Twenty Twenty-Five
April
- Japan
April 8 - Having completed moving in, I then immediately left
the villa for a guiding contract in Japan. After the long flight,
the longer term plans were for 5 voyages, a week of land-based
touring in Kyoto, followed by a voyage south to Darwin, then a quick
stop in Brisbane before returning to Christchurch. This contract was
the earliest start of my 3 seasons - early enough that the start was
in cherry-blossom season. Thus, immediately after arrival in Osaka I
headed for Osaka Castle to check the "sakura". It was a Saturday
afternoon in full blossom season and the castle grounds were packed.
Every available spot under the trees was covered with a tarp or
blanket and hosting a gathering. The day was fine, the mood was
festive and it was such fun to wander amongst it. Even the full-on
crowds on every pathway somehow added to the enjoyment instead of
the frustration.Some scenes from this period: Osaka Castle - blossoms and happy locals
April 17 - in Kanazawa on the first turnaround day having completed a voyage from Osaka. This, and the next 3 voyages, all start or end in Kanazawa and Osaka, so there will be multiple visits to many of the destination cities. On this charter, opportunities to get off the ship were somewhat limited, but I did manage a visit to the Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu - a favorite. At Kanazawa, the blossom season was said to be about 1 week behind the cities further south, nonetheless, it was clear that the brief "sakura" season was already winding down. For the Japanese, the beautiful but brief (perhaps only 1 week) time of the blossoms symbolizes the transience of life and impermanence of all things. Even while waning, the Castle park and Kenrokuen Garden (another favorite) still had plenty to appreciate. As a change, I visited the local fish market - always fun in Japan.
Some scenes from this period: Takamatsu: blossoms and posing locals and scenes from Ritsurin x 2; Kanazawa: cherry trees x 2, Castle wall, scenes from Kenrokuen x 4 (including fallen petals in the lake), Fish market x 3;
May - Japan
May 4 - in Kanazawa at the end of voyage 3. This has been a busy time as we are now running Heritage voyages and not charters. This is a good thing as now I am getting off the ship to do my job - helping PAX enjoy Japan. It has, however, been very busy, leaving little time for photo taking or sorting. There were several new destinations for me including Nagasaki and my first geisha performance. We visited the usual array of castles, museums, historic districts, etc., but it was the gardens that seemed to get the camera out. Normally, Japanese gardens are characterized by shape and structure and not so much color, but in this late spring, with the cheery blossoms finished, it was the other flowers that came to the fore - especially a first visit to the absolutely magical wisteria garden in Kokura where the perfume exceeded the blossoms, and the serene Yuushien Garden in Matsue with rafts and gardens of peonies..Some scenes from this period: Uno Ko: A map of the harbor with an unusual destination circled, Dragon/fish ornament from Okayama Castle, 4 x scenes from Koraku-en Garden; Uwajma: Azaleas and maple leaves; Nagasaki: The main statue at the Peace Park, paper cranes, a geisha, carp streamers and lanterns at a local cafe; Kokura: Wisteria garden with tunnels, domes, and trellises dripping with color x 7; Matsue: Peonies and more that the Yuushien Garden; South Korea: Bamboo forest and Buddha's Birthday lanterns at Bulguksa Temple; Kanazawa: Umbrellas on a sunny day
May 15 - in Osaka at the end of voyage 4. This voyage retraced voyage 3 in reverse with the same ports-of-call but with mostly different excursions for me. It started with a walk up the pilgrimage path through the forest to the shrines and temples on Mount Daisen, then a repeat visit to Yuushien Gardens - which I think is my new favorite in Japan. I have visited the Adachi museum and Gardens many times, and included images of the gardens in previous seasons. On this visit the museum was dedicated to Yokoyama Taikan, whose work I like. Photos are not permitted but I snapped a couple from a book. In Fukuoka we visited the Nanzo-in Temple with a huge reclining Buddha and many smaller Buddhas in various poses, then a local park for a stroll with the locals around a lake full of swan boats. At Sasebo the highlight was Mikawachi, a local village that has been making fine porcelain for 500 years - beautiful but super pricey. At Uwajima the guides joke about doing pearls or potatoes. Potatoes being a tour to the terraced potato fields. I hadn't done potatoes for a couple of years, and had forgotten what amazing place it is. A super day with views from the top over the bay full of fish farms made it better.
Some scenes from this period: Matsue: Mount Daisen x 4 - The path to the shrines, undergrowth, 2 x old Buddha statues, Yuushien Gardens bridge and more peonies; Hagi: Yokoyama Taikan x 2; Fukuoka: Nanzo-in teple x 4, swan boats; Sasebo: Mikawachi x 4; Uwajima: Potato terraces x 4 (including a harvest in progress) and view.
May 29 - in Osaka at the end of voyage 5. My final voyage of the season, a circumnavigation of Honshu, was plagued by wet weather and featured a number of repeat visits. The first notable port of call was Ishinomaki for a manga museum and the shrine that had served as a hilltop refuge during the 2011 Great East Japan Tsunami which killed 4000+ there in March 2011, and nearly 19,000 nationwide. Muroran, on Hokaido, featured a visit to the indigenous Ainu museum and the Hell Valley thermal area. I learned that over 200 people were injured, and 6 killed, by bears in Japan in 2024. In Akita we had a nice walk in the shrine and gardens of Senshu Park, formerly the castle grounds. In Niigata we made stops at the Northern Cultural Museum which featured a display of Ukiyo-e (Woodblock prints from the 19th century) one of my favorite Japanese art genres, and a botanical garden in the rain. On that theme, in Shimonoseki we visited the Shiranoe Botanical Garden. We have had so many memorable farewells from our port visits. It is common to have many locals waving as the ships pulls away. Often there are performances of various sorts - traditional music, school brass bands, and lots of others. It is so generous. I love the taiko drummers and their energy and talent. They never miss a beat. Sometimes, only when we call at Takamatsu, we get a performance of dance calligraphy. It is my favorite. So, it makes sense to close this cruising season with the Takamatsu Girls Technical High School Calligraphy Team performing on the wharf for us. (this is a competitive sport/art in Japan), and yours truly at lunch in uniform.
Scenes from this period: Ishinomaki: Manga museum x 2, Refuge shrine x 2; Muroran: Hell Valley x 2; Akita: Senshu Park x 2; Niigata: Ukiyo-e x 2, Botanical garden x 2; Shiranoe Gardens x 3 (including maple seed); Takamatsu calligraphy girls + video; Very spicy ramen!
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Use these links for the triplog and slideshow for voyage 5.
June - Japan, Asian Island Odyssey, Australia
June 1 - in Kyoto for a week of land
based touring of Japan's ancient capitals. I had reserved a little
apartment 10 minutes walk from Kyoto station, and managed to make
my way there from Osaka on the trains. Here, I must acknowledge
Google Maps which gives explicit time, platform, and other useful
information for a "Public Transport" journey - amazingly helpful
amazing technology. The place is about half the size of my cabin
aboard ship (think a one car garage), but has everything I need.
Albeit that with a futon on the floor, and no table and chairs, I
can already appreciate the strength of gravity and/or weakness of
my legs. As an aside, I apologize for not including links to the
places mentioned - there is no time - but you can easily look up
any that interest you by a copy-and-paste internet search.My first day out was a full day in the northeast starting at Kiyomizo-dera and finishing at Nanzen-ji. Lots of walking, temples and shrines. At Kiyomizo-dera the stream down the hillside is split into 3 fountains - it is said that to drink from one brings long life, the next financial success, and the third true love - but it is rude to pick more than one! Which would you choose? Which did I choose? Walking through the Gion area were many people dressed in kimonos or robes, and lots of tempting snacks.The walk between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji temples was along the canal footpath known as Philosopher's Path. This is the classic spot for Kyoto cherry blossom viewing - so an appropriate pace to ponder the fleeting nature of life.
Day 2 was an afternoon around the several temples within a short walk of my place and Kyoto Station. The station is quite an edifice including an internal theater with a rock band playing and a view of the city from the 11th floor. The local temples Higashi Hongan-ji and Nishi Hongan-ji date back the first Shoguns supporting their favorite Buddhist sect.
Some scenes from this period: My apartment; Kiyomizo-dera: temple in the trees, trackside ferns; buddha, 3 fountains; Giion: local in kimono, young woman dressed as a geisha (but she told me that she wasn't a geisha), tasty treats x 2, giant tori gate; Ginkaku-ji garden; Philosopher's Path x 2; Nanzen-ji kare sansui (zen dry landscape garden); Kyoto Station; Local temple details (the huge old ginkgo tree must be quite spectacular in the fall).
June 6 - on my last day in Kyoto before I ride the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kanazawa to re-join Heritage Adventurer for a voyage south through the Pacific to Darwin. Day 3 in Kyoto was all about tori gates and kare sansui (zen dry landscape) gardens. First stop was Fushimi Inari-Taisha, a hillside Shino shrine with up to 10,000 tori gates (you can sponsor a new one, with your own personal message, for ~$US5,000). The path up the hill is through a tunnel of tori gates. It was packed - but got less crowded as I walked up the hill. I walked down the hill to Tofuku-ji, a Buddhist temple with nice gardens. After a tasty tempura lunch I visited the Daitoku-ji complex of Buddhist temples and gardens. These temples don't feature many, or large, statues but do have meditation halls with associated gardens, including kare sansui. To me, these are a favorite, uniquely Japanese feature. One of the ones at Daitoku-ji is quite modern - dating to the 1960s.
Many of the places I visited in Kyoto were thronged, and often a big contributor to the crowd was the large number of school groups. Often over half the crowd was school groups - mostly from Tokyo. In NZ it is best to travel outside of school holidays, as the families travel when the kids are out of school. But it seems to me that in Japan traveling while the kids are on holiday might actually be better. Not sure as I will leave before the holidays start. In any case, don't get me wrong, I think that it is great that the schools give the students the chance to visit and learn this heritage.
Day 4 in Kyoto was one of ticking boxes, often among the throngs. Golden Pavilion - tick - The world's most famous kare sansui, one of Kyoto's most noted stroll gardens, a popular bamboo forest - tick, tick, tick. While all were interesting, none were really special. the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji was impressive, but the rest of the garden not-so-much. The famous meditation garden at Ryoan-ji was less interesting (to me) than the ones from yesterday. The stroll garden at Tenryu-ji likewise not as nice as others I have seen. I like bamboo forests, and Arashiyama was a nice one, but super crowded.
Happily, Day 5 was wet all day because I needed a rest day.
Day 6 was a day trip to Nara - the capital before it was moved to Kyoto in 794AD. Japan is old. OK, some things have been rebuilt, but even the re-builds are often old. Nara is noted for many things including the more-or-less tame deer that roam the park freely. I found it an odd touch, but it is steeped in history, the locals love feeding and being with them, and some are beautiful animals. The focal point is Todai-ji - a temple holding one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world, housed in one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. The statue was consecrated in 752AD (Japan is old) and was originally covered in gold leaf. Inside the building is very impressive with many ornate side statues. The principal Shinto shrine on site, Kasuga Taisha, also dates to the 8th century and seems to be to lanterns what Fushimi Inari-Taisha is to tori gates.
Day 7 was a morning at the palaces of the Shogun and the Emperor. In this case, the Shogun was Tokugawa Ieaysu, the 3rd Great Unifier of Japan and the man who established Japan's isolation in the Edo Period. The nearby Imperial Palace was where the emperor lived during this time. Tokugawa's palace (Ninomaru-goten) is on the grounds of Nijo-jo castle. He built it there to make sure the emperor understood who was the real ruler. The Shogun's place is beautifully ornate on the outside. The inside is big tatami mat rooms with beautiful murals on the walls and sliding doors. No photography allowed inside, so I grabbed a photo from the web and one I took of a poster to give a little idea.No entry is allowed into the Imperial Palace buildings as they are still used by the royal family, but the emperor had the nicer gardens.
This brings an end to my 2 months in Japan. The voyages have included some repeat destinations, but also many new ones. My week in Kyoto has been busy and much different than being on the ship. I continue to enjoy Japan, and learning and experiencing more of this unique culture. I like many things about Japan: the food, the safety, the energy (Kyoto is medium size by Japanese standards, but a whole lot more active than Christchurch), the friendliness, that you can get anything in a convenience store, the fact that everything is small and well thought out, and that it is not an expensive place to travel. I had higher hopes for my language skills, but I can at least truly say Nihongo ga skoshi waikarimas - I can understand Japanese a little.
Some scenes from this period: Fushimi Inari-Taisha: the crowd at the start x 2, photos and selfies were everywhere, the pathway from the outside, tori gate pathway interior detail x 2, fewer people at the top, a side shrine, foxes are messengers to the Shinto deity Inari, associated with rice and prosperity, the final gates at the start of the path down; Tofuku-ji: A meditation garden x 2; Daitoku-ji: A meditation garden x 2; Kinkaku-ji: Golden Pavilion, the phoenix on the top; Ryoan-ji: Buddha and meditation garden; Tenryu-ji: pond; Arashiyama bamboo; Nara: deer x 2; Todai-ji: exterior, incense being lit, main Buddha, side Buddha; School group; Kasuga Taisha lanterns x 4; Ninomaru-goten Palace: The lintel over the main gate to the compound, a detail from the lintel, an interior scene of an audieence with the shogun taken from an online brochure, a detail of the wall mural from a poster outside (the shogun loved falcons); Imperial Palace: detail of door hardware on a palace building, reflection and ripples in a garden pond (one of my favorites), garden bridge; Ad down the block for an apartment measuring 21.6 sq. meters (232 sq. feet) - it has all you need, including a desk and chair which I will make sure is included my next rental!
June 19 - at sea inbetween the Philippines and Indonesia. We had a 3 day transit without PAX from Kanazawa during which I helped with the preparation. I am a "staffenger" for the upcoming Asian Island Odyssey voyage, officially on the expedition staff list, but with no duties except to assist when required. We made port in Keelung, Taiwan in mid-afternoon so had a few hours before the PAX boarded. I went ashore where the highlight was Dianji temple where they worship the Holy King. It is extravagantly decorated. Next day was a trip to the Taroko gorge from the port of Hualien. The gorge was heavily damaged in an earthquake in April 2024, but the Buddhist temple and the Formosan Macaques remain. From there, we headed south, into the tropics and the Philippines. Day 3 was the northern island, Calayan, which featured a beautiful beach, a nature walk, a tropical downpour, and a welcoming performance. On Day 4 we were the first ever expedition cruise ship to call at the villages of Divilcan Bay, yielding another fabulous welcome, this time at an indigenous village, and a local feast. Day 5 continued our track south on the east coast of Luzon to the Polillo Islands for a fabulous cruise, in the still early morning, through a mangrove channel. From the landing we had an "exciting" motorbike ride, as a pillion passenger, to the village for a welcome performance and a nature walk. The afternoon was our first snorkeling opportunity. The evening started with a memorable sunset. Day 6 at the Caramoan Peninsula was similar - morning cruise, performance and buffet with an afternoon snorkel. On Day 7 we were again the first cruise ship to call at Samar Island. They closed the entire National Park just for us. The programme was similar to previous days with a nature walk and a welcome performance. Day 8 was shared between Bohol Island for visit to a tarsier sanctuary, national park, and the not-very-Chocolate Hills. The hills apparently turn brown in the summer and are a huge tourist attraction. It was hard for me to figure out why - IMHO, as geologic attractions go they are fairly interesting, but not special. However, the place was overrun with local tourists. The afternoon was a visit to a spectacular coral island, Balicasag, for a swim. Yesterday, Day 9, was at Bucas Grande for a Zodiac and local outrigger boat cruise through the limestone islands (including passage through a tunnel). The highlight was a swim in a lagoon full of jellyfish. (I don't have an underwater camera so our photographer, Cathy Finch, has kindly supplied a couple of images)
Some scenes from this period: Keelung: Dainji temple x 2; Taroko gorge: the gorge, Buddha statures, macaques x 2; Calayan Island: Heritage Adventurer in the palm trees (a first for me), outrigger boats, dragon fly; superb beach, a snippet of the performance; Divilcan Bay: A scene from the performance at the indigenous village, a boy posing in a tree; Polillo Islands: mangrove reflections x 2, welcome dancers, coconut palms, sunset detail from the aft deck; Caramoan Peninsula: morning cruise, limestone island, sunset featuring Mayon Volcano, one of the deadliest in the Philippines; Samar Island: floral display and welcome dancer; Bohol Island: Chocolate Hills, tarsier, long tailed macaque, Balicasag Island from the Heritage drone; Bucas Grande: Local boat, jellyfish (photo credit Cathy Finch);
June 28 - Darwin, Australia. After our day at sea leaving the Philippines our first excursion for Day 11 was at Tangkoko Reserve at the eastern end of the northern arm of Sulawesi. The nature walk was exceptional featuring huge old growth rain-forest trees with lots of wildlife including the large endemic marsupial "bear" called a cuscus. The afternoon snorkel was also super. Day 12 was intended to be one of the trip highlights - swimming with whale sharks. Unfortunately, overnight rains muddied the waters and they stayed too deep to view. We crossed the equator, and as I had never crossed at sea I was a "polywog" made by King Neptune to kiss a fish and jump into the pool (an altogether easier initiation than I had expected). We called into a local reserve to see the babirusa, a very rare (~500 left) "deer-pig". Next day, at Taliabu Island, we were overwhelmed by locals with far more photos of us taken by them than the other way around. Day 14 was our first in the Spice Islands, at Buru Island, where we had a Zodiac cruise, another generous welcome to a village partially on stilts. The next day we called into Banda Neira, the island where nutmeg was discovered by the European explorers. We started with the best snorkelling of the voyage before going to the town. This island has a long and brutal colonial history including a genocide in 1609 when the Dutch killed virtually the entire population. The Portuguese fort dates to 1611. Here I learned that cinnamon is actually the bark of the tree. Day 16 was the last day of activities at Kei Kecil (sometimes spelled Kai Kecil) Island. We landed at a magnificent, long, empty white sand beach for a nature walk in the bush behind.
Scenes from this period: Tangkoko Reserve: Tree buttresses, cuscus, kingfisher, fallen blossoms, spider web, tarsier, clownfish photo credit Cathy Finch), crossing the equator photo credit Cathy Finch); Babirusa reserve: babirusa; Taliabu Island: locals out in force; Buru Island: from the Zodiac, the poster created to welcome us, village scene; Banda Neira: reef (photo credit Cathy Finch), spice bowl including nutmeg and cinnamon, cinnamon tree bark scrape, genocide painting in the local museum, Portuguese fort; Kei Kecil: the beach, nature walk butterfly, flying foxes, spider web;
So, what to say about this remarkable voyage? This was my first tropical expedition - and, as a result, very different than my normal polar and sub-polar journeys. One clear and immediate difference was the people. At all of our ports of call we have been visiting people's homes - in a way that was much more immediate and personal than the Japan voyages. My photos don't show it very well, but at every single village tour we were overwhelmed with hospitality. This was not only the dancing, singing, fresh coconut drinks,and buffets of treats, but also the personal attention and interaction. Many locals now have pictures of me smiling (genuinely) in selfies on their phones. I confess to not understanding quite why they would want that, but I guess that when novelty comes to town, you want a snapshot (or something like that). At several landings we were the first cruise ship ever. At others, one of a very few. Well done Heritage for finding these remote and unique places. I never felt like we were "invading", and always the natural world was there to complement the human world. In general, the locals were very proud and happy to show their local wonders to us. The wild places held many wonders, both on the land and on and under the sea. The rich bio-diversity of the region was a theme of the presentations, and was apparent everywhere - for me, especially on the reefs with a huge variety of colorful fishes and corals every time. I learned so much from the expedition team about this wildlife, but especially about the history and anthropology of the islands. The bio-diversity is huge, and likewise each place has its own unique history and culture. What a wonderful privilege it was for me to be able to enjoy and experience this journey.
The last few days of June were spent visiting Jill and Lesley in Miami Beach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Continue to July