Eru Harvey-san kieteiru koko - Tokyo Feb10th, 2006
If there are two extreme ends to hospitality, I've seen them both from both the Thailand and Japan legs of the tour; everyone has been nice, just the delivery is different.
The Thai people have an open, welcoming nature, very friendly, and you know that your presence is welcomed and even wanted there. Almost like being surrounded by family (Chaing Mai was great for this)...you're just showered with attention, what people can get for you in the means of comfort, drink, or food, joking around, and everyone always seems to have a smile on their face.
At times, the gang and I found it to be a bit much when we'd get off a boat and get mobbed by taxi drivers with the standard "Where you going???".
Fast-forward to Japan. People, polite enough, but I have the very real experience of feeling alone here (don't get me wrong, Dan's travelling with me but if there were no people here otherwise, I don't think I'd feel much different). Folks are polite and very helpful with directions (except the suits in downtown Tokyo...they're like suits back home) and that 'happy family feel' doesn't seem to exist...that or I just haven't come across it.
NOTE: This isn't me complaining or whining; just an observation on what I perceive to be real.
Dan and I visited Atami yesterday. It was funny, the travel book I have "Japan by Rail" goes into indepth detail about this place with all the hot springs and geysers and stuff. When Dan and I showed up, we thought for sure we'd be going to a large park as the Oyu Geyser mentioned in the book states that this geyser is one of the 3 largest in the world (my book makes a big deal about it but Dan's book didn't mention a thing).
After a bit of searching, we found the geyser...hidden in the courtyard of a building. HUH? The geyser is now more of a...mmm...rock with a hose hooked up to it. It went dormant in 1929 so the hose adds to the effect when people show up...theres a guy next to a control box that I think hit a button when Dan and I showed up. Ooooooohhh....look at the hose go.......hey, turn it onto the gentle rinse setting....or how about powerwash...your call...
There was a tombstone on the site as well to remember "Poor Toby". This was a dog in the 1800's that some British guy brought to Japan and the little guy got blasted like 150 feet into the air when the geyser was still active... Toby would have made it if they had the hose hooked up back then..."The British guy said RINSE cycle dude...RINSE!!!".
Beyond that, as we weren't doing the hot spring baths, there wasn't much else to do in Atami so we took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. This was the BEST part of the trip!!! This train can move man...holy cow!! If Vancouver had an transportation infrastructure like this, I'm serious man, no more gridlock! I still wouldnd't sell the Bimmer though...I love that car!
Today, we tooled around Minowa (where we are staying) and checked out a huge temple out there. The architecture around it with the little shops and thouroughfares were amazing too; I'm looking forward to Kyoto tomorrow.
We also wandered around Yokohama and checked out a museam. They were displaying works by a Native Japanese artist named Roku. I'm no art buff but it looked kinda like..hmm...what's that French artists name that cut off his own ear? You know, the nut? I can't remember; Roku's paintings kinda looked like that...but cartoonie...
Beyond that, my brain is starting to switch into 'home' mode...I'm starting to think about getting into my own place for May, working on the Mustang (I'm anxious to see where Marty and the gang are on the project), thinking about bills (yikes), and getting back to work. Two more sleeps until this last bit becomes a reality.
Harvey
P.S. I got a fair amount of requests for pics. They will be up sometime after Feb20th or so
The Thai people have an open, welcoming nature, very friendly, and you know that your presence is welcomed and even wanted there. Almost like being surrounded by family (Chaing Mai was great for this)...you're just showered with attention, what people can get for you in the means of comfort, drink, or food, joking around, and everyone always seems to have a smile on their face.
At times, the gang and I found it to be a bit much when we'd get off a boat and get mobbed by taxi drivers with the standard "Where you going???".
Fast-forward to Japan. People, polite enough, but I have the very real experience of feeling alone here (don't get me wrong, Dan's travelling with me but if there were no people here otherwise, I don't think I'd feel much different). Folks are polite and very helpful with directions (except the suits in downtown Tokyo...they're like suits back home) and that 'happy family feel' doesn't seem to exist...that or I just haven't come across it.
NOTE: This isn't me complaining or whining; just an observation on what I perceive to be real.
Dan and I visited Atami yesterday. It was funny, the travel book I have "Japan by Rail" goes into indepth detail about this place with all the hot springs and geysers and stuff. When Dan and I showed up, we thought for sure we'd be going to a large park as the Oyu Geyser mentioned in the book states that this geyser is one of the 3 largest in the world (my book makes a big deal about it but Dan's book didn't mention a thing).
After a bit of searching, we found the geyser...hidden in the courtyard of a building. HUH? The geyser is now more of a...mmm...rock with a hose hooked up to it. It went dormant in 1929 so the hose adds to the effect when people show up...theres a guy next to a control box that I think hit a button when Dan and I showed up. Ooooooohhh....look at the hose go.......hey, turn it onto the gentle rinse setting....or how about powerwash...your call...
There was a tombstone on the site as well to remember "Poor Toby". This was a dog in the 1800's that some British guy brought to Japan and the little guy got blasted like 150 feet into the air when the geyser was still active... Toby would have made it if they had the hose hooked up back then..."The British guy said RINSE cycle dude...RINSE!!!".
Beyond that, as we weren't doing the hot spring baths, there wasn't much else to do in Atami so we took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. This was the BEST part of the trip!!! This train can move man...holy cow!! If Vancouver had an transportation infrastructure like this, I'm serious man, no more gridlock! I still wouldnd't sell the Bimmer though...I love that car!
Today, we tooled around Minowa (where we are staying) and checked out a huge temple out there. The architecture around it with the little shops and thouroughfares were amazing too; I'm looking forward to Kyoto tomorrow.
We also wandered around Yokohama and checked out a museam. They were displaying works by a Native Japanese artist named Roku. I'm no art buff but it looked kinda like..hmm...what's that French artists name that cut off his own ear? You know, the nut? I can't remember; Roku's paintings kinda looked like that...but cartoonie...
Beyond that, my brain is starting to switch into 'home' mode...I'm starting to think about getting into my own place for May, working on the Mustang (I'm anxious to see where Marty and the gang are on the project), thinking about bills (yikes), and getting back to work. Two more sleeps until this last bit becomes a reality.
Harvey
P.S. I got a fair amount of requests for pics. They will be up sometime after Feb20th or so
posted by Harvey at
3:31 AM
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