July 16, 2007
Wakayama
We headed for Wakayama Marina City in the Inland Sea, knowing that here was a decent marina where we could leave the boat for an overnight visit to Kyoto by train, while avoiding the additional roundtrip sailing required to go all the way into Osaka or Kobe. Our detailed charts are older and when I plotted the location of the marina and the coordinates placed the marina deep into the bay south of Wakayama city, I concluded that either the GPS coordinates were inaccurate or that significant building had occured since our charts were printed. With the help of a brochure of the marinas of Japan we cross checked the GPS coordinates, and an aerial photograph helped us locate the entrance outside a newly created island. We made our way in and tied alongside.
Our first day there was gorgeous and sunny. We had great facilities there, so were easily able to do our laundry, enjoy long hot showers and fill our water tanks. And we contacted people in the area that we knew. Japanese cruisers who we first met in New Zealand had settled here after they finished their circumnavigation of the Pacific, and we thought it would be fun to see them again if we could arrange it. We were able to reach Yuki immediately on the weekend and she visited the boat, bringing fresh vegetables from her garden. We spent some time aboard catching up with what we'd been doing since we last saw each other. Then she took us to see the Wakayama Castle, which I'd really been wanting to see. The castle towered over the city behind a fortress of stone walls, yet inside, the building seemed far less imposing.
I had been completely enthralled with James Clavell's book Shogun and subsequent miniseries as a child, and I really loved being able to see various types of traditional warrior dress on display inside. The view from the castle peak overlooking the city and marina was excellent and the weather was clear. After touring the castle and gardens, we headed for a grocery store where Yuki helped us to provision for our upcoming passage. Yuki's help was invaluable: We appreciated having her tell us what things were and to suggest ingredients that could last for months without refridgeration for easy to cook meals while underway. We got so absorbed in provision shopping, we nearly forgot to buy the octopus for the evening's meal! Then we headed for her house, where we met up with her husband, Tomi, a talented artist and musician. We were amazed by Tomi's watercolors and sketches of so many places we've cruised and loved thumbing through his sketchbook and their book of cruising friends, many of whom we had met while crossing the Pacific. We had a great time with them, reminiscing about boats, people and places we knew in common. Yuki and Tomi told us that a Japanese singlehander that we met in Saipan last April failed to arrive in Japan: About a month after we saw him depart, his boat was found adrift off the coast of Japan with no one on board and we realize that we might have been the last people who saw him. A circumnavigator friend of theirs also joined us and we were amazed to hear of his passages around cape horn and across the Atlantic and Pacific. For dinner we had takoyaki, a specialty of the area, which are tiny round balls of soft doughy like mixture of octopus, flour and a mild cheese, which were absolutely delicious! We also had a great salad and pot stickers to round out a fantastic evening.
Kyoto
Early the next morning, Yuki and Tomi generously took us to the train station and helped us get our tickets for Kyoto. It was raining pretty steadily so we were suited up in our rain gear along with umbrellas hoping the trip wouldn't be a total washout. The train took about an hour and a half and after we arrived we immediately headed for the tourist office to find a place to stay for the night. We identified a Japanese traditional inn, a Ryukan, that suited our needs in the area of Gion, where the old teahouses and geisha are concentrated. Then we found a restaurant in the impressively huge modern Kyoto station that looked appealing and affordable and joined the queue outside on the bench. An engaging waiter/host took everyone's order while we waited. As the only Gaijin, we went through the pantomime, trundled over to the window display and pointed at the meals we wanted. And shortly after we were seated our meals arrived, a combination of noodle soup, rice, tempura, salad and pickled vegetables and seaweed, served along with plenty of hot green tea. After lunch we wandered amidst the steady drizzle over to a temple near the station then made our way to the Ryukan to check into our (hotel) room. Our room featured traditional features of a Japanese home: the step up from the entryway into the main living area, with tatami mats covering the floors. The room was sparsely decorated with just a low table in the center of the room and low flat cushions placed around it, and a television an alcove in the far corner. We snacked for dinner while hotel staff came in to make up our bed: They slid the shoju screen doors open and pulled four single futons out of the closet and laid them out in 2 layers side by side. Then they covered the top two futons with flat sheets tucked between the futon layers and on top they laid a covered duvet and pillows. We found the futons to be very comfortable after we wandered the streets of Gion a bit during a break in the heavy rain.
In the morning with better weather, we again wandered the cobblestone streets of Gion, lined with charming wooden tea houses and weeping willows. As we stopped to buy a drink from a vending machine, a woman asked us where we were from and how long we were staying. When we indicated we were heading towards a temple, she indicated she'd show us the way. Soon she was pointing out famous tea houses in her limited English and patiently waiting while we took photos of the kimono clad women and interesting scenes we encountered along the way. When we arrived at the temple she hurried up the steps and bought 3 tickets and ushered us inside refusing to hear our protestations as we tried to pay our own way. We looked around the temple briefly then she invited us to sit with her in a peaceful spot overlooking the gardens. We were impressed with the beauty and peacefulness of the temple and talked for a short while as best we could given our language challenges. She began pulling items out of her bag and handing them to us, saying "gift for you": first a book showing her company that supplies very high quality miso to fine restaurants, a temple book, a cell phone charm, a special temple cloth, then beautiful photos of geisha in training, called maiko, and full fledged geisha, (called geiko in Kyoto). In her limited English, she explained a little about the geisha training using the photos to point out what she meant. I was keenly interested in learning more about this uniquely Japanese tradition that I read about in the book "Memoirs of a Geisha". She promised she'd take us to see the geishas after the temple. Then we continued to explore the temple and its lovely gardens. The presence and manner of our self appointed host made us stop and really immerse ourselves in the serene beauty of the temple in a way that we might not have otherwise. And when we finished, we all made our way back through the cobbled streets.
As we rounded one corner, we saw a large group of photographers hovering outside a doorway, clearly waiting for something. Our host greeted friends in the crowd and then asked if we liked noodles, whisked us into a noodle shop and promptly ordered. When the shopowner placed in front of each of us a bowl of cold noodles, a bowl with small bits of raw seaweed, a bowl of brown sauce, and a bowl with a white gruel topped with a raw egg. We watched her mix everything else together and then pour the mixture over the cold soba (buckwheat) noodles and start eating. So we both took a big breath and followed suit, trying to forget that we were eating raw eggs and we weren't sure what else. Surprisingly enough we found the combintation quite filling and not revolting. (We've noticed that eggs are a common feature in Japanese meals, though usually cooked.) We were able to treat our host to lunch and then we joined the crowd of paparazzi outside.
As we awaited the debut of a newly graduated geisha we learned from an American gal with a good understanding of Japanese a bit more about geisha traditions: A maiko begins her training at 15, mostly running errands and observing in plain dress, then at 16 the maiko begins to dress in elaborate kimono and hairstyles and ornaments, studying the traditional arts - singing, dancing, shamisen playing, flower arranging, etc. When a maiko reaches the age of 20, she becomes a full fledged Geisha, assuming the full duties of a geisha, keeping the lion's share of the income that she generates and usually moving out of the shared geisha house and into her own quarters. The geisha, being more skilled in the fine arts than the maiko, tend to dress more plainly once they make the transition, with less brightly colored kimono and less flashy hairstyles (usually wigs) and ornaments. She is considered an artist and not a prostitute. On this lucky day, we saw the debut of a new geisha as she emerged from her geisha house to begin her career as a full fledged geisha. When she came out in her formal black kimono, white face and elaborate hairstyle, the photographers went wild, taking photographs of her from every angle. They paid special attention to the 3 (makeup-less) stripes of bare skin on the back of her neck, considered very sexy as they suggestively disappear into her kimono. On this day, the geisha makes her rounds to all the tea houses for the first time as a full fledge geisha. As she began her tour, the photographers followed in a pack. We took this opportunity to say goodbyes to our host and thank her for her incredible generosity.
Though we only had a couple of hours until our train returned to Wakayama, we wanted to fit in a quick tour of Naji-ji, the castle of the first Tokugawa Shogunate. Its ostentatious style signalled the decline of the power of the emperor and the rise in that of the shogun. To protect the shogun against treachery, the castle featured hidden compartments for bodyguards to keep watch and nightingale floors that sang pleasantly when someone approached. The castle was surrounded by a moat and high stone walls and beautiful gardens filled with ponds and waterfalls amidst lush flowers and trees. The castle interior, while filled with finely carved shoji screen doors and paintings is surprisingly sparse and plain: similar in appearance to typical tatami rooms, yet made with much higher quality materials. The elaborate entrance gates and gardens were the most impressive features, as well as the clever chirping floors. I could have definitely been comfortable living there, just with a bit more furniture!
With so much still to see in Kyoto, the rapidly approaching typhoon season forced us to press on with our sailing journey, and we returned to the boat in Wakayama.
Nachi:
The day after we returned from Kyoto, we carried on with our sailing. We've been moving at a pretty quick pace, rarely stopping to do more than sleep and sightsee. We headed out in foggy light wind conditions amidst busy shipping traffic yet again. With so much practice, we're quite adept at recognizing all the various lighting combinations from every angle for all types of ships - vessel on port or starboard, LPG carrier, vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver, vessel not under command, submarine, etc. and determining the location of a ship based on its engine noise or fog horn when visibility is poor. Our next intended port was Japan's largest tuna fishing port and whaling center on the southern coast of Honshu, where natural hot springs or onsen are common due to the volcanic activity in the area.
We pulled into this shipping port and tied alongside a fishing pier, just behind a brand new local sailboat. We were looking forward to spending time with them but they were gone within a couple of hours. We ate a quick lunch and took a nap, then in the evening we wandered about, spotting an onsen for bathing our feet, where a small group of Japanese were gathered. To our delight, we noticed foot baths sprinkled around town and made a point of soaking our feet as often as practical.
In the morning we went to see the tallest waterfall in Japan, nestled up in the mountains nearby. We caught a train and bus up the winding mountain roads to the spectacular shrine complex and waterfall. We had a delightful day hiking along the ancient moss covered stone trails through the deep woods to the waterfall and back down again. In the late afternoon, hot and sweaty, we headed for an onsen in the nearby Ryukyan. After a thorough scrub, we each soaked in the hot tub outside in the garden - Garth with a couple of Japanese guys in the men's Onsen while Wendy enjoyed the solitude of an empty ladies Onsen. We finished our brief visit with a fine sushi dinner at the local sushi hangout, with plenty of maguro (tuna) from the local catch. We would have loved to have paid a visit to the whaling center and museum, but again the coming typhoon season urged us on. We noted with interest all the important Japanese whaling research that we've witnessed: the parts of the whale depicted in several butcher's shops. We would have loved to have seen a nearby whale museum and whaling ship, as well as sample a few more onsen, one of which was outside overlooking a gorgeous view and closed when we wanted to go. But the seasons forced us to press on.
So we sailed eastward towards Tokyo, more drifting in fog and heavy shipping traffic. We'd planned to stop one more place along the southern Japanese coast, but for several hours we had ideal winds that were starting to build and we though that with this favorable wind we could easily make good progress and that we ought to take this rare opportunity. But the wind was just a tease. Within an hour of double reefing the main, we instantly had not a breath of air, too late of course to change our course for the anchorage we had mistakenly passed up, where we could have relaxed for the night and done a little more sightseeing. Instead, the next 18 hours were painfully slow until we finally motored our way out of the busy shipping area in poor visibility. Again our brochures with the marina overviews came in handy to navigate into another brand new marina in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo. By the time we arrived our Japanese flags was in tatters, though I can hardly remember wind that might have caused that!
Tokyo:
We again splurged to stay in a fancy marina, though we paid a small fraction of what Japanese boaters might pay. We wouldn't be able to afford to visit Japan otherwise, as we typically don't stay in marinas but often must here. In Tokyo, free anchorages are nonexistent and we wanted to be able to top up our water tanks, wash the boat, and have a place where we could leave the boat and take advantage of easy transportation to sightsee and meet up with friends in the area. During our first couple of days in the marina we'd worked hard to complete the projects on our list so that we could then enjoy the company of friends. For years we've stayed in touch with Tomoko, a freelancer with a Japanese glossy sailing magazine after she interviewed us in New Zealand, did a 6 page piece on us years ago and generously enabled us to participate more fully in the America's Cup by hosting us aboard the press boat several times, as well as gave us the opportunity to watch races and press conferences anytime in the media center. We were looking forward to seeing her and her husband, Yuichiro, again and the magazine (Kazi) wanted to do another interview with us so we arranged a time to meet just before we planned to depart. In the interim, we contacted a couple of other folks and made arrangements to meet up. We misunderstood an invitation for the weekend to be just an invitation for dinner and accidentally double booked ourselves. Unfortunately this misunderstanding messed up our only opportunity to see Tanaka-san again before he headed to the Pacific NW to cruise the Queen Charlotte Islands and we were disappointed to miss him. We hope we'll have the opportunity to host him in the Pacific NW sometime.
So we headed downtown Tokyo on the train to meet up with our friend Mitch, and he generously offered us the chance to enjoy a few days away from the worries of the boat, enjoy his huge house in downtown Tokyo, relax and sightsee with his family for the weekend. We began our evening in a busy, stand up style food bar, where we could sample a wide variety of Japanese delicacies, in the tapas style. In the company of Mitch, another American and a South African who were also longtime residents of Japan, we chatted about all kinds of things while we tried a number of interesting dishes. We started out snacking on soy beans fresh out of the pod while we drank beers. Then we moved inside to the bar and sampled a couple platters of maguro sashimi (raw tuna) rolled in black sesame seeds and chicken skewers with a delicious spicy pepper relish. Then we were served a large bowl of ice, on which sat juicy slices of fresh beefsteak tomatoes and the largest asapargus speers that I've seen, accompanied by a soy bean mixture and mayonnaise which made for a surprisingly delicious compliment. Then we tried horse sashimi (yes raw horse!), unusual to try but not especially interesting. After we polished off a few beers, Mitch opened up a bottle of shojyu (a smooth sake like drink of much higher proof) that the restaurant had given him to congratulate him on his new promotion. We poured the shojyu over a carefully hand carved large round ice cube. (Garth really enjoyed the the shojyu, perhaps a little too much, as the next morning he was a hurting pup.) Following our food sampling, we toured a couple bars housing an incredible collection of LP record albums of old favorites and rarities. Soon it was four in the morning and we took a taxi home to Mitch's nice house for some sleep.
In the morning when we finally got moving, after a long hot bath, we headed out for a bit of sightseeing around Tokyo. Mitch, his wife Yoshiko and his two boys, Cody and Kinan, took us to a beautiful garden where we saw numerous weddings in process - lots of formal black kimonos - and to a tea ceremony where we sampled bitter thick green tea and several sweets designed to complement the tea, one a chalky pink, one translucent gelatinous pale blue-green and a white cake filled with a bean paste, all served by a graceful, kimono-clad older woman. We marvelled at numerous carefully cultivated bonsai trees that were only a few feet tall despite being hundreds of years old. Ah, the history they must have witnessed. We carried on to see the Tokyo tower, where countless people wore kimonos or the more casual, thinner cotton version - yukata, since those wearing kimono get in free, but the hazy weather discouraged us from going to the top. We walked a short distance to Zojo-ji, the former family temple of the Tokugawas. There we watched the monks conduct a service in the temple. In a larger temple opera music was audible and we went over to watch and listen as performers practiced for an evening performance. We wrote our wishes on a bright green tag to post on a weeping willow tree, in keeping with temple tradition. In the evening we went to an all you can eat restaurant where we cooked our own meat, seafood and vegetables in a deep fryer. After dinner we walked around the busiest intersection in the world, where nearly 400,000 people a day cross the street - that's about 1000 people each light cycle and about how many people we crossed the street with. There lies a famous statue of Hachiko, in honor of a famous dog who loyally awaited his masters return every day at the railway station for 10 years after his master died in his office. The next day we had a full day of exploring Enoshima island, shrine and gardens, a great beach town and day trip from Tokyo, where we had the opportunity to shop for souvenirs and sample more Japanese delicacies. (My favorite was a deep fried bread with a light cheese and fish filling, slightly similar to takoyaki, but not quite the same. I can't remember what it was called, though.) We finished the day touring Velella and the marina.
After interviewing with Kazi magazine, Tomoko and Yuichiro took us sightseeing. We drove down to Kamakura, once the Japanese capital and a charming town of notable Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and picturesque gardens. We visited an ancient giant Buddha, built in 1252. The statue sits over 36 feet tall out in a courtyard after the huge hall that once housed it was washed away in a typhoon in 1495. We ventured inside the bronze Buddha and immediately understood the need for the ventilation provided by the amusingly large doors cut into his back. A short distance away, we visited a temple and gardens filled with blue and pink hydrangea blossoms. We toured through a cave that resembled an ancient Christian grotto, with carved statues of gods and goddesses. We stopped for afternoon tea and Tomoko and Yuichi treated us to some new Japanese snacks, which Yuichi ordered and paid for through a vending machine before handing the receipts to a waiter. Our first snack was skewers of small white rice balls coated with a mildly sweet and sticky brown sauce with a vaguely soy flavor - chewey but delicious. Our second snack was a bowl of watery gelatin with wide translucent noodles made of a root vegetable that tested our ability to use chopsticks as we tried to fish them out of the bowl to dip into a bowl of molasses sauce. Another one of the interesting but unusual snacks we've tried here in Japan. Yuichi then took us to his parents home, where we got to meet his parents and see their finely sculpted garden and collection of antiques. They showed us these amazing cloth figurines that his mother makes by hand with incredibly fine skill. They generously sent us away with some impressive gifts that we will treasure for years. The generosity of the Japanese people has truly amazed us. I can't think of a country in our travels where we have been better welcomed and hosted. The tradition of gift giving is a natural part of life in Japan and has so enriched our cruising experience, enabling us to meet people, sample many things and return with more souvenirs than we might otherwise be able to. We finished the day with a sushi feast, tasting a variety of new types. Japan has truly been a favorite cruising spot for us and we wish that the season wasn't such a short one. But typhoon season is here and it's time to find get out of their path.
Hope you've enjoyed these updates as this may well be one of the last. Tomorrow we set sail back across the Pacific now that the typhoon has passed.
We have set up a blog where we can easily post updates without necessarily having to send out mailers or have Internet access. Check http://yachtvelella.blogspot.com/ to see whether I've posted an update since our last email update.
Newest postings:
Strangers in a Strange Land: Gaijin in the Ryukyu Islands of Southern Japan
Delighful Stop in Lan Yu, Taiwan
Racing to the old Portugese colony of Macau
View our more recent photos at http://photos.yahoo.com/yachtvelella and our older photos of our voyage at http://photos.yahoo.com/atomicsalsa. We are continually adding to these as we have good Internet access and photos to share. Our photos of Valencia and Barcelona, Spain are posted here.
Cheers,
Wendy Hinman and Garth Wilcox
S/V Velella (Wylie 31)
http://yachtvelella.blogspot.com/