Uncle Bob's Scenic Tours

Off again for a short trip

I hope you enjoyed reading of my last trip to Japan with my good friends Diane and Gary. It was certainly a great place to visit and I thoroughly recommend it.

the people are so friendly and welcoming, the places are very safe and clean. we all had a great three weeks.

it was quite warm so we enjoyed a cold beer in Kyoto

Mount Fuji

we survived a minor earthquake whilst staying near mount Fuji which was quite exciting but nobody was hurt.

So I am off on Sunday September 3rd on a short trip to Zadar in Croatia, Budapest in Hungary and Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi and Rome in Italy.

I have been to all these places before but just wanted a relaxing holiday for 2 weeks in the sun with great sights, good food and great wine, so i hope you join me again for another ‘Uncle Bobs scenic tours’.

in the bamboo forest

I will leave Bournemouth airport on Sunday 3rd September 2023 on a flight operated by Lauda Air, on behalf of Ryan Air. For those of you not into motor racing, Lauda Air was started and owned by Niki Lauda,

former F1 world champion Niki lauda .

Lauda Air

As it is also the Bournemouth Air festival this week I hope I catch a glimpse of the world famous Red Arrows RAF display team who will be operating from Bournemouth airport this weekend.

The red arrows

So having started to pack my case and got some Euros and Hungarian Forints I feel I am nearly on my way to a bit of late summer sun and hope you will join me.

please contact me or comment on my blog and I will try and reply to you all.

TTFN

Bibbley

Akihabara – our last day in Tokyo

We didn’t want to go far on our last day and so headed to Akihabara just a 5 minute train ride away.

This is a district in central Tokyo famous for electronic goods and is the centre for the anime and manga culture.

Akihabara is also the major centre for J-Pop the teen music industry.

Diane was doing her best to mix it with the all girl teen bands!

Plenty of small electronics shops and thousands of vending machines.

The area also has plenty of ‘maid cafes’ where the waitresses are dressed up as French maids and chat with customers whilst serving their food.

Plenty of big multi floor electronic stores

This store was selling second hand cameras

Action figures were everywhere, this shop had an original Robbie the robot giant toy from the 1960s.

In the huge amusement centres were rows and rows of slot machines, the noise was deafening.

In one store Diane spotted a super fridge but Gary was not impressed.

Smoking is not allowed in the street and I noticed this sign on a door

And so, too soon we were on the 10.33 train back to the airport

The tower we visited a couple of weeks ago was shrouded in cloud on a dull rainy day

And that was it. A long tiring journey ahead of us as we thought back over a super 3 weeks in Japan. Time to plan my next holiday!

TTFN

Bibbley

The last 2 days – back to Tokyo

The following day saw us back at Shin Kobe Station for the train back to Tokyo. Three and half hours scorching through the Japanese countryside at 170mph.

The following day we took the expres local train to the seaside town of Kanagawa, an hour southwest of Tokyo.

Our first stop was a visit to ‘Taiizan Kotoku-in Shojosen-ji’ or more commonly referred to as the great Buddah, one of the most famous icons in Japan.

The Buddah stands 11.3 m tall and weighs in at 121 tons.

He was built in the 13th century and is still in original condition, having never been restored.

Just down the road was the 100yen, (70p) gift shop.

All around this coastal town were Tsunami evacuation route signs.

Down the road was the seashore with a few people taking g to the water.

Windsurfing and paddle boarding seemed popular.

Diane and I enjoying some delicious crepes.

This cafe offered you the chance to pet an owl whilst sipping your coffee.

And soback to Tokyo and thinking of our last day in Japan tomorrow.

TTFN

Bibbley

Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Waterfall

I am not a Gardner myself but must admit the gardens were delightful

Plenty of sculptures amongst the herbs and flowers

The ‘statue of love’ presented by the city of Terni in Italy, the home of St. Valentine.

The various herb gardens were grouped into the food they could be used for

The glasshouse had a superb terrace, coffee shop and restaurant

There are 12 themed gardens along the downward path

A bit further down was a small shelter with a recreation of an old kitchen and seats to rest our feet

Some rest areas on the way down with great views

Diane decided to put her feet up for a minute or two.

For the last hour the path had sloped gently down and there were plenty of seats to rest our feet.

At least the trees gave some shade from the midday sun.

An hour down the path and we reached Nunobiki waterfall.

It was very peaceful and relaxing to sit for a while

A sign said it was only 350m to the railway station where we started. A nice gently sloping path stretched out in front of us.

A short distance further down was another waterfall.

50m further on the path started to drop steeply. This last 350m took about half an hour of trying not to fall off the mountain

Back in Kobe Diane sent us both a message, “I had a super day but no more **&%x** cables cars!”

So that was end of our time in Kobe. See you all tomorrow.

TTFN

Bibbley

Kobe Day 2 – Mount Rokko, the way up.

Whilst having a relaxing drink yesterday, Diane asked “what shall we do tomorrow, any suggestions?”

“Well one of the main attractions is the Nunobiki herb Gardens and waterfalls on Mount Rokko” I suggested,

” on a mountain? Replies Diane, looking at me suspiciously, ” how do we get there? No more cable cars I hope” obviously thinking back to our trip to Miyajima a few days ago.

“It’s only a short one, just a couple of minutes” I replied, crossing fingers under the table to cover up my lies!

Diane looked suspiciously at me as she agreed. “We can walk down to see the waterfall as well, so only a quick one way trip on the cable car.

A few months ago whilst researching places to go I had read about Mount Rokko, Google told me;

‘Mount Rokko at 931m (3054 feet) is the highest peak in the Rokko mountain range giving spectacular views overlooking the cities of Kobe and Osaka. ‘

Oh well, I thought, as I sipped my rather nice Kirin, Japanese beer, better keep that to myself!

So in the morning we had a nice breakfast of coffee and pastries in the French Boulangerie opposite the hotel we returned to Shin Kobe Station and soon found the entrance to the cable car station next door.

While buying our one way tickets the lady at the ticket office looked at Gary and asked if he was sure he didn’t want a return ticket, ‘it’s quite a long way down, are you sure you can walk that far?’

I was giggling to myself as we got on the cable car,

The door was closed and we were soon on our way up the mountain.

Not far Diane, only another 3000 feet to go!

Soon the cable car station loomed above us and Diane started to relax and took some photos. The cable car lurched into the station and she saw the sign “middle station”

“Oh no, not again” exclaimed Diane as our car swung upwards once more. A few minutes later we were at the top on solid ground.

After the ride up I think Diane actually wanted a large glass of wine but settled for a coffee instead.

In part 2 we wander around the beautiful gardens and begin our decent of the mountain.

TTFN

Bibbley

Kobe

Was surprised to see a Toyota 2000 GT in the lobby.

The hotel is situated on a pedestrianised shopping arcade about a mile long.

Gary had lost his reading glasses but found some in the 100Yen (70p) shop

We walked down to the port area expecting to see the Kobe Tower.

What we actually saw was this! The tower was undergoing renovation.

An impressive hotel by the cruise terminal

The Kobe tower looking very unimpressive.

Kobe suffered a massive earthquake in 1995, damaging 240,000 homes killing nearly 5,000 people. A small section of the port area was not rebuilt and has been left as a memorial. In top left of this photo you can see one side of the concrete area moved about 6 feet in 20 seconds , ripping the city in half.

In the last 25 years the city has been rebuilt and strengthened.

It was a hot day and we soon found we were in China Town.

We soon found a little place for a cold beer in Chinatown

That endedour first few hours in Kobe, more to come tomorrow.

TTFN

Bibbley

Hiroshima – Day 2

The following day we decided to take a trip to Miyajima Island, just a 45 minute fast ferry ride from near the bomb dome, in the Sea of Japan.

Diane doing a Kate Winslet Titanic impression.

Mount Misen on Miyajima Island (more about this later)

One of the things the island is well known for are the incredibly tame deer.

They wander freely on the island and don’t mind being stroked but be very aware if you have food in your as they can bite through anything to get at it.

As with all coastal areas in Japan there are Tsunami warning signs, giving advice on what to do, escape routes and how high you are above sea level.

On we went through the narrow streets where there were many souvenir shops and street food vendors.

Along the seafront and through the Torii gate , guarded by some lions.

The famous floating shrine and Torii gate, first built in 593 and rebuilt in 1168. At low tide you can walk out to it and at high tide the gate appears to be floating along with the adjacent shrine buildings.

Nearby was a stunning g 5 storey pagoda, built in 1407.

A ropeway or cable car takes visitors upwards and a nearby sign read, ‘ropeway entrance 60m’, so off we went through the gate. Past some more shops and the fire station was an old man selling tickets and so we bought 3 single tickets. Didn’t buy returns as we planned a pleasant walk back down.

On we walked , past some lovely ponds and streams.

We had been walking about 10 minutes when a sign read, ‘ropeway only 10 minutes walk, or perhaps 7 minutes if you run a little’.

So after another 15 minutes a sign informed us it was only 100 steps to the ropeway. What it didn’t say was that the 100 steps were at a very steep angle, so we clambered up holding onto the handrail for our lives and were finally there.

Once in the cable car Diane started to look a bit nervous, “I hate cable cars” she said nervously. Bit late now thought Gary and myself!

It was a very long ride but soon we saw the cable car station coming into view. “Phew, I didn’t like that” said Diane and her face went ashen as she saw the sign saying ‘middle station’ !

Off the car we got and Diane said she would walk down and not go any further. Anyway it quickly became apparent there was no path down and as we had single tickets the only way was up!

Another long ride to the top of the mountain.

Diane was adamant she would walk down with Gary. That will take a couple of hours I thought, i cant do that with my dodgy knees, hips, ankles etc so I bought a ticket down and watched as they set off.

A short while later I was at the bottom and bought an ice cream to cool myself down as I waited for them. As I set in the shade I noticed a sign saying, ‘beware of bears, wild boar and snakes on the mountain pathways’ no problem I thought , the ambulance is parked in the fire station we noticed on the way up, they can deal with it.

And so back to the hotel for a drink on the 14th floor roof terrace none the worse for our day out.

TTFN

Bibbley

Hiroshima

The Hiroshima Bomb Dome, also known as the Genbaku Dome, is the only surviving building in the vicinity of the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast on August 6, 1945. The dome was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel.

After the atomic bomb was dropped, the building was one of the few structures still standing near the epicenter of the blast. It served as a reference point for rescue workers and became a symbol of hope and recovery for the people of Hiroshima.

In 1996, the Hiroshima Bomb Dome was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now a popular destination for visitors to Hiroshima. It stands as a reminder of the consequences of war and the importance of peace.

It was the only surviving building as shown in the plaque above.

I took Gary and Diane just 130m down a side street to see a little known plaque next to the hospital wall.

This marks the exact point (the hypocentre), at which 600m above the bomb exploded.

In the morning we walked just 200m from our hotel to the peace park and toured the museum.

We spent a very emotional hour here learning of the aftermath of the bombing. Many of the exhibits were horrifying to see,

One of the exhibits was a “Hiroshima Shadow”

A man was sitting on the steps of the bank, waiting for it to open, at the time of the blast.

His body was instantly vaporised leaving his ‘shadow’ as the only reminder of his existence.

There are many memorials in the park including this one fom Scotland

The mound contains the ashes of around 70,000 victims. Rach year on August 6th a service is held here for the souls of those who perished.

Quite a few parties of school children were touring the park.

After a hot and emotional day we headed back to our hotel for a drink on the 14th floor rooftop bar to reflect on our day.

TTFN

Bibbley

Kyoto Day 2

The previous evening we agreed on the dress code for today.

Yes, it was time for the Uncle Bob’s t-shirts to make an appearance.

As this was Gary and Diane’s first tour with. Uncle Bob I thought it was appropiate and by the magic of Ebay found us all one.

So it was off to the railway station for the train to Arashiyama leaving from platform 33. As we were finding out, all Japanese stations are very big, most of the main stations having 30 to 50 platforms serving perhaps 5 or 6 main lines and a similar number of subway lines. A bit of concentration required at times to find our way around.

Whilst waiting for our train the “hello kitty” train pulled up on track 32.

Japan has quite a few themed trains like this one which is decorated internally with hello kitty furnishings and themed food in the buffet. We saw other themed trains at Mount Fuji, such as Thomas the tank and Anime themed ones.

Anyway, half an hour later we were at Arashiyama and after a quick look at Google maps we were soon at the famous “bamboo forest”

It was quite surreL walking through the 50 to 60 foot high bamboo Grove.

The other main attraction in Arashiyama is the Iwatayama monkey Park, just across the river.

We soon found the entrance to the monkey park. “Only 350m to the park” the sign announced. “Great, that’s not far,’ we agreed and off we set.

Little did we know that reality soon set in. Yes, maybe only 350m, but what the sign didn’t tell us is that it was up a nearly vertical path of steps to the top of a mountain overlooking the town below.

Up we started, up and up! After half an hour I paused for a rest on a bench

My lungs were bursting and my legs were crying out “no more!” And so here I remained while Gary and Diane ventured to the top.

Back in Arashiyama we stopped for a well deserved coffee and a doughnut at Tulleys coffee shop.

Another branch of Tulleys was next to our hotel and was where we had breakfast each morning.

The coffee shop is on a path of columns, each decorated with a different pattern of traditional kimono material

Plenty of women in traditional dress at the Kimono Forest

We were soon back on the train to Central Kyoto and after a refreshing beer in a bar at the base of the Kyoto Tower we caught the subway train for the 5 minute ride back to our hotel.

And that was the end of our 3 night stay in Kyoto. Off to Hiroshima tomorrow.

TTFN

Bibbley

Kyoto

Moving on from Mount Fuji by Shinkansen bullet train we were loking forward to 3 nights in Kyoto

Kyoto is a historic city, known for its beautiful shrines, temples and Japanese architecture. It was the former capital of Japan until 1868.

Our first stop was the Kyoto Imperial Palace with its beautiful gardens.

Beautiful gardens in the Palace grounds

It was a hot day and we were glad of a rest in the shade.

An hour or so later we were on our way to Higashiyama.

After getting lost for a while we finally arrived at the oldest part of the city.

This a very busy place and plenty of people hired traditional dress.

Sokn it was time go back to the hotel. Our feet were aching after walking for about 7 miles and we all needed a cold beer.

And so ended a lovely but hot first day in Kyoto.