After 80 days on the road Anne and I are going home.
Staying in the Hotel Rose Garden {29,000 Yen for 3 nights} in a really good location in the Shinjuku district gave us a good perspective of the size and scale of Tokyo, the largest city in the world with some 12 million people.
All cities need to breathe.
During our stay we visited four beautiful gardens: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden {300 Yen}; Yoyogi Park near Shibuya: Imperial Palace East Gardens (on our tour) Hama-rikyu Gardens- small but attractive landscape garden. The garden was a feudal lord’s residence during the Edo period (17th-19th Century) and is located alongside Tokyo Bay with seawater ponds, which change water level with the tides, former duck hunting grounds, forested areas and the Naka-no-ochaya teahouse.
My favourite was the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden which is 58.3 hectares in size, and with a circumference of 3.5 km, blend three distinct styles: French Formal, English Landscape and Japanese traditional. The gardens have more than 20,000 trees, including approximately 1,500 cherry trees, the majestic Himalayan cedars, which soar above the rest of the trees in the park, tulip trees, cypresses, and plane trees, which were first planted in Japan in the Imperial Gardens. We spent a good morning here against the backdrop of a blue sky with balmy 13°C.
These girls like to shop.
We thought shopping along the Dotomborigawa River in Osaka was mad. The Shibuya district is the fashion capital with a sea of people, wall to wall, swarming around shops like bees to honey. We spent an hour here battling the multitude. How our girls would have been right at home here. Nakamise Shopping Street in Asakunsa next to the Kannon Temple is another famous cultural landmark in Tokyo. Similar crowds to Shibuya we managed 45 minutes and found some nice souvenirs. Another treat was to see the girls dressed up in Manga characters at Harajuku. They were a very popular for keen local and overseas photographers.
Oh Food, glorious food.
On second our night we splurged. A visit to the Sky Bar at the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku, where they filmed Lost in Translation, had outstanding views of illuminated skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. With sultry jazz in the background we ate at the adjacent restaurant, New York Grill with floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering breathtaking views of Tokyo. The contemporary and sophisticated interior features four large paintings of New York scenes by Italian artist Valerio Adami. The food was superb. Anne had the Shrimp and I had the scallops and later we found out this is a place the ordinary Japanese come perhaps once in a lifetime for a very special celebration. The prices certainly attested to that but you only live once.
Yesterday we went to the world renowned Tsukiji Fish markets to have sushi at the highly recommended Sushizanmai {4,200 Yen}. To see sushi expertly prepared in front of you and then have the sushi melt in your mouth was certainly a culinary experience. Among our favourites on the menu were Red Tuna (raw), Flounder Fin and Sweet Shrimp. Some of these were suggested by a charming couple next to us whom we struck up a conversation with. She was an NGO having worked in East Timor for three years and now she was off to Zambia working for the UN for another two. He was a teacher of political science in a military academy. These vignettes of encounter are one travel’s most precious treasures.
The Sacred and holy
A visit to the revered Meiji Shrine located in Yoyogi Park was again an insight into Japanese Culture in terms of scale and approach to religion. There was a procession of pilgrims, somewhat like the hajji, through three large Tori gates to the shrine where people would throw coins at the collection box due to the crowd to either offer petitions or thanks. I thought this was crowded until I later learned that last week three million people passed through here in three days.
The Asakusa Kannon temple was similarly busy the following day. The explanation from our guide- The Gray Line {3,900 yen each} on the theology of Shinto, the syncrenistc Buddhism and the effect on the life of the adherents was instructional and illuminating. This was part of a Half day tour (9 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.) Talk of the Town which took us through the Imperial Palace- National Diet Building- Tokyo City View at Roppingi Hills- The Asakusa Kannon temple- Tsukiji Fish markets. Much to our surprise and good fortune Anne and I were the only ones on the tour. So imagine to our astonishment that they still ran the tour and we were picked up by our private 50 seater luxury coach. It was also a good opportunity for us to find out more about Japanese culture, religion, politics and its history.
We head to the airport on the 3.40 p.m. Narita Express for our QF22 8.00 pm flight (to arrive on Tuesday morning 11th January at 7.35 a.m.). Prior to this, and after we check out at 11.00 a.m., we will head to Ueno Onshi Koen Park, which can be translated as ‘Ueno Imperial Gift Park’ and The National Tokyo Museum {600 Yen} which has an excellent "The path of the Buddha' exhibition. This and all our days in Japan have only further imflamed our love affair with the country.
Epilogue
Travel has been a good teacher.
We have been blessed to be able to experience so many new things that have challenged us, enchanted us, humoured us and hopefully taught us that one way is not the only way to see and do things. And in so doing hopefully we became people that are a little more understanding... a little kinder to each other and to others.
The world is becoming a smaller place and has been for some time. Nicole who is 18 has been to 18 countries (Austria, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lichtenstein, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand and USA). Katie’s is almost the same. When I was her age I had been to one, New Caledonia through soccer, and when my parents where that age they had not travelled. I still marvel at the possibility that on the same day you can be here in Australia and on the other side of the world.
As our wonderful journey draws to an end we are thankful to all our families for their well wishes, to Justine and Andrew who have leant us so much of their travel equipment and clothes, and to all of you who have taken the time to read some or all of these blogs. I have enjoyed being able to paint ,with words and at times light, a picture of the world as we saw it. I hope they have given you an insight into us and also to the wonders of travel.
For the last time
Good tidings and God’s blessings
Janika
No comments:
Post a Comment