tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13063334723924678642024-03-13T22:19:46.865-07:00The World Tastes GoodSapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-74785685153526524112015-07-04T06:33:00.000-07:002015-07-03T19:20:30.410-07:00The Kindle version of my novel Lotusland is now availableFor anyone interested, my debut novel, set in contemporary Vietnam, is now available for Kindle readers and is currently listed at $8.99.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-David-Joiner-ebook/dp/B01013YK6K">http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-David-Joiner-ebook/dp/B01013YK6K</a><span id="goog_145883419"></span><span id="goog_145883420"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-31012696087329546182015-04-02T22:09:00.000-07:002015-04-02T22:09:08.599-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>A pretty amazing lunch for just over $8.</i></div>
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I've been away for far too long, I know. I've missed innumerable chances to blog about food and travel during the last year-and-a-half I spent living in Vietnam. Last month, however, I moved with my Japanese girlfriend and two Vietnamese cats to Kanazawa, Japan, which a close friend from Nagoya swears has the best seafood in the entire country, and until I get insanely busy again I feel I ought to do the town's food and culture scenes justice by blogging as regularly as possible about both.<br />
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Having said this, it's rather ironic that I'm starting up again with a post about a Nepalese restaurant in Kanazawa. But that's fine. I just need some momentum, and the mood really struck me with force this afternoon. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm restarting this now, as I take off in only one more week to do a two-month reading tour in the US and Canada for my recently published novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-David-Joiner/dp/1550719300" target="_blank"><i>Lotusland</i></a>.<br />
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In any case, with the weather being rainy and extremely windy, we decided to stick close to home, which is in the Korinbo area of Kanazawa.<br />
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<i>And it was so sunny and mild yesterday...</i></div>
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Just a two-minute walk from our apartment is Seseragidori, a narrow, meandering street known for its small boutique shops, cafes, restaurants and <i>izakaya</i>. In the mood for a lighter curry than most Japanese versions, we headed for Aashirwad, a Nepalese restaurant we've been to before.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I have no idea why more people weren't here for lunch. This is one of the city's better options for non-Japanese food, and the menu is as reasonably priced as anywhere. Colorful interior, too. I love the embroidered wall hangings.</i></span> </div>
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They offer several vegetarian options for lunch and dinner, and I settled quickly on a ¥1000 set lunch that included a huge slice of naan, three small bowls of curry – lentil, vegetable, and chicken – a small salad, a dollop of pickled onions, and two or three spoonfuls of yoghurt for dessert. My girlfriend opted for the vegetarian curry with naan and yoghurt, which was only ¥800.<br />
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The curries here, in addition to being inexpensive, are uniformly good. But they also have a rather uniform taste. In other words, there's not much difference in the curry bases used, or at least I didn't detect much difference. I didn't mind, however, as the curries were excellent, and thankfully not too spicy. (As in most curry restaurants, customers can request whatever level of spiciness they're comfortable with.) The naan was soft but not greasy, and the salad was a nice contrast in color as well as texture to the three curries, but the dressing was salty. There was nothing special about the yoghurt, though it was a nice way to polish off our lunch. I left the pickled onions untouched.<br />
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Aashirwad is easy to spot from the street with its colorful prayer flags strung over the canal from the shopfront to the sidewalk. It's very low-key, and the staff, who are Nepalese, are easygoing and friendly.</div>
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Aashirwad is open for lunch from 11:30 - 3:00 and for dinner from 18:00 - 22:00. They close on Mondays and on the first Tuesday of every month. <b>Note that like many businesses in Japan they only accept cash.</b></div>
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Tel 076-262-2170</span><br style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span class="notranslate" style="border: 0px; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fax 076-262-2171</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHvaQABJcCUPFsUQgkW2JdeQiaJCx9hA6516N8bWkM_vvAfXMjKx0Esjm6OCw5kcDUXXndj7ZJk6CuTk53h9rh59WnUZHh592VMK_LGbAjBssRZw3FxbVrlmJ-ZHM2jicL_EacD7UYwm2/s1600/Lotusland_cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHvaQABJcCUPFsUQgkW2JdeQiaJCx9hA6516N8bWkM_vvAfXMjKx0Esjm6OCw5kcDUXXndj7ZJk6CuTk53h9rh59WnUZHh592VMK_LGbAjBssRZw3FxbVrlmJ-ZHM2jicL_EacD7UYwm2/s1600/Lotusland_cover.JPG" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Again, it’s been ages since I’ve posted here. Why? Mostly I’ve been busy with my writing, with life in Vietnam, and
with the two street cats I’ve adopted. Especially the two street cats I’ve
adopted…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m posting this to let visitors to my blog know that my
novel, <i>Lotusland</i>, is currently available on Amazon – about six weeks earlier than the original release date. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Amazon sales page is here: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-Series-Joiner/dp/1550719300" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-Series-Joiner/dp/1550719300</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Lotusland</i> has received the following two endorsements</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Tender, brutal,
authentic, <i>Lotusland</i> captures the romance,
disenchantment, and discoveries of expats living high and low in Vietnam.
Joiner weaves a fine story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">-Andrew X.
Pham, author of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catfish-Mandala-Two-Wheeled-Through-Landscape-ebook/dp/B004L62EU8" target="_blank">Catfish and Mandala</a></i>
and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eaves-Heaven-Life-Three-Wars/dp/0307381218" target="_blank">Eaves of Heaven</a></i>, and translator
of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-Dreamed-Peace-Diary-ebook/dp/B000VMBX7Q" target="_blank">Last Night I Dreamed of Peace</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #262626;">Lotusland</span></i><span style="color: #262626;"> transports readers far
away from narratives about the Vietnam War. David Joiner takes Vietnam as many
people have come to know it and shows what it’s like today. A wonderful,
important debut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #262626;">-</span></i><span style="color: #262626;">Le Ly Hayslip, author of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Heaven-Earth-Change-Places-ebook/dp/B00CGI3EPM" target="_blank">When Heaven and Earth Changed Places</a></i> and
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Child-War-Woman-Peace-Hayslip/dp/0385471475" target="_blank">Child of War, Woman of Peace</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For anyone interested in literary fiction set in contemporary
Vietnam, please give <i>Lotusland</i> a look.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy New Year!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-40269653373022182732013-12-12T19:15:00.000-08:002013-12-12T19:15:23.974-08:00Lombok, Days 4 & 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAqVC1s5q-85AavMEHwWF0onfQoxSDUAj9MQ_RkV8uOYuvAHrTSG6aHo5c25q2nF5EBXbiSnDdQ6Qoob2Ma9rdhwWY0abBqnvD-PHFB6x5uwTRSjECFAgKRdZJ9si23M4yuq1pLv7VWKX/s1600/20131023_122141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAqVC1s5q-85AavMEHwWF0onfQoxSDUAj9MQ_RkV8uOYuvAHrTSG6aHo5c25q2nF5EBXbiSnDdQ6Qoob2Ma9rdhwWY0abBqnvD-PHFB6x5uwTRSjECFAgKRdZJ9si23M4yuq1pLv7VWKX/s320/20131023_122141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Novotel in Kuta Lombok certainly had a nice beach, but not much else.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Warning: Mini-rant follows...<br />
<br />
For our final day (and two nights) in Lombok we decided to stay in Kuta at the Novotel. As soon as we entered the grounds I had a feeling that the hotel was the wrong choice. The drive from the hotel's entrance to the hotel itself took about 10 minutes, which put the town out of easy reach. (The hotel offers no shuttles to or from town.) This meant we were to a large extent stuck at the hotel. Don't get me wrong, the beach and sea here are gorgeous, and Kuta isn't exactly a thriving place (though it has some of the best surfing in SE Asia, and is also famous for the <a href="http://www.lombok-eccotour.com/bau_nyale.htm" target="_blank">Bau Nyale Festival</a>, held every February and attracting more than 100,000 people who come to celebrate the appearance of masses of sea worms), but the Novotel left a lot to be desired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBsPcSmhC4L2wl-k_1OmNdGi-vB1RKj5BMtK_fL9af-5-l92r9XBALhFXb5UI2DcgL_q7Ro3dTpZgE5a4rxytSh6twjPYQCBDsMXgvJT8GaHSQCttkOLUyXHEvPh9Qcbn1zECvqo9hRhi/s1600/20131023_122342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBsPcSmhC4L2wl-k_1OmNdGi-vB1RKj5BMtK_fL9af-5-l92r9XBALhFXb5UI2DcgL_q7Ro3dTpZgE5a4rxytSh6twjPYQCBDsMXgvJT8GaHSQCttkOLUyXHEvPh9Qcbn1zECvqo9hRhi/s320/20131023_122342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Like I said, the beach and sea here are incredible.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94NpGeZW9ACPUcH7S12FrYaQUTjNtHbV9xfYWhU7Tsl_sWnhZ5NEpqeh9DJa6WOaQEn1PKNIAyhdIJEdnKdtoT089urZcS7Od-TwkCovaUOWytFiPhIBcklWy-1X5MCTr-ZyB0tBwr1bl/s1600/IMG_4631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94NpGeZW9ACPUcH7S12FrYaQUTjNtHbV9xfYWhU7Tsl_sWnhZ5NEpqeh9DJa6WOaQEn1PKNIAyhdIJEdnKdtoT089urZcS7Od-TwkCovaUOWytFiPhIBcklWy-1X5MCTr-ZyB0tBwr1bl/s320/IMG_4631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOtYHufKjqu8cR-NFYqxXWUGHCy8x5cOXg2iV1Og2FVekEqJIBgd4WSLAlv-SsSuY9OiRZxK4aChGBRhYc_PwcyoJn2kZPi8Z-PDScTqfPVRvi99-4R94ZZnNP960bNItPivJDRl9TdBf/s1600/20131022_181632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOtYHufKjqu8cR-NFYqxXWUGHCy8x5cOXg2iV1Og2FVekEqJIBgd4WSLAlv-SsSuY9OiRZxK4aChGBRhYc_PwcyoJn2kZPi8Z-PDScTqfPVRvi99-4R94ZZnNP960bNItPivJDRl9TdBf/s320/20131022_181632.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And sunsets are pretty nice, too. Of course, both restaurants open after dark, and most guests who come beforehand are herded into the beach bar for $10 drinks.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>No complaints about the pool!</i></span></div>
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They nickel-and-dime guests beyond what seemed reasonable, and it quickly got annoying. For example, the hotel charges a premium ($30/day) for reliable Internet – the free Internet hardly worked while we were there, and didn't work at all from our room. Forget to return a beach towel? $15 charge. Food prices were jacked up because the nearest alternative to the hotel's restaurants (both of which only open for dinner at 7 p.m.) is several kilometers away, so you have no choice but to pay whatever they ask. For breakfast, the buffet is mandatory and costs $18/person – and the food items (when they'd actually been replenished) and serving spoons were often covered with flies and sparrows. In fact, the fruit had holes pecked into them by sparrows. I even saw one restaurant worker drop food on the floor and put it back on the tray for the guests to eat. What's more, the "authentic beach market" at night that the hotel touts sells nothing but junk and the sellers are pushy. So...as you can tell, I was far from impressed with the Novotel here.<br />
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Again, the beach here is lovely, the rooms are adequate, and the hotel offers various diversions to keep guests occupied if they so desire, but for the rest...I highly recommend staying in town, even if there's not much to Kuta Lombok.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Is this plate of lukewarm, greasy food really worth $16?</i></span></div>
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After our stay here we headed back to the airport and transferred to Bali, where we overnighted in a hotel near the airport. After that, it was back to Saigon, and after a few days of seeing friends there we made our way back to Mui Ne. Lombok ended up being a great place to visit, and while I wouldn't necessarily rush back to see it again, I would definitely be interested in traveling to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumbawa" target="_blank">Sumbawa</a> – the island to the east of Lombok – which is less developed in terms of tourist infrastructure but looks incredible. Sometimes staying in nice hotels leaves me wanting to rough it for my next trip. This was one of those times.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-14992127361247270792013-12-11T18:59:00.001-08:002013-12-11T18:59:25.496-08:00Lombok, Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and packed our belongings for a trip southwest to an island called Gili Nanggu and then to Kuta Lombok, where we planned to spend the next two nights. Our driver and guide picked us up at nine and we headed inland a bit through the lush countryside before connecting once more with the coast – a dusty, meandering road through poorer villages than we'd seen before, where the impression we got was of a slower, more isolated part of Lombok, and where people made their living from the ocean, which was crystal clear and, in the morning's heat, very inviting. (I read later that the road has had recent problems with robberies, but I never felt the slightest bit unsafe here.) It was a longish ride from Senggigi, but the eye-catching scenery made the hours pass quickly.</div>
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Our initial destination was a small fishing village called Taun (Sekotong Barat), whose seascape is worthy of being called paradisiacal. We were dropped off at a harbor where the importance of fishing was clearly seen. Women in front of one structure were selling whole fish rubbed with spices and chilies, while others were drying a catch of smaller fish on mats in the sunshine.</div>
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We hired a boat, as well as snorkeling gear, for our trip to Gili Nanngu. The boat held five of us altogether, though it could easily have held more.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The beach at Sekotong Barat from which we set out.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of several uninhabited islands we passed on the way to Gili Nanngu. Apparently, many of these have been bought by Chinese investors who plan to turn the islands into resorts.</i></span></div>
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After about 15 minutes we found ourselves approaching Gili Nanngu, which is actually quite small. One can walk around the entire island in probably 30 or 40 minutes.</div>
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As soon as we arrived we went to a changing area to dress in our swimsuits and slather on suncream. However, I realized immediately that I'd forgotten a bag in Sekotong Barat that contained my suncream, swimsuit, and a few other belongings. So for a few extra dollars we paid the boatman to return and bring them back. In the meantime we sat in a shaded beach pavilion and enjoyed the scenery.<br />
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When the boatman returned we quickly made our way into the water, which was incredibly warm and transparent. Our driver had filled several plastic bottles with some kind of green bread, which he said fish all over Lombok waters love. I had no idea what he was talking about, so he demonstrated by removing the bottle tops, diving into the water, and floating there with a bottle by his side. Immediately we saw dozens of fish swim up to him so that it looked like he was floating on a roiling cloud. With the seawater soaking into the bread and softening it, he squeezed the bottle so that small bread particles floated out, and the fish raced around gobbling them up. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Crystal clear waters, full of all kinds of amazingly colorful and curious (and hungry) fish.</i></span></div>
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Maybe 90 minutes later it was time for lunch. The island, though small, has some basic but decent-looking accommodation and also an open-air restaurant with surprisingly reasonably prices. It's nothing fancy, as the photo below attests, but it offers enough to keep you going as you snorkel and lie about.<br />
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The island is also home to a sea turtle sanctuary. Turtles are hatched here and released at different times of the year. It's open to the public, too, so one can wander inside and see what goes on.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was one of four tanks holding sea turtles of different ages.</i></span></div>
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After lunch and wandering about some, we went back to snorkel some more, and I took a short hike around half of the island, where I came across not a soul.</div>
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After maybe three or four hours it was time to leave Gili Nanngu, so we took showers and changed back into our pre-snorkeling clothes, and not much later we found ourselves back at Sekotong Barat, where we returned our gear and, after watching a hen and her tiny chicks for a few moments, set off toward Kuta Lombok.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A blurry shot from the back of a moving car, but you can see the whole spice-and-chilie-rubbed fish standing vertically in the purple basket.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>These next two shots are of poor quality, but I'm including them because I couldn't believe how people were transported in local trucks. In the above shot, I counted 16 people, mostly children, packed in the back of the pickup.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Men sitting on top of rice sacks piled on the back of a truck. This is far from a rare sight. Many times we saw trucks with rice sacks piled much higher, and with more people riding atop them, sometimes literally holding on to the ropes that tied the sacks down. </i></span></div>
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On the way to Kuta Lombok we stopped in a Sasak village called Sade. It was late in the day and most of what could be visited was already closed. A guide did show up to lead us around, but there wasn't much to see. We came across a woman roasting coffee from beans they grew in the village, and we came across some cows, doves the villagers tamed and around whose necks they placed bells that made beautiful music when they flew overhead.<br />
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In the end, however, it felt a bit like a tourist trap. The guide brought us back to the village's main store, pushing hard for us to buy something, and insisting that we dress up <i>twice</i> in local clothing. We didn't want anything, so we declined, and this seemed to make him mad. We tipped him for showing us his village, but he wasn't very pleased.<br />
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We made it to Kuta Lombok at around seven or eight at night, and since it was dark by then we didn't get a sense of what Kuta looked like as we drove through it. We ended up staying at a Novotel there, which on paper looked great, but turned out to be a huge disappointment. But more on that in my next post...</div>
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-81145838740649771902013-12-11T00:22:00.003-08:002013-12-11T00:22:59.815-08:00Lombok, Days 1 & 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was hard to tear ourselves away from West Bali National Park, but at the same time we were looking forward to getting to Lombok, as friends had told us how nice it was there – a throwback in many ways to what parts of Vietnam looked like 10 or 15 years ago. This proved to be true, in some ways, though the service industry there, as well as traffic, seems to be much better than in Vietnam today.</div>
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We opted for an $80 flight from Bali to Lombok, in part because it took less time than driving to the east part of Bali and then getting a ferry across Lombok Strait (a ride that we heard was uncomfortable and unsafe). Various local airlines make the quick flight, but Garuda Air had the best reviews, and we could easily see why – Garuda was the only airline that afternoon whose flights didn't get delayed or canceled.</div>
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Despite what I said about good service, when we arrived at the airport our pickup wasn't to be found anywhere, but we were approached outside the terminal by a young one-eyed man with a taxi service who convinced us he was good for the money; one of his drivers took us to our hotel in Senggigi, on the west part of Lombok, about 30 minutes away.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the ride from the airport to Senggigi at dusk.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Transport is interesting here, partly because of designs featured on vehicles, but even more so because...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...one commonly sees vehicles piled high with goods and topped with passengers.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Even children are stowed on top of vehicles.</i></span></div>
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We checked into a hotel called <a href="http://svargaresort.com/" target="_blank">Svarga Resort</a>, which a friend of a friend helped open and was promoting. The sky had turned dark, but coming in we'd seen an amazing sunset along the coast leading up to and through the coastal town of Senggigi, and we'd gotten hungry along the way. The resort was within walking distance of the town's main strip of restaurants, cafes, shops, and ATMS, but it was a bit long to deal with after a day's journey so we opted for this colorful and rather crazy form of transportation: a horse-drawn cart. Or maybe not a horse, but a pony – a horse-pony the man had named Jackie. Jackie wasn't very horse-like, though he did clop pretty quickly through the street when the driver started yelling at him, all of which threw us back and forth against the sides of the cart, which was thankfully fitted with cushioned seats.<br />
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He – the driver, not Jackie – recommended a restaurant that he swore wasn't touristy and had the best food in all of Senggigi, so we let him take us there. The place was called Yessy Cafe and, wouldn't you know it, was full of backpackers. (No wonder, either, as their menu offered Thai, European, Italian, Indonesian, and Lombok items.) We ordered a plate of gado gado and a whole red snapper grilled "Lombok style" (which, we decided after eating it, meant absolutely nothing). There was nothing special or even very satisfying about the meal, but the staff were friendly and arranged for a free ride back to our hotel afterward. They gave us their card when we left and said they could pick us up for free, too, if we wanted to come back the next day to eat there. Just call them (62-0-8175700422 or 62-0-370693148) for a ride if anyone's reading this and planning a trip to Senggigi. Not a bad deal, though I wasn't rushing back to eat their food.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Gado gado at Yessy Cafe.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Grilled fish, which was mostly flavorless and full of bones, also at Yessy Cafe.</i></span></div>
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We returned to our hotel after that and grabbed a shower in a bathroom that was a little too visible from outside, and was full of flying ants. The room itself was huge; the photo below only captured one half of it; the bathroom is in a separate room behind the mirror.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It seems wrong to include a shot of an unmade bed, but I wasn't going to make the bed just just for a decent shot to upload here. Anyway, had I made the bed it would have looked not much different.</i></span></div>
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The next morning we awoke to an incredible sky and a view, over a vast swathe of coconut palms, of the ocean. We climbed a few flights of stairs to the restaurant, which has a pool attached, and had a quick breakfast. We had an early appointment with a local friend who was going to take us around the island for the next two days. Actually, we didn't know he had this plan for us until we met him in the lobby. We had little planned ourselves, so we gladly took him up on his offer. Little did we know what the morning had in store for us...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We never did get to use this pool. Which is probably just as well, since everyone in the restaurant, and the construction workers beside it, would have watched us.</i></span></div>
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As soon as we met our friend, he mentioned to us that the male model for a wedding magazine photo shoot at our hotel was a no-show and the photographers were desperate for a replacement. They suggested, god knows why, for me to replace him, and once the suggestion made the rounds, everyone grew excited by the prospect. What excited them even more was the chance to replace the female model with my girlfriend, so in essence they gave us a free trial wedding photo shoot. I'll admit it made me a little nervous...<br />
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They took us to one of the suites – it was incredibly nice, with a private pool and two floors – and had me try on the model's clothes, all of which were, as I told them at a glance, much too small for me. After proving this to them with several outfits I'd never have chosen for myself, and embarrassing myself in the process, I headed back to my room and dressed in some wrinkled khakis, the only button-down shirt I had (it was missing a bottom button), and came back to a round of applause (more embarrassment).<br />
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In the meantime, my girlfriend, who speaks neither English nor Bahasa Indonesian, was made to look like a Lombok princess, much to her silent (thankfully) consternation. She was a good sport about the whole thing and only complained under her breath about sweating in the shots they took of us beneath the broiling sun. Since it was all in the spirit of traveling, it ended up being fun. We never did get copies of the shots, but that's probably just as well. We did get a free dinner out of it...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Do brides usually wear jeans and sneakers under their wedding dresses? I'm thinking not...</i></span></div>
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When we did set out, we made it just in time to a local restaurant before a torrential downpour started, and I got to eat seafood and rice with my fingers – and feed shrimp heads to mewing cats beneath the table – with impunity, since that's what local people also did.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mixed grilled seafood: squid, shrimp, and a whitefish. Oh, and water spinach so spicy it was impossible to eat.</i></span></div>
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After lunch we traveled to Pura Lingsar, a temple complex and holy site where Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and orthodox Muslims come to pray together and seek healing powers from mineral waters and luck from holy eels in a pond.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You must have been listening to our guide, too...</i></span></div>
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We were more or less given a guide when we arrived, and while he was very attentive and seemed well versed on what made the temple important, his English was so hard to understand that my girlfriend understood nothing of what he said while I understood maybe 30%. Even so, we followed him around for about an hour and feigned careful attention.<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I did figure out a few things, though. For example, the temple is associated in some way with rain, rice crops, and irrigation, which seems to be why the mineral waters and the surrounding ponds are considered sacred. The temple was built almost 300 years ago, and some of the original structures can still be seen. The spirits of the island's ancient ancestors are said to live among the temple structures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>People took this quite seriously. They bought boiled eggs from vendors outside the temple, then crumbled them up and dropped them into the water. There was vegetation at the bottom, which made it hard to distinguish between that and the eels hiding there. However, when the eels attacked the boiled eggs you knew it immediately – the water immediately grew clouded, and that in turn brought out more eels.</i></span></div>
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From there we visited Taman Narmada, the former summer palace of an ancient king and currently a gardens with ponds and a swimming pool. We were given another guide here, and while he was much better at communicating with us, I never once saw the man smile. In any case, the pool and main buildings, including an important temple that's only open to the public once a year, were built in 1805. Former kings, I was told, kept harems here, and from elevated open-air structures would watch them frolic in the pools.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I took this photo from the ancient kings' perve spot. There were no lovely maidens frolicking here as in times of yore. Unfortunately.</i></span></div>
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The pools are open to the public now and are popular with families. There's even a zip line here, though it didn't seem all that secure to me. The gardens also play host to various traditional dance performances and annual festivals.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This girl howled like a banshee all the way down.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A woman selling food outside a temple in the gardens.</i></span></div>
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After that we went to a local pottery studio where we were allowed to make a token piece on our own – except after half a minute the women working there took it upon themselves to finish what we'd started, which wasn't much.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We never got bored traveling in Lombok. There were so many scenes like this. Life here seems very slow-paced and traditional.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The pottery studio – a bit of a tourist trap.</i></span></div>
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Finally, we returned to the hotel to claim our spoils as accidental models. I ordered <i>ayam taliwang,</i> which is char-grilled chicken with a mild chile and candlenut sauce, along with steamed rice and vegetables. I think I ordered two glasses of wine and dessert, too – why not? It seemed like fair compensation for our two hours of "work"!<br />
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<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-59210211521925755452013-11-03T01:48:00.000-07:002013-11-03T07:02:06.268-08:00Eight Days in Bali<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sunset seen by horseback on a beach in West Bali National Park.</i></span></div>
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Last month I flew from Vietnam to Bali for the 10th anniversary of the
Ubud Readers & Writers Festival, a five-day event attended mostly by
Indonesians and Australians, but with a number of other countries (and their writers) fairly well-represented
overall. (But for a SE Asian literary event, it must be said, there was not the kind of SE Asian representation I had expected; i.e., no panelists from Vietnam, Singapore, or Thailand.) Although I got food poisoning on my first day, I managed to go to
events held on all five days. It was a bit disappointing on the
whole, in part because I found both attendees and participants unapproachable, though there were several events I was glad to attend.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Opening ceremony.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of the panel discussions, held at Indus Restaurant.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Left Bank Lounge, site of other literary events. I left this event shortly after one of the panelists declared that in individual 140-character tweets people were now publishing literature as powerful and moving as any poem, short story, or novel. Immediately following this, another panelist suggested we get rid of the term "literature" and use the word "storytelling" instead, because it was a more appropriate term for the digital age we live in. Like I said, some of the panel discussions were good, some not so good. </i></span></div>
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I ended up staying at the Alaya Hotel, which turned out to
be quite close to Monkey Forest but very far from the literary festival I was
attending.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Alaya Hotel bedroom. Spacious, but the bathroom could be more private!</i></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pool set between the hotel and rice fields.</i></span> </div>
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I wouldn’t have minded the 40-minute walk so much, but 1) I was
sick, 2) it was hot and humid, and 3) the conditions of the sidewalks in
Ubud were absolutely terrible. I traveled to Ubud back in 2005 before I started this blog, which explains why I didn’t travel around the island again to see the sights. Unfortunately, where once
there was actual space to move around and distinguish important sites from restaurants
and shops, now everything is packed together and most of the time it’s hard to
know what you’re seeing. Traffic, too, was horrendous; getting around frequently proved troublesome.
And this was the low season. Even so, I’ll upload some of the more interesting things I photographed.</div>
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The highlight of this trip to Ubud, at least for me, was
seeing Legong dances performed live at our hotel. I found the music and the
dances, which follow traditional narratives, absolutely riveting.
Even though they were staged at a hotel rather than in an open space in town, the
quality of the performances was high, and the performances lasted close to two hours. Even
better, they didn’t cost a thing – they were simply a dinner performance.</div>
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Other highlights included Balinese dishes. And even though I
fell ill – yet another country I can mark down as having gotten sick in – either from the food or the water, which I used initially to rinse
with after brushing my teeth, it didn’t stop me as much as it should have from
trying the local cuisine.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nasi Campur.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Makanan Ringan for lunch: lemper </i>(chicken and sticky rice), <i>sambal udang</i> (chili prawns), <i> pepes ikan </i>(fish cooked in banana leaf), <i>tumis terung</i> (sauteed eggplant), <i>tahu bergedel </i>(fried tofu), and <i>rujak </i>(Bali-style pickled fruit).</span></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Ikan bakar jimbaran (grilled fish with rice, local veggies, and soup)</i></span></span></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pesan be pasih (traditionally spiced fish cooked in a banana leaf)</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Udang base kesuna (fried prawn in a Balinese sauce)</span></i><br />
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Once the literary festival ended we took the advice of a
friend and headed to a resort in West Bali National Park, which is between
three and four hours from Ubud by car (though when there’s bad traffic, I’ve
been told it can take twice as long). The drive isn’t particularly exciting, but if you’re content with beautiful scenery there’s a lot to see along the way.<br />
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While there are a number of hotels and
resorts along the beachfront near the entrance to the park, the only
accommodation within the park itself, as far as I know, is The
Menjangan. We were only going to stay two days and nights, but it was so
beautiful and relaxing there that we added an extra day and night almost
immediately after checking in.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The tower (i.e., genius treehouse) houses the reception area, two restaurant floors, and three viewing decks. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Beautiful outdoor seating for drinks and meals, which the presence of aggressive monkeys made off-limits during our stay. Actually, we could have eaten there, but when the waiter told me he'd stand guard and protect us – he made a bow and arrow gesture with his hands! – I said no, we'd be happy to eat inside.</i></span></div>
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We stayed all three days in a Monsoon Deluxe room, which was, if I remember correctly, .7 km from the reception area/tower restaurant/panoramic viewing area, and 2.2 km from the seaside restaurant and beach area.<br />
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Thankfully the resort offers transportation in vans fitted with seating on the rooftop, which is nice because the distances are a bit far
for walking, especially considering the heat and the occasional band of monkeys hanging out at
random spots. The vans weren’t always available right away, however, and our
longest wait was about 40 minutes – when we were in a hurry to check out and beat the traffic to Denpasar, of course. Most of the time we had to wait between 5
and 10 minutes.</div>
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Next to the Monsoon rooms, and there are about 10 built in a
horseshoe shape around a pool and Jacuzzi, are horse stables and riding areas.
We ended up going horseback riding at 5 p.m., which gave us more than enough
time to get to the beach to watch the sunset and then back again before it got dark.</div>
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The horses were brought from Australia 12 years ago and are kept in good shape,
and the ride was definitely one of the best things we did there – though it
cost around $45/person/hour. (It made me realize what a great deal I had in
Uruguay – four hours of horseback riding a day for free!)</div>
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Another great thing about the national park is all the wildlife. We had numerous encounters with deer; saw three of seven extant white starlings; came across lots of monkeys around the roads of the park; saw various lizards and geckos; spotted kingfishers and many other colorful birds I never learned the names of; and also saw a lot of fish. Oh yes, and wasps! They seemed to be all over the place, in fact.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There are only seven of these starlings left in existence. It's a bird endemic to Bali and appears on, I believe, Indonesia's 2000 rupiah note.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I saw this too-large-for-my-comfort gecko clinging to a roof beam as I went to turn the lights off and go to bed. That's usually not what you want to see right at that moment...</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A flying lizard. That yellow thing sticking straight up is its right wing. He was waving to me!</i></span></div>
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We also dished out a reasonable $20 for an hour in a see-through
plastic rowboat, which was really fun – and not a bad workout, especially since it took a lot of effort not to spin around in circles continuously. Although we
didn’t come across many fish, we did see colorful coral and
starfish, mangrove trees, and beautiful natural scenery. The whole time we
paddled we could hear the hypnotic voice of a muezzin calling over the
surrounding hills.</div>
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The food at The Menjangan was good – my god, drop a wad of
cash and try the Lychee martini – but also incredibly overpriced. If you stay
here, you’re much too far away from other areas where you might eat or shop for
food, so you really have no choice but to dine in either of the resort’s two
restaurants. And remember, you pay 21% tax on everything here.</div>
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Even so, it was hard to leave West Bali, and I wish I’d had
more time to explore beyond the resort area itself (which is extensive – covering 382 hectares, in fact). We headed to Lombok after this, and so we arranged for one of the
resort’s drivers to take us to the airport – another four-hour trip with stops
on a mountaintop to go to the bathroom, take photos, and marvel/wonder at a
man with a giant iguana and two giant fruit bats (at least they were giant to my eyes) by the side of the road.</div>
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The
Menjangan is located in the Bali Barat National Park about four hours
from Denpasar International Airport and about three to four hours from
Ubud.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Web: </b><a href="http://www.themenjangan.com/">http://www.themenjangan.com/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tel:</b> (62) 36294700 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Email:</b> bliss@themenjangan.com</div>
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0Balai Taman Nasional, Jalan Raya Denpasar-Gilimanuk, 82253, Indonesia-8.1244011 114.46486090000008-8.2501541 114.30349940000008 -7.9986481000000005 114.62622240000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-49892538045397823462013-09-23T23:38:00.000-07:002013-09-23T23:38:05.934-07:00Cheap & Local in Mui Ne<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi309yaGFqBXjq7cXLmHSC-1E0gCs23D029ynC7dUzjx2zTHiQkDhMIOgKsghrQHJ4LiAgQMucSQH1GHeDrgejRGn4oSQuhtl0LGkvUkqOi1YXS__qRFjsT81Wu6JaNe5xz9Y-5qBC0-Osz/s1600/20130919_112433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi309yaGFqBXjq7cXLmHSC-1E0gCs23D029ynC7dUzjx2zTHiQkDhMIOgKsghrQHJ4LiAgQMucSQH1GHeDrgejRGn4oSQuhtl0LGkvUkqOi1YXS__qRFjsT81Wu6JaNe5xz9Y-5qBC0-Osz/s400/20130919_112433.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>As you can see, the roads here are full of dirt and dust. Thank goodness for the glass case.</i></td></tr>
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Living in a resort area is hardly uncomfortable, but when it
comes to getting meals nearby I’m faced with paying resort area prices. However,
whenever I’m in Mui Ne there’s a place I often go that sells to a local crowd.
It’s a five-minute drive from my place and never terribly busy, which always
surprises me. It’s as simple a setup as you’ll find anywhere, though the owners
have recently added a mechanics shop to their place. Mechanics shops and
restaurants don’t usually mix well, but I have no problem with it here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSQrwQG4M7A0zhE-O9RqScqqJ4JVo7KXrDbk1WoH7hk10GwPV1ArL8osoPNwzml1FJ1TJQqBuyXXWADbLY2RJlUEVrDF2QIjZnFvgB8ZZBjaDQYBND9GmOgc9Y3ZdPA_Et5zn8ZhT1EJO/s1600/20130919_112348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSQrwQG4M7A0zhE-O9RqScqqJ4JVo7KXrDbk1WoH7hk10GwPV1ArL8osoPNwzml1FJ1TJQqBuyXXWADbLY2RJlUEVrDF2QIjZnFvgB8ZZBjaDQYBND9GmOgc9Y3ZdPA_Et5zn8ZhT1EJO/s400/20130919_112348.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I think that wet spot to the right of the cart is water, not motorbike oil.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see from the photos above, the family sells their
homemade dishes from a wheeled glass display case, which they roll into their
house for safekeeping during the night and roll back toward the road when
they’re open for business. And they’re open for breakfast, which is either <i>b</i><i><span lang="VI">án</span>h mì </i>(sandwiches) and <i>xôi mạnh</i> (sticky rice), as well as lunch,
which is always <i>cơm bình dân</i> (common rice
dishes).<br />
<br />
The <i>b</i><i><span lang="VI">án</span>h mì</i> goes for a mere 15,000 dong ($0.70), even if you get a mix of just about everything you can put into a sandwich. You can’t see it all that well in the photo below, but my <i>b</i><i><span lang="VI">án</span>h mì</i> came with grilled pork, mixed sautéed veggies, fried eggs, cucumber, and a squirt of sauce. It also doesn’t show how one of the two women there used her chopsticks to feed her baby, then to feed herself, then to pick up a strip of grilled pork for my sandwich. Thankfully, the end she picked up had a chunk of bone in it, and it got cut off by a clean (I think) pair of scissors. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXachDNnYoMXVsw06LVXO6vhJ3RGPqcT3BEMtGbUCe5ZTpZvVHsF13skwPrF_pA7lNwLaPud-6RlmrReDiWuUt2PRGb737OleM7PU2J_blGKv5obTPqfZXBQNunHwjAkSYboB-Ai3I2pQ/s1600/Unknown-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXachDNnYoMXVsw06LVXO6vhJ3RGPqcT3BEMtGbUCe5ZTpZvVHsF13skwPrF_pA7lNwLaPud-6RlmrReDiWuUt2PRGb737OleM7PU2J_blGKv5obTPqfZXBQNunHwjAkSYboB-Ai3I2pQ/s400/Unknown-5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there such a thing as <i>b</i><i><span lang="VI">án</span>h mì bụi?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Considering that only one or two people make these dishes
every day, I’d say their efforts are pretty impressive. They usually sell thin
vegetable omelettes, grilled pork, fatty pork, fatty pork with hardboiled eggs,
sautéed mixed vegetables, sautéed water spinach, grilled fish, fried fish, and
sometimes shrimp. My takeaway meals often consist of rice, mixed veggies, a
large slice of omelette, and two strips of grilled pork, or one strip of
grilled pork and one small grilled fish, and includes a complementary vegetable
soup and a packet of fish sauce with red chilies. It’s not as much as it
sounds, but it’s more than enough for lunch. The total cost is the same every
time: 20,000 dong ($0.95).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eqbLrLakBPHY3pKSt5Xcp9AJT80J9JVoAcZ7EsBYvUSH5ck9nZFMwkSqjJtpwZMkP1vc_qKB2L1EHuR8gkXtNuij1pDDEdUwnq4c8AbmGz5-Imvnq6jRsSNoyOk27gJ_RLdygivaqeLS/s1600/20130919_113330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eqbLrLakBPHY3pKSt5Xcp9AJT80J9JVoAcZ7EsBYvUSH5ck9nZFMwkSqjJtpwZMkP1vc_qKB2L1EHuR8gkXtNuij1pDDEdUwnq4c8AbmGz5-Imvnq6jRsSNoyOk27gJ_RLdygivaqeLS/s400/20130919_113330.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I'll take this over resort restaurant meals any day...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Passersby on motorbikes often stare at me as I
stand at the display case, and those standing in line to order, or at one of
the two metal tables where you can sit down and eat, often ask me how I can
order in Vietnamese. When they ask if I have a Vietnamese wife and I say no, some
ask in all seriousness if I have a Vietnamese mother. Which is a compliment out
of all proportion with my Vietnamese abilities. In Saigon or Hanoi this would
happen less frequently, but since most Westerners here (80% or more are Russians)
don’t speak a single word of Vietnamese, I suppose I stand out a little more. All
in all, it makes life here a little more interesting.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->I’m also told that I should avoid eating in places like this, despite the deal it seems to offer and the fact that it tastes good and seems relatively healthy. People tell me that food on the street is cheap precisely because it uses poor ingredients, especially those that bypass whatever regulators exist in Vietnam (and there aren’t many). It’s hard to know what to do about this situation in Vietnam, as there are so many street food vendors, but there have also been <a href="http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/11723/75-of-vietnamese-pho-samples-found-toxic-food-tests" target="_blank">numerous reports</a> about high concentrations of toxic chemicals (used as preservatives and whitening agents) being found in the vast majority of rice noodles. Coffee on the street, I’m told, is often mixed with quinine (and all kinds of other things) to make it bitterer. Sad news for Vietnam, but not something the country can’t overcome with more care and diligence.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ckTEIcdRoyys5s6XkYkWBUV2yskHZq8Nrx8pwE_5jg8zIOUnei1pFonJaQm8qStzDRk7rwEukf5JN6eKVt4HtOe2aaSgmqNyB1GDW8yVDSI-bxqKaT2N2jRX9vwMjYMffX5W6eKXe7Nn/s1600/20130924_123616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ckTEIcdRoyys5s6XkYkWBUV2yskHZq8Nrx8pwE_5jg8zIOUnei1pFonJaQm8qStzDRk7rwEukf5JN6eKVt4HtOe2aaSgmqNyB1GDW8yVDSI-bxqKaT2N2jRX9vwMjYMffX5W6eKXe7Nn/s400/20130924_123616.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I threw this photo in even though it came from another local restaurant. You can often get mixed fruit (to go, in this case) for very little money. This order – two bananas, half a dragon fruit, a thick slice of mango, and two hunks of watermelon) cost me 23,000 dong ($1.09), which is about the same price I've been asked to pay for a bunch of bananas (and the seller wouldn't bargain, which is rather rare). </td></tr>
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<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-33375339087587235442013-09-18T20:30:00.006-07:002013-09-18T20:52:45.691-07:00Back in Vietnam, Back in Mui Ne<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAlzkbt1c-3JCF7moP7d7etaTkwPfULnxYwbNCpbTx6zOuIYe1jxqB6sFafqhV95MCLBD-F8AL_EfWg7yggsDL0nPZ3owyOCpNH8sBGM0sdyayMlzf9yMEL_7bnPltohKnO2lF_Xx0gxl/s1600/20130910_113636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAlzkbt1c-3JCF7moP7d7etaTkwPfULnxYwbNCpbTx6zOuIYe1jxqB6sFafqhV95MCLBD-F8AL_EfWg7yggsDL0nPZ3owyOCpNH8sBGM0sdyayMlzf9yMEL_7bnPltohKnO2lF_Xx0gxl/s400/20130910_113636.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I'm back in Mui Ne...</i></span></td></tr>
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Another long hiatus from the blogosphere may be ending (it’s
too soon to say for sure). But for now, at least, a quick update…<o:p></o:p></div>
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After nearly two years in Japan, and very little time for
myself, I’m back in Vietnam, in Mui Ne to be exact, with quite a bit more time
on my hands. I’ve now been back for a little more than two weeks and I’m trying
to see what I can share about the places, people, and food I encounter here.
Generally it’s been good, though the gloss and shine of years past seems to
have worn off the country, as the economy is doing poorly and people seem less
optimistic. Also, a few nights ago, while getting ready to leave a restaurant
in the company of friends, a horrific motorbike accident occurred within about
60 feet of where we were sitting. At least one passenger died, and perhaps all
three did. One never wants to see such things happen, but it’s especially
jarring after just moving back. After inquiring with others about current
traffic conditions in Mui Ne, I started hearing numerous stories directly from
people who’ve lost loved ones in road accidents here. I’ve already decided that
if I continue to feel unsafe on the roads, it will be time to leave Mui Ne and
give the Hoi An/Da Nang region a shot. Eventually, though, I’m pretty sure I’ll
end up in Saigon again. Even though Saigon’s hospitals aren’t up to
international standards, they’re light years ahead of medical care in this
part of the country. If one gets sick or injured in Mui Ne, it’s at least a five-hour journey by car to Saigon. And that’s assuming the car doesn’t get into an
accident on the way there…</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until I have more time to collect food and travel
experiences in Vietnam, I’ll give a quick update on my novel, <i>Lotusland</i>, which is set to
come out in April 2015, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the end of the
Vietnam War. I’ve been working with an editor on it for the past several
months, and about 10 days ago I submitted what should be the final changes, most
of which dealt with style issues. I’m now working on developing a promotion strategy
and hope to start on it soon – contacting people who will hopefully be
interested in my work, and who might be willing to lend a hand in bringing it
some good publicity. I’m also getting back, albeit slowly, into the rewrite of
a novel I completed several years ago. I hope to have it done and accepted
somewhere before my first publication is available.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s a teaser of what I hope will be more blog posts
coming from Vietnam. I’ve been hitting some old haunts recently rather than
explore new options, though it doesn’t seem like there’s very much new here
worth blogging about. If anything, there are more western restaurants in Mui Ne
now (and chintzy shops), but I’m not particularly keen on eating in those places. While I can still
get meals nearby for less than US$1, they’re harder to come by – impossible to
come by in Mui Ne itself, which is a resort area. But even so, one can eat
cheaply and well in Mui Ne. And drink some of the world’s best coffee…<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YPYGMWyhj9YBONHlfBD1klOtFDDbdq1jtTtAmHqFb4PSLjyWQKRUzvn5cm_nP5Mi4jhC5yJoVMesbTQrs84LQ2z-Irt7p1XZnlQhfczu3WvBpFSJmhKDDgdnQHlATdhjI-pMbQ8YA49v/s1600/20130910_113631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YPYGMWyhj9YBONHlfBD1klOtFDDbdq1jtTtAmHqFb4PSLjyWQKRUzvn5cm_nP5Mi4jhC5yJoVMesbTQrs84LQ2z-Irt7p1XZnlQhfczu3WvBpFSJmhKDDgdnQHlATdhjI-pMbQ8YA49v/s400/20130910_113631.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Seaside seat at Cay Bang restaurant.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpsQ2MZKA3WkTQHjJLQZCxhKq3NLFnUIJl9MvQj3ztSb_iofrF_WGcSkOh1oU_cUoDc0yOpv91Kn2sOGKJvPeooCKgziDloJjyuJMJxA9RxeMe7OcEZ0Sl_f6Tj901fiVwsVIdtWhyphenhyphenhfE/s1600/20130917_123434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpsQ2MZKA3WkTQHjJLQZCxhKq3NLFnUIJl9MvQj3ztSb_iofrF_WGcSkOh1oU_cUoDc0yOpv91Kn2sOGKJvPeooCKgziDloJjyuJMJxA9RxeMe7OcEZ0Sl_f6Tj901fiVwsVIdtWhyphenhyphenhfE/s400/20130917_123434.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mì xào haỉ sản<i> at Cay Bang. While the fish is pretty expensive here, this only cost 70,000 dong ($3.30).</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wkKEVSPsp-ZzAmkyX8EaC5V2mgMJHoqaRcmacXiSUGmvrTkqFKhXd2tN_DantZ85NjpQMSav7oGFVJhgbOTKtQBXOgqD5nw3xwD7SJ9qZdkAHEvMEH-oJWK3X1bVWGSywUsJszp2jQtd/s1600/20130910_114333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wkKEVSPsp-ZzAmkyX8EaC5V2mgMJHoqaRcmacXiSUGmvrTkqFKhXd2tN_DantZ85NjpQMSav7oGFVJhgbOTKtQBXOgqD5nw3xwD7SJ9qZdkAHEvMEH-oJWK3X1bVWGSywUsJszp2jQtd/s400/20130910_114333.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>An order of garlic-sauteed greens and claypot fish (</i>cà bớp: <i>cobia fish). Price tag: $4.25. In most restaurants, </i>cà bớp<i> is by far the most common fish found on menus. It's a bit depressing, as the skin tends to be thick and rubbery and without that much flavor. Of course, Vietnamese sauces help in the latter regard.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaswZ4nNGpp7XsJ_GCCm4a8W5zfep1hbOgVhqUnnU5qiYvlPqisRbI71SOygOT7tv9VlFayTrbusZCw4tANe3GCbjAXZ0RadKTyWVDp0VywJCLXtsfHLTSb_SeM_v4oy7dPlrvp-sX0YuM/s1600/20130918_122401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaswZ4nNGpp7XsJ_GCCm4a8W5zfep1hbOgVhqUnnU5qiYvlPqisRbI71SOygOT7tv9VlFayTrbusZCw4tANe3GCbjAXZ0RadKTyWVDp0VywJCLXtsfHLTSb_SeM_v4oy7dPlrvp-sX0YuM/s400/20130918_122401.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>For a hotel restaurant with a view of the beach, this was great. </i>Gà xào xả ớt<i> (sauteed chicken in a chili and lemongrass sauce), boiled mixed veggies, rice, and tea – after VAT and a service charge, still only $7.60. Poshanu Resort.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8ktfQGwQkUhYBNd4CNG_Zl_m7QqF-jfmOha3PuXKHd-MTw9guU20wuQ7vIw0-IDUq8dVx6ZHJkzi5UzSUd6TD2e3uCQLjC2ZSWpiY2jgw6rRWiPXFa0GtD3eAUq7dplboEIRpN1l9ntY/s1600/20130914_172930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8ktfQGwQkUhYBNd4CNG_Zl_m7QqF-jfmOha3PuXKHd-MTw9guU20wuQ7vIw0-IDUq8dVx6ZHJkzi5UzSUd6TD2e3uCQLjC2ZSWpiY2jgw6rRWiPXFa0GtD3eAUq7dplboEIRpN1l9ntY/s400/20130914_172930.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cà suốt<i> with a stack of fresh herbs, sesame rice paper, and beer brewed on the premises of Hoa Vien, a Czech-Vietnamese restaurant.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCTo2q9h5_Qr9Ir1ZuRhsgSDyJzgsBQ5RUsGhy4yMSDdRAkkt5Bw-BxSVJIZx-C3tqAZGXfUMkd_vYTQ2zc66RpnLdOWzoyTfpJkHYPysAdLpQQxmSzHYfX6BG0v0SiXstKzmjwKOdPkH/s1600/20130913_143632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCTo2q9h5_Qr9Ir1ZuRhsgSDyJzgsBQ5RUsGhy4yMSDdRAkkt5Bw-BxSVJIZx-C3tqAZGXfUMkd_vYTQ2zc66RpnLdOWzoyTfpJkHYPysAdLpQQxmSzHYfX6BG0v0SiXstKzmjwKOdPkH/s400/20130913_143632.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Terrace at The Cliffs. One of the better views in all of Mui Ne.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlgUBPs9-cplCFpmkz3tIKnj03teXTmoFAy9H5eKXcgdfF26DmRQ_uTpwPRUDpA09FRTb5d7eZX2xS5vB3UVaJbwTFcIcDCG37Q3NdvNYDyB0Sd9AljNam0LVqr0psAygaK17_ZWyjteL/s1600/20130913_143611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlgUBPs9-cplCFpmkz3tIKnj03teXTmoFAy9H5eKXcgdfF26DmRQ_uTpwPRUDpA09FRTb5d7eZX2xS5vB3UVaJbwTFcIcDCG37Q3NdvNYDyB0Sd9AljNam0LVqr0psAygaK17_ZWyjteL/s400/20130913_143611.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cà phê sữa đá<i> in the shade, with a view of the ocean. A perfect place to write.</i></span></td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-7021935013205631082013-02-17T02:59:00.001-08:002013-02-17T03:00:38.410-08:00New Year's Trip to Nagano, Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although this is another late blog post (I have excuses! I
do!), you might not be able to tell simply by looking at the photos––snow in
mid-February looks just like snow in early January. I’m tired of all this snow!
In any case, this post covers a trip I made to Bessho Onsen in Nagano, Japan,
at the beginning of 2013, directly following <i>oshogatsu</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, which is the Japanese New Year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I had spent Christmas with
my family in Santa Barbara, California, which by all accounts is a nice,
warmish place to spend a winter holiday. Rather than spend New Year’s there, however, I seemed to confuse my family by scheduling my return to snowy Japan a day
or two early. Maybe this blog will clear up that confusion––something
special awaited me back in Japan: a nice stay at a traditional hot spring inn.</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>The inn where I stayed was called Risenro Kashiwaya Ryokan, located high on a hill above Bessho Onsen train station. The inn is
well known for having accommodated many of Japan’s literati over the years,
including the Nobel Prize winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata. It is also known
for its old, small sake brewery on the grounds and beautiful four-story design.
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The entrance to the Risenro Kashiwaya hot spring inn.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Moss covered stone frogs near the entrance to the inn, ready to grant your wishes for just a smattering of your pocket change.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Upon entering and checking in one is served dried and sweetened local persimmons with green tea and a small serving of black jelly.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It's incredible how simple a room at a Japanese inn looks, and yet there's something very luxurious and warm about it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From the sitting room one could see snow-dusted pines and a small garden below.</i></span></div>
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The town has historical significance––between the late 12th
and early 14th centuries it was the headquarters of a regional governor––but it
is now better known for its temples and hot springs. Below are photos of
Anrakuji Temple, which is the oldest Zen temple in the Shinshu region of Japan.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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But what it’s even more famous for are the architectural features of the temple’s
wooden pagoda. Its octagonal shape is replicated nowhere else in Japan, and the
pagoda is considered a national treasure.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If you look closely you can see the snowmelt running off the eaves and being blown by the wind.</i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The temple design, which employs no metal, is incredibly complex and sophisticated.</span></i></div>
<br />
Anrakuji Temple is open from 9 a.m.
to 4 or 5 p.m. every day—depending on the season—and costs ¥300 to enter. <a href="http://www.anrakuji.com/">http://www.anrakuji.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Nearby are many other
temples and shrines, as well as traditional hot spring inns, restaurants,
street vendors, and souvenir shops. English on the signs makes it easy to get
around for those who don’t understand Japanese.</span>
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Jorakuji Temple is another well known area destination. The
most striking features of this 13th-centry temple are a thatched roof, a rare stone pagoda, and a small museum inside that
houses small wooden prayer boards painted by Hokusai (1760-1849), one
of Japan’s most famous painters and woodcut artists.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Walking around one finds
other attractions, large and small. Below are rows of old tombstones, covered
in snow and moss </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Also, from almost any of the area’s temples one gets
fantastic views of the valley and mountains.</span><br />
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Surprisingly, well off the main road and tucked into the mountainside was a handmade soba shop. Apparently it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>s in a lot of guidebooks, because there was a wait to get in.<br />
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Once in, however, there<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’s a nice selection of soba (buckweat noodles) and other locally sourced menu items. I went with a tempura udon set, which came with pickled veggies (takuan) and hot green tea.</span><br />
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One of the soba-ya<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>s specialties was soba dumplings, served with two types of miso paste. Definitely a good way to warm up after spending time in the wintry outdoors.<br />
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After lunch it was time to check in (finally), and I immediately changed into my inn-issued bathrobe and headed to the hot spring. As you can see below, one of the baths was indoors and one was outdoors. The one outdoors was full of a white substance floating in the water so that I felt a little like I was sitting in egg-drop soup. It was a bit strange to me, but supposedly those floaty bits add to the mineral content of the spring water and are healthful. The inn also offers a private hot spring bath for ¥3000 for 45 minutes, which is a nice alternative for couples and families that would prefer to enjoy the hot springs together rather than in gender-separate facilities.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I came out here once at night, too, and had the entire bath to myself as snow was falling.</i></span></div>
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Like any traditional inn in Japan, full-course meals are available and are often done in a <i>kaiseki</i> or <i>kaiseki-ryouri</i> style. Sometimes inns will serve you course-by-course in your room, but many inns have separate dining rooms in which guests eat. Normally one gets dinner and breakfast, but it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’s not cheap.</span></div>
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The inn served a variety of fresh seafood (though it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">’s located in the mountains) as well as mountain vegetables. As you can see, presentation is as important as the quality and freshness of the food. I actually was</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">n</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’t able to finish my meal, though I made it to the final course and the rice served at the end. Somehow, though, I found room at the end for dessert.</span><br />
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The next morning, despite the early hour, Kitamuki Kannon Temple was packed with visitors who wanted to bring in the New Year with their prayers. One of the main attractions at this temple is the statue of Kannon inside, which is the Buddhist goddess of mercy.<br />
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Normally a temple<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">’</span>s Kannon statue is said to hear prayers made for the
next life, but this one is reputed to answer them for this life. It was
easily the most crowded temple in Bessho Onsen, but that might have been
due to the fact that it was the New Year.<br />
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Later that morning, at breakfast time, the inn served a simple yet delicious meal of <i>ayu</i> fish, Japanese omelet, sliced fish cakes, pickled veggies, lotus and carrot slices, rice, miso soup, and yuzu juice. <br />
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This <i>ryokan</i> was one of the nicest ones I<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">’ve stayed in, and I loved the fact that it was famous for accommodating so many famous Japanese writers last century. While there</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">’s not so much to do in Bessho Onsen, you really can</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">’t beat this place for relaxation. In the warmer months, too, it must be incredibly pleasant to stroll around in the evenings. One feels closer to "old Japan" in places like this, which makes the trip and the cost of staying here worth it.</span><br />
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Risenro Kashiwaya Ryokan offers various stay plans and the cost depends on various factors such as the size of your room, the number of guests, the types of amenities you want, and whether or not you will order the <i>kaiseki ryouri</i> cuisine. For more on this inn, please check the following website: <a href="http://www.rinsenro.com/">http://www.rinsenro.com/</a>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-22499607210375349222012-12-23T10:17:00.002-08:002012-12-23T10:22:02.020-08:00Novel Publication!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo by Emma Lynch, BBC)</span></i></div>
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Getting used to winter in Fukui has been a challenge for me.
Much of this comes from my stubbornness—a refusal to pay Japanese prices for
winter clothes, and a refusal, too, to purchase my first-ever pair of snowboots
just to walk to and from the university where I teach. As I’m now in Santa
Barbara for the holidays, I hope to buy all I need here for the long winter season.
Thank god my shipment of Trung Nguyen coffee arrived in California safely, so
at least I’ve got a few kilos of black gold to help me survive.</div>
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But my big news is that I found a publisher for my novel, <i>Lotusland</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. Although the publication date is scheduled for two
years down the road, it’s a big relief and an even bigger source of happiness
that </span><i>Lotusland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> will eventually reach a wide audience.
The publisher, Guernica Editions, is one that I respect very much. I couldn’t
be happier with this development. The feeling of validation is extremely rewarding.</span></div>
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What this means in practical terms is that over the next two years I’ll have
much to do in preparation for my novel’s publication. I’ll need to
figure out how I want to promote the novel and where—not only in North America,
but also in Europe, Asia, and Australia. A book tour sounds daunting—public
speaking is not my forte—but I’ll need to plan on something like that as well.
It will be interesting to see if I can remain in Fukui, or even in Japan, when
it comes time to promote my work.</div>
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I hope, too, that this will bring me back to a more
productive writing routine. I’m working on a re-write of my first novel, which
is set in Vietnam and Cambodia, and hoping to have it finished before <i>Lotusland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> comes out.</span></div>
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What this means for my blog is uncertain—I’ve been too
busy with work and five major moves over the last 18 months to blog regularly—but hopefully I can
get back to it soon.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">For anyone reading this––Happy Holidays!</span><!--EndFragment-->
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-20654538562210716852012-12-01T00:19:00.000-08:002012-12-01T22:37:21.783-08:00Obama City and Wakasa Bay<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wakasa Bay, Obama City, Fukui.</span></i></div>
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Last weekend, in addition to visiting Eiheiji, I traveled to
Obama City on the Japan Coast of Fukui prefecture. It seemed easy enough to get
there by train, and the information I found about Obama-shi on the Internet
made it sound like an interesting destination. For example, Obama is where
North Korean agents abducted Japanese citizens 34 years ago. And several centuries ago, Obama was a passing-through point for people traveling between China
and Kyoto (Japan’s old capital). It also holds a water carrying festival
(Omizuokuri Matsuri) every March that’s been going on for more than 1200
years.</div>
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I departed from Fukui station on the Thunderbird Express at around 10 a.m. on Saturday
morning, and then transferred at Tsuruga for a JR line to Obama. From Tsuruga to Obama, there’s only local train service and Obama is the 16th stop on the
line. The train had only two cars, and the tracks cut through a little-populated countryside, with occasional views of the ocean near the end of the
40-minute trip. The fall foliage made the trip picturesque, though there didn’t seem much worth stopping for.</div>
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Obama station is tiny, but it does have a tourist
information office inside and offers a variety of maps, some of which are in English. From
there, it’s about a 15-minute walk to the bay, but there are some interesting
places to visit along the way. One place I stopped at was Fisherman’s Wharf. If the weather had been better I would have taken the Sotomo Scenic Cruise, which leaves from the wharf for what it widely regarded as the Japan Sea’s most scenic tour, but instead I spent more time at the municipal fish
market.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjTAbOUyNsumCNve4QTVudfJEE2ISwzKzb6e5Ht8Fn5aQXnM_Fc2cuN8j-fc2HCdGvC_Svqy5E2RzCdXs2U2SRoLzTRsR7QmdhH85FzlnufXET0-hKZIUvQ2M4JM-TyNFyyZAPLuVK5KA/s1600/Obama+Fish+Market+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjTAbOUyNsumCNve4QTVudfJEE2ISwzKzb6e5Ht8Fn5aQXnM_Fc2cuN8j-fc2HCdGvC_Svqy5E2RzCdXs2U2SRoLzTRsR7QmdhH85FzlnufXET0-hKZIUvQ2M4JM-TyNFyyZAPLuVK5KA/s400/Obama+Fish+Market+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see by the painting on one of the market’s walls, the city
has embraced Barack Obama––or at least images of him that might bring in
customers. In this painting, he’s wearing a traditional conical hat and
fisherman’s coat, and holding a package of one of Fukui’s specialties: <i>heshiko</i>
(saba that has been pickled in <i>nuka,</i> or rice bran<span style="font-style: normal;">). I have no idea what Obama’s pointing at, but
whatever it is he seems as happy as the giant cat behind him.</span></div>
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The fish market itself was smaller than the building might have
you guess (though it’s probably much busier and livelier in the early morning),
and since winter is crab season there were plenty of crabs on hand. There were
plenty of freshly caught fish and shellfish, too, along with fish drying on
racks outside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhox_v6yr6zyOJ8kBIukEf8UFcX5a99EOefqEUrPHMlp02K3KzmoyWbtQq1CqSnYqRjDNHTrpW7RVovTUMhzr1U4A972MbRJzKEs7l2cdv8UGXzzDJMa-vojTN01rm9eN-a-7juhxCVDL_A/s1600/Obama+Ichiba+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhox_v6yr6zyOJ8kBIukEf8UFcX5a99EOefqEUrPHMlp02K3KzmoyWbtQq1CqSnYqRjDNHTrpW7RVovTUMhzr1U4A972MbRJzKEs7l2cdv8UGXzzDJMa-vojTN01rm9eN-a-7juhxCVDL_A/s400/Obama+Ichiba+1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsRQEeFXucme6ueeebSkeLfojJ2D0DK0cc5Fvgiv-kQHh3sAy-sLdwX160TIUw5s6Lcsk-XVXUaoGxAhyCNMkrLhuyqAvITKYvE1_aZPtrygmI0ml5skiFJ9ib1rQztV7BS2IH4JleRV6/s1600/Obama+Ichiba+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsRQEeFXucme6ueeebSkeLfojJ2D0DK0cc5Fvgiv-kQHh3sAy-sLdwX160TIUw5s6Lcsk-XVXUaoGxAhyCNMkrLhuyqAvITKYvE1_aZPtrygmI0ml5skiFJ9ib1rQztV7BS2IH4JleRV6/s400/Obama+Ichiba+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoRLhbub7IP883Qu8tS51AKhcXoRpLVUjVPtmaWXrFXOWVLjy9ka3zC8PeY9QDHKYBTEFt_oVZS04-YHpPAPdP1d5h9uhFYHYpnBCyjrnSjIbDacXx7ntSTh6JjwXa4MjmYudfzVRYlxk/s1600/Obama+Ichiba+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoRLhbub7IP883Qu8tS51AKhcXoRpLVUjVPtmaWXrFXOWVLjy9ka3zC8PeY9QDHKYBTEFt_oVZS04-YHpPAPdP1d5h9uhFYHYpnBCyjrnSjIbDacXx7ntSTh6JjwXa4MjmYudfzVRYlxk/s400/Obama+Ichiba+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once at the bay—or one small corner of it—which was besieged by hawks hungry for fishermen’s throwaways, it was time to fill my belly with some of the seafood I’d seen at the
fish market. With this in mind, I headed for a beautiful little restaurant called Hamano Shiki.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K7bgDOHqYTouolwV2CAGocCN0XM9uQSBToY0mRn0B49uih97ZDY0QXjfVY38eGXcOs4lZ8rbHwoqtZf3zrCodLcYazd6HeHfwVU3xMiNKTVxvvnR-rmRj-CJzdHelvgwwHF2nhlUpmtj/s1600/Obama+Restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K7bgDOHqYTouolwV2CAGocCN0XM9uQSBToY0mRn0B49uih97ZDY0QXjfVY38eGXcOs4lZ8rbHwoqtZf3zrCodLcYazd6HeHfwVU3xMiNKTVxvvnR-rmRj-CJzdHelvgwwHF2nhlUpmtj/s400/Obama+Restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6mIxUDvov8Nfy2ykwTCP-W49BuZH32V5oHyt62VyUF5X32pNp4AmXVKc240AJ1DBZ5ZWPjSccFZEDkdvVTDGqErp_U5KE6aFfJe1-4K0UNlVq7s8krv5EXMOdt_uJC0JDqyakPOJTo8n/s1600/Hawks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6mIxUDvov8Nfy2ykwTCP-W49BuZH32V5oHyt62VyUF5X32pNp4AmXVKc240AJ1DBZ5ZWPjSccFZEDkdvVTDGqErp_U5KE6aFfJe1-4K0UNlVq7s8krv5EXMOdt_uJC0JDqyakPOJTo8n/s400/Hawks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For only ¥1150 (less than $14) I ordered fried saba, which came with a small salad, pickled veggies, miso soup, white rice, green tea, and a citrus jelly dessert.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVfnwAzwq1sCCJhwNNpNLhPzW8-wZ6PWePR3gTzwbxIcI7OLlChoIZ047ut4O6IdngOTDfrVhztT7kusuJFSSKxkHn-2_DUvCbth47obAY1bvw6TYQ8Ahd4-tlvejUUsflyzWCPcDnyGz/s1600/Obama+Restaurant+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVfnwAzwq1sCCJhwNNpNLhPzW8-wZ6PWePR3gTzwbxIcI7OLlChoIZ047ut4O6IdngOTDfrVhztT7kusuJFSSKxkHn-2_DUvCbth47obAY1bvw6TYQ8Ahd4-tlvejUUsflyzWCPcDnyGz/s400/Obama+Restaurant+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Directly across from the restaurant is
Miketsukuni Wakasa Obama Food Cultural Center, a museum devoted to Japanese
food culture, and there are numerous displays on the first floor of Japanese
food according to season and also by historical period.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3UXuKrmhExMtkSoUu53OKWjCId601vJob5c5uvmcSia4oE-0ArZaFmc9KWFQi6UQNbkWY0uyJnuC2Gx1cN3xp4vPC_cCPw0_sAzhq0RcIOFUZyjyUGPQnTHa5Mp0qfW407s6meMSbkXR/s1600/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3UXuKrmhExMtkSoUu53OKWjCId601vJob5c5uvmcSia4oE-0ArZaFmc9KWFQi6UQNbkWY0uyJnuC2Gx1cN3xp4vPC_cCPw0_sAzhq0RcIOFUZyjyUGPQnTHa5Mp0qfW407s6meMSbkXR/s400/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwlmdUXP7Wnq0talkXEZ-AeRydjQF-YwAoEMomAIWaECc-H5g-VdeLvNhTEPedysU3PZ__EwqzTdU0VSkhX99UqQiJMrzBZUFRCgO5Jk2P1hMOMNaT_r6TzaFSP3jlK5Bmap1muB59PAY/s1600/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwlmdUXP7Wnq0talkXEZ-AeRydjQF-YwAoEMomAIWaECc-H5g-VdeLvNhTEPedysU3PZ__EwqzTdU0VSkhX99UqQiJMrzBZUFRCgO5Jk2P1hMOMNaT_r6TzaFSP3jlK5Bmap1muB59PAY/s400/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lb2OTIzOJbpHws-hpMqRl4GfTI-jJKhsuBv7ZmcYFTpKRQLQ_WveQC7WnxUt6xKdx0MdWxLblWFmi0lERBSRLsBrETANINkJbxrhsEmuL3Qc8LEwULxMcOGK7OAwhjgDe9wbc5ZUSxYb/s1600/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lb2OTIzOJbpHws-hpMqRl4GfTI-jJKhsuBv7ZmcYFTpKRQLQ_WveQC7WnxUt6xKdx0MdWxLblWFmi0lERBSRLsBrETANINkJbxrhsEmuL3Qc8LEwULxMcOGK7OAwhjgDe9wbc5ZUSxYb/s400/Miketsukuni+Wakasa+Obama+Food+Cultural+Center+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Amazingly, the food of
old Japan hasn’t changed much over time, so when we eat a traditional Japanese
meal we also delve back gustatorily into Japan’s long culinary history.</div>
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From there, it was another ten or fifteen minutes by foot to
get to the Sanchomachi district of Obama, which is known for its well-preserved
homes and buildings dating to medieval times when the area was a red-light
district.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeVFyzvmAH8_C3Y9VN3-oxpVwiu4v7oQSY6TBGMAcB0GVJ4HQzw3ezjQ68iHq9vNAUIxrQEDd4QBRgdwn0loNugKVIqN2AnbLWaC8g13rShsamzub8Nq6yecW7iAieTkUJOefSd0wxXNk/s1600/Obama+Sanchomachi+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeVFyzvmAH8_C3Y9VN3-oxpVwiu4v7oQSY6TBGMAcB0GVJ4HQzw3ezjQ68iHq9vNAUIxrQEDd4QBRgdwn0loNugKVIqN2AnbLWaC8g13rShsamzub8Nq6yecW7iAieTkUJOefSd0wxXNk/s400/Obama+Sanchomachi+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZckhG3zh73ephyphenhyphenRv0SmKMDxHTwZ3DM5A1KFvXhy8RHV41xccwMtmgR7URgueCrpewsEXTwJzFzE4hTwB0c6YLm13nXf9-nuHf4J_UNcjNunII-SbM3_57oOyEwxxMiguT6rkGOW2GeaF/s1600/Obama+Sanchomachi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZckhG3zh73ephyphenhyphenRv0SmKMDxHTwZ3DM5A1KFvXhy8RHV41xccwMtmgR7URgueCrpewsEXTwJzFzE4hTwB0c6YLm13nXf9-nuHf4J_UNcjNunII-SbM3_57oOyEwxxMiguT6rkGOW2GeaF/s400/Obama+Sanchomachi+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Perhaps I missed the turnoff to the main street with all these old
houses, but what I found was quite limited and virtually nothing was open. What
I saw was interesting to me, but I was able to pass through the area in
about 10 minutes. Supposedly there are a few geisha houses here and also
restaurants that employ geishas to entertain customers. But I didn’t see
anything like this.</div>
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There was a freezing rain falling by that point, so I went
and found a café where I ordered hot cocoa and sat by an electric heater. At
around 4 p.m. I asked the café owner to call a taxi, and from there it was
about 15 minutes to Itaya Ryokan, which is set in a quiet cove of Wakasa Bay.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpxrAG4IO82KerPAUMyswx49izry5PNblsPENzSWF_DEv1ycnRoVeTOaqRJEfPcMKD18Vk-rHA2xGyuuzdEH_S2KiBGIWGKVO4HNWcH3RUz86zfuncGNX0i2ZSgLn2hXyr6oglsc3O-ih/s1600/A8gyPJFCAAIbCUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpxrAG4IO82KerPAUMyswx49izry5PNblsPENzSWF_DEv1ycnRoVeTOaqRJEfPcMKD18Vk-rHA2xGyuuzdEH_S2KiBGIWGKVO4HNWcH3RUz86zfuncGNX0i2ZSgLn2hXyr6oglsc3O-ih/s400/A8gyPJFCAAIbCUp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is the view from my room.</i></span></div>
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The main building is made of wood and has four stories (beside it is a three-story annex), with nine rooms. The building used to belong to the village headman during the Edo period (1603-1868), and much of its original architecture remains. It also has an Edo-period storehouse and garden, a beachfront, and onsens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmpp5xMMKpgRrRjvDbAJa6ATq7FXRs7GbsNAy-O-w9AeghfM9_qhgkJY6gds5ufBPftPr0dGNkx-wtRSjLxritZI2w8pGz8GdqKkvS6s4mY5TLwiXdKz-bu9cBU4WNp52MDEbGTXggz-9/s1600/Itaya+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmpp5xMMKpgRrRjvDbAJa6ATq7FXRs7GbsNAy-O-w9AeghfM9_qhgkJY6gds5ufBPftPr0dGNkx-wtRSjLxritZI2w8pGz8GdqKkvS6s4mY5TLwiXdKz-bu9cBU4WNp52MDEbGTXggz-9/s400/Itaya+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was the front room across from the registration desk. Big groups have dinner here, and it leads into the inn's spacious garden.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPIXDCncd0VjSPt2exeSltUsry7FWASQ_g2_kva07NJgL0gj8v5U90n2xiDXmM-NOPG5MQ9mv5FsYEbNH96Ak7n6WGOeblHBrtxrvmNyHaRhvfcYb8fz7KVpuLQlzzEogaBfrZooLBOTm/s1600/Itaya+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPIXDCncd0VjSPt2exeSltUsry7FWASQ_g2_kva07NJgL0gj8v5U90n2xiDXmM-NOPG5MQ9mv5FsYEbNH96Ak7n6WGOeblHBrtxrvmNyHaRhvfcYb8fz7KVpuLQlzzEogaBfrZooLBOTm/s400/Itaya+4.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A giant wood carving of bears.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HMT5OneazVY5yY_PwzTJnEUH2JQT3gCeB65HYuU_GOvcYXOSeWwJZdJ4_qbBWbr3XOJLIatbbUo_glFqqT74m4021CuxUX87JcO__bmoCSaFBCuUHCyo8KVel2esM2YxoFWFVLCP2cUM/s1600/Itaya+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HMT5OneazVY5yY_PwzTJnEUH2JQT3gCeB65HYuU_GOvcYXOSeWwJZdJ4_qbBWbr3XOJLIatbbUo_glFqqT74m4021CuxUX87JcO__bmoCSaFBCuUHCyo8KVel2esM2YxoFWFVLCP2cUM/s400/Itaya+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Upon check-in I was served a sweet and salty plum and hot green tea with plum mush at the bottom.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP41HKjJHlJ5CMIGE2jRANG9TVA2vWHXlk8JZm09b3EaA3sllrutYjpyrEkfM0Z0IhRMCNfuPj2Be6PaCR6fc92vCWDDS_mjvLZDc0a88o7cQgJ_4MKbhWcChaykpyGjHt8DNsAtZogQhD/s1600/Itaya+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP41HKjJHlJ5CMIGE2jRANG9TVA2vWHXlk8JZm09b3EaA3sllrutYjpyrEkfM0Z0IhRMCNfuPj2Be6PaCR6fc92vCWDDS_mjvLZDc0a88o7cQgJ_4MKbhWcChaykpyGjHt8DNsAtZogQhD/s400/Itaya+18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is the breakfast room. It</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>’s meant to recreate the feeling of being on a boat.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvd_g8Mw-vTX7XxVOowSNAaZV0ZoObCEXxZrHhip4wwSwVH_EdG1tk_fhl4iOz21iGL4UcW12UetOFlGECEDrR2teON1TU56JCBSedjaru8mdvrTjnlqpB_xD6locrz6N5_BLds8WfmZp/s1600/Itaya+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvd_g8Mw-vTX7XxVOowSNAaZV0ZoObCEXxZrHhip4wwSwVH_EdG1tk_fhl4iOz21iGL4UcW12UetOFlGECEDrR2teON1TU56JCBSedjaru8mdvrTjnlqpB_xD6locrz6N5_BLds8WfmZp/s400/Itaya+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It may look like a jail, but that</i>’</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>s just the sliding wooden door at the entry to the room. </i></span></div>
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The onsen looks over the bay, where numerous blowfish (<i>fugu</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) nets have been laid. One of the hot baths had a
Jacuzzi, and there is also a sauna behind where I took the picture below. The onsen were open 24 hours,
too, and I went back there nice and early on Sunday to watch the sun rise.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rvAvuGVisTWb0g41WHskDueI2lgIK1c_k8CjE-MeD1_HP3vl16R1GAh4P91QRLkdpadazymJlCTr86w0DFsEjC-RT14quVOBQLZ7-GX9Rkj-2d6PzWKUV7t8xedrln-fnGBwBaA74q6P/s1600/Itaya+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rvAvuGVisTWb0g41WHskDueI2lgIK1c_k8CjE-MeD1_HP3vl16R1GAh4P91QRLkdpadazymJlCTr86w0DFsEjC-RT14quVOBQLZ7-GX9Rkj-2d6PzWKUV7t8xedrln-fnGBwBaA74q6P/s400/Itaya+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dinner was served in the room, and it was a full course of crab
from the Sea of Japan. The appetizer was <i>heshiko</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, mountain vegetables, crab roe, salted and packed
roe, pressed sea bream sushi, and fish cake slices.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqk8Xef_f_q-tiXijytJNqTgWvICTRC7iXNAQCnSnG-HVXIcfY4EYqreB_qo6xuaBHVPB8K3YYe4s345qdd-lYAgCK95Zqp9mjosNJ46JU1nALTepRgHTixAMZ_JyaAz5k7OeVnjhmBy2/s1600/Itaya+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqk8Xef_f_q-tiXijytJNqTgWvICTRC7iXNAQCnSnG-HVXIcfY4EYqreB_qo6xuaBHVPB8K3YYe4s345qdd-lYAgCK95Zqp9mjosNJ46JU1nALTepRgHTixAMZ_JyaAz5k7OeVnjhmBy2/s400/Itaya+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After that I tucked into fresh, already cracked-open boiled crab.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdMOia1UzGTVfEFrcCM1lQC-4PkKDQKOSHREV5KgBJKVLw4zlSZ8L8b0c28bmwVwZmQot0sTQwbZYiAG7xF1_8pexwNRzdC6J7w5e-b6bHltkvVePXqaWPhsoBz2ty-IdP12AxWK5I-4/s1600/Itaya+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdMOia1UzGTVfEFrcCM1lQC-4PkKDQKOSHREV5KgBJKVLw4zlSZ8L8b0c28bmwVwZmQot0sTQwbZYiAG7xF1_8pexwNRzdC6J7w5e-b6bHltkvVePXqaWPhsoBz2ty-IdP12AxWK5I-4/s400/Itaya+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sashimi, including crab sashimi, followed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba7o46nuG3N7WP3Lnr3Lq0sj8B9zpCSn_1O60uGR8a5yzbjLT3lRrnYxZhblnKh2figwrlIR2Z98bB7zcTGg4armwwf__Yvth8kTGmRY_5kXoI9EfZBxkjtb8FqycQNJLqVDZ65mEUvbt/s1600/Itaya+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba7o46nuG3N7WP3Lnr3Lq0sj8B9zpCSn_1O60uGR8a5yzbjLT3lRrnYxZhblnKh2figwrlIR2Z98bB7zcTGg4armwwf__Yvth8kTGmRY_5kXoI9EfZBxkjtb8FqycQNJLqVDZ65mEUvbt/s400/Itaya+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Minced crab meat with a fried egg came afterward.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BI7GKzy8o41TL_VXbwD3YibqfEZgN9kq49M4VFjwOzqeWpNmCtPNQLu_gaJjncUEYzhxIO8Vz1ia9Oo3ygE-8gjLEkqdpOSXxFdKhqbDrq4q1nCTYanPbquiOvkNgO69O2yQKVkgQ11L/s1600/Itaya+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BI7GKzy8o41TL_VXbwD3YibqfEZgN9kq49M4VFjwOzqeWpNmCtPNQLu_gaJjncUEYzhxIO8Vz1ia9Oo3ygE-8gjLEkqdpOSXxFdKhqbDrq4q1nCTYanPbquiOvkNgO69O2yQKVkgQ11L/s400/Itaya+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And finally, a crab hotpot with tofu, mushrooms, watercress, and leeks.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetdPdyGWH865kD0hsm5v8ukF7-mzLgSTgejIckHfVvFXIX9yXnTtp6w8p5jXxu38aLA7FRiUUBg7AaF9Aq4QANKXDFQu2-HstzZb7tVL4MDvE6d3PZeyfU8Blpihi0q69pR_vj0JLTA6K/s1600/Itaya+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetdPdyGWH865kD0hsm5v8ukF7-mzLgSTgejIckHfVvFXIX9yXnTtp6w8p5jXxu38aLA7FRiUUBg7AaF9Aq4QANKXDFQu2-HstzZb7tVL4MDvE6d3PZeyfU8Blpihi0q69pR_vj0JLTA6K/s400/Itaya+16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With a dessert of red bean and cinnamon jelly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRhp_xB3y0mkin4_1N94Ji4D4Yt12VQdG7fD-gr5E_1tg_UNNZTIaRrrR_Mfv6mwV_5v38rXr9Atka6jqqjlqrqzY3aN3yrcLfV7eTabZqZxNUpxOhOsmMGVsXmPkIybUaTh0tDfbe7dV/s1600/Itaya+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRhp_xB3y0mkin4_1N94Ji4D4Yt12VQdG7fD-gr5E_1tg_UNNZTIaRrrR_Mfv6mwV_5v38rXr9Atka6jqqjlqrqzY3aN3yrcLfV7eTabZqZxNUpxOhOsmMGVsXmPkIybUaTh0tDfbe7dV/s400/Itaya+17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Somehow, in the morning, I made room for this healthy
breakfast.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v2mcPEFbHfxgSvz4TyfNu139V1jG67P1zSsXGFYWWnLcM5RDXEUnzQ7AoRm901S4j0lp0-f9eaZDAXi88n1woCnO4X6UvAZacvj96-8ptXSbo7ri-zLhiiYmz6R7WRA7wDenrzuy5GMk/s1600/Itaya+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v2mcPEFbHfxgSvz4TyfNu139V1jG67P1zSsXGFYWWnLcM5RDXEUnzQ7AoRm901S4j0lp0-f9eaZDAXi88n1woCnO4X6UvAZacvj96-8ptXSbo7ri-zLhiiYmz6R7WRA7wDenrzuy5GMk/s400/Itaya+19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Before leaving and returning to Fukui, I took advantage of
the rare appearance of the sun and walked around the premises. There were
numerous cats in the alleys and even around the beach, including this guy in
the photo below who complained vociferously as I approached with my camera.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAyE75zTqT7z36Di4nYmqZZZQAKZ0eWNQ_AROIHofvJ9c4IpCE9-bDvlRfvKkDZRE7HNqXRk2-Oun6NBUM9fwjiOmXcPfjTOkjowRqBcDob1-Ol8n1n9xqfMSSv5bTvvUnXhfXl_dNCpf/s1600/Itaya+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAyE75zTqT7z36Di4nYmqZZZQAKZ0eWNQ_AROIHofvJ9c4IpCE9-bDvlRfvKkDZRE7HNqXRk2-Oun6NBUM9fwjiOmXcPfjTOkjowRqBcDob1-Ol8n1n9xqfMSSv5bTvvUnXhfXl_dNCpf/s400/Itaya+20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Quite a few people could be seen fishing on the pier to one
side of the beach, and in warmer weather there are small rowboats one can use
to explore the bay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X9ctV6R1Nw6MX7gjn1ADVQZSumV35Ft03uL4QoGqbBN09W0MYHjyh4l5sESqPMCSZiVr184okknUJzJdxnHKaXiCSNNXaevtB_IjBp67nO6ogwkLbM2qbvTOKJGhbFBjs0h7JaD7l-yj/s1600/Itaya+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X9ctV6R1Nw6MX7gjn1ADVQZSumV35Ft03uL4QoGqbBN09W0MYHjyh4l5sESqPMCSZiVr184okknUJzJdxnHKaXiCSNNXaevtB_IjBp67nO6ogwkLbM2qbvTOKJGhbFBjs0h7JaD7l-yj/s400/Itaya+24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">For anyone interested in staying at this
traditional Japanese inn, Itaya’s website is here: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.itaya.biz/">http://www.itaya.biz</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">. It’s all in Japanese, but the photos are nice!</span></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-44946773764641542832012-11-25T05:43:00.003-08:002012-11-25T06:08:09.987-08:00Eiheiji Temple, Fukui<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s been months, literally, since my last blog post, which
was due mainly to an insane work schedule and changes yet again to my area of
residence. I’ve been working the equivalent of two jobs since February of this
year (and in the last 17 months have moved from Hanoi to Akita, to Mui Ne, back to Akita, to Tokyo, and then to Fukui), but it seems I’ve managed to shuck one gig recently and have a somewhat
normal schedule to look forward to. What this means, I hope, is that I can get
back to blogging semi-regularly. I’ll detail the past year or so in a future
post, but for now I’m going to dive into some recent travel and eating…here in
Fukui, Japan, which is in the Hokuriku region of the country and within very
reasonable train distance to some of my favorite places: Kyoto (80 minutes
away) and Kanazawa (40 minutes away).</div>
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With the time of year turning cold and gloomy, it’s nice to
turn one’s attention to <i>kouyou</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, which
refers to the tradition of viewing Japan’s rich autumn foliage. This weekend I
tried to combine some </span><i>kouyou</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
viewing with local travel. My first trip was to Eiheiji Temple, which is a
40-minute bus ride (a ¥720-ticket purchased in advance) from Fukui Station (bus
stop #1).</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">The temple is only 10 miles southeast of Fukui, so if you happen to
have your own transportation you can probably get there in about 25 minutes.
Despite the fact that the temple is one of the most famous tourist destinations
in Fukui prefecture, I didn’t expect it to impress me as much as it did.
It doesn’t compare to Koya-san, but I was more impressed with Eiheiji than any
of the temples I’ve seen in Kyoto and Nara. It doesn’t rank with Izu Shrine in
terms of its historic importance, but I think I enjoy Eiheiji even more
because of how beautifully it blends in with the natural surroundings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Eiheiji is important architecturally for that reason, in
fact, but even more important is its designation as the head temple of the Soto
Zen sect, which was founded in 1244 by Dogen Zenji. The temple premises cover
nearly 100,000 square meters, and the grounds are filled with various types of
ancient pines, Japanese maples, gingkoes, cryptomeria cedars, and other blazingly-leafed
trees.</div>
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Another important feature of the temple is its function as a training
ground for more than 200 priests. One sees young priests, clad in black robes
and with their heads shaved, walking and working in the temple. With advanced
reservations, you can spend the night here for what is supposedly quite
rigorous <i>zazen</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> training. I call tell you
without hesitation that I never considered doing this. <o:p></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">At least not after
discovering how bitterly cold mornings can be in poorly heated abodes like my
current apartment and, I’m guessing, ancient Japanese temples that offer training in
asceticism.</span></div>
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The main temple is composed of several tiers that climb up
the mountain, and as it climbs, visitors must climb, too.</div>
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Some of the stairs
seemed never-ending, and the corridors that connected them were almost mazelike
in their intricacy.</div>
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In a way it was lucky that Fukui’s ceaseless rain at this
time of year let up long enough for me to visit Eiheiji. The rain deepened the
colors of the already-rich foliage, as well as the temple’s wooden construction
and also the stone walkways.</div>
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Rain hung for two or three hours off of branches
and leaves like dewdrops. It probably also thinned out the crowds, though I by
no means had the temple to myself.</div>
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After two or three hours here it was time for lunch, and, as
visitors are bound to notice on the drive to the temple, the surrounding area,
called Echizen, is famous for its soba (buckwheat noodles). Echizen is a large
area that is associated most of all, probably, with crabs—one single Echizen
male crab will throw you back at least ¥10,000 (over $120)—and secondly with
soba. After walking a couple minutes down the mist-shrouded mountain road, and
passing some of the biggest <i>dango</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
(grilled mochi dumpling) I’ve ever seen, I settled for a three-soba set lunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">The soba varieties included Echizen soba (plain soba), </span><i>tororo</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> soba (grated yam soba), and tempura soba. The meal
came with miso soup, pickled onion bulbs, and free tea and cost ¥800 (less than
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Although I’m not a fan of the cold (I’ve
spent years in hot places and, somewhat idiotically, still don’t own winter
clothes), I’m looking forward to coming back to Eiheiji after a snowfall to see
how winter changes the temple and its relationship to these forested mountains.</span><!--EndFragment-->
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<!--EndFragment-->Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com2Eiheiji, Yoshida District, Fukui Prefecture, Japan36.0922564 136.298706535.989608899999993 136.140778 36.1949039 136.456635tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-58831672421597788872012-03-20T23:53:00.000-07:002012-03-20T23:53:30.267-07:00Recap of Short Return to Vietnam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr_lbrsv4bXTUmVneetxtRsp1fInPd_IhZYxvm_aDV_PeDpTZgoxlbBdkwhJ2a-52gOVBctcTO6tm5KXlokBS-NqhC9EXKxROjK9ynaoZUJx4zi4DoJ3KHMeExB6XJWVGVKn7JEhos5JD/s1600/Sunset+in+Mui+Ne+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr_lbrsv4bXTUmVneetxtRsp1fInPd_IhZYxvm_aDV_PeDpTZgoxlbBdkwhJ2a-52gOVBctcTO6tm5KXlokBS-NqhC9EXKxROjK9ynaoZUJx4zi4DoJ3KHMeExB6XJWVGVKn7JEhos5JD/s400/Sunset+in+Mui+Ne+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since my last blog post. I intended to take a short break, but it seems my break has last more than four months! Twitter and Twitpic is much less time-consuming, especially now that I’m back in Japan and working a lot.<br />
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At the end of October last year I decided to leave Japan because my job in Akita required far more hours (60-70/week) than were specified in my contract (40-45/week). It was a difficult choice to make, though I knew I’d try to come back at some point. Where did I choose to go? As I’ve done numerous times in the past, I returned to Vietnam, which has always been a great safety net for me.<br />
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I intended to live in Saigon for a while, as I thought I’d lined up work and a place to live in District 2. Unfortunately, the job fell through and my prospective landlord sold me a false bill of goods. Rather than move into the apartment I’d placed a $740 deposit on, I backed out immediately after entering the place and finding it completely filled with mud, rotting food, and different furnishings than what I’d been led to believe came with the place. I lost the money and had to start my apartment search all over, but then an old Vietnamese-American friend, and ex-landlord, suggested that I rent his villa in Mui Ne, a beach resort 5 hours north of Saigon. He offered me an incredibly affordable rate with the condition that I volunteer to teach English to the groundskeepers at the private complex where his villa was. Having been to Mui Ne many times in the past, and having seen his villa several times, too, I readily agreed. It made the loss of my deposit, as well as the Vietnamese post office’s confiscation of three boxes of personal belongings that I’d mailed from Akita in October (and still haven’t gotten back as of this writing), easier to swallow.<br />
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Ah, Vietnam. There’s always something you force me to deal with…<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuBOkXwrXC47ivZfpQMdOulOUKqZ5KeDktXjxniVt1EfhSRi5tmExUL0z3fJf_g2VD717pJ0Hb3DxblqbCnt_eR6VvB8_fabkT8eznxq7-Q0F5KpbU8cAgc8OI4Z0o8RxweZHFz7Z7esH/s1600/Near+Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuBOkXwrXC47ivZfpQMdOulOUKqZ5KeDktXjxniVt1EfhSRi5tmExUL0z3fJf_g2VD717pJ0Hb3DxblqbCnt_eR6VvB8_fabkT8eznxq7-Q0F5KpbU8cAgc8OI4Z0o8RxweZHFz7Z7esH/s400/Near+Entrance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Near the entrance to the complex of villas where I lived in Mui Ne.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66F9h6cE-HQeJqXSC1snRpTM4mptyOlPOmk1gZIr2aC9om_cfY8k74Y3tbQibDTxJ3rvAxK9VkrmSdiusC91yA0ssj_mgsJ7leNFTD3tBPS6SIyATYo0Az7YfTOYtJOIqkc8HHo9g7zha/s1600/Lane+where+I+lived.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66F9h6cE-HQeJqXSC1snRpTM4mptyOlPOmk1gZIr2aC9om_cfY8k74Y3tbQibDTxJ3rvAxK9VkrmSdiusC91yA0ssj_mgsJ7leNFTD3tBPS6SIyATYo0Az7YfTOYtJOIqkc8HHo9g7zha/s400/Lane+where+I+lived.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The lane where I lived. And no, that's not my shiny SUV.</span></span></div><br />
I hadn’t been to Mui Ne since January 2009, and in the intervening 33 months I couldn’t believe how much had changed. Not only were there far more hotels and restaurants, but the number of Russian tourists had exploded. I’d say that almost 90% of the tourists I came across in Mui Ne were from Russia.<br />
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The place where I lived was set off from the main strip, though by motorbike it only took me a few minutes to get there. I would go into town every day for meals, or for coffee, or to shop for fruit or other small items, or to walk along the beach. I didn’t take my camera with me very often, which explains why there’s not a great deal of variety among these photos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-szEBdmxbxAa9WBNDeaMZwyF2GiUyE-9xN_8dRrRxIbcFSG1MAukwfJyksZusXE6BLI-WtIY1NC1zChBx4La9CwSm_7kCbJt9jYbQ2oSAVQIADUPecsWATTPS0FlJ4A9aZWtBPFqksGg8/s1600/House+from+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-szEBdmxbxAa9WBNDeaMZwyF2GiUyE-9xN_8dRrRxIbcFSG1MAukwfJyksZusXE6BLI-WtIY1NC1zChBx4La9CwSm_7kCbJt9jYbQ2oSAVQIADUPecsWATTPS0FlJ4A9aZWtBPFqksGg8/s400/House+from+front.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The front gate to the villa where I lived. The scaffolding in front was for the people weatherproofing the shutters.</i></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWeRhadOfidTCsYgmjiEtsIdetpIykffx3vTWD8dxRsOwc4gROObMeT-JK6RF8i5GFYSKe7FWUOedmsYAGirF9pmS9ePO5MITPowN3SObnTjAhcxhQEmE-GewKsJKMzVB4SNo_UvwbU_A/s1600/Guest+Bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWeRhadOfidTCsYgmjiEtsIdetpIykffx3vTWD8dxRsOwc4gROObMeT-JK6RF8i5GFYSKe7FWUOedmsYAGirF9pmS9ePO5MITPowN3SObnTjAhcxhQEmE-GewKsJKMzVB4SNo_UvwbU_A/s400/Guest+Bedroom.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Second floor guestroom where I stayed.</i></span></div><br />
One of the great things about Mui Ne is that it’s relatively quiet and the traffic is manageable. It used to be quieter and had even less traffic, but despite its rapid development it remains a pleasant break from city life. And where I stayed was incredibly peaceful…most of the time.<br />
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When I first arrived at the complex, which has about 120 villas, only about five of them had anyone living or staying in them. This situation, which was great, lasted from November 12th, when I arrived, until December 1st, when the place started to get overrun by Russian tourists. They were generally nice, but they also liked to drink—all day and night, it seemed. There was a group of 30 that stayed for two weeks, and when the sun went down they liked to race their motorbikes around the complex, go swimming (and shouting a lot) in the middle of the night, and break things—which one often came across in the morning, usually around the pool area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRMvI9aE_KRdnhSRRkOXxhhWZAmNjDdB_Xp58i6WfA2tuDCn8ayUnjDiJHivqu2Siau74O-mihgqYFGhf3HW-SDDGFNcvsBIsSigwTw8xRKadi7EgQJmtL8Byal3ievf2aG0XsHqL0gRm/s1600/Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRMvI9aE_KRdnhSRRkOXxhhWZAmNjDdB_Xp58i6WfA2tuDCn8ayUnjDiJHivqu2Siau74O-mihgqYFGhf3HW-SDDGFNcvsBIsSigwTw8xRKadi7EgQJmtL8Byal3ievf2aG0XsHqL0gRm/s400/Kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Large kitchen that I mostly used to brew coffee. A favorite place for frogs to gather, though I never figured out why.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHUajTPPGDJCkg7GYKTZeNloVV4RHcvw092WHQCO9cNDqsfmm3qx35ZQp3iWXYJidy4awAAaFjFcTwoK_m8M1Wc8CNVBvIYUeiT8XxXCI1SL4ObGyQ5STVf52W146TaSq8DAdCWVtCoqG/s1600/Living+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHUajTPPGDJCkg7GYKTZeNloVV4RHcvw092WHQCO9cNDqsfmm3qx35ZQp3iWXYJidy4awAAaFjFcTwoK_m8M1Wc8CNVBvIYUeiT8XxXCI1SL4ObGyQ5STVf52W146TaSq8DAdCWVtCoqG/s400/Living+Room.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Living room full of patio furniture (foreground) waiting to be weatherproofed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPuV4l_2Ma4LmaP-fY9-YoucLtcx6GhIt7mtynVQw-Zz01DBF9FZfSUOGHjAndpOi_LMjPSjjOMnEdh2rH46AHmpXLXUEEDrcp6iIHIV4a8NknxQskNHOWYGKcTAjWh7Ne2d0vErCpTU/s1600/back+of+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPuV4l_2Ma4LmaP-fY9-YoucLtcx6GhIt7mtynVQw-Zz01DBF9FZfSUOGHjAndpOi_LMjPSjjOMnEdh2rH46AHmpXLXUEEDrcp6iIHIV4a8NknxQskNHOWYGKcTAjWh7Ne2d0vErCpTU/s400/back+of+house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo of the villa from the fence in the back yard.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibLIaAvmsIt1mYuZyYsxmZr_42d9uCA9APsOSnwDJG3Y_7eweV_NUqm7JqALC1nf0S565Eg7DPp9ZF1u5_yQJwZ_heqHvTjLF9Ag0KYb2OXM7TjxhSW1ZyGjj7owOgmHD1xha-w7Jzy3p/s1600/Distance+from+yard+to+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibLIaAvmsIt1mYuZyYsxmZr_42d9uCA9APsOSnwDJG3Y_7eweV_NUqm7JqALC1nf0S565Eg7DPp9ZF1u5_yQJwZ_heqHvTjLF9Ag0KYb2OXM7TjxhSW1ZyGjj7owOgmHD1xha-w7Jzy3p/s400/Distance+from+yard+to+pool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the distance between my back yard and the complex's pool area.</span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIiOxVUDhVujxHa3n0OsRO-3aQwnbMkQNZ4TqjYhFRugh6W70XyQ2ib1TLg7e36vgdqg8adw6Uti0F43SqKUtsyNgZme73kZXkVw0X1_cYEaG8CmvRUV3xQEi7WauyT8gGlfkEYhvwAnf/s1600/Swimming+Pools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIiOxVUDhVujxHa3n0OsRO-3aQwnbMkQNZ4TqjYhFRugh6W70XyQ2ib1TLg7e36vgdqg8adw6Uti0F43SqKUtsyNgZme73kZXkVw0X1_cYEaG8CmvRUV3xQEi7WauyT8gGlfkEYhvwAnf/s400/Swimming+Pools.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>25-meter pool in background, and a shorter, shallower pool connected to it.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWHpsdX4W96AJI0DutptbcOb8L6NTiGeHU2qlcCWBLQPc0BetNVaS1ofykjmI2bENQjxnvX_0rALtL0_8hyvHljygqGicNsM8W3QtxvgVPqJQbjQp6nK2tcyNA7iFZqizVLzOS5NzKNwa/s1600/Tennis+Courts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWHpsdX4W96AJI0DutptbcOb8L6NTiGeHU2qlcCWBLQPc0BetNVaS1ofykjmI2bENQjxnvX_0rALtL0_8hyvHljygqGicNsM8W3QtxvgVPqJQbjQp6nK2tcyNA7iFZqizVLzOS5NzKNwa/s400/Tennis+Courts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There were also tennis courts...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5e3QKtNwj_LXUdNdAHl-oUGZ3wGUASg8oWkHdWbUI8hh8UEnNxqOiqZYdTUTH5OpaJ21tp9CR5EWrAwQUoPv242kI3V23Z40Ebpg3RAhGjKqFVA1Rw_giNT9ov3-84AraaqprdpK6aL0/s1600/Badminton+Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5e3QKtNwj_LXUdNdAHl-oUGZ3wGUASg8oWkHdWbUI8hh8UEnNxqOiqZYdTUTH5OpaJ21tp9CR5EWrAwQUoPv242kI3V23Z40Ebpg3RAhGjKqFVA1Rw_giNT9ov3-84AraaqprdpK6aL0/s400/Badminton+Court.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">And a badminton court...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0ED8mnKpWSRak4NorLX1BLDQ4UbL3gDJWe8Kmhfa8hSsDacfB1Y5qljyP7A2WfwJeHIxDVVz1QOjKuHAopRUZQdYaTmAx4W7pU7EvkAIdjB6ggOq9okpXk38tsHFrNU9g2MCoKnrIz8P/s1600/Cafe+and+Pool+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0ED8mnKpWSRak4NorLX1BLDQ4UbL3gDJWe8Kmhfa8hSsDacfB1Y5qljyP7A2WfwJeHIxDVVz1QOjKuHAopRUZQdYaTmAx4W7pU7EvkAIdjB6ggOq9okpXk38tsHFrNU9g2MCoKnrIz8P/s400/Cafe+and+Pool+Room.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And a cafe with pool tables at the far end...</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Eq0QRWpwpTp2Ij-CZLy8JuCSw8mFbSzLgrChRsN8NM2oMrvtUEfFWf88Qkar4wYd7TfRf01tn9aOIeaBiS6kg0uPksaA2v2kjuKe-WzhSVIVsrN_0vXwJEi5tSTtnoyyfcEIzLzduBc/s1600/Frog+at+entranceway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Eq0QRWpwpTp2Ij-CZLy8JuCSw8mFbSzLgrChRsN8NM2oMrvtUEfFWf88Qkar4wYd7TfRf01tn9aOIeaBiS6kg0uPksaA2v2kjuKe-WzhSVIVsrN_0vXwJEi5tSTtnoyyfcEIzLzduBc/s400/Frog+at+entranceway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the many frogs I constantly saw inside and outside my place.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPSrHX_xUCet49hpCIWANHVgqmzwFY0k-PYga3Kn0sOEdZ4sg5rtxOp7JzCgl6bZNf7wffMxheLZLusowjBsM82DSiFAGNvW6Nfz78cRG5eBY_o39oJ3TBYbI8lW7dBgXK9DWI9BClVtt/s1600/View+from+room+at+dusk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPSrHX_xUCet49hpCIWANHVgqmzwFY0k-PYga3Kn0sOEdZ4sg5rtxOp7JzCgl6bZNf7wffMxheLZLusowjBsM82DSiFAGNvW6Nfz78cRG5eBY_o39oJ3TBYbI8lW7dBgXK9DWI9BClVtt/s400/View+from+room+at+dusk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>View from my bedroom window as evening approached.</i></span></div><br />
I had access to a motorbike (and two bicycles), which was bigger than any two-wheeler I’d ridden before, and which seemed to be missing a top gear—a bad thing when locals followed me home up the unlit road at night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ew3r5gHpSX1nyN-RbRXIKpZf_744E2-BEg3Eu1TXupAzxZRIKIEbgZlhv43MCuXvmP4IXZG2txaaKMSIwMMz-U0Mfv8lPvAogU3nRJL4NVoQw0NwRtvjDelUAHP2PTC__u8oEklkrUAI/s1600/Motorbike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ew3r5gHpSX1nyN-RbRXIKpZf_744E2-BEg3Eu1TXupAzxZRIKIEbgZlhv43MCuXvmP4IXZG2txaaKMSIwMMz-U0Mfv8lPvAogU3nRJL4NVoQw0NwRtvjDelUAHP2PTC__u8oEklkrUAI/s400/Motorbike.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>My motorbike on scrub grass beside the ocean. That scrub grass is now pavement, by the way.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3L-uUg37BBOSgD9Tv434Vvb0bolewFgEXHku4yer014ReRii4DgW9GOCJD1DoAVhkHDvQFMNB4M8KjtbL-qUH5ql3mKXe0fiN-BvsDohc1arLT8N3IxSmbTIDILfxm1gh8eZJEFKlRSi/s1600/Motorbike+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3L-uUg37BBOSgD9Tv434Vvb0bolewFgEXHku4yer014ReRii4DgW9GOCJD1DoAVhkHDvQFMNB4M8KjtbL-qUH5ql3mKXe0fiN-BvsDohc1arLT8N3IxSmbTIDILfxm1gh8eZJEFKlRSi/s400/Motorbike+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>My Bonus motorbike...</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPADw2cGV_7RMmcRUKDsKsBgfoxfo99dtltK0rUpy8Iqf_oi348Hhbw2G_mH2PczBraPOECaSBWlOkt-MKji3MsJUsEhvsATtdcOD8vjEVzzcu0SBY7u743Q1YquiUk6jpFCa-exyZ69_3/s1600/Nguyen+Dinh+Chieu+Street%252C+Mui+Ne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPADw2cGV_7RMmcRUKDsKsBgfoxfo99dtltK0rUpy8Iqf_oi348Hhbw2G_mH2PczBraPOECaSBWlOkt-MKji3MsJUsEhvsATtdcOD8vjEVzzcu0SBY7u743Q1YquiUk6jpFCa-exyZ69_3/s400/Nguyen+Dinh+Chieu+Street%252C+Mui+Ne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, in Mui Ne. Lazy morning with little traffic to deal with.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div>I have memories of the food in Mui Ne being better than it was during my stay this time, though I can’t complain about the greater range of options. There were far more street food options in Phan Thiet, about a 15-minute motorbike away, but in Mui Ne there wasn’t more much than carts selling sandwiches, boiled corn, and steamed buns, and of course fruit, which was everywhere.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQPfJpn_YYqbzgl2SPnqU1ZPj0J4k2ehHCT7l86cQMh0hH9VGzpkytHJ7_255BcK2M_cXuRdWgB_h6p_XL8pfcgurqZyOXVUBODBr-eO3v0m0fysd0TkQXmpeqrl7uddh1Ckfu1HMkVb6/s1600/Fruit+seller%252C+Mui+Ne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQPfJpn_YYqbzgl2SPnqU1ZPj0J4k2ehHCT7l86cQMh0hH9VGzpkytHJ7_255BcK2M_cXuRdWgB_h6p_XL8pfcgurqZyOXVUBODBr-eO3v0m0fysd0TkQXmpeqrl7uddh1Ckfu1HMkVb6/s400/Fruit+seller%252C+Mui+Ne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
One of my favorite places to eat was Hoa Vien, a Vietnamese-Czech brewery whose restaurant specialized in seafood. (Of course, most places in Mui Ne specialize in seafood.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba6ITdxJKIN6TZQYspSUx23cp9HGvrSNBc8JitGhdjyqo9RieToKSzo-ALVH3cRvQOAU2vLj2ivw6m6JK0Yw6J7yosT0fP00rJNFNZBOtGzDrKyOfx-YKzOF_-kAgqLa9eLu0NWnGZaZE/s1600/Ho+Vien+at+dusk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba6ITdxJKIN6TZQYspSUx23cp9HGvrSNBc8JitGhdjyqo9RieToKSzo-ALVH3cRvQOAU2vLj2ivw6m6JK0Yw6J7yosT0fP00rJNFNZBOtGzDrKyOfx-YKzOF_-kAgqLa9eLu0NWnGZaZE/s400/Ho+Vien+at+dusk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hoa Vien's outdoor seating area and infinity pool beside the sea.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div>One item that Hoa Vien offers, which I’d never had before, was goi ca suot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_ESkMGzZBQj-3xMVXxU5kWvxeINOZ-HYhv_qIE0SrjR_StHHY7bBadk3IgMuIV85Rp0s-3LQDJAce_7ueEgbTCyUSLY9E-nbdgIToWn7zLWoTBNkQ3_AsEk06o5NN-rrxHQzfG8B1GEG/s1600/Goi+Ca+Suot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_ESkMGzZBQj-3xMVXxU5kWvxeINOZ-HYhv_qIE0SrjR_StHHY7bBadk3IgMuIV85Rp0s-3LQDJAce_7ueEgbTCyUSLY9E-nbdgIToWn7zLWoTBNkQ3_AsEk06o5NN-rrxHQzfG8B1GEG/s400/Goi+Ca+Suot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Goi ca suot is a dish of small, half-translucent sardines mixed with a peanut-red chili sauce and served with various herbs and rice paper embedded with sesame seeds. A sweet, peanut-based sauce is provided for dipping. This was one of the cheaper items on the menu (less than $5), and with an order of boiled or stir-fried veggies it easily serves two people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1tkr8vUqIZxICDye4bmiWfkHkQHVLgohDKBl-vw27QfHClc0ZQLJa2Pvn95akcOBoExJ9Zr_baDWBTvDFYptYZADvL3LeYoXxFeZ_vh0GOftPCOf-GGFjvvPSXy7f5O_Aq5t7k5RzxR0/s1600/Goi+Ca+Suot+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1tkr8vUqIZxICDye4bmiWfkHkQHVLgohDKBl-vw27QfHClc0ZQLJa2Pvn95akcOBoExJ9Zr_baDWBTvDFYptYZADvL3LeYoXxFeZ_vh0GOftPCOf-GGFjvvPSXy7f5O_Aq5t7k5RzxR0/s400/Goi+Ca+Suot+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09nB4qkHwWB4Ve9RoIQRmIs9RcebMfUz5Ze-51GYh-7ho-wcrcVGy6vE_PSc-qPm4U3EcpPHutxJM4_EIqDbUsmxgr9p7G_IRoHItXD3aMOL3kjvEXrg4Kv5Z-4_RzmIWNhDNWJ_0ylBf/s1600/Goi+Ca+Suot+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09nB4qkHwWB4Ve9RoIQRmIs9RcebMfUz5Ze-51GYh-7ho-wcrcVGy6vE_PSc-qPm4U3EcpPHutxJM4_EIqDbUsmxgr9p7G_IRoHItXD3aMOL3kjvEXrg4Kv5Z-4_RzmIWNhDNWJ_0ylBf/s400/Goi+Ca+Suot+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Another place that served incredibly cheap, always satisfying food was Lam Tong.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliubthbN27fza7__qVfRCsrm2c5a9Udw_G1zsJyirALIbcphyphenhyphentsH7QAJZGkjTBkSABL8Fwz99ujJvkm0g9P79o45s0anWOMEnekcDyOZyYoWuuea3MItYPMOzOqauzOihQz10_5dysc0Z/s1600/Lam+Tong+inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliubthbN27fza7__qVfRCsrm2c5a9Udw_G1zsJyirALIbcphyphenhyphentsH7QAJZGkjTBkSABL8Fwz99ujJvkm0g9P79o45s0anWOMEnekcDyOZyYoWuuea3MItYPMOzOqauzOihQz10_5dysc0Z/s400/Lam+Tong+inside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lam Tong is NOT fancy.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div>Despite the shoddy service—perhaps the worst in Vietnam—but then what do you expect from a group of teenage boys who would surely rather be out having fun with their friends—I kept coming back here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j7f2SN_qJSLzV_gVpFxvbCFUOiXP2PMhYSshvzZRc7e59zW-XjU0t1Q6WFt6NrgBqIBG0DwEisxhHpOsvo-_6aUcgnFmgzZM9_Uq7itxNUGB50ldDjQK1WAUzFH2U9UwaohikE5tZHqT/s1600/Fish%252C+Tomato+Salad%252C+and+Rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j7f2SN_qJSLzV_gVpFxvbCFUOiXP2PMhYSshvzZRc7e59zW-XjU0t1Q6WFt6NrgBqIBG0DwEisxhHpOsvo-_6aUcgnFmgzZM9_Uq7itxNUGB50ldDjQK1WAUzFH2U9UwaohikE5tZHqT/s400/Fish%252C+Tomato+Salad%252C+and+Rice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But their food is tasty and insanely cheap. This is a huge tomato salad, dish of rice, and lemongrass-and-chili-fried barracuda on sliced cucumbers. Total cost: about $2.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>It’s a popular place and can get crowded at night, but if you come at the right time you can enjoy your food with an unimpeded view of the ocean.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFecRrycRonWbQCsTO3pbWHMWQuqcliS8SyUOu2HvppZ-Now_jUrQx6Kn32anOnqxOgkpfCeT6vtBmj_8B5JDXPxUsP76BC2hSagQfCrhf-1tSBniGgUWK5932ChX_2LOYuwIq_jnXX_Y9/s1600/Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFecRrycRonWbQCsTO3pbWHMWQuqcliS8SyUOu2HvppZ-Now_jUrQx6Kn32anOnqxOgkpfCeT6vtBmj_8B5JDXPxUsP76BC2hSagQfCrhf-1tSBniGgUWK5932ChX_2LOYuwIq_jnXX_Y9/s400/Beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The beach from Lam Tong restaurant.</i></span></div><br />
There are surprisingly few cafes in Mui Ne, especially when considering how many cafes one finds pretty much everywhere in Vietnam. Close to Lam Tong was a place called Sankara. There’s a little bit of everything here, including yoga classes, a indoor bar and lounge, an oceanside bar-café, a swimming pool, and open-yurt-like sitting areas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5kTurhwa6GpVOlvnR_dOe7GKMMPotr71W9hCUPvQsrGITZufuilx6IjENxCRGEmLv2usBcCIziuf064lQWlMKdODddm_Mag8PBTyT29JHCHdn3beoEF5_oQ9T5TiBvoMjqsr8Qwdq0Gg/s1600/Sankara+Cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5kTurhwa6GpVOlvnR_dOe7GKMMPotr71W9hCUPvQsrGITZufuilx6IjENxCRGEmLv2usBcCIziuf064lQWlMKdODddm_Mag8PBTyT29JHCHdn3beoEF5_oQ9T5TiBvoMjqsr8Qwdq0Gg/s400/Sankara+Cafe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Passionfruit shake at Sankara.</i></span></div><br />
The coffee here is about $2 per glass, but it’s worth it for the ambience.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4qm85MmvtjMK0ug91m5y-QviSY6FcWRU4ccjcM2_VqA3gTwcXATBa5oZb4rN4QWmmhY0nqQrJonmvo0cHS6BsPy0El02UP7nIoFd8NK1_EwMPfM1HURiqnVrxDs1kW9SbxeWxEiVndEI/s1600/Sankara+Pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4qm85MmvtjMK0ug91m5y-QviSY6FcWRU4ccjcM2_VqA3gTwcXATBa5oZb4rN4QWmmhY0nqQrJonmvo0cHS6BsPy0El02UP7nIoFd8NK1_EwMPfM1HURiqnVrxDs1kW9SbxeWxEiVndEI/s400/Sankara+Pool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yoga classes are held on the second floor of the main building, under the white tarp.</i></span></div><br />
I used to go to the oceanside restaurant at Victoria Resort most mornings to get my writing done, but once one of the young cooks working there decided that I was to be his best friend and job-hunting helper, I stopped going. The resort is one of the oldest ones in Mui Ne, and also one of the most charming. The lounge area between the restaurant and pool is spectacular in the evening as the sun is going down.<br />
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Phan Thiet is worth exploring if you find yourself getting bored with Mui Ne’s limited options. There’s a lot to see, if not a lot to do. Mui Ne is an old fishing village, and Phan Thiet is famous for the fish sauce it produces.<br />
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Driving from Mui Ne into Phan Thiet, one comes across plenty of evidence of fishing’s importance to the local people.<br />
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I spent three months in Mui Ne before deciding to come back to Japan. I was ready to leave after three months, mostly because I got bored being there on my own, but now that I’m in Snow Country in northern Japan and freezing my tush off, I definitely miss Mui Ne. I’m already making plans to go back, though perhaps not for such a long stay next time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE0nita3DdxRuTKaIaa6Gg1zmy-FMg0TDUCW3B2Nm0DIPQzv_3NjnuLfEicinJKl41__xcA67PJ543-LjT9YtnyH9icsU1lNhtGocK4WzbGQ9uhyphenhyphenndsO5EWlc8MFnUEiheFymT4X9azIo/s1600/Sunset+in+Mui+Ne+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE0nita3DdxRuTKaIaa6Gg1zmy-FMg0TDUCW3B2Nm0DIPQzv_3NjnuLfEicinJKl41__xcA67PJ543-LjT9YtnyH9icsU1lNhtGocK4WzbGQ9uhyphenhyphenndsO5EWlc8MFnUEiheFymT4X9azIo/s400/Sunset+in+Mui+Ne+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-80409460569265631722011-10-10T05:03:00.000-07:002011-10-10T05:03:53.419-07:00Trip to Akatadaibutsu (赤田大仏) and Jizo Forest in Akita-ken (秋田県)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgh7zLGt61m_9HDTIFqsZUdaLnl3Is5jgVbYtxZGwMu1Gb2hhmCNK8Atn6GkSjWZ3D_KTbFTTfqptXVAidocRTh6_B99cnQI9c1YFyS93946598lNREEibwcvxNnB-TMqw9PplqL8nGnc/s1600/the+beach+south+of+akita+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgh7zLGt61m_9HDTIFqsZUdaLnl3Is5jgVbYtxZGwMu1Gb2hhmCNK8Atn6GkSjWZ3D_KTbFTTfqptXVAidocRTh6_B99cnQI9c1YFyS93946598lNREEibwcvxNnB-TMqw9PplqL8nGnc/s400/the+beach+south+of+akita+city.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, for the first time in a while I was able to get out of the city to see more of Akita’s countryside. Because I’m leaving at the end of this month, a kind colleague of mine offered to take me to an area I’d previously said I was eager to visit: Yuri-Honjo, home to one of the largest Buddha statues in Japan, as well as blueberry fields and a forest known for its Sentai Jizo (千体地蔵), or 1000 stone Jizo statues.<br />
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By car, Yuri-Honjo is only about 30 minutes south of Akita, and the drive there is pretty scenic. Once in Araya, where the zoo is, one passes along the coast before swinging a few kilometers inland.<br />
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My colleague somehow figured out which left to take to get to Yuri-Honjo, and then he did well to recall (or made a lucky guess) which back roads to take to get to Chokokuji (長谷寺) Temple, where the Great Buddha of Akata is housed. We parked across the street in front of a tourist area called Tohkoh House, which is set beside a rose garden, playground, and outdoor cooking area, and is surrounded by rice and blueberry fields.<br />
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We crossed the street and made our way through a grove of pine trees to the temple area, in front of which were several weathered stone tablets with kanji engravings as well as various Jizo statues.<br />
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Some local tourists greeted us at the temple steps and pointed to where we needed to take off our shoes and put on slippers, and encouraged us to take our time inside.<br />
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We slid open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside. Directly before us stood a giant wooden Buddha (Daibutsu) in a somewhat narrow room hung with paintings of the Akita countryside and stories, apparently, of the Buddha’s significance to Yuri-Honjo.<br />
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The Buddha was flanked on the left and right by bright-blue deities and behind by numerous golden Kan’non Rashiki (bodhisattvas, I believe).<br />
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My understanding is that the temple was founded in 1774, and after a devastating fire the Daibutsu one finds here today was installed in 1888. With a height of 9.8 meters, it’s currently the third tallest Buddha statue in Japan, next to the Daibutsu in Kamakura and the Daibutsu in Nara’s Todaiji Temple.<br />
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If I’m correct, a Shinto festival dating back more than 200 years also takes place here in September.<br />
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Across from Chokokuji Temple are numerous rice fields, which at this time of year have just been harvested.<br />
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But recently a few local families have started planting blueberries in the vicinity, and adjacent to the temple entrance is a small shop specializing in homemade blueberry jam and ice cream with blueberry preserves.<br />
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Their blueberry field has some 300 blueberry plants, which they’ve been growing for around 15 years.<br />
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I bought a small jar of blueberry jam for ¥450 (US$5.86) and an ice cream with blueberry preserves for ¥250 (US$3.26).<br />
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From here we continued on to search for a forested area in which 1000 Jizo statues line a walking path. We had a hard time, though, since few of the areas here are marked, and while we never managed to find the specific Jizo area, we did come across numerous Buddha and Jizo statues that were scattered around overgrown paths and small hills. The area is said to have special Shinto significance, and it’s not hard to see signs of its sacredness.<br />
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There were a couple of small parks nearby, too, which we walked through, and lookouts with gorgeous views of the valley below us. There were also snakes, huge spiders in webs we nearly walked into several times, and the odd lizard. Oh, and tons of dragonflies.<br />
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On our way back we decided to stop in a Yuri-Honjo ramen shop called Oji, which advertises Hokkaido-style ramen.<br />
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I ordered a shoyu ramen (¥650, or US$8.47) and split a plate of gyoza (¥300, or US$3.91) with my friend. It was a fairly fancy ramen shop, and it didn’t disappoint.<br />
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From there it was mostly a race against time to get back home before the afternoon rain started. We made it back in time, but I did eventually get caught in the rain while shopping in the evening for groceries near my house...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgNM1RroKChlxij1LTgJYyxDMGlYkfKfa3eDHGpN2kvvxJQAl2IMrPINTe3-UDRngaE782jo5aePOT_8Tu_aiBiOWncSRyComqcFBVfEGuJTIoc-GOKdEFbWcN5qFacXgHjcjYkf7D-FR/s1600/coastal+road+view+on+way+back+to+akita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgNM1RroKChlxij1LTgJYyxDMGlYkfKfa3eDHGpN2kvvxJQAl2IMrPINTe3-UDRngaE782jo5aePOT_8Tu_aiBiOWncSRyComqcFBVfEGuJTIoc-GOKdEFbWcN5qFacXgHjcjYkf7D-FR/s400/coastal+road+view+on+way+back+to+akita.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-73180107344785832852011-09-17T04:25:00.000-07:002011-09-18T01:10:18.067-07:00More from my O-Bon Trip to Kyoto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QLR6AiCkN2y_1ra7f7PNlBN98YKcbalcRsgMof_BGJ7ZatZbm2lfPHuRLEvx4pJZ3xVUpw4w-jo9Fb0PbYbOUCj4VokN2qYV-dDQwctX6mYsYrIhkYImKCZXzOSsGtDx-rAKWKy8aA7G/s1600/heian+jingu+torii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QLR6AiCkN2y_1ra7f7PNlBN98YKcbalcRsgMof_BGJ7ZatZbm2lfPHuRLEvx4pJZ3xVUpw4w-jo9Fb0PbYbOUCj4VokN2qYV-dDQwctX6mYsYrIhkYImKCZXzOSsGtDx-rAKWKy8aA7G/s400/heian+jingu+torii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, it's been a while since my last blog post. I'm only now posting the second part about my O-bon trip to Kyoto and Nara last month. Work has been hectic, to say the least. So much so, in fact, that last night I notified my employer that I would be leaving my job soon. I could stay in Japan and look for similar work elsewhere, but the money I'd lose switching cities and paying key money to landlords is prohibitively expensive, and there's no guarantee that I wouldn't find myself with the same working hours elsewhere. I love being in Japan and exploring its culture, but, as I found out about Hawaii, it's a much better place to visit than to work in. But all of this is boring, isn't it? Let's get back to narrating my week-long trip to Kyoto and Nara. As with the first post about this trip, I'm going to narrate through captions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22rLhQmlG9_XBGfI73aXgpZFB1T2O2Q6vmmDGHtpRiarLv0ygK_pnuvwE0veu5jAbETiYvL51Ydt4JTAHm5qB21b6FD1SUwKeKU3SZjaec_Lg9FqXrEMG-SYQEqdh9bk1iHZ2a7jGs8vY/s1600/Giant+Torii+Ouside+Heian+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22rLhQmlG9_XBGfI73aXgpZFB1T2O2Q6vmmDGHtpRiarLv0ygK_pnuvwE0veu5jAbETiYvL51Ydt4JTAHm5qB21b6FD1SUwKeKU3SZjaec_Lg9FqXrEMG-SYQEqdh9bk1iHZ2a7jGs8vY/s400/Giant+Torii+Ouside+Heian+Shrine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Looking out from the steps of Heian Jingu one sees a towering </i>torii<i> of vermilion-painted steel, which is considered the true entrance to the shrine.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdUeGPw3KvpZSk7gYcBpc9KTxdsLFxTziBg8SZVZzHXX1rNKZ2hF2MeNw4c_tsEfu0cq6JnXh9GO3GmJE4EkvqoMdP8E2bWMod2_Xw4dKagzO_F2ebtfQmlE4UigH1lpUquqRj7YABCl1/s1600/Heian+Shrine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdUeGPw3KvpZSk7gYcBpc9KTxdsLFxTziBg8SZVZzHXX1rNKZ2hF2MeNw4c_tsEfu0cq6JnXh9GO3GmJE4EkvqoMdP8E2bWMod2_Xw4dKagzO_F2ebtfQmlE4UigH1lpUquqRj7YABCl1/s400/Heian+Shrine+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Heian Shrine is much younger than it looks. Built in 1895, the shrine complex is modeled after the Kyoto Gosho, the original Kyoto Imperial Palace from 1100 years earlier that has been greatly damaged by fires over the years and remains nearly inaccessible to the public now.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyWKTDQhsyYEY2PDcmx8tDrySLbLwRg1gXoiLqHJChOBtUlqyEv1pKIo7Xlt1JrznYT-Oh1vf5MhODoL66RaZnMB02LLBFOPIMk5p7BZAgn5Nu4Lz4eKYD64qFfNemHBXpEnaMcxRLKe3/s1600/Heian+Shrine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyWKTDQhsyYEY2PDcmx8tDrySLbLwRg1gXoiLqHJChOBtUlqyEv1pKIo7Xlt1JrznYT-Oh1vf5MhODoL66RaZnMB02LLBFOPIMk5p7BZAgn5Nu4Lz4eKYD64qFfNemHBXpEnaMcxRLKe3/s400/Heian+Shrine+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Many shrines have walls of stacked, beautifully designed sake casks, which I believe are used ceremonially.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdIFgxCDRC9oNpJU9RAoSWcNeZqmfy6cf1sTafW59jm4vqyoaYWdfeeHFOtlO8sJigbp8OsgkJ-_UWpS3Om2Vwrg7CZkq1pLOELbOSAHvFY1c3Q_FhyPVNs12XVM5vcLf0FiMKdQm3BNC/s1600/Heian+Shrine+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdIFgxCDRC9oNpJU9RAoSWcNeZqmfy6cf1sTafW59jm4vqyoaYWdfeeHFOtlO8sJigbp8OsgkJ-_UWpS3Om2Vwrg7CZkq1pLOELbOSAHvFY1c3Q_FhyPVNs12XVM5vcLf0FiMKdQm3BNC/s400/Heian+Shrine+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The shrine precincts, which are spread out beneath a forested slope to the east, are free to enter. The entrance fee to the attached garden (see photos below), however, costs ¥600 per adult.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7D0waT1x8g4n2aoEuyBzp5owqsggeflwLBWK9JY7KGzN_pzdh2eTycbs1KWBe92zFRtHYuc3mWZTebmK9oBUgdg5nfbUTzokBrce0U2GU5HjUKJkjKAswjKmCBPe8207VEIhLPQBgzCqP/s1600/Heian+Shrine+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7D0waT1x8g4n2aoEuyBzp5owqsggeflwLBWK9JY7KGzN_pzdh2eTycbs1KWBe92zFRtHYuc3mWZTebmK9oBUgdg5nfbUTzokBrce0U2GU5HjUKJkjKAswjKmCBPe8207VEIhLPQBgzCqP/s400/Heian+Shrine+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Every morning, shrine attendants sweep the stony ground of the complex. The entire complex, as you would expect, is kept impeccably clean.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CI_oTBaDu_I8SC8KXK54nMWAV1SCfmH1_xx_GJE0cW-7fc3_pg0Tc21q9-ffc0y9R8ckZhHMTzozZ9Wj4Z9305wnt81oriVU_TsOuJ4-iTza3u1DZkkT380rXk-YMNEBT9u1bX36goyM/s1600/Heian+Shrine+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CI_oTBaDu_I8SC8KXK54nMWAV1SCfmH1_xx_GJE0cW-7fc3_pg0Tc21q9-ffc0y9R8ckZhHMTzozZ9Wj4Z9305wnt81oriVU_TsOuJ4-iTza3u1DZkkT380rXk-YMNEBT9u1bX36goyM/s400/Heian+Shrine+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Prayers are written on paper and wooden cards (often with pictures on them) called </span>ema<i> and tied to stands in Shinto shrines.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEc-4f8fczuGl7Y7KCTnI92whUVWmlscoHMeMC3RXQxcuXNqxL7pSZ1ams1WpImAG0UDJJ9QJBdbyfJ5GPpOAUzRRar3y-urq6vTyLXf1WinjvlI1ia0eXNj2k5nQ_-qL6Rt_zbXs22tV/s1600/Heian+Shrine+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEc-4f8fczuGl7Y7KCTnI92whUVWmlscoHMeMC3RXQxcuXNqxL7pSZ1ams1WpImAG0UDJJ9QJBdbyfJ5GPpOAUzRRar3y-urq6vTyLXf1WinjvlI1ia0eXNj2k5nQ_-qL6Rt_zbXs22tV/s400/Heian+Shrine+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I've never seen anyone do it, but it seems like these prayers can be read by anyone passing by. Often, the prayers are for success in school exams, or good luck in finding a suitable marriage partner, or, especially now, to wish a speedy recovery for Japan's earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster victims.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiM9dSsInpo-Bv88EHGrnuA37hK3hpTAyd_GDLSSYrFgADE8O8BW06f9k57_7H23wKhGPnAoBfrW4MAlnTvRfyAx92_TumbXaD0cTcq01_lMbqkleJlmYsAt20isvLnBjRQd-u3yxBfad/s1600/Heian+Shrine+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiM9dSsInpo-Bv88EHGrnuA37hK3hpTAyd_GDLSSYrFgADE8O8BW06f9k57_7H23wKhGPnAoBfrW4MAlnTvRfyAx92_TumbXaD0cTcq01_lMbqkleJlmYsAt20isvLnBjRQd-u3yxBfad/s400/Heian+Shrine+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'd love to come back here at night to see these lanterns all lit up. I'm not sure if the lanterns are actually lit at night, though, nor am I sure that the shrine is even open at night. I guess I'd have to hop a fence, which would probably result in my breaking a leg, getting caught and arrested, and then deported.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNGfyHlNFY9j0v8gEao6Qinp7OuWObyQZmzNGoUSgjs2Sjmm5VwNSaP1srlzvR0DmwZOBu_m-d9mNSu3a_UshnsCJQSYH13N-nZbCQWHNfnpCQEMkWKhyphenhyphen021JA1cfHhoOt6fdnreg_neu/s1600/Heian+Shrine+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNGfyHlNFY9j0v8gEao6Qinp7OuWObyQZmzNGoUSgjs2Sjmm5VwNSaP1srlzvR0DmwZOBu_m-d9mNSu3a_UshnsCJQSYH13N-nZbCQWHNfnpCQEMkWKhyphenhyphen021JA1cfHhoOt6fdnreg_neu/s400/Heian+Shrine+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>As you can see, those prayer ribbons look like trees from a distance.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYdJRsHXxblaxjwHQ74KXS11fEVPpxdN_ew9zFE4dDn9aOFTddJhuXzXt9VxmNwXUDuu2zkkU5Q5JbWigVZeW6BZ96xpE9teRI9-BA-5KWR-ThNSdNutRN1Mv2hE3NSq9m9AAY0MGVBgJ/s1600/Heian+Shrine+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYdJRsHXxblaxjwHQ74KXS11fEVPpxdN_ew9zFE4dDn9aOFTddJhuXzXt9VxmNwXUDuu2zkkU5Q5JbWigVZeW6BZ96xpE9teRI9-BA-5KWR-ThNSdNutRN1Mv2hE3NSq9m9AAY0MGVBgJ/s400/Heian+Shrine+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another angle of the entrance gate, this time looking back on it from inside the shrine.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqe5YBcZcS-q1ZhfPw4yMfOQWwLhyGFe_Idhw7L2YcAlYlZCY4G3IsK2trANR4fvpfFewoCbEcCu5_LIO7LkxRqdSrF_rmRjFh_zMxaY9F9eUhiAya5dD8uiekhQyz1jSADFjJikIeAEo/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqe5YBcZcS-q1ZhfPw4yMfOQWwLhyGFe_Idhw7L2YcAlYlZCY4G3IsK2trANR4fvpfFewoCbEcCu5_LIO7LkxRqdSrF_rmRjFh_zMxaY9F9eUhiAya5dD8uiekhQyz1jSADFjJikIeAEo/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+1.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The garden at Heian Shrine is almost easy to overlook. It's not visible from the shrine complex, though there's a small entrance to the side with a poster of what the garden looks like. The ¥600 (US$7.80) entrance fee is a bit steep, but the garden is worth walking through. You could easily spend an hour here if you're not in a rush.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDpVyYk_UR5FFqkUfFX-OpWVN-hELuGbxw3l-PEgDn4WVsIV8t9hgP5Qu56JIZZFVMrOf4dgZmQGfiG4prn9G9jNQjxuJ3rq8Q_rwRJfO9r47c9nNWH_0cJMNjRSx1rOonYyfHO715Eyi/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDpVyYk_UR5FFqkUfFX-OpWVN-hELuGbxw3l-PEgDn4WVsIV8t9hgP5Qu56JIZZFVMrOf4dgZmQGfiG4prn9G9jNQjxuJ3rq8Q_rwRJfO9r47c9nNWH_0cJMNjRSx1rOonYyfHO715Eyi/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehoifh5IU2_0HMk61_wHex5WTZ0vHvq8SIunyaNv18_HFaOavt9ZmDmNe7_QZyUcHK1oLzob5lZcspYg76r0jkD_bE3Omctb_STjBA2HnGpm4ktaBBk8d43_zY6OxEYExL652Hqk5Z-EO/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehoifh5IU2_0HMk61_wHex5WTZ0vHvq8SIunyaNv18_HFaOavt9ZmDmNe7_QZyUcHK1oLzob5lZcspYg76r0jkD_bE3Omctb_STjBA2HnGpm4ktaBBk8d43_zY6OxEYExL652Hqk5Z-EO/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The garden's design is supposed to reflect Heian-period (794-1185) tastes.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu-LWITpepCsuB_UAL043BlnBQhYfm_7s5Ukn10kL6gbkGMeCxVUXrTDm4eNdRRDtXRd0MY_5_83lVDVcNDgawCcxdlP_E8xGW-4UDM56HtBmGE9i1yUnlGAnkJ8tAl4EGbXYZdQnZJoC/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu-LWITpepCsuB_UAL043BlnBQhYfm_7s5Ukn10kL6gbkGMeCxVUXrTDm4eNdRRDtXRd0MY_5_83lVDVcNDgawCcxdlP_E8xGW-4UDM56HtBmGE9i1yUnlGAnkJ8tAl4EGbXYZdQnZJoC/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-cHBODo-EOn0yKH7DXVSk_d8YP_QSgvPzJ2me1ou7QEmkfyEl1wmJWD9LkXUeH7OsAPPNl6sqQ7XqhoSMkLz2MJH5onmX4plDQrMZ85zhKtAkzLxtyRe60G5XC1ansuuX-i3vsSnsS_r/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-cHBODo-EOn0yKH7DXVSk_d8YP_QSgvPzJ2me1ou7QEmkfyEl1wmJWD9LkXUeH7OsAPPNl6sqQ7XqhoSMkLz2MJH5onmX4plDQrMZ85zhKtAkzLxtyRe60G5XC1ansuuX-i3vsSnsS_r/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfy3SLkZyPFT6q5tQqX1cgc1cQ4fWZEu7HaER6935QkoqUYKc5hm8VxwjUMNR8A79wFIeKXXwUA7FN-bMFD0y2yG4NicjkK1hQXpDwJm9nQCTOUkSwprElEgiAMIGqQP-iLfdmG06ZrMc/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfy3SLkZyPFT6q5tQqX1cgc1cQ4fWZEu7HaER6935QkoqUYKc5hm8VxwjUMNR8A79wFIeKXXwUA7FN-bMFD0y2yG4NicjkK1hQXpDwJm9nQCTOUkSwprElEgiAMIGqQP-iLfdmG06ZrMc/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9M9R8C05Sud4Kp8hkpLQOTNQjd8u188jMIGDLFJxWA67OctpCRTqHYQ_ooge1lmqWCwg5eKNn54x89EZopNM0kAp8NVQccQnsZiHdJgarEMNVgAt4c5L8IzHKvRZ7NFm_p2obFrUpCWL/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9M9R8C05Sud4Kp8hkpLQOTNQjd8u188jMIGDLFJxWA67OctpCRTqHYQ_ooge1lmqWCwg5eKNn54x89EZopNM0kAp8NVQccQnsZiHdJgarEMNVgAt4c5L8IzHKvRZ7NFm_p2obFrUpCWL/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+8.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There are small wooden vending boxes, run by the honor system, in which you can buy food to feed the koi and turtles that swim beneath the Chinese-inspired bridge.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetsftu1YzxMQ3nl6VXNF5g-ue_CD0N_9tZwM0ubWGp2kjU4GqcVvRsve_bjPkNdze_sZf9c8GwF5XbdLusAT2h131QOfZzCJmWO7Tk6qQJWUBon6FGitadLFPzCf17mY3UE-KadZzTCgY/s1600/Heian+Shrine+Garden+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetsftu1YzxMQ3nl6VXNF5g-ue_CD0N_9tZwM0ubWGp2kjU4GqcVvRsve_bjPkNdze_sZf9c8GwF5XbdLusAT2h131QOfZzCJmWO7Tk6qQJWUBon6FGitadLFPzCf17mY3UE-KadZzTCgY/s400/Heian+Shrine+Garden+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The garden ends on the other side of the shrine complex, and then you exit Heian Jingu exactly where you came in.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uQxv9znCDpCUJzYP0dbBtTDqjBq1A9IyBGZwGb8ul6f_z7BxlByDK5eyvi6iOwTk_W5RcQiomW1AKMh-4yJpMEiQnmRkB9XpdAy-_-AZZiGvbRsdR3DrWsOcQu0-6OMWfoo96czS_5mx/s1600/kakesoba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uQxv9znCDpCUJzYP0dbBtTDqjBq1A9IyBGZwGb8ul6f_z7BxlByDK5eyvi6iOwTk_W5RcQiomW1AKMh-4yJpMEiQnmRkB9XpdAy-_-AZZiGvbRsdR3DrWsOcQu0-6OMWfoo96czS_5mx/s400/kakesoba.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A bowl of kakiudon served from a noodle shop near Kyoto University.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zVu212IH4xsLoC4GEab23N_z_mxJbrw6zy_mBhiF5bRi0pt1_rrVpR77pQtQvbcTNS4mBtFc7TJfi2xm2AmmXDMooKNdMH-jpprfHiS5VNMUQxqUYdH4tKht6KMVabVDD-0wlCVt_RiC/s1600/warabi-mochi-adzuki+ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zVu212IH4xsLoC4GEab23N_z_mxJbrw6zy_mBhiF5bRi0pt1_rrVpR77pQtQvbcTNS4mBtFc7TJfi2xm2AmmXDMooKNdMH-jpprfHiS5VNMUQxqUYdH4tKht6KMVabVDD-0wlCVt_RiC/s400/warabi-mochi-adzuki+ice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We got a small bowl of warabi-mochi-adzuki-ice for dessert at the noodle shop, too. Warabi-mochi (those green squares) isn't mochi at all, apparently, but is rather made from bracken starch and sprinkled with sweet toasted soybean flour.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vlPHR4w60dl7U8c5klKEK4ydq9aClAClHblwX3pWHJDHHhV_Wkp0okxIVNcxXvTdLbRbpSjIFJ3bIXuu2XttHuVXzyLIYDykxoqE3ckLJzJSE_92aQF_PDiZP8hS7JwERq2SwSbJaiWO/s1600/entrance+to+higashiyama+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vlPHR4w60dl7U8c5klKEK4ydq9aClAClHblwX3pWHJDHHhV_Wkp0okxIVNcxXvTdLbRbpSjIFJ3bIXuu2XttHuVXzyLIYDykxoqE3ckLJzJSE_92aQF_PDiZP8hS7JwERq2SwSbJaiWO/s400/entrance+to+higashiyama+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For dinner, back in southern edge of the Higashiyama district, we came across a restaurant called Asuka. The photos of the restaurant's menu out front convinced us to go inside and give the place a shot.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXYXbgSOmRrOzIZf7S5M10KiyouLi8jN-1TqEUiOHNbj5ceqFqlAyX2xSHW9gAE9DDRXI3ziZq-Zsaoah1NNfkaMZSdhoUkCO5MskIH4aE86EXFBItIjWyQGMztVl0s3E_0idn9kzZh7l/s1600/inside+restaurant+in+higashiyama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXYXbgSOmRrOzIZf7S5M10KiyouLi8jN-1TqEUiOHNbj5ceqFqlAyX2xSHW9gAE9DDRXI3ziZq-Zsaoah1NNfkaMZSdhoUkCO5MskIH4aE86EXFBItIjWyQGMztVl0s3E_0idn9kzZh7l/s400/inside+restaurant+in+higashiyama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0B0xhPpQgWy3jjibC_-EAzgvvywZWbBUi5NiMYz0sUfjJaO8ATmivuZe6OKDC7YKgNhPwgKN_TXKjs4RQCQu1RGZlByrl5Ml8yYkFj9rRvhOUQaXU3TZTqZoNFPzja-txUtgKD02FBWB/s1600/fried+sardine+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0B0xhPpQgWy3jjibC_-EAzgvvywZWbBUi5NiMYz0sUfjJaO8ATmivuZe6OKDC7YKgNhPwgKN_TXKjs4RQCQu1RGZlByrl5Ml8yYkFj9rRvhOUQaXU3TZTqZoNFPzja-txUtgKD02FBWB/s400/fried+sardine+set.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I went with fried sardines, which came with pickled veggies, miso soup and rice. Sardines, or </span>iwashi<span style="font-style: italic;"> in Japanese, are one of my favorite fish, and these didn't disappoint. The meal, especially with a cold draft beer, hit the spot. But I was still hungry after polishing this off, so I decided to order...</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5UAYxWWYPd4qrrzaS52bJMHMJXEJXtmWi-Jb9VBNknvJjg36WaUAQNZTOQ403E9_vu6Eh-V_Pigq97iuYQnPoV5waRdjO4NPj-h0zVnq4giyKQfH5KS32n7fn552Mb1_nmzwsp_QNup8/s1600/nametake+mushrooms+with+grated+daikon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5UAYxWWYPd4qrrzaS52bJMHMJXEJXtmWi-Jb9VBNknvJjg36WaUAQNZTOQ403E9_vu6Eh-V_Pigq97iuYQnPoV5waRdjO4NPj-h0zVnq4giyKQfH5KS32n7fn552Mb1_nmzwsp_QNup8/s400/nametake+mushrooms+with+grated+daikon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...</i>nametake oroshi<i>, which is simply nametake mushrooms with grated radish.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66368Tycp71Tjg3pUTAZbyBO2jI_LYfL5iOFZS1Af4qJ_7wWQ5-dpCMqjMy1uDKzoqgACtvJMtIpruB0pap5rdTnug4DdtKkBs4J_R5eh_eShN8-mJhEciiwZ6QChj9KBgDKuyi3uY1Qk/s1600/breakfast+at+travelers+inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66368Tycp71Tjg3pUTAZbyBO2jI_LYfL5iOFZS1Af4qJ_7wWQ5-dpCMqjMy1uDKzoqgACtvJMtIpruB0pap5rdTnug4DdtKkBs4J_R5eh_eShN8-mJhEciiwZ6QChj9KBgDKuyi3uY1Qk/s400/breakfast+at+travelers+inn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here's a photo of the Japanese breakfast served at the hotel where I stayed: rice, seaweed, miso soup, soft-boiled egg, fish, gobo, rolled omelet, and fish cake.</i></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMb_7knMy-gflnkQ9_eSVxlDYE2hh4iS5QKzHVerqRO_zUns-Rj6XG_h8-1ye1A6looRDUW-28hBpUhL6qoZKLLeKIFLlm6htRnSqP46ebOobJ-fhzVwZlLRAzrbu5qDQwYA1-cyEsrRj/s1600/murin-an+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMb_7knMy-gflnkQ9_eSVxlDYE2hh4iS5QKzHVerqRO_zUns-Rj6XG_h8-1ye1A6looRDUW-28hBpUhL6qoZKLLeKIFLlm6htRnSqP46ebOobJ-fhzVwZlLRAzrbu5qDQwYA1-cyEsrRj/s400/murin-an+6.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another site worthy of a visitor's time in Kyoto is Murin-an, a former statesman's villa dating back to 1896. The villa itself is impressive, especially the tearoom that overlooks a garden with small streams and the mountains behind it.</span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gajmNjEyErPNatXpFNO76Lk1WxUqv0-r5l9x3sX9AnzM1D_SzAUv9zCSZW67y__a_DwkYOHv_6bRrSFpYTHIxaVePR1bQhdo4lGXroUmHHh4xpNroERu5K-RyUUPnAh0M_ANrVZoNoD_/s1600/murin-an+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gajmNjEyErPNatXpFNO76Lk1WxUqv0-r5l9x3sX9AnzM1D_SzAUv9zCSZW67y__a_DwkYOHv_6bRrSFpYTHIxaVePR1bQhdo4lGXroUmHHh4xpNroERu5K-RyUUPnAh0M_ANrVZoNoD_/s400/murin-an+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Fall is undoubtedly the best time to come, as the colors in the garden darken and drop to the ground and give some counterpoint to all the green that's visible in the relentlessly hot summer.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oyXcPKgItpdlRWmOJcPesAbCcluNfE44t5cfd0TnLSRW5cbiCDUIvJA5ZqtzOjgSYamo5tJMU_0bDlthURlPvUVemzR2TTDdc8m_7uhuqvyKd2sV-qHw8Jvm35QfzFG30kNejY8a4tDn/s1600/murin-an+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oyXcPKgItpdlRWmOJcPesAbCcluNfE44t5cfd0TnLSRW5cbiCDUIvJA5ZqtzOjgSYamo5tJMU_0bDlthURlPvUVemzR2TTDdc8m_7uhuqvyKd2sV-qHw8Jvm35QfzFG30kNejY8a4tDn/s400/murin-an+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Murin-an is only a two-minute walk from the Kyoto International Community House, and it's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance fee is ¥350 (US$4.50).</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt2zMmIiu3ywnmqG0AvUZ4Ic7RO9KuSilkl2WKcC8ab6Xa67BLlFKW8JUsea6v4mOAHx_-51WBJqAEgI_PqQwghj_BgLglcvlZ1D-TmjqIDqmTyImCKhK7mSX8h3jJI6DTPFSY6i-Q26X/s1600/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt2zMmIiu3ywnmqG0AvUZ4Ic7RO9KuSilkl2WKcC8ab6Xa67BLlFKW8JUsea6v4mOAHx_-51WBJqAEgI_PqQwghj_BgLglcvlZ1D-TmjqIDqmTyImCKhK7mSX8h3jJI6DTPFSY6i-Q26X/s400/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Early the next morning I headed to Kiyomizudera. I'd intended to catch a bus there from the Higashiyama area of Kyoto, but my bus map was hard to read; I got lost; and I ended up walking the entire way. By the time I reached the temple, I was soaked with sweat. At least, once I got nearer the temple, the streets and walking paths became more picturesque.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLerkelCWlnZgQKCoEdcEtzgNVjCDDWAsQIUHJ9GCSNCYA-RwhUJoD55K1k0hYfrmkN70OM-4aCIPMFK2hrvGnh7qqMJMAPr54T05LsG96zRT7coYKHgsZGqgxTxqc-vNwOSpd4HW3TbX/s1600/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLerkelCWlnZgQKCoEdcEtzgNVjCDDWAsQIUHJ9GCSNCYA-RwhUJoD55K1k0hYfrmkN70OM-4aCIPMFK2hrvGnh7qqMJMAPr54T05LsG96zRT7coYKHgsZGqgxTxqc-vNwOSpd4HW3TbX/s400/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The streets here were charming, and there moments when it was easy to think this was how parts of Japan might have looked two hundred years ago.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFNW1HLad6-Mdbo9AS2AaDuP3fAbSKN1hXKP9h16Rze8czgE94E3kZLaFNxnCftHST0YtKSSn_Sx5_sqevWlGvgrD6qn2IZAQxsOxQZ9yx8v3qqG1x70Qa1AZSFCCKQLrvJIdDFN00rc1/s1600/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFNW1HLad6-Mdbo9AS2AaDuP3fAbSKN1hXKP9h16Rze8czgE94E3kZLaFNxnCftHST0YtKSSn_Sx5_sqevWlGvgrD6qn2IZAQxsOxQZ9yx8v3qqG1x70Qa1AZSFCCKQLrvJIdDFN00rc1/s400/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Young women in summer kimono...and a plastic ice cream cone. Can you guess which of the two I was more interested in photographing?</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHy_a8w_yOv9Q53o_MyAQyIH07_Z14zQ63GPzcmwWCHOZpc5fga1sRSCYO-L0p2rBy98Jiy27B-F9ES4rKuBoM7L-hfScbgWEj9Iszn_n1bPA5nqhQmPdGC34s2Z_jNiyczbryHdngHW0/s1600/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHy_a8w_yOv9Q53o_MyAQyIH07_Z14zQ63GPzcmwWCHOZpc5fga1sRSCYO-L0p2rBy98Jiy27B-F9ES4rKuBoM7L-hfScbgWEj9Iszn_n1bPA5nqhQmPdGC34s2Z_jNiyczbryHdngHW0/s400/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I liked this place along the Kiyomizuderamichi (Kiyomizu Temple path)</i></span>.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUY7zc447cFWaPAoq7zlH2cUDi59pKvaQ_0puaECaMDlzaxT4drW2qP9Z-v7BLpGB1Tat_2ypDMea6W5S6gWWw6MsMsYz942U8uMtTm8tpdGGTxuE3LFzVdO5OmgZ0zTosdSqQDa6CrsL/s1600/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUY7zc447cFWaPAoq7zlH2cUDi59pKvaQ_0puaECaMDlzaxT4drW2qP9Z-v7BLpGB1Tat_2ypDMea6W5S6gWWw6MsMsYz942U8uMtTm8tpdGGTxuE3LFzVdO5OmgZ0zTosdSqQDa6CrsL/s400/road+leading+to+kiyomizu+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This path, called Chawanzaka (Teapot Land) ends at the top of the hill and...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-w_pFRKK7VpHMO_C260fVNntuAEs8Z7xlekfjrzbYi7MrMda1FU7V2_qIlDlui0MEAF8xwy98_hpqxOdJQ5FKjV3WIG2ujEbaQ69l0TLxzjXu11-UenEl1efScsDHCUpq9tUpIg47rjXx/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-w_pFRKK7VpHMO_C260fVNntuAEs8Z7xlekfjrzbYi7MrMda1FU7V2_qIlDlui0MEAF8xwy98_hpqxOdJQ5FKjV3WIG2ujEbaQ69l0TLxzjXu11-UenEl1efScsDHCUpq9tUpIg47rjXx/s400/kiyomizu+temple+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...this is what you find.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAsjk5SeHUXRhIdEqpp14comDbdkEMiQbN2KsZnKAQ4VbBzgnpziiX6kPKLHGyaPRCZVfzeI3mDYi6Vday_BEezpZGE4e3wRYseVpoVr4QW64_zQ_mOpE_67HZO2wNRWJlK014V40yb6D/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAsjk5SeHUXRhIdEqpp14comDbdkEMiQbN2KsZnKAQ4VbBzgnpziiX6kPKLHGyaPRCZVfzeI3mDYi6Vday_BEezpZGE4e3wRYseVpoVr4QW64_zQ_mOpE_67HZO2wNRWJlK014V40yb6D/s400/kiyomizu+temple+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was my third trip to the temple since 1991. On this day, though you couldn't tell from the photos I've selected for this post, the temple was more crowded than I'd experienced before. There's something special about having a beautiful temple nearly all to yourself, and I never had that feeling on this visit.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF56cboYa5ZUVFAoSPyzxf6popW9cIDCPJlwUA2yMQO7crZV0XVfyJEGFXOYsehs5qdGd9JDuzS7Mkg7nqTrlpFxXJHnhjP7hNfvnnJsnUzqEW8ZA-Sl5UWBBWyyaF70TGueEB2KKX9OV/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF56cboYa5ZUVFAoSPyzxf6popW9cIDCPJlwUA2yMQO7crZV0XVfyJEGFXOYsehs5qdGd9JDuzS7Mkg7nqTrlpFxXJHnhjP7hNfvnnJsnUzqEW8ZA-Sl5UWBBWyyaF70TGueEB2KKX9OV/s400/kiyomizu+temple+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Potted lotus plants, lined up in parallel rows.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSITePsx5f5tX4wBzCywpudjoKUdH_pH60iLxYaBRw1K6A-DD3wVkv0TWfmlVYbPFm57DSvC_5OioHYpYJ3FbR_Jc9ij46cppdFBVoe4qEmt9k8iZ4HK349NhvePXFbx_jSZ2iwtpak5et/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSITePsx5f5tX4wBzCywpudjoKUdH_pH60iLxYaBRw1K6A-DD3wVkv0TWfmlVYbPFm57DSvC_5OioHYpYJ3FbR_Jc9ij46cppdFBVoe4qEmt9k8iZ4HK349NhvePXFbx_jSZ2iwtpak5et/s400/kiyomizu+temple+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It was breezy here, and ribbon-strung wind chimes spun and tinkled in the air.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOic_6p4evmSJabAaHBG2ulI_G-328BhcTLvDf0kUcgCP0sW__HeqbYb0GfoHDzY5uIV9snR3FfoDHLGGdK0XFR9uRrw55cWuL_t2nwqUVFF1uD8rU-S_hdAsqn2JPxxvM-umFTBC7zB7/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOic_6p4evmSJabAaHBG2ulI_G-328BhcTLvDf0kUcgCP0sW__HeqbYb0GfoHDzY5uIV9snR3FfoDHLGGdK0XFR9uRrw55cWuL_t2nwqUVFF1uD8rU-S_hdAsqn2JPxxvM-umFTBC7zB7/s400/kiyomizu+temple+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This shrine is near Jishu-jinja, where visitors close their eyes and try to walk a straight line between rocks to ensure that they will find love in the future. I'm not sure what the name of this shrine is, but it seems to be devoted to one or more fox spirits.</i></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYANW2ooY7t85dEKCCwMjXHxaN4CsUK6fNQ-AomylTOaJi7xxausAKlIspeOiwyxH9l5Sptei5QpEDbG0B4loagoBVMiLGRYS79yVsZVTwIeUIegWdzrxKTl0JAMwUEUhHV5fv1Ki9N6t/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYANW2ooY7t85dEKCCwMjXHxaN4CsUK6fNQ-AomylTOaJi7xxausAKlIspeOiwyxH9l5Sptei5QpEDbG0B4loagoBVMiLGRYS79yVsZVTwIeUIegWdzrxKTl0JAMwUEUhHV5fv1Ki9N6t/s400/kiyomizu+temple+9.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mSvK47hpPHKbB7Dtc5R7uioswS59XcFi9uBJIv2_g9kT0c0EMI5vc3h6rdXK_DSap8A4zGhYV4nI5urhY9WCnxBtIh8Z4m3cB31v6KUC7n6SdNUtvi_VoKaqTydTKb3ZeFDFtDw5QIDs/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mSvK47hpPHKbB7Dtc5R7uioswS59XcFi9uBJIv2_g9kT0c0EMI5vc3h6rdXK_DSap8A4zGhYV4nI5urhY9WCnxBtIh8Z4m3cB31v6KUC7n6SdNUtvi_VoKaqTydTKb3ZeFDFtDw5QIDs/s400/kiyomizu+temple+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kiyomizu Temple was originally built in 794, though what exists now is a reconstruction of the original. What one is able to see now was constructed in 1633.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1b8oz5xWM7ghi11jaO9D25Tb6ELSwLDECtYFmIFwqZIbNOVhLYk2-G_hkNjGSsUDcB7mHxLaFFcCcXtozfX-8H5zgKR_lviKKsCKCIkv6LmVeM3hB4Sfg3goUPCIM4Hy1yE1zlU_lN5c/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1b8oz5xWM7ghi11jaO9D25Tb6ELSwLDECtYFmIFwqZIbNOVhLYk2-G_hkNjGSsUDcB7mHxLaFFcCcXtozfX-8H5zgKR_lviKKsCKCIkv6LmVeM3hB4Sfg3goUPCIM4Hy1yE1zlU_lN5c/s400/kiyomizu+temple+11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A small structure full of Jizo statues wearing bibs and hats.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpVteEL5OrH8ksRhr22W12UFP5n2ziiXV0M0kAAVo5oVJpdrmSYhRun0GiGaAyHawgYWgRVNjFiqcyk5EU1N3cgaxU9oa-to8gIB7SPu93NnIc-8LZYBGNWRmkUHzEkEG3ykz9xnRNK0c/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpVteEL5OrH8ksRhr22W12UFP5n2ziiXV0M0kAAVo5oVJpdrmSYhRun0GiGaAyHawgYWgRVNjFiqcyk5EU1N3cgaxU9oa-to8gIB7SPu93NnIc-8LZYBGNWRmkUHzEkEG3ykz9xnRNK0c/s400/kiyomizu+temple+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This veranda is part of Kiyomizudera's main hall. As you can see, dozens of wooden pillars undergird the temple, and it was from this veranda that pilgrims used to make a wish and jump. If you survived, and only about 85% of jumpers did, then your wish was supposed to come true.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5c8-GFe37sqoyPy4XIXMQ0IP_hXWBzICeYHu6a2xEpRzqe3Dxj_4RvWG6HfJqm6DCB0_osZHIeKrcdh_gOeQF_pC6pIZait5sR_hYxMB3uHn4iGQC_eS2MYlp__QFRG5yvRgR3CLNIhH/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5c8-GFe37sqoyPy4XIXMQ0IP_hXWBzICeYHu6a2xEpRzqe3Dxj_4RvWG6HfJqm6DCB0_osZHIeKrcdh_gOeQF_pC6pIZait5sR_hYxMB3uHn4iGQC_eS2MYlp__QFRG5yvRgR3CLNIhH/s400/kiyomizu+temple+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC0zCO24Gx89CNxM9TCUAjWPbN2vijQseMMGNatmarAelSvlOnvKi_Y3yvVUwYkBSCR0FtOZpFUEsgqJtTMoBvISWGprdQZFxO019dlsbD6oRZKJZ7GVfwgcWspVNWmud0eTlBq-3CacH/s1600/kiyomizu+temple+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC0zCO24Gx89CNxM9TCUAjWPbN2vijQseMMGNatmarAelSvlOnvKi_Y3yvVUwYkBSCR0FtOZpFUEsgqJtTMoBvISWGprdQZFxO019dlsbD6oRZKJZ7GVfwgcWspVNWmud0eTlBq-3CacH/s400/kiyomizu+temple+17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kiyomizu means </i>"pure water." <i>Visitors can drink the water here, at the Otowa-no-taki waterfall. The water is purported to have therapeutic properties and can help bring luck as well.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgyW7WyzHYmQe3rN328hvTCofHZg2_e6DXas29JL6DAssOCiGKcZDbqbxCQ8pQpXVhY6JOcMS97HPbICxmagiVo1AMcOLl5YXc3Wp18id54qs6Dvd4TN5On0mwnIZuALBiqga-IDdhjFt/s1600/geisha+outside+of+kiyomizu+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgyW7WyzHYmQe3rN328hvTCofHZg2_e6DXas29JL6DAssOCiGKcZDbqbxCQ8pQpXVhY6JOcMS97HPbICxmagiVo1AMcOLl5YXc3Wp18id54qs6Dvd4TN5On0mwnIZuALBiqga-IDdhjFt/s400/geisha+outside+of+kiyomizu+temple.jpg" width="182" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This woman, in her geisha makeup and kimono--an apprentice or training geisha, I'm guessing--turned a lot of heads outside of Kiyomizudera.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAALbDWtEGkpmim-K_hWWhWCryMV4qF2-hS-38X1cDce2yVAQCdTIJjkrsWS2DXhZT0P0uG569ROurN750JbF5rhMOBtMqxhnUJBOTwF3kNZZDIYo5HeC32RZOR71xXFAQiBkOFA91frv/s1600/geisha+outside+of+kiyomizu+temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAALbDWtEGkpmim-K_hWWhWCryMV4qF2-hS-38X1cDce2yVAQCdTIJjkrsWS2DXhZT0P0uG569ROurN750JbF5rhMOBtMqxhnUJBOTwF3kNZZDIYo5HeC32RZOR71xXFAQiBkOFA91frv/s400/geisha+outside+of+kiyomizu+temple+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There was something funny to me watching her snap photo after photo of herself with her cell phone. I suppose I'd do the same thing if I were dressed like that, but the mix of old and new caught my eye.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivouC8K6QC4ksDb9J0VRfsBXDh83-9i_tFkHuwRgQD-op0p016kLsQ28s8lm9_pB7UtbxrP1FQGtj7_65C24u7IjERK-VCV5xtxBuZ3iKYJtp9-o5JCAIFqKPeSQecszpBFvJuYmBkDwJX/s1600/sanmon+gate+at+nanzenji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivouC8K6QC4ksDb9J0VRfsBXDh83-9i_tFkHuwRgQD-op0p016kLsQ28s8lm9_pB7UtbxrP1FQGtj7_65C24u7IjERK-VCV5xtxBuZ3iKYJtp9-o5JCAIFqKPeSQecszpBFvJuYmBkDwJX/s400/sanmon+gate+at+nanzenji+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another impressive temple in Kyoto, and considered one of the "Five Great Temples" in the city, is Nanzenji. Construction of this temple, which is located in northern Higashiyama, began in 1264, but because fires destroyed the complex several times in the past, the version of the temple we see today dates to around 1570. San-mon, pictured above, is the entrance to the temple. It is a </i>huge<i> gate, and one can climb to the second floor and from there view the city and its mountains from all sides.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaUU-glnlIDphKUTRjYaUya5xrEYC25IBOZg90Tq79GMlldwV7lLGvxEUudTmxEr8FFUUVW0Nzv94GuwawxdcjkvKM2Ip-9PnyRaX0Lq_sryagqSiIRv1lcNMUD1eZ3a1XkK_T30Qtp5a/s1600/nanzenji+temple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaUU-glnlIDphKUTRjYaUya5xrEYC25IBOZg90Tq79GMlldwV7lLGvxEUudTmxEr8FFUUVW0Nzv94GuwawxdcjkvKM2Ip-9PnyRaX0Lq_sryagqSiIRv1lcNMUD1eZ3a1XkK_T30Qtp5a/s400/nanzenji+temple+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ekk3uw9GlYude1MfzOJ5Y8CrPWTfz3WKqRbLWAbtNw1VNRNWpSgMi4Uz1hYE0Vc3I7POSBSoBJBnHdpCB4GmTKnnPh8hw0A1ezyetI7cEKp_IgN1VvMm_s9Czc1_Q239WujN2BpLggES/s1600/nanzenji+temple+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ekk3uw9GlYude1MfzOJ5Y8CrPWTfz3WKqRbLWAbtNw1VNRNWpSgMi4Uz1hYE0Vc3I7POSBSoBJBnHdpCB4GmTKnnPh8hw0A1ezyetI7cEKp_IgN1VvMm_s9Czc1_Q239WujN2BpLggES/s400/nanzenji+temple+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB10Lyqr1EAd2o2xdbxG7BlBAfZB5DOzPvXN0bdCrROT2lu8FtiaH4qDoRc8oMhkwUIL_pf-eNhXEOD0QEDjgD4o1u74QdyMOg0QQJVoKJgm7kS5Ijw4Xk9apzS3ON1nZyUV49LRqjUTB/s1600/nanzenji+temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB10Lyqr1EAd2o2xdbxG7BlBAfZB5DOzPvXN0bdCrROT2lu8FtiaH4qDoRc8oMhkwUIL_pf-eNhXEOD0QEDjgD4o1u74QdyMOg0QQJVoKJgm7kS5Ijw4Xk9apzS3ON1nZyUV49LRqjUTB/s400/nanzenji+temple+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M3Dbdu09_oW10qoYah8tfz2dhSE1M-GH0gVPAVwihWop-Re-tkeIziuDmnJI55KGFFlM4RpuT0915LN-6OssdVDLeRLUBu9NWdbu0kez8Uu_gGfCQ4j-pKEJX_QqXpS0bDSo4NszxkV_/s1600/nanzenji+temple+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M3Dbdu09_oW10qoYah8tfz2dhSE1M-GH0gVPAVwihWop-Re-tkeIziuDmnJI55KGFFlM4RpuT0915LN-6OssdVDLeRLUBu9NWdbu0kez8Uu_gGfCQ4j-pKEJX_QqXpS0bDSo4NszxkV_/s400/nanzenji+temple+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Continuing further into Nanzenji, one comes across Hojo Garden with its famous "dry garden" depicting tigers crossing the water. (Or, if not depicting this, then interpreted later to show this.)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFwuv-z5Kh0SWLa0wTv2uVdo2GuPZcdwMMQD4ij7WMFkbjoSazf-Jctjr_0y0H06GkbF-v6dtdlob0hooSdXSK19pyQsCEPpCvmgVVNovNfDvUcYpYY4xYL5Yd9xcTzqn-jFZInZFPi_9/s1600/nanzenji+temple+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFwuv-z5Kh0SWLa0wTv2uVdo2GuPZcdwMMQD4ij7WMFkbjoSazf-Jctjr_0y0H06GkbF-v6dtdlob0hooSdXSK19pyQsCEPpCvmgVVNovNfDvUcYpYY4xYL5Yd9xcTzqn-jFZInZFPi_9/s400/nanzenji+temple+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On the left, visitors can be seen sitting on the porch of Seiryoden Hall, viewing the stones and grouped trees of the garden.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C00vLtwlH9WPj-cQ-z_qFUYKXlHVea2cPI863VxMDJxBAQ09Y-2gVTMVqTWUj83Hfn3Xet0d_PPRODLGssUREM2zktbuXEBCYbRUHK3sS6IwrFA6fr16esEu9A6vmRMN83y8OlRI5-sn/s1600/nanzenji+temple+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C00vLtwlH9WPj-cQ-z_qFUYKXlHVea2cPI863VxMDJxBAQ09Y-2gVTMVqTWUj83Hfn3Xet0d_PPRODLGssUREM2zktbuXEBCYbRUHK3sS6IwrFA6fr16esEu9A6vmRMN83y8OlRI5-sn/s400/nanzenji+temple+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjVR4eud3VnKkBHqRJL2sjMiHHYMluVGFGb7eBbFdVN4LsVyWaLgtJqGWWmbjxnhMhzWkzokkTUf2cZk0_3-hT2O-d6J6_3q1wQFuoQh0V-8rFNhuEGS36H8doumM-Ns6CK3SkffnVbZW/s1600/nanzenji+temple+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjVR4eud3VnKkBHqRJL2sjMiHHYMluVGFGb7eBbFdVN4LsVyWaLgtJqGWWmbjxnhMhzWkzokkTUf2cZk0_3-hT2O-d6J6_3q1wQFuoQh0V-8rFNhuEGS36H8doumM-Ns6CK3SkffnVbZW/s400/nanzenji+temple+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Old wooden bridges lead between the dry garden and Hojo Hall, which was originally commissioned by Hideyoshi Toyotomi circa 1585. The buildings here, as well as the sliding door paintings of tigers they contain, are considered national treasures. Photography inside the building is not permitted, and entrance to Hojo Garden and its grounds costs ¥500 (US$6.50).</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YBj6ncW5A6XeIzQdNe_GuljW79jfLdPdNDeyYCduSGKf0NhCZoLNcZ1Mtn_ux0rVPQgaUmv_Pk45w_GL2jPwqJ6MYagS3WiBm_I-TgEMvBwWoZQfsxR0YMGppueQRVQhLfkPteP7dBD0/s1600/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YBj6ncW5A6XeIzQdNe_GuljW79jfLdPdNDeyYCduSGKf0NhCZoLNcZ1Mtn_ux0rVPQgaUmv_Pk45w_GL2jPwqJ6MYagS3WiBm_I-TgEMvBwWoZQfsxR0YMGppueQRVQhLfkPteP7dBD0/s400/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+6.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Okay, I admit it: this place, which was only a few feet from the bus stop closest to my hotel, got my attention because of the giant ice cream cone...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfxuV6EZPcYIXkh3d8mKh8p1NgrC4Q6cP5rUuL9ynbzt1uPtz6vlIiuEh0zkULhyphenhyphenC3QcOJmYkmtO7Vg1nek3iyJCTBbM10fvWuC8i3w2tbGmdyvC6joYrX1A_mTkqmRA_JSqPJPGhBn0I/s1600/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfxuV6EZPcYIXkh3d8mKh8p1NgrC4Q6cP5rUuL9ynbzt1uPtz6vlIiuEh0zkULhyphenhyphenC3QcOJmYkmtO7Vg1nek3iyJCTBbM10fvWuC8i3w2tbGmdyvC6joYrX1A_mTkqmRA_JSqPJPGhBn0I/s400/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Walking down that narrow corridor, however, brought me to a gorgeous, tucked-away restaurant.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsssi9rj9TbcdFQZRmUGeaHOzuFMrjABXfwRKwv2Z0VgNqiMAExYpEFd_iG2Ls9YIOH60cdvHnmFExw0Qz74RbKB9gJw_i3co3OFCAYaWVY7dbVqFsT7OJ1ups5niX0L72yLJQppnJw7b/s1600/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsssi9rj9TbcdFQZRmUGeaHOzuFMrjABXfwRKwv2Z0VgNqiMAExYpEFd_iG2Ls9YIOH60cdvHnmFExw0Qz74RbKB9gJw_i3co3OFCAYaWVY7dbVqFsT7OJ1ups5niX0L72yLJQppnJw7b/s400/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Apparently, the area here used to be part of an old marina or harbor, and the water was much more expansive than this. It was built upon over the years, and while much smaller than previously it still contains a great many fish and turtles. It was very quiet as well, and one could forget the hustle and bustle of Kyoto easily here.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehuNBqUCa6kcdRyULlAUfeHHpQ0q1kfdwwdA7ddxUUDwbGd_LFc4Xs25MFwZniasrOPBvkqbrFDp-5GRKs0v48dP1wAuJNd-5zJDIvZn4gxx1IAQBTr-Kb_dGIpvh4NN_HDKHTY2iqt6d/s1600/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehuNBqUCa6kcdRyULlAUfeHHpQ0q1kfdwwdA7ddxUUDwbGd_LFc4Xs25MFwZniasrOPBvkqbrFDp-5GRKs0v48dP1wAuJNd-5zJDIvZn4gxx1IAQBTr-Kb_dGIpvh4NN_HDKHTY2iqt6d/s400/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The indoor seating was nice, too, but outside ended up being my choice.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_Sfb5wgJAzYREd2O8dZyLu9o3O9DxiWN2ZTD_zcgzSL3bCvL3JcGHCc0_8hzOUH2mxoOcY3TTSgYkY0VNicN09gRFC7eIkbyWltRAHiT65xKV2JWp1YRYtG7iV2fnO2l_Q5Fc4jBgxpR/s1600/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_Sfb5wgJAzYREd2O8dZyLu9o3O9DxiWN2ZTD_zcgzSL3bCvL3JcGHCc0_8hzOUH2mxoOcY3TTSgYkY0VNicN09gRFC7eIkbyWltRAHiT65xKV2JWp1YRYtG7iV2fnO2l_Q5Fc4jBgxpR/s400/restaurant+by+old+harbor+in+kyoto+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I ended up ordering a "takikomi rice" set, which came with miso soup, pickled veggies, red bean rice, braised eel in a shallow egg-based stew, and a bit of fish and steamed veggies. The price was reasonable, too: ¥1400 (about US$18). The restaurant, it turned out, was part of the <a href="http://www.kyotohotel.co.jp/english/">Kyoto Hotel Okura</a>, though it's in a separate building.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR0e0-_aKWf4XIQ_j00-Dtky15PHtc7mMrq4TvS4BpN-6-DSYUeY_cRIRgif-ljVSgaPvJXGnZx4ln0DXoMFixYMf93GFFvLL2SC5unTHXiD_-lYpS_HcMVA9JvZzVzt32iKxyjwkF7mt/s1600/torii+outside+kyoto+university.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR0e0-_aKWf4XIQ_j00-Dtky15PHtc7mMrq4TvS4BpN-6-DSYUeY_cRIRgif-ljVSgaPvJXGnZx4ln0DXoMFixYMf93GFFvLL2SC5unTHXiD_-lYpS_HcMVA9JvZzVzt32iKxyjwkF7mt/s400/torii+outside+kyoto+university.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On the evening of my final day in Kyoto I was invited to attend a rooftop party to view Dainoji -- the burning of a giant 大 pictograph in the northern mountains of Kyoto. The photo above is of the road outside of Kyoto University; the vermilion torii is the entrance to a path that climbs to a small park and residential area.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe876HcNGSazNFhh1pN6y1WOS8rzRQbPTuXs_GJeBfhhxDH6VHC8dJ6l76Eb4XSDTLG1E5sYWRInzIzuSQf0-V3xD6eBICPt6VmEKo935gTP6EbdOPhbo4E_vDRTGlj8HE_RurKWbeQ98/s1600/path+of+toriis+near+kyodai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe876HcNGSazNFhh1pN6y1WOS8rzRQbPTuXs_GJeBfhhxDH6VHC8dJ6l76Eb4XSDTLG1E5sYWRInzIzuSQf0-V3xD6eBICPt6VmEKo935gTP6EbdOPhbo4E_vDRTGlj8HE_RurKWbeQ98/s400/path+of+toriis+near+kyodai.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9qQIw7E3K2qSNcC_gwqnBGyx9kHKFCMMSYnGMIgODuqAtre2N9Z4tz4ODgQB8JPjSnZVd6IV8UFauXfShxHlzNKigM3JF9hJ6-TRA-O9oIY_10vPTEF6R3-KZBfOu31xEu-6OADVtjSF/s1600/dainoji+viewing+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9qQIw7E3K2qSNcC_gwqnBGyx9kHKFCMMSYnGMIgODuqAtre2N9Z4tz4ODgQB8JPjSnZVd6IV8UFauXfShxHlzNKigM3JF9hJ6-TRA-O9oIY_10vPTEF6R3-KZBfOu31xEu-6OADVtjSF/s400/dainoji+viewing+party.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The party was quite festive and very international. Overall, perhaps 50 people got together on the rooftop for food and drinks.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQNcbH4q8n3Crk-2efriwm_tOGNOQsQmk_cpx8vJRrquuUT0PJx1zRSkbxHQ7qdvBMeM8E8zoUuHC_zJJTz1BdtBhDILh-vwQpRXj5PXwKAvqWS5cNG5wqHj4wUZLsDjiAXCYChgkgBLP/s1600/dainoji+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQNcbH4q8n3Crk-2efriwm_tOGNOQsQmk_cpx8vJRrquuUT0PJx1zRSkbxHQ7qdvBMeM8E8zoUuHC_zJJTz1BdtBhDILh-vwQpRXj5PXwKAvqWS5cNG5wqHj4wUZLsDjiAXCYChgkgBLP/s400/dainoji+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Not long after nightfall, the mountain began to blaze.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTXMh-Q7zLm-CxOqpwqp1BM1OQlfcol7iwVbKq0GsUt6THk4rflvVO1C5t6vmlXc7pQjD2vz1M0MCRHoVVHyzc7NTjUJcvrY4rJB6rwjTbzxc10NrTv60rgepWMmiJZjuLMp7mMYvhueS/s1600/dainoji+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTXMh-Q7zLm-CxOqpwqp1BM1OQlfcol7iwVbKq0GsUt6THk4rflvVO1C5t6vmlXc7pQjD2vz1M0MCRHoVVHyzc7NTjUJcvrY4rJB6rwjTbzxc10NrTv60rgepWMmiJZjuLMp7mMYvhueS/s400/dainoji+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This pictograph as well as other symbols burned on mountains around Kyoto are meant to help the spirits of the dead, which return every year during O-bon, find their way back to the hereafter.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW9jijH1aQL2zrMUSuerIfEuPhZXwpb1rlKfgrb6J8AGPUcJR2qCZS_k8TwQ1cd4qcEgI-Tk4sFy7ZPQYtu6exiehjoQQrVa3-2AuvbZFTGA6ITB5E-XyJXsaqJtBJfh3IwIzNKQSJzBM/s1600/dainoji+4+with+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW9jijH1aQL2zrMUSuerIfEuPhZXwpb1rlKfgrb6J8AGPUcJR2qCZS_k8TwQ1cd4qcEgI-Tk4sFy7ZPQYtu6exiehjoQQrVa3-2AuvbZFTGA6ITB5E-XyJXsaqJtBJfh3IwIzNKQSJzBM/s400/dainoji+4+with+moon.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Although the picture quality isn't great, you can still make out the full moon rising directly over the embers of the burned pictograph. Had it risen ten minutes earlier, it would have been spectacular. Even so, it was still pretty awesome to see.</i></span></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-52556480421411565942011-08-16T08:25:00.000-07:002011-08-16T08:25:49.467-07:00Side Trip to Nara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieauA79ktt9NZnFVxf-tIwaFp87lJrQ3QG_w2tJl00XXFWvQC3WrfmadTi_yHQ6CdX1pKvNgdB55L5NxYoj3vwfdKp9wn4vR7YL8nJ-v4SJARdsRWO6xFEozXOaNStz09nlbO1tJPueRp0/s1600/southern+octagonal+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieauA79ktt9NZnFVxf-tIwaFp87lJrQ3QG_w2tJl00XXFWvQC3WrfmadTi_yHQ6CdX1pKvNgdB55L5NxYoj3vwfdKp9wn4vR7YL8nJ-v4SJARdsRWO6xFEozXOaNStz09nlbO1tJPueRp0/s400/southern+octagonal+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I went to Nara last weekend during the summer lantern festival, known in Japanese as Tokae. The O-Bon lanterns are meant to guide the spirits of the deceased, and they are placed at various points throughout the city––around the perimeters of ponds, in open areas of Nara Park, before shrines and temples, and along many streets and sidewalks.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfjKRGry2NrNXPnR3fLnnv9-xwsMbK7dTaHK3tBPXw35wQDlmahLW5_dCV2d_S5J9B5dorrTChu6ZV_3hec1HW2eEE1AS4DhrszrwGMBy3uYPd25nJjUKgmp6yTE2dHEKkmIpM07kf_Bt/s1600/hungry+deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfjKRGry2NrNXPnR3fLnnv9-xwsMbK7dTaHK3tBPXw35wQDlmahLW5_dCV2d_S5J9B5dorrTChu6ZV_3hec1HW2eEE1AS4DhrszrwGMBy3uYPd25nJjUKgmp6yTE2dHEKkmIpM07kf_Bt/s400/hungry+deer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was my second trip to Nara, and the deer here, though considered sacred by the Japanese, are just as aggressive as they were when I was in Japan as a university student. Walking away does absolutely no good when you've got food in your hands.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbo0-FKffFrv2g0SOe0u-NlrqOaEz2YzNg2TwdpdeyLgfcTARZkMcsflDKCSa7ao0UjDXvDu9TayqBT7XjAVti6DbIseBwdjLL7ptchjD7NBYSOmQDAXtP-GJb6Y8OSvXxjJ5a1EwEtnP/s1600/sleepy+deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbo0-FKffFrv2g0SOe0u-NlrqOaEz2YzNg2TwdpdeyLgfcTARZkMcsflDKCSa7ao0UjDXvDu9TayqBT7XjAVti6DbIseBwdjLL7ptchjD7NBYSOmQDAXtP-GJb6Y8OSvXxjJ5a1EwEtnP/s400/sleepy+deer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The only possible thing that might keep these deer from nosing tourists for food is the need for shuteye. And in the summer heat, which has consistently been around 35 C (95 F) in Nara and Kyoto, it's understandable.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_HYdonHB0v6uRBrAdWgzIiCf5pADexucoiJUvcNpRAN1ULh4xh-rvePPoLKTYBgDcGBP75VZRd73rdGxSfNgVBPAnFPPqrOzLh1bN4cm5O0Mp5gXGYQ_dv6EFFMwqvAzcbRF7t2P9DDI/s1600/deer+on+side+of+road+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_HYdonHB0v6uRBrAdWgzIiCf5pADexucoiJUvcNpRAN1ULh4xh-rvePPoLKTYBgDcGBP75VZRd73rdGxSfNgVBPAnFPPqrOzLh1bN4cm5O0Mp5gXGYQ_dv6EFFMwqvAzcbRF7t2P9DDI/s400/deer+on+side+of+road+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Most deer stay in grassy areas, but others seem to like to express their individuality by lying in gutters alongside busy roads.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN62I4H9ITkXKL1p0cW6dM3ZZ6vjjHNSyPNjEhXpQ3bxybUOXttWuOOH6NO8yusTMbXFjrFBxbuRBO9bAaYoSWMtJ6Iu7s4uhAWPeWfpMC74SGfR2BYQR92iwHVprwKup4d4xzA0db-fqU/s1600/deer+cooling+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN62I4H9ITkXKL1p0cW6dM3ZZ6vjjHNSyPNjEhXpQ3bxybUOXttWuOOH6NO8yusTMbXFjrFBxbuRBO9bAaYoSWMtJ6Iu7s4uhAWPeWfpMC74SGfR2BYQR92iwHVprwKup4d4xzA0db-fqU/s400/deer+cooling+off.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The smart ones head for the water. Unfortunately, smart appears to be relative as they pee and poop in the water they drink from and cool down in.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0jzGu0Y6evuMNx6gu5PDOOH85s49gW1WDaUxN45XvBCEdJAlP4V7MT4-ScAc1owoATnywR8pBDD4rEcvPfZ4tCaEpfNHG8DKjPLcYOS7dN-NnuqWvGbu7ZUrv9SvZzat0ksSCrhtC9An/s1600/nara+national+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0jzGu0Y6evuMNx6gu5PDOOH85s49gW1WDaUxN45XvBCEdJAlP4V7MT4-ScAc1owoATnywR8pBDD4rEcvPfZ4tCaEpfNHG8DKjPLcYOS7dN-NnuqWvGbu7ZUrv9SvZzat0ksSCrhtC9An/s400/nara+national+museum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Nara National Museum I found disappointing. Both buildings were filled with religious art, which is interesting; in these exhibitions, however, they were under-explained, and I thought the exhibitions could have been a bit more diverse.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAoDhT5H4uB5UShXK417lON2OdEGWpoNX9hnApugUWfhnYqEqWNygpbsQLijWpYfDpVcpXBdnBQjfIvuk44VE8Kjoim0DFftDvj-2yKqoW1mTJFkweXee9qevw14z8zXUWfssjHvmMDeP/s1600/lunch+at+nara+national+museum+cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAoDhT5H4uB5UShXK417lON2OdEGWpoNX9hnApugUWfhnYqEqWNygpbsQLijWpYfDpVcpXBdnBQjfIvuk44VE8Kjoim0DFftDvj-2yKqoW1mTJFkweXee9qevw14z8zXUWfssjHvmMDeP/s400/lunch+at+nara+national+museum+cafe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cafe at the National Museum specializes in Chinese food. It wasn't anything to write home about...does blogging about it count as the same thing?</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4fy3wxytKKfio2lkIVwnl5zODR8u3d3xsMYjvNDHdSKMMzkMsOexndRM9GVByG9nJInuQXerKRpNmFv-gE3yeH-MFaVQV2w1OpeFJIP7KgTM3YdZQobjgeJJTbaIj1ALjqI5ptDfzqzS/s1600/deer+in+front+of+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4fy3wxytKKfio2lkIVwnl5zODR8u3d3xsMYjvNDHdSKMMzkMsOexndRM9GVByG9nJInuQXerKRpNmFv-gE3yeH-MFaVQV2w1OpeFJIP7KgTM3YdZQobjgeJJTbaIj1ALjqI5ptDfzqzS/s400/deer+in+front+of+store.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">If only that deer knew how to work the faucet on that hose...</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNCTbXdbc5MJYuM13bHmCd9iqshPfk2ZYHh6_k49ip24RdBdx2keO4_9wgkSuv92V7IGFZViEH59s9CmmMphEkcIkUj5AIs2gmZ4rHKhugRVlQxpcIaRFWQAxCot-gsFbEf-pHeiw82Zy/s1600/nandaimon+gate+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNCTbXdbc5MJYuM13bHmCd9iqshPfk2ZYHh6_k49ip24RdBdx2keO4_9wgkSuv92V7IGFZViEH59s9CmmMphEkcIkUj5AIs2gmZ4rHKhugRVlQxpcIaRFWQAxCot-gsFbEf-pHeiw82Zy/s400/nandaimon+gate+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nandaimon Gate, which one normally passes through on the way to Todaiji Temple. On each side of the interior passage are two scary-looking Nio guardians from the 13th century, considered by some to be the finest examples in the world of such wood-carving.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4SAaNAXXyymk5RgXIxqJfX2OpW-9uaPHQlD7dunqMzra_GAI7_0GcLhxoCQvWHiHltMym-2uBH-X6C_pt-UYwB57AR5FLBjOfvOzqGc__1qcaAPAAP_qNPu_og1GDr0zCZO5CX-ksfdj/s1600/first+guardian+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4SAaNAXXyymk5RgXIxqJfX2OpW-9uaPHQlD7dunqMzra_GAI7_0GcLhxoCQvWHiHltMym-2uBH-X6C_pt-UYwB57AR5FLBjOfvOzqGc__1qcaAPAAP_qNPu_og1GDr0zCZO5CX-ksfdj/s400/first+guardian+statue.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here's one of the Nio guardians. He's so fierce and nasty-looking that they keep him behind a fenced enclosure.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGaN6LY2Z9O1iVtm_yZLVNmWU36ZPq0xf0Opl1rd2GVjuZqyBSOu0Tg6dpXbaMqCrzE8KqkZMVuEAqp-b-aAcJb4QYqKk5yAiyC_tf_iyAM0aQoXVl8P4hFJvMI80T2znY7tiuAO1nAcE/s1600/second+guardian+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGaN6LY2Z9O1iVtm_yZLVNmWU36ZPq0xf0Opl1rd2GVjuZqyBSOu0Tg6dpXbaMqCrzE8KqkZMVuEAqp-b-aAcJb4QYqKk5yAiyC_tf_iyAM0aQoXVl8P4hFJvMI80T2znY7tiuAO1nAcE/s400/second+guardian+statue.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This one, too.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfbopq-AQwZ-yPX0Q41X7l6fttqddMPgKK_htWRY8dnbwKKJkMxv-rREKMH3SKiEv-hzni7eLZTldJk0nLvm4lJKt7x_iXw-4p1llRTQ8wY14rz-xaQOQuyUfbOgSc0K4ghaZTbYLIKRZ/s1600/todaiji+temple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfbopq-AQwZ-yPX0Q41X7l6fttqddMPgKK_htWRY8dnbwKKJkMxv-rREKMH3SKiEv-hzni7eLZTldJk0nLvm4lJKt7x_iXw-4p1llRTQ8wY14rz-xaQOQuyUfbOgSc0K4ghaZTbYLIKRZ/s400/todaiji+temple+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Todaiji-Temple, a World Heritage site and possibly the most popular destination for tourists to Nara. The Daibutsu-den Hall here is the biggest wooden building in the world, and used to be almost 50% larger than it is now.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI-gvUlmM5JLti2N5M7t3J9UIEPOPMQ-W6DpHCaQ55d2wxfANdQZ-kqkIYYXYFe2qJVCCrwRdHVEM77ubfNzDgENmqoGNeHbz7vIkJhEPAnpERFmAL74iUtnCsrENz0Pvu-P6sXcj7ooL/s1600/todaiji+temple+entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI-gvUlmM5JLti2N5M7t3J9UIEPOPMQ-W6DpHCaQ55d2wxfANdQZ-kqkIYYXYFe2qJVCCrwRdHVEM77ubfNzDgENmqoGNeHbz7vIkJhEPAnpERFmAL74iUtnCsrENz0Pvu-P6sXcj7ooL/s400/todaiji+temple+entrance.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Check out the height of those doors.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatCgZpdgatFIOW33NIIbo-Li7XlKj9nUpWAU-0Nj2y-uZP2Vjc5lwf_JE1kg1glVlKJIwoRYqbryCBAVDg-elrTUZ-o-pjCVhl3eAmNfkl5L3jwaacrfdg1crUDfQX2jf1tqe6Ds8qdzd/s1600/smaller+of+two+buddhas+in+todaiji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatCgZpdgatFIOW33NIIbo-Li7XlKj9nUpWAU-0Nj2y-uZP2Vjc5lwf_JE1kg1glVlKJIwoRYqbryCBAVDg-elrTUZ-o-pjCVhl3eAmNfkl5L3jwaacrfdg1crUDfQX2jf1tqe6Ds8qdzd/s400/smaller+of+two+buddhas+in+todaiji+temple.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of the two giant Buddha figures in Daibutsu-den Hall.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzW2Q0beeJXsARUdrIAp_5QglZpuVd8ny0PMurf_ykuVGQRbti9Qhxzr0d9YalX3QHl-D5NH9RhHd2GPFi1wT1PKQmsMcClZrt-GiJQKxk5XpUkJCdCS3uBg8TnXbnT4_gfXgiAMAe56O/s1600/two+giant+buddhas+in+todaiji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzW2Q0beeJXsARUdrIAp_5QglZpuVd8ny0PMurf_ykuVGQRbti9Qhxzr0d9YalX3QHl-D5NH9RhHd2GPFi1wT1PKQmsMcClZrt-GiJQKxk5XpUkJCdCS3uBg8TnXbnT4_gfXgiAMAe56O/s400/two+giant+buddhas+in+todaiji+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The original bronze Buddha was cast in 746, then was re-cast nearly 1000 years later. It's one of the largest bronze figures in the world.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwzEWmC_SZVwxdMrMevevaaPVJJhzngngJzA_HlqQodz3i42K6lnbkitNqZFojvoVe9dK83twWoJU-As547oWpEYrrRfXM6g5DJe96eDM_Xc-xSEG8OAlLikAYog4T7g6O8R9wszFxzbq/s1600/figure+in+red+shawl+before+todaiji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwzEWmC_SZVwxdMrMevevaaPVJJhzngngJzA_HlqQodz3i42K6lnbkitNqZFojvoVe9dK83twWoJU-As547oWpEYrrRfXM6g5DJe96eDM_Xc-xSEG8OAlLikAYog4T7g6O8R9wszFxzbq/s400/figure+in+red+shawl+before+todaiji+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'm not quite sure what this is meant to be, but lots of people were standing around it and touching the folds of the figure's robe as if that would bring good luck.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQFrBdeYKO9WiPdAHhKEbsNyPYfp6cB0lAVSJJB2ldnMvgHcWfG_UXORRll7ynvOiWVCoC_1Vmd8saa11iY8aGxoWZteuY9q8h9SmL4XpYbWm9frzIO6tlrLs5EBRbdWJhM0rCnk0bUxg/s1600/todaiji+temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQFrBdeYKO9WiPdAHhKEbsNyPYfp6cB0lAVSJJB2ldnMvgHcWfG_UXORRll7ynvOiWVCoC_1Vmd8saa11iY8aGxoWZteuY9q8h9SmL4XpYbWm9frzIO6tlrLs5EBRbdWJhM0rCnk0bUxg/s400/todaiji+temple+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another angle of Todaiji Temple.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUswNgvTuRQCrT5oPWFMw0IqGosZvYiHrobHFo26IczF4CEfy35bnZxJ4hhh5IgrpoiWWYBnbobb2RwuSfIk9Vc_evePIkuEFsfvBcCqsJm6k-rG5sIYZaG9FjGuLutgv3M2e5Hvsm158B/s1600/torii+on+edge+of+park+by+todaiji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUswNgvTuRQCrT5oPWFMw0IqGosZvYiHrobHFo26IczF4CEfy35bnZxJ4hhh5IgrpoiWWYBnbobb2RwuSfIk9Vc_evePIkuEFsfvBcCqsJm6k-rG5sIYZaG9FjGuLutgv3M2e5Hvsm158B/s400/torii+on+edge+of+park+by+todaiji+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cutting through the park to get to Nigatsu-do Hall, another World Heritage site, one can pass beneath this bright vermilion torii.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsH2m32_SOEOqXkrG3lotLOyUR88r9TshNZoTY2873WLDrnEIzozIL-0y9vprk7OjhyJsXSni-ngvh38r_oRN38Jk3bHmQjP8DLv3eZ6kV1qcOQVuqv9_O80GXR86e4T3JjX95gorNUFE/s1600/path+leading+away+from+todaiji+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsH2m32_SOEOqXkrG3lotLOyUR88r9TshNZoTY2873WLDrnEIzozIL-0y9vprk7OjhyJsXSni-ngvh38r_oRN38Jk3bHmQjP8DLv3eZ6kV1qcOQVuqv9_O80GXR86e4T3JjX95gorNUFE/s400/path+leading+away+from+todaiji+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>That's Todaiji Temple in the background. It's so huge that it ends up being in the background for quite a while after you've left it.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2QKcYhSMeLy8diNojGR5x5WWQiNNBbF9cVmHQfM_EmY6AIq_G0UjUTnB56rx_PPCwSq0subahyphenhyphenBgnnZ8G8fcmeGTuurluncl5WsbH4gWlBJO66hlKlVurzuzEPc3p1kx2QQY5GjNbZgY/s1600/small+statues+on+pathway+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2QKcYhSMeLy8diNojGR5x5WWQiNNBbF9cVmHQfM_EmY6AIq_G0UjUTnB56rx_PPCwSq0subahyphenhyphenBgnnZ8G8fcmeGTuurluncl5WsbH4gWlBJO66hlKlVurzuzEPc3p1kx2QQY5GjNbZgY/s400/small+statues+on+pathway+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some stone kami on the side of a walking path, obviously well-tended to.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UV06vrU6viSe1tyNovenBPgVc5lRDDrnvp5pytxitfkSMNNn358jE3JgRbn9_gn2TVkr6tCFhSa4HueFIyXw_8UoYQkzS7RWV909EW1yF3rk5lIK6GZuOaGwYytmLUVlUiuZM4xL5777/s1600/enclosed+rice+field+on+path+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UV06vrU6viSe1tyNovenBPgVc5lRDDrnvp5pytxitfkSMNNn358jE3JgRbn9_gn2TVkr6tCFhSa4HueFIyXw_8UoYQkzS7RWV909EW1yF3rk5lIK6GZuOaGwYytmLUVlUiuZM4xL5777/s400/enclosed+rice+field+on+path+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some fenced in rice between temples.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQhDioMVvzw2-GsKZxQvHckkBU4v0EHyzPh8VVEuSQr70cB8BOQb-bzs4R8_7SvkwFoYwELY_CLrYjzyaFo87IbfQ79Dkstr5572MFIcejg3NbQN8GDMJWGbyrU6RhSqPa2YdZGA2jwGD/s1600/steps+leading+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQhDioMVvzw2-GsKZxQvHckkBU4v0EHyzPh8VVEuSQr70cB8BOQb-bzs4R8_7SvkwFoYwELY_CLrYjzyaFo87IbfQ79Dkstr5572MFIcejg3NbQN8GDMJWGbyrU6RhSqPa2YdZGA2jwGD/s400/steps+leading+to+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A picturesque path on the way to Nigatsu-do Hall.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPZHChNGsfPmjTdIjgqXYsjHIIUPg1GVn-FhgzJWy7F6HxV2VYjMaoA6MHQZJcoj3UkOYblDvnf3kRGj_apw0cC1E_eMJGNtweAvdEigkEQy8ofl6C092Vmbp5Ge0v9QPOcvTwc3TMAWp/s1600/small+building+before+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPZHChNGsfPmjTdIjgqXYsjHIIUPg1GVn-FhgzJWy7F6HxV2VYjMaoA6MHQZJcoj3UkOYblDvnf3kRGj_apw0cC1E_eMJGNtweAvdEigkEQy8ofl6C092Vmbp5Ge0v9QPOcvTwc3TMAWp/s400/small+building+before+nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Japan's temples blend well with nature and vice-versa. I liked how these old tree branches framed the wooden doors of this building at Nigatsu-do.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKOYPjpglT_NFlhMkqwkqtf9y0qwaAKTs9bM3rz-yunCTlbBf56vA3xUAJefazCo8GNSiUR9VkuVbsK0sWhG4oi4U7zwp74GYkFb6ImhTsbpnqS8J7iJsVUgTLuLRnT3Ku-9GaWzucJDD/s1600/nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKOYPjpglT_NFlhMkqwkqtf9y0qwaAKTs9bM3rz-yunCTlbBf56vA3xUAJefazCo8GNSiUR9VkuVbsK0sWhG4oi4U7zwp74GYkFb6ImhTsbpnqS8J7iJsVUgTLuLRnT3Ku-9GaWzucJDD/s400/nigatsu-do+hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Of course, no temple in Nara would be complete without a handful of deer munching on grass and pooping in unexpected places.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD32Ldl5BxjPRaJZfoHlMDpn5JNqGYqfm4ycvp81T2CBF9c_bVinXkwaE02u3wTN6eavvJeGiDTFtQgcy2VtusdwJgkRgqrSvwzaDegpXoRFtxQcwUs195KtQszVvxDxQYNITnxe8ZhrAP/s1600/nigatsu-do+hall+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD32Ldl5BxjPRaJZfoHlMDpn5JNqGYqfm4ycvp81T2CBF9c_bVinXkwaE02u3wTN6eavvJeGiDTFtQgcy2VtusdwJgkRgqrSvwzaDegpXoRFtxQcwUs195KtQszVvxDxQYNITnxe8ZhrAP/s400/nigatsu-do+hall+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The temple offers fantastic views of Kyoto and its forested mountains. I wish I'd come here at dusk, actually.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgk5GQo9gQtedBhpV1VzLOAaTAgES2C9HBHPYFurZGWx9eNeKwxNPzIHhRUT4ODrMiR7z-avZuJje7WaMpKeyR27H1iJ0L7CQ37uXW_kk_EVxvijWsPGdlLeicLa31mJyxGbWS58HdrxL/s1600/nara+street+with+lanterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgk5GQo9gQtedBhpV1VzLOAaTAgES2C9HBHPYFurZGWx9eNeKwxNPzIHhRUT4ODrMiR7z-avZuJje7WaMpKeyR27H1iJ0L7CQ37uXW_kk_EVxvijWsPGdlLeicLa31mJyxGbWS58HdrxL/s400/nara+street+with+lanterns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Back in town, after a much-needed shower and replenishing of liquids, we found the city gearing up for the lantern festival.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrolUJfoujKbHGr_XvYMUYePsuWNvuqpj2qN5yDrkytZ1Cimp38SfuJe3GkgTfFMMLlXtrnXr2tC92_g1t02wmmZO2uP4MHzL_46Zf6IjW8XppkYjAe3FRK_uxui1d8zv4sCUJJE4h0MLd/s1600/nara+street+with+lanterns+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrolUJfoujKbHGr_XvYMUYePsuWNvuqpj2qN5yDrkytZ1Cimp38SfuJe3GkgTfFMMLlXtrnXr2tC92_g1t02wmmZO2uP4MHzL_46Zf6IjW8XppkYjAe3FRK_uxui1d8zv4sCUJJE4h0MLd/s400/nara+street+with+lanterns+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>They poured water in the candle holders and then floated the candles on top.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-jXoN9jCP4Oi72WNPQFeH0A7KNtEY5ijPGYRQdEYLrKYyre3bLYx5eZujo-ePz7jhnK6chyphenhyphenHz1qt60PRWq7FeGkS08B97Xklm9_mncIPVgkA2kjfdBJPUxKxdbV4ajGxW9f-jRGMWBGH/s1600/nara+street+in+evening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-jXoN9jCP4Oi72WNPQFeH0A7KNtEY5ijPGYRQdEYLrKYyre3bLYx5eZujo-ePz7jhnK6chyphenhyphenHz1qt60PRWq7FeGkS08B97Xklm9_mncIPVgkA2kjfdBJPUxKxdbV4ajGxW9f-jRGMWBGH/s400/nara+street+in+evening.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Many streets here are already picturesque without the lanterns, though the lanterns do give the place an ethereal feel.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YD9NGa9DB8DiOvroy5wxthgkfwv7ZhxCVSNJw-dz83nBqBbHTYbEr2l9F16NxnyjNlpkM-jED0_TG_w3-7d0bfJOrS3wCIbLcwmKdlTzZFvaRyXAFcCq2itz19Tay2GWcLa_Mp-ip_hx/s1600/nara+street+with+lanterns+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YD9NGa9DB8DiOvroy5wxthgkfwv7ZhxCVSNJw-dz83nBqBbHTYbEr2l9F16NxnyjNlpkM-jED0_TG_w3-7d0bfJOrS3wCIbLcwmKdlTzZFvaRyXAFcCq2itz19Tay2GWcLa_Mp-ip_hx/s400/nara+street+with+lanterns+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Once place we stopped at along Naramachi Road.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEJwk1h2gp47l_MyXIOBUiR1TqVCuCUH2-kUtf9etgVpNNfkLzSc-6VMVUH04GjOP5EmtyfSvp2UjM9gqTfMx0Cjs2gIAZhJw1O8NyCEGEsFGKrUD7owbPkWvuraWCBzkODbUaNT8BgrV/s1600/lanterns+around+ara-ike+pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEJwk1h2gp47l_MyXIOBUiR1TqVCuCUH2-kUtf9etgVpNNfkLzSc-6VMVUH04GjOP5EmtyfSvp2UjM9gqTfMx0Cjs2gIAZhJw1O8NyCEGEsFGKrUD7owbPkWvuraWCBzkODbUaNT8BgrV/s400/lanterns+around+ara-ike+pond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lanterns were placed around the perimeter of Sarusawa-ike Pond, which was full of people well before the sun went down.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw40VTqe5AUgv-6IkHsIPHaZIP-H_hH7LhJQScoAOTEj2bipoFhZH5YQSzmWOfoQ-r9-HiXU09pCEgZPfgy_6uRCAlrW9tH7q_s9tmHljoiLcE1mQUONyVAE9Wm2g6zGTyoggKTOxZI4-/s1600/lanterns+around+sarusawa-ike+pond+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw40VTqe5AUgv-6IkHsIPHaZIP-H_hH7LhJQScoAOTEj2bipoFhZH5YQSzmWOfoQ-r9-HiXU09pCEgZPfgy_6uRCAlrW9tH7q_s9tmHljoiLcE1mQUONyVAE9Wm2g6zGTyoggKTOxZI4-/s400/lanterns+around+sarusawa-ike+pond+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of the nicest things about this setting was the silhouettes of temples and pagodas against the darkening sky.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGybqx4X3aeO37SjJiav_e-YYORO1EoOJYYfIOeR9D1lmlI_9LcEUQGZLhes7YS0EqqpZ66hFDRCM6x0b97NfhgeeOrBQZPcVzfIZABVfUoNDSYOG-Jfcjj49xBLWylu715SAwrVCvjim_/s1600/lanterns+around+sarusawa-ike+pond+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGybqx4X3aeO37SjJiav_e-YYORO1EoOJYYfIOeR9D1lmlI_9LcEUQGZLhes7YS0EqqpZ66hFDRCM6x0b97NfhgeeOrBQZPcVzfIZABVfUoNDSYOG-Jfcjj49xBLWylu715SAwrVCvjim_/s400/lanterns+around+sarusawa-ike+pond+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here you can see the Five-Story Pagoda all lit up behind a lantern-strewn hillside.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ-xyUkywhCWp8WZjweDssiidkkZGyZMysgXvS49Zs_peL8LzlztfIo__N6Gn7261lvs0X4mVcgc0_Q2KRBpgl8Fqs6jQRG3u6s1J3YxOS35rGvB1hB3APi0DPLhcqh0nDKhrc-3xBwcv/s1600/heart-shaped+lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ-xyUkywhCWp8WZjweDssiidkkZGyZMysgXvS49Zs_peL8LzlztfIo__N6Gn7261lvs0X4mVcgc0_Q2KRBpgl8Fqs6jQRG3u6s1J3YxOS35rGvB1hB3APi0DPLhcqh0nDKhrc-3xBwcv/s400/heart-shaped+lantern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here are some red lanterns in a bizarre, never-before-seen shape.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lroHLlZ670SsMOgU3OFMJhJT79TR3fBlbXG6_fgY3VracP-Tc34PU1TAa4siTEOBUehcs2nT72JMuH3f-97JlLTyivHZCVM2hiJhQEpBZkOHSzFaHC2rYR45eambdP_QAnaeS_S-jHTN/s1600/more+lanterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lroHLlZ670SsMOgU3OFMJhJT79TR3fBlbXG6_fgY3VracP-Tc34PU1TAa4siTEOBUehcs2nT72JMuH3f-97JlLTyivHZCVM2hiJhQEpBZkOHSzFaHC2rYR45eambdP_QAnaeS_S-jHTN/s400/more+lanterns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some of the local ryokans even got in on the act. I only wish I'd known beforehand that it wasn't "cool" to do a full-body, rolling, head-first slide through the displays.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1bKN8KpuhB9Yyta8NDb_ObA04wlPDmtagtyf3jaJOghGkbFwf-xDjRhQrFiKXfF3lJKI_QFINgfS1q4-rI5HlcdLKS4otH7ons5gLvQsBHh5AZF2Y4TmRmzprxG2BkesHDTdg7EnDpCg/s1600/udon+restaurant+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1bKN8KpuhB9Yyta8NDb_ObA04wlPDmtagtyf3jaJOghGkbFwf-xDjRhQrFiKXfF3lJKI_QFINgfS1q4-rI5HlcdLKS4otH7ons5gLvQsBHh5AZF2Y4TmRmzprxG2BkesHDTdg7EnDpCg/s400/udon+restaurant+in+nara.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It was nearly impossible to find a place to eat that either wasn't packed or didn't have a long wait.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZDn-iTP5Vg1an2_gV_gdaFO4u9-NBZKyyo16JtdduZBC64ypccjXGN0M6hkXZQrNOVawvqqIHy0Rek5TT2AJNn-Ko3r1qbRHxxQ6p-B-gR2SUr18B3_3ZWO0FJ2I3DffF0cdSfrn4GKb/s1600/inside+nara+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZDn-iTP5Vg1an2_gV_gdaFO4u9-NBZKyyo16JtdduZBC64ypccjXGN0M6hkXZQrNOVawvqqIHy0Rek5TT2AJNn-Ko3r1qbRHxxQ6p-B-gR2SUr18B3_3ZWO0FJ2I3DffF0cdSfrn4GKb/s400/inside+nara+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>As you can see, the place wasn't crawling with eater. Though it had been about 20 minutes before we decided to enter and order something to eat.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEQ3eYNg2TFJCwRypngdUO0Hi8ztEonXuZKmEKx7S5R87iWeUyXKkT1bHN-bYlNbLxzgtp9Qz_bHplfDnla7sqDDp8IOmEBM2Vclf_j7LfwYwQWWACB9o21Jo20Fu-bdoKzi6OYxEjOAo/s1600/dinner+at+nara+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEQ3eYNg2TFJCwRypngdUO0Hi8ztEonXuZKmEKx7S5R87iWeUyXKkT1bHN-bYlNbLxzgtp9Qz_bHplfDnla7sqDDp8IOmEBM2Vclf_j7LfwYwQWWACB9o21Jo20Fu-bdoKzi6OYxEjOAo/s400/dinner+at+nara+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I went with a bowl of chicken oden and two pieces of pressed mackerel sushi wrapped in leaves. Neither was earth-shatteringly good, but the cost was decent––about 900 yen, or under US$12. </i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtomT-R5TtPD1VXW6IxJbU-LTq_BwJu_acvUOcOzOTA0NP8ASOdDLoUxSBrW2kcUgGlzjD7sCY_WF8ljoZDC_rxEBBIyQkZTYFDn1LHJ0hOnPcouo0AjPSHf4JGMAifxPAzwhXGW8akys/s1600/harmony+kanji+lanterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtomT-R5TtPD1VXW6IxJbU-LTq_BwJu_acvUOcOzOTA0NP8ASOdDLoUxSBrW2kcUgGlzjD7sCY_WF8ljoZDC_rxEBBIyQkZTYFDn1LHJ0hOnPcouo0AjPSHf4JGMAifxPAzwhXGW8akys/s400/harmony+kanji+lanterns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Filled up now with food, we headed back to Kofukuji Temple and its neighbor, Five-Story Pagoda, where more lanterns had been placed. Here you can see the kanji for "harmony."</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxh1zWXeEB_0p2oNSPjMc6TiQfO0NfcGQIHpUMZy_3VCqy-3gEuxmAoKTorrN4aGet1-aO2Cw7bKb4JJ55bObJ5FQ3S8cbv-zJ96r5BXmtXZw2jFx-7bsq-HaxFWGWn-cVmqteN3mnC9u/s1600/kofukuji+temple+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxh1zWXeEB_0p2oNSPjMc6TiQfO0NfcGQIHpUMZy_3VCqy-3gEuxmAoKTorrN4aGet1-aO2Cw7bKb4JJ55bObJ5FQ3S8cbv-zJ96r5BXmtXZw2jFx-7bsq-HaxFWGWn-cVmqteN3mnC9u/s400/kofukuji+temple+at+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The moon cooperated fairly well most of the night and appeared at convenient times. Here it can be seen between the Five-Story Pagoda and Tokon-do (East Buddha Hall).</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HClsR0_NZYtbUrpB93J_SHs-uyWIfIXhMpAqP1lFZDjJM0_TJsD_cx2WbVH0Au_dk7QxC6f6JhwwgzDYxcBMqTROTsO16mO8S8ZUMpca4e7MM8vcUoufh_Z-VENTnqHut_yYXZG0XmIm/s1600/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HClsR0_NZYtbUrpB93J_SHs-uyWIfIXhMpAqP1lFZDjJM0_TJsD_cx2WbVH0Au_dk7QxC6f6JhwwgzDYxcBMqTROTsO16mO8S8ZUMpca4e7MM8vcUoufh_Z-VENTnqHut_yYXZG0XmIm/s400/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here it is again hovering over the lantern-bright lawn between the Nara National Museum buildings.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyq3JqcJGPzLQPJuLTX0EkHw-kFu0FVYyIeCcof2CCxtsRnTNJu8hrYEu3Y1EaaVh56am56dwiZwAGBoDG5LzIzd_7EDI9wdgHDaRNObUUbuzMDZmvwavIQTM74R9qsqcN7Dwhi8Uam3bc/s1600/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyq3JqcJGPzLQPJuLTX0EkHw-kFu0FVYyIeCcof2CCxtsRnTNJu8hrYEu3Y1EaaVh56am56dwiZwAGBoDG5LzIzd_7EDI9wdgHDaRNObUUbuzMDZmvwavIQTM74R9qsqcN7Dwhi8Uam3bc/s400/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>More lanterns on the lawn of the Nara National Museum.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvSVZbRUZTyGl9XljJKFP0DHMzTqvuA_0Cm7hqehtJAzFtTIlrxMG-q8oq1PX2DXlZIX075yAAVa6As-G-FKHMTNdgbskVUaVvlozBH_fKYpgK1NOZ9M_EgDlJ6XpuGzM3Gy5vs61GIO_/s1600/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvSVZbRUZTyGl9XljJKFP0DHMzTqvuA_0Cm7hqehtJAzFtTIlrxMG-q8oq1PX2DXlZIX075yAAVa6As-G-FKHMTNdgbskVUaVvlozBH_fKYpgK1NOZ9M_EgDlJ6XpuGzM3Gy5vs61GIO_/s400/lanterns+in+nara+park+near+nara+national+museum+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>More of the same here...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG2k5VU5s5uTbLVomrzNQ9oJjeYf5nKlTix0QItvAsRV1P3QecIqv4NaCCRFkjUXKWlLcbzMK7tF798vfjDbfNcSZCe2tmeOkV4Yuzi_mKiNArYnmyJfaGZRcbOGnx0s4N3qRsyJ1q4fu/s1600/boats+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG2k5VU5s5uTbLVomrzNQ9oJjeYf5nKlTix0QItvAsRV1P3QecIqv4NaCCRFkjUXKWlLcbzMK7tF798vfjDbfNcSZCe2tmeOkV4Yuzi_mKiNArYnmyJfaGZRcbOGnx0s4N3qRsyJ1q4fu/s400/boats+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We went from the Nara National Museum to a VERY long walk around what seemed like 80% of Nara Park. Policemen were out in force, for no discernable reason other than to make sure no one veered from the official route, which was seriously like 3 km long without a way back into the park once you'd ventured into it. We finally made it to Sagi-ike Pond, where a number of lantern-lit rowboats plied the water around Ukimido Gazebo.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ44Svicu6tWihN0pmSnxq1V9Veuy0oDIZPz8NnCARrXn9PX2G1vCxcOSq8PeZOw7fRmMQbw3VnoK_kBX4Eo6GZlsUq69pK0ARCbFO4pHcA2A2YxwjmtpJMyeEXdX59FYGF5L2-QyBgB79/s1600/boat+and+two+girls+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ44Svicu6tWihN0pmSnxq1V9Veuy0oDIZPz8NnCARrXn9PX2G1vCxcOSq8PeZOw7fRmMQbw3VnoK_kBX4Eo6GZlsUq69pK0ARCbFO4pHcA2A2YxwjmtpJMyeEXdX59FYGF5L2-QyBgB79/s400/boat+and+two+girls+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Young Japanese women in kimono were out in bunches, which gave more of a festive air to the night's events.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEDtRknJ7PHKftObOT2f-AP2sqv0MKdY_JstC3Cc-QkeFSOBJCzVdV1JX1mJkJo_yKAbyzP9UbM__QM3uwEFiZwsyA5RnZuqQ-pM1jxSu8vJgeWX1qiovgRKzyS_Lf7E1TQembJ_I-EjJ/s1600/boats+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEDtRknJ7PHKftObOT2f-AP2sqv0MKdY_JstC3Cc-QkeFSOBJCzVdV1JX1mJkJo_yKAbyzP9UbM__QM3uwEFiZwsyA5RnZuqQ-pM1jxSu8vJgeWX1qiovgRKzyS_Lf7E1TQembJ_I-EjJ/s400/boats+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night+3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another shot of boats surrounding Ukimido Pavilion.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KvY_FqspFYWDskk6CRAuDHVBChZiysedAO7n7SSfU0VsCYi0Fa_FWZBBHp-KmAaNrb2Sn2qBRRvGPpZJcisAfYIeIumKxO9f_oc8Gvwtt-sRIyhU6f99ONQcn10HK0_uH7GASmEqimCo/s1600/ukimido+gazebo+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KvY_FqspFYWDskk6CRAuDHVBChZiysedAO7n7SSfU0VsCYi0Fa_FWZBBHp-KmAaNrb2Sn2qBRRvGPpZJcisAfYIeIumKxO9f_oc8Gvwtt-sRIyhU6f99ONQcn10HK0_uH7GASmEqimCo/s400/ukimido+gazebo+on+sagi-ike+pond+at+night.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ukimido Pavilion from a bit closer-up.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxI9qHe7g9YesSIwb1TU_k5_Bkiz8sTaK9aftIo-F8vG1gz5k1afafSScAvPcrIyx7czyrdsZh9zGa0yX42zvpWwGAWLf6w4eDMhafEgZyb2cGHChEKqCqgaOLrXVmqaVypt25-X_fDE1/s1600/food+stalls+at+night+in+nara+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxI9qHe7g9YesSIwb1TU_k5_Bkiz8sTaK9aftIo-F8vG1gz5k1afafSScAvPcrIyx7czyrdsZh9zGa0yX42zvpWwGAWLf6w4eDMhafEgZyb2cGHChEKqCqgaOLrXVmqaVypt25-X_fDE1/s400/food+stalls+at+night+in+nara+park.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And what festival would be worth its name in Japan without food stalls specializing in yakisoba, takoyaki, shaved ice, etc.?</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tYV5RCLOompm_I8NOVOo3w3uSDQMhFOyLr2xIgMPrTy377MmqGWZKbX8Sx5cyfYdslEF_7SEBT2RAvBEnI3Qs4H1twOc5KbJW5mOMGCd5wQVQEaXVZeu5l4sXLTZJS9Uo6b96Rqvd6S9/s1600/entrance+to+matsumae+ryokan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tYV5RCLOompm_I8NOVOo3w3uSDQMhFOyLr2xIgMPrTy377MmqGWZKbX8Sx5cyfYdslEF_7SEBT2RAvBEnI3Qs4H1twOc5KbJW5mOMGCd5wQVQEaXVZeu5l4sXLTZJS9Uo6b96Rqvd6S9/s400/entrance+to+matsumae+ryokan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We got back to Matsumae Ryokan in time for a shower. In addition to a 10:30 p.m. curfew, there was a strict time schedule for taking showers and baths, and check-in and check-out times were an equally inconvenient 3 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively. That's fairly common in Japan, however.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlk7NR_gjkEfGfoObir1T45jESPBLRpnOP9dihR9sCwW-W3wtYQT-wZj6TzOp-Uo9Ws4nu2PK8jCZUDNjdqYZg4jm0C3CdJgJLLghcotD_0mCfH2K4rdPRMqtnO_IRvS-KjPON6Vw3d24/s1600/toast%252C+jam%252C+and+vietnamese+coffee+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlk7NR_gjkEfGfoObir1T45jESPBLRpnOP9dihR9sCwW-W3wtYQT-wZj6TzOp-Uo9Ws4nu2PK8jCZUDNjdqYZg4jm0C3CdJgJLLghcotD_0mCfH2K4rdPRMqtnO_IRvS-KjPON6Vw3d24/s400/toast%252C+jam%252C+and+vietnamese+coffee+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Breakfast the next morning was thick-cut bread, papaya and hibiscus jam, and what else––Vietnamese coffee. Making breakfast in the room was about 1/3 the cost of what it would have been elsewhere.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcqyAJZNh3b84wZy-r5KtLRNR0NmtPCDySjVBwUIrE6wZY0uKzRyvLjVJBCxMT-nthc68F7Hgfi0KkTkd8bz0FdvDNCBno2F6jyMaQ75ecgF3tu4NZiQOIVE-sZxmVnhREXEce7nem0Sr/s1600/wooden+boat+on+stream+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcqyAJZNh3b84wZy-r5KtLRNR0NmtPCDySjVBwUIrE6wZY0uKzRyvLjVJBCxMT-nthc68F7Hgfi0KkTkd8bz0FdvDNCBno2F6jyMaQ75ecgF3tu4NZiQOIVE-sZxmVnhREXEce7nem0Sr/s400/wooden+boat+on+stream+in+nara.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All wigged out on caffeine, we scrambled outside into the blazing sun and found this stone-carved boat with what appeared to be jizo figures on it.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02m7VJLL6SEALQxhlU_r5yQQKQYq3as605pMF_ZnvOPGdeXVIfgvMt15L_o0kSYD-SJ_Xk-yB8EbFo6dniaei9AGAdM8cfJbjm6hx_d3Sizv2afQ66Uz9Gnzbz7x4XVxIAkCklKvH3FfQ/s1600/sarusawa-ike+pond+in+daytime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02m7VJLL6SEALQxhlU_r5yQQKQYq3as605pMF_ZnvOPGdeXVIfgvMt15L_o0kSYD-SJ_Xk-yB8EbFo6dniaei9AGAdM8cfJbjm6hx_d3Sizv2afQ66Uz9Gnzbz7x4XVxIAkCklKvH3FfQ/s400/sarusawa-ike+pond+in+daytime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The lake that had been decorated with lanterns the previous evening was free of them in the morning, and turtles had replaced them. (Not really, but several were sunning themselves on these half-logs.)</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiT_4FLWFH2A690X5Nv8gM-_FNSOWZxUZUUKf5rvotzZvu9xlZe_KbHsGU3V2Qw_iXxETsWxDjK06nnly_Va3tZk9LWrvtQOwYtZ2IC22aBe9f62dz9pFTTVDnJW9Jguy5n6O0OpnkWtt/s1600/deer+in+nara+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiT_4FLWFH2A690X5Nv8gM-_FNSOWZxUZUUKf5rvotzZvu9xlZe_KbHsGU3V2Qw_iXxETsWxDjK06nnly_Va3tZk9LWrvtQOwYtZ2IC22aBe9f62dz9pFTTVDnJW9Jguy5n6O0OpnkWtt/s400/deer+in+nara+park.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>As usual, the deer hordes were out and looking for deer biscuits.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bJES5548e_akOsbmJRJ182ZebKby3TJBvLNby0dYeviKify1-KqQ67EjLgeXAmKwDnGzgo7QQmk0nL9oPQLSF9R3VDj9peTCxjEbT3o5RgArMkKLM2KhuySJtuHARgAd4Ud0cqE38axI/s1600/deer+in+front+of+ice+cream+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bJES5548e_akOsbmJRJ182ZebKby3TJBvLNby0dYeviKify1-KqQ67EjLgeXAmKwDnGzgo7QQmk0nL9oPQLSF9R3VDj9peTCxjEbT3o5RgArMkKLM2KhuySJtuHARgAd4Ud0cqE38axI/s400/deer+in+front+of+ice+cream+shop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This one had a pretty prime spot. Even if no one has deer biscuits to give you, you might score a half-eaten or dropped ice cream cone. The deer, incidentally, would sometimes make these horrible-sounding neighs. It was almost like a pained mew. I'm pretty sure that if I were to start imitating it (as I'm prone to do with animal noises), whoever I was with wouldn't let me do it more than once before telling me forcefully to shut up.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlor1BiUBAzY4ada34IExLnnT7uTzeFW76YCWPAlUFowOqfsZ6dcnMg-J5g2QY9kruAyTN91sUz5d7XEgHjuA3JQUL9e92RCUqrxIkv4lVFxeiLOOsy0QSJndwRwVFihSTgdm2L-h-1jt/s1600/sake+casks+in+front+of+kasuga+shrine+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlor1BiUBAzY4ada34IExLnnT7uTzeFW76YCWPAlUFowOqfsZ6dcnMg-J5g2QY9kruAyTN91sUz5d7XEgHjuA3JQUL9e92RCUqrxIkv4lVFxeiLOOsy0QSJndwRwVFihSTgdm2L-h-1jt/s400/sake+casks+in+front+of+kasuga+shrine+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One often finds stacked sake casks outside of shrines in Japan. Just once I'd like to poke a hole in one and see if sake comes spurting out.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsMg-U8tZTmGTl-9yN-5DVOOdD6wG-P0h7GopgN4Il-D9QDOH-Bd3_3vHIIFezyj9yxOBmmZ3hXCgwkpZiIiYjvBk4yIT6OE1sHPehhhjsyB1JjM06qIjBY3fVvnX06uid7tgMdna9Onj/s1600/entrance+to+kasuga+taisha+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsMg-U8tZTmGTl-9yN-5DVOOdD6wG-P0h7GopgN4Il-D9QDOH-Bd3_3vHIIFezyj9yxOBmmZ3hXCgwkpZiIiYjvBk4yIT6OE1sHPehhhjsyB1JjM06qIjBY3fVvnX06uid7tgMdna9Onj/s400/entrance+to+kasuga+taisha+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The entrance to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, another World Heritage site.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgk24tTciobKlwoBkgudNHtTbCkNtUyt_w7KHoWgZqoPsGSAmmpnINBeRf4j3PhSQm_GlAYFVOklIF0se0ZkhEDjaOcOEmd4Iefr0WWYfR-sYppZpxfZahHUPZDnZBUKbWShrQF9fMmuRJ/s1600/deer+statue+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgk24tTciobKlwoBkgudNHtTbCkNtUyt_w7KHoWgZqoPsGSAmmpnINBeRf4j3PhSQm_GlAYFVOklIF0se0ZkhEDjaOcOEmd4Iefr0WWYfR-sYppZpxfZahHUPZDnZBUKbWShrQF9fMmuRJ/s400/deer+statue+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Also at the shrine is this bronze deer statue. The deer here, as I said above, are considered sacred. They've been living in this park for centuries, and were originally thought to be messengers from the gods.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OyAIY8m9iDlgvj_qJpJsATV6A7BBd_vYRbDpnRZgIZMuIf7nFOeBYXcLk-tWkpuBrhxoWAcXXhbEP7AeyhTrvlrVBJZ4FqZynG_g7pgsbmUrzITtxaYM3o6D1pxq40EngXIOi9CJTiWz/s1600/kasuga+taisha+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OyAIY8m9iDlgvj_qJpJsATV6A7BBd_vYRbDpnRZgIZMuIf7nFOeBYXcLk-tWkpuBrhxoWAcXXhbEP7AeyhTrvlrVBJZ4FqZynG_g7pgsbmUrzITtxaYM3o6D1pxq40EngXIOi9CJTiWz/s400/kasuga+taisha+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kasuga Taisha was founded in 768, back when Nara served as the capital of Japan and was also the center of Buddhism in the country.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkWcgBTf_ksFbvGgrsJX2HnddTDRn7Bf1wmYHK_pFML7QFvrInpR2JeBob84CKk2LpN-yMEsjzSGTvI1AlsiGBqzvq8BplyECBsx2JDOwLXTb_Hjhi2Jf0pfbUbyrCwmU10RMVfQZdAXi/s1600/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkWcgBTf_ksFbvGgrsJX2HnddTDRn7Bf1wmYHK_pFML7QFvrInpR2JeBob84CKk2LpN-yMEsjzSGTvI1AlsiGBqzvq8BplyECBsx2JDOwLXTb_Hjhi2Jf0pfbUbyrCwmU10RMVfQZdAXi/s400/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There are 3000 of these lanterns inside the Katsuga Taisha compound, which is restored once every 20 years––a tradition dating back to the shrine's origin.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfbthw2jknPoCY7xUZyZUMd0yjwO-eBfNMgNsHrnju8zMy3FoOObYvl6L5sDDvXoPdlqhP-ToQ7d_Fn5L9jvm35DRAS8qYhKnTj_tP3Vr2vowCTLWmlCInjHLa4zfMmiIHZ6Xl4vXsPJ/s1600/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfbthw2jknPoCY7xUZyZUMd0yjwO-eBfNMgNsHrnju8zMy3FoOObYvl6L5sDDvXoPdlqhP-ToQ7d_Fn5L9jvm35DRAS8qYhKnTj_tP3Vr2vowCTLWmlCInjHLa4zfMmiIHZ6Xl4vXsPJ/s400/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>That gorgeous cedar tree is 23 meters tall and more than 1000 years old.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGl8BA63bUlmYj5Z0Mpi2FBJx6M-yoZ8ubL5aphw2MUG2urGtL1JuJ-V0f4sEcy4LWk_WeqF7HyyLETFK-zUbuNOp7uvk7v2y3nqHbPCQM1DVyR8M7qXH1A89qs814XCROfe_0lSYlWEX/s1600/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGl8BA63bUlmYj5Z0Mpi2FBJx6M-yoZ8ubL5aphw2MUG2urGtL1JuJ-V0f4sEcy4LWk_WeqF7HyyLETFK-zUbuNOp7uvk7v2y3nqHbPCQM1DVyR8M7qXH1A89qs814XCROfe_0lSYlWEX/s400/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The shrine consists of vermilion pillars as seen here, as well as white-walled buildings and rooftops constructed from cypress-bark. The shrine hasn't changed its appearance since its founding.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2EvbIjxzou66ZBO4LMgd8D60WFItu1vGDsooDU_XgubY1xentkaKK-tZ2FoTAaIMNmuMooNFvHJIL636jk6NrPIe7t1g0W63ZUo4hZ28MjXXxsM_zooETcA21wmcarEIfPt5oGMOhnV3/s1600/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2EvbIjxzou66ZBO4LMgd8D60WFItu1vGDsooDU_XgubY1xentkaKK-tZ2FoTAaIMNmuMooNFvHJIL636jk6NrPIe7t1g0W63ZUo4hZ28MjXXxsM_zooETcA21wmcarEIfPt5oGMOhnV3/s400/kasuga+taisha+in+nara+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hanging lanterns and vermilion pillars.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-k5OaeqFHaBIHwXDKprVvPyWj2W4GViu5pdlkBRQDh3CYLyzSZZNpubv1cY0tangv-8E5CMKqfm-C5gFAM-zxbfHjO2OpqxtWJlejDEXQxEpSfcsD9FV-lss0bj2yscPzCrYh9QfYWvs/s1600/rules+of+engagement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-k5OaeqFHaBIHwXDKprVvPyWj2W4GViu5pdlkBRQDh3CYLyzSZZNpubv1cY0tangv-8E5CMKqfm-C5gFAM-zxbfHjO2OpqxtWJlejDEXQxEpSfcsD9FV-lss0bj2yscPzCrYh9QfYWvs/s400/rules+of+engagement.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From the shrine we continued toward Shiga Naoya's Old Residence, taking Sasayakino-Komichi Path. Along the way I saw this sign. I like to think it explains the "rules of engagement" with the local deer. Kind of like a blood sport perpetrated by aggressive deer against hapless pigtailed girls and old ladies. There's the BITE, the KICK, the BUTT, and the KNOCK DOWN. Watch out!</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfKC2Jrx3FnfpKS3Kj1x0tU4s72tOhgfLMpBc1C6vp7m_lnvPDsy8b-QZ_y4ouBgRXUXn2eldysNrswywehK4MJDyPUQ0U5FRHWWlRNY34HCmnYejPHRcGCaB_RhF6p04jK7bORP6exer/s1600/front+of+naoya+shiga+house+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfKC2Jrx3FnfpKS3Kj1x0tU4s72tOhgfLMpBc1C6vp7m_lnvPDsy8b-QZ_y4ouBgRXUXn2eldysNrswywehK4MJDyPUQ0U5FRHWWlRNY34HCmnYejPHRcGCaB_RhF6p04jK7bORP6exer/s400/front+of+naoya+shiga+house+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'd brought a novel by Shiga Naoya to Nara without realizing that he had a former home here and one could visit it.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lTqdYGcmlZ-IMxsE2o7lOMFCp77zeKsVw8apxQAtjXjfphpS0vWFHHn48vQh8yxYhgD1aXGx37UGrfowvJc-wFzym2mkX7lEGArsKI_Fks-NtZcKlYppZFHfJL3_jW52TeXIBz5qxsHh/s1600/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lTqdYGcmlZ-IMxsE2o7lOMFCp77zeKsVw8apxQAtjXjfphpS0vWFHHn48vQh8yxYhgD1aXGx37UGrfowvJc-wFzym2mkX7lEGArsKI_Fks-NtZcKlYppZFHfJL3_jW52TeXIBz5qxsHh/s400/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The place is very impressive. His success as a writer was apparent, too, in the sheer size of the house and its grounds.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi0qGGFthlnNrLopQvqT9TXfUP3rf7i-zF-33iZ6Zhnjt95UOdKTRWV70hMxu_DylP41_YA6LGko74q3DZBCo4NLAZfgXPYGiEWisHcfiN8QctiABzJYrk1wX_tbJJzNbYN8bWXpanzeR/s1600/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi0qGGFthlnNrLopQvqT9TXfUP3rf7i-zF-33iZ6Zhnjt95UOdKTRWV70hMxu_DylP41_YA6LGko74q3DZBCo4NLAZfgXPYGiEWisHcfiN8QctiABzJYrk1wX_tbJJzNbYN8bWXpanzeR/s400/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Not a bad place to sit and write one's novel...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p6xzj9CYZNLmFn2jZ7Fvh8UzrA4NNYSZILBmnQRyL2jVwuufrchDTGqGuabTLQ3KNO0uhYQDgB_QcADvCaPfX3_j9fN3J-xAxoZ4QUcgA0w1tGQje_Gbz9s5bJYag0SZetr0BnbU4gja/s1600/photo+of+naoya+shiga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p6xzj9CYZNLmFn2jZ7Fvh8UzrA4NNYSZILBmnQRyL2jVwuufrchDTGqGuabTLQ3KNO0uhYQDgB_QcADvCaPfX3_j9fN3J-xAxoZ4QUcgA0w1tGQje_Gbz9s5bJYag0SZetr0BnbU4gja/s400/photo+of+naoya+shiga.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>He lived here from 1929-1938 and wrote </i>Anya-Koro<i> (A Dark Night's Passing) here. It's a dark story, but it's one of my very favorite Japanese novels.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O4FuwO3PvX7PiQFhHgAQrcnAbcjvDTlJbC3X8BSpsDrjuW1NOWFD0BC6svi2Z2wDijlXv5W65snCW556_3N7BhTZ2j7blccNVyng8uoM2sWesX2tNHtfJbGCmpegqdIScT31lqNWU7yA/s1600/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O4FuwO3PvX7PiQFhHgAQrcnAbcjvDTlJbC3X8BSpsDrjuW1NOWFD0BC6svi2Z2wDijlXv5W65snCW556_3N7BhTZ2j7blccNVyng8uoM2sWesX2tNHtfJbGCmpegqdIScT31lqNWU7yA/s400/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>His dining room was quite spacious, certainly large enough to host his literary friends (such as Junichiro Tanizaki, another Japanese novelist who is definitely worth reading).</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OT7uMum0BjNhI1_TAeuu_aJY7eRqWY01tK1ZtKqnZhHEVDP5lMefgjZgsvnPnOhgn4krtmvXC65K87X7IFcK3LTI4Z-X3O4-WW-yORzI9eIQWUHogHRsS2PtepWf53e0RTN3hwfjDeN0/s1600/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OT7uMum0BjNhI1_TAeuu_aJY7eRqWY01tK1ZtKqnZhHEVDP5lMefgjZgsvnPnOhgn4krtmvXC65K87X7IFcK3LTI4Z-X3O4-WW-yORzI9eIQWUHogHRsS2PtepWf53e0RTN3hwfjDeN0/s400/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+5.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>His sunroom, too, was amazing. He designed the house himself.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXeRcQXv1z5YJIHRoFD_MFPz0kt006NuP-3JTJPvkMRz5koU1rkmQXwjmAwEhQrc87BbDtkgjV4zo91-GA6tTCQS5KwJxn15dazRC6X2gMeyCiH5Z_pL0vdecJ9bYKfbdiLjfp2teZvz6/s1600/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXeRcQXv1z5YJIHRoFD_MFPz0kt006NuP-3JTJPvkMRz5koU1rkmQXwjmAwEhQrc87BbDtkgjV4zo91-GA6tTCQS5KwJxn15dazRC6X2gMeyCiH5Z_pL0vdecJ9bYKfbdiLjfp2teZvz6/s400/naoya+shiga+house+in+nara+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>He ended up moving to Tokyo after leaving Nara and died there at 88 years of age in 1971.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_sbkHr-aHfWAZPsugKzC7E9D4RjLmmx77U7fcvXCngF9NHQ3k2eiB5IbnF8qwgfP_HYiGWqDzljSMD0dSq0ZDIu9j5dFn8llp-KFJc9RmtfkPjIB1YKSBPpCGVK863IOuqZhV4c1uSA4/s1600/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_sbkHr-aHfWAZPsugKzC7E9D4RjLmmx77U7fcvXCngF9NHQ3k2eiB5IbnF8qwgfP_HYiGWqDzljSMD0dSq0ZDIu9j5dFn8llp-KFJc9RmtfkPjIB1YKSBPpCGVK863IOuqZhV4c1uSA4/s400/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We kept walking...and walking...and walking after finishing our tour of Shiga Naoya's house. We passed by Sagi-ike Pond and Ukimido Gazebo again, though this time during the daytime.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz5PR8UDQ0axuvixJb5YH2lDUSW1l0utX1E0QheSJdzxaiism4RAZp4hdIRlL9-c6bICCt9PdRxQMbdqy4AAbnvgZaxVydDslXv0_T1GcqXuHeDweT9r0usEGcXfHNbBu1JuaeTt8MT4q/s1600/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz5PR8UDQ0axuvixJb5YH2lDUSW1l0utX1E0QheSJdzxaiism4RAZp4hdIRlL9-c6bICCt9PdRxQMbdqy4AAbnvgZaxVydDslXv0_T1GcqXuHeDweT9r0usEGcXfHNbBu1JuaeTt8MT4q/s400/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There were quite a number of summer flowers in bloom, and one even saw the occasional rickshaw driver. It's hard to believe they survive for long in 35 C heat.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouaq37UpUhxdyHBdUdhyphenhyphenjxU7PmFdc14_x4rwVNuKWSxbogMkfiJRHgKijqwaHFpT2wmbBAPi45uQXu8Edmkzp6Qa06dTZMjkeU0XMS8E-rk_idWSv7HMuvIizFcLmvUwSLarvXPBhBA8S/s1600/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouaq37UpUhxdyHBdUdhyphenhyphenjxU7PmFdc14_x4rwVNuKWSxbogMkfiJRHgKijqwaHFpT2wmbBAPi45uQXu8Edmkzp6Qa06dTZMjkeU0XMS8E-rk_idWSv7HMuvIizFcLmvUwSLarvXPBhBA8S/s400/sagi-ike+pond+in+daytime+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The pond again, with flowering trees in the foreground.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAffImJt77y312D78gO9N92VIKML35uF6u33kVTNM0TsGQUKRJgM_lEtai8R7_iCr3GK01IPkMn6any5vkNfR-H6g18Gov9pD4c_yybYsH5VHrPE05SFLJo1S1IZV0j0N2pUum6kJCmCo_/s1600/okonomiyaki+restaurant+in+nara+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAffImJt77y312D78gO9N92VIKML35uF6u33kVTNM0TsGQUKRJgM_lEtai8R7_iCr3GK01IPkMn6any5vkNfR-H6g18Gov9pD4c_yybYsH5VHrPE05SFLJo1S1IZV0j0N2pUum6kJCmCo_/s400/okonomiyaki+restaurant+in+nara+2.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At 2:00 we finally opted for lunch, choosing an okonomiyaki place not far from Matsumae Ryokan.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvu7CcPTCsNHABAL-smGCB-TxaxDlAudxXGhXg2Kth17-dsQKBfsbxS0kMfeb03oV78Z15YQzLvzfa2hAzzK1KWWaT8E-Ol7udrVZy-a_y6W_ypBg8d-sIRAneKW1AZt9aF7NWGFni_Pm/s1600/okonomiyaki+restaurant+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvu7CcPTCsNHABAL-smGCB-TxaxDlAudxXGhXg2Kth17-dsQKBfsbxS0kMfeb03oV78Z15YQzLvzfa2hAzzK1KWWaT8E-Ol7udrVZy-a_y6W_ypBg8d-sIRAneKW1AZt9aF7NWGFni_Pm/s400/okonomiyaki+restaurant+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The A/C was most welcome, as was the pitcher of ice water that we downed in about 5 minutes.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaw6I2eQhrbZVL27HfkV0opvUFySe6PgmTW_toTEIAof9jncvsqJa_Lisi2BC3eZX1JsklFTxY_I2vyYma_ObtuKg44xXYb2fcWPKWHwiKaznCgklr2yhLzxNFIIRrKcuSp54A4e61vCC/s1600/tomato+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaw6I2eQhrbZVL27HfkV0opvUFySe6PgmTW_toTEIAof9jncvsqJa_Lisi2BC3eZX1JsklFTxY_I2vyYma_ObtuKg44xXYb2fcWPKWHwiKaznCgklr2yhLzxNFIIRrKcuSp54A4e61vCC/s400/tomato+salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The tomato salad was refreshing...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoelQ2ths5i4bDfaHaH088S3LV_vneiJOFNBseZFEf1RK3xEZGLg93fzfcftW9pgQdTuLMqXruN89p5JEIbgJDQ0mgNQEIqKDXsuL_oeXkhzcpdmzZCHVQ9qyNfnt10bemkMpyohCNZae1/s1600/grilled+scallops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoelQ2ths5i4bDfaHaH088S3LV_vneiJOFNBseZFEf1RK3xEZGLg93fzfcftW9pgQdTuLMqXruN89p5JEIbgJDQ0mgNQEIqKDXsuL_oeXkhzcpdmzZCHVQ9qyNfnt10bemkMpyohCNZae1/s400/grilled+scallops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But the grilled sea scallops were a bit dry...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPOcMIFF9nXTkZv5gGiAW4xXzuHqhWPJmbENs5-0YWEXHgxLDeiCCJMopAqlL4layndDQIzoAUyLKX35_jfMD1GvvhbipX75WjqSH7w2ZyM9wTti377bixntmxpn3-TDq3525-aMp5-XP/s1600/okonomiyaki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPOcMIFF9nXTkZv5gGiAW4xXzuHqhWPJmbENs5-0YWEXHgxLDeiCCJMopAqlL4layndDQIzoAUyLKX35_jfMD1GvvhbipX75WjqSH7w2ZyM9wTti377bixntmxpn3-TDq3525-aMp5-XP/s400/okonomiyaki.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The okonomiyaki was quite good, though, especially with an Asahi Draft chaser.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtSwF-ZNUPKjnkwIpUb2xYM9mA0gwp4hCE2z6vvFuShwI0D8a-xuLQzWQJfY-Mx5qrr_kSuXs0eXgCoCOelsNLRhtC1Dx_cvAVnhLonGEe7EqVNroi54Ddce_8CqAyZtdTKuCRLHKQy8m/s1600/gangoji+temple+in+nara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtSwF-ZNUPKjnkwIpUb2xYM9mA0gwp4hCE2z6vvFuShwI0D8a-xuLQzWQJfY-Mx5qrr_kSuXs0eXgCoCOelsNLRhtC1Dx_cvAVnhLonGEe7EqVNroi54Ddce_8CqAyZtdTKuCRLHKQy8m/s400/gangoji+temple+in+nara.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Our last stop of the day in Nara (before heading to the train station and promptly getting on the wrong train, which took us to Osaka rather than back to Kyoto––doh!) was yet another World Heritage site: Gangoji Temple.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-8t0SP6qdlfHTxjzqAmkBxclen7_dNcL5KFqROq_y9dYzNuyFlj6qKjZg_7DuTj6ikY2Iddmm4D6X57Y8Y27kOnsmzRGptBWIA0XRzt8Lr7KUS2vkB1ENvYGH6wZ46X0e0rGD-ozmxHZ/s1600/gangoji+temple+in+nara+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-8t0SP6qdlfHTxjzqAmkBxclen7_dNcL5KFqROq_y9dYzNuyFlj6qKjZg_7DuTj6ikY2Iddmm4D6X57Y8Y27kOnsmzRGptBWIA0XRzt8Lr7KUS2vkB1ENvYGH6wZ46X0e0rGD-ozmxHZ/s400/gangoji+temple+in+nara+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By the time we got here I'd forgotten the pitcher of water I'd drunk, as well as the draft beer, and wanted to immerse my entire head (with my mouth open) in this water basin.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TtM_UkHXrAScm-JAjRfrXkIq5vXquJo94CjiibWy91nMXycADJMWxhahYqWJ11G3AE2nCGmJUbHtglCguP4HhyphenhyphenqpOs6Q535A2s4mRkv0A4anjnBj4wXWpV7mfQJv_Tc82Br2EQTUA6uu/s1600/gangoji+temple+in+nara+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TtM_UkHXrAScm-JAjRfrXkIq5vXquJo94CjiibWy91nMXycADJMWxhahYqWJ11G3AE2nCGmJUbHtglCguP4HhyphenhyphenqpOs6Q535A2s4mRkv0A4anjnBj4wXWpV7mfQJv_Tc82Br2EQTUA6uu/s400/gangoji+temple+in+nara+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Gangoji Temple was formerly called Asuka Temple, though before that it was known as Hokoji Temple. It was founded in 588 (and moved to its present location in 710) and was supported to a large extent by the King of Paekche in Korea at the time.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WxUhffMSSQjBg325d7dgqxU_V2k9x2vV9NiRJxWYr1JlOphdxLOfxAym7zrOExijb7bQUw-ZvN7uPdMP_e0VSCYjrkknAsCA1D2tbosNfd2lJlhQ_qBv223BwfozNZmq8MAeFP0OfpZi/s1600/gangoji+temple+in+nara+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WxUhffMSSQjBg325d7dgqxU_V2k9x2vV9NiRJxWYr1JlOphdxLOfxAym7zrOExijb7bQUw-ZvN7uPdMP_e0VSCYjrkknAsCA1D2tbosNfd2lJlhQ_qBv223BwfozNZmq8MAeFP0OfpZi/s400/gangoji+temple+in+nara+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One especially nice thing about this temple is that very few people were here. We didn't have the place to ourselves, but it wasn't overrun by tourists and a feeling of peacefulness prevailed here.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTtgW3gGlNdsTXTCln3d4y4kBfItkyDUQ0jYZR3Ly6KNnTrn6OoNOCVR3SihiKxNAYMaOTxfFFpethzHIM-KHPMUcnegb_gA3YqR9I1Mkwt5iA2RGEbktIZ_7b4icWrn1xuzXHSbOTH3F/s1600/gangoji+temple+in+nara+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTtgW3gGlNdsTXTCln3d4y4kBfItkyDUQ0jYZR3Ly6KNnTrn6OoNOCVR3SihiKxNAYMaOTxfFFpethzHIM-KHPMUcnegb_gA3YqR9I1Mkwt5iA2RGEbktIZ_7b4icWrn1xuzXHSbOTH3F/s400/gangoji+temple+in+nara+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It was a short trip to Nara, but I have to say it was a fairly packed trip, too, especially considering how meltingly hot it was. Nara's an amazing place and I hope I can come back soon. </i></span></div><br />
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-66581253188559634732011-08-11T07:36:00.000-07:002011-08-11T07:36:14.117-07:001st Night in Kyoto During O-Bon Holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlpY2ZV_6FQWTJKKfAHbNOr9OCHR31xXwfrcTnWCI-nWkot4tSUIRsAOqzuDFm4b61dE7aDycVYZan7RcZl1HhYn2_0toly6_K1EyhVx_-54-8xGUl0L8m-OcVfsFv-eG73s2ekPtOTq1/s1600/kamo+river+at+night+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlpY2ZV_6FQWTJKKfAHbNOr9OCHR31xXwfrcTnWCI-nWkot4tSUIRsAOqzuDFm4b61dE7aDycVYZan7RcZl1HhYn2_0toly6_K1EyhVx_-54-8xGUl0L8m-OcVfsFv-eG73s2ekPtOTq1/s400/kamo+river+at+night+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nighttime on the Kamo River in Kyoto. Although cities in Tohoku held their annual <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata">Tanabata Festivals</a> earlier this summer, Kyoto is having theirs now.</span></span></div><br />
Sadly, I'm falling behind in adding text to go along with my photos. All I can say is that I <i>will </i>add a narrative to this post in the next day or two, along with a narrative to my previous post. I'll go ahead and type in some photo captions, which will have to suffice until I have a bit more free time and a reliable Internet connection...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBICuZ7axBDHmEg_gxgqwPa-Jtcm9iDnNh4hvaupJ-NwyLlCIlY10C2DynvcObGXO4xLoqUQHl8R6C-G2z7a6mywvO6on0_XzA5utX5tCzm9WshyuScN7yQtp30LKsdfaooyRcDUZj33dn/s1600/healthy+fast+food+in+kyoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBICuZ7axBDHmEg_gxgqwPa-Jtcm9iDnNh4hvaupJ-NwyLlCIlY10C2DynvcObGXO4xLoqUQHl8R6C-G2z7a6mywvO6on0_XzA5utX5tCzm9WshyuScN7yQtp30LKsdfaooyRcDUZj33dn/s400/healthy+fast+food+in+kyoto.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was my brunch after arriving on a JR sleeper train and checking into my hotel. This is proof that fast food doesn't have to be bad for you. It also only cost me ¥430 (US$5.60).</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQBC7E3ux19NDMbhAS6Q2JC56xGHCjNyWP08Wb3hVMtjaIdcybMmB6arJGZSEkVf1reMZNTuzvTs5mCqwm9s3bYa55R8N6VP42LTFCWhKDBgvPumpB_4W1tynJZK0cY5SyJBm0ByEqZSd/s1600/outside+of+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQBC7E3ux19NDMbhAS6Q2JC56xGHCjNyWP08Wb3hVMtjaIdcybMmB6arJGZSEkVf1reMZNTuzvTs5mCqwm9s3bYa55R8N6VP42LTFCWhKDBgvPumpB_4W1tynJZK0cY5SyJBm0ByEqZSd/s400/outside+of+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This place was a great deal for dinner. We ordered one draft Sapporo beer, and the four dishes pictured below. The total cost for two people was ¥2290 ($29.89 on an anemic US dollar). That's cheaper than some Japanese restaurants in Hanoi!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaE9h4fyoCroNuRh_nCfbwL4NaMV8EOuMoDFxGlM86E6uI2FEXFmyeasNkoUHE3eX0vXKbpc2AxueCyX4jzi1aBA1tKN2VFj6C6X6N73ihQLT10AlP08QN1QyyNbJjHBf8JgfYct-v_mOt/s1600/inside+of+sazankatei+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaE9h4fyoCroNuRh_nCfbwL4NaMV8EOuMoDFxGlM86E6uI2FEXFmyeasNkoUHE3eX0vXKbpc2AxueCyX4jzi1aBA1tKN2VFj6C6X6N73ihQLT10AlP08QN1QyyNbJjHBf8JgfYct-v_mOt/s400/inside+of+sazankatei+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Consider yourself lucky that the noise these salarymen produced throughout dinner doesn't translate on the page. These guys need to learn how to control their alcohol. Same for the guy outside -- from a different party -- who was puking into a canal. </i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVcVjeHk3ylXEsgv7mFk6a-OY60hU6EgDGkwU-scIwBuOrNejR6_lAZCCV1bXGRDcDACat2cwADTFNfjt0PJNi9o7tSSsbqb6cnUxMp34i8MjsIHDkEhg6DGNwcWwSmC-nCDC34aWx0cW/s1600/sashimi+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVcVjeHk3ylXEsgv7mFk6a-OY60hU6EgDGkwU-scIwBuOrNejR6_lAZCCV1bXGRDcDACat2cwADTFNfjt0PJNi9o7tSSsbqb6cnUxMp34i8MjsIHDkEhg6DGNwcWwSmC-nCDC34aWx0cW/s400/sashimi+salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I know, I need a better transition from the last caption...but this is the sashimi and seaweed salad we ordered.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeFUAekjl3B8SxbQf_owm4H6u99VMH9bBPW6GBwpyIYpXOrXYyc2VMiSBYfGt-Yeqx7SLSsfwWoqNklNGLe9lNS7QEy2JL3YaOZsVOz-IEgHz3c52sB9DwXU6SZLkzSVQPlORyXgMTABb/s1600/wheat+gluten+and+miso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeFUAekjl3B8SxbQf_owm4H6u99VMH9bBPW6GBwpyIYpXOrXYyc2VMiSBYfGt-Yeqx7SLSsfwWoqNklNGLe9lNS7QEy2JL3YaOZsVOz-IEgHz3c52sB9DwXU6SZLkzSVQPlORyXgMTABb/s400/wheat+gluten+and+miso.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wheat gluten on sticks with miso paste. The yellow one had a ponzu-like taste to it while the red miso one had a mellower sweetness.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7-_9FxgRjm16gqDCWQWTmlwP8qNgBNWa6Rg5kpUg7hqEI5EnxZicM_eLEHTjjP9wkZsa1WN4pHenHYsV_arxzkkHXOWE8YqGe0EZqg8DoJtGzzKGEHRQAVtTlcZ6EcVujETlv6RzYlXx/s1600/tomato+basil+pesto+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7-_9FxgRjm16gqDCWQWTmlwP8qNgBNWa6Rg5kpUg7hqEI5EnxZicM_eLEHTjjP9wkZsa1WN4pHenHYsV_arxzkkHXOWE8YqGe0EZqg8DoJtGzzKGEHRQAVtTlcZ6EcVujETlv6RzYlXx/s400/tomato+basil+pesto+salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pesto covering the tops of sliced tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing for all of it to soak in.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrTTgWg2ID0vjoKenvYWNQbk8k75gSueRMXkYDo9A9hHp5ZUHGwPKN5KCl2aldPYSI37CAU3IpnBYFv-yaAWLjwrik1lna6LUOLEU5EfuAkjwD13SiruQeMFvsbnnQuy3w0iPBveA71Vt/s1600/salmon+and+salmon+roe+rolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrTTgWg2ID0vjoKenvYWNQbk8k75gSueRMXkYDo9A9hHp5ZUHGwPKN5KCl2aldPYSI37CAU3IpnBYFv-yaAWLjwrik1lna6LUOLEU5EfuAkjwD13SiruQeMFvsbnnQuy3w0iPBveA71Vt/s400/salmon+and+salmon+roe+rolls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Salmon sushi with salmon roe and toasted sesame seeds. Unbelievably tasty.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB48mVgYU0UjtjbtNy9gD2OGo8kp6NEyc03kb6ce40Ne4DF0ZuBtViN5phmWB6YMAo8gcmbhUR7cy7PJnhac7iBOk238GS6mukV-uh1ALGE1p9Tmpj9Xnpwjq0R55gmg_DjaOIf95lt9w/s1600/approaching+gion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB48mVgYU0UjtjbtNy9gD2OGo8kp6NEyc03kb6ce40Ne4DF0ZuBtViN5phmWB6YMAo8gcmbhUR7cy7PJnhac7iBOk238GS6mukV-uh1ALGE1p9Tmpj9Xnpwjq0R55gmg_DjaOIf95lt9w/s400/approaching+gion.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Approaching the Gion district after dinner. It's nice seeing young people dressed in festival yukatas and kimonos.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF25D_6m-d7NfZ8sL8ixzHsT0HPJsbJeE_EETaMH509Ou2ZbE1JAsfpCvoK7lOc2nPy59nTQZ8yAHw1wXHtm394ORpl0bx-kor2cTKpj6eqPrhEWofdNb_uOqtuNeyWnhCh_Ixu4gQdhw3/s1600/old+alley+in+gion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF25D_6m-d7NfZ8sL8ixzHsT0HPJsbJeE_EETaMH509Ou2ZbE1JAsfpCvoK7lOc2nPy59nTQZ8yAHw1wXHtm394ORpl0bx-kor2cTKpj6eqPrhEWofdNb_uOqtuNeyWnhCh_Ixu4gQdhw3/s400/old+alley+in+gion.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A small, quiet alley off of another alley in Kyoto's Gion district.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegNeB_kwBcF_oSXK3zjmLntJwg6EtjK9bJlLTxXUXRetb3_8NukYaXlUq_UbXhW29qspiTIRIWtTWrSmzjVGthi51SUUd3Go8xyGgd3TuJmUqeB1ytSP65QJubi7okgdAnQSqXf8gaQNa/s1600/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegNeB_kwBcF_oSXK3zjmLntJwg6EtjK9bJlLTxXUXRetb3_8NukYaXlUq_UbXhW29qspiTIRIWtTWrSmzjVGthi51SUUd3Go8xyGgd3TuJmUqeB1ytSP65QJubi7okgdAnQSqXf8gaQNa/s400/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Trees all decorated and lit up for the Tanabata Festival.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu579lxs-MxATqeAWZwuyMsE6LC63kyCxQhnqvJ6kHbBvRMT9SmJqlxvaR4Aw6CulUNCIeSVpa1CKKTNyiEwGja_e9J4UwrI0UFNnl2BMCQewm6MeMNVUlix4D9WCOiNpMfxVA0qQWrt_/s1600/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu579lxs-MxATqeAWZwuyMsE6LC63kyCxQhnqvJ6kHbBvRMT9SmJqlxvaR4Aw6CulUNCIeSVpa1CKKTNyiEwGja_e9J4UwrI0UFNnl2BMCQewm6MeMNVUlix4D9WCOiNpMfxVA0qQWrt_/s400/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>More of the same along the Kamo River.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNyccB86SNJpH6xxEEhsE1RGCBhdg4PV6-JoXUZBRfr9GLd75jVVm9VtoVCgtRb9T-9BXQF7GWzq1JnV0STm2hpkBEo7wWjFxOWBlGwz6uKTug0PDlIA9iyhk24YHgScyrc8dApqzJAWd/s1600/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNyccB86SNJpH6xxEEhsE1RGCBhdg4PV6-JoXUZBRfr9GLd75jVVm9VtoVCgtRb9T-9BXQF7GWzq1JnV0STm2hpkBEo7wWjFxOWBlGwz6uKTug0PDlIA9iyhk24YHgScyrc8dApqzJAWd/s400/tanabata+festival+along+kamo+river+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Inside these straw-woven balls were paper-wrapped candles and written wishes hanging from paper strips.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHGx0ZF_d5TikrM8p36OVIgtHUq5fi4SgtiDefH83vdqg5d-xlxdldrxMjfYiknkkRAUxkGSAdELADYnOcagG2-36a3pzAEkRqwstledVNskIQbOl_f-DdZbjau3M35zJ07SCrMlmb5BA/s1600/kamo+river+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHGx0ZF_d5TikrM8p36OVIgtHUq5fi4SgtiDefH83vdqg5d-xlxdldrxMjfYiknkkRAUxkGSAdELADYnOcagG2-36a3pzAEkRqwstledVNskIQbOl_f-DdZbjau3M35zJ07SCrMlmb5BA/s400/kamo+river+at+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another shot of nighttime along the Kamo River.</i></span></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-39318606612327390912011-08-06T07:14:00.000-07:002011-08-06T07:50:32.224-07:00Kanto Festival Weekend in Akita<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dztXmr4TFr4QYnq1AJ1f_wmm2gcSg1pOKIo9z6FOTHU-C-IrGo-_ZLyP80C6xxeCzJ4fKeVukuCn5_PZ8sm' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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The kind of work schedule I'm keeping doesn't leave me much time to blog these days, unfortunately. I think what I need to do is just upload some photos and then, when I have extra time, add some text to explain them fully. Sorry, it's not ideal, but it's the best I can do for the time being.<br />
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These photos are of Akita City, Japan, during the weekend of the <a href="http://web-japan.org/atlas/festivals/fes03.html">Kanto Festival</a>.<br />
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More soon, I hope...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWiy6NjYBvS7AAWfoamIBlbdEEoTHk5s03yIhNldl_Xl32ElyATI2H9f5HmYE0v92YXqGVgBpogOi7YsQKHsAzbi2FtLSRCaDqgCZhKepWMIl7bJYUwOq5pHlXohVVex486OO5T1UMrc2/s1600/new+spirits+jazz+orchestra+at+twilight+relay+concert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWiy6NjYBvS7AAWfoamIBlbdEEoTHk5s03yIhNldl_Xl32ElyATI2H9f5HmYE0v92YXqGVgBpogOi7YsQKHsAzbi2FtLSRCaDqgCZhKepWMIl7bJYUwOq5pHlXohVVex486OO5T1UMrc2/s400/new+spirits+jazz+orchestra+at+twilight+relay+concert.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-47311604119284858112011-07-18T02:18:00.000-07:002011-07-18T02:20:34.614-07:00First post from Akita<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG41sXE4gTzGGcAHrLCB5FvcuxBqg5WehZvcepcn7R_hyphenhyphenUl_w98oBYmdA59NL-VW-v6i8MUwnyW24tFZXwDW7nCcS_G3VDP7QLdo85ZL1mtCdM9gD6pqUeuWnYjKEHj2R9YtSnSsPCMQJ9/s1600/view+from+mt+myoken+%2528i+think%2529+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG41sXE4gTzGGcAHrLCB5FvcuxBqg5WehZvcepcn7R_hyphenhyphenUl_w98oBYmdA59NL-VW-v6i8MUwnyW24tFZXwDW7nCcS_G3VDP7QLdo85ZL1mtCdM9gD6pqUeuWnYjKEHj2R9YtSnSsPCMQJ9/s400/view+from+mt+myoken+%2528i+think%2529+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not a bad view from up here. All that sweaty hiking was worth it.</span></span></div><br />
I’ve been away from my blog for a while now, but not by choice. After three weeks in Akita, I finally got hooked up to the Internet at home, and virtually every attempt I made to get online elsewhere in Akita, even to check email, was thoroughly thwarted. Why? Who on earth knows. I’m just glad I’ve got home access to the Internet now. It’d be nice to have a phone, too, but I apparently have to wait another month for that, not to mention five more weeks for the sofa I bought yesterday afternoon to be delivered. I guess things here just take a long time…<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx_Poy_z0elJeWTyJdVVw1ybUuk5qPcKBmL7o2oQWfl3KxVt7vw3SgCVY6GRBgglNfB4zm5tHYtN2nXXV68j7ZLv2HryBaHFLtTgcXwM7lKrwSkNMmpWtgsb9UfRHhAKffTDEN0dzBrQG/s1600/apt+from+a+distance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx_Poy_z0elJeWTyJdVVw1ybUuk5qPcKBmL7o2oQWfl3KxVt7vw3SgCVY6GRBgglNfB4zm5tHYtN2nXXV68j7ZLv2HryBaHFLtTgcXwM7lKrwSkNMmpWtgsb9UfRHhAKffTDEN0dzBrQG/s400/apt+from+a+distance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The second floor apartment is where I now live. It's a far cry from my place on Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi. It's a good place, though.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr9rzeMT6X6BZi2CFT7AwKWBl1GGTSU3ifa9T1o3XlctC2l78zwOiKlMXi_DJWdp1eMhIo_aaC8Z_WD2KGO35fq-FAXiulkxYQr2j_3KhdcrOedfjksAVq7K5rImHF3bDoYFsugfXqDQ3/s1600/sekiya+and+fruit+shops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr9rzeMT6X6BZi2CFT7AwKWBl1GGTSU3ifa9T1o3XlctC2l78zwOiKlMXi_DJWdp1eMhIo_aaC8Z_WD2KGO35fq-FAXiulkxYQr2j_3KhdcrOedfjksAVq7K5rImHF3bDoYFsugfXqDQ3/s400/sekiya+and+fruit+shops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sekiya grocery store and these two fruit shops are where I'm doing most of my shopping these days.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWtbk7X7Vnbjx6p8mWBlhnRlzcpdwITsatlF0LmOPmflTfAlu13sXGkpl4cuaC81cC0QCIPyI32B26-cYNZHPLxW6vBlpa17Y54FlOI0lUbOz6V3NPLuOC9hQv2J93i1lmMHQpCU_KWPS/s1600/street+leading+to+my+apt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWtbk7X7Vnbjx6p8mWBlhnRlzcpdwITsatlF0LmOPmflTfAlu13sXGkpl4cuaC81cC0QCIPyI32B26-cYNZHPLxW6vBlpa17Y54FlOI0lUbOz6V3NPLuOC9hQv2J93i1lmMHQpCU_KWPS/s400/street+leading+to+my+apt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The final street I take on my way home from work.</i></span></div><br />
I also managed to break my good camera during my move, so all I’ve got to use now is an old camera whose photos aren’t particularly good. Until I can get the old one fixed or I decide to invest in a new one, I’m going to have to make do with what I have.<br />
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I’m not sure where to start regarding my new life in Akita. It’s certainly very different from my life in Hanoi. Mostly, though, I’m working all the time and don’t have the energy once I get home—usually after 9 pm, when most businesses have long closed—to explore my environs. Most of my exploring has been limited to errands I’ve run on a very run-down bicycle, and I’d say that 75% of my meals are coming from convenience stores. Who’s got time to cook, much less shop for appliances and groceries? On Saturday nights, however, throughout the hot summer, there’s a free concert series held near my apartment to benefit people who were displaced by the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami. Last Saturday there was a local Kentucky bluegrass band that played for a couple of hours, and they were very good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLevVSStjXdHUVUu0VM9ENhHUbFTyelrTQoxy7BCjVAwvjKQIYth2EM7zR7eSM6UWm5cmya4n2gyCyjCTeErRrjqweCxDzqDGzgn2dsKv3xa8Qe4LIx5r1OO-7tmnBPdyPeoNf2-iAWBt/s1600/kentucky+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLevVSStjXdHUVUu0VM9ENhHUbFTyelrTQoxy7BCjVAwvjKQIYth2EM7zR7eSM6UWm5cmya4n2gyCyjCTeErRrjqweCxDzqDGzgn2dsKv3xa8Qe4LIx5r1OO-7tmnBPdyPeoNf2-iAWBt/s400/kentucky+blue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kentucky bluegrass has found a home in Akita, apparently.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGAigGDNdBun5F9Q6PAkR5KqycaTDa0dLL-c-nLVVT3lBl-dVNJXIgFLj9h3Bfw00I0Fmhf7xTPpu8HoeuzeuePThC36R4DPVP6PJ0DD3dq9ibcJSa9yCAwQR40RLJMD1ihlSiLHXna7D/s1600/kentucky+blue+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGAigGDNdBun5F9Q6PAkR5KqycaTDa0dLL-c-nLVVT3lBl-dVNJXIgFLj9h3Bfw00I0Fmhf7xTPpu8HoeuzeuePThC36R4DPVP6PJ0DD3dq9ibcJSa9yCAwQR40RLJMD1ihlSiLHXna7D/s400/kentucky+blue+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Not to mention quite a following.</i></span></div><br />
In any case, I’m enjoying myself here, though it’s insanely hot and the office where I work is usually 33 C by 10 a.m. and we’re trying not to use air-conditioning. My colleagues and I spend most of the day blotting our sweaty faces with thick face towels and moaning.<br />
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Anyway, today I took my first trip outside of Akita and into the countryside. The countryside, or what I saw of it today, was pretty awe-inspiring.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTmHw6HBH_qDKGQdr-aW8S22floQGYQfpYzDblSSznATEDL4lnTTZ9mWOjeb6-pMVsfgMiWEjyeyGvmQlXtq_VbfFQRruVcQcEhhZrzfEza9lQRMlg9KliYsZCQLvqDkDV60Zk4M032EX/s1600/akita+countryside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTmHw6HBH_qDKGQdr-aW8S22floQGYQfpYzDblSSznATEDL4lnTTZ9mWOjeb6-pMVsfgMiWEjyeyGvmQlXtq_VbfFQRruVcQcEhhZrzfEza9lQRMlg9KliYsZCQLvqDkDV60Zk4M032EX/s400/akita+countryside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Unfortunately, I’ll have to fill in the names of the places I went to today later, once I can get the information from the colleague who generously invited me to go hiking with him to a couple temples in the Mt. Taihei area northeast of Akita City.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvzUbiM5TcjC3ZfpojZgA8BMk7ld_76_Hqi4smyHX3gxMfT8mOG6aeUSQZnN4ZcC2FeIF7H6bHo5yd5WfbM0la-ETF1rfQRE5uWR8XOUrTBcqkbyKPM_c-wTNnHHodCq18zvtwUEntXvq/s1600/friends+wheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvzUbiM5TcjC3ZfpojZgA8BMk7ld_76_Hqi4smyHX3gxMfT8mOG6aeUSQZnN4ZcC2FeIF7H6bHo5yd5WfbM0la-ETF1rfQRE5uWR8XOUrTBcqkbyKPM_c-wTNnHHodCq18zvtwUEntXvq/s400/friends+wheels.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Traveling in style through the Akita countryside...</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsN0Ugq_K6ja_87Xxs425DfrI3Zr08yRBrTT5Z6JTmOx1z-b-SqdqjQfUjvT8zSZqeTtwoA3Fk02g7jUBPjXvanOkM3mEZTt6EQ8xwpERR9fMvqQ3qaMFJVYHrt-bdKnmEJZq0JpQDodE/s1600/cedar+lined+path+to+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsN0Ugq_K6ja_87Xxs425DfrI3Zr08yRBrTT5Z6JTmOx1z-b-SqdqjQfUjvT8zSZqeTtwoA3Fk02g7jUBPjXvanOkM3mEZTt6EQ8xwpERR9fMvqQ3qaMFJVYHrt-bdKnmEJZq0JpQDodE/s400/cedar+lined+path+to+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The path leading to one of the temples we stopped to see on our way to Mt. Taihei.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyO92w1O6WKkRM9TtbpvPuhE8HpxngRovR383fK3POAPmaGsrPv02N_soZKn8MHqaEdb_u8dyokJYdFvbYnIDhJT9Cq2pvFbWYpqbwwWzR2QoHWOJ8tbekHdFy_H7hDRjk3VMkT6WbYeZ/s1600/akita+temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyO92w1O6WKkRM9TtbpvPuhE8HpxngRovR383fK3POAPmaGsrPv02N_soZKn8MHqaEdb_u8dyokJYdFvbYnIDhJT9Cq2pvFbWYpqbwwWzR2QoHWOJ8tbekHdFy_H7hDRjk3VMkT6WbYeZ/s400/akita+temple+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0NxbXOQ3orKWOGLuodcQoYbzMbeeZjr88EcHBlqR1AjQH_IiNItzufM_g_umM-1St4OrBN828v8uHWUlECmoru3nqa68oT7F2tV7GlCji4Q8ommi4Q4I0WYlXUD_7uYeSNTXVRmkiaZG/s1600/akita+temple+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0NxbXOQ3orKWOGLuodcQoYbzMbeeZjr88EcHBlqR1AjQH_IiNItzufM_g_umM-1St4OrBN828v8uHWUlECmoru3nqa68oT7F2tV7GlCji4Q8ommi4Q4I0WYlXUD_7uYeSNTXVRmkiaZG/s400/akita+temple+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDar3OwSeQu2v0mL1ATbbI9qfGkGqNri2WvVXywMy1DNXYs-yhZKSKPslaGbGC4OY34W5w8QYLQ_uAgb2kEeXCHfzB7nW-h1OoPriLKZKNnVOZY3tJ3fprjluXxPvU7u4x1AG516sP6dM6/s1600/guardian+deity+of+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDar3OwSeQu2v0mL1ATbbI9qfGkGqNri2WvVXywMy1DNXYs-yhZKSKPslaGbGC4OY34W5w8QYLQ_uAgb2kEeXCHfzB7nW-h1OoPriLKZKNnVOZY3tJ3fprjluXxPvU7u4x1AG516sP6dM6/s400/guardian+deity+of+temple.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKdZ0g-94Qi2tSpTNwOX02dCNa__r2JV3XyQZ77X3pOCoei-yXPrgtSV2SA52ZUIf7vZQEQtwMc9Zvh2dOk2cB2v-DdGwwgzp9VIvMn7jPT_7HP0qjIGH8vbL9a0FRBu3tRVuMYkyLnod/s1600/akita+temple+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKdZ0g-94Qi2tSpTNwOX02dCNa__r2JV3XyQZ77X3pOCoei-yXPrgtSV2SA52ZUIf7vZQEQtwMc9Zvh2dOk2cB2v-DdGwwgzp9VIvMn7jPT_7HP0qjIGH8vbL9a0FRBu3tRVuMYkyLnod/s400/akita+temple+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmK6u6h5z1ITnD0nwNcgeAD1zDGww57In27rj6vvtsNYiG7oNB2qLgCFH5Pa2-FfCBA7g-E72LNjegFik1eFvwaf3c50NqjVGq_kJfvBBT_he8I7R1l8iclCItTQbWhZdUjfFY-WICtw5/s1600/small+shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmK6u6h5z1ITnD0nwNcgeAD1zDGww57In27rj6vvtsNYiG7oNB2qLgCFH5Pa2-FfCBA7g-E72LNjegFik1eFvwaf3c50NqjVGq_kJfvBBT_he8I7R1l8iclCItTQbWhZdUjfFY-WICtw5/s400/small+shrine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqiCRUAPeITKhs5uGtHr42V10_0rJiTeeTUQGLaXu0-qwW0a0RR5pdImGYrUxBaQ5fGmdW63V_R6ohLKZB6M2mHK0iXaDad8usTvvCb63YjbIqbKfIvPUTtnUCoU-2XW74Gs75jLnbz5x/s1600/small+shrine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqiCRUAPeITKhs5uGtHr42V10_0rJiTeeTUQGLaXu0-qwW0a0RR5pdImGYrUxBaQ5fGmdW63V_R6ohLKZB6M2mHK0iXaDad8usTvvCb63YjbIqbKfIvPUTtnUCoU-2XW74Gs75jLnbz5x/s400/small+shrine+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja498vn-Oc2zhLBEGqMZo4l0LezHWJDxgmYcnxdmvDaHdya-9fl14HGdzVQgL5C1E53hdqflj875HjMBIBlZzYrlijC7b8Kc96RWMzEtKdlWfdeTRCQhs_VZSbOXFZsjvJ5SOHLDMwJ-Jn/s1600/more+statues+above+akita+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja498vn-Oc2zhLBEGqMZo4l0LezHWJDxgmYcnxdmvDaHdya-9fl14HGdzVQgL5C1E53hdqflj875HjMBIBlZzYrlijC7b8Kc96RWMzEtKdlWfdeTRCQhs_VZSbOXFZsjvJ5SOHLDMwJ-Jn/s400/more+statues+above+akita+temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgtjHcqZ0KtpCnsSjYgwegXmp2YhrbWZ4_4uj4Sak7LvcdobdL494gfaGCbSzxNve246BEL-O0ogA9EDJSncqnnPvSC8CUSQxBxqwZKfYGr0tL2JwOA-4JxifjVuTtqq-P-7kYuH0Ha-n/s1600/buddha+statue+near+temple+cemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgtjHcqZ0KtpCnsSjYgwegXmp2YhrbWZ4_4uj4Sak7LvcdobdL494gfaGCbSzxNve246BEL-O0ogA9EDJSncqnnPvSC8CUSQxBxqwZKfYGr0tL2JwOA-4JxifjVuTtqq-P-7kYuH0Ha-n/s400/buddha+statue+near+temple+cemetery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Akita City doesn’t have many great temples, though there are quite a few small ones that I’ve already bumped into. Apparently there are several important temples and shrines in Akita prefecture, including a giant Buddha statue—the third largest in all of Japan, so I hear—housed in a rural temple surrounded by blueberry fields that I’d love to visit, but since I don’t have a car and these are remote areas we’re talking about, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get to any of them.<br />
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Mt. Taihei, however, is reputed to have a number of temples worth visiting. What's more, these temples are set within a large forested park, and hiking opportunities (discounting bears, snakes, and potentially lethal hornets) abound here. We headed to a small shrine that was a short, but extremely steep, climb from a parking area in what's called Mt. Taihei Resort Park.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBuF87suNdv3gmST1GVMxDeOPwXN55-GZzXV5UlbeapVsXrmmCuGK_U-CtCD3RmG9pn1CaLh988HHfUl9Oeu3KGh2EPSQlwfcH4WuWDXOTe15VkDRWejvIM3ZvbEWjtr5tSPXtSShPoNk/s1600/park+at+mt+taihei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBuF87suNdv3gmST1GVMxDeOPwXN55-GZzXV5UlbeapVsXrmmCuGK_U-CtCD3RmG9pn1CaLh988HHfUl9Oeu3KGh2EPSQlwfcH4WuWDXOTe15VkDRWejvIM3ZvbEWjtr5tSPXtSShPoNk/s400/park+at+mt+taihei.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of the various parks in Mt. Taihei.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3R4xqBZI5__CAQq13QT1EbkvUOeAoGnjgZe8uNYrCaviOC9GR8p59utP8Jqu1hsSyEwFHi17yNor7Hj-AbJPo_ZHSjquiZxe3i7qr0kDEWnwHfpQ4ra30UBCsvtGYtCkFfmOzzwUFdrL/s1600/resort+park+facilities+at+mt+taihei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3R4xqBZI5__CAQq13QT1EbkvUOeAoGnjgZe8uNYrCaviOC9GR8p59utP8Jqu1hsSyEwFHi17yNor7Hj-AbJPo_ZHSjquiZxe3i7qr0kDEWnwHfpQ4ra30UBCsvtGYtCkFfmOzzwUFdrL/s400/resort+park+facilities+at+mt+taihei.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It didn't take long to reach––maybe 20 or 25 minutes––but by the time we reached the shrine we were soaked in sweat and needed a few minutes to catch our breaths.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX3ehF07Rr3zDc0FXJLM1cL0MZWCyppc4f4pnHXwD0-mzPLyfLeuHANMW1M7ppQF0eNJySo8hknlOVxrXybGg7fncWT2zszWemi8N8fVZL56cWNhuneMW0cecwLyjui5TFhYzDsaT9Sx-/s1600/stone+and+torii+at+base+of+path+leading+to+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX3ehF07Rr3zDc0FXJLM1cL0MZWCyppc4f4pnHXwD0-mzPLyfLeuHANMW1M7ppQF0eNJySo8hknlOVxrXybGg7fncWT2zszWemi8N8fVZL56cWNhuneMW0cecwLyjui5TFhYzDsaT9Sx-/s400/stone+and+torii+at+base+of+path+leading+to+temple.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>An old stone and torii set before the trail leading to a mountain shrine.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19WcgWf-w8IyOnApLyWaGw6z4KnL5yFkUI3llmMBWJQfu2RlAQwoXQyQyFVYoAHVBQWAmfjNR_6CnKUDt4xuMbFizm1bbi_bgHMNweVyla6-3E3WSXHJvFIR0yOPVDRB86acL13BzjAJs/s1600/steep+climb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19WcgWf-w8IyOnApLyWaGw6z4KnL5yFkUI3llmMBWJQfu2RlAQwoXQyQyFVYoAHVBQWAmfjNR_6CnKUDt4xuMbFizm1bbi_bgHMNweVyla6-3E3WSXHJvFIR0yOPVDRB86acL13BzjAJs/s400/steep+climb.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Virtually the entire trail was this steep...</i></span></div><br />
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The shrine isn't exactly spectacular, but the views from here, as you can see above, are definitely pretty nice.<br />
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After descending back down the trail we headed to what was billed as a waterfall area. It was true that there were waterfalls here, though what greets you in the parking area is water falling from squares cut out of a mossy cement wall. It looked nice, and in the heat it was cooling to see.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDvli0DyTUBbh8ryaysdp39BtN20pPU2i0C_ZSYit48YNOzvlImdN-GXSE41nCZYzE3UMCspLKN7IV5Wrouvtu5GJYApu1SjYN7hYr4pThiAd1YrFaFu0LIIUOSgqfraxcqQZi-r5uRG1/s1600/small+waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDvli0DyTUBbh8ryaysdp39BtN20pPU2i0C_ZSYit48YNOzvlImdN-GXSE41nCZYzE3UMCspLKN7IV5Wrouvtu5GJYApu1SjYN7hYr4pThiAd1YrFaFu0LIIUOSgqfraxcqQZi-r5uRG1/s400/small+waterfall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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We decided to leave the Mt. Taihei park at around 1 p.m., but first we needed to refuel with some food. There aren't a lot of choices in the park, but we did find an interesting, and quite tasty, place called Yamanogodai that was open for lunch.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl6ZVotb1LAGyCyxviSUDGeRb65ED13_C56tdTl3TPT3yITy-OH3cPN9B0HeLjVVmcdSnSPHU2BRUEdlH0XOEA3EAyzuj-W5Vq4yPzwBQRc5m5kwOkOHAQuddIVVSoGx1d6l4PXT98D61/s1600/yamanogodai+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl6ZVotb1LAGyCyxviSUDGeRb65ED13_C56tdTl3TPT3yITy-OH3cPN9B0HeLjVVmcdSnSPHU2BRUEdlH0XOEA3EAyzuj-W5Vq4yPzwBQRc5m5kwOkOHAQuddIVVSoGx1d6l4PXT98D61/s400/yamanogodai+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Yamanogodai is a mom-and-pop place with a lot of character. This becomes apparent upon opening the door and seeing the balding bear fur stretched out in the entranceway. After we made it past the fresh veggies and miso paste sold in wooden crates, we plopped ourselves down at a table, were given cold water, and then ordered our lunches.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEI2TruUM4CP_AO9g1tDGyQ6BYJY9FO0pUbLMUlrhMKhJssBK_JFGsVKtLOT1Qo282grWR0kfnapxq9hd6CPijcegEQFp79hfyNiGlaG9nj11yKdjjORzyOWbmroVEQ33bD5_0yVo8iBQ/s1600/inside+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEI2TruUM4CP_AO9g1tDGyQ6BYJY9FO0pUbLMUlrhMKhJssBK_JFGsVKtLOT1Qo282grWR0kfnapxq9hd6CPijcegEQFp79hfyNiGlaG9nj11yKdjjORzyOWbmroVEQ33bD5_0yVo8iBQ/s400/inside+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I went with a heaping bowl of <i>aigakedon</i>, which was basically rice topped with curried beef and pork and kim chee, with generous pinches of grated cabbage and pickled ginger. I was also given miso soup and pickled cucumbers, both of which were surprisingly good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI3KDI0IjI-ESzcRS3nQ6oJaAC6m6Y6ChVLrmZMdTRWkJM9NHMfuH5sYuyfosvauy7DK6soR-fTzgitf1bc-TIPiFZZnmAk-d3ZnRp_ncHBM6lid7LJ-8fNxt6w0dKk9WTYoBgo0BTB_X/s1600/aigakedon+at+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI3KDI0IjI-ESzcRS3nQ6oJaAC6m6Y6ChVLrmZMdTRWkJM9NHMfuH5sYuyfosvauy7DK6soR-fTzgitf1bc-TIPiFZZnmAk-d3ZnRp_ncHBM6lid7LJ-8fNxt6w0dKk9WTYoBgo0BTB_X/s400/aigakedon+at+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The meal set me back ¥850 (US $10.75), and I couldn't finish it all. Luckily, my friend helped me out, and when we paid we were given free rice crackers for the drive back to Akita.<br />
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I'm not sure where I'll go next weekend, if anywhere, but hopefully I'll find a way out of the city again soon.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-59637777275511247712011-06-26T08:30:00.000-07:002011-06-26T08:37:54.198-07:00Sayonara, Hanoi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-6ncUaecH7C8zpAApQ4bCRrmezautAQlUEadyaYMh54TAbKTJNYTuZo9pyMcbpwdujCDGWhVi-abz-TR2jIEnKQc8yDpeCZ5uXNK9hCTEMt50HpRuzlTtbhSRPMJBGZWGwSblChWnRF4/s1600/hanoi+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-6ncUaecH7C8zpAApQ4bCRrmezautAQlUEadyaYMh54TAbKTJNYTuZo9pyMcbpwdujCDGWhVi-abz-TR2jIEnKQc8yDpeCZ5uXNK9hCTEMt50HpRuzlTtbhSRPMJBGZWGwSblChWnRF4/s400/hanoi+sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'll miss these colorful sunsets over Truc Bach Lake and West Lake from my balcony.</i></span></div><br />
For the fifth time in seventeen years, I’m moving from Vietnam to a far-off shore. This time my destination is Akita, Japan, where I have a one-year work contract. The Japanese government has given me a three-year work visa, however, so I may end up in Japan long term.<br />
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I’ve been debating whether or not to retire this blog and start a new one, but I’m going to try to keep this one going. Akita, which is about 550 km (330 miles) from Tokyo as the crow flies, isn’t on most travelers’ lists of must-see destinations, but since it’s going to become my home for a while, I’m sure there will be plenty to share about this medium-sized city on the northwestern tip of Honshu, on the sea-edge of the Japanese Alps.<br />
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I’ve lately taken to Twitter, too, and like it for all the tailored news feeds I get and for timely updates on local goings-on. For anyone interested in “following” me on Twitter, feel free to do so. My account name is <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sapuche">sapuche</a>.<br />
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In the meantime, this will be my last blog post from Vietnam. I’m typing this on my flight to Japan, and expect to post it from an airport hotel in Tokyo. Tomorrow I arrive in Akita, and surely I’ll start blogging again soon.<br />
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Sayonara, Hanoi. Stay interesting. But please work on solving your traffic problems. And clean up Hoan Kiem Lake so your country’s emblematic turtle can live on for many years to come. I can’t wait to come back one day soon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphuzRHPEkFGmkk1HoSJquCL6FdltQiBFs78CcwwOCv8xtbqhnINDApNypvRzAY8-W2hbLIhAO4gXWJRVamxjlsowLVkIKibFS42PsrjaQ8onCsTZtukLC-RgQx9eSCTKFJqwzdtGzCkWv/s1600/mt+fuji+from+airplane+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphuzRHPEkFGmkk1HoSJquCL6FdltQiBFs78CcwwOCv8xtbqhnINDApNypvRzAY8-W2hbLIhAO4gXWJRVamxjlsowLVkIKibFS42PsrjaQ8onCsTZtukLC-RgQx9eSCTKFJqwzdtGzCkWv/s400/mt+fuji+from+airplane+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Approaching Tokyo by air. Mt. Fuji is rising through the clouds in the distance.</i></span></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-74574101321087464262011-06-20T00:52:00.000-07:002011-06-20T07:55:42.034-07:00Short Getaway to Phu Quoc Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuS65ZBrjw4GEfF6IEIT7k0W5-0DdIiG7WHnGL3PnoAPfrvpL9eNVGt8rzzlqLqXwvWeaqzsKW7WBa8wiNnK7Z1nA0w6z_cIOhkkAP7UzcT2gX4JWQWBHS6QFikAp84glzzMlTrvjhhBRw/s1600/sao+beach+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuS65ZBrjw4GEfF6IEIT7k0W5-0DdIiG7WHnGL3PnoAPfrvpL9eNVGt8rzzlqLqXwvWeaqzsKW7WBa8wiNnK7Z1nA0w6z_cIOhkkAP7UzcT2gX4JWQWBHS6QFikAp84glzzMlTrvjhhBRw/s400/sao+beach+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bai Sao Beach on Phu Quoc Island.</span></span></div><br />
As part of my last trip in Vietnam (“last” is relative; I’ve lived in Vietnam five different times, so this is the fifth “last trip” I’ve made here), I headed south to Vung Tau and Phu Quoc. Much of what I saw and did in Vung Tau I did before on <a href="http://theworldtastesgood.blogspot.com/2009/06/36-hours-in-vung-tau-vietnam.html">previous trips there</a>, so I won’t post anything new about this pleasant coastal city—though I could mention a great seafood restaurant where I had sea cucumber salad and grilled oysters with cheese, among other memorable dishes. Maybe I'll squeeze that in on a later post...<br />
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Phu Quoc has an interesting history. Once belonging to Cambodia, the island has been absorbed into Vietnamese territory for a few centuries. The island served as a penal colony during French colonial times, housed a prison camp during the Vietnam War, gave safe haven to Republic of China soldiers for four years before they continued on to Taiwan, and was briefly taken by Khmer Rouge forces in 1975. Now, however, Phu Quoc is best known for its fish sauce, pepper, and seafood.<br />
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Aside from my interest in the island’s history, Phu Quoc has always been my favorite getaway in Vietnam, largely because it has empty, mostly unspoiled beaches, amazing seafood, and because the island is bigger than Singapore (especially outside the island’s main city of Dương Đông) one can spend hours exploring it on motorbike or bicycle. On this trip we opted for a motorbike, which cost under US$8/day to rent, and hit the main market, a fish sauce (<i>nước mắm</i>) factory, a pearl farm, a beachside restaurant, a stunning white-sand beach, and numerous dirt roads that took us through always interesting landscape.<br />
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The first time I came to Phu Quoc was in 2004, and in the intervening seven years a fair bit has changed. The downtown area is more crowded, the traffic is worse (but concentrated downtown), and tourism has slowly started to kick into gear. Driving here is fine, but the roads are bad and you have to share them at times with huge transport trucks and tourist buses. I hate to think of what motorbike and bicycle travel will be like in a few more years when road traffic on the island multiplies. The island’s big enough, though, and roads can be widened without displacing local inhabitants, that this hopefully won’t be an island-wide problem for many more years.<br />
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One of the more interesting places to visit, in my opinion, is Dương Đông market. Morning is the best time to go, especially to see fresh fish being sold, but it was extremely crowded when I went and whenever I walked on the market road I had to dodge traffic and breathe in noxious exhaust fumes. The fish selection here was possibly more varied than <a href="http://theworldtastesgood.blogspot.com/2011/05/weekend-escape-to-dong-hoi.html">what I saw in Đồng Hơi</a>, though in terms of scale this market was smaller. I was surprised to see the selection of sharks, stingrays, and a large dark green fish called <i>cá bớp</i> in Vietnamese (cobia, or sargeant fish, in English). Following are some photos of the market; as usual, I focused on the fish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-KEBVa8BXwbMllJT47-mgFzqHZ1327IfQwS9S_vrm-aVjexqoTrASeFRPi57Oqg0ChE5FY0TQuXCRnO30uO-mBvr1cWTzYMEpl8r_4ycKIaXKS4NuToQsTq8H7yitEg3bHErKt86EjYE/s1600/fish+at+market+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-KEBVa8BXwbMllJT47-mgFzqHZ1327IfQwS9S_vrm-aVjexqoTrASeFRPi57Oqg0ChE5FY0TQuXCRnO30uO-mBvr1cWTzYMEpl8r_4ycKIaXKS4NuToQsTq8H7yitEg3bHErKt86EjYE/s400/fish+at+market+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1cKJMEmQm3iQIXdYIE3tI21A9ACiNGYlw6hXIxtylgyENhYUELNZtowXQZT9drqLyb4NlWIRSJJqceBs4dJrGjyGS6NxtXolL4jpvNr6n2MBh9fhByTLcPThfVfN2eU6c46m-CdvvRVd/s1600/fish+at+market+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1cKJMEmQm3iQIXdYIE3tI21A9ACiNGYlw6hXIxtylgyENhYUELNZtowXQZT9drqLyb4NlWIRSJJqceBs4dJrGjyGS6NxtXolL4jpvNr6n2MBh9fhByTLcPThfVfN2eU6c46m-CdvvRVd/s400/fish+at+market+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That dark green fish is cá bớp. And it is, I have to say, delicious. I just hope it's not endangered...</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7Gp9mXiSxEkuqPbo_bKtxOe1RaaVF2w8tqUshGuZOW2Cph9fpBsaaiIharLrtG-eimWEym4m9LxcZig9lZQUV_TQ_J4tvUt8bcqmV1vgGZMG4M4zqvAWUU1ntyIR-ThhWbpYa4VfIYsh/s1600/fish+at+market+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7Gp9mXiSxEkuqPbo_bKtxOe1RaaVF2w8tqUshGuZOW2Cph9fpBsaaiIharLrtG-eimWEym4m9LxcZig9lZQUV_TQ_J4tvUt8bcqmV1vgGZMG4M4zqvAWUU1ntyIR-ThhWbpYa4VfIYsh/s400/fish+at+market+8.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sharks for sale. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how they're used in cooking.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNC7GUx3rIW1VcdLDIYjJ5vun30hmOAuHeUWn2wXVhl1jYWB8NO2plbWsSbPXIlFLMJbLC-fe5b3892nfO4_xpaYJ1BFTsqaVcL02uqKCulL-JKSNns2Qd74xGvq-Hj8HPTUgm4E5azes/s1600/fish+at+market+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNC7GUx3rIW1VcdLDIYjJ5vun30hmOAuHeUWn2wXVhl1jYWB8NO2plbWsSbPXIlFLMJbLC-fe5b3892nfO4_xpaYJ1BFTsqaVcL02uqKCulL-JKSNns2Qd74xGvq-Hj8HPTUgm4E5azes/s400/fish+at+market+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Not far from here, and also downtown, is the Khải Hoàn Fish Sauce Factory—one of several fish sauce factories on Phu Quoc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIQUWLXffyqi9csnLYqpACV8XgWkLCaeHKUgiDiMMGfedumhSVKOimXc6P1uI_hJNwdn1WS_f_nclxaRsRmKot5DGYjGZNsndcF-fJae0YMh-KwbX1OPFcfwTna8DpPwtVXJ_-s099ZoM/s1600/fish+sauce+factory+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIQUWLXffyqi9csnLYqpACV8XgWkLCaeHKUgiDiMMGfedumhSVKOimXc6P1uI_hJNwdn1WS_f_nclxaRsRmKot5DGYjGZNsndcF-fJae0YMh-KwbX1OPFcfwTna8DpPwtVXJ_-s099ZoM/s400/fish+sauce+factory+bottles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It can't be comfortable sitting atop plastic bottles of fish sauce...</i></span></div><br />
They offer brief tours in very limited English, but if you speak Vietnamese you’ll get a much more detailed explanation of how the factory makes its fish sauce. Also, be forewarned that the factory seriously stinks. After twenty minutes here I grew not to mind the smell so much, but in the beginning the stink was hard to deal with. We’re talking air suffused with fish in varying stages of lengthy fermentation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LkRfrXyr_Mn-wY_In4CmOMhup71TkEbznuPnmF_cp2lkTwtAyV6v_fdJK1aIJttSCHOWHA-lrEgLi2rhpPiyaNVflqd_lyZAXDlAEUAlc2qA4CNxXinygzWFSfk6S6tBV80IqKZ2V6hb/s1600/fish+sauce+factory+vats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LkRfrXyr_Mn-wY_In4CmOMhup71TkEbznuPnmF_cp2lkTwtAyV6v_fdJK1aIJttSCHOWHA-lrEgLi2rhpPiyaNVflqd_lyZAXDlAEUAlc2qA4CNxXinygzWFSfk6S6tBV80IqKZ2V6hb/s400/fish+sauce+factory+vats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
What kind of fish? Anchovies! They buy tons of anchovies (okay, and apparently other varieties of small fish) from local fisherman, who come right up to the water-side dock of the factory and sell them their catch directly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX2Xm0r_vqj59Xzbt7TVYAZRe2dTgBCh4Ci_VMR8z54yVqLU800b60Z-I5rNB1XkamAqC2nuPFYec8QUKJR0JPqW5XY_oEEFqdvgf6XUUY8lBsLAzuEAVjKXobxDz1pj-RB7qFf-9f4wI/s1600/anchovies+used+in+fish+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX2Xm0r_vqj59Xzbt7TVYAZRe2dTgBCh4Ci_VMR8z54yVqLU800b60Z-I5rNB1XkamAqC2nuPFYec8QUKJR0JPqW5XY_oEEFqdvgf6XUUY8lBsLAzuEAVjKXobxDz1pj-RB7qFf-9f4wI/s400/anchovies+used+in+fish+sauce.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In case you're wondering what this gray mass is, it's the fish used to make fish sauce. You wouldn't want to get pushed into this mass, either, as you'd sink to the bottom of a 10-ft-tall barrel and have to swim to the top through 3 tons of fermenting fish.</i></span></div><br />
The fish are then pressed and left to ferment, and the waste product, rather than being thrown away, is sold mainly to local fish farmers who feed it to their own fish stocks. It’s not what I’d call a big operation, but this brand can be bought all over Vietnam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjj_QiYmtoKdR3NpNL9ily9CsjTFulVATqOb-ii9OYISDpGskD_BXf0pswVCIDW_cVYb1XQd8l6Wvhgmm0DkOlJMlPv10sjTBmCVgiY1vAekXlETvEx7RmmGdtqyCACMMz50Uyl00yB7v/s1600/fish+sauce+factory+showroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjj_QiYmtoKdR3NpNL9ily9CsjTFulVATqOb-ii9OYISDpGskD_BXf0pswVCIDW_cVYb1XQd8l6Wvhgmm0DkOlJMlPv10sjTBmCVgiY1vAekXlETvEx7RmmGdtqyCACMMz50Uyl00yB7v/s400/fish+sauce+factory+showroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can sample and buy the factory's different products. That is, if you can get the workers to stop playing games on their cell phones and not whine like babies when you ask them to help you. I eventually found a nice member of the staff to help me; hopefully you will, too.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Also downtown, and just down the road from several hotels such as <a href="http://www.sgphuquocresort.com.vn/index.php?lang=en">Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort</a>, is Cau Dinh Temple. Situated atop a rock jutting out into the Gulf of Thailand, one has a beautiful southward view of the beach as well as a northward view beyond the mouth of the Dương Đông River and the beaches along the shore there. The temple is famous for the whale bones it contains, and attracts seafarers and followers of Vietnam's "<a href="http://www.haivenu-vietnam.com/vietnam-religion-whale-cult.htm">whale cult</a>." There’s also a nightmarket within walking distance from Cau Dinh Temple, where you can sample local seafood.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1XRbzb-x12vJpzQZlupXiciB_WIdl0-ob57cKzEDhI85SrvIyCUKnKy6GBdfkAJDRqvcRgwQyrc0YoREh_IXTJMbd5wdNrqa2sYQqdYnYZ5hse81HHa3e24hw-j4kt9yklEEOx_9uODs/s1600/phu+quoc+oceanside+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1XRbzb-x12vJpzQZlupXiciB_WIdl0-ob57cKzEDhI85SrvIyCUKnKy6GBdfkAJDRqvcRgwQyrc0YoREh_IXTJMbd5wdNrqa2sYQqdYnYZ5hse81HHa3e24hw-j4kt9yklEEOx_9uODs/s400/phu+quoc+oceanside+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWeCSZ4VpmaLxZcbgu9ywgN4oj_8AohSyNOP24HY88fivA25RlVgMyS0da-I_XL5UE34Gkc07-Fn3JsHmtRjM6CNzGPegBE6M9W3s7g-7R7Led8CJQc0YSaKOnAjVazEZFn8B79d5hWx5/s1600/phu+quoc+puppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWeCSZ4VpmaLxZcbgu9ywgN4oj_8AohSyNOP24HY88fivA25RlVgMyS0da-I_XL5UE34Gkc07-Fn3JsHmtRjM6CNzGPegBE6M9W3s7g-7R7Led8CJQc0YSaKOnAjVazEZFn8B79d5hWx5/s400/phu+quoc+puppy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Phu Quoc dogs are famous for the line of raised fur along their backs. And no, it doesn't mean they're angry.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BOIEsv3N9dWwmuHZXw35zM5JsaAMdKNs9g80okHYE5hAIM3ygb219UmDE8dmMEWHj234IIsNe-MUWtxPQPHtfCrgH9rul8RrYXgeN0BWNGUoaVqeC7ZWCmSpOuhUhyhmuHCQN_kuj69P/s1600/boys+fishing+in+helmets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BOIEsv3N9dWwmuHZXw35zM5JsaAMdKNs9g80okHYE5hAIM3ygb219UmDE8dmMEWHj234IIsNe-MUWtxPQPHtfCrgH9rul8RrYXgeN0BWNGUoaVqeC7ZWCmSpOuhUhyhmuHCQN_kuj69P/s400/boys+fishing+in+helmets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'm not sure why three of these four kids were fishing with their motorcycle helmets on, but I readily admit I don't understand Vietnamese culture as well as I probably should. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Another place worth going to is Sao Beach, on the southern tip of the island. The beach extends a few kilometers, to Khem Beach, which is also pretty spectacular, but Sao Beach is better set up for tourists to make use of (though it’s not yet what I’d call touristy). There’s an amazing, inexpensive beachside seafood restaurant here, where we ordered <i>cồi biên mai</i> (grilled surf clams, I think) and <i>mực hấp gừng</i> (ginger steamed squid).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNZuzu4Rhp3-DhPsVpuDQiq0v8-1cvP1n7s1Y09XFf4v550ACDCtbmsVRXGf_MvhmJN4MpSHCOZ0Z0yjaJ7XlyV9_tli_fnYQ9eBYl3dH4T6bzVHgdXq2Lp1fSyw0hOyI38jowukVWVFn/s1600/coi+bien+mai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNZuzu4Rhp3-DhPsVpuDQiq0v8-1cvP1n7s1Y09XFf4v550ACDCtbmsVRXGf_MvhmJN4MpSHCOZ0Z0yjaJ7XlyV9_tli_fnYQ9eBYl3dH4T6bzVHgdXq2Lp1fSyw0hOyI38jowukVWVFn/s400/coi+bien+mai.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cồi biên mai</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwWEFg8DidKdy1MmrgFnnreGTnq9g1ywMD9-fMTjuo78lX-v2fhbUeaaEVDXJI_rgcKz0xRknikzK-mZixIzh_O0VcAnfoCj1eT9l7OPE6SW87SbMWM8fjEywHzcHyEekaAZEhzWqXSQc/s1600/ginger+steamed+squid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwWEFg8DidKdy1MmrgFnnreGTnq9g1ywMD9-fMTjuo78lX-v2fhbUeaaEVDXJI_rgcKz0xRknikzK-mZixIzh_O0VcAnfoCj1eT9l7OPE6SW87SbMWM8fjEywHzcHyEekaAZEhzWqXSQc/s400/ginger+steamed+squid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mực hấp gừng</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQcCVp1GBrQetNqPT4-OJg8cn7nsVueTfdKDgKBJQA78GHT6S5CrJ85UJoR1ulu6BPAUq7PmFjvntmDOvFi9LbnJ7BZw7SR-F7Q-eu3ZafaVFrSjFiKlqT3yekCuhnyW4VlHYcZiaC0pU/s1600/dog+looking+for+food+scraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQcCVp1GBrQetNqPT4-OJg8cn7nsVueTfdKDgKBJQA78GHT6S5CrJ85UJoR1ulu6BPAUq7PmFjvntmDOvFi9LbnJ7BZw7SR-F7Q-eu3ZafaVFrSjFiKlqT3yekCuhnyW4VlHYcZiaC0pU/s400/dog+looking+for+food+scraps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A cute puppy struggling to lick some seafood grease off of a plate. It soon gave up and collapsed on the beer-wet ground and started snoring.</i></span></div><br />
Also, if you drive a motorbike here you can park it in the restaurant’s lot and spend however long you’d like on the beach and in the ocean. The white sand here is powdery soft, there’s no trash, and the water is shallow and clear for dozens of meters out into the bay. We waded into the warm water after lunch, and quite a few tiny green fish approached us and actually nibbled on the skin along our shoulders and back. We didn’t feel them at all, but they weren’t the least bit afraid of us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlFKDu4sFmxjhldyJr1FOQH3DmgeXA6yLkFIMoijtn4BazP3MsEdeOf2aIOoeIB1JvKQMeoo8T3AsyYkKx5Rg0VeqnCpm58E-JuCpwv9X4VCwwyltzs6kuOV4UjLpW1LiUCu9fw-p_z5c/s1600/sao+beach+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlFKDu4sFmxjhldyJr1FOQH3DmgeXA6yLkFIMoijtn4BazP3MsEdeOf2aIOoeIB1JvKQMeoo8T3AsyYkKx5Rg0VeqnCpm58E-JuCpwv9X4VCwwyltzs6kuOV4UjLpW1LiUCu9fw-p_z5c/s400/sao+beach+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
During previous visits to Phu Quoc I’ve stayed at Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort and <a href="http://www.boresort.com/">Bo Resort</a>, but this time we opted to stay at <a href="http://www.mangobayphuquoc.com/noflash.html">Mango Bay</a> (near Bo Resort, on Ong Lang Beach, but separated from it by an unscalable outcrop). Mango Bay is a fairly basic, mostly no-frills eco-resort on a large tract of oceanfront land.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHwP2QwmpyJo9ds9J0UtZwH_u2DsxArWVNN9oqW4P0O7Rjn_dex3-x3JECwkmHvnbfaiEscCNw-SPeyd2-lz3rV0Y-FcdLo1s2cI6ZzEfMyAyFzEyjzTKOWb6rVpnBklcqr1YDNwhA5VT/s1600/mango+bay+grounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHwP2QwmpyJo9ds9J0UtZwH_u2DsxArWVNN9oqW4P0O7Rjn_dex3-x3JECwkmHvnbfaiEscCNw-SPeyd2-lz3rV0Y-FcdLo1s2cI6ZzEfMyAyFzEyjzTKOWb6rVpnBklcqr1YDNwhA5VT/s400/mango+bay+grounds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You'll want to keep your eyes peeled for great mounds of cow poop. Or, as the Vietnamese call them, </i>bôm bò<i> (cow bombs).</i></span></div><br />
It’s a popular place for foreigners (and roaming cows), and there were a fair number of Vietnamese who stayed here as well, which was nice to see.<br />
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It’s a pleasant place to spend a few relaxing days, but I must say that the food here was expensive (~$10/plate) and not all that good.<br />
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I also have to say that the bungalows were overpriced. We paid $54/night for a fancified hut without A/C or Internet access, and more freaky insects and arachnids than you’d ever want to have to deal with on holiday. I even got bit by a hand-sized spider, of which there were many in and around the bungalow, that had somehow found its way inside the mosquito-net-enclosed bed in which I slept. Don’t even ask about the variety of poisonous millipedes crawling all over the floors of the outdoor shower and bungalow’s interior. Of course, the resort can't protect guests against every creepy-crawly thing in a creepy-crawly-filled environment, but at least now you know that you may encounter them here.<br />
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The resort's beach is clean and pretty, but only part of it is consistently calm enough for swimming. Ong Lang Beach is great for long walks, too; bring your shoes if you want to climb over the rocks that separate the various stretches of beach.<br />
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I feel comfortable recommending Mango Bay, though there are probably better options on Phu Quoc for the price.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-3763531639052480392011-06-18T04:11:00.000-07:002011-06-20T00:54:18.387-07:00Oishi Restaurant (West Lake, Hanoi)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKHj5DKQEOCjG6JjGK5hGYYOYxpRc6VEhcP63eCdl5iTTcJNcpaYhM2L9_3cIHfO37aaV2M1u6BGqfn1VrAdxzaLeczsgW0HJ__-QfG7XJ0sModHyKaVSXSmtB6bNtsNxcbL6lTl96NDU/s1600/entrance+to+oishii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKHj5DKQEOCjG6JjGK5hGYYOYxpRc6VEhcP63eCdl5iTTcJNcpaYhM2L9_3cIHfO37aaV2M1u6BGqfn1VrAdxzaLeczsgW0HJ__-QfG7XJ0sModHyKaVSXSmtB6bNtsNxcbL6lTl96NDU/s400/entrance+to+oishii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, as my time in Vietnam draws to a close, I’m thinking of retiring this blog to focus on my home-to-be: Japan. In fact, if I have my druthers one day, I’ll find a way to live half the year in Vietnam and half the year in Japan (with a few weeks or months in the U.S. thrown in for good measure). But right now I’m getting ready to move to Akita, Japan, on a one-year contract, and since I don’t expect I’ll be able to travel much outside Japan anytime soon, I think I may concentrate on raising one of the offspring of this blog – <a href="http://japantastesgood.blogspot.com/">Japan Tastes Good</a>. Either that, or I’ll take another break from blogging and concentrate on my immediate concerns of getting adjusted to a new country, culture, and language, as well as a new job.<br />
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In the meantime, and with Japan on my brain, I’ve got another Japanese restaurant in Hanoi to recommend highly.<br />
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Oishi Restaurant is not easy to find on a first attempt. It’s tucked away at the end of a winding road in West Lake, and sits quietly between several tennis courts, a hotel and pool, and an international school. The location is actually very nice—with all the old, towering trees, it’s bathed in shade during the day and is an oasis of quiet on summer nights when West Lake's cicadas and frogs are at their noisiest.<br />
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Walking into the restaurant, you’d be forgiven for imagining that the prices here are going to be high—or at least higher than most Japanese restaurants in Hanoi—but this isn’t the case at all. Oishi has a very polished, modern interior, and manages to function well as a high-quality restaurant with fewer staff than most of its competitors around the city.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAESY4LHATdGN4mJKchqZFg6EEhy_Zl0FdKK12ghHaOm8L9yfk_gx35hC6fEqwkVvDUX0VyLWTc-hEepNuO3R0mjzqfhIHxu_T_1_KzV_Uj6-k-CFomu8hQoECqZSL-uvll2ya1_H8hkXi/s1600/inside+of+oishii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAESY4LHATdGN4mJKchqZFg6EEhy_Zl0FdKK12ghHaOm8L9yfk_gx35hC6fEqwkVvDUX0VyLWTc-hEepNuO3R0mjzqfhIHxu_T_1_KzV_Uj6-k-CFomu8hQoECqZSL-uvll2ya1_H8hkXi/s400/inside+of+oishii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The sushi chef, who hails from Osaka, is extremely nice and comes to Oishi with more than twenty years of restaurant experience in Japan. (He's new to making sushi, but he seems to do a good job if it!) He doesn’t speak much English, but if you know some Japanese he’s more than happy to make conversation while he goes about creating your sushi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCf90Qq7JlLJDdeZidEslxj3xztbLHaGZTgkqTXr6MUfYfs8m9CZG1Jg1fV8XjSbYFtTerFjy1r6RY2YBxvk63qdPW8I7ydea-m3cKRu1b-io5mgarZklMDpUA-o_ECUIGQAK0dg0xJOp/s1600/sushi+counter+at+oishii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCf90Qq7JlLJDdeZidEslxj3xztbLHaGZTgkqTXr6MUfYfs8m9CZG1Jg1fV8XjSbYFtTerFjy1r6RY2YBxvk63qdPW8I7ydea-m3cKRu1b-io5mgarZklMDpUA-o_ECUIGQAK0dg0xJOp/s400/sushi+counter+at+oishii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I’m including photos of two of the meals I had at Oishi. The first one is admittedly nothing exotic—a tempura lunch set special, which included a potato croquette starter, miso soup, white rice, pickled veggies, green tea, and fruit for dessert—but I have to say it was some of the best tempura I’ve had in Vietnam. And for only $7, it can’t be beat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkU_12B87L_V73-gRqcPtpMYSOhMs8koZ4dvrTiXYaWik-3uwXys2VZMMtFx1Ilas7dO1g4vb81rUoqy4pRx83kmUEDnEfEFVlO0Wf1gCt_ibhyphenhyphenuZ2v15xT9MyvUsB8yuxT8ivcskJWGj-/s1600/potato+croquette+starter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkU_12B87L_V73-gRqcPtpMYSOhMs8koZ4dvrTiXYaWik-3uwXys2VZMMtFx1Ilas7dO1g4vb81rUoqy4pRx83kmUEDnEfEFVlO0Wf1gCt_ibhyphenhyphenuZ2v15xT9MyvUsB8yuxT8ivcskJWGj-/s400/potato+croquette+starter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The potato croquette starter. This alone satisfied completely.</i></span></div><br />
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I’ve had the ramen lunch set here, too, which is fantastic, and I’ve ordered sushi delivered to my home in Truc Bach, which luckily is within their delivery zone, but it’s a particularly nice experience to come here with friends for dinner. The menu is extensive—one friend complained it was too large—but easily navigated. The sushi options are simple but numerous.<br />
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We started off with an eel and cucumber salad, thinly sliced grilled pumpkin, and a plate of fried onions and assortment of mushrooms.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYLbm9qspE1mknZmWR6thsJthp1yOpf9rYdUZH2TriJHQk3zlEmhJkIJfYuoI5Fm3aloG-c3Lx95RdafP0-0AtYEjOwb1CGkWx3CWwq5XK2eG_hfjuutK_ybIGUFgR7FZFlzgUO7M3Zz-/s1600/stir+fried+enoki+mushrooms+and+onions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYLbm9qspE1mknZmWR6thsJthp1yOpf9rYdUZH2TriJHQk3zlEmhJkIJfYuoI5Fm3aloG-c3Lx95RdafP0-0AtYEjOwb1CGkWx3CWwq5XK2eG_hfjuutK_ybIGUFgR7FZFlzgUO7M3Zz-/s400/stir+fried+enoki+mushrooms+and+onions.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After that we went for the sushi. Perhaps it was because of the heat, but amazingly we didn’t come with our normal appetites. Normally we would order four or five types of sushi, but tonight we just went with two: a tuna roll (the pieces of which were large and the portions of tuna more than generous) and an order or pressed mackerel (the best mackerel sushi I’ve had in Vietnam). For four people our bill, including beer and sake, came to $53.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRm9AAUywyjCYv5-X_TTK5X6cKVHZfS5Au9bVJoQtO26sLAhgv6fgzBbjluy_iDir2wd1GRlZtVPf4FlaTsGFe6DEQHIuzzIWjvm6sOCvwZ_kACmdII_Wfk142J4AKM2EdR5IPy461wqg/s1600/tuna+roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRm9AAUywyjCYv5-X_TTK5X6cKVHZfS5Au9bVJoQtO26sLAhgv6fgzBbjluy_iDir2wd1GRlZtVPf4FlaTsGFe6DEQHIuzzIWjvm6sOCvwZ_kACmdII_Wfk142J4AKM2EdR5IPy461wqg/s400/tuna+roll.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7XhjN43JspYFzCTxL79eEbtgSzCx9FpS90qA_oyFKkB6qptugQZM2eK_AbRG1uEgsMhqEYxU7zIUphd41-jzPJOklKp9d81l_qkE-cWVcvz11XMkJtEiopEOI3fdyR2QRK8SR4RpCqcm/s1600/pressed+mackerel+roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7XhjN43JspYFzCTxL79eEbtgSzCx9FpS90qA_oyFKkB6qptugQZM2eK_AbRG1uEgsMhqEYxU7zIUphd41-jzPJOklKp9d81l_qkE-cWVcvz11XMkJtEiopEOI3fdyR2QRK8SR4RpCqcm/s400/pressed+mackerel+roll.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">If they had legs, I'd expect them to start kicking them Rockettes-style on their long tray.</span></i></div><br />
One thing that stayed with me about the restaurant was its Japanese graciousness. I was with a party of four one night when suddenly the skies unleashed a downpour. We were the last customers to leave, but we had walked there from a house about one kilometer away. The restaurant called us a taxi, but none came. (It's hard to get taxis in the rain in Hanoi.) Finally, the restaurant gave us four brand new Japanese umbrellas—the price tags were still attached—and told us to take them home. We promised to bring them back the next day, but the sushi chef and his staff waved off this suggestion and said we could keep them. We protested, but they protested more vigorously, and in the end we walked off in the rain with four umbrellas we hadn’t arrived with.<br />
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<b>Oishi Restaurant is located at Tô Ngọc Vân, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội. Tel: 04-37186626. Fax: 04-37186616. Web: <a href="http://www.oishihanoi.vn/">http://www.oishihanoi.vn</a>. Hours: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (or later).</b>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-32109530180740568352011-06-04T09:09:00.000-07:002011-06-04T10:13:28.314-07:00A Lazy June Weekend in Hanoi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIBh9_rG0sIDLKhB7oI2HlHR50kq_PFK9_WAFF0LvPYjQYMNSSWauwrnDT6hNH6P3JtGb8CAkevp5ZYKC84oZqjHUbcmS_EOg0cXYuAMn-td_gN4yiS_9e3Puopl7zh7gO8efdzsPnce_/s1600/cay+phuong+flowers+on+ground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIBh9_rG0sIDLKhB7oI2HlHR50kq_PFK9_WAFF0LvPYjQYMNSSWauwrnDT6hNH6P3JtGb8CAkevp5ZYKC84oZqjHUbcmS_EOg0cXYuAMn-td_gN4yiS_9e3Puopl7zh7gO8efdzsPnce_/s400/cay+phuong+flowers+on+ground.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Standing on a carpet of flamboyant tree and crepe-myrtle petals, I took this shot looking across the water at Kim Lien Temple.</i></span></div><br />
This weekend has been really hot and humid; typical Hanoi weather for early June. One nice thing to do on days like this is explore West Lake, where ancient temples and walled alleys, and giant crepe-myrtle and flamboyant trees, reflect in the neighborhood's various lakes. There are breezes here and copious shade, not to mention nice little lakeside cafes where you can sit and listen to cicadas buzz. It's the time of year when Hanoi dons its brightest colors.<br />
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I thought I'd share a few photos from the Truc Bach area, where I live, and West Lake, which is a stone's throw away. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqn6p8BiYHWRF_wGenMJvtK52Hjlj2py0ZSLwUTw6sgIqy11pW8MfKke9fYoc5eGRHxzFv2xOR3RAU0CcpUYojWsTFXqVjwOEK4dkLQOL4Dl6v3QAr-9iSzCrHPEZyvzE1HTnUKBF6h-5/s1600/weekend+bird+cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqn6p8BiYHWRF_wGenMJvtK52Hjlj2py0ZSLwUTw6sgIqy11pW8MfKke9fYoc5eGRHxzFv2xOR3RAU0CcpUYojWsTFXqVjwOEK4dkLQOL4Dl6v3QAr-9iSzCrHPEZyvzE1HTnUKBF6h-5/s400/weekend+bird+cafe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On Saturday mornings on Tran Vu Street, red-whiskered bulbul (</i>chim chào mào<i>) aficionados gather in sidewalk cafes to let their birds socialize. Later, if they choose, they will pair males with females. It's fun to come here for coffee and enjoy the sight of these excited birds and the sound of them singing to each other. </i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOSuBArnm9VTBnLPDyXFIr__ECiCqyj6volHGXx8ssyHjmMYGh5ig80zlH5tVTBfJ_Dc6vIWMcNxX0D_CFIrzsbvtlwh-flD8iM7s3VnLf5f9-cS-T7fpNDXkRmjLoWXYDcgSFjlLQLum/s1600/red+whiskered+bulbuls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOSuBArnm9VTBnLPDyXFIr__ECiCqyj6volHGXx8ssyHjmMYGh5ig80zlH5tVTBfJ_Dc6vIWMcNxX0D_CFIrzsbvtlwh-flD8iM7s3VnLf5f9-cS-T7fpNDXkRmjLoWXYDcgSFjlLQLum/s400/red+whiskered+bulbuls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_oHADX8W716huStO6Brc2bJ-gayLWLZlUP6egPxH-8BwLD625TvxezWDhFWyr_8mYZvk2T1OKiMMi20z2MCa1IGu_CpYQPTy36qVvvTxzM-dDo0o5N2VlahP1KkaN2KHkZdu-1-Fbb87/s1600/hoa+bang+lang+on+truc+bach+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_oHADX8W716huStO6Brc2bJ-gayLWLZlUP6egPxH-8BwLD625TvxezWDhFWyr_8mYZvk2T1OKiMMi20z2MCa1IGu_CpYQPTy36qVvvTxzM-dDo0o5N2VlahP1KkaN2KHkZdu-1-Fbb87/s400/hoa+bang+lang+on+truc+bach+lake.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of the giant crepe-myrtle trees, or </i>cây bằng lăng, <i>on Truc Bach Lake. Quite a nice spot for a cafe, no?</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1An4GiH4h3hfnqsAjugbi7gxWcbgfXh9Rl99fdIrwJJsIyVAfgOl_CPVW8-hd_eL9U-1JFBspJz-etGvah13B0RM5bcYxY7s5pGDSEm2aTTvUzTtQ3dqqdyJ1lqbbmlLkhWWEL9KWes9C/s1600/cay+phuong+on+truc+bach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1An4GiH4h3hfnqsAjugbi7gxWcbgfXh9Rl99fdIrwJJsIyVAfgOl_CPVW8-hd_eL9U-1JFBspJz-etGvah13B0RM5bcYxY7s5pGDSEm2aTTvUzTtQ3dqqdyJ1lqbbmlLkhWWEL9KWes9C/s400/cay+phuong+on+truc+bach.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A small park on Truc Bach Lake full of bright flowers and blooming flamboyant trees (</span>cây phượng<span style="font-style: italic;">).</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jnTiNzHpRgHX6C6s-1wu-2ODUqrHNJyayBoPf7DHNEvrG82ONbKYFW5rPL9138wQhE1jEkHwZ3Wn-qch0zLclaw5HJKFs1ZNUr3UgaM97I4e-bkyp34DBzjqm8U8M5dDHb3G2LyvzsSv/s1600/having+coffee+under+hoa+bang+lang+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jnTiNzHpRgHX6C6s-1wu-2ODUqrHNJyayBoPf7DHNEvrG82ONbKYFW5rPL9138wQhE1jEkHwZ3Wn-qch0zLclaw5HJKFs1ZNUr3UgaM97I4e-bkyp34DBzjqm8U8M5dDHb3G2LyvzsSv/s400/having+coffee+under+hoa+bang+lang+tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">One of Hanoi's top choices for a sidewalk cafe.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdQ7f7C-jlXltrBBfN2MLbhm97vq77wf_bDSWKqNQiS9AreHzqtRxW6m5A8FoO1sGxq1IoEoA_9l8pr-Ne_gBgQZPBIT0BNkmIjEY8bvtjClTiA_MqMQ66RqD94XvhcbrgdL9sm1Md3vI/s1600/near+west+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdQ7f7C-jlXltrBBfN2MLbhm97vq77wf_bDSWKqNQiS9AreHzqtRxW6m5A8FoO1sGxq1IoEoA_9l8pr-Ne_gBgQZPBIT0BNkmIjEY8bvtjClTiA_MqMQ66RqD94XvhcbrgdL9sm1Md3vI/s400/near+west+lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf8l160WIMzJh-KkQ1uPKHxXAxBf6u-s5gJXCXATYk6wbm3CYzRO8e1QXHFkYfUI6OLdfeynQ3Wbad_EHu9ktsq-xd-dTA2BMvN4VcphjjKOGaHlP23T9QPGA1IPqMBOpyF8FTCPQo9E9/s1600/on+west+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf8l160WIMzJh-KkQ1uPKHxXAxBf6u-s5gJXCXATYk6wbm3CYzRO8e1QXHFkYfUI6OLdfeynQ3Wbad_EHu9ktsq-xd-dTA2BMvN4VcphjjKOGaHlP23T9QPGA1IPqMBOpyF8FTCPQo9E9/s400/on+west+lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawFYrX2BfYvs-obAxAJ5neP7fcFoJpfjMVF5a6j-zTc4CFh8Rqtjen5FWrOna-g6ItSTSnOJAzC-TV7iasiJti3ggo7c8Z33KcU6PRDjoqyyuJi83n_qeuUWrJM3oLBuXfV6mxU7epnkH/s1600/on+west+lake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawFYrX2BfYvs-obAxAJ5neP7fcFoJpfjMVF5a6j-zTc4CFh8Rqtjen5FWrOna-g6ItSTSnOJAzC-TV7iasiJti3ggo7c8Z33KcU6PRDjoqyyuJi83n_qeuUWrJM3oLBuXfV6mxU7epnkH/s400/on+west+lake+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Two men fishing on West Lake. Behind them, as you can see, are the city's ubiquitous, colorful summer trees.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68Ju1UxBj_RV43Ki8tEjcdk1iN5_4XKmhkUMlgvDYKQUBz7gvHqjxMMYSl8HLlKYrdFu4koacC3v_REN-VPt9MqPa39vcvwmVWb_J0qF9-GRKtek39X_sJpk5eAovhfLTBxQDfr0Ldiqh/s1600/cay+phuong+leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68Ju1UxBj_RV43Ki8tEjcdk1iN5_4XKmhkUMlgvDYKQUBz7gvHqjxMMYSl8HLlKYrdFu4koacC3v_REN-VPt9MqPa39vcvwmVWb_J0qF9-GRKtek39X_sJpk5eAovhfLTBxQDfr0Ldiqh/s400/cay+phuong+leaves.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>An old alley in West Lake, carpeted in flamboyant tree flowers.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sFR9wpgs-0bm4rYu252sM9mBgGUrWHqwe_PJHgtDOkwYzCEGpX6hGET_MccCSc9oRe3snp7DDLpH6bHczVfSq_YRejJKFSiZD0CsOL1rL-MGfR2R2o862NhCekWWh4kMUqD3UPAmHWyL/s1600/cay+phuong+near+west+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sFR9wpgs-0bm4rYu252sM9mBgGUrWHqwe_PJHgtDOkwYzCEGpX6hGET_MccCSc9oRe3snp7DDLpH6bHczVfSq_YRejJKFSiZD0CsOL1rL-MGfR2R2o862NhCekWWh4kMUqD3UPAmHWyL/s400/cay+phuong+near+west+lake.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A girl in a white </i>aó dài <i>being photographed beneath a flamboyant tree.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAabdYYLT3gwpEl6AM1wg0YzN_qdugh65KhRV7wtwb6nG9L1CwkOpL1Vkh1YiPUa599-klgCJbyeONHMuWfOSKohiM2sf93G-1m61u6yAzPiRERUw6GaFD2teImssCYE3y1iiwJkSxHkWm/s1600/goose+boats+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAabdYYLT3gwpEl6AM1wg0YzN_qdugh65KhRV7wtwb6nG9L1CwkOpL1Vkh1YiPUa599-klgCJbyeONHMuWfOSKohiM2sf93G-1m61u6yAzPiRERUw6GaFD2teImssCYE3y1iiwJkSxHkWm/s400/goose+boats+at+night.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This photo, also along West Lake, I just threw in with the rest. These geese are actually pedal-driven boats, very popular in the summer.</span></span></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1306333472392467864.post-71239437065425471662011-05-27T07:53:00.000-07:002011-05-27T07:53:57.847-07:00Weekend Escape to Dong Hoi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcaMgElARcnI0y0C6kmDZKq_RrkIoVQPb3gdSxOMqE09Xw5SKZapgDW9htT-h-rCAL7AB8r1fJcUaOIEZPTxaMBvsvhEEpu3Zy-5WXAllsDkj2uLSVRRfrh2P180ytM5hQFcUMOlY4q94/s1600/sun+spa+beach+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcaMgElARcnI0y0C6kmDZKq_RrkIoVQPb3gdSxOMqE09Xw5SKZapgDW9htT-h-rCAL7AB8r1fJcUaOIEZPTxaMBvsvhEEpu3Zy-5WXAllsDkj2uLSVRRfrh2P180ytM5hQFcUMOlY4q94/s400/sun+spa+beach+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The beach in front of Sun Spa Resort in Đồng Hới.</span></span></div><br />
I recently decided that Hanoi was just too hot and that it was time to find a nice, breezy beach along a peaceful stretch of coast. If I’m going to be hot, I’d rather be hot beside the ocean and sand. That’s where the town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BB%93ng_H%E1%BB%9Bi">Đồng Hới</a> comes in. In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quang_Binh">Quảng Bình</a> province, only seven hours by train south of Hanoi, one can escape there very easily. In theory, if you leave late at night then you can just fall off to sleep in your cozy compartment and wake up early having arrived at your destination.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NnyFS7VyDR0ira49a87jgzr58lQ4WCd_O4C2zxvF4NNymTb_qeF3_4Nj1I6vYLwut2WMOVJQKNt0L8Z5LRNrZBe-LRZMgl2_cimf4k5Dz-_9JqCc5OL4YGu4LJaWC4ciTVuQ8hcQoN41/s1600/ga+hanoi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NnyFS7VyDR0ira49a87jgzr58lQ4WCd_O4C2zxvF4NNymTb_qeF3_4Nj1I6vYLwut2WMOVJQKNt0L8Z5LRNrZBe-LRZMgl2_cimf4k5Dz-_9JqCc5OL4YGu4LJaWC4ciTVuQ8hcQoN41/s400/ga+hanoi+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The express train we took, which seemed to travel at the speed of an antsy burro, was 40 minutes late leaving Hanoi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2C7TioqsxkSUABwfLq9nqK2NvfSztYIoEfmv96y66NHby5_uVAktYmjlqwCeUv1w2gEW80v6erWvqIOfW27BxRaPYiij-t-6mbN5Xt64aAjDdCOdzXVJCn2o295AYHZLeOdwrSIJ2nu1/s1600/train+corridor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2C7TioqsxkSUABwfLq9nqK2NvfSztYIoEfmv96y66NHby5_uVAktYmjlqwCeUv1w2gEW80v6erWvqIOfW27BxRaPYiij-t-6mbN5Xt64aAjDdCOdzXVJCn2o295AYHZLeOdwrSIJ2nu1/s400/train+corridor.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
By the time we arrived in Đồng Hới, we’d made up 15 minutes. We got a compartment with six sleeper beds, and the six of us—three Vietnamese, myself, and two Scots—fell asleep pretty quickly. But we were awakened as early as 5 a.m. from the sun stabbing through our windows, foot traffic in the corridor, and cart-pushing vendors loudly rattling off the food and drinks they were selling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsqTjLUeMpt8EhWROoRb0gHMkW8KAJJI4i9givRsC4pJGdyzMZ0Jt-s9Pvchrn_-F81JazmsrOyJgNzDz26BUq10AOBiZN7oxrutrHVeyzZZG1XcfPi79xY2kaUGchaLKjl__IsFnrD9J/s1600/train+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsqTjLUeMpt8EhWROoRb0gHMkW8KAJJI4i9givRsC4pJGdyzMZ0Jt-s9Pvchrn_-F81JazmsrOyJgNzDz26BUq10AOBiZN7oxrutrHVeyzZZG1XcfPi79xY2kaUGchaLKjl__IsFnrD9J/s400/train+room.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
I opted for nothing, but I did get down from my middle bunk, toting my camera, and took some shots of the passing scenery. Quảng Bình province is on the northern fringes of Vietnam’s central coast, lying almost midway between Hanoi and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%C3%A0_N%E1%BA%B5ng">Đà Nẵng</a>. Its biggest claim to fame is probably the <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=phong+nha+ke+bang&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=frjfTefkF47yvQP58eTIBQ&ved=0CCcQsAQ&biw=1242&bih=678">Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park</a>, home to one of the most spectacular cave systems in the world. In fact, <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/jenkins-text">Sơn Đoòng Cave</a>, discovered in 2009, is the world’s largest cave. Earlier this year, National Geographic published a piece about it here: <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/peter-photography">http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/peter-photography</a><br />
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As I was saying, the landscape we passed through for the last two or three hours of our trip was gorgeous. Ponds, lakes, and streams were seemingly everywhere, with green rice paddies stretching to distant mountains. It was hard taking decent photos with the reflections (and dead-bug smears) in the windows, but I’ve included a few of my favorites below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkSLV-gJ8ElRhIEQ-oy6CcdMAN-d0zxgJqJ_hWA-iniejOnpnlZ-ms2AbT0U_2imfReLDHbZJkkmhAQebQyXQu3zqI8u7UKBshZ7LVWq9T3WqcpwpiX5IK_uJUf1LUTYJT2h7eDlZKaUQ/s1600/view+from+train+window+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkSLV-gJ8ElRhIEQ-oy6CcdMAN-d0zxgJqJ_hWA-iniejOnpnlZ-ms2AbT0U_2imfReLDHbZJkkmhAQebQyXQu3zqI8u7UKBshZ7LVWq9T3WqcpwpiX5IK_uJUf1LUTYJT2h7eDlZKaUQ/s400/view+from+train+window+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4UKNHfqQTHwCRBHO_OFkMG0lclCL6wXMdhezkxpxkoTSoBqIrkVvyc8OWn2xMhrZX8th5bdZI3sCtW5Wu8dN6f-pqvogYelPnuRpdy0kMZgl5yE-6BFevsVeq6-25ROpjywuZbp9lpz_/s1600/view+from+train+window+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4UKNHfqQTHwCRBHO_OFkMG0lclCL6wXMdhezkxpxkoTSoBqIrkVvyc8OWn2xMhrZX8th5bdZI3sCtW5Wu8dN6f-pqvogYelPnuRpdy0kMZgl5yE-6BFevsVeq6-25ROpjywuZbp9lpz_/s400/view+from+train+window+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I also met some good people on the train. They were a bit camera shy at first, but by the time we rolled into Đồng Hới they were demanding shots left and right.<br />
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They even wanted me to photograph their tonsils, and since I had the camera anyway what could I do but oblige?<br />
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I don’t remember the exact time we got into Đồng Hới, but I do remember that I was hungry. So I guess that would have made it breakfast time. We grabbed a taxi into the city, which was about a one-minute drive away, and less than ten minutes later we were checking in to our hotel: <a href="http://www.sunsparesortvietnam.com/en/home.html">Sun Spa Resort</a>.<br />
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There’s not much to describe about the hotel’s main wings, though the grounds of the hotel and its beachfront were very nice—a long stretch of grass and coconut palms before the beach, which was empty and full of clean, soft sand. (Walking away from the beach, however, it wasn’t quite as clean.)<br />
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The resort had various beach activities, too, but the two pools were what drew the most guests, and for good reason.<br />
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The hotel also has a nice gym, though I was only in it long enough to take this picture. That’s because I’m incorrigibly lazy.<br />
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Sun Spa Resort has at least two restaurants and an outdoor bar/café, which at night fronts a small stage where a band plays live music. Also, if you’re into paying high prices for fresh seafood, the resort has seating under a beach tent where you can order off the grill just about anything catchable in the near waters.<br />
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Early the following morning, following an exhausting day of pool lounging and failed tanning, we were off to the Đồng Hới market, adjacent to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nhat_Le_River">Nhật Lệ River</a>.<br />
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I love Vietnamese fish markets, and I have to say that this was easily the best one I’ve yet seen. Not only was there a remarkable diversity of seafood being sold here, but the sheer volume of it was incredible.<br />
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It was a busy place, and wet, and fishy-smelling, and crowded, and I loved it. I would have thrown myself onto the pavement and rolled around like an excited, stupid dog if I hadn’t been forcibly stopped.<br />
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The following photos will attest to how great a place this was…if you’re into fish markets the way that I am, I mean.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-7kt7iS0Db5A9Fb2VukSr_KDElSBkx2_tdSgNbRNS5cjIr72Dg33Es_txGWKldK6gwk5DrhBTDZvrt-NNKqAl1fL9WvHMdyCpCpcYIXe_RaUbFUTNj5BWaCkwjw98EkG3rNjdRHiaOkL/s1600/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-7kt7iS0Db5A9Fb2VukSr_KDElSBkx2_tdSgNbRNS5cjIr72Dg33Es_txGWKldK6gwk5DrhBTDZvrt-NNKqAl1fL9WvHMdyCpCpcYIXe_RaUbFUTNj5BWaCkwjw98EkG3rNjdRHiaOkL/s400/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+4.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6UJElqjzY0zMJXFxGBsZSm4IN_3UBFfpdcp0wUwE0ZAwwMsK3pp4UCJbSn-WRm7cqCOyAjeXl-ViontT9EKaCCBvtGrjFgThl4NQIs0NIJoCTEEODzrnFBM-2XWO8Uqb6YZ1GIk3dvDW/s1600/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6UJElqjzY0zMJXFxGBsZSm4IN_3UBFfpdcp0wUwE0ZAwwMsK3pp4UCJbSn-WRm7cqCOyAjeXl-ViontT9EKaCCBvtGrjFgThl4NQIs0NIJoCTEEODzrnFBM-2XWO8Uqb6YZ1GIk3dvDW/s400/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+5.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Look at the size of that fish head compared to the woman selling it!</i></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1GIdY4GO-cYrMglgk7N_eqwCG6nzdQe_spPgLzcBMwYk-XXuaqD0EZMWpE4K3PvmlPVO95cVR8-P-glQe5RJcFBUyMAKRp6b7W8Ujtasb7_ovvlk9PRY5uF-TB9NKSvpQ_13uMJF0fiN/s1600/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1GIdY4GO-cYrMglgk7N_eqwCG6nzdQe_spPgLzcBMwYk-XXuaqD0EZMWpE4K3PvmlPVO95cVR8-P-glQe5RJcFBUyMAKRp6b7W8Ujtasb7_ovvlk9PRY5uF-TB9NKSvpQ_13uMJF0fiN/s400/fish+at+dong+hoi+market+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There were baskets and baskets of stingrays, too, which I don't normally see in Vietnamese markets.</i></span></div><br />
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There were also all kinds of fresh veggies and fruit.<br />
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You could even buy a bucket full of baby pigeons. And why not? Doesn’t KFC sell buckets of chicken? Can’t you buy a 60-piece bucket of chicken thighs in the U.S.? I’ve always thought that making a 60-piece bucket of chicken thighs sound appetizing was <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><s>a disgusting</s></span> an incredible feat of fast-food marketing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhkrG5RIilvb2DP7W74qxdvJQHnZVqNTUA3chmaQZWxoLe_BpCMa2hrX7GGJbDMwqM0JQQ81VOS07A3BMqisZlccS4Dzyn8B_QyzxC0w2iNycrN-zgJJBACOtg7JNF9jSjXYx24k31JyA/s1600/baby+pigeons+at+dong+hoi+market+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhkrG5RIilvb2DP7W74qxdvJQHnZVqNTUA3chmaQZWxoLe_BpCMa2hrX7GGJbDMwqM0JQQ81VOS07A3BMqisZlccS4Dzyn8B_QyzxC0w2iNycrN-zgJJBACOtg7JNF9jSjXYx24k31JyA/s400/baby+pigeons+at+dong+hoi+market+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dozing in the warm morning sun beside their friends, shelled baby onions, these little guys have no idea what's in store for them...</i></span></div><br />
We headed inside the central market building and climbed to the second floor. After crossing a bridge (and snapping a photo) that led to another market building, we found ourselves inside a large, if dark and grimy, second-floor eating area.<br />
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It smelled good here, especially since I’d not had breakfast yet, but sometimes your body tells you just to move on. I listened to my body this time.<br />
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Back on the street, however, and done with the market, we found a quiet side street full of blossoming phoenix trees and sat down for a quick dish of <i>bánh bèo</i>. For 20,000 dong it was a good deal, but it was little more than a snack. After gobbling this down we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel, where a free buffet awaited us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTavB-l0fN4wUDX12sSTNFjZY10PtXv2X2At33YjPUVvQ-dXOXyenBHScEDIIEAF6v1IR9X2CWeHrIm4uAKEph8ymfg2sKl7GGzCH39QCVCLBeG3jdHVUGaz3pQZRJKkhlqGShQ-DYCac/s1600/banh+beo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTavB-l0fN4wUDX12sSTNFjZY10PtXv2X2At33YjPUVvQ-dXOXyenBHScEDIIEAF6v1IR9X2CWeHrIm4uAKEph8ymfg2sKl7GGzCH39QCVCLBeG3jdHVUGaz3pQZRJKkhlqGShQ-DYCac/s400/banh+beo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bánh bèo <i>topped with dried shrimp, green onions, and pork crackling.</i></span></div><br />
Sun Spa Resort actually consists of two different classes of accommodation. Next to where we stayed is a many-starred (I’m sorry, I don’t know how many stars it rates) resort that’s part of the original resort. It’s sort of like the drop-dead gorgeous younger sister of the merely gorgeous older sister. (Or something like that.) The photos below show the open-but-not-yet-completed second resort. As of this writing they were offering 50% off of all villas and bungalows (a discount of $170 per night). The website for the villas and bungalows is <a href="http://www.sunsparesortvietnam.com/en/Villa-Bungalow/Villa-Bungalow.html">here</a>.<br />
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Not a bad price for your own private bungalow hidden by a wooden fence and lush vegetation, and with a private pool overlooking the ocean.<br />
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The grounds of the resort are extensive, peaceful, and empty. There’s a nice walking path that winds from the beach all around the Bao Ninh peninsula and along the Nhật Lệ River. Dusk is a great time to explore the area, even if you’re not a guest there.<br />
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At night we grabbed a taxi for the ten-minute drive up the coast on the opposite side of the Nhật Lệ river mouth. We were taken quite a ways past our original destination—Biển Đồng restaurant, which had been recommended to us—and dropped off. We explored the numerous local seafood options, many of which were interesting-looking, family-managed areas of plastic chairs and tables by the beach. In the end, though, we decided to return to Biển Đồng, where a rickety wooden bridge led us to this floating restaurant.<br />
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The menu at Biển Đồng, not surprisingly, is full of seafood dishes—though you can also order steamed, frien, and hotpot chicken. We skipped the fresh fish, squid, and crab, and went instead for <i>tôm hùm</i> (steamed jumbo shrimp served with pepper and lime juice), <i>điệp nướng</i> (grilled scallops topped with fried onions and bits of red chile—the best I’ve ever had), and a peppery <i>cháo ngao</i> (oyster porridge, which I also loved). The results are below.<br />
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Add a beer and some stir-fried veggies, and the total for two people came to…$16!<br />
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The walk back into town (but not back to Sun Spa) was nice at night, especially passing by an old lighthouse lit up on its upmost deck and with a full moon hanging over it. Unfortunately all my photos of it turned out blurry, otherwise I’d upload one here.<br />
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Anyway, the following day it was time to return to Hanoi. The train arrived in Đồng Hới almost half an hour late. I didn’t mind, as the train was scheduled to arrive in Hanoi at 4:02 a.m. In the middle of the night, what difference does half an hour make?<br />
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We entered our compartment, stuffed our things in the luggage area over our door, and settled in for the trip back north. If I were staying longer in Hanoi and needed a break from the city, I’d certainly consider Đồng Hới for any future weekend jaunt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumtncZ55DcIt-CKhNYz-xQ-FxKHkRuMDYaKQ69bpcJCiPYgK7tgyBJk0nOyL2oVbke3436lfEo-XiIXAVfwMV27OMnxuMu_9bQpv-hHQ06WpOlunts4QzR_Oia11rQNDCnZ5gUIvHKQid/s1600/sleeper+bunks+on+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumtncZ55DcIt-CKhNYz-xQ-FxKHkRuMDYaKQ69bpcJCiPYgK7tgyBJk0nOyL2oVbke3436lfEo-XiIXAVfwMV27OMnxuMu_9bQpv-hHQ06WpOlunts4QzR_Oia11rQNDCnZ5gUIvHKQid/s400/sleeper+bunks+on+train.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com3