A Bouquet of Spring

Because photo collaborations with Annabelle are hardly not inspiring. Always happy to shoot the favourite friend.

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Osaka and Surrounds Part 2

The second half of the trip was with Brandon. Through him, I met a new friend, Marin as well. Prior to that though, Brandon and I spent a day roaming around Kyoto, particularly the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Nijo Castle.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest has no doubt been on my bucket list. It was so surreal finally being there itself. Yes, there were tons of tourists because we had a rather late start, but that did not dampen the mood nor take away the beauty of the place. I have to admit that it was places like these that make me choose to travel to Osaka rather than Tokyo, and I have to say it was really worth it.

It was out second day of Kyoto when Marin joined us. Bringing us to tourist spots and good sushi, she embodied the reason why it is good to have a local friend to show you around (similar to Yumi!). She was also present to introduced good ramen to us at Nara the following day.

I have to put it out that by the halfway mark of the trip, I have already fallen in love with where I was staying. It was so peaceful and quiet, it kind of reminded me of Tasmania, and oh how I miss Tassie. That being said, the last full day, being the day we travelled to Nara, was the hardest. It was so painful to leave Tamatsukuri, but it is through this that made me certain that I will be back. Heck, even if I stay somewhere else in the future, I will probably still take a train ride to Tamatsukuri just for a coffee or whatever. It has already become a hot spot for me.

That doesn’t take away the pain of leaving that area and my holiday. Until now I still think of Japan and the places I have been to, both the places I went when I was travelling solo and the places Brandon dragged me along to (yes, that mountain in Nara). I would give up three quarters of my savings to relive these moments and soak them all in again. I still look back at the pictures and videos, but nothing beats being there itself, breathing the cool air and gazing at the sights with your own two eyes.

Phenomenology, that’s what it is.

Pictures from phone:

Pictures from DSLR

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Osaka and Surrounds Part 1

I have some free time now, so I guess I should talk about the Japan trip earlier in October.

Honestly, this trip was planned way back in February this year. Back then, things seemed pretty rosy and nice. I got my first job in the architecture field since getting my degree, my pay was decent, I had a great and patient boss, and I had work-life balance, something I feared I would have to give up upon entering this line of work.

Unfortunately things kind of went downhill. It almost seemed like this trip wasn’t going to happen, which tends to be the case when you hype things up too much. I’ve had too many experiences with that. Even my parents were telling me not to go anymore, but I refused to listen. This was something to reward myself; to get away from it all and relax. There is no point pushing yourself to the point of emotional collapse. Make no mistake, times are still stressful for me, and it is even more so that this Japan trip proved to be a much needed breather in my life.

Amazingly it would seem, this was also my first solo trip. Okay technically I traveled with Brandon during the second half of the trip, but the initial plan was to go solo all along, with occasional meet ups with my Japanese friends there. I still had the solo days, and they were great. I could go wherever I wanted to go – places where no one else would be keen on going; and I could choose not to go to places where most people would have wanted to pay visits to. I traveled and figured out the train lines in Osaka by myself, at my own pace. It was so relaxing yet the energy and motivation gathered from the travelling mood got me going as well.

Part 1 is mostly about Osaka itself, there is no point talking about each and every place I visited, so I’ll talk the main points. I was glad I was able to pace myself well and figure out the locations of places well enough. It was also a good thing I knew basic Japanese I guess. While there were still communication breakdowns, I was glad that they were limited. That being said, the last full day in Osaka itself was spent with Yumi, a friend whom I have not seen since December 2012. I have caught up with her via Facebook a couple of times and even Skyped her once, but it was still so good seeing her again. Ordering food and just getting my points across has never been easier since she was there to do all the talking for me. I also caught up with Brandon, whom I woud travel with for the 2nd half of the trip. Last but not least, I met up with Rumi as well. Another one whom I have not met since December 2012, she was another face I was glad to see.

My Airbnb was located in the quiet little suburb of Tamatsukuri. I am certain that it is due to my 2 years in Launceston that I have an affinity for such quaint places. There really isn’t much going on there. I kick off my mornings with coffee and cigarettes at the Lawson Station which is just a stone’s throw away from where I stayed and off I went on a new adventure for 8 days. That was how I ended most nights as well.

I have always described the solo travel part of my trip as therapeutic, but I have also realized one more thing – I felt free.

Photos from phone:

Photos from DSLR:

Video:

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