Travels with rarecat

Newfoundland - Fogo Island

2026-07-28T18:44:17.271-07:00

Fogo Island is our final destination on this road trip. It took over 4 hours to drive from Bonavista to Farewell where we took the car ferry to Fogo Island. It was just a 45 minute ride on the ferry and then we landed in Stag Harbour on the southwest tip of the island. I was surprised at how big the island is when we drove through it on our last day. We managed to visit almost all of the 11 distinct communities on the island (we missed Barr'd Islands).

The largest offshore island of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fogo Island has a rich outport heritage. Its most renowned asset is the Fogo Island Inn, a 29 room architectural landmark, a social enterprise owned by Shorefast, a registered nonprofit. It supposedly reinvests 100% of its operating surpluses back into the community. We had the good fortune of staying one night at the Inn courtesy of my roommates' offsprings - an early birthday gift. Fogo Island Inn holds Three Michelin keys, the highest distinction awarded by Michelin. Please check my food blog Foodsparks for menus and photos of the three meals we had at the Inn.

The Inn is in the town called Joe Batt's Arm, the largest community on the island. The rest of the time we stayed in the Fogo community. My friend's daughter opened the only bakery on Fogo Island, Loaf Land, with naturally leavened sour dough bread and flaky scones to die for. The Bakery is in Shoal Bay, not far from the Fogo Island Inn at Joe Batt's Arm.

Another feature on Fogo Island is Fogo Island Arts which offers an artist residency program at the four studios on the island. We visited all four studios, all designed by Todd Saunders, the same architect who designed the Inn. All the studios are located in remote areas requiring a bit of a hike, some more than others. The one in Deep Bay required some clambering over a rocky trail but being able to see the destination at the top was good incentive.

There were many hiking trails on the island including the famous Brimstone Head Trail at the top of which is purportedly one of the four corners of the flat earth. Looking at the trail from below after a long day on the road was enough of a deterrent to discourage any attempt to achieve landing on one of the four corners of the earth, flat or otherwise!

We were lucky to have four mild sunny days on Fogo Island, totally unexpected as I had anticipated cold still in June in this northernmost part of Newfoundland.

Brimstone Head sticking out into the Atlantic - one of the four corners of the so-called "flat" earth

The ferry to Fogo Island

Fogo is the second largest community on Fogo island

This fancy mansion looked a little out of place in the community

One of several churches in Fogo

Fogo at dusk

Sunset over Fogo

As part of the hotel package, we went on a guided hike along the shore in Tilting, one of the Fogo Island Communities. These coastal red rocks reminded me of the ones at Georgian Bay.

A salt water pond

A root cellar - we would have missed it if we were not with the guide

The remnants of a bunker left behind from the war

Snow crab pots. We had the best ever snow crab dinner at the Inn.

A boat out to pick up lobster traps

Surprised to see a statue of the Virgin Mary in Tilting. Turns out Tilting is a mostly Irish community, which explains the Catholic presence.

Fishing stages or "flakes" in Tilting, these are in fact everywhere on Fogo Island, I have a collection of these iconic buildings historically used by fishermen to clean, split and salt codfish.

Panorama of Tilting - all the communities on the Island are built around a harbour

The Squish Studio, one of the four artist's studio on the island

The iconic Fogo Island Inn, architect Todd Saunders

From below

From the back

From inside

Dining Room ceiling

Sunset at the Inn

At blue hour

We did another short hike to visit the Long Studio in Joe Batt's Arm. There were some interesting rock formations along the way, including the remnants of a natural rock hide.

The aptly named Long Studio

The entrance to the studio

Another fishing stage in Joe Batt's Arm

A new construct, rather out of sync with the rest of the houses in the community - Joe Batt's Arm

Loaf Land Bakery in Shoal Bay

with its cozy hangout area

Also in Shoal Bay is the Tower, another artist's studio

A bird's eye view of the Deep Bay community, the location of the 4th artist's studio - it was quite a climb to get up there. The Bridge Studio is that white speck you see at the top left in the photo below.

The Bridge artist's studio - it's the only that's not on the ocean front

Canada Day in Seldom, one of the communities on the south shore

This fishing stage means business!

The last sunset (Canada Day) - haze from the Quebec wildfires must have moved in. But it was a nice wrap up of our road trip.

Newfoundland - Bonavista Peninsula

2026-07-26T07:34:47.481-07:00

By the time we got to Elliston the rain had stopped and we headed out to the Puffin Viewing site which is only 5 minutes from our airBnB beach house.

It was very windy on the site and hard to hold a long lens steady. It's a good thing we persevered even though we knew we would be back the following day. The wind was blowing in the right direction and the puffins were landing right behind us on the viewing site affording us some close up views.

Puffins "kissing" or "billing" where lifelong mates tap their beaks together to greet each other or just to show affection.

This one picked up a feather - nest building? or just for the fun of it?

Puffin conference

Just have to make some noise

The puffin rock

This is the view out to the ocean on the way to the viewing site

Puffin family deck chairs - beyond cute!

A root cellar - Elliston is officially known as the "Root cellar Capital of the World" with over 130 traditional root cellars built from stone and earth into the hillsides to keep root vegetables cool in the summer and frost-free in the winter.

Sunset over the Atlantic

When we went back the following day, we were shocked to see the island with very few puffins on it. Some regular visitors suggested they may have discovered a large area with fish and had gone fishing. We were relieved they returned the following day but the wind direction has changed and they did not land as they did before in the viewing area.

Puffins gone

Herring Gull and chicks

Taking a peek inside their burrow

Having fun

Going fishing!

An unusual rock face that looks like a lion with a mane

This one reminded me of the Moai statues on Easter Island

We went hiking the following day to explore the coast following the Spillar's Cove trail with its stunning Chimney stack and the neighbouring Dungeon Provincial Park with its "dragon's eyes". The golden hour drive through Bona Vista highlighted the colourful houses and changed my first impression of the town. We had cod, cod and cod the days we were on the peninsula - nothing like having seafood where they are caught! Oh yes, and seafood chowder!

We missed the trail head and scrambled all over this heath to get to the cliffs - memories of the treks over the tundra in the Arctic

Spillar's Cove

The "Chimney" from different angles

The "Dragon's Eyes" in Dungeon Provincial Park, almost right next to Spillar's Cove

Love the coastal stacks in this area!

Bonavista - the town

Ye Matthew Legacy - the Museum that houses a full-scale replica of John Cabot's ship, The Matthew - love the architectural lines on the building

The Old Pond

Cape Bonavista

Apparently there are puffins here too

At Cape Bonavista - this is so Newfoundland!

The Lighthouse

Sunset in the Harbour

Newfoundland - Avalon Peninsula

2026-07-25T07:37:20.517-07:00

This is my third trip to Newfoundland and this time I'm focusing on only three places - Cape St. Mary's for the gannets, Elliston for the puffins and Fogo Island.

Cape St. Mary's is at the southwestern tip of the Avalon peninsula, about 2 hours' drive from St. John's, but we made a detour to Bay Bulls on the east coast after arriving in St. John's early afternoon. It was late June and the days were long so we were able to fit in a boat tour with Gatherall's in search of whales and puffins. Bay Bulls is right next to the important Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. There were quite a few whale sightings but nothing spectacular and except for a few in the water, the puffins were too far away for any meaningful shots. It was cold on the boat but glad it was the only time I had to wear my packable down on the whole trip.

Humpback whales

Humpback with cub

Puffin flying over water

Plenty of Common Murres around

The colourful Gatherall's office

The one shot I got of Bay Bulls from the boat

We headed to St. Bride's with its one and only lodging, Capeway Inn which turned out to be a very nice well-equipped boutique establishment. Cape St. Mary's is only a 20 minute drive from St. Bride's and Bird Island, where the gannets are, was just a short 1.4 km hike from the parking lot. We were lucky the island was not covered in fog as it was the last time I was there. We spent a whole morning and part of the afternoon watching the gannets going about their business. It was quite productive as you can see from the photos.

Word of caution: bring some ready made food to St. Bride's. We arrived too late for dinner as the one and only restaurant closed at 7 (we were lucky we had anticipated that and bought a roast chicken with us). The following day we arrived at the restaurant at 5:30 and was told it closes at 5pm on Tuesdays. The one convenience store was not open. Good thing it was a big chicken!

The Cape St. Mary's headland with Bird Island (covered in white)

Closeup of Bird Island

Affectionate gannet couples

Bickering ones too...

Bringing back nesting material

Other than these two stops and drive through impressions of small towns on the way, we didn't see much else on the Avalon Peninsula so can't really say I am providing a good picture of the Peninsula. I am sure there are lots more to it than gannets and whales!

The following day we drove up the peninsula to Bona Vista in the rain - no problem for a travelling day. There were a few lookouts along the way - one that stood out was Seven Islands lookout off the Cape Shore Highway. Otherwise the four hour drive to Elliston was mostly flat.

Chile/Argentina - Buenos Aires Revisited

2026-06-04T17:57:41.936-07:00

It was a short flight from El Chalten to Buenos Aires and since we thought we only have one morning in the city we had not planned anything. But then we learned at the last minute that Air Canada had cancelled our flight home and we have an extra day in this city that I had visited for several days in 2017. My travel companion had not really seen the city so we took a Hop-on Hop-off tour of the city. Although we only really hopped off at La Boca we did get a quick tour of a good part of the city.

I wasn't going to write a post on this because I thought I had covered a lot of ground in my first visit and had some leisurely intimate experiences at ground level, including a dance at a tango club. But this time around, the bus tour gave me a bird's eye view that I didn't get when I walked the city in 2017, so there were not a lot of duplication other than in La Boca. I was also able to dig up a lot of background on the images I took, thanks to Google AI. Technically this should be Buenos Aires 3. I highly recommend that you check out the other two earlier posts: https://travelswithrarecat.blogspot.com/search?q=buenos+aires

One thing I noted on the bus tour was the large number of corner buildings in the city. Many of these are historical buildings. I practically have a collection of them but only showing a few here - you can see the wide variety of architectural styles. While I captured images of tango dancers in La Boca the last time I visited, this time we missed that as we visited in late afternoon and most of the tourists were gone - but I got a local kid playing basketball...😀 We were tired and eager to go home after 3 weeks on the road, but the extra day was still a treat in such a vibrant, colourful city.

Monument of Julio Roca, former president

1926 building Edificio Sud America - Neo-Louis XVI style, austere lines and minimal decoration

Edificio Banco Comafi, formerly Palacio Italia America. Venetian Neo-gothic by renowned architect Francesco Gianotti

An iconic art deco building - Edificio La Equitativa del Plata 1930s architectural landmark

Art nouveau landmark from 1916 also designed by Francesco Gianotti

SOMISA building - first building in the world constructed entirely of folded steel plate 1966-77

Obelisco de Buenos Aires

Ministry of Public Works with massive iron
mural of Eva Peron

Another historical building neo-classical and art deco blend by French Architect Eduardo Le Monnier 1928

Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with a distinctive neoclassical face columns that resemble a Greek temple rather than a traditional church, no spire, no dome - rather unusual

Casa Rosada - office of the President

Don Quixote sculpture - a gift from Spain for
Buenos Aires' 400th Anniversary

We saw these all over the city - they look
like comfy benches but in fact are very hard
metal or concrete

Blue jacaranda tree with violet flowers

National Congress in a Neo-classical building

The stunning swing bridge Puente de la Mujer (Woman's Bridge) by architect Santiago Calatrava

This is in the Puerto Madero district, with other contemporary buildings like the ones below

The historic ansporter bridge inaugurated in 1914 in the La Boca neighbourhood

La Bombonera stadium - homeground for the Boca Juniors football team

The corner buildings coninued in La Boca - below, the famous Caminitto Street area

Murals abound

This mural is on a public works pump station buildin with esgraffito (scratched relief). The title etched on it "the neighbourhood I love" by artist Jose Palmiotti, Lalo Sussi. This mural was referred to in the La Boca Museum

Typical La Boca buildings in vibrant colours

Three key figures depicted here - Eva Peron, in various poses with Charles Gardel, King of Tango and Diego Maradona, legendary football player

First stop for tourists in La Boca - they all want to pose at the door!

A historical ting on the wall just on the street - Martin's Work day (at the docks)

Neighbourhood art

Lucky to catch this young player practicsing

This dazzling pasth takes you to a mix of shops and tenements

Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup victory memorialized
in this mural of Lionel Messi kissing the trophy

Caricature of Juan Carlos Altavista, famous Argentinian actor

Immigrants at the docks - local history depicted by artist collective in La Boca

From the wilds of La Boca, we returned to downtown Buenos Aires and couldn't resist going into the Galerias Pacifico, just round the corner from our hotel. The glitzy interior was a nice change after the urban grit of La Boca.

This wraps up our 3 week Patagonian Roadtrip. It was exhausting but the variety of experiences we encountered was thoroughly worth it! Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Chile/Argentina - Mt. Fitzroy (El Chalten)

2026-06-03T09:17:21.047-07:00

We drove to El Chalten, a few hours from El Calafate, mainly to see Mt. Fitzroy - it was our "pilgrimage" and we had planned our trip around it. But then came the physical abilities - we knew we could not do the "must-do" 8-10 hour trek to Laguna de los Tres, the glacial lake at the foot of the mountain. Planning was the best part of the trip - we watched videos on other people's treks starting at 3 am in the morning, visions of "hidden waterfalls" and mesmerizing sunrise views of the magical mountain. But then again there is the reality - we got up at 5am the morning of the hike and made our way up the steep climb to Laguna Capri. It took us two hours and we still missed the actual sunrise in spite of best efforts. But the next best thing, the golden hour was still worth the climb, especially when we saw the difference in colours afterwards.

There were other things to see in El Chalten of course. There was the beautiful waterfall that we visited the day of arrival, just before the last light. There was the amazing encounter with the kettle (large group) of condors circling the river with Fitzroy in the background - our car just stopped beside the highway. There was the long road with the massif right in front of it, you can see sunrise and sunset without taking a hike! Word of caution here for other travellers - don't let your car out of your sight while you're parked by the roadside - the risk of car break-ins are real!

This was our last stop before Buenos Aires so we celebrated with a nice dinner at Fuegia where I had the tastiest piece of Argentinian tenderloin - a fitting end to an amazing trip.

The view of Mt. Fitzroy from the highway - I don't know how many times we stopped on this stretch!

Chorillo del Salto - very accessible, just a few kms from El Chalten - we visited just before the light faded

We had to climb over a fence to get to this spot to watch the condors do their flying acrobatics all around us, apparently there was a carcass on the valley floor of the Rio de las Vueltas. Too bad I didn't bring my birding lens on this trip and my slow landscape camera really stretched its limits with these shots, even though sometimes the condors were flying right in front of us.

Close up of Cerro Torre - beside Fitzroy - love those spikes!

Sedimentary rock layers on these fold mountains - a visual geography lesson

The glacier clearly visible in this close up near Fitzroy

The Rio de las Vueltas here cuts deeper into the valley as it meanders

This is the view after our two hour climb up to Laguna Capri

Then the colour faded as the sun rose higher

Coming back down from the lake, we were able to see the wide river valley below us (which we didn't see on the way up because it was too dark)

The town of El Chalten laid out at our feet on the hike down

The last sunrise from the road - an intense red. Too bad we had to make it to El Calafate for our flight.

This barely skims the surface of the sights around Fitzroy. Wish I had visited when I was younger and able to do those hikes with specatcular views of glacial lakes and rivers. My advice to my younger readers - do it while you're young!

Chile/Argentina - Perito Moreno Glacier

2026-05-31T13:15:11.067-07:00

We overnighted in the town of El Calafate and spent the morning at Los Glaciares National Park. Unlike the blue skies on my first visit almost ten years ago, this time it was a cold and very windy day, making it almost unpleasant to be out. But we put up with it as it was the only rough day in the more than two weeks we've been on the road.

Unlike most glaciers in the world that are retreating because of climate change, the Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few that are still pushing forward. As a result of its continuous forward movement, there is constant calving. We were lucky to witness calving in a cave that resulted in a spectacular collapse of the cave sides - all this happening right in front of our viewing platform.

The low clouds over the glacier made the top of the glacier difficult to see, same as on my previous visit. But the interplay of light and clouds resulted in a constantly changing landscape. The images below are from the few hours we spent at the glacier. You may find different shots of the same views but I shared them because the changing light changed the perspective.

I have to say my previous visit yielded different perspectives of the glacier, including the impressive closeup view from the boat cruise to the front of the glacier. Check out the earlier blog post here.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Close up view of the front

Close up of the head of the glacier

Left and right flank of the glacier

The cave collapse sequence...

The top surface of the glacier

The mountains around the glacier

The glacier viewpoints are accessible via wheelchair ramps and many miles of boardwalk.

And then just as we were leaving, a rainbow!

Next post - El Chalten

Chile/Argentina - Torres del Paine Pt 2

2026-05-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

We moved inside Torres del Paine National Park for the second part of our stay. The Hosteria Pehoe, situated right on Lake Pehoe, gave us a unique perspective on the Horns and also saved us some driving distance going to the other parts of the park. Access to the Hosteria is only via a pedestrian bridge and we had to haul our luggage from the parking lot on the lakeside to our lodgings on the island. But there is a vista point at the top of the island which makes sunrise shots handy.

One of our first stops in the park was at the Salto Chico Waterfall. This is right beside the high-end Explora Hotel which has a terrific view of the towers. The path down to the waterfall consists of treacherous wooden steps but there are viewing areas that provided views of the mountains and the waterfall. And it got better - views of the mountains with the two lakes in front, complete with reflections.

We had to drive an hour in the dark on gravel roads to Laguna Armaga for sunrise. We were worried there won't be one when we got there but after we set up our tripods, the light started to change and you will see below how magical it was. There were a couple of flamingos that flew by at the lake but I didn't have my long lens with me.

We were hoping to see two more waterfalls, the Rio Paine Waterfall which we did see and the Salto Grande which we didn't. Unbeknownst to us, the Salto Grande parking lot closes at 6pm just as we were arriving. No waterfall. No sunset either. You win some you lose some.

There are always people with good eyesight who could see pumas from their cars. We counted on these scouts to stop by the roadside so we know when to stop too. The puma was stage centre for at least 30 minutes until a ranger showed up and everyone kind of got back into their illegally parked cars. The guanacos kept a close watch on the puma - tension was indeed in the air! It was fun while it lasted - a spirit of community even out there in the wilderness.

We were lucky to catch another sunrise before we left the park for the border. We managed to get to the gas station with just enough gas!

Salto Chico waterfall

Explora Hotel in front of the horns

The whole massif with the two lakes from a viewpoint behind the hotel

The pedestrian bridge to the Hosteria Pehoe

On my first visit I was able to capture a perfect reflection of the mountains at this point. This time around we arrived too late and the waters have started to move.

View from the Hosteria

We were close enough from the island to zoom in and see more of what it's like behind Los Cuernos.

An Austral thrush (easily mistaken for a robin) - another lifer

We headed out early morning to Laguna Armaga for sunrise. There were hardly any colours when we arrived but within 20 minutes, everything changed!

It was dazzling!

The three towers continued to change colour as the light changed. When we first arrived, they were covered by clouds but these gradually moved off as the sun hit.

Finally a flaming red

Paine River Waterfall

A young gray fox appeared to have just woken up

Cars stopped on both sides of the road - a puma sighting!

These guanacos were also watching the puma to see which direction it was heading

Our last morning at the lake, we waited for sunrise at the viewpoint at the top of the island.
It was a short hike up to the top - the moon was still around when we got there.

Still mesmerising in the dark, before the sun came out

Another enchanting sunrise, not as dazzling as the one the day before but still gorgeous

On our way out of the park - one last encounter with the Massif. It looked different again.

A Black-necked swan family in the lake - another lifer!

One last look!

Chile/Argentina - Torres del Paine Pt 1

2026-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

We stayed for three days in a cabin in the Villa Rio Serrano, a tourist base just outside Torres del Paine with the horns within view of our front porch. For those days, we were able to do sunrise and sunsets either from our accommodations or from vista points nearby. It was really handy not to have to hike in the dark for sunset.

We did an afternoon hike along the river and also did an after dinner hike behind the Rio Serrano hotel. The long summer days meant there were lots of time between dinner and sunset although the horns are not at their best at sunset. It's sunrise that brought out the colours. We made one trip to Grey Lake but it was too windy to walk around. Nevertheless I got my favourite shot that evening of the moonrise over the backside of the horns, a perspective not often seen.

I tried not to be repetitive with my photos but the reality is the towers are the most photogenic mountains I've ever seen. I have shot them many times on my first visit but it didn't stop me from photographing them again and again. No matter where we went, we came back to vistas of the towers in its different incarnations depending on the light and the clouds. So please bear with me. 😅

The view of the Paine Massif with the Rio Serrano in the foreground

Sign marking the Villa Rio Serrano area

View from Vista Paine where we stayed

Black-faced ibis in the field

Merlin

Chimanga Caracara a regular visitor

The first sunset

Grey Glacier at Grey Lake

Sunset from the other side

Moonrise on the not often seen side of the Paine Massif

Golden hour hit

Second sunset - it didn't hit the mountains

The horns from the river

Upland Geese - white males, brown females

Male in mating form

Great Grebe - the largest species of grebes in the world - a lifer for me

Lots of these trees on the river walk

Sunrise on the second morning was spectacluar, almost surreal, accompanied by a rainbow!

The red is true colour!

And then it faded...

Then the sun came out

Behind the Rio Serrano Hotel

The horses came out before sunset for their evening exercise

Third sunset

Sunrise on our last day at the cabin - different again

Sunrise panorama

Chile/Argentina - Puerto Natales

2026-04-28T18:50:15.039-07:00

Other than being the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, there is nothing special about Puerto Natales. But since it is our last stop before the wilderness, I thought I'd devote a post to it and explore what it's like in a small Chilean town. This is also where we picked up our rental car delivered to us at the airport.

Driving into town, we noticed an old pier with nothing but pilings left at the waterfront . This turned out to be our destination for sunset and sunrise. There wasn't much of a sunset (it rained) but the sunrise was breathtaking. The bonus was it was within walking distance from where we were staying.

The town is small enough to walk to wherever we needed to, so we walked to dinner at a restaurant - in a shipping container nonetheless! And it served the sought after black cod or Patagonian sablefish! After dinner we walked to the grocery store to stock up on necessities for the following week. Interesting that the supermarket allowed small vendors selling local fruits and shopping bags at competitive prices just outside the door.

You will see below snapshots of the town, and random things we came across. We left for Torres del Paine right after breakfast. It wasn't far but part of it is on gravel roads and it took us a couple of hours to get there. One important note, there are no gas stations after Puerto Natales so we were very conscious about conserving gas throughout the five days we were in the area. The one tank of gas would have to last us until we cross the border into Argentina.

The old pier at dusk

Santolla - restaurant in a shipping container (outside and inside)

Delicious Patagonian sablefish

Riding the skatepark

An expressive mural on a house fence

Wooden statue of Mylodon, an extinct giant ground sloth - town landmark and mascot

Local church

Interesting abodes

Ready made cart for street vendor

Dried peppers and what looked like smoked mussels or oysters

Matcha cups in all shapes and sizes

Monument commemorating renowned Patagonian explorer Alberto De Agostini, Salesian missionary, photographer and cartographer (beside an indigenous person, symbolizing his respectful approach to the local cultures)

Just before sunrise at the pier

A dazzling sunrise with double rainbows

Rock shags ready to sun themselves at the end of the pier

Two vista points before we got to Torres del Paine - a foretaste of vistas to come

Chile/Argentina - Easter Island Pt 2

2026-04-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

The first stop on the Historic Pathways tour took us to the crater of the extinct volcano Rano Kau on the southern tip of the island. It is an impressive round crater dropping two hundred metres below to a lake covered with floating reeds. Apparently there is no bird life here even though it looks like there might be.

Rano Kau crater

Close-up look at the reeds at the bottom of the crater

Hiking around to the ocean side gave us a different perspective on the crater

A Moai head on the coast, one of a few with painted eyes

Rapa Nui map showing the different sites

On the rim of the crater is the restored ceremonial stone village of Orongo. We were introduced to the Birdman Cult - each spring warriors would gather in Orongo from different villages and compete. They would jump off the cliff into the sea and swim to the islands just offshore to find the egg of the tern. The chief of the first person to return with the egg in tact would become the supreme leader of the island for the year. For obvious reasons, competition was fierce. These competitions ended when Christian missionaries arrived in the 1860s.

Birdman cult moai

The islands to which the competitors swam to find the tern's egg - what a beautiful stack

This is supposed to be a woman with two heads that got chopped off.

Stone village

Petroglyph in Orongo

The way these huge stones are stacked reminded us of the Inca stone walls in Machu Picchu

Cotton plant in Orongo

The best lunch we had since we arrived in Chile - fresh tuna with veggies fresh and grilled. It was so good we had the same thing twice on the island.

These two moais are right at the waterfront in Hanga Roa, the only accessible ones that are not in the National Park.

These are the only moais on the island that face the ocean. The reason is because the village is by the sea, between the moais and the ocean.

For our pre-dawn astro, we went back to Anakena Beach but stationed ourselves on ocean side, looking at the backs of the moais. The milky way first came up above the moais and then as dawn neared, it moved behind the moais. What an awesome experience!

We went back to Tongariki for a last look. There was no visible sunrise that day, we were lucky to be able to see one the day before. We saw lots of disappointed photographers walking away from the park.

We returned to our airbnb and were surprised by a visit from Marc Ross Shields, the author of the book "Rapa Nui - A Visual Journey to the Navel of the World". Marc is associated with Green Island Tours with whom we had booked our tours. He came over to gift us each with a copy of his book with its stunning photos. Marc lives on the island with his family.

Marc with our group leader

This wraps up our Easter Island tour. We had six hours on the flight back to Santiago to catch up on sleep and get ready for the next adventure in Patagonia.

Chile/Argentina - Easter Island Pt 1

2026-04-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

When I first learned of our plan to visit Easter Island (since we are already in Santiago), I didn't realize it is actually a six hour flight from the city, not quite an "on the way" sort of destination although it is part of Chile. This was further confirmed by the hefty air fare, which cost more than the 10 hour flight from Toronto to Santiago. That aside, the island did take us into a totally different world and way of life.

Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name for Easter Island. The locals call it Te Pito o te Henua, "the Navel of the World" It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its monolithic Moai statues, carved from volcanic ash representing deified ancestors of the first settlers. What struck me when the plane flew over the island before landing in Hanga Roa, the only town on the island, was the lack of trees, not quite your typical lush tropical island. It seems that the first settlers had almost entirely cleared the tropical forest and replaced it with the statues. The starkness of the bare rocky landscape together with the massive statues inspired a sense of awe, stoicism and mystery which made the island such an attraction.

We spent three nights on the island but in reality we only did one day time tour - the Historic Pathways Tour which visited the island's archaeological sites. We did two sunrises and two sunsets, a night astro and a morning astro. Afternoons tend to be so hot it is most comfortable indoors - there is good reason for siesta time. We stayed at an airbnb which gave us some contact with the locals and an inkling of their lifestyle. Below are places we visited on our first full day.

This is my favourite Moai location. Love the Moai statues in their different poses, probably unintentional but the disarray added to their charm, far more than the tidy rows in other locations.

The island and the town Hanga Roa from the air

Rapa Nui Airport with its welcome sign "Iorana" Rapa Nui greeting

A first walk by the seaside near our airbnb

Sunset by the beach

Sunrise at Tongariki, the largest ceremonial platform on Rapa Nui

Almost all the Moai statues on the island face inland towards the land. They are spiritual guardians of the communites, not the sea.

The long shadow of the Moai statues reached inland towards the settlements

This lone moai, "A Vere", near the entrance of Tongariki, is also known locally as the Travelling Moai. It was sent to Osaka, Japan for exhibition in the 1990's as a thank you gesture to the Japanese who helped restore the 15 moais at Tongariki after a tsunami

The moais at Anakena beach, one of only two beaches on the island.

A closeup look at the statues. The box like structures on top of the heads, called pukao,, are supposed to represent long hair tied up, a topknot or hat

Heike, our guide, is descended from the original moai ancestors. Check his profile!

My favourite spot on the island - Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater and the main quarry for most of the moai statues on the island. There are supposed to be almost 400 moais around here in various stages of completion. We did not have enough time to really have a good look for them as we arrived just after sunset. But I like how they are not on a platform but on the ground, closer to human height.

The big volcano seen from Rano Raraku

Tongariki at sunset

Anakena - the moon was too bright for the stars - this must be the one time we wished it would disappear!

Away from the moon, we could see the milky way. We then figured out where to go for our second astro adventure.

Map of Rapa Nui with key sites

Chile/Argentina - Valparaiso

2026-04-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Valparaiso is just a couple of hours from Santiago - an excellent place for a day trip. The historic quarter of Valparaiso is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Valparaiso used to be a very important port, before the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, and as such, it had British, German and Italian settlements among others, giving it an urban fabric and cultural diversity that made it unique among Latin American cities.

Our tour took us to the old Port and the fish market, then up the steep hills to the many streets and alleyways with their brightly coloured murals and decorations that is one of the city's distinguishing features. It was hard to walk, look at murals and take photos at the same time because the streets were steep, the steps and pavement cobbled and uneven. Almost felt lucky I survived without a fall.

We were taken through the different quarters, the British, German, Italian, Portuguese quarters each with their distinctive features. But don't ask me which is which now that I am home. Just enjoy the colourful murals as they are, in no particular order.

Colourful houses filled the hillside

The old pier at the port

Long stretch of sandy beach - perfect for the hot day if you're in a swimsuit, but otherwise heat was scorching

The fish market

Streets were very steep - hard to walk up but even harder to walk down!

Not an easy walk because of the uneven cobbled pavement and also the many distractions offered by the colourful murals. One really has to concentrate and focus on one thing at a time.

Impossible not to be distracted by steps like these - pretty amazing!

Pablo Neruda house

Pablo Neruda mural outside the College

Love this one with a tea cup embedded into the mural

Hokusai in Valparaiso?

This is supposed to be related to Easter Island myth

This rather reminded me of St. John's, Newfoundland

Transportation themes - interesting perspectives

A delicious lunch break with the Chilean specialty dish Conger eel stew

I can see this being a fabulous backdrop for performances

Obvious Chilean love of pets

These are shelters built for "Community dogs"

Whole houses covered

Brilliant!

Vibrant area with shops and eateries

Love these - I think they are in the Yugoslav area

Looking down at the harbour

Going down to the old Port on the vintage funicular

Social commentary here - Statue of Justice with broken scales

Chile/Argentina - Cajon de Maipo

2026-04-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

We did a day trip to El Yeso a turquoise lake (actually a reservoir) in the much touted Cajon de Maipo area. I expect it would be much more spectacular in the spring when there is still snow on the mountains. But in the height of summer, it is very brown. We did a short hike along the lake before having a late lunch in the area, heading back to Santiago before the rush hour. A leisurely day with the mountains.

We had time to visit Sky Costanera located at the top of the Costanera Tower to do some night shots of the city. The facility is on two levels and provided a panoramic 360 degree view of Santiago. There was a live band providing entertainment and a festive atmosphere with people dancing as the sun set.

View of the Andes from the valley

The reservoir at El Yeso

Beautiful sweeping lines of the mountain side

Hierba Blanca (according to Google)

Waterfalls in El Yeso

Looking out from Sky Costanera in the golden hour

Night views from the observation deck

Chile/Argentina - Santiago - Bella Vista San Cristobal

2026-04-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

We ventured out further afield to the Bella Vista neighbourhood which is really only a 15 minute walk from La Starria if we didn't lose our way. Having found it, it seemed that it was a bit too early and many places in the area were not open yet. We moved on to the funicular to take us up to San Cristobal, supposedly a must see destination.

As expected it gave us a panoramic view of the city. The surprise was the steep hike up to see the chapel and the statue of the Immaculate Conception - I guess it's a pilgrimage route and not meant to be easy.

We decided at the ticket booth that it is a better deal to do both the funicular and the gondola as we could then see Providencia without taking the subway. We didn't bargain on the long walk in the heat and was exhausted by the time we got to the Costanera Centre. A nice cafeteria serving grilled fish and vegetables welcomed us at the top of the Centre and prepped us for the long walk back to take the gondola.

Bella Vista was colourful and pretty in the daylight - it would like have different vibes in the evening but we were ready to call it a day.

Panorama from San Cristobal Hill

View from the Funicular

The chapel

Immaculate Conception Statue at the top

Couple taking selfie with one of the crucifixes on the Way of the Cross

The Gondolas and the snazzy station

Looking down at the Costanera Centre from the gondola

Outside the Costanera Centre

Inside the Centre - it's just a big mall

More interesting are the colourful houses and murals in Bella Vista

La Chascona, the Pablo Neruda house

The famous "Red House" in Bella Vista - it's really a private home

Patio Bella Vista

As usual there are benefits to getting lost - you discover unexpected things. This is the impressive front yard of the Faculty of Law at the University of Chile on the edge of Bella Vista.

Chile/Argentina - Santiago Central

2026-04-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

I flew to Santiago, Chile on February 16 (Chinese New Year's Eve) and spent the early hours of the Year of the Snake in the air. I didn't check the horoscopes for what the New year forebodes, determined on this adventure regardless of what's in the books. It turned out to be the start of an amazing 3 week trip covering Santiago, Valparaiso, Easter Island, Torres del Paine, El Calafate, El Chalten and ending in Buenos Aires.

I had visited Buenos Aires in 2017, did the Alpine Crossing to Chile before going to Patagonia. But I missed El Chalten and Santiago. Easter Island was an unexpected add-on this time, not realizing at the time how far away it is actually from the mainland - a six hour flight nonetheless. It was by no means a "side-trip" - not in terms of expense, commitment and expectations. It was a full-blown adventure on its own - and well worth it.

We spent Chinese New Year's Day touring central Santiago in the afternoon starting with the Mercado Central, a stunning structure built using European cast-iron technology in the Neo-Classical and Renaissance architectural style. Our original plan was to have lunch at this landmark, but as the flight was delayed we missed the lunch hour so had to settle for just a quick tour of this building.

From the market it was a short walk to the Plaza de Armas where we were greeted by a policeman who explained to us (unsolicited) which streets leading from the Plaza are safe and which ones are dangerous. What a welcome! The warnings were reinforced later when we innocently asked a cashier inside what looked like a post office where we can get Chilean pesos. She gave us instructions to a money exchange not far down the street. This was likely overheard by a caring customer who followed us out and insisted on escorting us to the exchange, with dire warnings NEVER to get money changed from street vendors. Whew!

You will find in this first post a mish mesh of Santiago central landmarks, urban landscapes mixed in with street photography of what I find interesting rather than statues or monuments. We stayed in La Starria, a colourful touristy neighbourhood with street vendors. I am sure it is very safe. There are police cars stationed on the main street every night just before it gets dark, so I have no problems venturing out to buy takeout the day we are not eating in a restaurant. It was in fact quite an adventure to buy Waffle Chicken and asking for a custom vegetable stir fry (not on the menu) all with the help of Google translate!

Mercado Central

Very much a fish market

Plaza de Armas

Happy child

A corner of the Plaza with the Cathedral on the left

Inside the Cathedral

Confrontation on the street

Rainbow crossings here too

Many such converging intersections here with not quite flat iron buildings but certainly reminiscent of them.

Play of light and shadow in the courtyard of the Visual Arts Museum in La Starria where we were staying. We have walked by here different times of day and the shadows are not always seen depending on the sun position.

Interesting street vendor

An expressive mural of a young girl clutching on to a chopped tree trunk

Santa Lucia Hill Garden

Random fountain we came across on our walk

Love the magic mushrooms

Facade of a hotel in La Starria

Intricate gate in the same neighbourhood

Main street in La Starria

Art deco building in La Starria

We didn't go on the subway (too many dire warnings!) but did walk in to try the ATM (LOL! and we came out unscathed)

Father son quality time...?

Got to fix this!

It was an interesting afternoon in Central Santiago. Still lots to see with another three days in and around the city.

Japan in Autumn - Fujikawaguchiko

2025-12-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky with Mt. Fuji, able to see it every time I visited, in spite of the notorious fickleness of mountains. This time is no exception. I could see it even from the train heading north. It took a couple of hours even on the Shinkansen and then we have to catch a limited express bus from Mishima to Fujikawaguchiko, the town surrounding Kawaguchiko, the biggest of the five lakes at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

We rented a car for the two days we were here and was able to catch the sunset at least on the first day. It was a lung-burning exercise attempting to climb the more than 400 steps to tbe top of the Arakura Sengen Shrine in under 15 minutes in order not to miss the sunset. But the iconic view of Mt. Fuji with the Chureito Pagoda in the foreground is totally worth it. It would have been a nice spot for sunrise too but I didn't think I could do those steps again in the dark, so was relieved that the forecast was for the possibility of rain the following morning.

The rain was short-lived and Mt. Fuji presented itself in different manifestations throughout the day. The mountain is considered sacred in Japan and I can understand why - I can't help but be mesmerized every time I saw it. So you will see a lot of the mountain in this collection with red leaves generously interspersed. The stunning red leaves are mostly from the Momiji Corridor, a 150 metre stretch of red maple trees. We also visited Lake Shoji, the smallest of the five lakes, a half hour away from Fujikawaguchiko, but the clouds rolled in and I couldn't get a clear shot of the mountain other than the top.

Fujiyama from the Shinkansen - kudos to the amazing iphone

Fall colours at peak at the lake

The start of the 400+ steps up to the Chureito Pagoda

Half way up

Near the top

With the pagoda

Hotou, a thick chewy noodle, is a local specialty we tried at a farm to table restaurant. I love chewy noodles!

Early morning at the lake

Fujiyama with fall grasses in the foreground at Oishi Park

The start of the Momiji (Red Maple Leaves) Corridor

The north end of the red corridor

There are some rich browns in the fall colours in Japan that I haven't noticed in Canada

We drove to Lake Shoji, the smallest of the five lakes - it was just a half hour drive but we missed the golden hour. Still it was great sitting by the lake to watch the last of the light disappear as the mountain top performed its elusive appearance and disappearance act. It was a lovely end to this autumn tour of Japan.

The Last Supper - a fabulous grilled eel dinner for me and sushi and sashimi for my travel companions

The following morning we took the bus back to Tokyo. And as luck would have it, our bus drove by what I thought must be the Meiji Jingu Gaien Gingko Avenue and I was able to catch a quick shot of the golden Gingko trees in fall colours. It was on our original itinerary but we didn't visit because there was little colour change when we first arrived in Tokyo two weeks ago. What luck to at least see them from afar.

This wraps up our Autumn in Japan trip. Thank you for coming along.

Japan in Autumn - Osaka

2025-12-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Osaka around lunch time and with only half a day, we focused on two areas unique to Osaka - Shinsekai and Dotonbori with their bustling, quirky atmosphere. Shinsekai (New World), a vibrant, retro entertainment district,was a blaring blur of colours for the senses even during the day, I can well imagine what it would be like at night.

I was in Dotonbori last year but in the day time so reserved this revisit for the evening to catch the neon. As expected, it was dazzling at night, vibrant with sounds and sights both on the streets and along the canal. It was an immersive experience hard to reproduce on paper but take a look at the images and use your imagination.

We had dinner at the Douraku restaurant known for the big crab at its front. I had expected it to be loud and touristy, but it was a nice surprise that it turned out to be low key with many locals at the tables. The set menus included crab sashimi but also crab cooked in different ways. While I still prefer my crab plain boiled, it was a novelty experience nevertheless.

Shinsekai (translates as "New World") main intersection

We noticed a big building with "Maruhan" on it and went inside just to see what it was. Turns out to be a casino (with a snazzy ceiling)! We were quickly shooed out when they saw my camera.

Pedestrian-friendly streets

Sumo wrestling themed restaurant?

Tsutenkaku Tower

Eateries advertising their specialties in 3D

A Shooting range

Looking up and down the Dotonbori canal

The famous Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel, the first oval ferris wheel in the world, also the first to have a 4 seater cabin that rotates horizontally. The ride is 15 minutes but there are long lineups for it. You see here, the entrance to the Don Quixote Store, a famous discount store.

Everyone here has to take a picture with the Glico running man - Osaka culture

Entrance to a covered shopping street

The main intersection in Dotonbori

The shop front of the Douraku restaurant

I've lost count of the multitude of ways crab was served but here is a sampling.

We were told not to touch the mystery pot for 30 minutes - turns out it was rice

One of many street corners in Dotonbori - this one seems to be promoting a wrestler?

Japan in Autumn - Miyajima

2025-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

My visit to Miyajima last year was rushed as we were on a cruise and we had to make it back to the ship before it leaves port. This time around, we spent the night on the island, and was able to enjoy the place after the day tourists were gone. I had hoped to get sunset and sunrise shots of the floating Tori gate, unfortunately neither happened. We could do all the planning we could around timing, tide tables, sun times, best time of year, etc., but we have no control over nature - at least it didn't rain! Them's the breaks.

It didn't take us long to get to Miyajima from Kyoto, via the faithful Shinkansen and the local Hiroshima train, then a short ferry ride - we were able to get there before noon. We managed to hit Kakiya, the iconic oyster place, before the lunch time crowd. This full course oyster lunch, with oysters cooked six different ways, was and still is the highlight of my two visits to the island.

We walked through the Momijidani Park with fall colours at peak, had a coffee break in a beautiful tea house with a zen garden before we climbed the many steps to the Daisho-in Temple, attracted by its unique caves at the top. The temple buildings surrounded by fall colours gave me good reasons to stop and take photos while catching my breath.

We were lucky to have made reservations at the Watanabe Inn, a traditional Japanese Inn, family-owned for the last 100 years, the current owner being the 4th generation. We had a spacious room on the upper floor looking down on the garden. This room got turned into a bedroom while we were eating dinner. We enjoyed a delicious kaseki-ryori home-cooked meal, dressed up in the provided Japanese costumes. The warm Japanese hospitality in the lovely inn was a unique experience for us on this trip.

The iconic Itsukushima Shrine is a changed place after 4pm. The stunning red walkways again visible without the crowds and the Tori gate thankfully floating and isolated by the high tide. While there was no sun set visible, it was still an awesome sight to see it at night. Knowing that there likely won't be a sun rise either, I got up early nevertheless to indulge in one last experience of the shrine in the morning. The tide was receding and there were avid visitors determined to be the first to get out there once the gate is clear. I did not stay to watch that happen, with last year's memory of the crowds at the gate still vivid in my memory. The peaceful evening and early morning on the island was a real treat.

Floating Tori at high tide from land

and from the ferry (below)

An unusual green metal Tori gate, probably copper

Oysters cooked six different ways

At Momijidani Park

Entrance to tea house cafe and its zen garden

Daisho-in Temple

Dragon carving under roof of pagoda

At the top of all the steps is the Henjokutsu Cave with 88 Buddhist statues representing the temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, with sand from each site buried beneath them, allowing visitors to gain the same blessings as completing the pilgrimage by walking through this cave. (from Google AI)

Our room at the Inn

Transformation at night

One of the dining areas at the Inn

The Itsukushima Shrine

Offering hall

View of the floating Tori from the shrine

Floating Tori at night

The deserted streets of Miyajima after sunset

and before dawn

Eager visitors ready to run in once the water recedes

The gate still floating at dawn but you can see from the reflection that the water is getting shallow

Japan in Autumn - Kyoto Pt. 2

2025-12-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Day 3 in Kyoto, we chartered a car and driver to take us out of town and was able to cover quite a few places in 9 hours - a very efficient way of making the most of our last day in Kyoto. Our main destination, an hour away, was the Miho Museum, an iconic piece by architect I.M. Pei. It was a rewarding visit with fall colours complementing the stunning architecture.

The Hachiman Bori moat, dating from the late 16th century, is a historic landmark in the old town of Omihachiman. Old Edo-period houses lined the moat in some places. We did not have time for a boat cruise along the 5 km long moat but it would have been interesting.

On the way to the our last stop at the Shirahige Shrine with its floating Tori gate, we dropped by the KyuChikurin-in Temple garden to see the much touted view from inside the visitor centre. Thanks to a local who gently pointed out to me how to get a nice reflection of the garden on the window by putting my camera (instead of myself) on a table laid out for that purpose. 😔

The Shirahige Shrine was a bit of a disappointment because there is a highway and a fence which blocked access to the Tori gate. Huge signs posted forbade the crossing of the highway and while I would have ignored them had I been travelling by myself, I didn't this time around. There is a viewing platform this side of the highway but it was not high enough. We subsequently discovered a parking lot quite a distance down the road that provided beach access but it meant a long walk back and it would have been too late to catch the sunset. You win some, you lose some...

The tunnel exit at the Miho

Entrance

Another "At the Museum" shot

At least show one exhibit here so it's not all about the architecture, but it is...

Entrance to the tunnel

The tunnel

An unusual bridge near the museum - Omi-Odori Bridge an award-winning one, the first to combine prestressed concrete with corrugated steel webs. It was the art deco look that first attracted me though.

Hachiman Bori (moat)

Charred wood on houses - Yakisugi, the centuries-old Japanese way of preserving wood

Old town street

Himure Hachiman-gu Shrine -Shinto shrine in Omihachiman - city was named after the shrine; local merchants adopted the shrine as their guardian deity

The Heiden (offering hall) at the shrine

The upper window at the KyuChikurin-in Temple garden - the camera mounted on a table in thhe room produced this image with a reflection of the view.

Window on lower flower

The garden

Shirahige Shrine - founded 1900 years ago, the oldest shrine in the area.

Double Torii gates

Sunset at the Shirahige Shrine

Japan in Autumn - Kyoto Pt 1

2025-12-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

We travelled from Takayama to Kyoto taking the southbound journey to Nagoya on the scenic Hida train in the rain. It was still pretty with the mist. From Nagoya, it was a swift 30 minute journey on the shinkansen to Kyoto. After we left our luggage at the hotel, a 5 minute walk from the Shinkansen, we thought we would venture out to have lunch inside the station. It turns out Kyoto Station is not only monstrous in size and crowds but also in confusing accessibility. It seems that you can only get from the west entrance to the east entrance on a certain level and if you missed the elusive signs and logic, it meant a long walk outside the station which spans several blocks. Only on our last day did we figure out the route!

My last visit to Kyoto was chaotic, marred by traffic jams and huge crowds during the cherry blossom season. This time around I tried to dodge the crowds by doing things differently. We visited the Fushimi Inari shrine at night - it was a short ride on the local train after the rush hour. The shrine was beautiful at night and actually felt like a shrine. What a contrast to my last day time visit.

The Arashiyama bamboo forest was a terrible crowd experience on my last visit because we were stuck two hours in traffic and arrived midday. This time, we tried to get to the bamboo forest early via public transit, although not early enough, but it was still better than the last visit. The very enjoyable vegetarian lunch at Shigetsu together with the fall colours inside the Tenryuji garden gave us a nice reprieve.

We moved on to the Otagi Nebutsuji Temple which is unusual with its unique collection of statues, with different expressions on their faces, some of them whimsical and quirky. It was a thoughtful ending to the day.

From the train ride to Nagoya

The descent into the depths of Kyoto station

This mural is so evocative of the station

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Some of the ten thousand torii gates at the shrine

Fox guardians at the shrine

When we left the shrine, the neighbourhood has almost shut down except for this food court that was still open. It was a nice surprise to find a stall serving grilled unagi, one of my favourites.

The Arashiyama bamboo forest

The Hozugawa river flows beside the bamboo forest

Fall colours peaking in the Tenryu-ji Garden

Inside the Tenryuji - this is an image of Bodhidharma,, founder of Zen Buddhism, emphasizing meditation and direct experience versus ritual.

Vast meditation room inside the temple

Followers sit inside the meditation room looking out onto the zen garden (far from tranquil in this image)

What a pleasure to walk through this beautiful walkway connecting the buildings, with the garden on both sides

Zen Garden inside temple

Main pond inside the garden

Shigetsu the vegetarian restaurant inside the garden. Glad I made the reservation for the vegetarian lunch months ago - place is fully booked and I could see many disappointed people turned back at the door.

Tenryuji has its own bamboo forest without the crowds

The Otagi Nebutsuji Temple with its thousand sculptures

The Otagi Temple grounds are not pretty like the Zen Garden but it took us to a different human level with its depiction of the different emotions on these faces, almost a reality check - a great way to balance out the day.

Japan in Autumn - Takayama

2025-12-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

Takayama is a historic city, a gateway to the Japanese Alps. It took two trains to get to Takayama from Nagano. The second train, the Hida, runs along its namesake, the Hida River providing a scenic ride to Takayama. Its tributary, the Miyagawa River, flows through Takayama creating scenic interest in the town itself with several bridges.

Once we got to Takayama, our first stop is the Hida Folk Village, an open air museum with more than 30 traditional centuries old houses with thatched and shingled roofs. It is situated in a beautiful setting with the autumn colours at peak. We spent a couple of hours walking through it and exploring the insides of these houses.

The old town has some beautiful, well-preserved Edo-period merchant houses but it was so crowded in the afternoon we could not see the buildings properly so we made a return visit at night to get the true feel of the old town. So glad we did.

We could not in good conscience visit the gateway to the Alps without getting a bit closer to the mountains even though it was not on our original itinerary. Thanks to a conversation with a fellow traveller while waiting for a bus earlier in Nagano, we found out a day trip is possible. It took two hours and two buses to get to Kamikochi, the gateway to Chubu Sangaku National Park. While no private cars are allowed in the park, there is a huge parking lot filled with buses which presumably shuttle passengers to and from the various stations so it didn't take long for the next shuttle to come along. Everything ran smoothly with Japanese efficiency (as we have come to expect) with station masters at popular stops to answer questions and direct boarding.

From Kamikochi, we could see the Hida Mountain Range in the Northern Japan Alps, the highest mountain range in Japan. We were able to see Mt. Oku-Hotakadake (3,190m) and the still active volcano Mt. Yakedake (2,455m) at Taisho Pond, reachable after a reasonable hike from the shuttle station. We were lucky to see the larches in their peak autumn colours - what a treat! I can see that gleam in the eyes of my much younger travel companions answering the call of the mountains to return to climb or ski at some later date...

Hida Folk Village

Scenic railway trip up the Hida river

Terraced fields

View of the Japanese Alps from Hida Folk Village

Thatched roofs on houses

Inside the houses

Inside altar

Outside shrine

Farmer's equipment

Wedding gowns

Wakayama's House from the mid-1900's - example of "old Japanese-style house with a steep rafter roof. The ground floor was built by carpenters and the upper floors were constructed by the village people. It took all the village people four days to make the thatched roof which is said to last for 40-60 years. The fire in the hearth is always lighted, not only because it reproduces the atmosphere of the old days, but also because the smoke is very important for preserving the house in a good condition. The smoke protects it from harmful insects, keeps the ropes tight and gives the house moderate moisture." from sign posted outside

The roof as seen from the attic

Impressive wood floor planks

The Tori gate leading to the shrine - again reachable via a millioin steps

Streets of Takayama

Two interesting characters guarding the bridge in town - one has the longest arms, the other the longest legs! Ashinaga (long legs) and Tenaga (long arms)- a pair of yōkai (supernatural beings or monsters) from Japanese folklore. In the folklore, they are said to be from two different "countries" and work together as a team to fish. Tenaga climbs on Ashinaga's back, and Ashinaga wades into deep water, allowing Tenaga to use his long arms to reach and catch fish. The story is often seen as a metaphor for teamwork and utilizing different individual strengths to achieve a common goal. (AI summary)

Pagoda at Buddhist temple in town

Old town street and shops in Edo-period (1601-1868) buildings.

This willow is marked as preserved property

The Miyagawa River flowing through town

Old town at night

An interesting encounter with a motorcyclist who parked his precious bike on the street so he can photograph it with the old houses.

Gyojin Bridge

Takayama station at night

The Abo Tunnel - an impressive 4.5 km long unnel providing access to Kamikochi. I was very impressed by how it curves around like a regular road unlike most tunnels that are usually straight.

Kamikochi with the Kappa-bashi bridge below the Alps

Mt. Yakedake, active volcano

Mt. Hotakadake

Larches at peak

An interesting arrangement on the trail - left and right tracks. The Japanese are rule bound - you walk on the left and stick to it. Given there is no plank in the centre, if you pass on the right you would be in the way of someone coming in the opposite direction.

A beautiful boardwalk over the marsh

Reflections of the mountains at Taisho Pond - if we had gotten off the bus in the morning and hiked to Kappa-bashi bridge from the pond, the reflection would have been much smoother as it is much calmer in the morning.

Japan in Autumn - Nagano

2025-12-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Nagano is just a couple of hours north of Tokyo and we got there late morning on the Shinkansen after transferring from a local commuter train out of Tokyo. Having seen an Instagram post on the cedar promenade at Togakushi Shrine, I made that a priority on my itinerary. We dropped off our luggage at the hotel before catching the express bus to the shrine. We took the bus right up to Okusha, the upper shrine, as it is a long hike up from the lower shrine, and we wouldn't be able to make it back to the bus before sunset in these short Novemebr days.

The cedar promenade is as stunning as I'd seen in photos. The first part of the trail is an easy hike through the cedars but the actual climb to the shrine is quite steep and slippery. The hike back provided yet another pleasurable perspective with fall colours emerging. Aside from seeing the spectacular cedars, the visit was a refreshing change after the city.

The second morning we headed for the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, the top item on our Nagano list. It was another hour long hike up to the park from the bus stop but made much more palatable with the gorgeous fall colours. The monkeys were hilarious and it was a fun visit.

We made it back to Nagano with a couple of hours left before sunset and after a coffee break, we decided to check out the Obasute rice fields since it was just a half hour train ride from Nagano.

The impressive Shinkansen trains that took us around Japan during the 15 day trip without a hitch. Every train we booked was on time to the minute. Boarding and deboarding was swift with passengers (inluding ourselves) who all seemed well-trained to keep the relentless pace of these trains.

The road to the Togakushi Shrine was at peak for fall colours

Tori gate at the entrance to the Upper Shrine

Cedar-lined trail to the shrine

These are komainu, mythical lion dogs, often used to guard shinto shrines, believed to ward off evil spirits and protect sacred grounds.

The cedar promenade continues on the other side of the red gatehouse

The trail up to the shrine with a stream running beside

The shrine itself is an anti-climax after the specatcular hike

The hike back

The road to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park was also peaking with brilliant reds

More cedars on the way to the Snow Monkey Park

The hot spring where the monkeys hang out

Parenting can be tedious

"I've had it!

Nothing like a dip in the onsen to soother the nerves

A different perspective on the hike back

We had a coffee break before we headed out to Obasute for the rice fields. Autumn is chestnut season and this dessert is covered with chestnut paste, inside and out!

The Obasute rice fields with the town in the distance. This is not quite the season for rice fields viewing as there is no water but seeing the terraced rice fields was still interesting.

And this train station seems out of a movie set

Japan in Autumn - Tokyo Pt 2

2025-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

We stayed in Shinjuku, one of the busiest hubs in Tokyo with countless sites within walking distance. The area around Shinjuku station with its busy crossings is reminiscent of Shibuya but not quite on the same scale. I revisited the area Omoide Yokocho with countless little restaurants in the narrow alleys on our way to and from the metro. Shinjuku National Garden is also a 15 minute walk from our hotel and we spent a morning there before going into central Tokyo for our long anticipated sukiyaki lunch. This was followed by an amazing experience at Teamlabs Borderless which truly wowed the senses.

The sumo wrestling show we attended was not quite the real thing as we did not hit the sumo wrestling circuit at the right time or city, but it did give us an idea of what it's like. I mentioned earlier that the two museums on our itinerary were both closed so we did more exploring of their neighbourhoods with suitable breaks in cool coffee shops. Tokyo, with so much neon, is a great place for night shots and I managed to capture a few.

Shinjuku National Garden

The iconic Docomo Yoyogi building once again in view

A delicate capsule reminiscent of a bonsai garden

Emerging fall colours in the garden

There was a chrysanthemum exhibit celebrating autumn in the garden, showcasing different varieties.

One of the highlights of the day was a sukiyaki lunch at Ningyocho Imahan Honten. The food and presentation was superb and memorable. The restaurant is attached to its own butcher and produce specialty stores in two buildings.

Appetizers

Main meal with melt in your mouth wagyu

The impressive Azabudai Hills Mori Tower which houses Teamlabs Borderless in the basement

The entrance corridor leading to a collection of rooms with different sensory experiences

Entry room where everyone just gawked

Sitting on the floor you would be totally engulfed in a shimmering magical world

The last room where you can colour your own aquatic creature. They will scan it and it will show up on the wall with other creations. I could flip my seahorse by just touching it or even move it to different position. Of course you could also order all kinds of merchandise with your creation on it!

View from the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, a short distance away

Sumo Warm up exercises

Sumo wrestling demo

Museum of Contemporary Art - closed, can't even get on the grounds

Plant-filled coffee shop in the middle of nowhere

Omoide Yokocho area in Shinjuku with alley ways full of street food stalls in the morning and at night

Ginza

Cats seem to be great attention getters - this one sits atop the Nissan Aura in the glitzy Nissan building at the Nissan Crossing in Ginza

This 3D animated one moves atop a building on a billboard right at Shinjuku crossing, drawing huge crowds below, cameras ready waiting for it to emerge every few minutes in between the ads

Shinjuku Crossing

This wraps up our Tokyo visit, barely touching the surface of that amazing city, definitely one calling for multiple visits.

Japan in Autumn - Tokyo

2025-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

I visited Japan last spring during cherry blossom season. I was probably a week too early so while I did see some cherry blossoms and huge crowds, it was not quite the spectacle on travel websites. But it did give me a first hand experience with the Japanese transportation system. I was so impressed I decided to go back this fall to do a self-guided trip with my daughter and son-in-law around the country using the shinkansen (high speed train). We visited 7 cities in 15 days. I booked all the trains and a few buses a month before and to my relief, everything went without a hitch. All the bookings went smoothly, the trains were spot on to the minute with no delays and we were able to make transfers at big and small stations on time. A lot of credit is due to my daughter who quickly learned to navigate the system at the stations, not to mention her expertise at following google maps on the streets (which I have to confess I am hopeless with even though I can follow driving directions without a problem). Grateful also to my son-in-law for keeping a protective eye on me to make sure I don't get lost hunting for a shot!

We spent three whole days in Tokyo, mostly soaking in the streetscape of the different neighbourhoods. You won't see a lot of iconic Tokyo tourist sites here as we didn't visit any other than the Meijijingu - a revisit for me so I had focused on the people. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing was a highlight and truly the "wow" experience for me. The big disappointment was the unexpected closure of the two museums on my itinerary - the Nezu Museum and the Sumida Hokusai Museum. November 1st was a long weekend dedicated to Culture Day in Japan. I think the museums opened on Monday (when they were normally closed) to celebrate Culture Day and closed on Tuesday instead. I had noted the normal Monday closure when building the itinerary but missed the Culture Day aspect. All the more reason for another trip...

Our Shinjuku hotel was a pleasant 15 minute walk to the Meiji Shrine. It being a Sunday of a long weekend, there were lots of people, including locals who were there to celebrate the Autumn Festival at the shrine. Chrysanthemums were the theme and many adults and children were dressed in kimonos with the motif. We visited some interesting side streets just outside the shrine area before heading to the Shimokitazawa neighbourhood, a trendy, bohemian area known for unique coffee shops and vintage clothing stores. We went back to Shibuya at night for the awesome sight of the crowds at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It was a packed first day.

One of the beautiful Tori gates at the Meiji Shrine bears a repeat

Gorgeous chysanthemums on show at the shrine

Chrysanthemum bonsais!

This elegant young lady was happy to show off her stunning chrysanthemum kimono

Young couple with newborn baby happy to pose

Prescious!

Performers headed to the ceremonial dance

A long shot of the ceremonial dance - a reward for braving the crowds on a long weekend

The beautiful architecture of the Meijijingu above the crowds

The eaves at the shrine are fine examples of Japanese wood joinery technique

We ventured out onto the streets after our visit to the shrine - walked by some of the couture houses on Omotesando Street before cutting through some side streets to Takeshita Street, famous for its youth culture, fashion and sweets.

Not dessert but soaps!

Harujuku Street fashion - this seems to be all the rage

A surprise art deco building in Harajuku area

Sign says "Free diagnosis today" at a palm reading store - funny how people outside immediately looked at their own palms to compare with what's up on the chart!

The tallest chip stack

The biggest cotton candy!

Shopping streets in the Shimokitazawa neighbourhood. This is the tourist section.

Parents and kids were lining up for group Halloween celebration event

A more subdued gentrified section of the Shimokitazawa district

A reprieve from the crowds in this coffee shop, relaxing with Leonard Cohen in the midst of bustling Tokyo.

Families walking home after the Halloween celebration

Restaurant specializing in fermented foods beside a closed aesthetic salon.

Bonus golden hour shot of the Docomo Yoyogi building, a landmark in the Shinjuku Yoyogi area, reminiscent of the Empire State building.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing is truly a sight to behold! Unbelievable crowds. This was taken from the walkway to Shibuya Station above the bus turnaround area.

What it feels like to be right in the crossing, with the crowd. Tourists would pose for a shot in the middle of the road.

Just a little distance from the crowd

Birds' eye view of the crossing in full swing!

Kenya - Nakuru National Park

2025-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Nakuru, our last game stop on this trip, is a long two-hour drive from Naivasha. With traffic jams on the highway, the driver took a short cut which turned out to be another bumpy ride on gravel roads. We were happy we finally got to the National Park and greeted right at the entrance by a mountain gray woodpecker, with an insect in its beak nonetheless. It was also interesting to see several school buses with children in school uniforms, some of them even waving cell phones at us. It seems that these children are out on end of school year field trips - it was nice to see that happening.

Since we were still missing one of the Big Fives - the rhinoceros, we were counting on Nakuru to cough up that last sighting. And we were not disappointed. After the driver pointed out a white and a black rhinoceros at an impossible distance, we drove around and finally found one sleeping under a tree. We came back to the same spot after lunch, and to our excitement, it got up on its feet for us to photograph! Five minutes later, it's back in its sleeping position again. This whole episode highlighted how a lot of what we saw on safaris depend on luck, perseverance and of course driver/guide knowledge of the area. We have been lucky to have good guides who worked hard at their jobs.

There were lots of bird life around the lake, but as expected, the huge flocks of flamingos are no longer around. We saw just a few flamingos and a small group in the distance. So I was glad we got some nice shots in Amboseli. But it was the first time I saw a Waterbuck and with a young calf to boot. I also chanced upon a surprise lifer - a Pink-backed Pelican that I had initially thought was a juvenile white pelican at a distance.

We had a picnic lunch at the waterfall at the same time as the students. It was heartening to see the teacher taking individual photos of the students in their uniforms at the waterfall - I am guessing it would be for their year book if their school traditions are like ours.

The drive back to Naivasha was uneventful. By the time we got to Naivasha it was late on Friday afternoon and there were lots of Kenyans on the street on their way home from school/work, some obviously heading out to a Friday evening on the town.

We enjoyed a last sunset then sunrise on the lake and after a morning tour of the property, left for Nairobi after lunch. We headed straight for the airport for our flights home. This wrapped up an amazing 3 weeks on the continent.

Lake Nakuru is huge - this is just a small part of the lake in the distance

Cattle crossing on the way to the park

Watering hole in the park

Giraffe conference - note these giraffes are different from the ones in the Mara. They have smooth outlines on their patches.

White Pelicans on the lake.

Pink-backed pelican - a surprise lifer. I had thought they were juvenile whites from a distance.

A Little Egret -very similar to the Snowy egrets I saw in California, in fact slightly bigger in spite of its name.

Cormorant with big fish!

Waterbuck and calf

Mountain Gray Woodpecker

Gray-headed kingfisher

White-fronted bee-eater

Long-crested eagle

Northern ant-eater chat

One last shot of the beautiful Lilac-breasted roller, here with all its colours clearly seen on a cloudy day

First time we saw higher ground on this trip

Bus load of school children on field trip

Students at the waterfall, some in school uniforms for their school photo

Cape Buffalo - one of the Big Five

Black rhinoceros on the left and white rhinoceros on the right - both very far away

White rhinoceros at rest - got up briefly (five minutes!) for our cameras

Baboon and young

Such maternal concentration was testing the patience of the young one

Pair of Tawny Eagles

African fish eagle out on a hunt

On the road back to Naivasha:

Students in unitorms walking home after school

Friday afternoon on the town - curious to know where everyone is headed!

One last sunset

One last sunrise

This wraps up the Africa series. Thanks for coming along!