11th December 2005
Andy and I met the Nicks and Junko and headed off
to Kobe for a seafood buffet lunch at "Fish market".
We stayed there about 3 hours as it was all-you-can-eat (and boy can the boys
eat!). The restaurant is set in Kobe Harbourland (about a 5min walk from the
station) which is filled with new shops, stalls and dining
establishments. There's a very small amusement area with a big coloured
Ferris wheel looking out of the harbour, and across to the other side at the
illuminated "Oriental Hotel" (shaped like a half-moon).
We walked by the port of Kobe and made our way to the annual Kobe Illuminations. I took Andy last year (although I don't think he liked it much - thinks it's a women's thing, but that's OK as he still went with me because I wanted to go and we had a lovely time chatting together). We passed through Chinatown where 40,000 or more Chinese residents have turned that quarter into a lively and colourful place. It was packed and the smells from all the restaurants and stalls filled our noses. Nick asked how much a slice of duck was and then told the girl behind the counter that he could buy the whole duck for that price in Beijing! She wasn't happy and we quickly moved on! Chinatown is approached through 4 large gateways with Nankin Park in the centre. Aside from the restaurants, the place is full of souvenir and trinket shops and many more street vendors. The Park has statues representing the 12 animals of the Chinese astrological calendar. We didn't stop for any food as we were so full from the seafood buffet.
Next stop - Kobe Illuminations! It's Kobe's biggest event and that year it was being held every evening from the 9th to the 26th Dec. It's supposed to celebrate the city's recovery from the 1995 earthquake (which happened in the January of that year). The streets are decorated with countless illuminated metal archways, which when viewed from within look like a magical cathedral against the night sky.
