Peregrinación

Ahora es mi ultima noche por dos semanas en la casa de los papás de Satomi. Mañana me voy a caminar una ruta de una peregrinación en la isla de Shikoku (aqui en Japón). Si, sola. Satomi y Rob la han caminada unas cuantas veces y me ayudaron planear mi ruta por dos semanas. Me va ir bién. Es mucho, mucho caminar, como unos 15-20 kilometros por dia, aveces mas, aveces menos. Es muy cansado, y mas que nada, es un challenge (I know, que pocha) mental. Escribo en unos dias.

I've been doing really well, spending a relaxing time in Koniya. Tomorrow I head for Shikoku on a pilgrimage route for two weeks. Satomi and Rob have been so instrumental in helping me plan my route, where to stay and give me all sorts of advice. The walk will be beautiful- I'll be walking (ok, more like hiking up) to some mountains, through valleys, and along the coast for a while. It will also be challenging and I'm sure I'll be tested in so many more ways. I'm excited, anxious and really looking forward to it. I'm leaving my large backpack here, I'll only be carrying a few things on me and then I'll return to digest, say hi to a new life (Satomi should have had the baby by then) and make my way to Korea. It's amazing what a "need versus want" mentality can do to make a lighter, easier load to carry.

A Break from my Break

Mami y Papi: Estoy bien. Platicamos ahora en la tarde (era noche para ustedes) y aqui estoy en la casa de los papas de Satomi (la señora que esta embarazada). Tuve un dia muy relajado. Camine por el pueblo y cene muy, muy rico. Esta parada ha sido un descanso de toda la movedera. Y la señora es tan comprensiva y atenta- ella viajo por un año entero cuando estaba mas joven y supo exactamente como me sentia. Me preguntaba, como te sientes? Y a cada rato me decia- tu relajate, no te preocupes de nada. Como que si estas en tu casa. Eso me ha ayudado para relajarme lla que si, como que me estaba estresando un poco, y tambien sintiendome un poco sola. Anoche tambien me di un baño caliente en una tina onda. Para los Japanoses, tomarse un baño de tina caliente antes de un baño en la regadera es casi requisito. Todos los hogares tienen su tina y su regadera, y todos, desde los niños hasta los ancianos, se toman sus baños. Ahora durante la cena estabamos viendo las noticias y me senti como en la casa, cuando mi papa ve las noticias en Galavisión (y Baily como esta?). Después vimos otro programa que se trato de un carpintero Japones que fue a un pueblo en Taliandia para ayudarles a construir una rueda (a water mill) para pasar agua por un rio y a la vez moler el arroz para que los niños no tuvieran que madrugar para hacerlo. Senti como que si estuvieramos viendo un programa en National Geographic o TLC. Si nos miraras, se me hacia curioso- todos comiendo en la mesa bajita y sentados en el suelo (haci comen tradicionalmente) y mirando la television en una pantalla grande y plana (flatscreen, real nice!). Y tambien tienen internet inalambrico y los dos (Satomi y su esposo) tiene laptops! Haci que me siento totalmente descansada, relajada, segura, y conectada. Y me siguen diciendo, quedate mas tiempo, que alvaco, cual es tu itenario? Y si, la verdad es que, pues, no tengo prisa. Dos dias mas, o dos semanas aqui o en otro lugar no hacen pasar ocho meses mas rapidos. Haci que, pues, luego les digo que decidi haer. Okay, les llamare mas seguido y tratare de escribir mas en este espacio. Los quiero mucho. Hasta pronto.

I have been resting and eating better than I have been since I arrived to Japan. It’s like I’m on a retreat from my trip! I am staying in a friend’s parent’s home in a small village in the countryside about an hour and a half north of Kobe in Japan. It is so beautiful, green and peaceful! She and her husband are also staying here (she is pregnant and traditionally the daughter will go back home to deliver, so she’s due any day now!) The train ride over was stunning. The train route goes through deep mountains with forests along the sides. There was also this long big river with clear water that I could see from the window (we were like on a bridge over many parts of the route. Then the train would go through tunnels though the mountains and would go out again revealing another amazing view. We went in and out of tunnels- it felt like we were dolphins swimming fast going in and out of the water (it’s the only way I can describe how it felt). Other parts of the route had rice fields along both sides and beautiful old homes. Oh, the train ride alone was so, so nice. I kept feeling we were getting farther and farther away from the city, which was a relief; I was getting a little tired and overwhelmed of subways, noise and hostels. The village is nestled along the side of a mountain, I know I keep saying this, but everything really is so green and peaceful.



I thought this would be a day pit stop to drop my belongings before going on the 88-temple pilgrimage route in Shikoku (another island in Japan) for two weeks (more about this pilgrimage later), but I’ve been here for two days now, and I’ll probably be here for another day or so. Satomi (friend whose parent’s house I’m staying in) is so nice and attentive. When I got in (thanks to Rob, her husband, for meeting up with me in Kyoto to get back to her parent’s home) she asked me, how are you feeling? How are you? Oh, you must be tired, no? Make yourself at home, just relax, don’t worry about a thing.



Oh, bless her and her parents! She showed me the room I would stay in- a really beautiful traditional room with tatami mat floors and rice paper window doors (the front part of the house was recently remodeled in traditional Japanese style). Ah, my own room! The family was also celebrating Satomi’s nephew’s first birthday so it was extra special to stay with the family and have such a great dinner! You know, I have to be honest, I don’t think I’ve given the food in Japan a chance and I stick with soba (noodles) and light foods because I never know what to order. Then afterwards, I took a long, long hot bath in a deep tub (there was this digital thermostat next to it to keep the water at a comfortably hot 40c- this house is high tech!). I feel that Satomi almost knew exactly how I felt- she traveled for an entire year in her early 20s around many parts of Europe and Japan; she knew what it’s like to constantly be moving and living out of a bag for a long time, so I think she was really trying to make me feel welcomed and relaxed. She keeps saying, just stay as long as you like, don’t feel pressured to move on (until the baby comes, of course, which will be for another week, according to schedule, but ya never know)…



…to be honest, yes, it’s only been about two weeks, but I had been feeling overwhelmed and lonely (if you can’t tell by how appreciative I am of my new environment). It’s beginning to sink in that I’ll be doing this for eight months and that I’ll be having to adjust to a new mode of transportation, customs, food and language (at least survival phrases) quite a bit. It really hit me the other night when I was trying to make it back to Kyoto after spending a full day on Miyajima (a beautiful island off of Hiroshima, pictures above are from the island, where deer were wandering freely) that same night (that was my mistake, I should have just spent the night there but I had already booked/paid another hostel for that night back in Kyoto). A man at the train station was trying to tell me there were no more connecting routes to Kyoto from Osaka and basically showed me the door. It was late at night, I was tired, I just learned that there were no more routes back to where I needed to get back to (or so I thought) and I realized that I wasn’t going to make it back in time to check-in at the hostel- oh, and I didn’t know the phone number to call and let them know, either. A few other things (overwhelmingly good lessons) also got me worked up and just made me feel emotionally drained (after two weeks, how silly and dramatic, no?)

The idea of this travel fellowship is amazing, so you'd really have to wonder why in the world would I have felt like this, right? But I was tired of moving constantly, of staying in hostels and of needing to figure things out all the time, among several other things- and this is only the beginning! In the end, I did make it back to the hostel ok- things always work out. Looking back, I just needed to breathe. So, this retreat to Satomi’s parent’s house has been so healthy for me to relax, be in a home and sort of reflect and learn from these past two weeks…definitely, I’ve learned that it’s ok to not sight see everyday. It’s ok to just spend the morning or day at a coffee shop reading and writing. I need to get out of the “vacation/limited time” mode and stop feeling like I need to squeeze everything in two or three weeks…I also think part of this feeling comes from the nature of the place that I began in- a very expensive country that is super punctual. Essentially, I am traveling for a living, so my sense of time and pace will need to change, and slowly, I think they are (they definitely have been since staying here).



So yeah, this is where I am at the moment, adjusting to this new idea, and spending a real lovely time with Satomi, her husband and her parents (and her extended family) eating great meals, and getting ready for the next move- Shikoku.

Scattered

I just posted some pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/rociomendoza3/Japan#

Quick check in. I am doing well, writing from a hostel in Kyoto (this picture is a view of where I'm writing from). I just arrived here after about a 5 hour trip from Tokyo (after so many transfers and trying to find the right line). It is warm and humid and carrying my backpack for what felt like all day today was no fun. But the minute I walked up the stairs from the underground subway I just stopped grumbling. I was taken aback by the sight- I was in the middle of a busy intersection surrounded by historical buildings on one side and a river/canal (think LA river but this one actually has water) on the other side. All along the river there is grass and houses that all look really beautiful and old. I've never been to Vietnam, but somehow I imagine that this is what it would look like (ok, probably the Hollywood version). Kyoto is known as the cultural/historical heart of Japan and it definitely has that feeling- very different from the madness and excitement of Tokyo. But I have to admit, I was so surprised and impressed to find so much preserved nature, temples and shrines even in the middle of Tokyo.

This hostel is a trip. I think it's run by a bunch of Japanese teenager/pot smokers. It has a funky vibe with postcards and posters and stickers all along the walls of the hallways, stairs and lounge rooms (think club bathroom stalls). Behind this computer there are stickers of Bjork, Lauryn Hill, Ali G Indahouse movie, Swiss Miss hot chocolate, The Mask animated series, Foxy Brown, Destinys Child, Skippy Peanut Butter, Quaker Oatmeal, old school picture of Whitney Houston, and tons of other random people/things. Overall, if I had to give this lounge room a name, I would call it the I love Bob Marley and Marijuana room. The sun is beginning to set and it looks so beautiful outside. It has been cloudy all day but the sun just peeked out. You can see layers of green mountains with the smoke rising through on one side and rows of tall building on the other side. I know that from here on out the only constant thing on this trip will be change, but I'm still trying to find routines for myself in the mornings and nights, and also trying to figure out some logic to how I'm packing- which, by the way, I overpacked. I'm going to have to figure out how to part with some stuff already . I've become obssesed with Zip-Lock baggies and I compartmentalize everything in my day bag (Jeanette feel like Josh from that TV show on Bravo). I'm reading this entry and it definitely reflects how I'm feeling- scattered.

Ok, maybe that wasn't such a quick check-in.

Konnichiwa!

Por donde empiezo? I am so, so tired. I think my body is still getting used to the hour difference (it's only 16 hours behind Japan). Overall, I am very well, thank goodness. I landed safely, and got to the hostel without any problems. Seriously, that was my greatest concern- getting to the hostel. I knew it was 40 miles away from the airport and that meant getting on the train and transfering to a metro line to get there; and no, I didn't research how I would get there before I left.

Side note: what I like about this computer I'm on is that it's 15 minutes for 100 yen ($1), then it keeps kicking you out if you add more money. This is good for two reasons (that I've thought about): it reminds me that I am spending money every 15 minutes (otherwise, I would loose track of time) and it reminds me to not spend so much time in front of a computer. I do enough of this at home (maybe not exactly as much as my Myspace freaks siblings).

It was a long, 11 hour (non-stop) flight to Tokyo. I was only able to sleep about half of it. We got two meals, snacks and movies during the flight. I remember getting so excited to see the meal cart on the plane when I was little. I would go to Mexico and we'd always get served some sort of Mexican meal (I clearly remember eating a tamal!). I sat next to a young woman who was returning home after spending a month in Los Angeles learning English-perfect! I practiced my (extremely limited) Japanese and she continued practicing her English. She was helpful in helping me locate my destination station (this made it much, much easier to ask for directions at the airport).

Tokyo is so, so big with high-rise buildings everywhere. The hostel I am staying at is on the 18th floor of one of them. It has an amazing view in the day and night! At night I sleep with my head facing out the window and just keep saying, I'm here, I'm really here and just chuckle. Ni me la creo.

I shared first two nights of the hostel room with two older Japanase ladies (in their mid-60s). I was relieved to see them when I walked in; they felt like grandmas. They were visiting Tokyo to hike Mt. Takaosan the next morning, bright and early. It was 8pm, I was so exhausted and disoriented from the flight and the trip over (at 4pm when the plane landed to Tokyo, my body still thought it was midnight) and I was just unpacking when one of the ladies asked, "go hike?", pointing to my boots and pointing to a map of the trails. I just wanted to sleep for like, two days. "Uh..." I looked around at my bags, looked out the window, and I thought, pues, what else do you have to do? "Ok," I replied. And that's how I spent my first day in Tokyo, known for it's population size and high-rise buildings, deep in a forest observing nature and visiting beautiful Buddhist temples along the way.

Blessed.

I had a going away pozole dinner gathering at my house this evening. It's really sinking in now- I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. It was nice combining my friends from college, high school and family together for this evening. I got so many positive vibes and good wishes; everyone had this gleam in their eyes...it's just crazy to see them; I've know all of them for quite some time (through the ups and downs, the good and the bad). It was nice. I was talking with one of them this evening about how we seldom stop and reflect on our own paths and triumphs and really, think about how great we are! Yes, we all are, really. It's just that sometimes it takes a little bit longer for us to see that in ourselves (and for some of us it will be a life long process). After reading the going away cards and talking with my family and friends tonight I had that brief moment; I was thinking, wow, I really got this fellowship. I'm really doing this. I'm really leaving...I am so blessed to have such an amazing and supportive family. I am not a parent, so I don't have any sense of what it could feel like to see your daughter load up a backpack and just trek around the globe all by herself. They have hidden their anxieties quite well (although my dad does try to pick fights with me, but I know this is his coping mechanism).

Now I'm looking forward to loading up my new ipod (thank you Maribel!!) and make any last minute errands. Oh yeah, and brush up on conversational Japanese on youtube; apparently, I've been studying the wrong thing. I think I'm going to be greeting people asking them are they cold or something.