Wanderings and Misadventures of The Toes

Hali-Hali-Halifax!

kitschey — Thu, 2 Dec 2010 02:07:00 GMT

I'm in Halifax and have been for a good 2.5 weeks. I'm flying back to Ottawa tomorrow. Yes, yes, I should have posted sooner. The main purpose of this trip is to visit my good friend Pat. I did the Vancouver trip earlier to visit Jen so now it's Pat's turn.

In reality I haven't done all that much. I'll keep this brief since the details are a little dry. Stick to the highlights:

I've met many of Pat's friends over many a beer. They're great people and that makes me happy. A person of special note is his girlfriend; one of those genuinely sweet and lovely people. She'll be teaching English in Burma soon... possibly a new location to add to my itinerary? Another nice surprise was learning my cousin is living here now. We had a very nice day together and it was refreshing to share it with someone. Doing everything alone gets old quick.

People aside, I have also made friends with two squirrels on separate occasions. They're little curious red ones. I shared my apple with the second and just kinda hung out making my whistles and chirps. When I passed by a second time later on he was sitting in a tree. I whistled and down he came right to my feet. I was out of apples.

There's been pubs, bars, bowling, movies and lots of walking. Point Pleasant Park was fabulous, especially along the rocky coast. I looked for sea glass but found weather beaten chunks of brick wall instead. That satisfied me. I've seen the colourful houses all over the city and Dartmouth across the bay. I've walked along the harbourfront, visiting the small shops and looking at sailboats. Most tourist attractions are closed this time of year.

One attraction that is always open: Pier 21. Kinda cool with all the history in that building. The tour was even guided by a rad old dude who immigrated through that building. Unfortunately I missed the Alexander Keith's tour... that one included beer. Citadel Hill is also worth checking out though, again, most of it was closed. It was pretty trippy to be the only person within sight as I walked around the battlements though.

There's other stuff but I'm keeping this simple. A nice little relaxing trip all for me. Today I'm filling in the gaps. Have to eat some East-coast seafood before I take off! And not just sushi. My laundry is done and it's time to get this day going!

Cambodia: The Lost Stories

kitschey — Thu, 2 Dec 2010 01:38:00 GMT

I did, in fact, end my 2010 Asia travels in Cambodia. I know the journal just kinda... stops. For all those hungering for more facinating memoirs following Korea I'll be posting a copy of my last journal online. Some day. I wrote more frequently in the little Moleskine notebooks I carried with me at all times. There's more info in them and I think they're better than the half-assed things I write here. Also, Cambodia is a fantastic country!

Considering the great response I've received to this online journal, I will be typing-out all four(?) notebooks. Only a small handful has read them (my mom; she can be a handful sometimes! He he he) so it's like being accepted into an exclusive club. Yeah.

The transferring task is taking some time as I am a lazy, lazy person(*). I'll let everyone know once they're up. Haven't decided if it will be on this journal or elsewhere on the internets. Ideally I'd have a proper website up but I don't like the idea of carrying a laptop around; also, see the (*) note above.

Gibber, Gibber

kitschey — Fri, 7 May 2010 23:15:00 GMT

Holy, holy, poop... I'm booooored; or just over tired. Ugh. I don't want to sleep or do anything productive. I'd like to draw and do some sketchies but I hate to do that stuff in the presence of people. *shifty eyes*

Saw the secret garden behind one of the many (5) palaces in Seoul. It was pretty and green with trees and water and little buildings. Whoop, whoop.

I met two girls from Vancouver. They were just passing through Korea very quickly and moving on to Thailand. Maybe I'll see them again, that would be odd, no? We hung out for a few hours and had lunch. I introduced them to my favorite street in Seoul (the artsy one) and went on my way.

I checked out this other area I was told is quite artsy; Samcheondonggil. I love that name though I wish I could pronounce it! So that road was definitely full of galleries and nice stores but it was the upscale version of what I was interested in. Everything was too pricy for me. No biggie though since I don't really need stuff. In fact, I'm trying to get rid of stuff at this point. I have a nice little brown dress and today I wore it as a final goodbye. I'll be sending a package home shortly and it may have a place in the box... maybe. Depends how I feel tomorrow and the size of the box, I guess.

Feeling in an adventurous mood this afternoon, I wandered toward a mountain. I don't know which it was though it wasn't particularly big. It had trees and turned out to have nice paths too. I just kinda chose the ones that went up and was rewarded with a nice view of the city and hills. The sun was in that golden afternoon stage which happens to be my favorite time of a summer day.

I scrambled up some rocks with my bum out in the wind. I was wearing shorts under the dress; no worries. Some older gent saw me in that lovely pose and I scrambled back down. I guess I'm not completely over my vertigo after all. Anyhow, I don't know if he was just showing off or actually intended to do it from the start but up he climbs like nothing and just stands there. Damn him and his steady stance!

I had another "Bicycle Boy" type of incident up there. A young guy, I call him "Purple Shoe Guy", was on his way down the path while I worked my way up. He stopped on the steps and we made eye contact. I think he recognized me too. We passed eachother by and that's just how I like it. I love crazy coincidences! The world is sometimes a small place but there's still so much to see and do. How exciting!

Okay, back to being bored.

Feelin' Happy, Even in the Rain! Sharing it with a Smile!

kitschey — Thu, 6 May 2010 22:06:00 GMT

I'm always horrified when I log on to this blog and realize how little I have updated. That makes for a lot of catching up. I am now groaning...

Soooo... I'm in Seoul. I had the wonderful "Korean Airport Experience!". Basically a lot of noise, pushing and line cutting. Luckily the check-in counter lady was on my side. Take that Mr. Line Cutter with 6 boxes of oranges! I WIN! Bwa ha ha ha!

Got to the hostel after wandering the unnamed streets for over an hour. The hole time I was only a street or two away from my destination; basically circling it. Luckily a nice old lady noticed my perturbed look and mumbled curses as I stared at a map (also useless without street names or building numbers). She guided me to my home for the week, my hero.

Originally there wasn't a bed for me the first night and I was going to find a hotel with the help of Kim, the hostel owner. Luck being on my side a second time that day, she did in fact have a bed. Top bunk but at least I didn't have to move from back and forth between lodgings. She told me that if I was quick enough I could claim a bottom bunk the next morning when some people left. "Be quick, very quick!". And I was. I now have the darkest little corner, which is good since people tend to turn lights on at all hours. I'm always the only chick in the dorm rooms too. What's so scary about sleeping in the same room as a bunch of dudes? Just learn to change your clothes without flashing anyone. Pretty easy.

When I arrived in Seoul I realized I had no idea what to do here. I knew I'd go to the World DJ Festival this coming Saturday but that's it! The first place I decided on almost at random was a temple. I made my way out there and found that it was closed on Mondays. Plan B! Oops, no plan B prepared... Okay, nearby market then!

The market was the coolest and gave me hope for this city. It was basically an arts paradise with small stores dedicated to people's handiwork as well as various free art galleries from traditional to way out there pieces. I spent many hours just wandering around. My personal fave was a four-storey building with a ramp path that circles up around an inner courtyard. All along were small shops with people selling their works. At the top I had some fancy coffee and cake. Yippee!

I also visited one of the palaces here. I can't remember the name at the moment but that doesn't matter. It covered a huge area and had many buildings and walls to play around in. Courtyards and pagodas and actors, oh my! I finished the day at the folk museum. Pretty standard fare; historical this and that.

There's a giant market that covers a large area. I perused the vendors and picked up a cute dress, some bicycle shorts and a bag of dried fruit. I honestly don't know what half that fruit is. Dried kiwi tastes odd. Fact. THen I went to a park with a path around a mountain. No grass... poo craptacular! It was still very pretty but I was killing for a lay-down on some grass. I did stumble upon the Seoul Cartoon Museum on my way back though so it was definitely worth being in that area.

The best part of this visit so far has been my mountain climb. At first I was unimpressed since the path was mostly paved or some other form of "too easy". There was a huge crowd too; "bring your kids", y'know? I kept finding openings to pass by and continue at my own pace. Though feeling cynical I continued since it was a pain to get out there. I'm so glad I did! Holy shit what a view!

I found a path that lead off the main one and up into the woods. It got narrower and more natural so I knew I was headed in the right direction. I didn't know what the direction was, just that it was a good one. It got progressively steeper to the point of climbing up rock faces with my hands and knotted ropes left by the park ranger folk. I made it to the peak. My breath was pretty ragged from the climb but the sight took it right out of my lungs. I stood on bare cliff edges and stared out into oblivion... or just a really long drop into a forest valley. Across the way on all sides were more mountains with bare rock jutting out of the folliage below. I could just make out the shapes of other hikers climbing the paths on adjacent peaks. I am pretty certain I have mastered my fear of heights. I only get wobbly when the wind catches at me now.

I enjoyed that scramble through rocks along the mountain's spine. It was honestly one of the most incredible things I've seen. I wish there was a machine that could project exactly what I saw and how I felt then. I'd love to share it with everyone.

Today was to be a rainy one (didn't rain, surprise) so I chose to visit the cartoon museum. It was a lot of sculptures, figurines and interactive displays. They had games which captured your movements through cameras and displayed them on screens with which you would interact. There was even a television that showed 3D animation without the need for special glasses. The only downside is that some angles make a double image. Anyhow, it's a very cool museum and even the bathrooms were fun!

Another building has a free library with comics and manga. The second floor has more displays of old comics and figurines but best of all a HUGE collection of animation from common to obsure. I saw some titles that brought back memories of my childhood. Truly exciting. They allow you to choose any film and watch it too. I layed back on a beanbag and viewed "Kiki's Delivery Service" with a giant grin. I would love to have a place for people to do that. Sooooo cool. I'll have to remember it when I open my kick-ass hostel one day.

(that reminds me, I saw the movie "Kick-Ass" and loved it. Great soundtrack too. It's wonderful that they show movies in their original language with subtitles here)

Today I was in a euphoric sort of mood. I don't know why; I just was and that's dandy. I got weird looks from people because I was grinning. That's a sad statement, don't you think? A person is looked at oddly for being happy. I kept thinking up the type of lines you would find in a book like "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". That's a great read if you're feeling down... though it might just irritate you if you're truly in the wrong mindset. One line I thought up is "No one is happy all the time but being miserable is a choice". Really, it's all in the mind. I know since I can be very miserable far too often. When I get into my happy moods I just wish I could stay like that. It feels so great and warm. I can feel the happy all the way in my stomach like a kind of excitement that wants to burst out. I wonder if I'm bipolar since my moods can be such extremes.

I walked around smiling despite the looks. I hope my smile made at least one person out there a little happier. So many of us are so fortunate.

That's the super short version of my "happy" rant from my hand-written journal.

I think that's it. Oh, noooooo. I forgot the really funny bit. I meant to save it for last anyway. Well I arrive at the hostel and I am smelly! Shower time. I get in there but I don't see a lock (so we know where this is going but I'll drag it out in true Tonie style). Okay, I assume the rule is, if the door is closed the shower is occupied. Obviously just when I'm completely nude and about to turn on the water the door slides open. "Occupied!" I say and there stands a dude looking confused and stunned. He sorta just stared for a moment before a switch flicked and he closed the door again. I was surprised that I didn't really care. I felt bad for him as he probably felt awkward but I personally didn't. I guess I'm pretty comfortable with my body nowadays. I didn't get much of a look at his face so I'm not sure who it was. Probably someone who tries to avoid making eye contact.

I'll leave you with that.

Jeremiah was (not) a Bullfrog

kitschey — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:40:00 GMT

I'll get to what I've been up to in a moment. First I'll explain where my head is at.

I've heard about this "two month blues" before. I've experience culture shock so now it's on to the next traveler's disease. Basically it's when someone has been on the road for about two months and starts to get tired, bummed-out and lonely. Today is day 61 for me... my two month travel anniversary.

I'm still very happy to be traveling and it beats the alternative of sitting at a computer indoors all day (come to think of it, maybe that's why I hate updating my blog!). It's just tough since I have been away from family and close friends. Making new friends along the way has been great and I plan to keep in touch but they've all gone off on their way. So I'm usually alone when I see the sights. I often think of some dumb shit I could do if I had a partner but alone my plans would not work out. Mind you, it's a different kind of experience alone so I would miss out on other things if I were part of a pair. You dig?

On the bus back from my day's excursion I got all introspective and such. Started making lists of what I definitely want, what I can do if I have time to squeeze it in and what I do not want from life. I'm not much closer to a solution as far as the career goes but I have made some other pretty big "decisions" about more personal issues. I won't go into them here seeing how flighty I can be. I hate to say one thing and change my mind the next day. This is my two-month anniversary so I may just be in a strange mindset.

Okay, so that's where I'm at mentally in a nutshell. On to what I've been up to, also in my digressingly-nutshell way... also if you dig. Christ. I know what I mean, I just don't have a very good grasp of the English language, I suppose.

So I did:

The next day (from my last entry) I visited the largest lava tube on the island, Manjanggul. I took a taxi there since I didn't feel like negotiating the buses on a rainy day. Bad idea, it cost me a fortune. Basically over a typical day's expenses. Lesson learned. The cabbie did get me an English guide for the tube so it's not all bad. He was a rad old man and fun to talk to. I learnt all about lava-flow and I will quickly un-learn it soon enough. Tried to take pictures but, who would have thunk it, they didn't turn out in the gloom. Picture a big stone tunnel with a few lights, some ridgey bits and drippy-drops on your noggin.

I planned to check out a hedge maze afterward but the guide insisted on driving me to my bus stop. He didn't seem to get that two kilometers really wasn't much to me. Ah well, I stayed relatively dry and had an escort on the bus to my next stop. No biggie. I'll try one of those mazes some day.

Next was a museum in Jeju City. Basically the history of the formation of the volcanic island, the natural flora and fauna as well as some folk history. It was a good way to kill a wet day. Seriously, it was like a hurricane out there; a hurricane that killed the umbrella I borrowed from the hotel (and then left at a bakery, whoops). There was even a small child who took a liking to me and dragged me by the arm to each exhibit while muttering and gesticulating. Later, while walking down the road, their van passed me by with a little body hanging out the window waving a frantic goodbye. Pretty cute.

The next day I felt like a little mountain climbing. Literally. It was a very small mountain in comparison to some I've climbed before. In fact the path is so well maintained that small children can do the climb. There are steps and wooden pathways for the majority of the walk. Despite being a cinch it was very pretty. In the summer it must be amazing as the grasslands on the plateau area is covered with wildflowers. I wish I could have seen that but I'm satisfied with the bushes and plants I did see. At the top (though not the peak, that's a very steep and long climb) it is cold enough for snow to cling to trees. There are little Roe deer grazing on some hills too. I'll add pictures in a while when I feel up to it.

The walk down became more natural and rocky. More fun! The path was along some cliffs with a view of the Southern Jeju island coast and the ocean beyond, seen dimly through a haze. Ambient haze, I calls it. The cliffs were an exciting chaos of craggy, pointy bits with grass growing at random. As I made my way down I also made the accquaintance of a pleasant young fellow. His English name is Jeremiah but I forgot his Korean name immediately. He's an avid hiker and had done the long and difficult course that day. If I wasn't feeling so lazy I would consider doing it too. Anyhow, we went out for supper once we finished the descent and I had my first taste of real Korean food. I've been making my own meals until now. Jeremiah is a funky, outdoorsy, punk-rocker type with sneakers, peircings and some sweet tortoise-shell glasses. He's actually walking around the island like a mini-pilgrimage so he's earned brownie points in my book.

Today I visited Seongang Iichulbong, a volcanic crater at the Eastern-most point of Jeju. It was a quick climb and, yup, looks like a crater with grass and stuff. Pretty enough and worth visiting but Mt. Hallah wins in my books!

I guess a girl is pretty popular around here when she's got a decent rack. I keep getting accosted by groups of young boys who want to take pictures with me. What the hell, I don't mind. On the crater the guy took the picture from a low angle so I knew what he was up to! I'm a perv too so I can't really say much against them. Another older man told me I have a nice face; in fact, in his own words "your face, number one!". This place is good for the self-esteem! LOL, crazy Korean men with bad taste in women. Maybe they like big noses.

I also went to a sort of pioneer village. It was neat to see the traditional homes of the island but I soon realized their architects weren't very original. Every house type looked identical; you know, nothing much has changed in 100 years. That's exactly how they build their apartments... rows and rows of the same model. It's pretty wild to see though. Imagine a building set between two mirrors facing eachother. That's a city skyline in Korea.

I've had enough of this computer poop. My bed awaits and I have some manga reading to do until I pass out mid-sentence.

I'll get over my two month hump, right mummy? You even read this in my cards. Maybe you'll be right about meeting a travel buddy! I hope I'm wrong to disbelieve spirituality and tarot card readings.

Culture Shock and Paradise(ish)

kitschey — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:02:00 GMT

I decided I would head straight to Jeju Island. It is the Southernmost part of South Korea and has a semi-tropical feel. Good choice despite the touristy-ness.

My ferry only departed at 7:00pm so I spent the day chilling on Haeundae beach in Busan. I even had some pizza so all-in-all it was a good time. Once the children started having a game of "toss-the-mud-ball" right around me I moved on. I guess getting whacked in the back was an indication that it was time to go.

Took me a while to find the proper port but I cought my ferry and even payed extra to have a bed. Hey, it's an 11 hour ride so I'm sure most folk would make the same choice. Otherwise it would have been a matter of finding a spot on a floor with a few hundred other random people. Yeah, no thank you mister!

Despite having a bed I did not sleep much. I had my first premonition when I noticed many men carrying large boxes of beer onto the ferry. So apparently it's just a big party boat. People are loud to begin with but when you put some booze in them they just don't stop. I think I managed to get a little shut-eye by 3am; maybe 4. The ship was due to arrive at 6am and people started waking up around 5 so you can guess how happy I was. A nice loud alarm clock of people yelling down hallways. Oh, my bed was right next to the door that my roomies kept leaving open. Forgot to mention that.

Despite the door thing and leaving the light on all night they were pretty good. At least my roommates went to bed around 11pm. I don't know how they managed it but I guess they're used to other noisy drunken Koreans.

Our bathroom floor would flood with about 2" of water whenever someone took a shower. There were 7 of us in that room so there was much flooding.

I was thrilled to step onto firm ground again considering it was a nice little island. It takes about an hour to cross it by bus and at the centre is a big dormant volcano (I plan to climb it soon). I'm staying in Seogwipo, a town in the South, at a nice hotel for about 22$ a night. I get my own room with a really comfy bed, tv, washroom and a view in two directions. I'm in a corner room: blam! I have a view of the hills, the ocean and a cool bridge that is lit up with colour-changing LEDs. I'll be visiting it up close tonight.

I've seen several waterfalls and some really neat stone outcrops. This island was formed by a volcano so it's all poreous volcanic rock. Most monuments and walls are made of the black rock.

So far the coolest place was Yongmeori Coast, that I visited today. It's cliffs along the ocean formed by layers of stone. The lava that created it and the waves grinding it down have created neat crevasses, archways, steps... so very cool. I took pictures but they really just don't do it justice.

Also neat is the vegetation here; a mix of Korean pines and tropical plants. You should see the size of the aloe plants! I think most are taller than me!

I'm here for one full week then I guess I'll just head to Seoul. I'll visit the areas surrounding that big city and maybe do some partying. We shall see. For now I have three days (?) left here so I'll see some really cool stuff. I don't want to spoil it yet so I'll leave it at that.

Oh, the buses are hard to negotiate. There is hardly any English in most places and none on buses. I did catch a ride once today; to my parents the abridge version of this sentence is "I only took buses and certainly did not jump into another car with strangers". Seriously, when you've experienced being brushed aside by an old man in a bus station ticket booth while trying to gain some intel, you just jump on whatever other opportunity presents itself. This was a pretty safe bet but I know I shouldn't hop in just any car. Don't worry folks.

You know, just ignore that last paragraph...

Crankies...

kitschey — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:59:00 GMT

Well, I have spent one day in Busan and frankly I'm just not feeling it. In town the people have been very rude and pushy for the most-part. And I mean pushy in a litteral sense. Not only do people just cut in front of you if you aren't an inch away from your goal but the old ladies are the worst! A little old lady shoved me from behind to get to a train. Full out arm into my back push. I was a little put off by that. I also got a nasty look from a man who walked into my elbow. I was getting my wallet out of my bag to pay for a subway ticket; think of how little my elbow would have protruded to perform that task. Right after I turned from the machine and narrowly avoided a teenager running past between me and the machine! Really?

So that's what it's been like in the city. I went into Gupo market where I think I was tricked into paying twice the price for a pack of bananas. I specifically went there to check out the dog for sale. Not pet dogs, dogs to eat. I found the area and walked on through, staring into those sweet little puppy eyes. They were some sort of smaller dog, looking a bit like akita. I wasn't too put off by the dogs or the skinless carcasses split down the middle on display. I was more discomforted by the looks I was getting from the vendors. Sort of a "we know you're here to stare at our goods and that you disapprove so piss off" kinda look. I don't judge them for eating dogs... it's their culture so who am I to come in and tell them it's wrong.

The good part of my day was a hike from Beomeosa Temple to Geumjeong Fortress. The temple was painted in brilliantly coloured patterns and was very pleasant to walk around. I took a path up boulders and through pine forests to Geumjeong Fortress. It's actually not a fortress but a wall that circles the top of a mountain for several kilometers. Along the way there are four gates: North, South, East, West. I hiked along the wall from North to East and what a friggin' view! Surrounded by other peaks and views of the cities below. The mountain was a wild mix of tall grass, woods and rocky outcrops. The boulders rose up randomly like a giant dropped his collection of pointy rocks while taking a walk.

The people I crossed paths with on the mountain were refreshingly friendly and some even greeted me! I was so releived since I've been having a hell of a time in the city. One man even spoke English and helped direct me to Seokbulsa Temple from the South Gate.

Seokbulsa was really neat. I hiked up a steep road as the rain returned. About halfway up I heard some thunder but decided I had come that far and should press on. Once I reached the temple the rain was really coming down and lightning made its appearance. I still took some time to admire the temple carved from the living rock wall. Behind some buildings is a small opening with statues carved into the walls on either side, another in the centre ahead and two alcoves to left and right. I entered one alcove to find a small dimly lit shrine. When I came out it was pouring so I figured that was my cue to head "home".

On my way down a car stopped and a man invited me to have a ride into town. I thought for only a moment and decided I'd take my chance that they were safe. I had seen them at the temple a few minutes before. Besides, the road was difficult to drive so I could make an escape if things got weird. They were cool and dropped me off at a subway station, so it's all good.

I was planning to visit a spa near the sea tonight. There's a balcony you can stand on in the nude and stare out across the ocean. Sounds pretty cool but I should probably do some research instead. I don't know where I should go next but I do know I'm leaving tomorrow. Maybe I'll like the next place and its people a little better. I could just be cranky right now and unwilling to give this place a chance. Oh well, moving on!

Photos: South Korea - 2010

kitschey — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:49:00 GMT

Tokyo!

kitschey — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:46:00 GMT

As I said, I love Tokyo. I love the energy that the place has. I feel there's a district for all tastes and everyone could find their place there. It's nice since I've felt I haven't belonged anywhere in years.

It's a huge metropolis but you don't feel overwhelmed since you take one district at a time. Occasionally the crowds can be tough to manouver through but you get accustomed to it. Strange; I thought I would feel uncomfortable or lost there. There was a bit of a kerfuffle when I first arrived since some phone numbers were'nt working for me but it worked out. A long story so I won't describe it here.

I spent a good amount of time drunk at night and wandering during the days. I especially loved Akihabara and Nakano though they are dangerous. They are Otaku (geek) heaven with electronics, manga, anime and merchandise. Oh, I spend some dough there. Harajuku is equally dangerous for clothing. I got to see some Lolita stores! Frilly doll clothes but for big peoples! Some stuff was really cheap too.

Another place any anime fan must visit is the Ghibli museum. It's built like an old European house with stucco, wood elements and stained glass. There's no specific route to follow, you just explore and get lost. I did for 3 hours! Very worthwhile!

The arcades are ridiculous. So many lights and prizes. I played pachinko but I had no idea what was happening and I lost all my monies... I don't much like pachinko. It's about as pointless and boring as slot machines. I love the claw grabber games and dropped a small fortune on them. The best was in Odaiba: life sized cars that you sit in to play a racing game. They move around as you control the game. Same with some skateboards on half-pipes and a sort of rocket race that you actually go upside-down in. Al and I nearly got first place in that one. There was another great game like the shooters on rails you often see at arcades. Instead of guns, however, you are armed with a keyboard and have to type the random words that show up below enemies. Wild!

Oh, Golden Gai! We need this in Canada. It's a small set of backstreets with tiny bars all along at street level and second floors. They're all about the size of a closet with space for maybe 5-6 people. Each is run by one owner and is decorated according to their personal tastes. Makes for the coolest bar hopping I've ever experienced; and no cover charges. From a sports bar to a jazz "lounge" to a he-she diva's pad. Sweet stuff. I'm pretty sure she was a dude in a past life.

Neko cafe: you have full access to drinks machines while sitting on the ground trying to entertain kitties. They're so uninterested it was painful. I guess so many people show up in a day that the sticks with bits of fluff on the end no longer interest them. Yeah, I could have put that 800 yen to better use. I did like the maid cafes though, although I felt like a bit of a perv being served by cute young girls in maid outfits. But I had to do it!

I could go on and on but I really don't feel like it. Unfortunately I also sent most of my photos back to Canada already so no updates on the blog. If you haven't seen the newest on Facebook, let me know and I can send a link. It's easier to update on Facebook. Sorry.

Well, I'll leave off on that. Tomorrow I'll start exploring South Korea. Maybe I'll update this bugger!

A Shit? Why Yes I Am

kitschey — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:53:00 GMT

Okay, so the honest to God truth is that I hate writing in this thing. It's not that I don't like to update all you nice folk; I do like to let everyone know what's up. It's just that I already write in my journal old-school style... pen and paper, kids.

So it's been what, a few weeks since my last update? Wow, that's a shit-tonne of updating to do. I'll have to consult my journal and give a few quick notes on what's gone down. It'll be really low quality so sorry about that.

Also, I have this entry under "Japan 2010" but I'm not actually in Japan any longer. I just made it in to the smelly city of Busan, South Korea. It's much bigger than I expected and way more chaotic. I didn't realize they just don't bother with cross-walk lights in most intersections. You have to take your life into your hands if you really, truly need that coffee. I'll be heading out to a mountain tomorrow; rain or shine. I suppose I miss nature a little but I also don't know if I'll like this place as much as Tokyo.

I know, give it a chance, "ne"?

But Let's take care of Japan first. Where did I leave off on my story telling?:

At one temple I was invited to join a family in a special Buddhist ceremony. Afterward they treated me to an onsen, supper and a free stay at their home! The next day I went to some temples accompanied by their daughter; very nice girl. The ultimate "osettai"!
I wrote something about a dude in a pink cow suit dry-humping the air...
While praying at one temple a dude interrupted me mid-way. It seemed he was asking if I was going to get a stamp so I said yes and he farked off. Not long after I went to get my stamp and the dickus had gone off to an hour lunch. From that point on I stopped doing the prayers. If a monk feels it's ok to interrupt them, then I guess they aren't that important!
At this point in the journal I ramble about the pilgrims that don't walk at all. How can you achieve enlightenment in a nice comfy bus with some guy to carry your walking stick for you?
Oh, this part was gold. Torture is probably a better word. There was about an hour or two walk to temple 65. I asked the monk there how long it would take to get to 66. He said about 7 hours. Well I didn't have 7 hours so I turked it hard-core. I made it in 5 hours. 5 horrible, body and mind destroying hours along highways and up steep paths. I was in tears and hypervenilating toward the end. I was so worried I would miss the last gondola down the mountain as well as the stamp office. There was no way I was going to return so I would have needed to camp out. I was a wreck. I made it 10 minutes before everything closed! Either there's a horseshoe up my arse or I'm just damn determined. If ever you want the full story just ask; I doubt I can forget that day. The dude stopping his van on the road to take my picture was also gold. At least that made me laugh. So did the folk I met along the way "gee, you sure are walking fast" "yeah, I have to hurry to make it to temple 66" "blah, blah, chatter... incessanty" then I think "well I was walking quickly until I met you lovely folk". Eventually I escaped.
I left my pointy sedge hat on a mountain. It had become a useless wind-catcher and I couldn't wear it and my backpack at the same time anyhow.
After the mountain ordeal I played my "I'm a lost little foreigner" cards right and snagged a free ride into town to my hotel. Turns out my other henro buddy Erik also stayed there! Friggin' crazy coincidences abound!
I got a free towel as an "osettai". The dude stitched whatever I wanted on it. I chose "Always know where your towel is". I think he expected something deep. It's sorta deep...
Stayed at some real dives during the pilgrimage. I guess it's preparation for Southeast Asia
Anyone ever notice that most food at a drug store is junk food? I thought that was odd.
For the rest of the pilgrimage I used trains a lot. I did do a fair bit of walking too but I definitely was trying to speed it up. I just wanted to get to other places. I was invited home to a nice lady's place and she made supper for me. We chatted quite a while and there were some awkward bits: "you're very... manly" and "my husband, he doesn't like blacks". WOW! She was nice though, I swear. Just lacked some tact.
Several Japanese Christians told me they'd pray for me. They gave me their numbers in case I needed anything. I didn't keep those numbers.
Sometimes you buy a pastry thinking it's fruit and it turns out to be some sort of seafood.
I've been thinking about how much I like most youth hostels. I may consider opening my own one day... I even have some design ideas. Whee!
I was feeling mixed emotions when I got to temple 88, the last one. I had to leave my walking stick and I still miss it. Tradition is to leave it there and they burn those that have been left in a ceremony once a year. I was a little dewy-eyed that day. I was happy to be nearly done but nervous that I'd be on to new things. I got so used to the pilgrimage.
I revisited temple 1 and was a little disappointed that nobody acknowledged my hard work over the last month. I didn't have my stick anymore so I didn't look much like a pilgrim. I did get a free meal as osettai though; that was surprising. I thought the lady was going to give me hell about something when she called me over as I was leaving the restaurant.
I went to Koya-san. Gorgeous town on a beautiful mountain full of temples. I wasn't too interested since I had seen at least 100 already but I suggest anyone visiting that area should check it out and stay in a temple overnight.
I wasn't sure what to do with myself afterward until Al let me know he was free for a week so I could visit he and Yuki in Tokyo! I was so happy and headed over shortly after. The 9hour night-bus sucked but the city filled me with its intoxicating enegry.

I love Tokyo! I got to see a side I wouldn't have alone so it was an even greater experience. I am so grateful to Al and Yuki for taking me to their favorite spots and allowing me to crash in their spare room. What a blast. I think I'll go into detail in a separate entry.

I hate writing titles

kitschey — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:57:00 GMT

I guess I look like someone named Bicky (I think she meant Vicky). That or maybe all of us white folk look the same to Asians. It could work both ways. I actually don't think everyone looks the same though.

Still at the youth hostel in Matsuyama. I'm so comfortable here I don't want to leave. I've booked two more nights so that leaves tomorrow to finish up the temples in the area then ???

I don't know what I'll do the rest of the day tomorrow. Laundry for certain but I've already seen the castle here. Definitely worth the walk up the hill and the 6$ admission inside. It beat the castle in Osaka hands down for interesting features and interior. The 5$ icecream was not so necessary. I followed that up with a visit to Mc Donalds (and soon a visit to the loo). It tastes the same here. Now I know and I don't have to eat it again.

I've completed temple 44 to 51 since I've been in Matsuyama. It was a hell of a far ride back out to 44 the other day but the walk was really nice. Not carrying around my big bag was a bonus too. I got lost again, as is my habit. Basically I walked over a big hill through a really neat forest with paths branching off all over. When I got back down there was a big tunnel I had to walk through to the other side. Only I didn't have to walk through that long dangerous and sidewalk free deathtrap. I was already on the wrong side. So I made two trips through it!

It's alright though. I wasted some time but it all worked out later on. When I came out of the tunnel I met an American from Alaska who I was to meet again later... when it all works out.

The rest of the walk was wet and muddy but not too brutal. Many parts of the path had become washed-out rivers but my boots held up. The forest leading down to temple 45 was set between cliff faces covered with vegetation. There was a constant sound of rain though it was only water dripping off the moss and ferns. The trees were the biggest I've seen yet and paths branched off again. There were small shrines all over and colourful flags. It was the most gorgeous forest I've ever seen. Describing it can't do it justice.

Temple 45 is also built against the cliffs lower down; water dripping onto the roofs. There was even an old ladder leading up to some carved out sections of the cliff. I love that temple. Beneath there was a cavern of some sort with only a few dim lanterns and at the back two buddha statues, also dimly lit. I couldn't tell if the tunnel went on but I was creeped out so I ended my search.

Once again bicycle boy appeared. We had a laugh and went on our way.

My bus was going to be an hour and a half wait. I wouldn't mind but I had already waited 3 hours that morning for the first but and I didn't like the thought of riding through unknown areas in the dark. I went to find a snack and the man in the store I found called up his buddy. His friend came along with a car and drove me to the bus station, saving me a lot of time and hassle. Erik, the American, was also waiting for the bus in 4 minutes so I even had a bus buddy! Turns out he's staying at the same hostel so I haven't been alone much lately. It's pretty nice.

There are many people staying here and we had a great time last night just chilling in the lounge. Free tea and oranges made it all the better. Where's the tea tonight, man? Maybe the owner doesn't want to encourage us to stay up late again. There's a 12:00am lights-out rule. That's the only thing I'm not thrilled about here but it does mean I get a good sleep.

I did temple 51 to 46 backwards today. I don't think I'll try that again. It's impossible to follow the markers.

Going for a snack run. Good thing I'm walking so much or I'd get really fat.

When in Rome... Strip?

kitschey — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:26:00 GMT

It's nice to be back in a bigger city. I suppose I'm a city girl at heart. Being in the mountains is still the nicest part of the walk, though the hardest uphill climbs are there too. I just feel that the convenience of the city is ideal with occasional trips to the country. That way I can have some quiet time and enjoy the view and air, then return home to a nice warm bed or go shopping... I think if I was to live in the country I would get stir crazy and forget to appreciate how nice it is. But that's this point in my life.

I've been through many places and done a few things since my last post. After leaving Tokushima I had a couple of rough days and nearly called the whole pilgrimage off. I decided to give myself until temple 23, which is the last in Tokushima-ken (province), to make my decision. I had some luck on the way there and felt so great about reaching that far by foot so I decided to continue to the end. Maybe I'm stubborn or maybe I just have some time to kill and no immediate backup plans. The latter seems more likely to me.

So I'll be heading out to temple 44 tomorrow, in the rain apparently (shit). I've made a compromise though. From now on I'm allowed to use transportation in whatever form it's available. I passed up a ride to a fairly far temple while in Tokushima-ken but from here on it's fair game. I've taken many trains and buses; they're a pleasant way to travel as I can see the view, but not too closely.

To be honest, every place starts to look the same after a while. The towns all have the same features with shiny cars and dilapitated buildings. The countryside is fields all over, smelling of rotting vegetation. Yum, yum. The mountains can't be beat though. In the rain it's rather sucky but otherwise, wow! I haven't taken a picture yet that can show how pretty they are. They're fluffy with trees (assuming they haven't been touched by industry or construction) and in the mist and clouds, very pretty.

I guess this is a long post. Sorry.

I've camped a few times, some have been successful and others complete disasters. I love the free huts in random spots. It assures you can sleep for free and stay fairly dry. One night though I decided I'd camp in a rest area near the ocean. Sure enough, storm of my lifetime. First I waited until past sundown for some obnoxious teens to go the hell home. Once they were gone I started to set up my tent in the rain that had just started. As I did that a cockroach skittered away from my bag. Great. So I tore my bag apart on a bench and put my things, closely inspected, into the tent one at a time. Then the wind really picked up. I had been worried about the rain but it wasn't as bad. The wind was so strong it was pushing my tent, me and my heavy bag included, into the bench. If I didn't have anything behind me I would have flown away. Needless to say I didn't sleep. Luckily I had a day of trains and buses the following morning so I took my napies.

I keep running into this one young guy on a bike. It's frickin' weird! We met at temple 26 and since have kept running into eachother on the roads, in the mountains and today near a shopping arcade in the middle of this huge city. It's good though since we're having fun and helping eachother out.

That leads me to another topic: my friggin' backpack. The lightweight one I've been carrying has crumpled under the weight I've thrown into it. I have finally given up on it; it's toast. I spent several hours trying to find an outdoors store and ask for directions. Nobody had a clue what I was looking for and I was severely irritated. After a little lunch I was going to give up then, bam, bicycle boy to the rescue! He asked around for me and sent me on my way. I now own a smaller version of my big bag in Tokyo. I know that model is good so I'll stick with it. Hopefully the stabby pains in my left shoulder will stop with this new one.

I'm finally meeting people and having good conversations. I think I may be getting a little bolder as well which is good since it's one of my goals. My roommate here is great and she's been teaching me a little more about how things work in Japan. Maybe things are looking up as I learn more and more.

I've also decided if the weather gets truly nasty and my mood along with it I'll just stop and find a comfy place to wait it out. That'll add days onto the pilgrimage but I'm already saving some by using transportation. Huzzah!

Last thing: I've finally gone to an onsen. The most famous in Japan in fact. My roommate and I headed over there last night and payed for the basic bath. You walk into a changeroom, take a deep breath and strip. Then you proceed into the bathing room with benches, buckets and taps around the perimiter. You give yourself a good scrub and rinse then jump into the BIG bath with all the other ladies. It's a little uncomfortable to just take off everything with others around but everyone else is naked. *shrug*

I'm about 1/4 of my way through the pilgrimage. I'll take care of a big chunk in the next few days with this hostel as my home base. Maybe I'll actually update this thing more often.

Later

kitschey — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:18:00 GMT

I`ve posted new pictures in the Shikoku album. I`ll post something later. I have some running around to do now.

Still Alive (but not kicking)

kitschey — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 08:09:00 GMT

This pilgrimage... I don:t really know what to think of it yet. It has been neat to meet some people but disappointing to only have partial conversations with them. I would like to be fluent enough to get to know the folk I meet since most are very, very nice. I have received gifts from several people along the way; mostly snacks and help.

My first day was made easier as I followed along with a walking group. They were nice enough to invite me along and chat. By the second day I let them get some distance as they were a paid group following a sort of "Henro-Tourguide". Since then I`ve been on my own.

I get pretty lonely sometimes. While in the mountains I just started talking out loud. I was almost completely alone for two days so it had a funny effect on me. The scenery was amazing. I had to stop a few times to enjoy it since I was gung-ho to make progress the rest of the time.

Most of the pilgrimage is on asphalt roads through smelly little towns. Inhaling diesel fumes all day can be tireing. That`s why the mountains were nice... fresh air, clean water and quiet. The downside was very steep ascents, narrow pathways with vertical drops on either side and snow. Oh yeah, there`s been unusually cold weather in Japan. I guess I brought the snow with me. It`s gone now but it was quite the morning waking up in my little (free) mountain hut. The temperature had dropped below zero and the snow stayed on the ground. Wind had taken down some trees and bamboo along those narrow paths... yee haw.

Eventually I made it to the most difficult temple to reach on foot. After that I hoofed it out of there and down, down, down... down the mountains. In the end my little right toe was toast. I took an extra day here in Tokushima city to relax and heal. I`ll see how my foot does today.

Most henro I have met are only doing temple 1 to 23 by foot or all 88 by bus. A handful are walking the whole thing. I`m starting to think this is a dumb idea. I predicted that though. This morning I met one henro who is almost done. She walked and took buses between the temples that were farthest apart. That might be a plan. I would save a crapload of cash that way and maybe save my little toe from falling off. I don`t have anything to prove.

I have to check out soon so I`ll leave it at that for now. I won`t have much access to the net for a while again. There was something else but I forget what I wanted to say... poo-crap. Oh! I think, rather than being enlightened this pilgrimage is making me want my material objects even more. I can`t wait to get my hands on an XBox controller and play me some RPGs while chowing down on pizza.

I`m off... wish me (much needed) luck!

Photos: Japan - Shikoku Pilgrimage

kitschey — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:36:00 GMT