Koyasan and Ryujin Onsen

Koyasan

Monday, September 21st, was a national holiday -keiro no hi, or, Respect for the Aged Day. Actually, this week in September has become known as Silver Week as the 23rd is also a holiday - shubun no hi, or the Autumnal Equinox.

We had planned ahead, and had a reservation at Ekouin Temple (???) in Koyasan. We took the very comfortable Koya-Go train from Nanba station to Koyasan, arriving at about noon. Koyasan is the seat of Shingon Buddhism, and was founded by Koubou Daishi (a.k.a. Kukai) twelve centuries ago. I've had a very strong Buddhist bent for a while, and I'd been wanting to do shukobo (sleep in a temple) for a very long time, so this was the perfect opportunity. Using Jalan.net, a Japanese online hotel reservation site, I found a really good price for a night at Ekoin. This is just lucky timing - every month on the 20th, they offer shukubo for 5,000 yen per person (yes, this is very cheap!). The catch was that we had to share a room with others, so for sleeping, I was in the ladies room, and Brian was in the men's room! But this actually worked in our favour, as the pricier, private reservation options seemed to be flooded with foreigners. I know, as a foreigner myself, it seems snobby to not want to be around other foreigners - but it is just a nicer experience when it feels less touristy. Our shared rooms had only Japanese guests, giving us each an opportunity to learn about Koyasan and Buddhism from people who were really in the know, and to practice our Nihongo. There were ten women in my room, and four in Brian's - it was just fine with us, and we both slept great!

Actually, the whole experience was unforgettable, and I do want to write about it in more detail later, but the basics are:

* Simple but excellent shojin ryori (vegetarian 'monk' meals) for dinner and breakfast
* Pleasant evening walk around Okunoin Temple and all 200,000 graves/tomb stones, including the mausoleum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* Participation in morning prayers and meditation (zazen)
* Because it was the 21st of the month, there was also the added, special 'fire ceremony' in honour of Kobou Daishi (Kukai)
* Overall soothing, peaceful, spiritual atmosphere.

After a night of shukubo, I felt more at peace, more prepared and accepting of the recent changes in my life and life's path.

After such a relaxing evening, and cleansing morning ceremony, we prepared for the next leg of our journey. We checked bus schedules, and boarded a bus from Oku-no-in-mae (in Koyasan), and rode through the most spectacular mountains to our next destination - Ryujin Onsen.

Ryujin Onsen

As the bus wended its way up and down the windy mountain road, we sipped a beer and marvelled at the sublime beauty of these wild mountain ranges - they are quite different in scope to the ones we are used to on the other side of Japan, stretching in rolling hills as far as we could see. It was almost sad to arrive at the Ryujin Onsen bus stop.

Ryujin Onsen is a small onsen (spa) village in Tanabe, Wakayama prefecture. It is not at all a city, of course - just a small cluster of traditional ryokan on the Hidaka River. The idea of this kind of town is to provide a relaxing getaway for travellers, where they can rest, eat amazing food, and indulge in the natural hot spring baths. The hot springs here are actually one of the most famous springs in Japan, being one of the 'bijin no yu', or Beautifying Hot Springs. I suppose my skin did feel a lot softer, and did look a little younger, after so many baths!

But actually, the most amazing thing is where we stayed. Also using Jalan, we got a reservation at Kami-Goten ryokan, which is actually very, very famous and has a rich history, having been opened in 1657 for Tokugawa Yorinobu. It is now registered as a 'precious cultural heritage'. And this is where we stayed!!

We had a spacious tatami room, and we even got a room with an engawa (sitting room) overlooking the river. We took long baths together in the rotenburo (open air bath), which we could lock and have as private use; and we over-ate a magnificent dinner, and had a lovely evening stroll, walking around outside in our yukata and geta.

We arrived too early for check-in due to the bus schedule, so we went for lunch at a small shokudo (diner) on the hill...(there's a photo in the slideshow)

The next day, we woke up a bit later than usual at 7 a.m., but then hurried to the baths for a pre-breakfast soak in the rotenburo. We then had an extravagant breakfast with the usual fare of raw egg, rice, miso soup, pickles, tofu, and other delicacies.

As you can guess, it was really hard to finally tear ourselves away from this place, but one night of superiour luxury had to suffice. Our next move was to catch the bus to Tanabe city, where we hoped would be a cute seaside city. Unfortunately, Tanabe does not have much to recommend it - it is a city. That is all. However, we did find a great little shokudo (diner) where we had a good lunch and a cold beer before taking the cozy reserved train from there back to Osaka. Once in Osaka, we did some window shopping around Den-Den town, and stopped for a cocktail at a Mexican restaurant, before going out for dinner at yet a different Mexican place.

Finally, we checked into a love hotel* in the Nanba area, where we were awoken at 4:30 a.m. by the sound of loud, cracking thunder. We opened the one window we had, and listening to the pouring rain, enjoying the lightening and earth shaking thunder.

A lovely few days around Kansai!

Photo Slide show! I'm trying something new, and instead of inserting the photos, I am inserting s slide show. If you hover over the pics, you can see captions.

[Update: the slideshow no longer works, so, here are just the photos!]

Getting there:

The train and cable car to Koyasan from Nanba (Osaka) is very quick and comfortable and convenient, and run frequently. However - buses from Koyasan only run from April through November, and only twice per day. You need a reservation. See the link below for the schedule, and call the number for Ryujin bus for a reservation, or make a reservation at the bus terminal window (Koyasan station), or the tourist information at Oku-no-in mae.

LINKS

* Koyasan Information - http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html
* Ryujin Onsen Information -http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/ryujin.html
* Bus schedule between Koyasan-Ryujin Onsen-Tanabe - http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/transport/pdf/Kii-Tanabe-Ryujin-Koyasan-bus.pdf
* Ekoin Temple (???) (Not to be confused with the Tokyo Ekoin ???) - http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/eko_in.htm
* Kamigoten Ryokan - http://www.aikis.or.jp/~kamigoten/

*A love hotel is a hotel that can be rented for a 'rest' or a 'stay'; we usually choose to stay overnight. Most do not take reservations, and some (a very very few) have cute, kinky rooms, but those ones have largely disappeared.

Benefits of Repatriation

My last post was a lot of venting, explaining some of the tediousness, and unpleasantness, associated with repatriating to Quebec. I did not say earlier, but when I first fled Montreal, I swore I would never, ever come back Quebec. Montreal I loved, Quebec I loathed.  However, maturity softens many points of view, and despite some hard moments, I have to acknowledge that  repatriating to the place of one's birth, to the place where all formative years were spent, also has some advantages.

One of the advantages, that can't be given too much emphasis, is a large, loving (if neurotic!) family, and lots of old friends. I mean close friends, not just acquaintances. I've already rejoined a dart league (yes, I'm a great, big nerd), and have been invited to join another on Monday nights. I've got a dinner and bowling invitation for Saturday night with  two friends who I haven't seen in eight years or so. Oh, Friday night will be a girl's night out down town with a friend I see every time I make it back to town - we will likely drink a lot of beer on tap, and sit in a corner and talk only to each other!

And next week, I'm going to hang out with my uncle and his long-time partner, probably having a long chat, drinking chai, and doing some networking since his partner is a successful manager of Telus. I should be able to find out about jobs to be had...

Of course, as soon as Denis (Bernicky) can manage it, we are going to meet for coffee or tea or whatever. He's been really under the gun the last few months, and any time I want to whine about my life, I'll remember his fortitude as he deals with all the crap on his plate (his wife has been battling breast cancer for more than five years, and now needs almost constant care; he's got two teenage children with all the accompanying needs of teenagers; he's holding down a full-time job and trying hard to make ends meet; the list goes on..). But Denis and I have been great friends from way back, and I hope that being back here, I can maybe lend a hand when necessary.

My family, too, have been good. I'll be renting a car to drive to Ottawa for Thanksgiving at my brother and sister-in-law's house (Thanksgiving here is October 10/11). And my mother, who is still recovering well from lung cancer and surgery and chemo, is so very happy to have me here, she has no intention of ever throwing me off her sofa, and even brings me home beer from the store!

In addition to having such a good lot of friends and a great support network, I have access to lots of good facilities.  I've already joined the local YMCA; being unemployed, I do not want to splurge on the fancy gyms, but actually the Y is really good, so I don't need anything else. I met with a personal trainer today, had a good work out and feel inspired to lose a few pounds.

Other good things...I ran 10 km yesterday, along the St. Lawrence river, noticing how the trees are starting to change colour; the local supermarket is just a 10 minute walk away, and has a huge variety of food, including curries and other exotic goodies; red wine here is not as expensive as I'd thought; although my French sucks, people are quite friendly if I show a willingness to try to speak. And finally - even though I felt that the Zen Centre woman was quite snotty, I feel fortunate that there is a Zen Centre at all.

Trials of Repatriation: Losing my Wa

I've been here for less than a week, and I am already contemplating rebording the plane and seeking refuge in my familiar Japan!

I've been back to Montreal several times in the past twelve months, but those were temporary visits, a two-week hiatus from my real life in Japan. But now I am here, without a plan to return, instead trying to repatriate, to start life again in a new (old) place.

Letting go of life in Japan was a tough decision, and selling the car and bike and moving away were all parts of the letting go.  I thought I was done with it - but as I deal with a lot of the bureaucratic bullshit that is Quebec,  I frequently find myself wishing for all my Japan life back again.

I called the drivers' license office today about getting my Quebec license. It is possible to convert from Japanese to Quebec license, as I knew it was. However, retardedly, because I am Canadian, I need to have six consecutive months of past bank statements or bills in Japan as proof that I lived there.

I am a minimalist, and do not keep statements generally. Also, I just moved overseas, and transporting a bunch of extraneous paper across the ocean didn't seem necessary. So, I do not have any paper bills at all. I tried, at first calmly, to explain this, and to explain that it was clear from my passport that I've spent a total of less then two months in Canada over the last dozen years. Also clear from my passport is that I have held a valid Japanese visa for the past twelve years. Also, I am a holder of a Japanese Alien Registration Card, which served as my proof of address for all nearly thirteen years that I spent in Japan.  No go.

Now, if I have learned anything in Japan, it is to be patient, polite. Do not blame the messenger. But seriously, this woman on the phone today was an ignoramus who was not 'just doing her job', she was doing the absolute minimum. Maybe that was no excuse for my outburst - but my outburst did provoke greater action and finally got me something that maybe made more sense: a tax statement, translated, I was told,  would be okay.

Okay. Tax statement - Brian is able to send me the last year or two, so that should be okay. I also called Citibank and asked them to send me the last six months of my statements (although I do have the past four months still in my email box). It would be good to have both as a precaution.

So why am I jumping through these hoops? Why not just retake the Quebec license? Apparently, to do so would take one year (??), but driving courses are not a pre-requisite for new licenses acquired in Quebec. Another glitch - I am only legally allowed to drive for 90 days after my arrival in Canada. Yes, now I remember - I did leave Quebec for a reason all those years ago!

And I forgot to ask what kind of paperwork I needed to transfer my motorcycle license over...god only knows what I'll have to do for that!

Fortunately, my visa is still good. If the Quebec license bureau has not issued me a license by December, I will fly back to Japan for a short vacation, and return to Quebec again, buying me another 90 days!

Anyway, after this, I called the Montreal Zen Center. I would never have lost my temper if I'd been practicing, sitting every day. On the phone, I was told I'd have to attend a beginner's workshop, followed by the beginner's course. I said okay, no problem, but I did have some experience in Japan, and practiced at several temples. The woman got snotty and told me that I should practice humility. HUH!

Already I was in a pissy mood. Determined not to let it get worse, I said, 'Mustn't we all. Could you please register me for the workshop, then?'

What the hell? When was simply explaining that you were not a beginner wrong? I guess she thought I was bragging. I wasn't, or didn't think I was. I was stating a fact.

Added to this that I'm only just recovering from jet lag, and still living out of two suitcases...my wa is out of wack!

Things are certainly not all bad, tough. I will post separately about the pleasurable aspects of repatriation.

A Summary of my Final Week in Japan

It is now Sunday, sort of. It is 2:30 a.m. in Montreal; I'm jet lagged, and I have some time, inclination and an internet connection so I can finally post a little, to recap my final week in Japan.

Saturday, September 18th

Last Saturday, September 18th, Brian and I started the day with long, leisurely cups of tea and coffee, before  driving into the mountains for a good run, and then some resting in the sun. Afterward, we met a friend and spent the entire afternoon drinking beer on the lawn of the Gotemba Kogen, one of my favourite weekend places and past-times.

Brian and I then walked a few kilometres to an izakaya where we had dinner, before then walking the final five kilometres home to Brian's place.

Sunday, September 19th

Sunday - we got up early and caught the Shinkansen to Osaka, where we spent the day at my rental flat at Banana House, waiting for the Takkyubin delivery guy to come pick up my suitcases for shipping to the airport, to be ready for my Friday flight. We later went out for dinner near Sakai Higashi station - it was a cute little izakaya (whose name I forget!), and we got our own little private booth. Very cozy, good food, and, of course, great service.

Monday, September 20th ~ Tuesday, September 21st

Monday was a national holiday -keiro no hi, or, Respect for the Aged Day. Actually, this week in September has become known as Silver Week as the 23rd is also a holiday - shubun no hi, or the Autumnal Equinox. Brian had these days off of work, and he also took the rest of the week off for us to spend together. So, no longer having big suitcases to worry about, and not needing my rental room anymore, and not wanting to have to come back if we didn't want to, I checked out of Banana House, never to return.

We had planned ahead, and had a reservation at Ekouin Temple (恵光院)　in Koyasan. We took the very comfortable Koya-Go train from Sakai-Higashi station to Koyasan, arriving at about noon. Koyasan is the seat of Shingon Buddhism, and was founded by Koubou Daishi (a.k.a. Kukai) twelve centuries ago. I've had a very strong Buddhist bent for a while, and  I'd been wanting to do shukobo (sleep in a temple) for a very long time, so this was the perfect opportunity. Using Jalan.net, a Japanese online hotel reservation site, I found a really good price for a night at Ekoin. This is just lucky timing - every month on the 20th, they offer shukubo for 5,000 yen per person (yes, this is very cheap!). The catch was that we had to share a room with others, so for sleeping, I was in the ladies room, and Brian was in the men's room! But this actually worked in our favour, as the pricier, private reservation options seemed to be flooded with foreigners. I know, as  a foreigner myself, it seems snobby to not want to be around other foreigners - but it is just a nicer experience when it feels less touristy. Our shared rooms had only Japanese guests, giving us each an opportunity to learn about Koyasan and Buddhism from people who were really in the know, and to practice our Nihongo. There were ten women in my room, and four in Brian's - it was just fine with us, and we both slept great!

Actually, the whole experience was unforgettable, and I do want to write about it in more detail later, but the basics are:

• Simple but excellent shojin ryori (vegetarian 'monk' meals) for dinner and breakfast


• Pleasant evening walk around Okunoin Temple  and all 200,000 graves/tomb stones, including the mausoleum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi


• Participation in morning prayers and meditation (zazen)


• Because it was the 21st of the month, there was also the added, special 'fire ceremony' in honour of Kobou Daishi (Kukai)


• Overall soothing, peaceful, spiritual atmosphere.

After a night of shukubo, I felt more at peace, more prepared and accepting of the recent changes in my life and life's path.

O-Jizosama at Oku-no-in

Oku-no-in at night

Autumnal Moon over Ekoin Temple

Vegetarian Breakfast at Ekoin Temple

Tuesday, September 21st~Wednesday, September 22nd

After such a relaxing evening, and cleansing morning ceremony, Brian and I prepared for the next leg of our journey. We checked bus schedules, and boarded a bus from Okunoin-mae (in Koyasan), and rode through the most spectacular mountains to our next destination - Ryujin Onsen.

As the bus wended its way up and down the windy mountain road, Brian and I sipped a beer and marvelled at the sublime beauty of these wild mountain ranges - they are quite different in scope to the ones we are used to on the other side of Japan, stretching in rolling hills as far as we could see. It was almost sad to arrive at the Ryujin Onsen bus stop.

Ryujin Onsen is a small onsen (spa) village in Tanabe, Wakayama prefecture. It is not at all a city, of course - just a small cluster of traditional ryokan on the Hidaka River. The idea of this kind of town is to provide a relaxing getaway for travellers, where they can rest, eat amazing food, and indulge in the natural hot spring baths. The hot springs here are actually one of the most famous springs in Japan, being one of the 'bijin no yu', or Beautifying Hot Springs. I suppose my skin did feel a lot softer, and did look a little younger, after so many baths!

But actually, the most amazing thing is where we stayed. Also using Jalan, we got a reservation at Kami-Goten ryokan, which is actually very, very famous and has a rich history, having been opened in 1657 for Tokugawa Yorinobu. It is now registered as a 'precious cultural heritage'. And this is where we stayed.

We had a spacious tatami room, and we even got a room with an engawa overlooking the river. We took long baths together in the rotenburo, which we could lock and have as private use; and we over-ate a magnificent dinner, and had a lovely evening stroll, walking around outside in our yukata and geta.

Hadaka River lines with Ryokan

We arrived too early for check-in due to the bus schedule, so we went for lunch at a small shokudo (diner) on the hill...(pictured)

We walked down these stairs, beside our ryokan, to access the river

We sat beside the river in our yukata

Dinner at Kamigoten Ryokan was as regal as the hotel itself

Our room was spacious and beautiful

One of the stairways inside our sprawling traditional ryokan

We could have private use of the rotenburo, which overlooked the river. It was nice to be able to bathe together."]

Our ryokan (Kamigoten) had the most authentic, historic front.

Wednesday, September 22nd ~Thursday, September 23rd

We woke up a bit later than usual at 7 a.m., but then hurried to the baths for a pre-breakfast soak in the rotenburo. We then had an extravagant breakfast with the usual fare of raw egg, rice, miso soup, pickles, tofu, and other delicacies.

As you can guess, it was really hard to finally tear ourselves away from this place, but one night of superiour luxury had to suffice. Our next move was to catch the bus to Tanabe city, where we hoped would be a cute seaside city. Unfortunately, Tanabe does not have much to recommend it - it is a city. That is all. However, we did find a great little shokudo (diner) where we had a good lunch and a cold beer before taking the cozy reserved train from there back to Osaka. Once in Osaka, we did some window shopping around Den-Den town, and stopped for a cocktail at a Mexican restaurant, before going out for dinner at yet a different Mexican place.

Finally, we checked into a love hotel* in the Nanba area, where we were awoken at 4:30 a.m. by the sound of loud, cracking thunder. We opened the one window we had, and listening to the pouring rain, enjoying the lightening and earth shaking thunder.

We finally checked out at about noon on Thursday, and proceeded to spend the rest of the day shopping in Osaka - several more hours in Den-Den town, and then a pit stop to a Yamaya shop, where Brian stocked up on big-city goodies and exotic beers, and I picked up a bottle of wine for us to enjoy together that evening in our hotel room.

Thursday, September 23rd

We managed to enjoy the entire week without dwelling on the fact that this was a whole bunch of lasts. But Thursday night was my truly last night in Japan. And as I had an early flight out of Kansai International, we made a reservation at the Washington Hotel near the airport in Rinku Town...

The hotel is not really near anything, but, luckily, Brian located a coin laundry on the map, so we brought several days' worth of well-worn clothes to the laundromat. The machines were amazing! They were washer/dryers - no need to transfer the clothes; and were soapfree. And the machine would phone your cell-phone when your clothes were done!!

So we put in the clothes, typed in Brian's number, then walked around looking for somewhere to eat. Once again, as often happens for us, we found a great little local izakaya. We had a couple of beers, ate lots of really good food, like kushi-katsu and yakitori and renkon-kinpira, and more. All too soon, Brian's phone rang, and we had to finish up and think about picking up our clothes and heading back to the hotel.

We finally went to sleep after midnight, having set the alarm for 5 a.m. Neither of us minded having so little sleep - I would have stayed awake all night if I could have, to enjoy the time we had there...

Friday, September 24th

I had an uneventful, and even a comfortable, flight - Osaka to Tokyo; Tokyo to Chicago; Chicago to Montreal.

My mother is happy I am here. I am happy to be in a place where I can now truly think about what my future holds...

Getting there:

The train and cable car to Koyasan from Nanba (Osaka) is very quick and comfortable and convenient, and run frequently. However - buses from Koyasan only run from April through November, and only twice per day. You need a reservation. See the link below for the schedule, and call the number for Ryujin bus for a reservation, or make a reservation at the bus terminal window (Koyasan station), or the tourist information at Oku-no-in mae.

LINKS

• Koyasan Information - http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html


• Ryujin Onsen Information -http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/ryujin.html


• Bus schedule between Koyasan-Ryujin Onsen-Tanabe - http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/transport/pdf/Kii-Tanabe-Ryujin-Koyasan-bus.pdf


• Ekoin Temple (恵光院） (Not to be confused with the Tokyo Ekoin 回向院） - http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/eko_in.htm


• Kamigoten Ryokan - http://www.aikis.or.jp/~kamigoten/

---

*A love hotel is a hotel that can be rented for a 'rest' or a 'stay'; we usually choose to stay overnight. Most do not take reservations, and some (a very very few) have cute, kinky rooms, but those ones have largely disappeared.

Netvibes as an alternative to Bloglines, Google Reader

Brian and I have been using Bloglines, a web-based RSS/Feed reader, for so many years that it had really become part of our tech requirements for keeping up with various news sources and blogs. However, when Brian opened his browser last week- whose home page is actually set to Bloglines - he got an unpleasant surprise: As of October 1st, 2010, Bloglines will no longer exist. There is no explanation, but a net search reveals that Bloglines has been failing as a business for a long time, and even being acquired by Ask.com did not help (and dare I say, it may really have hurt!).

Without a reliable reader, how would we keep up with all our news??

I quickly got looking for a viable alternative. Our main requirement is that it be a web-based application, not a program that must be downloaded to each pc - which, considering how many pcs we use, and multiple operating systems, would just be too messy. What my search turned up is that it seems that most users out there prefer Google Reader to anything else. I actually do use Google Reader a little, mainly just to follow friends' blogs. And it is okay, but merely okay. I have never considered it anywhere near as good as Bloglines - but that might just be because I loathe the interface! Others love it, so it can't be so terrible.

However, in all my searching, I found one aggregator that I think fits the bill perfectly, and that I might even come to like better than Bloglines. It is called Netvibes (www.netvibes.com).

When you first see their homepage, it looks confusing as the biggest piece of information is a blank search bar with the unhelpful function inviting you to "Dashboard it!". What the heck does that mean?? Netvibes calls your collections of feeds a 'Dashboard', and you add feeds to your Dashboard. Well, don't be daunted. It really is worth getting past the front page and setting up an account.

To set up an account, click on the upper right corner where you are prompted:" Already have an account? Click here". Yes, very unclear, but there you have it.

Still, once I got my account set up, I've been loving Netvibes. I liked it better once I changed the default Widget View to Reader View - but I think I will go back to Widget View to play with it a bit. I also like that I can change the color schemes or themes in one click. And I really like being able to set up various Dashboards, or collections of feeds and widgets, that I can choose to display or not.

For all the research I've done, I have to rate Netvibes as the best Bloglines replacement.

Here's a screenshot of one of my screens (or dashboards) in Netvibes (click image for a larger view):

Update: I've recently tried two more readers - Activoro.us, and Feedshow.
I did not like Activoro.us. It places limitations by insisting the user have Firefox (indeed a superior browser) with Greasemonkey add-on installed. And then, once you jump through these hoops, the interface is just not that nice.

Feedshow, however, I really like. It is a highly-streamlined, clean, easy-to-use web-based reader.

I still, though, love Netvibes.

Drinking, Running and Cooking

As my time in Japan finally comes to a close, I decided to make one more return Shizuoka, where Brian and I met up with some of my old OL friends for dinner and drinks (For those who don't know - OL means 'Office Lady'!). Of course, I'm spending a few days at Brian's place, and am enjoying several aspects of this return. One thing I'm loving is being surrounded by the lovely Hakone and Ashitaka　mountain ranges, and running through the rice paddies and up into the mountains. I did an easy 7km this morning, and hope to get out again tomorrow. Brian still shouldn't run, but we'll get out together for a very light jog in the morning!

Another thing I really like about being here is living in a real apartment rather than a guest house. Brian's apartment is very welcoming and cozy, with a really homey atmosphere. Especially nice is having a kitchen! I've been pretty much living on convenience store food and pre-prepared meals, and had forgotten how relaxing, and pleasurable, cooking could be. Not to mention the fantastic variety of food one can prepare in a full kitchen! For lunch today, I fixed us a couple of beef tacos, complete with guacamole. Dinner will be yaki-tori (some with chicken, some with beef), and a fresh green salad.

I'm going to hang here with Brian for another day or two, then we are both going to head back to Osaka, and from there, do some really fun travelling for two days in Wakayama Prefecture!

Fuji Safari Park

Last weekend, I was able to briefly re-visit my old stomping ground. It was a great weekend, with lots of relaxing, and falling into the comfort of old routines - like soaking up mountain sunshine, drinking beer on the lawn of the Gotemba Kogen. And it even had something new - our very first visit to the nearby Fuji Safari Park, which turned out to be really good - neither of us had ever seen lions up quite that close before, and they were downright bold, walking right in front of our car, and standing there, blocking our progress!

We were really lucky, actually, as coupons had been given out to Susono citizens a few months ago, so although the usual admittance price is 2,500 yen, we both got in free of charge.

Though we, of course, chose to do the safari in Brian's own car, it is possible to ride the Safari Bus through the park as well, so having a car is not a pre-requisite to going to the Safari Park. We got some good photos, too - albeit through the window glass, as no way was I about to roll it down, even for a second.

[gallery link="file"]

A Weekend in Susono

Okay - so I finally got my Miyajima post posted!

After my computer meltdown, which, with Brian's help via telephone and texting, I had fixed by Friday morning, I decided to go hang out in Susono anyway. So, I guess I could have left the computer unfixed until I got there, and fixed it together, but I needed a project anyway!

I went to Susono on Friday night, and just relaxed with Brian, who is still taking medication and trying to recover from ear/hearing damage incurred when swimming in Fukui several weeks ago. On Saturday, we packed a couple of books and a couple of 'cold ones', and went to sit in the sun in the mountains for a few hours. After that, we went to the Gotemba Kogen, where we sat outside and enjoyed some sausage and German beer. A very pleasant day, all in all.

On Sunday, Brian spontaneously suggested that we go to the Fuji Safari Park. The safari park is actually quite close to us, and easy to get to as there is no traffic on the back roads we use. We've driving and ridden past it so many times, but it just seemed kinda lame, so we never went. However, a few months ago, Susono citizens were given coupons for free entry to the park, in celebration of its 30th anniversary. So, why not?

And frankly - it was really good! As Brian said, it wasn't educational, as there was no information about the lions or tigers as we drove through them, but it was the first time we'd ever seen a lion or a tiger or even a bear quite that close up. All through the park there were signs warning people to keep the windows up and the doors locked...when seeing how big and frisky those lions were, I double-checked the door locks!

Again, Sunday was a great day, a lovely way to spend the weekend. And we even got some photos through Brian's car windows!

A Night and a Day in Miyajima

This post was meant to come way last week. In fact, I was working on uploading the photos below and creating a slide show when my hard disk in my little netbook totally burned up, taking with it any data I'd accumulated over the last three months. I did, luckily, rescue all my photos, however.

Anyway, back to my - now to be brief - report about Miyajima. I hadn't expected too much from this overly-photographed shrine and this overly-touristed island, but still it was one of the places I really wanted to see before leaving Japan. And I am so glad that I did!

Despite the tourists, the island- whose formal name is Itsukushima, but which is commonly known as Miyajima -has a rich history, and retains a lot of charm. And there are even places to escape from the crowds. On my first day there, I hiked up to the top of Mt. Misen, with gorgeous views all along the way. The worst, unluckiest part for me was the descent, when somehow, the two most obnoxious North American women were about 200 metres in front of me the whole way, just speaking as loudly, and inanely, as they possibly could. Still - it was a great hike.

Day two, after a perfectly perfect night spent at the Kinsui Besso, I wandered around waiting for sunrise, and enjoyed the ethereal calm of such an early morning outing. It was so simply sublime. Later, when the tourists started arriving on the ferries, I went hiking again, this time on a less popular trail, that took me over to a lovely, and unpopulated beach, where I cooled my feet in the water before heading back to the ferry by walking lazily along the coast and through the streets of town.

Of course, I took tons of photos of the magnificent Miyajima shrine.

Miyajima is easily done in a day trip from Hiroshima, but to be honest, staying at least one night on the island is the way to go. The whole character changes once the sun has gone down. After jostling with all the other tourists for some decent sunset photos, I went to an izakaya for dinner, not having to rush to cash the last ferry back to the mainland. And when I came out of the restaurant - I was totally alone, and the quiet streets, and could just sit and appreciate the great shrine in silence and solitude.

The Kinsui Besso (or Kinsui Villa) was also a really really great, comfortable place to stay. Located just across the street from the pier, they have a fantastic bath on the top floor, which was also, conveniently, where my cute little room was located too. They have accommodations for one, as well, at a good price, which is not so common for ryokan or minshuku, which generally cater to groups of two or more. The breakfast at Kinsui was also excellent. I definitely would stay there again.

I had a lot of photos, and have put them here in gallery format for ease of loading, etc... Click on the pic for a larger view!
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Hard Disk Failure

Yes, I've been an absentee blogger for a while, and I actually do have an excuse for it this time - last week, while pounding the keys in frustration, either I or the heat or wear and tear or coincidence caused my hard disk to simply crash and burn.

The hard disk is basically what contains all the data, including the operating system, on a computer. Without a functioning hard disk, I basically had no pc at all.

Luckily, having Ubuntu as dual OS, when Windows refused to boot, I was able to boot into Ubuntu (though I did get a message warning me that 'hard disk failure is imminent'). From Ubuntu, I was able to access the data, and copied the most important stuff - the photos from the past few months - onto an external hard drive. I then nipped out to a pc shop, carrying my little netbook, and asked the possibility of a repair. I was told it would take several weeks and cost about 300 dollars. Considering that a new netbook is only 400 dollars, and knowing full well that my disk was fried, and that the data still on it was not worth that much cash, I declined. But rather than buy a new pc, of course, I just bought a new hard disk and a clip drive that I intended to install another OS on - like Ubuntu.

When it comes to computer repair or diagnosing any issues with a pc, it is really vital to have a second computer handy. Brian and I at one point had about 8 computers between the two of us. I have pared down to just two. And fortunately I did have access to a functioning pc from which I was able to download and install the necessary OS to get me up and running again!