arches at the entrances. Unfortunately... those arches were closed to us... but at least we were there.

We then continued north and a bit west to the last stop of the day. It started to get a bit colder, so we grabbed some hot coffee from a vending machine, another first for Margaret and another thing I continue to find awesome. Anyway, this walk was slightly longer, but we did finally arrive at Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. And yes, it is golden, but I'll get to that. The entrance led through a pretty, slightly wooded path, and it branched left and right. We knew it was a loop so stayed at ground Keven and went left. We rounded a bend to approach a pond. Perfectly still, no waves what-so-ever. In the middle of the still water stood a temple, and rising from the waters surface was what seemed to be walls and roofs of solid gold. While they were plated... it just looked like such a fairy tale picture. It was stunningly beautiful and my favorite of the day. Sadly I feel at the biggest lack for words to describe it...

We took the path around the pond and got more views at different angles, each as stunning as the next. We then climbed the stairs to see a number of wishing wells/stones in the ground off the path and a few smaller buildings for prayer. Each level up we took also revealed another site or the golden temple and each time I loved it...

After this, it was getting colder and getting late and we'd done a lot of walking. So, we hopped on a bus and took it all the way back to Kyoto's central station. There, we went back into Kyoto Tower for a dinner I've wanted for quite some time. It's an udon (noodle) dish, where you get noodles and raw veggies and raw meat and a pot of boiling broth. You dip everything raw in the broth to cook, and then dip it in a raw egg for flavor and eat it. Better yet, by the end you have flavored soup ans scrambled eggs. It was really good and a lot of fun! It also came with a scoop of sorbet for dessert. I love dessert...

After that we headed back for the night and a well earned bed...

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Tokyo to Kyoto ... ToKyoto ... To Kyoto

As my title implies... today we headed to Kyoto. We were pretty relaxed about it though. I bought breakfast of toast, jam and a rice ball for myself Margaret and Jacob, who had treated me yesterday. Long story short, the morning was some relaxed farewells, breakfast, packing and checkout. We will be seeing Jacob again though as we are all returning to that hostel for the end of next week. Plan is to all go to the fish market together.

Anyway, so Margaret and my adventure started today by taking the subway to a station where we could exchange our vouchers for 7 day rail passes. After that we had to take a JR (japanese rail) train to Tokyo station where we would catch a bullet train to Kyoto. Again, everything went smoothly. When in Tokyo Station we bought lunch at one of the various stands. They are literally boxed lunches, but full of freshly cooked rice, meat and veggies. I also had some warm tea to go with it.

The train was also fairly uneventful. The ride from Tokyo to Kyoto took us about 2.5 hours. While the view in front of us was a bit difficult, our side views led to some nice landscapes. My favorite was as we crossed through the mountains, and nearly the entire range was coated in a layer of snow. I've always been visually impressed by snow-covered peaks. So, we arrived at Kyoto station mid-afternoon and took a slow walk to our hostel. Again, checkin went smoothly.

A few more fun notes on Japan/the hostels/the culture. So many places require no shoes. I love it. Not that it really would effect me too much because I prefer not wearing shoes, but its another small aspect that makes me feel comfortable here. Secondly, the toilets are ridiculous. Aside from having more buttons and features then most current electronics, they have a sink on top. That said, my favorite aspect is by far the heated seats. These are all over Tokyo too... I just forgot to mention them.

Moving on, our afternoon/evening was simply a walk to both explore and find dinner. We wandered some streets back towards the Kyoto Station and stopped in just about every small shop on the way. Eventually we found ourselves in Kyoto Tower, which is basically a 7 floor electronics mall (and 2 more basement floors). The sixth floor however is dining. Margaret had a chicken flavored udon soup and I had plain udon with tempura. They were both delicious and I love that meals come with hot tea!

After dinner we intended to explore a bit more before heading back. So we continued down the street and entered another complex of stores. We saw lots of fun trinkets and souvenirs, some of which I may purchase in the coming days... anyway, we explored around and went up and down... and then there was no way up. But all the exits led down... but by this time we were underground. We continued around... getting completely disoriented, until we somehow ended up in the Kyoto Tower again. However we were confused when we couldn't find the main entrance, and then realized we were in the second basement.

It sounds a bit ridiculous... how could you get lost in this building... but you definitely can! It was a maze and overwhelming numbers of distractions at that. But, we made it out and headed back to call it a quiet and early evening. Tomorrow I hope to find some temples!

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High on Life

So, at this point i'm having trouble remembering where today started. I tried to sleep in but still got up at about 8:30. That said I was doing my usual... coffee, emails, new etc... anyway, this continued for the next hour and then I met Jacob, who i'm actually sharing a room with at the moment. He shared some of the food he's bought with me, so breakfast quickly became toast and jam with my coffee. We then split a pair of Mochi, which are basically japanese rice ball desserts. They were very... different... but quite tasty.

Anyway, we talked about Japan, and Tokyo and a few bits of life. Turns out that he is living on one of the southern islands of Japan and is working for the US navy. He is spending this week and the next traveling/visiting Tokyo. That said he helped to show me around and really helped me feel comfortable this morning.

That leads me into the afternoon... and i'll say this: I LOVE TOKYO!!! It is absolutely awesome!

So, at first we stayed local. A bit after 11 I woke up Margaret, but jacob and I walked around the local blocks, got a feel for the area, and explored one of the local stores. It was nice to have someone who spoke a bit of japanese to shows me around a bit and do a few translations. That said, we bought a few more Mochi and a couple bags of japanese candies to share with the people back at the hostel.

So another hour or so at the hostel with new made friends and a few snacks and a lot of talk. Margaret really hit it off with a pair of guys from Switzerland while I sort of paired up with Jacob. That said, we each as separate pairs sort of made separate plans for the day. So, while we kept in touch by email we headed separate ways for the day.

I headed out with jacob to explore Asuka (spelling?) and we went across the river and a bit north. The bridges are awesome. As you go down the river the bridges are yellow, green, blue and red respectively. There may be more colors but I haven't gotten any further during my time here. So, jacob and I headed north to Sensoji, which is sort of a park/temple area. On the way, it was great to have someone to talk to about bits of culture, customs, food etc.

So we made it to Sensoji, which is apparently the largest temple in Tokyo. That said, im uncertain of what exactly the temple is became my map has it fabled as 3 buildings, but they all stood a bit together in person. Kannon do was the main temple, while Five Storied Pagoda was a tower on the grounds. There was also Denboin Temple, which was smaller and stood on a small hill nearby. They all seemed part of the same temple complex to me though. So we entered through an arch and first arrived at a pot where incense is burnt. There we held our hands over the smoke and then held it to our faces to breathe in the smell. It was rather nice. From there we actually missed the hot water fountain, where one should wash their hands and face. But, we entered the main temple where we each tossed some change in the altar and made a prayer. In really liked these temples partly because they were such simple designs inside, just large open rectangles, yet outside all the hooves were curved and elaborate giving them all the character. I also enjoyed seeing the statues of cats staying guard. I learned a bit about how japanese and chinese culture have taken from each other, much the way Rome and greece did.

We headed out of the temple grounds and then wandered through a bunch of highly packed market streets. Most of which held various souvenirs and the like and a few were selling food. It was much like a Chinatown type of setup. From there we started wandering through a few of the back streets and came to a store selling silk pudding. It was sold in cute little glass jars... and I did not know what to expect. That said it was delicious and is made from... yes... silk worms... somehow. But it was very smooth and easy to eat and sort of vanilla-like.

After that I had a truly great experience (though everything had been great so far too). Being that I'm now in the northern hemisphere, it is again a bit cold outside. So having been walking around for so long, we went to a vending machine to grab some coffee. Here we got canned coffee and it came out hot! Vending machine = coffee = warm hands. It was the greatest thing ever! So, then while we had our coffee we meandered into a local arcade, which are absolutely all over the place. And these arcades are partly gaming like american arcades and are part casinos, where there are slot machines that dispense games, toys and souvenirs. We spent a few dollars on a funny set of espresso cups. It was an experience at least.

From there we briefly entered a Starbucks. Here we each had another coffee and I had a scone with sakura flavored icing. It was a beautiful pink color. Apparently the color truly reflects the plants when they bloom, and apparently they are in season. Sadly I hear that to see them I have to head into the mountains and I dunno if that will happen. But, it was delicious and we talked about what brought him to japan and jobs and the like. It was a very fun conversation.

From there evening was approaching and we headed down to the Akihabara region, which is sort of the manga/anime/gaming capitol as far as I can tell. There are arcades at every corner and manga/anime stores... one after the next... again and again and again. Their numbers were absurd and it really showed how much the culture included those comics and shows. We sort of worked our way from shop to shop, just exploring as we killed some time. As night fell this stretch really lit up and was pretty spectacular.

From there we briefly met up with Margaret, just to touch base for plans for the night. Some of you will now call me lame but I don't care! I found a store to play Friday Night Magic. Being the only person who spoke english, in a room where everyone was japanese... and even the cards were in japanese characters, I got myself into a draft. It was a blast communicating by gestures only to convey all the steps of the game. Better yet, by the end of the night I got first place without losing a game. It was fun and great to play in a completely foreign environment.

After that I walked back to the hostel to meet up with everyone again. On the way I stopped for dinner at a store that smelled great. Turns out all ordering was done by vending machine. Everything comes from vending machines here... its hilarious. But it came quickly, a bowl with rice, some fried veggies and meat, with green tea. I really enjoyed it. Back at the hostel we all hung out as a group for a bit and even spent a little time at a bar. It was really a great time and I had fun all day.

Initial impressions included me greatly enjoying the vending machine hot coffee. Next, the emphasis on comics and card games here was really enjoyable to me, as they are and have always been hobbies of mine. Today was awesome... nothing could ruin my mood right now!

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Bonus Issue: My Mind on Malaysia

I'll be the first to say, my thoughts here are labeled as Malaysia, but I really only spent time in Kuala Lumpur, though I've not heard much about other places. Anyway, despite my sour feelings about my departure, I will try to be objective.

Perhaps it is just relative to the other countries I've been to lately, but I was unimpressed by Kuala Lumpur. Yes, the Petronas Towers were cool. That said, I do not think they themselves merit a trip to the country. Seeing them was fun, and the view from the bridge was good. However, to get into a bridge seeing group you have to wait all morning, and its still very possible to be too late and get nothing for your efforts. If my understanding is correct, you would be able to buy a larger package that is more expensive but includes a trip to the Observation Platform near the top (this is I think the only ticket that could be purchased in advance). This could be very cool, but the view from the bridge was terrific itself, and I don't know how much more you would see. For me the biggest issue with the view is that despite being able to see really far, there was nothing to look at.

The other fun things we did were the Baku Caves, Little India, and a steamboat dinner. The caves were cool, but much like the towers, I don't think merit the trip by themselves. Little India is, well, little india and I liked the one in Singapore more. As for steamboat; it was a blast! The only thing is that it too can be found in many other countries.

All that said, there are things to see here, aka the towers and caves and likely something I did not do. However, I believe that a person's time traveling could be much more valuable in other countries, like Singapore.

If you do make the trip though, there are a few notes to be aware of:

First, if traveling from Singapore, look into a bus. I know no details... only that it exists and might be worth at least knowing about. Secondly, when taking taxis be sure to take metered ones. They can be found on nearly any street. But, at the common sites there are other taxis that pay extra for parking rights at those places. They charge flat rates, but they are close to double what you'd pay if you walked to the street and hailed a cab.

So, those are my tips. Also, I realize i'm a bit bitter on how things were left so let me say this: There are sites to see here, and if one is in this area of the world, they are fun to see. I would just place priority on other countries and save Kuala Lumpur for "extra time".

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Into the North

While things may have all worked out today, it was a bit of a debacle to get there. I slept pretty terribly and got up around 5. Dawdled a bit, showered packed and dabbled around online. Anyway, got Margaret up at 9 and we had breakfast (this time french toast came with a salad. Odd...) and coffee. At 10:30 we headed to reception to check out and get a taxi to the airport.

Everything through check out went smoothly. When I requested a cab I said we were going to the airport and needed the "LCC Terminal". At this the concierge continued to ask if I was going to the "KLCC" also known as the Petronas Towers. This went on long enough that I finally figured I had to be wrong and just said the airport. So, the taxi came and picked us up. We were careful as we have been to ensure it was a metered cab.

Anyway, we were taken to the airport and the international terminal. There was then a pretty seizable dispute about what to pay. Despite being metered he wanted us to pay an amount not on the meter etc etc etc. The details are irksome. With that finally udel with we headed inside only to find that I had been right. We were in the wrong place. Turns out the LAC terminal is COMPLETELY separate and like a 30 min drive away. So, we got another taxi to head there. That luckily went smoothly.

So, after all this we arrived just after noon for a 2:40 flight. First however, we were funneled through a few security checks to the wrong section of the airport. I found the right section and we headed there. There were then 3 lines for different flights all jutting into the middle of the room and it was practically impossible to find the right one. Even worse, when we finally got in the right line it still took longer than any airport line i've ever been in. And not because of the number of people. There were groups unpacking and repacking bags. Of the 4 open counters checking people in, an average of about 2 had a person there. The others were all running around helping at the stations of people repacking.

So, by the time we got checked in it was 2:15... We hastily headed to customs where we found someone to take us to a separate counter and avoid lines. There we got a nice long lecture on how we should show up early to flights, and as my plan would have had me at the airport with over 3 hours it was all I could do to not flip out on her. But I didn't. Anyway, we resumed the rush and made the boarding at last call... though apparently the plain gets parked about a quarter mile away from the gate... that was odd.

Anyway, we got on board and headed north to Japan. The flight was... uneventful, which made it possibly the only thing that went as planned today. And that gets me to Japan.

We landed and headed off the plain. At first the skies were clear (or looked it. A bit hard to tell in the dark) and it was mid 50's. All in all pretty nice. But, when we got to emigration, Margaret got through fine and I got called off to a side. All in all I talked with security and a translator (which just made the areal longer) and turns out it was all a misunderstanding. But, being with security I couldn't really call Margaret so she was worried. It was a bit chaotic. Anyway... we were pleasantly surprised that our bags did indeed arrive. Neither of us were expecting that.

So we headed out to the waiting/person collecting area. There, the first thing we did was eat. We were hungry. So, as midnight rolled over we had 2 hours to get to the hostel. All directions we had said grab the airport train, 45 mind, bam... there. This is all well and good... when the train is running but it stopped at 11. So instead we paid a lot for yet another taxi on the day. However, unlike earlier he took us to the train station we asked for (near the hostel).

Unfortunately, the sky absolutely opened up at this point. So we then spent a few minutes prepping ourselves for the rain and trying to memorize a map. Then we headed out into the rain and got close to our destination. But, we got to the point that my memorization could take me no further. So we stopped under the eve of a store and I took a jog. That's right... 1:30am jog through the downpour. I know you're all jealous! Anyway, I found the hostel that has a very similar name but is not ours... and I did not find ours. Luckily though, on my return two guys walked out of the store and were going to our hostel. So they led us there which was great.

At that point I checked in and bought 2 towels, and got the room keys. We headed to our place where we stayed out of the room for a bit, drying and sorting our stuff. We me a couple crazy slightly drunk and maybe high people, but they were nice for a laugh. Anyway, I think its finally time for rest. But i'm excited about Tokyo so no worries here.

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Stuffed With Seafood

Well, as I may have mentioned before (I at least meant to...) today would be another day with a few events, but for the most part just relax. That said, my morning went through the regular routine of getting up and reading/replying to emails and the like. Around 10 we ordered breakfast, again french toast because again there were no waffles... sadface. That said, the toast continues to be tasty.

We then got ready for the day and headed down to the lobby to grab a cab. Unfortunately there was a bit of a mix up and we ended up waiting for said cab for close to an hour. That said, we both had things we were doing and our day wasn't particularly booked, so we were in no hurry to get the cab or rush the staff. We then did get a cab after much unneeded apologies and headed north around the heart of the city to the Baku Caves.

As we reached the site there was a huge ridge, standing completely independent of any sort of elevated range. That said it had sheer cliffs that must have been a few hundred feet high with beautiful stalagmites (?)(the ones that hang down... maybe stalactites...) Anyway, beautiful scenery. At the base of the ridge there was a set of stairs, which i'll get to. In short, the caves are home of a local temple (Buddhist I think, though they really just seemed known as the Baku Caves). So, as you walk towards the ridge and the caves there are a number of local vendors selling snacks and the like.

A bit closer the path split to follow the ridges sides. We only went to one side but there we saw a small pond with hundreds of japanese colorful fish and what seemed to be a little playground. we continued to walk towards the end of the ridge, where there was a small cave entrance to what appeared to be a cave/room for prayer. On the way we'd passed a couple of small independently roofed structures. Each one seemed to be small areas for prayer, and they were all pretty.

What was most interesting was the stairs. Rising from the ground in the center of the ridge was a flight of rather narrow and steep steps, rising to the main cave. Along the side of the steps rose a HUGE golden statue. Anyway, on our way up the steps our view of the city went from good to better. Similarly, our views of monkeys improved the same way. Turns out monkeys love these caves as they were everywhere. But, we continued the climb, and if I counted correctly we reached the top after 272 steps.

At the top we stood at a massive cave entrance. The cave ceiling had to be a good hundred feet high or so, and there were random wholes through which the sun illuminated the walls and floors. Around the walls were carvings in many colors of various different religious sculptures. I was surprised when this cave did not end in a back wall though. Instead there was another (though much shorter) set of stairs leading out of the cave tunnel. There we emerged on a circular plateau where the ceiling had been broken through or eroded away or never existed. It was like an island of sunlight surrounded by high looming stone walls and a cave as the only exit. It was pretty sweet.

So, that was the Baku Caves. That led to the trip back to the hotel, which was a bit more adventure than one hopes. We told the cab driver the location, and he proceeded to say he knew... and then seemed to not. So we had a bit of trouble getting back but managed just fine all the same. I also think he simply misunderstood the directions and wasn't attempting to scam us. In the end we paid an extra 2-3 dollars but it wasn't worth fighting over. So back at the hotel, in spirit of relaxing... I took a nap. It was a delicious nap.

Then for our last event and dinner. This I'd been waiting for since Singapore. Originally I had found a steamboat restaurant online, but a manager at the front desk gave us a recommendation to one he goes to. It was a little further away but in was willing to do that for having someone vouch for the place. So, we reached the restaurant wand were seated with a pot of two soups; chicken broth and a hot/spicy.

The style, being steamboat, is basically fondue meets bbq. There's a buffet style table PILED with veggies, fish, fishballs, shellfish, dumplings and all sorts of goodies. All of it is uncooked and awaiting our pot of boiling soup. I watched another group go at it and had to chuckle. I tried to mimic them, and just went down the line piling up a plate. Conversely, at first Margaret was being very selective and taking 2 of each thing. Once pointed out we were both scooping up large plates. It was nice using our neighbor table as a guide...

Anyway, there were shrimp, crabs, clams, muscles, fish, veggies noodles, dumplings and so much more I can't even describe. Gallon with this there we're 5 different dipping sauces and free refills for the soups. Over the next 1-2 hours we each ate a couple beeping plates of seafood. It was a lot of fun. We also topper it off with all you can eat ice cream. I found the peach ice cream to be by far my favorite.

Dinner also led to a pun that continues to make me smile. As Margaret was struggling (I was too at this point) but we were trying to finish what food we'd taken... I was mid shrimp and asked Margaret: "are you gonna be able to finish that fishball or are you going to prawn it off on me?" I was likely too proud of this pun... but that's ok.

Anyway, if was a great dinner to bid farewell to the southern hemisphere. Tomorrow we head to japan!

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From Up on High

We had a leisurely morning today, despite getting up (both of us) by 7. We did however order some french toast breakfast room service and that was quite nice. After a bit of munching for the morning we headed down to grab a taxi and head out for the day.

The reason for getting up early was to head over to the Petronas Towers. For anyone not aware, in 1998 they set the record for tallest building in the world and currently still holds the record for tallest twin towers and highest elevated bridge. For anyone who has seen Entrapment, it is the building they heist at the end of the film. Have you not seen Entrapment... WATCH IT!!! It is an awesome movie with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones being awesome.

Anyway, tickets for visiting the skybridge are sold the day of ascent, and the line piles up very fast. We arrived at about 8:30 and were still waiting quite some time. All that said though, we got through the line and each got a ticket for the 2:20 trip up the towers. More to follow later.

We left the ticket center around 11, so we wanted to be back by 2. With those 3 hours we grabbed a cab to the recommended butterfly park. Now, there were some cab issues and attempted rip-offs, but I think we managed nicely through the ordeal. Anyway, we arrived and entered without hassle. There were a lot of butterflies, all of which flying around freely withing the netted boundaries. While I don't know many of them by name, the sheer quantity was impressive. In addition to their numbers, the color variety was extreme. There were large, solid black ones, to small white ones. Some faded from browns to brilliant violets while others used bright greens and reds as highlights on there long wings. It was pretty cool.

Among other sites here we also saw a number turtles, fish and frogs. The fish were the usual selection of orange, red and white japanese pond fish. The turtles were largely varied, ranging from a soft-shell to alligator (or crocodile...) snapper. Inside we saw various different spiders, beetles, scorpions and mantis. While they are always cool, they are also always creepy. My personal favorite site however, was one of the display cases of preserved insects, butterflies in this case. I've never seen more brilliant fluorescent blues. I felt like I was looking at holograms. They were stunning to see.

After the park we headed by cab into the local Little India for lunch. Unfortunately, the section of town itself seemed a bit underwhelming. The shops seemed ok and the restaurants weren't anything special. That said, we found a great spot for lunch, serving vegetarian indian food. Here I discovered that indian vegetarian is great. Since the curry sauce is really the best part, I hard notice if there is no meat. So lunch was a complete success.

This brought us to just after 1:30 so we took the 20 minute walk back to the Petronas Towers. Once our time was called we were taken into a small theatre and were shown a film on the Petrol company and the tower itself. Though comments on the tower were brief, I believe the oil company was mostly advertising itself. We then headed into a high speed elevator (which was high speed indeed) and taken up 40 floors in under a minute. Here we were given 15 minutes to look out from the views provided by the sky bridge. In short it felt like we could look ... anywhere. Sadly, I did not know of anything to really look for. In terms of distance the site was stunning, but its always a bit fun to identify known things. But, even from that height, we were dwarfed by the rest of the tower, extending another 40+ floors above us on either side. It was pretty fantastic.

After that we headed back to the hotel. We originally planned to fill our day and take tomorrow easy to relax before heading to Japan, but we changed our mind to have two easy days and see a few sites each. We also avoid all rush hour traffic this way. So, we had dinner locally at the hotel, and that led us to indian again. Sadly it was a bit of a letdown after lunch. That said, it was still good and the mango lassos were very tasty. It was then a quiet night and about to be off to bed.

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Bonus Issue: Seeing Singapore

So, for those who were unsure, my time in Singapore has come to a close. I leave the country with a lasting impression of ... the ridiculous. Anyway, I had a great time and really enjoyed being in such a clean city. To people who like to see more ancient and historical sites, they are fewer and farther between in Singapore. That's not to say they aren't there, just not as concentrated. However, to someone who wants to see a slightly younger country that is steaming with modern architecture, this should be near the top of your list.

Now, Singapore is just not very big. I've been told that I could see all of Singapore in a day, and for the most part that's true. Our first full day was long and tiring, and we saw a lot of the city. Our second day we saw really very little, except for the night-time skyline. And, I have no regrets about what I saw and what I did.

That said, I have been a bit exhausted and think there may be a slightly better plan, as well as one thing I wish I'd done. Were I do do this country again, or suggest it to someone else, I would advise 3 full days. (The following order, days 2 and 3 ... I am usury of the proper order, I am just picking an order).

Day 1: see the bird park. Its really nice and highly recommended by many. Go in the morning as there are a couple bird shows that are free and fun to watch. Everything else you'll see is in the city so this gets the out of the city out of the way. Then find the in-city sites you want to see. China town and little india are where you'll find your fix for temples, while a walk along the river to the harbor will be the prime place for modern sites.

Day 2: this is what we did not do and I think may have been fun. Head down past the harbor to Santosa. I think it's technically an island, but still part of continental asia. This is relevant because the southern coast here is considered the southern most point of continental asia. Also, it looks like there are a bunch of interactive and fun activities there.

Day 3: perhaps have a quiet morning. Then in the afternoon catch any stagging sites you may have missed. Before evening head to the Raffles Hotel to see it in the daylight and grab yourself a Singapore Sling. Then head out after dark. If you leave the Long Bar before dark, find a place for dinner and let the sun set. Then go past the hotel at night and then head down to the harbor and the Singapore Flyer. From there walk your way up the river. The city is definitely worth a few views after dark and a walk on the river should show you what you need.

Those 3 days I think are enough time to see most of what should be seen and I don't think they'd be overly packed. Taxis are cheep and plentiful, so if you don't feel like walking the longer distances there are many easy solutions. That said, the city is very friendly to pedestrians. Good sidewalks and crosswalks and very clean with pretty good views. Lastly, eat at least 1 meal at a hawker center. There are a good number of them, so just remember to look. Their a lot of fun.

Again, the cities not very big but and i'm sure I missed something. I don't consider, self an expert, but having just been there, I think this would be my suggestion. Also... most of the year the harbor may be a bit more mellow than what I saw. It was the chinese new year after all. That said, its still worth seeing!

Good luck should you plan a trip and i'm happy to help if I can!

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Tidying Up

Well, there was not too much exciting about this morning. Got up, made coffee, had toast and cereal... the usual. Unfortunately, Mr. Hartung had left for work early, so I was unable to bit him farewell in person. I did get to call my parents, which was nice and spent much of my morning sending and replying to emails.

Margaret joined me and after showering we started to tidy the house by washing the linnets we'd used. Once we got the load going we headed out to do our final errands of Singapore. First we headed back down Orchard Rd, that crazy street where every building is a giant shopping mall... and found a JNT, Japanese National Tourism... or something like that. There we booked and filled out the paperwork needed for 7 day train passes through Japan. If all is as I understand, once we redeem the vouchers we purchased we get pretty much unlimited train travel through Japan.

After that we headed back to the apartment. En route, we first stopped for some small ice creams that we'd been meaning to try. They give new meaning to the term... ice cream sandwich. It was a block of ice cream, wrapped in literally a piece of bread. I don't know the type of bread but it was sweet and I found the combo surprisingly tastes.

We then stopped in a mall to buy a bottle of wine as a thank you. I wanted to get one from a location we'd been to (town or city), but could not find one. So, we stuck with country and picked up an Aussie bottle.

We returned to the apartment where we packed, wrote out a thank you note, and did what we could to tidy the place. We were out the door and in a cab by 4. On the way to the airport we learned that it is possible to travel to Kuala Lumper (KL) by bus. Interesting... the airport was, in usual Singapore style, very clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. We found our gate, grabbed some food, and boarded.

The flight itself, by the time we stopped ascending, we began descending. So, that was quick and easy. Again we arrived and found our way out with no trouble. Unfortunately, takeoff, and thus landing were a bit late. So it was a bit of a challenge and a couple phone calls to find the taxi driver we'd hired to pick us up. That said, we found him and he was very nice.

Turns out, our arrival was moments after a huge rain storm, which seems to be pretty normal in the evenings at this time of year. That said, I had one of the best lightning spotting's of my life. Looking out over some flats I caught a streaking bolt that seemed to hold itself in the air for a couple seconds, lighting the sky up an eerie purple before vanishing again. Lighting is cool.

Our drive then took us on a bit of a roundabout way to the hotel, but not much as it was much further than I expected once I looked at a map. On the way we drove through Putrajaya, where our driver took us to/past many palaces palaces and temples. We saw a few large masques, all of which were topped my massive domes and lit up brightly compared to the city around them. Similarly lit was the prime ministers office, which looked just like a palace sitting atop a peninsula jutting into a lake. As we crossed the lake we could see to the other side of the lake where the prime minister has his residence, which also looks a bit like a palace. On occasion he travels to work by boat...

We then continued north a bit more to KL. We got a bit of an explanation on the relation between the prime minister, 9 sultans and the king. I believe together they have a sort of democracy.... but i'm very hazy on those details. We also talked about tomorrow and got some tips on our plan, as well as a suggestion for a location to eat steamboat, a Malaysian style of eating that looks like a hybrid between fondue and barbecue. I look toward to that.

We finally arrived at our hotel, a very nice place called Flamingo on the Lake. We got a good deal for 3 nights and 2 days, as a result of I think them trying to fill rooms for nearer dates. But it was perfect to match our length of stay. Our room is very nice and as suggested, looks over a small lake.

So, upon arriving my phone was not wanting to connect to the internet and I was tired. So, my blog was delayed, I apologize to my loyal readers, and I went to bed. In exchange, i'm looking to write my brief bonus post about tips on Singapore, should you ever plan a visit.

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Where the Ridiculous is Normal

So, today very much so had its highs and its lows. That is... some things were awesome, while others did not go as planned. That said, I started the day at 7, where I got up and had a bit of a chat with Mr. Hartung. At 7:30 he was driving to church, and as we'd discussed yesterday, he goes past the Singapore Botanic Gardens. So, as planned I joined him and he dropped me off. From there, I ran for about an hour, through the gardens and then another half hour walking back to his apartment. It was a refreshing/tiering way to start the morning.

The gardens themselves were not the most impressive I've seen on this trip. I believe that title would have to go to Sydney. However, it was still nice for a run. This park seemed less gauged towards the trees and more so to the people. That is there were a lot of ponds, gazebos, and wide open paved areas for group exercise. So, I found the trees less impressive, which is part of what the botanic gardens should be about. That said, their ponds were great, with some huge japanese fish, swans and a bundle of turtles. The orchid garden bit was also lovely. My favorite part though was a little waterfall that I could run behind and get the spray. That was indeed refreshing.

So, I returned to the apartment and showered. Margaret had not been feeling well yesterday, so since we saw a lot yesterday, I was in no hurry to wake her. Instead, I wrote a bunch of emails and did some reading. The early afternoon however was spent doing a bunch of planning for japan. I worked out a train pass (which I hope to finalize tomorrow), and booked hostel rooms for the entirety of our trip, both in Kyoto and Tokyo. Now its just figuring out the details of train locations and the locations of activities and sites.

Around 4 we headed back out into the city. We started out going into a mall next door where I picked up a dozen batteries for about 4 USD. That was sweet. We then took a cab back towards the harbor, and just down the river enough to where we had not gotten before. This is where Singapore continued to baffle me with how ridiculous it can be.

Most obvious was the Marina Bay Sands Singapore Luxury Hotel. Yes... its name is huge, and yes its huge, and ridiculous, and massively looming over the harbor so its impossible to miss. This hotel rises from the western side of the harbor and towers over all the nearby buildings. It is comprised of 3 seemingly independent towers that appear to bow inwards as they climb. All 3 are capped and connected by an enormous roof platform, shaped like a boat, that contains dining, pools, casinos and more! In front of it lie more uniquely shaped bits of architecture. First was the Art and Science Museum, a building who's outside is finished but is still being worked on. The whole thing is shaped a bit like a hand and at the right angle/time of day looks like its cradling the sun (I have a picture...).

Between the two lies the Marina Bay Sands Mall, which rivals any mall I've seen in being cool. We entered at the top floor and were immediately baffled by size alone. Looking down 3 floors to the ground floor and restaurants we saw an indoor ice rink. The mall is also home to hundreds of shops (no sunrise) and a casino of its own. Running the length of most hallways were waterfall/pools. These had angled "steps" in them and filled from the center. This led to it draining on all sides while appearing to be static. Lastly, the directories were interactive touchscreen.

Connecting the two sides of the river were a few bridges for cars (which had sidewalks) and 1 unique pedestrian bridge. This was one of my favorites, as the entire bridge is designed to look like and walk inside of a multiple helix. Better yet, while it looked like a nearly perfect helix from afar, while inside it was still abundantly clear that the bridge's structure was based on triangles.

After this point, Margaret started feeling ill again, so we hailed a cab and sent her home, but I stayed out a bit to see the harbor at night. I had a few disappointing and failed attempts at food, but I got over it. As darkness fell I started my sites back at the Raffles Hotel. I'll admit, it wasn't that much cooler at night, though pretty in a different way. I then headed due south towards the harbor to see the Singapore Flyer, a massive ferris wheel at the foot of the city. It stands out pretty easily, as there are no buildings beyond it and its a giant wheel that changes colors. I then worked my way back to the heart of the harbor.

Now... did I mention that it was the last day of celebrating the chinese new year? I feel that plays a part in the gratuity of the following. As I approached the harbor, the Bay Hotel still stood out above everything else, though this time lit up with its own light, in addition to giant green flood lights making green beams against the night sky. The helix bridge was lined with spiraling purple lights that matched the helix. I crossed the bridge and ducked into the mall briefly, only to find a light show being played on the ice 3 floors down.

I headed back out and crossed the bridge one last time. In this direction I had a tremendous view of the thousands of chinese hanging ball-like lamps suspended from hundreds of ropes. Protruding into the bay was a floating platform, lined with more lights and giant figures of characters (that are relevant to the new year I assume). Walking through, it was easy to see additional flood lights stream up from the art and science museum and other spots around the harbor. Fireworks periodically shot from somewhere, helping to light up the sky further. Behind me was a stage, with fog machines billowing and a chinese dance being preformed. All the while various carnival rides were each going on with their own music. From where I stood I could identify 5 or 6 individual techno songs. The entire harbor was really just transformed into 1 big, gigantic raving dance party. It was ... ridiculous.

I then proceeded to walk back in relative quiet, and saw much what I did yesterday. Margaret was feeling a bit better and we made some food. For me it was just nice to have a breather. Regardless of how much is credited to the chinese new year, this city is really pretty cool and I think the modern styles of architecture-meet-modern-art is really cool.

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