Ets and I rang in the new year in paradise. She was there for a holiday and I was there to present at a conference (and a bit of the former).

We arrived early in the morning and had most of the day ahead of us. But tired as we were from the long flight, we only had the energy to listlessly wander around Ala Moana shopping centre. Still, that gave us the chance to get the lay of the land and plan our big shopping trip.

Ets already knew where she wanted to have breakfast the next day. We both read in
various books and travel sites about Eggs 'n' Things which should be an institution unto itself. Famous for pancakes, the restaurant is almost always packed. In fact, we were there at 8am and we didn't get seated until after 9am. The pancakes, for me at least, were okay but what they came with (spicy fried mahi mahi) was what sold me. Meals in general are huge, just like the people, and we found that we were usually fine until dinner time.



Suitably stuffed, we went for a much needed walk around the main Waikiki drag and further into central Honolulu to the Nordstrom Rack for me to buy shoes. We came across a delivery truck for a meat supplier in town and had to take a picture. The sign should be a shirt for the entire Wong Clan. Dinner time rolled around son enough and we went to the Side Street Inn located in what appeared to be a sketchy part of town. Apparently, this is a local favourite being substantially off the beaten track, I think we were the only tourists there. I'd read good things about the food (you will see this as a recurring theme) and felt that it was worth the effort. We went with the waitreses' recommendation of the Aku Poke (marinated raw tuna in chilli pepper water, spring onions, and sesame oil), and the famous pan-fried pork chops. Both very, very good although the pork chops were a little on the dry side (they were saved by the crispy, well-seasoned crust).

 

Labels: drink, food, pictures, travel

Ets and I have always wanted to see the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto even though we knew that, being one of the most popular festivals in Japan, it would be crowded beyond belief. Truth be told, several things were in play that made it fairly difficult to leave the comfort of home and make the journey to Kyoto.

I've already mentioned how crowded it would be. A second deterrent was that it would be 33 degrees (which would feel much higher in the blistering sun). The last was that we would have to be there by 9 which meant that we would have to catch the 7.36 train.

Well, we pulled out all the stops and made it on time to secure a reasonably good spot. True enough, the heat was ridiculous (Mum, remember Kyoto in summer?) and we reached our limit after seeing 3 large mikoshi (portable wooden shrines), went for lunch, and then started our way back home at the embarrassingly early hour of 1.30p.m.

Nevertheless, that's another thing we can cross off our list.

Labels: travel

Making the most of my off-duty days before the new school year begins, Ets and I went to Kyoto to take explore parts of the old capital. We started in Nishiki Ichiba where a long, narrow, covered shopping arcade housed several shops selling small nicknacks and plenty more selling all kinds of food. In all of them, we saw proprietors beckoning to passers-by and master craftsmen practicing their art.

We saw one young man drawing short lines of batter on a squarish metal pan before liberally covering the entire surface with peanuts. He then closed the lid, sandwiching the mixture, and placed it on top of a gas burner where it joined a long line of several other identical pans. The end result is a savoury and crunchy biscuit which conjured a strong desire for a cup of matcha.

Another shop we passed by sold kitchen knives of all shapes and sizes, all forged by the master in the back. Each blade bore his carefully engraved name on the blade just above the tang and a unique hamon. At the time of our visit, the master was busily sharpening several of his knives.

After walking up and down the length of the street, we proceeded to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. Ets had seen in the news a few days ago that the plum trees were in full bloom. Even though it was a Friday, Kyoto was surprisingly crowded and the garden was filled with flowers and old people alike. We saw some artists either painting of sketching the more picturesque locations and while most of them were seated by the lake, we saw one young lass in the process of completing a huge poster-sized sketch of a water wheel.

The main purpose of coming all the way to Kyoto was the annual lighting up of the region's temples which only lasts for a couple of weeks. But since it was still about 5, we walked around in the general direction of Kodaiji Temple keeping our eyes open for interesting places for dinner. What finally won our patronage was a small izakaya that was unremarkable for the most part except for the smallish window through which you could see skewers of beef tendon slowly simmering in a pot of tantalizing broth. So enticing was this brazen display that we continually saw people glancing, even staring, at the skewers during the course of our dinner.

Kodaiji itself was worth the 600 yen entrance fee and the various buildings in the temple grounds were lit up amazingly. One lake deep within the interior was so still it was like looking at a mirror. The reflection of a smaller shrine above was so clear it was impossible to tell from pictures which was the reflection. I only have one gripe though, and it is that noone was allowed to use tripods within the temple grounds because "there might not be enough space for everyone". Bullhockey.

Labels: pictures, travel

Labels: pictures, travel

A freak snowfall forced ets and me to reschedule our visit to the floating shrine in Miyajima. Surprising as the weather was, the worst of it was during our morning-long train ride from Kyushu to Hiroshima. The scenery that passed us was blanketed by snow and we were relieved that we were spending the next few hours in a warm train and not gallavanting around outside.

Fortunately, by the time we reached Hiroshima, and indeed for the rest of the day, the weather resigned itself to brief sprinklings at random intervals. It was pleasant enough for us to get out and take in Hiroshima castle and the A-bomb museum on foot.

On this our final day, we find ourselves blessed with brilliant sunshine and a much milder and more accommodating clime as a comparably short train and ferry ride takes us to the floating shrine.

Labels: travel

We spent night 2 in Beppu where it rained since we got there but the bracing cold made soaking in a hot outdoor bath all the more pleasurable. We had the ocean right in front of us and hardly anyone else was there.

This morning is just as gray and cold but the rain should stop. Hopefully by the time we get to Yufuin.

Labels: travel

Ets and I pulled into Yudaonsen Station just before 6 in the evening and, after checking in, proptly went to have a hot bath.

Night One was spent in Matsumasa Hotel and our stay at this surprisingly large hotel was interspersed with public nudity.

We're now on our way to Beppu after an early start and will visit the 8 Hells ... after having lunch.

Labels: travel

My travel agent sniffed out the same cheap train tickets that took us to Hokkaido two summers ago. This time, our eyes fell to the Southern-but-not-as-Southern-as-Okinawa isle of Kyushu.

After scouring the web for hotels, should-see spots, and must-eat delicacies, an itinerary was drawn up and we are currently en route to our first port of call; Okayama. We shall take a break from sitting down and enquire what the good town might have in the way of lunch.

Labels: travel

Labels: travel