This weekend we went four hours via (slow) train to Hualien county, on the east coast of Taiwan. The trip was stunningly beautiful--we went mostly along the coast, and it was mountainous and incredible. In Hualien, we did a number of things--we went to see Liyu Lake (which is named after carp, because it is shaped like one), we went to a night market, we drove up into the mountains to Taroko National Park and saw many beautiful things. All these I will post images of later. The pertinent detail is only this: yesterday, from Hualien City to Liyu Lake, we rode motorbikes.
I have never been so scared in my life.
There are three of us--Inky, Victor, and I. Inky and Victor drove, and I clung for dear life behind Victor, no doubt making the whole affair much more difficult by being stiff as a board and freaking out if we went above 30kph--or, rather, freaking out all of the time. But, through a great exercise of sheer will, I managed not to throw myself off of the bike in sheer desperation, and here I am, alive to tell the tale. But really, I much prefer to drive than to be a motorbike passenger.
Yes, I drove! And yes, before you ask, that is illegal, because no, I do not hold a driver's license in any country. But I survived, and Victor survived riding behind me, so even though I only drove on long straight relatively low-traffic stretches, perhaps I have taken a first step towards a place among the many badass motorbike babes of Taiwan. It was awesome!
20 April, 2008
19 April, 2008
17 April, 2008
13 April, 2008
Kaminari-mon
I went even though it was raining. Kaminari-mon (Thunder Gate), a cool crane parade of some kind I ran into (more on flickr). I know I know, why am I blogging from Tokyo?! I should be out doing stuff. I think I'll take a walk.
1000Y/day in Tokyo
CHAOS!
If all had gone according to plan, I would be on a plane to Taiwan right now. Unfortunately, yesterday it was revealed that my working visa is single-entry... and yes, I knew that before, but somehow I didn't really absorb the fact that that meant "no leaving the country and going back in (unless you have a re-entry permit)." Oops. Alas, immigration offices are closed on weekends, so no re-entry permit for me. I had to cancel the flight, and for now my fingers are crossed for a partial refund or a reschedule from the travel agency, who I can't contact until Monday. Really really oops.
As a result of that situation, I'm learning two new games:
1. Konbini love-love game~!
When I did currency exchange, I was planning for 2 days, not 4. So this morning I had 1000JPY ($10CAD) in my pocket. It's Sunday, so the nearby currency exchange is closed, and my Visa doesn't seem to work in ATMs it should work in. What to do about food? No problem! The kobini (that's katakana for convenience store, for those not in the know) has saved my stomach. Any 7-11 or Lawson or whatever has tons of super cheap food. This morning I ate a 150Y steamed bun, and for lunch I have 200Y seaweed salad in the hostel fridge. That leaves about 600Y for noodles or a bento for supper. Close, but possible... sure can't do THAT in Victoria.
2. Musical beds game!
I'm actually extraordinarily lucky--there are free beds in the hostel both tonight and tomorrow night. They're both different rooms though, so I'm switching dorm rooms every day! And, also lucky, the hostel takes credit cards. Whew.
It's raining today, so my planned photo expedition to Kaminarimon is still on hold. I'll probably go to a nearby (free) craft museum instead.
If all had gone according to plan, I would be on a plane to Taiwan right now. Unfortunately, yesterday it was revealed that my working visa is single-entry... and yes, I knew that before, but somehow I didn't really absorb the fact that that meant "no leaving the country and going back in (unless you have a re-entry permit)." Oops. Alas, immigration offices are closed on weekends, so no re-entry permit for me. I had to cancel the flight, and for now my fingers are crossed for a partial refund or a reschedule from the travel agency, who I can't contact until Monday. Really really oops.
As a result of that situation, I'm learning two new games:
1. Konbini love-love game~!
When I did currency exchange, I was planning for 2 days, not 4. So this morning I had 1000JPY ($10CAD) in my pocket. It's Sunday, so the nearby currency exchange is closed, and my Visa doesn't seem to work in ATMs it should work in. What to do about food? No problem! The kobini (that's katakana for convenience store, for those not in the know) has saved my stomach. Any 7-11 or Lawson or whatever has tons of super cheap food. This morning I ate a 150Y steamed bun, and for lunch I have 200Y seaweed salad in the hostel fridge. That leaves about 600Y for noodles or a bento for supper. Close, but possible... sure can't do THAT in Victoria.
2. Musical beds game!
I'm actually extraordinarily lucky--there are free beds in the hostel both tonight and tomorrow night. They're both different rooms though, so I'm switching dorm rooms every day! And, also lucky, the hostel takes credit cards. Whew.
It's raining today, so my planned photo expedition to Kaminarimon is still on hold. I'll probably go to a nearby (free) craft museum instead.
12 April, 2008
That This is Real, This is Tokyo Moment
In fact, I had already been in Japan for four hours or so. It didn't happen when I looked out the airplane window and saw Japan for the first time. It didn't happen in the aiport, with all of the signs in Japanese. It didn't happen when a lady in kimono was next at the baggage delivery counter, and no, not when we arrived at the hostel, with its sliding door and vestibule full of shoes. Nor any of the moments between those, on the train, or walking past temples or even the Kaminarimon gates. No, it wasn't until Shibuya.
Kiyo suggested that we go out, if I wasn't too tired, to meet his friend. We took the subway down the whole Ginza line, from Asakusa station to Shibuya station. And it was there, as we left the station: the crosswalks at the corner of Shibuya Centre-gai. Centre-gai itself. The unbelievable masses of people, just crossing the street for no special reason. That was the Tokyo moment.
And then we went to an amazing little restaurant; we had to duck to get in the door, it appeared tiny from the street. But we went down, around, down, me thinking all this time "Well, this is the end of it then," three sets of three wide steps lined with tables, and there under the ground was the real centre of the restaurant. So cool.
And then I took the subway back to the hostel by myself, my first night in Tokyo out after midnight.
A fortuitous beginning indeed.
Kiyo suggested that we go out, if I wasn't too tired, to meet his friend. We took the subway down the whole Ginza line, from Asakusa station to Shibuya station. And it was there, as we left the station: the crosswalks at the corner of Shibuya Centre-gai. Centre-gai itself. The unbelievable masses of people, just crossing the street for no special reason. That was the Tokyo moment.
And then we went to an amazing little restaurant; we had to duck to get in the door, it appeared tiny from the street. But we went down, around, down, me thinking all this time "Well, this is the end of it then," three sets of three wide steps lined with tables, and there under the ground was the real centre of the restaurant. So cool.
And then I took the subway back to the hostel by myself, my first night in Tokyo out after midnight.
A fortuitous beginning indeed.
04 March, 2008
The travel/book dilemma
My biggest, most common packing error is "Ack! I brought too many books!"
So what to do about an 8-month trip, the first five months of which will be in a non-English-speaking country? I was planning to read Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, but yesterday I discovered that it's not 3 hefty mass market paperbacks like I thought, but seven, SEVEN regular sized mass markets or 3 HUEG 1000-page trades. So basically three hardcovers, in weight and size.
Maybe I won't carry that around in my backpack.
The only other good option I can think of is to bring Middlemarch or some Dickens and plan on reading at the pace of a snail, but considering the amount of airplane and train time I'm likely to have, that sounds like a sad prospect indeed.
Any travel reading suggestions?
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