Visit to BKK Feb. 14-17,2016

I visited BKK, Thailand Feb 14-17 with my wife and daughter. This main purpose was to meet with Supaporn-san and to visit famous places there with her help.

I had a lot of interesting experiences in this visit. But unfortunately I lost my digital camera. So I only reports one event in those issues.

I have learned that there are some bakeries near Santa Cruz Church that sells "Portuguese dry cake" that is made in very old style from the VOA learning English program. Its name is "kanom farang kutiji jiin " in Thailand language. The cake is made from duck eggs, sugar, wheat flour and raisins, without baking powder or yeast. It has been made in the same way in 500 years ago.

I requested Supaporn-san to visit the Santa Cruz Church with us. She guided us to the church on the third day and we were able to eat the cake and to buy it as souvenir. All my colleague said it was very good. Thank you very much, Supaporn-san.

BKK, Feb 14-17

Taiwan coffee

Taiwan coffee package

a shop sells Taiwan coffee where I bought it on Dec 19

a map that shows where 16 indigenous people live

I bought Taiwan coffee that grew in Taiwan when my visit to the country. It cost ＮＴ＄750, about 2800 yen, it was expensive. It tasted good but very different from one that I usually drink in Japan.

I found a word "Paiwan" in the package of the coffee. Paiwan is one of 16 indigenous groups in Taiwan. Someday I would like to visit a village where one indigenous group live.

Visit to Kaohsiung and Tainan in Taiwan Dec.17-20, 2015

「飛虎将軍廟」 at 台南市安南区

「安平古堡」；Ford Zeelandia

「林百貨の屋上」

「佛光山」　with Mr.Lu

with Mrs.Lu at Ciatou Station of KMRT

  

 I visited Kaohsiung and Tainan in Taiwan on Dec.17-20 last year. My main purpose was to see Mr.Lu and to visit several places related to Japan, especially old buildings that were built under the rule of Japan. 

On Dec.18 Mr. and Mrs. Lu took me a lot of places including "Sugar Production Factory Museum","a fast food restaurant that serves milkfish(Tainan's representative food)","Hiko-Shougun-Shrine(that honors a Japanese soldier)","Tan-tsu-men restaurant","Fort Zeelandia(安平古堡)" "Hayashi-Hyakka（林百貨）(recently renovated building)","Fo Guang Shan Monastery（佛光山）","Kizan-Buttoku-den（旗山武徳殿）".

I really appreciate to their help. I have get good information about Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taiwan because of their guide. 謝謝 

I would like to visit Taiwan again in two or three years. I will plan to include other activity like mountain climbing in the next visit.

You can see more photos including ones taken on other days by click following link.

  

Kaohsiung and Tainan Dec.17-20,2015

Bike friend from Hong Kong

Last Monday, I guided a 31-year-old man from Hong Kong named Eric in Wakamatsu ward. 

He has a plan to travel Japan by his bike until Nov.1st. He said that his last destination is Kobe（神戸）  We met at "Kampo no Yado Kitakyushu"（かんぽの宿北九州） at about 2 pm. After our visit to wind powered generation systems in Hibikinada landfill area（響灘埋立地）, we went to Wakamatsu civic hall（若松市民会館） to apply for a campsite named "Shoubu-dani Campsite"（菖蒲谷キャンプ場） where he stayed at the day. After that, we had a dinner at a restaurant named "Yabu-Soba"（藪そば）. 

He said that he works for an IT company and he made a plan to visit Japan now because of having his first baby in this December. I was interested in his solar panel that he is bringing with his bike. He said that it is very useful because many campsites has no electricity. He needs electricity to use his smartphone. 

After the dinner he used a ”sento”（銭湯）to clean up his body and I took him to the campsite, 

We had enjoyable time under very good weather.

Tour de Saiki, 2015

I took part in a cycle event called "Tour de Saiki" on Sep. 20th. It was my second participation to the event after 2013. At that time, I fell down from my bike and injured on my left shoulder.

I entered 102 km course and finished it in about eight hours. The last part of the course included steep slopes to a lighthouse, so I walked with my bike for about one hour.

I stayed at an accommodation run by a fisherman at the night with my friend. Next day, we traced the course by my car.

The first photo is a scenery from the high place on the course. The second is a place where I felt down and injured on my shoulder.

"O-mikuji" robot by YASKAWA in JR station

"Kurosaki" area in Yahata-nishi ward in Kitakyushu is my home town. However, there have not been  a good news in this area  for a long time because the area's population has been decreasing and a lot businesses had closed. But, now I can present a good news about my home town.

"YASKAWA" is a manufacturing company that is famous for building industry robots and has its headquarter in "Kurosaki" area. Recently, "YASKAWA" has opened a robot museum near the JR "Kurosaki"station and has exhibited its "O-mikuji" robot at the station's entrance area. Today I saw its working and felt a little bit proud of being born in "Kurosaki".

After my mother's death

My mother passed away on June 6th. I had been in mourn mourning for her death and away from writing this blog in recent days, but now I I've returned.

Last Sunday, I went fishing at a fisherman's port to catch small fishes named "aji". I caught a good amount of "aji" and I cooked them for that day's dinner dish. It is named "Nanban-zuke".

Yoshitomi ７０kilo walk

Last Saturday to Sunday, I took part in a walking event named "Yoshitomi 70 kilo walk" held in Yoshitomi-machi in Fukuoka prefecture. Yoshitomi-machi locates next to Nakatxu city in Oita prefecture.

We started at 9pm on May 23. But, I could not complete the event, so I gave it up at 30km from the start point at 4am on May 24 because of pain on my legs. It was very hard for me to walk 70 kilo.

If I take part in this event againg next year, I would have enough training for the event.

a little bit busy "Golden Week"

This "Golden Week", especially from May 2 to 6, was a little bit easy for me.

On May 3rd, I took part in a cycle event named "Tour de Kunisaki"（ツールド国東） in Oita prefecture. I participated in the event in 2012, but I could not do in 2013 and 2014 because of some reasons.

The event was held in very bad condition, so heavy rain. It took about five and a half hours  (including about one hour rest) for me to finish 75km course. It was very hard but finally I could reach the goal. After the event, I stayed at an accommodation named "Kunugi-ya"（檪舎） where I have stayed several times in the past. It is a B & B style accommodation run by a retired couple.

On May 5th, I rode bike with a Thailand woman and my English teacher (from Fuji) around Mizmaki, Ashiya, Okagaki area. She visited Japan as a member of a tour from Thailand. The tour members came back home but she stayed in Japan alone since April 30.

The weather was very fine and I was glad to show them the good bike road along the Hibikinada（響灘）. And she was impressed by the beauty of the flower of "Nan-jya-Mon-jya no ki"（なんじゃもんじゃの樹） in Okanominato shrine（岡湊神社） in Ashiya town（芦屋町）. After that I invited her to my home's small dinner.

On our first plan, I would take her to the Kokura-jo castle（小倉城） in Kitakyushu area on May 6. But she had problem in her legs so she gave up the visit to Kokura, and I took her to her accommodation, "Khaosan Fukuoka Annex" in Fukuoka city by my car.

She gave me  a lot of souvenirs from Thailand including a Thai Silk's scarf to my wife, several cushion covers and many Thailand snacks. I am looking forward to seeing her again in Thailand.

feed a bird

On May 9, I went to fishing to the river mouth of Onga-gawa. I would give two fishes that I caught to a big heron. But the second one was stolen by a kite before the heron. It is just a Japanese saying "Tonbi ni Abura-age wo Sarawareru"（トンビに油揚げをさらわれる）.