Edge of the Next

Here i sit, sated after a meal worthy of a prince on my last night in Japan.

In the beginning, Japan was just an interlude, breaking up my flight to Paris, a stopover and a curiosity. That was on the 3rd of march, 7 weeks later (including one week in Taiwan and one week in Takayama, Kyoto/Nara) I want stay longer, or at least be able to come back soon. I have seen ancient swords, bronze Buddhas, exquisite temples and grand mountains. Heard beautiful new music, grappled with the beginnings of another language and eaten exotic delicacies, but I want to come back just because of a handful of people I happened to meet.

Each amazing in their own right with their own lovable quirks and a surprising lack of irritating habits they have been what has made this leg of my journey so memorable.

But I look forward to europe, although I trade increasingly warm and sunny weather for the rather chilly climes of northern europa, new languages, architecture, plants and animals and new people all to be photographed AMAZINGLY AWESOMELY by me are just over the horizon (a few times over I think, in an 8 hour flight).

Observation or introspection?

I can write about what has occurred on this oh so odd odyssey with quips, quirks and what i find wonderful wit, (I am sure that only 3 people, me, myself and my mother agree on this), or I can put into prose my ponderings on the meandering machinations of my mind during this, my first foray into the far reaches of this exhilarant earth. But I cannot do both. I would like to regale you with tales of my daring deeds while commenting on the nature of duality inherent in Japanese culture, but I do not have the time nor the attention span to complete such a mighty undertaking.

So dear reader, please let me know which you would prefer, one, the other or snippets of both. i am not saying you have the final word on the matter, but your input is valued none the less.

Now, I will let you know what is going on in regard to actualities and localities. I am in Tokyo, back from (mis) adventures in Taiwan. I missed my flight to Hong Kong through lack of sleep and forgetfulness and so I am once again on the as yet untrodden path to Helsinki, the journey beginning (counting the adventures so far as a pit stop) monday the 27th.

I tire of consciousness as it is at the moment 46 minutes past the hour of 2. I will endeavor to provide you, most faithful of readers, with a more exhaustive update on the morrow.

Until then, keep dreaming.

Meandering Gallivantations

My previous intentions of gallivanting to the far-off winterland utopia of Helsinki have been postponed as I have been talked into a jaunt to Taipei by my ever loved host Keii, which pushed back the date of the Helsinki flight to at least the 19th, unfortunately after booking the ticket to Taipei I found that all flights to Helsinki are fully booked until the 6th of May, leaving a few weeks unaccounted for before Helsinki, so another ticket was quickly found for 10 days in Hong Kong after Taipei.

I write you now from said city on the isle of Taiwan slowly recovering from high fever and coughs that have wracked my muscular, sculpted, herculean body for the last few days. Taipei seems to be a mixture of Japan (I still hit my head at least once a day) and Thailand (markets everywhere, fruit and food is cheap, I hit my head). But I get ahead of myself, when last I inscribed on this hallowed tome I was heading for Kyoto, by way of Takayama...

Accommodation did indeed rear its stinky head so I booked my rooms and was pleased. I arrived after about 9 hours on the train (I also accidentally caught a special rapid train which ended up costing me 3000 yen ($45) but got there several hours earlier) at about 7pm and realized I had not written down the name of the temple where I was staying. So I called the ever faithful Keii who informed me that it was Zoichi ji (I think....) and all was well again.

Until I inquired as to the location of the temple, the attendant replied Nara, with a barely stifled smirk. Nara being about 9 hours away by train I asked if there was another one in the local area, the answer, after a quick conversation with a colleague, full of grins worthy of the cheshire cat, I was told: no.

I obtained the location of an internet cafe to look up the location myself and trodded off south through deserted playgrounds, swings creaking in the mist created by the water fountains, contruction yards with silent machinery like slumbering transformers ready to spring to life and save the world, and found that the internet cafe was closed.
Trodding back north, my backpack now gaining weight with every step I pondered my options and realised I have the temples number in my called list on my mobile. I called and asked where they are, they then said they have no record of my reservation and that they were full and to try Todai Ji. I found a map, turns out Todai Ji is on the very north side of the town so I set off, backpack now a mighty boulder strapped to my frail (but still hawt) form.

I reached the warm lights of he temple at about 9pm, tired and hungry and they had a room. All was well again