A global ramble - RTW 2017

[JohnM]

More in the Red Fort.



That night was the first of two overnight sleeper train journeys during the trip. The first one Agra-Varanasi was about eight hours and was close enough to on-time. The next, Varanasi-Delhi, was about 12 hours and started about 2 h late, ending about 4 h late – apparently a quite reasonable performance.

The carriages had a corridor off-centre, such that a 4-berth cabins with bunks transverse to the travel occupied one side while two bunks linear to the travel occupied the opposite side of the corridor. Heavy curtains closed off the sleeping areas. I thought it was quite reasonable and I had no trouble sleeping (I do like the lulling sound of clacking along rails). Indian stations can be a little chaotic and the trains are often late, but it all kind of works and was actually quite a bit of fun – especially when helped along with a few rums smuggled aboard in coke bottles...



Porters were invaluable; tuk-tuks lined up at New Delhi.



Irrigated cereal crops, foul atmosphere, more brickworks and a lot of apartments being built – all on the outskirts of Delhi.



Varanasi train station is next to an Indian Air Force recruiting depot. Their advertising took my fancy.

 

[JohnM]

Varanasi (once known as Benares) is, shall we say, very definitely something else. It’s a very significant holy city for Hindus – expressed in the ritual washing, cremations and prayer ceremonies at the ghats (riverside terraces) along the Ganges. A quite extraordinary place.

The first evening it was braving the crowds to get to the river for a boat trip to view the cremations and the very musical prayer ceremonies. It was almost like the group on one ghat was competing with the group on the next ghat for the most Eurovision-like ceremony. Certainly, the prayer ceremonies’ music was very up-tempo. It was quite mesmerising.



Cattle are at home everywhere. Candles and flowers for laying on the river during the boat trip. It could be difficult to tell who were the genuine priests and who were the fakes. The begging guy with the orange top-knot is a well-known fake.

The boat ride went along the river before sunset towards the main cremation site before turning back for the lengthy musical prayer ceremony as darkness fell.



Note the massive stockpiles of wood for funeral pyre fuel. Cremations have been going on constantly at this site for probably thousands of years. It’s mind-boggling.





Very early next morning it was back to the ghats and another boat ride for the bathing. Cattle sleeping in – what a life!

 

[JohnM]

Morning on the Ganges cont.

Past the cremation site and the massive stockpiles of wood again.





Then it was relaxing for the remainder of the day before the long overnight train journey back to Delhi for a couple of nights before winding up the India part of this trip.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sorry, JohnM, I have to ask. What happens to the residues of the cremations? I know how much 'remains' after a cremation here in Oz, so I wonder at the Ganges ones, and where it goes.

 

[JohnM]

Sorry, JohnM, I have to ask. What happens to the residues of the cremations? I know how much 'remains' after a cremation here in Oz, so I wonder at the Ganges ones, and where it goes.

Apparently they go into the river. I can't recall this being obvious the next morning, but the boat didn't go very close and it was very early. The night is the main time for the fires; the next morning seemed to be cleaning-up. Once the boat got closer in the evening and about the point it was possible to make out the shrouded bodies with the naked eye, we were told to stop taking pictures. It was at about that point that I thought to myself it's time to stop doing that anyway. Of course, those with big lenses could get plenty of close-ups before that but, as you know, I was reliant on my iPhone7.

It's one of those situations where one feels torn about what to do: is it treating other people and their culture as a mere curiosity to gawk at, or is it possible to view it and maintain respect? It was certainly a very moving experience, but I dare say not for everyone. The scale of the operations is, in itself, potentially quite confronting.

It's probably worth noting that for Hindus, death is a prelude to re-birth, so the emotions are likely very different to what ours might be. Nevertheless, they would probably prefer some decorum in viewing and taking of photographs. I was told that previously some tourists (described as 'Japanese') had their cameras grabbed and tossed into the river.

This shows the process very vividly: The Pyres of Varanasi: Breaking the Cycle of Death and Rebirth – PROOF

 

[JohnM]

OK, trying to get the India part of this TR finished before I head bush on Sunday for a week. Just can’t seem to get much time recently. The perils of being retired…!

Finished off the return to Delhi day with a quick visit to the old town markets (the usual maze of alleys and shops) and the adjacent Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque that can hold 25,000 people. Yet another construction by Shah Jahan of Taj fame. Had to wait for prayers to finish and the place to clear before being able to go in. Once inside, there were buggies buzzing about collecting the multitude of prayer mats.



Then to the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, an important Sikh shrine.



After dinner that night, a stop for jalebi, a local street-market treat. It was very sweet.



Next day was my last in India before a CX flight that night to HND xHKG. I started off by walking out of my hotel thinking I’ll get a tuk-tuk to one of the sights, get out and then get another tuk-tuk to the next sight and so on for the day. The first tuk-tuk that rocks up is driven by a very experienced (28 years) driver with excellent English. Bottom line after a little discussion was he was my driver-cough-guide for several hours. It worked out very well. The only down side was being fully exposed to the foul and acrid air of Delhi all day which set off an allergic reaction like severe hay fever that lingered with me for most of the rest of the week.

First stop Raj Ghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation. A very peaceful memorial park away from the street hustle and bustle.



Nearby was a small museum about Gandhi.

 

[JohnM]

India Gate – the war memorial primarily for around 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in WW1, but also from other regional conflicts around that time. I can’t recall what the nearby domed structure commemorates. Then to Gandhi Smriti, the house where Gandhi was staying as a guest for the last 144 days of his life and where he was assassinated. His last steps as he walked out from his room to the garden for prayer are marked on the pavement.



Then on to Humayun’s Tomb, a World Heritage-listed site of early Mughal architecture. It’s quite an extensive site with various tombs and monuments.



The actual Humayun’s Tomb.





My limo and driver for the day; finished with an excellent chai from his favourite street vendor.



Next: Japan.

 

[JohnM]

Resuming transmission. Must get this finished; too many other things going on…

First day in Tokyo and it’s cold and raining steadily. It’s already apparent that sakura (cherry blossom) is going to be a little later than average this year as the weather turned cold a week or so back. But I have two weeks and will be covering quite a geographic spread, so not to worry.

First stop is the serene Shinjuku-gyoen National Garden. Most cherry trees are in advanced bud but a few early varieties are in full bloom against leaden skies. After the chaos of India, the serenity of Japan really hits!



Then Meiji Shrine. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern (post-feudal) Japan (hence Meiji Restoration). The entry to the park is the large torii gate, then past the sake barrels and the wine barrels donated by producers in Burgundy. The shrine itself is undergoing major restoration, so it was not very photogenic.



The famous Shibuya crossing. Ueno Park is a major sakura-viewing and hanami (picnicking under the cherry trees) destination in Tokyo. It had just been set up for such activities with strings of coloured lanterns but action was curtailed by the weather. Then that evening into the alleys for yakitori and out into the bright lights on the way home.



The next day dawned fine and clear and it was off to Kamakura, an hour out of Tokyo, and Japan’s first feudal capital. Its heyday coincided with the spread of Buddhism in Japan. The whole area is very tourist-packed. Interesting enough but didn’t do a lot for me. The highlight is probably the massive (11.4m high) Amida Buddha statue.



That night it was off to the Robot Restaurant. ‘Restaurant’ it wasn’t, but a few drinks before the garish and noisy show in the glitzy lounge set the mood. The show room itself was long and narrow with customers seated in a few rows either side while the show moved up and down the middle. It was a bit of fun and an illustration of modern Japanese showiness.

 

[RooFlyer]

I can’t recall what the nearby domed structure commemorates.

View attachment 97725

<snip>.

A statue of King George V used to stand regally under the cupola; it was removed in the 1960s to Coronation Park.

 

[JohnM]

I should have known the history expert would come to the rescue .

 

[JohnM]

Shinjuku Goldengai is a tightly-packed area of about 200 tiny (and I mean tiny) bars in narrow alleys. How they make any money is beyond me.



Next day it was heading north on a Shinkansen and later transfer to a regional train, destination Nagano and the snow monkey park. Despite the heavy snow lying on the ground, thaw was well under way with constant falls out of the trees while walking into the park. It was mild enough that the monkeys were not soaking in the hot pools.



That night was an excellent traditional banquet at the ryokan. The locally-produced Chardonnay was very good.



Moving on to Hakone. This should have been a highlight – if the weather had been kind. Views of Mt Fuji across the lake, surrounding mountains - quintessential Japan. Sadly, not to be. Weather closed in while taking the Hakone Ropeway up to Owakundani, a volcanic hot springs mountain where kuro tomago (eggs hard-boiled in the local sulphurous waters, that blackens the shell) are a novelty.

Managed to get a faint glimpse of Fuji from the cable car before the cloud closed in. Very cold and rainy for the rest of the day. Stole a photo from a local billboard to show what it can look like.



That night and into the next morning it snowed steadily. Unusual for that late in the year. However, it was quite good fun taking advantage of the outdoor onsen (hot pool) at the cosy ryokan while the snow drifted down.

Then it was onto a local bus down to the station and another shinkansen heading to Hiroshima. But on the way a stop to visit Himeji Castle – a stunning place and regarded as probably the finest castle in Japan.

 

[JohnM]

More of Himeji Castle. Simply stunning.





Then on to Hiroshima, arriving in the evening – and heading out past the Atomic Bomb Dome through the shopping mall to an okonomiyaki restaurant – and plenty of excellent Japanese beer.



Next morning in the Peace Memorial Park.

 

[JohnM]

Hiroshima Castle was originally built of wood in the 1590s but was destroyed by the atomic bombing. It was reconstructed in 1958 and serves as a museum about Hiroshima. This was a Sunday, the cherry blossoms were coming out and people were partaking of hanami picnics. The blue tarpaulins on the ground are consistent.



A half-day trip to the island of Miyajima, a World Heritage site, and its famed vermilion torii (shrine gate) which appears to float, depending on the level of the tide.



Next stop, Kyoto. Once the capital of Japan and a wonderful city to visit IMO. The sakura viewing and women in traditional dress strolling among the trees was starting to get into full swing. Quite a few canals run through the city, with avenues of cherry trees along them.



The Fushimi-Inari shrine is spectacular but it is the thousands of bright orange torii arches that steal the show.



Arashiyama, a small town in the mountains outside Kyoto, with its bamboo grove and slopes covered with cherry trees (I was still a tad early for the peak) is a highlight, despite being jam-packed with tourists.

 

[QF WP]

You had me at okonomiyaki . Thanks for taking me back to my two Japanese trips - so want to go back!

 

[love_the_life]

You had me at okonomiyaki . Thanks for taking me back to my two Japanese trips - so want to go back!

Yum, yum and more yum!

 

[JohnM]

More wandering around Kyoto as sakura advances noticeably day-by-day. The traditional entertainment and geisha Gion district has some lovely areas for a stroll.



View attachment 98765



There are plenty of temples and monuments in and around Kyoto, many World Heritage-listed. Worth basing yourself there for several days if considering a trip to Japan.

 

[JohnM]

The beautiful Gold Pavilion Buddhist temple.



And the Temple of the Silver Pavilion.



And the nearby Philosopher’s Walk along a cherry-tree fringed canal.



Final night in Japan and out to Gion for a Geiko and Maiko banquet. Geisha is a generic name for an ‘arts person’, highly trained in traditional arts including music, singing and dancing. In Kyoto, they are called Geiko, or Maiko if in training. There was one Geiko and one Maiko acting as hostesses and providing some dance demonstrations during dinner.

The Maiko and the Geiko.



Next day it was over to HND, a very quiet Saturday night in the HND JAL F lounge slurping the odd Laurent-Perrier from the Red Room before settling into 1A on a non-refurb like into some comfy slippers for the trundle back to SYD, with a nice view on the way in and on to PER the next day, to bring the 10-week trip and this TR to an end.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks for the great TR (as usual) JohnM. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Sigh.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks for the great TR (as usual) JohnM. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Sigh.

Agreed; Always great to travel along with you JohnM.

 

[love_the_life]

JohnM. we are looking at visiting Japan again (though have pushed it back now until towards the end of Jan 18). Considering staying a couple of nights in the Nagano area to visit the snow monkeys as opposed to a long day trip from Tokyo, so would be interested to know where you stayed on your trip.