The city of Hakata — on the island of Kyushu — has been completely overrun by mainland Chinese. We’d stopped there for a night on our way between Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And we’d just walked over to the new Canal City shopping complex in search of something to eat. As you know by know, all journeys in Japan revolve around regional food, and this enormous collection of shops just happens to house...
A ride was waiting for us at the station when we returned to the mainland from Miyajima. We followed the road further down the coast, past the large circular enclosures of oyster farms which occupied the inland waters. And then we wound up the hill through smaller streets to our lodgings for the night. A visit to an onsen (“hot spring”) is an essential part of any trip Japan, and one I always...
We continued our post-Hiroshima adventures down the coast about half an hour by train from the city, where we explored one of the official National Treasures of Japan. Popularly known as Miyajima (or “Shrine Island”), the main Shinto complex of Itsukushima-jinja was established in the time of Empress Suiko. But it was the Heian period warlord Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) who gave it its present...
Hiroshima was once a vibrant castle town. And the Sarugaku-cho neighbourhood was a lively place of noh actors, artisans, physicians and shops. Until the day that everyone died. At 8:15am on Monday August 6, 1945 an American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay flew over and unleashed the greatest destructive force the world had ever known. The bomb was detonated in the air, 580m above the ground...
I wouldn’t do that for all the tea in…. Taiwan? That’s right. Taiwan grows some of the best teas in the world. Tea cultivation only really began there in the mid-19th century. But it spread like crazy, thanks to strong domestic demand. Taiwanese teas are also greatly sought after by foreign tea connoisseurs. I recently spent a week on the island, and I took a day to tour around one of the...
Istanbul is a city of memory. The past permeates every street, shop, iconic edifice and passing face. As I walked through its streets and explored its buildings, I began to detect the city’s dominant themes. The theme of Topkapi Palace is seclusion. A graduating depth of shadows. Deeper shades of obscuring darkness. Privacy nestled within privacy like Russian dolls, visible in the layers of...
I’ve done a number of expeditions by camel — both dromedary and Bactrian. And I like to think I’m fairly well read in the lore of this noble beast. Well, I learned a pile of new camel facts yesterday when I cracked open the cover of Camel by Robert Irwin. This is a fascinating read for anyone who is the least bit curious about the natural world. Irwin doesn’t just discuss the camel’s unique...
I’ve got “top ten” lists on the brain these days… I thought it’d be fun to dredge through the foggy corners of my memory, brush aside the cobwebs, and post a list of my top 10 favourite cities, taken from 25 years of travel. Number One aside, I didn’t post this list in any particular order. Each place is unique and has some individual character that can’t be compared with the others...
Jeez, I disappear into the deserts of Namibia for a couple weeks and the news world turns over… I learned of the death of Kim Jong Il when I stopped for fuel in the town of Otjiwarongo. Anyone who followed his rare appearances in recent years could see a visible decline in his health, but still, the announcement of his death caught me off guard. I’ve been a keen North Korea watcher since I...
Happy Gnu Year! It’s been several weeks since I’ve had a chance to write. I’ve been offline in the South Pacific, and now in northern Japan celebrating the New Year Japanese-style. It’s the big family holiday here (rather than Christmas), with lots of amazing food and far too much to drink. I’ll write more about the foods and sites of Japan in the coming weeks, as...
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