a celebration of life

on July 29th the London skies shone bright and blue, providing the setting for a most happily spent birthday. in the morning Bartosz and I feasted on a gluttunous breakfast at a cozy farmhouse followed by a stroll through the Columbia Street flower market, many quaint antique shops and cafes and a bit of vintage shopping on Brick Lane. I have discovered the countryside in East London! as evening drew near, I caroused the Bond Street vicinity, shared a tea at a lovely Morrocan cafe with my darling cousin Aga and met with friends for a grand dinner at 'The Garrison House', a charming pub near London Bridge. to share in this celebration of a life I value deeply, were Bartosz, his brother Rafal and girlfriend Joanna, Micheal, Aga and Peter, Ben who I befriended during the Bali chapter, Brandy and Sarah my dear friends of many years...on all accounts it was a beautiful day!

london calling!

London feels like home, ever since it first entered my heart many years ago. my reunion with this charming city began in East London, the home of one of my dearest friends Bartosz, and continued on Bond Street with a private tour by an Aussie Londoner, Ian. these London days were illuminated by the elusive sun, many hours spent wandering these once familiar streets...my nights were quite short due to weary jet-lag. thankfully the pub culture begins at an early hour!

tokyo nights: part 2

my return to Tokyo proved to be another 2 days and nights of carousing, this time with John who I had last seen as we raised a glass in Rio. his journey was to begin as mine continued. our night began in Roppongi, where the heartbeat of Tokyo is felt on every corner. following a sushi feast we found a suitably tacky karaoke bar, and there began my attempt at singing the classics. another whisky please!! John was a natural! upon a restful slumber in my Ryokan I spent the day shopping in the Shinjuku district where John and I met once again after viewing this magestic city of lights from the 59th floor of the Park Hyatt. after many failed attempts to enter one of the dozens of private clubs which seemed all too enticing, we made friends with the locals over several games of darts. the morning sun beckoned us to inspect the catch of the morning at the Tsukiji fish market. in the manner that my first night in Tokyo had begun several weeks ago, so it was to end. over a 6am plate of the most incredible fish I will ever have the pleasure to savour!


I was sad to leave this city and it's people but it was time to fly away once again...

hiroshima-himeji-shuzenji

'When an atomic bomb falls, day becomes night. And the people become ghosts,' profound words of 10 year old Hatsumi Sakamoto.thoughtful refuge found on the island of Miyajima.the following day I encountered the majestic Himeji Castle, nicknamed "White Heron" due to its white walls covered with white fireproof plaster. The castle took 8 years to build beginning in 1601, rising atop a hill called Himeyama, 45.6 meters above sea level. Himeji Castle is famous for it's huge main tower as well as the highly effective and complicated defensive maze-like design. It stands fully intact and preserved, as it is one of the few castles in Japan never to have been attacked by warfare.it was time for a spa adventure as I jumped aboard a highly esteemed shinkansen and found my way to the hot spring resort of Shuzenji on the Izu Peninsula. named after the local temple, Shuzenji was founded 1200 years ago by Kobo Daishi (Kukai), one of Japan's most important religious personalities. after being filled with such intense sights and sensations, the steamy waters of my onsen felt like heaven!

meditation with the monks

my life has taken a rather spiritual turn, as I find inner sanctity surrounded by monks in a temple in Koya-San. upon arrival Sooji and I feasted on an elaborate composition of vegetarian delicacies in all shapes and sizes followed by a deep meditation led by one of the many resident monks. the rain was falling, creating a mood of tranquility and peace, as we lay our minds and bodies to rest upon the tatami mats. we were awoken at 5am and led into a world of captivating chanting followed by a fire ceremony. as the rain continued I found myself deep in thought amidst the sacred souls in the cemetery...

my life as a geisha

the last few days have been spent bicycling around this engaging city, seeking out hidden treasures in the form of temples. I have seen many and more to come in the days ahead as tomorrow we venture to Naga followed by Koya-San...I am still in surreptitious pursuit of a Geisha as these women strangely intrigue me. ah, and I cannot forget to mention all the sushi feasts accompanied by bottles of sake...this evening I took a bath. the Funaoka Onsen is a traditional Japanese bath house with an outdoor bath, sauna, cypress-wood tub, herbal bath...I have never felt so clean! this was indeed an experience.The Golden Pavilion of the Rokuon-Ji Temple
the rock garden at the Ryoanji Temple

kyoto

we arrived in Kyoto to streets filled with kimono clad women and men in robes, strolling the downtown streets with a casual grace, the clunking of wooden shoes heard in every direction. it was a holiday and celebrations were under way! though I have yet to see one of the 100 Geishas who inhabit the city. I thought I may have spotted one sitting on the banks of the Kamo-Gawa river contemplating her fate...Kyoto is a vibrant historic city, home to nearly 2,000 temples and shrines and an intimacy that does not exist in Tokyo. it is a charming city with much to discover...

tokyo nights: part 1

a brief stop in Hong Kong where Sooji and I met once again to continue our journey to Tokyo where our final chapter in Asia was to commence. here we were joined by our dear friends Maria and Blair with whom we shared several memorable days on the island of Gili Trawangan back in the time of Bali. weary from a long day of flights yet fully awake to the energy of Tokyo, they whisked us away to a trendy hotspot called Yellow, where dj Mark Farina set the mood for a long night of dancing and revelry followed by an early morning at the fish market. sushi for breakfast? this was of course followed by a clandestine piano performance by the very musically inclined Blair, on a baby grand at the Conrad...we saved the sushi feast for a grand dinner, this delectable fish of which I can`t seem to eat enough of. it is such moments that I so often smile upon...

the great wall

the morning was misty. the arduous climb felt like the combination of a dream and trial of strength, hiking up to the Great Wall, the longest and most time-consuming ancient defense system, taking over 2,000 years to construct, a length of 6,300 kilometers. this piece of the wall was not restored and not easily found, and I was undeniably exultant to have reached this path that felt so close to heaven. to end my final day in Beijing, I feasted my eyes on a traditional Chinese Opera and my palate on Peking duck. both proved most appetizing.

798 art centre

I agree with Duchamp`s conception of art that a person`s "life" is "art" in a way, and neither is more important than the other. 798 Art Centre is one of China`s largest art spaces, the former facility of state-run 798 electronic factories. since 2002 artists have built their studios in these old warehouses, now home to impressive artwork that is being recognized internationally. these warehouses also boast independent designer boutiques and cafes, a world of not-so-hidden treasures.

beijing

I became quite the diligent tourist in Beijing with little time and very much to see in this city filled with sights. my life in Shanghai seemed to follow me as several of my friends appeared during my week of cultural jaunts. the history lesson began in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, a huge complex of halls, towers and pavilions covered in golden tiles. here was the home of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for nearly 500 years. I was caught in a rainstorm while carousing this Palace Museum which added to the magestic mood. as evening fell I made my way to Jingshan Park which overlooks the Forbidden City.

I was very much taken with the Summer Palace which is in fact the largest existing ancient imperial garden of China. all day can be spent walking these grounds and marveling at the detail in the construction.
an old Chinese fortune teller inscribing my fortune which reads `everything is as I wish`. clever man!

48 hours enroute

two days of my life were spent aboard a train headed from Lhasa to Beijing. a journey of 4,064 kilometers to be exact. this time was filled with visions of sheep grazing in verdant pastures, and snow capped mountain peaks. these vistas became scenes of my life as I sat in deep peace upon my bunk, fully aware of the luxury of time. my cabin mates were two Tibetans and a Chinese man. I befriended the somewhat English-speaking Tibetan and as hours grew long and conversation grew short I taught him to play my beloved game of backgammon. in turn he taught me a Tibetan game. in this way, after many cups of tea and wanders into the dining car, more for the sake of observation than nourishment...much reading and writing...time passed. I was one of only 5 Westerners aboard the train. this time was my own, blissfully trapped in a moving vessel with a head filled with thoughts reflected through eyes filled with visions.