Kyoto

Had a few days off, took a little trip to Nagoya and Kyoto. One of the highlights was catching a baseball game where the Nagoya Dragons defeated the not so fierce Swallows of Tokyo. It was pretty much a blowout. Seeing a ballgame in Japan was a very different experience. They really like to cheer. All game. Its really loud and festive. Like a World Cup game but without the pageantry and quality of play.

Took the Bullet Train to Kyoto, it was fast. Kyoto was a bigger town than I expected, but it's pretty with lush forested hills on east and west sides. We saw lots of temples and shrines and also made several Geisha sightings. The food situation proved to be a little tricky at times. Vic and I realized that we really only like the American version of Japanese food, i.e. sushi rolls, tuna nigiri and chicken teriaki. They didn't have much of that so we tried lots of foods that we will probably never eat again. Kyoto was a bit crowded. It was unexpected. They paint Kyoto as a quaint town with lots of tradition and an old world feel. But I couldn't seem to avoid running into some little old lady every couple of steps. Japan seems to be half full of old people who can barely walk who insist on using public transportation with the other half being young girls who like to wear leggings under jean shorts with high heels to the supermarket. They are a pretty wacky people.

Another highlight was the bamboo forest on the west side of Kyoto. It's not too big, but it was pretty and had some trails that allowed us to get away from the city for a bit. We found all the temples and shrines to be pretty peaceful. Most of them are nestled up in the foothills and were very simple yet ornate at the same time. It was cool to see stuff thats been around for over 1500 years. The main times of year to be in Kyoto are during the fall when all the Japanese Maples are vibrant red or in spring when the cherry blossoms are blooming. We will have to head back in the spring, we could imagine how pretty the city would be when it was in bloom.

Here are some pictures, we didn't take too many on this trip.

Bamboo Forrest

One of the several Shrines we saw

Temple with Geisha posing at bottom. We had to be pretty stealth to get any Geisha shots. They are few and far between and don't really like you taking pictures of them.

Temple in Gion, the Geisha district

I found Pudsy has been reincarnated as a shopkeeper in Kyoto. All I wanted was a pack of gum but she told me to kindly leave.

Australia

G'day mates:

Where to start. So much. Here goes. I got back from an island hopper with vacation and some good time off in our immediate future. At last talk to Vicki before my trip we were all set to head out to Mongolia with a little stopover in Seoul. I was really amped to play soccer with a pigs bladder amongst the local kids, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Vicki got to thinking and reading and talking to friends and there was just no way we were going anywhere else but Australia. And not just any Australia, we were headed to the outback, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Alice Springs, Cairns, Port Douglas, The Great Barrier Reef and so much more. Being able to fly on Quantas for peanuts sealed the deal and we were off with no plans other then to dig deep into our bag of traveling tricks and pull off yet another wonderful adventure.

We got to Cairns pretty late and had to scramble a bit for a hotel room, it was less than desirable that evening but we made it through the night. The place was a bit shady, but I pushed the refrigerator against the door for a little bit of extra safety so Vic could sleep. The next day we were off to The Red Center in The Northern Territroy. The lovely voice from the Quantas staff travel hot line informed us that there were several seats open on our flight to Alice Springs and that there would be no problem flying standby. The Quantas experience was quite good. Aside from the obvious Rainman quotes constantly going through my head the service was excellent with a hot meal and a smile to boot. This had to be a foreign country. The Alice as its called, is a nice place. Very compact and open and clean. Every time I imagined being in the outback I thought about how hot it would be, but this time of year during their spring its is just delightful. Cool crisp mornings and warm evenings. We had for the most part excellent weather. A few spot rain showers but nothing lasting more than an hour or so. We were told that they hadn't had rain in the center since November. So when it did rain, the entire area became alive with vibrant desert smells that seemed to be waiting for months to fill the air. Also, the rain brought out the usually shy kangaroos who would drink from the water in the roads which was a nice bonus for us to see. Besides the incredible weather and scenary, just getting to spend time around the Aussies was a big treat. True to their reputation they were warm, laid back, witty, and so much fun to shoot the breeze with. The accent was a plus--Vic goes crazy for a good Aussie accent. Everywhere you go the greeting is "how ya going?"

The last night of our journey we sat by the pool of our motel enjoying some Australian Shiraz and concocting a list of our favorite times:

The Campervan Experience:
With little plans upon arrival in The Alice we evaluated what we wanted to do and it seemed that the places we were headed all had powered campsites and that renting a campervan might be a fun thing to do. Now, this thing was pretty stacked with amenities. We had a fridge, microwave, toilet/shower, running water and gas stove. Plus a pretty comfortable full size bed. We weren't really roughing it and it turned out to be pretty cost effective as well since hotels in and around The Rock are outrageous due to lack of competition.

All in all driving a stick from the right seat while trying to stay in the left lane took a few days to get use to. And there are lots of turn abouts which can be tricky when you're accustomed to looking for cars coming in the opposite direction, but the lack of traffic helped us not need our insurance when all was said and done. We had fun in our little house on wheels. Everybody waves to each other on the road. I actually saw one guy who bought a waving hand sticker and put it just above his steering wheel on his windshield. I guess he got tired of waving all the time. We thought a bobble hand for the dashboard would sell like hotcakes. We cooked lots of meals in the van and spent some pretty comfortable nights there. It was awesome to see all the stars and to have the freedom to just relax outside and to be out in the middle of nowhere with such great weather. I would definitely do it again.

One of many pasta meals on wheels that week

Uluru - Ayers rock/Kata Tjutas-The Oglas:
What can we say. Its a rock. But learning about all the Aboriginal significance and their view of life was pretty cool. From far away it looks like one big solid mass, so we were surprised to find a number of small caves and overhangs around the bottom. In several of these spots there are still ochre drawings (brightly hued clay) layered over one another that our guide described as "chalkboards" where adults would teach the young Aboriginees about their history, beliefs, lessons in character, and survival tactics. They have lots of lore and myths and what not and they have an explanation for everything from creation to the afterlife. We spent an evening watching the sun set on the rock and the next day walking around it just trying to soak it in. It was really big and there were lots of sacred sites that we weren't supposed to take pictures of. You can climb it, and some people do, but we opted not to since the Aboriginal people ask that you don't.

I always thought Ayres Rock was out there in the middle of nowhere all alone, but actually there are many other plateaus and mountain ranges nearby. For instance The Oglas are some really cool rock formations just a few miles from Ayers Rock. I think they are actually more pleasing to the eye and more interesting and fun to walk around. We didn't spend much time there but thought they were cool.

The Olgas at dusk

Kings Canyon:
This place was beautiful. It rained in the morning and cleared up very nicely for our hike. It's not anywhere near the Grand Canyon in stature, but every bit as awe inspiring. We had a blast running around and climbing on the unusual rock formations. I wish the pictures could better convey the splendor and vast geological beauty but we think they speak for themselves.

After our hike at Kings Canyon we retired to the local campground for the evening. We were granted one of the better sites with a really open view of the mountains. That night we experienced a huge storm that lasted over an hour with many jolts of lightning that lit up the entire valley like daylight. Vic and I just peered out the back of our van and waited for the next lightning to strike. It was cool, you could see the red of the cliffs with each bolt. The next morning it was all crisp and clear for our drive back up to The Alice.

An Evening with The John Baker Duo:

After one of the most favorite hikes of our lifetime (see Ormiston Gorge below) we were rewarded with a little happy hour and concert from this guy named John Baker. His girlfriend who made up the duo was back in Alelaide so it was only him. The campsite and lodge making up the venue was pretty remote even for this part of Australia and only had about 15 people staying in it. I don't know how he makes a living but he played mostly cover songs and had some of his CDs for sale too. He had an amazing range and variety with his set list and entertained young and old alike. It wa basically us, a famly of four and 8 very lively older ladies who liked to sing and dance along. Under normal circumstances I would find them annoying but they were actually pretty funny. He performed stellar covers of some Dylan, Neil Young, and Paul Simon, but the highlight of the evening was when a request for "Aussie music" was met with an outstanding acoustic rendition of "Down Under" by Men at Work. We looked at each other and cracked up. It was just really relaxing and his stage presence rivaled that of Touch (Jon you know what I mean) which made for a fun evening.

The Henley on Todd:
This was just one of those things where we just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Or in the wrong place depending on your point of view and ability to laugh at ridiculous gatherings. Every year in Alice Springs on the last Saturday of August they have a multitude of wacky events in the dried up river bed of the Todd River. Its pretty much totally ridiculous and actually something I could find myself getting really into and competitive about if I lived there. This festival proves that the Aussies are kooks. They put on a crazy show that we were glad to see and experience if only for a little bit. Events include but were not limited to Sand Shoveling, Bath Tub Racing, and the Sand Luge. From the pictures below I think you get the gist. It was pretty funny and Vic and I found ourselves looking at each other with mouths wide open not less than once.
Koala Cuddling/Kangaroo Petting:

All Vicki could talk about was holding a Koala Bear. I was pretty sure it was going to scratch her eyes out, or at least make a go for her jugular, but she somehow escaped unscathed. We also got to spend some time feeding kangaroos. They were pretty tame and acted like it was a total waste of their time to eat out of our hands. I think they get fed too much. I kept reminding them that they had it easy in there not having to hunt for their food but I don't think they understood. Like all animal enclosures it was a bit sad, with the koalas in such a small place instead of a forest and to see the roos unable to hop very far, but it was nice for us to be able to experience such different animal life and it served its purpose to inform and educate the humans. Since Koalas spend 21 hours a day either sleeping or high on Eucalyptus leaves it wasn't all that bad of an environment for them since they appeared to be taken care of quite well by the staff. Kangaroos are funny, wallabies too. Fun fact: wombat poop comes out in the shape of a square. How they do this is probably the biggest mystery of the trip since they have what I could see as round bundinas. Throughout our time we saw lots of different wildlife actually in the wild. Kangaroos, lizards, wallabies and dingos (one even tried to hitch a ride in our camper). But surprisingly no deadly snakes or spiders. I guess that was a good thing.

Stanley Chasm:

This place was close to The Alice so it was pretty popular among day trippers. It's basically just a cut in the mountain range and it lights up pretty nicely at midday. We spent some time hiking around and exploring on the rocks. Vic got pretty adventurous and hiked all over the place like a little kid scrambling up and down the rocks. It was a change from what we were used to since on most of our other hikes we were all alone, but it was a great day and we had a good time despite being around other hikers.

Aboriginal Art:

We both really fell in love with all the Aboriginal art--it seemed like there was a gallery on every block. It's a pretty up and coming movement, with a fairly contemporary style. They have been painting like this for generations and the world is starting to notice. Our favorite style is from the region just south east of Alice Springs and it's somewhat like pointillism but with bigger dots of color. Traditionally their art was mostly used as a learning tool or to be descriptive or to mark the way to a watering hole or hunting ground, but recently it has become more colorful and grand. I'm not sure why its become so popular these days, maybe the Aborigines have more time on their hands now and are creating more paintings, but the art has become very first class and vibrant and we really enjoyed it. Vicki especially found the paintings to be very soulful and moving--she really connected with it for some reason. Each of the many galleries displayed several of the local artists. They were all sure to tell us that the artists set all the prices and that they get all the money from their paintings minus a small commission. Sorry, no pictures.

Port Douglas:

This place really reminded me of southern California. Lots of Eucalyptus trees with a Mediteranean-like climate right on the coast. Its a small town, somewhat touristy, but good food and a really relaxed atmosphere. We found a great little motel with an awesome couple running it. They really made us feel welcome. The atmosphere in Port Douglas was very lazy and comfortable and it was great to hang out there for a few days before heading home. But before we did we were able to take a day to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Maybe we've been spoiled by Palau and the rest of the islands up here, but I have to say that it didn't live up to the hype and was a little disappointing. We were glad to do it and we did see a really cool cuttle fish that changed colors before our eyes as it swam away, but the visibility wasn't too good and I'm asshamed to say that the overall diving experience left us desiring to be back in Micronesia.

Newell beach north of Port Douglas

Ormiston Gorge/Ormiston Pound Walk:
Definately the highlight of our trip was the Pound Hike through Ormiston Gorge. It was spectacular. The first part of the hike went for about an hour through the gorge over huge boulders and rocks in the dried up river bed. With the red glowing 150+ foot walls on each side of us it was quite the sight. Part of the splendor of this hike was that we didn't see another soul the entire time. We did manage to scare a few kangaroos out from hiding along the way though. The gorge opened up into this vast valley of tundra where the sun was begining to set for the evening. With a few hours to go on the hike we were a little worried about getting stuck out there after dark, but we made it back to camp just as the sun had set and managed to get some amazingly beautiful views of the valley in the process.

Other quality pics:

Sunset over Uluru

Sunrise just outside Kings Canyon

Sunset over the Olgas

Vic climbing on the rocks at The Olgas

The back side of Ayers Rock

The rocks past Stanly Chasm

The Olgas at sunset