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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 11, 2013 04:00 PM Whale watching
Whale watching is one of the attractions of Ogasawara Islands. If there is enough tourists little motorboats dapart around 9 am to the ocean. Prices start from 4000 y per person. Main season is Jan to March when the humpbacks are coming to give birth to babies. But today I was stll lucky to see few of them. Great experience on th rough ocean. The tour was combinrd with a visit on the small Minamijima island where you can see nice stone arch and fish and coral watching through the glass bottom of the boat at Anijima Island. Interesting day but it is still cloudy and I am not happy regarding pictures. Tomorrow in the morning I depart on "Hahajima Maru" to Haha island - even more remote. Perhaps I will be awarded by the sunny weather!
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Apr 10, 2013 04:00 PM Exploring Chichi-jima
Only two islands of 30 in Ogasawara group are inhabited. Chichi-jima where I am at the moment is most populated with most of its 2000 people living in Omura - near the port. They have one single public bus line, but this go only along western coast. Bus departs every 2 hours and you pay 200 y per ride.
To go to the interior or to the eastern coast you have to drive the car or the motorbike /they are for rent/.
I decided to go there with a local guide Kunnio /Flora jungle trekking - ph. 04998 2 3123/. He speaks some english - he is nice local - worth to recommend!
We went first to the beaches on the western side, then to the big WW2 gun hidden in the jungle. After that we started to climb to the summits and view points on the eastern coast. Nice views, but since the weather was cloudy my pictures will be so-so. Finnally I was walking alone the ridge on the northern side.
Do you remember the lovely song of Connie Francis Send me a pillow that you dream on?
I will not send! The weight of my pillow is about 3 kilos and there is something like a grain inside. It is hard!
That is travellers life in remote Japan!!
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Apr 09, 2013 04:00 PM Ogasawara on the horizon!
This was very hard bed -only 2 cm thick!! Warm, blue ocean around since the morning. Flying fish and big boobies around the ship. Ogasawara group consists of 30islands. When I saw them they were green and foggy... Soon we passed few rocky islands to reach Futami port on Chichi-jima. Chichi is one of two inhabited islands of Ogasawara. The crowd of people was waiting on the pier. It is an event! I found somebody with papaya written on the flag - they were waiting for me. Papaya guesthouse is probably the last expensive on Chichi - they charge 4000 yen per bed in the clean 8bed dormitory. Not easy to comunicate - nobody speaks english in Papaya. But they have free wifi, so if you will bring your tablet with the translator you will survvive...
Omura - the capital of the island is small and tidy. Do not forget they use US sockets and 110 V! No bread in the bakery -all sold! You have to come early in the morning to get such a deli!
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Apr 08, 2013 04:00 PM This is not a cruiseship!!
To get to Takeshiba pier you have to take the monorail from Shimbashi station. Two stations to go and you will pay just 180 yen.... Train without any driver was full since all Japs in their dark suits and ties were just going to work... I dissembarked at the high sailing ship mast and just after I saw my ship. So little!! "Ogasawara Maru" is quite old with some visible rust... I registered my ticket at window 8 -they ask all passengers to fill an extra form. Then you have to stay politely in the line - first class has separate line and they go first when the ship is open at 9.30 am. In the gangway they collected ticket and gave me a piece of paper: C3 105. Nobody speak english, but they smile!
Where is my place?? Fortunately a young guy from the reception understand some english -he took me to c3 room and showed me my matress 105. Can you imagine a big room with 120 little matresses one by one on the floor? That's my home till tomorrow! Departing from Tokyo port we had a nice panorama of the skyline and bridges. Ahoy!
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Apr 07, 2013 04:00 PM Landed in Tokyo!
After almost 11 hours on the plane I landed in the Tokyo Narita Airport. It is my fourth visit to Japan but everytime I am coming I am again impressed by the perfect organization and politness of Japanese people.
It is warm - plus 18 Celsius in the day and green around. Cherry blossom time is almost over - only the pink cherries are still in blossom.
In the afternoon I visited a Kannon temple out of the city.
Tomorrow in the morning I should embark a once-a-week ship to Ogasawara Islands. I hope that the ocean will be calm! :)
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Apr 05, 2013 04:00 PM To the Laughing Islands! :)
I am departing to the Far East to discover Laughing Islands. One of them is called Chichi, and the other - Haha. You should know that in Poland we express laughing writing "chi-chi" or "ha-ha".
As you know few years ago I was traveling through Japan "end to end". But these islands are out of the main chain - in the Pacific Ocean - some 1000 kms from Tokyo.
Ogasawara Island are tiny, tropical and little-known. It is not easy to get there. No airstrip. Once per week a mixed passenger/ cargo ship is departing from Tokyo to these island. Japan is very expensive for the traveler so it will not be a long stay. But still long enough to explore Chichi-jima and Haha-jima. Please keep your fingers crossed my friends!
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Mar 07, 2013 08:00 PM Home, sweet home...
Approaching Gdansk airport I saw quite a lot of snow outside of the city. -There must be also sbow in Wojtkówka!
It was minus 1 deg Celsius when we landed.
So the next great voyage is over!
Home, sweet home...
Now it will be the time to work for the next air ticket, to prepare new slide- shows, to meet the friends. Then the spring for sure will come to my Wojtkówka.
I think that before the summer holidays I will still manage to see one more beautiful island (or maybe even two islands).
My friends are jocking: you will never stop!
I think they are right!
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Mar 06, 2013 08:00 PM Flying to back to the Old Europe...
I use award ticket from Miles & More program to fly back home. The space on the planes for such awarded travellers is limited and that's they who defines the route. I started with Buenos-to-Rio flight. Then changed to Rio-Frankfurt 767. In Rio in the transit hall there is free wifi internet but before they allow you to enter the network you must give to the provider your data.
Buenos to Rio - it is 2,5 hours flight.
Rio to Frankfurt takes 11 hours.
Morning in Frankfurt was sunny. I had enough time to have few cups of coffee and tea in the airport... In different locations inside airport they installed free mini-bars with hot drinks...
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Mar 05, 2013 08:00 PM Bye, bye Argentina!
The receptionist in my hostel is from Russia. I met also Russians on the ship... Russians learn languages and at least started to travel the world!
Morning walk through the crowded and noisy streets of Buenos Aires. Trees are in blossom here!
Then it is time to pack-up for my flight.
International Ezeiza airport is quite far from the center. Taxi will cost you like 130 pesos. But for the backpacker there is cheaper option: public bus no. 8 goes to Ezeiza airport from the Congresso Square. You will pay for one-way trip 5,50 peso - less then a dollar. Have the exact change prepared in coins! Bus goes every 20 min daytime, but it takes sometimes 2 hours to get through the traffic, so start early!
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Mar 04, 2013 08:00 PM Buenos Aires, Florida Street
With 2 hours delay (shame on you Cannival!) I disembarked the ship and moved to the Sun Recoleta hostel, where you can have a single room for 28 USD.
When I was in Buenos last time - some 3 years ago a young couple was dancing tango on the Florida St - co nwerted into walking-only zone. Today I did not see any dancers on Florida. There are roadworks instead... I heard there many times "Cambio, cambio, cambio..." call. Dollar has here a value during the inflation - you can get on the street more then in official 5 pesos in the bank... The street rate is 7 pesos, but count the money carefully!
It was lovely, sunny day, some 25 deg Celsius. I was walking along my old trail visiting well-known places like Obelisco, Casa Rosada - presidential palace and Congresso. Buenos - the Paris of South America still has a charm, many theaters, cafes and...
police cars around the Plaza de Mayo...
It is still worth to see... It is me in front of Evita's balcony of Casa Rosada on the picture...
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