Japan and Bali

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

So I was exhausted, but still enthusiastic



Taking the Nature Walk from Ohmoto Park to Dasho-in Temple



Looking out toward Itsukushima Shrine and the Five Storied Pagoda of Senjokaku



Famous O-torii Gate at high tide



Walkway up to Dasho-in Temple complex, established in the 12th century

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

More of Dasho-in Temple, which belongs to the Shingon Sect, a branch of esoteric Buddhism (I'm quoting directly from the guide pamphlet here)

Bosatsu





Shaka Buddha entering Nirvana, surrounded by 16 disciples



Jizo Bosatsu: worshippers pour water over the heads of these images to console the souls of loved ones







A Tengu, said to possess supernatural powers



More (and even cuter) bosatsu

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

I left Daisho-in after ringing the bell for worship and spinning a few prayers wheels to send my prayers up to heaven. I really could get into this Buddhism stuff. My camera battery was very very low at this point and it was time for me to check in anyway, so I set off for Hotel Iwaso, a little relieved that circumstances were forcing me to take a break. Miyajima is so beautiful that I felt guilty about not maximizing every single second I had on the island. Of course I was also positively gleeful that I didn't need to rush for one of the last ferries back to Hiroshima.

I was delighted with my room at Iwaso, even though I didn't get the momijidani park view. But I was even more delighted with C. who took me up and got me settled. Her english was more fluent than I had encountered in a while, and on further enquiry she revealed that she had lived in Toronto for a couple of years, working at a coffee-shop and improving her english. She LOVED it there and wanted to go back as soon as she could get another work-study visa. We shared some laughs about Torontonians, then she gave me some more information on Miyajima, and promised that my dinner that night would be spectacular.

Late afternoon and the tide is heading out












Then I set my camera to recharge, freshened up a bit, and headed back to Itsukushima shrine.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

Evening now, and neap tide. Hard to believe that the wet sand underfoot had been completely underwater less than six hours before. And the light. It was an artist's light. I felt bad for not being the kind of painter or photographer or even (god!) poet who could pay appropriate homage to the light and the landscape. But I didn't waste too much time on regrets. I put my little Sony to good use.



I was probably as amazed as the Children of Israel at the parting of the Red Sea.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

But I will be the first to admit, that I probably took TOO many pictures...

















OK, so I do sound a little in these clips; but ignore the commentary and take a gander at the scenery

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[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

Dinner would be served in my room at 1930, so I went back to the hotel for a quick shower. I settled in my yukata at the table and waited for my second delicious kai-seki experience.





You know, I can't fully remember what all I ate. This was obviously some kind of sashimi. I want to say tuna, but it ain't red enough. Delicious though.



Um...something in there was oyster...all of it was yummy...



My own table-top burner with a kind of fish soup. I really enjoyed that one as well.





Another roasted white fish. Another definite hit.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

I know this looks like a lot of food...and yeah, it was

Probably my least favourite of all the courses. May have been the texture of the fish cakes. Also, my food really shouldn't remind me of a toddler's bath-time toys.





Wasaaaaaaabi sauce



Rice with pickles and tiny tiny pickled fish. A sharp soup to complement.



Fruit to cleanse the palate.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

After she cleared away the last course, C. told me that at night they light up the O-torii and the shrine for a few hours. I pulled on some clothes and went to check it out. The night was active, lots of overnight visitors also wandering about the bay and taking more pictures. Most of them were wearing yukatas from their respective ryokans. I snapped a few pics, but even though I wanted to do more, the day's activities were catching up with me. My body was starting to protest; I was almost limping on the way back to the hotel.

Before bed, I went down to the hotel's private onsen in the basement. Class establishment all the way, evidently. Cleanest, brightest, most modern onsen I had been for the entire trip. It actually reminded me of a high-end spa. The main attraction was a hot pool outside on the covered and screened patio. Just beside and below this patio was a little stream flowing straight out of Momijidani park; and the combination of cool night air, hot steaming bath and rushing mountain spring put an incredible cap on what had to be the most amazing day I had had in...YEARS! A long, hot soak to relax the overworked muscles was exactly what I needed. I climbed out periodically to sit (on my towel!) on the patio boards, but most of the time I sat in the pool, staring out at the night and listening to the musical tumble of water over rock. Eventually I started drifting off, so it was definitely time for bed.

One thing my little Sony can't do, is take good night shots.





Hotel Iwaso



Iwaso's pretty little stream





The room prepared for bed





...And to all, a good night!

[Marielle]

Re: Japan and Bali

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lapassionata</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
One thing my little Sony can't do, is take good night shots.

</div></div>

Maybe the Sony can't, but you certainly can!! I think this is a beautiful shot!

And don't worry about taking too many pictures, it's not like you will be back every week, month or year (or maybe you will), you have those photos for life....
You can awe your eventual (grand)children with them later - &quot;Look where I went when I was young and adventurous!&quot;

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Marielle</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lapassionata</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
One thing my little Sony can't do, is take good night shots.

</div></div>

Maybe the Sony can't, but you certainly can!! I think this is a beautiful shot!

And don't worry about taking too many pictures, it's not like you will be back every week, month or year (or maybe you will), you have those photos for life....
You can awe your eventual (grand)children with them later - &quot;Look where I went when I was young and adventurous!&quot; </div></div>

I learned my lesson from the first major trip I ever took five years ago. I didn't have a digital camera. I had ten rolls of Fuji-film, and ended up buying two more. Each shot I took had to count, so I couldn't play around as much, or experiment. And then the cost to develop them . And now most of them are hanging out in a shoebox in my closet. Now I can't remember why I ever resisted the digital revolution.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

Day 14: Hiroshima and the return to Tokyo

This was effectively the last full day in Japan. I expected to be on a flight to Depansar within 24 hours. As if to emphasize that I needed a vacation from my vacation, my body that morning was full of strange aches and pains, stiff, crampy--everything you don't want to feel on vacation.

The day was less hazy than the previous but the views were still restricted, therefore taking the Ropeway up to Mt Misen again would have been a waste of time. I had missed high tide at 230h that morning because I had been snuggled down in my comfy futon, so I headed back to Itsukushima shrine to see where the tide was and to visit Senjokaku hall.

I had been planning to visit the beach on the west side of the island and take a last look around some more shrines, but gosh I just felt really sick and lethargic. The gouge on my right palm (from my fall in the forest) was pretty inflamed and I was watching it a bit anxiously. I thought about taking one of the long ferries across the inland sea to Shikoku to do some more exploring, but for the first time I just wasn't feeling adventurous. My gut was telling me to just pack up, grab the next ferry out to Hiroshima and the next train out to Tokyo. So that's what I did. After expressing my deepest appreciation to the Iwaso staff for their impeccable service and thanks for a wonderful stay, I got a shuttle back to the dock and within 30 minutes I was in Hiroshima.

On the ferry over, I met an Aussie couple who strongly recommended that I NOT skip the Hiroshima Peace memorial museum; the wife called it a moving experience. So I stored my luggage at the station and took one of the trams to Peace Memorial Park. Interestingly enough, it's the only stop on that tram line that is announced in English.

Hiroshima is a city on water, full of canals and lovely outdoor spaces. I wish it were known around the world for these canals rather than for what happened on 6th August 1945. Peace memorial park is indeed a moving experience; I thought that the museum was just a bit heavy-handed, but you can't escape this sense of horror and bewilderment when viewing the exhibits, reading the victim's personal accounts of that day, seeing photographs of the devastation. &quot;War? What is it good for. Absolutely nothing.&quot;

When I left the museum, it was afternoon. The day had in fact been gorgeous. Picturesque. Perfect. But I was so very tired. And so very glad to be back on the shinkansen one hour later and on my way to Tokyo. When I arrived in Asaka later that night, M-chan was home and we talked a little about the week gone by. I had so much more STUFF now than when I had left Toronto. JAL, my carrier to Bali, only allowed one checked piece of 40lbs, and no way was I going to lug two suitcases around the island. A quick search online and I found out that Narita Airport did longterm luggage service at a reasonable price. So with that sorted out, I was pretty much ready to go to Bali.

Itsukushima shrine at low tide. These working religious spaces, with monks in residence















Senjokaku, an unfinished temple on the hill overlooking Itsukushima shrine. Very serene space.





Daisho-in entrance

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

Goodbye Iwaso, goodbye Miyajima.







And as I was leaving, the tide was coming in, of course.

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

Hiroshima

The A-bomb Dome: actually a factory at ground zero, so to speak. This frame was all that was left standing in the aftermath, and it was preserved as a witness.







Peace Memorial Park

Up ahead is the Museum



You can see all the way back to the dome

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

At exactly 8:15 a.m.











Melted roof tiles

[lapassionata]

Re: Japan and Bali

For a mercy, my flight to Bali would depart in the afternoon. No insane early morning wake-up calls. By 1030 a.m. I was on the Tobu Tojo to Ikebukero, by 11:40 a.m. I was on the JR to Narita Airport. I had more than enough time on arrival to dump my extra baggage at the storage place and check-in with carry-on only. Everything so efficient, everything stress free. I really like Narita Airport!

While in the JAL departure lounge I struck up a conversation with a lovely newlywed couple from Hawaii who were honeymooning in Bali. &quot;You're leaving one paradise to honeymoon in another?&quot; I asked them a bit incredulously. But they let me know that Hawaii is soooo expensive that for the money, they could have a far more inclusive vacation in Bali. The wife had been to Bali before, but it was huzzie's first time. She warned about Bali-belly, however I was already on the ball with that one: all bottled water, all the time. Since the flight would be landing around 2300h in Depansar, we made tentative plans to share a taxi into Kuta.

The flight was smooth and JAL's service was exceptional (or maybe I was just grateful for ANY service at all, being so used to the US airliners). The plane was half empty so I got a couple seats to myself and dozed on and off all the way south. I woke up briefly somewhere over the Phillipines. I attempted for the second time to finish watching Shutter Island. I ate teriyaki chicken and listened to Alicia Keys singing about a broken heart. It really didn't feel like the full eight hours when we finally landed in Depansar.

Ngurah Rai International reminded me of Norman Manley International pre-renovation: the air was stale and humid, the lines long, everybody was working and nobody was doing a thing. I bought my visa-on-arrival and stood in line, and before too long I was past customs and headed for the arrivals area. On the way, I decided to cash my USD travellers checks. MISTAKE For anyone reading this who is considering a trip to Bali: plan to use US dollars! This is a cash economy, the rupiah is pretty meaningless, and in all the tourist areas the prices are quoted in USD. In fact in my experience, I ended up paying more with rupiah because of these arbitrarily quote exchange rates, especially when it came to things like accomodation, tours etc. Anyway, poor fool me got all my money in Rupiah at a ridiculously low rate and for the rest of the trip all the ATMs gave me rupiah. No USD out, it all stays in Bali. Credit card transactions, btw, have a 3% surcharge.

Anyway, ignorance is bliss, and I didn't know all that at the time of my first exchange; I was just feeling smug that unlike all those OTHER tourists, I was getting my local currency right off the bat. What is that saying about the fool and his folly?

Thankfully getting a taxi to the hotel was relatively straightforward; there are official taxi stands at the airport operating all night apparently, and there is a flat rate into Kuta. My hotel was right off an incredibly busy street called JL Poppies, and since it was Saturday night, and the start of the school holidays, my taxi driver tried to convince me to get off 200m or so down the road and walk the rest of the way to the hotel. He said otherwise, it would take us an hour to make it down Poppies Lane. I told him he could forget that idea; I was tired, I had paid my fare, and no way was I lugging a bag and backpack down an unfamiliar street at night looking for my hotel entrance. Was he sick? I know he was annoyed to be stuck in traffic but tant pis!

For a second mercy, check in at the White Rose Hotel was drama-free. The White Rose is not even 50 metres away from the Bali nightclub bomb blasts memorial, so the hotel security was serious and professional. The only moment was when I had to put a 300 000 Rp deposit down against any incidental costs I would incur.

When I got to the room, I laughed out loud. Usually I investigate my hotels via trip advisor, and White Rose had gotten some very mixed reviews indeed. I was under pressure (I thought at the time) to find a place to stay in Kuta for a couple nights that was cheap, close to the beach and the markets, and could be booked online. And so I just went with the best of the worst. Ha! For the money I spent it was NOT worth it. At all. The room was clean enough, but musty and a bit mildewed. The bathroom was...disgusting. At least there was cable and AC. Room service almost made me . On the plus side, the hotel was VERY conveniently located off Poppies Lane, and so close to the crazy Kuta nightlife; plus it had a pool that was well-beloved of the Aussie surfers who appeared to be the hotel's main clients. Whatever. Place to lay my head for a couple of nights. I took a shower..gingerly..brushed up with the bottled water, turned on the TV and went to bed.

Let's go!



Decided to do the Rough Guides version of Bali.



Sure it LOOKS clean...but wait till you have to sleep in the bed...



Ya, ya, I'm still here