Week 8 - Japan - Emily Van Torre

Dear Bloggers,

I’m so sorry I didn’t write to you guys yesterday. Our day was just so filled with things we had to visited and at the end of the day, I was too exhausted to go online and write.
So, today was our last day at Hiroshima and it was fantastic.

Today we went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The park is a tribute to Hiroshima as the world’s first city that was attacked by “Little Boy”. It was built to remember the horror that had happened in Hiroshima but also to stimulate world peace.

When I crossed the Children’s Peace Monument, I couldn’t help myself but I cried silently when I read what this statue stands for. The statue is dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of children who died due to the bombing. The statue represents a girl with wide stretched arms and a folded paper crane rising above her. It’s actually based on the true story of Sadako Sakasi, a two-year-old girl who died from the consequences of the nuclear bombing…

The must-see building in the park was the A-Bomb Dome. This ruin was left exactly the same as how it was after the bomb. It’s completely authentic, that’s what makes it so special. All the people that were in the building were killed instantly, or so I’ve heard.

Then we entered the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.  This museum learned us facts about the nuclear war and it’s goal is to prevent something like this again. I saw horrible things in this museum: videos, personal belongings from victims, photos…My god, it must have been so terrible…

We walked on the Peace Boulevard. This boulevard is one of Japan’s main streets and you can actually see the south side of the Memorial Park. The street is 100 meters wide and is 3.6 kilometers long. Can you believe that we actually walked the whole 3.6 kilometers? Of course, we were exhausted afterwards. We had dinner at “Kaki-den”, a famous restaurant in Hiroshima. I had to taste the traditional and trendy okonomiyaki. It’s basically a pancake that you can stuff with anything you like. I had one with shrimps, onions, tomato sauce, cheese, the usual omelet on top( it almost looked like a pizza!) and some okonomiyaki sauce. It’s a sweet and sticky sauce, jummie!

After a very long dinner, we went fulfilled back to our hotel and fell in a very deep sleep…

Xoxo Emily

Week 8 - Japan - Emily Van Torre

Dear bloggers,

After visiting Ota, we took a train and arrived around 2 PM at Takayama. Takayama is a wonderful little city with many charming buildings.
The first thing that occurred to me when we arrived in the city, was the humid climate. I immediately craved for some water. I just got there and I was already sweaty.

Jeroen just kept nagging and whining because he was so hungry due to the trip, so we went to one of Takayama’s many local restaurants. We ordered some typical dishes like sansei (mountain vegetables) , wasakana (river fish) and rice balls on a stick which were dripped in teriyaki. I’ve got to say: I just LOOOOVE Japanese food. It’s just so healthy and full of rich flavours. Mjammie! I think Jeroen was amazed by the good food because he didn’t say a word throughout the entire meal haha!

When we finished our meal, we walked through the shopping streets for the most of the day. Takayama is known for the outstanding skills of its inhabitants in carpentry. That’s what most inhabitants make a living from. But also lacquer ware, furniture and pottery are known as ways for earning their money.

Then we took a bus to Mount Norikura, a dormant volcano with an altitude of 3,026 meters. Mount Norikura is listed in the 100 Most Famous Japanese Mountains. Wow, how many mountains can a country have then?! Norikura means “ riding saddle”. The mountains got its name because the shape of the mountains looks like a horse saddle. The guide took us to a point near the summit. I was amazed by the view. This mountain is ranked as the third highest mountain of Japan. Can you imagine what a great view we had?

That was that for Takayama. Tonight we’re taking the Central Japan Railway and go to Hiroshima where we are planning to stay for two days.
I find that city so interesting. It’s so big and has a rich history and the advanced technology there is unbelievable! So let me tell you something about Hiroshima’s history.

Hiroshima – what means “Wide Island” – was the first city in history that was attacked by the world’s first atomic bomb at the end of World War 2 called “Little Boy”.
At 8.15 AM on August 6^th 1945,  the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped the bomb and it has killed over more than 300 000 people.
Symbolic, the oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima because it was the first flower which bloomed again after the explosion of the bomb. Nowadays, Hiroshima is proclaimed as “The City of Peace”.

As for the  Chügoku-Shikoku region, Hiroshima is the center of industry. Hiroshima is stretched over the coastal areas and has long been a port city. So transportation of goods, to or from Japan, often happens via the ports of Hiroshima of via the Hiroshima International Airport. Of course, this is very advantageous for the city.
The most influential industries in the city are the manufacturing industry - which includes the production of Mazda cars, car parts and industrial equipment- and the steel industry. Hiroshima has a lot of exports, mostly general machinery. Also, the skilled personnel and advanced technologies are one of Hiroshima’s major talents.
As you can see, this business city has a lot of strengths and potential. Its economy might just keep growing.

I can’t wait to get there!

Write to you soon,

Xoxo Emily

Week 8 – Anne Hallez - Japan

Our next stop in this beautiful adventure is the, probably highly underestimated, country Japan. We arrived at Ota, Tokio in the early morning in the famous Japanese airport ‘Haneda’. This airport is so massive that we actually had problems founding our way to our luggage and finally to the exit. After finally having found our way through this airport shaped maze, we started another extraordinary adventure of discoveries.

I think being in Japan will give us the peace, quiet and serenity we need after a very long trip. The word ‘zen’ is actually the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word 禪 Dzyen, or also pronounced ‘chan’, and knows its roots in the Japanese culture and is visible in many ways in this unique country.  For those of you who don’t know the meaning of the word ‘zen’, it stands for being in a meditative state of mind and this ‘zen’ way of living manifests in japans’ beautiful gardens.

Because we actually craved being in a peaceful and zen state of mind. We decided to learn more about japanse gardens by going to visit some and actually practicing some zen mediation ourselves. Originally there are two types of Japanese gardens, there are gardens that were created for emperors and nobles that were designed for recreation and aesthetic pleasures, while the second type of gardens originally were used to honor their religion to Buddha. These gardens of Buddha temples were created for contemplation and meditational reasons. We decided to come to our senses and visit the second type of gardens.

We were invited to the home of a Japanese family who’s famous for their zen garden and actually has a way of inviting a lot of people over to come meditate with them. When we arrived, we saw that we would be guests to a very exclusive tour of their beautiful and very large garden. During the tour, our ‘guide’ and owner of the garden, told us a little about how Japanese garden’s existed and what they are based on. Apparently the physical appearance of Japanese gardens was influenced by something the Japanese call the island of Honshu. Which is the largest island of Japan. That’s why Japanese gardens as we know them now, are full of mountain streams, waterfalls and beaches of small stones. What I saw then was so beautiful and serene, I was actually thinking of turning my own garden in to my own place of serenity.

He took us down to a little open house in the garden, that seemed like it was surrounded by water. 

He learned us how to focus, meditate and took our minds to a self-induced mode of consciousness. 

Living in a very loud and active country, it was very hard at first to learn to enjoy the silence but focusing on your heartbeat, your breathing and hearing nothing but the sound of a waterfall actually made it possible to relax for the first time of my life.

To finish of our very relaxing day, we decided to have some Japanese food, or what Japanese people just call food. We experienced meals that can’t even be compared with the Japanese cuisine we know at home. After experiencing only a little part of what Japan has to offer, we decided to go from our earlier mode of consciousness to a state of unconsciousness and go have a good rest before we experience some more of Japan.

I would advice all of you readers though, to try and experience the meditation and relaxation we experienced as well. It changed our lives and I hope it does that for you too! I for one, am a believer.

Enjoy!

Anne Hallez

Sources:

http://www.uchiyama.nl/

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luchthaven_Haneda

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_garden

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan#Cuisine

http://www.djoser.be/rondreis_japan/?gclid=CKDT5ebCm68CFQdJ3godTWETcQ

http://mediawiki.arts.kuleuven.be/geschiedenisjapan/index.php/Het_Zen-boeddhisme_in_Japan#Introductie_in_Japan:_de_Kamakura-periode

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honshu

Week 7 - South Korea - Audrey Vanderstraeten

HI THERE my favorite readers!

I’m back with a (in my opinion) very enjoyable blogpost. I wish that you could have all been there as well!

So on our last evening in South Korea, we decided to visit this place called ‘Garden of Morning Calm’:  아침고요수목원 . It was easily to reach and not far from Seoul. I don’t know about you but when I first heard that name I was thinking that it would be the perfect spot to visit in the morning when you’re still a bit sleepy but apparently it is very impressing at night as well. And so we agreed, we were at the right place at the right time of the year: the annual light festival. The whole garden was covered in lights, it felt like we were surrounded by stars which covered all the trees, leaves, flowers,… And there were not only trees but also angels and animals (not real animals of course). I’m so glad that we decided to come here despite the cold and windy weather. Someday however I’ll come again to this garden in the morning to see it in daylight.

The arboretum (A place where an extensive variety of woody plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes) is composed of 10 theme-based gardens. About 1,000 different kinds of flowers and plants each season. The first garden you see when you enter the arboretum is the Korea Garden, this area feels like the backyard of someone’s house. The next garden is the Wild Flower Garden, which has a collection of various Korea wild flowers, and then the Bunjae Garden, which has potted plants grown into works of art. The most popular tourist attraction is the Hagyeong Garden which has an observation tower from which you can see the entire arboretum (very impressive). The Morning Square at the center of the arboretum is an open grass field with a great view all around. The evergreen tree which appeared in the movie “Pyeonji” is here, and the place has a very spacious atmosphere.

mist.

The flowers are in bloom from March to November, so the garden is usually full during this period.  In addition to the beautiful foliage of the garden, there are a variety of festivals each season and displays held monthly.

The arboretum is beautiful all throughout the year, but it’s most impressive when you stroll around the gardens in the morning

Write to you soon!

XO-XO

Audrey

Audrey Vanderstraeten

Sources:

http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/korea/the-garden-of-morning-calm/information

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/530/146166/Garden+of+Morning+Calm+–+at+nite?destId=357441

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264212

http://www.answers.com/topic/arboretum

Week 7 - South Korea - Audrey Vanderstraeten

Hi lovely readers!

One of my travel companions (Manderley) already wrote about our arival in South Korea and our first day where we visited already a couple of impressing Islands. Today we went shopping because you might or might not know that Seoul is known for being one of world’s top ten financial and commercial centers.

Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. It has a population of over 10 million inhabitants and was voted the top travel destination by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists in 2011.

Ok so we decided to go shopping. All good and well but where? You should know that Seoul has A LOT of markets! We started with the largest market in South Korea: the Dongdaemun Market. We only spend a good 2 hours on that market because we wanted to see some other ones as well. Next stop was the Myeongdong, a shopping and entertainment area downtown Seoul. It offers mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets. After that we payed a visit to the Namdaemun Market, the oldest running market in Seoul. We also went to Sinchon which is rather for younger people and university students. To end we went to Insadong, this is the cultural art market of Seoul where traditional and modern Korean artworks are sold. 

There are alot of other markets but we didn’t had time to visit them all. There’s the Hwanghak-dong Flea market and the Janganpyeong Antique market. They both sell antique products. Itaewon caters mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city. Samcheong-dong, a place with some shops for local designers where numerous smal art galeries are located. Gangnam district: one of the most affluent areas in Seoul and it is noted for the fashionable and upscale areas. Noryangjin fisheries wholesale market and some others that are wholesale markets. And finaly the last market but not the least: the Yongsan electronics market which is the largest electronics market in Asia.

Further you can visit over 100 museums in Seoul. Too bad we didn’t had time for these. Maybe tomorrow since we don’t have plans yet!

함께 만드는 서울, 함께 누리는 서울 : Seoul We Create Together, Seoul We Enjoy.

Goodnight y’all.

XO-XO 

Audrey

Audrey Vanderstraeten
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul
http://english.seoul.go.kr/

Week 7 - South Korea - Manderley Gits

안녕하십니까my dearest readers ! (in case your Korean isn’t in an optimal condition, you can pronounce it as “annyeonghashimnikka”) 

After a pretty hectic week in North Korea, it felt like kind of a relief to arrive in South Korea. This country is far more open to its tourists than its neighbor, and to be honest, we couldn’t be happier that the visa issues were over. It seems that getting out of North Korea was as difficult as getting in in the first place. And since it isn’t possible to travel directly from North-Korea to South-Korea (thank you, war issues) we had to take a plane back to China, followed by a boat trip to Incheon, South-Korea.

 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the existence of two different Korea’s, North and South Korea (aka the Republic of Korea) have been living in war since 1953. South Korea developed well, unlike North Korea, who remained communistic and closed off of the rest of the world. Today, South Korea is one of the world’s largest economies. If you still don’t have a clue about the country, you might know it from Samsung and taekwondo.

But, to continue, it immediately became clear that this country is far more developed than North Korea. By looking outside of the window during our trip to the hotel, we could soon notice that South Korea is more modern, more economical available and people don’t give you a death stare when you try to take picture of something.

Before heading off to South Korea’s capital Seoul, we decided to stay in Incheon for a day and enjoy the small islands and the fresh fish, which is a culinary specialty.

First of all we visited Yeongjong Island, where you can see some of the remains of South Korea’s former naval forces. They’re also building the new International airport on the island, so we decided to visit some other islands. Our only destination became Ulwangli beach on Yongyu Island and, I must say, the feeling of sand between your toes and a sea breeze in your hair, is one of the most amazing, relaxing feelings you can have after a busy trip like ours. We sat there and enjoyed the spring sunshine during the afternoon, went for a swim (although the water was still pretty cold according to me) and eventually watched the sunset, as we were eating freshly baked fish from a fish market nearby. As we gazed into the night, it was hard not to fall in love with the millions of stars we could see.

 

Eventually we went back to our hotel for a good night sleep, mentally preparing ourselves for the busy days ahead, and of course, keeping up with you guys ;-). Next up: Seoul City! And yes, there will be shopping!

Lots of peace, love, and Korean sunshine!

Manderley

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/inchon/214

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15289563

http://www.korea.net/

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea

Week 6 - Annelien Pattyn - North Korea

Hello again!

As Jeroen already has mentioned, North Korea is the most isolated country of the whole wide world. So, to be honest, I’m longing to leave this weird place…
Normally, we aren’t able to surf on the internet, but Jeroen took an illegal device with him, so be happy to hear from me J.

Today, I don’t feel like doing anything… This country doesn’t interest me at all. Yesterday, we visited a lot of cultural things (read Jeroen’s blog) and in my opinion, it was so boring…
Maybe it is because we’re not feeling free in this country. Jeroen already said that we always need to be guided by a travel agency, else it’s not even possible to visit things and secondly if we visit public places, we may not take photos. Sorry for repeating things Jeroen already has said, but in my opinion, it’s really ridiculous, isn’t it???

Sorry for being discouraged…  I have to stay positive. Actually, it’s normal that some countries are more worthwhile than others, right? ;-)

To cheer me up, my mates proposed to go looking  if there are any shopping possibilities here and yes, we found…  We  went to Keason Grand Shopping Mall, centralize located in Kaesong city. It’s the best place to buy souvenirs of North Korea like traditional wear, food, craft works and antiques. Oh, it makes me remind that I haven’t bought yet souvenirs for you (mom & dad). The price is fixed  here in Chinese RMB or US dollar. Maybe, I’ll try my luck to bargain tomorrow! ;-)

By the way, the picture that you can see is not taken by us… (because it’s forbidden as I already have said). I just found it on the internet to show you what it looks like… I have no idea who has token the picture but whatever…

After some “shopping” (actually, nobody’s bought something, but you know what I mean), we decided to go to the local villages in Keason. We realized that we had a day without any spy around, so we try our luck to go around… In the village, the houses are made wood. They have very old design but oldies are goodies, isn’t it?:-) We were told that usually few families share a small piece of farm land for cultivation. The farm land that we visited was almost empty. Perhaps in another few weeks, the leaves of potato or sweet corn will comes out?

So, this was our day… Our next stop is South Korea. Hopefully, it will be more fascinating than this here, haha!

Miss you already, guys!
x Annelien

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/North_Korea/Kaesong_si/Kaesong-1254301/Things_To_Do-Kaesong-TG-C-1.html

Week 5 - Mongolia - Audrey Vanderstraeten

Hi readers!

I would say good morning after that last blogpost but that would be a little bit weird since a lot has happened since than.

We woke up in our ger and I must say that it was a really nice experience. You should definitely try it one time! One thing is certain, you would never be cold since it is heated by a stove standing in the center of the ger.

After a good night of sleep and a calm morning we packed our stuff to continue our wonderful journey with a Russian Minibus. We saw incredible views with sand dunes, canyons, gorges, colorful landscape with incredible shaped sandstone mountains on the way, a sky like a painting… It was the paradise for those who enjoy nature.

When we took a break we came close to an eagle, it was sitting on our arms! Such an unforgettable experience!

Than we continued our trip to Uliastay. I should mention that we had a fantastic driver who brought us everywhere. In Mongolia a road is not a road, it's eight hours driving a day from bumpy to extreme!

We found out that Uliastay was the hometown of our driver and he invited us to meet his friends. OMG where did we get ourselves in to?! We met his friends, ate 4 to 5 times a day sheep or goat, combined with some wodka. A one of a kind experience! We also saw a special way of slaughtering an animal without loosing a drop of blood.

It was awesome to see how people live over there, however I wouldn’t be able to live that way. 

It's impossible to write down everything that we experienced, there are so many. Mongolia is a friendly free and beautiful country, ideal for camping and seeing a lot of pray birds, especially eagles. The country is huge and the landscape endless. It was just unforgettable, not to mention the food, we will never forget how many sheep’s and goats we ate. They were nice but I’ll be glad when I can order something in a restaurant on our next stop.

We had such a great time but now it’s time to go. 

North Korea, BE PREPARED because we are coming!!

-XXX-

Audrey Vanderstraeten

Sources:

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Mongolia/Ulaanbaatar/blog-656118.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolia

http://www.bluepeak.net/mongolia/ger.html

Week 5 - Mongolia - Emily Van Torre

Сайн байна уу! (Hello!)

Waw, I have to say that the ballet yesterday was A M A Z I N G! I think I’ve never seen such a wonderful performance in my entire life. It was like I was in a movie or something, it all felt just so real. OK, I was hooked. But enough of that. We had to move on.

Today, we went to visit the stunning Khövsgöl Nuur, also known as the Blue Pearl of Mongolia. Khövsgöl Nuur is the largest lake in Mongolia. It’s about 136 kilometers! The water of this lake is so pure that you can easily drink it.
This must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The lake made me so calm and so quiet, it was unbelievable.
This must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The lake made me so calm and so quiet, it was unbelievable.

To make it even more spectacular, we went horseback riding around the lake.
The horses over here are rather small but hey, don’t underestimate them, they’re very fast and strong!

We spent two hours and a half horseback riding and the view was tremendous.
After that, our guide offered us some pancakes which were delicious with the yak milk tea. I’ve never had yak milk tea before but I’ve got to tell you, this milk tastes just as regular cow milk, delicious!

Then we moved on towards the Naran Tuul Market. This market is also called the Black Market and is one of the biggest in Asia.
First we had to pay an entrance fee of Tug50. 1 Mongolian togrog or tugrik is about €0.00059, just to give you an idea.
Besides, the Mongolian market is still growing and, obviously, the main economic activities in Mongolia are agricultural.
Luckily, the political influences on the economy are positive because the government wants to improve the economy. A way of doing this is by introducing a livestock insurance for herders because the mortality rate is absurd: 50%!

Enough about politics and economy. The reason why we went to the Market is to buy a ger – a traditional Mongolian tent – and other stuff for the camping trip that was waiting for us that night. We were about to spend the night in a ger camp on the shores of the Kherlen River.
We spent our money on a lovely del, a traditional Mongolian suit. We also bought wood, horse tail and dried leathers to build our ger.

It was almost dark when we arrived at the Kherlen River. We immediately started building our ger. Pffft, what a tough job! Luckily for us, Mongolian people are very friendly and willing to help so it went easier and faster than planned.
After an exhausting but fulfilling day, we slowly drifted away towards Dreamland…

Goodnight folks!
xoxo Emily

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hovsgol.jpg

http://internationalbusiness.wikia.com/wiki/Political_Influences_on_the_Mongolian_Economy

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mongolia/ulaanbaatar/shopping/market/naran-tuul-market

http://www.canada-mongolia-connection.com/Mongolia-Ger.html