Japan, it's complicated,and expensive,and Amazing!

Greetings from Japan! We have been here about 10 days now and this is the first time I am able to post a blog. Leaving Bali was hard,because as much as I complained about certain things in my last post we made strong connections there with locals and other visitors. Like Joni Mitchel sang; you dont know what you've got till it's gone. Bali was so Easy in hindsight. Things that we took for granted there are amazingly complex here.

Mt. Fugi from the bullet train

     There is no such thing as a soft landing in Japan. After a long flight with a layover in Malaysia we arrived in Tokyo very late and very tired. We were fortunate to have a connection in Tokyo, thanks to Lysa, who met us at the airport. The man is a university professor and an ex student of Lysa's Uncle. His name is Shige and having him meet us was a blessing. Lysa had been in email contact with Shige,so we had a place to stay on the west side of Tokyo on campus for a very reasonable price. Shige whisked us there and we collapsed into our new home with no energy to spare. Shige is very concerned about our welfare and I'm sure feels personally responsible for making Japan manageable for us.  OK, here's the complicated parts.... Getting $ is much more of an ordeal here than in either Bali or Thailand. We discovered that the only places our bank card works is at the post office and 7/11 stores. We tried several other ATM's before we figured that one out. Making a phone call is a complex undertaking. Shige insisted that we have our own phone(more for his peace of mind). Buying a phone is a complex and expensive ordeal that took several hours,tons of paper work and more money than I want to admit. I heard we could rent a phone but Shige insisted we buy one and put us on his family plan. Using our computer to connect to the internet, which is vital, has also been a challenge. Very few places offer wi/fi our usual method,and internet cafes are non existent.

Magome at dusk

    Unfotunately, Lysa was not feeling well for the first couple of days and that added further stress to our adjustment. There were moments, I admit where I was longing for my simple life in Santa Cruz.  Anika and I had an exploratory day together that gave me some confidence that we would survive Japan. We took the JR train into downtown Tokyo for a shopping adventure. The JR train system is amazing efficient and helpful for visitors. We made the effort before arriving in Japan to buy rail passes which has been very useful, although expensive. We went to the uber trendy Shibuya district and followed the cute fashionistas to "109", a shopping mecca for the younger set. Anika was in heaven and she turned some heads herself, being one of very few western kids. There are surprisingly few western travelers in Japan. We have only met one other couple from the US and a few European visitors. Japan is set up for the Japanese and they know how to enjoy their own country.

Inuyama Castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner in Magome

  After a few days adjustment, we were ready to explore the country. Lysa being the research and plan person had laid out some potential itinereries and after much back and forth with Shige we had a plan. Shige was sure we would get lost at every turn and lobbied hard for us to stay in Tokyo and do day trips. While that may have suited Anika, it wasn't what we had in mind. We set off with our new phone, tons of cash from stockpiling, and our rail passes. Our first destination was the Kiso valley, near theJapan alps. The town of Magome would be our first night away from Tokyo. Magome is a beautifully restored town on the old post road from Tokyo to Kyoto. We spent the night in a "minshuku" which is a lodge that offers tatami style rooms, and 2 meals in a rustic building.  The Japanese have elevated dining to an artistic and gastronomic delight. There were at least 12 different dishes at most meals, even breakfast. Magome is a pedestrian heaven, no cars strolling wonderland. Every view is magical. We were starting to fall in Love with Japan! The next morning we sent our bags ahead to Tsumago, another link on the post route, and walked the 5 miles through the country side at our liesure. We past old buildings, farms, waterfalls, and Shinto shrines before arriving at our next days lodging. Both towns are picture perfect and a throw back to days past. Such a relief from our first days in Tokyo. Next was the town of Inuyama, known for the oldest remaining castle in Japan and the 3rd most admired tea house and garden. We happened upon a street festival showcasing the towering floats built in the eighteenth century, adorned with carvings and topped with "kurukari dolls",fantastic mechanical dolls that do elaborate performances. These floats are so large it takes a team of 20 or so men to pull them down the street.

Takayama

   We stayed at a "youth hostel" more like a hilton, which also included two lavish meals,for 2 nights. The following day our plan was to head to Takayama a small city with much to offer. Getting there turned into a major fiasco which I was entirely responsible for. As I mentioned we are traveling by rail with a pre purchased Japan Rail pass good for 21 days. These tickets are like gold and cost as much. They are also non-replaceable if lost. We had a 9:00am train to catch and got to the station with time to spare.  Money....check, passports...check...Railpasses no check. I looked every where, they were in my possesion last but were not to be found. Picture 3 desperate travelers frantically searching all of their belongings, tearing through their luggage, while sympathetic locals wander by. It was a travelers nightmare. Lysa kept saying I told her I put them away safely but where? Finally I looked in the one place I should have looked first. They were in my money belt where I keep extra cash. I was giddy with relief when I found them but we missed our train by minutes! My family was forgiving of my blunder but it cost us several hours. We are now in Takayama. We are staying at a Buddhist temple,with tatami rooms, a kitchen and wi-fi access! Takayama is a city of 100,00 people with lots to see and also many nearby day trips. We explored the Japan alps, which reminded me of the Sierras.
We left Anika at home to skype her friends and catch up with email. There is so much to do and see everywhere we go, we already know we cant see it all and we vow to come back. We all love Japan, for different reasons. Anika for Tokyo and shopping, Lysa and I for onsen, history, nature,food,and culture. In my next blog i will report on our onsen experiences. Suffice to say AHHHH.
   One final note before I sign off... a big warm Birthday greeting to my friend Karuna.  Obey the Awe!

Saying Goodbye to Bali

Happy loading bricks

Hello friends, It is with mixed feelings that I write this last blog entry before leaving Bali. Yes, Bali is an amazing island with natural beauty, charm, kind people and a complex and enthralling culture. Much of these comments I had heard from friends who have been here before we left on our trip. What I also heard was that the first time was the best for most travelers. The common lament was how much it had changed since their first visit. I took that info in with a grain of salt because what place ever really stays the same,change being the only constant. There is change, and then there is the kind of change I see happening in Bali that I fear is destroying its appeal. First it is important to understand that Bali is a relativley small island, being approx 300 miles in circumference. That means that any sort of rapid development without planning for infrastructure improvements can be devastating. Unfortunately this is what I see going on all over the island. The roads are narrow and windy,with the burden of too many cars, scooters, BIG buses, and lots of huge sand and gravel trucks. Throw in to the mix a kind of casual disregard for what we would consider good road ettiquette and you have the recipe for chaos. There is a general neglect to considering the pedestrian as any thing other than a nuisance,sidewalks are rare and often landmines of potential danger. Parking lots are nearly non existant so the accepted practice is simply to stop in the road and let the other drivers worry about how to get around you. This is very common,so it doesn't take much to create gridlock. I am amazed at how casually people accept this as the accepted norm. I'm afraid in the states riots would break out and blood would pour over common practices here.
   OK I am on a bit of a rant here and there is plenty to commend but while i am on the ranty side... We as a world culture must come to terms with our plastic trash,specifically the single use plastic bag! The plastic bag is overwhelming our planet with lethal waste. bags are everywhere flying in the breezes, clogging the waterways and eventually finding their way to the oceans where they linger forever. In Bali you will see men on motorbikes who work as scavengers scouring the landscape for anything they can sell for recycling,metal,cardboard, even plastic bottles, but they dont collect bags because they cant get any $ for them. There were so many occasions when we were touring that we would be looking out over magestic rice fields or towards the volcanoes or at the beach and then look down and see the plastic litter strewn about.  We are ALL part of this global problem and I believe the solutions must be global in scale. All products including the bag must have the cost of their nuisance built in to the upfront cost of the item. Only one part of the solution, and please don't misunderstand, I don't mean to imply that the Balinese are any worse then any other people. One explanation I have heard before ,
esp in regards to third world cultures is that things like the plastic bag came suddenly into their culture and they haven't adjusted yet. Think the U.S. 40 years ago compared to today. Before ,when their goods came in natural materials such as banana leaves throwing them on the ground was no big deal. Now with 30 million people and gobs of visitors the effect is overwhelming.
    Lastly I fear that the onslaught of visitors is going to ruin the very thing that attracted people here for so long.  Tourists will simply stop coming and find the "next Bali". Maybe that's a good thing, I don't know
     Now on to a more positive spin. We experienced some amazing culture and explored many stunning places in our time here. As I mentioned before, Ubud was our home base and as such we were able to connect with the place and its inhabitants. Lysa and I in particular were struck by the kindness and hospitality of the people and their willingness to share their lives with us. Our driver friend Radde invited us to attend his family purification ceremony, which takes place on the beach about 45 min. away from Ubud. When I say family I am talking about 2,000 people! All related some how. Picture a caravan of cars trucks scooters and buses winding their way with all the items in hand for a full blown religious gathering the likes of which I have never seen. We were one of very few outsiders invited to attend.  I still am boggled by the amount of energy that goes into maintaining their religious culture. The benefits are obvious...the sense of community, and of belonging to something larger than themselves must bring comfort. We in the West are such an individual first culture and i am not sure if one or the other is better,we could of course  learn from both.

Purification Ceremony

   Another highlight would be the time we spent in the coastal village of Ahmed on the North east of the island. Ahmed is still calm and quiet, the water is warm and blue, the coral and fish were stunning. We spent our brief time there snorkeling in some of the finest coral I have seen anywhere! Lysa especially was in heaven having had her fill of the relative bustle of Ubud. Lysa made a beautiful connection with a young girl and her family. We met them while investigating the local salt production operation on the beach. We are talking old style, primitive labor intensive salt production. Lysa will i am sure describe it in further detail. The young girl was happy to show us the means of production and there was an undeniable spark to her personality.
    Another fun event we participated in was the Ubud readers and writers convention. International writers converged here for a week of book launches, workshops and special events. We saw a poetry slam and also went to the street party. Lots of fun, Reggae music(it's everywhere) along with more traditional offerings. I was pulled out of the audience to dance with a woman doing traditional Balinese style dancing! I did my best white boy imitation as I am well beyond feeling embarassed about such things.
    Lastly before I go to sleep, I have been contemplating happiness, what it means , what we need to be happy, and my perception that our western culture has significant wealth but not corresponding happiness.  The people of Bali and Thailand in contrast have much less wealth but seemingly more happiness. Remember these are generalities based on my personal observations. One concept from Buddhist philosophy is the notion of suffering and its origins. The Buddhist would say suffering(unhappiness) stems from our striving and clinging to our picture of the way things should be and not accepting things as they are. In our culture we are taught that we can all achieve greatness, usually defined in terms of personal wealth and power. That of course can lead to bitterness when we discover that no, we cant all get rich. We tend to also sacrifice many other things to strive for the illusion of success. We give up often deep connections to friends, community,family the planet etc. You get the picture,even if we achieve wealth we are not happy, we are taught to keep striving and of course now we must defend that which we amassed. So ,how to be happy esp. in such chaotic times? I am not sure I know but I believe I have a direction, and I also believe that I have been incredibly blessed in my life and Luck also plays a part as does the concept of Karma.  I have many friends and Loved ones that also help show me the Way to a Life of deep connection and fulfillment. Thank You  All. Next stop, Japan!  Remember to Obey the Awe! 
                                   Dave