Ja olemegi tagasi // Aaand we're back

Veidi enam kui ööpäev reisimist ja olimegi nagu niuhti Tokyost tagasi Roomasse jõudnud. Lennujaamas ootasid meid Paolo rõõmsad vanemad, kes meid kiiremas korras koju tõid ja kohe igast head ja paremat täis söötsid. Nüüdseks on meil juba seljakotidki lahti pakitud ja proovime viimaseid tunde veel silmi lahti hoida et siinse ajavööndi kohta normaalsel ajal magama minna.

Ühesõnaga, oleme tervelt tagasi jõudnud ja naudime rõõmuga kodust tunnet!

Suur aitäh kõigile kes mu blogi on jälginud ja meie seiklustele kaasa elanud! Loodan, et lugemine oli piisavalt huvitav, ja et mu kohati romaanipikkused postitused liiga tüütuks ei kiskunud. Minu enda jaoks oli igati põnev regulaarselt kirjutada ja mööduvaid päevi ja nädalaid pidevalt kokku võtta ja analüüsida. Ongi täitsa kummaline tunne järsku kirjutamist lõpetada...

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A little over a day's travel later and just like that we were back in Rome from Tokyo. At the airport we were greeted by the joyous faces of Paolo's parents, who proceeded to take us home and feed us lots of delicious food. By now we have unpacked our rucksacks as well and we are currently trying our best to stay awake for another few hours in order to go to bed at an appropriate hour for this time zone.

What I'm trying to say is that we are back in one piece and fully enjoying the feeling of being home!

A big thank you to everyone who has followed my blog and our adventures! I hope the reading was interesting enough and that my sometimes novel-length posts didn't become too tiresome. For myself, it was exciting to write regularly and to constantly look back on and analyze passing days and weeks. To be honest, it feels a bit strange to suddenly just stop writing...

Tokyo vol 2 - viimased p2evad Aasias // Tokyo vol 2 - Last days in Asia

P2rast eriti kiiret ja mugavat s6itu kiirrongis, olime me tagasi Tokyos ja suundusime oma hostelisse, mis seekord asus kesklinnast veidi kaugemal, kuid oli sellegipoolest v2ga m6nus. Ma mainisin oma esimeses Jaapani postituses, et meil oli plaan enamik 8id Couchsurfing v66rustajate juures veeta, ent paraku ei leidnud me peale Yuta mitte kedagi, kes meid majutada oleks saanud. Aga ausalt 8eldes polnud see eriline probleem, kuna Jaapani hostelite yhikatubades 88bimine on olnud yllatavalt meeldiv (v6rreldes Euroopa hostelitega). Esiteks ei maksa nad eriti palju (umbes 15 eurot per nase 88 kohta), ent eelk6ige on nad uskumatult puhtad (ja tihti v2ga modernsed) ja pakuvad palju privaatsust. Enamikes hostelites kus me 88binud oleme, on yhikatoa voodid k6ik kas omaette 'kastides' v6i siis on v6imalik voodi t2ies ulatuses kardinaga ymbritseda, muutes voodi v2ikeseks privaatseks kindluseks. Hostelite puhtusestandard on samuti muljetavaldav ning kuna Jaapanis valitseb korralik ja vaikne kultuur, m6jutab see ilmselt ka turistide k2itumist, kuna k6ik meie toakaaslased on olnud teistest v2ga lugupidavad ja vaiksed, ja meil pole olnud yhtegi ebameeldivat naabrit. Seet6ttu oleme me Jaapanis v2ga h2sti magada saanud, mis on p2rast Kagu-Aasia l2rmakust olnud eriliselt m6nus.

Esimese Tokyos tagasioldud 6htu veetsime me hostelis ja siinses naabruskonnas, ent j2rgmisel hommikul 2rkasime me kell kuus, et minna vaatama kuulsat Tsujiki turgu - maailma suurimat kalaturgu. Sealne peamine 'atraktsioon' on tuunikalade oksjon, mis leiab aset igap2evaselt umbes kell kuus hommikul, ent kuna huvi selle n2gemise vastu on nii suureks kasvanud, piiratakse nyyd inimeste arvu, keda oksjonit vaatma lastakse. Seet6ttu need, kes syndmusest ilma ei taha j22da, peavad juba kella kolmest hommikul j2rjekorras seisma. Me polnud tuunikalade myygist p2ris nii huvitatud, seega me 2rkasime piisavalt vara, et turgu ennast n2ha.

Piinlikul kombel polnud me varasemalt piisavalt kodut88d teinud, ja me ei saanudki hiigelsuurde siseturgu mindud. Me otsisime selle sissep22su kyll, ent tulemusteta, mist6ttu kylastasime me ainult v2lituru osa. Me polnud sellest aga kuigi h2iritud, kuna a) me olime m6lemad Itaalia kalaturgudel juba k6iksuguseid veidraid ja kummalisi kalasid n2inud, ja b) me olime turule tulnud peamiselt sushi p2rast, mis pidavat seal otseloomulikult imev2rske olema - ja s88gikohad olidki k6ik v2lituru alal. Seega, p2rast m6ningast tagasihoidlikku ostlemist, l2ksime me sushit s88ma. Me tellisime kausi riisi, mille peale oli laetud hulganisti erinevaid v2rske kala ja mereandide tykke, ja sinna juurde v2rske toore l6hega sushit. Supermaitsev!

P2rast paar tundi turul olemist oli kell ikka veel alles kymme hommikul, ja kuna ilm oli p2ris sitt ja vihma sadas, pidime me v2lja m6tlema kuidas ylej22nud p2ev kuskil katuse all veeta. Paraku aga oli tegu esmasp2evaga, mil on suletud peaaegu k6ik Tokyo muuseumid. P2rast m6ningat uurimist aga leidsime me, et Miraikan, ehk Riiklik Uue Teaduse ja Innovatsiooni Muuseum oli avatud! Kuna see asetses kaugel Tokyo lahes tehispoolsaare peal, pidime me sinnaj6udmiseks s6itma rongiga, mis s6itis m88da k6rgeid sildasid l2bi linna ja yle vee, pakkudes meile suurep2raseid vaateid Tokyole.

Muuseum ise oli v2ga lahe ja informatiivne, ja sealne pysin2itus k2sitses paljusid teemasid, sh meditsiini, kosmoseavastust, katastroofide ennetamist, geoloogiat, tehnoloogiat ja mehaanikat jms. K6ige lahedam osa olid aga robotid! Mis oleks kylastus Jaapanisse ilma roboteid n2gemata, eks? Esmalt n2gime me 2gedat demostratsiooni Asimost, liikuvast Honda robotist, kes jooksis ringi ja 'suhtles' publikuga. Me saime n2ha ka kahte inimesemoodi 'r22kivat' androidi (kuigi demonstratsioonidest j2ime me ilma), ning yhte v2ga hirmu2ratava v2limusega robotit (kelle disaini taga oli vist idee, et kui v2he antropomorfseks saab roboti teha, et ta siiski vaatajale inimesemoodi tunduks). See oli k6ik v2ga lahe, kuna kumbki meist polnud varem robotit n2inud.

Oma viimase p2eva l6petuseks l2ksime me Shinjuku piirkonda s88ma ja 6lle jooma. Me alustasime yhes kohas kapsat2idisega pelmeenidega (v6i pelmeenide jaapani versiooniga) ja yhe roaga, mille nime ma ei tea, aga mis oli yks parimaid asju mida me s88nud olime! Tegu oli p6him6tteliselt seguga kergelt praetud k88giviljadest, munast, ja jaapani juudak6rva seentest. Kahjuks mul sellest pilti ei ole, kuna me panime roa otsekohe nahka. Seej2rel l2ksime me yhte teise kohta, et seal veel yks viimane kausit2is ramenit syya.

P2rast viimast 88d Aasias, oleme me nyyd hostelis ootamas 6htut, et Narita lennujaama minna ja tagasi Euroopasse s6ita. Meile pole siiani 'kohale j6udnud', et reis ongi l2bi, ja meil on m6lemal selle suhtes segased tunded. Me oleme muidugi reisimisest v2sinud - kuus kuud j2rjepidevalt kottide pakkimist ja lahtipakkimist, pikad bussi/rongi/lennus6idud igal paari p2eva tagant, koguaeg eri kohtades magamine - see k6ik v2sitab yhel hetkel 2ra kyll, ja meil on hea meel nyyd yhes kohas olla ja natuke stabiilsust ellu tagasi saada. Samaaegselt on aga viimased kuus kuud m88dunud nagu lennates. Tundub, nagu j6udsime me Sri Lankasse alles paar p2eva tagsi. Me oleme selle reisi jooksul nii palju kogenud ja n2inud ja me naaseme tunduvalt rikkamate ja laiema silmaringiga. Juba praegu reisile tagasi vaadates tundub see uskumatuna, eriti kui m6elda meie lemmikhetkede peale (Sri Lanka M2gimaa, HelpX Trevori ja Shelleyga, Fraseri saar, kaunis Hoi An, San Vicente helendav plankton, Fushimi Inari Taisha tempel - kui nimetada need mis koheselt meelde tulevad). Kui on asju, mida me tagasi vaadates oleks teisi teinud (n2iteks Bacolodi vahele j2tnud :D), oleme me ylimalt rahul sellega, kuidas reis v2lja kukkus ning meil on olnud k6vasti 6nne, et k6ik on v2ga lahedalt sujunud. Pean nentima, et kuus kuud on optimaalne pikkus sellise pika reisi jaoks. Nyyd aga j2tame Aasia seljataha ja vaatame tagasi Euroopa poole, kus asume j2lle oma elusid maast yles ehitama. Omaette seiklus seegi :)

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After a super smooth and quick ride on the bullet train, we were back in Tokyo and headed to our hostel, this time a bit further away from the center but very nice nonetheless. I had mentioned in my first Japan post that we were hoping to stay mostly with Couchsurfing hosts, but unfortunately apart from Yuta, we had no luck finding hosts in other places. But honestly it hasn't really been a problem, because staying in shared dorm rooms in hostels has been an amazingly pleasant experience in Japan (compared to European hostels). Firstly, they don't cost much at all (about 15 euros per person per night), but most incredibly, dorm rooms in Japan are exceptionally clean (and often very modern), and provide a staggering level of privacy. Most dorms where we have stayed have beds either inside separate boxes, or at the very least they have curtains all around, so you can shield yourself inside your little bed fortress. But the level of cleanliness is amazing as well, and because Japan is so orderly and quiet, this seems to affect travellers' behaviour as well, and everyone has been very quiet and respectful, and we have had no obnoxious people in our rooms. Consequently, we have slept very well here, which has been extremely welcome after the noisiness of South-East Asia.

We stayed in on the first evening back in Tokyo, but then woke up at 6am the following day (which would be our last full day on this trip), to go to the famous Tsujiki fish market - the largest fish market in the world. The top attraction there is actually the tuna auction, which happens about 6am every day, but because of the huge interest in seeing this, they have started to limit the number of people that can go and observe this, which is why those who do want to see the auction have to start queuing at 3am or earlier. We were not quite that interested in seeing tuna being sold, so we got up early enough to just see the market itself.

Embarrassingly, we hadn't done quite enough research, and never got around to going to the massive inner market, which is in a huge warehouse-style building. We did look for an entrance to a covered area, but didn't find it and therefore stayed in the outer market area only. Which we didn't actually mind as much, because a) we have both seen lots of weird and wonderful fish in Italian fish markets, so doubted that we would have been quite as impressed and b) we were there mainly for the sushi, which was meant to be amazing, and all the places to eat were in the outer market anyway. So after some very modest shopping of some interesting (non-fish) food stuffs, we went to have some sushi. We had a bowl of rice with a mix of fresh seafood on it, and then sushi with fresh raw salmon. It was super delicious, of course!

After a few hours at the market, it was still only morning, and since the weather was really crappy and it was raining, we had to find something to do that was indoors. Unfortunately, it was Monday, i.e. the day that nearly all museums in Tokyo are closed. After some research though, we found that the Miraikan, aka The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, was open! Since it was situated on some of the artificial land in the Tokyo bay, to get there, we had to take a sky-train that passed over high bridges, across the city itself, winding among high-rises, and across the Tokyo Bay, giving us some excellent views.

The museum itself was very cool and informative, with a permanent exhibition on all kinds of subjects - including medicine, space exploration, disaster prevention, geology, technology and mechanics etc. The total highlight though were the robots! What would a visit to Japan be without seeing robots, eh? We first got treated to a cool demonstration of Asimo, the moving Honda robot, who ran about and 'engaged' with the public. We also got to see two lifelike 'talking' androids (although we missed their demos), and one very freaky robot that looked pretty scary (the idea I think was to explore how little can a robot look like a human to still give the impression of a human-like presence). All of it was very cool, since neither of us had seen a robot before.

To end our last day, we went to Shinjuku for a few beers and some food. We started in one place with tasty dumplings and then a dish that I can't really put a name to, but it was one of the best things we have ever eaten! It was basically a stir-fry of vegetables, egg and wood ear mushrooms - unfortunately I don't have a photo because we devoured it immediately. We then continued to another place where we had one last bowl of ramen.

After our last night spent in Asia, we are now chilling at the hostel, waiting for the evening to go to Narita Airport for our flight back. It still hasn't quite hit us that it is over, and we have mixed feelings about it all. We are of course a bit tired of travelling - six months of nonstop packing and unpacking, looooong bus/train/airplane trips every other day, sleeping in different places constantly - it does wear you out at some point, and we are looking forward to just being in one place and having some stability. At the same time, it feels like the past half year has completely flown by. It's as if we had only arrived in Sri Lanka a few days ago. We have seen and experienced so much during this trip, and we feel like we are returning much richer and with a more open mind. Already looking back at the whole trip feels incredible, especially thinking about the highlights (the Hill Country in Sri Lanka, HelpX with Trevor and Shelley, Fraser Island, gorgeous Hoi An, the glowing plankton in San Vicente, Fushimi Inari Taisha temple - to name the first that come to mind). While there are things that, in hindsight, we would have done differently (like not going to Bacolod lol), we are very happy with how our trip has turned out, and we have been super lucky that everything has gone very smoothly. I have to say that six months were really a very optimal length of time to be travelling. Now, we put Asia behind us and look forward to building up our lives in Europe, once more from scratch. Another exciting adventure of its own, that :)

Eri suurustes krabid Tsujiki kalaturul // Crabs in all sizes at Tsujiki fish market

Searing seafood. Notice the giant head of a tuna on the right. // Mereande kypsetamas. Juhin t2helepanu hiiglaslikule tuunikalapeale paremal.

Sushi!

Asimo rahvast l6bustamas // Asimo entertaining the audience

Eriliselt 6udusttekitav android // Particularly creepy android

V2hem6udne android // Less creepy android

Veel yks android, parajagu ajas juttu // Another android, this one was very chatty

S6it Tokyo kohal // Riding above Tokyo

Kyoto – segu iidsest kultuurist ja yrgsest loodusest // Kyoto – A mix of ancient culture and primeval nature

Kyotosse j6udsime me hommikul imevara, p2rast bussis veedetud 88d. Reis polnud sugugi hull, t2nu bussijuhi rahulikule s6iduviisile ja Jaapani korrap2rasele liiklusele. Esmamuljed Kyotost aga polnud just see mida me ootasime -  jalutusk2ik l2bi kesklinna hosteli poole viis meid l2bi igavate linnaosade kus leidus hulganisti suur ja koledaid maju. Me teadsime, et Kyotot peetakse Jaapani kauneimaks linnaks, seega olime p2ris yllatunud. Hostelile l2hemale j6udes aga muutus vaade t2ielikult ja me sisenesime kaunisse vanalinna ja olimegi Kyoto lummuses.

Kyotole pandi alus 794. aastal, kui ta valiti keisririigi uueks pealinnaks, mis varasemalt oli olnud l2hedalasuvas Naras. Kuna tegu on linnaga, mis algusest saati loodi suurlinnaks (st et ta ei arenenud loomulikult), oli linnaplaneering h2sti l2bi m6eldud. Arhitektid kes linna disainisid, v6tsid eeskujuks Hiina Chang'ani linna (t2nap2eval Xi'an), mist6ttu tegid nad linna t2navad yhtlaseks ruudustikuks – st t2navad jooksid kas p6hja-l6una v6i ida-l22ne suunas. Seet6ttu on t2nap2eval linnas v2ga lihtne orienteeruda.

Teine huvitav aspekt Kyoto juures on see, et linn on kolmest kyljest ymbritsetud paksult metsastunud m2gedega – iidsetel aegadel oli selline asukoht linna kaitsmiseks ideaalne, t2nap2eval aga saavad linnaelanikud seet6ttu h6lpsasti imekaunitesse looduslikesse paikadesse minna. Kui sellele lisada jaapani kultuurile iseloomulik austus looduse ilu vastu, on tulemuseks see, et kogu linn on t2is kauneid parke, aedasid, templeid ja metsatukkasid.

Kyotos leidub hulganisti ajaloolisi ja kultuurilisi v22rtusi, mis on j2tkuvalt seal t2nu sellele, et Kyoto p22ses Teise maailmas6ja ajal pommitamisest (muuseas, huvitav fakt on see, et Kyoto oli ameeriklaste esimene valik aatompommile, ent yks n6unikest oli linna kylastanud ja teadis ta ajaloolist v22rtust, mist6ttu veenis ta neid muud kohta valima – asjaolu, mis sai Hiroshimale saatuslikuks). Me veetsime Kyotos vaid kolm p2eva, enamik millest me jalutasime niisama erinevates huvitavates linnaosades, v6i siis kylastasime kauneid looduslikke paiku. Esmalt uudistasime me Gionit, kaunist ja vana linnaosa, kus siiani leidub hulganisti traditsioonilisi jaapani puumaju. Tegu on yhtlasi linnaosaga, mis olevat kuulus geishade poolest, ent meie ei n2inud paraku yhtegi. Mida me aga n2gime, oli hulganisti noori inimesi traditsioonilistes r6ivastes – naised kaunites ja kirevates kimonodes ja mehed tagasihoidlikumates ent soliidsetes hakamades. Tuleb v2lja, et Kyoto noored on oma kultuurip2randit taasavastamas ning kannavad uhkusega oma rahvusr6ivaid – ja seda mitte ainult erilistel puhkudel nagu Tokyos n2iteks.

Kuigi Kyotos on hulganisti kuulsaid ja kauneid vaatamisv22rsusi, sh hunnikute viisi templeid ja keiserlikke ehitisi (Kyotos on 14 ehitist mis on UNESCO Maailmap2randi nimekirjas), me jalutasime pigem niisama huvitavates naabruskondades rahulikult ringi, ilma yhest templist teise jooksmata – muidu oleksime templite yledoosi saanud niikuinii, r22kimata sellest, et sissep22su eest maksmine oleks rahakotile liiast olnud. P2rast Gionit (mis oli yhtlasi piirkond kus asus meie hostel ning kus kandis oli ka hea 6htul syya ja juua), l2ksime me kesklinnast idas asuvat L6una-Higashiyamat uudistama. Meie jalutusk2igu keskpunktiks oli kuulus Kiyomizu-dera tempel, mis oli kyll v2ga kaunis, ent t6eline p2rl oli ymberkaudne piirkond ise. Palju kauneid kitsaid t2navaid, hulganisti k2sit88poode ja lugematul hulgal pisikesi peidetud aedasid. Ja ei mingit liiklust (kuigi meeletult palju jalak2ijaid). Imekaunis.

J2rgmisel p2eval l2ksime me linna idaosasse, et kuulsat Arashiyama bambuslaant kylastada. Bambuslaan oli ilus kyll, kuigi mitte nii suur kui me arvasime ja puude vahele jalutama minna ei saanud – mets oli aiaga ymbritsetud, jalutada sai ainult asfalteeritud k6nniteedel. Seega ei olnud tegu meie jaoks eriti p6neva kogemusega, kuna olime Austraalias juba saanud umbes sama suures bambusmetsas t2iesti omap2i tundide viisi olla – seda HelpX v66rustaja Trevoriga, kellega koos me bambusmetsas puid maha saagisime, et nendest talle aeda ehitada. Ent Arashiyama linnaosa ise oli j2llegi superilus. Me jalutasime Katsura j6e 22res, nautides sooja ja p2ikesepaistelist p2eva, ning imetlesime j6ge ymbritsevaid m2gesid ja metsa. Hiljem tol 6htul kui me kesklinnas tagasi olime, ostsime me pudeli veini ja istusime Kamo j6e 22rde (mis voolab l2bi kesklinna), et seal enne 6htustamist veidi veini juua, j6ge ja kaunist 6htut nautida ja uudistada noori kyotolasi, kes samuti oma reede 6htut j6e 22res alustasid.

J2rgmisel p2eval kylastasime me ainsat templit, mille puhul oli t6esti tunne, et seda ei saa me n2gemata j2tta. Fushimi Inari Taisha tempel ei ole tavap2rane budistlik jaapani tempel, vaid tegu on hoopis hiigelsuure loodusliku alaga, mis on pyhendatud jumalanna Inarile, teravilja kaitsjale (st siis riisi, ja yhtlasi saket). Terve suur, metsaga kaetud m2gi on templi alaks, ja koha k6ige silmatorkavam osa on sajad punased toriid, ehk traditsioonilised jaapani v2ravad, mis 22ristavad m2e ymber jooksvaid jalutusteesid kogu pikkuses. Peale toriide, saab templi alal n2ha ka lugematul hulgal rebasekujusid, mis pidavat pyha paika kaitsma. Rebane ise on jaapani kultuuris mystiline loom, kes pidavat suutma inimeste hingesid vallata. Nende lemmik sisenemispaik kellegi kehasse olevat kyynte all! Igal juhul, vaatamata sellele, et templit oli meiega samaaegselt kylastamas tuhandeid inimesi, ei kaotanud koht seet6ttu oma sarmi, ja v2ravate all jalutada oli eriliselt meeldiv. Tegu oli v2ga ainulaadse ja maagilise kohaga, ja kui meil oleks olnud rohkem aega, oleksin ma tahtnud seal tunduvalt kauem olla. Fushimi Inari oli minu jaoks kindlasti kogu meie reisi kultuuriline tipp.

Ja sellega oligi meie Kyotos veedetud aeg l6pul, ja nyydsest ei kylasta me enam yhtegi uut kohta (v2hemalt mitte selle reisi jooksul). Hetkel oleme me shinkansenis, jaapani kiirrongis, ja s6idame Tokyo suunas, et seal veeta oma viimased kaks 88d Aasias.

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We reached Kyoto at the crack of dawn, after a night spent on the bus. The voyage wasn't half bad, thanks to the driver's calm driving and orderly Japanese traffic. First impressions of Kyoto were not what we expected though – our walk through the center towards our hostel took us through nondescript neighbourhoods with lots of big, ugly buildings. We knew that Kyoto is considered Japan's most beautiful city, so this was a bit strange to say the least. Once we got nearer to our hostel though, the city changed and we entered a beautiful, old part of the town, and our enchantment with Kyoto had begun.

Kyoto was established in 794, chosen as the site of the new imperial capital, which had until then been in the nearby Nara. Since it was a city that was established with the idea that it will be a big metropolis, (ie it did not evolve naturally), a lot of thought was put into city planning. The architects who designed ancient Kyoto took the Chinese city of Chang'an (today's Xi'an) as an example, and therefore made its streets follow an even grid pattern, with streets running either on a north-south or east-west direction. This makes it very easy to navigate today.

Another striking feature of Kyoto is the fact that it is surrounded by thickly forested mountains on three sides – a great position for defending the city in the ancient times, but today it allows for people in the city easy access to amazingly beautiful natural areas. Add to that the Japanese culture of respecting the beauty of natural areas, and you have a city full of gorgeous gardens, parks, temples and woodlands.

Kyoto is rich in historic and cultural places, which are still there since it was spared being bombed during WWII (btw, interestingly, the Americans' initial target for the atomic bomb was Kyoto, but one of the people in the council had visited the city and knew its historic value, and convinced them to pick another place, therefore dooming Hiroshima instead). Our stay in the city lasted only three days, most of which we spent simply strolling in different neighbourhoods of interest, or visiting beautiful natural areas. Firstly, we explored Gion, an ancient and beautiful area which still has tons of traditional Japanese wooden houses. It is also a neighbourhood apparently known for geishas, although we didn't happen to see any. What we did see though, all over Kyoto, were young people dressed in traditional garments – women in beautiful and colourful kimonos, and men in the more sober, but still striking hakamas, the traditional Japanese men's clothing. Apparently young people in Kyoto are rediscovering their heritage, and proudly, and regularly, wear their traditional garments – and not just for special occasions like in Tokyo. It's a very nice sight indeed.

While there are tons of famous and beautiful individual sights in Kyoto, including myriad temples and imperial buildings (Kyoto has 14 buildings that are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage List), we enjoyed visiting the neighbourhoods around places of interest, and skipping just going from one famous temple to the other. We would have no doubt had a temple overload in no time, not to mention that it would have been quite steep for our pockets. After exploring Gion, which was the area around our hostel, and also a great area for going out for dinner and/or drinks, we went to explore the Southern Higashiyama district to the east of the city centre. While we concentrated our walk around the famous Kiyomizu-dera temple, which was beautiful, the real gem was the neighbourhood around it. Beautiful tiny streets, lined with artisan shops and countless little hidden gardens. And no traffic (although quite a lot of foot traffic). Just gorgeous.

The next day we went to the eastern side of the city, to see the famous bamboo grove in Arashiyama. While the bamboo grove was indeed very beautiful, it wasn't as big as we expected and you couldn't actually go into the forest, which was fenced off (albeit nicely, with straw), keeping walkers of paved paths. It wasn't therefore quite as impressive for us after having spent hours inside a bamboo grove of a similar size in Australia, all on our own – that was with HelpX host Trevor, who took us there to cut down bamboo for his fence. But the area around Arashiyama was simply gorgeous. We walked along the river Katsura, enjoying the gorgeous warm and sunny day, and the lush forested hills surrounding it. After having returned to the city centre that evening, we bought a bottle of wine and sat on the banks of the Kamo river for a while before dinner, which runs through the city centre (and eventually joins the aforementioned Katsura river), and drank while enjoying the lovely evening, watching the river go by and checking out all the masses of young people who also started their Friday evening on the riverside.

The following day, we went to visit the one temple that did seem like something we definitely had to see – the Fushimi Inari Taisha temple. This is not a conventional Japanese Buddhist temple, but instead it is a whole huge area dedicated to the goddess Inari, the protectress of cereals (i.e. rice, and consequently sake). A whole lush, forested mountain is dedicated to appeasing the goddess, and the most striking feature about the place are the hundreds upon hundreds vermilion torii, traditional Japanese gates, that line the paths that go up the mountain. Apart from the torii, you can also see lots of statues of foxes around the place, meant to protect the sacred place. The fox itself, in Japanese culture, is considered a magical creature, able to possess people. Apparently, their entry point of choice into someone's body is from underneath their fingernails! Anyway, despite the temple area having masses of people visiting the place, it did not lose any of its unique charm, and it was an absolute joy walking around the place. This place is so unique and magical and I wish we could have spent more time there. Definitely the cultural highlight of our entire trip.

And with that, our stay in Kyoto was finished, and we will no longer go to see any new places (not as part of this trip in any case). We are now on the shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train, on our way back to Tokyo for our final two nights in Asia.

Tyypiline kaunis jaapani aed // Typical gorgeous Japanese garden

Veel yks kooligrupp kes meid intervjueeris // Another school group who interviewed us

Kaunid t2navad L6una-Higashiyamas // Beautiful streets in South Higashiyama

Kiyomizu-dera tempel // Kiyomizu-dera temple

Jaapani templite sissep22sude juures on alati voolav vesi kopsikutega - palvetajad peavad enne templisse sisenemist pesema k2ed ja loputama suu. // All Japanese temples have running water with little cups at their entrance - visitors to temples must always wash their hands and rinse their mouths before entering.

Vaade Kiyomizu-dera templist Kyotole // View of Kyoto from Kiyomizu-dera temple

Naljakad 'pudip6lledega' Buddhad :) // Funny Buddhas with 'aprons' :)

Kamo j6gi Kyoto kesklinnas // Kamo river in central Kyoto

Iidne sild yle Katsura j6e Arashiyamas // Ancient bridge across Katsura river in Arashiyama

Kahepalgeline Buddha (kui on Buddha?) // Two-faced Buddha (if it is indeed Buddha?)

Arashiyama bambuslaan // Bamboo grove in Arashiyama

Kaunid metsateed Katsura j6e 22res // Beautiful forest roads along Katsura river

Paadid Katsura j6el // Boats on Katsura river

Meretoidurestoran Kyotos. V2hk oli motoriseeritud ja liigutas oma jalgu! // Seafood restaurant in Kyoto. The crab was automated and moved its legs!

Ilusad v2iksed t2navad Gionis // Beautiful tiny streets in Gion

Traditsiooniline ramen - nuudlisupp sealihaga //Traditional ramen - noodle soup with pork

Fushimi Inari Taisha templi sissep22s // Fushimi Inari Taisha temple entrance

Esimene rebane! // First fox!

L6putud toriid // Endless torii

Siin templis kirjutati soovid rebasekujulistele plaatidele - ja said rebasele n2o ka joonistada. // In this temple, they write wishes on fox-shaped boards - and you can draw the fox a face.

Mida k6rgemale jalutasime templis, seda metsikumaks l2ks // The higher we walked in the temple, the wilder it got

V2ikesed altarid v2ikeste toriidega // Small shrines with small torii

Eriti kuri rebane // Particularly mean fox

L6putud read ka miniatuurseid toriisid // Endless rowes of miniature torii as well

Altar kaheteistkymnele Aasia sodiaagim2rgile // Shrine to the twelve Eastern zodiac signs

Kyoto viimase 6htu alustuseks v6tsime aperitiiviks grillitud kaheksajalga ja k6rvale jaapani viskit koos mineraalveega // For our last night in Kyoto, we had an aperitif of grilled squid and kimchi, washed down with Japanese whisky and soda

Kaunis Fuji m2gi // Stunning Mt Fuji

Tokyost s6itsime me bussiga Fujinomiya linna, mis asub Tokyost umbes kahe tunni kaugusel ning Fuji m2est otse l6unas.

Kuni me ootasime, et hostel meie voodid valmis seaks (hostel on muuseas k6ige puhtam ja hubasem mida ma eales n2inud olen), l2ksime me l2hedalasuvasse parki jalutama. Pargis asub peamine Fuji m2ele pyhendatud tempel ning imekaunis tiik. Pargis saime esmakordselt Fuji m2ge oma silmaga imetleda (kui v2lja arvata hetk bussis kui vilksamisi teda juba n2gime). Fuji m2gi on tegelikult vulkaan, ja v2idetavalt on ta aktiivne, vaatamata sellele, et viimati purskas ta 1707. aastal. Uus purse v6ib tulla igal hetkel kyll ja v2idetavalt on Jaapani valitsusel plaanis ohutsoonis asuvad elanikud kiiremas korras mujale paigutada. Fuji m2gi on 3776-meetrisena yhtlasi ka Jaapani k6rgeim tipp ning jaapanlaste jaoks on tegu pyha paiga ja palver2nnakute sihtpuntiga. L2bi ajaloo oli naistele ja v66ramaalastele Fuji m2e otsa ronimine keelatud, see aga muutus 19. sajandil - esmalt, kui yks julge jaapanlanna end meheks maskeeris ja m2e vallutas, ning seej2rel kui yks briti diplomaat otsustas m2e otsa ronida vaatamata sellele, et ta polnud jaapanlane.

Meie hostel pakkus soodsat hommikust Fuji m2e tuuri mille me ka koheselt kinni panime. M2e tippu saab kyll ronida, ent tegu on raske 10-tunnise matkaga, mida saab teha ainult juulis ja augustis, mil m2etipp on ohutum. Meie tuur viis meid hoopis kuni ronimisjaama, mis asus umbes m2e keskpaigas ja kust me saime minna lyhikesele matkale m88da m2ekylge kuni Hoei kraatrini (mis tekkis 1707. aasta purske tulemusena), mis asub Fuji enda kyljel ja kust avanesid suurep2rased vaated kogu ymbrusele.

Meiega koos tuuril oli ka kanada poiss Humza, kellega me s6brunesime ning veetsime ylej22nud Fujinomiyas veetud aja koos. P2rast tuuri l2ksime me l6unat s88ma l2hedalasuvasse hypermarketisse, mis pakkus uskumatut valmistoitude valikut (sushi, tempura ja k6iksugu muu maitsev ja tervislik jaapani toit) ja hiljem 6htustasime koos yhes lahedas nuudlibaaris.

Meil oli plaanis j2rgmisel p2eval (st t2na) Fujinomiyast Kyotosse reisida, ent kui me saime teada, et me peaksime kas maksma yle 10,000e jeeni (80+ eurot) kiirrongi eest, v6i siis s6itma tavalise ja odavama rongiga, mis aga sisaldaks kaheksat (!) ymberistumist, saatsime me rongi yldse metsa ja otsustasime 88bussi kasuks - mis, kuigi ebamugav, maksis rongist poole v2hem ja yhtlasi aitab meil yhe 88 majutuse pealt kokku hoida. Kuna buss s6idab siit minema alles 6htul hilja, oli meil j2rsku veel yks t2isp2ev Fujinomiyas. Otsustasime Humzaga koos s6ita l2hedalasuva Tanuki j2rve 22rde, et seal veel natuke kauneid vaateid Fuji m2ele nautida. P2rast 45-minutilist bussis6itu olimegi j2rve 22res, kust avanes imekaunis, kuigi vahelduv (t2nu pilvisele ilmale) vaade Fuji m2ele. Jalutasime m88da j2rve 22rt veekogu teisele poole, kust p88rasime metsaraja peale, et sealt ringiga tagasi alustuspunkti j6uda. Metsarada oli imekaunis, ent p2ris kurnav, kuna pool teed oli pidev ja j2rsk ylesminek, ja teine pool pidev ja j2rsk allaminek. Aga asi oli seda v22rt, kuna poole tee peal saime n2ha veel kord imekaunist vaadet Fujile ja Tanuki j2rvele endale.

Nyyd oleme tagasi hostelis, kus peame veel paar tundi surnuks l88ma enne kui bussi peale l2hme ja homme hommikul Kyotos, iidses Jaapani pealinnas yles 2rkame.

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From Tokyo, we took a bus to Fujinomiya town, which lies about two hours away from Tokyo, just south of the famous Mt Fuji.

While we were waiting to be able to check in to our hostel (which, by the way, is the cosiest and cleanest hostel I have ever seen), we went for a walk in a local park that houses the main shrine dedicated to Mt Fuji, as well as a gorgeous pond. This is where we got our first proper view of the iconic mountain (not counting the glimpse we got while on the bus). Mt Fuji is in fact a volcano, and classified as an active one, even though the last time it erupted was in 1707. A new eruption could happen at any time though, and apparently the Japanese government has plans to relocate inhabitants that live too close to the potential danger zone. Mt Fuji is also the highest peak in Japan, at 3776 meters, and for the Japanese people, it is a sacred place and has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. For most of history, women and non-Japanese were strictly forbidden to climb Mt Fuji, but this changed in the 19th century - first, when a daring young Japanese women disguised herself as a man and reached the summit, and then when a British diplomat climbed it despite not being Japanese.

Our hostel offered us a morning tour to the mountain which we booked. While it is possible to climb the mountain, it is an arduous, 10-hour hike, and can only be done during July and August when it's safest. Our tour took us instead to a station halfway up the mountain where we got to go for a short hike along the mountainside, and to reach the edge of the huge Hoei crater (which was formed during the 1707 eruption), which sits on the side of Mt Fuji itself, and provided beautiful views all around.

On the tour with us was also a Canadian boy called Humza, who we became friends with and spent the rest of our stay together with. We went for lunch in the nearby hypermarket, which has an amazing variety of tasty ready-made meals (sushi, tempura, and all kinds of other healthy, delicious Japanese food), and for dinner to a really cool noodle shop.

We had planned to leave Fujinomiya and go to Kyoto the following day (i.e. today), but since we learned that either we have to pay over 10,000 yen (80+ euros) and get the bullet train, or take the cheaper, regular train but then have to make 8 (!) changes, we decided to skip the train entirely and go for a night bus - which, while inconvenient, cost half the price of the train and would also save us having to pay for a night's accommodation. Since the bus leaves late in the evening, we had another full day here, and together with Humza decided to go to Lake Tanuki for some more views of the stunningly beautiful Mt Fuji. A 45-minute bus ride later, we were at the lake and were treated to beautiful, if intermittent (due to clouds) views of the mountain. We walked along the lake, and then took a forest trail to circle back to where we started. The forest trail was gorgeous and quite challenging since half of it was a steep climb uphill, and the other half a steep climb downhill, but it was totally worth it since at the top of the ridge we got another beautiful view of Mt Fuji and Lake Tanuki itself.

Now we are back at the hostel for a few more hours before getting the bus and waking up tomorrow in Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital.

Vesi otse Fuji m2elt // Water straight from Mt Fuji

Fotosessioon Fujinomiya pargis // Photo session at Fujinomiya park

Imekaunis tiik // Gorgeous pond

Esimesel 6htul l2ksime s88ma kohta kus pidime ise oma toidu valmis tegema // The first night we had dinner in a place where we had to cook our own food

Fuji!

Vaade Fuji m2elt // View from Mt Fuji

Hoei kraater // Hoei crater

Fuji tipp paistab // Fuji summit in the background

K6verad puud kasvavad Fujil // Crooked trees growing on Mt Fuji

Paolo ja Humza hypermarketist ostetud toiduga // Paolo and Humza with their hypermarket-bought food

Nuudlibaaris kohalikega // In a noodle bar with some locals

Fuji m2gi ja Tanuki j2rv // Mt Fuji and Lake Tanuki 

Kaunis metsatee ymber Tanuki j2rve // Beautiful trail along Lake Tanuki

Pidus88k // It's a feast!

Ei ole fotomanipulatsioon, oligi selline kontrast kahe m2ekylje vahel - yhel pool ainult okasmets ja teisel pool lehtmets. // Not photoshopped, the contrast was real between the two sides of the mountain - one had only conifers and the other only broadleaves.

Vaade k6rgemalt // View from higher up

M6nus oli j2lle metsas olla! // It was so nice being in the forest again!

Viimane vaade veel // One last view