Life Continues...Cherry Blossoms Japan

By Chong Min Sin Apr 27, 2015


Japan is beautiful in spring. Cherry blossoms (sakura) and tulips are in full bloom in the cool sunny pleasant weather.

Sakura in full bloom

In March 2015, a few of us Nestle retirees and friends decided to rekindle our honeymoon years with an escapade to catch the cherry blossoms in Japan.  

Six couples flew into Fukuoka and we were most impressed by the friendliness of the Japanese people and the clean toilets throughout the trip. The crisp spring air was ideal requiring a light jacket early mornings and evenings.
With three rented cars, we drove at a leisurely pace around Kyushu Island to immerse ourselves in Japanese culture of Sashimi, Onsens and staying in Ryokans (tatami style). Despite the language barrier we found it easy travelling from town to town with an efficient GPS system in our cars. We only had to input the telephone numbers of our destinations and wah lah, we got there with ease. No worries about misspelling long Japanese road names.

The scenic drive into the countryside was enhanced by lovely clusters of Sakura flowers all along the highways and byways. It was indeed a breath taking sight with various shades of white, pink and purple on undulating hill slopes and valleys.

tulips not to be outdone

Sakura and tulips lining river in Fukuoka City                       

Colours of Spring in Fukuoka

More than 2^nd honeymoon                         

. The Shinto shrines and beautiful, well kept gardens with geysers, hot springs and Sakura provided a sense of peace and tranquility. Herbal and foot saunas were a novelty and the men among us enjoyed the ‘Onsens’ (hot baths) where one soaked communally stark naked! - an opportunity to exhibit whatever assets still prevalent!

…..Dip in hot spring pool for tired feet

Earthquakes and typhoons are common in Japan. To be blown away in a simulated typhoon and to be shaken by tremors during an earthquake was quite an experience. The hike to the caldera of Mt Eboshidake at Aso to view steam being emitted from an active volcano in the distance was invigorating. The gorge at Takachiho was beautiful and visit to Japan is never complete without visiting castles, temples and monasteries.



This escapade was short and sweet. The travel bug will be taking us to London, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro in May 2015!

Life Continues....Cherry Blossoms Korea

by Teo Yoke Lan , Apr 27, 2015

Cherry Blossoms!!!... It has been my dream to see cherry blossoms. My sister and I with a close friend went on a cruise to Japan in early June 2014. The timing was not right to see the cherry blossoms. So after the cruise, my sister said to me......you better go and see the cherry blossoms before you die! Well life is short........

So we planned our Korea trip after the cruise. We did some homework and googled to see what are the other attractions in Busan beside the Jinhae Spring Cherry Blossom Festival. Both of us with our mum who is 84 years old flew into Busan on the 5th of April 2015. We did not join a package tour as we know mum is too slow. When we reach Busan, it was drizzling and the weather was cold. After checking into our hotel, with borrowed umbrellas we made our way to look for food. Oh dear! The Koreans don't speak English except for the hotel and airport front desk. Anyhow we managed to order our food by pointing at the pictured menu and see what other patrons were eating. We had a steaming hot spicy bowl of seafood noodles with many side condiments especially their kimchi! The noodles was not too spicy, just nice for a cold wet day.

steaming hot spicy bowl of seafood noodles with kimchi

 The next day with gathered information and a Metro line map we made our way to the Metro Station which is about 10 minutes walk from our hotel. At the Metro station, we went to the information counter. On the counter there was a notice board with these words "ENGLISH SPEAKING" we were so so happy. There were 3 elderly men in suits manning the counter. They are retirees, on volunteer basis working 2 hours a day, 3 days a week. They could speak little English but we managed to communicate. We reach the Jagalchi Fish Market, one of the largest fish market in Korea.

We were really fascinated by all the stalls with colorful display of live sea creatures, shellfish, sea slugs, eel, abalone, octopus and many more. Some of which we have not seen before. There were also loads of different kinds of seaweed, wet and dried. The market is very long and wet but clean without any fishy smell. The vendors were cheerful with rosy cheeks and most of them were women folk. Our catch of the day was a lobster, a fish, an eel and an octopus for our lunch. It was truly an amazing experience!


The following day, we proceed as usual and the counter this time was manned by retired ladies. They helped just the same, but it was a little different because we need to take a bus to Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. In the bus, we met a young local boy who was also going to the festival. His name is Park and could speak a little English. He was kind enough to become our guide for the day. How lucky we were!!! After we alighted from the bus we  

whole stretch of white and pink cherry blossom

could see the whole stretch of white and pink cherry blossom trees along the tracks of the Gyeonghwa Train Station. It was such a beautiful sight. Now  and again we have to slow down and take a rest with mum. Breathtaking petals flutter in the wind each time the train passes trough. Then we took another bus to the next cherry blossom highlight. Here the white and pink cherry blossom line the banks of the Yeogwa stream for 1.5 kilometer. When the breeze blow, soft petals of white and pink fly like snow flurry, some falling onto our faces and hair. It is just an awesome feeling standing there with outstretched hands. We had another meal before our friend took us back to the Metro Station and said goodbye. We went back, had a shower and rest our poor aching legs. But mum was good!
 

 Next on our list is Gamcheong Culture Village. While waiting for the bus we could see the pastel colored village on top of the hill. These small houses are built in such a way that they do not block each other's view. They are built on the hill slopes facing the valley with small alleys in between them. It is like a maze, and one can get lost.

Some of the houses are abandoned and not many villagers around. The villagers must be very healthy with strong legs. We did not explore very much as it need a lot of walking up and down the small alleys.
 We did some shopping, had some street food and most important we were happy to have spent time with mum