Myamar Adventure : Mt. Popa

We had a whole before our bus to Yangon leaves so we decided to visit Mt. Popa.
Mt. Popa is a dormant volcano which is about 40-50 minutes by car from New Bagan.
The temple on top of Mt. Popa
Another one.

We paid about 22,000 Kyats ( $15-17) for 2 people. The taxi waited for us too so it was really a good deal.

A long and scenic climb. Just like any temple in Myanmar, shoes are not allowed. You need to walk at least 700 stairs before you can reach the top. There are no specific fee to enter but you are required to donate a specific amount 🙂 for maintenance. There are several locals constantly cleaning the stairs in specific area which is really great. There are monkeys roaming around also so be careful about bringing food.
Your friendly neighborhood monkey.

View from the top.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
One of the Pagoda on top.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

If you have a few hours left before leaving Bagan, I suggest to take a short detour to Mt. Popa.

Advertisement

A Hike to Mt. Arechi(荒地山)

Late September of 2014, the heat was finally easing up a bit that HIK decided to have another hike to Mt. Arechi in Hyogo Prefecture. The rating was easy 3 star so I drag T with me to have some outdoor exercise and some socializing. The hike was both challenging and lots of fun. A few bruises here and there from climbing on the rocks but it was definitely worth it.

Some students training under the waterfall.

Let the fun begin.

Yes!! I climbed it :).

Kobe and it’s port.

Next route.

A small pond on top of the mountain.

Met a wild boar.

Unfortunately though, because of time constraint we did not make it to Mt. Arechi but still it was a great day.

Summer 2014 : To Matsumoto We go !!!

It was Miss I who actually gave us the idea to visit Matsumoto as she had live there for several years. Since Y and I did not really have a definite plan for the summer , why not right ? 😀

So after our lunch at Nagoya Station, we boarded the train bound for Natsukagawa and from there change to another train for Matsumoto. It was about 3 hours train ride all the way to our final destination.

We both wanted to read and relax in the train but I think the excitement of seeing a new place is getting me all hyped, I can’t concentrate on reading. So taking pictures instead.

A town we passed.

Nakatsugawa Station. Took a short stroll outside to find some manhole 🙂

Mountain and rice field.

More mountains.

By late afternoon, we finally arrived in Matsumoto City. First thing first, we need to find our guesthouse, find an onsen and food. In that particular order.

Naruto characters ?

We are in Matsumoto !!

After we got settled in the guesthouse, we were able to borrow bicycle and it’s onsen time. Base on the guesthouse staff recommendation, we went to Menoyu(目之湯) in Asama Onsen. It was very hot and humid during our stroll in Nagoya, that the thought of soaking our very tired body is amazing. The temperature has cooled down significantly in Matsumoto and we had the rotenburo all to ourselves.

Menoyu

After onsen, now its time to feed our tummy. Of course, when you are in Matsumoto, you have to try Soba or buckwheat noodles. The owner of the onsen, a nice old man, pointed us to a nearby place which is also a favorite among the locals there.

It was a soba feast. A few minutes later Y and I finished all our food.

Soba Tempura.

Soba ( I forgot the name )

The Soba Place.

Onsen, Dinner and adventure. It was a great day indeed. When we finally made back to to our guesthouse, both of us are ready for bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out and the next thing I know , the sun was shining. A new day has started and of course a new adventure. 🙂

Hiking to Wazuka (和束)

Ever since one of T’s student told us about Waduka(pronounced as Wazuka 和束) , we have been trying to visit the place but kept putting it off . So when Mr. R organized another hike going to Waduka, I know this is a chance I could not missed. It was unfortunate that T was not able to join because of work, I’m sure he would have love the place but hopefully we can go visit there again this coming autumn (fingers crossed :D).

Based on the last hike with Mr. R, I know this was not going to be your normal hike with normal trail so I almost canceled when the back of my right knee kept on giving me pain. Fortunately, massaging it every night a week before the hike abated the pain a little. Now I’m just hoping that it will hold up till the end of the hike and not cause anybody trouble.

It was a very humid day with an impending rain, a nice for a hike right?

S, P and I arrived on the same train in 上狛(Kami-Koma) Station around 9:30 and I was already sweating profusely and was already feeling really tired.
We started our hike and a few minutes later, we entered this beautiful bamboo trail.

Unfortunately, bugs were following us, buzzing in my ear. I was just happy we did not met any hornets.

There were some areas that I find really challenging and the three of them were just walking through it like nothing. Darn so jealous. I was already using both hands , fortunately Mr. R was there to give a helping hand after I shouted for Help :D. Yes I’m not shy in that area 😉

Anyways, after we passed that area it was all good. It was still drizzling so at least it was a bit refreshing and the forest smelled so fresh and looks greener. No more bugs buzzing around too.

After we came down on one of the steeper area with stairs, I felt my knee wobbling and shaking. S was also feeling suddenly tired, I guess the heat was making us very tired. After discussing our options with the boys, S and I decided to keep on going. Although instead of using the mountain trail, we decided to take the road to the top instead, it was not as interesting as the mountain trail but it gave S and I to recuperate a little bit.

We got to the top and this is our view:

It was very beautiful.

We had a long break here, while having our lunch and by the time we finished S and I were all set to take on the next challenge.

And after an hour or so later…

We arrived to the tea planet :).

A few more minutes of walking we found some these statues :

There were several of them with different hand poses , I guess these are used for pilgrimage or something.

And more tea farms in Waduka.

From Wiki:

Wazuka (和束町 Wazuka-chō^?) is a town located in Sōraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,011. The total area is 64.87 km².

Wazuka is mostly a farming town and prides itself in its top quality green tea actually said by many connoisseurs of tea to be no. 1 in all of Japan^{[citation needed]}. Wazuka is home to roughly 300 tea growing families. The area was selected in the Kamakura period (1192 – 1333) for tea production and has enjoyed an 800-year history as one of the main production areas of Ujicha. Today, while Ujicha comprises only 3% of the tea produced in Japan, it enjoys royal status as one of the most highly prized and respected teas in the country.^[1] Also a considerable crop of rice is produced among other agricultural products.

Wazuka’s band of top tea farmers known as the Yukichaken and the local community are in cooperation with NICE one of the major volunteer program companies and hold together the biggest annual work camp at the end of August lasting 2 weeks. The program is open to about 12 foreigners per year and an equal number of Japanese work campers.

If you are visiting Kyoto, I highly recommend visiting or taking a tour in one of tea farms here and try the local tea. It’s absolutely fantastic.

This coming November 1-2, 2014, there is a Chagenkyo (Tea) Matsuri. Hopefully I can go there again.

The hike was amazing and the destination was definitely worth it.

Hiking to Somewhere : The Continuation

The Saga continues … ( sounds dramatic eh 🙂 )

Anyways, after we left Iwafune Jinja , we noticed that we are no longer within Osaka Prefecture but within Nara Prefecture, specifically Ikoma City.

Here is the proof. The sign says it all.

Since this is the first time I joined a hike organized by Mr. R, I was surprised that when we slowly enter into the mountain there were no visible trail. It feels like we are entering into this jungle where you can barely see where you are walking. It was either we turn back or we can trust Mr. R to lead us, but nobody complained and I think we are all excited.

As we were walking we noticed this little ponds and it looks so freshly green :).

I got captivated by one these ponds that I was not looking in front of me and had a big bump on a piece of fallen tree blocking the way. Thankfully my head is thick enough, no damage felt so far (as of this writing).

We got to a higher ground and saw this

Everybody was blocking my view :p

After a few hours of walking, we finally reach Kurondo Pond

It looks really green and peaceful.

A warning for people like me 😀

Enjoying a moment of peace away from the lady folk ? ;p

We took a long relaxing break here.

These two decided to check out the mini boats.

Some of us were a bit tired already so we decided to call it a day and head home.

But not before we pass this interesting waterfall.

Noticed that little Buddha statue on the side. We had a theory that this might be one of the meditation spots for monks.

If you can read it, it’s a description and name of the mini-waterfalls.

Say hi to this awesome hikers 😀

It was definitely a lovely day with equally amazing group. A great hike , another great adventure for me 🙂