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General Santos City, a relatively small metropolis sitting on the coast of Sarangani Bay, 600 miles south of Manila, in the back-end of the Mindanao region, is called by many as the Tuna Capital of Asia.

The lively, throbbing environment of General Santos has tuna as its main product.  It accounts for a big chunk in the global tuna market.  From its single airport, huge amounts of processed Yellowfin, Bigeye, and Skipjack tuna are sent to markets worldwide.

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The story of this city began in 1939, when General Paulino Santos, along with a small group of people, settled on these shores.  Reminiscent of the American old Western pioneering spirit, he tamed the land and established the district of Buayan.  It was renamed the municipality of General Santos nine years later.

“GenSan,” as locals and Filipinos may call it, became a city in 1968.  It was frequently attacked by terrorists.  Mindanao, the region where GenSan is located, was called the “Marlboro Country” of the Philippines for its rugged terrain and chaotic nature.  The 70’s and the 80’s saw the height of Islamic separatist movements making this a frequent battleground for government and rebel soldiers. 

 Times have changed.  Now, the region of Mindanao generally basks in a peaceful atmosphere.  In GenSan, success usually comes with the smell of fish—tons of fresh fish.  From sunup to sundown, the fishport hums with activity. Basket and tubs of five-foot long specimens of marlin and tuna are hauled from the pump boats into the nearby selling areas by porters.  Some fishermen who own vessels operate independently.  Others work for a number of big fishing companies who have set up shops in the city.

Inspectors representing different companies go around the wharf looking for prospective buys.  The tuna is then checked for its meat quality: Grade A, B, and C. Grade A being the most tender. 

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After transactions are done, the fishes are then delivered to the respective clients.  Some of the fish are cut into pieces then vacuum packed, or blast-frozen for the Japanese, American, and European sashimi markets.  Others are sliced into chunks and canned. 

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Everything about the tuna is edible.  Nothing goes to waste.  The fins and the bones are ground into fishmeal.  The heads can be cooked grilled or as a soup dish – a unique Filipino delicacy.

The locals are proud of their tuna. Most diners boast of their own tuna specialties.  The words “fish” or “tuna” are prominently displayed outside most food shops.  It would be ludicrous to visit General Santos without sampling their local pride. 

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Arriving in late December 2005, I was horrified to hear of the Cronulla race riots occurring earlier this month, involving Lebanese and ‘white’ Australian youths. Cronulla beach is a central social point for the various surrounding communities, including Lakemba, where a large Lebanese Muslim population resides. I wasn’t originally aware of Sydney’s diverse population, let alone the discrimination within it, but I was quickly subjected to the racial tensions floating uncomfortably, but prominently amongst too many locals.

* A Tribute to the Cabramatta Pailau Beautification Association*

I refused to accept such hostility as the consensus for the whole population and so I headed to Cabramatta, a nearby west-Sydney suburb that was once the target for Southeast Asian immigrants, drug dealers and political warfare. Five years ago, anyone could have stepped off the train in Cabramatta and openly purchased heroin…this was no secret, it was a known fact, and the problem was actively overlooked by police officers in order to keep the crime rate down. Finally, when some officers refused to continue turning a blind eye, action was taken to reinstate law and order, and now locals can walk the streets in safety.

The picture painted by the tarnished reputation is no longer valid. As I walked around this oriental wonderland, my eyes were met with colourful shop fronts and bustling market scenes; there was so much life, so much vitality, the air oozed warmth and welcome. Sweltering spices clung to my nostrils and foreign cries burst into my ears, I had been magically transported to an Asian marketplace and my senses were on fire. Dirty drug deals and violent gangs had no place here.

*Cabramatta – Marketplace*

The most radical decision in combating the Cabramatta crime problem was to move police officers to live in the area. They became a part of the community and this led to a genuine understanding of the culture and a sincere desire to help. A similar interaction took place in the creation of the Cabramatta Pailau Beautification Association when local governments and ethnic councils fused forces to totally re-design the face of Cabramatta. Giant decorative archways now welcome visitors into the central plaza, and at every corner, a monument remembers the refugee history of many of the residents. Such improvements not only encouraged visitors and helped eradicate old stereotypes, but more importantly they gave residents an identity and confirmed their contribution to multi-cultural Sydney, as one grinning girl told me, “…here I can be myself, here I have a place…”

*Cabramatta – central square*

Cabramatta is now the place to go for an authentic Asian experience and the residents are flourishing because of their own ethnicity. Attention need now be turned towards such suburbs as Lakemba, as, since the Cronulla race riots, the Lebanese Muslim community continues to be the focus for racial hostilities.

Visiting Lakemba in person dissolved all my previous apprehensions generated by media misrepresentation and stereotypes. I had arranged to meet a member of the Lebanese Muslim Association and as I spoke to him, another perspective materialised. It seems there has been a long underlying disapproval towards the Lebanese population, with demands for them to ‘go home’, and the Cronulla race riots were an explosion of this. I discussed this with my new Muslim friend, who told me that his brother didn’t even have a Lebanese passport, ‘…he can’t go live in Lebanon, he’s not a citizen, he came to me and said, “people are saying ‘go home’, where do I go? I’ve never been outside Australia”, everything about him is Australian.’ Immersion in this community instantly exposed the falsity of general attitudes – smiles were abundant in the streets, a comfortable, quiet atmosphere floated all around and animated cricket conversations were at the ready.

Although the Australian Government passed a Multicultural Policy Statement in 1999, it seems the pledge to ‘promote community harmony and social cohesion’ is not being honoured. An identity is already recognised for Lebanese Muslim’s, but it is attached with a damaging stigma. Only through education can the image be changed, and, despite its limited resources, the Lebanese Muslim community is making all the effort, with little support from local councils. Multicultural harmony is an image Australia wishes to publicize, but its actual existence is questionable.

The integration of cultures led to understanding and acceptance in Cabramatta, Lakemba needs revamping too. Visitors could explore the latest slice of Sydney, residents could proudly identify with a significant suburb and grinning girls could be themselves again. Assimilation is a two way operation and it’s time the finger stopped pointing at Muslim’s at every sign of antagonism, surely the masses can recognise media hype by now, lets show a little ingenuity.

Visitors to Sydney have not one country to experience, but a whole multitude, so to get the true picture a breakdown of the tourist barrier is required. Without such effort, the reality is missed and the local life passes by, unnoticed behind tinted hotel windows and within shielded taxi-cabs. As outsiders, visitors could help bridge the gap in this impressively diverse population and give travel a whole new meaning… instead of being deterred by racial prejudice, visitors can see these places, meet these people, and watch the misconceptions wash away. The people are the essence of this city, it’s their distinctive cultures and exceptional cuisines that give Sydney its living flesh. If you don’t experience the people, you don’t experience Sydney, so give the beach a miss today and see where the train takes you.

The mosque is about 10 minutes out of the city (in good traffic!). Any taxi driver will be happy to take you there. You can head out towards the Maqta or the Mussafah Bridge, in an easterly direction, and you will not miss this amazing building as it takes up the complete space between the two roads.

The construction is largely of marble and gold – and this is real marble and real gold! Tonnes of it! The building is centred around a tiled courtyard and has colonnades of marble and gemstone inlays. The workmanship is supreme and reflects the importance and reverence the largely Muslim contingent of workers have lovingly placed into every detail. The design of the buildings and the decoration is understated and yet overplayed, and still magnificently eyecatching.

As you enter from the courtyard you will pass prayer halls on either side. One is a women’s prayer hall and the other I believe is for VIPs. They are both exceedingly beautiful. The Main prayer hall will, without doubt, render you speechless and inspire you to absolute quiet and reverence. It contains the largest hand made carpet in the world. It has chandeliers of Swarovski crystals and gold that weigh up to 10 tonnes and are nothing short of spectacular. The main wall of the mosque is cultured mother of pearl layers with sunlight filtering through spaces that are in the shape of Arabic text representing the 99 different names for Allah.  The place generates calm and peace and spirituality in a way no Christian church I have visited has been able to – and, no, I am not Muslim, I just know when I have been exposed to complete spirituality, albeit dressed in absolute opulence.

If you visit the UAE this is the premier attraction. Nothing touches it in terms of its value to the nation, the people, their culture and their religion. Do not miss it! Women are required to wear an abbaya and shayla (long black dress and headscarf) and they are readily availbale at the entrance. If you would prefer not to borrow the local garb then come dressed appropriately – all parts of your body must be covered and also your head. It would be a shame to miss seeing this because you were not prepared to go with local custom. 

As you approach the main entrance to the temple, which is on the Qin Huai river side, you will walk through arcades of shops and souvenir sellers. In addition to the shops and souvenirs there are some very interesting tea houses and places that sell Chinese artifacts. Be careful with the artifacts, the Chinese have mastered the art of counterfeit and you can be talked into buying a truly ancient antique that was manufactured a couple of blocks away last week! Having said that there are some interesting purchases for souvenir hunters and half the fun is determining the price. Be ruthless and threaten to walk out if you don’t get your price. The other thing to keep in mind is that the shop assistants work on commission and a few yuan makes a lot of difference to their pay packet and probably not much difference to your pocket – be a little generous, most people in China do it pretty tough.

There are men with rickshaws who will take you on a short tour of the area – be ready to haggle for a bargain! And you can wander along the banks of the river and have a coffee or a tea. Boats are available to tour the river and you will be quite surprised just what you will see along the way.

The entrance to the temple is through a large, ornate gateway leading into a courtyard featuring statues of the disciples of Confucius. This courtyard then leads into the Kongzi Academy which was an administration school where Chinese scholars sat tests to enter government positions. At one stage there were thousands of students in the academy. The Japanese all but destroyed the area in 1937 when they took Nanjing. It was a brutal assault and the buildings have mostly been rebuilt based on the older foundations.

On the other side of the academy there is a courtyard which is devoted to Confucius and also a Museum of very lovely and intricate jade sculptures.

Take an afternoon in your intinerary in Nanjing to visit the Confucius temple. You will not be disappointed. AND for the really devoted tourist you can dress in traditional costume and have your photo taken – but maybe I will leave that till another time!

The cable car is now quite old but it appears sturdy and there is a safety office for inspecting the cable car and it’s workings. It felt a little unsafe as I climbed on the seat but what intrepid traveler gives up on the opportunity to get to the top of the mountain in 30 minutes rather than walking for hours?

There was not a lot of traffic on the cable car. It seemed most of the locals had decided to walk. At 60 yuan per person that decision could be an economic one for many Chinese families.

On reaching the summit it became obvious that this is a very popular meeting place for the young  people of Nanjing. There were masses of people sitting around eating, drinking and chatting. And there were a few young men practicing archery, shooting and throwing darts. Mobile phones are as popular here as they are anywhere else in the world!

As we descended it became very clear (or not so clear) that Nanjing is a rather polluted city as are many in China. We could barely see the lake at the foot of the mountain and the city was shrouded in smog. This was on a clear autumn day at the end of a holiday week.

The lake is dotted with five islands and each of these has a history in legend. Chinese families enjoy the use of their parks and lakes and you will find it is a popular place for Chinese people to spend  the weekend.

The islands can be accessed by hiring small electric cars, boats or by walking. They are all inter connected with pathways and bridges. A convoy of electric open busses circles the park at an alarming rate so watch out for them as you amble along the paths!  There are many boat operators who will hire you a boat to drive yourself (pedal or electric) or you can cruise the lake with a driver taking the boat through the arched bridges and around the islands.

Legend has it that a large black dragon came to the lake one day when the clouds were settling low. There are also some stories concerning snakes and turtles that are said to live in the lake. The waters of the lake are now quite polluted, probably not a home for much marine life at all, more or less a large dragon. However there will always be a number of people fishing along the shores and they set up tents and spend the better part of the day picnicking in small groups. It is a lovely family environment.

There is a garden sculpture that depicts 2 dragons fighting and a large sculpture of a female in Buddhist regalia surrounded by children. I have not been able to find the significance of this statue and fountain but it is quite impressive.

Kite flyers can be found on sunny days with slight wind. Watching a string of hundreds of kites rise into the summer sky is quite spectacular.

There are a number of roadside restaurants and cafes dotted through the park.

All in all a lovely way to spend an afternoon in Nanjing.

Suzhou is a city of canals, gardens, pagodas and bridges. If you want to experience traditional Chinese accommodation you can stay in a hutong. Traditional Chinese communities are built around a series of courtyards and alleyways. A hutong is a hotel that has taken the traditional setting and converted it into accommodation for travelers. These photos are of the Pingjiang Lodge Hutong. The rooms are comfortable with large (though relatively hard) beds, a modern bathroom with toilet, washbasin, shower and bath that are well maintained and clean.

The Pingjiang Lodge is located on the edge of the canal in the Pingjiang District quite close to the city centre. It has a modern restaurant and coffee shop just across the street from the main entrance to the hutong.

Although there are many attractions in Suzhou this traveler only spent two days there and will certainly be returning for more exploring.

As you stroll the street next to the canal in Pingjiang, which I believe is called Pingjiang Lu (Lu is Road), you will come across delightful tea houses and local restaurants specialising in the local cuisine. There are also some coffee shops and boutiques that are very ritzy. If you choose to have tea or coffee on the edge of the canal you can watch as the boatmen  (and women) guide punt style boats along the canal. As they pass you can hear the driver singing traditional Chinese songs to the passengers. In this area there is an active branch of a Chinese Opera Society and if you are lucky you will catch them providing a performance on the banks of the canal, in full operatic regalia.

At the end of the canal you will find the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the largest public garden in Suzhou and certainly a very beautiful place with lakes and bridges and fabulous displays of lotus and bonsai.  The garden is actually not very large and you can easily walk around it in an hour or so. It was quite crowded for the holiday weekend. The Chinese really enjoy their parks and gardens and take full advantage of good weather to visit these delightfully scenic gardens.

Another outing not to be missed in Suzhou is a trip on a boat along the large canal that forms the city moat around the older part of the town. As you cruise along the canal you will see right into the homes and businesses of the townspeople. It is an interesting peek into an ancient culture. There are 14 bridges between the city and the pagoda riverboat station at Tiger Hill. The trip takes about an hour and the photographic opportunities are just constant as you cruise by the bridges, temples, houses, shops schools and gardens.

This writer will be returning to Suzhou often to see the attractions that could not fit into one far too tiny weekend. 

Food

Japan has a huge variety of foods. When people think of Japan, they usually imagine fish. There is definitely a lot of fish in Japan but there are also at least six other styles of food, from fried pork cutlets to barbecued pork noodle soups…

Tonkatsu: This form of Japanese cuisine is fried pork cutlet. Tender pork is fried in breadcrumbs in various forms, including: filled with spring onion, plain fried pork and filled with prawn.

Ramen: One of my favourite. Large bowls of tasty chicken, beef or vegetable stock (soup). These bowls are piled high with your choice of thick or thin noodles. The thick noodles are called udon and the thin vermicelli noodles are called ramen noodles. Thinly sliced barbecued pork, beef or chicken is added along with ginger, spring onions and sometimes chilli. Probably the most hunger satisfying dish, ramen is often served with duck, chicken or vegetable gyoza, which is a crescent shaped parcel, often steamed and soft at the top but crispy at the base. Eat these with chilli sauce for a spicy treat.

Kaiseki: Most common in traditional Japanese ryokans (inns), this type of meal is not hard to find in Tokyo but is invariably quite expensive. A many course traditional Japanese meal which consists of tiny plates with intricate designs of fish and vegetables. One may find, for example, a slice of salmon on a bed of Japanese pickle topped with salmon roe and fish sauce. Dishes are a lot more imaginative than this, but only true fish lovers and curious travellers should try this as a number of the courses can involve various fish parts, including heads, eyes and tails.

Sushi: Thinly sliced pieces of raw fish are either served alone or in seaweed parcels with rice. There are many combinations of sushi with odd ingredients such as fish eggs and sometimes sea urchin, a yellow paste. Sushi restaurants are very common in Tokyo.

Yakiktori: This type of cooking is where skewers of chicken or other meats are dipped in a thick sauce and grilled before being served. Sometimes the plain meat is put on skewers however more commonly used is the unwanted parts of the animal. Gizzards, wombs and cartilage are turned into a rich, saucy dish.

Tempura: Tempura is the name of the batter that various objects are deep-fried in. Despite the word “Deep” fried, the object is usually visible through the thin batter. Crunchy vegetables, fish and prawns are served with various sauces including sweet chilli or sesame.

Shabu-shabu: This style of cooking is exciting, healthy and a real experience in itself. Look at the section about Ginza for my favourite shabu-shabu restaurant. The story behind this restaurant is that I was walking through the streets of Ginza, very hungry indeed and I noticed the sign for this restaurant outside the shopping arcade. I went in and the food was a very decent price. The food was also delicious. I don’t even know the name but I go back there whenever I am in Ginza. I have been there 4 times now. It has become a tradition. What is shabu-shabu though? Named after the supposed sound the chopsticks make while swishing through the water during the meal, wafer thin raw meat is put on a plate, usually beef and pork. There is a pot of boiling water in front of you. After a piece of raw thin meat is put in, it cooks after about 20 seconds. The meat is then eaten while your designated waitress continuously offers free refills of iced tap water (Japan water is safe to drink and you will crave it after trawling the humid Tokyo streets in summer), rice, vegetables, delicious sesame sauce and chilli oil. By the end of the meal, you will always be filled to the brim… Guaranteed! Oh, and when you have cooked all your spring onions, lettuce, mushrooms, noodles and meat the boiling water is seasoned with pepper and chilli oil before being poured into a bowl and drunk as a delicious soup.

Teppan-yaki: If you like steak or seafood, this would be ideal. Although many teppan-yaki restaurants are expensive, there are a few well-priced ones, you have to find them first though. I recommend “Pandora’s steakhouse” in Shinjuku, near the Main Post Office. You sit at the bar counter with a huge flat metal grill in front of you. Sit and watch as master chefs prepare your food on the grill before your very eyes. Juicy steaks and garlic rice, chilli squid and bok choy. This is definitely worth trying.

Planning Transport

Before you leave for Japan, you will obviously need to have decided where you will go. I suggest using Tokyo as a starting point, but you can use the rest of this guide to help you decide if you would like to start somewhere else. The reason I am going to start with Tokyo is because Narita is a major and easily accessible airport. I also assume that after the 11 hour flight (from London Heathrow), the last thing you will want to do is travel further. However Narita is still a 90 minute journey by either bus or train. There is a very convenient shuttle bus which will take you from Narita airport to various places around Tokyo, direct to your hotel. You can find out in more detail about the various routes the bus takes by asking your hotel concierge. There is also a train which leaves from Narita. Tickets are obtainable at the airport. Or you could buy N’ex (Narita express) tickets using this combination whereby you can save money on both Narita express fares and the cost of a Suica card (please see next paragraph)

For a beginner in Tokyo, getting around can seem rather daunting. Another aim of this guide is to help you with general transport within Tokyo. One option is to simply take taxis around. However this is very costly and besides, where’s the fun in that? For a real adventure, I would highly recommend buying a Suica card. This is a multi-use pre-pay card which works in a similar way to a London Oyster card. Top-up this card with money and then scan it as you enter and as you leave stations. It can also be used in certain convenience stores in stations, as well as in some taxis. It is extremely useful and I would say a requirement for navigating around Tokyo painlessly. In the long run, it saves both money and time as it only takes two seconds to scan it each time and each journey costs 150-300 yen). For those with enough money to spare, buying a JR rail pass is suggested. There are two main rail services in Tokyo, just as there is the underground and national rail in London. JR rail passes are not expensive, and using the JR lines have many additional stations, including the extremely useful Yamanote line, which takes a large circle through many of the main places of interest in central Japan.

A couple of items which are really worth getting hold of: a Tokyo subway map, a JR rail map and a general map of Tokyo. Both Tokyo subway trains and JR rail trains leave often and one of the things I find most astonishing about Japan is how precise the timings are. You can be almost positive that the train will leave to the minute. On some occasions, I have even seen subway trains leave to the second! Check google images for Tokyo subway map and Tokyo JR rail map. Once you have all of the maps, you will find that navigating around one of the most densely populated cities in the world is easier than you think.

Places of Interest

In this section, I will recommend a few places to see and give a brief overview of each area. I will try not to tell too much as most of the fun is exploring for yourself. However I have obviously not listed everywhere in Tokyo as that would take days, months. Use the subway to explore more areas of Tokyo as you please.

Shinjuku: This is my favourite area to explore i.e. walk around backstreets to find sleazy ramen restaurants (see food section). This area is home to the skyscraper district and also one of the best places for nightlife. Very easily accessible by subway and on the JR Yamanote line (see transport section) and central to Tokyo.

Ginza: This area is great for shopping, with an apple technology store and a major toy shop called Hakuhinkan. In the toy shops in Tokyo, the Japanese have turned the edimame bean into a cute, fluffy toy. Edimame towels, chopsticks, bouncy balls, stuffed dolls and other merchandise are a must-see. My favourite shabu-shabu restaurant (mentioned in the food section) can be found on the middle/upper floors of Ginza core, a minor shopping arcade near the main Ginza crossroads. I highly recommend walking up and down the main Ginza street a couple of times, although it is about a kilometre long.

Akihabara: This is the technology centre of Tokyo. Anyone who is interested in cameras, computers, gaming, music etc. should go here. There are many technology shops, technology markets with tiny stalls selling things which are not available in other countries. Akihabara also contains my favourite shop, Yodobashi camera. There are many branches of this shop, however out of the 5 that I have been to, this is the best one by far. Yodobashi is very near Akihabara station (see a subway map online), which is on the silver Hibiya line. This amazing shop has about seven floors of pure heaven in technology. One floor is dedicated to cameras, another to computers, another to CDs and DVDs, another to Televisions and the hidden surprise, there is a tower records on the top floor, a successful Japanese CD shop.

Omote sando and Takeshitadori: Omote sando is the fashion district of Tokyo. The main street here is filled with exciting Japanese brands. There is not much else I can say about this area because the best way to find out about this street is to walk up the main street. Takeshitadori is very close by. This is the main fashion street in Japan. It is where hundreds of teenagers hang out in their original outfits. All the wild and wacky fashion trends start here. Highly recommended because when you arrive there, you feel like you are on a completely different planet. When I was there, I walked up and down Takeshitadori three times. It takes roughly 10 minutes to walk up Takeshitadori, that is without stopping.

Shibuya: This is the shopping district in Tokyo. This is where you can find the Shibuya crossing, the world’s busiest zebra crossing. Photographers and interviewers can be seen talking to random people off the streets. Another tower records is situated nearby. This branch of tower records has eight floors. Numerous other shops include loft, a huge department store which has a vast range of stationery and toys. Always packed with people, Shibuya is one of the most vibrant and lively places to visit.

Roppongi: This is an interesting place to walk around. The restaurant “Gonpachi” inspired the creation of the gruesome scene in “Kill Bill.” Gonpachi is a nice restaurant near Roppongi which sells ramen and yakitori. Probably most famous is the shopping mall, “Roppongi Hills.” The grand Hyatt has a delicious, but extremely pricey teppanyaki restaurant. If you are not prepared to spend up to £100 per person, then don’t go. However Roppongi Hills shopping centre has some very interesting shops and definitely worth going to.

Using the JR Rail pass to access other parts of Japan

If you buy a JR Rail pass, you will be able to access other parts of Tokyo using the shinkansen, in other words bullet train. There are three types of shinkansen: Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi. Kodama is the slowest and stops at all stations. Hikari is the medium-fast train which skips all minor stations and Nozomi is the fast one. As well as only stopping at the largest stations, the Nozomi also travels 10% faster, meaning that on the longest journey which is 6 hours, it saves about 40 minutes. The Nozomi cannot be used for free with a JR rail pass and extra fees must be paid, but the other two trains which travel at around 200kmph are included in the JR rail pass price. See the section on other locations for ideas about where to travel to in Japan.

Creating an Ideal Trip to Japan with Balanced Ideas

A whole fortnight in Japan just shopping can get boring and expensive. For this reason it is important to balance the trip in the following categories: Religion, Shopping, Museums, Relaxing. Even if you may find museums rather boring, it is still important to go to a couple, because not only do you learn quite a lot, you will leave Japan with fond memories. You may not think so, but your feelings about Japan after you leave are very important as well. Use Tokyo as the shopping part of the trip, but I would suggest Kyoto as the religion category as there you will find some of the most stunning architecture in the shinto Buddhist temples. You can use any spa or hotel room to relax in but this is very important as you probably don’t want your trip to be too rushed and you should unwind for an hour or so every day in the spa or swimming pool.

Locations

Kyoto: This is an ideal place if you want to learn about Japanese culture. Kyoto is home to some of Japan’s most spectacular temples and pagodas. I suggest staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan here, for a Japanese village feel. A ryokan is a Japanese inn. There are no beds. Instead you sleep on matresses on tatami mats and paper windows. You are also given the opportunity in some ryokans to experience a Japanese hot bath or even an onsen, which is a hot springs pool. Kyoto is also a place where Geisha sightings are common. Go to Gion, where Japanese women in traditional dress and with completely white faces walk around together. Traditionally geishas were supposed to keep men happy by pouring their tea, bowing to them, dancing for them etc.

Nagoya: There are quite a few places to visit here like Nagoya castle. But by far the best time to go is when the national Sumo competition is held, which is every year in July. This is a fascinating experience where you can watch professional sumo wrestlers in the semi-finals or finals. You sit on purple mats in little square rings. This year it was held in a gym. Japanese culture in this way is completely different and you will be amazed by it. Something extraordinary happens at the end of a sumo competition, which I will leave for you to find out. Aside from the sumo, I suggest walking down the main streets in Nagoya: Hirokoji-dori (Hirokoji street) and Sakura-dori (Sakura street). Look in some of the shops at your leisure.

Hiroshima: This is where the first atomic bomb was used in the second world war. This bomb forced Japan to surrender after causing a horrifying amount of damage. I don’t think you can truly understand how much pain and suffering this bomb caused until you visit the Hiroshima museum and memorial. This is a fascinating yet harrowing museum which teaches about atomic bombs, the type of damage caused and the plane that dropped it, the “Enola Gay.” Before going to this museum I did not know of such a thing as a fourth degree burn, not before seeing pictures of children with skin burned so much that it had actually charred and turned black. After the museum, visit the eternal flame, a flame which is constantly lit in memorial of the dead. There is an air of unrest and unease at the same time as peace when you stand and look at it.

Image from www.dailytelegraph.com

The world was emerging from a period of war. Prosperity was the hallmark of the west. Consumerism was emerging as the new religion in the West. The industrialists were gaining ground and rebuilding economies and in China Mao Zedong was realising his socialist dreams. The year is 1949. 

An interesting timeline of China’s history as a republic is promoted by China Highlights. 

Across the country people will take a few days to celebrate and that means Chinese railway stations will be packed. All the large cities are preparing for celebrations and as you move around China today you will see hedges being clipped and lights being set up in trees. China will sparkle for this anniversary and the weather in China at the moment is spectacular. It is Autumn and this writer is enjoying warm and breezy days in Nanjing.

Image from www.dailytelegraph.com

The National Day Parade in Beijing will have a mass pageant with the theme “The Motherland and I Marching together” and a military parade will celebrate and

“highlight the accomplishments China has made in its defense sector in the past six decades, showcase China’s resolution to safeguard world and regional peace and stability, and demonstrate the spiritual outlook of the mighty, civilized and peace-seeking army” from China Highlights

Image from www.dailytelegraph.com

Hong Kong will host fireworks and a light extravaganza over Victoria Harbour on the evening of the 1st October. The former British Protectorate was handed back to China on the 1st July 1997. Hong Kong is now considered a jewel in China’s crown, especially since the more relaxed approach to capitalism has influenced the recent Chinese economy.

It may be too late to book your ticket for the celebrations, so don’t forget Shanghai will be hosting the World Expo next year in May to October 2010. Come on over to China – the Chinese really know how to host a celebration.

At Newnes you can camp or stay in quaint and comfortable Dr Seuss-like cottages but I dream about the challenge of no running water and sleeping under the stars. Getting back to nature. Hiking through the magically overgrown ruins of a huge mining installation or along abandoned railway tracks, swallowed up by towering trees. Visiting obliging glow worms that twinkle 24/7 in their black tunnel high on a mountain at the end of a rain forest.

Ramparts and Ruins

However, we have an off road camper trailer. Built like a tank. Unfolds to a cottage sized establishment with a queen sized bed and the only concession to roughing it is that the walls are canvas and they are appropriately coloured green to give the impression of camping. There is a hot shower and a toilet, also residing in their own green dwelling, a transplanted en suite from the city to the bush. The kitchen gleams and turns out magnificently cultured cuisine that would hold its own in a city restaurant, but only if my husband is cooking. If I cook, the Rural Fire Service comes, sirens blaring, lights flashing, to put out the conflagration and lecture me on fire bans.

Geoffrey insisted on paying several thousand dollars extra for a completely off road camper trailer. It seemed irrelevant that our 4WD, which is intrinsic to his ability to do business, can not drive on really tough 4WD roads in case it is damaged. But in his defense we can go on relatively rough 2WD roads with total impunity, so we nearly justify the extra dollars spent. I guess it’s the dream that he “could” drive rough with the camper trailer if he wanted to, that is worth paying for. That’s where the camping industry gets you in…it’s the dream. But it’s still fun to pretend we’re camping.

We arrive at Newnes just before midnight after wending our way across the dark roads of the Blue Mountains and burrowing into the majestically close valley leading to Newnes. Towering stone ramparts march alongside the narrow, rutted dirt road. When we arrive the moon is out. Stars twinkle. Frogs make cracks in the silence. We startle a wombat when we turn into our camp site. He slowly raises his boofy head and turns it back in our direction so that his eyes rest malevolently on the car. He glares at us over his shoulder for four or five seconds before he sighs and stomps away in the direction of the river bank where he has a cavernous lair under the tree roots. We are used to each other. I wonder if he remembers that we bring carrots for him. We will make it up to you mate, honest. And we didn’t hit any of your cousins on the way down through the valley in the dark, I promise. The dead ones were hit by someone else.

The Valley

Our intention, because of the lateness of our arrival, was to just flip the top over and go to sleep then set up camp tomorrow. We didn’t want to disturb our landlord, Thomas, in his historic hotel just down the valley, but the dark is so bright and we are not tired, so one thing leads to another and before we know it we have a tent cottage, bathroom, the table and chairs are assembled in the dining room and there is a chair or two by the crackling fire. A huge silver tarpaulin covers the lot. God forbid we get the canvas damp.

Then we turn in for the night after a quiet cappuccino beside the rushing waters of the creek. The moon glistens in its silver and black swirling water as it hurries to the coast via the Colo River. It’s in a rush this time, the creek. Last time we camped here it was feeling lazy and looked almost like syrup slinking around rocks and bushes slyly, taking its time, not wanting to meet the sea for a while, but not being able to stop. It wouldn’t be long before it was full of our grandchildren, so we enjoyed this aspect of quietness just for tonight. Tomorrow, the onslaught. The swirls would be shattered into splashes. The wombat would be digging deeper into the bank to find some quiet. The resident dog, Bella, would be in there with the kids stirring up the sand and sending the red belly black snakes into the bush and away from the mayhem. But now, the silence was golden. Or silver, really.

The River in Daylight

My husband‘s motto is, ‘He who has the most toys wins”. We can barely move at home because of the profusion of gadgets that litter the floor and the shelves. The double garage is full to shoulder height in total squalor. There is so much stuff that when you want something you can’t find it, so you have to go and buy another one. Black tentacles of electrical wire and co-ax creep around our house, festooning the walls and cowering in dark corners behind tables and they make me physically phobic. I don’t know what you call the phobia where you feel crushed and beaten down by “things” but I have it. My husband will not admit my phobia is real. Like a typical boy, if he doesn’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist, so the frenzied collection of even more “things” continues day by day and day by day I am more overwhelmed.

I thought camping would be the answer. The simplicity. To me, camping is a tent that offers a little extra room in case of inclemency, a billy for a cup of tea, a frying pan, a light and a sleeping bag. Add food and a bottle of red, a plate and a cup and you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Instead, there is nothing at home that we haven’t got on the road. There wasone thing, but last year my sister in law declared that she had the perfect gift for us to take camping. Now we have a TV that is also a DVD player, runs on electricity, or battery and I’ll bet even wind power if necessary, takes memory cards from any camera and destroys the last vestige of freedom that I had. It was the icing on the cake of Clayton’s camping…the camping you do when you aren’t really camping.

We woke early and came out of our “tent” in the crisp, clean morning to say hello to Bella whose nose could be heard snuffling at the entrance to our establishment. There was a whistling sound and we were confronted by a stunned looking Thomas blowing air between his teeth in disbelief. “I awoke to find the Taj Mahal in my paddock and I thought I was dreaming until I walked across and it didn’t go away” he said in his beautiful German English. He was backing up to get a better perspective. We had bought a new tarpaulin and it was nearly half as big again as we had envisaged. It was silver to repel the sun and when Thomas woke in his historic hotel and glanced out his window to appreciate his unsullied domain, he was struck with the glare of the early morning sun reflecting off a square kilometer of silver canvas rising to majestic proportions in his home paddock. “And Mine Gott, its you! I should have known” he said, glancing at Geoffrey.

Thomas’s Historic Hotel

“We have our children and grandchildren coming” I said by way of explanation. “But you said you only had several children” he pointed out reasonably, both arms taking in the expanse of our small suburb. “Rain is predicted” I replied realistically, “they need space to play”. “I can see an international soccer match being played under such a canvas” Thomas said. Then he invited us to “Come and have coffee and we can watch it from the verandah” as though our humble erection was a spectator sport. We did and it really looked ridiculous but later when it rained he walked over to say that we should be happy to have so much dry space on a rainy day. And we were. If it kept on raining we could even pack up underneath it and not a drop of moisture would sully our canvas.

We had our hot shower overlooking the rushing river from whence the water came, trundled up the steep bank by Geoffrey, tipped into a large, folding camp bucket that held nearly 44 gallons, and delivered via a gas heater through a shower rose hanging like a chandelier from the ceiling of the green canvas bathroom. I shared it with a huge stick insect and Bella’s nose. There’s no getting away from anything in this cylindrical portable room and I had the opportunity to observe the insect closely during my shower. They are amazing. Its little head turned from side to side like a humans and at one point it skated across the soap with elegance and surety before landing on the other side and walking away in boredom. Outside, Geoffrey was deliberating on what sort of pump he could buy to get the water from the river to the bucket.

Bringing Up the Shower Water

Breakfast had been made and Thomas had delivered wood for the fire. Life couldn’t get much better.

“No I never see snakes” Thomas said when I asked about the huge red belly black I had seen bathing in the river below the Taj Mahal. “Bella has loud feet and if there were any they would most certainly depart before we came in sight” he explained.

The first family arrived. Geoff’s daughter and her husband who had never camped before. “We just saw a huge snake Poppy” the children said with saucer like eyes. “On the road” Peter said, “are there many here”? “Thomas never sees snakes” I replied, “…they must know where his boundary is”. Everyone looked relieved and I made a mental note to encourage Bella to spend as much time at our place as possible with her loud feet.

They arrived with a flat tyre and we all stood round looking at it. It was shredded so a new one would have to be bought but the children were impressed as they had only ever seen tyres that were round and that kept the wheel off the ground. Every thing’s an adventure out here in the wild.

Peter was captivated by the beauty of the place. The towering sandstone fortress-like cliffs and the peace of the bush. “All this for only $10 a night”?! He couldn’t believe it .

We put up their tent and went walking in the ruins of the huge shale oil plant that had been partly consumed by the bush over the last 100 years. Trees sprouted between enormous brick walls. A ruined row of kilns that looked like round hobbit houses marched along a ridge. There were about 100 of them in various stages of decay and the kids were wide eyed at the mystery and ruin and couldn’t figure out where the fairies were hiding. We looked for hours but didn’t find one.

Hobbit Holes

On our return Geoff went to his fridge. It takes up the entire luggage section of the Land Cruiser, and beer materialized. Then there was a crisp salad with an olive based dressing and the sun shone. We washed up at the kitchen sink and went swimming and hiking in the river. It had a sandy bottom with the odd large warm rock to linger on and holes of slightly deeper water to sit in. You could walk for miles and if you placed your feet carefully you only got wet up to your knees. It was a great place to take your chair, put it down under a dark shady branch, and sit in the cool running stream and read. With a cold beer in the can holder of the deck chair and a book in one hand, there wasn’t much wrong with the world. “All this for $10 a night” Peter said, shaking his head deliriously.

Because the valley was made in the shape of a U and about the same dimensions, there was only one way the wind could blow that really made it dangerous. “There will be a storm” Thomas announced “and it will come from that way” he said ominously pointing to “that” way. “Chust tie things down and I’ll check on you when it stops” he announced over his shoulder as he retreated to his historic hotel. At least that had stood for well over 100 years, so we knew that if the tents blew away we could shelter on the verandah.

The wind started to blow very suddenly as though the planet had just decided “Ok, lets have a storm, now”! We could hear a roar. Thought it was wind and quailed. But it was water and it was falling in solid sheets from the sky and marching down the valley towards us as though coming into battle. It was an “oh shit” moment. It hit literally with a thud. Naomi was in their tent with little Laura who was asleep. When it hit, the roof of the domed tent blew down to within a few centimeters of her head and she was lying on the bed on the floor. Unbelievable ferocity pummeled us and poured on us. Geoff and Peter spent 15 minutes tying things down in scuba diving conditions…they were wooping and hollering at the top of their voices…”quick over here” and you could hardly hear above the wind. The other granddaughter Emily and I were cowering together in a chair in the kitchen area of the Taj Mahal hugging each other and terrified of the screaming wind and streaming water which had risen to our ankles. The storm threw itself at us. It screamed and beat us with its fists and every second Emily and I said to each other from underneath our entwined arms which were over our heads “I wish this would stop, I wish this would stop” and after 15 minutes it did. And everything was still standing and the parts of the tents that had waterproof floors were dry.

The sun came out. “I can’t believe I only paid $10 for that” Peter said, grinning from ear to ear and squelching into the Taj Mahal. Thomas drove across the paddock. “I don’t swim well” he said by way of explanation, leering at our submerged neighbourhood. “Come and have coffee and we’ll watch it from the verandah” and by the time we’d finished our coffee at the historic hotel, the water had gone down.

Food is always good after adventure and while we went for a walk Geoff had dug out his multitudinous camp oven. It had lots of devices stacked inside and could cook in at least 5 different ways so we were welcomed back to the camp site by a delicious aroma that wafted through the wet undergrowth. It was reminiscent of grandma’s place on a Sunday. Roast Lamb. Surely not. It grabbed us by the nostrils and dragged us across the sodden paddock . We drifted back to the Taj Mahal like Zombies being summoned to a sacred rite. It was eaten in moments. Demolished. It was the more wonderful because it was ridiculous. No one should be able to produce something so ethereally beautiful from a blackened pot on a bed of coals.

They went home the next day then the next wave of family would arrive. They reluctantly piled into the car after Emily and Laura solemnly inspected all the tyres to make sure they were round. Just over the bridge they drove over a huge red belly black snake. I’ll bet it had been hovering there looking into Thomas’s estate and wishing it had the courage to come in, despite the loud feet of Bella…I’m glad the little girls didn’t see it after they drove over it.

The next mob arrived and we were excited to see them. Enya and Angie piled out of the car. “There’s a HUGE dead snake just over the bridge” they said. “We thought you said snakes didn’t come to Thomas’s place”.

“This is your tent”, I said to change the subject. “I promise it is totallywater proof. This is the hot shower and the toilet. This is how to turn on the party lights. We dine a Chez Geoff at 6.30 and the menu for tonight is baked pheasant and truffles followed by Chocolate Soufle with fresh, whipped cream.”

But that wasn’t to be.

Ahhh The Joys of Roughing It!

“Tonight is New Years Eve” Thomas announced in a master of ceremonies voice “Ve vill enchoy it on the verandah and watch the New year in if you vish. Bring a plate and your drinks. Others will come.” We did and they did. Grateful to be invited, we turned up. Son Carl, daughter in law Kerry and the 2 girls and we were joined by the United Nations. They came out of the bush in the dark like wraiths; drifting into the soft golden light of the old hotel which stood beside its row of 6 sparkling white porcelain toilets, each one covered by a narrow green cylindrical tent.

This building had seen many such New Years Eves in its long life and tonight it played host to people from Germany, Great Britain, Finland, Korea and Sydney.

Life goes on and on and on and we fade away whilst the buildings endure. Who really is the winner on this planet? I decided that in all this festive gathering, it was Thomas’s historic hotel. We were just visitors to this place who would eventually disappear whilst this hotel would go on hosting New Years Eves through generations of mere mortals. I could imagine what Peter would say if he was here, “Only $10 and all these nice people and this beautiful night”! Children chased each other under the trees in front of the hotel and Bella munched contentedly under the table, whilst in our absence the wombat nosed through the goodies in our kitchen at the Taj Mahal. Yeah, I reckon it was the best New Years ever and even Claytons Camping is worth doing.