When we were posted to Hong Kong, one of things people said to us was that it would be very easy for us now to undertake travels in the Asian region. Thus far, we had already visited Hong Kong before, some parts of China, Thailand although restricted to Bangkok, Bali in Indonesia and Singapore numerous times, which certainly did leave a lot of ground yet to be covered.
One of the things that struck me immediately however was how relatively unexciting the propect of travel in Asia seemed to me. This in no way reflects upon the touristic merits of the places within this vast continent. It probably has to do with the fact that being Asian, and living in Hong Kong, there is a certain sense of deja vu to travel in Asia for us, especially from a cultural, architectural,and cuisine point of view. The other side of popular Asian travel, the spa holiday in a swanky resort, has never really appealed to me for a duration greater than a couple of days - I want to see and experience different things on my travels and can get a pampering massage at home on my return, thank you very much.
So the thought of travel in Asia does not do much for me. There is no familiar tingling in my limbs as I think about the sights, no wonder and awe at the great things I am going to see. Probably the only exception I can think of is Cambodia's Angkor Wat, which I know would stimulate me in the way I would like to be.
And Japan. Somehow, thinking about Japan did raise the hackles on my forearms. My uncle was posted in Tokyo many years ago and one of the fondest memories of my childhood was playing this game with my brother, where my uncle would name a tongue twisting locality on the Tokyo map and we would have to look for it, with the winner getting a bar of chocolate. Or perhaps, just like numerous other people, I was intoxicated with the sensuous and exotic spirit I imagined to encounter after watching movies like the Last Samurai or reading, and watching Memoirs of a Geisha. Or maybe I was curious after all the urban legends I had heard about how modern everything was, and how expensive even the most basic things could be. Suffice to say, I was hooked, and the fact that our trip would coincide with the annual blooming of the cherry blossom, or sakura, sealed the deal.
So how did the myth live up to reality ? Lets see. A unique country with a unique culture that favours averageness. A country on the cutting edge of technology, steeped in tradition and history that manifests itself in day to day life. A people, kind and helpful, who hate to say no, and apologise even for your mistakes. A culture obsessed with cleanliness and politeness and orderliness and punctuality. A country safe enough to carry, forget or even lose things in, knowing fully well that nothing untoward will happen. A country that has perfected the ultimate in bliss, onsens and rotemburos, to melt all the stress and tiredness of daily living away. Oh, and I must add this as my husband's contribution, one of the great cuisines of the world.
So we went, we saw, we were conquered. The sakura were amazing, the onsens fantastic, the geisha hunting fun. Expensive, oh yes, but then for priceless memories, the price was just right.
