Kinmen - my favourite Island all time

One of my favourite destinations on this planet is not one that sees loads of travellers, that would maybe be one of the reasons that this is such a fantastic place to visit.
For many travellers Taiwan is not on the list of places to visit when traveling through Asia, but for those who do visit it tends to be one of the most memorable stays on their trip.
Out of those who visit Taiwan and also make it to the outlying island of Kinmen (金門, Jinmen) CONGRATULATIONS!

Beautifully decorated Entrance in Jinsha, Kinmen folk culture village - Kinmen, 金門, Jīnmén, Taiwan

This island has it all, contemporary and old history, great people, great food, beautiful scenery, and great guesthouses.

During my visit to Kinmen I stayed at Luo Fun Jyu guesthouse a beautifully restored house in the village of Zhushan.

The owner, a man and his old father treat guests like VIPs with splendid service, and this is probably Most amazing B&B stay in Taiwan
We were picked up from the airport by the father of the owner "Laoye", a very friendly and helpful man, he spent a day taking me and my friend around for sightseeing free of charge.
During the stay we were treated to tea and drinks in the evening. Laoye was also taking orders for what breakfast we wanted the following day (then order it from the breakfast shop). Rooms are excellent, and fantastic value for money.

Below would be some impressions of what there is to see on this Island.

First of all, the guesthouse is a sight in itself:

 

Breakfast prepared and ready to eat when waking up at the Luo Fun Jyu Guesthouse on Kinmen - Taiwan

 

The village and surrounding area of the guesthouse on Kinmen - Taiwan

Around the main town of Jincheng one of the landmarks of the island is Juguang tower (莒光樓) a pretty romantic location, from here one can also enjoy a very pretty sunset from the balcony looking out over the island and the ocean.

 

Juguang tower (莒光樓) - Jinchen, Kinmen - Taiwan

Juguang tower (莒光樓) - Jinchen, Kinmen - Taiwan

A short ride away from the town is Ci lake, (慈湖)with a dedicted sunset viewing spot.

 Ci lake, (慈湖) - Kinmen, Taiwan

One of the most famous and successful singers from the mandarin speaking world is Theresa Teng, (鄧麗君)loved by generations. During the height of the war her songs were played at the Beishan broadcasting station in Kinmen (48 loudspeakers) just 2 kms away from Xiamen city aiming towards the Chinese mainland with songs like Tian Mi Mi. At one point the star herself visited the Island and went to speak through the broadcasting station to the troops stationed on Kinmen.

Today Kinmen hosts a museum dedicated to her and her time on the Island.

Teresa Teng remembered and commemorated for her time spent on the island of Kinmen - Taiwan

Traveling around the Island (there are actually two islands making up Kinmen county) there are loads of sights both reminding of contemporary tensions (formally battle ended in the 1980s) but also much older sights, the island has been inhabited since the Tang dynasty.

Mashan (馬山) observing station, Huan Wo He Shan (還我河山 - Return My Country) - Kinmen, Taiwan

Traditional village setting on Kinmen - Taiwan

Nightlife at the town square in Jincheng - Kinmen, Taiwan

Vintage cafe in Jincheng, greeted by a typical Wind Lion at the entrance - Kinmen, Taiwan

Kinmen serves a potent version of the famous Taiwanese milk tea with a splash of Kaoliang liquor named "Mao Zedong milk tea" showing how distant the past on the island today - Kinmen, Taiwan

 

Kamakura, a walk around temples and gardens

Kamakura is famous for its many temples, gardens, the beach as well as Great Buddha of Kotokuin. Being located only 60km away from Tokyo it is a common day trip from the capital, there are however a number of hotels and good restaurants making it a good destination to easily escape the hustle and bustle of one of the largest cities on the planet.



The Hasedera Temple in early spring - Kamakura, Japan

Spending a day in early spring walking around (mostly walking but also making use of the light railway that serves Kamakura and Enoshima, see details below), near to Kamakura is also the Odawara castle well worth a visit.

Below would be an outline of a good itinerary for a sunny day in Kamakura.

Hasedera (長谷寺) – a temple with a fantastic garden, home to the largest Kannon wooden statue in the Country, but also offering a great view over the city and the sea from its observation desk.



Entrance to Hasedera - Kamakura, Japan

The Hasedera Temple in early spring - Kamakura, Japan

Figurines and blossom at the Hasedera temple - Kamakura, Japan

On the grounds of Hasedera - Kamakura, Japan

Kotokuin (長谷寺) Great Buddha – at just above 13m in height this is one of the top three large buddha statues in Japan, it is also possible to walk inside the statue to experience first-hand the work put in to building the statue.

The Great Buddha is visible even outside the entrance - Kamakura, Japan

Kotokuin Great Buddha - Kamakura, Japan

Hokokuji (報国寺)- In the eastern parts of the town is this temple with another beautiful garden, in particular famous for its bamboo forest.

Bamboo forest on the grounds of Hokokuji - Kamakura, Japan

Blossoming tree - Kamakura, Japan

 Enoshima (江ノ島)– a small island and seaside town just a few minutes outside of Kamakura

Enoshima, Japan

The beach at Enoshima attracts many surfers - Enoshima, Japan

Odawara (小田原) – On my visit to Kamakura I arrived from Hakone meaning that I had to change train in Odawara which is provided an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of the Odawara Castle. 

Odawara Castle - Japan

Public Transport in Kamakura

Kamakura is a very walking friendly city, the historical sites are no longer than 30min walk between them and traffic is organised and slow. There is however the Enoden line serving Kamakura with a number of stations en-route to Enoshima.

Walking around Kamakura - Japan

Waiting for the Enoden line train - Kamakura, Japan



Train between Kamakura and Enoshima, Enoden line - Japan

 

Hakone and Fukuzumiro – A Japanese fairy-tale getaway

On a 10-day trip to Tokyo during last spring during the weeks just before Sakura was starting I visited Hakone and the Fukuzumiro guesthouse.
Hakone is often considered one of the main travel destinations around the capital, given the views of Mount Fuji one can enjoy during a short daytrip out of the city. With that in mind visiting the area is advisable during weekdays outside of the main holiday season in order to avoid the largest crows.

The Hakone Shinto Shrine on lake Ashi - Japan, Hakone-machi



Hakone-machi, Japan

The Hakone Shinto Shrine on lake Ashi - Japan, Hakone-machi



The Hakone Shinto Shrine on lake Ashi - Japan, Hakone-machi

For the visitor who wants to spend a bit longer time in the area there are a number of recreational activities such as famous hot springs, hiking opportunities, museums and great natural scenery during all four seasons of the year.

View towards Mt. Fuji from the Hakone Ropeway on the way to Lake Ashi - Hakone-machi, Japan

During my trip here I stayed two nights, and the guest house of choice was Fukuzumiro, a rather expensive options but in hindsight money well spent as it provided me with some great memories and I had the possibility to experience a Japan that was pretty much aligned with my romantic dreams of small-town natural life in a time gone by. The hotel is a registered cultural property built in the late 19^th century, and they have proudly hosted a number of famous cultural influencers during their 100+ years of operations. (http://www.fukuzumi-ro.com/eng/about/about.html)

The guesthouse offers traditional Japanese hospitality in a historical setting, the offer is half board including breakfast and dinner (big meals with many various dishes) and they have their own hot spring baths, that can be shared with other guests but also one for private usage. (http://www.fukuzumi-ro.com/eng/bath/bath.html)

Below would be my impressions from Hakone during early spring of 2018, and the guesthouse in particular as it is a sight and experience in itself.

From Tokyo one may travel directly to Hakone from Shinjuku Station on the Odakyu line for just a little above 1000 yen per ticket. There is a more "fancy" train available on certain departures, "Romance Car", which will cost a little less than the double of the standard train however gives reserved seating and panoramic views through the windows, see below video of the Romance Car pulling out from Tokyo towards Hakone.

 

 Upon arriving to the Hakone Yumoto Station the Fukuzumiro guesthouse is a short comfortable (depending on how heavy luggage one has) walk along the main road.

Arriving at Hakone Yumoto Station, Hakone-machi, Japan



Passing the river (Haya river) on the way towards the Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan



Entrance to the Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

Open space, Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

Open space, Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

Bed room in the Fukuzumiro guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

Guest room in the Fukuzumiro guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

Fukuzumiro guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan



Fukuzumiro guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

The biggest impression from this two night stay within a historical landmark in Hakone was not the comfortable and warm bedding, the soothing sounds of the river outside, the bird song in the morning of the impeccable service by the staff, nor the hot hot hot, hot springs, it was the WONDERFUL FOOD! With that in mind I am dedicating a fair bit of space below to some of the wonderful dishes that were prepared in house and served to the room, with regional and seasonal ingredients, perfectly laid out and just in the right amount of everything.

Dinner at Fukuzumiro Guesthouse, fresh crab, sukiyaki etc. - Hakone-machi, Japan

Dinner at Fukuzumiro Guesthouse, fresh sashimi - Hakone-machi, Japan



Dinner at Fukuzumiro Guesthouse, apetizers - Hakone-machi, Japan

Dinner at Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

And indeed, the Breakfast also lived up to the standard with grilled fish and warm soup at Fukuzumiro Guesthouse - Hakone-machi, Japan

 

Macau beyond the gambling

Thinking of Macau, most people think of Casinos, and that is obviously a very justified impression. This small area on the southern tip of China’s pearl river is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and it is also the place on this planet with most gambling revenue (seven times that of The Strip in Las Vegas!!! https://money.cnn.com/2014/01/06/news/macau-casino-gambling/).

Night view towards Wynn Casino and the casino of Grand Lisboa, Macau

Of course a trip to Macau is very likely to include a visit to one or more of the casinos, if not for gambling then for people watching, shopping, eating and sightseeing (replicas of Venice, Paris etc.).

I have had the pleasure to visit Macau more than a handful times, and what I really like is to look into the city and the Macau that was there before gambling because it’s major industry. Below I would outline some attractions for the visitor who wants to understand Macau before and beyond the casinos.

Macau was not only one of the first European settlement in the Far East, it was also the last one to be left when Portugal handed the city back to China in 1999 after more than 400 years of Portuguese rule. Some of the areas in the old city has a clear Portuguese influence in terms of architecture, one will also see that street and place names are written out in Portuguese as well as in Chinese. Portuguese still maintains its status as an official language next to the Cantonese.

The Macau peninsula area is where one finds the historic centre of Macau with about 25 UNESCO world heritage sites, the central spot in the old town is the Largo do Senado (Senado Square) where one is just a few steps away from one of the most famous landmarks of Old Macau, the ruins of St. Paul cathedral.

 

Largo do Senado at the centre of the historical part of the town, Macau

 

The ruins of St. Paul at night, Macau

 

Mercado Municipal de Sao Domingos (Municipal Market), Macau

Walking away from the area around the Senado Square there are two places I would warmly recommend for an understanding of the history of Chinese Macau, the rather famous A-Ma temple being one, and the second one being the other overlooked museum of Casa do Mandarim.

The A-Ma temple dates back to the 15^th century and is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu.
This temple is said to have given the name to the city (as the place was called A-ma gok (Pavilion of the mother), and the Portuguese transcribed this as Macau upon their arrival).

A-Ma Pavillion, Macau

Inside the A-Ma temple, Macau

A-Ma temple, Macau

Casa do Mandarim (Mandarin’s house) is a newer building from the 19^th century and is built in a mainly Cantonese style but has distinct European features as well. At points in time it was housing hundreds of residents, and it would give the visitor an insight into Chinese life in colonial Macau.

Casa do Mandarim interior, Macau

Entrance to Casa do Mandarim, Macau