Three Great Festivals of Tohoku

Summer in Japan is humidly hot, especially on the main island of Honshu, but it is during this season where there are tons of festivals about. Thus on my overland journey from Hokkaido (which is really pleasant for sightseeing in summer) back to Tokyo, I managed to catch the Three Great Festivals of Tohoku - Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri, Akita's Kanto Matsuri and Sendai's Tanabata.

Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri is held from August 2-7, and consists of a parade of music and dances, with the highlight being the huge graphic lantern floats. These paper lantern floats are fantastically detailed, depicting the gods and demons of Japanese/Chinese culture. They are mounted on a huge wheeled platform, and pushed and spun about by a contingent of energetic enthusiastic men. These floats supposedly take a year to design and build, and looking at the artistry, it's not hard to believe!

Akita's Kanto Matsuri is held from August 3-6. The highlight of the festival is the balancing of kanto - bamboo poles adorned with paper lanterns. The performers do that sequentially using 4 methods - on the palm, forehead, shoulder, and hip... all using one hand! During the day, competitions are held with teams and individual events, accompanied by drums and music. During the night parade, the streets are lined with these kantos, and the lanterns lighted with real candles. On a single signal, all the kantos are hoisted up and a mass display of skill occurs. Amazing sight!

There are many Tanabata festivals in Japan, but Sendai's one of the biggest and most famous. Also known as Star festival, it is based on the Chinese legend about the cowherd and weaver girl which is held on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. However, due to calendar differences, different Tanabata festivals are held on July as well as August. Sendai's Tanabata is held on August 6-8. Basically, the whole city's shopping streets and arcades will be decorated by these long paper streamers, designed and made by just about any local organisation (schools, shops, communities, groups etc). Aside from these decorations though, this festival appears relatively uninteresting as compared to the other two. There are, of course, performances, music & dances and various points in the city.

There are lots more other festivals scattered across the country, and the most wonderful aspect of the festivities is that, everyone turns up in their traditional attire, and seeing all those kids all dressed up really makes them soooooo kawaii!! :)

Aside from the heat, it's great fun!!

City in a Cave

Situated near Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia, Vardzia ranks as one of the country's most interesting sights. Dug out of solid rock, comprising 13 stories of apartments (some say 6000!), complete with a throne room, a church and even a bell tower, the cave city of Vardzia is making a definite claim into UNESCO's list.

Built as early as the 12th century during the reign of their beloved ruler Queen Tamar, it was a bastion against the Mongol horde. However, it was not the Mongols, but an earthquake that destroyed part of the city years after the invasion. Today, it is a major tourist attraction in Georgia, though only part of the complex is open for sightseeing. In fact, a portion of the place are occupied by monks and it is a fully working monastery. There are some really awesome frescoes in there (but then, there're many awesome frescoes all around Georgia!), and there are also some mazy tunnels which you could wander in. No worries though as you would eventually come out into the open! (though not really advisable for those who are claustrophobic) The scenery around are also quite spectacular!

There are only a few marshrutkas a day plying the beautiful route from Akhaltsikhe to Vardzia and I believe I took the last one at close to 4pm. It's 2+hours of journey, and there a few guesthouses around the area where you could spend the night (the Lonely Planet guide lists a few). For those in a group, there will be many taxi drivers in Akhaltsikhe which you could hire for the trip and may be a better alternative. There are also many marshrutkas between Akhaltsikhe and Tbilisi, and Akhaltsikhe is also the start/end point of the Posof border crossing into Turkey.


For visitors to Georgia who have a bit of time, Vardzia can be an excellent option besides the popular Kazbegi/Svaneti and/or Kalkheti regions. Check it out!

Mendoza

Mendoza, a world-renowned wine region, and a city in western Argentina, makes for an excellent stop in your travels through Argentina, particularly if you are a wine/Malbec fan!

One of the unique ways to visit the wineries here, is to go for a wine bike tour. And one of the more backpacker-budget-friendly options is through one of the bike rental agencies in Maipú. Basically, you can take a public bus from Mendoza city to Maipú, and from there, take your pick of the agencies. Hostels and travel agencies in Mendoza itself have lots of brochures on these bike rental companies, so getting there shouldn't be a problem. However, competitation must have been pretty tough. When we showed the bus driver our intended bike rental joint, he stopped us at a competitor's place. Luckily, its a short walk to the other agency. And for 25-30 pesos, you get your bike for the day, a bottle of water, and a map of the attractions/winery nearby. At the end of your excursion, after you return the bikes, you get to enjoy a free glass of wine, and relax and chat with other travelers!

I've taken those day-trip wine tours before, and like most "packaged tours", you usually have little time and little choice of wineries/destinations. I've also taken self-drive wine tours with friends, but usually the driver (which could be you) don't really get to do the wine-tasting. So I find these bike wine tours great, as you have the flexibility to choose where/what to see (there are other stuff besides wineries, like beer garden, olive oil plant etc), although you do need some leg power. The other downside is, well, parts of the road are pretty narrow, and it can get pretty harrowing with trucks and motorcycles whooshing by you...

Mendoza itself is great too, and like many cities in Argentina, offers wonderful dine and wine experience. Even some hostels provide a free glass of wine for your stay, and there are often barbeque nights organized. Oh, there is a wonderful weekend flea market as well!

Yes, I'd love to visit Mendoza again!

Earth Hour 2011

March 26 2011 : Earth Hour 2011

I made a post last year for Earth Hour 2010. I am now 6 months into my journey, and this is my post for this year, 2011. There are countless posts on packing for travel. The useful items that have aided you in your travels etc. Let me share one of mine.



I have chucked an item into my luggage unconsciously, and it had seen surprisingly lots of usage. From Europe to South America, I had lived on a budget and visited countless supermarkets/grocery stores. And I had used my green bag (bag made from recycled material) more than I had expected! And it was indispensable during the many long distance bus rides where I chuck food/water into it as my "daypack" was full of my camera gear and laptop.

I am glad I had started using it in Singapore few years ago, and I am glad I had brought it along my trip.

Perhaps you should too!

Lights out!

Impressive Iguazu Falls

I have not seen any of the world renowned waterfalls, like Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls etc, so I do not have any references or comparisons. But I am truly impressed and mesmerized by the Iguazu Falls.

Spread over the borders of Brazil and Argentina, the Iguazu Falls consists of several hundred waterfalls, cascades and cataracts. Surrounded by lush rainforest, the mists thrown out by the falls also create some sort of microclimate that resulted in multitudes of butterflies of various colours, shapes and patterns. It was an amazing and spectacular sight - both the waterfalls and the many butterflies fluttering around.

The common question is, is the Brazilian side or Argentinian side of the falls better? I think in terms of views, each side offers a different perspective and aspect of the falls. So I think they are on par. However, in terms of a visit to a National Park, I think the Argentinian side has the edge.

On the Brazilian side, the entrance fee to the park is 76 reals (~US$45) - 70 for the park fee, 5 for the park transport fee, and 1 for some kind of fund. The park bus has several stops/stations, but for independent walking, only the final stop has the excellent boardwalk that allows you to leisurely stroll through the park and gawk at the many waterfalls and butterflies along the way. The other stations are for additional paid guided walks and/or boat trips.
On the Argentinian side, the entrance fee to the park is 100 pesos (~US$25). There are also several stations/stops in the park, and a train (free/included) brings you to these stations. However, most of these stations have trails which you could walk on your own. Of course, there are still the paid boat trips and rides that you can choose to take up. There is also a musuem you could visit, and a ferry trip to San Martin island (which was closed for visiting when I was there). So overall, there is alot more things you could do on your own in the park.
The access town on the Brazilian side is Foz do Iguaçu, and it can be reached via a 22-hour bus ride from Rio de Janeiro (I went by a bus company called Pluma). Of course, you could also choose to fly.

The access town on the Argentinian side is Puerto Iguazú, and it can be reached via an 18-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires (I went with Crucero del Norte), and it was one of the most comfortable bus rides I had (complete with whisky and brut on board :)). Of course, you could still choose to fly...

And between Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazú, there are buses shuttling to and fro and it's one of the cheapest international transfer I've taken - less than 3 reals (~US$1.50)! Many hostels in each town also organize day trips to the falls on the other side, ie hostels in Foz do Iguaçu provide day trips to the Argentine falls while hostels in Puerto Iguazú does day trips to the Brazilian falls, so doing both falls is still entirely possible even though you intend to cover only one country!

Whichever side you go to, you would come away impressed! Aside from the weather, which was sweltering in Jan, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the falls! For photography, remember to bring your circular polariser which helps to bring out the 'rainbows' over the falls! Highly recommended!

When Waters Meet

Strange indeed when you can actually see two rivers on a single expanse of water. One of the main attractions of Manaus, the Meeting of Waters is a natural phenomenon that is quite a sight, which you will see when you take a riverboat trip from/to Manaus.

Like two distinct disagreeable personalities, when the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes meet to form the Rio Amazonas, they don't mix initially. The dark waters of the Rio Negro and the muddy brown of the Rio Solimoes kept to themselves for quite a distance before slowly merging. Due to difference in speed, salinity, temperature etc, their boundary is distinct and dramatic!

For those who are flying into Manaus, and/or not going on the riverboat trip, there are many day trips available in Manaus that bring you to the Meeting of Waters. Otherwise, most multi-day jungle trips to the Amazon also include it in the intinerary. On these trips, you are on smaller boats, so you can actually put your hands into the water to feel the differences!

The Amazon is full of mystery and surprises, even when waters meet!

Amazon from the Air

My first post of 2009 was a view of Earth from the Air
I also had a view of Sahara from the Air

First post of 2011. Amazon from the Air!