Monday was a travel day–a full day of travel. We caught a cab to the airport shortly after seven a.m., checked in with Thai Air, grabbed some breakfast and began the first of many waits. The first hop was from Seoul to Hong Kong where we deplaned but didn’t switch planes. After an hour or so, we took off on the second leg, from Hong Kong to Bangkok. We killed time at Bangkok’s airport until our flight to Phuket with Thai Air Asia. We landed at Phuket about ten-thirty (and two time zones) and Mr. Sam was waiting. He managed to stay awake (barely) for the entire ninety-minute drive to Khao Lak. We schlepped our gear to a third-floor room at the Suwan Palm and fell into bed. We’ll check in tomorrow morning.
As long as the day was and as bad as the waiting was, it could have been much worse. We’ve been fairly lucky this trip. West Jet from Toronto to LA was a good trip (especially when you know you’re on a no-frills airline). American from LA to Tokyo was fine except for the delay in getting off the ground. JAL from Tokyo to Seoul was a step up in quality of service and Thai Airways from Seoul to Bangkok was several additional steps up the service ladder. I can understand why they are regularly listed among the best airlines in the world. Not only were there superb meals on both legs of the flight but there was a constant cabin presence with new attendants seeming to appear continually. Besides, when was the last time you were offered brandy after an airplane meal.
Of course, Air Asia is another no-frills airline so our final flight was a step backward. We had to pay extra for excess baggage (they allow only 15 kg for checked luggage). Fortunately, they didn’t weigh our carry-ons or we would have needed another mortgage to continue our trip. We also paid extra for express seating (otherwise no assigned seats) and were the first to board the plane. We grabbed the front seats so we were first off the plane as well. That earned us the privilege of a longer wait for our luggage. But at least we haven’t lost any bags yet.
The resort is nice enough but nothing special. They do serve an excellent breakfast. This area seems to cater to Europeans and there are lots of Swedish families around. The beach wouldn’t make our list of top one hundred. The weather is very hot and the rainy season seems to have started early. We’ve been able to get some sun in the morning. The plan was to stay out of the sun in mid-day and then get a couple of hours in the afternoon. The morning part has worked reasonably well but the only thing we’ve done in the afternoon is watch the rain. Yesterday was a downpour with thunder and lightning thrown in for good measure. We had just headed down to the beach and were caught by surprise. There was no lightning this afternoon (just a steady drizzle and some thunder) so we stripped down to bathing suits and walked the beach in the rain.
It’s funny how expectations and realities sometimes merge and other times clash. In the planning phase for this trip, I had a great number of reservations about our time in Tokyo and Seoul. We don’t usually spend much time in large cities on our travels (more a matter of passing through) and I wasn’t sure how we’d handle it, especially with the language and alphabet/character differences. But, we learned to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in Japanese and Korean and, with the help of many kind strangers, we had a wonderful time in both cities. Both go on the list of possible repeat visits (of course, that list is so long we’d need to win two lotteries to finance the travel).
On the other hand, Thailand has been one of our focal points since we first conceived an Asian trip. Yet, here we are after three days and I don’t have enough pictures to post even a sampling. There’s been nothing remarkable about this segment thus far, other than a few reminders of the tsunami’s devastation. We haven’t done any snorkeling as the water isn’t very clear and the fish population seems to have been re-settled elsewhere. Of course, our live-aboard to the Similan Islands kicks off tomorrow so you may hear an entirely different tone in my next posting. (We sure hope so–the pictures on the Internet were outstanding.) To end on a bright note, it didn’t rain this afternoon so our beach walk was more pleasant than yesterday’s. We’re hoping for a nice sunset tonight as our balcony looks out westward over the Andaman Sea.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wandering in the rain
We’re meeting Melissa at 1:30 to check out the CoEx Mall so we had a quiet, relaxing Saturday morning. I worked on my pictures and the blog and Doreen wrote in her journal. We decided to go down to the area early and have a look around while Melissa was working. There are a number of very intriguing buildings in Seoul. I’m impressed with the architect’s imagination and the flexibility of the building codes. Like Tokyo, this is not a city of rectangular blocks. It makes for interesting walks.
When we got off the subway, we headed for the Bongeunsa Temple complex. The driveway area was under re-construction but it was a beautiful area. We wandered around and took some pictures and then lit candles and joss sticks in memory of family. This is a training center for monks and they offer monastery stays for tourists. That might be a great experience.
After a quick muffin at ‘The Coffee Bean’, we headed back to the subway exit to meet Melissa. On the way, we spent some time watching mall employees in formal costumes directing mall traffic–not something you ever encounter at Burlington Mall or Avalon Mall. The mall was crowded because of an exhibition (and Saturday shopping and kids hanging out) but we made our way to the aquarium. As a mall aquarium, it was beyond belief. It was a world-class affair. The first thing we saw when we walked through the door was an mini-display of sea horses and lion fish. And the quality of the exhibits continued on a high plane. They had several sections for kids, including one where the fish tanks were built into everyday objects like refrigerators, coffee tables, headboards, and the like. There was even a Windows aquarium screen saver surrounded by a real aquarium. What a great way to spend an afternoon.
Afterwards, we browsed the mall and stopped for some food. Then we sat and talked for quite a while. Melissa has grown into a lovely young lady and we really enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with her outside the family get-together scene. We considered going to the N’Seoul Tower after it got dark but we talked her into leaving early so she could have Saturday night with her friends.
And then it rained on our Easter parade. We kept hoping it would clear up but the best we got was a slow drizzle. Oh, well, it was our last day in Seoul so we figured we’d take our chances. What’s a little rain to people who grew up in Newfoundland. This definitely would have been a better day for the aquarium. The walk through old and new neighbourhoods in the downtown area was very interesting. I don’t know if it was the rain, the fact that it was Sunday, the fact that it was Easter, or a combination of all of the above, but the city had a different feel today.
At one stage, a lady came up and presented us with an Easter egg gift (not a decorated, chocolate egg but the hard-boiled kind). As we approached the Lotte Department Store, we discovered that they have a little machine outside their doors for rainy days. You just poke your umbrella down the opening and it is encased in a plastic bag. I guess it keeps excess water off the store’s carpets. (This is a high-class enterprise with a costumed information lady and the salespeople wearing gloves so they don’t smudge the merchandise. Definitely not a WalMart.) We looked but didn’t buy.
We wandered through Myeondong and the Namdaemun market but things were much subdued because of the miserable weather. We had hoped to ride the cable car to the N’Seoul Tower and go up to the top of the tower which is supposed to have great views of the city. As we approached the area, it became obvious that fog ruled the top of the hill. No way were there any views today. Something else we should have done yesterday.
Now things are winding down. About all that’s left is the packing for our flight tomorrow to Thailand. It will definitely be much warmer for the rest of our trip.
When we got off the subway, we headed for the Bongeunsa Temple complex. The driveway area was under re-construction but it was a beautiful area. We wandered around and took some pictures and then lit candles and joss sticks in memory of family. This is a training center for monks and they offer monastery stays for tourists. That might be a great experience.
After a quick muffin at ‘The Coffee Bean’, we headed back to the subway exit to meet Melissa. On the way, we spent some time watching mall employees in formal costumes directing mall traffic–not something you ever encounter at Burlington Mall or Avalon Mall. The mall was crowded because of an exhibition (and Saturday shopping and kids hanging out) but we made our way to the aquarium. As a mall aquarium, it was beyond belief. It was a world-class affair. The first thing we saw when we walked through the door was an mini-display of sea horses and lion fish. And the quality of the exhibits continued on a high plane. They had several sections for kids, including one where the fish tanks were built into everyday objects like refrigerators, coffee tables, headboards, and the like. There was even a Windows aquarium screen saver surrounded by a real aquarium. What a great way to spend an afternoon.
Afterwards, we browsed the mall and stopped for some food. Then we sat and talked for quite a while. Melissa has grown into a lovely young lady and we really enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with her outside the family get-together scene. We considered going to the N’Seoul Tower after it got dark but we talked her into leaving early so she could have Saturday night with her friends.
And then it rained on our Easter parade. We kept hoping it would clear up but the best we got was a slow drizzle. Oh, well, it was our last day in Seoul so we figured we’d take our chances. What’s a little rain to people who grew up in Newfoundland. This definitely would have been a better day for the aquarium. The walk through old and new neighbourhoods in the downtown area was very interesting. I don’t know if it was the rain, the fact that it was Sunday, the fact that it was Easter, or a combination of all of the above, but the city had a different feel today.
At one stage, a lady came up and presented us with an Easter egg gift (not a decorated, chocolate egg but the hard-boiled kind). As we approached the Lotte Department Store, we discovered that they have a little machine outside their doors for rainy days. You just poke your umbrella down the opening and it is encased in a plastic bag. I guess it keeps excess water off the store’s carpets. (This is a high-class enterprise with a costumed information lady and the salespeople wearing gloves so they don’t smudge the merchandise. Definitely not a WalMart.) We looked but didn’t buy.
We wandered through Myeondong and the Namdaemun market but things were much subdued because of the miserable weather. We had hoped to ride the cable car to the N’Seoul Tower and go up to the top of the tower which is supposed to have great views of the city. As we approached the area, it became obvious that fog ruled the top of the hill. No way were there any views today. Something else we should have done yesterday.
Now things are winding down. About all that’s left is the packing for our flight tomorrow to Thailand. It will definitely be much warmer for the rest of our trip.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Across the sea to Korea
Wednesday was a travel day. First, a taxi from the hotel to the subway station, then a train to Nippori to catch the airport Skyliner. We were surprised at the bustle at the airport since it was an early morning flight. It took us almost 90 minutes to find the JAL check-in counter, get through security and immigration and find our departure lounge. An unremarkable three hour flight, except for the Japanese box lunch, and we begin the process in reverse in Korea. After clearing immigration, we picked up our luggage, breezed through customs, and bought our bus tickets. It took almost ninety minutes to reach the Sofitel Hotel where we caught a cab for the final sprint to the Hyundai Residence. This place is so tucked away that the cab driver had to call for directions on how to get here and still had to pull a U-turn. Traffic is horrendous. Another place I won’t be driving.
After checking in and unpacking, we explored the neighbourhood. Found a very interesting local market (Jungba Market) just down the street. Lots of food for sale–it would be nice to know what. The early morning rise called for an early evening bedtime so we’ll start on Seoul tomorrow.
We met up with Melissa the next morning and she took us to walk a bit of the Cheonggyecheon Stream Trail. From there, we took a cab to Itaewon and found a bank ATM. We had lunch at a Thai place–The Buddha Belly–and, wouldn’t you know it, they accepted credit cards. Melissa had to go to work at 2:30 so we decide to walk a bit before heading back to our hotel. We walked up to the War Memorial, a very dramatic display with some interesting sculptures, and watched a squad of soldiers practice their routines–think cheerleaders with guns. There is a serious military presence in this country and they seem to be looking nervously to the north all the time. Who can blame them?
The subway ride back was easy but it took almost 15 minutes to walk out of the station. The system here is as impressive as Tokyo’s. Overall, the city has a different feel–it’s a little grimier and people seem to have a little less elegance. But, at the same time, people seem to be more open and to be enjoying their lives. They are definitely more Westernized. In our area, business is conducted on the sidewalk. No matter what business–office furniture, lighting fixtures, building supplies, etc.–it’s all out on the sidewalk so you have to skirt around the merchandise. Stores seem to group themselves by product. For example, there’ll be a couple of blocks of furniture stores, followed by a block of plumbing, followed by .... We even passed an auto body shop where the guy was repairing the bumper of a car on the sidewalk and another where a worker was doing welding repairs.
You also have to dodge motorcycles as you walk. In Tokyo, there were lots of pedal bikes but, here, the delivery guys ride their cycles on the sidewalk more than on the street. It’s a little disconcerting to be standing at the corner, waiting for a ‘Walk’ light and be surrounded by motorcycles waiting to use the same cross-walk. As a side note, we did get to try one of the diagonal cross-walks (without any cycles).
Rome and San Francisco may have hills but Seoul has mountains. Not just near the city but in the city. Friday morning we decided to do the Inwangsan Shamanist Hillside Walk. The guidebook had said that it was an uphill walk but neglected to say how steep the slope was. It was an interesting walk until we got to the “Zen rocks” and lost the trail. From there we scrambled up the mountainside and finally found another, different trail. We followed this one to the top of Inwang Mountain. That last 0.3 km was about the hardest climb I’ve ever done (or maybe I’m just too old for this). Thank God for the ropes to hang onto. The views from the top were great though the pictures aren’t (too much smog). It’s impossible to see all of Seoul because Inwang isn’t the only mountain around which the city has developed. We followed a different route on the way down and managed to reach the bottom without any serious health problems, other than jelly legs.
After lunch (and a rest break), we headed across the river to check out the Noryangjin Fish Market. What an incredible place. A huge structure with rows of tanks containing all manner of marine life. I saw the biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen (two would make a meal) and the biggest octopi. We watched one customer buying fish and the fish was still wriggling as it lay on the scale.
We took the subway back to Dandemon Stadium station which is just down the street from our hotel (the same station where we had met Melissa the day before and the same station from which we had set out for the fish market). Only Dandemon Stadium station is the nexus for three subway lines and there are about twelve exit gates. We knew we needed either 6 or 7 and we tried to follow the signs and maps as we wandered through the maze. The map seemed to indicate that exits 6 and 7 were just beyond exit 5 but, when we arrived at exit 5, we were faced with a flight of stairs up to the exit and a blank wall. Faced with the prospect of retracing our steps to try to discover where we’d gone wrong, we chose instead to use exit 5. Bad move.
Above ground, we were in an unfamiliar part of town and didn’t recognize and buildings or landmarks. We didn’t even know in which direction to start walking. What should have been a 10 minute walk from the train to our hotel took us almost an hour. We did finally stumble upon some familiar buildings (“I’ve seen that from our window”) and we survived. However, we have decided to get off at a smaller station the next time as there’s one on the other side of us about as close as Dandemon and it only has two exits. Live and learn.
After checking in and unpacking, we explored the neighbourhood. Found a very interesting local market (Jungba Market) just down the street. Lots of food for sale–it would be nice to know what. The early morning rise called for an early evening bedtime so we’ll start on Seoul tomorrow.
We met up with Melissa the next morning and she took us to walk a bit of the Cheonggyecheon Stream Trail. From there, we took a cab to Itaewon and found a bank ATM. We had lunch at a Thai place–The Buddha Belly–and, wouldn’t you know it, they accepted credit cards. Melissa had to go to work at 2:30 so we decide to walk a bit before heading back to our hotel. We walked up to the War Memorial, a very dramatic display with some interesting sculptures, and watched a squad of soldiers practice their routines–think cheerleaders with guns. There is a serious military presence in this country and they seem to be looking nervously to the north all the time. Who can blame them?
The subway ride back was easy but it took almost 15 minutes to walk out of the station. The system here is as impressive as Tokyo’s. Overall, the city has a different feel–it’s a little grimier and people seem to have a little less elegance. But, at the same time, people seem to be more open and to be enjoying their lives. They are definitely more Westernized. In our area, business is conducted on the sidewalk. No matter what business–office furniture, lighting fixtures, building supplies, etc.–it’s all out on the sidewalk so you have to skirt around the merchandise. Stores seem to group themselves by product. For example, there’ll be a couple of blocks of furniture stores, followed by a block of plumbing, followed by .... We even passed an auto body shop where the guy was repairing the bumper of a car on the sidewalk and another where a worker was doing welding repairs.
You also have to dodge motorcycles as you walk. In Tokyo, there were lots of pedal bikes but, here, the delivery guys ride their cycles on the sidewalk more than on the street. It’s a little disconcerting to be standing at the corner, waiting for a ‘Walk’ light and be surrounded by motorcycles waiting to use the same cross-walk. As a side note, we did get to try one of the diagonal cross-walks (without any cycles).
Rome and San Francisco may have hills but Seoul has mountains. Not just near the city but in the city. Friday morning we decided to do the Inwangsan Shamanist Hillside Walk. The guidebook had said that it was an uphill walk but neglected to say how steep the slope was. It was an interesting walk until we got to the “Zen rocks” and lost the trail. From there we scrambled up the mountainside and finally found another, different trail. We followed this one to the top of Inwang Mountain. That last 0.3 km was about the hardest climb I’ve ever done (or maybe I’m just too old for this). Thank God for the ropes to hang onto. The views from the top were great though the pictures aren’t (too much smog). It’s impossible to see all of Seoul because Inwang isn’t the only mountain around which the city has developed. We followed a different route on the way down and managed to reach the bottom without any serious health problems, other than jelly legs.
After lunch (and a rest break), we headed across the river to check out the Noryangjin Fish Market. What an incredible place. A huge structure with rows of tanks containing all manner of marine life. I saw the biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen (two would make a meal) and the biggest octopi. We watched one customer buying fish and the fish was still wriggling as it lay on the scale.
We took the subway back to Dandemon Stadium station which is just down the street from our hotel (the same station where we had met Melissa the day before and the same station from which we had set out for the fish market). Only Dandemon Stadium station is the nexus for three subway lines and there are about twelve exit gates. We knew we needed either 6 or 7 and we tried to follow the signs and maps as we wandered through the maze. The map seemed to indicate that exits 6 and 7 were just beyond exit 5 but, when we arrived at exit 5, we were faced with a flight of stairs up to the exit and a blank wall. Faced with the prospect of retracing our steps to try to discover where we’d gone wrong, we chose instead to use exit 5. Bad move.
Above ground, we were in an unfamiliar part of town and didn’t recognize and buildings or landmarks. We didn’t even know in which direction to start walking. What should have been a 10 minute walk from the train to our hotel took us almost an hour. We did finally stumble upon some familiar buildings (“I’ve seen that from our window”) and we survived. However, we have decided to get off at a smaller station the next time as there’s one on the other side of us about as close as Dandemon and it only has two exits. Live and learn.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A clash of cultures
As the sherif said in “Hud”, “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” We really didn’t understand how the Japanese handle day-to-day transactions. We tend to travel on our plastic, using credit cards for most purchases, with US dollar travelers cheques for back-up and a minimum amount of local currency. If we run short, we have our bank cards to withdraw additional cash. That doesn’t fly well here in Tokyo. Credit cards seem to be a real rarity and most places want to be paid in yen. We went to the bank to use the ATM and were told it wouldn’t work because the card was not from a Japanese bank. We did manage to cash some TC’s at the bank and later found an ATM at a 7/11 that would accept our card. So at least we have enough money to finish up our few days in Japan.
We went to the Tsukiji fish market on Tuesday morning around 8 o’clock, well after the initial frenzy but still a very active scene. It was organized chaos with people and machines (especially the ‘Mighty cars’) going every which way. I wonder how many accidents/collisions there are in the run of a normal week or month or year. It was great to wander around, trying to keep out of the way of the workers scrambling to complete their tasks.
After about 90 minutes we left the market and walked up to Ginza Street. Early morning traffic was still very light and none of the stores were yet open so Doreen did not get to browse merchandise that we couldn’t afford. We made our way through the Ginza district and headed off to the Imperial Palace grounds. We hadn’t arranged an audience with the Emperor (wrong time of year) so we had to be content with taking pictures of the Nijubashi Bridge, the guarded entranceway and the grounds of the East Garden.
After lunch, we took the train to Shinjuku and went searching for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Foot traffic on the street has really picked up since this morning. The views from the observation deck were good but somewhat obscured by afternoon smog. Forget seeing all the way to Mount Fuji. We couldn’t even see Yokohama. Hey, the views of downtown Tokyo were great and it’s free. I’m really impressed by this city. It has a vibrancy I haven’t seen or felt elsewhere. Very different from Toronto or New York. Maybe it’s all the waving, colorful banners. I’m also blown away by their transit system with everything built in layers (up and down). At one point we went down three levels to reach our subway line and I don’t think we were at the bottom level then. Besides which, everything is so clean–the trains, the stations, even the streets.
We went to the Tsukiji fish market on Tuesday morning around 8 o’clock, well after the initial frenzy but still a very active scene. It was organized chaos with people and machines (especially the ‘Mighty cars’) going every which way. I wonder how many accidents/collisions there are in the run of a normal week or month or year. It was great to wander around, trying to keep out of the way of the workers scrambling to complete their tasks.
After about 90 minutes we left the market and walked up to Ginza Street. Early morning traffic was still very light and none of the stores were yet open so Doreen did not get to browse merchandise that we couldn’t afford. We made our way through the Ginza district and headed off to the Imperial Palace grounds. We hadn’t arranged an audience with the Emperor (wrong time of year) so we had to be content with taking pictures of the Nijubashi Bridge, the guarded entranceway and the grounds of the East Garden.
After lunch, we took the train to Shinjuku and went searching for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Foot traffic on the street has really picked up since this morning. The views from the observation deck were good but somewhat obscured by afternoon smog. Forget seeing all the way to Mount Fuji. We couldn’t even see Yokohama. Hey, the views of downtown Tokyo were great and it’s free. I’m really impressed by this city. It has a vibrancy I haven’t seen or felt elsewhere. Very different from Toronto or New York. Maybe it’s all the waving, colorful banners. I’m also blown away by their transit system with everything built in layers (up and down). At one point we went down three levels to reach our subway line and I don’t think we were at the bottom level then. Besides which, everything is so clean–the trains, the stations, even the streets.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Mount Fuji is awesome
And so is Tokyo. We spent our first day in Japan on a bus. We took the Sunrise Tour to Mount Fuji and the Hakone area with a side trip for a brief cruise on Lake Ashi. Since it was a Sunday, traffic conditions were light and the drive to Mount Fuji went quickly. As we drove, the weather improved considerably. By the time we sighted Mount Fuji, the sun was shining brightly from a gorgeous, virtually cloudless, blue sky. This isn’t winter as we knew it in southern Ontario.
But it was still winter on the mountain with lots of snow and the road remained closed beyond the first station. So, it was look but don’t touch and no time to climb. It wasn’t quite the same spiritual feel as Uluru in Australia but more pervasive than Mount Taranaki in New Zealand. Fuji certainly dominates the surrounding countryside. Since the day remained clear and bright, we got many different views as we drove over the mountains to Hakone. Every time the road curved, there was Mount Fuji. I’m sure the guide got tired saying, “On your left ...”, “On your right ...” and “You’re very lucky today”.
We stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant that didn’t look very Chinese to us or to our table companions, an English couple living and working in Shanghai. The meal was a typical Japanese lunch with a little bit of a lot of different things and surprisingly tasty and filling. Or maybe it was just a feeling of accomplishment at getting some food into our mouths with chopsticks. I have no idea what we ate but there have been no ill effects.
After lunch, we bussed off to Lake Ashi for a short (very short) cruise on the ferry boat with still more views of Mount Fuji. The lake was a busy place with lots of locals engaged in various aquatic activities. We were supposed to take a gondola ride from the lake to the hills above but they told us the lift was closed because of the fog. No one in the tour group could see the fog because of the blinding sunlight so they told us they were taking us to a better gondola ride. I don’t know about the one we missed but the one we took was worth it. We got a close-up look at some hot springs and still more gorgeous views of Mount Fuji. All-in-all the day was worth enduring the long bus ride back to Tokyo and the mini-traffic jam that was Sunday afternoon. So ended our one excursion.
Now we’re on our own to explore Tokyo. This morning we walked from the hotel to Shiba Park. We were quite impressed with the Zojoji Temple and its environs, especially since it wasn’t mentioned in our guide book. One thing that surprised us on the walk was how late things start moving in Tokyo. At nine o’clock the streets were still virtually empty. I think everybody is still in/on the transit system on the way to work. The transit system is amazing, by the way.
Our next venture was the Sumida River cruise from Hinode pier. Not a great trip because the boat isn’t really built for sight-seeing (poor sight lines) and the commentary mainly involved naming the bridges we passed under but it did get us to Asakusa. From there, we browsed through Nakamise Avenue and explored the Sensoji shrine. After lunch at Ueno Station and a stroll through Ueno Park, we took the train to Nippori so Doreen could do some shopping in ‘Fabric Town’. She found some fabric for herself and some that Stacy wanted so it was a successful outing.
The only thing is that walking on a treadmill does not prepare you for a full day of traipsing around a big city. Or maybe, we’re really getting old. At any rate, we’re beat. And we get to do this again tomorrow. I love it when things work out as planned.
But it was still winter on the mountain with lots of snow and the road remained closed beyond the first station. So, it was look but don’t touch and no time to climb. It wasn’t quite the same spiritual feel as Uluru in Australia but more pervasive than Mount Taranaki in New Zealand. Fuji certainly dominates the surrounding countryside. Since the day remained clear and bright, we got many different views as we drove over the mountains to Hakone. Every time the road curved, there was Mount Fuji. I’m sure the guide got tired saying, “On your left ...”, “On your right ...” and “You’re very lucky today”.
We stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant that didn’t look very Chinese to us or to our table companions, an English couple living and working in Shanghai. The meal was a typical Japanese lunch with a little bit of a lot of different things and surprisingly tasty and filling. Or maybe it was just a feeling of accomplishment at getting some food into our mouths with chopsticks. I have no idea what we ate but there have been no ill effects.
After lunch, we bussed off to Lake Ashi for a short (very short) cruise on the ferry boat with still more views of Mount Fuji. The lake was a busy place with lots of locals engaged in various aquatic activities. We were supposed to take a gondola ride from the lake to the hills above but they told us the lift was closed because of the fog. No one in the tour group could see the fog because of the blinding sunlight so they told us they were taking us to a better gondola ride. I don’t know about the one we missed but the one we took was worth it. We got a close-up look at some hot springs and still more gorgeous views of Mount Fuji. All-in-all the day was worth enduring the long bus ride back to Tokyo and the mini-traffic jam that was Sunday afternoon. So ended our one excursion.
Now we’re on our own to explore Tokyo. This morning we walked from the hotel to Shiba Park. We were quite impressed with the Zojoji Temple and its environs, especially since it wasn’t mentioned in our guide book. One thing that surprised us on the walk was how late things start moving in Tokyo. At nine o’clock the streets were still virtually empty. I think everybody is still in/on the transit system on the way to work. The transit system is amazing, by the way.
Our next venture was the Sumida River cruise from Hinode pier. Not a great trip because the boat isn’t really built for sight-seeing (poor sight lines) and the commentary mainly involved naming the bridges we passed under but it did get us to Asakusa. From there, we browsed through Nakamise Avenue and explored the Sensoji shrine. After lunch at Ueno Station and a stroll through Ueno Park, we took the train to Nippori so Doreen could do some shopping in ‘Fabric Town’. She found some fabric for herself and some that Stacy wanted so it was a successful outing.
The only thing is that walking on a treadmill does not prepare you for a full day of traipsing around a big city. Or maybe, we’re really getting old. At any rate, we’re beat. And we get to do this again tomorrow. I love it when things work out as planned.
Monday, March 17, 2008
We're in Asia
We’re in Asia
I started this blog when we visited Hawaii last fall and my initial entry was sarcastically entitled “Getting there is half the fun”. Who was it who said, “It’s deja vu all over again.”? (I know it wasn’t Yogi Berra.) This trip got off on the same left foot.
Again, the initial flight from Toronto to Los Angeles was fine but things started to go wrong as soon as we landed in LA. We wanted to break up our travel so we had booked an overnight stay at the Travel Lodge LAX South. We chose that hotel because it was close to the airport (only a five minute ride) and they provided a shuttle service (or so they said). Of course, since they didn’t answer their phone, we never did get the shuttle pick-up. Tack another $24 onto the room rate for a cab ride to the hotel. They did get us back to the airport the next morning but very early since their shuttle runs only every 1 ½ hours.
Checking through security at LAX brought another snag. Somewhere between Toronto’s security check and LA’s, my carry-on had picked up suspicious traces. So, once again, it was a full body pat-down and a thorough inspection of everything in my carry-on bag. Same no results. As I said to Doreen, it must be the peppermint knobs–all that sugar.
We’re flying American to Tokyo (not Air Canada) so we don’t anticipate any problems. Things go smoothly with the boarding but then the pilot announces that we’re just waiting for the maintenance crew to sign off on a few things so there will be a short delay. Twenty minutes later we’re good to go–for about 100 metres. Then it’s back to the gate. Seems the maintenance crew had been working on a fuel pump and the cockpit gauges were showing it wasn’t working. The captain was understandably reluctant to begin a trans-Pacific flight without being sure he could get gas to the jet engines.
We finally departed LA at 2 p.m. on Friday some two hours behind schedule so our eleven-hour flight suddenly became a thirteen-hour ordeal. Landing at Narita airport shortly after 5 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, we’re still a long ways from Tokyo. But all it takes is a train ride from Narita to Nippori Station, a subway ride from Nippori to Hamamatsucho Station and a taxi from there to the Shiba Park Hotel. Piece of cake even with the luggage and the Japanese signs–lots of helpful natives.
The hotel looks gorgeous but we’re too tired to really appreciate it yet. We finally climb into bed around 5 a.m. LA time. It’s been a long day but we’re here. Now, on to Mount Fuji.
I started this blog when we visited Hawaii last fall and my initial entry was sarcastically entitled “Getting there is half the fun”. Who was it who said, “It’s deja vu all over again.”? (I know it wasn’t Yogi Berra.) This trip got off on the same left foot.
Again, the initial flight from Toronto to Los Angeles was fine but things started to go wrong as soon as we landed in LA. We wanted to break up our travel so we had booked an overnight stay at the Travel Lodge LAX South. We chose that hotel because it was close to the airport (only a five minute ride) and they provided a shuttle service (or so they said). Of course, since they didn’t answer their phone, we never did get the shuttle pick-up. Tack another $24 onto the room rate for a cab ride to the hotel. They did get us back to the airport the next morning but very early since their shuttle runs only every 1 ½ hours.
Checking through security at LAX brought another snag. Somewhere between Toronto’s security check and LA’s, my carry-on had picked up suspicious traces. So, once again, it was a full body pat-down and a thorough inspection of everything in my carry-on bag. Same no results. As I said to Doreen, it must be the peppermint knobs–all that sugar.
We’re flying American to Tokyo (not Air Canada) so we don’t anticipate any problems. Things go smoothly with the boarding but then the pilot announces that we’re just waiting for the maintenance crew to sign off on a few things so there will be a short delay. Twenty minutes later we’re good to go–for about 100 metres. Then it’s back to the gate. Seems the maintenance crew had been working on a fuel pump and the cockpit gauges were showing it wasn’t working. The captain was understandably reluctant to begin a trans-Pacific flight without being sure he could get gas to the jet engines.
We finally departed LA at 2 p.m. on Friday some two hours behind schedule so our eleven-hour flight suddenly became a thirteen-hour ordeal. Landing at Narita airport shortly after 5 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, we’re still a long ways from Tokyo. But all it takes is a train ride from Narita to Nippori Station, a subway ride from Nippori to Hamamatsucho Station and a taxi from there to the Shiba Park Hotel. Piece of cake even with the luggage and the Japanese signs–lots of helpful natives.
The hotel looks gorgeous but we’re too tired to really appreciate it yet. We finally climb into bed around 5 a.m. LA time. It’s been a long day but we’re here. Now, on to Mount Fuji.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Getting ready for the next adventure
We’re off on Thursday for our first visit to Asia. We have a few days of sightseeing in Tokyo and Seoul before we go south for some warmer weather and some snorkeling. This will be our first real experience where the language, culture and even the alphabet (or lack thereof) will be completely alien. We’re going with a great deal of trepidation, hoping not to get too frustrated and, above all, not to act like ‘the ugly, barbarian tourist’.
We’ve had some small exposure to this before, particularly while touring in Moorea and visiting Ile des Pins in New Caledonia. We struggled with our minimal grasp of the local language (high school French, anyone) but at least the alphabet was recognizable and signs and maps could be deciphered (albeit slowly). This will be a whole new world. Add to the equation the size of Tokyo and the pace of life in a big city and things get interesting. At least in Seoul, we’ll have some guidance from Melissa. Should be a very unique experience. Hopefully, we’ll survive it and emerge as better travelers.
When we head down to Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines, we’ll be spending most of out time in tourist areas where the same problems should not present themselves. We’ll be passing through some large cities (Bangkok, Singapore, Manila) but not spending any significant amount of time in the urban environments. Plus it will be warmer. It’s always easier to deal with problems and frustrations when you’re not freezing.
It will be cold in Tokyo and Seoul but, hopefully, we will escape the snow that has dominated southern Ontario for the past few months. The media are really focused on the fact that we’re on the cusp of setting a new record for snowfall, breaking the old mark set back in 1939. (Mind you, the record of 207.4 cm pales when compared to St. John’s and its mark of 648.4 cm) But there’s still nowhere to put any more snow.
We’ve had some small exposure to this before, particularly while touring in Moorea and visiting Ile des Pins in New Caledonia. We struggled with our minimal grasp of the local language (high school French, anyone) but at least the alphabet was recognizable and signs and maps could be deciphered (albeit slowly). This will be a whole new world. Add to the equation the size of Tokyo and the pace of life in a big city and things get interesting. At least in Seoul, we’ll have some guidance from Melissa. Should be a very unique experience. Hopefully, we’ll survive it and emerge as better travelers.
When we head down to Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines, we’ll be spending most of out time in tourist areas where the same problems should not present themselves. We’ll be passing through some large cities (Bangkok, Singapore, Manila) but not spending any significant amount of time in the urban environments. Plus it will be warmer. It’s always easier to deal with problems and frustrations when you’re not freezing.
It will be cold in Tokyo and Seoul but, hopefully, we will escape the snow that has dominated southern Ontario for the past few months. The media are really focused on the fact that we’re on the cusp of setting a new record for snowfall, breaking the old mark set back in 1939. (Mind you, the record of 207.4 cm pales when compared to St. John’s and its mark of 648.4 cm) But there’s still nowhere to put any more snow.
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