Michael Powell's Blog, page 79
July 21, 2014
Skopje – Our Home for Three Months
Skopje is Macedonia’s capital and largest city, and will be our base of operations for the next three months. It’s not as large or as resplendent as most European capitals, but this little city along the Vardar River is growing in population and prestige every year.
Evidence of human presence in Skopje dates to the Neolithic period, around 6000 years ago, but it wasn’t until the Romans arrived in 148 BC that the city entered into the story of civilization. Skupi, as it was called, was in the c...
July 20, 2014
Zdravo, Macedonia! Kako Ste?
The Republic of Macedonia is a small country in the Balkans, bordering Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania and Kosovo. Its people speak Macedonian, its capital is Skopje, and until recently it was part of Yugoslavia. And that is the sum total of everything I knew about Macedonia before arriving. I’m not alone in my ignorance; this land-locked Balkan country is among the most unknown in Europe, and the least explored by tourists.
When we were revealing to family and friends that our next destinat...
July 14, 2014
Sayonara, Tokyo
91 days ago, we stepped out of a plane and directly onto the roof of a skyscraper, where a woman clad in a kimono was bowing to greet us. “Welcome to Tokyo! We’re so glad you’re here!” She beckoned us to the edge of the building, so we could gaze out upon the city’s incomprehensible size. “Look at all that awaits you,” she said. Then without warning, she pushed us off. As we plummeted toward the ground, scenes and images of the city flashed before our eyes before the inevitable THUD. We’ve pi...
Tokyo at Night
It should come as no surprise to learn that the world’s largest city lights up spectacularly at night. Whether you’re in Shinjuku or Ginza, Tokyo changes completely once the sun goes down. Cities often seem more sinister in the dark, but not Tokyo. People are more relaxed, the atmosphere is more lively, and the illuminated buildings are even more stunning. Following a long day of sight-seeing, there’s nothing we loved more than walking home at night… especially after a heavy rainfall, when th...
July 13, 2014
Sega Joypolis
It was our last day in Tokyo. Although we weren’t leaving until the early evening, we had finished packing by 10am and had time to kill. Should we go see one last museum? Take a leisurely farewell stroll through our favorite neighborhood? Or… should we scarf down a final fix of ramen and spend our last couple hours in Tokyo playing video games? Sega Joypolis, here we come!
Honestly, I’m amazed that we held off on visiting Joypolis for so long. From the moment we saw this arcade/theme park, in...
Why Is Tokyo So Cute?
The Cute is everywhere in Tokyo, and you’re not going to escape it. You shouldn’t even try. This is a city with fluffy animals standing on every corner. Where buses prowl the streets disguised as pandas. Where every corporation and even the police force have their own charming mascot. The Cute cannot be avoided, so you might as well just embrace it.
Cuteness is so pervasive in Japanese society that there’s even a term for it: Kawaii. Kawaii encompasses everything from mascots, to girls talking...
July 12, 2014
Bunkyo Azalea Festival at the Nezu Shrine
From late April to mid May, the garden of the Nezu Shrine bursts into glorious life, as thousands of azalea bushes bloom, dabbing the green hills with a rainbow-colored brush. This garden is over three hundred years old and contains a hundred different species of azalea, all of them a different shade. Nezu’s Azalea Festival is a highly-anticipated event, and when the flowers are in full bloom, the garden can get extremely crowded. Whether cherry trees or azaleas, it seems nothing drives Tokyo...
July 11, 2014
Across and Above Lake Ashinoko
We had enjoyed a deeply restful night of sleep at the Mount View Hakone ryokan hotel in Sengokuhara, and awoke eager to tackle our second day in the mountainous Hakone region southwest of Tokyo. After an early breakfast, we were at the northern shore of Ashinoko, a picturesque crater lake nestled in the shadow of Mount Fuji.
Scenic tours leave frequently from one end of the lake to the other, and we joined the earliest departure, at 9am. Lake Ashi is known for its amazing views of Mount Fuji,...
The Mount View Hakone Ryokan Hotel
The outdoor walks, views of Mount Fuji, crater lake and natural beauty of the Hakone region are all great, but to tell the truth, we were most excited about the hotel which had invited us to stay for the night. The Mount View Hakone is a traditional Japanese ryokan in Sengokuhara, and we planned on taking full advantage of its baths, food, and relaxing atmosphere.
After arriving checking in, we were shown to our room, which was one of the hotel’s suites. I was thrilled, because this was exactl...
July 9, 2014
Escape from Tokyo: A Trip to Hakone
On our last weekend in Japan we abandoned Tokyo and headed for the hills of the Hakone National Park, in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Centered around a large crater lake, this is an area of hot springs, spas, traditional hotels, forests and mountains. A perfect antidote to the Big City Sickness with which we’d slowly but surely become afflicted.
In order to arrive at the Hakone region, we made use of every transportation method ever conceived by man, with the sole exception of Segway. We had arra...
