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Japan & Bali 2025
  • Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
  • Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

Japan & Bali 2025

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  • Permulaan perjalanan
    15 April 2025
  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
    1

    First full day in Nishinomiya

    18 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We had a long flight ✈️ from YVR to KIX yesterday. It was non-stop, a new route for Air Canada. It went very well, but still felt very long. Thank goodness for the comforts of Business Class, and also for the points we had that paid for it. 😃
    Wednesday morphed into Thursday as we crossed the date line. At KIX, we caught an Airport Limousine bus 🚌 and duly arrived at our home for a week, Hotel Hewitt. We were interested in nothing more than sleeping, so we did just that.

    This morning, we woke up in our beloved Nishinomiya. First up on the agenda was a visit for JO C to our friend and acupuncturist, Michiyo, who gave JO a good treatment for sciatica. It worked, and she feels better already.

    Then we walked over to Nishinomiya Gardens, formerly our local shopping centre. 🛍 We had a light lunch at Tulley's, one of our favorite coffee shops, and then strolled around the main floor of the building. It's all so wonderful - the things that are the same, and the new things, too. Our love ❤️ affair with Japan, which we've had a long time, has been reignited. We love everything about being here, the people, the trains, the offerings in stores, the coffee shops, the matcha pudding. Everything works, and it's all so easy.

    Happy, happy girls, and it's only mid-afternoon! 😃    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
    2

    1st full day in Nishinomiya Part 2

    18 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The second half of yesterday was wonderful. Our good friends, Kuniko & Yoshiaki, had a dinner reservation for the 4 of us at a very elegant Japanese restaurant called Nana En, right here in our hotel! We enjoyed chatting over a leisurely multi-course dinner in a private dining room. The food was excellent, as was the company! ❤️ It was like we hadn't even been away. We were there when the restaurant opened, and we were still there when it closed! What an awesome evening. 💖Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    Hiro Coffee day with Hitomi

    19 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We've been looking forward to Hiro Coffee for a long time. ☕️ Today was the day. Our friend, Hitomi, suggested it since we often used to go there together. It's still as great as it ever was. We started going there when it first opened & it became a mainstay for us, since it was very close to where we lived, the coffee was excellent & so was the food. Hitomi still lives close to it. Lucky girl.Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    Another wonderful day in Nishinomiya

    20 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The main event today was a tofu nabe lunch at our friend Mariko's house, naturally quite close to where we used to live.

    She came to our hotel to pick us up & she took us home, where she had prepared everything for a delicious tofu nabe. This just means a tofu lunch cooked at the table in a pot, a very normal way of preparing a meal in Japan. Everything was so good, particularly since she included items not available in Canada, which, of course, makes them even more delicious when we can finally get them in Japan.

    At her house, I also got to say hello again to my bicycle. It was mine first, but Mariko took it over in 2013, the year we left Japan for Canada. It's still going strong & Mariko rides it every day.

    Mariko and JO C are the same age. Their birthdays are only a couple of weeks apart, so the three of us used to have a joint celebration. 🍾 We pretended today was their February birthday celebration, so they could have another joint party!

    This Mariko is the first of two Marikos we'll be seeing on this trip, so don't be surprised when the other one appears here, not looking at all like this one.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    Kobeya

    21 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We used to ride our bikes to Kobeya for lunch. This time we walked from our hotel for dinner. It's the same as it used to be, except that you now order with a tablet on the table instead of talking to a server. As delicious as it always was. They have a full menu, but we always go for the salad bar and all-you-can-eat fresh from the oven bread.Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
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    Ume No Hana with Michiyo

    22 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Michiyo took us out for dinner at Ume No Hana, a very elegant tofu restaurant. She remembered that the last time we were in Nishinomiya, in 2019, we had dinner there twice, so she made sure we got there once this time. It's also conveniently across the street from her acupuncture clinic. As usual, the dinner was amazing, as was the company. ❤️Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
    22

    Awaji Island

    23 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today, we took a bus to Awaji Island. The fog was intense! We drove across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, 4 kms long, and when it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. For most of these 4 kms, we could not see traffic ahead or the water down below.

    The fog cleared somewhat as we approached Awaji, so we were able to see where we were.

    Our hotel for 2 nights is beside the bus terminal, so the location is super convenient. In addition to being convenient, it's also amazing - sea view 🌊, on the beach ⛱️, gorgeous room. Completely charming. Pretty windy, though, as my hair shows in the beach photos.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
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    Around the hotel neighbourhood

    24 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Breakfast this morning - eggs have Best Before dates stamped on them. Pretty cool.
    We've seen hawks soaring above the beach and hitel. Now we know they're kite hawks.
    A map on the street shows the part of Awaji we are in. Look for the red You Are Here mark.
    Out for a morning walk, we came across a pretty shrine, a field of onions 🌰, a pseudo- London Bridge, and an interesting bilingual sign indicating noteworthy spots nearby.
    At the front of the hotel, there are some pretty flowers, but we don't know what they are. Some kind of daisy, maybe, but the leaves are a bit succulent, so we don't know. If any of you know, please add a comment to tell us.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    A trip to Happy Pancake

    24 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Yes, it's true. We went to a pancake place, but one like none other. Our friend, Yasuko, took us to this one in 2019, and we've been planning to go back ever since. The real name is Shiawase no Pankeiki, which translates to Happy Pancake. We think it's the people who go there who are happy, but the pancakes might be happy, too. 😃

    It hasn't changed much since 2019, and the menu is the same. It's still very popular and busy, but we were lucky to arrive during a lull between lineups, so we got right in. That was a change. We ordered by QR code this time instead of talking to a server.

    It was as good as we remembered, but it's also the kind of place you shouldn't go to very often. 😆 Once every 6 years or so is very doable!    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    Travel to Kochi, Shikoku Island

    25 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We said goodbye to Awaji Island this morning and turned our sights to Kochi. This is on Shikoku Island, the smallest of Japan's four main islands. We want to visit Emi, who was one of our homestay students more than 30 years ago, so we've been friends for a looong time.

    The trip took us over the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge again, without the fog this time, so we were able to see where we were going. Nice.

    Shikoku is noted for its beautiful scenery, and we certainly saw that as we passed through the mountains and gorges on the way to Kochi.

    We were surprised and excited to see a special train called Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari. The name means 'the middle of Shikoku 1,000 year story'. It is an elegant train and does scenic trips through the same mountains and gorges as we did, with a gourmet meal included.

    Approaching Kochi, we saw a funny station master at a small station called Gomen, as you can see on his hat.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    A garden and a beach

    26 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We got One Day Passes called My Yu Bus, which means My Play Bus. We used the passes to get to the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, Katsurahama Beach, back to the centre of the city and finally for a short ride on a streetcar.

    The Botanical Garden is amazing. We could have spent all day there, if we didn't have somewhere else to see. It's a great place to observe and learn about many kinds of plants in addition to the story of Dr. Makino, who was a pre-eminent botanist, and whose name is now part of the garden.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
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    More garden then on to the beach

    26 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We saw some very surprising plants in the garden, some of which didn't seem like they could be real, but they were.

    The Botanical Garden is located on some of the Chikurinji Temple's original land. We didn't have time to go into the temple, but did get to the main entrance for a look in.

    Then it was to the beach. Katsurahama is another of Kochi's main landmarks. It was a great sunny, blue sky day to be at a beach.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
    1

    Kochi Sunday Market

    27 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This is so much bigger than the Sidney Market. It goes on and on for several blocks. It's mostly local farm produce. The prices are so good!
    The day before at the Botanical Garden, we had met Yaya, a young woman from the Czech Republic who is on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Route. She quit her job in order to do this and she expects it to take about 40 days. She got to temples 31 and 32 on Saturday. Quite by accident, we ran into her again at the Sunday Market. She was having a day off to enjoy the Market.Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
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    Kochi Castle

    27 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After the Sunday Market, we continued up the road to the castle. Yes, we've been there before, but not for many years. It was fun to see it again.
    JO C was proud of herself and her new knee in getting up and back down. That wouldn't have been possible with her old knee.Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata
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    After the Castle

    27 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We were ready for lunch after the castle climb, so we went to a nearby cafe that had a castle view. We had a great lunch, topped off by Ryoma Coffee. Ryoma Sakamoto looms large in Kochi because of his role in the Meiji Restoration. Even though that's a historical event, he is still everywhere. He'd probably be pretty surprised to see his face on coffee.
    On the terrace outside the cafe, there's a spot where you can pose appearing to hold the castle in your hand. Of course, we all did that. Customers inside were laughing at us. I guess we were funny.
    Then we walked to Ryoma's birthplace. Just a stone marker. Very unimpressive compared to his larger-than-life dominance of the city.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    Yawatahama

    28 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    This was one of those days in traveling adventures when you learn to embrace what life gives you, rather than what you expected.

    We had a 5-hour, three-train travel day planned, with tickets in hand and reserved seats, to get us from Kochi to Yawatahma, in order to see another castle. Train 1 went according to plan, as did the connection to Train 2. Just as we were settling in for a long ride, it was announced that the train would be terminating at the next station. Oops! There was some unspecified trouble on the line. Everyone piled off the train. We were told we could get on the next one in an hour, but that meant we'd miss the 15-minute connection to our 3rd train. I stood in line at the ticket office to get rebooked, which worked.

    We carried on, and did get to our destination where that night's hotel was, but too late to get to the castle in a nearby town.

    The compensations of the day were that we had lots of time in the unscheduled station stop to chat with other passengers, some Japanese and some Australian; in Yawatahama, we walked around getting a feel for the town - and it was interesting; and our hotel room overlooked the busy port, so there were lots of comings and goings to watch. We saw ferry traffic! Imagine that! LOL.

    We also learned that the surrounding hills were covered in mikan bushes. Fresh mikan juice is delicious. At first, we couldn't make out what we were seeing; some sort of terracing, but not rice terraces. It looked like tea bushes from a distance, but we didn't think that was quite right, so we asked, and we learned.    Baca lagi

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  • Jo and JO Brooks-CaragataJapan & Bali 2025Jo and JO Brooks-Caragata

    On to Hiroshima

    30 April 2025, Jepun ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Another day, another train. Wait, no, that's not right! It was a ferry this time. We'd read online before the trip that foot passenger reservations were not possible; we confirmed that with a hotel front desk clerk on arrival in Matsuyama. We were nervous because this is Golden Week - a peak travel period in Japan. We went to the ferry terminal, hoping for the best. The first question we were asked at the ticket counter was whether we had a reservation! How were we supposed to have a not possible reservation???

    As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about. The sailing was about 95% empty. Where are all these traveling Japanese people? We don't know, but they were definitely not on the ferry.    Baca lagi

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