Uzbekistan - Samarkand Registan Square
Foto: The beautiful Himeji castle (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Japan - We drive to Himeji via the toll road. Himeji is home to the largest surviving feudal castle. The castle tower is especially impressive. From the outside it appears to have five floors, but inside there are six levels. This was intended to mislead attackers. The castle dates back to 1346, but it took on its current form in the early 1600s. During World War II, the castle was heavily bombed, but the tower remained intact. The tour through the castle follows Japanese tradition. Everything is organized. The stream of visitors is directed through the castle along a fixed route. Staff are stationed everywhere to prevent you from going off course. The route is arranged so that those ascending use a different staircase than those descending. This is probably the only way to handle such large numbers of visitors. Due to all the delays this morning and the visit to the castle, it’s already four o’clock. From Himeji, it’s still 320 kilometers to our planned overnight stop in Nagoya. Leaving Himeji, the navigation system directs us through backroads to reach the main road, whereas on the way in, we were only briefly off the highway. The backroad runs entirely through urbanized areas. Kilometers of buildings, shops, and especially traffic lights. A lot of traffic lights. It seems like every single one is red or turns red just as we approach. I estimate there’s a light every 300 meters. This is going nowhere. After two hours of driving, we’ve only covered 35 kilometers. This is going to take a long time.
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Buddhist Sensoji Temple
Japan - We leave the park to have a beer at its edge. It’s warm again today. There are a few light clouds. Rain is predicted during the night, which might bring some cooling. For now, we seek some relief along the Sumida River. The Senso-ji Temple is located ...
Ginza and Shibuya district in Tokyo
Japan - This afternoon, everyone does their own thing. I enjoy walking through the city alone for a while. Just some quiet around me. I walk from the bustle of Ginza toward the south. It’s obvious how well-organized everything in Japan is. At construction sites, ...
The center of Osaka
Japan - After just half an hour, the train pulls into Osaka station. My hostel is within walking distance, but I can’t get my bearings to figure out which direction to go. A kind lady at the information desk draws it out for me on a map. Hostel HIVE is located ...
The Itsukushima Shrine near Hatsukaichi
Japan - The heat and lack of sleep are taking their toll. I go in search of a toilet. Again, there are girls who want to practice their English. Fortunately, they’re also happy to show me where the toilet is. On the way, they ask me a few questions. I don’t ...
The Memorial Park in Hiroshima
Japan - At half past five, we leave Hotel Quel. After some deliberation, we decided to just drive into Hiroshima by car. The alternative of taking a train seemed difficult to manage at such an early hour—especially when you're unsure where to go or where to ...
The temples of Kyoto
Japan - The Toji Temple is one of the oldest temples in Kyoto and, at 55 meters high, it boasts the tallest pagoda in Japan. The pagoda is the symbol of the city of Kyoto. Unfortunately, we can’t view the pagoda from the inside. It is only open during special ...