Hiking Hakusan: enjoying the colors of the “white mountain”

After climbing Mt. Fuji, we decided to complete the sanreizan (三霊山), Japan’s three holy mountains. So we next set our sights on Mount Hakusan (2702 m) in Ishikawa Prefecture. Its name in Japanese (白山) is translated as “white mountain”, due to its snowy peaks. However, we visited Hakusan in the summer so I would remember it as a mountain of color, a feast for the eyes with its lush greenery, varied flora and fauna, and magnificent landscapes.

Getting there

We decided to climb using the most popular route from Ishikawa prefecture. To get from Fukuoka to Kanazawa, we took the seishun 18 kippu, changing from one slow, local train to another for 19 crazy hours (but that’s for another story). We stayed the night in Kanazawa, took the first bus at 6:45 am, and arrived at the Bettodeai trailhead at 8:55 am (bus schedules here, use Google Chrome auto-translate for the English version).

Day 1: Trailhead to the campsite

Map of Mount Hakusan trails (source: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4285.html)

From there, we chose the Saboshindo trail to get to our target for that day: Minamiryugabanba campsite. We were not in a hurry since we had the whole day to reach the campsite, and another full day tomorrow to reach the summit. From the hanging bridge that marked the start of the hike, the trail is narrow but well-maintained that alternates from wooden planks to gravelly paths and even stone stairs. After 45 minutes, we reached an emergency shelter hut where we stopped to prepare our late breakfast/early lunch and refill our water flasks. We took our time with our meal, enjoying the cool temperature and good weather that Hakusan offered us. With our stomachs full, we continued on our hike with different types of flowering plants lining the trail. Everywhere I look, there were interesting plants or curious insects that kept me occupied and made me forget the length of the hike. The flora and fauna were one of the most varied among the mountains I have climbed. After 1.5 hours (around 1 pm), we stopped at the Jinnosuke shelter hut for a bathroom break and survey of the scenery. There we met a lot hikers also taking a breather, from young kids to groups of young hikers to old grandfathers and grandmothers. They all had a “konnichiwa” greeting for us as we passed.

At the Jinnosuke shelter hut

We continued on to the steeper (but still really rolling) portion of the hike, but when we got to the intersection going to Murodo (hut nearest the peak), we started descending again to reach the Minamiryugabanba campsite. The sky started to get really clear, so we were rewarded by beautiful views of the surrounding peaks covered by different shades of green. I took a lot of photos of the stunning landscape before continuing on.

The last few portions of the trail were all elevated wooden planks until we arrived at the Nanryu sanso hut around 2 pm. We had to register there and pay 300 JPY per person to use the nearby Minamiryugabanba campsite.

Nanryu sanso hut

After the paperwork, it was another 20 minutes before we got to the campsite, where several tents were already set up. The campsite had small, open cabins with toilets and sinks.

Minamiryugabanba campsite

View from our tent

Inside the cabin building at the campsite

I felt really thankful that Japanese campsites always have a water source for drinking and washing, it really takes a whole lot of load off our shoulders, literally. We arrived at the campsite quite early, so we took our time preparing our early dinner. Even then, we were already inside the tent before sunset for lack of anything else to do. The smartphone became our best friend that night.

Day 2: Campsite to the peak and back

The next day, we started our day by getting up at 6:15 am to prepare breakfast. We left the campsite with all our stuff at around 7:30 am to take the 3.1 km Tonbiiwa course up to Murodo hut. The trail consisted of large boulders that eventually became gravelly paths. The vegetation changed to short pine shrubs and stunted trees and then to grassland.

Along the way, there were still patches of snow from the previous winter that added character to the already amazing scenery. I was feeling really pleased with the beauty surrounding me.

We reached Murodo hut at 9:00 am and took a half-hour break to explore the surroundings and watch the helicopter deliver the hut’s supplies.

Murodo hut

delivery

At 9:30 am we said a quick prayer at the shrine for a safe trip to the summit (Hakusan was a holy mountain, after all).

The Murodo hut seen from above

After half an hour, we reached the smaller Shiramayahime shrine and from there it was a short 2-minute climb to the peak. It was a clear day so the view of the lakes below, paired with the vibrant blue of the sky, were just stunning.

Summit of Mt. Hakusan

View from the top

We were feeling great on the summit so we decided to take the longer Oike Meguri course. The course is a longer loop that leads back to Murodo hut, but not before passing by the seven lakes along the way. We checked out all the lakes depicted in the course, and they varied from large blue lakes with melting snow to small sulfuric ponds.

This way down

The lakes of the Oike Meguri course

After 2 hours of leisurely walking, we arrived back at Murodo hut and had a quick lunch. By noon we were on our way down using the Kankoshindo trail for variety. We raced down, especially on the wooden walkways, since we felt so energized by the good weather and wonderful scenery.

We felt energized, but this hiker was feeling really tired.

Wonderful view going down

I was also busy taking photos of more flowers and insects along the trail, and at one point we met a snake, which added more excitement to the day.

Snake on the trail

We waited for a while to let him move out of the trail before we continued on. By 2:30 we were already back at the Bettodeai trailhead and ready for the 3:30 bus that would take us back to Kanazawa.

Bettodeai welcoming us back

 

Climbing Hakusan was one of the most laid-back and relaxed climbs I did. The good weather, well-maintained trails and beautiful scenery all contributed to the good vibes that the mountain imparted to us. I would always associate the “white mountain” with vivid colors: from the different greens of the grass and leaves, to the beautiful blue of the sky, the vibrant colors of the flowers and insects and the colorful scenery both from the peak and below.

Of Mongolian nomads and mineral hunts: my Gobi desert encounter

As a geologist, I consider myself pretty lucky to have had the chance to visit the Oyu Tolgoi (Torquoise Hill) copper mine. It’s one of the largest copper discovery in recent years and not a lot of people would get the chance to visit this mining marvel. Also, they just started production when we visited in September 2013 so the facilities were all shiny and state-of-the-art. Geologic reasons are one thing, but as a lakwatsera, it’s a not-to be-missed opportunity, because you know, Mongolia. and Gobi desert. ’nuff said.

The trip was part of a geological conference organized by our laboratory. So it was that from Ulaanbaatar, twenty-five participants from Japan, Southeast Asia and north Africa flew in a propeller plane to the South Gobi desert. The view of the Mongolian landscape from the air was just stunning (hurray for window seats!), so the 1.5-hour flight passed quickly.

View from the plane (photo by Sakiko)

We landed at Khanbumbat airport, which is owned by the mining company. Its architecture is very interesting, as it was modeled after the ger — the Mongolian traditional house.

Khanbumbat Airport

Airport ceiling

Upon arrival, we were immediately ushered to the bus that would take us to the mine. It was a bit chilly in late September so everyone had their jackets on. As the bus drove away and I saw the vast expanse of the treeless horizon, the realization that I was really in the Gobi desert started to dawn on me. But seeing the camels walking casually about sealed the deal.
 The mine was very conspicuous with its blue and white buildings: the only structures to be seen for miles around. All the structures were new, clean and modern. They gave us the standard tour of the open-pit and tailings pond.

The copper ore concentrates ready to be transported

Tailings pond

They also showed us their corehouse as well as some of the drill cores, and so as not to sound geeky I’ll just say I was really impressed with their facilities.

Chalcopyrite (yellow) and bornite (blue) – ore minerals of copper

The only stressful bit in this trip was when I had to give a presentation to the participants and the company geologists, and I was given about 30 minutes to prepare! I decided to just give them a rundown of the mineral resources in the Philippines, because that’s one thing I was sure they didn’t already know.

Impromptu presentation

We had our meals at the mine cafeteria, where everybody eats. There were two options: Western-style dishes or Mongolian food. We tried and enjoyed both, of course. One of the highlights of the trip was when they took us to our rooms… actually, “room” is an understatement. We each had our very own modernized ger for the night.

Our accommodations at the Oyu Tolgoi

My room for a night

Outside it looks like the traditional ger, but inside it had all the basic modern amenities you could want: a proper bed, cable TV, fridge, microwave, aircon/heater, and WiFi! More importantly, the ger had an extension at the back for a proper toilet and shower. Obviously, we weren’t expecting all these comforts in the middle of the Gobi, so we were really pleased.

Traditional outside, modern inside!

In the evening, we went to the mine bar (oh yes, they had a bar!) for some drinks. I tried “The Mongolian Classic Lager Beer” to cap off the night.

Employees enjoying drinks on a weeknight

Mongolian Classic Lager Beer

The next day was spent in the desert looking at peralkaline (high potassium and sodium) pegmatites (igneous rocks with very large crystals). All of us were scrambling for samples of the Gobi’s interesting minerals.

Standing on agpaitic pegmatite rocks

Large arfvedsonite (black) and albite (white) crystals

Dike intrusion of arfvedsonite, elpidite and albite

I had several samples I took home, never mind the extra baggage weight. We were a very happy bunch of geologists that day, I tell you. But rocks and minerals aside, the landscape was also really interesting. There were no trees, no clouds, no buildings. There was only the rock formations, the short shrubs, and the blue sky. It was really a different environment from what I was used to, to say the least.

A grasshopper mimicking the granite rocks in the desert. Amazing stuff!

While we were looking at the rocks, a nomadic couple from a nearby ger went to us on their motorcycle. They were good friends with the geologists who discovered Oyu Tolgoi (who were also guiding us to the outcrops). Even though we couldn’t really talk to them with words, we felt their hospitality with their kind eyes and beautiful smiles. It was a real privilege to meet Mongolian nomads in their home turf.

The nomadic couple’s ger

Before long, it was time to go. While driving back to their ger-inspired airport and taking photos of the cloudless sky, rock formations and random camel encounters, I felt really thankful for the opportunity to visit Oyu Tolgoi mine, collect unique mineral specimens and meeting Mongolian nomads in the Gobi desert.

We passed by more camels on the way back

Second to none: Climbing Mt. Kitadake in the Japan South Alps

After our Mt. Fuji climb, our feet were itching to climb the rest of Japan’s major peaks. And so it was that we decided to climb Mt. Kitadake in the South Alps. It’s the second highest peak in Japan at 3,193 meters. Although not so famous outside its home country, Kitadake is a favorite with Japanese seasoned hikers for the fewer crowds (compared to the marketplace that is Mt. Fuji), stunning views, and extra challenge (it’s a much harder climb than Fuji because of the steeper ascent and greater elevation change). As an added bonus, Mt. Ainodake (Japan’s 4th highest peak) can also be reached on the same trip.

View of Mt. Fuji from Kitadake

Getting there

Some hikers prefer to do the Kitadake climb in three days, but we only had the weekend because of school work, so we squeezed the climb into two full days. We flew in from Fukuoka to Tokyo on a Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning, we took the first train at a little past 5 am to reach Kofu station (check train schedules in English here) in time to catch the 9 am bus (Fare: 1,950 JPY) going to the Hirogawara trailhead (bus schedule here, use Google Chrome to auto-translate the page to English. Be aware that bus schedules change annually).

The ascent

After two hours in the bus, we arrived at the information center of the South Alps National Park located at the Hirogawara trailhead, where we started the trek.

Information Center of the South Alps National Park

The trail was well-marked and well-maintained, as is common in all Japanese mountains.

Where to? To the summit!

The scenery was set in summer green, while the trail consisted of boulders and loose rock fragments.  There were also wooden stairs or stone steps set up in several areas to avoid soil erosion, and wooden bridges were placed in steeper portions that were prone to landslides. There were not many climbers that we met or passed on the trail, probably because it was already September and nearing the end of the climb season.

‘Rocky” trail

Stairs everywhere!

After climbing for 2.5 hours, the first (and easier) part of the climb ended when we reached the Shiraneoike mountain hut. The mountain hut sold coffee and cup noodles, but we only availed of the free drinking water since we brought our own food. We sat on a bench in front of the hut and quickly prepared our very crude lunch of instant noodles, canned tuna and onigiri (rice balls).

Lunch outside the Shiraneoike mountain hut

Outside the mountain hut, several tents were already set up, and more hikers would arrive later that day to stay overnight before continuing the climb the next morning. As for the three of us, after our lunch we hurried off to the more challenging part: the steep ascent. The trail changed into a path with thicker vegetation, but the path was still very obvious because of the large rocks that they set up to prevent encroachment. I enjoyed looking at the pretty flowers and alpine plants along the trail and observed several bird species, which I recognized from the national park brochure (complete with maps estimating the climb duration for each trail segment and a bonus wildlife guide).

Some of the flowers along the trail

Spotted Nutcracker; ホシガラス- hoshigarasu (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

Rock ptarmigans; ライチョウ – raicho (Lagopus mutus)

The flora and fauna served as a good distraction from my heaving breath. We were in a hurry to reach the campsite before dark, so we tried to keep a brisk pace.

My two companions enjoying the hike

After two hours of continuous climbing, we reached the ridgeline. Here the flora changed from tall trees to short shrubs and grass, indicating our arrival in the low-alpine elevation level. We put on our jackets and walked along the ridge while enjoying the beautiful view just when the sun was starting to set and the mist was creeping in.

Enjoying the view

The trail was full of color

Finding our way through the mist

Camping at 3,000 masl

We reached the Kitadake kata-no-koya mountain hut/campsite (elevation: 3,000 masl) just before dark. We quickly paid the camping fee (300 JPY) and tent fee (500 JPY), then set up camp before the last of the sunlight disappeared.

Kitadake kata-no-koya mountain hut at 3,000 masl

The shopkeeper at the mountain hut store

Price list (ramen, udon, curry rice – 900 JPY; oden – 600 JPY; coffee, cocoa – 300 JPY)

We were very happy with the fantastic view of Mt. Fuji and its neighboring mountains from our tent. The temperature quickly dropped to near-freezing when it got dark, so we changed into warmer clothes before dinner.

Our tent neighbors

Mt. Fuji from our tent

The temperature before dark

With only our headlamps on, we enjoyed our beef steak and rice meal, which we happily washed down with Asahi beers that we brought from Tokyo. Finally, it was 9 pm and time to sleep.

Kanpai!

Summit assault and traversing to Japan’s 4th highest peak

We got up really early (3:15 am!), put our belongings inside the tent and left the campsite for the summit. We arrived at the summit at about 4 am, just in time to see the first rays of light emerge.

Obligatory group photo at the summit

The view was really stunning: the sea of clouds enveloped the horizon but for the perfect cone of Mt. Fuji sticking out; this beautiful scene set in a backdrop of quickly changing, fierce orange hues.

As an added bonus, there were only about 20 people with us at the summit, so we had a quiet and unobstructed view of the sunrise. We appreciated the early morning even more with coffee and breakfast that we prepared with the cook set and stove that we brought to the summit.

The few people we shared the sunrise with

By 6:00 am, it was already bright and sunny and we were ready for the 7-km traverse to Mt. Ainodake (the fourth highest Japanese mountain at 3,189 m) and back to the campsite. We followed the rocky ridgeline, which offered a fantastic view of the ridge peaks that we were about to climb.

The trek to Ainodake was really a challenge for me: we were traversing above 3,000 m elevation, but we were also in a hurry to catch the 2:30 pm bus at the trailhead. I couldn’t even appreciate the splendid views anymore; I was just concentrating on reaching the next crag or going down the next steep ladder.

One of the few photos I was able to take during the traverse

On our way back to the Kitadake kata-no-koya, my breath was already in short gasps and my heart was pounding very fast. We stopped twice to eat the bread and snacks we packed since I was feeling really weak and hungry. We pushed on and got back to our tent at 11 am. That was five hours after leaving the Kitadake summit, traversing to Ainodake, and returning to the campsite. It seemed to be the longest five hours of my life, and most of it was spent with my heart racing and my legs complaining. One good consolation was that the sky was really clear that day, so I didn’t have to worry about the cold on top of everything else.

Heading back

Hurrying to the campsite

There was never a sight more welcome: the view of our campsite (and our tent!)

Heading down and back

I was able to catch my breath at the campsite; eating a proper meal for lunch did wonders to my motivation and psyche. By noontime, we were packed and ready for the descent. The average time going down from the  campsite to the trailhead was 3.5 hours, but the only bus from the trailhead going back to the city would leave at 2:30 pm. Needless to say, it was an exciting afternoon. We were in a rush to go down, almost running with our heavy packs.

Going down

But I was feeling much better descending (I think a heavy stomach really made the difference; that or the high elevation did not suite me very well) so we made good time with some moments to spare near the end of our trek to take photos, and appreciate the last of the snow and the rushing stream running along the trail.

We arrived at the trailhead at 2:20 pm, with a few minutes to spare before the ride back. But as it turned out, there was no real need to hurry because there were several taxi drivers waiting for passengers to bring back to Kofu Station. Anyway, we wouldn’t have known about it so we were still glad to have hurried back. We shared the taxi with one other climber, and in the end paid the same price as the bus fare but for faster travel time (the taxi drivers fixed this price, I guess they just didn’t want to go back down empty-handed after bringing their passengers up). With that, we said goodbye to Kitadake with weary feet and tired legs, but full of unforgettable moments and good memories. Kitadake might only be Japan’s second highest mountain, but it remains one of my best climb experiences.

Photo credit: Ed Lucio

*This post was modified from a feature article written for Trails, the official newsletter of the University of the Philippines Mountaineers.

A day in Denmark: Exploring Copenhagen on foot

After two months of using Copenhagen airport as my travel hub while staying in Lund (Sweden), I decided to finally explore the attractions of the Danish capital. Copenhagen’s proximity to Lund (45 minutes by train) meant that I only need to go there for a day trip. It was to be my shortest visit to a country, hopping from one country to the next and back again in just one day. All in all, I’d say it was a day very well spent.

The amazing bike culture (and why I did not get to ride a bike)

Walking away from the Copenhagen train station, my first thought was, “They really love bikes!”

Pedal power! – bike hanging on the wall at the tourist center

From the countless bikers leisurely pedaling all around me to the road signs and even the road paint, Copenhagen is really a bike city through and through.

There are bikes, and then there are these “bikes”…

Bike lanes everywhere!

Unfortunately, it’s also because of this that I was not able to bike around the city. It’s the only city I’ve been to where the racks for bikes-for-rent were empty. I guess it didn’t help that the bikes weren’t really for rent, you just had to deposit a 20 krone coin and get it back when you return the bike. Free use of bikes, which I sadly could not avail. But that was alright, exploring the city on foot was also an enjoyment in itself.

My walking tour of Copenhagen

I got a map from the tourist information center and decided to do the suggested walking tour, but first I had quite the long detour to the shopping streets (but of course!) of Strøget for lunch and some souvenirs.

The throng of tourists in Strøget

The suggested itinerary led me to a four-hour walk to Copenhagen’s famous sights. I stopped by the different landmarks such as the City Hall, H.C. Andersen Boulevard, Royal Theatre, Marble Church, Resistance Museum and countless squares with the biggest one being Kongens Nytorv (King’s New Square).

Copenhagen City Hall

Kongens Nytorv (King’s New Square)

My favorite sight would have to be the canal waterfront in Nyhavn (New Harbour). The view of the colorful houses by the waterfront is postcard perfect! I felt really happy that I got to see how lively and vibrant Nyhavn is.

Colorful building facades

I chanced upon a beer-tasting event and a jazz concert out of a truck that was part of the Christmas Festival (in early November).

There were a lot of quaint shops selling unique knick knacks and souvenirs. Across the colorful houses just near Kongens Nytorv, I found an interesting outdoor art exhibit at Kunsthal Charlottenborg (space for contemporary art in Charlottenborg Palace). There were really a lot of things to see and do!

Outdoor exhibit at Kunsthal Carlottenborg

Another interesting place is the Amalienborg Palace, the winter residence of the Danish Royal Family. It was a big complex with a lot of nice buildings.

Amalienborg Palace grounds

I tried to follow the Danish royal guards on patrol for a nice photo and maybe some reaction from them, but I couldn’t get anything more than their unflinching stern expressions while they were marching around. They must have been very annoyed at curious tourists following them around like crazy (guilty!).

The guards on duty

They are famous Danish souvenirs, too!

Missing Little Mermaid

I couldn’t have chosen a worst time to visit Copenhagen. When I was there was the only time the iconic Little Mermaid statue was not on Denmark’s shores! That time, the Little Mermaid was shipped off to Shanghai for six months as part of the World Expo in 2010.

The mermaid visited China!

I already knew this from the tourist information center but since I couldn’t accept the fact sitting down, I still walked over to the site to see for myself. Yep, she was not there.

No mermaid 😦

Still, the visit wasn’t a total waste. I saw some memorable sights by the shore, such as couples on dates and a horde of rowdy teenagers (un)dressed in gowns and tuxedos being chauffered in stretch limousines.

I’ve never seen so many limousines together in one place

But more than those curiosities, I think what made the walk to the shore worth it was the fountain dedicated to the goddess Gefion. It’s also near the shore, a stone’s throw away from the Little Mermaid’s location. The statue is life-size, and made even more impressive with the fountain water cascading down several levels.

The fountain of Gefion

It depicts the story of why Zealand (the island where Copenhagen is located) separated from Sweden (because Gefion ploughed Sweden with her four sons, which she turned into oxen). Great stuff!

Gefion and her sons/oxen

Early Christmas in Copenhagen

I visited in early November, and I was able to catch the start of Christmas festivities. In the City Hall square, I was greeted by rows and rows of Christmas ‘trees’ that was part of a charity activity. In Nyhavn, the Christmas bazaar was already in full swing. The window shops in Stroget were already displaying either life-sized Santas or big Christmas wreaths.

Christmas in Copenhagen (Lego Santa is so cool!)

But there couldn’t be any place more Christmasy than the Tivoli Gardens. The lights, decorations, and displays really got me into the Christmas spirit. The exhibits were amusing, fake snow and all.

Tivoli Gardens in early November

There were so many things to see in the very big amusement park, whether it was the big halls or the shops, and especially the rides. Since I was alone, I made do with looking around and eating a very large candy floss (cotton candy!). 

A little bit of everything, plus a really large cotton candy

I arrived back in Lund at around 10 pm, tired but very happy with the day’s activities. Copenhagen is such a vibrant and dynamic city, I would love to come back for a longer trip next time. 🙂

The obligatory tourist photo

Oh, and I eventually found the little mermaid… in Tivoli Gardens! Only the sculpture was made of ice and the face is that of a monkey… Go figure.

Little mermaid?

Loi Krathong Festival in Sukhothai: a celebration of Thai culture

Loi Krathong is one of Thailand’s biggest annual festivals held every full moon of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls in November. Our gracious hosts from Chulalongkorn University organized our fieldwork to coincide with the event so that we were able to celebrate Loi Krathong in historic Sukhothai.

Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai

Majestic Sukhothai

 

Pre-festival celebrations

From its origins in Sukhothai, the Loi Krathong Festival spread throughout Thailand and even to Laos and Myanmar. The activities already started a few days before the main event and we were already caught up in the festive atmosphere even before reaching Sukhothai. In the smaller towns of Tak and Phitansulok, our evenings were kept busy with the night bazaar, parades and performances.

Hello Kitty lantern at the night bazaar

Beautiful girls in traditional costume were paraded in floats

The food stalls offered several unique delicacies, the most unforgettable of which are the deep-fried insects (which I did not try, heeding the warning of my Thai friend about sanitary issues). Our students tried it though, and I heard they were “crunchy” and “not bad”.

Fried roaches, anyone?

But I did try lighting a paper lantern with my colleagues. The stall owner helped us light our paper lantern before letting it float away into the sky.

Before releasing the lantern

We also bought the krathong (the decorative float used in the festival) from one of the many street vendors.

Krathong for sale

I lit the candle on my krathong and placed it on the water, letting the strong river current sweep it away. I was told that doing this is the Thai way of giving thanks to the river. After trying these local customs, I already felt part of the celebration.

 

Sukhothai and the festivities

On the day of the main event, we went to Sukhothai Historical Park in the afternoon to enjoy the festivities. But first, we explored the Wat Mahathat temple complex. I marveled at the numerous Buddha statues standing (mostly sitting, actually) proudly amidst the ruins.

Standing Buddha

I could only imagine the former glory of ancient Siam’s spiritual center as I look at the black-stained walls and the crumbling palace halls.

The setting sun also added to the air of mystery that I felt, or that’s just me being dramatic 😉

A monk at the Wat Mahathat

Just outside the Wat Mahathat, the celebration was in full swing. There were parades, numerous food stalls, and activity centers that offers anything from Thai massage (which I of course availed) to martial arts lessons and even beauty pageants.

The stalls were packed with people

There were really a lot of things to see and do, but the star of the festival are the krathong in all shapes and sizes. My favorite are those handmade krathong sold by local vendors along the water’s edge.

The ASEAN krathong float

There were the small and simple krathong, and then there was this

We bought one each and let it float with all the other krathong already in the water, which created a beautiful sight.

Setting my krathong on the water

Photos cannot do the beautiful view justice

While walking around the festival area, the speakers were playing the Loi Krathong song alternately in Thai and English, and the catchy melody was stuck in my head for a long time after, so I want to share it with you:

 

Light & Sound Show

In the evening, we bought tickets to watch the Light & Sound Show set up in the Wat Mahathat. The one-hour show featured the history of Sukhothai as Thailand’s first capital and the origin of the Loi Krathong festival, complete with narration as the actors sang, danced, prayed, and fought with fake swords.

The show was all in Thai so I didn’t catch all of the story, but the light effects and the fireworks more than made up for it.

Seeing the Wat Mahathat bathed in glorious light with lanterns floating above it gave me a glimpse of the former glory of Sukhothai.

The numerous lanterns dotting the sky was also a glorious sight. The show was a nice conclusion to our Loi Krathong experience.

I just feel very lucky to have experienced such a unique Thai celebration and in Sukhothai at that, the place where the Loi Krathong festival began.

“I amsterdam”: Playing tourist in the Dutch capital

“I amsterdam” is a marketing strategy to promote all aspects of living in, doing business with, and visiting the Dutch capital. I rode the I amsterdam bandwagon when I played tourist in one of the most lively cities I have visited. Whether its the scenic canals, popular museums, or the (in)famous red light district, Amsterdam always has something for everyone.

I amsterdam sign at the Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam at night

I arrived early evening in Amsterdam and met up with my friend Darwin, who was studying there for his Masters degree at the time.  Our first stop: red light district. I was initially shocked seeing all those scantily clad women in the glass doors. I have heard a lot of stories about this area, but I didn’t realize just how many “glass doors” and how much variety (for lack of a better word) there were. Of course, taking photos of the ladies are not encouraged. Rumors say if you get caught taking photos, the ladies will grab your camera and throw it in the canal or worse, they will throw their piss in your face (so they have their piss in cups, ready to be thrown at tourists’ faces? Hmm…).  So anyway, no photos. Here is a photo of the swans in the canal instead:

Swans at the red light district

We stayed the night just looking around the area, pub hopping and beer tasting. The sights, not to mention the smells 😉 , are really something you wouldn’t normally find elsewhere.

Free walking tour

In the morning, we went to Dam Square to join Sandeman’s free walking tour (instead of a fixed amount, the guides work for tips from customers).

Line for the tour at Dam’s Square

The tour guide first brought us to the red light district, which looked different without the blinking bright lights. There were still a lot of interesting things to see, though.

Magic mushrooms, anyone?

Condoman…

We also went to Chinatown and then to the Dutch East India Company for some history lessons.

Dutch East India Company headquarters

Then we went outside the Royal Palace (unfortunately under renovation) and to several other interesting places like the courtyard of the Begijnhof Convent, house of Anne Frank and the “narrowest house”.

The Royal Palace under renovation

Can you see the narrowest house? It’s only 2 meters wide!

We crossed several bridges to enjoy the view of the picturesque canals. We also passed by several “coffee shops” (euphemism for shops selling weed), where there were long lines to buy one of the most sought after products in Amsterdam. And I’m not talking about Dutch cheese, although we did pass by several cheese shops 😉

Amsterdam “coffee”

Long line to buy pot

Cheese everywhere!

One thing I really appreciate is the bike culture. It’s really awesome that bikes are the king of the road in Amsterdam. Bikes are everywhere, and everyone is riding a bike!

Art and culture at the Rijksmuseum

We stayed in Enschede for a few nights but I went back to Amsterdam to meet up with my godmother and her friend. This time, we used the tram to go around the city. We first went to the Rijksmuseum, where the I amsterdam sign is located. We spent some time excitedly taking photos with the iconic sign. The museum was still under renovation when we went, but we still saw a decent-sized art collection. Seeing Rembrandt’s famous Night Watch painting is really worth the visit.

Rijksmuseum

Rembrandt’s Night Watch (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Touristy canal cruise

After lunch we went on a canal cruise on one of the glass roof boats. I enjoyed seeing the rows of buildings lining the canals as well as the unique “boat” houses floating on the water.

View from the boat

Boat houses on the canal

We also got to see the West Church (where Rembrandt was buried) at the start and the Nemo Museum near the end of the tour.

West Church tower

Nemo Museum

It was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Too relaxing in fact, that I dozed off in the boat for a while, probably due to the good lunch, the mechanized voice of the tour guide recording, and the rocking motion of the boat. After the canal tour, we capped off our Amsterdam visit by shopping for souvenirs at the flower market. Aside from flowers (duh!), there were also shops selling cheese and different types of souvenirs.

Cannabis starter kit…

I amsterdam

We left Amsterdam in the late afternoon to spend the night in The Hague. I felt tired but happy for two days well-spent. I am glad that I got to experience even a little of the many things that Amsterdam has to offer and that I can say “I amsterdam” 🙂

I amsterdam

Yogyakarta Temple tour: visit to Borobudur and Prambanan

Last year, I supervised international students on a fieldtrip to Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogja by Indonesian friends) to see geothermal manifestations and power plants. Of course, in any field trip, the cultural aspect of the place should not be missed (*wink wink*), so just before our afternoon return flight we visited two of Jogja’s most famous sites: Borobudur and Prambanan Temples.

Buddhist Borobudur Temple

Borobudur is a Buddhist temple northwest of Jogja. We drove for ~1.5 hours to get to the temple complex. We each paid 190 IDR (or the equivalent of 20 USD) to enter, and hired a local guide for ~10 USD.

Guide fees

The entrance fee included a free bottle of water, and the use of a batik cloth to wrap around the waist.

Our group wearing the batik

We were told this is a marketing strategy to introduce the batik to tourists, which was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2009.

Batik, an intangible World Heritage

The guide explained that Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century when Buddhism and Hinduism were still the dominant religion in the area. The temple was buried due to several volcanic eruptions and lay abandoned for several hundred years before its rediscovery by the British in the 19th century. It was unearthed and painstakingly restored to the incredible structure that it was intended to be.

Candi Borobudur: World Heritage Site

There was a recommended way to explore the temple: enter from the east and walk clockwise until the top. We were with a guide, so we did it the “proper” way.

Instructions to explore Borobudur

My attention was piqued by the hundreds of relief panels covering the walls of the temple. The guide explained that the panels at the bottom portions depicted the concept of karma, while the panels on the higher levels of the temple illustrated narratives from Buddha’s life before he reached enlightenment, as well as his lives as reincarnations of different animals.

The guide telling us the stories of the relief panels

It was interesting to learn a little bit more about Buddhism through the stories in the panels. I noticed quite a number of smaller Buddha statues on the walls and roofs, but about half of them are already headless. The guide said the Buddha heads were looted in the past to sell to willing buyers.

Headless Buddha statues on either end

We climbed the steep stairs to reach the famous stupas. The picturesque scene of the stupas overlooking Central Java’s greenery is the typical “postcard photo” of Borobudur, and the view in person is even more beautiful.

We learned that there’s supposed to be a Buddha statue inside every stupa, but several statues are missing because of theft across the centuries. A few of the stupas were half-opened to reveal the Buddha statues inside.

Buddha statue inside the stupa

Opened stupa revealing the statue inside

After spending some time enjoying the majestic view, it was already time to go. I felt really privileged to visit Borobudur and learn of its story throughout the centuries. The grandeur of Borobudur is even made more majestic by the colorful history behind it.

The obligatory tourist photo

 

The Hindu temple of Prambanan

We drove back to Jogja, where Prambanan temple is located. The entrance fee is 18 USD (Rupiah charge depends on the exchange rate), but this time we did not get a guide since we were accompanied by Jogja locals familiar with the temple. We wrapped the mandatory batik around the waist and entered the large compound. The temple complex look mystical from afar with the building’s towering spires set against the backdrop of the blue sky.

Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex built in honor of the Hindu god Shiva (the Destroyer). It had the same fate as Borobudur, built at around the same time, abandoned because of natural disasters, and rediscovered by the British in the 19th century.

Unlike the single structure of Borobudur, Prambanan consists of several buildings characterized by tall spires.

Tall spires, you say?

There were originally 240 buildings, but most of the minor structures are now in ruins.  The six major structures thankfully managed to remain intact.

Most of the temples are now in ruins

The biggest building is a temple for Shiva, so we visited that first. Due to the 2006 earthquake the Shiva temple is categorized as “relatively stable”, which means we had to wear hard hats to enter in case of falling debris.

“Relatively stable”

Hard hat area

Several parts of the building still reveal the damage caused by the earthquake, but I think they did a decent job with the renovation work.

Some damaged parts of the temple

The Shiva temple also have relief panels like Borobudur, but this time the panels illustrate the story of the Ramayana, which incidentally is being played almost every night at the nearby amphitheater.

View of the Ramayana Ballet amphitheater from the Shiva temple

In the center of the temple was a statue of Shiva. I couldn’t help but notice that there was only one statue of the main deity here in Prambanan as opposed to the abundance of Buddha statues in Borobudur.

Shiva, the Destroyer

We also visited the smaller but similar-looking buildings on either side of the Shiva temple. These two structures are dedicated to Brahma (Creator) and Vishnu (Keeper), and each deity had their statues in each temple.

Temple for Brahma

Statue of Vishnu, the Keeper

There were three even smaller buildings in front of the gods’ temples. The smaller structures house the favored vehicle of each deity: bull (Nandi) for Shiva, swan (Angsa) for Brahma, and the kite (Garuda) for Vishnu.

Temple for Garuda, Vishnu’s bird

Nandi, the bull of Shiva

Outside of the six major structures, a lot of the minor temples are now mostly in ruins.

Nevertheless, what remains of the Prambanan temple complex is still worth a visit. I left Prambanan wishing that it can survive future earthquakes and volcanic eruptions so more people can appreciate its beauty.

 

I find it very interesting that Borobudur and Prambanan were built almost at the same time and they share similar stories and fate, even though they were built for different religions. It is also fascinating that two major temples of Buddhism and Hinduism are located relatively close to each other, given that Indonesia’s current dominant religion is Islam. The Borobudur and Prambanan temples are truly a testament to the rich heritage of Indonesia.

Walking on history lane: Our trip to the Great Wall of China

When I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of standing on the “only man-made structure visible from space” (that was what the books said, anyway). Even though this claim has long been proven to have no truth to it, I was still glad to visit (and walk on) one of history’s most famous structures: the Great Wall.

Last winter found us in China, because it’s the cheapest flight deal we could find on the internet. Nobody else was crazy enough to escape Japanese winter by visiting below-freezing Beijing. This worked to our advantage in the end, because there were no crowds!

The Great Wall during our visit: Surprisingly not crowded!

M and I stayed in Beijing Downtown Backpackers Hostel, where we also booked the Great Wall tour. After extensive googling a few weeks prior, I decided they offered the best deal and least worry out of all the deals offered. Our original plan was to hike the 6-km unspoilt portions of the Great Wall, but we backed down the night before when the weather forecast reported below freezing temperatures (-6 degrees Celsius) and  a chance of rain. We were already reeling from the cold in Beijing and figured we wouldn’t fare better in the mountains, so we chose the “fun” option, which was to visit the Mutianyu portion of the wall. The tour package cost us 280 RMB including transportation, entrance fees, and lunch.

Some information on Mutianyu (in case you care to read about it)

At 8:30 the next morning, we departed for Mutianyu. Our guide Lulu gave a brief explanation on the origin and history of the Great Wall during the trip. We arrived at Mutianyu after two hours, and Lulu told us to be back by 1 pm for lunch.

Our guide explaining the plan for that day on the map by the entrance

Going up the ticket booth, there were shops on both sides of the path selling an assortment of souvenirs. We did not buy anything because there were no price tags on the items and I don’t think I can out-haggle the Chinese merchants.

After Lulu handed out our tickets, we entered and immediately started climbing the concrete stairs.

It’s a long way up!

There was an option to go up by cableway and go down by toboggan (80 RMB for both), but we preferred to climb.

Cableway and toboggan

It took us about 15 minutes of stair-climbing before we reached the wall, and boy was it worth the whole trip!

Seeing the length of the wall on either side was overwhelming. I can only imagine the amount of effort, time, and people’s lives that were sacrificed in order to build just that one section of the Wall. Building 6,000 kilometers of that structure to protect historical China’s northern border is just beyond my imagination.

The view of the mountains on either side is also something else entirely. It must be super exciting to study the geology of the area (I saw semi-metamorphosed granite boulders on the way up).

View of the mountains from the Wall

One thing I realized was that a great part of the Wall was made of stairs. When I imagined it from photos, I thought it was all road-like structures where chariots (or whatever transportation they used back then) could be used. Apparently, a large chunk of the wall is made up of steep stairs.

The introductory signs said Mutianyu has one of the steepest portions of the Wall, so I guess that’s the reason for all the stairs. Some of the tourists were too afraid to go down the stairs without using their butts, which made for a lot of teasing among their friends. I also had to hold on to the railings going down, I didn’t trust my steps on those steep stairs.

Also interesting were the fortresses. It seemed like it would be fun to play tag or hide-and-seek in them with the small passageways, stairs, and windows.

Inside one of the fortresses

I’d be too scared to run around though, it’s a long fall from the windows. The view from the fortress was also very nice, both looking up and staring down!

Bright blue sky (still very cold, though)

View from the window

One thing to watch out for though are the vendors. Some will just leave you alone, but others are strategically located to bar your passage.

Vendors in the Great Wall

We felt cheated when a merchant in soldier’s uniform wouldn’t let us pass and pressured us into buying his overpriced snacks. We bought a Snickers bar (it seemed to be the cheapest) so he would leave us alone. Classic tourist trap! He was smart wearing that soldier uniform, I give him that.

We tried to walk as much of the wall as we can, but we only covered one-third of the Mutianyu Great Wall, about 8 fortresses out of 22. We eventually felt cold and hungry after 12:30 pm, so we made our way down to the restaurant for the free lunch.

Burp! (In my hunger I forgot to take photos before eating)

The food was tasty and they served generous helpings of rice, but the catch was that there were no free drinks (even house water, maybe the water source was limited or not safe?). Good thing we brought our own water as the prices were unsurprisingly inflated. After lunch (about 2pm), we left the Mutianyu Great Wall to go back to Beijing.

Bonus: Olympic Bird’s Nest Stadium

The tour included a bonus stop at the Olympic Stadium. There was no entry fee and we just had to submit to the security inspection to enter. If there were few people on the Great Wall, there were hardly anyone outside the Bird’s Nest. There were just one family who were on skiing chairs(?) enjoying the frozen lake and one other group of foreign tourists walking around the Bird’s Nest. The rest were vendors on their stalls.

Skiing on chairs? It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it.

There was a frozen lake by the entrance, and we walked on it, jumped on it, and took photos atop it.

It was my first time to stand on a frozen lake!

We were only able to see the exterior of it since we didn’t have much time, but it was really an architectural marvel from the outside. I can only wonder what it looks like on the inside (and if they were able to preserve its interior grandeur).

The Olympic Stadium

The details of the exterior

After gawking at the steel exterior, we made our way to the nearby Water Cube with its blue “bubble” outer wall. I personally think the Water Cube is way cooler, it looks more alive to me somehow (maybe because of the color? or the “bubbles”?).

The Water Cube

The Cube had a lot more people outside. There were locals walking around, selling souvenirs, painting, and flying (selling?) kites. After evading a few of the vendors convincing us to buy this and that, we headed back to our vehicle and went back to the hostel.

At the end of the day, it felt good to finally visit an iconic structure that I only used to see in history textbooks. I felt really privileged to finally visit the Great Wall, to stand on it and gaze at the extensive structure that snakes onto the Chinese mountains farther than my eyes could reach, and to realize how many more marvels mankind is capable of building.

Bath in summer: day trip to the World Heritage city

Last summer, I spent two weeks in Bristol for a UK-Japan researcher workshop (RENKEI, which I have to write about soon!) and on our free weekend I visited the nearby city of Bath. The city is a World Heritage Site most famous for its… you guessed it, baths!

World Heritage City

Let me elaborate. The city has a natural hot spring, which became historically important when it was established as a public bath during the Roman occupation of Britain in the first century.

“In area, in grandeur, in completeness, the baths of Aquae Sulis were unequaled”

Today, Bath is a famous tourist destination not only for the Roman Baths, but for a number of other sights and activities as well.

From Bristol to Bath is an easy 10 minutes by train, so I did not encounter any transportation problems. The city was not so large and easily walkable.

Walkable city, but how I wish I had a bike that day… The weather was perfect for it!

The first site I gravitated towards was the Roman Baths, but not before I took notice of the nearby majestic Bath Abbey.

Bath Abbey

A brush with history at the Roman Baths

The Roman Baths is the main attraction of the city, so there was no way I was going to miss it; never mind the 13.50 GBP entrance fee and the long line of tourists.

The line to enter the Roman Baths

I borrowed an audio guide at the entrance and proceeded to follow the arrows pointing me to the different sites. The first stop was the terrace, which provided a view of the Great Bath from the second level.

View from the terrace

There were statues in the terrace that apparently depicts Roman governors and emperors with connections to Britain.

After that, the arrows led me indoors into a museum depicting the Roman way of life in Aquae Sulis (lit. the waters of the goddess Sulis Minerva), the old name of Bath. An important part of the exhibit was the temple pediment, supposedly taken from the old temple dedicated to Minerva.

Remains of the temple pediment, with a projected image of what it used to look like

Animated video reconstruction of the old temple

Another part of the Roman Baths showcased the preserved ruins of the temple altar, the courtyard, and even the head of the Minerva statue. It felt a little surreal walking along the temple ruins that belonged to the first century.

The remains of the temple

Another highlight of the complex is the sacred spring. The site is where hot water bubbles to the surface, which they thought was miraculous in Roman times (it’s actually a geothermal manifestation… alright, I’ll stop the geology lecture here).

Bubbles!

Many items were “offered” to the sacred spring, and some of them are exhibited in the complex. Most common are the coins and gemstones, but most interesting are the rolled up lead sheets with curses written on them wishing for bad luck upon their enemies (is this the same everywhere? Because this sounds like the Filipino kulam to me).

Offerings to the sacred spring

After the hot spring area, I finally reached the Great Bath, which is the open air swimming bath that I have been seeing from the start of the tour.

The Great Bath

There were costumed characters playing the role of a Roman official and a Roman lady.

The costumed lady asked me to smell some of her bath perfumes, so I sat by the pool to check out her basket of bath goodies.

The area around the Great Bath pool had some of the original structures exhibited, like the original roof spine and floor from the Roman times. It was pretty cool that they got to keep some of the old building parts.

Different layers of the floor (like rock layers! hihi)

At one end of the Great Bath, there is a circular pool asking for “offerings”. The money you throw in would be collected after a year(?) and used for preserving the Roman Baths archeological collection.

Pool for donations to preserve the Roman Baths

Before exiting the Roman Baths complex, there was a drinking faucet that offers a taste of Bath’s spring waters. The waters are believed to have healing properties by ancient people.

I got a glassful, but I only finished a quarter of it as it tasted weird. It was slightly salty and feels alkaline; until now I could still remember the taste in my mouth so I guess it’s quite remarkable (I’m not sure if in a good way).

Getting my nerd on at the Jane Austen Centre

After the tour of the Roman Baths, I met up with my RENKEI friends for lunch at a restaurant in one of the side streets of Bath. After lunch, I left them to explore the Roman Baths while I explore the next interesting Bath attraction for me: The Jane Austen Centre. The centre is a permanent exhibition located in the same street where she lived and features Jane Austen’s time in Bath.

Walking up the street, I knew I was in the right place when I was greeted by a bearded man in a top hat and coat from the 19th century. Personally, I was a little bit concerned that he was feeling too hot, as it was the peak of summer and he was sweating in his coat. Anyway, I just left him outside and I entered the house. It was really just an old (>250 years old!) house that they transformed into an exhibit.

The >250 years old staircase

I took a deep breath of acceptance before reluctantly handing out 8 pounds for the entry fee and the guide pamphlet (it was expensive by my standards!).

Jane Austen

In the end though, what matters is I enjoyed the short lecture, the guided tour, and dressing up Regency style!

Tea set and free cookies at the exhibit

Flirting, Regency style! “A Fan… expresses the caprices of the heart, nay even sometimes speaks”

This may be the only time I get to wear a bonnet.

Afterwards, I walked around Bath with the map from the Jane Austen Centre as my guide. I visited several lovely and quiet gardens, but I equally enjoyed the lively streets in the city center where buskers and small shops abound.

Bath is a quaint little city that is perfect for a day trip, and I especially enjoyed exploring it on that bright and sunny summer day.

Marsupials and more at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

I was fortunate enough to visit Brisbane because of a conference, and one of the first things I did was to meet Australia’s famous mammals: the koala and the kangaroo! Of course they had nothing to do with the geological convention, but I wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity, would I?  I’m really happy my friend brought me to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where I got to meet the famous marsupials and a lot more animal species (some of them I haven’t even heard of before I came to Australia).

Clingy koala!

When I arrived early morning in Brisbane, my friend picked me up at the airport and wasted no time touring me around. Never mind that I flew from Fukuoka to Singapore to Brisbane from the day before and throughout the night. Sleep and shower can wait, the kangaroos were waiting for me! After a nice breakfast-with-a-view at the Mt. Coot-tha Lookout, we proceeded to the sanctuary with my luggage still in the trunk of the car.

The view of Brisbane from Mt. Coot-tha Lookout

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world’s largest koala sanctuary, according to their advertisement (to be honest though, I don’t know how many koala sanctuaries there are in the world). Anyway, after paying the 33 AUD entrance fee, we started our tour by going around the fenced enclosures of different Australian animals. It was my first time to learn that Tazmanian devils don’t just exist in cartoons, and that dingoes are actually very handsome wild dogs.

Tazmanian devil

Dingo

I also enjoyed watching the adorable wombat eat from its pail of food.

Wombat

It was my first time to see a platypus, although it was very hard to take photos of them since they were always moving about in their aquarium.

The elusive platypus, so I took its photo outside the aquarium 😉

There were also interesting reptiles in the sanctuary, but I kept my distance as I get creeped out with some of their skin/scales.

A few of the numerous reptiles there

The birds were also featured everywhere in the sanctuary, from the small colorful parrots and cockatoos in their cages to the big flightless emu and cassowary roaming about their large enclosures.

Some of the birds featured at the sanctuary

The cassowary (left) and the emu (right)

And of course there are the koalas. I saw mommy koalas with joeys in their pouches, ‘kindergarten’ koalas, ‘retired koalas’… well, you get the picture. They are the cutest! I spent a good amount of time just observing and taking photos of them.

Find the hidden joey!

They’re very good climbers!

But they stay still most of the time…

Needless to say, I wouldn’t forget the kangaroos. There was a huge space for them to run around and interact with the visitors. The sanctuary’s area is really big, and a lot of the animals can move around freely.

I learned that there were different types of kangaroos, and there’s also the similar-looking and usually smaller wallabies.

The joey inside the pouch, but with the feet sticking out…

A wallaby feeding her joey

I took my time observing the fascinating marsupials. I also enjoyed watching the kids feed and play with the kangaroos.

Aside from endemic species, they also have domesticated animals like the miniature horse (not a pony, apparently).

Miniature horses

I also got to see, along with some gradeschoolers on a fieldtrip, how a sheep’s fleece was sheared.

Afterwards they let us to touch the wool. I fell in line and waited for my turn with the students, but I didn’t mind feeling like a kid once in a while.

Our last stop was the Bird of Prey show, but it was definitely not the least of the attractions in the sanctuary. They showed how raptor birds catch their food.

Barn owl

Barking owl

There was a large area for the birds to freely fly around before they swoop down on their food set in front of the crowd. It was fascinating and exciting seeing the owls and the kites fly past our heads and grab their food.

Poor mouse…

After the bird show we had to go home because I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore! The long flight finally caugh up with me, but I was really glad that I got to visit Lone Pine. The place was a nice start to my Australia visit. I got to meet the famous marsupials, and I was introduced to other interesting animal species.

“The Earth is not only for humans”