Hakone

I really should have written this before the last one - but you know how it is, sometimes there is a gap in inspiration and action!

At half term in October we got away from the city for a few days.  I was busy with a course so could not leave town for very long but we decided to make the best of it - and we did!  We stayed in the Hyatt in Hakone - a beautiful, small, exclusive hotel set in the mountains and foothills of Fuji- san.  We had the most fabulous suite with a view of Fuji san right outside the big picture windows - when the clouds weren't there!  The weather was OK - not too wet and quite chilly so we enjoyed the smell of woods and rain and crisp, clean mountain air.  The hotel itself resembled a Swiss ski lodge - all natural woods and pale colours - stunning.  The added bonus was an onsen (bath) that drew water from the volcanic ground underneath at a temperature of 40C.  There is a ritual around Japanese onsen (more on that at another time) but suffice to say it is a hugely relaxing experience and one that became quite addictive!

On our first day we took a short walk form the hotel to a little train to catch a cable car to catch a boat!  It was amazing.  The cable car dangles over sulphurous springs and volcanic landscape with a fine view of Lake Ashi as you approach your destination, Togendai.  The silence of a cable car and the eerieness of floating above a primordial landscape was unbelievably relaxing and totally absorbing. The arrival at Lake Ashi was something of surprise - we were greeted by the sight of pirate ships that plough their way across the lake!  Hmm, we thought, but we did it anyway!  To be greeted by a pirate on board demanding to have a photo taken was an interesting start to the cruise but I think Dave's short, but courteous, "No thank you" did the job - he didn't bother us again!  (She fails to mention that she did actually agree to it but felt very silly!)

Waiting to board the boat was an interesting experience.  There were many Japanese there, doing what we were doing.  This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and the Japanese are big into nature - they love it and find it very spiritual (well, if you live in Tokyo, it is the perfect antedote).  So, queuing then.  Dave, at 6 feet 2 inches, was quite literally, head and shoulders taller than all of those around us. They could not help but stare at him;  and stare they did.  We do not get this in Tokyo but it did remind us of our time in China - we were very used to being the centre of attention there!

Day two of our short trip was equally fascinating.  In the wilds of the Hakone area we found the most amazing open air art museum with the biggest collection of Picasso I have ever seen.  We had intended to pop in, do the tour and then push off to Odawara for the rest of the day.  No way!  We were there all day and could so easily return.  The photos say it all.

Sulphurous Springs

Pirate Ship - "Ahoy, me 'arties!!"

View from Lake Ashi

Fuji san himself

Art Museum - fabulous place

Ladies in Kimono

Travelling around Tokyo on the Yamanote Line today (a bit like the Circle line, but above ground all the way), I noticed three older ladies dressed in the most beautiful kimono, complete with the kimono coat (the temperature is low today) and those flip flop type shoes that are oh so difficult to walk in.  These ladies were obviously on their way to some rather formal occasion - perhaps to the Shrine to remember a loved one and pay their respects to the spirits; or it may simply have been a birthday lunch for a friend or a concert.  The juxtaposition of such traditional dress and the modern mayhem of Shinagawa Station struck me as a real conflict of ideas.  The kimono shoes are built to support the weight of the obi and therefore throw the wearer forwards on their toes.  The flip flop design means you can't move very quickly and the kimono itself means that you can't take huge strides;  you have to tip toe and shuffle along in a very feminine and humble way.  Shinagawa by contrast was bustling, with people dashing from one platform to another, from one train to a bus or taxi and all at a rate of knots.  Japan, I thought, is an island of contrasts. 

A little bit of England

I had the good fortune to be taken to a small and very beautiful area of Tokyo which was like a mini Kyotyo!  It was full of streams, verdant greenery with ferns, bamboo and beautiful maple trees that are most definitely on the turn for autumn.  We wandered around this area, Jindaiji, famous now because of a Japanese soap opera which has just finished and that was filmed in the area - and also based on a story about two people from the area who continue to live there - a Japanese equivalent of Emmerdale, if you like.

We enjoyed a rather huge lunch sitting in an old style building full of tatami rooms and sliding doors where we ate the soba noodles that are the speciality of the town and tempura whilst sipping green tea.  It was idyllic.  My companions were able to tell me a lot about the area and it was a real privilege to a part of it all.  I was the only gaijin in the the place for the whole day - I saw no other foreigners.

After lunch we went to the Botanical Gardens nearby and strolled through the most beautiful rose gardens with fountains and glass houses and lovely shady areas.  It was like a little bit of England on a summers day.  The rose perfume filled the air and it was a delight to watch artists recreating the scene in front of them with great accuracy and definition.  Such a talent.  The rose flavoured icecream was delightful and a must to try.

Fruit and Veg in Japan

It's cooler now (24C) and has been raining for days at a time as we get buffeted by the typhoons that sweep the Pacific Ocean - autumn is clearly on its way.  It's a time for wet shoes, wet feet, wet legs, umbrellas and looking like a drowned rat.  So, hiding in my apartment from all that, it's time for a few short snippets on the practicalities of life in Tokyo.  Starting with what my American friends call produce (pronounced pro-doos).

Have I ever told you how wonderful the fruit and vegetables are here?  What's on sale in the shops is mostly grown here somewhere and the great thing is... if it's not in season, you can't buy it so it's absolutely perfect for the time of year and I have to say the quality is extremely high, mind you, so is the price.  My local greengrocers stocks a wonderful array of plums, pears, apples and other odd looking fruits (and veg) I am not quite sure of!

It's grape season here at the moment and about 5pounds (UK) will get you an average sized bunch.    They are beautiful.  They are sweet and juicy and if you are very lucky you can get the seedless ones.  They are in three colours too so make a fabulous arrangement in the kitchen - black and green, obviously, and some pretty little pink ones which are so sweet.  I firmly believe they are better than chocolate! 

Sumo, English Tea and visitors

Early September saw the arrival of Matt and Kirsty to stay with us and experience a little of what Tokyo has to offer.  They were the perfect visitors - up for anything and, even in the very high temperatures, seemed very happy to be dragged from place to place to see temples (lots of those) and buddahs and stuff.  Matt had expressed an interest in sumo before they arrived and as luck would have it the BIG tournament was going on while they were here.  Because of all the bad press around sumo at the moment, getting tickets was not so difficult and we were lucky enough to get a tour guide as well so we could learn a bit about what was actually going on. 

To be honest, I was not at all sure it was going to be my thing but Dave was keen (he loves any kind of sport), Kirsty was up for it and Matt was hugely excited!  So I toddled along for the ride.  Anyway, when we got there I was totally taken with it all.  Just seeing those giants of men strolling around the place and then learning about the discipline of it all was a huge eye-opener. 



Can you see that tiny ref in the middle?

The art of sumo is steeped in tradition linking back to its Shinto roots. The wrestlers bout may only last a few seconds but their sense of respect for each other and the sport comes across to you in waves. The tournament lasts fifteen days and we are now at day 12. I have to confess that I am to be found watching it on TV whilst I iron!

Who would have thought it? 

It was Matt's birthday whilst they were here and what do you do for a bloke who has everything?  We took him to the Ritz for Tea!  Yep, English Afternoon Tea at the Ritz in Tokyo - what a fabulous experience that was.

 A big thank you to Matt for the photos

Now the Welsh bit....

We returned from Bali, only to fly out a few days later to visit Wales.  Now this was something really exciting for me - I had never spent longer than a weekend in Wales and I was to be allowed almost two weeks this time.  We rented an absolutely state of the art apartment in the Swansea Marina (.... should that be on the Swansea Marina? Beside the Marina is probably a a more accurate description!).  It was part of the tallest building in Wales.  To be honest, it was a bit of a blot on the landscape and truly visable from miles around - very clear form the Mumbles so not worries about getting home after a good meal at Patricks!

Back to the apartment...  there were a few very strange little foibles in this brand new apartment.  For example, if you put the TV on and then opened the french windows you lost half the channels and if you opened the french windows AND hung onto the handrail you lost them all!  Quite an amazing inbuilt feature we thought.  It's not one we have come across before or would wish to again.  Then there was the very noisy extractor fan in the bathroom which was linked to the putting on of the light.  Fine during the day but at night it really wasn't going down too well.  Found a solution though - we found the fuse!

We saw lots of the Gower during our stay.  It was beautiful.  My first glimpse of Three Cliffs Bay was quite breathtaking - and there were very few people about.  The sun shone, we topped up our Bali tans and had a fabulous time. 

We were there to support Dave's brother and we saw a lot of him whilst we were there.  He is in the later stages of Alzheimers and we both felt we made a difference to his day - he certainly knew who Dave was and his face would light up as we came onto the Unit.  As the weather was good we took him out for a walk most afternoons and even took him in the car a couple of times.  On one occasion, Dave pulled up behind traffic just outside a pub.  Roy took one look at the pub and had his seat belt off in a heartbeat - "Going for a drink, are we?" he said with a big smile on his face.  Sadly not.

At the end of our stay in Wales Dave's son got married in Cardiff. It was a lovely day for them all.

After all the family stuff we decided a break in Bournemouth would be just the thing.  We booked the De Vere - a place we know well and have stayed at many times before.  Imagine our surprise when we discovered that it had turned into Fawlty Towers!  The room we booked was supposed to have a seaview - it did, just, but was very hot and had two tiny little windows that could open. The bed had two very flat pillows on it and no evidence of any spare pillows in the room - it looked like a room you might have in a B&B fifty years ago.  The TV had a mind of its own and kept turning itself off after a few minutes and the final nail in the coffin was the ironing board which was a struggle to put up and then collapsed as soon as any pressure was applied!  I complained and we were shown three more identical rooms - we opted to stay where we were until the following morning when we were offered the most amazing room with a huge balcony to sit out on.  It was a gorgeous room and although it looked a little tired we were very pleased we'd made a fuss.There were grumbles through out the hotel - no one seeed   happy with their time there.  It was very sad for us - it will be our last visit.  There must be better places to stay!

Bali

In early July we flew to Bali for some rest and relaxation after a challenging year here in Tokyo.  Both of us were quite exhausted by it all - mine was based on inactivity rather than a hectic lifestyle and David was exhausted and exhilarated by the many successes for him this year.

Bali was everything we'd hoped it might be.  It was the typical tropical island with the palm trees, frangipani trees and cicadas.  Our first stop was at our Villa which was absolutely charming  - the best bit for me was the outdoor shower in what I can only describe as the garden.  It was a huge monsoon shower surrounded by tropical plants and charming Balinese statues - a real oasis of tranquility. It was walled in - so don't worry - I didn't frighten the natives!   Our very own pool was cold and refreshing and we also had use of the pool at the complex which seemed to be totally unused by anyone else.  Oh and don't forget access to the beach as well and we were well served for water relaxation!  We read a lot and rested a lot and recharged the batteries.  Food was just a phonecall away or a short stroll into the town for the delights of Balinese cooking - beef rendang became our absolute favourite!

Week 2 saw us move over to the Hyatt in the same town of Sanur.  This was an altogether different experience - five star treatment and service and a wonderful view of the sea.  Dave celebrated his birthday here - a very windy dinner served by the pool watching the charming Balinese dancers.  I mention the wind because it was such an issue - almost everything that wasn't nailed down blew into the pool and had to be retrieved by wading waiters!  Daves birthday cake arrived - lighting the candle was a struggle and blowing it out, unnecessary!

Having celebrated a birthday Dave was now looking for ways to prove he wasn't old.  Parasailing for the first time seemed just the thing....  so after a brief conversation and the "If there isn't a queue" get out clause we strolled along the beach.  No queue, Trysh paid and Dave was airbourne in minutes!  You'll love the photo...

We took a tour of the island too.  A car and driver duly arrived to collect us and we spent the first part of the day driving out to Blue Lagoon for some fabulous snorkelling.  It was a huge success for Dave who found the right spot by just going with the current and having the technical know-how to snorkel properly....  less of a success for Trysh who simply couldn't sort her snorkel out, was washed downstream in the current, looked at some very brown and disappointing corals with a few brightly coloured fish and drank way too much salt water resulting in a very stressful swim back to the boat - strong current and not a strong swimmer - climbing on board and sitting in a rocking boat - yep - you guessed it - I was seasick!   By the time Dave got back in the boat all enthusiastic about the coral and the fish and sea and the....  he glanced at me and muttered those endearing words of support - "Over the side Trysh, over the side!"

When the boat man suggested moving to an even more spectacular cove to snorkel, I declared that if I wasn't taken back to dry land instantly I would, quite simply, die.  Dave did consider it an option I think - I'm pretty sure I detected a pause ( a dead wife cannot nag any more, can she?) before he said to the boat man - no thanks we'll go back.  Wise man.

In true seafaring tradition, I was absolutely fine once I arrived on dry land and met up with our guide.  He put us back in the car and drove for hours to show us the wonderful sights inland - the rice paddies, the fruit farms and the spice farms.  We saw so much.  Then we had a fabulous lunch in a restaurant overlooking Mount Gulangong - well it would have overlooked the mountain but it was cloudy - so we just had to imagine it there!

Bali was absolutely stunning and the people were so friendly and helpful - they could not do enough for us.  We are seriously considering going back in the autumn.....

Dave's finally on terra firma!