Don't the photo-ops just come rolling by once your camera dies...
Last week my camera got this amazing idea all own its sweet little own that perhaps I would like my pictures a bit more ghostly with the colors all run together. I had to disagree... this does nothing for my photo subjects so if I want to keep snapping happily away the rest of my time here I might have to buy a new one soon.
Ever since, I have been experiencing the hard life without a camera on my travels around Kyoto City.
Yesterday we went to Aoi Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in Kyoto. We were situated at the perfect spot so we could see the whole procession of courtly men and women walking into Kamigamo shrine to perform rituals. There were a lot of horses present as Kamigamo shrine is connected with those animals in particular, huge wagons I have never seen before, great costumes and so on... I silently cursed my camera as I took mental pictures of the whole thing. Afterward we went on a field trip with my culture seinsei to a nearby shrine to see the beautiful Iris flowers that were in bloom and then we headed back to see the horses race. As we ate the macha chocolate and ice cream that sensei treated us to we watched one of the horses forgetting to turn before it came to the main shrine and gallop full speed through the gate, receiving a big 'ooooooohhh!!' from the crowd.
On the way back of course the scenario was more beautiful than I have ever seen, a farmer was burning stacks of hay which sent thick piles of smoke into the air, in front of a backdrop of the mountains with the setting sun turning the sky orange and yellow. We were not the only ones who stopped and stared.
Today I slept in as I was still tired after Friday's clubbing in Osaka. I took the trains downtown and finally found presents for everybody back home, will be sending a package tomorrow if possible.
I came across the most amazing temple I have seen in Kyoto. I housed a stone that was supposed to be in the dead center of Kyoto, hundreds of pigeons, lots of small statues and shrines. I sat down for a while and read with the sun shining on my back..... these are my favorite moments out here, they make me never want to go home again...
I took some more turns guided by my insight and stumbled across the Kyoto museum. Upon entering I heard someone playing the piano beautifully and turned to find the source. It happened to be a six or seven year old girl at what seemed to be a concert for musical students. I stopped and listened for about half an hour, after playing she sang some nice Japanese songs and then other kids took the stage, a girl playing the cello, followed by a girl and a boy playing the violin. I was completely enthralled by these young musicians but finally tore myself away and entered the museum.
There I was greeted by a woman who served as a museum volunteer and told me if I had any questions I should ask her. She then asked me where I was from and when I told her 'Iceland', she said she had been there 10 years ago. We spent the next hour or so talking and she showed me around the room, telling be about the history of Japan.
After this I found the rest of the gifts I needed and hurried on home.
Now to get ready for a relaxing week after a hectic weekend... :P
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The final segment
Arriving at Siem Riep we soon hopped out of our small tuk tuk and walked the dusty, smelly streets to find a place to stay for the night. Not heeding the call of the driver who tried to sell us the 'best hostel in town', we chose a small alleyway and followed the few foreigners we saw to one of the many hostels in the area. It was extremely rustic, the rooms had bamboo walls, one or two beds, a bamboo window latch and mosquito nets. But it would be more than enough. And cost next to nothing.
We had dinner at the top floor and lounged around, listening to booming reggae music, watching people chat nearby or play pool. Exhausted, we soon went to bed.
Woke up at 6 a.m. to see the sunrise and beat the crowds to the famous temples in Siem Riep's backyard. After some delicious breakfast we rented some bikes and went to explore the day. It turned out to be quite legendary, I think I will never forget the excitement and happiness of cycling around the huge temple grounds amidst the lush forested surroundings. On the way we saw a herd of elephants that they were renting out for people to ride, which just added to the foreign, rustic feel of the whole thing.
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (the one famously being choked by a large tree) were the highlights of the trip, I still can't fully believe that I was actually there in person.
Along the way Svanni had a flat tire so we were forced to take a slower pace but luckily we met this young girl who offered Svanni to go with her father and have it fixed while me and Jessica had some delicious noodles at their 'restaurant'. Everybody wins.
After cycling back into the city me and Jessica went and had a blind massage (such an experience), which we enjoyed thoroughly. Meanwhile Svanni went online and tried to get us tickets back home which was not going so well, the prices keep going up and they won't accept our booking. Oh well, life in Cambodia is good. Had dinner and a mojito so I had no worries or thoughts of home.
On the 27th we took a bus to the capital, Phnom Penh. I think it was a local bus so it didn't leave until it was filled with people. This process took around an hour and a half. Four hours later or so we were walking around the busy streets of the capital, yet again looking for a place to stay for the night. After much looking around and bargaining we settled on the Drunken Frog. It was set on a small river with amazing view that we were told would disappear soon when the Koreans would come and build hotels by the bank. At this point I had come to love hostel food so we had some dinner, beers and chatted with Algae, one of the staff, a young Cambodian man who told us about the country's drug problem, how no one can talk about the government (I saw he got a bit nervous touching on the subject) and his history of drinking and fighting at the local bars, apparently a popular pastime here.
The next day we visited the killing fields and S-21. A must for anyone visiting the country, but a horrible experience nonetheless. How the Khmer Rouge wiped out one third of the whole population, tortured the political prisoners of S-21 ... there are no words for how horrible and bloody Cambodia's history really is. I recommend reading up on it though.
The rest of the day we spent at a russian market, tuk tuk-ing around the city, eating more super cheap and heavenly food and of course looking for flight tickets back to Japan. Still no luck. During the evening we explored our neighborhood, met some local kids at a colorful fountain, locals eating in the streets, dimly lit dusty streets, I fell in love with the city. After the day's events I could not see the people in the same light, there was not a single person that was left unharmed by the turmoil and war that had swept over the country just a few decades ago.
On the morning of the 29th we tried for a few hours to get tickets but by this time we couldn't find the cheap flights anymore and still Svanni's credit card was not accepted. I had failed to put more money on mine so I was no help. Well, what to do in times of trouble? That's right! Hit the beach!
Our next destination was Sihanoukville with it's many beaches and resorts. Our tuk tuk driver gave us some trouble concerning prices etc. but in the end we made up and shook hands. It was night time by the time we got there so we sat down in the light of the full moon and indulged in some local curry and lassis. There were a lot of people celebrating the night by the ocean, dancing, eating, laughing, talking. It was by far one of the best nights of the trip.
We found a hostel on the beach (where I saw my first rat ever, ugh), and got an amazing room that was more like an apartment, with a bathroom, kitchen, a large bed and two futons on the floor. Not to mention a spectacular view of the ocean. Ahhh this is the life!
After catching some sleep we hit the beach! Swam in the ocean, sunbathed, ate some more, drank some lassis and I got my feet stringed (hair removed) by one of the women offering various services to the guests on the beach. I had refused the first couple of ones and then I thought why not, let's try it. This angered the first woman who had asked me who had now come back and starting arguing with me, saying I betrayed her and should let her do something else for me. When she offered to string my arms I told her 'sure, come back and do it tomorrow'. We left the next day.
In the chairs next to us were two girls in their 20's enjoying the sun. At one point I looked over and I saw how one of them was paying a girl of maybe 5 or 6 to string her legs. She lay there while this small thing huddled over her legs and removed the hairs as best as she could. I could do nothing but stare in disbelief that someone would encourage this and spent the rest of the day giving the two of them angry glances. Some people....
After that day of luxury our trip had finally come to and end. We said our goodbyes to Jessica and wished her luck on her travels, exchanged information and went our separate ways. Me and Svanni took the bus all the way back to Bangkok, which took most of the day. And this is where I stopped writing in my journal. We finally found tickets back to Japan, the day before leaving, went to the market one last time, took some pictures with the wonderful staff of our hostel - one of the best ones, highly recommended!, and took a taxi to the airport. I was terribly sad to be leaving but luckily the plain was taking us back to Japan, so the adventure hasn't ended yet.
A million points to whomever managed to read the whole thing! I will try to continue to dazzle you with stories from Japan whenever I can.
Congratulations to everyone back home who just finished their exams, go party, have fun, you deserve it! :P
We had dinner at the top floor and lounged around, listening to booming reggae music, watching people chat nearby or play pool. Exhausted, we soon went to bed.
Woke up at 6 a.m. to see the sunrise and beat the crowds to the famous temples in Siem Riep's backyard. After some delicious breakfast we rented some bikes and went to explore the day. It turned out to be quite legendary, I think I will never forget the excitement and happiness of cycling around the huge temple grounds amidst the lush forested surroundings. On the way we saw a herd of elephants that they were renting out for people to ride, which just added to the foreign, rustic feel of the whole thing.
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (the one famously being choked by a large tree) were the highlights of the trip, I still can't fully believe that I was actually there in person.
Along the way Svanni had a flat tire so we were forced to take a slower pace but luckily we met this young girl who offered Svanni to go with her father and have it fixed while me and Jessica had some delicious noodles at their 'restaurant'. Everybody wins.
After cycling back into the city me and Jessica went and had a blind massage (such an experience), which we enjoyed thoroughly. Meanwhile Svanni went online and tried to get us tickets back home which was not going so well, the prices keep going up and they won't accept our booking. Oh well, life in Cambodia is good. Had dinner and a mojito so I had no worries or thoughts of home.
On the 27th we took a bus to the capital, Phnom Penh. I think it was a local bus so it didn't leave until it was filled with people. This process took around an hour and a half. Four hours later or so we were walking around the busy streets of the capital, yet again looking for a place to stay for the night. After much looking around and bargaining we settled on the Drunken Frog. It was set on a small river with amazing view that we were told would disappear soon when the Koreans would come and build hotels by the bank. At this point I had come to love hostel food so we had some dinner, beers and chatted with Algae, one of the staff, a young Cambodian man who told us about the country's drug problem, how no one can talk about the government (I saw he got a bit nervous touching on the subject) and his history of drinking and fighting at the local bars, apparently a popular pastime here.
The next day we visited the killing fields and S-21. A must for anyone visiting the country, but a horrible experience nonetheless. How the Khmer Rouge wiped out one third of the whole population, tortured the political prisoners of S-21 ... there are no words for how horrible and bloody Cambodia's history really is. I recommend reading up on it though.
The rest of the day we spent at a russian market, tuk tuk-ing around the city, eating more super cheap and heavenly food and of course looking for flight tickets back to Japan. Still no luck. During the evening we explored our neighborhood, met some local kids at a colorful fountain, locals eating in the streets, dimly lit dusty streets, I fell in love with the city. After the day's events I could not see the people in the same light, there was not a single person that was left unharmed by the turmoil and war that had swept over the country just a few decades ago.
On the morning of the 29th we tried for a few hours to get tickets but by this time we couldn't find the cheap flights anymore and still Svanni's credit card was not accepted. I had failed to put more money on mine so I was no help. Well, what to do in times of trouble? That's right! Hit the beach!
Our next destination was Sihanoukville with it's many beaches and resorts. Our tuk tuk driver gave us some trouble concerning prices etc. but in the end we made up and shook hands. It was night time by the time we got there so we sat down in the light of the full moon and indulged in some local curry and lassis. There were a lot of people celebrating the night by the ocean, dancing, eating, laughing, talking. It was by far one of the best nights of the trip.
We found a hostel on the beach (where I saw my first rat ever, ugh), and got an amazing room that was more like an apartment, with a bathroom, kitchen, a large bed and two futons on the floor. Not to mention a spectacular view of the ocean. Ahhh this is the life!
After catching some sleep we hit the beach! Swam in the ocean, sunbathed, ate some more, drank some lassis and I got my feet stringed (hair removed) by one of the women offering various services to the guests on the beach. I had refused the first couple of ones and then I thought why not, let's try it. This angered the first woman who had asked me who had now come back and starting arguing with me, saying I betrayed her and should let her do something else for me. When she offered to string my arms I told her 'sure, come back and do it tomorrow'. We left the next day.
In the chairs next to us were two girls in their 20's enjoying the sun. At one point I looked over and I saw how one of them was paying a girl of maybe 5 or 6 to string her legs. She lay there while this small thing huddled over her legs and removed the hairs as best as she could. I could do nothing but stare in disbelief that someone would encourage this and spent the rest of the day giving the two of them angry glances. Some people....
After that day of luxury our trip had finally come to and end. We said our goodbyes to Jessica and wished her luck on her travels, exchanged information and went our separate ways. Me and Svanni took the bus all the way back to Bangkok, which took most of the day. And this is where I stopped writing in my journal. We finally found tickets back to Japan, the day before leaving, went to the market one last time, took some pictures with the wonderful staff of our hostel - one of the best ones, highly recommended!, and took a taxi to the airport. I was terribly sad to be leaving but luckily the plain was taking us back to Japan, so the adventure hasn't ended yet.
A million points to whomever managed to read the whole thing! I will try to continue to dazzle you with stories from Japan whenever I can.
Congratulations to everyone back home who just finished their exams, go party, have fun, you deserve it! :P
Saturday, May 8, 2010
I'm sorry, I've been lazy. I still haven't finished my travel log, though I have high hopes that the next one will be the last one. My excuse isn't a very original one, things have been really hectic here as of late.
Coming back from my 2 month long vacation, diving back into my projects and devious plans at the I-House has been quite crazy. We had some new people come in around the end of March, and it's so good to see the dorm brought to life again. Where for two months or so there was only silence and dust floating around the corridors one can now hear the melodic sounds of laughter, shouting in endless different languages and people running around, studying, talking, playing games, having parties etc.
The new people really left a good impression on me from the start; they are such a breath of fresh air.
It's good to get new voices, new opinions, different foods etc. into the dorm.
And we have been keeping busy. Every week there is some event taking place; a few days ago we went to see a play performed by an all female cast at a theater called Takarazuka, we've been to see Alice in Wonderland, had parties at the tatami room at the dorm, gone clubbing down town, visited temples and shrines and so much more.
On top of everything, summer is finally here. Everyday the temperatures rise up to around 25°C and the sun is blinding. Such a good break from the freezing colds of winter. I sent all my winter clothes, along with some books etc., home as I won't be needing them anymore. Not until I get back home, that is. But I'm trying not to think of that now....
So, I just wanted to write a few lines since I was taking the Sunday off to study. As I use the internet as my major source I've been surfing like crazy for the last 3 hours and decided to take a break and show you an example of just how fascinating the Japanese language is.
Saying that the Japanese use a lot of onomatopoeic words is an understatement. Almost every action you could think of can be uttered using the word for the sound that action makes. Amazingly this works for feelings as well. Or something visual. There is even the sound of silence! ('shiiin')
Some more examples include:
パチパチ (pachi pachi) could mean any of the following things:
1. pleasant clapping sound;
2. sound of something hot bursting open (i.e. popcorn);
3. incessant blinking
バラバラ (bara bara) – rattle
クスクス (kusu kusu) – giggle
ポチャポチャ (pocha pocha) – splash
フサフサ (fusa fusa) – a full and attractive head of hair
ギトギト (gito gito) – being oily
イライラ (ira ira) – the state of being frustrated
ポカポカ (poka poka) – the state of being nice and warm
Interesting, no?
Coming back from my 2 month long vacation, diving back into my projects and devious plans at the I-House has been quite crazy. We had some new people come in around the end of March, and it's so good to see the dorm brought to life again. Where for two months or so there was only silence and dust floating around the corridors one can now hear the melodic sounds of laughter, shouting in endless different languages and people running around, studying, talking, playing games, having parties etc.
The new people really left a good impression on me from the start; they are such a breath of fresh air.
It's good to get new voices, new opinions, different foods etc. into the dorm.
And we have been keeping busy. Every week there is some event taking place; a few days ago we went to see a play performed by an all female cast at a theater called Takarazuka, we've been to see Alice in Wonderland, had parties at the tatami room at the dorm, gone clubbing down town, visited temples and shrines and so much more.
On top of everything, summer is finally here. Everyday the temperatures rise up to around 25°C and the sun is blinding. Such a good break from the freezing colds of winter. I sent all my winter clothes, along with some books etc., home as I won't be needing them anymore. Not until I get back home, that is. But I'm trying not to think of that now....
So, I just wanted to write a few lines since I was taking the Sunday off to study. As I use the internet as my major source I've been surfing like crazy for the last 3 hours and decided to take a break and show you an example of just how fascinating the Japanese language is.
Saying that the Japanese use a lot of onomatopoeic words is an understatement. Almost every action you could think of can be uttered using the word for the sound that action makes. Amazingly this works for feelings as well. Or something visual. There is even the sound of silence! ('shiiin')
Some more examples include:
パチパチ (pachi pachi) could mean any of the following things:
1. pleasant clapping sound;
2. sound of something hot bursting open (i.e. popcorn);
3. incessant blinking
バラバラ (bara bara) – rattle
クスクス (kusu kusu) – giggle
ポチャポチャ (pocha pocha) – splash
フサフサ (fusa fusa) – a full and attractive head of hair
ギトギト (gito gito) – being oily
イライラ (ira ira) – the state of being frustrated
ポカポカ (poka poka) – the state of being nice and warm
Interesting, no?
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