fukuoka, japan!!
i traveled to japan over my chuseok vacation. chuseok is a 3-day korean holiday which celebrates the good harvest; koreans visit their hometowns and take their children to visit their grandparents. now, since i don't have any family in korea to visit, i went to fukuoka, japan! i didn't want to waste my time with taxis and subways, so i decided to bring my bike along for the trip. it wasn't super simple, but we managed just fine. biking across fukuoka was the greatest thing i could have possibly done. the city is super bike friendly and safe, so there was never any worry that someone would steal it.
i took the ferry from busan, south korea to fukuoka, japan. it was way cheaper than flying, and more comfortable. here is a view from the dining area downstairs. it was an overnight trip, so we were issued a bedroom where we could sleep. it was shared with about 9 other people. we had a mat, a pillow, and a blanket of our own. each person was separated by a small piece of wood that kept your heads from accidentally touching . i guess it was there so that we could "have our own space". koreans are pretty comfortable sharing sleeping space with other people. i guess that what helps them live so close together so easily.
in the morning i opted for an american style breakfast. i had to purchase a ticket outside of the ferry restaurant and hand my ticket in to a waitress. it was a lovely set of box egg whites, a small piece of ham, two croissants, a piece of toast, a salad, and a cup of fruit all for about 9 us dollars. it didn't impress me much, but it was nice to get a break from korean food.
arriving in fukuoka was easy! all i had to do was get on a boat, sleep through the night, and wake up just in time to hop on my bike and travel. the first place i stopped was a traditional buddhist temple. fukuoka has temples everywhere. it is an old city, so the history flourishes in and around the new buildings. it was interesting to see the difference between japanese temples and korean temples.
also among the bike travels, i found this amazing 5 story video game arcade. i figured japan would be a huge gaming place, but i had no idea the passion was SO STRONG. i wandered through this place looking at the faces of people who were completely hooked! it was probably a 24 hour arcade, and some people looked as if they had been there for days. gambling was also present. i saw men in swanky chairs betting into a computer as they watched their animated horse run around a track on a large hd t.v. i must say, i was very impressed japan.
while me and my co-biker partner rode the streets of fukuoka, we also stopped along the way to refill our tanks and take in some of the many delicious eats japan has to offer. this stop was a small restaurant only serving eel. while the possibility of the store being closed had crossed our mind due to its closed doors, and shut windows, it was the large puff of black smoke being released from the restaurant window which assured us, it was open for business. it was one of the most amazing things i have ever eaten. i am hooked.
we also managed to get our hands on some delicious sushi. although, japan is known for its sushi, it was rare and difficult to find. the japanese said." its very expensive!", which i found to be true, but not any more expensive than a nice meal at say olive garden. it was a treat to find this local hole in the wall place. we were the only ones there in a room seated for 6.
the japanese were very fond of these food stalls. i never had the opportunity to try one, but they smelled pretty amazing. these people set up as the sun went down, and before 10pm broke there would be a line of about 10 plus people waiting to eat here. i could not possibly imagine what these people were waiting for.... however, i did not have the patience to wait around and see. i could be missing out on other things... like weddings!!
i didn't actually meet this couple, however, they were kind enough to let me photograph them. i stumbled upon this special moment at a temple in the city. they were preparing for their wedding, and having their wedding photos taken.
this rockin guy's name is hector. he is from ghana, africa and has lived and worked in japan for over 20 years. he speaks perfect english, and perfect japanese. he opened this reggae bar over 10 years ago and absolutely loves it. we spent an evening here while he told us stories of his travels and his youth. if you are ever in fukuoka, you must come to his place. it's called uprising.
on the very last night of japan, i met this beautiful woman named mokochi. she was sitting on a bridge playing her shamisen. she had a voice unlike anything i had ever heard, and it pierced through the city like a bullet. i sat and admired her for a while before she struck up the best english she could so that we may have some form of conversation with one another. one thing led to another, and before i knew what happened we were in a cultural landmark of japan sipping brazillian spirits and wine into the wee hours of the night having surreal conversations about life, evolution, and humans coming into consciousness. i must say, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. i will always remember you mokochi, and maybe someday i will be back again japan!
