Went to Japan, Got More than What I Bargained For…

July 24, 2009 at 10:00 pm (Japan, Kyoto, Transit)
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July 24, 2009… the day I left Japan. I’m no good at departures, and today was no different. I went to Japan, and I think I got more than what I bargained for. Sandal Wood hostel, not really a hostel to me anymore… it was more like my home in Japan. I became good friends with Zin and Jumi, and a little bit more with Jumi. This morning was a hard goodbye. Jumi didn’t go to sleep so that she wouldn’t miss my leave, and Zin made sure to put his alarm on bright and early so that he could do the same.

It was an early morning. I slept in the common room again, even though I had a bed available. Late at night, after everyone else is gone to bed, is the only time that I could get alone with Jumi, so we took advantage of that pretty much every night, even if that meant going to bed at 6:00am. She took me out again last night, told me she had so many places she wanted to take me to see, but couldn’t since I was leaving. We had to make a little white lie to Zin so that we could actually go out, because when Jumi isn’t at the hostel, Zin has his hands full with the guests. But hey, it was my last night in Japan. We went for drinks, and walked around downtown a little bit. The night was fresh. Not the typical muggy and humid Japanese evening I’ve grown accustomed to since my arrival. I got to know Jumi a little better. She has aspirations, which is admirable. Her English is good, but she wants to become better to become a translator. She also had some pretty good stories about her life experiences, studying Zen, her travels… The night was good, but short. We had to get back by 11:00pm to help out Zin, but we ended up getting back at 11:30pm. Oops… Oh well, the guests seemed fine and the hostel was in one piece when we got back. Surprisingly, everyone went to bed pretty early last night. Even Zin, who usually stays up as long as Jumi and I. We stayed up late, but I eventually fell asleep. I had an early morning coming up…

It was a slow morning. I was in no rush to get out, in fact, I didn’t really want to. One thing though, the Spanish group that was staying at the hostel got up at 5:00am! They’ve been doing this pretty much every day. Get up at 5:00am and get back in at 9:30-10:00pm. I really don’t know what they could be doing for so long during the day, I mean, most attractions close at around 5:00pm. It’s not like they come back drunk every night, so what is it exactly that they do? Oh well, they weren’t too noisy, so I wasn’t bothered really. I woke up at 7:00am on the couch in the common room. Jumi brought me some coffee and some cut fruits. Can’t expect any less when staying at Sandal Wood. All my stuff was already packed so all I had to do was get dressed, make breakfast, brush my teeth, and head out the door. I wish I had more time though… the morning went by too fast. I was slowly moving around the hostel, making sure I didn’t forget anything, but mainly I was moving slowly because I didn’t really want to leave, but the clock was ticking, and I had to make my way.

I lugged my packs down the stairs with Zin and Jumi following. So many thoughts were rushing through my head. Maybe I could stay an extra week… Check out Okinawa, Hokkaido, and more of Japans’ natural sites. Jumi also said she wanted to go bungee jumping, which I was all for, but in the end, I had to move on. I put my boots on, stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to Zin and Jumi for one final goodbye. I gave Zin a hug, but Jumi wouldn’t accept the goodbye. She stayed with me, walked with me, until I hailed a cab and was gone from her sight. Needless to say, it was a sad and difficult goodbye. I kept the window rolled down until the cab driver drove off, and when he turned the corner, that was it. I was leaving Japan… for real this time…

Since I had experience with the trek to the ferry port, the trip this time was a breeze, and I made it in record time. I was at the ferry port for about 11:00am, with plenty of time to spare. Passing customs was a cinch. I got on board, put my stuff away in my room (nice room by the way, cozy and only 4 people), and went to the upper deck to check out Osaka from the port. I stayed up there for a while, listening to music, people-watching, snapping some photos, and just staring out at the sea. I felt a little alone as I watched everyone else who had at least one other person with them. Be it families, friends, or couples. I was alone again… and it was hard. The boat set sail at around 11:45pm… I was finally going to China…

I stayed on the upper deck until Osaka was lost in the haze and out of sight. Again, so many thoughts were rushing through my head. I think I’m prone to making stupid decisions when episodes like this come about, and who knows, I may still make one later on, but for now, I think I made the right one. The rest of the day was standard. I had lunch in the cafeteria, which was mind-blowingly expensive! I forgot to get some food for the ride, so I’m going to have to ration the food I get here. At least the beer is the same price, and I still have the bottle of whisky Zin had given me for the journey last week (thanks Zin!). After lunch, I was tired, most likely due to the lack of sleep from the past week. I went to my room, uploaded the photos I took to my computer, watched the new season of Entourage (it’s finally back!), and got some sleep, about 4 hours of it! When I got up, I went back outside to check out the night sky and the view. Unfortunately, it was raining, but not hard enough to keep me inside. Although the view was limited, I was treated to a nice lightning show. It wasn’t a big storm, but it was windy. I had nothing to do and nothing to eat (the cafeteria closed at 7:30pm). Luckily, there was a vending machine with some noodle bowls. So I grabbed that and a beer, and watched the end of The Fast and the Furious that was playing on TV.

And now, here I am, writing a blog post that will be posted upon my arrival at my hostel in Shanghai. I’m mixed up right now. Sad to leave Japan, Zin, and Jumi… really sad… but excited to start a new country and continue on my Journey through Asia. I’ll be meeting Marianne in Shanghai on Sunday and after that, my plans may change. I don’t think I’ll be heading to Mongolia anymore, but I may skip some things in China and go straight for the hiking trails. Maybe I’ll meet Diogo in China as well depending on when and where he’ll be arriving.

Take this post however you want, but I think this has been the deepest post I’ve written since I’ve begun my Journey. I know I’m not the best writer, but it wouldn’t be as personal if I was forcing myself to write so eloquently. I was debating putting this up because I feel it’s pretty personal. It may not have every single detail, but I’m sure you can paint the picture yourself. I noticed that my blog hits have been down lately… I went from about 250 readers a day to about 30 since last Friday. If anything, this post may rekindle the interest. Tomorrow’s another day…

Ja matta!

-LL

P.S. Matane Jumi-chan, Zin-kun, oyobi Nihon… I’m not saying sayonara… not yet…

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My Last Night in Japan

July 16, 2009 at 10:26 pm (Japan, Kyoto)
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Not much to report today. I’m leaving my Japanese home and Japan entirely in less than 14 hours… and I’m a little sad. I’m still at the Sandal Wood Hostel, finished packing, and now just relaxing with Jin, Jumi, and the other guests. It’s been a quiet day, except for the 2 hour run I had, and what a run it was.

I started off at the hostel and made my way over the East side of the city. I didn’t take note of the Temple names and whatnot, but I managed to squeeze a couple of them into my run. I then made my way up North to Gion, the Geisha District, where all of the karts are up for the parade that’s taking place tomorrow morning (unfortunately I’ll be missing the parade…), and then, like always, I got lost, I was running through markets, outdoor malls, and through crowds of people; and it felt GOOD! I haven’t ran like that in a long time. Well, not since I left Canada anyways. I got some great views, but didn’t have my camera with me. Geishas were gorgeous, the karts were plentiful, and the food stalls smelled sooo tasty! I just ran, maybe Forest Gump had inspired me, having watched it not long ago. I just ran to my music, and before I knew it, I had run for about 2 hours, so I decided to ask for directions. Luckily, I was close to the hostel.

When I got back, I was sweaty! So sweaty! Running in humid Kyoto weather was a tougher than back home, but I didn’t care. Capped off my workout with some stretching and some push-ups, and then I downed a 2L bottle of water… I was thirsty! I cooled off, and took a long cold shower. Then I started a load of laundry, and relaxed, booked my ferry ticket to Shanghai, and that’s it. I took the day to prepare for my long boat journey. Re-packed my clothes, paid my fees, made really sure not to forget anything. As far as I know, I’m good to go.

Back at Sandal Wood Hostel, the guests are actually really nice. One of them is a guidance couselor from a High School in Denver who raised funds so that he can bring 3 students over to Japan. Amazing! Maybe I’ll do that next time I feel like traveling. Some of the other guests are a little shy, but I like to think that I help loosen them up. Jin was supposed to make dinner for me and Jumi tonight, but 3 guests are late (they were supposed to check-in at 8:00), so we can’t start dinner now.

You know what, I’m really going to miss Japan and its people. I’ll definitely have to come back here one day. I still want to go hiking in Hokkaido and see the natural, waterfall-fed hot springs, and visit the beaches in Okinawa and, again, do some spectacular hiking there as well. Of course, I’m going to have to stop in Kyoto so visit Jin and Jumi, who have been the best hosts I’ve had since I arrived in Japan. We’ll see where my road takes me…

Right now, I’m lounging in the common room with some great tunes. Only a few more hours before I check-out of Japan, you shall be missed…

Ja!

-LL

P.S. Pilar for life!

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Kyoto, I Will Really, Really, Miss You…

July 13, 2009 at 7:40 pm (Japan, Kyoto)
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Last night was a good relaxing night at Sandal Wood. Jin and Michael made me and Justin a huge feast for dinner. All different kinds of Chinese foods and the Chinese equivalent of Japanese sake, and it was absolutely delicious. Once again, I was amazed at the offer of making us a home cooked meal. It was a nice change from the sushi and bento boxes I’ve been eating for the majority of this trip. Afterward, we just sat and talked. We had a few beers since there were tons left from the previous nights (and still is). Conversation got a little philosophical after a while, Justin was as amazed as I was at the kindness of Japanese people, and he said that give him hope for the U.S., which I found absolutely hilarious. A little later, we watched some good ol’ Japanese anime, Ghost in the Shell 2. Can’t leave Japan without watching at least one Japanese anime flick, right? Jumi got back from Himeji at around 1:00am, and we chatted until about 2:00am. Justin and I offered our opinions on how Sandal Wood Hostel can become better and more popular, though there’s not much they can do, they just need to put their names out there, and I’ll definitely help with that. Going to Kyoto, Japan? Stay at the Sandal Wood Hostel, the best damn hostel Kyoto has to offer! Afterward, I had to get some sleep.

Woke up early this morning, made a Hell of a change from the past few day, 8:30am. I woke up at 6:00am to go for a run, but decided against it when it was 6:00am. Nobody was awake when I got up, so I tried calling Anne, no answer, called mom, she wasn’t in (I’ll try you guys tomorrow morning), so I had time to kill. I made some breakfast and a pot of coffee and killed time until about 9:30am. I wrote a note for Jin and Jumi with the money I owed them, and some thank you words. Finally, I woke Justin up, said my goodbyes (but we’re meeting each other in Osaka later this week), and I was out the door… It was sad actually…

Right now, I’m on the train to Hiroshima with my Pilar team mate, Dave the Scottish. I have to say, leaving Sandal Wood Hostel in Kyoto was a little hard, and deep down, I didn’t really want to. That place had become my home for the past few days, and a comfortable home it has been. Jin and Jumi are doing a terrific job at running that hostel. They even let me and Justin stay when the hostel was supposed to be closed because they had errands to run during the day, and when they did leave, they trusted us enough to stay at the hostel, as long as we kept it clean and locked the door on our way out. I’ve had some amazing memories in Kyoto, some of the best I’ve had ever since coming to Japan, but it’s time to move on, and I only hope to be able to find amazing friends like I met in Kyoto on the rest of my journey.

I guess I’m not used to this kind of thing. I mean, I’d love to stay in Kyoto for a few days longer and get to know the people better, but I’m backpacking, moving from city to city, from country to country. That’s the life of a backpacker I guess, there can be no long term commitment when meeting people in the cities I visit, but the memories will be cherished for a long time. The photos and videos will help make that happen as well. We’re all going to make an effort to keep in touch, and maybe visit each other if the opportunity arises. I’d love to go to Scotland, Norway, L.A., or Portugal. Maybe I’m embarking on a bigger journey than I had planned…

Japan’s people continue to blow me away. It’s admirable how people can be so busy and cramped in such tiny places, yet still go out of their way to help out anyone that asks. Michael, the hostel resident in Kyoto, was telling me a story about how he asked some Japanese people which train or bus (don’t exactly remember) to catch to head to a city, and the couple drove him there. It was a 5 hour drive! The most amazing this is, this place wasn’t even where this couple was heading at ALL! I thought Canadians were humble and genuinely kind, but the people here give those words a completely new meaning, and that’s something that has affected me in a good way. Their collective nature makes them all work hard as part of an important system. They represent Japan with utmost graciousness, and that’s only putting it lightly.  I know I’ve been going on and on about the Japanese, but it’s been such a huge factor on my trip that I have to repeat it again and again. I feel like I have to tell everyone about Jin, Jumi (Sandal Wood Hostel, Kyoto), the owners of the Catnip B&B in Nikko, and the random people that I’ve met on the streets eager to help me out as much as they can. Maybe people who read this will be inspired, or maybe they’ll be convinced to come to Japan, and for those already coming here, they’ll know that they’ll be treated like royalty, and they’ll know where to stay. I’m sure the experiences aren’t the same for everyone, but this has been the general consensus from all the backpackers I’ve met, and I can’t imagine it differing that much for the majority.

Anyways, Dave and I will be meeting Knut and Diogo at the J-Hoppers’ hostel in Hiroshima. The Pilar fighter pilots are taking the streets once again (minus one…)! Should be an amazing day, we’ve been having some nice (yet incredibly hot) weather for the past few days, and today is no exception (a little bit cloudier though). We’ll be visiting the Peace Memorial Park and the A-Bomb dome, some historical sites commemorating the A-bomb drops that devastated Japan back in World War II. After that, who knows, you can’t predict what the Pilar group will be up to next.

Ja!

-LL

P.S. Maybe one day I’ll explain where Pilar came from… but I probably can’t do it on this blog.

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Everybody Check Out The Nipplets and The Pilar

July 12, 2009 at 1:14 pm (Japan, Kyoto)
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First, make sure to check out the videos of the Nipplets and the Pilar here!

Yesterday, I left off at around 6:00pm, and that’s when another great night started. Like I had said, Zin and Jumi had a gig at a bar called Yaso not too far from the hostel. Once everyone was ready, I locked up the hostel and the fighter pilots took to the streets once again and made our way to the bar at a nice leisurely pace. LOL! We hadn’t had dinner yet, since we didn’t have time to eat.

Once we got to the bar, another band was already playing, and the bar was packed! Cover charge was EXPENSIVE! 2,500 yen and that only got us 1 drink, but it turned out to be so worth it. It wasn’t a big place, which made it feel even more cramped, but once the band was finished, some room was made and we were able to find some seats. Jumi and Zin came out to see us before they got up on stage. I can’t stress enough how great these two people are. They’ve been taking amazingly good care of us ever since we’ve been here. It wasn’t too long before the Nipplets took the stage. Zin had a solid rocker look going with his shades, his blue collared shirt, and his elite guitar skills that got the crowd going pretty good. Jumi, well, Jumi looked smoking hot as she jammed on her bass. The music was great! My first Japanese rock concert, and the Nipplets definitely delivered. I was a little skeptical at first (we were the only Westerners in the bar), but the feelings were unwarranted. Zin and Jumi made us feel totally welcomed, and we made sure to cheer them on good.

After their show, there was one more band. They came and hung out with us, bought us beer, and then I got a round of tequila shots for the superstars and the fighter pilots! The band after the Nipplets was pretty solid too. Great showmanship! There was the occasional moshing in the middle, which brought back some old memories of concerts back in the day. Once the show was done, we went to grab a bite to eat at the restaurant next door. Finally! Dinner at around 10:00pm. It was no McDonald’s, but it did the job. Haha! Then we went to get some cash and a couple more beers at the convenience store and headed back to the bar. Everyone was sitting outside at this point, and we joined in. Aw, such an amazing night! It was amazing just hanging out with the local bands and feeling so comfortable as well. It was a little hard understanding some times, but Zin and Jumi speak amazing english so it made things a lot easier. Dave, the Scotish traveler, was going to head back to his other hostel in Gion, but Zin offered him a free bed back here so that he’d be able to join us (Gion is a long walk from Sandal Wood, and cabs aren’t cheap as you know).

We all hopped in cabs (it’s much cheaper when the fares are split), and made our way back. We stopped at the super market for more beers (again), and met Hayato, who we eventually invited to come join us at the hostel once his shift finished at 2:00am.

It was another solid jam session at Sandal Wood. Knut and Zin played the guitar, I attempted to play the harmonica, and Justin was playing the bongo drum. Diogo (the Portugese traveler) was hilarious. At one point, he came out wearing this giant traditional Japanese mask he had found. I imagine Hayato was kind of freaked out when he got in hearing everyone sing off-key and seeing Diogo, but he brought some snacks and some more beers from the super market. We had some more sake bombs and just had a genuinely solid night!

At 4:30, I began to fall a sleep and decided to call it a night (even though the sun was up at this point). Everyone else stayed up a little bit longer, until 5:00 or so, but Justin decided to start watching the movie Ray, and didn’t really get any sleep. I got up at 10:00, made some breakfast, and now I’m probably going to head over to Nara to see what all the fuss is about. Apparently I have to crawl up a giant Buddha’s nose to have my dreams come true or something.

Ja!

-LL

P.S. Check out the Nipplets and the Pilar videos here!

P.P.S. Sorry I haven’t been calling lately, but with the nights starting so early and the days starting so late, the time difference makes it hard for me to call at a good time.

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