Notes from the Road: 19 September, 2007 - China, Japan, and Australia

Hi all,

It's been a few great weeks since I last emailed. I hope you're all well and happy. Watch out, this one's a doozie.

When we last left our story, I was about to leave Beijing to see the Terracotta Army. I'll start by answering a question from a friend. Andy, I knew that the Terracotta Army was on exhibit at the British Museum. Luckily, there are several THOUSAND warriors, so Xi'an could spare a few and still have quite an impressive collection left in China. :)

I got to Xi'an with a bit of drama. After negotiating a fare into the city from the airport (lots of things are open to bartering in Asia), my driver didn't know where my hostel was once we got to the city. He saw the word 'International' and took me to a 5-star International Hotel, not my $5/night hostel. After a few comically tense moments where I refused in English to get out of his taxi and he waved goodbye and shouted at me in Chinese to get out of his taxi, we were rescued by an English-speaking hotel staffer. This was followed by another amusing exhange wherein the taxi driver didn't want to give me my change. Everything was eventually sorted out and I finally checked into my hostel.

The next day, I hopped a city bus (more intersting and cheaper than an organized tour) to The Terracotta Army. It's an amazing site, and quite a neat thing that the Chinese government has created an on-site museum. The excavation is ongoing there - since the site was only discovered 30 or so years ago, there's still tons of work to do. It's likely there are more pits of warriors still to be found; since there are no written records, noone knows how many more soldiers are hidden there. I can't quite describe the magnitude of it - you'll have to see it for yourself. Row upon row of soldier, and each with a different facial expression, function, and uniform.

Xi'an is a nice city as well, although more filled with Western tourists than Beijing. I also visited a nice Mosque (Xi'an has a sizeable Muslim population), complete with a pagoda instead of a minaret. In Xi'an, I met up with some of the travellers I'd seen in Beijing, and we had some dinner together. It's nice to run into people you know when you're on the road.

My trip to Tokyo the next day was uneventful, except for the typhoon. Yep, typhoon. I was fortunate enough to land during the largest typhoon to hit Tokyo in 50 years. Pretty bumpy, and we bounced onto the runway, but got there safely. After getting to the hostel, we were instructed not to go out, as the winds could be dangerous. Actually, it wasn't so bad, but I stayed in anyway. The next day, I went out to explore Tokyo - what a crazy city, in a very Japanese way. Neon everywhere. Electronics shops on every corner. And such friendly people. The language barrier wasn't as much of an issue as in China, though there was still some pointing and gesturing going on. That afternoon, I went to a Shinto shrine near the hostel, Senso-ji (the first of MANY shrines and temples in Japan). It's a beautiful, peaceful place that smells of incense. Afterwards, I went to dinner with a group from the hostel - I've been lucky and chosen really sociable places, so I'm meeting tons of people while travelling.

My next day was spent wandering some of the fun neighborhoods of Tokyo, including Harajuku, where the goth kids hang out. Japanese goths are an interesting bunch - wait 'til you see the photos! I also went to another Shinto shrine and was lucky enough to witness a few Shinto wedding processions. That night, I treated myself to some conveyer belt sushi. For those of you who like raw fish, get yourself to Japan, NOW! Wowee, that was good fish, the best I've ever eaten. Then I went into town for drinks in Shinjuku, one of the brightest, most neon-filled squares in Japan. We caught a bit of World Cup rugby; thanks to some excellent tutelage in the UK, I was the most knowledgeable person in the bar on the sport (clearly, the Japanese aren't big rugby fans ...).

My last day in Tokyo was a fun one. I went back to Yoyogi park (home of the goth kids) to see the dancing Elvises (Elvii?). It's everything you expect and more. 50's style dancing with poodle skirts and saddle shoes. Black leather trousers and big hair. Crazy. The biggest surprise (and my favorite part of Tokyo) was the rest of the park. On Sunday afternoon, it's full of people of all ages just letting lose. Live bands, flea markets, an ad hoc African drum troupe, martial arts, dance choreography, ultimate frisbee, jugglers. And not one person performing for anyone. Just a mass of self-expression. I think Japanese culture is quite restrained, and it's as if they all let out in one big hurrah every Sunday. Very cool.

I hopped an overnight train to Kyoto - Japanese trains are a joy. Perfectly punctual and pristine. I even got pajamas to wear! After an early morning arrival in Kyoto, I went out for my first round of temples. I won't belabor the point, but Kyoto is a spiritual center for Japan - dozens, if not hundreds, of shrines and temples. After my first round of them, I went back to the hostel - it's in Gion, one of the biggest districts for Geishas in Kyoto. So I went Geisha-spotting - and saw some Geishas. They just took my breathe away! So beautiful and refined and perfect. Afterwards, I went to see another Shinto shring with someone from the hostel (a thousand arches up a hillside - really stunning in twilight).

That night, I went out for drinks with a few people from the hostel (and by a few, I mean 20). Fifteen of us ended up wandering at 2:30am into, you guessed it, a karaoke place. I mean, how could I not do karaoke in Japan. What a laugh. What a drunken, silly laugh.

The next day I went with a French guy named Stephan to Nara for the day, which is also temple central. It contains the largest wooden strucutre on the planet, a HUGE temple. I fed deer who wander the city. It was a really nice time.

The next day was my big Kyoto sightseeing day, and I was templed-out by the end of it, but saw some really lovely Zen gardens. That night was another big night out with hostel kids. After a conveyer belt sushi meal (I stuffed myself for $13), we hit the bars and ended up again, comically, singing karaoke. Up 'til 5:30. Some of you might have received drunken email from me - if so, I apologize for any rudenesses or misspellings on my part ... :)

The next morning marked the beginning of a 24-hour travel stint for me. Subway to the shinkansen (bullet train in Japan). Bullet train to Tokyo (man, that's fast - and not altogether pleasant with a hangover and 2 hours of sleep). Then a train from Tokyo to the airport. Then a flight from Tokyo to Seoul. Then 3 hours in Seoul. Then a 10-hour flight to Sydney. Then the subway to the hostel. Phew - finally!

Luckily, my bed was free, and I was able to check in at 9am when I arrived (many hostels are great about this). After a bit of sleep, I went for a wander. It's strange to be back in Western society - everyone speaks English here! Oddly, it's deflating. Asia was so culturally and spritually rich for me that I found Australia to be a bit too familiar. I'm still resetting my frame of mine as to what I'm looking for in Australia. It's much more about physical experiences (rainforest, reef, Ayers Rock, islands, scenery) here.

I was fortunate in Sydney to have a few home-grown experiences. Dick and Pam, my uncle and aunt, have good friends in Sydney; Peter Simons, who worked with Dick for many years, kindly offered me a driving tour of Sydney with his mate Ron and him. It was great to see parts of Sydney that I'd never get to without a car. It's a cool city in that there are national park areas within the city limits. The harbor has an interesting shape and has given rise to lots of character-filled neighborhoods. Peter and Ron gave me a lot of history about the city as we saw the different areas. And to top if off, we had a fantastic fish lunch at the fish market (modelled after the frenetic fish market in Tokyo, which I missed) and some sashimi for me to take home with me. That night, I went out with some people from the hostel and it was, um, interesting. The backpacker trail is so trodden here - there are tons of bars that offer drinks specials and free beer hours. You can imagine the crowd this attracts. It seems that the East Coast of Australia is full of travellers who never actually see Australia because they're sleeping off hangovers from the night before. NOT my scene, as you probably all know. So my goal as I travel the East coast is get away from as much of that as possible - I'll let you know how I get on. But I have NO intention of drinking beer every night (either free or overpriced) with a gaggle of 20-year olds (no offense) and having my feet stuck to the floor of the bar from spilled drinks and watching dance and wet t-shirt contests and then sleeping 'til 4pm the next day only to do it again. I'm too old for that crap. :) And, seriously, I want to actually SEE things and experience Australia.

Anyway, I took a tour of the Sydney Opera House the next day with Jason, a guy from the hostel - the outside, which you've all seen is stunning, and the inside is equally so. We got to visit both large performance halls, and I think it's the most impressive live performance venue I've ever see. I real must-do - if I can squeeze in a performance there on my return to Sydney next month, I will. After a walk through the botanical gardens (also in the middle of the city), we had a chili dog from Harry's Cafe De Wheels, a Sydney institution, and I got ready for my Bridge Climb. A wonderfully generous Christmas gift gave me the opportunity to climb the Harbor Bridge in Sydney at twilight, and I was fortunate to get a perfect timeslot. The views are unparalleled, and the climb is an awesome experience. I have a general fear of heights (well, ledges), but wasn't scared at all. The sun set as we descended the bridge and we got some lovely colors.

My next home-grown night was a dinner invitation from John and Teresa Lamberton, parents of my friend Katrina in Cambridge. I went there after the bridge and had a terric meal, some great Australian wine, and fantastic conversation. It's so nice to be able to talk about home with people when I'm so far away from it (I'm 9 hours ahead of the UK, 14 hours ahead of the East Coast, and 17 hours ahead of the West Coast). A real treat.

The next day was a mellow day - you can't be a hard-core tourist every day for 5 months. I went down to the Rocks, the area around the Harbor Bridge, one of the oldest parts of Sydney, and had a wander. Then I chilled out at the hostel and watched crappy American TV for the evening while eating some homemade spaghetti bolognese (ahh, good times ... :).

The next day, I went to the famed Bondi beach and had a walk. I'm still struggling with my food experience from India (7 weeks and counting - don't ask), so I took it easy. Then I got packed up and headed to the airport. I caught a flight to Cairns and made my way to the hostel. I'd met a guy, Andy, in Tokyo who was in Cairns last night, so we booked into the same hostel and had a nice chat before I crashed. He was leaving for a farmstay the next day (today), so it was nice to meet up for a quick chat.

I moved hostels this morning to stay where two girls from the hostel in Kyoto, Michelle and Kirstie, are staying (are you beginning to see a trend here?). As much as I moaned about the backpacker trail (see above), it'll be nice to run into the same people on the way down the coast. We might start our trip down the east coast together.

I've started to sort out a plan. I'm going on an overnight liveabord dive on the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow/Friday, and then I'll do some sort of rainforest adventure (TBD). It'll either be a one-day thing, or an overnighter at Cape Tribulation. Then I have 2 1/2 weeks to get down the coast to Brisbane on a Greyhound bus pass. I'll stop along the way, probably at Magnetic Island, Frazer Island, the Whitsundays, and wherever else tickles my fancy. If i have time, I'll go past Brisbane to Byron Bay for a day or two, then back up to Brisbane. Jason (from the hostel in Sydney) will likely be in Brisbane then, and we have tentative plans to go to Australia Zoo together.

I agonized over whether or not to go to Ayers Rock. I have such a short time in OZ (yes, 5 weeks is VERY short), and it's a long way out of the way. Luckily, I found some cheap flights, so I decided to go for it. So I'll fly from Brisbane to Alice Springs and stay two nights. Then I'm doing a 3day/2night camping trip around Ayers Rock. One night camping at Kings Canyon, one night camping at Ayers Rock (camping in sight of the rock, which should be spectacular - sunsets and sunrises). Then I fly from Ayers Rock to Sydney, where I'll spend my last few days with Peter and his wife Sue, who I haven't met yet because she's enroute to the US via the UK to vist my aunt and uncle. We have tentative plans to go to the Blue Mountains for a day and then a visit to a wildlife park. Then New Zealand, which I haven't even thought about yet.

Phew, that's a lot. General thoughts. Asia was fantastic and part of me wishes to still be there. China and Japan, in particular, have been a revelation. Something really speaks to me from there. Maybe it has to do with the rich cultural heritage, maybe its the spritual history, maybe it's the food, maybe it's the people, maybe it's everything - dunno, but I HAVE to get back there.

I think Australia will be good - I can feel myself already slipping into the beach mentality and getting over my post-Asia deflation. Cairns is the ultimate beach town and, though reminiscent of American beach towns, I respond well to that, being a real water person. I think 3 weeks with the water in view will be good for my psyche. And I'm really looking forward to Ayers Rock. I haven't decided whether or not to climb it. Anyone with personal experience there is welcome to comment - I'm looking for other perspectives.

Okay, that's it. Nothing to report on toilets. :) Once I arrived in Japan, there was usually a Western toilet. Amusingly, though, I found myself using the squat toilets by choice once or twice - you just get conditioned to peeing that way ... :)

Well, I'll stop her, since I'm sure many of you have to pee by now, having sat here for so long to read this. I hope you're well, and thanks for your notes, even if I don't respond to them quickly or, sadly, at all. My internet time is a bit limited and access can be sketchy or expensive.

Oh, one more thing. This is THE most incredible thing I've ever done (like you couldn't tell), and I'm already wishing for more time. I miss you all, but I really don't wanna come home! Speaking of which, I don't think I'll be able to shorten my time in NZ (it's set for 5 weeks right now, and I'll want to take all of that time), so I don't think I can make it back to the US for Thanksgiving. Sorry Anderson family, but I'll be there the week after - save me a turkey sandwich? I'll think of you from the beach in Fiji. :)

Okay, that's really it!

Best,
Dina

Notes from the Road

Thursday, January 17, 2008

19 September, 2007 - China, Japan, and Australia

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