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Sabbactical 2023/24
  • Dominique Lopes

Sabbactical 2023/24

This was my third 6-month backpacking trip and I wanted to fill in some blanks in my imaginary travel map. So, I decided to visit Indonesia, Japan, Mexico as well as Kenya/Tanzania (and anything else that came along the way) Read more
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  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Me in front of a river running through Tsuchyiu Onsen
    1Colorful trees near the moat of Tsuruga-Jo castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu1A fish pond in the park surrounding Nihonmatsu castleColorful trees in Aizu-WakamatsuCountless lotus flowers covering the surfice of this pond in NihonmatsuThe view from the top of Tsuruga-Jo castle in Aizu-WakamatsuA colorful tree in front of a small river flowing into lake InawashiroLake Inawashiro in front of Mt. BandaiAn alley of trees in the forest near Lake InawashiroFlowers in front of a few sky scraypers in Fukushima City

    A taste of Nature in Fukushima

    November 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Of course, I didn’t just visited Samurai-related museums and castles 🏰 during my time in the Fukushima region. There is actually so much more to see and do here. Currently, it is off season here because the weather is not perfect for outdoor activities (mostly rainy). So, you can neither go swimming 🏊‍♀️ in one of the lakes because it’s too cold nor skiing ⛷️ or snowboarding 🏂 in the mountains because there is no snow ❄️ yet.
    However, I was relatively lucky when I came here because I didn’t get too much rain and during the time when I was out and about, it was even quite sunny ☀️

    In the past, when I heard „Fukushima“, my only association with it was the nuclear power plant ☢️ that was damaged in 2011 by an earthquake and a following tsunami 🌊 but being here I have realized that Fukushima is actually an entire prefecture - much like one of our federal states in Germany 🇩🇪
    There are multiple power plants located on the south-eastern coast of Fukushima. The one that was damaged is close to a city called Ottozawa; which was nowhere near where I was staying. 😅

    The photos you see in this post are from various places in the Fukushima region: from Tsuchyiu Onsen, over Aizu-Wakamatsu and Nihonmatsu to Inawashiro - in all those places I found beautiful examples of Japanese nature. As you can see on the photos there are a lot of trees which still carry their autumn colored leaves 🍁 Currently it is the best time to see those in Japan.

    I am glad that I went here, because - besides the interesting history and the beautiful landscape of this region - this expedition has certainly changed my thoughts about Fukushima. 😌    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The Bamboo Forest - it was not as empty as it looks here 😅
    1Tall bamboo trees of the Bamboo ForestThe Japanese garden outside the buddhist temple Tenryū-jiThe buddhist temple Tenryū-ji from withinSome snow monkeys in the Iwatayama Monkey Park 🐒A traditional wooden sightseeing vessel on Katsura RiverThe observatorium of the buddhist Daihikaku Senkōji TempleKinkaku-ji - aka the golden templeA Torii gate at the entrance of Fushimi InariTime lapse video of going trough a part of the Torii Gates at Fushimi InariBad fortunes pinned to a tree in front of a part of the Shinto shrine Heian-jingū

    Sightseeing in Kyoto

    November 19, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Hello again from Kyoto! I travelled 🧳 further to the south from Koriyama in northern Honshu to the Kansei region. In Tokyo, I had to switch from one Shinkansen (bullet train) 🚆 to another one and I had only 15 min time for it!!! This was quite tough since Tokyo station is pretty confusing with so many train platforms and people; it was close but I managed somehow to get to the train in time. 😊

    Kyoto is one of the former capitals of Japan.
    In fact, the places we call Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo today have alternated as capitals under different names throughout the history of Japan 🇯🇵 You can still feel Kyoto is an important place due to the elegance of the streets, the many well-maintained parks 🌳and rivers as well as the sheer number of sights and museums to visit.
    It felt a little more expensive 🤑 than the other places I had visited so far though. I slept for two nights in the well-located The Millennials capsule hotel (https://www.german.hostelworld.com/hosteldetail…) in the city centre and paid 100,- EUR per night. Probably the most I have ever spent on a night in a hostel 😅 But the little cabins they had were really nice. The lobby and chillout area was also quite comfy. Part of it was reserved for remote work. So when I walked in, I felt as if I was visiting a WeWork. 😂 There was even a beer happy hour every evening. This is also where I met a few fellow travelers. We went for dinner in a tiny well-hidden dumpling 🥟 restaurant and had a few beers later on. The next morning we explored the city together. We covered a lot of ground that day. The first stop was Arashiyama Bamboo Forest - a spacious park abundant with high bamboo trees 🎋 that we and absurdly many other tourists crossed via some narrow paths. It didn’t matter that we went quite early there (at 8 am). It was packed anyways.
    Then we visited the buddhist temple Tenryū-ji 🛐 that was founded in the 14th century; mainly in response to a memorial service for the deceased emperor of the Kenmu Restoration. That brief period was the last time when an emperor held power in Japan 🇯🇵 until the Meiji Restoration - in between the samurai ruled the country. The temple is a world heritage site nowadays but the Japanese style rooms inside of the temple were not so interesting since they were empty. However, the Japanese garden ⛲️ outside of it was really colorful and well-designed. I liked it a lot.
    From Tenryū-ji temple, we crossed the Togetsukyo bridge to Iwatayama Monkey Park 🐒 and watched countless snow monkeys running around at the top of the hill.
    After observing the monkeys for a while, we made our way back down again to walk along the very scenic trail beside the Katsura River. Our fourth destination that day was the buddhist Daihikaku Senkōji Temple on a close-by hill. Some sources say it has the best views of Kyoto.
    This was already a lot of sightseeing for one day but we still had time ⏱️ for one more location. We fished our excursion that day with Kinkaku-ji - aka the golden temple and its easy to see why. The main characteristics of this buddhist temple are the lake surrounding it and the pavilion covered in gold. Both things make for nice and good photos. 📸 Needless to say that the place was very crowded but that is also the case with almost any other tourist attraction here in Japan. We took the bus back to our hostel and went for an early dinner (ramen again) and were back in our hotel right in time for the beer happy hour. 🍻

    The next morning I got up really early (6am; no kidding) as I had planned with Caio and Anna-Maria (two other travelers) to beat the crowds and arrive early at Fushimi Inari - our first destination for the day. It certainly didn’t help that we confused the station and trains on our way to the sight. 🤦 We arrived at 8 am instead of 7.30 am (as initially planned) but there were already a lot of people. So, we walked together with the other tourists through the Torii Gates ⛩️ at Fushimi Inari. What makes this place special is the sheer amount of Torii Gates. According to official estimates there are currently around 10.000 gates installed on the way leading up to the summit of Mt. Inari. Each gate was either sponsored by a company or a private individual. After climbing a lot of stairs 😮‍💨 we arrived at the top where many shrines were waiting for us. The Torii Gates serve as guardians for Shinto shrines. Shinto is the indigenous religion here in Japan. Buddhism was only imported in the 6th century from China 🇨🇳 Interestingly, Buddhism and Shintoism can coexist quite well with one another ☯️ since one deals with the soul and afterlife while the other one revolves around kami - some supernatural entities - that can inhabit anything (including forces and entire landscape locations like mountains) in this world. Therefore, many Japanese practice both. 🧘‍♂️
    After seeing the Torii Gates we parted ways since Caio still had to travel to Mt. Fuji and Anna-Maria had other plans for the day. I went on to see another popular Shinto shrine: Heian-jingū; which was built in the end of the 19th century to celebrate 🎊 the founding of the city Kyoto; then a good 1000 years ago.
    Afterwards, I went to the imperial park and the imperial palace 🏯 Both were really nice and this was the first sight of that day that was calm and didn’t have many people. Admission was also free. Maybe I was simply lucky. 🍀 I spent more or less an hour strolling through the park and the palace before I headed back to my hostel.
    I was traveling 🧳 further to Osaka in the evening and I had to pick up my stored luggage from there.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    "Hello, do you have some food for me?" 😊
    The large wooden South Gate Nandai-mon of Tōdai-jiA huge statue of a fighter in the wall of Nandai-mon of Tōdai-jiDaibutsu-den (the Great Buddha Hall) of Tōdai-jiThe Buddha statues in the Great Buddha HallAnother huge statue in the Great Buddha HallLooking up to Nigatsu-doEntrance to the Kasaguyama Mountain TrailWalking up the trail to the top of Wasakusa HillThe view overlooking Nara Park, Tōdai-ji and the city

    Nara - more than just deers

    November 20, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    Although I had traveled to Osaka, I made a day trip to Nara on my first day there. It is only a 30 min. train ride away from Osaka. So, it was a natural choice for me. 😌
    Nara is predominantly known for its many deers 🦌 that live in Nara Park but I found so many more things there. I started that day with visiting Tōdai-ji; a complex of temples and buildings with historical significance. First, I went to Daibutsu-den (the Great Buddha Hall) which exhibits multiple impressively huge Buddha statues. In order to get there, I was passing Nandai-mon (the Great South Gate). It is the largest temple entrance gate in Japan 🇯🇵 And I encountered already the first of many deer. They are supposed to be wild animals and there are even warning signs 🪧 to not touch them as they might do harm but in reality they are already accustomed to people. So much so, that they are conditioned to bow in order to get some cookies. 🧇
    After seeing the first impressive buildings, I wondered a bit further through the park and visited Nigatsu-do. It’s an important part of the whole complex that belongs to Tōdai-ji. In 1944, it was chosen by Japan 🇯🇵 as one of the most important cultural sites of the country because it has such a long tradition associated with it: a Buddhist monk erected it and held a service known as Shuni-e (lit.  'Second-Month Service') as a devotion and confession to the Bodhisattva Kannon (one of the most popular and frequently depicted deities in Japanese Buddhism). Today it is held as an annual rite since the 8th century without any break. Talk about consistency! 😄
    In those times (8th century), the region of Nara has been the capital. So there are a lot of temples and halls to visit in Nara Park 🌳 I decided to hike up to Wakakusajama hill instead. Taking the paths through the forest - away from all the people feeding the deers - was really relaxing and calming. Only once in a while I encountered a troop of 20-30 Japanese hikers 🥾 who were in some sort of guided tour in the opposite direction through the woods. At the top of Wakakusajama hill, I had an amazing view of Nara Park, all the temples and halls as well as the city itself.
    Then the weather turned windy and cloudy. ☁️ Therefore I went to the Tōdai-ji museum. At the entrance, the history of Tōdai-ji was introduced by a video. The exhibition dealt with statues, paintings, works of decorative art, sutras, other religious texts, and historical documents of the Nara and Heian period (8th/9th century). I was particularly impressed by the detailed statue of the Senju Kannon (Buddhist deity) with its 11 heads and 34 arms. The exhibition was really interesting and completed my picture of Japanese history a bit more. Unfortunately, it was not allowed to take photos 📸 inside the museum. Therefore you won’t see any here in this post either. But if you want to know more about Tōdai-ji, then I can recommend their official website (https://www.todaiji.or.jp/en/information) as a starting point. There is an overview of all the buildings in Nara Park and a detailed description for each one of them.
    After visiting the museum, I had pork cutlets 🐖 and a custard mochi for my late lunch. Then I took the train back to Osaka to meet another traveler for dinner and drinks.
    I could really feel my legs that day since it was the second day in a row where I made almost 36.000 steps which is approximately 10.000 steps above my current daily average. 😅    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    2Me awaiting my first ever Kobe beef steak
    Advertising panels along the river in DontonboriInviting Restaurant decorations in Dontonbori2The golden cow - marking a well known restaurantLightning red plants in front of the outer moat of Osaka CastleThe moat of Osaka Castle3A view of the Osaka Castle towerThe view of the city from Osaka Castle towerA model of the summer war in the museum located inside Osaka Castle towerManuel and I in the streets of the Dontonbori district

    Enjoying life in Osaka

    November 21, 2023 in Japan

    As wrote in my earlier post, I had traveled to Osaka a couple of days ago. I needed some rest since packing and unpacking every 2-3 days is exhausting 😮‍💨 and I cannot do it for more than 6 weeks (I have been already 50 days traveling now). But I have found an affordable apartment 🏠 on AirBnB and stayed there for 4 nights.
    The evening I arrived in Osaka, I went for a stroll through the Dotonbori district which was only 10-15 min. on foot from my apartment. To me, the Dotonbori district is like a crazy blend of the many restaurants 👨‍🍳 I saw in Shibuya and the gaming culture 🕹️ I knew from Akihabara (both in Tokyo). Somebody told me the people say „in Tokyo you earn money to dress nicely and in Osaka you earn money to enjoy life“ 😄 I can attest to that. You can eat almost any dish you like there. It’s a real Food Mekka. That evening I ate a spicy shrimp 🍤 and noodles 🍜 dish with a lot of vegetables in it - quite unusual for the Japanese food I knew until now.

    On the next day I made my day trip to Nara. You can read all about it in my earlier post.
    In the evening I went for dinner 🍲 with Manuel (that I met initially on Hokkaido). He was in Hakudate and Tokyo in the meantime but also stayed for some days in Osaka at the same time as me. We had some special kind of Ramen with slow-cooked pork meat 🍖 It was really delicious. The restaurant was quite popular and therefore we had to wait outside for approximately 30 min. 🕦 This is not uncommon for Japan. I have rarely seen places where you can book a table in advance. Even at a popular running sushi place like „Kura“ you can have waiting times of up to 60 minutes!
    Afterwards we found a proper Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar) and had some beers 🍺 We payed close attention to follow the Japanese customs which meant that we always shared a bottle and poured a small glass for one another. It was a fun evening! 😌

    On my „free day“ where I deliberately took it a bit slower than usual I slept in and visited only Osaka Castle 🏰 in the early afternoon. It is located in a nice park that I used for a long walk before I payed the admission fee for Osaka castle tower. At the top you had a good view of the park 🌳 and city. Inside was a museum that mainly dealt with the construction of the castle but also with Hideyoshi Toyotomi as well as Iyeasu Tokugawa. Two of the daimyos (warlords) that were the driving forces in uniting Japan 🇯🇵 in the 16th century - after almost 400 years of constant war for power between the regional clans. There is actually the documentary „Age of the Samurai“ on Netflix 📺 which illustrates that part of Japanese history quite well. I saw that documentary series already last year but I started to rewatch it again. 😅 On the 5th floor, the intense battle related to the siege of Osaka by means of miniature figures. The siege of Osaka was a series of battles 🏹 undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan - ending in that clan's destruction.
    In the evening I went to a high-class Kobe beef restaurant 🍽️ If I was going to try Kobe beef, it certainly had to be in Osaka! I had Kobe Beef sushi as a starter and then 120g Kobe beef steak 🥩 for the main course accompanied by a nice plum flavored sake 🍶 The beef was super tender. And the way my personal chef prepared the meat was just perfect. He also gave tips on how to combine the meat with salt, wasabi or miso paste etc. I almost felt a little special. 😅 Given all that, the approximately 100,- EUR I paid were a good „investment“.

    On my 3rd day in Osaka I went to Universal Studios because you cannot be in Japan and not have been to a themepark 🎢
    But this post is already quite long. So, I will make another dedicated post on it. Stay tuned! 😊

    In summary, Osaka is a pretty laid back city and totally different from busy Tokyo and elegant Kyoto. If I had the time, I surely would have stayed longer here.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Me in a merchandise shop wearing a Super Mario hat
    The entrance to the Spider-Man 4K3D rideFunny interpretation of fossil fuels 😅I made it - I am about to enter the Super Nintendo World with my Super Mario watchYoshi as seen from the car during the Yoshi's Adventure rideMe riding through the landscape of the gameBowsers Castle in real lifeA showmen and his dragon in the Wizarding World of Harry PotterHogwards castle in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter after dawnThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter after dawnThe Universal Studios Installation outside the park

    Universal Studios Japan

    November 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    On my last day in Osaka, I went to the Universal Studios Japan (I will call it USJ throughout this post). Usually, I am not the kind of guy who goes to themeparks 🎢 but in Japan it is almost a Must-Do.

    I have found this great article which details how to not spend all day waiting in line for the attractions: https://thetravelintern.com/ultimate-usj-guide-…

    Believe me - they are not exaggerating in that article! I followed their instructions (almost to the ladder), went on the supposedly least busy day but still had to wait sometimes in line for 80/90 min 🕚 I didn’t mind though since this gave me time to finally write my last two FindPenguin posts about Nara and Osaka. 😉
    USJ opens really early and I tried to be there an hour before that (as suggested in the article). But when I arrived, there were already many people inside the park. Some were even already riding on the roller coasters 🎢 According to the official website, the park opened at 8.30 am that day. I was there at 8 am. So, I don’t know how they managed to get into the roller coasters at that time but I guess there was some early access option, I didn’t know about. 🎟️
    I think visiting USJ is a complex endeavor which certainly requires preparation and planning if you want to get the most out of it.

    Anyways, after activating my online ticket and entering the park I reserved a time slot to enter the Super Nintendo World around lunchtime - anything earlier was already booked out! Then I went straight to the Spider-Man 4K 3D ride. Here I had to wait ⏳ only 15 min. in the single rider line. The 3D ride was thrilling and fun. While we where moving in our car, we saw in our 3D googles how Spider-Man rescued us many times from various villains 🦹 who wanted to do harm to us. The wind, heat and water droplets we were exposed to made the ride even more realistic. That joyful adventure was over after a short while of being thrown around. So, off to the next attraction.

    Next on my itinerary for the day was the „Wizarding World of Harry Potter“. I was passing by „The Flying Dinosaur“ ride of Jurassic Park but I didn’t dare to queue for this extreme roller coaster 🎢
    In contrast, the Harry Potter world is a fascinating replica of many places you know from the books and films with a lot of attention to detail. Showmen like the one with the little dragon (see the video) made the illusion even more perfect. For a moment we were in Hogwarts where many imaginary creatures 🧙‍♂️ lived and magic 🪄 was possible. I liked this part of the park a lot. The roller coaster ride required me to wait 80 min. in line but was also particularly thrilling.

    Then it was already almost 11.30 am - my time slot to enter the „Super Nintendo World“ was about to begin. In that part of the park I went to „Yoshi‘s Adventure“ ride as well as the „Mario Kart“ ride. Yoshi‘s Adventure was really for small kids. No thrill - only slow motion through the Super Nintendo World to encounter familiar characters from the Super Mario Franchise. It was still good fun but the Super Mario Kart ride was better. The appeal of the latter was that it was a mixed reality game 🎮 Your holographic opponents were projected into your glasses during the ride and you could collect points by throwing turtle shells at them. I only collected a measly 122 points - the all time record was at 300 and something. Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Toad have been pretty visually disappointed with me when I crossed the finish line. 😅
    Overall, the Super Nintendo World was built in a way that you could participate in the game as a character (e. g. by punching mystery blocks etc.). I spent a lot of time in that part of USJ. But at 2 pm I needed to eat 😋something and the restaurant in the Super Nintendo World was temporarily closed. So I went to Jurassic Park and had some expensive meal deal with chicken nuggets 🍗 and fries 🍟 and coke - not very Japanese. 🙄

    With a full stomach I was ready for the next waiting time in the queue. I went to see „Shrek‘s 4D Adventure“. This was a show - not a ride. Waiting time ⏳ was initially 70 min. but it felt shorter. It was well worth it although the show was in Japanese. I guess animated movies like this are simple enough to be enjoyed even by people who don’t know the language.

    I spent the entire day in the park with roller coaster rides, waiting in line, walking around and making photos … The day was fun but USJ (and probably also the Disney related theme parks in Tokyo) is heavily commercialized 💰 There were merchandise shops in every part of it - even on the 800m connecting the park with the „Universal City“ train station. So, good luck if you go with your kids 😂 The admission fee to the park is „only“ 50,- EUR per person but if you add expenses for candy, merchandise, meals etc. you can easily spend 500,- EUR or more as a family of four in one day. It’s crazy! Out of curiosity I researched 🕵️ some statistics and it seems like USJ had about 12 mio. visitors in 2022 while making a revenue of approximately 200 billion JP¥ (1.2 billion EUR). Or 100 EUR per person - pretty much what I had spent that day. It was a cool experience 👍 and after that I was ready to move on and continue to my next destination. But that’s a story for my next post.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    A picture entirely made from cranes by one of the local schools in Hiroshima
    A big Hiroshima sign in the city centreA pigeon on top of the "Victims Memorial Cenotaph" in HiroshimaOne of the tragic stories of a teacher who died protecting her studentsA view of Hiroschima castle (which has been completely rebuild after 1945)Trees along the "Promenade of Peace" in HiroshimaA sign marking the "Promenade of Peace" in HiroshimaThe Atomic Bomb Hypocenter site in NagasakiThe Peace Statue in NagasakiAn angel statue with a dove of peace on her shoulder in Nagasaki - a sign of hope

    No more Hiroschimas!

    Nov 25–28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    From my jofyful experiences in Osaka, I went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki - quite the emotional contrast. Among other sights, I visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum which made it their mission to spread the word about the atomic bombings that took place in August 1945 - with the hopeful intention that others do not have to experience the same kind of terror. This is further demonstrated via their slogans „No more Hiroshimas“ and „Peace begins in Nagasaki“.

    The extent of the destruction and suffering displayed in the museums was shocking, to say the least. The exhibits were partly very graphic and made me equally angry and sad. More than once I found myself shaking my head about the horrifying scenes. The museums definitely reached their goal: making their visitors think about the many people who had lost their lives as well as the people that had survived but had to endure much suffering in the aftermath of the attack. While the museum in Nagasaki detailed very well the scientific aspects of the bombing, the museum in Hiroshima focused more on the people. I made a photo of one of the stories for you so that you better understand what I mean.
    In total 140.000 people had died due to the atomic bombings till the end of 1945 in Hiroshima - in Nagasaki it had been 70.000. The „lucky ones“ died instantly when the bombs exploded - probably without even knowing what was happening. People sustained injuries up to 15 km far away from the center of the bombing. These people died in the days and months after the bombing due to radiation poisoning, severe burns or as a consequence of their other injuries. BUT: the death toll from above does not yet include those people who died 5, 10 or more years after the bombing from leukemia or cancer.

    It is well-documented how carefully planned the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was. The U.S. (and their allies) wanted to end World War II before the Soviet Union gained too much influence in the world. Japan was actually already in a weak position by the time. Nevertheless, the U.S. wanted to force their quick surrender - at least officially. So, they chose a few Japanese cities to demonstrate the superiority of their new weapon. A later study carried out by the U.S. themselves showed that this was completely unnecessary since Japan was about to surrender anyways. So, the objective was to send a message to the rest of the world and to assure U.S. supremacy in the post-war world order.
    Also the reasons for selecting Hiroshima and Nagasaki as places to drop the atomic bombs seemed rather cruel to me. The months long preparation involved selecting cities which size, topology and military facilities promised to show the most significant destruction. Moreover, ordering a second bombing with a plutonium bomb only 3 days after the uranium bomb in Hiroshima hints at the possibility that this was just an experiment for the U.S. It is hard to fathom that Harry S. Truman (the president of the U.S. who ordered the attacks) was capable of making such a terrible decision. But he did and even defended it when asked about it later in the fifties of the 20th century.

    Outside the museum, I was asked by some school kids to write a peace message into their notebook. Apparently, some homework they have been tasked with on their excursion. The schools of Hiroshima put a lot of emphasis on educating their students about the history of their city. Rightly so! I think every human being should visit Hiroshima and/or Nagasaki and learn first hand about these tragedies in 1945 as well as the importance of disarming again after the arms race of the Cold War in the 20th century.

    It doesn’t take long to realize that people in these cities wish for only one thing: peace. It’s written all over both places. In Hiroshima, there is the „Promenade of Peace“, the „Peace Memorial“, even the football stadium is about to be renamed to „EDION Peace Wing Hiroshima“ in 2024 and there are many more examples. In Nagasaki, there is the „Peace Statue“, the „Fountain of Peace“, the „Peace Bell“ … you get the idea. To me it was surprising and admirable at the same time that both cities - that had suffered such devastating losses for what I would call questionable reasons - arrived at this humble conclusion and now advocate for peace (see https://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/english/1… and https://www.city.nagasaki.lg.jp.e.jc.hp.transer…). Let’s hope their gruesome experiences stay in our memories for a long time and keep the leaders of today’s world from using these weapons of mass destruction again.

    To end this post on a positive note:

    the last days made me realize (again) how incredibly lucky 🍀 I am - born and raised in Europe, in such peaceful times and currently having the chance to travel the world in complete freedom. I am nothing but grateful for my privileged life 🧿
    Chances are, you - who are reading this - also belong to the privileged group of people that had a good life so far. Keep that in mind when you complain the next time about trivialities like the bus being late 😉

    In this spirit … Peace ✌️    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Beef "curry" and a foot bath at the same time, Tsuchiyu Onsen, Fukushima
    Tea ceremony: Oicha tee accompanied by an artistically shaped Mochi, Nihommatsu, FukushimaFood delivery in the running sushi place in KoriyamaA delicious composition of Sushi in a running sushi place in KoriyamaA small snack - Dango in Aizu-WakamatsuA great burger in Aizu Burger Lucky SmilePlum wine from the Sake brewery in Aizu-WakamatsuVery tasty Ramen at the train station of Aizu-WakamatsuMatcha soft ice cream in KyotoCoriander Gyoza in KyotoMy 10 yen pancake in Osaka

    Japanese Food-Porn (Part 2)

    November 27, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    This is the second post of my Japanese Food-Porn series. Check out the first one if you missed it: https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…

    During the past weeks, I ate various delicious food here in Japan. For example, a curry 🍛 with KAWAII decoration in Tsycho Onsen. It was more like goulash and had nothing to do with Indian curry as we know it. But the obligatory foot bath 😌 that I had during sitting at the table was definitely a highlight.
    Another highlight was my first ever Japanese tea ceremony (with matcha tea accompanied by a mochi) in Nihonmatsu which was very different from what I knew from China 🇨🇳

    In Aizu-Wakamatsu I tried dango 🍡 of course with matcha flavor. It’s I bit like 3 small mochis on a stick 😋 and I ate a very good burger 🍔 (with egg, beef, bacon, tomato, cucumber, pineapple, …) at a local burger place for lunch in restaurant Aizu Burger Lucky Smile. I can definitely recommend it 👍 I was also visiting the local sake brewery and took a guided tour in Aizu-Wakamatsu. I was the only attendant but the tour was only in Japanese and I have probably missed half of the information. 😅 Nevertheless, the guide made an effort to convey at least the most important information. After the free tasting from 4 different bottles, I bought the one that tasted the best. Later it turned out to be plum wine 🍶 and not sake 😂
    Before I ended my day trip to Aizu-Wakamatsu, I had another Ramen 🍜 at the train station there. It smelled and tasted fantastic with its fresh herbs and lemon.

    I also ate at several running sushi places in Japan now. The first one I visited was only a few weeks ago in Koriyama. What was a bit special there was that the Sushi 🍣 was delivered on little model trains.

    In Kyoto I tried matcha flavored soft ice cream 🍦for the first time. Not too bad either 😄 And on one of the evenings I went with some fellow travelers to a small inconspicuous but very good Gyoza 🥟 restaurant. They basically served only 3 different kinds of gyoza. I had the coriander flavored ones and the special dish of the restaurant. Both had been excellent. 😋

    In Osaka I tried one of the 10 yen pancakes 🥞 that I saw people eat everywhere. It is filled with mozzarella cheese but the dough is sweet. Thank god the cheese was relatively mild but it is not really my favorite. 😒
    Many other things I ate were great (I have already material for the next part of this series) but this 10 yen pancake was not for me.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    A view of the Fukuoka Port Tower from below
    A view from the observation deck of Fukuoka Port TowerA local woman showing off in her KimonoA sea of roses in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park's flower gardenA dreamy looking wooden figure in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park's flower gardenLittle meercats in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park's Animal ForrestSpider Monkeys in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park's Animal ForrestA group of flamingos in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park's Animal ForrestA Japanese style lookout of the Ukimi-do Pavilion in the Ohori ParkChristmas decorations at a random Christmas marketA Fukuoka sign with Christmas decorations

    Fukuoka or Hakata?

    November 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After a few thought-provoking days in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I took the train 🚆 back up north to Fukuoka again. It took me a while to realize that Hakata station was the main station of Fukuoka. 😅 Apparently, Hakata and Fukuoka had been two independent cities until the Meiji restoration and have then been merged into one city under the official name of Fukuoka. Now many places still carry their original name which causes confusion sometimes 😅
    I found this article on the web, which explains the difference between both terms in more detail (in case you are interested): https://findingfukuoka.wordpress.com/2011/03/02… 🤓

    I had booked two nights again in „The Millennials“ which I already knew from Kyoto. This time it cost me only a reasonable 30,- EUR a night. 😌
    After dropping of my luggage (I was already there at noon and was not able to check-in yet), I spent that sunny Sunday afternoon walking around and exploring the city. I went to the Fukuoka Port Tower to get a nice view of the city. From there I walked all the way to Maizuru and Ohori park which was almost 1 hour away on foot 🦶The parks were nice. The Ohori Park is actually a big pond with some islands in it which are connected via bridges with its surroundings. I went over the small islands and observed the sunset. 🌅 In Maizuru Park there was a big area with food stalls - probably some kind of food festival. In general, I had the feeling that the food 🥘 here in Fukuoka was more international than in other places. But that didn’t keep the locals (attending the food festival) from trying various dishes. Some where also walking around in their Kimonos 👘 it’s what you do here in Japan 🇯🇵 I guess.
    On my way back to the millennials hotel, I passed several Christmas markets 🎄 with
    corresponding decorations and „hot wine“ … it felt almost like at home. Only the temperatures with approximately 10 degrees celsius were not right. 😅

    On the next day I completely overslept 😴 I didn’t really had plans for the day. So it was not that bad. After that slow start into the day I eventually decided to visit the Uminonakamichi Seaside 🌊 park in the northeast of Fukuoka. Although the weather was not all too good, I had a relaxing afternoon while visiting the Flower Garden 🌹 and the Animal Forest 🐒 within the park. It started only to rain in the evening - shortly before I returned to the Millennials for the beer happy hour 🍻 As a guest of the hotel you get as many free beers as you like between 5.30 and 6.30 pm. I missed it the day before but I didn’t want to miss it the second day in a row. After all it’s free beer 😉    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    A poster representing all the highlights of Kagoshima city
    Samurai statues at a bus station in Kagoshima cityFurther statues of historical figures at another bus station in Kagoshima cityA view from the harbour to Sakurajima (active volcano)A typical street in IbusukiAn alley with palm trees in IbusukiChiringashima Island from the shore of IbusukiMe in a Yukata robe in front of the sand bath in IbusukiMy ferry tickets to the Amami islandsThe ferry I took to the Amami islands

    Southern Kyushu

    November 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    In the last couple of days I have stayed in the south of Kyushu - the fourth big island Japan 🇯🇵 is comprised of (with Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku being the other three).

    I took the Shinkansen (bullet train) for a last time from Fukuoka to Kagoshima city as my JR Rail Pass 🪪 was expiring now after 3 weeks.
    When I arrived at lunchtime in Kagoshima city, I dropped off my luggage 🧳 at my hotel (as I usually did in the past) but I spent the afternoon mostly with organising my ferry trip to the Amami islands 🏝️. The Kagoshima harbour is very big and I was in a complete wrong part of it. Lucky, a friendly local who was working there drove me the long way (almost 10 min.) with his car 🚗 to the right terminal. I was really impressed by his kindness and felt bad that I could not offer more than a genuine „thank you“ in return.
    However, I was not able to make a reservation at the ferry terminal ⛴️ I could only buy tickets for the same day. Reservations per phone call 📞 were possible but only in Japanese. I was told to simply come back on the day I wanted to depart and get the ticket then. So, I went back to the hotel without any reservation. 🤨
    The ferry services in Kagoshima city do not seem to be geared towards international tourists. I get it - there is also the possibility to take a flight ✈️ which can be cheaper, is definitely faster and probably even more reliable (since weather conditions can make the departure by ferry impossible sometimes). But if I had booked a flight, I would have had a predetermined date 📅 and location 📍where I had to be. I wanted to be as flexible as possible with my travels - therefore I decided to take the ferry. Also, it feels a little bit more adventurous 😊

    On the next morning I asked the receptionist if she could help me with making the reservation for me. After 20 minutes of clarifying the details, I had a reservation number and everything was good. 😊 I would take the ferry on the 30th at 6 pm. Then it’s a 11 hour drive over night to Naze Port on Amami Oshima where I would land at 5 am on the next morning. To her surprise, I gave the hotel receptionist and her colleagues some pralines from Lindt 🍬 as a thank you, on the next day during checkout.
    After the ferry reservation was sorted out, I went to Ibusuki. The 29th of November was the last day where I could use my JR Rail Pass and I picked Ibusuki as a location for my day trip because it was easily reachable by local train 🚂 and offered two promising attractions: the Chiringashima Island and a Sandbath. 🧐
    Chiringashima Island is a small island that is connected to mainland Kyushu by a sandbank during low and half tide. When I arrived at the crossing to the island - a one hour walk from the train station in Ibusuki - it was vaguely visible because the tide 🌊 was either already too high or not low enough yet. It was still a nice walk to the shore.
    The sandbath was a relaxing and interesting experience. Like the locals, I changed into a Yukata robe 👘 (a much simpler form of a kimono) and laid down on the beach 🏖️ Then the staff of the sandbath began to shove the hot sand on me until only my head was peeking out of the sand. For obvious reasons, nobody was allowed to take photos but this website illustrates quite well what that must have looked like: https://www.ana.co.jp/en/tw/japan-travel-planne… 😏
    I just laid there for 15 minutes and enjoyed the warmth of the sand and calming sounds of the waves. Then I got up, took a shower and freed myself from the sand before I went to the onsen (hot spring) and the sauna 🧖‍♂️ (which belonged to the sand bath) to complete the relaxing treatment for the day.
    Then I went back to the train station but missed the express train 🚊 back to Kagoshima city by 10 minutes. Luckily, there was an outdoor foot bath directly at the station that was free to use. That shortened the wait time until the next train. 😊

    On my last day in Kagoshima city and on Kyushu in general, I went to „The Museum birthplace of the Meiji Restoration“ 🏫 As the name suggests, it was about the beginnings of the Meiji Restoration. The samurai clans in the Kagoshima region were among the first ones to recognised the need for Japan to open up to the world 🌍 and sent students to Great Britain and Europe in the 19th century to study western technology and gain the knowledge to modernise Japan. The still ruling Edo Shugunate was against cooperation with foreigners and even forbid traveling overseas by law. These clashing paradigms eventually resulted in a civil war 💥 that brought an end to the Edo Shogunate and the feudal system in Japan.
    It met for lunch with Anna-Maria which I got to know earlier in Kyoto and who was also going to board the ferry ⛴️ to the Amami islands that evening. In the afternoon, I did not do much besides going to the ferry terminal and waiting for the ferry to depart. I will update you on that part of my journey    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Slow-cooked pork ribs Ramen (aka Hakata Ramen)
    Grilled octopus - Streetfood in OsakaKobe beef sushi in OsakaKobe Beef accompanied by vegetables and SakeMinions in Santa style in the Universal Studios Themepark in OsakaOnigiri "loco moco" from Seven ElevenUdon noodles - my side dish at Kura (a running sushi place)Matcha latte and apple pie in NagasakiGyoza with cheese topping in NagasakiSpicy ramen in Nagasaki

    Japanese Food-Porn (Part 3)

    November 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    This is the third part of my Japanese Food-Porn series. Check out the second one if you missed it: https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…

    I want to start off this part with the Hakata Ramen 🍜 that I ate in Osaka. Hakata Ramen - aka tonkotsu (meaning “pork bones”) - is a special kind of Ramen, that is cooked from pork backbones, head, and certain other ingredients. Sounds a bit disgusting but it was really yummy 🤤 Due to the completely desolved bones, this hot noodle soup is a dish with a particularly creamy, white and rich broth. In addition, this Hakata Ramen was topped with a slow-cooked super-tender piece of pork meat. It was very filling. So, if you ever going to try it I recommend not eating much before that 😅

    Another curiosity was the grilled octopus 🐙 on a stick that I ate in the surrounding park of Osaka castle. It came with a savoury sauce which made the dish even more delicious (side note: I have no problem eating almost any kind of seafood).

    But of course, my absolute highlight so far has been the Kobe Beef 🥩 that I ate as sushi as well as steak in Osaka. What has surprised me a bit was the way how it was eaten in the restaurant I went to. In Europe, a steak would come in one piece but the chef, who prepared the beef right in front of me, served it always in a group of 3 dices so that I could season it with salt, slices of garlic, miso paste or wasabi. It was an interesting experience and the meat was of course great as well 😌

    In the Universal Studios themepark in Osaka, I tried christmassy minion cookies 🍪 Needless to say, there have been plenty of other sweets and deserts in the different parts of the park. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the restaurant in the Super Nintendo World. They are supposed to have particularly creative designs from the Super Nintendo franchise for their food 👾 It’s a pity I could not see that.

    When I didn’t feel like eating in a restaurant, I had plenty of onigiri (rice balls) 🍙 from Seven Eleven as an easy to grab and go meal while I was here in Japan. Onigiri consists of rice wrapped in seaweed, with ‘stuffing’ in the center for flavor. 😋 The „loco moco“ version, I included as a photo here for example, consists of white rice topped with a small sliced hamburger patty, fried egg 🍳 and is drizzled with brown gravy. There are also smoked salmon, tuna and mayonnaise and many more kinds of onigiri 🍙

    In Hiroshima, I went to „Kura“ (a popular running sushi place here in Japan) again and ordered udon noodles 🍜 with shrimp tempura 🍤 as a side dish. Usually, you always get table water for free in any restaurant here. In that Sushi place, there was only a water dispenser for hot water. It was supposed to be mixed with matcha powder for a matcha tea 🍵 I drank it but it is not my favourite.

    In contrast to this, the matcha latte and apple pie 🥧 I had after my arrival in my Hostel in Nagasaki was really good - only quite pricy. But that’s normal for western-style food here.
    On one of my evenings in Nagasaki, I went to a restaurant that served gyoza 🥟 with a cheese and oregano topping and spicy ramen 🍝 Both were again unusual but tasty to me.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The mangrove forest from the observation deck on Amami Oshima
    Anna-Maria and I in our kajaksOur guide for the kajak tour in the mangrove forestOne of the many spiders in the forests of the Amami IslandsGlobe Amaranth at the side of a street in TatsugōMe walking towards Akiyaba TategamiThe beautiful view from the „Amami Nature Observation Forest“Clear blue water at Akiyaba beachThe big barrels in the Shochu distilleryThe owner, his wife with his 3-months old, Anna-Maria and me in front of the distillery

    An abundance of Nature on Amami Oshima

    December 2, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I have spent the last two days on Amami Oshima - one of the southern Japanese islands 🏝️ located between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
    Two days ago, the ferry has brought me and Anna-Maria at 4.30 am to the port of Naze. That’s basically the main city with approximately 10.000 inhabitants on Amami-Oshima. There was no possibility to store our luggage at the harbour or before 9 am in the hostel. So, the idea was to bring all our belongings 🧳 to the mangrove forest, store it there and participate in the 10 am kayak tour 🛶 through the forest 🌳 It was still very early when we arrived in Naze Port. So, we had to wait nearly 2 hours before we could take the first bus to the mangrove forest. I believe we were lucky in multiple ways: on one hand we had an English speaking guide - probably because Anna-Maria had been writing the company (that organised the tour) upfront. Moreover, the time slot we picked was sunny ☀️ and even exposed some blue skies in between. Later, after our tour the weather became more cloudy, windy and it started to rain 🌧️ For a few minutes there was even a real downpour.
    When we returned to Naze we could finally check-in in our hostel and store our luggage in our rooms.
    In the afternoon, we visited a Shochu 🍶distillery. Shochu is an alcoholic beverage - similar to Sake. It is typical for Kyushu and the southern islands of Japan. On the Amami islands, brown sugar 🎋 is used as a special ingredient for Shochu whereas other regions use sweet potato 🍠 , barley 🌾 or just rice 🌿 The difference to Sake is that it is much more potent (approximately 30% alcohol instead of only around 15%) since it is distilled after its fermentation. The owner of the distillery who showed us around put a lot of effort in explaining the production process in detail to us. After we have finished our tasting, his wife also joined us with their newborn 👶 for a brief chat. They seemed to be very happy to have us as their guests in their distillery and recommended the close-by Japanese restaurant „Kitahachi“ for dinner that serves local food 🍲 from the Amami islands. That evening we were not able to go there since the place was already completely booked out but we made a reservation 🎟️ for the next day. Instead, the owner of the restaurant „Kitahachi“ sent us to another restaurant across the street which served also very good local food. 🍱 It didn’t take long after we sat down at the bar before our neighbour started a conversation with us. It was really striking. Here on the Amani islands the Japanese seemed to be so much more open than on the „main land“. 💬

    The next morning, we went to Akiyaba Tategami - a huge rock 🪨 in front of the crystal clear and blue coast of Amami Oshima. I read the day before in the „Amami Oshima World Heritage Conservation Center“ near the mangrove forest 🌳 that this rock is associated with the gods by the indigenous people. It is truly an impressive sight.
    From there, we started our ascent to the top of the mountain ⛰️ that houses the „Amami Nature Observation Forest“ - knowing that at its peak, some beautiful views would await us. Then we walked down to the city „Tatsugō“ on other side of the mountain to catch the bus 🚎 and drive back towards Naze. We both got already off the bus at „Nazeasahicho“ but spent our afternoons separately: Anna-Maria wanted to relax in a cafe ☕️ and read her book and I wanted to see a little more of Amami Oshima. So, I walked 1 hour along the coast until I arrived at our hostel in Naze.
    In the evening we met again for dinner at „Kitahachi“ (the restaurant we made a reservation the day before). The 6-course menu 🍽️ with local dishes was excellent. One or two glasses of Shochu highball complimented it perfectly. Also here the Japanese were quick to chat 💬 with us - they were from all over the country (Yokohama, Hakata, Osaka, Nikka, …). Some were in Amami-Oshima for work; others for leisure. It was a fun evening. When some of them were leaving, they even payed our pretty hefty restaurant bill with the words „enjoy Japan“ 🇯🇵    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Yakiniku in the tiny restaurant across "The Millennials" hotel in Fukuoka
    Dipping noodles in a restaurant in Nagasaki1Pokeball Donut in Naze (on Amami Oshima)6-course menu (starter): mussels, seaweed and egg salad, mung bean sprouts and pickeled papaya6-course menu (1. course): Sashimi6-course menu (2. course): cooked radish and chicken breast in a ginger broth6-course menu (3. course): tofu6-course menu (4. course): pork, sweet potato and other vegetables6-course menu (5. course): Sōmen noodles with tiny little fish in it6-course menu (last course): Onigiri - this time wrapped in scrambled egg

    Japanese Food-Porn (Part 4)

    December 3, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This is the fourth part of my Japanese Food-Porn series. Check out the third one if you missed it: https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…

    This part mainly features the dishes I encountered in the south of Japan and in particular the 6-course menu I had on the Amami Islands.

    In Fukuoka, I went to a very nice Yakiniku restaurant across the street from my hotel. The food was excellent 👌 not only the beef 🥩 was nice and tender - also the salad 🥗 they served came with a very tasty dressing. Eating salad is quite unusual for Japan and I believe this was the first salad I ate in weeks.

    In Nagasaki, I tried a spicy version of dipping noodles 🍜 at a Ramen place for the first time. In contrast to Ramen you get the sauce and the noodles as well as other ingredients (chicken 🍗, lettuce 🥬, mung bean sprouts 🌱, …) in separate bowls or plates. Then you can mix them as you like. As the name suggests, you are supposed to dip the noodles 🍜 as well as other ingredients into the sauce.

    On the Amami islands, I stumbled into a Mr. Donut store while I was going on a walk and ordered a donut 🍩 in Pokéball style. The Pikachu style ones were already sold out. Otherwise I would have gladly gotten also one of them. 😅
    As I wrote in my other post, I went to a very popular local restaurant on Amami-Oshima. I enjoyed the food there very much. My favorites were definitely the Sashimi as well as the Onigiri but the other courses were really tasty. 😋    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The warning indicating a tsunami
    The interior of the ferry (3rd class cabin)A rainy day in the Mahaian Resort & SpaA spotfin lionfish (very venomous) in the Okinawa Churaumi AquariumDoesn't he/she look happy?Caution - big whale shark incomingA turtle in one of the turtle pools of the Ocean Expo ParkA view of Emerald beach in the north of OkinawaThe entrance to the „Bise-Fukugi Tree Road“Little figure at the entrance to one of the houses in the „Bise-Fukugi Tree Road“An Okinawa painting near the „Bise-Fukugi Tree Road“

    Odyssee to Okinawa

    December 5, 2023 in Japan

    On the 3rd of December, Anna-Maria and I wanted to travel further with the ferry ⛴️ to the other islands down south. That meant another short night as we had to get up early to get the ferry at 5.30 am 😴 Unfortunately, the walls in our hostel have been very thin so that we could clearly hear the noise from the guests in the bar below us at least until midnight. After only few hours of sleep, my alarm ⏰ was supposed to go off; but it didn’t. I don’t know how it was switched off. I definitely remember setting it up for 4.30 am. I somehow felt in my sleep that something wasn’t right and got up anyways - a couple of minutes late though. Now I had to rush 🏃‍♂️ packing my stuff and getting ready to leave. Anna-Maria was already waiting. Then we walked a couple of minutes to the ferry terminal and arrived there in time to comfortably get our tickets 🎟️ and wait for boarding to commence.
    But there was another problem. In the night, a rather powerful earthquake has struck in front of the Philippine coast and triggered a tsunami warning ⚠️ for the Amami Islands and other southern parts of Japan. Obviously, this was bad for our plans to take the ferry as it was not leaving until the warning was lifted.
    Initially, we had made a reservation to the ferry to Yoron 🏝️ and have already thought about changing that to Okinoerabujima in the days before - due to the worsening weather conditions it would have been the better choice. However , the tsunami 🌊 warning added a new level of uncertainty to our plans which eventually made us decide to take the ferry all the way to Okinawa - that’s a whole day (12 hours) on the ferry ⛴️ but then we would be done with this and won’t be potentially stuck on one of the islands. After adjusting our travel tickets to the changed conditions, I realised that I had forgotten my thermos flask in the hostel in my rush 🏃that morning. As it was clear that the ferry wasn’t leaving on time anyway, I went back to the hostel and picked it up. So, the whole situation had at least something good. 😅
    The tsunami was supposed to be “only” up to 1 meter high but I learned through some research that the chances of surviving a tsunami 🌊 of that height (if you are not evacuated to a safe area) are almost zero! See https://jla-lifesaving.or.jp/en/watersafety/tsu… if you’re interested in the details. We were safe though as the port was on the northern coast of Amami-Oshima and the tsunami was going to hit on the southeastern coast. 😌
    Nevertheless, it took more than 4 hours until the tsunami warning was lifted and the ferry was cleared for departure. That also meant we would arrive 4 hours later than expected on Okinawa. Time to slightly change our travel plans again within only a couple of hours. 😫 Luckily, the ferry stops at two ports on Okinawa - Motobu in the north and Naha in the south. So, we decided to leave the ferry already at the nothern port since this saved us approximately 2 hours. The next two days would not allow any prolonged outdoor activities due to heavy rainfall ⛈️ and the aquarium as well as some wellness resorts were in the northern part of Okinawa anyways. That’s why, I decided to make the following day a (pretty much needed) wellness day ☺️ and visit the Aquarium on the day after before I would take the bus to Naha. Anna-Maria was pressed for time since she was leaving Japan by the end of the week. So, she stayed closer to the harbour and went to Naha already on the next day. Maybe we see us there once again. 👋

    On the next day, I deliberately slept in and skipped breakfast. As expected it was raining the whole day. ☔️ The hotel (where I stayed) was connected to the “Mahaina Wellness Resort” and due to that, I was allowed to use their indoor pool 🏊 as well as the Sento (public bath) and their extensive restaurant and cafe/bar area. It was nice to enjoy a relaxing day after all that stress from the day before. 😊

    I was pleased to see that the next day was without any rain. Instead it was just windy and cloudy ⛅️ So, my plan to visit the „Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium“ was working out well. The many fish 🐠 of all shapes and sizes in the aquarium were well worth the visit - the main attraction in particular. It was the almost 10m long whale shark 🐋 that swam in a huge pool with many other big fish like manta rays and barracudas. This was probably the biggest fish I have ever seen. 😮
    After visiting the the aquarium, I walked along the coast and enjoyed the surprisingly sunny weather. 🌤️The aquarium is located in the Ocean Expo Park and not far from “Emerald Beach“ where I made my first stop. Its white sand and turquoise waters looked inviting - at least for a less windy day - but then there are so many more beaches 🏖️ on Okinawa. I will certainly have the chance to visit one in the coming warmer days. From „Emerald Beach“ I walked through the densely packed „Bise-Fukugi Tree Road“ 🌴 to a place called „Bisezaki“. It offered yet another nice view of the sea and its crystal clear water.
    In the afternoon I took the bus to Naha in the south of Okinawa where I arrived after approximately 2,5 hours. I plan to stay here for the next 7 nights. So, this will be my last destination in Japan 🇯🇵 before I leave to Mexico.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    One of the Bento Boxes I had on one of the Shinkansen trains through Japan
    Tuna sashimi on Amami-OshimaA typical local dish called “Keihan” on Amami-OshimaGrilled pork belly with chopped spring onions and wasabi in Amami-OshimaA whole bunch of Mochis from a food stall in KyotoA platter of local Okinawan dishes in MotobuSukiyaki in Naha, OkinawaSea grapes in Naha, OkinawaThe impressive presentation of Sashimi in Naha, OkinawaKabayaki (broiled eel) on Tokashiki, Okinawa

    Japanese Food-Porn (Part 5)

    December 12, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    This is the final part of my Japanese Food-Porn series. Check out the fourth one if you missed it: https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…

    This part shows a more random collection of dishes I encountered throughout Japan.

    1. There is no board bistro on any train in Japan. A very common thing to do therefore is to buy a bento box 🍱 in a store at the train station before you leave and take it with you on the Shinkansen 🚅 I included here one of the bento boxes that I bought as an example.

    2. On Amami-Oshima, I ate tuna 🍣 sashimi on rice in a restaurant at the Mangrove forest. Definitely one of my favourite dishes here in Japan 🇯🇵 Anna-Maria - a german traveller I visited the mangrove forest with - had the typical local dish called “Keihan”. It is white rice 🍚 topped with shredded chicken 🐓 and other ingredients such as thin strips of omelet, pickled papaya, and finely chopped peel of tankan (a citrus fruit that is also a product from Amami). I tried it as well; it tasted good and to me it was similar to chicken soup ☺️

    3. My main course in a local restaurant in Naze on Amami-Oshima was unusual, to say the least. Literally, just grilled pork belly 🐖with chopped spring onions on top and a bit of wasabi at the side. Although it was delicious, I felt really guilty as so much fat was probably not good for my health 😬

    4. Mochis are a common sweet snack on the streets. I am sure you know them since they already have found their way into our grocery stores in the western world. 🌍 I didn’t pay too much attention to it but I don’t remember seeing Mochis sold on the streets outside of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara (the golden path for tourists traveling to Japan). Probably it’s related to the fewer tourists in those other places.
    The photo 📸 showing an entire dozen of Mochis that I included here, is an exemplary one for all the varieties you can find in that area of Japan. They all had a strawberry 🍓 on it and came in 4 different flavours: matcha, custard, chocolate and strawberry, of course. 😊

    5. In Motobu on Okinawa, I ordered a platter of local Okinawan dishes. It was a bit like a bento box 😂
    Seasonal sashimi, rafute (pork belly), seasonal tempura, yushi dofu (fluffy Okinawan tofu), peanut tofu, … really interesting stuff. 🧐😊

    6. in Naha, I ate Sukiyaki on one of the nights. This is sliced beef 🥩 on top of glass noodles as well as vegetables with sweet soy sauce; slow cooked in a hotpot. The restaurant even took the liberty to put three raw egg yolks on the dish. Needless to say, it was a filling dinner 😅
    One other night, I went with Anna-Maria to an outstanding Sashimi restaurant. Obviously, we ordered the impressively presented sashimi but we also had some Sushi 🍣, Kimchi, Gyoza 🥟, sea grapes 🍇 (actually green algae) and do-it-yourself mochis 😊

    7. on Tokashiki, I went with Eidan (another fellow traveler) to one of the few restaurants in Aahran Bay that accepts credit cards 💳 They had a menu with a thousand dishes (Japanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, …) - it was incredible. We wondered how their kitchen 👩‍🍳 can support so many different recipes. Anyways, apparently Kabayaki (broiled eel) is one of the most popular dishes in Japanese food culture and I haven’t had that - until then. The portion was small but good but tuna sashimi remains my favorite meal. 😌

    This concludes my Japanese Food-Porn series. I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed trying the food 😎    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The pond in "Fukushu Garden" in Naha, Okinawa
    One of the many views in "Fukushu Garden" in Naha, OkinawaA Hibiskus blossom 🌺 in "Fukushu Garden" in Naha, OkinawaAn interesting gate in "Fukushu Garden" in Naha, OkinawaLotus flowers 🪷 in the pottery district of Naha, OkinawaMy crazy ice cream combo from Blue Seal: vanilla, sweet potato, chocolate and mintShades of blue in Tokashiki BaySnorkeling on TokashikiThe beach close to my Hotel on TokashikiOne of the many smoothies (I had) from the Tokashiki Parlor food truck1Sunset at the beach on Tokashiki island

    Relaxing on Okinawa (Naha)

    December 12, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    My first day in Naha was rainy and cloudy 🌧️So, it was time for another museum again. I chose the Peace Memorial Museum - way in the south of Okinawa - and was surprised to learn about the Okinawan perspective on World War II and the preceding Japanese wars in the Pacific; mainly with China and Russia. 🧐 I also realised that Okinawa - though it is a Japanese prefecture (like a federal state in Germany) - was only recently „added“ to Japan. That explained also why Okinawa is quite different from the rest of Japan 🇯🇵
    For obvious reasons, neither US military bases 🪖 nor too much interference from Japans mainland are welcome by the locals. Okinawans would rather be left alone respectively receive proper support (according to their interests) from Tokyo.
    I am not sure if the museum was still located in Naha. On one hand, it was not such a big distance between it and my hostel. On the other hand, it took almost 2 hours to get there respectively back (at least with public transport). In Naha, public transport is almost entirely operated by buses 🚌 There are also some train stations and one train line going back and forth between them, but that’s it. The busses are often stuck in traffic - that’s probably one of the reasons why it took a little longer than expected to reach the destination. That day I didn’t mind it because it was raining and in the bus it was at least dry 😌

    The next day was nicer. ☀️ I left the hostel in the morning to visit the beaches on the west coast of Naha. On the way, I visited „Fukushu Garden“ ⛲️ I have heard a couple of times now that - while we westerners admire Japanese gardens - the Japanese people admire the Chinese gardens 😂 „Fukushu Garden“ is a Chinese garden. It was built as a symbol of friendship with the city Fuhzou in China. The slogan of the garden is „walkable art“ and in my opinion there is really something to this claim. I think I understand now why Japanese people like chinese Gardens so much. 😅 To me the landscape was well designed and it was so nice and quiet. I could have spent much more time there - just sitting and enjoying the calming atmosphere.
    In the afternoon, I went to the beaches 🏝️ which were a bit disappointing: from the sandy beaches a highway and the harbour obstructed the otherwise pleasant view. The only beach that was reachable on foot and didn’t have that, was covered in stones 🤦‍♂️ Apparently, the best beaches are on the Kemara islands of the coast of Naha. I kind of already had made the decision but if I needed any more reasons to visit them on the next day - this was it. 👍
    In the evening, I met Anna-Maria for dinner again. She was still in Naha but it was her last night in Japan. We went to a really nice Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar) 🍻 Needless to say, that we had a good time eating excellent food and catching up on the experiences of each other from the last couple of days.

    On the next morning, I went as planned to Tokashiki - one of the Kemara islands 🏖️ They are famous for their unbelievably blue water. It was the weekend and the weather was great. The ocean was a bit cold but so clear and the coral 🪸 and fish 🐠 so abundant that I went snorkelling multiple times. In summer, these islands are usually packed with tourists but at the time I was there, it was low season and very calm. However, for reasons I still cannot comprehend only a few dozen people seemed to be on the island. 🤔 Although (or because?) there were so few people on the island, I got in contact with disproportionally many other travelers: for example, during an organised snorkelling trip I met a young English speaking couple from Asahikawa on Hokkaido - a city that I had been to in the beginning of my journey through Japan 🇯🇵 They were in Okinawa for their one week long vacation (that is half of their total vacation in a year!). They were amazed 😮 when I told them where I had already been and that I was traveling through Japan for a total of 6 weeks. Through my hotel and our shared interest for diving 🤿, I also befriended Eidan from Israel. He works in IT and has the luxury to work part-time as well as from anywhere - truly a great combination of perks. It was already his third time in Japan. 🇯🇵
    The restaurants on the island have been good as well but they had very limited opening hours. For example a really nice cafe, close to my hotel, was closed between 2 pm and 6 pm 🤷‍♂️ During that time basically everything was closed - probably because of low season. Luckily there was this little „Tokashiki Parlour“ food truck 🚚 that served also very good smoothies. I was there every day and tried the pineapple, dragonfruit and mocha flavors. All have been delicious. 😋
    After 2 nights on the island, I returned very relaxed to the main island of Okinawa. My time in Japan was coming to an end and I had to get back to Naha since my flight ✈️ to Tokyo was on the 12th of December.

    During my remaining time in Naha, I visited the art museum ⛪️ that had a permanent exhibition of paintings, photographs and installations from local artists. And I went for a stroll through the pottery 🏺district „Tsuboya“ (Okinawa is known for their pottery industry) with subsequent indulgence in the many offerings of „Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street“. I even found a top notch Café and Bakery 🍰 called „Edelweiss“ that served coffee and cake as I knew it from Germany. Obviously, I also had to try the Ice cream🍦from „Blue Seal“ - a seemingly popular brand in Okinawa (as I have seen them in many places on the island) on a sunny day.

    Now, all that was left was going back to Tokyo and waiting for the next chapter of my Sabbatical to commence. 🎬    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Yes, it was time for another international flight
    The Air Canada machine that I took to fly out of JapanThe remote control of a Japanese toiletA Japanese pissoir on one of the public toiletsCleaning liquid and instructions on how to use itA vending machine for coffee - blue labels are cold and red labels indicate hot coffeeHot coffee from a coffee vending machineOne of the many Lawson convinient stores

    Good Bye Japan 👋

    December 13, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The past 6 weeks were characterised by many new and great impressions. Once again, everything went by far too quickly. In the beginning, I alternated between being amazed 🤩 and confused 🤯, but by the end I had even settled in a bit. That's probably why it's so hard to say goodbye now.

    So far, I have documented my journey through Japan in many posts on FindPenguins ... this is number #22.
    As always, it's hard for me to name one highlight, but if I had to pick three, probably it would be these:
    - trailing the Samurai Culture🤺in Fukushima (see https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…)
    - the perfect mix of sights ⛩️, nature 🌳 and pleasure 🎢 in the region of Kyoto, Nara and Osaka (see https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin… and https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin… and https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin… and https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…)
    - discovering a completely different southern Japan 🏝️ in the Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures (see https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin… and https://findpenguins.com/6jjjgruit3szw/footprin…)

    Not only did I visit great places in Japan, I also have learned to appreciate many smart things 🤓 we might introduce in our western world.

    1. Let’s start with an obvious example: Japanese toilets 🚽 Many times you will sit on a warm/heated toilet seat here in Japan. And I am not talking only about the ones you encounter in hotels and restaurants. In contrast to recent developments in Germany (and other countries), there are many public toilets in Japan that can be used free of charge 🆓 and that are usually very clean. Partly they even clean themselves e. g. by automatically flushing a.s.o. But it doesn’t stop there - there are many more contributers to clean and tidy toilets. Pissoirs extend all the way to the bottom so that it doesn’t matter how tall or short you are and you won’t miss it (you know what I mean) 😉 Napkins holders have plastic protectors that prevent water of your washed hands from dripping down on the other napkins …
    And obviously the Japanese etiquette that everyone follows here is a big factor as well.

    2. I could go on and on about smart ways of keeping these toilets in their impressively clean state 🧽 but there is more than toilets.
    7eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart are convenient stores which serve as one stop shops and are open 24/7 - no matter if you need groceries, an ATM, a toilet, a Coffee ☕️ for breakfast or some ready made hot meal 🍽️ for lunch/dinner … they have it all! See https://www.travelcaffeine.com/7-eleven-japan-g… if you want to read about it from the perspective of an amazed traveler. And they are abundant: Wikipedia states that „Japan has more 7-Eleven locations than anywhere else in the world, where they often bear the name of its holding company Seven & i Holdings. Of the 71,000 stores around the globe, 21,215 stores (nearly 30% of global stores) are in Japan, with 2,824 stores in Tokyo alone.“ 😮

    3. But you don’t even have to go into a shop or restaurant for coffee ☕️. There are vending machines on the streets everywhere. For a small amount of money 💴 you can get all sorts of coffee hot, cold, with and without milk, in a can or in a bottle …

    4. first I saw it as a problem, but soon I understood the motivation behind the little to no trash bins 🗑️ that are placed outside. The reason is simple: if everyone takes his trash home, there is no need for public trash bins. Also it makes you realize how much trash you are producing in a day. Only one visit to 7eleven and you probably have collected a coffee cup, a napkin, the bill and potentially the packaging of one or two 2 Onigiris 🍙 or similar … 🙄 makes you think twice if you really need your breakfast for take away or you eat it right there and then. 😅 Probably, that is why I almost never encountered anyone eating on the streets.

    5. Japanese people go to restaurants 🍽️ … a lot - even when they are alone. In contrast to what I have heard before, it is cheap. Free water is always served to each meal. Depending on the type of food (Ramen 🍜, Sushi 🍣, Yakiniku 🥓, …) you will end up paying between 5 and 35 EURs. So, it would argue that it’s even cheaper than Germany. But that may be due to the current exchange rates 📈
    Eating in a restaurant is usually also quick in Japan. Most of the time, I was in and out of the restaurant within 30 min. 🕠 Only in the Izakayas (Japanese tapas bar) you will probably spend more time. Once I spent 2-3 hours there with Anna-Maria (a fellow traveler). That was by far the longest I stayed in a restaurant in Japan.

    6. In some regional trains 🚆 I have seen that the orientation of a bunk and its seats can be changed. This is perfect because it either allows for groups to sit together in pairs of 4 or for single travellers 🧳 to always face the direction where the train is moving towards.
    In general, the public transport system is second to none. I cannot think of a single delayed train that I took to my destination Only once a train was departing late at a station but it managed to be on time at my destination. So, there must be some contingency planned for occasions like this. 👍

    7. only a few times it rained while I was in Japan. Although I don’t have an umbrella ☂️ with me, this was not a problem. Nearly every hotel and hostel where I was staying had many of these see-through umbrellas that are quite common. You could take them with you for the day - free of charge of course. 😌 The fact that you can see through the umbrellas amazed me. It is simple but also such an obvious improvement. Why haven’t I seen this in Germany yet?

    So, yes - Japan 🇯🇵 is a great country and if you have not been there yet, you should definitely consider a visit. Currently, it seems to be a good time since the exchange rates 📈 make the money of western travelers go a long way.

    Everyone I met here was sure that they would come back again. And I already have ideas for at least one more trip to Japan in the future as well. 😅

    But now I'm off to Mexico 🇲🇽 and Latin America in a few hours. That certainly also has its advantages but the top 5 things from Japan 🇯🇵 that I will probably miss the most in the coming months are the amazing punctuality, relaxing peace and quiet, unbelievable cleanliness, carefree safety and the respectful interaction with one another.

    Good bye Japan - I had a great time with you. 🤗    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler

    Stop Over: Vancouver

    December 13, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Wow. The past 24 hours were really stressful. 😵‍💫
    All started with me trying to check in online to my Air Canada flight on Tuesday evening. The first bad news was that only seats in the middle were still vacant for the 8 hours flight to Vancouver 😩 But it got even more ridiculous: I only realised during the online checkin that I needed an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) for Canada 🇨🇦 - although I am only transiting through Vancouver to get to Mexico! 😤 Usually you can apply online for an eTA and it is approved in minutes but exactly on that day the Canadian government decided to schedule a 5-6 hours long maintenance window for the online application form and apologised on its website for the „inconvenience“. Damn IT guys 🤬 (I am allowed to curse like that - being one of those IT guys myself 😉)
    However, the 5-6 hours passed and the maintenance messages on the website didn’t go away. I had little time left to get the eTA and the clock was ticking ⏰ It even came to a point where I was picturing myself not taking those flights, scrapping my entire travel plans for the coming months and traveling through Asia instead. 😬
    On the morning of the flight, I went to the Airport and gave it another shot. The maintenance messages were still there. That was at least 12 hours after the maintenance window should have closed. Only then I found out that I had to completely ignore the messages and navigate 2-3 clicks deeper into the website to finally be able to access the application from. 🤦‍♂️
    After entering a ton of personal data and paying approximately 5 EUR, I had my eTA and was good to go. 😮‍💨

    The flight to Vancouver was actually fine but also not spectacular. Only a few bumps due to turbulences but nothing serious. The only mind bending thing 🤯 was that I left Tokio on the 13th of December at 6 pm and arrived today on the same date at 9.30 am - despite an 8 hours flight ✈️ So this is how it feels like when crossing the International Date Line (IDT). But where did the missing time go? The mind-boggling answer is more or less as follows: this is not a true loss or gain of time - it is simply a realignment to match the local time. Your total elapsed time remains the same, it is just represented differently on the clock. (see https://www.quora.com/When-crossing-from-one-ti… for more info)

    I am currently waiting in the quite nicely decorated international terminal at Vancouver airport for my connection to Mexico City. So, next time you will hear from me from Mexico 🇲🇽 Stay tuned. 😎    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Welcome zo Mexico (outside Mexico City International Aitport)
    My big kingsize bed in the We Aeropuerto HotelView of the mexican mountains from the planePeople getting of the plain at Oaxaca Airport1Sign announcing daily activities in my Hostel

    Olà México

    December 14, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽 - the land of the Maya and sombreros as well as mariachi, salsa and tequila 😅

    I can't wait to see what awaits me here. However, immediately after landing 🛬 at Mexico City International Airport, I experienced my first culture shock: I knew that the last few weeks in Japan had been characterised by perfection and punctuality and that I couldn't apply the same standards 📏 elsewhere.
    But I didn't think that I would have to wait 45 minutes at baggage reclaim 🛄 and watch as the suitcases only sporadically made their way onto the conveyor belt. As I found out later, the employee responsible for transporting the suitcases was often distracted because he was texting during his work. 🤦‍♂️
    But the best was yet to come: at some point, baggage reclaim was finished over - no sign of my luggage, but no sign of many other people's luggage either. 😮 There was general confusion. Nobody knew anything. So we queued at Lost & Found. Great - it was only half past one in the morning and with 50 other parties in the queue - how long can it take? 😅
    Luckily, a lorry 🚛 full of suitcases from Vancouver turned up after a short time. It was then unloaded on another conveyor belt and lo and behold - my backpack 🎒 was there too. Lucky for me! After all, my plan was to fly to Oaxaca in the afternoon of the same day. ✈️ I doubt that they would have delivered my luggage there.
    From the airport, I took the shuttle to the We Aeropuerto Hotel. 🏨 At 2.30 am I was finally in my oversized hotel room. After 6 weeks in Japan, everything suddenly seems so monstrously big. 😂
    I could only sleep for a little while on the plane (maybe an hour or so) and not at all at the airport in Vancouver. 😴
    So after my 24-hour journey from Japan, I was suitably exhausted and immediately fell into a deep, restful sleep. 🛏️ Fortunately, the time difference between Japan (GMT -9 hours) and Mexico (GMT +6 hours) means I hardly have to change my daily rhythm. 😊

    The next morning I travelled straight on to Oaxaca. My Hostel here seems to be quite nice and cozy and they have daily activities. For example, today is cocktail night 🍸
    The last few days have been a bit much of travelling 😩 I stay here for 2 nights but if I like it in Oaxaca, I'll definitely extend my stay a little before heading east and south from here in the coming weeks; at first overland through the Chiapas and Yucatan regions and then to Belize. At least that's the current plan. 😎    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Me kn front of a stand selling the typical drink "Tejate"
    Statue of Juarez Benitez in the University of LawNicely decorated street in OaxacaVarious types of Chili on the Central de Abastos marketChili 🌶️ 🥵The patio of a museum dedicated to Francisco ToledoStreet art in the oragnic market "La Consecha"Parade in the steets of Oaxaca1Parade in fton of the CathedralParade walking down the main street in OaxacaWalking through the streets of Oaxaca during sunset

    Oaxaca (Part 1)

    December 15, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    On my first day in Oaxaca, I arranged with a few other travellers at the breakfast 🍳 table to to visit the "Central de Abastos" market in the morning. The market was huge. You could buy pretty much anything there: Fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes, Christmas 🎅 decorations ...
    However, there was no recognisable order. It could be that a fish stall 🐟 was next to a stall with clothes 👕. Although we had just eaten a great breakfast at the hostel, we lined up at Doña Vale Memela's stall. It's so famous that you have to queue and wait a few minutes almost any time of the day. The stall is even featured in the Netflix show "Streetfood Latin America" in an episode about Oaxaca (see https://www.netflix.com/mx/title/81249660).
    At lunchtime, Andrew (from the US) and I attended a free walking tour. To our astonishment, we were the only ones there. So it was more or less a private tour. 😅 Maria (our guide with an Italian background but who has lived in Oaxaca for 10 years) gave us a great introduction to Mexican and Oaxacan history and culture as we walked 🚶‍♂️ through the city centre and stopped in front of a few buildings worth seeing. We learnt about Juárez Benitez - the first and only member of the indigenous population of Central and South America - to become president of his home country 🇲🇽 ! During his time in office, he pushed through many important reforms, including the strict separation of church, military and state. In this way, the population regained around 50% of their land, which had previously been the property of the Catholic Church ⛪️ in the Vatican. And this all happened in the 19th century. Since then, there has probably been no one who was both intelligent, charismatic as well as lucky enough to be supported by the right persons with ties to the government.
    Another figure of whom Oaxaca is very proud was Francisco Toledo. A talented but down-to-earth artist who did a lot of good in Mexico with his fame and his social and political commitment.
    Maria gave us further insights 💡 into the history of the indigenous population and the period of Spanish colonisation. It was news to me that before the Spanish conquest of Central America, the Aztecs were greatly feared by the smaller tribes (Zapotecs and Mixtecs) who also lived in the region. The reason for this was the aggressive expansion 👹of the Aztecs, which was mainly driven by the fact that they brought new captives to sacrifice to the multitude of their gods. The Spaniards capitalised on this fear and formed an alliance with the smaller tribes to defeat the Aztecs. The Zapotecs 🐲 were apparently more cooperative and were henceforth treated favourably by the Spaniards, while the Mixtecs tended to belong to the lowest rung of society.
    We walked a little further through the streets of the city centre and Maria gave us a few more recommendations for cafés ☕️ and restaurants. Then our tour ended in front of the "La Consecha" organic market. There we treated ourselves to two memelas and pulque🍷for a late lunch. Pulque or agave wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant. It tasted a lot like cider and was pretty refreshing to me.
    The market closed at around 4pm. So we made our way back to the hostel. Several parades 🥁 awaited us in the city centre where the locals celebrated their minor or major achievements (e.g. turning 15 or getting married). As you can easily see from the video, it was a colourful hustle and bustle on the streets. We were back at the hostel around 7pm - just in time for the event of the day: pizza 🍕 and beer 🍻 with the other travellers. The hostel is extremely good at creating a good atmosphere in which travellers can quickly and easily connect to each other. That evening, the others went to a trendy location 🪩 with 70s, 80s and 90s music. However, I had to miss out due to jet lag - I had already fallen asleep at 9.30 pm. 😴    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The botanical garden in Oaxaca
    Another view of the botanical garden in OaxacaOne of the many streetfood places on the fairs of Oaxaca1A picture on an art market in OaxacaThe tuk-tuk we hopped on to get to our bus connection from Tiotitlan to MitlaA selection of rugs in a family owned store in TiotitlanDifferent natural materials that are used to dye the whool for the rugsThe petrified waterfalls of Hierve el AguaWater flowing down into ponds at Hierve el AguaSunset at Hierve el Agua

    Oxaca (Part 2)

    December 19, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    During the last days I have been exploring Oaxaca and its surroundings a bit further. On Saturday I have been in the Botanical garden. 🌵 It is a bit different from the botanical gardens that I knew so far. On a huge area it exhibites currently approximately 1.000 indigenous plants 🌱 from Oaxaca. All these plants have been gathered from their original region and have been brought to / replanted in the botanical garden. It is planned to increase the number of species exhibited in the garden to 13.000 🌳🌲🌴🌵
    During evening and night time I frequently went with the other travelers from the hostel to one of the many a fairs that were close by. Currently during Christmas time, there are a lot of fairs and parades in Oaxaca. One night, a parade was even marching around and playing very loudly 🎺 during the entire night and kept everyone in the city awake. 😵‍💫Apparently this is accepted here.
    On another day Andrew (from Australia but living in the US), Zelda (from China but living in the UK), Matt (from England) and I went on a self-organised tour to Tiotitlan de Valle. Andrew wanted to buy a typical rug and we others simply enjoyed the adventurous journey to the village.😊
    Afterwards we made our way to Hierve el Agua. The journey to this place was as interesting as it could be: all four of us went with one Tuk-Tuk 🛺 to a crossing to change to a bus. Including the driver this makes 5 people on the Tuk-Tuk. The others had to squeeze in in the back and the driver and me were in the front. I sat on the edge of the front seat and pushed with my arm against the roof so that I would not fall out of the Tuk-Tuk. Luckily the ride was only about 10 minutes long. Then we took the overcrowded public bus 🚎 to Mitla and had a quick late lunch before we hopped on the loading area of a pickup 🛻 (which was a collectivo / shuttle). The driver drove like crazy and we had to hold on to the pickup where we could so that we don’t fall out in one of the sharp corners of the serpentines going up the mountain. ⛰️
    Hierve el Agua is a system of petrified waterfalls, formed by calcium carbonate and is truly a mind boggling place. The waterfalls are of natural origin and were formed thousands of years ago by the runoff of water with a high mineral content. It really looks like the waterfalls are frozen in time. 🕰️ In addition to the waterfalls there were a few liquid but ice cold ponds. I went in only with my feet but the others were brave enough to take a full dip. 🥶
    The remaining days I used the time to relax a little bit and to walk around the city of Oaxaca. This night I will take the night bus to Puerto Escondido 🌴 in the south on the pacific coast. It will only be a short trip as I decided to come back to Oaxaca for Christmas. 🎅    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Bungalows near the beach in Brisas, Puerto Escondido
    Advertisement of a surf shop in Puerto EscondidoHuge hand sculpture on Playa Zicatela, Puerto Escondido1Baby humpback whale jumping in the water, Puerto Escondido1Palm trees at Playa Zicatela, Puerto EscondidoWelcome to MazunteMain entrance to the beach in MazuntePlaya Mazunte1Playa Carrizalillo in Puerto EscondidoThe parade of horse-carriage and horseback riders in Puerto EscondidoThe locals playing soccer at Playa Zicatela during sunset, Puerto Escondido

    Surf vibes in Puerto Escondido

    December 21, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    4 days ago I took the 12 hour overnight bus 🚎 to Puerto Escondido. I am not particularly sleeping well in moving vehicles or loud or bright environments. Unfortunately, I almost need perfect conditions to sleep. 😬 Neither the route through the mountains with its long succession of countless serpentines nor the fact that the bus was cooled down to freezing temperatures 🥶 helped. I already had long trousers, a jumper over my t-shirt and my sarong from Indonesia that I use more and more as a blanket but I wished I had at least one more layer of clothing. So, I arrived pretty sleepy 😴 in Puerto Escondido in the morning of the 20th of December. I have met a nice couple from the Netherlands on the bus ride and we shared a taxi to my hostel. They opted to walk 🚶‍♂️ from my host to theirs which was only 10 min. away. Once I arrived in my hostel (the „Huitzilin“) I tried to rest a little bit. It was still quite early which is why I couldn’t check in but the place was pretty comfortable with many sofas and a hammock in the public areas. After breakfast I went to Zicatela beach 🏖️ which was located only 5 minutes (walking distance) away. To my surprise there were only a few people at the beach and the waves 🌊 were in general more suitable for surfing than swimming. I went into the water to cool off anyway.
    The sun ☀️ shines very strong here at the coast of Oaxaca state and I didn’t bring sun screen to the beach. So, I could only stay for an hour since I didn’t want to risk getting sun burnt. I chilled a bit in my hostel before I set out again to visit Brisas in the southern part of the very stretched out Zicatela beach. It’s a densely packed spot with lots of shops, restaurants and bungalows that serve as accommodation. Here I really felt the surfing vibes 🏄 Puerto Escondido is known for. Many tourists drove around in a scooter which reminded me of my time in Indonesia. If I had spent more time in Puerto Escondido, I also would have rented a scooter 🛵 It simply didn’t fit well with my current travel plans.
    I went to bed 🛌 early that day. I was still tired from the lack of sleep in overnight bus in the night before and in addition, I had agreed with Helena (from the US) to attend a whale watching tour on the next day at 7 am.

    In the morning, I got up at 6:15 am ⏰ and walked in my wind blocking jacket, t-shirt, bathing trousers and flip flops for 30 minutes all the way to the meeting point at Playa Principal. The sun was about to rise at that time and it was still a bit chilly. So, I was grateful for the early exercise 😅 Helena was already waiting there as she was watching the sunrise earlier from a specific lookout with some friends.
    The whale watching tour was good. We were promised a 100% probably that we would see Humpback whales 🐋 … and the tour guide delivered. Whales come to this area between December and January to give birth to their offspring. We were lucky enough to find a family with a young baby which - on occasion - jumped out of the water (see video). The tour was over at 10 am and it was high time for breakfast 🍳 So, I went to the close-by city centre and had scrambled eggs, mexican-style of course - with rice and mole. Then I walked the 30 minutes back to my hostel. This time I started sweating pretty quickly 🥵 due to the hot temperatures during the day. Therefore, I took a quick shower and went straight to the pool as soon as I was in the hostel.
    In the afternoon, I met with Matt (from the UK) that I got to know during the time in my hostel in Oaxaca. He is traveling almost the same route as me 🗺️ and also during the same time frame. So, we will probably run more often into each other in the future. We went to Playa Carrizalillo - one of the prettiest beaches in Puerto Escondido. But that meant that the place was packed. Here we also (kind of randomly) met Barrie and Louise - two girls from the US and Canada that I had briefly chatted with during my visit to the Botanical Garden 🪴 in Oaxaca. They were staying in the apartment hotel that houses the restaurant which Matt had picked for dinner and thus could help us make a reservation. It has a beautiful view and thus it is very busy during sunset. 🌅 Eventually, Barrie and Louise joined us for some drinks while we had our excellent dinner. Afterwards they even invited us for some mezcal 🥃 in their apartment. It was already quite late when we had emptied the bottles of mezcal and the girls haven’t had dinner yet. So, we ended that cheerful evening and left the apartment. The girls went to some restaurants close-by. Matt and I took a taxi 🚕 back to our hotels respectively hostels.

    On the next day Matt and I made a day trip to the little hippie and beach town „Mazunte“ 🏖️ It is a nice and quiet place approximately 1,5 hours east of Puerto Escondido. It combines all good characteristics of Puerto Escondido in one place: a nice beach with calm waves like at Playa Carrizalillo, only few people 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽 on the beach like at Playa Zicatela as well as many shops, restaurants and bungalows as in Brisas. And in addition you get a very relaxed vibe. We spend almost all day there and where only back in Puerto Escondido to watch the sunset. When we stepped out of the bus there was suddenly a small parade consisting of a mother and her child in a horse-carriage and maybe 50 horse riders dressed like cowboys 🤠 I have yet to find out what that was about but it was an interesting scene nonetheless.
    In the evening, Matt and I met again with Barrie and Luis for dinner in the city centre. It was their last night in Mexico 🇲🇽 On the next day they would fly home for Christmas. It was again a nice evening.
    But before meeting the others for dinner, I had to change from my hostel to a hotel right across from the station where I wanted to take the long-distance bus 🚎 back to Oaxaca from on the next morning. Instead of the night bus I had to take a bus that runs during the day. Anything else was already completely booked out. I guess, this is normal during peak season. But I don’t mind it. That way I had time to write this post, reflect on a few things and I take a look at the beautiful country side Mexico 🇲🇽 has to offer.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Santa Puppet decorating a the outlet of a store in Osaka, Japan
    Christmas decorations in front of a random restaurant in Fukushima City, JapanSoft toys in a random shop in the underground walk way of Sapporo Station, Hokkaido, JapanWooden Santa model in a random shop in Koriyama, JapanSuper Mario christmas decoration in a merchandise shop of Universal Studios Japan in OsakaChristmas market in Fukuoka, JapanChristmas market in Fukuoka, Japan1Two divers in Santa costumes cleaning the inside of a fish tank in Vancouver Airport, Canada1Santa in front of s Christmas tree in one of the many art shops in Oaxaca, MexicoChristmas decoration as sold on the Central de Abastos market in Oaxaca, MexicoBig Christmas tree on Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución) in Oxaca, Mexico

    🎄 Feliz Navidad 🎅

    December 24, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Hi everyone, merry Christmas 🎅 to all of you!
    These are some photos and video impressions from Christmas „around the world“ that I collected in the past weeks - well, actually only from Japan, Canada and Mexico but I think that’s diverse enough 😅

    Enjoy your time with your family and friends!    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    Christmas dinner in the Hostal Central
    Decorated fountain in the Hostal Central1Dancing people in a Salsa bar in OaxacaThe Christmas tree in Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)A tiliche (reminiscent of a straw Santa Claus) in close to the Santo Domingo churchStreet art in Oaxaca city centreStreet art in Oaxaca somewhere on the way to the Reforma districtEntrance to the Xochimilco districtSteet art in the Xochimilco district2Street art in the Xochimilco districtMore street art in the Xochimilco district

    Oaxaca (Part 3)

    December 26, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    I enjoyed my time in Oaxaca so much that I decided to come back here for Christmas 🎄
    And it was definitely a good decision. Returning to the „Hostal Central“ felt a little bit like coming home since I knew the place and some people there already. The staff in our hostel had prepared a delicious Christmas dinner for Christmas Eve which I enjoyed very much. The menu consisted of Pork loin, Stuffed turkey, Mashed potatoes, Salads and Pasta. For drinks we had Sangria, red wine, beer and Mezcal.
    Christmas Day was a slow day and I left the hostel only for a fresh goiaba, orange, ginger and honey Juice at a nearby Juice bar. The fresh juices are really good here. During my 2nd time in Oaxaca, I have been there every day. In the evening, the hostel had organised another mezcal tasting before we went out to a small Salsa 💃 bar with live music.

    On my last day we went on a walk to „La Cantina do outro mundo“ in the Reforma
    district. On the way we passed the Xochimilco district with its many walls exhibiting beautiful street art. The cantina had an interesting twist to their menu: they had a pre-made multi-course menu but you would only order drinks. The number of drinks would determine which course you get. So, for the first drink you would get the starter, for the second drink you would get the second course, etc. We ordered only until the 4th drink/course. So, I don’t know how many courses they had prepared but I believe they had at least a fifths one. 😅
    In the evening of the 26th, I took the night bus to San Christobal de las Casas - a small town in the mountains of the Chiapas region and my next destination.    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    The main square in San Christobal
    Our guide leading the way through municipal market of San ChristobalThe facade of the Santo Domingo church in San ChristobalChurch in San ChristobalGraffiti at the Galleria Studio Cerillo in San ChristobalOur Guide explaining the Zapatista movement in front of the Galeria Studio Cerillo in San ChristobalOur guide at the Pox tasting at La Espirituosa in San ChristobalThe church of Chamula from outsideFrom the internet: inside the Church of ChamulaChristmas decorations on the main square in San ChristobalBlues band at La Catrina in San Christobal

    San Christobal

    December 29, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I arrived - again pretty tiered 😴 - in the morning of the 27th of December in San Christobal de las Casas in the Chiapas region of Mexico. The 12 hour night bus that I took was pretty comfy this time but the AC didn’t work properly. So, it was very hot in the bus🥵 I probably managed to sleep for a few hours but it was not a very deep or relaxing sleep. After checking in in my hostel, I went for breakfast. 🍳
    A. K. - the manager of the hostel - recommended „La Fronteira“ and I gave it a shot. The restaurant was located together with other artisanal product selling stores in a nice complex surrounding a garden. 🪴 Walking around I quickly realised that Oaxaca and San Christobal had some things in common (e. g. colonial buildings, street art, artisanal shops etc.). However, judging by the people here, San Christobal seems much more alternative than Oaxaca. Surprisingly, there are many vegetarian 🥑 restaurants or Cafés here as well - something I did not expect to see in Mexico at all. Apart from that I didn’t do much more on the day of my arrival. I wanted to attend the free walking tour in the afternoon but I fell asleep. 😩 So, the walking tour had to wait until the next day.
    In the morning, I met Marco (from Germany), Deniz (from Turkey but living in the Netherlands) and Gianluca (from Australia) at the walking tour. They were staying in the same hostel as me.
    Our guide (Carlos from Peru) took us through the huge and chaotic municipal market of San Christobal next to the Santo Domingo church ⛪️ and explained its complicated history. Apparently, it was formed as a communal effort by the indigenous people living in and around San Christobal. At first, against the will of the local government which responded with many oppressive measures 🚷 but eventually the market was tolerated. Nevertheless, to this day vendors at the market do not have any official permits or alike. Interestingly, the police 👮 is NOT allowed to enter the market. According to our guide, the market community takes care of law and order - this also includes security. The municipal market is kind of symbolic for the communal areas around San Christobal and Chiapas. Many of them deeply distrust the government and place an emphasis on being autonomous and self-organised - usually in the context of existing family structures governing and resolving local issues and disputes. 🧑‍⚖️
    Another interesting stop we made was in front of the Galeria Studio Cerrillo where our guide took its impressive street art as occasion to talk about the Zapatista movement. It has its name from Emiliano Zapata - one of the leaders in the Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s. While this rebellion of indigenous people 🐲 and other marginalised groups against the government is already more than a century ago, the situation for them has not changed much. The Zapatista movement formed in the 80s of the last century and eventually led to the Zapatista uprising in 1994💥 The reasons for the uprising were mainly rooted in the changes of federal laws and communal land ownership related to the North-American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that put especially the groups represented by the Zapatistas at a disadvantage. In response to the uprising by the Zapatista Army, the Mexican government supported pro-government communities and armed 🔫them with military equipment; effectively creating the corrupt local governments, paramilitary forces and criminal organisations in the North of the Chiapas region that benefit from exploiting the weak position of the indigenous people 🐲 and make this region so dangerous to this day.
    „Extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, forced displacement, torture, threats of violence and death, intimidation, arbitrary deprivations of liberty and destruction of property were some of the threats faced by these communities.“ (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiapas_conflict). The federal government doesn’t do enough to secure the area. No wonder these communities are striving for autonomy and self-defence. 😤

    Before we finished the tour at „La Espirituosa“ (which was in the same building as „La Fronteira“ - the place where I had breakfast the day before), we stopped at the highest point of San Cristobal. Carlos explained the difficult water situation 🛁 in the valley to us. Although there are 4 rivers entering it and a lot of rainfall during the wet season, San Christobal experiences water scarcity on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this is - to a large extent - the cities own wrong doing. 🤦 On one hand the rivers where connected with each other by means of canals in the 70s. On the other hand people directed the sewers of their households into the rivers so that the water becomes highly contaminated further downstream. 🤢 When it rains too much in the valley, clean water mixes with the contaminated water thereby laying the bases for all sorts of diseases (like diarrhoea). Therefore, every tourist is advised not to use the tap water for drinking or even brushing their teeth. In the news there is often an outrage about a nearby Coca Cola Factory 🏭 which certainly uses a significant portion of the clean water but probably serves more as a scapegoat for the failure of the city to manage its water supply properly. The insane consumption of Coca Cola 🥤by Mexicans and particularly in the Chiapas region puts them at the top of the countries with obesity. But that is a completely different story.

    At „La Espirituosa“ we attended a Pox tasting which was part of our free walking tour. Pox is a local alcoholic beverage based on corn 🌽 with up to 40% alcohol. Of the 3 servings we got, I liked the chocolate flavored one the most. After the tour was over Marco and I sat down in the garden of the complex and tried Kombucha 🍷 that was also available at La Espirituosa.
    In the afternoon, Marco and I went to the Church of Chamula. Chamula is a town and municipality near San Cristobal (20 min. with a collectivo) that is entirely run by the local Mayan people 🐲 who have lived there for centuries. These Tzotzil Mayas are completely autonomous in multiple ways: they have battled and fought off Catholicism (though they technically have a catholic church it is not really part of the Vatican and runs by its own rules) as well as the Mexican government. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Police 👮‍♂️ and federales are routinely kicked out of the town.
    The hierarchy and social status of a person living in Chamula is based on their position in the local religion. It has evolved into a seamless mix of ancient Maya rites, rituals and beliefs meshed with Catholicism.
    Thousands of pine needles 🌲 covering the floor and an endless amount of tall thin candles 🕯️ all over the floor create a truly mystical atmosphere inside. It is very dim and a cloud of smoke from the candles is in the air. In the big hall huddles of small groups 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, all Tzotzil Maya in their traditional clothing, sit on the ground and perform their rituals. Apart from candles 🕯️ many coke bottles filled with clear liquid as well as coke dotted the floor around the groups. According to my research, chicken 🐔 are sacrificed right then and there in the church to free the believers from a disease or illness. From my description you can probably tell that the church has a completely different feeling than any other church you or I have ever been to.
    It is strictly forbidden 📵 to take photos inside the church though. In fact I have read stories of people who had done so and either had their camera 📷 confiscated, broken, had to pay a very large fine in order to get it back or in worst case scenarios were thrown in the local jail for a day. Therefore, my only picture you see is from outside. However, I included a picture from the internet 🛜 that shows more or less how it looked like inside the church.

    In the evening, Marco and I teamed up with Deniz and Gianluca again for dinner. After dinner we ended up in „La Catrina“ sipping cocktails 🍸 while listening to live Blues music until 11 pm. We had to ask for the correction of our bill twice. Marcos and Denizs Spanish skills were up to the task but since we liked the place we gave a tip 💸 and probably paid as much as was initially printed on the wrong bill. However, at least we spent our money willingly and for the right reasons. 😌    Read more

  • Dominique LopesSabbactical 2023/24Traveler
    1Cañón del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon) from atop
    Marco and I in our speedboat through the CanyonView of the Cañón del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon) from the boatCan you spot the crocodile?The Cascadas de Agua Azul (Blue Water Waterfalls)A little parrot I found close to the Cascadas de Agua AzulThe Misol-Ha WaterfallThe Sun Temple in PalenqueOverlooking the archeological site of PalenqueMe in front of the Temple of the CrossOnly one example of the impressive souvenirs that were being sold along the way in Palenque

    Exploring the Chiapas region

    December 31, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The last two days I explored the Chiapas region in the south of Mexico 🇲🇽 by means of some of the various tour operators in San Christobal. The first tour started at 9 am. Our destination - Cañón del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon) - is a 13 kilometres (8 mi) long natural canyon ⛰️ located just north of the town Chiapa de Corzo. The width of the canyon varies from 1 to 2 kilometres (3,300 to 6,600 ft). Its formation started 35 million years ago and is the result of cracks in the earth's crust along with erosion by the Grijalva River, which still flows through it.
    We stopped at some view points to see the vastness of this canyon from atop - one of the stops was the popular 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) high El Roblar lookout point. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t play along all too well. ☁️At first we saw nothing more than a white wall of fog 🌫️ when we arrived. Luckily, the sky cleared up after 5-10 minutes but we would have to wait until the afternoon for sunshine 🌞
    After seeing the canyon from above, we drove to a dock near the Chicoasén Dam. There we changed from bus 🚌 to speed boat 🚤 and followed the Grijalva River through the canyon - marvelling at its impressively vertical walls. Most of these walls are between 200 and 700 metres (660 and 2,300 ft) high but at the highest point the walls reach even 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).
    The deep and narrow canyon and its surrounding national park are also well known for their wildlife. According to the Mexican federal Secretaría de Agricultura y Recursos Hidráulicos (SARH), a total of 90 species calls the area their home. We saw birds 🦅 as well as iguanas 🦎 and crocodiles 🐊 on our boat trip to Chiapa de Corzo.
    After our arrival in Chiapa de Corzo we had a late lunch before we walked through the town centre to the meeting point with our tour guide. It was already 4 pm and our tour was about to end. By 5 pm we were back in San Christobal - just in time to take a shower 🚿 and get ready for dinner with Deniz (from the Netherlands) and Gianluca (from Australia). This time we tested one of the vegetarian restaurants 🥑 in San Christobal (Te Quiero Verde) and it turned out to be very good. Afterwards, the others continued to discover some new bars but I had other plans. I had booked a tour to the popular Maya sight Palenque for the next day which was departing at 4 am. ⏰ So, I tried to be in bed early.

    The next morning I got up a 10 to 4 am and was picked up only a few minutes later from my hostel. After picking up a few more passengers in San Christobal, we drove with our mini bus 🚐 approximately 2 hours through the dark, foggy and rainy back country of Chiapas to our first stop - a breakfast place just outside of Ocosingo.
    Taking the streets through this region is not without its dangers. I had a seat in the front - next to our driver and thus could observe how he was often reporting 📞 about our position and also receiving information about god knows what. He was also explaining to us that - for our own safety - we could not make other intermediate stops as the ones that have been planned. The local bus company ADO 🚎 does not travel this direct route between San Christobal and Palenque anymore and rather takes a 5 hour long detour through Villahermosa since tourists on their buses have been robbed 3 times in a row just a couple of months ago.
    It is not uncommon in Chiapas that the paramilitary groups 🪖 or other criminal organisations stop collectivos or even long-distance busses for bribes for „safe passage“. In such a case, the bus cannot pass a blockade until the desired amount of money 💰 has been gathered. The only thing you can do in this situation is stay calm. Ideally, you prepare accordingly BEFORE it occurs. For example you can apply the following measures: don’t carry your valuables with your all the time. If you must travel with all your belongings, separate the valuable items from the rest. Have a realistic looking spare wallet with some money (max. 300 pesos = 15 EUR) and plastic cards 💳 in it and ideally an old or expendable mobile phone - both are meant to give away to satisfy the criminals when necessary. Last but not least: hide your real wallet, your passport and your mobile phone - loosing them would be catastrophic. Luckily, these events are usually non-violent but of course unpleasant when they happen. I try the best I can to avoid making this experience. 🫤
    Anyways, our 2nd stop but first real destination were the Cascadas de Agua Azul (Blue Water Waterfalls) 💦 which are part of the Xanil River and they really live up to their name! The longest drop is up to 6 metres deep and the water has a high content of calcium carbonate and other minerals giving it its colour. Even that day - which was still pretty cloudy - I could clearly see turquoise blue ponds 🔷 in front of the stretched out and cascading waterfalls. We spent more or less one and a half hours there before we continued with our journey. Our next stop was the totally different waterfall Misol-Ha. With a height of 35 metres, this waterfall was rather tall than stretched out. As with the other waterfall, you could swim 🏊‍♀️ in the relatively warm water. As a bonus it was even possible to hike „behind“ the waterfall to the entrance of a big cave - also an endeavour that could not be completed without getting wet 💦 There was an additional entrance fee to the cave that was not covered by the tour. I didn’t feel the need to go in. So, I skipped this optional part but I am pretty sure I didn’t miss anything.
    One hour later we drove to the main attraction of the tour: Palenque. This impressive archaeological site in the middle of the jungle 🌴🌴🌴 was one of the most important cities of the Northeastern Maya lowlands during the Maya Classical period (ca. 200-900 A.D.). As an UNESCO Heritage site, Palenque is testimony to the mythology and resources of the Maya and not less important than Chichen Itza in Yucatan or Tikal in Guatemala - although it is only mid-sized in comparison to them.
    According to the tourist information office on site, it stands out from other Maya ruins 🛕that can be encountered in Mexico „due to the extent of its concentrated urban area, its refined architecture, the beautiful and plastic perfection of its sculptures as well as its many well-preserved glyphic inscriptions, which have allowed to reconstruct the history and religion of the old estate.“ Indeed, Palenque is one of the most studied 🤓 and documented Mayan archeological ruins. Remarkably, the ancient city has a planned urban layout, with monumental buildings and some of the largest clearings found in all the Maya area. In addition, numerous residential areas with habitation units, funerary, ritual and productive activity areas surround the administrative and civic ceremonial centre.
    The Mayan builders and architects 📐of Palenque balanced landscape with platforms, temples and palaces, which creates an peaceful harmony at the settlement. At some point, I climbed up the Temple of the Cross to a calm spot and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere (see video). I felt a bit reminded of my visit to Machu Picchu in Peru where I was many years ago. 😌
    At 4 pm we started our long journey back to San Christobal. Our driver drove quite rapidly 🏎️ on the freeway 199 all the way to 3 hours away Ocosingo. It’s a fun route with many long serpentines going up and down the mountain ranges - a little bit like the “Kassler Berge” in Germany. But the section of the 199 after Ocosingo until the entrance for the highway to San Christobal is just horrible 😖 I noticed that already in the morning but going back I had the peace and leisure to count the 182 speed bumps along the approximately 90 km - that is on average one speed bump every 500 meters ‼️ … and I counted only those we had to break for. Another thing I noticed were the many people standing near the freeway and seemingly writing something into their mobile phones when we passed with our mini bus 🚐 After a lot of research, I am convinced that these were all local residents working with the Sinaloa or Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartels which recently put the region under their control (see https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-0…). I even found reports from 2018 about two cyclists that where found dead near a blockade put up by the residents of Ocosingo. 😲
    However, our driver navigated us safely through this dangerous road so that we were back in San Christobal by 10 pm. I was pretty tiered after this exciting tour and only took a shower as well as prepared for my travel ✈️ to Valladolid on the next morning.    Read more

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