1 == Bernie's brain dump as of April 2009 ==
3 === April 30th: Departure ===
5 ==== My father's photos ====
7 Throughout our journey, my father also took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/From_Alberto|plenty of shots]]
10 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/From_Alberto/Tokyo/Ueno_Zoo/00214.jpg|Traditional wind socks for the children's day|maxwidth=640}}
12 ==== How to spend 8 hours in Paris ====
14 {{japan_2009/From_Alberto/Paris/00216.jpg|The Louvre gallery viewed from the Seine|maxwidth=640|class=thumbright}}
16 Our flight from Narita arrived at Charles de Gaulle at 4AM, and the connecting
17 flight to Florence was at 1PM. Could we spend all this time sitting in the terminal?
19 No way! My camera's battery was gone, but my father took some photos of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/From_Alberto/Paris]].
21 For the first time in my life, I had a really bad impression of Paris. Coming from Tokyo,
22 any place would seem very dirty, but in this case the garbage was real, abundant,
23 and smelled intensely of alcohol, urine and vomit. Perhaps April 30th was a special "drunk men day"?
25 ==== GEEK UPDATE: A productive flight ====
27 On the flight back to Europe, I spent some time hacking on [[GeekiGeeki]] to add little goodies such as
29 * a grid view for photos;
30 * automatic generation of human-readable link tags from wiki URLs;
31 * a common parser for argument lists such as "foo|bar=1|baz=3";
32 * the ability to specify css style for links and inline objects, which I'm using to produce
33 floating thumbnails on the side of pages without resorting to HTML
35 These new features will make my wiki markup even lighter than before.
36 Moreover, these additions actually resulted in further //simplification//
37 of the codebase rather than code bloat. Way to go!
40 git diff --stat v3.0..HEAD geekigeeki.py
41 geekigeeki.py | 709 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------------------
42 1 files changed, 352 insertions(+), 357 deletions(-)
45 If you notice any regressions in the output, please report them to me.
46 I'm hoping to release 4.0 soon.
48 Tags: [[tags/stuff_that_matters]] [[tags/!bloat]] [[tags/as_simple_as_possible]] [[tags/but_no_simpler]]
51 ==== Last day in Tokyo ====
53 We gathered all our left energies for a //tour de force// of a bunch of touristic
54 locations highly recommended in our guide:
56 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Edo_Museum]], along with a wonderful
57 temporary special exhibition of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Tezuka]].
58 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Ameyoko]] markets
59 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Ueno_Zoo]]
60 * The Narita airport :-(
62 === April 29th: Back to Tokyo ===
66 After one last tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/town]], we left from Nikko in
67 with a low-cost private line (2h40, but only 1100 Yen all the way to Asakusa).
69 We had just one evening and half of the next day to spend in Tokyo, so we quickly dropped
70 our luggage to the [[http://www.tokyo-ih.jp/en/index.html|Tokyo International Youth Hostel]],
71 a sort of nazi camp with a great view on the 18th floor of a high-rise building in Iidabashi.
75 Because there was a strict curfew at 11PM, we had to take the metro during the rush
76 hour ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/metro|photos and videos]]) to reach
77 the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara|Electric Town]] ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Akihabara|photos]]).
83 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/waterfalls_tour/00038.jpg|maxwidth=640|class=thumbright|The Yutaki Waterfalls}}
85 Pictures of our day-long [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/waterfalls_tour]] are now online.
86 Our friendly guide, the Buddhist monk whose name I forgot, answered many of our pending questions
87 about Japanese traditions and religion. Hiking through these sacred mountains and woods was an
90 TODO: assemble a good video from all the scenes I took along the way
92 ==== Nikko Temple Area ====
93 In the afternoon, we went to visit the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/world_heritage_site]].
94 One would expect to grow bored of Shinto and Buddhist temples after seeing many of them
95 all over Japan, but visiting the Nikko temple area was once again an extraordinary experience.
96 And I could finally spot a few [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko]]s too!
98 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/world_heritage_site/00096.jpg|maxwidth=640}}
102 ==== Afternoon: travel to Nikko ====
104 Nikko is in an adjacent valley east of Nagano on the Japanese alps. Unfortunately, no train lines
105 and buses connect them directly, so we had to take an expensive -- yet very fast -- Shinkansen
106 detour all the way down to Saitama and then northbound again.
108 Once at the station, we immediately realized it was a good deal, after all.
109 This mountain town overflows with temples, world heritage sites and statues of Buddah
110 spread in an extremely beautiful natural environment with many great falls, ancient woods
111 and hot springs where even wild monkeys take an onsen.
113 Our [[http://www.nikkoparklodge.com/|hostel]] is ran by Zen monks and serves an unforgettable
114 vegan dinner with seit. In the evening, we exchanged excited stories with a family of Italian tourists from Milan who had
115 chosen to travel by car rather than by train to save money and gather access to places unreachable
116 by public transport. Quite a smart idea for groups of 3-4 people who aren't afraid of driving
119 Surprisingly, one of the monks speaks perfect English. He told us that he lived in California
120 for some time. An explanation worthy of the plot of a very bad 007 movie, where locals
121 always happen to speak English somehow, saving James from the embarrassing need of resorting
122 to silly gestures in order to get his stupid Vodka Martini the way he likes it.
124 Tomorrow, of course after our morning yoga and vegan breakfast, we're going on a day long
125 guided hiking tour with the monks, which sounds really cool.
129 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/00026.jpg|Ouch!|maxwidth=640}}
131 ==== Morning: Zenko-ji ====
133 In the morning, we tried again to visit the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]].
134 Even on a Monday, the queue was not much shorter. A nice volunteer guide advised us that
135 the pilgrims where queuing just to touch a wooden pole with an inscription on it that was
136 right in front of the temple, and we could skip aside if we weren't interested. So we did.
138 We still had to queue for half an hour inside the temple to reach the secret chamber where
139 we would get the rare opportunity to see the hidden Buddha, visible only once every seven
140 years. Quite a lucky combination! I was impressed by the devotion of the people around me.
141 The spiritual side of Japanese people does not seem to clash at all with their high-tech lifestyle.
143 Behind the temple, we were led down a narrow staircase to a dark and twisty corridor beneath
144 the temple. We had to walk in the pitch black obscurity, touching the walls in search of a
145 metal key of enlightenment. I could finally get hold of the key and turn it, but the most
146 enlightening part of this experience was hearing the crowd of tourists apologizing for bumping
147 into each other all the time ;-)
149 I only have outdoors [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Zenko-ji|photos]] becuase taking
150 pictures inside was strictly forbidden. A monk yelled at me just for fiddling too much with
151 my camera, which was quite surprising, considering how tolerant Japanese people usually are
152 towards our ignorance of their culture.
154 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Zenko-ji/00186.jpg|The sacred inscription we can't read, let alone understand|maxwidth=800}}
156 === April 26th: Matsumoto again ===
158 ==== Back to Matsumoto ====
160 Our [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Shimizuya_Ryokan|ryokan in Nagano]] was simply great.
161 Everything was traditional Japanese-style, including the room, the onsen and the breakfast.
163 We tried to visit the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]] right next to our
164 ryokan, but we spotted a really long queue of pilgrims at the entrance, so we went back to the
165 station to visit the [[http://localhost/wiki/Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle|Matsumoto Castle]],
166 one of Japan's top 3 castles ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle|photos]]). The adjacent
167 museum was also great ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Museum|photos]]). On our way back, we've found
168 a peculiar [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/dancing_kids|dancing show]] with cute little girls and their
171 Apparently, by leaving Nagano we missed some kind of prayer or event held by Tibetan monks at the
172 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]]. Too bad, it might have been a good chance
173 to show some support for the Tibetan cause. Go, Tibet, Go!!
175 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle/00147.jpg|Soooo conventiinal!|maxwidth=640}}
176 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle/00108.jpg|Scary, uh?|maxwidth=640}}
178 === April 25th: Matsumoto ===
180 Yesterday, we arrived on a rainy night to the mountain town of Matsumoto, where a lady with a car
181 took us from the station to a cozy [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/family_hostel|family held hostell]].
182 The next day was rainy, so instead of going right to the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumoto_Castle|Matsumoto Castle]],
183 we spent the best part of the day at the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Station|station]] and
184 with some dumb [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Shopping|shopping]].
186 In the evening, we headed to [[http://wikitravel.org/en/Nagano|Nagano]], a city famous for the
187 1998 winter olimpics and for an ancient [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|buddhist temple]].
189 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Shimizuya_Ryokan/00053.jpg|All sorts of accommodations come with good wi-fi, including traditional ryokans|maxwidth=800}}
191 === April 24th -- over 1 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megametre|megameter]] by train ====
193 **UPDATE**: the report for [[blog/2009/April#kyoto-higashiyama|April 21st]] is now available!
195 We left our comfortable hostel in Kyoto early in the morning for a second Shinkansen
196 ride of 360Km, this time on the faster [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]].
197 The one-way ticket was "just" 10,250円, equivalent to $105 or €80.
199 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00085.jpg|The A-Bomb peace memorial near the epicenter|maxwidth=480}}
201 Unlike Kyoto, there aren't many sites of historic interest in Hiroshima because, quite
202 unsurprisingly, every building in the city center is at most 64 years old.
203 With [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial|one notable exception]].
204 Coming such a long way only to see a broken dome and a the surrounding
205 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial_Park|park]] might seem crazy,
206 but it was definitely worth it. One of the most dramatic moments of human history
207 happened right here not long ago, and survivors of about my father's age can give
208 their first-hand testimony with the help of black and white photographs and melted
209 items from the museum. After causing so much horror and observing its consequences,
210 what did we do about it? We quickly built **thousands** of bombs much more
211 destructive than [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy|Little Boy]]. Smart move.
213 As usual, I couldn't refrain from taking [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima|a load of photos]] here too.
214 These probably can't deliver the pain in the chest one gets by visiting the museum,
215 but might still be a little disturbing.
217 In the afternoon, we returned to the Hiroshima station just in time to catch the 16:01
218 Shinkansen for another 690Km ride to another location which will be revealed
219 in due time. Don't miss the next amazing episode of Bernie's Adventures!
221 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00079.jpg|"Peace" written with origami cranes|maxwidth=640}}
223 Also check the story behind the [[http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/crane.html|millions of paper cranes]]
224 sent from all over the world in memory of the little Sadako.
226 === April 23rd -- Last day in Kyoto ===
228 ==== Morning: Arashiyama by bike ====
230 In the morning of this sunny day, we biked to a few locations on the
233 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Dakakuji|Dakakuji]], an active Shingon Buddhist temple
234 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Tenryuji|Tenryuji]], another beautiful Buddhist temple with a beautiful Zen garden, next to a bamboo forest
235 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Monkey_Park|Monkey Park]], a place where you can closely observe and interact with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaque|Japanese macaques]].
237 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Monkey_Park/00028.jpg|see no evil, hear no evil, speak no English|maxwidth=800}}
239 ==== Evening: a city I did not like ====
241 At last, I've found a place I actually didn't like much in Japan!
242 The first impression of Osaka's central station was that it was old and
243 dirty. Of course one could still eat on the floor, and coming from
244 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto|Kyoto's station]] might
245 have compromised my judgement. There was big crowd of busy people
246 everywhere, and if //you// bump into someone, //they// don't apologize
249 Our copy of the Lonely Planet highly recommended [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dtonbori|Dotonbori]]
250 at night for its "Blade Runner views", so we headed there. They must have watched
251 a version of the movie with bad special fx, because all I could observe in
252 Dotonbori was a narrow street sided by neon signs of restaurants and pachinkos.
253 Just above average, imho, and certainly not worth the time and the price of the
254 train ticket. Unless you're a moth, perhaps.
256 {{http://www.codewiz.org/wiki/Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Osaka/00003.jpg|The Osaka central station|maxwidth=800}}
258 We granted our guide a second chance and choosing their highest rated
259 restaurant in Dotombori, one specialized in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon|udon]].
260 There was no English menu and the only food I could order was a chest of cold
261 spaghetti on a bamboo crate with no sauce but a cup of soy sauce, also cold of course,
262 in which one could dip them separately. Or so I understood: the waiters were extremely
263 kind but wouldn't speak English, which created even more confusion. //Dulcis in fundo//,
264 the bill was much higher than usual and they wouldn't take credit cards.
266 We rushed back to the metro to Shin-Osaka, JR train to Kyoto, local train to
267 Arashiyama, where our bikes were still waiting for us for the ride back home.
272 ==== Kyoto Higashiyama ====
274 Today we walked along the east side of Kyoto, north to south:
276 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ginkakuji|Ginkakuji]] -- rock garden with a view point;
277 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Eikando|Eikando]] ([[http://www.eikando.or.jp/English/index_eng.htm|home page]]) -- an active Buddhist temple
278 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Chion-in|Chion-in]] -- huge temple with the largest bell in Japan
279 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Sennen-zaka|Sennen-zaka]] -- a trendy touristic way with maikos (aka geishas);
280 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Jishu-jinja|Jishu-jinja]] -- a temple hanging on a cliff with an impressive scaffolding;
281 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Fushimiinari-taisha|Fushimiinari-taisha]] -- The multi-torii tunnel. My #1 favorite shrine!!!
283 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Chion-in/00056.jpg|The huge bell of Chion-in|maxwidth=800}}
287 Eating in japan can a challenge for a vegetarian who also happens to dislike fish and crustaceans.
288 The average menu has about 5% of veggie dishes, but many restaurants in tourist areas specialize
289 in traditional food such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi|sushi]] and
290 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempura|tempura]]. Imitations of Italian kitchen are close to
291 perfection, of course: in Tokyo, we had perfectly reasonable spaghetti with eggplants.
293 Even with my options severely limited, I could still find several exquisite dishes.
294 I quite like soups, including [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso_soup|miso shiru]],
295 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen|ramen]] and others I ordered by pointing at the
296 fake dish in the restaurant window without ever knowing their name.
298 My favorite food so far is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice|Omurice]]. Yeah, perhaps
299 it's not as sophisticated as the average Japanese recipe. Hmm... I guess learning to
300 appreciate complex and delicate flavors takes some more time.
302 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji/00016.jpg|Omurice = omelet + rice|maxwidth=640}}
304 As for beer, I still couldn't find one I like. The most popular ones, Asahi and Kirin,
305 are just tasteless dry lagers. All the drafts I could find taste like Asahi too. The
306 only good beers I had were at the [[http://www.deliriumcafe.jp/|Delirium Cafe]] in Tokyo,
307 where I had a delicious [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauwel_Kwak|Kwak]] followed by a
308 cherry flavored [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriek|Kriek]]. Too bad we had to stop at
309 just two to make sure we could find the way back to the hostel :-)
311 Now I'm looking for a place where I could taste vegetarian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki|sukiyaki]],
312 the favorite food of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataru_Moroboshi#Ataru_Moroboshi|Ataru Moroboshi]].
316 ==== Great temples everywhere ====
318 Yesterday was rainy, but it didn't stop us from biking around and visiting quite a lot of stuff:
320 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ninnaji|Ninnaji temple]];
321 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji|Ryoanji temple]], with its puzzling rock zen garden;
322 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji|Kinkakuji temple]] (aka golden temple);
323 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Nijojo_Castle|Nijojo castle]], which is actually two castles for the price of one;
324 * a quick tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kyoto_downtown|Kyoto downtown]];
325 * the [[http://www.kyotomm.com/international/english/|International Manga Museum]] was closed already. Grrr....
327 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji/00012.jpg|the golden temple of Kinkakuji|maxwidth=800}}
329 ==== x264 goodness ====
331 I re-encoded all videos from MJPEG, the crappy native format of my Canon camera, to x264 (aka MPEG4).
332 Firefox 3.1/3.5 still doesn't grok it with the ##video## tag, but I didn't have a
333 [[http://theora.org/|Theora]] encoder installed.
337 ==== Best hostel ever ====
339 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Utano_Hostel|Utano hostel]] in Kyoto would rival many
340 five star hotels I've seen. Sorry I couldn't take any photos in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]].
342 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Utano_Hostel/00005.jpg|the hostel provides a traditional goan too|maxwidth=800}}
344 ==== Impressive station ====
346 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto|Kyoto station]] is an impressive modern building,
347 worth a visit by itself.
349 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto/00015.jpg|Anime characters by Osamu Tezuka|maxwidth=640}}
351 ==== Shinkansen tour ====
353 In a jounery report, the details of transportation are usually left out as uninteresting.
354 Except if one takes the fastest train in the world! We took the
355 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen|Tokaido Shinkansen]] line from Odawara to Kyoto,
356 riding on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Series_Shinkansen|700-series]] train for the
357 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikari_%28Shinkansen%29|Hikari]] service (not the faster
358 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]], but still very impressive).
360 The ticket cost a whopping 11240 yen per person, and I'm not even getting a
361 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999|machine body]] with it! ;-)
363 See [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen|the the photos]] and don't miss the
364 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00009-x264.avi|pass-through]] and the
365 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00011-x264.avi|on-board]] videos.
367 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00006.jpg|Shinkansen|maxwidth=800}}
370 === April 19th - Hakone day 2 ===
372 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/FujiSanBernieSan.jpg|The Fuji-san (left) with Bernie-san (right)|maxwidth=1024}}
374 We took the suggested touristic itinerary around the Hakone mountains which employs all sorts
375 of transportation means: bus, cable train, rope way, cruise boat and bus again.
377 Along the way, we could see the volcanic sulfuric vents and pools, the Ashi lake with its breathtaking
378 view of the Fuji-san, the ancient cedar avenue, the old post, the detached palace gardens and the
379 beautiful [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine|shinto jinja shrine]] of with its
380 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii|torii]] diving in the lake.
382 Of course, I took plenty of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Trip|photos of the Hakone trip]].
384 === April 18th - Hakone ===
386 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Hostel/00008.jpg|Our japanese style room at the Senkyoro YH|maxwidth=1024}}
388 We arrived in a small town near [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa|Hakone]]. I'll publish photos later.
390 **Update**: [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone|photos of the hostel]] are now available.
393 === April 17th - Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Ginza ===
395 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum/00005.jpg|Robot from the ancient city of Laputa|maxwidth=800}}
397 The museum was actually a bit of a disappointment, but maybe just because I had my expectations so high.
398 Cameras weren't allowed inside, so I only took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum|few photos]].
400 In the afternoon, we walked around the shiny neighborhood of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza|Ginza]].
401 See the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Ginza|photos]].
403 === April 16th - Fish Market, Gardens, Tower of Tokyo, Temple ===
405 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market/00013.jpg | Tsukiji Fish Market |maxwidth=800}}
407 We had a very intense day where we visited a lot of places all around central Tokyo:
409 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market | Tsukiji Fish Market]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html|Japan Guide]])
410 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Hama_Rikyu_Gardens | Hama Rikyu Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3025.html||Japan Guide]])
411 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji | Zojo-ji Temple]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji|Wikipedia]])
412 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tokyo_Tower | Tokyo Tower]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower|Wikipedia]])
413 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Reiyukai_Temple | Reiyukai Temple]] ([[http://www.reiyukai.org/|official web site]])
414 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Imperial_Palace_Gardens | Imperial Palace Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|Japan Guide]])
415 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Edo_Museum | Edo-Tokyo Museum]], which was already closed.
416 We'll try again when we come back to Tokyo ([[http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english | official web site]])
418 NOTE: photos still being uploaded, gomen nasai!
420 Seeing so many beautiful things at such a high frequency might make one's head spin.
421 In fact, this evening I've been dangerously close to faint in an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]],
422 which was really scary because I had never lost consciousness before. I had walked all day with very little
423 food and drink, which might have been part of the problem, but diving in thermal water for a long time has
424 certainly triggered it. What a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin | gaijin]] who can't even take some
427 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji/1.00011.jpg | Zojo-ji temple (left), Tokyo Tower (center), Bernie (right) |maxwidth=800}}
429 === April 15th - Skyscrapers everywhere ===
431 Compared to Tokyo, every other city I had visited would seem dirty, old, boring and disorganized.
432 I can't find the words to describe my amazement walking around this amazing city full of wonders.
434 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi/TokyoMidtown/00023.jpg|Tokyo Midtown Gardenside seen from the Galleria building|maxwidth=800}}
437 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Shinjuku|Shinju-ku]] -- The district of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metropolitan_Government_Building|Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building]].
438 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi|Roppongi]] -- A rich district hosting modern art museums (Art Triangle) and night life ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roppongi|Wikipedia]])
439 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Pachinko|Pachinko]] -- Popular Japanese slot machines
441 **Update**: now finished uploading the photos
443 === April 14th - Arrival in Tokyo ===
445 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Sensoji_Temple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}}
447 I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted
448 to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series
449 like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Jeeg|SteelJeeg]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z|MazingerZ]] on TV.
450 My dad accepted to accompany me in this trip even though he wasn't particularly fond of Japan. Until now, that is!
452 The first day was simply amazing, but I'm way to tired to tell a lot about it.
453 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo|many photos and videos]] that I'm still uploading will hopefully serve
454 documenting this long day appropriately.
456 NOTE: if you can't watch the videos embedded in the wiki, get yourself a recent browser featuring HTML5 or
457 send me a patch adding support for old-style HTML video embedding.
461 Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing
462 to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including:
464 * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia
465 * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]]
466 * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues
468 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]],
469 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and
470 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso
471 * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users
472 * 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender
474 I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US.