Kyoto part 2

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Hey, you can't completed a visit to a town/ city without visit its kitchen!! The kitchen of Kyoto here is Nishiki - Ichiba ( ichiba means market ). This market is the main supply source for most of Kyoto chiefs. It is undercover and the stalls / shop here give you a feeling of a shop house not a market.





A shop owner prepare his goods

Waiting for customers

A traditional Japanese shop house

A kaiseki meal ( source : Internet )

:) Yes we didn't dare to tried Kyoto's signature meal. A Kaiseki meal may set us back at least A$ 150 per person. But we promise to our self : next time, yes next time we will pamper our self !! * wink wink *

My lunch set: an Udon bowl, a box combined rice, egg, rice cake and green.

Questions we used to hear when we decided to go to Japan were:Japan is so expensive !! Well, not really. You can save on accommodation by staying at one of Kyoto' guesthouse. Of course the price is higher than other Asia country but still affordable and so the standard. Hotels ' price are vary and to be honest I think it cheaper than New York city , and the service is far better than NYC .

Same apply to foods: If you like to eat Kobe beef or try a full Kaiseki meal every day, your bank account must good enough to not blink your eye when you got the bill.

But if you - like us - eating at restaurant locate on the top floor of any department store, or Udon shop/ stall and places around the train station's underground shopping arcade, or buy bento box from station or from supermarket (usually locate at department store's basement ) you won't burn a big hole in your pocket . It not means we just focus on saving and didn't give our self a feast

Hubby enjoyed our sukiyaki meal

Traditional decor of our private dining room ( sukiyaki )

The sukiyaki sizzling - Yummmm

Kyoto - part 1

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Our JAL flight from Saigon to Kyoto was a late flight, the schedule departure was 23:45 PM. Whilst our flight departed on time, we heard the anounce that the flight to Tokyo operated by Vietnam Airlines will delayed for 1 hour !! One hour delay !! at midnight ?? Thank to our travel agency in Sydney who booked us with JAL not VNA on this sector !!

Kinkaku - ji ( Silver pavilion )

The day after, we visited Silver pavilion, we took cab from Nanzen - ji , our first experience with Japanese taxi. Though we read many guide books, I still forgot the very first rule: the back door will close automatically by the driver so do not slam it . Result?? a stern look from the driver !! but the condition of the taxi was perfect, the seat was clean and the headrest covered by white lace!! even the driver wore white gloves !!

The raked sand in front of Kinkaku-ji



A trishaw at Nanzen-ji



The alley lead to Kinkaku - ji filled with stores : souvenirs, restaurants , tea houses , local delicacies



A restaurant on the way to Kinkaku - ji




The main gate of Nanzen- ji

Nijo - jo ( Nijo Castle )



We took the subway to get to Nijo Castle. Knowing for its nightingale floor , a special architecture that when you step on the floor, doesn't matter how gentle you try, the floor still sound a " chirping " noise as a bird and hence the name . This will alert the feudal when an enemy abrupt into the castle. Bright idea eh ?? You've got to try for yourself !!




Talking about subway, the amazing thing about its commuter was despite the train was full, seem no one pay attention at the other. They busied their own thing : reading, listen music, sleeping and playing games with their mobile phone!! So polite !!


Kyoto station 's passage way - Note the floor : How long since the last time you see a station floor as clean as this one??

Hanoi - Kunming part 2

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From Hanoi, we took the night train to Lao Cai. The journey was OK, train not too bad and we shared the cabin with two other members of our group: Mother and daughter whose has same age as mine and my daughter's, a great companion :). Immigration at the border was a breeze, although we saw a Westerner girl had some trouble with the Chinese officer.

At the other side of the border - Hekou ( Hakou ??) We were greeted by the tour guide and oh God she spoke Vietnamese like a ... You guessed it !! like a Vietnamese !! She was very good and took care for us during the trip without a fault!! Thank you Mrs Ping !!

Từ Hanội, chúng tôi đi xe lửa đêm đến Lào Cai, chuyến xe cũng ổn với chúng tôi và cùng chung cabin với 2 đòan viên là Mẹ con, 2 người cùng trùng tuổi với Ai Gia va con gái nên rất hòa hơp. Thủ tục xuất nhập cảnh tại biên giới dễ dàng, mặc dù có trông thấy 1 cô du khách tây phương gặp rắc rối phía di trú Trung Quốc.Qua biên giới thuộc về Hà Khẩu, chúng tôi được đón tiếp bởi hướng dẫn viên, Cô này rất tốt lo lắng chu đáo cho đoàn trong suốt cuộc hành trình, và dặc biệt Cô nói tiếng Việt trôi chảy như người Việt. Xin có lời cám ơn Cô Bình




Hubby in front of Lao Cai station


The guardian God statue at the Temple ' entrance

We visited some Temples, darn it I just forgot the names!! - my age start to betray me hahaha - At the entrance, we saw 2 guardian God statues. Ping told me the story: If you visit a temple/ pagoda in China, if you see the guardian statue stand with both leg, it means the Temple/ Pagoda was build before Ming dynesty, in the photo above, you see the statue half sit and one leg lift up, means this temple was build after or during Ming dynesty : the legendary that the founder King of Ming dynesty, when still an ordinary person, he visited the local temple and saw the statue, he order the statue lift its leg and therefore he could clean the floor underneath. Amazingly the statue obeyed his order !!!

Chúng tôi thăm viếng vài ngôi chùa ở Côn Minh, rất tiếc la không nhớ được tên .Ở cổng vào chùa, co tượng 2 vị thần canh cửa . Cô Bình kể cho chúng tôi là khi thăm viếng Chùa ở trung Quốc, nều Thần canh cửa đứng 2 chân thì Chùa đó xây cất trước đời Minh. Trong bức ảnh này các bạn nhìn thấy vị Thần nửa ngồi nửa đứng và 1 chân giở cao lên có nghĩa là Chùa này xây sau hoặc trong đời nhà minh. Cô Bình kể chuyện là Minh Thai Tổ Chu Nguyên Chương khi còn hàn vi, một hôm viềng Chùa tại nơi Ông ở, Ong ra lệnh cho tượng Thần dở chân lên đễ Ông có thể quét sạch sàn nhà. lạ lùng thay tượng Thần vâng lời ( Chân mạng đế vương ma!! hahaha )

The Temple with 108 Lohan. Try this test : pick any of Lohan, in any range, count either from left or right, up or down, according to your age, then the Lohan that match the count of your age ( says the 38th Lohan and you are 38 year old ) will have same charactiristic as your !! It was correct with me and even with my hubby !! amazing !!

Ping also recommended us to attend a special dinner and show, the price was so reasonable and the food, the show was excellent, we had a good night out and I even took photo with the actor/ actress after the show :)

Đây là ngôi chùa có tượng 108 vị La Hán. Nếu có dịp đi các bạn hãy thử nhé : Chọn bất cứ La Hán nào, đếm bất kỳ từ trên xuống dưới hay từ dưới lên trên, đủ theo số tuổi của bạn, bạn sẽ thấy vị La Hán đó có điểm tương đồng với bạn hoặc về miêu tả hình dáng hoặc về tính chất.Chí ít điều đó đã đúng với Ai Gia và phu quân !!Bình cũng khuyên chùng tôi nên đi dự show ca diễn co tiệc Cung Đình dặc biệt của Côn Minh, giá cả cũng hợp lý va bữ ăn cùng show diễn thật tuyệt. Mình cũng thừa dịp lên chụp hình với các diễn viên khi show diễn kết thúc

On our last day, we went to Stone Forest, what's a site !!! and I managed to change myself into an ethnic girl !!

Trong ngày cuối cùng, chúng tôi thăm viếng khu rừng đá , một kỳ quan thiên nhiên. Ai Gia cũng nhân dịp này chụp hình hóa thân thành cô gái thiểu số vùng Côn Minh.

An Kunming' ethnic girl * wink wink *

The BIG BIG vase of rice wine ( me and hubby sooo blurry : maybe we drunk?? hahaha )

In Kunming, the people used to drink the " color spirit " only, called so because they soak the medicinal roots and herb into rice wine and throu the process the rice wine will turn to Amber colour . The longer the rice wine be kept, the better it will be.

After Kunming, we will back to Vietnam, and from Saigon we'll go to Japan, Kyoto to be exact. But that's another story !!!

Dân Côn Minh thường chỉ uống " rượu màu ". Gọi rượu màu vi họ ngâm rễ va lá thuốc vào rượu nấu bằng gạo, lâu ngày rượu đỗi màu hỗ phách, rượu càng để lâu càng thấm càng tốt (? ) Từ Côn Minh, chúng tôi trở về Saigon để đi thăm Kyoto của Nhật bản - nhưng đó lại là một câu khác, bạn ạ !!!

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Hanoi - Kunming 2004-2005 part 1

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Thien Tru Pagoda ( Heaven' s Kitchen Pagoda )

Perfume pagoda - Chùa Hương

The Huc Bridge at dawn - Cầu Thê Húc buổi sáng sớm

Van Mieu - Văn Miếu

The facade of Van Mieu, Hanoi - Vietnam

Cổng trước Văn Miếu - Hà Nội

We visited Hanoi and stayed 4 days waiting for our Kunming trip. We loved to walk around the Hoan Kiem lake, observe and talk to the people. From a young student to an old woman, a former officer who was regroup from the South ( The Republic ) to the North ( The Communist )

in 1945. Very interesting stories!!

Above are some Hanoi' photos

Chúng tôi thăm Hà Nội và ở đó 4 ngày trong khi chờ chuyến đi Côn Minh. Chúng tôi thích dạo quanh bờ hồ Hoàn Kiếm và quan sát, nói chuyện với từ 1 em học sinh cho đến 1 cán bộ gìa người đã tập kết từ miền Nam ( Cộng Hòa ) ra miền Bắc ( Cộng Sản ). Những câu chuyện thật đầy thú vị
Trên đây là vài hình ảnh của Hà Nội [:)]