Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
It's been a long, sweaty day and I feel like all the peace of Koyasan has been washed away through my pores! We've been travelling for 10 hours today, which meant that we didnt arrive at our isolated little hostel (located at the very top of hill, right by another graveyard! The views of the twinkling city below us were lovely, but the climb with my great fat backpack was excrutiating) until late at night. I think we are the only people staying here, but it is quite a big hostel, so its a bit weird...
Kurashiki is nothing like I imagined, sprawling grids of grimy concrete, it seems like a rundown, tired version of Tokyo. I had pictured a tiny little town, silly because I only based that image on the fact that the guidebook said there wasn't much to do except bikeride - well it turns out there is not much to do, but its not much to do in a big, urban city!
So we decided a bike ride it was, and took the train the a dusty tiny town in the middle of nowhere (my fake kurashiki) where we each rented rickety bikes from a little old man with tufts of white hair, who babbled constantly in Japanese to our blank faces. We had the best day riding through the warm countryside on the ultra-simple style bikes (gears - pff!) that we have been dodging on the pavement for the last two weeks. Creaking brakes, high handles and a big basket out the front :). Gliding down paths with canals full of fish, birds and one even teeming with little turtles who poked their heads out, then dived down into the murky waters if we stopped to say hi (am I too turtley enough for the turtle club?) on one side and bright green fields that last forever on the other side. We twinkled our bells almost continuously when I decided that a "brrriiinggg" means "I Love You" in bike language lol. It seems to me that temples and shrines are to Japan as Chapels and Casinos are to Vegas - they are everywhere, and we passed many, as usual! Almost everyone shouted out a "KONICHIWA" as we rode pass, lighting up my day with their friendly waves and happy smiles. I have, during our journey thriugh Japan, been constantly and pleasantly astounded by the kindness of the people here. It's mostly just little things, like the elderly woman last night, who, having overheard us talk about our hostel's nearest bus stop at the beginning of the journey, turned around from the other side of the bus around half an hour later when our stop arrived, gesturing with a smile thgat we should get off. We would have been totally lost without that small act, and it was all purely just her desire to help out. Or the lady on another train who walked right up to the other side of the carriage to let us know that there was a seat for two available. And although everyone seems silent and unamused, I have found that just a small nod and brief smile never fails to elicit the same, happy response. Everyone is just so welcoming. Yesterday a sea of schoolchildren burst onto our train, their little red hats and giggling, excited chatter filling the carriage, and as we left they all waved, shouting gleeful "Hi"s and "Hello"s, and grinning their chubby little faces off when we waved back. Even when we were on a platform two or three away from theirs, and as their doors were sliding shut, we could make out a couple of "Hello"s called out by these kids so eager to show off their english.
- comments