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Showing posts from 2015

Visiting Bessho in the Japanese Alps

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Welcome to readers from Myanmar and Namibia Bessho, Ueda. The Asama shinkansen from Ueno station Tokyo took a supremely comfortable hour to roll into Ueda City. From there a small, six carriage, narrow gauge train called the Dentetsu took me on the thirty minute ride to the village of Bessho. I was there to feel the contrast with Tokyo’s greater metropolitan district populated by 44 million people and to visit the best example of a wooden temple in Japan. Even though Bessho had a population of 2361 people only a handful people were visible at any one time. It was quiet. Uematsuya At Uematsuya Ryokan What a nice surprise A matcha tea served within moments of my arrival The food at Uematsuya is outstanding. To stay for one night with breakfast and dinner cost around $60.  If you like matcha green tea visit:  Making matcha in Uji, Kyoto Here's something about staying in a Japanese Style Roo

Myanmar Lost

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Welcome to readers from Chile, Belarus, South Korea, Italy, Mexico, Cambodia, Switzerland, Brunei and Nepal Just a short ride away across the Kra Buri river in Thailand is Kawthaung (formerly called Victoria Point). Architecture in this part of Burma looks a little like England 120  years ago. The mood here is mournful leading to wistful. Listen to Sebastien Tellier's mournful  L'Adulte  below: L'Adulte in London Filmed for my favourite newspaper in one of my favourite cities, London, with my favourite music artist du jour. * Myanmar - unsurprisingly, not the easiest place to be. People here in this part of Myanmar are shy and very short of money. The combination makes visiting a little rough-going. Infrastructure is basic and commercial development almost nil. Well exactly nil. There are hotels for visitors. Inside mine the white-tiled appearance of a sanitarium. Another resembled a broken down 1970s miners social club. Myan

Chinatown, Saigon

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Chinatown - Sai Gon During the Vietnam war soldiers and deserters from the US Army maintained a thriving black market in Chinatown trading in various American and US Army issue items. Chinatown, near the Quan Am pagoda, was the scene of photo-journalist Eddie Adams' famous execution photograph. General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7znFnZRRT2c Nightfall Cai phe Strip Low light Spark Corner Night Tree Sim oi du lich. If you like Tea with your travel visit Singing Bird Tea below: - http://singingbirdsingingbird.blogspot.com/2015/03/burmese-days.htm