in-all-places: April 2015

Sunday, 12 April 2015

Tokyo: what an extraordinary city - and we never get lost!

Tokyo - the world’s most populous metropolis, is beyond doubt an extraordinary city!

In spite of all those 13,35 mill people living on 2,188 sqm the place felt somehow cosy and even tranquil at times.

The hotel we stayed in is located Shinagawa, at the top of the quiet Zakuro-zaka street which goes down to the Takanawa exit of Shinagawa Station - one of the Tokyo's busiest station servicing the Shinkansen Line, JR Lines, and Keihin Kyuko Line.

As a curious fact, Shinagawa area has been catering to travellers since the Edo Period (1603-1867), when it was the first stop on the main road linking Tokyo with Kyoto-

just to anticipate the phenomenal and exceptional network of transportation of Tokyo nowadays.

It was therefore very easy for us to enjoy all of the major tourist attractions of the city and surrounding areas: walking through its temples, shrines and parks, exploring its neighbourhoods and back streets and feasting on the best sushi ever at Katu Midori in Shibuya.

And we never get lost; always go to the nearest train or subway station and work from there. We have few english language maps of the city and of that rather scary looking subway/ train network and when in doubt, simply asked the service desk showing the name of our wanted destination. And they never failed us!

We walked around Asakusa and Ginza, had a nice stroll searching the charming streets of Harajuku and then walked all the way back to Shibuya - after get intimidated by the upscale shopping- all boutiques and brands, on the luxurious street of Omotesando. And indulged ourself by walking the forest gardens of Ueno and Yoyogi. But when in Tokyo, the choices are limitless!

It was one memorable way to start our Japan tour - culture, incredible politeness, high quality products and impeccable service.

Tokyo, Japan's capital and the world's most populous metropolis.

Asahi Beer Headquarters and Tokyo Skytree @ in-all-places

Looking across the Sumida River from Asakusa: Asahi Beer Headquarters and Tokyo Skytree

The Tokyo Skytree, twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower

View From Tokyo Skytree

Asakusa shopping street with the Tokyo Skytree rising above

Tokyo Tower: a communications and observation tower located in the Shiba-koen district of Minato. At 333 metres, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan

Tokyo view from Tokyo Tower

One cloudy afternoon in Ueno Park, a very large garden which features several museums, temples galleries and a zoo.

Ueno park Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple @ in-all-places

Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple, a Buddhist temple in Ueno Park

Ueno Park and duck paddle boats

walking in Ueno Park

Tokyo Yoyogi Park Meiji Shrine @ in-all-places

A torii gate along the forested approach to Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park

Japanese weddings Meiji shrine @ in-all-places

Japanese weddings at Meiji Shrine, one of the few shrines in Japan that still performs traditional Japanese weddings.

Tokyo Omotesando shopping street @ in-all-places

Tokyo shopping as an institution: feeling intimidated on Omotesando street

Shibuya at dusk: lights and the people

Katu Midori, famous for its unbelievably fresh quality - please notice the iPad provided so you can easily place your order

Ueno Park and the 'visible everywhere you go' Tokyo Skytree

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Hong Kong best hikes: stage 4 & 5 MacLehose Trail

Stage 4 & 5 MacLehose Trail

From Sai Kung, Kei Ling Ha, O Taw new village - to Sham Shui Po, Tai Po Road, Piper's Hill

To do only Stage 4 it was not an option because the stage 4 ends somehow unusual - in the middle of nowhere - at Gilwell Camp Site; there’s no way you can access any public transport from this end so if you choose to leave the trail now you'll have to walk to civilisation of Hong Kong. That means another 5/6 km, walking down the hill to Clear Water Bay Road. Better keep the trail, isn’t it?

From Kei Ling Ha - the bust station name is ‘O Tau New Village’ - follow the signs directing you into the woods: forests and real hiking trails going up and up. My best hikes ever!

The landmarks of the hike:
Section 4:
The Hunch Backs (Ngau Ngak Shan) (674 m)
Ma On Shan (702 m)
Pyramid Hill (Tai Kam Chung) (536 m)
Buffalo Hill (606 m)
Gilwell Campsite

Section 5:
Tate’s Cairn
Jat's Incline on Fei Ngo Shan Road
Sha Tin Pass (here is finally! a small restaurant selling drinks and food)
Lion Rock (495m) - this is optional, you an skip it and still be on the trail
Reunification Pavilion
Beacon Hill (458m)
Tai Po road, Piper's Hill - where buses will take you back to town

At the end of stage 4, we kept the path and avoided Gilwell camp which was on our left side; big mistake since we could replenish our water reserve in the camp. Lucky enough some of our hiking companions did it right and visited the camp for few minutes. And when they did catch up with us later, they kindly shared their water bottles with us!

Stage 5 is a long, long haul; it starts down the road from the camp site and heads up and over Tate's Cairn (Tai Lo Shan), with lots of military relics. Once you pass over the hill you reach Jat's Incline, take the road down on your right, on the ridge behind Diamond Hill until you hit Sha Tin Pass. Take a short break and move on!
Actually this was the most difficult part of the hike for me: the path was constantly slippery - sandy or wet, and going up was actually climbing up! Although after Beacon Hill the trail goes mainly down I still felt it heavily on my legs. It was a killer to my knees as I was to find out next day!

it starts with this

a bit misty

Pyramid Hill

Maclehose stage 4&5 Hebe Haven @ all-the-places

Sai kung, Hebe Haven

Lion rock

the end

we made it: going down where the bus station is!

Monday, 6 April 2015

Beijing and the best of my long weekend there

It was the golden week when we finally made it to Beijing; after Shanghai (plus one rainy afternoon in Hangzhou) Beijing felt somehow more distinctively Chinese. We had a long list of must see and must do but we were sooner reminded that while the chinese architecture is impressive, the distances are vast and throngs of people are always on the way everywhere you go; tiresome!

So this is what we get by the end of our long weekend: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall - Mutianyu section. Plus Houhai Lake, hub of one well preserved hutong (old town) in Beijing and Drum and Bell towers - both on the same site.

Forbidden City: it was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing and it was just a short walk distance from our location. Not gonna get into the history of the place - enormous mind you!- just keep in mind that it is huge and usually over crowded; we started from Tian An Men side and walk till the end.

We book a trip to the Wall from a nearby small agent on Wang Fu Jing shopping Street- we choose Mutianyu section of the Great Wall mainly because has good reviews as being beautiful and less busy. The drive to the wall was also instructive, we could see a bit of the Beijung surroundings; we took a cable car up to the Wall and a hike on the wall itself - it can be quite intense.

Next on the list was Tian Tan - the Temple of Heaven, considered to be the most holy of Beijing's imperial temples. It has been described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design” and it was indeed a pleasant trip mostly because the temple is surrounded by a huge garden full of roses!