The patient is hopeless

The patient is hopeless, originally uploaded by haruspex.

Day Two: Tuesday 11 April 2006

Slept in till 10am without hardly realising, since our hotel room is almost pitch black with the shutter closed. Sandwich and coffee for breakfast (not very Japanese!) at a "French" chain coffee shop called DuTour. Then off to Asakusa to see the Buddhist Sensoji Temple. The oldest temple in Tokyo, built in 628. Bought a random I Ching fortune. R got a great one, but I got the exact reverse:

No. 59 BAD FORTUNE
Your mind is unsettled wondering to leave or to stay. All your deeds and works are both indefinite, suffering from so many troubles. The moon want to be clear and brilliant but dark clouds come to cover it. Your mind doesn't stay sill and will loose right way.

*Your request will be hare to be granted. *The patient is hopeless. *The lost article will not be found. *Let's stop building a new house and removal. *Stop starting a trip. *Stop marriage of any kind and new employment.

Not a very good omen for someone on the 2nd day of a 6-month overseas trip!

Taking the train to Yoyogi, the rain start to come down quite heavily. We walked to the Meiji Jigu Shrine, built in 1920 to commemorate the reign of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. To enter you have to walk down a path through a forest of cedar trees. In the rain and mist it was all very Totoro. We definitely needed a big leaf on a stalk to use as an umbrella. It was all so beautiful and serene.

It was a completely different scene at nearby Harajuku. We walked along the famous Takeshita Dori - the colourful laneway packed with teen and fashion stores - including lots of punk, goth and lolita clothing stores. Lunched at the Double Tall Cafe on Omotesando (mexican on rice - again not very Japanese).

More window shopping down Meiji Dori. Found the Pink Dragon rockabilly store with crazy interior design mentioned in Tokyo Damage Report - the website which we're basing much of our Tokyo itinerary on. Wandered around Shibuya a little more before taking the train back to the hotel, to drink some Kirin beer, upload some photos to flickr and write up my journal.

Day One: Tokyo

Yanaka Cemetery, Tokyo, originally uploaded by haruspex.

Monday 10 April 2006

The plane landed in Tokyo at 6.35am. It was a chilly 12 degrees. The train to Ueno took about one hour and cost 1,000 yen (about $12). We had booked our hotel (The Oak) on the internet but couldn't check in till 3.00pm - so we dumped our bags there and wandered out to Ueno Park. The height of the cherry blossom season was the previous week, but thre were still some late bloomers and we took photos, along with loads of othr tourists. The park also had a lot of homeless people camping out in little tent cities, plus various museums, a lake and temples. The weirdest sighting was a guy feeding the stray cats bowls of 2 minute noodles. We visited the Toshogu Shrine and the Kiyomizu Kannodo Temple. Walking around the boat pond we saw the Soffitel hotel "Christmas Tree" tower.

Heading back towards the station we explored Ameyoko Street - packed with little stalls selling everything - including dried squid and fish. Walked along the train line towards Nippori to the Yanaka Cemetery. Really cool graves and tombs. The weather stayed pretty dismal - overcast and cold and spitting rain. Walked back to the hotel through Ueno Park, stopping for lunch of ramen at a noodle bar on Asakusa-dori. I had the Wakame Ramen, full of spinach and a bit of pork.

Back to the hotel to check in properly and have a hot shower in the teeny tiny bathroom - about the size of an airplane lavatory. We got funky japanese robes and slippers to wear though.

After dark we took the train to Shinjuku. The Japanese train system is so effecient and on time. Plus they have heating under the seats that keeps your bum warm. Neon craziness in Shinjuku. Wandered around the Kabukicho area. Found the Disc Union record store with a whole level of Japanese psych and underground CDs. Wandered into the red light district - all very seedy. We hung around the entrance of the Shinjuku Station, in front of the big TV screen to people watch. A lot of guys are going for the half bleached, feathered mullet look. Back to the hotel and in bed by 10pm. It was a very full day, and still a bit hard to believe this is the first day of our 6-month trip.

BlueBells

with bells on, originally uploaded by haruspex.

At the Toshogu Shrine, Ueno Park, Tokyo

Toshogu Shrine

Toshogu Shrine, originally uploaded by haruspex.

Monday 10 April 2006
Tokyo

The original shrine is said to have been built in 1627 by the warrior Todo Takatora, to enshrine the deified Tokugawa Ieyasu (Toshogu) - first shogun who wrested power away from the Emperor and established Edo as the capital.
The name "Toshogu" is a royal title which translates as "Light of the East" or "Sun god of the east".
The Haiden is the main structure and the hall of worship. This is where the priests and shrine maidens participate in the ceremonies of the Toshogu.

Tokyo Cherry Blossoms

Tokyo Cherry Blossoms, originally uploaded by haruspex.

One year ago today (9 April 2006) we were on a plane to Tokyo.
I've revisiting my photos and finally getting round to touching them up with photoshop.

St Jeromes Laneway Festival

St Jeromes last weekend (held in and around Reiby Place near Circular Quay) was one of the best festivals I've ever been to. Being on a modest scale - just a couple of thousand people - allowed you to get up close to the bands. And the lineup was very impressive.

I got there early, for the 1.00pm starting time for Pretty Girls Make Graves. They rocked out, despite complaining of hangovers. I was on the the front barricade and got a few snaps. Their new album Elan Vital is very cool.

Pretty Girls Make Graves, originally uploaded by haruspex.

Didn’t know much about the next band up, Adelaide’s Wolf and Cub, but was very nicely surprised by their excellent noise/psych guitar which reminded me of the Japanese psych scene. And any band with 2 drummers has to be admired!

I was really looking forward to The Gossip, who were playing inside on the Basement stage. They are a blues/punk band from the US and their singer Beth Ditto has an enormous voice. They put on a great show and were definitely my favourite act on the day. You can have a listen to some of their songs here .

Big Voice, originally uploaded by haruspex.

Les Savy Fav were just insane. Their singer, Tim Harrington, is well known for getting up to strange antics on and off-stage. At one point he made his way through the crowd to the barricades, must have jumped over and then emerged on the balcony of a neighbouring office block. He then got the audience to hurl the microphone up to him so he could continue singing. To get down, he wrapped the microphone cord around one of the bushes and abseiled down. His mostly naked body was painted red – claiming he had an aussie 'sunburn' and was wearing budgie smugglers with 'Bondi Beach' written on the back.

I had been looking forward to seeing Broken Social Scene, but needed a rest by this stage, so instead we headed inside and found chairs to sit and watch Jens Lekman in the Basement. He sings sad and kooky lyrics, set to upbeat almost corny music – it kind of felt like we were being entertained by the house band on an cruise ship.

The sun went down and the last band we were keen on seeing was The Raveonettes from Denmark. The roadies kept us waiting forever, pretending to set up the stage, as it seemed the band hadn’t actually arrived at the venue. All annoyance was forgotten when they launched into a wonderful cover of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” – which alternated sweet vocals with buzz-distortion guitars. Very Jesus & Marychain, except with an extremely beautiful female singer. They kept us entranced their entire set. Unfortunately my camera battery had died earlier in the day, so I couldn’t get any pics of them.

Everyday it's a-gettin' closer
Goin' faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey-hey
Everyday it's a-gettin' faster
Everyone said, go ahead and her
A-hey, a-hey-hey
Everyday seems a little longer
Every way love's a little stronger
Come what may
Do you ever long for, true love from me
Everyday it's a-gettin' closer
Goin' faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey-hey

Sydney Walks: The Spit to Taronga Zoo

Here is the Sydney Harbour Trust map of the Taronga to Balmoral stretch of the walk.

I took the bus to my starting point The Spit Bridge. Then walked around the foreshore, past the boats and the cute ducks at the Middle Harbour Yacht Club .


ducks
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

The map said ‘low-tide route only’, but I think you could make it around the rocks at any time. A beautiful old white wooden dilapidated house, with balcony (and hammock) overlooks the harbour – with lovely rusted rails of a boat ramp stretching into the water.


white house
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

A lone windsurfer sailed up and down Chinamans Beach. Walk continues up Hopetoun Avenue, over Wy-ar-gine Point. Down to Edwards Beach and Balmoral Beach, where I found a lone discarded valentines rose.


Disposable Love
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

Then up the stairs over Middle Head, past the HMAS Penguin Naval Depot .

Amazing views of the Harbour Heads from Sydney Harbour National Park at Georges Heights. Army bases were situated on Georges Heights for over 100 years, initially as harbour defences, then barracks, a World War I hospital and transport depot. On Georges Head there is now a restaurant, “The Tearoom”, in the sandstone gunners barracks.

Down to Chowder Bay Historic Site. Chowder Bay got its name from the whalers who once sheltered there and made fish chowder from the oysters and pipis. From the 1890s it was a base for the Submarine Mining Corps, which laid a string of defensive mines across the harbour.


Chowder Bay
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

Currently docked at Chowder Bay is the North Korean heroin smuggling cargo ship, the Pong Su. It was seized in 2003 on suspicion of importing 150 kilograms of heroin and has been anchored in Sydney Harbour ever since, while Federal police work out what to do with it.

The walk then continues around the beach at Clifton Gardens and up over Chowder Head. The evening was drawing near and I was starting to get bitten by mosquitoes while loitering in the undergrowth taking macro photos of flowers. So, after rounding Taylors Bay I took the shortcut over Bradleys Head, past Athol Hall , and back to the Taronga Zoo Wharf for my ferry trip home.

Sydney Walks: Harbour Bridge to Taronga Zoo

It's less than two months until we will be off on our overseas adventure, and its really time for some serious training and preparation. We've got a six week long pilgrimage to do, walking up to 25km a day. So I'm aiming at doing as many walks as possible before we go, building up in kms. Since I don't drive, I'm depending on public transport to get me to the walks, and luckily there are loads of walks around Sydney Harbour. For this walk I used the map in the Sydney Harbour to Spit walks brochure.


Two's Company
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

After getting the train to Circular Quay, I took the glass elevator up to the Cahill Expressway. The pedestrian walkway will then take you over the Harbour Bridge. I'd never really taken notice of this elevator before and I don't think many people know about the excellent views you can get from the Expressway. There was no one up there, except for a couple of joggers - and so I started my walk with iPod on, singing along loudly and out of tune without embarrassing myself. Passing views of the CBD skyscrapers on the left and The Rocks and Circular Quay on the right I made my way to the Bridge. I'd cycled over the bridge before, but never walked.


The Rocks
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

The walk over the Bridge is a bit dissapointing because of the high security fences and barbed wire. Once over the bridge I walked around Kirribilli and had a gawk at the Prime Minister's house, but didn't see him, just a very bored looking policeman on guard outside.

Most of the walk in this leg is down residential streets, with the occasional view of the harbour when you hit parks like Milson Park and Anderson Park. When I got to Neutral Bay I started seeing signs pointing towards Nutcote (May Gibbs house), so headed that way.

Nutcote was the house which was specially designed for May Gibbs by the well-known architect BJ Waterhouse and she lived there for 45 years. From her lovely studio overlooking the harbour at Neutral Bay she wrote and illustrated most of her wonderful books and the long-running cartoon strip Bib and Bub.


Nutcote
Originally uploaded by haruspex.

The next loop walk is around Cremorne Point. There is a 3km foreshore walkway that goes right around, through bush and past enormous Federation Arts & Crafts style houses.

I found a great heritage leaflet on Cremorne. And here’s an extract:

In c1832, 86 acres of Cremorne Point were granted to a Scottish watchmaker, James Robertson. Prior to European occupation this foreshore land was inhabited by the Cammeraygal People and they called it Wulworra-Jeung. After the land was sold in 1853 it was turned it into an amusement park called Cremorne Gardens, after a similar pleasure garden in London. The first subdivision came in 1903 and most of the buildings in Cremorne Point date from the Federation housing period through to the 1920s and 1930s.

The walk continutes around Mosman Bay, past ‘The Barn’, the last remaining structure from the original Whaling Station built by Archibald Mosman in 1831. From 1925 until recently it has been used as a scout hall for the 1st Mosman 1908 Scout Troop.

There is then a steep climb up stairs and roads over the point to Little Sirius Cove and the end in nearly in sight. I’m getting quite exhausted by this stage, but determined to get to my end point. It takes my last reserves to walk the last half hour along the side of Taronga Zoo, past Whiting Beach, till I reach the Taronga Zoo Wharf, for the ferry ride back to the city.

Final result: 10km, 4 hours, one blister, slight exhaustion,
sense of achievement

Photography Projects

Even though I've been a complete flickr addict for over a year, I've only just joined the Utata group and started taking part in their themed projects.

Having a definite brief for what kind of photo to take is not something I've ever really tried before, so this will be an interesting new experience for me. The current project is Utata Draws Lines.

A Sunday Afternoon in Sydney

In preparation for our overseas plans to walk the Santiago Pilgrimage in April/May this year, we've started going on walks around Sydney. Today we were to meet at Circular Quay to take the ferry to Taronga Zoo, then take the Harbour Walk to Obelisk Beach.

Taking advantage of the fact that I'm half an our early and my partner is half an hour late, I shelter from the heat in Customs House Library air-con and the fill in the time taking photos. A very polite security guard asks if my photos are for personal use only. I say yes and he says that's okay.

Built in 1845, Customs House operated customs services till 1990, and now it houses the City of Sydney Library, restaurant and function venues.

Considering its early purpose I guess its fitting its now a library:

The dual role of Customs was to raise revenue by taxing trade and to keep society physically and morally isolated from socially unacceptable goods, products, ideas and diseases
(from the website)