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Asian Odyssey.
  • Karry Long
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  • Karry Long

Asian Odyssey.

A 24 day trip starting in Japan and then travelling to Vietnam, back to Tokyo to fly home. We’ve been to both countries before but there is always something different to see. Läs mer
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  • Senast sedd i
    🇯🇵 Narita, Japan
    Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    There is always stairs.
    Inside the templePagoda at the topI had to concentrate way too much for this.Dissecting the eelEntrance to the templeSame pagoda but blue skyEntrance to the gardenMaple treeLots of carp and so bigIt was pretty hot we were glad of the wash fountain.The green tower of peaceMake a wishHa ha our lunch translatedWe so tastyWhat did I wait for the last day to try a Lemon SourAustralian lamb chopsLemon SourOur lunch spot.One last Sake at the airport

    Time to fly home!

    13 juni, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    One more day to fill in so we went back to Narita for a second look, hopefully with better weather.
    It’s Saturday today so it’s much busier than yesterday. Lots of more people at the temple too.

    Naritasan Shinsho-Jo Temple was built around 940. There is a large number of building on the site with the icing on the cake The Great Pagoda of Peace. It was breathtakingly beautiful inside.

    Headed back towards the station to find some lunch and then a few hours to kill at the hotel and it was time to head to the airport.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Pagoda in the rain
    Little bit of eel for entreeWet, wet, wetPretty housesSakeAnother entreeTeny tiny fish!This eel place is the stuff of legends.Still cooking in the rain, everything else was closed but they were still doing a roaring trade.Favourite brand.Nothing crazy here, chicken wing and mushroomsI think this was chicken heartMy friend, eventually!These guys were so funny.Friends for the night.World famous chefWho knows what they're doing?😂🫣

    Two days in Narita

    12 juni, Japan ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    We had an overnight flight from Hanoi to Tokyo arriving at 7 o’clock in the morning. Neither of us got much sleep on that flight and the plan was to go do something for the day and then come back to the hotel at 3. We decided just to pay for an extra night so we could go to bed for a few hours. It was a good decision.

    After a much needed nap, we walked over to terminal 2 and caught the train to Narita Station. There is a very old temple there and a lovely traditional street leading up to it. Wandered along the street having a look in several shops. At the bottom of the hill is the temple, with of course the requisite steps heading up to it.

    The rain and thunder had been threatening for a while and just as we got to the top the heavens opened and it pelted down.

    The rain eased off after a while but everything was so sodden we decided to leave seeing the gardens and the top pagoda until tomorrow.
    Back in the shopping street we tried some eel at one of the little cafes. Seemed to be a speciality here, so many little cafes selling eel.
    Totally disgusting seeing them skin them and chop them up but they really are very tasty.
    Back up near the railway station we tried another restaurant but after a beer and a few skewers we weren’t really getting a great vibe from it so we moved on.
    Found another little bar that looked more our thing. Graham quickly befriended the guy next to him and then another older man sat next to me. He was a bit standoffish to start with but he warmed up as the night went on. Lovely way to end our last night in Japan.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Who wants to have a cocktail in this ugly thing?
    Water puppetsBlock paintingBird trap.Inside the dwellings.LoomThis baby basket was so sweet.42 foot long communal village house.A tomb believe it or not. I'm saying a man was buried here.The tomb surrounded by these wooden sculptures42 feet long.Cool ladders to get in and out.Bahn Mi. Thanks Jack for the recommendationWe were lucky enough to be first, but this happened while we were eating our Bahn mi hi!St JosephTraffic isn't too bad this afternoon.

    Wandering Hanoi

    11 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    One last day in Hanoi, how to fill it. Our young friend Jack from the ride was telling us about an ethology museum not far from the old quarter so that was the first port of call.

    It was a very well done museum with lots of information about the different tribes on the inside and then a great outdoor display of the different tribal houses and communal buildings. I was really impressed with how well maintained all the buildings were.

    Jack also told us about a great Bahn Mi shop, Bahn My Mama, just near St Joseph Cathedral. So a quick ride back there and we couldn’t believe there was no queue. No sooner did we get ours than the line started and got longer and longer. Just one lady making all these Bahn mi. They were first class Bahn mi.

    Bit of last minute shopping for bowls, shirts and elastic and just a general wander around.

    A couple of cocktails at our favourite 4th floor bar and dinner at The Old Viet Restaurant and we were ready to head off to the airport.

    First leg of our journey home.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Back to Hanoi

    10 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We’re getting another bus back to Hanoi today. We’re not looking forward to it since the other two were horrid. But turned out to be third time lucky. We have a small limousine bus this time and it is lovely and comfortable. The 6 hours on the bus seemed to go very quickly.

    Cara was pleased to see us still in one piece and our room on the 7th floor this time is lovely.
    We spent a couple of hours wandering the old quarter before coming back to the hotel for a rest. Expensive drinks at a roof top bar and then an amazing delicious cheap dinner.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Sapa in the Rain.

    9 juni, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Woke up to drenching rain this morning. We had a tour booked for a walk through the villages and a visit to the glass bridge. Neither of which we wanted to do in the pouring rain.

    We had a morning wandering around town, having coffee, visited the museum and the co-op ethnic gift shop attached. Did a bit of shopping and found a lovely place for lunch just opposite our hotel.

    It was quite nice to have a slow day but after we’d had rest on the afternoon the rain had lifted so we set off to find something to do.
    Watched the tram and the cable cars going up the mountain for a while and then decided to hire a couple of grab bikes to take us for a bit of a tour.

    We did a couple of laps around the streets of Sapa and then with the help of translator we decided to head down the hill to see some rice fields.

    We spent 2 hours with these two lads and saw so many rice fields, little villages, cute kids, water everywhere, rode down and up impossibly steep hills, got lost a few times. They kept having to ask for directions. Obviously they don’t do this too much with tourists. Had to wade through ankle deep mud because the road was washed out with the heavy rain.

    It was great fun and I think the boys enjoyed it as much as we did. Turned a bit of a boring day into a great memory.    Läs mer

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    Cat Cat Villiage

    8 juni, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    This afternoon we’re going to visit Cat Cat village. Luckily there is no queue there and it’s pretty quiet at the moment.

    Cat Cat Village is a picturesque, H'Mong village just 2 km from Sapa. Cascading waterfalls, traditional stilt houses, and terraced rice fields. Lots of traditional craft demonstrations an instrument and dance show and plenty of pretty views along the way.

    Looking up at Fansipan Mountain it is clear this afternoon. We can see the peak and the Buddha from the Grab. By the time we got to the hotel the clouds were dropping again.

    Going out to dinner with Rosanna and Jack tonight. Two young friends we met on the bike ride.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    In the cable car
    So many waterfalls on the way upAnd rain coming down.Rice fields.Passing the other tramMore rice fields.Tram rideStraight over the rice fieldsHighest mountain in IndochinaThe sun almost came out.Most expensive coffee in Vietnam. Lucky it was good.The big BuddhaWalking downThe templesThese topiary like trees were everywhere near the top

    Fansipan Mountain

    8 juni, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Our first day in Sapa and while it is quite hot and sunny in town there is still cloud on the mountains. Weather is so changeable here, it could clear up or it could get worst.

    We are going to take our chances and go up Fanispan Mountain. Our guide arrived this morning and she says today is as good a chance as any.

    First the tram ride up to the base of the mountain then the cable car up into the clouds and then another funicular ride up to the summit, unless you want to walk up 600 steps. At an altitude of more than 3000 meters I don’t think so! All of these required a long queue. So tedious! We thought we were going to be lucky, the sun almost burnt through the clouds when we were at the top but no they came back after a few minutes. Oh well no view, but we did see the Buddha, flag and temples. We came prepared to be cold up here but it’s actually pretty warm at the top.
    Pan our guide took us to a lovely little restaurant for lunch. Sizzling beef, pork and spring rolls.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Drying hemp.HempWaiting for us.Just hanging around.Ditching his driver.The final river

    Ha Giang Day 4

    7 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We are almost done. Last day today, I tried to have a day of no photos but some of the views are too hard to resist. Then of course there was a waterfall and a washed out road so I had to film those.

    First stop was the waterfall just up the road from our homestay. It is really hot this morning and by the time we had all walked only about 500m we were dying to get in the water. So refreshing and a rock to jump off. Interestingly with a Danger/ No Jumping sign that obviously nobody took any notice of. It kept all the children amused for a good while at least.

    Getting changed after a waterfall visit is not that much fun. Rather awkward, sticky and cumbersome. By the time we got back to the bikes we were boiling again.

    Luckily it’s cool while you’re riding and we had a few more photo stops before we got to the almost impassable village road.

    Pretty impressed I managed to video and hang on at the same time on that shocking road. They had another big downpour last night and that along with a landslide they had last week has created havoc on the local village road.

    We stopped in the village for lunch which was another version on the same theme as yesterday. Guess they know what the riders want. Goodness it is hot in the valley villages though.

    We’re all getting buses either back to Hanoi or to Sapa so it’s a hive of activity when we get back to the hostel. Showers, goodbyes, phone charging, grab food. We’re finally on our bus about 5.30. Only 6 hours to Sapa woohoo!    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Filming backwardsOur group.Graham and MengThe gorgeous rice fields we passed all day.Finally got there.The boys bondingSo beautifulThe little track. Couldn't film the scary bit I was too busy hanging on.It was worth it for this view.

    Day 3 Ha Giang Loop

    6 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Wow this ride is a commitment. The hips and but are feeling it today. Just a short ride this morning to our first destination.

    Who doesn’t love a cave visit especially when it’s fenced off and has signs saying no entry. Well I assume that what they say.
    But Tuong is through the fence so we all follow him. This cave is massive. Many stairs going down into it and so it was obviously a big deal once. We get to the bottom and the stairs continue up and up and up. Eventually someone asked how many more ups. Just 5 minute more, ok. There is a massive Buddha at the top. Amazing!
    Going down again though the steps are wet, muddy and slippery, but we all made it with the help of our phone lights, crawled into a amphitheatre, where we all turned our lights off absolute black. So freaky. Made our way over a boardwalk that had definitely seen better days and finally out through the barbed wire fence.

    We were all so hot by now it was good to get back on the bikes for some breeze. We’re taking some sort of short cut this morning and cripes it’s a bit rough. Lots of road surface missing so it’s rough as guts in places. I’m amazed nobody’s got a flat tire. I just hung on tight and tried not to fall off.

    Next up was a gorgeous lookout overlooking the M road. A windy section we are heading down to get to lunch. The views are everywhere here, just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any better, another vista appears, and the mountains go on and on and on.

    Lunch today was amazing, everything was so tasty. But the towns are all down low in the valleys and it is really hot.

    Bamboo rafting after lunch. Usually you could swim here but they have had so much rain in the last week the current is too quick and it looks pretty stirred up so not too inviting.
    We all pile on to two rafts and the second one starts sinking straight away. Graham, Rosie, Jack and Simone were on that raft. It was hilarious, Rosie started screaming but she didn’t move. They all eventually abandoned ship and got the next boat.

    The water was surprisingly cold so I had my feet in it on the way up. So good.

    Tuong told me there were beers when we got there which I thought were free so I got everyone one. Should have known better. Then just as we were leaving we had to pay. Neither Graham or I had any money with us so someone else had to shout. I didn’t feel too bad. 8 beers for $13. It didn’t break them.

    More beautiful stops for amazing view for the rest of the afternoon. One of which was on this tiny little track, with a massive drop on one side. Lucky they are all great riders. One of our group a french man called Phillip is riding himself. Tuong tells him, My friend you listen to me, low gear and don’t stop. Think we all pretty nervous for Phillip but he was all over it.

    Our home stay tonight is a delight. Set in the bush with a beautiful river next to it. Gorgeous rooms and a gold fish pond right outside. The bar and restaurant are ten steps away from our room and it’s a very well stocked bar with 2 Batman who can whip up any cocktail you like.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Ready for day 2
    286 of these.Magic viewsFlooded rice fieldsCoffee stop.Back into Van DongVan DongTu San CanyonYou feel very small against these mountains.Views on the Ma Pi Leng PassThongTu San Canyon

    Day 2 of the Ha Giang

    5 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today starts off with a visit to the Chinese border which was
    pretty unimpressive to be honest. A
    A massive fence and a set of gates you couldn’t get within 200 meters of.
    Then on to Lung Cu Flag Tower. It is a massive 33.15-meter-tall monument topped with a 54-square-meter national flag (representing Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups) perched on the summit of Dragon Mountain.

    Once again about 300 steps up to it just to kept the lungs and thighs working. And then a climb up the tower itself, I don’t know how many steps, it seemed endless. Gorgeous 360 degrees views from up there of the karst mountains, terraced rice fields and the border into china. so it was worth it.

    Next stop was a little coffee rest with a view down into a valley of flooded rice fields. Amazing place to have a rest and a salted coffee. It poured rain for about five minutes while we were there, but had cleared up by the time we headed off again.

    Tuong took us somewhere with a special fried rice and beef lunch today. The riders all seemed to love it but It wasn’t a winner for many of us.

    The afternoon was filled with the magic of travelling up and down to the Nho Quế River over the Ma Pi Leng pass for a boat ride along the gorge. This ride is just indescribably beautiful. I would have loved to have taken more photos but it was a wee bit scary. So many twists and turns and a vista around every corner.

    Any heavy shower of rain on the way down and we had to stop beside the road and get our wet gear on. That was fun on the side of a mountain with cars and bikes whizzing past and a massive drain to fall into if you put a foot wrong.

    The rain was gone again by the time we got to the river. The boat ride along the gorge was lovely. Very busy with quite a few boats out but the gorge is huge so they all disappeared pretty quickly.

    Back up the mountain with more views of gorges, rice fields, corn fields, and waterfalls. I would have liked to stop at every vantage point.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Ready to go
    This is the boss man. He's my driver.Graham with MinHot coffee with a straw. Thats a first.Our group minus me!The only bit I was brave enough to video.

    Ha Giang Loop Day 1

    4 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    First day of the Ha Hiang Loop
    Seems a bit cooler this morning, Got our bikes and riders and we’re ready to go straight after breakfast. There are 8 of us in this group. Bit of a mix of young ones and a couple of older ones.

    My rider is the Captain so we are out in front and then Graham”s must be the 2 in charge. He has the first aid box anyway so that has to count for something.

    They had some rain last night so it’s a little clearer this morning, and I was wrong it’s hot. Took us a little while to get out of Ha Giang itself but then we started climbing almost straight away up into the mountains .

    I could go on and on but suffice to say the views over the mountains were just amazing.

    The clouds started brewing over the peaks just before lunch and we all had to don our rain gear. Made it so slippery I felt like I was going to slide right off the seat. It didn’t actually rain until we got to lunch and we had a lovely meal while it bucketed down.

    So when we got back on the bikes I only put the boot protectors and the jacket on. It was still a bit drizzly and my pants got wet but at least I stayed in place.

    We’ve got a nice little home stay here for two nights and dinner is just up the road where we all did numerous Vietnamese toasts with Happy Water which take about three times as long as anyone else’s. .

    Ready for day 2    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Hanoi

    3 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    We’ve had an evening and most of today in Hanoi. Visited some favourite places and discovered a few more.

    It’s at the start of their summer in Vietnam and they have already had a heat wave which luckily passed before we got there. It’s hot but not as bad as we were expecting.

    We’ll be back for another couple of days after this trip up north.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Back in crazy town.
    Our favourite perch.

    Hurry ,hurry, hurry wait!

    2 juni, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    Today is a travel day and we all know that includes a lot of waiting.

    First of all we had to wait for the shuttle bus, then we had to wait for the counter to open. In Japan nothing opens one second before it’s supposed to. Doesn’t matter how many people are waiting. Anyway we’re up the front of the line, we should be through in no time.

    No, there was some problem with our paperwork, computer A didn’t know what computer B wanted and keep spitting us back out. We were both getting a bit nervous by this time. Is something wrong with the ticket, the visa, our passports? What? Nobody seemed to know. Eventually we got taken down to some head honcho and she bashed away on her computer for a bit and we were sent back with our first girl. After another ten minute wait finally we got through.

    Thank goodness, I needed a coffee, but no, the coffee places weren’t open, so we had to wait for that as well.

    Waited till the end to board the plane. Got everyone seated and guess what, no runways available, waited on the tarmac for half an hour.

    I could go on, it didn’t finish there but you get the drift. The joys of plane travel!    Läs mer

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    Last and long day!

    1 juni, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We work up to brilliant sunshine this morning and the view of Mt Fuji from our hotel room changed so much over a couple of hours. Got a couple more good shots of him as we were leaving town.

    We’ve got a long drive back to Tokyo today so we want to get away early. The first half an hour was lovely, up and down a beautiful mountain, little streams, snow top mountain views, rice fields and villages along the way.

    Stopped for breakfast at a 7 eleven and then our interesting road trip was over. 3 hours of traffic lights, 40 klms an hour. We had a break and stopped at a Daiso for some last minute bargains and lunch but the rest of the day was tedium.

    Dropped the car back and then we were back on the trains and buses to our hotel. It’s right beside the airport so will be good for the early start in the morning.

    Reorganised our bags so we can leave the big one and the guitar here and then found the sky bar. My goodness their margaritas packed a punch and the sake was pretty good too. Found a quick dinner downstairs and we were done for the day.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    Chureito Pogoda
    First sight of the old boyLooks like we're the only ones there but not by a long shot.Fascinating watching the clouds come and go.We stayed up there for half an hour or so and the clouds changed so much.Other side of the pagoda.Nobody is interested in this view.The torii gates398 of these!Bright Blue Brewery.I look a wreck, it was hot!Honcho stView from our hotel

    Yamanakako

    31 maj, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We’ve had a change of plans today. We were going to Matsumoto to see the castle but we decided to start heading back to Tokyo instead and have a look at Mt Fuji.
    Sunday traffic was a bit hectic in places and because we didn’t want to go on the expressway it took about an hour longer to get there.

    It was quite interesting travelling down the valley. Mt Fuji came into sight fairly quickly and we weren’t sure if that was it or not, then it would disappear and reappear again.

    The day was a bit cloudy as we left Narai but it started to get a few breaks in the clouds as we drove along. By the time we reached Chureito Pagoda clouds had gathered on the peak.

    Nobody told me there were 398 steps up to the pagoda. Holy Moly my legs were still fragile from yesterday but nevertheless up we went. The climb was absolutely worth it. The view from up there was magic, even with all the Sunday traffic. The clouds had cleared again for a bit.

    Had a well deserved ice cream when we got to the bottom again.

    Next up we went looking for the street in town with Mt Fuji at the end but we got distracted by a brewery sign and ended up with a flight of beers and surprise surprise, some Australians for company.

    We did eventually find the street and a few other shots. By this time the Sunday afternoon traffic was thick so we found our hotel for a rest.    Läs mer

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    Narai

    30 maj, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Narai is a beautiful preserved post town from the endo period. It on the Nakasendo trail and where we are spending the night. This is our last Ryokan stay and it is a classic. It’s run by an old couple who have all these hand written rules pasted all over the place.
    The room is small and very traditional, futons on the floor, rice pillows, no chairs just cushions and a low table.
    They have a little onsen here and your time limit is set and strict.
    They gave us some great advise about the walk and dinner last night was magnificent
    Looking forward to breakfast before we check out.    Läs mer

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    Nakasendo Trail

    30 maj, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We’ve got a couple of hours drive today to get to Narai. We’re taking the scenic route again instead of the expressway. We drove through endless tunnels in the way up to Shirakawa go and we are sick of them.

    Narai is an old town on the Nakasendo Trail. We’re planning to do the Torii Pass walk between Yabahara and Narai. We’ve done another section of the trail a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

    Arrived at our accomodation about midday and in the peak of Saturday tourist traffic. Told our host what we wanted to do and she grabbed our bags and told us hurry hurry the train is leaving soon.

    So off we bolt to the train station just in time for the train to Yubahara. Thought we’d be able to get some lunch there before we start but no sign of any 7 elevens anywhere. We did at least buy some water from the vending machine at the station.

    Thought we were lost for a little while, because we had to walk through the town but we eventually came upon some signs for the pass.
    Started climbing up almost straight away, first through the town then the forest which thankfully was much cooler but even more steep.

    Wow that hill was relentless, thank goodness we at least had water and there were a couple of springs on the way you could cool off with.

    They were a few other people on the walk and It was nice to see we weren’t the only ones struggling, although we did see one young guy run up the track past us, he was carrying a huge backpack too.

    Finally we made it to the top with the torri gates as a reward and then the spring and pass maker! It was all down hill from there which has its own challenges on slippery cobblestones and shale rocks.

    3 hours later we were back in Naria, ready for a beer.    Läs mer

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    Shirakawa go!

    29 maj, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This is the third time we visited Japan and we finally got to Sharikawa go. It’s a bit of a drive to get here so we decided to make it worth the effort and stay the night turned out to be a great decision because once the daytime visitors leave you have it all to yourself. Well, with about 100 other guests who are staying the night.

    We’re staying at another ryokan here just on the outskirts of the old village. It’s one of the original gassho traditional farm houses run by an elderly couple with the help of their son. Dinner and breakfast prepared for us and they were both delicious.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    The 1200 year old Ginkgo
    Chusio WaterfallTakayama Old StreetsHida Kokubun -ji TempleYes it is massiveI may have bought some fabric.Festival floatsSo colourfulSo many things to look at on these floats.So tall I'm just a speck underneath.

    Takayama

    29 maj, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We called in to Takayama for a nostalgic visit. We stayed here 7 years ago on our first trip to Japan.
    We’ve had an early start today so when we saw a sign for a waterfall we took a little detour. Such a pretty little waterfall we thought it should have had more publicity.

    It’s still pretty quiet when we arrived so we took a walk through the old street which is just gorgeous at this time of day with nobody around.
    Breakfast at the morning market with a view of the river and the big fish swimming around.

    There is 1200 year old Ginkgo tree here that we were keen to see and it’s only a short walk away.
    Funny thing was we both realised we’d been to this temple before and hadn’t realised the significance of the ginkgo tree. It is a lovely old tree with a massive trunk.
    We took the opportunity to visit the festival float hall this time. They are huge and so elaborate and colourful. Would be great to see them out on the street during a festival.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Wasabi and Kamikouchi.

    28 maj, Japan ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    We’ve done a couple of things today, but to be honest the drive between them has been the highlight.

    We set the gps to no toll roads and yes it took longer but oh so much more interesting .

    A lovely drive from our accomadation through rice fields and rural neighbourhoods. Some of the gardens are so manicured with topiary tress abounding in many front yards. Daio Wasabi farm. Acres of wasabi, growing under shade cloth in a water course. They serve it with nearly every meal so I guess they need a lot of it.
    We had a wasabi Ice cream while we were there which was obviously tamed down because you couldn’t taste any heat in it at all.
    Lovely grounds though with a walk through the farm and of course a gift shop for whatever wasabi flavoured thing you desired.

    Only 42 klms on from there is Kamakouchi National Park. Another slow but interesting drive to the national park. I think we drove through the fruit bowl of Japan. Apple trees, peach trees, plum trees, grapes. Fruit farms for miles and still rice paddies.
    After an hour or so we eventually got to Kamakouchi.

    The Japanese know how to commercialise a natural attraction.
    It’s free to enter the park, you just have to pay an arm and a leg to get the bus there. No private cars are allowed to enter the park, although we did see plenty of taxis and hotel pickups. So many hotels in there too.

    Today started off beautifully but as the afternoon has gone on the clouds have started to gather and just as we arrived the clouds started closing in on the mountain.
    We did an hours walk with umbrellas through the mist to different views of the river but the clouds persisted.

    One thing that stood out was the clarity of the water. I’ve never seen a river so clear. You could easily see to the bottom of even the deepest areas. So beautiful.

    It’s only about 15 klms to our accomodation. Umm this one is not a standout. Thank goodness it’s only one night.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Driving chaos.

    27 maj, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I was driving today and we were supposed to get to Obasute to see the rice terraces. But the gps on the phone gets itself confused with the tunnels, so we missed the exit and then decided to skip them and head straight to the hotel.
    That should have been simple but no the next exit was 17 kms down the freeway and then it send us down a stupidly narrow road straight down a humongious mountain. Anyway we arrived eventually and thank goodness it is like a paradise in a desert. Lovely room, beautiful onsen, delicious food, expensive drinks.

    The onsen was so good we had to have another one in the morning.
    You can book a private onsen but at 5500yen I don’t think so. I can look at him naked anytime.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    1

    Obuse

    27 maj, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We have a few things on the list today. First off is Obuse a little place only half an hour away.
    On the way we noticed lots of roses along the side of the road, then more in little parks until we eventually came upon a huge Rose Park. Did a bit of illegal u turn and walked in to discover the most beautiful display of every type and colour rose there could possible be. Every plant was a photo opportunity.
    After a hour of flower appreciation we continued on to Obuse.
    There is a museum there for Katsushika Hokusai who spent some
    Time there in his later years. Artist of the famous Tsunami Wave Painting.
    It was a lovely museum with amongst other works a collection of the 36 views of Mt Fuji one of which is The Wave.
    Also two festival floats he painted the inside roof of.
    Just down the street we found a Sake Brewery with tasting. Sake is my favourite drink here so of course we had to try a few of them.
    Chestnut Alley was also on the list here to see and was worth it for the wooden paving and the pretty gardens, there wasn’t actually too many chestnut trees.

    We’re driving to a little place called liyama to meet our grandson Jack and his wife Saffi. They are here in Japan with some friends at the same time and by a happy coincidence our paths are crossing today.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär
    21

    Shibu Onsen

    26 maj, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Well what a delightful stay we had at Shibu Onsen.
    A lovely dip in the onsen to start, a relaxing hour or so before dinner.

    Dinner, what a treat. So many delicious tidbits. Japanese food at a ryokan is an art form.
    We took a walk down through the main part of town after dinner. There are nine different bath houses you can try and get a stamp at them all too, but that all seemed like too much effort to us.
    It’s a pretty place anyway but after dark it’s magical. A few people like us walking around in their yukatas. Those wooden shoes are not for beginners though. Especially going uphill. The

    Another beautiful array of food the next morning and another walk through town.

    This area is so pretty with the mountain, rivers and onsens.    Läs mer

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  • Karry LongAsian Odyssey.Resenär

    Mountains, monkeys, ryokans, onsens.

    26 maj, Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we are heading to the mountains, it’s nice to be leaving the traffic and getting to see a bit more of the countryside.
    Mind you it took at least another hour of driving to leave the high rises and the freeways behind.
    Wow these mountains are high, we heading up into what would be the snowfields in winter. There was actually still a bit of snow around.
    Windy, windy roads, lots of ski lifts and multi stories hotels, most closed up for the summer.

    One of the highest points was Shiga Kogan. Beautiful views from up there and cold!
    Our next stop was the Snow Monkey Park. No snow at the moment, but plenty of monkeys. So many babies, who were very cute.
    We thought the park was a tad neglected, considering it is one of the top tourist attractions, the pathways especially, we had to walk over some dodgy board a few times. Health and safety would have a heart attack back home.    Läs mer

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