Swimming in a river, exploring caves and making plastic food in Gifu

On the weekend we went to Gujo Hachiman, in Gifu Prefecture.

In front of the train station

A relaxing stream in the middle of the town

A picturesque house

First we went for a swim in the river...the water was crystalline and super cold!

Yoshida River

After that we took a taxi to some cool limestone caves (Ootaki Shouniudou), about 15 minutes away from the town.

A cable car takes you to the cave's entrance

Inside the caves you can see stalactites and stalagmites in all sorts of sizes and forms.

Tunnel

Amazing stalactites

Interesting shapes

There is also a mini- waterfall (sorry the picture is not so clear...)

Can you see the water splashing in the center?

And check this warrior carved inside the cave

On his right hand he is holding a sword

Back in town we visited Sanpuru Kobo, a food replica store and workshop. There you can find all kinds of food replicas like the ones they have outside of restaurants:

Giant sushi anyone?

Chinese food?

How about dessert?

And you can have a chance to make your own replica and take it home with you!

Making a plastic fruit tart!

Shopping time! There are many nice little shops where you can buy souvenirs for your friends and family.

Ohmamiya- this shop has been selling cinnamon candy
for over 120 years!

Japanese ceramics

Fake food makes a nice souvenir
(and it's calorie free!)

For dinner we went to try some local food at a restaurant called Shinbashi-tei, where we had a delicious meal of tofu and shiitake mushrooms in miso sauce cooked on a houba leaf , and of course a couple of side dishes, miso soup and rice.

Yum Yum!

The Gujo Festival started right after dinner. The streets were packed and lots of people were wearing yukatas (a type of summer kimono) and geta (wodden sandals).

Girls wearing yukata and getta

Family picture

Little lights illuminated the path along the river

People dancing on the streets during the festival

How to get there:
Gujo Hachiman is located in Gifu Prefecture. You can go there by train or bus.

For information on Gujo Hachiman and its surroundings: http://www.gujohachiman.com/kanko/
This web page is both in english and japanese and has information on the city's attractions, shops, etc.

For information on train schedules check: www.hyperdia.com

For information on Ootaki Shouniudou caves:  http://www13.ocn.ne.jp/~ootaki/
Opening times: 8:30 - 17:00    Fee: 1,000 yen per person

For information on Sanpuru Kobo food replica shop and workshop: 0575 67 1870
Opening times: 9:00 - 17:00 closed on Thursdays (except during summer, it's best to call to confirm)
If you are interested in the workshop, you can choose between 2 options:
-Making tempura  costs 1,000 yen and takes about 30 - 50 minutes
-Making a small tart  costs 850 yen and takes about 15 minutes

For information on Ohmamiya-the traditional cinammon candy shop: http://ohmamiya.com/

For information on Shinbashi tei restaurant: 0575 65 2729

Baywalk Manila

Sunday morning at the Baywalk in Manila...

Japanese Trick Art

We came across an interesting exhibition from some very talented Japanese painters. Their paintings are in 2D but actually look like 3D...

Dinner time!

Walking on the board
(check out the cute little girl!)

Frankenstein!

A friendly monkey.

Boy under a turtle foot

What do you see? Glasses of wine or bottles?

If you want to know more check this website: www.trickart.co.jp

Thailand's floating markets

Here are some pics of  what you would see if you visit the floating market at Damneon Saduak in Thailand...

Thirsty anyone?

Boat- traffic jam

Fruits from paradise: durian, mangoes, mangosteen and rambutan.

Woman selling pineapples and mangoes.

Woman selling flowers.

How to get there:
The best way is hiring a private tour. It is not expensive and you can make stops in the places you are interested, and ask them to take you almost anywhere.
For more information check: www.changthaitravel.com

Cruising the Nile

Planning to take a Nile cruise but don't know what to expect?

Here is our own experience so that you can have an idea of the places you will see and the things you will do:

Route: Luxor to Aswan
Ship: St. George I
Nights: 4

Day 1
                     Embarkation
13:00-14:30 Lunch
15:30            Visit: Karnak and Luxor temples
17:00-18:00 Tea Time
20:00-21:30 Dinner (smart casual)
21:30            Dancing music
-overnight at Luxor-

About Day 1:
The first day onboard we explored the ship, got acquainted with the other passengers and in the afternoon visited the wonderful Temples of Karnak and Luxor.

A statue of Tutankhamen and his wife

Day 2

05:30-06:30 Breakfast
06:30           Visit: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's Temple, the Colossi
                     of Memnon.
12:30            Sail to Esna
13:00-14:30 Lunch
17:00-18:00 Tea Time
19:30            Welcome Reception
20:00-21:30 Dinner (smart casual)
22:00            Rababa Show (folkloric show)
-overnight at Esna-

About Day 2:
This morning we started early so that when we visited the temples it wouldn't be so hot and crowded.

In the Valley of the Kings your entrance ticket entitles you to visit 3 tombs of your choice. This doesn't include the tomb of Tutankhamen; if you wish to visit that one you will need to pay an additional fee (about 100 Egyptian pounds, but of course the fee is subject to change). Also keep in mind that some of the tombs may be under maintenance and for this reason you may not be able to see them.

At some point between Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon we made a stop at a Marble shop. There they explained to us how they polish the marble and turn it into beautiful cups, flower vases and ornaments. After the explanation you can see what they have for sale and buy something if you like, but I strongly recommend you not to do it as this place is special for tourists which means everything is overpriced.

Regarding the Rababa Show, it took place on board at the Lounge bar and I liked it very much, this one is worth watching.

Hatshepsut's Temple

Colossi of Memnon

Day 3

07:30-09:00 Breakfast
09:30            Visit: Edfu Temple
12:00            Sail to Komombo
13:00-14:30  Lunch
17:00-18:00  Tea Time
18:00             Visit: Kom Ombo Temple
20:00-21:30  Egyptian Dinner
21:30             Galabiya Party
-overnight at Kom Ombo-

About Day 3:
Outside the temples you will find shops selling all kinds of souveniers: statues, scarabs, books with pictures of the temples in different languages (english, italian, spanish, french, german, japanese...), traditional clothes, sunglasses, etc.

Don't miss the Egyptian Dinner because it is your chance to experience all sorts of wonderful dishes from soups to desserts. The Galabiya party is also fun, you can buy your Galabiya (traditional dress) at a local shop or on board. If you don't wish to buy one, no problem, you can still join the party! There will be music and games and everybody is invited to participate. In most of this games you have to do something on the stage (like dancing for example), so it is sort of guests entertained by other guests.

Edfu Temple

Cute family of cats in Edfu Temple

Kom Ombo Temple

Day 4

07:00-08:00 Breakfast
08:00            Visit: High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk.
13:00-14:30 Lunch
15:30             Felucca Ride
17:00-18:00  Tea Time
20:00-21:30  Dinner (smart casual)
22:00             Belly Dancing Show
-overnight at Aswan-

About Day 4:
The felucca ride is an interesting experience but just keep in mind that if you don't have wind your felucca won't move. In our case that's what happened, so another boat pulled us so that we could reach our destination, which was Kitchener's Island.
About Kitchener's Island, it is a botanical garden full of palm trees and different kinds of vegetation. Besides that there is nothing else to see in there so don't expect any ruins or monuments, ok? Only trees here.
At night we had the belly dancing show which I felt was not as good as others we had seen before. The dancer performed briefly and then she chose people from the crowd and brought them to the stage to dance (once more, you become the entertainment).

Philae Temple

Philae Temple

Felucca

The next morning after breakfast we did the check out and continued with our trip.

About the ship: The rooms were good, the swimming pool was ok, the spa was more like a hair salon, the lounge was very nice and comfortable and the restaurant was also nice. There was a souvenir shop and a jewelry shop. The service was great, everyone willing to help you and trying to make your stay a pleasant one. The food was also good, we didn't get sick (nor any of the other passengers we talked with) and there were plenty of options, also suitable for vegetarians.

Sonesta St. George I

Sun Deck

Bathroom

What I liked the best about the boat? Waking up in the morning and looking from my bed at the yellow of the sand, the green of the vegetation and the blue of the Nile.

If you want to try cruising the Nile you can book directly with the cruise company or through a travel company. With the travel company they can also arrange other tours and visits before and after your cruise, so this is very convenient.

How to get there:


Cruise company- www.sonesta.com
Travel company- www.industravels.ca