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Published: December 26th 2006
Flags by the DMZ
South Korean flags on their side of the DMZ border.Seoul (Nov. 17-22), Japan: Tokyo (Nov. 22-26), Kyoto (Nov. 26- Dec. 2), Bangkok and Cambodia (Dec. 2-10)
It begins with things like the toilets- the differences in Asia, that is. Coming from Laos and Vietnam and heading straight for Korea and Japan is a stark contrast possibly humorously described by toilet experiences. Even in pretty decent Vietnamese restaurants, there is a hole in the ground with 2 places for your feet (thank god I am a guy!). The bathroom in the lobby in Seoul had about 8 buttons and a seat warmer (no wonder Scott hung out there for 30 minutes at a time). I have to admit, I really missed the warmth of Vietnam but fall was in full session in eastern Asia, it was beautiful to see the various colors of leaves and to take a clear notice about how far and fast the Koreans and Japanese have prospered and modernized. Oh, and the prices also hit me in the face- a great Vietnamese dinner might be $4 while I had to search out in Kyoto for entrees that were less than $30.
In Seoul, I met up with a childhood friend, Scott, his wife
34 going on... 12
Scott and I reverted back to adolescent behavior in Seoul. Melora and her sister, Steph, who are originally from Korea and back for the first time in a long time. They had wisely chosen to locate us in hip Meyong-Deong, which is the neon retail/ restaurant center of Seoul that fills nightly to shoppers.. and karaoke. From the chaos of blaring scooter horns in Saigon came the order of traffic and subways in modern Seoul, reminding me of Hong Kong- and a pleasant rest of the ears. With order and cleanliness comes expense (I guess) as the cost and quality of things like coffee went up accordingly (Starbucks again!). We took a morning to go to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, a 4km barrier separating North and South Korea and a sad reminder of the last divided country on the planet and their struggles for over 50 years now. What was once hard to imagine- the massive differences in the standard of living in 2 societies with similar roots- came to life as we hopped around Seoul among its’ new age gizmos while thousands of North Koreans starved but 200 km away. We spent a lazy Sunday roaming through an eclectic row of galleries sprinkled with coffee shops admiring their
Mori Museum, Roppongi Hills
This cutting-edge museum was based on video and at the top of Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. religious heritage, which now has around the same number of Christians as Buddhists. I also got used to eating the spicy cuisine of Korea, specializing in kimche with other highlights like bulgogie and porridge soup- definitely an interesting twist on asian food but oohhh so delicious. I had very little knowledge about Korea before visiting but came away with a real appreciation for the struggles they've seen in the recent past and the rapid modernization before me.
With the friends from back home in town, I had little time to prepare for Japan and man, did I need it. Tokyo is full on- it’s huge, has a complex rail system and seems to sprawl forever. And there isn’t a lot of English spoken so I spent my first hours kinda lost, trying to find my hostel in Asakusa but eventually stumbling on to it. That is one of the first fascinating things about Japan- their hotel industry. I had originally booked a ‘capsule’ hotel, not sure what it was, but liking the price I saw. And then I read in Lonely Planet these are like little coffins used by drunken Japanese businessmen who fail to make it home
Hip East Shinjuku
East Shinjuku is one of the neon centers of Tokyo with too much shopping. at night! (Let me think- NO- not with my sleeping habits.) The first night I hit Roppongi, the center of night life all things foreign and a rocking place in itself. I had a serious dilemma as whether to go home at 12 like a good boy or possibly attempt and all-nighter, but I had met up with some German guys who were as willing as I at 3:30 am to pay for the expensive cab back to the hostel.
I spent my days tooling around different parts of Tokyo like East Shinjuku, Ginza (Park Ave. east), Shibuya and Roppongi Hills. At times, it appears the Japanese are the future of civilization- organized, efficient, eating healthy, cutting edge cell phones, and amazing style. It’s just that other part of their culture seem pretty odd to the western eye, such as their apparent segregation of foreigners and weird hotel/ drinking/ sexual culture- but that is a whole nother subject. Probably the coolest modern museum I have visited all year, though, was the Mori Art Exhibit at the top of Roppongi Hills, which featured Bill Viola’s video animated art work, an awesome ensemble of vision, video and music fused together
on the 52nd floor of a skyscraper.
Having purchased a Japan Rail Pass, I got to ride on one of their super-fast trains to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan. It was there that I got a deep indoctrination into the history and culture of Japan, spending a number of days on self-guided walking tours of the northeast, a guided walk with a noted historian and wandering through districts such as Gion, where geishas are still somewhat prevalent. I stayed in a local ryoka, which is a local Japanese house for guests- they utilize Japanese furniture, you don’t wear shoes inside and it’s a complete part of the Japan experience (and less expensive than a business hotel). It was perfect to be there in the fall with the leaves changing colors among the mountains and made for an aura of deep history and the mystical aura of religion. I can only hope pictures can do it justice, as I saw awesome highlights including:
Ginkakuji Temple
Philosopher’s Walk
Nanzenji Temple
Chion-in Temple
Kiyomuza-Dera
Nijo Castle
Nishi-Honganji Temple
Kinkakuji Temple
Amida Hall
One of the more interesting things I took away from Japanese culture is their dual-religion
of Buddhism from China and their own Shinto religion. Our guide explained to us that Japanese make use of Shinto for the living and pray to the spirits and gods for good fortune/ good business while alive and Buddhism is more used for the dead. I had also read up about the mysticism of the geisha (and seen Memoirs of a Geisha) so had to at least have a sighting while in Japan. Fortunately, I was staying near Gion, the nightlife area of Kyoto and the place most likely to spot a geisha between appointments. After hearing about the lives of geisha and seeing some of their teahouses, I did spot a few at night in on the streets of Gion, where all the Japanese gentlemen’s clubs were located. All told, I was completely fascinated and amazed by Kyoto and exhausted after walking miles and miles every day and night and still trying to jog a bit and see a bit of night life in Gion. And I was just about sick of wearing a snow hat and my only jacket- so it was perfect timing to head back to the warmth of southeast Asia!
With a week
Khmer God-King
At Bayon 216 of these faces stare down at you from 54 different peaks. to spent before heading to the homeland of the Philippines, I considered options of what to do for a few days: the full moon party in southern Thailand, relaxing at the posh apartment of my friends for the week in Bangkok (which was really attractive) or heading east for a few days to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Even with the complexity of getting to Siem Reap in Cambodia, I decided on a whim to give it a shot and headed for the bus station to put it all together. It’s said that there is some type of corruption and an implicit deal with some airline and guest houses to make the trip painful, which I wanted to avoid. So, it was a taxi to the bus station, 5 hour bus to the border town of Aranya Prathet, tuk-tuk across the border and taxi the final 4 hours across the poverty of rural Cambodia to Siem Reap. The road was a bad dirt road littered with potholes that made for an uncomfortable and long ride which should have taken 1.5 hours on a smooth road (oh well, such is travel!). Cambodia reminded me of a wounded animal seeking shelter: beaten
Decorated Buddha, Angkor Wat
The spiritual inner core of the temple. but not broken, still walking with a slight limp but strutting proud nonetheless and continuing to search for shelter; Cambodians today are shedding the wrongs of the past for a better tomorrow in the heat and corruption of the early 21st century.
The next morning, I knew why the trip was worth it: I woke up before dawn and watched the sun rise at Angkor Wat. It was one of the most spiritual moments I had this past year, sitting in the quiet pre-light dawn at the top of the temple, making out the bas-relief stone carvings at the center tepmle of a complex civilization that dominated the region hundreds and hundreds of years ago, well before the nightmare of the late 20th century Cambodia to include Pol Pot. As the light came up, I went in to explore the inner sanctum where the statues of Buddha are located in very small quarters once reserved for gods and kings, complete with a stairway screaming vertigo and all sorts of carvings depicting gods, battles and dancers.
Over the next few days, I got a full sampling of many of the temples of Angkor Wat with my private
Vertigo bar at sunset
Probably the best view I have seen in SE Asia, overlooking Bangkok. moto guide, Chin. We explored Bayon (with the 216 faces of Avalokiteshvara), the Terrace of Elephants at dusk, Baphuon, Ta Prohm (where they filmed Tomb Raider) and others. While the initial awe wore off a bit, I was still amazed at everything the ancient Khmers had built in honor of their god-kings, who seemed to want to one-up one another back in their day. Even with some of the destruction by past regimes, the restoration projects are well worth the visit, as evidenced by Bill Clinton’s visit the day before I went. While there, I also cruised through the town and on to the lake, where entire tribes of people live in poverty- a sign not uncommon in Cambodia because of the massive political and social problems of the past. It really did sadden me many times to peer into the lives of these poor people and the kids constantly hawking things.
I did get back to Bangkok for the weekend there and got to do a few special things before leaving, most notable going with Dave and Min to the top of the Banyan at sunset, the bar/ restaurant on the 59th floor- an incredible view and
The life in Meyong-Deong
We stayed in the heart of it all in Seoul. a must do in Bangkok! It was a perfect last night out in Bangkok to with the night markets, a big, fun Indian dinner and advice on tackling Australia in the coming weeks. But it was time to push off to a destination I had long been planning: the home country of my father, the Philippines- and a place beckoning me back for years.
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Michelle Kachure
non-member comment
Hi Rick, Just wanted to drop a quick note to say Hi and Happy Holidays. I look forward to reading of your adventures. I hope this note finds you well. Stay safe,God Bless! Grubba