Friday, July 25, 2008
Emmas Blog 4
Tokyo,
Staying in Asakusa rather than Akasaka – so whats the difference between 3 Stars and 5 Star hotels? Not much – the 5 Star experience aimed at making you, the traveling salesman/lawyer/banker feel that you are someone discerning and special, the 3 star more like what your mom knows you are. So the thread count is lower, the room is a bit smaller, there is no room service, cable,,,? OK so I was trying to make a point.
We loved it, I learned more about Tokyo in one week of using the metro, visiting museums, the Shibuya crossing, yakitori bars, temples and shrines than in the last 30 years of staying in the Okura and never leaving the Marunouchi.
Hong Kong
The first time I came years ago it was after a long trip through Tokyo and Taipei, so I was knocked out by the gleam in HK, in some ways living up to its self titled Asia’s World City. This time it felt more like an overblown mall. True we did some sightseeing, but the little piece of the governor’s mansion, old churches and colonial history we saw is almost obscured by the incessant focus on pitching branded goods to the masses. Exclusivity for all.
Tokyo,
Staying in Asakusa rather than Akasaka – so whats the difference between 3 Stars and 5 Star hotels? Not much – the 5 Star experience aimed at making you, the traveling salesman/lawyer/banker feel that you are someone discerning and special, the 3 star more like what your mom knows you are. So the thread count is lower, the room is a bit smaller, there is no room service, cable,,,? OK so I was trying to make a point.
We loved it, I learned more about Tokyo in one week of using the metro, visiting museums, the Shibuya crossing, yakitori bars, temples and shrines than in the last 30 years of staying in the Okura and never leaving the Marunouchi.
Hong Kong
The first time I came years ago it was after a long trip through Tokyo and Taipei, so I was knocked out by the gleam in HK, in some ways living up to its self titled Asia’s World City. This time it felt more like an overblown mall. True we did some sightseeing, but the little piece of the governor’s mansion, old churches and colonial history we saw is almost obscured by the incessant focus on pitching branded goods to the masses. Exclusivity for all.
Emmas Blog 3
Kyoto
So different to Tokyo, Berlin to its Berne. Hard to capture the spiritual sense of the place, especially in 32C heat, so I toned down the focus and tried to simply take it in. We stayed in a Riyokan, or traditional inn. While some creature comforts are more recent introductions (I’m thinking of the beer vending machine in the lobby), much of the experience would have been familiar to a visitor 100 years ago. Emma will write about the food, Sophie about sharing a room with her Dad snoring ( we were in a 7 tatami room all together, sleeping in futons.) Kyoto is part of the modern world, but there is always a sense in the air of it being a calmer place, a place where culture lives. For foreigners like us, something very different, and something many Japanese no longer get to experience. I loved it
Kyoto
So different to Tokyo, Berlin to its Berne. Hard to capture the spiritual sense of the place, especially in 32C heat, so I toned down the focus and tried to simply take it in. We stayed in a Riyokan, or traditional inn. While some creature comforts are more recent introductions (I’m thinking of the beer vending machine in the lobby), much of the experience would have been familiar to a visitor 100 years ago. Emma will write about the food, Sophie about sharing a room with her Dad snoring ( we were in a 7 tatami room all together, sleeping in futons.) Kyoto is part of the modern world, but there is always a sense in the air of it being a calmer place, a place where culture lives. For foreigners like us, something very different, and something many Japanese no longer get to experience. I loved it
Emma’s Blog
Today is our last day on Oahu, - we are ready to leave. The highlights for us were getting out of Waikiki to swim in the Ocean off the North Shore, wandering the harbor at Waimea (sp?) watching the turtles. We took in the Dole Pineapple farm (named after Queen Emalani’s custom of “doling” out pineapples every Maundy Thursday). Seriously, it did show what a young man with serious cash could accomplish in colonial times.
The “Polynesian Culture Center” was numbing. Anyone expecting to learn about Polynesian Culture should probably go to the Bishop Museum, - maybe next time. As to the PCC, we toured a series of Epcot like Polynesian Islands, where we learnt that Samoans liked to climb trees for coconuts, Tongans to beat drums, and Hawaiians were vaguely “royal”. What we didn’t hear much about was the cultures that existed before Cook showed up, closely followed by missionaries and how between commerce and religion we managed to pretty much extinguish all of the cultures and most of the population. The work provided to the community by the center does help to pay for tuition at the local BYU.
Doesn’t our penchant for sanitized kid friendly history (much of it watched by adults) go some way to explaining the bewilderment many Americans feel when confronted by a hostile world.? Wake up time.
PLUS watching Zoë and her team play their hearts out in Tropical weather, plagued by injury and exhaustion, against more experienced teams, and winning the Sportsmanship award they truly deserved. Meeting teams from all over the islands and the mainland, most of them showing levels of sportsmanship to match their plauy. A lot of folk worked hard to make the trip happen, and we ae grateful.
Today is our last day on Oahu, - we are ready to leave. The highlights for us were getting out of Waikiki to swim in the Ocean off the North Shore, wandering the harbor at Waimea (sp?) watching the turtles. We took in the Dole Pineapple farm (named after Queen Emalani’s custom of “doling” out pineapples every Maundy Thursday). Seriously, it did show what a young man with serious cash could accomplish in colonial times.
The “Polynesian Culture Center” was numbing. Anyone expecting to learn about Polynesian Culture should probably go to the Bishop Museum, - maybe next time. As to the PCC, we toured a series of Epcot like Polynesian Islands, where we learnt that Samoans liked to climb trees for coconuts, Tongans to beat drums, and Hawaiians were vaguely “royal”. What we didn’t hear much about was the cultures that existed before Cook showed up, closely followed by missionaries and how between commerce and religion we managed to pretty much extinguish all of the cultures and most of the population. The work provided to the community by the center does help to pay for tuition at the local BYU.
Doesn’t our penchant for sanitized kid friendly history (much of it watched by adults) go some way to explaining the bewilderment many Americans feel when confronted by a hostile world.? Wake up time.
PLUS watching Zoë and her team play their hearts out in Tropical weather, plagued by injury and exhaustion, against more experienced teams, and winning the Sportsmanship award they truly deserved. Meeting teams from all over the islands and the mainland, most of them showing levels of sportsmanship to match their plauy. A lot of folk worked hard to make the trip happen, and we ae grateful.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Emma's Travels
Here I will post all of my travels including Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia, sorry but no Antartica. Hope you enjoy the photos and other various info. I'll try to post as frequently as possible.
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