Catchin' Some Zzzz's With Elise!

Kyoto and Hiroshima

Now that our time here in Japan is winding down, we decided to take advantage of the long holiday weekend and head down to Kyoto and Hiroshima. We were able to cover a lot of ground since we ventured for the first time by shinkansen (bullet train which travels almost 200mph).

Kyoto was once the imperial capital of Japan and has now grown into a very large city with a striking mix of ancient and modern architecture. It is surrounded by mountains and 3 rivers run through it, so the landscape and natural backdrop are also very beautiful. The city of Kyoto has over 2000 temples and shrines and is known for continuing the traditional art form of geisha performers.

Needless to say, we did NOT make it to all the shrines and temples in Kyoto, but it was very interesting to learn their historical and cultural significance and to visit just a few! Here are some highlights:

Nijo-jo Castle was the palace of the first Tokugawa shogun and was of particular interest because it was fitted with "nighingale" floors which made a chirping sound and would alarm the shogun and his guards of an invader (unless, of course, they knew about the secret ninja entrance which did not have such floors in place!)
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is unique in that is it entirely covered with gold foil and gives off a stunning reflection in the surrounding lake. It's original structure dates back to 1397.

Another nice afternoon was spent along the "Path of Philosophy" which connects several shrines and temples and winds along an old canal. It's lined with cherry trees and has no car traffic. We had a nice time looking at the works of local artists and stopping at a little cafe for an ice cream cone during our quiet stroll.

Our favorite day in Kyoto was the day we spent in the Arashiyama area of the city. We took a train along the river and into the mountains and then strolled through several small villages and a bamboo forest. Then we hiked up to the top of a small ridge to see a wild monkey park. Elise was quite taken by the monkeys and thought she needed to converse with each one of them as we walked along the path. Funny!

Gion is best known as the Geisha district, with lovely traditional architecture and a chance to catch a view of a beautiful kimono-clad Geisha walking down the street. Geisha literally translates to mean "performing artist" and patrons can pay up to $3000 to spend the evening being entertained by the songs, dances, and friendly conversation of these well schooled ladies. We did manage to see several Geisha on the street in the evening, but missed our chance to get a photo op because I'm too chicken!

Our time in Hiroshima was quite short, so we had a lot to pack into our day and half there. The A-bomb Memorial and Peace Museum were sobering and very well done. We were both taken with how "un-biased" the accounts of the war were - the "voice" of the museum was much more from an outside pacifist point of view than from any one nation. The museum sited all of the countries involved in WWII for various acts against other nations and peoples and seemed to give a very fair historical perspective on all of the issues and events leading up to and following the dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The A-bomb dome is the only damaged structure that was allowed to remain after the reconstruction; it is a haunting cornerstone to what is now know as Peace Park.

Our next day in Hiroshima was a little lighter, as we traveled to Miyajima Island to see the famed floating Torii gate. It is said to be one of the top three views in all of Japan! It was interesting to share the streets with the wild deer that roam all around the island. After seeing the torii gate and taking full advantage of the photo op, we took a cable car up to the top of Mt. Misen to see great views of the island and surrounding sea.

One last thing we did in Hiroshima was to enjoy some of the local taste treats. Okonomiyaki is a local dish made from a pancake-like batter that is topped with cabbage, onion, egg, meat, and special sauce. We thought it was really delicious until we discovered what seemed to be something strangely like eel at the bottom of the dish - that was a bummer for sure! Fortunately, the Momiji Manjyu more than made up for our secret eel surprise! These were sponge cakes in the shape of maple leaves that were filled with a selection of chocolate or vanilla pudding or sweet bean paste - can you guess which flavors we liked?!?!

10 Months Old...Wow!

Elise is definitely making the transition from baby to toddler as each day seems to bring new adventures, new skills, and new DANGERS!! She has now started to crawl on her knees with her tummy up and she's getting faster and faster every day. Elise can pull up on just about everything and enjoys cruising along from one side of the couch to the other.

I found out she could climb stairs when I found her on the 4th step of our very steep and foreboding staircase. I had just seen her crawling towards me a moment earlier and then I got into my kitchen project and the next thing I knew the house was way too quiet; I knew she was up to no good! Now she only climbs on the stairs when accompanied by an adult!
Elise's personality is very sweet and she loves to throw herself backwards in a giggle fit when you play peek-a-boo or even say hello to her. She spends most days pointing one finger in the air and shouting "ha" - over and over again, I guess it's the best way she knows for getting attention! (and she sure likes that!)

We've got "da-da-da" down and she's also added "wa-wa-wa", "ya-ya-ya", "na-na-na" and even "ffffff" and "ssssss", but still no "ma-ma-ma"...a lesson in patience for me for sure!

Several times a day I find myself fishing around in her toothless mouth for some kind of dangerous foreign object that she has picked up in her travels. I guess it will be more dangerous for me once she has teeth, but I'm always glad when I recover the stale crumb, piece of paper, or rock that she is happily munching away on. Oh, the joys!

Time is going so fast and before we know it, her first year will have passed and Japan will be just a wonderful memory for all of us.

Hong Kong, Take 2

Actually, the third time's the charm...since this was Josh's 3rd attempt to meet us in Hong Kong over the past 2 years. The first time we were all diverted because of a typhoon and we ended up meeting in Okinawa. Then, you may remember back in November when Elise and I flew from Philly to HK to meet Josh for Thanksgiving but the ships were denied entry by the gov't.....so, this time we were quite pleased that for Josh's last underway we were able to meet up for a fun port visit together!

Hong Kong has a very culturally diverse feel, since it is heavily influenced by both Chinese and European culture. As Westerners visiting there, we thoroughly appreciated both aspects of the culture. The European influence made it very easy to get around since English is readily available almost everywhere you go. The Chinese influence gave us a great taste of the customs, culture, and heritage of the mainland nation.

On our first day we took a cable car to Victoria Peak and had breathtaking views from high above city skyline and harbor. We then headed to a late night market to see all the city lights and street stalls filled with just about anything you could want to buy. On Tuesday we took a train to Lantau island and then took another cable car to a monastery and bronze buddha statue. It was nice to leave the big city and see a greener part of the surrounding areas.

The next day we took a small ferry out to Lamma Island - one of many small islands that surround the city centers of HK and Kowloon. The ferry dropped us off at a little fishing village, so we got to people watch and window shop as we walked through town. Then, we followed a path through the jungle, past the beach, over a small ridge and to the other small fishing village on the opposite side of the island, about 3 miles away. It was a pretty hot day and the island was quite crowded because it was May Day and everyone had off work. Still, we enjoyed the sights and especially liked sitting down for a deliciously fresh seafood lunch before hopping back on the ferry to return to the city.

Our last full day was another busy, but fun one. We got out the door early so that we could get to Stanley Market and do some looking around at the shops and street stalls there. We didn't spend too much time there because we were heading to the pier to meet up with some friends for a dim sum cooking lesson! Once we made it to the restaurant, we started out by sampling many popular kinds of dim sum. If you're not familiar with this tasty treat, it is a traditional Chinese food which usually consists of steamed buns and dumplings served in bamboo baskets. The word dim sum literally means "touch the heart" or "order to your heart's content" - so you are free to order as many of the dishes as you please! After enjoying this light meal, we were introduced to one of the restaurant's chefs who walked us through the process of making shrimp dumplings, spring rolls, and steamed pork rolls. Yum! We had a lot of fun "attempting" to make our dishes as beautifully as the chef had made them, but it was surely harder than it looked. At the end, they cooked all of the dishes we had made and we got to eat them as well. We were absolutely stuffed by the time we left, but it was a delicious experience.

Our next stop that day was a local food market in Mong Kok. The sights there were like nothing we had ever seen! Rickety stalls were piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables...they were beautiful, but not nearly as interesting as the stalls filled with cages of live frogs, turtles, chickens, pheasants, etc... You could make your choice and the street vendor would "do his/her thing" (I'll spare you the gory details!) and hand you a plastic bag filled with very fresh meat...yuk...I mean, yum!! After this, we walked to the nearby Jade Market for a look around and then we headed down the main part of Nathan Road, through the city garden and on down to the waterfront. By now it was nearly dark and we were just in time for the city lights show - a Guiness Book of World Records holding light show that involved nearly 50 different skyscrapers and public buildings along both sides of Victoria Harbor. The harbor was particularly festive because the Olympic torch had gone through town earlier in the day. After the light show we headed across the harbor on the Star Ferry and enjoyed a few final views of the city skyline at night. It was a great way to end our Hong Kong adventure!

Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日)

Children's Day in Japan occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month each year as a way to celebrate the health and happiness of children. The day was originally known as Boy's Day (remember Girl's Day, Hina Matsuri, occured in March), but in 1948 the government made the day a national holiday for all children. The day is also part of Golden week, a week which includes 3 other national holidays.

To help celebrate Kodoma no Hi, families hang large carp banners (koinobori) from poles outside their homes. The carp (koi) has long been thought of as a symbol of strength and success in the Japanese and Chinese cultures. Traditionally, the family hangs a carp banner for both the father and mother, followed by one banner for each child in the household. Inside the home, families may display dolls of famous warriors or samurai. A popular taste treat on this day is kashiwamochi, which is an oak leaf wrapped around a soft pounded rice cake with sweet red azuki bean paste inside. Yum!