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Esther

@eh_visual_memories

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A place to share the beautiful things I see in this world.
Some from home, some from afar.
Pole Dancer @es_hess

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Both the visual and audio need a place on my grid 😂

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#crazycat #catproblems #funnycat #whatareyoudoing #fuckit #catsofinstagram #catsofworld #catsofworld #fluffynotfat #maincoon #maincoonstagram #maincoonlovers #catlife by @eh_visual_memories

Day 12

Escaped the city for a nature reset - Akigawa Valley.
Train trip into the country, hired some bikes, definitely took the wrong path, fairly certain we didn’t end up where we were supposed to 😅
Found this incredible stream tucked away, very clear, very fresh … but had a surprise dead goat down stream to us (🙏) tucked under the rocks swim 😂
Bike riding in Japan is so much fun, highly recommend! by @eh_visual_memories

Day 11

Pole dance in another city, always a travel highlight for me
Exploring the streets of Tokyo; Asakusa - Shimokitazawa - Shibuya Crossing by @eh_visual_memories

Day 10
Transit day - Hiroshima to Tokyo
Onsen 🙏
Fast train 🚄
Discovering our accommodation does not have an elevator and we’re not on ground level 🫠 by @eh_visual_memories

Day 9

Day trip to Miyajimacho Island 🦌

Lots of Deer to be seen! Lots of walking to be had, all the way to the top of Mount Misen and then all the way back down 🫠

Hired some bikes, got a little lost, and lost my Bluetooth photo remote to the ocean RIP

10/10 this is the side quest to go on when in Hiroshima 👌 by @eh_visual_memories

Day 8

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was a somber experience, seeing the people behind the tragedy.

‘Let all the souls here rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil.’

Ending the day with a cat cafe 🐱
You know that feeling when you’re feeding ducks and you want all the ducks to get a treat?
Well this is how it felt 😆 by @eh_visual_memories

I might be a little behind with my posts 😆

Day 7
First time on the Shinkansen; Kyoto - Hiroshima.
The snacks were elite 🤤

We booked a walking tour of the main sites in Hiroshima to learn about what happened here.
The biggest takeaway in wake of the sadness and destruction, is a sense of hope.
The people of Hiroshima started from the very beginning with hope and you can definitely still feel it here 💛 by @eh_visual_memories

Day 6

Started with a run 🙃 it was not my idea but I participated. I haven’t run in a long time, it wasn’t too bad, but I don’t think it’ll become a regular thing 😂… also my body says no lol.
I found a teeny tiny turtle on the footpath that was going to get squished, relocated him, good deed done for the day 👏

Another venture out of the city, a day trip that proved easier if we booked a tour.
I booked through Klook, super easy and affordable. Less travel time, and someone else directing the itinerary. It was actually lovely to sit back and let someone else take the wheel.

We headed to Amanohashidate, a beautiful coastal town known for its beaches and thousands of pine trees. The weather was perfect 👌

We started by catching an open chair lift to the top of the southern side to view the landscape. It was a lot of fun and the views were amazing. Up top there is food available, a few small rides and some activities. We had lunch, played a traditional pottery throwing game and I viewed Amanohashidate from an upside down position. At the time I had no idea why, everyone else was doing it 🤷‍♀️.

I’ve since found out when you bend over and look at the sandbar through your legs, it creates the optical illusion of a giant green dragon soaring up into the heavens.
Missed that 😆

The only problem with a tour is there is a time sensitive schedule to adhere to. We have learnt we are not great at this, side quest Queens! We wanted to do it all including having an ocean dip.
We were able to hire push bikes and cycle along the pine lined sandbank, so much fun, to a beach area away from the tourist.

Just as we were about to get in, Ash noticed jellyfish in the water. Then some nice tourists also alerted us to them. We did manage to find a spot that was somewhat protected by rocks and just went for it! The water was lovely 🥰. Unfortunately we couldn’t go too deep and were on constant look out!

Our guide was shocked we had, had a swim and had no shower 😂 he was also amazed by the jellyfish. We later researched and found out our jellyfish were actually quite poisonous… oops 😬

Cont. in comments … by @eh_visual_memories

Day 5

We decided to explore the more traditional side of Kyoto; Gion and Higashiyama Ward.

We started with a visit to Kennin-ji temple, founded in 1202 it is considered the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.
It is ranked 3rd amongst 5 of the great Zen Temples here. It also happened to be the least busy option of all the temples in the area! Yay for less tourists haha.
It was as described, very zen 😌

No videos, only a few photos allowed, no tripods, low voices. It felt lovely walking around on the old wooden floors in socks, free foot massage! It was also a nice place to escape the sun and heat for a little bit.

We were allowed to go into the vast main temple. The temperature difference was palpable, it felt like walking into a fridge after the intense heat.

From here we just wondered the back alleys, sometimes being more or less the only people and then suddenly walking into a flock of people. It was easy to avoid crowds and just as easy to be enveloped by them.

The old streets with the small traditional homes are really very beautiful. So much history! More history than what Australia has.

In the afternoon we booked a traditional tea ceremony experience with a Maiko, an apprentice Geisha. They’re typically between 15-20 years old.
Our Maiko was Katsuhana, she was softly spoken and very petite. I was literally a giant standing next to her 😆

She taught us how to make Matcha and drink it correctly, we had a Q&A with her, she showed us 2 dances, and taught us a drinking game.
Ash was one of the participants in the game and lost (won really 😆) so had to shot some saka.

We ended the day by wondering the Gion area by night, less people with cute little lamp lit streets.

17,169 steps by @eh_visual_memories

Day 4

17th of May and today was kinda special, it was my 40th Birthday. The whole reason why I went on this trip ☺️

Today we did the Hozugawa River Boat Ride, but first we had to find our souvenir stamp at the train station 👏

The boat ride was a lovely experience, a traditional Japanese boat that rides the rapids. Our boat handlers were hilarious and worked hard. The water level was pretty low - as in our boat bottom hit the ground in places 😳.
We did get some good rapid action in places, but more would have been nice lol.
We ended at Arashiyama, the famous bamboo forest….
spoiler - we did not go here!

There were A LOT of people here, it was actually quite overwhelming.
We managed to find some quiet spots to escape them, including lunch in a NOT tourist hot spot.
It was also hot af 🥵

Took an impromptu chopstick making class, which turned out to be so much fun!

The afternoon was spent at Team Labs in Kyoto, a digital art museum that features over 50 artwork installations. They’re designed to immerse visitors in a world that transcends physical boundaries, and transcend it did 👏
Giant flying ball room well worth the visit 😆

Back story to the next story ;
On our first night when we arrived in Kyoto, a lovely elderly Japanese lady had invited us over for coffee.
It was late when we arrived so we managed to communicate (thank you goggle translate 🙏) that we would come over in the next few days.

Cont. in comments … by @eh_visual_memories

Day 3

Today was more of a city walking day. We had a tourist buy to tick off our list - getting a ring made from an old traditional Japanese coin. There are many places to do this, we went to a lovely neighbourhood called Shinseka. Our store of choice was Tap Tap, located in a cute local shopping lane.

My coin ring dates back to 1923

While we waited we stumbled across the most unique coffee shop. Dragon Glass Coffee honestly worth a visit, 10/10 experience! The coffee is elite and the presentation of each selection carries its own individual experience. The owner is lovely and welcoming. He explains the origins of the coffee, and you can see the passion he has for the craft.
There is a ginger street cat he has befriended over the years, that sadly I did not get to meet 😪.

Honestly it’s hard to say specifically where we ended up. There was much time spent exploring, getting lost then getting distracted by something 😂

We wondered into a lovely shrine where you could leave a prayer for your pet - Mitsumiya (commonly known as Mitsu Hachiman Shrine) which is over 1000 years old.

Our last stop was Nishishinsaibashi renowned as the home of “America-mura”. It’s a major hub for youth culture, street art, trendy boutiques, and eclectic dining experiences. It blends traditional Japanese culture with modern urban energy.

Then onto Kyoto!

12,297 steps by @eh_visual_memories

Day 2

Our first day trip, destination Minoh Falls!
This was a big day navigating transport … although everyday appears to be so far 😆!

Discovered Google maps along with not getting you out of the station efficiently, also does not tell you when you’re on the wrong bus 🙄

We made many errors with the bus, even with a lovely elderly Japanese lady helping us.
That poor woman must think we’re Aussie idiots lol

So we got on the wrong bus - see last sentence, first paragraph 😂 BUT we found the most incredible op shop, with this unexpected side quest!
Much money and time was lost here…

We cheated and caught a taxi (with lace doilies 🥹) and accidentally skipped the 1 hour walk to the waterfall!

The waterfall was small but beautiful, and not overly crowded. The 1 hour walk back to the station was very beautiful.
Walking along the river, in the trees was peaceful and what the nervous system needed.
We made a pit stop to soak our feet, the toe beans really appreciated this 😂

When I say there are vending machines everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE! And toilets 😆

We tried the traditional snack of Minoh - Maple leaf tempura (momiji tempura) a local delicacy.
It’s made by preserving fresh, edible maple leaves in salt for a year, then coating them in a sweet tempura batter mixed with sesame seeds and frying them until crispy. Delicious 😋!!

That night we hit up our first Onsen - Irifune Onsen Osaka, tattoo friendly.
We bathed full noodles with the locals, it was actually a lovely experience.
Tried an electric bath, I’m not sold on this 😆
The sauna was amazing, hot pools were HOT and the cold plunge felt incredible in between. It’s nothing like at home. Simple, rustic, historic and feels more ritualistic than pampering.

It cost $15 which included towel hire and our time there was unlimited.

10/10 recommend trying this in Japan!

15,314 steps by @eh_visual_memories