Sumo do Sumo dont

It was worth the 2100 yen to go and see the Sumo tourament on at the moment. Went with Susanne from the hostel, as the others all went yesterday and have now left the country or area. The stadium is a square with shaved corners. Even in the nose bleed seats there was a good view. Admitedly we spent a while sitting in lower seats, until a very polite gentlemen pointed out that we should move higher up. The cheap seat area was only about half full and the seats were standard (but comfortable) western style seats. The stalls area was all mats and was well over three quarters full. In a land that is so much into its technology there was no replay screen to view and the advertising that occurred was a line up of men who carried banners around the ring every now and then. Mainly in the middle of the later bouts. The sport is a lot about ritual. Some of the bouts were very interesting, but others were over in a blink. Well a blink that occurred after 4 minutes of psychological
mind games between the opponents. A very appropriate way to finish off my time in Japan.

I followed that up with a wander around Shibuya and Shinkuju. Now it is time to go and get my free drink at the bar owned by the people who own the hostel. So I missed my crushing train journey, but I have enjoyed my trip and the people I have met and catching up with those I already knew. I must thank all those who have put me up, shown me around and generally made this trip a great one. Until my next trip, or your next visit have a wonderful time. Goodbye Japan and holiday, hello soon to Melbourne and ...

More about this trip is to be found at www.davethetraveller2006.blogspot.com.

Ciao
David :)

Mission was a failure

I tried, but to no avail. It got a crowded for a little while, but no crush. I will try again tomorrow, but earlier. Oh I am talking about my search for a very (!!!!) crowded peak hour train. Some others at the hostel are going to the big Sumo tourament today, but I will not be going, if they have a good report I may head there tomorrow. Off to try and get some more sleep, bye

To Tokyo after all

Due to problems emailing, not everyone got my last email, so please check the blog for that entry. Also this place will not recognise my camera so it will be a while longer before I put more photos on the blog.

Just for a change I did not change my mind and go to somewhere other than Tokyo. Staying at a rather sterile hostel. I suppose the place in Nikko has spoiled me as the feel of the place was so good. I hope to catch a peak hour train tomorrow morning. Not for the claustrophobic. Otherwise it has been a bit of a wander around Nikko and goodbyes to the group of english teachers (and one hair model) I meet in Nikko. Had some great chats and games of cards with them. Good thing I was not playing for money as I did not do well.

So my next entry will probably be from the squashed version of me. Take care and remember that train/tram/bus is not really that crowded.

Kobe to Nikko

So the plan was a stop in Nikko to break up the journey to Sapporo, you guessed it things changed. I did make it to Nikko, but I will not be making it any further north. So here is the only place north of Tokyo I will make it. Nikko is a very (!!) touristy town. As it is only 2 hours from Tokyo and there are 8 World Heritage sites in the area. Most of them temple including the carving of the 3 wise monkeys (this is apparently the carving that made them famous, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys). I have basically been over seeing temples, but felt it was worth visiting them to see the 3 wise monkeys. Saturday was a day of walking around town checking out statues, temples, shrines and water falls. Then it was cards and drinking before at 1am heading out to an onsen (bathhouse) for a soak.

Sunday it was off to Nikko National Park for lots of walking with Todd from Germany. Lots of tourists around as this is not only a weekend, but a long weekend. Stopped at one of the falls and had fish on a stick. That is a whole fish BBQ on a stick, watch out for the intestines they taste aweful. It was ok, but I enjoyed the ice cream I had after more.

So I will most likely be heading to Tokyo today to finish off my time in Japan. Should be some more pictures on the blog soon.

On to Kobe, well here already and thinking about moving on

After a wander around Kagoshima yesterday I hit the road again. Well the rail. Decided to skip Nagasaki and go through to Kobe, not to see the town but use it as a base to see Hiroshima, which I did today.

While in Kagoshima I popped into the municipal museum where they have a small bitsa collection. That is bits of that and a bits of that with no theme to the work. The best piece was by the artist Seiji Togo and there was also a very good piece by Hiroki Horiwaki. The works of Picasso, Warhol, Monet, Matisse, Pissaro and other famous European artists were all pretty ordinary.

It was a wet arrival in Kobe at night, and the hostel was tucked away, not fun looking around in the rain. Caught the Shinkansen back to Hiroshima to visit the A-Bomb dome and Otorii. It is amazing how little appears to be affected by the blast. Of course the over 120,000 people who died in that crime against humanity are not there to be seen. It was odd to be visiting the site only 3 days after the 5th anniversary of the twin towers horror. At the remains of the Hiroshima castle there is a tree that survived the blast, just 770 meters (about .5 mile) from ground zero. On the banks of the river just meters from the dome are willows, planted since the attack. To see that life can grow on such a site is hard to fathom.

On a happier note was my visit to Miyajima to see the torii Gate at Itsukushima Shine. This is a torii that spectacularly sits out in the water off the island of Itsukushima (or Miyajima). Arrived at the ferry terminal and there were deer wandering around begging for food or just foraging in the bins. As they were very used to people around, I managed to get a few nice photos. The light was terrible to photograph the torii so you will just have to check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine.

I will possibly be heading to Sapporo on Hokkaido tomorrow, but I will work that out later.

Some photos Yakushima and Kagoshima

Ohkonotaki waterfall on Yakushima island, 88 meters high and a great place to have a dip.

My room in Kagoshima, Japanese style, it was bigger than it looks in this photo.

The inside of one of the Shinkansen (there I go with the trainspotting again)

A lunch of samples, most of it was quite nice, sorry but I had eaten part of the lunch before I took this photo.

Still in Yakushima

Ok, the change in plans was unchanged. As I had come all the way out here it was time to buy some new rain gear. So now I could go for the walk. Before that a little bit about Yakushima island. It is an island south of the main Japanese islands. Over half the island is national park and most of that is World Heritage listed. Much of the tree cover is cedar, including its most famous resident, Jomon-sugi Cedar. This tree is around 7200 years old and big. It is an 11 hour round trip walk to the tree and I just am not prepared for that walk, so I will be missing it. The island is expensive, but if you go overnight hiking it is a lot cheaper as the huts provided are free, but this is a volcanic island so do not expect any flat land. It rises out of the water and just keeps rising until it peaks, in several places. The only flat land seems to be where is has been made flat by people. Towns dot the outer edge of the island and a road rings the island with just a few roads snaking inland. The rest of the island is covered in forest and moss. Fantastic visuals standing on a rock, on my main walk, looking out at the forest that looked like patches of grass at time with some trees on it, but of course it was just a clump of similar trees with some taller ones near by. Saturday went on a hike to Shiratani Unsuikyo ravine, the area that inspired the film Princess Mononoke. The forest was foggy and very mystical. You could very easily imagine this as a magical land. Unfortunately it is a little humid, so take a change of clothes. As it turned out I did not need the rain gear for the walk, oh well I would not have gone if I did not have the gear. Yes I do like this little island.

Yesterday I had my most expensive ever visit to a watefall. The bus trip there and back cost about 4000 yen and as there are only a few buses going to the waterfall (Ohko-no-taki waterfall) and my bus was running 15 minutes late, ended up with less than 10 minutes (after the walk to it and stopping to help a group take their photo) looking at the waterfall. I had gone to see it and have a swim, lots of people there when I arrived, but no one swimming. Ah what the hell. I only got to dive in and pretty much get straight out, but it was worth it. Yes I was wearing a bathing suit. Back to Kagoshima on Kyushu today, then heading north.

Yakushima island photos

A lovely day at Nagata beach on the island

Just don`t remind this guy

This is the forest that inspired Princess Mononoke. Walking through the fog in this mystical forest was incredible I am so pleased I stayed for this. The above photo was also taken within the forest.

Once again plans change

Well I was going to go for a bush walk today, but it is bucketing down at the moment. Even if I had proper rain gear I would not be going in this weather, and I only have an umbrella (forgot to bring my rain stuff, but figured it being summer it would not matter). So I think I will head back to Kagoshima for walking in the rain over there, well hopefully not. I have just checked the weather (at www.weathercity.com) for southern Japan and it looks like showers and rain all over the place for the next few days, bugger.

Had a nice time at Nagata beach on this island yesterday. The water was warm and with no surf, but I had a lovely time floating in the water. Had a problem getting back. It cost 810 yen on the bus each way and I had enough change for the outbound trip, but not for the return, only a 10,000 yen note. I had not expected such a high cost for the bus. The bus driver was very good and stopped at a shop on the way back to let me get change, the shop keeper was not happy giving me change from such a large note for a 150 yen drink. He `punished` me by giving over 5000 of the change in coins. Most of those coins were the 500 yen coin, so it was not too bad.

Speaking of drink, the drink I purchased was Pocari Sweat, which I also found in Korea. Great idea including sweat in a drink name, but as it is a sports type drink it makes sense, it is just a little off putting.

Anyway the rain looks here to stay so back onto the ferry to Kagoshima, it leaves around 1pm so I still have time to change my mind (just for something different).

Kyoto to Beppu

Well I am now on the island of Yakushima, a small island south of the main Japanese islands, but I need to wind the clock back to Kyoto, which is where I was up to.

Tues 5 Sept 2006
Well my one night in the hostel was over. Yesterday the first hostel I tried was fully booked for 3 night, this one had 1 bed for 1 night. I can not be bothered to find another place in Kyoto so I will hit the road after visiting a few places. Jean, a German woman I was talking to last night, has generously let me join her visiting some sites. So it was a train ride to an area west of central Kyoto after stuffing my pack into a locker at the train station. My pack is getting over weight. It seems to have gained 5 kilos (11 pounds) since the beginning of the trip. Just wish I could work out from what. I need to clean it out and see if I can toss anything. I have got side tracked. Caught the train to Saga Arashiyama and headed for the Horinji Temple. It looked like most of the other temples I have seen in Japan. It would be nice if there was more variety in them. It is like they have all be made from exactly the same plans. I think I am going to have to have a break from looking at temples.

Our next stop was a lot more interesting - Iwatayama Monkey Park. After a walk up a hill there they were, lots of monkeys cavorting around. From inside a cage (we were on the inside) you can feed the monkeys apple slices or peanuts. I had to and spent 100 yen on some apple slices, but I must admit I ate some of the slices. They really snatch the pieces out of your hand, which is why you are in a cage, for your own protection. Out of the cage you can walk around surrounded by them, just no taking out food or staring them in the eye. That last one had me worried each time I pointed a camera at them. It was fun and interesting watching them groom, young mischief, and mothers curbing the mischief.

I have been distracted by a chat, you will all have to wait.