Flying from Tokyo to Hokkaido, I noticed that many mountains below me were still covered in snow. This last winter was especially cold in Hokkaido, and since Hokkaido is the Japanese island that is furthest North, that means really cold and lots of snow. Its been a late spring, too, and most places we traveled had snow melting in a shady crevasse. Quite a change from Australia, let me say.
Of course, there are lots of other differences in the landscape as well. The sea, for one, is more blue grey than green, and the coast has more rocks and grey sand than sparkling white sand like the Sunshine Coast. The water is harder to get to, as well; the Japanese attitude towards the ocean seems to be respect tinged by fear, understandable for a country prone to tsunami. As a result, though, much of the coastline is covered in concrete and lined with breakwaters, a far cry from the naturalistic coastlines of New Zealand, Australia or even California.
On our first trip we saw a lot of the coast. We started our trip with a train out of Tomakomai, the port city in Hokkaido where my friend Tessa lives. As we left the city industry gave way to progressively smaller towns, spreading inland from their own small ports on the coast. The train followed the coastline, and as we traveled east the sun set behind us over the ocean, turning the coast gold and lighting up the clouds gathered at the horizon. We were planning on camping that night, and the weather had looked fine heading out from Tomakomai, but as the sky darkened the first rain drops started to fall. The train line ended at Samani, and as we pulled into the station it was undeniably raining. Unsure of whether we would be able to reach the campsite, we came out of the station to discover a bus heading up the coast in the right direction (its times like those when having a Japanese speaker really makes traveling easier). Ten minutes up the coast, the bus driver let us off at the base of a hill, gazing up a road into darkness. With the help of flashlights we managed to climb the hill in the rain, but failed to find the campsite - locked bathrooms were the only sign, and a wooden viewing platform looking out towards the sea. With increasingly heavy rain, we made the decision to sleep in the only logical place available; the viewing platform. It had a roof, dry floor and some promise of a dry night. So we set up the tent three stories off the ground, attached the rain fly as best we could, ate dinner and turned in for the night.
At 5am the sun rose. It woke us up from an uncomfortable night, sleeping on wood with wind trying to tear its way into the tent. The view, though, was perfect. Straight ahead the sea stretched out, with coast curling in both directions.
(to be continued)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Some Japan Impressions
There are a lot of vending machines. Pretty much everywhere, and sometimes where you least expect them, like when a blue glowing machine appears out of the fog on a deserted suburban street late at night.
Many things are packaged in a lot of plastic, but sometimes ingeniously so, like the Onegiri (rice balls) where plastic separates the dried seaweed from the rice and keeps it crisp.
Japanese people are exceptionally kind and hospitable, for example buying you snacks when you are hitchhiking in their car (as if the ride isn`t enough!)
The landscape is beautiful - mountains falling to the sea. Of course, there is a lot more wilderness in Hokkaido than when I will be going farther south. The sea, being the pacific, looks quite a bit like it does in California.
Bamboo forms a low-lying ground cover - from a distance it looks like grass but its not.
Bread is either very white or sweet. Tessa think that the Japanese got it right - bread should be sweet, not a thing you eat all the time.
I`ve been eating A LOT of fish. And just generally lots of yummy, yummy food.
That`s all for now - we`re off to Hakodate and hopefully will get to see some cherry blossoms!
Many things are packaged in a lot of plastic, but sometimes ingeniously so, like the Onegiri (rice balls) where plastic separates the dried seaweed from the rice and keeps it crisp.
Japanese people are exceptionally kind and hospitable, for example buying you snacks when you are hitchhiking in their car (as if the ride isn`t enough!)
The landscape is beautiful - mountains falling to the sea. Of course, there is a lot more wilderness in Hokkaido than when I will be going farther south. The sea, being the pacific, looks quite a bit like it does in California.
Bamboo forms a low-lying ground cover - from a distance it looks like grass but its not.
Bread is either very white or sweet. Tessa think that the Japanese got it right - bread should be sweet, not a thing you eat all the time.
I`ve been eating A LOT of fish. And just generally lots of yummy, yummy food.
That`s all for now - we`re off to Hakodate and hopefully will get to see some cherry blossoms!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Ania`s Guide to Brisbane
I`ve been in Japan for just over a week now, but somehow this blog is still stuck in Brisbane. I would like to blame this on only intermittent internet access, and will attempt to remedy some of this today. Before moving on to Japan, however, its time to finish up on Brisbane, with this handy guide of highlights of the city from my point of view. I`ve never written one before, so let me know if I leave anything out. Here goes!
Ania`s Guide to Brisbane
A short, hopefully informative and helpful, guide to one of Australia`s coolest cities*
What to See: Lots of museums and free art all over the place! The Queensland Art Center is fantastic for Australian art; the Gallery had an exhibit of contemporary Australian women artists while I was visiting that was just fantastic. The Brisbane Powerhouse is also excellent, and doubles as a venue and movie theater. The Brisbane Botanical Gardens are honestly amazing - I spent about three hours wandering around in them. Check out the Australian Flora area and the Aboriginal Food Trail to be blown away by how many plants the Aborigines knew how to use. If you like history, the Parlaiment House, Old Governor`s House and probably the Museum of Brisbane (didn`t make it to that last one) are worth a visit. If you like more ecclesiastical matters, St. John`s Cathedral and the convent of the Sisters of Mercy both offer free and very informative tours. If you visit the former, look out for the organ decorated with possums and pew pillows hand-embroidered with Australian flora and fauna.
Look Out For: Crazy birds, tropical flora, public art, the fake beach on South Bank, and travelators. Travelators are like escalators but with a ramp instead of stairs; they facilitate moving things with wheels, like trolleys or bags. I first saw them at the airport, but they also exist in malls. Also look out for Queenslander houses - a distinctive architectural look that usually involves amazing porches and woodwork decoration. Creep hint: if you walk around at night you can look into the houses and see really cool interior touches, but try not to lurk.
How to Get Around: Find/rent/procure a bike! Biking along the riverbank gives you one of the best ways to explore the city. Public transportation is also good, and definitely make sure you take a ride on the ferries! At night the river looks even more fantastic, so if you can take a cruise at night.
Accommodation: Find a friend to stay with! People who live in the city will have the best insider tips and, since they often don`t live in the city center, you`ll see more of the city just getting to and from their place. That failing, I recommend Couchsurfing or an apartment to rent for a short period (try a website like, say, www.homeaway.com). Try looking for places in New Farm or Tenerife, suburbs that nestle close to the city but are full of parks and feel open and isolated from all the bustle. Alternately, I`m sure that there are very nice hotels in the city, and there`s a whole colony of backpackers and hostels on a hill north of the city center.
Where to Eat: I didn`t eat out much, although one place I really, really enjoyed was Fundies Wholefood Cafe in Paddington. Generally, Brisbane has a fantastic range of food on offer, from Japanese to Greek, cafes to haute couture, and everything in between. . I recommend the select-your-own sushi option for a quick lunch, and there`s a really great selection of casual eateries in South Bank. What you do have to do is go to the farmers` markets around the city! The one on Wednesday in the City Centre has fabulous prepared food in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, so go and grab lunch. Options include apparently-famous falafel (apparently the line is worth it), juicy cooked mushrooms, Turkish sandwiches, grilled sausages, fresh juices and the most colorful and delightful macaroons. Whichever market you go to, take time to enjoy and marvel at the incredible range of produce. Tropical Queensland grows peanuts, macadamias and a range of colorful fruit that I had never tried before. As far as tropical fruit goes, I can recommend custard apples (they taste pretty much like they sound, although maybe more pear than apple), local bananas, and passionfruit. Dragonfruit is pretty tasteless in my opinion, although filled with lots of tiny seeds that give it an interesting texture. I didn`t try the red version, only the white, so maybe the red one is better.
Where to Drink: Archive Bar has amazing interior design (a bar made out of books!) and a lovely selection of beers on draft. I was told that the Regatta in Toowong was the first bar where women drank, and that they had to chain themselves to the bar (!). Even if that`s not true, they`ve recently reopened the downstairs after it got flooded last year, and its a lovely place to sip a beer on the porch. Three Monkeys is a really cute coffee place with amazing Chai (both in South Bank). Brew Bar & Cafe downtown has great coffee; try their single origin. Coffee generally is pretty good, as is local beer. Actually, all the beer that I tried was really good; I especially enjoyed White Rabbit. Remember that Australia is known for its reds, if you like wine!
Other Notes: Take time to smell the tropical flowers, especially the Frangipane. There are lots of beautiful beaches along the Sunshine Coast, so if you have a day (or even half a day) it might be worth taking a trip. Note: the surf is rough, so you are only allowed to swim between the flags, in sight of lifeguards. Most importantly, enjoy!
*This subtitle is a little bit of a stretch, given that the only other Australian city that I`ve visited was Sydney, for about 6 hours on a layover, but I`m willing to make the claim anyway.
Ania`s Guide to Brisbane
A short, hopefully informative and helpful, guide to one of Australia`s coolest cities*
What to See: Lots of museums and free art all over the place! The Queensland Art Center is fantastic for Australian art; the Gallery had an exhibit of contemporary Australian women artists while I was visiting that was just fantastic. The Brisbane Powerhouse is also excellent, and doubles as a venue and movie theater. The Brisbane Botanical Gardens are honestly amazing - I spent about three hours wandering around in them. Check out the Australian Flora area and the Aboriginal Food Trail to be blown away by how many plants the Aborigines knew how to use. If you like history, the Parlaiment House, Old Governor`s House and probably the Museum of Brisbane (didn`t make it to that last one) are worth a visit. If you like more ecclesiastical matters, St. John`s Cathedral and the convent of the Sisters of Mercy both offer free and very informative tours. If you visit the former, look out for the organ decorated with possums and pew pillows hand-embroidered with Australian flora and fauna.
Look Out For: Crazy birds, tropical flora, public art, the fake beach on South Bank, and travelators. Travelators are like escalators but with a ramp instead of stairs; they facilitate moving things with wheels, like trolleys or bags. I first saw them at the airport, but they also exist in malls. Also look out for Queenslander houses - a distinctive architectural look that usually involves amazing porches and woodwork decoration. Creep hint: if you walk around at night you can look into the houses and see really cool interior touches, but try not to lurk.
How to Get Around: Find/rent/procure a bike! Biking along the riverbank gives you one of the best ways to explore the city. Public transportation is also good, and definitely make sure you take a ride on the ferries! At night the river looks even more fantastic, so if you can take a cruise at night.
Accommodation: Find a friend to stay with! People who live in the city will have the best insider tips and, since they often don`t live in the city center, you`ll see more of the city just getting to and from their place. That failing, I recommend Couchsurfing or an apartment to rent for a short period (try a website like, say, www.homeaway.com). Try looking for places in New Farm or Tenerife, suburbs that nestle close to the city but are full of parks and feel open and isolated from all the bustle. Alternately, I`m sure that there are very nice hotels in the city, and there`s a whole colony of backpackers and hostels on a hill north of the city center.
Where to Eat: I didn`t eat out much, although one place I really, really enjoyed was Fundies Wholefood Cafe in Paddington. Generally, Brisbane has a fantastic range of food on offer, from Japanese to Greek, cafes to haute couture, and everything in between. . I recommend the select-your-own sushi option for a quick lunch, and there`s a really great selection of casual eateries in South Bank. What you do have to do is go to the farmers` markets around the city! The one on Wednesday in the City Centre has fabulous prepared food in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, so go and grab lunch. Options include apparently-famous falafel (apparently the line is worth it), juicy cooked mushrooms, Turkish sandwiches, grilled sausages, fresh juices and the most colorful and delightful macaroons. Whichever market you go to, take time to enjoy and marvel at the incredible range of produce. Tropical Queensland grows peanuts, macadamias and a range of colorful fruit that I had never tried before. As far as tropical fruit goes, I can recommend custard apples (they taste pretty much like they sound, although maybe more pear than apple), local bananas, and passionfruit. Dragonfruit is pretty tasteless in my opinion, although filled with lots of tiny seeds that give it an interesting texture. I didn`t try the red version, only the white, so maybe the red one is better.
Where to Drink: Archive Bar has amazing interior design (a bar made out of books!) and a lovely selection of beers on draft. I was told that the Regatta in Toowong was the first bar where women drank, and that they had to chain themselves to the bar (!). Even if that`s not true, they`ve recently reopened the downstairs after it got flooded last year, and its a lovely place to sip a beer on the porch. Three Monkeys is a really cute coffee place with amazing Chai (both in South Bank). Brew Bar & Cafe downtown has great coffee; try their single origin. Coffee generally is pretty good, as is local beer. Actually, all the beer that I tried was really good; I especially enjoyed White Rabbit. Remember that Australia is known for its reds, if you like wine!
Other Notes: Take time to smell the tropical flowers, especially the Frangipane. There are lots of beautiful beaches along the Sunshine Coast, so if you have a day (or even half a day) it might be worth taking a trip. Note: the surf is rough, so you are only allowed to swim between the flags, in sight of lifeguards. Most importantly, enjoy!
*This subtitle is a little bit of a stretch, given that the only other Australian city that I`ve visited was Sydney, for about 6 hours on a layover, but I`m willing to make the claim anyway.
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