Well... here Aja and I are back in Victoria... it was an amazing year on the road... so much to think about ... so many great people and places to remember ..... we had an amazing adventure and it has changed our lives in many ways.... now that we are back home please let us know if you would like us to continue the blog ... if you do we will continue blogging about our adventures here at home.... drop us a note at mrblackcarrick@yahoo.ca an email address that is a combination of streets I have lived on... black street in whitehorse where i was raised and carrick avenue where i stayed in victoria while going to university.... cheers my friends... i hope to hear from you....
We traveled to Powell River to visit Noelle who we met in St Jorioz France. She was in Canada visiting her son Pierre. While there, we went to the one day will be world famous sand castle celebrations. Under the design of Sheila we built a mandala out of sand, shells, rocks and sea-weed which was finished off by having a crowd of people from the celebrations lay down and join hands. The whole thing was filmed for the local media and tv access programs.
On my birthday we were still traveling in the Yukon. We went to a friends house and Aja made me a cake. An organic angel food cake to which she added wild cranberries. It was delicious and a perfect birthday gift. The only thing Aja realized is that it is hard to keep the cranberries on just one side of the cake even if you sift and stir and try and strain the runny batter with your fingers. It was, however, very entertaining to watch her try. The fact that she had so much fun making it was what made the whole birthday event perfect.
Every two years dancers from the First nations around the Yukon and Alaska gather for "Celebration." My family and my clan, invited me and Aja to come along and take part in the experience and help the elders. One of the highlights was when my niece Megan sang her own song from the main stage. She wrote the song when she was doing her 4 day isolation at her coming of age ceremony. Three days of celebration in Juneau Alaska with dancing on the Grandstand, the stage and even overflowing onto the street.
To me the graveyard at Carcross is one of the most sacred places on the planet as so many of the hero's of my youth and childhood are buried here. I often think about these people and sense them in my prayers and feel their presence as I wondered the earth.
Whitehorse is a perfect place for people who love the great outdoors, as there is a lot of the great outdoors to enjoy. I would like to say I was reliving my youth as Mike and I dirt-biked around Whitehorse, but as I never had the resources to afford a dirt-bike it was more like two old guys pretending to be youth while zooming at middle aged speeds. Because now it is not the zooming we appreciate but rather the views and the vistas. Because at my age in this beautiful country "look-out" means stop for some inward looking while enjoying the perspective of the pleasant panorama, not to warn other motorcyclists of a log or barrier on the path.
Yes even after seeing the great cities of the world with their tall skyscrapers it is still impressive to see the three-story skyscraper circa 1947 in Whitehorse Yukon, built by a man named Berrigan who was in his 70's at the time he built it. They say this land has many stories to tell. None more interesting than the four stories in this log building. Ok there are only three actual stories, the fourth story is how, when, and why it was built.
While in the Yukon I got together with John and Chuck Mckenzie (middle). Chuck was my Judo instructor through the years I placed 3rd and 2nd twice in the Canadian Championships. He was a big part of my youth and a great inspiration as I grew up. Come to think of it he is still a great inspiration to me now. Thanks Chuck.
The sayings on the shirt thank tourists for thier support of local paramedics by feeding the bears, petting moose and taking pictures from the middle of the road We broke two of the three rules, because you just have to to get the great photos. However, I liked the saying on the bear.... no grouches, sourpusses or malcontents which is perhaps the best advice you can give anyone to prepare them to go north and survive in this great part of the world.
Here we are in Carcross in the Yukon. In different places in the world there are various saying about the weather. In Ontario they say they say there are four seasons - almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction. In the U.S. they say there are only two seasons - winter and baseball. In Ireland they say you don't have to worry if it is going to rain - it's already raining. In England they say it can get so cold you can see a lawyer with his hands in his own pockets. In Eastern Europe they say the driving is better in winter because the potholes are filled in with frozen snow and slush. And from the picture you can tell what they say about the seasons in the Yukon... There are 10 months of winter and 2 months of bad snowmobiling...
The Yukon is still very much alive with poems and tales of the Gold rush. The gold rush and it's colorful characters add a unique historical perspective and a sense of adventure to this Northern territory. Four for the six original discoverers of the Klondike are buried in the graveyard at Carcross; Skookum Jim Mason, Tagish Charlie, Kate Carmacks and Patsy Henderson. When I see the graves of these once wealthy people I am reminded of what is of value on our journey through this land and this world.
I always visit this graveyard when I come to the Yukon as many of the spiritual giants and heros of my childhood and youth are also buried there. There are many legends in the Yukon about wealth and riches that can be squandered or stolen and the real riches that cannot. The wealth in the lives and souls of so many of the people buried here are infinitely precious to me for their lives will forever bless me and the landscape in ways that the gold never can. Every time I visit here I am reminded of a great Baha'i quote that says, "with fire we test the gold and with gold we test the servants."
The S. S. Klondike, now a museum, is the only remaining paddle wheeler left in the Yukon since the glory days of the gold rush. The majestic paddle-wheelers added to the look and feel of the Yukon's colorful history, and the romance of the Gold rush. These paddle-wheelers made the 740 Km trip downstream to Dawson City in 36 hours which included one stop for wood. The return trip upstream took anywhere from four to five days and five to seven wood-stops. It is impressive to see one of them today, it must have been awe-inspiring in the days when a fleet of them weaved their way along the mighty Yukon river carrying passengers and supplies to the gold fields.
At the end of the historic White Pass and Yukon Route railway is the amazingly beautiful town of Carcross. Carcross got it's name as it is near the location of the annual caribou migration. The main street (main block as I would call it) is the home of the historic Matthew Watson General Store which has been in operation since 1910. This community has an amazing spiritual history linked to ancient times before the gold rush. This town, it's history and and its people make it is one of my favorite places on the planet.
To see more images of this beautiful community check out:
We have been on and enjoyed the comfort of the bullet trains of Europe, Asia, and Japan which are as fast-moving and as high-speed, as the cultures they serve. But as swift and sporty as those bullet trains are they cannot compare to the experience of riding the slow-moving narrow gauge railway as it twists and turns through tunnels and over numerous bridges and trestles from sea-level at Skagway up 1000 m over the mountains to the Yukon. Not only was it a trip forward along one of the most beautiful parts of the world, it was also a trip backward in time. The leisurely journey along the route of the historical Chilkoot trail, with a stop off for a traditional prospectors lunch at lake Bennett, gave us views of waterfalls, glaciers, tundra and countless ravines and historical objects abandoned by gold seekers at the turn of the century. Although we were following the Gold-Rush Trail, today it is good journey to take when you are in no particular rush.
The Contractor that built the railway said "Give me enough dynamite and chewing tobacco and I'll build a road to Hell." Although in many ways he might have found building his road to Hell a lot easier than building a railway across the frozen mountains. This narrow gauge railroad is one of the few railways built by volunteers, rather than imported immigrants. This is because gold seekers had to stop and make a grub stake, or wait out the winter before heading across the mountains on the Chilkoot trail to the gold fields of the Yukon. So many gold seekers worked on the railroad while they waited for the trail north to open.
One of my favorite northern places is Skagway Alaska, the Gateway to the Yukon since the klondike gold rush of 1898. Although over a century has passed there are still many schemers and dreamers that make their way north to this small town of 800 or so residents that still bustles with gold rush glory. Today the wealth is the wealth of history and the money spent by the new adventurers on cruise ships who stop off for a taste of outdoor adventure, shopping and a glimpse of history. The day we flew into Skagway the town had swelled from 800 to around 10 000 visitors from the from four cruise ships.
We arrived in Juneau Alaska to 23 hours of sunlight and warm and clear skies. (Alaska and Yukon warm in fact even Canada warm). Flying across the land I am reminded that sometimes there is more to see in the middle of nowhere then in any large city. In fact, after traveling the great and ancient cities of the world, I realize that the more 'civilized' we become the more we need to touch base with nature and the earth's great unexplored wilderness. Climbing onto the 9 seat airplane to fly from Juneau to Skagway made me realize that the vast wilderness of the North is not just a place we are passing through or a place we are visiting... it is home.
A week in the Hawaiian paradise with Leah and Ray was a nice, albeit short, reconnect with back home. We bought some more t-shirts and souvenirs saw the sights, not all the sights though as it is good to save some for next time. Aja and I are off to my old homeland the Yukon and Alaska for three weeks while Leah and Ray return to Victoria. So we say goodbye to the palm trees, the ukuleles, the sand and the surf and head North to Alaska, going north the rush is on.
Hawaii is home to many statues dedicated to local hero's... but this one seemed different from most, more Japanese than Hawaiian. As it turns out it is not a tribute to hula dancing but is a statue of one of Ray's heros, Akebono the first non Japanese-born person to become the Yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo wrestling.
Aja has always loved dolphins. So in Hawaii when she had a chance to have a full dolphin experience she jumped at the chance... well dived at the chance. Getting up close and personal splashing around and swimming with these delightful creatures is an experience, I am sure, she will always remember.
The beaches of Hawaii are way more commercialized then the beaches of Asia. However, they have also become way more part of the Hawaiian take it easy life-style than the beaches in Asia for the Asians. From dawn to sunset the Hawaiians are out swimming, surfing, walking, fishing, playing the ukulele and dancing in the surf the sand and under the stars. In Asia there is far less time to relax, let alone make it a life-style. We however, quickly got into the `A `ole pilikia... Malama pono...E hana me ka ha`aha`a ....way of doing things.
The only thing quick about Hawaii is how quickly we and Ray got into the relaxing Hawaiian life-style. We made time for nature, including some meerkat spotting, hung around the pool and the surf, got up early and went to bed late all the while learning how to walk, stand and repose just like the locals on these ancient trails along the coastlines of this tropical paradise. Ray even turned getting past the security on the hotel room doors into a slow Hawaiian experience.
Ok... Ray would argue that the biggest thing about us going to Hawaii was to visit him. He flew to Hawaii with Leah to act as cruise director, as he has been to Hawaii several times and knows all the great places to see, things to do and places to eat... and of course the location of all the free wi-fi and Starbucks coffee shops. It is great to get him into the blog as he has made the most comments on the blog. Aja and I have missed our regular coffee breaks with Ray, on our year away, so it is great to reconnect and catch-up in person over a cup of Hawaiian Gold Kona Coffee.
Well the biggest thing about Hawaii was that Leah was able to join us. After 11 months away from her baby and me she was able to join us for part of our adventure. People always praise me for taking Aja on such a journey, but more praise needs to go to her mother who recognized how great it would be for Aja to travel but had to spend the year away from her. Leah's arrival certainly made our travels into a nice family holiday... of course our time in Hawaii is only for a week then Leah heads home to Victoria while Aja and I continue our travels to Alaska and the Yukon for three weeks. I wonder if Leah letting Aja go for the last three weeks will be harder for her than than letting Aja go for the eleven months?
Hawaii is everything the postcards and the travel agents say it is.. sun, sand and world class surf.... I was a lot more impressed than I though I would be with the touristy stuff, except for the food was not as great as I had hoped for , but how could it be, we were just in Thailand and Japan with amazing delicious culinary delights.
After a 7 hour flight we arrived in Hawaii...We found the cheapest way to travel between Japan and Hawaii was to buy a round trip ticket and throw away the return portion.... it was twice as expensive to fly one way then to buy a ten day excursion round trip. So here we are on American soil.... although it does have a subtle un-american undercurrent about it... or may be it is that it still has a Polynesian overcurrent about it.
Mark Twain said that going to the bathroom is a greatly underrated activity. The Japanese must think so too, as they love toilet humor and spend lots of time to make the experience as enjoyable as they can. Japanese toilets have heated seats, adjustable controls, for two and three direction variable pressure water spraying, and some even have air drying. The upper right picture shows a toilet in a store featuring how powerful the bidet is. While the previous post on Japan was supposed to be the last.... I got to thinking that one last comment about the great toilets was appropriate. Posts on our next stop, Hawaii, coming very soon.
Japan is a delightful country and we saw so much and so little in the time that we were there. Here are a few final notes on Japan.
The food of Japan can be strange and mysterious. Clifton Gray said "If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. However, if life gives you a pickle, you might as well give up, because pickle-ade is disgusting." well in Japan they found a way to serve it for 500 yen along with pickle ice-cream for desert. Despite it's strangeness, we actually loved the food we had, especially the sushi.
While we have seen many of the national animals of the various countries we have been in we were really hoping for a glimpse of Japan's national animal, Godzilla, but had to settle for King Kong climbing up the side of a building.
Japan has the best toilets in the world, bar none. With push button controls, a heated seat, and a variety of spray and clean functions they are amazing and certainly undo the myths of the Asian toilet.
We will have to come back to japan as we did not get to see much of the ancient samurai, or the modern ones who practice Judo, Aikido, or Karate, or Kendo or any of the other martial arts practiced in japan. The footprints of the ancient Samurai are gone, however, their spirit still walks the land as the modern Japanese still seek the things they sought.
Our journey in this land was too short but this quote by Hojo Shigetoki should put our whole journey into perspective.
One should have insight into this world of dreams that passes in the twinkling of an eye.
We were not sure what to make of this little stuffed creature with it's sour expression and small hat. This store sold a variety of strange Japanese stuff including a drink made by combining Vinegar and Milk. But as we did not understand any of the signs perhaps this drink has something to do with catching or stuffing this little zombie like rodent-thing, or at least explaining his sour expression.
"During the second world war the people of Hiroshima wondered why they alone were not being pounded by American bombs. Almost daily observation planes flew overhead. Sure occasionally bombs fell, but they did little damage. Fantastic rumors circulated wildly that America had something special in store for us, but no one dreamed of the reality that was to come."Johannes Siemes, SJ, a professor of philosophy
I was deeply moved by Hiroshima, but not so much by the pictures of the destruction, which are mind numbing, but by the response here for peace, especially by the letters and posters for peace by children from around the world. At a time in human history when people were turning away from secular religion and putting their faith in rationalism and science the dropping of the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima showed the world that science was no longer a saviour of humanity but rather it too became identified with death and destruction.
The one building left standing, Genbaku (Atomic Bomb) Dome, was a promotional hall with a green dome. It was directly under the blast, at ground zero, so the force pushed down instead of out destroying and burning everything inside yet leaving all the walls remaining standing.This building and it's hallowed grounds have been preserved to remind not only Japan but the world of that day and that deed.
Even though this castle was built when Japan was in a continual state of conflict during the Tokugawa shogunate, this beautiful wooden castle was never destroyed in war including the 2nd world war when Japan was heavily bombed. As with all thing Japanese there is an attempt to merge function and form with beauty. It is boasted that even the small holes used to shoot arrows through or to pour oil and hot water are considered the most well designed and elegant in the world. The outer walls contain two large rocks that are larger than any rocks found in any European, Egyptian, or South American walls or castles.
Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion formally know as the Rokuon-ji the deer Garden temple is a Zen Buddhist temple in Koyoto, Japan. In the olden days when it was called the deer temple they did not have to guard it too well but now as the golden temple it has to be guarded night and day. Now a world heritage site this shinny temple and it astonishing gardens is a delightful place to relax and you can even enjoy a traditional tea ceremony.
We have noticed that in countries where there are lots of tourists, there are many signs with pictures to help travelers figure out what they are supposed to do. I, however, would appreciate if any of you could explain these two signs to me.
Kasuga Taisha Shinto Shrine is also known for the lovely wisteria in its botanical gardens, some of which is hundreds of years old. The wisteria flower is important to this shrine because "Fujiwara" can be read as "field of wisteria." But along with the beauty, which we have grown to expect from the Japanese, at this shrine you can pay ¥200 for an onikuji, a slip of paper on which your fortune is written in English. If the fortune is unfavorable, you can negate it by tying the piece of paper to the twig of a tree. As you can see from the tree this guy must be a real pessimist as it seems most people try to shake his predictions as the trees are covered with them. Maybe this is where people train for jobs writing fortune cookies.
Traveling in this ancient country the elegant simplicity of the gardens gives you the distinct feeling of timelessness. Staying with my friend Ron and his wife Keiko was delightful. They showed us around the ancient cities of Nara and Koyoto through the shrines, the temples and their amazing gardens. Having just read one of Ron’s favorite books “The Little Prince,” I discovered a quote by which I think the French author summed up the beauty of Japanese-gardens as well as how they are achieved.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint Exupery,
The art of the Japanese garden is more like music or dance than painting or drawing as the Japanese garden is always moving, changing, blending all the senses. The Japanese have certainly mastered how to make their gardens look more natural than nature itself.
The Shinkansen, also known as bullet trains, are like mighty dragons snaking across the Japanese landscape. The best deal for tourists coming to Japan is the wonderful JR rail pass, ten times more useful than a Euro pass, good for most local destinations as well as high-speed travel across Japan. Not only does it pay for itself in two quick rides, but it is an amazingly efficient, comfortable and quickest way to travel around Japan. These flying dragons travel at speeds of around 210 km/h and one of the regular local lines Carries 151 million passengers a year which makes the b.c. ferries system seem a little like the train around Disney Land but without the pirates, the dancing mice or splash mountain... However, the way this train moves it does make it seem like a small world after all.
This trick horse would have got more autographs than both the real Stallone or Willis with his stand looking all cool with one leg up or making the talking face. Except he was working for carrots instead of autographs, On the other hand may be he was laughing at me for paying the 50 yen he was getting for 2 carrots. Or may be he thought he was giving us the snarling face to scare us into giving him more carrots instead of eating us and the trainer only said it was the happy face.
As much fun as it was hanging around and signing autographs with Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallon, Aja preferred to track down and have her picture taken with her favorite Japanese actors...the Power Rangers from the 2000 series and the Powder Puff Girls... go figure ... I guess it is more fun saving the world before recess.
Here we are in a Japanese film studio with Ron. You may remember Ron from such movies as 'The Island' with De Caprio or 'Cutthroat Island' with Geena Davis... however to these Japanese students visiting the film studio he was more like Sylvester Stallon, so being the great actor he is, Ron got into character and signed their autograph books accordingly. I tried for a few moments to pass myself off as Bruce Willis but then realized how hard it is for a famous movie star to move around without being bugged by adoring fans, so I went back to being myself pointing out where Sylvester Stallon was hiding...
Todaiji ("Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara dating back to when the capital of japan was moved to Nara in 784
The Todaiji houses Japan's largest bronze Buddha statue (Daibutsu), and is the world's largest wooden building, even though the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple's size.
A popular attraction of Todaiji is a pillar inside the temple which has a hole in its base the same size as the Daibutsu's nostril. It is said that those who can squeeze through this opening will be granted enlightenment in their next reincarnation. Looks like I will have to keep trying for enlightenment here and now as no amount of weight loss will get me through that nostril. As for Aja, she could have made it but didn’t want to try... so how is that for enlightenment?
Kasuga Grand Shrine in the city of Nara, in Nara Prefecture, Japan was established in 768 A.D. and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of the Fujiwara family. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns but to me the coolest thing is the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine. It gives the feeling of old Japan and its ancient traditions and the walk is all that you can expect from a Japanese garden forest.
The path to Kasuga Shrine passes through Deer Park where the tourist guide claims tame deer roam free. After being swarmed when feeding the the monkeys, fish and elephants of Thailand we were looking forward to petting and getting up close and feeding the deer of Japan. All the tourist guides went on about the 'tame' deer so we laughed at the sign warning us about the deer until we were swarmed by chip crazy pushy deer after their crispy snack. In Canada the deer would be quickly made into roasts and delicious sausage but it seems in japan, where they eat seaweed, and all manner of raw seafood they have not gotten the taste for venison. The deer around the shrines they are protected and are somewhat of a tourist attraction as long as you don't mind getting the odd bite, butt, kick or being knocked down for your chips.
Aja has been complaining about not being able to find 'Salt and Vinegar' chips, or crisps as they are called in much of the world. However I am not sure what she is complaining about as they have lots of cool pringles chips flavors such as, soft-shelled crab, seaweed, blueberry and hazelnut, grilled shrimp, and lemon and sesame... so what's to complain about..
We have loved visiting the graveyards of the world... they are unique and often tell much about the living in ways the living can't. In Singapore they give you 15 years in the ground with a normal size grave before they exhume you and move you into a smaller burial patch as there is a shortage of burial land in the republic. The bodies that are not cremated buried are compacted and moved into building like this which looks not unlike the apartments that most Singaporians live in while they are alive. So there are more than a few jokes about living and dying and condos in Singapore. We got to spend time at the grave of Shirin Fozdar whose life story I had just read so was a delightful to track down her grave to connect to her and her life.
Singapore has a diverse populace of 5 million people made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Asians and Caucasians of different ethnic origins. This is in line with the nation's history as an immigrant nation. As well as the cultural diversity of Singapore there is also a diversity of religions represented here as well. In fact within a stones throw of each other is a Hindu temple a Buddhist temple and not far away a Muslim mosque and various churches. They seem to tolerate each other well... Of course I wait for the day that they do more than tolerate each other but recognize their common foundations and realize that they are all part of the same eternal religion.
Singapore the city-state is really small nation and is officially know as the Republic of Singapore. In my mind Singapore is the most organized city in the world. All aspects of life are organized and everything about the city from the subways to the roads to the graveyards just seems to make sense. There are tee-shirts calling it the world's finest city because they are quick to fine even things like jay-walking, spitting and chewing gum. We had a great time exploring this great cosmopolitan with some great Bahai's, Angel and Dr. Fong who showed us the high and the low and treated us with great kindness.
The south of Thailand being in the sun and on the beach is hard to describe. These beaches are so beautiful I doubt even the Scottish would turn them into golf courses. There is nothing like the beach and the sea to strip off layers of clothing along with layers of stress and layers of worry.
Jellyfish are moved around the ocean at the mercy of the tides so this day of snorkeling made us feel that we were swimming in the middle of a giant jellyfish mood lamp. However, despite the fact that Jelly fish have no bones, eyes or brains they still seemed to be quite attracted to Alexis, who confirmed that there is no truth to the urban myth about treating a jellyfish sting by peeing on your arm. There was so much rich sea life swimming around us that a few jellyfish just added a bit of electric energy of our underwater adventure.
Apparently someone carved a tree near this Thai cave to look like what appears to be a large mushroom. She soon found that she was with child. So it appeared that people who also wanted a little one brought their own statues to add to the cave. So many others followed her lead and today, if you visit, you will see literally hundreds of wooden 'mushroom' statues, all different colors and sizes. Some have colorful pieces of fabric tied around them to protect them. Others are dyed red, blue or green. But all of them give off the same message. If you want a fruitful, productive life be sure to come and visit this cave... Once you have seen this cave you can understand why Bill Balance said... "Falling in love is like eating mushrooms, you never know if it is the real thing until it's too late."
In the south of Thailand you can't beat snorkeling in clear, calm, tropical waters bursting with brilliant marine life. Aja was in her element spending hours lounging in this lovely liquid environment without a life vest. To me it felt more like flying than swimming as we spent several days snorkeling amongst the fish and the odd jelly-fish. It is hard to describe how wonderful it is to be weightless in this fantastic fluid world. Alexis, our jelly-fish bait, gave it the old thumbs up and said it best when she described it like being in a 360 degree post card...
Well... here Aja and I are back in Victoria... it was an amazing year on the road... so much to think about ... so many great people and places to remember ..... we had an amazing adventure and it has changed our lives in many ways.... now that we are back home please let us know if you would like us to continue the blog ... if you do we will continue blogging about our adventures here at home.... drop us a note at mrblackcarrick@yahoo.ca an email address that is a combination of streets I have lived on... black street in whitehorse where i was raised and carrick avenue where i stayed in victoria while going to university.... cheers my friends... i hope to hear from you....
