After attending the first day of my conference in Miyazaki, I took the bus with two colleagues going to Shimin no Mori (Citizen’s Forest). The Awakigaharashinrin Park and Eda Jinja are located in this forest.
Category: Wandering
Funny Signs Around Me
Japan is known for beautiful scenery and amazing technology. But it is also known for its Engrish, the wrong use of the English language in some East Asian countries. The term Engrish was coined for the Japanese people’s tendency of speaking the letter “R” instead of the letter “L”. However, Engrish goes beyond that. Poor translations of Japanese sentences and strange signages can be seen everywhere in Japan and are usually spread on the internet.
Akita Inu Museum
The Akita Inu (inu is Japanese for dog) is a large breed of dog native from the mountainous northern regions of the Honshu island in Japan, particularly in the Akita prefecture. It was considered as the national dog of Japan and officially declared as a National Monument in 1931. The breed has been widely known because of the most popular Akita Inu, the loyal Hachiko who has his own monument in Tokyo.
Amazing Ayutthaya
The ancient city of Ayutthaya, or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya has been the capital of Thailand for 417 years until it was destroyed by the Burmese army in 1767 during the Burmese-Siamese War. The ruins of the old city is now known as the Ayutthaya Historical Park. Some parts of the park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 which includes Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Wat Phra Ram and Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bopit.
Shwedagon Pagoda
Dominating the Yangon skyline, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a 325 ft tall gilded stupa located atop the Singuttara Hill west of the Royal Lake. Aside from the main pagoda, there are also hundreds of colorful temples, stupas and statues inside the large compound of the pagoda.
Sunset From Matsuyama Castle
Standing at the top of the Mount Katsuyama is the Matsuyama Castle. The castle got assigned to a branch of the Matsudaira family in the 17th century. We went there after having a conference and we waited until we see the sunset.
The Ethereal Blue Pond
The Blue Pond or Aoiike is an artificial pond created brought by the eruption of the nearby volcano Mt. Tokachi in 1988. The government decided to construct a dam on Biei River to protect the region from mudflows if ever the volcano erupts again. The accumulation of the water blocked by the dam in the forest lead to the formation of the blue pond.
Maple Trees In Winter
The tunnel of barren maple trees protruding from the thick snow is like a gate leading to somewhere magical. I guess this symbol of autumn is also worthy of a glance in winter.
Tour Around The Yaeyama Islands
A tour company called “Ishigaki Dream Tours” is offering a tour package for the 3 Yaeyama island: Iriomote Island, Yubu Island and Taketomi Island. Yaeyama Islands is the name given to the archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture covering 591.46 square kilometres which also includes Ishigaki Island. And it was a great opportunity for me to further enjoy my Okinawan trip by visiting some of the Yaeyama Islands.
Wizarding World Of Harry Potter
When they announced that the Universal Studios Japan will open the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was so excited. So when it opened almost two years ago, I immediately booked my flight to Osaka and went there on its second day of opening. Luckily, it was a long weekend with Monday as a holiday.
Into The Batu Caves
Batu Caves is a popular tourist attraction in Selangor, Malaysia reachable by train for 57 minutes. It is one of the most famous Hindu shrines outside India and the focal point of the Thaipusam festival in Malaysia. Batu Caves took its name from the Batu River (Sungai Batu) flowing past the hill and its is the tenth (Pattu in Tamil) limestone hill from Ampang.
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long, which literally means “dragon descends into the sea”, is a bay consisting of about 2000 karsts and islets. These are mostly limestones and emerged in the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha Long Bay was designated as a World Heritage site in 1994 and was chosen as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world.
Amoj In Wanderland 