Arashiyama: Temples and Gardens

Today, we took the JR Train to Arashiyama on the outskirts of Kyoto.  Arashiyama is a quiet town, except for the many tourists who visit it! 

Cherry Blossoms at Tenryu-Ji Temple

We went first to the famous Togetsukyo bridge.   Not great for blossoms as the season is past for the trees beside the river but they must hv been wonderful in their prime, just one week before our visit.  There were kimono-clad visitors and young Japanese girls everywhere.  The Japanese girls were typically accompanied by their family members - we didn't come across any mention of a "Girl's Festival" taking place that day,  so it could perhaps be some local  event.  The kimono-clad visitors were tourists pretending to be geisha.  But their languages and accents give them away - they were speaking in Mandarin, Cantonese and the like!  

Minimalism at Tenry-Ji Temple

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Anyway, we knew we were a little late for the cherry blossoms, so we were here in Arashiyama to visit temples and the famed bamboo grove.  First, the famous Tenryu-ji temple - one of the best-known zen temples in Kyoto (and another UNESCO World Heritage Site).  As can be expected of a zen temple, all the interiors were very minimalist :-)  Not so, however, its beautiful gardens, in particular the bountiful "Garden of Hundred Flowers" at the back of the temple.  Azaleas, camellias, and cherry blossoms were all out in force.

Thereafter, we went through the famous bamboo grove  - full of people taking photos!  Indeed, the tall bamboo trees were quite impressive, towering over the pathway.  The bamboo grove connects the back exit of the Tenryu-Ji temple to the famous Okochi Sanso Villa - the home of a Japanese silent movie star, Okochi Denjiro.  There was a little exhibition of him - his most famous role was obviously one of this gangster (yazuka member?) who has lost an eye.  So he looks most menacing in his photos.

The Villa itself was a small structure on the grounds of the property, and visitors were not allowed within.  The gardens, however, were a different story.  This is one of the famous "strolling gardens" of Kyoto with its extensive grounds, spreading across the entire hillside.   Indeed, we were presented with a different

garden and a different view at every turn, particularly of the surrounding areas.  Unfortunately, the cherry trees had already bloomed or we would have seen the far away mountains resting on "an ocean of cherry blossoms" as one little sign in the garden put it.  The visit ended with a little sweet and a bowlful of excellent matcha (we would learn, that there were many types of Japanese teas, of which the powdered green tea, or "matcha", was the most expensive).

Panorama - the view from the Villa

Maiko

As we left the villa to get to our next destination, we bumped into two maiko (apprentice geisha), who were attending a ceremony at one of the temples in the area!  They were impassive and ignored the tourists who were flocking around them (one tried to tap them on their shoulder to take a picture).  I got a photo - of their backs.  But that allowed me to capture the beautiful obi (sashes) they were wearing, their intricate hairdos and the characteristic white make-up on the back of their necks.

Our next stop was the Daikakuji temple - quite a walk (about 1.2 km) away. It is a very different temple from the "zen experience" we had at Tenryu-Ji.  It is very much a working temple, with its resident Ikebana Club putting up a small exhibition over the period (we saw their kimono clad members in the  grounds).  The temple has a few great prayer halls, all connected by a series of wooden corridors, many with creaking or "nightingale floors", designed to give

Osawa Pond

warning that an intruder was on his way.  A legacy from the temple's origins, as it used to be a palace, before being converted to a temple.  The Osawa Pond next to the temple was another scenic spot, with a long necked dragon boat ride available for visitors.  .

We took the bus back to Kyoto station, our home away from home, considering the many meals we had here!  We had dinner at a famous tempura restaurant, Ten-ichi.  It is a branch of a famous Tokyo restaurant and can count US President Bill Clinton as a patron.  The batter is thin and crispy, the food perfectly cooked within - still juicy and moist.  Yummy crunchy prawn heads :-)  Perfectly cooked fish which I ate with salt and lemon juice.

We walked back downstairs through Isetan and that was when we realised.... Isetan closes at 8pm and we were just in time to see all the salesgirls lining the corridor, each standing next to their stations.  As we walked past they gave a little bow to wish us goodbye.   

We went next to Daiso - it was one place which had not closed. Yeah!  Daiso here is a 100 yen shop, everything is 100 yen or rather 100 yen plus the 8% sales tax ie everything is 108 yen.  Unfortunately for us the sales tax had just risen from 5% to 8%, or everything would have been 105 yen.  But given 105 yen is about S$1.20 or so, it is, incredibly, still cheaper than Daiso Singapore which is a S$2 shop.  Bought some drip coffee - 4 sachets per pack, so it was about 30cents per sachet.  Not too bad for a cup of ground coffee.

After all this temple visiting, shopping, etc, we were quite tired out at the end of the day. More photos will be put up in batches on my Flickr page.

Hanami time: Viewing flowers in Kyoto

Day 2 in Japan.  It was a good day for viewing blossoms!

Cherry Blossoms at the Imperial Palace

Kyoto was the Imperial capital of Japan for many years, until the capital shifted to Kyoto.  But as a result, Kyoto has many historical buildings, mystical gardens and peaceful temples. We visited only a small fraction of the many beautiful buildings but the Imperial Palace was a must-see on our list.

Serenity of a Japanese Garden

Access to the Imperial Palace is normally restricted - visitors to the Palace must sign up for a guided tour.  But twice a year, the Palace is open to the public - one week in spring, and the other in the fall.  We were lucky enough that our visit coincided with the spring "Open House" for the palace.  So there we went, ourselves and thousands of other visitors, Japanese and tourists alike.  There were special performances scheduled for the morning in the palace grounds.  So we went to watch, us and probably half the visitors in the palace.  We lined up around the performance dais and found that we still could not see the performers with ease.  After a while, we gave up and decided to explore the beauties palace and its grounds instead.

 The Palace is a collection of sprawling buildings, including an imposing Imperial throne hall in a gigantic

The Imperial Throne Hall

courtyard surrounded by brightly coloured orange pillars.  Smaller halls surround this main hall, and there is a small, exquisite little garden alongside - the Emperor's private garden.There were mannikins arramged in one of the halls, to illustrate how the members of the Imperial court would have lived. The bustle in the Palace was probably quite similar to what the place must have been like when Kyoto was the capital city of Japan. But I would like to come back, another time, when there are fewer people and the Palace is restored to its normal state of peace and tranquility.

We wandered outside, through the park surrounding the Palace, to the small little food fair which was set up just beside the exit. It was selling mainly snacks - sweets, pickles, cakes, nuts and many other things including sake.  Bought a green tea ice cream :-)

Artists and the Cherry Tree

But what was really pleasant to see were the people enjoying the beautiful weather, and the holiday atmosphere of the park - small groups of friends and family were sitting in the park, on benches and the ground. People were playing with their children, or walking their dogs - and a small colony of artists were painting the cherry trees! 

We finally found a magical little dell with weeping cherry blossom trees shedding petals on the ground below.  Our little hanami viewing party of two settled beneath our own cherry tree. Unfortunately we had no food but we sat and watched the petals fall on our mat, our bags and ourselves.  Around us, people were sitting and chatting, and having a good time catching up.  It was a delightful time.

Tulips in the Kyoto Botanical Gardens

After the Palace, we went to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens, a few tube stops away.  We had a pleasant surprise - brilliant, brightly coloured tulips were on show.  But of course we were there for one thing - and we were not disappointed as we discovered the enchanted grove of weeping cherry trees (fast becoming my favourite cherry tree variety). The trees were burdened with the most beautiful pale pink flowers, with the deeper pink buds alongside, the branches falling down like a gentle little curtain around us.

Going through the cherry tree groves, it is indeed very clear why the Japanese so love the cherry blossom.  Indeed, even after a whole day looking at and photographing these fragile blooms, I too must admit to becoming a very big fan.   So, here is a little video taken in the Imperial Palace park which I think captures perfectly the atmosphere in the grounds.  And one last photo taken in the Kyoto Botanical Gardens.  More photos can also be seen on my Flickr page, as I slowly update it.  Enjoy!  

Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Visiting Kyoto: A Night at Nijo Castle

Cherry Blossoms on top of the Keage Incline

Arrived in Kyoto, Japan today - a long-awaited visit. Our objective - "hanami" or flower-viewing!  It is cherry ("sakura") blossom time here in Japan.  We are here slightly past the first blooms, but our trip research indicated that the different varieties of trees bloomed at different times.  So although we were late for the first bloom, it was perfect timing for the "second bloom", which included the weeping cherry trees, and we hoped also to catch the late bloomers.      

We took the train from Kansai airport to Kyoto Station in the city centre (we are fortunate that our hotel is a short walk away from here).  The station itself is gigantic, with tonnes of eating places.  We would end up eating many meals here during our stay (not very adventurous,  but the wealth of restaurants is incredible). Indeed, our very first meal of the trip was here, in a humble ramen restaurant in Ramen Alley on the 10th Floor of the Station.   We also had dinner here, at Katsukura Tonkatsu Restaurant, one floor above.

We checked into our hotel and left quickly to go to the Keage Incline and Okazaki Canal in the hope of

Cherry Blosssoms at the canal

seeing at least a few of the early blooming cherry blossoms in these areas.  The incline is on elevated ground running parallel to the main road.  An old railway track runs here, presumably to bring goods from the city area to the canal where they would be further shipped to their destinations.  It is lined on both sides by cherry trees- must be spectacular in full bloom.  Right now, there were only a few trees in bloom, with the majority having dropped their petals and starting to unfurl their young leaves. There were also some later blooming trees overlooking the Canal, just inside the entrance to the Kyoto Zoo.  So we popped in and managed to get a photo or two.  Our first serious cherry tree photos!

Weeping cherry blossoms in the grounds of Nijo Castle

We went next to Nijo Castle.  It is a historic site, the home of the Tokugawa shoguns.  A UNESCO World

Cherry Blossoms at Night 

Heritage site.  But we were just there to see the night illuminations for the cherry blossoms!  At this time, we were only able to go through the gardens along the prescribed route which took us past a Japanese garden around a little pond, down an avenue lined with blossoms (again past their peak) and finally to a clump of illuminated weeping cherry blossom trees in full bloom.  We got there in the early evening, just before sunset (around 6.30pm).  So we were lucky enough to see the blossoms in the changing light, as the sun set around us.   

There was also a little fair in a courtyard beside the castle, and a performance area alongside.  We managed to catch a "koto" performance including the traditional favourite "sakura". (Koto is a string instrument, placed flat on the ground and the players sit by it and pluck the strings.

It is a bit of a pity that we were not able to see the castle proper, but I console myself that I can always revisit Kyoto (outside the cherry blossom period) and learn more about the Castle itself.

Overall, it was a good start to our stay in Kyoto, in terms of hanami experiences.  But my first impression is really of Japanese efficiency and how they are transforming the customer experience. Some examples:

• At the Airport.  Speedy immigration clearance, at baggage claim the bags all come out with the handle facing the passengers.  Made it so much easier to haul the suitcases off the track.
• Ramen restaurant.  You have to purchase a ticket for the meal from a vending machine upfront, which dispenses change etc before going within. A wait staff greets and seats you, and serves your tea (no charge) and your food.  No need for a cashier, faster turnover as customers don't wait for the bill. Not just fast food, but faster food!
• Hotel.  We paid for the room upfront (upon check in).  The room keys are to be returned upon check out (another vending machine)  The front desk dispensed a packet of coffee per person per day (choice between strong and medium coffee) and also asked us to choose from a selection of "extra" toiletries - we could take our pick of bath salts, hair grips, sponges, and many other things besides. The more standard items -  toothbrushes (one white, one pink), a big bottle of body shampoo, hair shampoo and conditioner etc.  No small little bottles for people to nick.  The toilet itself is small and highly functional.  With, of course, a heated toilet seat and bidet function.  

More photos on Flickr.  More posts and photos to come....

Succumbed

I have finally succumbed and bought an iPhone.  Well, if I had not I would not be able to take this picture of Ariel and Winky engaging in some playful swatting.

Sunsets and Beaches

The beach at Rasa Ria, at sunset

After my last visit to Sabah, I knew that it was one place I wanted to revisit.  We had gone to the Kinabatangan, to get a peek at animals of Borneo in their natural habitat, and spent a day or so in Kota Kinabalu.  But we had not seen the beaches which Sabah was famous for.

That was why we went back  It had been a busy few months at work and so, absolutely nothing was planned except a few leisurely days at the Shangri-la Rasa Ria.  I am glad to say that I achieved my objectives of wetting my new swimsuit, acquiring a tan, and getting more photos of young orang-utans.  There is a little nature sanctuary here where these young ones are cared for  before being sent to Sepilok when they grow older, from where they go back to the wild.

So no more talk, here are just some photos to remember this lazy lovely holiday.

Our lovely hotel room

Birds in the grounds of the hotel

By the Pool

Lounging on the day bed on our balcony

Last but not least, my favourite video of the orang utans.

More photos will be put up on Flickr, in due course.

King of the Driveway

The cat who came to our door.

Paddy first came into our lives somewhere around  2005 or so.  We'd one cat at the time (Casey), and I suppose the news got around the neighbourhood cats that there was cat food available at a particular location.  Anyway, a hungry, meowling cat began hanging around our door.  We gave him a meal, and he decided we were worthy of his adoption.

He was a suspicious cat to begin with.  Evidently, he'd been in a fight or two because there was always a little cloudiness in one eye, even as a young cat.  He lashed out whenever we brought the food dish to him, so we really had to be very quick to whip our hand away quickly so that we didn't get scratched.  But over time, the trust built up and his instinctive response faded away.

Paddy at his overweight best.

Paddy became the king of the front driveway.  Even when other cats started coming in, it was clear that they entered his territory on sufferance. When he was younger, he was less dominant, but as he grew older he became more intolerant of the new arrivals.  His fights were aplenty and he kept on getting wounded, requiring us to nurse him. Finally we got him neutered (we did the females and young males first) and the fighting generally stopped.   He gained so much weight that some passer by once asked whether he was pregnant!

Paddy in his younger days, being fed.

Paddy was my father's special cat.  He fed Paddy every morning and every evening, and often gave him a night snack as well. Paddy came running when my father called, and would rub himself around my father's legs raising his head up to be stroked.  He loved lounging on my car roof, and would slide down the windscreen to get down - something I didn't really appreciate, but he never left a scratch.

Other cats came and went (many in traffic accidents) but Paddy seemed immortal, a cat who knew how to cross the narrow road in front of our house.  But one day, he used up all his nine lives.  On 2 July 2013, my father came home to find Paddy lying in front of our front gate.  That day, he was just not quick enough.

We miss our dear Pads, our big fat cat waddling towards us whenever the door opened, or rubbing his back against our legs to greet us when we came home.  So bye Paddy, may you have a good time in the big rat-catching dreamland where all good cats eventually go to :-)

Our battle hardened warrior taking a rest.

Near the River's End

Catholic church at Vinh Long

The Mekong River is one of the great rivers of the world, travelling through no less than six countries as it makes its way from Tibet and Yunnan in China, past Myanmar, then through Laos' ancient capital Luang Prabang.  The Mekong forms the border between Laos and Thailand and then passes into Cambodia before ending up in Vietnam.  In Laos, I stood on the river bank in Vientiane and looked into Thailand on the other side, and watched the river flow by the golden temples in Luang Prabang.  In Cambodia, I took a boat trip on the Tonle Sap, the lake swollen with the water from the Mekong in full flow.  And here in Vietnam, we visited the little town of Vinh Long in the middle of the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong delta is best done as an overnight trip (at least) from Ho Chi Minh City, rather than the day trip which we took (lazy to pack up lah).  The intent of the trip was to provide a sense of life on the river, but sadly late morning is not the best time to see the floating market of Cai Be.  And whilst I don't mind seeing how local snacks are made (food is always of interest), I have learnt through experience that no one really eats "local" snacks - my office colleagues' favourite is the the mini-Kit Kats, Twix and Aeros which I brought back from the UK one year.  We did however have a perfectly pleasant lunch followed by a short trip being rowed up the river.

Our tour group was all-Asian this time round.  A family group from Malaysia (two sisters, one son, one friend), ourselves and one gentleman from Pakistan (in HCMC on business, taking a day off before his trip back) made up our group.  Needless to say, we got on very well, in particular with one of the ladies from Malaysia with whom we chatted about shopping opportunities in HCMC, compared notes on our hotels etc etc. 

Boats at the market.  

We left the hotel early in the morning and finally arrived in the Mekong delta where we got on the boat which was to take us on our river journey.  The floating market was deserted, except for the "market boats" themselves.  We learnt that this was a wholesale market - the boats came from other branches of the river, bringing their different crops - potatoes, vegetables, fruit, etc - with them.  So the boats will stay there for a while, until their produce is all sold.  The buyers come to the boats to pick up what they want.  To make it easier to see what each boat sells, a sample of the goods is tied to the top of a tall pole on each boat.  So for a boat selling, say, pineapples, a pineapple will be tied to the pole.  Sometimes it is the boat which is for sale, in which case I think it is an oar which is tied to the pole.  In the mornings, when the buyers come by in their own little boats, it must indeed be a bustling, exciting place.

Elephant ear fish

After visiting a few small shops and seeing how some local snacks are made, we chugged across the river and made our way through a maze of islands and rivulets to our lunch venue. Now, one of the specialities of the Mekong delta is the Elephant ear fish, which is deep fried, then eaten tucked into a rice paper roll.  It so happened at one of the little tourist shop stops, there was a tank with a few of these fish inside, where I took the photo you see on your left. You'll be glad to know that (i) the fish I eventually ate was not this fish; it was in a totally different place on the river - at an eco-hostel restaurant some distance away and (ii) it was indeed a rather nice river fish - nicely fried, light and delicate flesh.

After lunch, we were supposed to go to an "ancient house" and hear some traditional music. However, due to time constraint (at least that's the reason given), the guides said that we would do a river boat ride instead, through the narrow channels created at this part of the river.  Actually, I believe that the tide was low and the larger boat we were on needed to be lightened in order for us to get through that portion of the river.  But the trip was enjoyable, and enabled us to have a better glimpse of the activities going on beside and along the river.    Boys continue to swim in the river, boats (containing tourists), manouvre up and down the narrow waterways, people continue to grow their crops and fish and live on the islands.  The old life, and the new, meld together in this warm, watery world.

For more photos of the delta, click here.