Seikan Tunnel

Train journeys are a integral part of many travels, and often, they provide a beautiful view of the country. And some provide an interesting experience when they tunnel through mountains and over the seas. And even under the sea!!

For those traveling in Japan to Hokkaido using the excellent Japan Rail, the train does travel under the sea! For the segment between the main island of Honshu (in Aomori prefecture) and Hokkaido, the train travels through a tunnel built under the sea. Known as the Seikan Tunnel, it is the longest and deepest operational undersea rail tunnel in the world!

Currently, the shinkansen does not travel through the tunnel. At Shin-Aomori, you have to take another train (Hakucho/Super Hakucho) to Hakodate (or vice-versa). In this train, you have an option to take up a guided tour to the underground tunnel. There is actually an underground station in the Seikan Tunnel too, but it can only be visited through the guided tour. The train ticket is covered under the national JR pass but the tour has to be paid of course. However, the tour is in Japanese only (when I visited).

The exhibits and pictures etc during the tour in the tunnel has English captions, so it is still an educational trip. Part of the tour would also bring you to a museum, and there, the diagrams and figures could help you gain more understanding. Eg. from the diagram, you can see that while the overall Seikan Tunnel is longer, the Channel Tunnel between UK and France has a longer portion under the sea!

Funicular line bringing tourists to the underground station

For those who love rail journeys, rail trivias etc, check out the Seikan Tunnel!
 

Semana Santa alfombras, Ayacucho

One of the biggest religious festival in Peru is Semana Santa, and one of the most famous and biggest celebrations occur in Ayacucho.

During the Holy Week, the whole town of Ayacucho is abuzzed with activities and decked in colour. One of the predominant sights you will see is teams preparing their alfombras or Semana Santa carpets. These carpets cover pretty much most of the Plaza de Armas or central square, as well as many side cobbled streets and alleys. Made from sand, coloured sawdust, flowers etc, they are art masterpieces in every sense of the word. Intricate designs, outstanding colours, precise craftsmanship, I am truly impressed by these carpets. It is said that the design takes months to come up with, and is unique every year. But sadly, they don't last beyond 24 hours....

 
 

As part of the celebrations and ceremonies during the week, there will be daily processions where participants show their devotion and/or perform religious rites. These alfombras are actually constructed on the processional route/path. So these artful carpets get trampled on, shuffled through (especially those carrying big floats!), and essentially gets wiped out after each procession. And even if they are not, they would be, to make way for the next alfombra to be constructed. Depending on the size and complexity, some can take 12 hours or more, so I guess it would be some sort of a race to get it completed before the next coming procession.

There will be alot of other celebrations and ceremonies in Ayacucho, and as mentioned, Ayacucho hosts one of the biggest. So accommodations and transport should be booked in advance. We were there in the early part of the week and did not see many foreign tourists. However, come Good Friday to Easter Sunday, the entire town is packed with locals and foreign tourists alike. The tourist offices and visitor centres are supposed to have more information regarding the activities happening, but it seems that most are in Spanish only. Nevertheless, you can always find something happening somewhere!

While I am not a Catholic (nor any religion for the matter), I thoroughly enjoyed the sights and festivities in my 1 week in Ayacucho. Especially the beautiful, colourful Semana Santa alfombras.

Islas Ballestas, Paracas Peru

Situated off the southern Peruvian coast on the Paracas Peninsula, the Ballestas islands, together with the Paracas National Reserve, is really a wonderful excursion for wildlife enthusiasts.

I visited only the Ballestas islands though, and somewhere along the way, someone had nicknamed it 'the poor man's Galapagos'. While I am not in the position to comment on that nickname, I am somewhat impressed by the amount of wildlife seen on the short trip around the islands. And that's the crux of the matter about visiting the Islas Ballestas. The only way to visit the islands are via 2-hour boat trips from the various tour agencies in town. Perhaps it may be due to some policies controlling the amount of exposure tourism has on the ecosystem. The boat trips are purely sea trips; there are absolutely no landings at all. Of course, given enough resources (money), I'm sure there may be alternatives...

Thus one will tour around the rocky islands on a boat together with 20-30 other tourists. You'll be largely confined to your seat area, so needless to say, photography on the moving boat is somewhat challenging as well. And narration is in Spanish. However, you do get to see seals, sea lions, penguins, pelicans and large number of birds. In fact, it is the sheer number of birds seen at a single place that astounded me. And all these in about 30-40 minutes of actual time around the islands.

On the way to the islands, you get to see the El Candelabro, a large-scale geoglyph etched on the hill overlooking the Bay of Paracas. A little like the Nazca lines, this is also somewhat of a mystery as to its origins and purpose.

I regretted not visiting Paracas National Reserve. It would have made the trip more complete I think. Nevertheless, Paracas is a worthwhile stop just 4 hours from Lima. And you could probably stop by Pisco, and have your pisco sour fix!

Bukit Brown, Singapore

Looking for alternate green spots in Singapore? Looking for historic spots in Singapore? Look no further. Check out both Bukit Brown Cemetery.

Sprawled across 200+ hectares of wooded land, the cemetery is scattered over several hills, and is the largest Chinese cemetery in Singapore. However, it is so much more. As mentioned, the area is an excellent green venue for outdoor activities. These include hiking, cycling, birding and even horse-riding. The lush green is wild and natural, surely the draw for many an outdoor enthusiast.

But when I said it's so much more, I was not particularly referring to the greenery. I was thinking more about our heritage and culture. For in Bukit Brown cemetery lies many of Singapore's founding fathers and pioneers, and with them, a whole slew of historic and cultural insights. Sikh statue guards guarding Chinese tombs, mosaic patterns, engravings and reliefs, and many stories on the inscriptions and epitaphs that to this day, is still being uncovered.

Shockingly though, the government of Singapore had deemed it necessary to build a four-lane road cutting across it, and as a result, 4000+ graves had to be exhumed. Over 4000 slices of our history may be lost. And to make things worse, exhumation works are to begin in the fourth quarter of this year (2013), which leaves little time for people to uncover these histories. And little time for Singaporeans and tourists alike to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place, for surely the outlook and ambience of the place would be compromised.

For all things on Bukit Brown, check out the aptly named website All Things Bukit Brown. There are free guided walks led by passionate volunteers almost every weekend, and I have to say, these guides will make your walk through the cemetery an especially educational one. The information and histories dished out by these guides are just amazing! It was doubly amazing when at the grave of Chew Boon Lay, whose name is now on our roads and a MRT station, his great grandson was around to recount the history!

One of the volunteer guides, Peter, telling a story

Grave of Chew Boon Lay, with his great grandon telling his history

 These group of people are still petitioning to stop the road development. For those who are going for the guided walks (and you should), please provide your support if needed. I feel a sense of loss and indignation for those people in the affected graves. It is especially poignant to think that in life, they had toiled for the development of Singapore, and in death, they would be ousted from their final resting place in the name of the development of Singapore!

The many histories of Bukit Brown

Home II

My 2009 post on Singapore on our National Day

http://blog.roving-light.com/2009/08/home.html

This year, I have shifted to a new place, but it's still in Singapore :)
And here's sharing my second favourite National Day song, by Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

Where I Belong
-------------------
Morning comes around and I
Can't wait to see my sunny island
In its glorious greenery, whether rain or shine, it's still beautiful
Bright lights shine on the streets at night
Guiding me closer to home
To a place where I'll be safe and warm, where I belong

Friends and families by my side
Seeing me through as I grow and learn
Everyday's experience, bitter, sweet or sour
They're still wonderful
As they become precious memories
They'll be kept close to my heart
And no matter where I am I will always know, where I belong

Chorus:
Where I belong, where I keep my heart and soul
Where dreams come true for us
Where we walk together hand in hand towards a future so bright
Where I belong, where I keep my heart and soul
Where we're one big family
I want the whole world to know, I want to shout it out loud
That this is where I know I belong

Cueva Galaxia Cristal, Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni is arguably Bolivia's top tourist attraction, and many people go on a muti-day circuit tour of the salt flats, taking in the spectacular Altiplano landscapes, the surreal lagoons, and the beautiful flamingoes.  But one of the lesser visited attraction in the circuit is Cristal Galaxy Cave, and I feel it would be a shame to miss it!

Strange petrified stone formations overlooking the salt desert

Visiting it would typically add an additional day to your standard circuit itinerary, but on the same site is Cementerio de los Chullpas, a sacred burial cave cemetery. Skulls and simple artifacts are still visible, but unless your guide fills you in on the stories and myths surrounding the place, there is little other information on it. However, it is the cave next door, the Cueva Galaxia Cristal that we were more impressed over!

Entrance to the burial cave

Formed some 225 million years ago when a volcano came into contact with the sea (Salar de Uyuni was a sea then), bizarre formations were created. The cave was rather small, and when me and my friends entered, we were all immediately amazed. The sight was unlike any I've seen. Shapes aside, the strutures and formations were riddled with holes and fibrous lines and some were so thin, in fact they looked like a membrane of a leaf! I was actually worried that I would accidentally crack or crumple the formations! At some points, somehow I would imagine the scene would have easily passed off as some alien hatchery or hive of some kind! Or maybe I have too much imagination...

The cave was discovered only in 2003, so it's relatively "new" but I hope the authorities would properly manage the place. The "path" in the cave is relatively narrow, and an overly enthusiastic tourist would have easily cause mishap. We were the only tourist then.

Having seen caves ranging from limestone caves,  salt cave, glacier cave, and also another lava cave (this would have been considered a lava cave I believe), this still impresses. And really, the scenery in the Altiplano is so wonderful, adding a day to your tour wouldn't hurt!

Serthar Buddhist Institute

One of the more interesting forays into the lesser visited parts of China is the Serthar Buddhist Institute (色达喇荣五明佛学院), situated in the sensitive Tibetan region of Garze prefecture in Sichuan China. You may have visited monastic towns and villages before, but nothing quite like this.

Main monastery hall in the Buddhist Institute

Also known as Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, it is founded by an esteemed Khenpo (a title akin to a degree for Tibetan Buddhism studies), Jingme Phuntsok, in the 1980s. The academy attracted students from all over China, and grew to over 10,000 students by year 2000. Today, it is reputed to have more than 40,000 monks, nuns and lay followers coming from all over, including countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong and Taiwan.

With that many students, the Larung valley where the academy is, has grown into somewhat of a major town. The whole "town" though is separated into 2 areas, one for the monks, and the other for the nuns. They live in small simple houses that were built packed together, and sprawled all across the valley, and today, the valley and town is really quite an astounding sight. As with any other towns, small shops and stalls cater for the simple needs of the inhabitants, which is essentially food and monastic supplies. There is also two simple guesthouses (招代所) for visiting guests, and when I was there in 2011, a major hotel of sorts is being constructed. From lay followers whom I've spoken to, most of them lived with the monks/nuns as a particular term/course with the institute can last from weeks to months even. Perhaps that major hotel would be catered for the lay followers and visiting tourists.

The monastery surrounded by the living quarters of the monks/nuns studying there

Packed houses and loads of prayer flags on top of the hill

On each side of monk/nun segment is the main monastery building, where a visit is certainly a must. Within the halls of the monastery are where all the monks/nuns study. And everyday, at certain hours (usually in the evening), there will be a "debate" session which is quite an eye-opener for most. At the top of one of the hills is a huge stupa and every evening, most monks/nuns would make their way up to circumambulate the structure, and make their prayers. For visitors, the view of the whole Serthar Buddhist Institute from the top is just fabulous, especially for sunrise/sunset. Serthar is also a place where one can witness a Tibetan 'Sky Burial', and is certainly not for the faint hearted!

Does this look like a verbal debate?

Sharing and discussion

There are many nuns studying in Serthar

A lay follower

Getting into Serthar, however, is alot more troublesome, especially for foreigners. The area is often closed and/or is subject to frequent checks. However, I did not encounter any problems. There are only minivan shuttles between the institute and the nearby Serthar town (which runs really infrequently unless you book the whole minivan). From the town, there is also limited transport options, with something like one or two buses a day in/out to Ma Er Kang (马尔康). From Ma Er Kang, you can then find buses to/fro Chengdu, or further north into Gansu province.

However, the experience is certainly quite different, and I think, worth the trouble.

Panoramic view of Serthar