Thoughts and Pictures!

Really enjoying myself and taking it all in...



South Korea is really nice and there is so much to see. I've been sightseeing and going on hikes (picture above is from Mt. Namsan). The only thing that I have a hard time dealing with are travlers that make ignorant comments. I had dinner with four guys from the hostel last night; they were from the US, Canada, and France. One guy (Canada) said "Koreans are stupidly nice," and the other guy said (from the US) "Man I hate sitting on the floor, c'mon Korea, haven't you heard of chairs?" I did tell the guy who said the first comment to check himself (ok, in more articulate words, of course) but I wasn't in the second conversation to say anything to the second comment. By that time, the guy from France and I were having our own conversation. Overhearing those two other guys just bothered me because I thought- these are the guys that have the privilege of traveling and get to know the world and talk like this and reinforce the stereotype of the arrogant "American tourist" to others. In addition, they see a few places in one country, spend a few weeks or months there, and now make over generalizations and make critiques about a place they barely know- AND take this back to their country. We don't come with open minds but with narrow views and hold up the hosting countries to the standards we are familiar with. Of course, some may say that this is natural- but I can't help but to have a problem with it; I don't know what impression I give off, but I am definitely conscious of the fact that I come from the US when interacting with others and that they have preconceptions of our country. This is not to say that I am not myself, either. I also remind myself that of course, these two guys are also two of the thousands of people that travel, and they may not all be like this, and they're not only from the US, but from all over the world. And lastly, I think, well, who am I to be judging? I have my opinions and thoughts, too and I guess I make generalizations, too. Just some thoughts I had last night...

I was glad dinner was over. Then I went to a sauna/bath to relax after the hike today (the hostel owner recommended me this place). This was the best part of the day because I met a Korean woman who spoke English and I was able to talk with her and learn about local customs, employment and education from her viewpoint... that sauna experience was fun in itself because I had never been in one like that before; I can't think of a more vulnerable experience than walking into a place where there is a definite system running and you're just trying to figure out where to begin and blend in- and you're naked! I just laugh thinking about the look I probably had on my face. One thing I was glad we represented last night at that table- diversity in just about every sense of the word.

Video of the octopus and phot albums!

The last of Japan and ferry to South Korea

First day in South Korea (City- Busan)

Eating chopped-still-moving-octopus and letting fish eat the dead skin off your feet- first day in South Korea!

Another choppy entry to sum up all sorts of things.

Hi Mami, hi papi. Estoy bien. Ya llegue. Les llamo pronto!

I just got in to Busan in South Korea yesterday morning. I took a ferry from Osaka (in Japan). It departed Tuesday at 3pm and arrived yesterday at 10 am. I was joking with my mom telling her that it's like going on the Titanic movie because I got the cheapest accomodation- a bunk bed room with no windows. Top rooms run about $1700 dollars! I was like, will they let me walk on the top deck? Will I meet a Korean Leonardo DiCaprio? Yes and no. The ferry ride was so much nicer than I thought! It was a ferry cruise ship and it had a lobby with a convenience store and a restaraunt and they even offered entertainment in the evening. The entertainment was so cheesy that it was funny and really, you either clapped along with a guy playing I will survive by Gloria Gaynor on the saxophone (which was really good) or you sat in your room. Like I've said before, I try to get my money's, ok, David Bonderman's money's worth.

The language- I realized how much I started to understand short Japanese phrases when I heard Korean. I photocopied a phrase page from a Lonely Planet guide to Korea in Japan which has been very useful. Good phrases to know- hello, excuse me, thank you and I'm sorry (I still kept saying them in Japanse at the subway stations). I shared a room with two Korean women on the ferry and they were real helpful with teaching me how to pronounce words. I found Japanese to be much easier to pronounce because it was like pronouncing Spanish words. Korean is a little bit trickier, but definitely knowing Spanish still helps.

My first day in Korea----wow!!!!! Oh my gosh it was so, so fun! I really, really lucked out this time. I had just checked into the hostel and was sitting on a couch looking through all sorts of brochures and within half an hour a guy from London and a woman from Seoul (the capital in Korea, in the northern part) also arrived. The woman was talking in Korean on the phone and then turned to the guy and me and said-I am meeting my friend to see a temple right now, do you want to join me? Sure! What a better way to sight see than with a local person -and in a car! First we had a huge meal at a traditional style restaurant and we got so stuffed. Oh my gosh I ate so much. Korean food is so delicious- so spicy! And so much meat! I tried everything-including jellyfish that I mistook for noodles and was surprised (and a little freaked out after they told me what it was) by the texture. That was a rough swallow....then we went to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple which is located on a beach, it was an incredible sight to see this temple along the water like that. Then we had coffee at a little place along the beach- that was real fancy. Then we went to a fish market and had octopus- ok, but still moving octopus! The vendors scooped out the poor (but tasty) little octopus from a bucket of water, chopped it up on a wooden block and put it in a to-go box with some sesame seed sauce on the side. At first I thought, oh hell no I'm not eating something that's still moving, but after watching the woman and her friend eat and enjoy it, pues, why not? Oh, it was so weird feeling the tentactles and still feeling the small pieces move! I chewed it real fast.

Then----we drove up to a hill to see a spectacular (have I been reading tourist brochures or what?) night view of the city. About half an hour after we got back to the hostel, the woman invited us to go out again to meet up with another friend for dinner. Sure! Honestly though, I still wasn't hungry after the big lunch we had, but when I saw that big plate of noodles and chicken in spicy pepper sauce, I felt guilty at how my mouth watered. I was all of a sudden hungry again!

Then----Dr. Fish Spa!! Pretend like you're getting a pedicure but instead of soaking your feet in bubbling warm water you put your feet in this tub of water with dozens of fish that eat the dead skin off your feet! I'm serious! It was pretty cheap- 20 min. for about $2. It took me about half of the time though to actually put my feet in the water. It just seemed wrong that these fish would want to do that! It felt so, so weird and I couldn't stop laughing at how funny it felt. I still don't think I can describe that sensation. I have to admit though, my feet were pretty smooth afterwards.

I think that pretty much sums up my first day; I'll post pictures up soon!

Pictures!

I just posted pictures from the pilgrimage route here-

Shikoku Pilgrimage Walk

I've been hanging out, relaxing, not really doing much of anything these past few days. I've even been cooking in the hostel these past two days with one of the hostel staff members, Muruka. I head for Busan, South Korea by ferry in a few days.

Gaining through Losing

Ah, so, so many things to digest and think through...this is gonna be a long entry.

Right now I am sitting at this crazy internet café that I'll actually be spending the night in. It’s cool, they have these small booths (with sliding doors for privacy) with your choice of reclining seats, flat seats or regular seats. I got the reclining seat booth, just in case I wanted to sleep tonight. Each booth has a tv, PC, and a Sony Playstation. You can rent by the hour or rent it over night. This was pretty much my last resort after not finding an available hostel for tonight. There are bathrooms and even a place you can take a shower! Ah, gotta love Japan! They are super efficient.

I wrote about the house I stayed at in the countryside two weeks ago. The beautiful home (scroll down to past entry and you'll see the room I stayed in) that was built by Satomi’s parents; where we all shared pictures of families and significant milestones; where I had some of the best meals; the home where I left my backpack at while I walked the pilgrimage route; it burned down two days ago. Everyone made it out ok. I'm not sure how to write about this, since it’s kind of more of a personal story of the lives of others, but it just had a crazy effect on me. I called Rob Friday evening (as per my regular check in with them on how I was doing and bouncing off ideas for the next day's route) and he said, “This is going to sound like a soap opera, but Satomi's parents' house burned down this afternoon...It’s not clear how it happened yet...Yeah, everything is gone. Her parents are real sorry and apologize because your things are also gone.” I was so shocked and felt so terrible for the family; for the loss of generations of wedding pictures, and of grandparent pictures, of shrines, of the father's pianos, paintings, of the mother's kitchen, of childhood memories...it was just so bizarre; I was headed back there two days before it happened. And my things, my things! Well, honestly, it just felt trivial feeling sad about my backpack when an entire home just burned down, but I still did feel the loss. The family is figuring things out still, and I was feeling sort of out of place. Feeling like, now what? Do I just keep going? How do I start up again? What was I carrying in my backpack again? I went through a range of emotions Friday evening and I still had one more temple to visit the next day.

Kyoko. Ah, what a beautiful spirit. I was resting at one of the pilgrim rest spots on the route on Friday early afternoon. I had my feet up, and I was just lying down, exhausted after another hike up and down another temple. Then comes this woman exhausted and plops on the table/bench beside me. Hi! We both greeted each other and smiled. It was so nice to finally see a woman on the route! I felt so empowered. This is the beauty of the pilgrimage route. Everyone you meet is so nice; there is this instant camaraderie with fellow pilgrims because you know they just came from where you did, and you are headed in the exact location they are, so you go together. She didn’t speak English, but did know a few words that got us through a general understanding of what we were trying to say. It turned out we were headed for the same minshuku (Japanese style guest home/bed/dinner and breakfast) that evening and were headed back home (she was headed for Osaka) the following day! Great! It was so nice walking with someone else that day, it was a looooong, tough day and I honestly don't think I would have walked that entire day if I hadn't met her; she was very set on walking the entire route. So, I toughed it out, too; walking 17 miles that day. Along the way we came across another woman, in her 60s, who Kyoko had met earlier. We all greeted each other, took a rest and walked together to the minshuku. I was so happy to be with other women for a change, I got such a good vibe from them and felt reenergized. There was a beautiful sunset that afternoon, too! Imagine walking along the cape of an island, this long, long stretch of land curving along the side. Oh, it was such an amazing view. That evening is when I got the news about the home and my belongings. With the encouragement of Rob and Satomi, I still went up to the last temple yesterday and continued walking with Kyoko.

It was such a blessing to meet Kyoko; first because I really think I got that far on the route because I walked with her. I was seriously considering heading back Friday (and I had not slept well for the past two nights, having a weird, unsettling vibe in the mornings, and now I know why) but of course, now I am so glad I stuck with it. It was like playing Pictionary trying to explain to Kyoko what had happened (and why I looked so distraught that evening). And secondly, because the next morning (yesterday) after the hike down from the temple (that was the most challenging hike ever...oh, I could say so much about that hike alone) she offered to house me for the evening. Oh, thank you, thank you! It was so nice to have someone to walk with, and just be with while I was still gathering my thoughts. Overall, it was good. The hike up was difficult, and there was nothing else I could really focus on but the road. I loved staying at Kyoko's place- you can tell so much about a person by looking into their homes (and I felt so fortunate to get this opportunity to know a little more about her). She had pictures of Buddhas, of Mother Theresa, of Machu Picchu; she had sage (sage!) in a shell; and she was also in the middle of moving. I was emotionally moved to see how, despite having a small space, and having her place practically turned upside down with boxes and bags everywhere, she still invited me to stay with her, and insisted I sleep on the bed. Honestly, I think most people I know (myself included before this experience) would not have offered up our place in this condition (or who knows? Maybe so after knowing the state our new friend was in). We had a light breakfast together this morning, and shared contact information. She said “body in Osaka...mind and spirit in Shikoku.” I felt the same way. Using her English/Japanese dictionary, she wrote with her contact information “I am very glad to meet you.” Oh, me too! We smiled and had watery eyes. She will continue back on the walk in a few days after she moves...

Ay, so many things to recount! I am just giving the Cliff Note version of everything! I know most of these experiences are just for me to live, which I do, but I also like remembering them through writing and sharing them. And besides, I'm rambling and spending so much time here because I have a full night of internet access- and Imma get my money's worth!

...after breakfast she walked me to the train station. We hugged and said goodbye and I went up the escalator to get to the train track back to Kyoto, where I was before the pilgrimage and Satomi's parents' home. I looked back one last time and she was still standing there watching. We waved one last time and smiled. And that was it. Just like that, such a significant person comes in and out of my life just like that. We couldn't clearly communicate, but she told me enough to know that I also left an impression on her. I thought of what my friend Andrea B. always says, “People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”

I spent today day feeling homeless. I didn't have a place to stay and I was just sort of walking around the streets wondering, where am I going to sleep tonight? Fortunately, I was able to hang out at the hostel I stayed in the last time I was in Kyoto. They didn't have any rooms available for tonight, but a staff member who I already had a rapport with from my last visit, let me hang out and use the computer and phone for a few hours. She also helped me out by calling a couple of nearby hostels with no luck and recommending me this place where I am at now.

And so for my backpack-and all my lost belongings- seriously, dealing with the travel insurance and filing a claim is BS and please, if you are going to get travel insurance, pay those extra $5 for the luggage upgrade (seriously, what is travel insurance for if I can’t get simple assistance with something like lost/damaged luggage??? Ok, I know there are plenty of answers for that, but seriously, this claim should be easier to file). Ironically, I told Rob Thursday night, “After surviving with my small backpack for two weeks, I have been asking myself, what do I really need for 8 months?”I honestly think the walk is really helping me stay calm and not freak out...I did basically lose most everything (well, I have an extra change of clothes and a few pairs of socks and underwear), but I just need to keep reminding myself that everything I lost I can recover (slowly, but surely). I was planning on going to South Korea this week but now I will spend this week trying to recover enough in order to move on (Japan is expensive). I just feel so grateful for so many of the experiences and encounters I had (that really felt like miracles) along the route, and I am glad that I stuck to my goal. Yeah, I don’t have my backpack, but man, I get around a lot easier without carrying such a heavy load. It's like I got the opportunity to rebuild my belongings and really think of what I'll be carrying a little more carefully.

I'll post pictures of the pilgrimage walk soon.

Torture vs. Adventure...?

Well, not exactly, torture, but yes, my thought process went something like that after today's walk, so I'm back at the hotel in the city by the train station. Part of me was like, already? You're giving yourself a break after only two days of walking again? No, but this time, I really had to pay attention to my body and my gut. Yesterday was a good walk, but today was a really hard hike up another mountain-and it was cold and pouring. It hadn't been long enough since hiking Temple 12 to want to climb a mountain like that again. Oh　and I was so mad-no more like pissed off hiking today, it was so much! I would half cuss at the trail and half laugh at myself thinking, what if someone was nearby? The trail wasn't as long as getting to Temple 12 but the path was not as clear (many times it was just mud) and it was much steeper. I would be hiking up for a while, make a turn only to see another (freakin) mountain of steps. Pretend like you're looking at the very top of a 10 story building-ok, that's how a steep hike up looked. It was raining, it was cold and I was sweating! My glasses kept fogging up because of my breath. It was already raining when I started, but I thought the rain would go away since the previous days had been nice. But no, it started raining harder on my way down and it made the walk down even more difficult. On my way down this guy caught up to me, his name is Eric and he's from Altadena. Hi! Where are you from? I'm from America. From the US? Me too! (This part about being from "America" and being "American" reminded me of another discussion/rant I talked about elsewhere. I'll post that one up after this). I'm from La Puente! Wow! It was a trip to find ourselves here on this same trail so, so far away from where we call home. He was the first non-Japanese person I had seen and young person, too on the trail. He was wearing a Bruin hat and a UCLA engineering sweater (uh...let me guess, you go to UCLA??) it reminded me of a friend (Eligio) that I would almost always see wearing some sort of UCLA gear. Eric had just graduated.　(Jeanette, he was a total Phelps you would have loved him). We started walking together and he had decided to take the ropeway up to the next temple (I had planned to hike it) but at that point I was coughing, shivering and pretty soaked from the rain, so I decided to walk a few more kilometers and take the ropeway with him. It was an incredible view. Too bad it was still pretty cloudy so we couldn't totally appreciate the forests but still, we were at least able to sit and look around and not watch out for every step; there was something serene about going up in the cable car and seeing all the trees and rivers below. Everyone in the cable car was quiet looking down, so was I, but I was also amused at watching everyone else- what were they thinking? Where did they come from? Why did they decide to come today?

Anyway, by the end I was really tired and I was drenched (I had water in every crack you can imagine) and my feet were soaked and I felt a blister forming on the back of one of my heels from the wet socks. My cough was getting worse. That's when I decided to go back to Tokushima (the city I'm in now) and go back to the hotel I was staying in a few days ago; at least I could count on free meals, free coffee, free internet and a washer and dryer here! (geez, am I spoiled, or what? Can I not live without a few amenities for a while?) I parted ways with Eric and I went back to this hotel- familiar places are comforting. I'm going to stay here two nights, since it's also going to be raining tomorrow. That's the nice thing about this trip- I was given the time and money. I can be adventurous, but not at the expense of my health.

*Tip* Wet/damp shoes? Stuff some newspaper in them and the paper will soak up the water.

Thoughts on the walk

I'm in a real good place right now. I've been walking following this route called the Shikoku Henro- a visit to 88 temples around Shikoku in Japan. This route is the oldest pilgrimage route in Japan; it has been walked for over a thousand years. It was founded by Kobo-Dasishi, a Japanese monk and also founder of Shingon Buddhism, a Japanese branch (best way to describe it) of Buddhism. This is a very well known route and is most often followed in the spring time, when the weather is beautfiul (unlike say now, typhoon season!). Still, though, there are many people walking and visiting the temples. The route is about 900 miles in total and it takes about 6 weeks to complete it walking. It is a very difficult emotional, mental and physical challenge, and oh so good. I will only be walking for two weeks, it's about as much as my body and budget can take at this point. I learned about this route from a friend after sharing my interests of nature and spirituality in the different places I'd be visiting. At first I hesitated doing only part of it- I thought, would it be authentic? Would I be cheating since I'm not doing the whole thing- and continuosly? Ah, but as I read and as I learn, everybody's route is different and unique. There is no wrong or right way to follow this route. There are several groups that arrive to the temples on charter buses, all geared up to hike up the last steps of the temple. I almost feel a little bitter watching them get off the bus as I'm huffing and puffing away, but no, this is their walk. They recite the hymns at the temples, I don't, so who is to say what is right and wrong? Not me. Everyone has a different reason for going on this route and I went for the experience of feeling in isolation with temples and nature. Oh, but it is just as much about this as the process of walking for so long! So far I'm at about 78 kilometers covered (about 48 mi).

Everday I have a goal set of how long I walk (thanks to Rob and Satomi for helping map this out) with an ending destination of a place to sleep (sometimes its a hotel, sometimes its a temple). Everyday is different with its own challenges. The day before yesterday, getting to Temple 12- Shosanji temple was arduous. It's on a mountain as my dad would say, para la chingada (really far, far away). The weather forecast the night before said it would be raining all day and other pilgrims that were staying at the same hotel I was had cancelled the hike. The people at the hotel were really nice and helped me map out a bus route to get me to as close as I could. What was supposed to be a 7 km hike ended up being 15 km one. I got lost on the trail, and had to backtrack. It was getting late, I hadn't reached the top, I felt like I was the only living soul on the mountain (at least on that trail) that day, and it was raining. What a masochist! I later realized I was on the driving road, which explained why I didn't see any pedestrian signs or encourgament ribbons tied to trees. I started crying at one point feeling frustrated and wanting to turn around and try tomorrow, oh I was so tired! Then, a car passes by and I asked the lady driver how much longer "about 0.2 km" she said. It was more like 1.2 km. Once I got to the top, to the temple, it's like all my frustration went away. I was still tired, and exhausted, but I felt so accomplished. It was funny finally reaching the top and seeing two charter buses filled with pilgrims get there at the same time. I kept telling myself- to each their own. I sat at the temple for a while, then thanked all the spirits for guiding me and getting me to this point. That mountain felt very alive, very spiritual. There are small burial places and shrines along the way; I never felt alone or afraid. If anything, I felt protected. I got my stamp (every temple stamps visitor's books/journals with a calligraphy signature) on a blank sheet (the man said he could not write on my lined journal) and I got a free cab ride to my hotel that night. The walk down the next morning was beautiful, seeing the mountains with the clouds! It was so incredible. Once in a while I would look back to see how much I had climbed, after a while, I couldn't even see the top anymore.

People are so nice to walking pilgrims! People have pulled over and given me drinks, candy and this lady gave me a real pretty charm yesterday. Oh my gosh and on the first day I forgot my wallet at a temple and I didn't even notice! I was walking and this lady pulls up slowly in her car and says something and is holding up my wallet! She followed the route for about 2 km to find the owner (me), and she did. I am so, so thankful for that woman.

I don't know if this entry is sounding all choppy or scattered but there are so many things to say about this experience. It's been so good to clear my mind! As this other man said in a book about this route- it really takes you to a pure state of mind. When you are walking that much for that long, the only things that are really of importance are water, food, your feet (keeping them dry!) and where you will rest for that night. Everything else, any other worry that preoccupies you too much, literally weighs me down so I really don't think all that much about too many things for long.

Now I am resting. Today I am at a nice hotel back in the city. Civilization! Yesterday I combined two days in one. I was so dead tired, but I wanted to get to my destination- a rest in a nice hotel back by the train station. So here I am, I checked myself in for two nights at this hotel that gives you all sorts of nice free stuff (free facial masks, hair bands, manicure creams!) and letting my body rest. "What a priviledge," I thought as I walked into the marble and glass hotel lobby; to have the resources to decide to take a break and rest at a place like this. So yeah, it's a tough long walk, but I remind myself that this entire experience is a priviledge and a choice. It's been great ;). This man's quote reminds me of this experience:

"When I have climbed the mountain in front of me, an even higher peak appears on the other side. When I get over the peak an even higher one rises, and I wonder if I can conquer that one as well. In this way, I continually see new challenges. It is only when I look back that I realized that I have reached a great height."- Norimasa Nishida.