I didn’t expect much from our side trip to Pompeii during our honeymoon in Italy. What I was most looking forward to was staying in Capri. It was even raining really hard on our way to Pompeii and the streets were clogged causing heavy traffic. But surprisingly, I enjoyed learning about the ancient city preserved by Mount Vesuvius.
First look at Pompeii’s ruins at the Palaestra Grande (large gymnasium)
Terme Stabiane (Stabian Baths), the oldest bath complex in Pompeii
Vicolo del Lupanare (Brothel Alley)
Lupanare (Brothel) and its interesting frescoes
Odeon/ Teatro Piccolo (small theatre) used for indoor musical performances due to its great acoustics
Domus Cornelia (House of Cornelius Rufus)
Foro (The Forum), the main piazza, Granai del Foro (Forum Granary) where they store artefacts, and Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo), one of the oldest religious buildings in Pompeii, and Tempio di Giove (Temple of Jupiter) flanked by its surviving columns and honorary arches
Tempio di Venere (Temple of Venus), located in the ancient city’s main entrance, and nice views of Mount Vesuvius on our way out of Pompeii
Every now and then, news articles about Pompeii come up and it always makes me happy knowing there are more to explore about this ancient city. (News of flooding though and the tricky part of preserving these ruins sometimes bring heartbreak.) I would love to return someday, preferably on a clear, sunny day, walk around and learn some more.
After lunch, we walked towards Toshogu Shrine. The Japanese are fond of power spots and Nikko’s pathway leading to the shrine is one of these locations that recharge the mind. It was also a treat to enjoy the remaining autumn foliage along the way. Among the towering trees, we spotted a hollow tree perfect for a photo spot.
Walking towards the Ishidorii (Stone Gate) made with stones from Kyushu shipped to Koyama then transferred by land to Nikko
After walking along the omotesando leading to the Ishidorii, I completely missed taking a photo of the Ote-mon (gate) because it can get crowded given the visitors the shrine receives on a daily basis.
I managed to take a random photo of the gate on my way out.
Gojunoto, a five-story pagoda originally built in 1648 and reconstructed in 1818 after it got destroyed by fire in 1815
Sanjinko (Three Sacred Storehouses) consists of three buildings including the Kamijinko (upper storehouse) with the “Imaginary Elephants” carved by artist Kano Tanyu, who had never seen the real animal.
“Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil”
Karadou torii (entrance gate) is the first bronze torii in Japan
Shoro (bell tower) and the dragon detail from the Korean shoro donated by emissaries from Korea
Yomei-mon (Sunset Gate) is said to be one of the most beautiful gates in Japan decorated with gold leaf and over 500 carvings of flowers, children, dancing girls, mythical beasts and philosophers
On the right is a wooden carving of Tokugawa Ieyasu (Zuijin Guardian Statue) with a bow
Kairo (Corridor) decorated with wooden carvings of birds and flowers considered to be the best in JapanHonden Karamon (Main Hall Gate) painted with white chalk powder and with sculptures from “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove” plus the imaginary lion and dragon on top.
Kamishamusho, where religious services are held, with a miko (shrine maiden) on the left and a bride wearing an uchikake (white kimono) paired with a tsunokakushi (headdress) to hide her “horns” on the right
Nemuri-neko (Sleeping Cat) is a small lifelike carving of a cat dozing off surrounded by peonies and is said to have been crafted by master carver Hidari Jingorou. It is one of the more famous carvings at Nikko Toshogu and is located at the gate to the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Rows of moss-covered Ishidoro (Japanese stone lanterns) can be found scattered all over the shrine
Thanks to Quan Nguyen for making this trip possible and thanks to Enzo for taking our photos!
Shinkyo (Sacred Bridge)
I didn’t go home empty handed. As usual, a trip won’t be complete without a goshuin. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my goshuincho so I ended up getting both goshuincho and goshuin from Nikko Toshogu. The shrine is one of the more special ones I’ve seen so the goshuincho price is a bit higher than the regular ones. The sticker I got for free is also quite pretty as it is made of textile.
At the start of my first year at the International University of Japan, second-year students organized a bus trip to Nikko. I signed up and bugged my Filipino friends to join too. It was only a day trip and despite the short time we spent there, it was still so much fun and more than what I expected.
Most of the students fell asleep during the early bus ride from Niigata to Tochigi Prefecture but as usual, I couldn’t sleep so I ended up enjoying the scenic inaka views and winding roads going to Oku-Nikko (Inner Nikko).
Our first stop was Yuda-ki (hot water waterfall). There are viewing platforms both at the base and at the top of the falls. We started from the base and climbed our way to the top.
Water from Yudaki comes from the geothermically-heated Yunoko, a lake that is home to Yumoto Onsen. Our route was uphill, but if you want an easier time, start at the lake and walk downhill to the viewing platform at the top then at the base. Hikers have the option for a longer walking route starting at the Senjogahara Plateau Nature Trail.
Only a few hours away from Tokyo, Nikko is a popular spot for tourists and a daytrip destination for locals.
A Japanese proverb says, “Nikko wo minakeraba kekko to iu na.“ which translates to “Don’t say kekko (magnificent) unless you have been to Nikko.”
After visiting Yudaki and Yunoko and driving by majestic Lake Chuzenji, we stopped by Kegon-no-taki, one of Japan’s three most beautiful waterfalls, and the most striking one out of Nikko’s many waterfalls (the rumored count is 47).
To get a closer view of the falls, one needs to buy a ticket to access the elevator that pierces through the cliff and carries you all the way down. Built in 1930 (and somewhat less spooky than the one in Niagara Falls), the elevator takes about a minute long to arrive at the walkway that leads to the viewing platform. Once outside, it gets harder to take your eyes off the towering waterfalls as the water from Lake Chuzenji plunges towards the basin.
From Oku-Nikko, we moved to the historic area in central Nikko via the scenic Iroha-zaka winding road consisting of 48 hairpin turns.
But before heading for the much revered Toshogu Shrine, we stopped by Fujiya Kanko Center for lunch. Their autumn special consisted of wagyu, local mushrooms, vegetables, and yuba (dried tofu skin).
Before flying to Japan for my masteral studies, I’ve been avidly watching Terrace House: Boys x Girls Next Door. It first caught my attention because media websites reported that people are getting hooked watching this Japanese reality show where nothing ever happens. My husband and I were also taking Nihongo lessons back then so it was a nice excuse to watch all the episodes (and English subs) we could get our hands on.
So on my send off trip last September 2018, we decided to first take on Kanagawa – Yokohama, Kawasaki, and yes, Kamakura. We planned our trip with our tour guide, packed our day bags and took the train to Kamakura.
Of course, we paid a visit to the Daibutsu, a couple of interesting temples and shrines, and the beach (!) but the part we were most excited about was going to Kamakura Loco Mart. We were hoping to see Kojima-san, Tetchan’s boss, but he wasn’t there. It was his brother who welcomed us at the shop.
The shop mostly consisted of – no surprise here – gardening tools but there was a wall with all the photos of the TH cast members.
I hope the shop is doing well despite the pandemic. Would love to return to Kamakura again someday and stop by our favorite shrine.
Much has been written about the friendship between Jose Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero, and Ferdinand Blumentritt, an Austrian schoolteacher interested in the ethno-linguistic background of the Filipinos despite not having visited the country.
More recently, efforts have been done by the Philippine Embassy in Czech Republic and the Czech Embassy in the Philippines to commemorate this special friendship and to establish Rizal’s trail in Leitmeritz (now called Litomerice) when he visited Blumentritt from May 13 to 16, 1887.
Numerous online resources made it easy for me to track down notable spots in the little town, save for one — Blumentritt’s house in Dlouha Street. (If I based it on the illustrated map, then it must be the yellow house on the leftmost photo.)
Dlouha Street where Blumentritt lived
So after a half-day visit to the dreary town of Terezin Memorial which served as a concentration camp, I took a local bus that brought me to this pretty Bohemian town called Litomerice. During Blumentritt’s time, it was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, hence the German name – Leitmeritz.
Following the timeline I found online, here are Rizal’s stops when he met for the first and last time Blumentritt with whom he had exchanged correspondence with for quite some time after learning about the scholar’s interest in the Philippines.
Litomerice Mesto
May 13, 1887 From Germany, Rizal arrived together with his friend Maximo Viola at Leitmeritz at 1:30 PM. Blumentritt welcomed them at the station (Litomerice Mesto) and brought them to the Krebs Hotel, which is now a shopping center.
The former Krebs Hotel
May 14, 1887 Rizal and Viola attended the session of the Board of Directors of the Tourist Club in Leitmeritz thru the invitation of Blumentritt who was the club secretary. They were cordially received by the President of the Club, Jose Krombholz. Rizal delivered an extemporaneous speech in German, which was very much applauded by the audience for his fluency.
While looking for what used to be Hotel Krebs, I stumbled upon this pretty building called Grand Hotel Slava and upon closer inspection, I was surprised to see Jose Rizal’s bust. The writing was in Czech, so I searched for the hotel’s website and thankfully, they have a page of notable guests, including Rizal and Blumentritt:
The house was visited by another very significant, although until lately rather unknown personality, namely in 1887. Philippine physician, patriot and writer José Rizal was staying here from May 13 to May 16. He came to visit his friend, Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, who was a principal of the grammar school/high school in Litoměřice. Rizal, who came accompanied by his good friend Máximo Viola, was accommodated in the hotel “Krebs”, which no longer exists, but he was meeting professor Blumentritt, his family and many of their friends in the “U černého orla” restaurant.
Grand Hotel Slava, formerly the “U černého orla” restaurant
May 15, 1887 With Prof. Blumentritt as their guide, Rizal and Viola visited the churches , the residence of the Bishop and other important buildings of the city. They also visited the special friend of Prof. Blumentritt, Dr. Carlos Czepelak, who wanted very much to see Rizal personally.
The building where Blumentritt taught and in front of it, a plaque in his honor
Former Jesuit residenceand college
May 16, 1887 Professor Roberto Klutschak invited Rizal, Viola, and Prof Blumentritt to dine in his house , and in the evening in return, Rizal and Viola invited them in Krebs Hotel. At 9:45 that same evening Rizal And Viola , accompanied by the whole family of Prof. Blumentritt and Prof. Kluschk, left Leitmeritz for Prague.
Old train relic and view of Labe riverbank
My favorite part of the trip was the Jose Rizal Park. It had a pretty view of the town and it provided quite a refreshing stop. Luckily, there were two girls near the bust of Jose Rizal and I asked them if they could kindly take my photo. They curiously asked where I was from so I told them I’m from the Philippines and the guy is our national hero who visited his friend in Litomerice. His friend has a bust on the other side of town, the one in front of the green school or technical college. I probably didn’t make any sense to them but I’m glad they were around to take my photo.
Parkany Jose Rizala
It was a really lovely trip despite the dreary weather. I wish I had more time so I could walk a bit further and pay respect to Blumentritt by visiting his grave. Maybe next time?
Still so happy despite the short time I spent in Litomerice walking the same roads my favorite writer/hero/playboy/rockstar walked along to. Who knew a little town so far away from home can hold so little, but still so much? 💕
Blumentritt and Rizal’s Bastion
“…my heart was full, and I asked myself: What have I done to deserve the friendship and sympathy of such kind souls….I will also bear in mind my good friends in Leitmeritz and I will say… ‘You are not alone, Rizal; there in a little corner of Bohemia, there are good, noble souls and friends who appreciate you; think of them; consider them as if they were with you, as if they were seeing you; they will gladden at your joys and they will weep for your sorrows (Rizal writes to Blumentritt, 19 May 1887)
Mischief and Mayhem 