I had a quiet second day in Taipei but continuing the theme from the first full day, I went to another popular site: the Taipei 101 observation deck. I bought a ticket online to bypass the huge queues on the day. I’ve been to a few observation decks, but this was impressive in so many … Continue reading / view photos Taipei 101 observatory
Getting a feel for Taipei
As strange as it may seem, I came to Taiwan because it was in East Asia, where I was travelling on this trip, and not because I’ve always wanted to come here. So, when I arrived, I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew two facts about Taiwan: But that knowledge was of no use … Continue reading / view photos Getting a feel for Taipei
Arriving in Taiwan
I’m not sure if it’s possible but I wasn’t able to get Taiwanese currency in Japan. On landing in Taipei my priority was to find an ATM machine. The airport authorities must be aware of this and there were plenty of cash machines, and they didn’t charge you commission. Like Japan, passengers were supposed to … Continue reading / view photos Arriving in Taiwan
Leaving Japan
Helene departed a day before I left for my next destination. My flight to Taiwan was at 6am. I booked a hostel close to the airport so that I could maximise sleep time and minimise travel time. Even with that I still had to wake at 3am. I arrived at the Tokyo hostel early. It … Continue reading / view photos Leaving Japan
Winding down in Tokyo
We had enjoyed staying near Ueno. It was close to a park and metro, and we were familiar with the area. However, holiday season was hotting up. More people were arriving. It was the first time since the pandemic that Japan was fully open in the uninhibited way it had been before. Cherry blossom season … Continue reading / view photos Winding down in Tokyo
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Our train to Tokyo was at lunch time. We had time to walk around central Hiroshima and visit some places on our list. After putting our luggage in the locker, we took a tourist bus to the Peace Memorial Museum. This was as poignant as it was harrowing. The Peace Memorial Park, in which the … Continue reading / view photos Hiroshima Peace Memorial
The Great Torii Gate of Miyajima
The shinkansen took us quickly to Hiroshima. Since we weren’t staying in the centre, we had to take a local train to Hiroshima Bay. We were staying at a homestay (someone’s house) because we wanted to hike up Mount Misen on a nearby island, Miyajima (also known as Itsukusima). The following day, our host drove … Continue reading / view photos The Great Torii Gate of Miyajima
Kennin-ji temple
This was our last day in Kyoto. In the afternoon, we were going to Hiroshima by train. So far, we’d seen a “wet” Zen garden at Nanzen-ji but not the dry variety with raked stones. After some research, we found one and decided we could squeeze in a visit and catch our train. The previous … Continue reading / view photos Kennin-ji temple
Manga and Kanji Museums
We didn’t go to many museums, but we did go to two small ones. Manga and all things related are in the Manga Museum. There are single examples and books. The collected books go right back to the beginning of Manga. Visitors are welcome to sit and read the books and magazines in the library. … Continue reading / view photos Manga and Kanji Museums
Nanzen-ji temple
Breakfast at our ryokan was good. There was a choice of Japanese or Western. Here’s an example of both: We walked to Nanzen-ji temple via Maruyama Park. I never tire of having another look at the cherry blossom trees there. Nanzen-ji temple, built in the 13th century, is another temple that was burnt. Unlike Chion-ji, … Continue reading / view photos Nanzen-ji temple