Koya-San

After Kyoto, we took the Shinkansen back to Shin-Osaka station and then transferred onto a regular train for the long journey to Koya-San.  It was slow going in comparison to the bullet train, but it allowed us to see the beautiful country-side as we ascended into the green mountains of Wakayama-ken.

The train terminated at the base of the mountain, where we then took the funicular railway to the top.  It was like riding in a cable-car, except on train tracks.  It was so incredibly steep too, I was freaking out that the train wouldn't make it to the top.  In hindsight though, I guess the journey there was half the fun (although, you never think of these things when you're convinced that your train will derail and hurtle to the bottom of the mountain and burst into flames...)

Once we arrived in Koya-San at the top of the mountain, we made our way to our lodgings for the evening.  We stayed in one of the many buddhist temples in the middle of town.  We had a large room with a separate sitting area and bathroom, and a view of the little manicured gardens that adorned the temple.  What bliss - everything was green, peaceful and quiet.  We were served a traditional shojin-ryori meal in our room for dinner.  Consisting of miso, tofu, mountain vegetables, rice and seaweed, it was a veritable banquet - for vegetarians.  I enjoyed it, but Steve was left a little hungry afterwards as vegetables are a rare feature of his diet...

The next morning we breakfasted in the communal dinning hall at the temple.  It was odd, sitting quietly with twenty other strangers, eating seaweed and rice for brekky.  Afterwards, we walked to Oku-no-in, a buddhist cemetery nestled in the mountain top.

The atmosphere was serene.  A layer of moss covered all the tombstones, and delicate wildflowers adorned the cobbled path leading the cemetery's main temple.  We spent a few hours wandering through the grounds, visiting monuments along the way.  It might sound strange, visiting a cemetery on one's holiday, but Oku-no-in is beautiful and otherworldly, not at all sad or scary.  At times it did seem a little spooky, when the mist would hang low over the trees and the sunlight would disappear behind thick clouds.  But I was left with on overall feeling of peace and tranquility.  An ideal resting place...

Kyoto

The next stop in our Japan adventure was the cultural captial of Kyoto.  We jumped on the Shinkansen from Osaka and pulled in at Kyoto station 15 minutes later.  Although geographically close, these two cities are miles apart.

While Osaka was gritty and busy, Kyoto is more traditional.  Although it has a bustling city centre, there's a certain air of refinement.  There are more cultural and historical sights in this city than anywhere else in Japan.

We stayed at K's House hostel, about a 15 minute walk from the station.  Our room was small but clean and the facilities were great.  We hired some bikes to explore the city, stopping at temples and castles along the way.  My favourite sight was Nijo-Jo Castle in northwest Kyoto.  The castle was built by the shogun in the 17th century, complete with 'nightingale' floors that would alert the shogun and his bodyguards to any intruders.  I had just finished reading "Across the Nightingale Floor" by Lian Hern, an alternative history/fantasy about Japanese samuri and ninjas which made reference to the nightingale floors popularised by Nijo-Jo castle.  For me, it was almost like stepping into the story.  Yes, I know I'm a colossal nerd.

 

I had to put this one in.  I loved the English translated signs in Japan.  I still don't know what this means.

Ok, so there's oodles to see. We took our bikes and visited Kiyomizu-Dera, a huge temple in the southern part of the city.  The hills are incredibly steep, so we parked our bikes in a designated parking area (which you have to pay for!) and strolled up Teapot Lane to the temple.  It was a sunny day in the mid 30's, and I was sweating profusely.  I couldn't get over how many tourists were there, all dressed immaculately.  The girls were wearing high-heels and makeup, and I felt like an absolute bogan in comparison, what with my thongs and slouchy jeans...

We ambled down Ishibei-koji, a quaint little lane lined with teahouses and inns.  I saw what I thought were real geisha girls, although they might have just been there for the tourists...

There's so much to see.  We checked out an antique market at To-Ji temple in the southern part of the city, where I bought a set of hand-painted tea cups.  I had no idea how to haggle in Japanese - I'm sure the guy gave it to me in the end to get rid of me! 

We saw so much in Kyoto, almost too much to list here. I recommend to anyone visiting the city to hire out some bikes and explore the city at your leisure.  I loved riding on the path alongside the Kamo-gawa river, which cuts right through the heart of the city. You see things from a different perspective, a side most tourists might not see (for instance, the homeless people living under the bridges in their makeshift huts, with their shoes lined up neatly by the 'door').

Any visit to Japan is not complete until you see Kyoto...

Osaka

I heart Osaka.  This place knows how to have a good time.  We stayed in a very reasonable hostel, 'Go Osaka!', ate shabu-shabu and drank Asahi beers every night. 

We made a trip to Fandango, a nightclub in Yodogawa-ku to check out some Japanese bands.  But, alas, it was closed when we got there.  Although, we didn't realise at the time and just walked in like some idiot tourists.  The bouncer quickly ushered us out, crossing his arms into an 'X' to signify that we couldn't come in.  For any Westerner visiting Japan, this gesture is important to remember! 

A little disappointed, I went to a nearby Mister Donut shop and stuffed my face with crispy donuts.  Then we went to a little bar where we had to pay 1000 yen just to sit down, but this at least covered our first drink.  The walls of the bar were covered in music paraphenalia and photographs of pissed patrons.  I quite liked the atmosphere, and they had a mini statue of Freddy Mercury behind the bar.  Wish I could remember the name of the place!  Too many Asahi beers, perhaps...

Osaka has loads of subterreanean shopping arcades, a little like Sydney.  I loved it.  I indulged and hurt my credit card and picked up some unique Japanese fashion.  Also, we visited the Umeda Sky Building, which has a glass elevator that goes about three quarters of the way up the building.  To get to the top, however, you need to take an elevator in a see-through plastic tube.  I had a panic attack and cried. No joke.  I am petrified of heights.  It took me about half an hour to work up the courage to get to the top, but I closed my eyes the whole way and then bought lots of touristy souveniers to make myself feel better.  

Underneath the building is the Takimi-koji alley.  The alley is a recreation of a traditional Japanese alleyway, circa early 20th century.  Very cute and quaint, but it does feel slightly like a theme-park.  Still worth checking it out, as there are some nice little shops and restaurants there (if you could afford it, that is...).

Just outside our hostel was a little "shot bar".  It was tiny, but the booze was fairly cheap.  And the owner let us put on our choice of music and even invited Steve to have a jam on his guitar.  It was great, like sitting in a tiny shack in the middle of the big city, safe from the hustle and bustle outside.  Osaka is a place of contrasts - here we were sitting in this run-down little shack, while Hummers and Lamborghinis filled up the streets outside. 


Anyone planning a trip to Japan must check out Osaka.  It's a bit hustle and bustle like Tokyo, but it has something else to it.  The food was fantastic.  The shopping was great.  Maybe it's a little less touristy and more gritty than Tokyo?  I'm not sure, but I will definitely return there one day.  

Nikko

I am so slack.  I had every intention of keeping this up-to-date, but everyday pressures have prevented me from doing so! Anyways, the next chapter in my Japan adventure was our sojourn in the town of Nikko, about 90 minutes north of Tokyo by train.


Nikko is a great place to visit if you want to see some traditional sights, but can't stray too far from Tokyo.  It was very easy to get there by train, and we used our Japan Rail Passes to make the journey.

We stayed at the Nikko Park Lodge, a very cosy establishment on the edge of town.  They served us dinner and free wifi, so I highly recommend them.  Hot onsen pools can be found nearby; we wanted to check them out but went too late in the evening and couldn't figure out how the hell to use them!  I know what you're thinking - how hard is it to use a bath?  But when everything is in Japanese and no-one is around to assist you, it can be very daunting.  Particularly as there are rules to using onsen, which I was unfamiliar with and I didn't want to come across as some Western pig...

There are plenty of shrines and temples to see, including the famed "3 Monkeys" scuplture.
We actually missed this one, due to being lost in the giant crowd that engulfed the shrine that day. But there were plenty of other sights to see, including a bit of shopping in the town. I bought some very cute souvenirs and a second-hand kimono! A fraction of the cost of a brand new one, it's a very classy black kimono featuring a golden pattern of herons and bamboo. I wear it around the house all the time, which my roommates find kind of weird...

My Tokyo

So I've finally got my act together... We went to Japan in May/June, but I'm only just sitting down now to post about my wonderful adventures.

We landed in Tokyo on a Friday night. We didn't get up to much on our first night, on account of being tired due to the long trip. But it was pretty surreal catching the train from the airport through Tokyo... The pulsating neon lights made me feel like I was in "Blade Runner"...

On the Saturday night, we hit Roppongi. I had heard conflicting reports about Roppongi. Some friends said it was awful, some thought it was great fun. We were just looking for a pub to watch the football (correction, Steve was looking for a pub to watch the football), because it was the first game of the season, or something, I didn't really know or care...

Two things I noticed - cheap drinks and lots of foreigners. We met some travellers, mostly young Americans, who didn't seem to mind watching the football with us. Overall, I thought it was pretty fun, until I was nearly accosted by an overbearing Jamaican bouncer from a nearby hip-hop club.  Seriously, I'm not interested now leave me the f$#k alone.  He tried to tell me that they were playing the football in the club.  Yeah right.  Kids, be careful of dudes like this in Roppongi.  From what I've heard, they entice you into the club where they slap you with a hefty cover charge.  If you refuse and try to leave, they sik their 'heavies' onto you and make you pay.  Scary. 

We were staying Akasaka, which was pretty central to all the hotspots - Roppongi, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku. We went shopping in Shibuya - it felt like I was at a carnival, with flashing lights, music and yelling everywhere. 

My personal highlight was checking out the cosplay kids at Harajuku park. There were Japanese rockabilly punks and kids dancing to Elvis tunes. Some kids were jamming with trumpets and a drum kit, playing "When the Saints Go Marching In". The drummer was wearing a horse head - hilarious.  I wanted to join in.  These kids know how to have good clean fun on the weekends. 

This is what we came for - I always wanted to visit Harajuku park and see the kids dressing up. Hundreds of people gather to watch them there, and the kids seem to appreciate the attention.

Tokyo is definitely a place to get an eyeful of contemporary Japanese culture. We visited a couple of shrines while we were in town, but we mostly saved the traditional sights for later in the trip. This was our chance to see the fast-paced lifestyle in one of the biggest cities in the world - the biggest city I've ever been to, at least.



I was surprised at how easy it was to get around.
I was dreading the subway system, because I had seen videos of people being crammed into the trains like sardines. But we managed to mostly avoid that, as we didn't travel in peak times.

If you're a guitar fan, you must check out Ochanomizu. It is filled with guitar shops for as far as the eye can see. I promised Steve we would check it out, after I dragged him to a million shops in Harajuku. Ahhh...the shopping...it's so gooooood.

I love Tokyo. Will definitely return in the near future...

Milford Sound

We spent the day driving from Te Anau to Milford Sound via Milford Road. The day started off with heavy mist and ice on the roads. When the mist cleared, the sun radiated brilliantly. The views from the road were beautiful - I couldn't resist a picture of the mountains reflected in the 'Mirror Lakes' - it's just a shame that I forgot to turn off the date stamp on my camera! >_<

A trip to Milford Sound has always been high on my list of things to do before I die... It was even more amazing than I imagined! We saw dolphins and seals swimming in the incredibly cold water. Even in brilliant sunshine the mercury barely got over 5 degrees all day.


There's heaps of cruises to choose from - we chose one of the Red Boat wildlife encounter cruises, specifically because I wanted to see some animals :) It was well worth it! The cruise lasted around 2 hours or so. And even though it was absolutely freezing, winter really is the best time to see Milford Sound. Apparently, the area was in drought because it hadn't rained for 9 days! So we were pretty lucky to see clear blue skies.

After the cruise, we made the long drive back to Queenstown where we were staying for the next 7 days. I was looking forward to skiing for the first time and partying on the town!

West Coast - Wanaka - Te Anau

We spent most of the next two days driving through the country-side. After we left Franz Josef glacier, we headed south towards Haast Pass. We had a quick squiz at Fox glacier on the way - I regret not spending more time in that area because Lake Matheson is nearby, at it is meant to clearly reflect Mt Cook in its calm waters. Something to keep in mind next time, I guess...

After a day of driving, we stopped for the night at Wanaka. We stayed at the Purple Cow backpackers, which I enjoyed because they showed free movies and it had a lively atmosphere. We didn't venture outside much because it was about zero degrees outside, even in the middle of the day. Needless to say, we pretty much sat by the heater while in Wanaka. Which is a bit of a shame because I wanted to explore around the town a bit. There was meant to be some Lord of the Rings locations nearby, but I didn't attempt to find them, it was too cold! Yeah, I know, it's a pathetic excuse...

After our brief stint in Wanaka, we started driving to Queenstown to drop off our new friend, Kim. We met Kim in Franz Josef while staying at the Glowworm Cottages - she needed a lift to Queenstown, so we gladly let her join us in our journey south.

We decided to go along the 'adventurous' route from Wanaka to Queenstown via the Crown Range Road, the highest main road in New Zealand. I was a bit frightened - I had pictures in my mind of driving on narrow dirt roads, perilously close to the edge of a cliff... But it was amazing! A frozen fog had swept through the country-side the night before, blanketing the trees in a delicate layer of frost. It was so beautiful!

The views from Crown Range Road were beautiful. I would recommend anyone driving between Wanaka and Queenstown take this route. Not only is it shorter than the other Wanaka-Queenstown alternative, the views are not to be missed. It's a bit scary in parts - we stopped to take some pictures on a particularly icy patch of road, and there were no guard-rails, so we could have easily slipped over the edge of the mountain! But is was all in good fun - there's always little risks while travelling in New Zealand! This picture shows a great view overlooking the road as it heads towards Arrowtown and Queenstown in the distance.

After we dropped Kim of in Queenstown, we had a quick look around and then made our way towards Te Anau. The drive to Te Anau was beautiful once again, although Steve drove like a maniac and hit a bird along the way! I had a bit of a cry and sulked in the car, but soon recovered. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later, judging by the amounts of roadkill on the side of the roads...


Te Anau was very quiet, except for the occasional bus full of tourists on their way to Milford Sound. I imagine that it's the sort of place that gets hectic in summer - the massive Lake Te Anau would be great to swim in in the warm weather. We had a go at skimming stones on the water, which I sucked at...

We stayed the night in a really nice little unit at the local Holiday Park. There wasn't too much to get up to, but we did go out for dinner. But we were saving up our energy for the big day ahead at Milford Sound... I'll be posting some more pictures in the next few days!