Sunday, March 28, 2010

Hamamatsu countryside

千枚田 Senmaida 
A terraced rice field in the mountains near Hamamatsu.
Unfortunately, it's March now and the fields are fallow and look more like
a pile of rocks. It must look beautiful in September just before harvest.
Me in front of the rice fields and my car with two
bikes precariously resting on the bike rack.
Akiko enjoying our ride out in the countryside. It was sunny but very cold!
We happened upon this great treehouse in the middle of nowhere.
A village called Shitara in a scenic and remote valley about
two hours drive directly north into the mountains from Hamamatsu.
On the way back from our bike ride we stopped at Yuya Onsen
(hot spring) for a well-deserved bath. You wash yourself sitting
on a stool at the right and then relax in the bath. There are often
both indoor and outdoor baths and it's nice to switch back and forth.
I happened to have this bath to myself (there's a separate bath for
women although sometimes there are mixed-baths) and was able to take this photo.
A typical room in a Japanese inn. To save space the
futons stay in the closet and come out when it's time for bed.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Around Hamamatsu

Hida-Furukawa
This is a pretty little town in Nagano prefecture about
200 miles directly north of where I live in Hamamatsu.
Lake Hamanako, Hamamatsu. Although this photo shows just a
sliver it's actually the third largest lake in Japan; it has an estuary
connecting it to the ocean and is a mixture of salt and fresh water. We often go hiking
up there. There are usually great views out over the lake and all the way to
Hamamatsu city and the ocean.
An old-fashioned Japanese "Sento" or public bath
just around the corner from my house. 350 yen for a bath.
The door to the left is for men the right women. The
big character in red ”ゆ” (yu) means "hot water" and the smaller
characters below on the flag on the right ”女湯” (on na yu)
literally means "women's hot water." The men's sign is there
but obscured by the fluttering flag. The changing areas and baths
are separated and there is a small common area. These small
neighborhood sento are kind of a dying breed as of course everyone has
baths in their homes now. Another big dent in their business has come
from the huge "super sento" with all kinds of different baths, sauna rooms,
massage areas and restaurants attached. If you saw the great
Japanese movie "Departures" (おくりびと)you may remember there
were a few scenes at a public bath very much like this one.
Hamamatsu Castle. Not a very impressive castle but in a
good location surrounded by a very a nice park.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Udon Thani, Thailand

Udon Thani, Thailand. With the Thai Habitat staff who
had just performed a traditional Thai dance for us.
At work on the building site. We were responsible
for building the walls, the floor and the septic tank.
Nongkai, Thailand. On the banks of the Mekong River. The other side of the river is Laos.
The girl next to me on the right, Yuka, collapsed from the heat just after this picture was taken.
Nongkai, Thailand
On the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge at the border
Feeding the elephants! Udon Thani, Thailand

Presenting the "sen bazuru," 1000 Japanese origami good luck
cranes to the new homeowner upon completion of the house

Bali February 2010

Ubud, Bali
Ubud, Bali
Ubud, Bali

Taking a break at a village temple on a mountain bike ride

Awkward self-portrait in front of some of the ubiquitous rice fields around Ubud
Sam, Chris and I having dinner. It was during a power cut
which explains the darkness in the background. Balian, Bali
Ayu Warung. Balian
Nyan Nyan. Bukit Pennisula Bali. Fun, semi-uncrowded spot. The long (and hot!) walk up and down the sheer cliff face helps keep the crowds away
Legian Beach. The beautiful sunsets never get old.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Kyushu December 2009

Nagasaki City. New Year's Eve 2009. Very, very cold. Snowed mostly all day long!

Akiko praying devoutly at a temple in Nagasaki's Chinatown

Unzen hot spring, Nagasaki. The bubbling hot water and steam will give you some explanation of the sign "Entrance to Hell"


Unzen, Nagasaki. This sign says "Entrance to Hell." It's nice of them to warn us before we enter.

Another city named after the current US president. They must really love him over here in Japan!

One of the two eruptions while we were on the island. Vaguely ominous but very cool to see!

On the car ferry to Sakurajima in Kagoshima City. An active volcano which was very cool to see. Rather than a dramatic massive eruption, it blows steam and ash 3 or 4 times a day. We took a leisurely drive around the island and found that many parts of it are permanently covered in a layer of ash.



On the way to Kyushu we took a side trip to Easter Island 10,000 kilometers out of the way in the south Pacific. Just kidding. This is a tourist attraction in Miyazaki prefecture. Kind of a tourist trap but the scenery is stunning. Reminds me a lot of the central California coast.


On the overnight ferry from Osaka to Miyazaki. We had second class beds in a room with 12 beds. It was very comfortable but unfortunately there were kids crying all night long maing it hard to get a good nights sleep.