15 Noto felszigetrol Niigata-ig

Szeptember 14-e, szombati nap van. A mai napra kituzott cel eljutni a mintegy 400 km-re fekvo Niigata varosaig. Ebbol a legnagyobb feladatnak egyelore a Noto felszigetrol valo kijutas es az eszaki iranyba tovabb halado Hokuriku autopalya megkozelitese latszik. 

A noto-i autostoppolas a mai napon sem megy sokkal simabban, mint elotte. A nap nagy reszet a felszigetrol kivezeto, mintegy 150 km-es utszakaszon toltjuk hat kulonbozo autos kocsijaban, illetve rajuk itt-ott orakat varakozva az ut szelen. Mire feljutunk ama bizonyos Hokuriku autopalyanak abba a parkolo-pihenojebe, mely a tovabbiakra nezve tokeletes stoppolohely, mar estefele jar az ido. Elottunk all meg mintegy 250 kilometer, es ismet ugy vagyunk vele, hogy csak akkor megyunk valakivel, ha elvisz egeszen Niigata-ig. 

Besotetedett mar javaban, mire ezt a szemelyt megtalaljuk. Pontosabban aztan o talal meg minket. Latva tenykedesunket, egy baratsagos, beszedes kamionsofor  szolit meg, hogy o szivesen elvinne a vezetofulkeben, ha nem zavar a kisse szukos hely minket. Hat, valahogy ma nem zavar. Igy erkezunk meg keso estere Niigataba, annak is egy, a leendo szallasunkhoz nagyon kozel eso parkolojaba egy oriasi kamion iszonyatosan rumlis kabinjaban, csomagjainkkal egyutt az ulesek mogotti fekhelyen ucsorogve. Azert jo kaland volt, meg sosem utaztam ilyen pazar kilatassal az elottunk, korulottunk halado forgalomra. Elismeresem, tiszteletem es koszonetem a kamionsofore, aki kulon a mi kedvunkert hajtott be a belvarosba, ami egy ekkora jargany eseten bizony kulon becsulendo. 

Megerkeztunk Niigataba. Bucsuzkodas roppant keszseges kamionsoforunktol...

A neptelen mellekutcakon koborolva, szallasunkat keresgelve dobbenunk ra, hogy a megadott iranymutatasokkal valami santit. Nem egeszen ugy kanyarodnak, kapcsolodnak az utcak, mint arra szamitottunk. Altalaban az iranyokkal, utvonalakkal kapcsolatban en vagyok hatarozottabb, de most Teodora van inkabb vonalon. Hirtelen otletkent, valamifele megerzes nyoman egyszer csak befordul egy haz nyitott ajtajan, ahonnan feny szurodik ki a sotet utcara. Mar lepek is utana, hogy megallj, ne setalj csak ugy be valakinek a lakasaba, mikor belulrol koszones hallik. Megerkeztunk. Ujabb couchsurfing szallashely, es ujabb erdekes tapasztalat. 

Tanulok egy szamomra uj kifejezest: geek (gik). Ez itt keremszepen egy igazi "Geek House", azaz gik haz, gik mivoltara teljesen buszke het lakojaval egyutt. Meg kulon "Geek House" egyseges mintaval nyomott polojuk es kis felragasztos matricajuk is van. Het felnott ferfi, a huszas eveikben, illetve a harmincasok elejen, akik egyutt berlik ezt a hazat. A gik let pedig nagyjabol a kovetkezoket meriti ki: minel tobb idot tolteni a szamitogep (ertsd MacBook) elott egyutt, egy szobaban, es az eletet a virtualis valosagban elni. Minden egyeb tevekenyseg, mint pl. etkezes, takaritas, haztartas  csak mellekes, csupan biologiai letfenntartast szolgal. Kepzelheto a folyoso, a konyha, a furdoszoba es a kozossegi szoba allapota a magatol odahalmozodott mindenfelek es lerakodasok kozt kialakult osvenyekkel. Azert megis mindent egyutt veve, lattunk mar rosszabbat is. Ugyhogy bizakodoak vagyunk. Ha azt tuleltuk, ezt is tul fogjuk elni, az biztos. Most az egyszer amugy orulok, hogy a halozsakom becipzarozhato egesz korbe. Igy biztos, hogy nem erek hozza semmihez alvas kozben. A fogadtatassal kapcsolatban egyebkent semmi kifogasunk nem lehet. Egytol egyig nagyon kedvesek, udvariasak, ahogy az jo japanokhoz illik. Sot, egyikuket leszamitva, aki szuper hallgatag, egeszen vidam beszelgetos elso felorat toltunk el, mielott mindenki ujra rakapcsolodik agyhullamai teljes kapacitasaval a vilaghalo megbabonazo csodajara.

Kettonknek a kozossegi szobaban jut alvohely. Masnap, vasarnap reggel van de azert aranylag koran kell kelnunk. Fel nyolckor ugyanis kezdodik a sracok kedvenc rajzfilmje a teveben.  

Errol a szakaszrol fenykepeket nem  keszitettem, viszont IDE kattintva az eddig megtett utunkat lathatod a terkepen.

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15 Niigata

We arrived to Niigata late lat night, in a huge truck. I always hoped we would get a ride in a big truck while doing all this hitchhiking and i was so excited that we did. Actually, if that guy hadn't picked us up and gave us a 300 km ride on the expressway i have no idea how we could have made it to Niigata the same day. We were riding in the loft, behind and above the drivers head in his sleeping space. It wasn't the most comfy seat, but I enjoyed the view - I have never sat so high on the road. 

He took us all the way into Niigata city, and dropped us off at a convenient convenience store parking. I mean , it was convenient for us, because it was in the center, not so much for him, his truck occupying almost the whole parking lot. I would say it is an art to maneuver a big truck in the narrow streets of the lego-like cities in Japan. 

We didn't even know that one of our funniest couch surfing experience is still awaiting for the night. We were staying in a geek house. And if you don't know what that means, I am not surprised. I didn't know. We arrived to an old Japanese two-story home, and we were welcomed by Haru, our host and seven other guys, who are sharing the same house. They were all sitting in the living room, so you would think they are very sociable. Well, no. They are geeks. And they introduce themselves as geeks, they have this strong geek identity. It means they are always on their computers. They all had MacBooks and we were sitting around in the living room, each one of them with a laptop. When I asked what they do for a living, some said they were IT students, others had IT jobs. It was a totally new culture and layer of society unfolding before my eyes. The lack of physical activity and eye contact was still bearable, but one thing that really made me a strong non-believer of the macBook religion was the lack of hygiene in the house. I guess you can't stay online while you are cleaning the bathroom, and obviously it is too much time staying disconnected, so I would guess they haven't cleaned for the last couple of years. The bad news was that we had to sleep on the floor in the living room. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, then I decided to laugh for three reasons. 

1. we made it to Niigata and we have a place to stay with funny but friendly people.  

2. we are here for only one night 

3. on our list of all the places we have stayed we agreed it is only the 3rd dirtiest. And if we have survived the other two, this won't be a challenge too big!

Knowing this, we gave special thanks for having sleeping bags and fell asleep happy, but setting the alarm at 7am for Sunday morning, because the guys said their favorite cartoon starts at 7.30 so they will be down in the living room by then. 

geek living room, with Hunor blending in

14 Nomi es Noto felsziget

Nomi egy Komatsuhoz egeszen kozeli kisvaros neve. Korulbelul negy evvel ezelott Teodora jart mar itt egy Japan Tent nevre hallgato Japanban elo kulfoldi diakok szamara szervezett program kereteben. Akkor egy kedves csaladnal vendegeskedett nehany napig, akiket, mivel epp erre visz utunk, szeretnenk meglatogatni.

Szeptember 11-en, szerdai napon jarunk mar, annak is szep napos keso delutanjan. A kb 30 kilometeres utat Kumivel es Naokival tesszuk meg, akik bucsuzas elott ezt a segitseget szivesen felajanlottak.

Kaori es Tetsu mar szeles mosollyal es vacsora elotti ropogtatnivalokkal elokeszitett asztallal varnak rank. Nemsokara elokerul a nagymama is, aki a mar amugy is kedelyes tarsalgasba  uj lenduletet hoz hangosan vidam termeszetevel, no meg egy jo uveg umeshu-vel (az umeshu japan szilvabol keszult edes alkoholos ital), melyet a nagypapa keszitett. Nagypapaval sajnos betegsege miatt nem talalkozhatunk, de remeljuk a csaladdal egyutt, hogy felepul es folytathatja a szilvaval vegzett muveszetet. A vacsora koruli beszelgetes nyoman az elkovetkezo napjainkra vonatkozo terveink is modosulnak kisse. Igy indulunk masnap reggel - a valtozatossag kedveert szemerkelo esoben - az innen eszakra fekvo, nem tul messzi Noto felsziget iranyaba.

Kaori, Tetsu no meg a Nagyi tarsasagaban

Noto felsziget, mivel kivul esik a regio minden fo utoeren, kisse videkiesebb, hagyomanyosabb es lelkisegeben is eroteljesebb vonalat kepvisel tobb termeszettel es szentkent tisztelt hellyel. Az autostoppolas valahogy ma nem megy annyira siman, mint remeltuk. A felszigetre kivezeto foutig is tobb ugrassal jutunk el, es kozben egyszer ugy elered az eso, hogy ugy dontunk, kivarjuk a veget egy kozeli nyilvanos mosoda varakozoasztalanal szunditva.

Tokeletes pihenohely mig odakint zuhog az eso.

Tobb szakaszban stoppolassal es gyalogosan bandukolva jutunk el a felsziget elso celpontjakent kiszemelt latnivalojaig. Ez a Hatagoiwa nevu sziklaegyuttes, mely a helyi legenda szerint akkor keletkezett, mikor egy helyi istenno a tengerbe vetette szovogepet. Az ido ekkorra keso delutanban jar mar es mivel faradtak is vagyunk ugy hatarozunk, itt letenyazunk ejszakara. A mellett, hogy a hely tokeletesen megfelelonek tunik erre a celra, az idojaras is kegyes hozzank. A felhozet kisse felszakadozott, csillagos ejszakara van kilatasunk, ami tekintve, hogy satrunk a kulso vizallo reteg hianyaban csupan a szunyogok ellen nyujt vedelmet, remek hir. Kenyelmesen berendezkedunk tehat az elhagyatott partszakaszon, joizuen megvacsorazunk, es az este naplemente cimu musora utan az orrunk elott allo, kotellel osszekotott sziklaparos esti diszkivilagitasa csak meglepetes raadas az eloadasban.

A Hatagoiwa sziklak esti diszkivilagitasban. 

Masnap, 13-an reggel, stoppolassal probaljuk folytatni az utunkat. Celunk a felsziget majdnem legeszakibb csucskeben fekvo Wajima varoska, annak is a hires neves reggeli-delelotti kistermeloi piaca.  Nos, csak probaljuk a stoppolast… orakon keresztul nem vesz fel senki. Ugy tunik, hogy a felszigeten egyre beljebb haladva a valtozas nem csak abban all, hogy a videk egyre falusiasabb, hanem abban is, hogy az erre jarok egyre kevesbbe tudnak mit kezdeni az autostoppolas jelensegevel. Legtobben ugy haladnak el mellettunk, hogy azt mutatjak, eszre sem vettek minket. Masok pedig kisse zavartan es szegyenlosen visszaintegetnek. Egyre inkabb azt erezzuk, hogy legalabb annyira furcsa jelenseg vagyunk, mintha ket foldonkivuli probalna eligazodni mondjuk Alsoviharfalvan.

Autora varva… nem tul nagy a forgalom.

A fakusi csendelet kephez tartozo kellek: a halszaritoporgentyu.

A gyors forgasban egyreszt a hal jobban szarad, masreszt pedig semmifele rovar nem tudja megkozeliteni.

Egy helyben acsingozni nem nagyon akarunk tovabb, igy nekiindulunk gyalogosan. A szarazfoldi oldalon sziklas  es szepen megmuvelt teruletek valtakoznak, tobbnyire rizsfoldek, helyenkent otthonos, egyszeru vonalvezetesu japan fahazakkal, masik oldalon pedig a vegelathatatlan tenger a kek minden arnyalatat felsorakoztatva. Kis falusi halaszkikotok mellett is elhaladunk itt-ott, ami kulonosen is kedves szinfoltja a helyi eletnek.  Az idojaras is tokeletes, meleg napsutes kiser minket. Javaban ebedidoben jarunk mar, mikor epp kapora jon egy utunkba eso nagyobb elelmiszerbolt. Ebedunket a kozeli partszakaszon fogyasztjuk el, nem is akarmilyen helyen. Allitolag az a pad a vilag legesleghosszabb padja. Hat mit is mondhatnek, tenyleg hosszu na. Jol esik a napsutesben a nyugodt sziesztazas, foleg a sok hatizsakos gyaloglas utan. Nem karhoztathatunk senkit azert, mert nem vesznek fel autojukkal, hiszen senki sem felelos azert, hogy mi igy kozlekedunk, de megis felgyulemlik nemi bosszusag. A szep ido, a tengerpart es a teli pocak ezt is feledteti.

A 460m hosszu vilagleghosszabb padjanal a Shika nevu kisvaros Masuhoura nevre keresztelt partszakaszan. Vegre kinyujthatom a labaim… :) 

A kesobbiekben azonban megis megerkezik a mi autonk. Egy fiatalabb ferfi all meg mellettunk kocsival, es kiderul, hogy meg mi teszunk jot neki azzal, hogy felvehet minket. Elmondasa szerint mar azota lelkiismeretfurdalasa van, mikor evekkel ezelott egyszer latott valakiket stoppolni, es akkor elhajtott mellettuk. Most mi lehetoseget adtunk neki a kiigazitasra. Nem volna dolga a felsziget eszaki feleben, de elvisz minket egeszen Wajima-ig. Sot, itt-ott egy-egy latnivalonal meg meg is all velunk egy kis idegenvezetesre. A wajimai reggeli piacnak mar termeszetesen se hire se hamva, de azert marad bameszkodnivalo nekunk is boven. Nagyon megtetszik mindkettonknek a varoska alaphangulata alacsony egyszeru fahazaival, szeles, rendezett, viragokkal diszitett utcaival. Feludito ilyet is latni a sok zsufolt japan betonvaros utan.

Teodoranak semmilyen helyzetben nem akadaly az ismerkedes :)

Kis piheno Wajima utcain.

Wajima utcakep. Nem mondhatni, hogy a kozlekedes eletveszely...

A kesobbiekben egy fiatal novel utazunk tovabb a felsziget csucsa iranyaba, es a keso delutan vorosbe hajlo lagy napsuteseben tokeletes idozitessel erkezunk a Senmaida-i rizsteraszokhoz. A megvilagitas tehat nem is lehet tokeletesebb a rizsteraszokon kizarolag hagyomanyos, kezi modszerrel javaban arato foldmuvesek fotozasahoz. A fotozason kivul azonban a kivancsisag is odavisz minket a munkasok koze. Miert a legfaradsagosabb ketkezi munkat valasztjak? Mekkora teruletrol kerul ki egy zsaknyi rizs? es igy tovabb. A terulet annyira meredek, es a teraszok helyenkent annyira szukosek, hogy gepi muveles egyszeruen lehetetlen. Kozeledtunkre meglepoen nyitottan reagalnak. Egy nyolcvan ev koruli furge nenike rogton at is adja helyet Teodoranak. Adogassa o az osszekotozott keveket fel a szaritoallvanyra, amig o megpihen kisse. Egy idos bacsi meg akkora odaadassal mutatja, hogy pontosan hogyan is kell a learatott kevet a szalmajaval osszekotozni, mintha ezen mulna a muvelet fennmaradasanak jovoje.

A Senmaida rizsteraszok.

A talicskazas bizony kemeny munka a meredek hegyoldalban.

Asszonyok pihenes kozben

Nincs kecmec…  aki kozel mereszkedik, rogton befogjak dolgozni. 

A szaritoallvany fabol keszul, az illeszteseknel kotellel csomozva. Minden evben felujitjak, mielott a szaritanivalo uj rizstermes felkerul ra.

A keve kotozeset kizarolag a regi hagyomany szerinti preciz mozdulatsorral lehet elvegezni. Minden egyeb probalkozas nyegle kontarmunka.

A Senmaida-i rizsteraszok utan mar nem megyunk sokkal messzebb. Egy helyi idos batyo visz el kocsijan a mintegy husz percnyire levo Sosogi falucskaig, ahol a kesobbiekben satrat is verunk a helyi apro halaszkikoto es egy szinten szentkent tisztelt sziklaegyuttes szomszedsagaban.  

Tekintve a kozlekedes tapasztalt nehezsegeit, a kovetkezo reggelen ugy hatarozunk, nem megyunk ki a felsziget csucsaig teljesen. A kovetkezo hetre ugyanis a Sendai-tol eszakra eso Ishinomaki varoskaban vallaltunk onkentes munkat a nagy foldrenges es cunami utani ujjaepitesben, igy ha az utemtervet tartani akarjuk, ezen a napon mintegy 400 kilometernyi ut all elottunk.     

14 Nomi and Noto Peninsula

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon Kumi and Naoki dropped us off by the road leading to Nomi, to a family I was staying with 4 years ago with JapanTent, a holiday program for foreign students in Japan. A warmhearted and always smiling lady, Kaori and his more reserved but friendly husband Tetsu welcomed me again and Hunor for the first time in their home. I was looking forward meeting with the grandfather too, who makes the best umeshu (sweet liqueur made of Asian plums) I have ever tried. But they told me he had been hospitalized with cancer. These news made me appreciate Kaori's smile and positive spirit even more. We talked and drank throughout the whole evening and suddenly changed our plans too (the good thing about hitchhiking is flexibility): we were planning to head on to Nagano the next day, but there is a remote and beautiful peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, Noto, which is also said to be a spiritual place and it has always been on my mind. Also, the weather started to clear up and we have been missing the outdoors very much. We had a tent (although not waterproof) so we decided we would spend the next few days camping on Noto. 

night in Nomi

Hunor's first kanji! I have to admit it looks better
than the signs I made...

After a few rides and a fantastic morning nap between them in a wash&dry, we were in Noto peninsula, staring at the sea in dripping rain again. The further up north we penetrated in the peninsula the more it started to look like an enchanted land with dramatic rock formations, old wooden farmhouses and small fishing ports. One of the most famous rock formations is Ganmon on the Kongo Coast. Ganmon means rock-gate and it is indeed the entrance of a spacious cave on the shore. According to legend, Minamoto Yoshitsune was hiding in this cave when he was running away from his brother, Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. 

hitchhiking with a lovely family in Noto

a real treat on Noto...

Unfortunately the more north we got, the less likely it was to get a ride. The good news were that the weather cleared up and we found a nice and cozy spot for camping. It was right in front of a rock formation that is called Hatagoiwa, and according to local legend, was formed when a Goddess threw her loom into the ocean. It is a formation of two rocks interconnected by a thick rope - this is a symbol of matrimony. It was an enchanting and mysterious place to be, very calming and energizing.

We set up our tent, watched the spectacular colors of the sunset after rain, ate our dinner of leftovers and were surprised that the formation in front of our eyes was illuminated by a strong light from the shore. We enjoyed the specular view and the starry sky from our private balcony for a few more hours before going to sleep. 

Hatagoiwa

sunrise from "our balcony"

The next morning we were excited to go to the morning market in Wajima city, the northern part of the peninsula, but we had to face the reality of backcountry. Nobody would pick us up for hours. Eventually we walked for about an hour to the next village, bought some fruits and bread for breakfast and went to the beach to take a break from our own negative thoughts. After all, nobody was responsible for us, so we did not have the right to be offended by not getting a ride. Usually my rule was to take a break of trying to hitch a ride whenever I start to turn demanding, skeptical or bitter about it. Besides being irrelevant, none of those states of mind are good for your health. 

We ended up having our breakfast on the longest bench in the world (what a treat). And then, although apparently as September started one day ago, it was already autumn and nobody was in the water, I still decided to take a swim. The last time I was in the ocean was in Yakushima, and I was craving for salty water. I have seen five or six stingrays in the water, got refreshed and a bit homesick for Okinawa. 

Hunor brushing his teeth by the longest bench of the world

In the afternoon we eventually got our ride to Wajima. A guy picked us up, maybe same age as Hunor and he told us he had seen hitchhikers once a few years before (I see. This is how often people try to hitch a ride here!), but he was in a hurry and couldn't pick them up. He felt bad since then, so he wanted to make up for it. Good for us! He gave us a small tour of the spectacular rocks on the shore and took us all the way to Wajima. We were planning to come here for the morning market which was obviously long over by the time we arrived, still it was a lovely small city with more structure and interesting buildings to it then we have ever seen in the mostly concrete cities and towns we have visited in Japan. To my utmost surprise, we found a 1:1 replica of my favorite statue, the Nike of Samothrace right in front of the door of the town hall. I really wanted to ask the mayor why this statue and why in the doorway. Maybe it was there to intimidate people who were trying to go to the town hall to complain. 

city hall entrance in Wajima
with Nike greeting the visitors

house in Wajima

After a ride with a friendly young lady, we were at the rice terraces in perfect time. First, because it was autumn harvest, so the fields were alive: full of working farmers. And second, because it was late afternoon and the beams of the setting sun caressed the rice stems with a loving yellow light. After they cut the rice crops they stack them and hang the stacks on a high wooden structure to dry. I went up to ask a group if that was ok and the birds won't steal the rice. Their answer was a short no and an invitation to try their work, so I was helping them hang the stocks for the next 15 minutes. Mostly old people were working, the lady who took a break while I was taking her turn must have been in her eighties. They looked disillusioned, tired and worn out. They said in these rice fields they do everything manually and of course they can produce less and be no competition for mass production. Lot of work and no profit - they said. For us tourists however it was a dreamlike experience. The terraces moving with the rhythm of work and the constant music of waves behind them, like a slow, endless dance. 

rice terraces

We spent one more night in Noto, but we never made it to the tip of the peninsula. It has been one of the hardest places to hitch a ride, so I don't recommend it to anyone without a car, except with plenty of time and readiness to walk a lot.

wooohoho, Japanese can be a little too tense when it comes to time...

It is an amazing place, a journey back in time and a humbling meeting with peaceful old spirits haunting the rock formations, the caves and the old roads along the coast.

13 Komatsu (Ishikawa)

As I have said, the Tiare Heipua dance studio in Komatsu city, and its energetic and powerful leader Heikapua, my beloved dance teacher awaited us with the offer of intense dance and drumming practice and four shows over the weekend. For me, it was a dream. My body was out of practice but it was craving for dancing and for professional instruction, and Hunor was the same with drumming. The studio, with all the costumes, instruments, Polynesian objects and decorations is an enchanted playground. One night we were staying there late, drumming, skateboarding, dancing, playing badminton and doing handstands. I got a glimpse into what it means to belong to a performing team, sharing responsibilities, fun time, joy, sorrow and the excitement and tension of performance. Once again I wished I could stay longer and be a part of it and become a better dancer but we knew we had to leave again.

On Sunday we managed the three performances in one day quite OK, to my surprise, I have to admit. Heikapua asked me to dance solo to live drums, what has been my dream since I have seen a Tahitian performance the first time 6 years ago. I know I still have a lot to learn but the opportunity gave me wings. 

The next days I was working on a painting in Naoki&Kumi's living room. We were guests at their house on most days that we spent in Komatsu (they live in a nearby city, Kaga, famous for textile dyeing) and they asked me if I could paint something on the shoji screens in the house. First of all I wanted to thank them for their hospitality and second, it was a fascinating challenge to paint on a screen door, so I said yes. It took me one night and a day to finish it, with the back support of the whole family. Kumi's energetic and always smiling mom was sitting on the couch behind me the whole night, praising the work and talking. She said, it is too fascinating to see a painting being born, she couldn't go to bed as long as I was working. Kumi's son took his grandma's place the next morning, first just watching and then helping me with the colors, working silently and very carefully. (You can find the photo of the finished piece on my website, here.)

Our last night we celebrated with the completion of the painting and a rich dinner we ate altogether four generations, from Kumi's grandma to her son. They said it was the first occasion in a long time that they sat down to eat together. I am always happy if our presence brings people together.

13 Ishikawa/Komatsu

Komatsu varosarol elsore ket dolog jut eszembe. Az egyik, hogy itt keszulnek a vilagszerte ismert Komatsu markaneven futo foldmunkagepek, a masik pedig, hogy itt talalhato Heikapua-sensei tahititanc iskolaja. Szamunkra ezuttal a masodik dolog bir nagyobb jelentoseggel.

Komatsu buszkesege. 
Regen nekem is volt ilyen jarganyom, csak kicsivel kisebb meretben. 
Teodora megprobal kereket cserelni...

Ama bizonyos tanciskola… 
lehet zajongani nyugodtan, koros korul csupan rizsfoldek vannak.

Rizsaratas.

Heikapua-sensei annak idejen sokat jart Okinawara tahiti tancot illetve dobolast tanitani. Teodora a tanc kapcsan, magam pedig a dobolas kapcsan mar regota keszultunk arra, hogy eltolthessunk ebben a studioban legalabb egy hetet. Itt tartozkodasunkat igy is terveztuk, vegre mindketten gyakorolhatunk intenziven, tanari segitseggel. Kumivel es Naokival, akik a tanctanarnonek szinten jo baratai, szeptember harmadikan, kedden este erkezunk meg a studiohoz. 

A tancstudio belulrol. 
A jobb felso sarokban Teodora falfestmenye, 
melyet egy korabbi latogatasunk alkalmaval festett.

Rovidesen megtudjuk, hogy amiert jottunk, meg is fogjuk kapni, meg tobbet is annal. A hetvegere, vasarnapra, ugyanis harom eloadas is elo van jegyezve, melyeken mi leszunk a "sztarvendegek". Teodora maris szolotanccal szerepel a musorban, jomagam pedig a dobok mogott kaptam foszerepet. Sot, az egyik musorreszt nekem kell bevezetnem polinez furulyan megszolaltatott lagy dallamokkal. Nem mintha valaha is jatszottam volna furulyan mar elotte, de ez a tanarno szerint nem akadaly. Elso adando alkalommal hozza is lattam kideriteni, melyik vegen kell fujni, es melyik vegen jon ki a hang. Kisse hirtelen jon mindez, de vitezul vallaljuk, hiszen amellett, hogy feladat, bizony megtiszteltetes is. Vendeglatonk reszerol mindenkeppen a nagyrabecsules es bizalom jele mifelenk. 

A nagy dobosok :) Naokival hudegyakorlunk...

Az elkovetkezo napok ennek megfeleoen a vasarnapi fellepesekre valo felkeszulessel telnek. Teodora tancol a rendszeres tancorakra erkezo egyeb tanitvanyok orain es azon kivul is, en meg lelkesen verem a bobokat a tancgyakorlasokhoz es azon kivul is. Pihenes keppen pedig nincs jobb a keso esti tollaslabdazasnal a studio magas plafonja alatt.  

A szombati napunk kisse maskeppen telik. Kumit es Naokit kiserjuk el a szomszedos Kaga varosi fesztivalra, ahol ok bananos palacsintat szeretnenek arulni. Erdekes dolog ez a fesztivalozos arusitos let, foleg egy mienktol ennyire nagyon eltero kulturaban, de nehany ora utan azert ez is unalmassa tud valni. Azt talaljuk ki, hogy hozzalatunk a vendegcsalogatashoz, ezzel is besegitve a palacsinta uzletet. Furulyaszoval es szeles gesztusokkal lepjuk meg az arra setalokat, idonkent egeszen szep sikerrel. Ami biztos, hogy a masnapra szukseges furulyadallamot szepen begyakoroltam. Teodoranak meg vagy egy hetig ez zengett a fuleben. 

"Palacsintaaaaat tesseeeek!"
 - aki latott mar japan arusokat pultjaik mogott irgalmatlanul rikkantgatva,
 tudja, hogy csak kisse multuk felul oket :)

Kumi palacsintat keszit… a reklamtabla Teodora rajz.

Zsibvasar

Amit az egy szal furulyaval mi muveltunk, 
semmi ehhez kepest :)

Vasarnap nagy sztarok vagyunk. Eloadunk az iment emlitett varosi fesztival nagyszinpadan, puccos hotelben, kisebb muveszeti fesztivalon. Erdekes megtapasztalni ahogyan egyik naprol a masikra emberek mennyire maskeppen viszonyulnak hozzank attol fuggoen, hogy milyen korulmenyek kozt latnak minket. Filmunk bemutatoja utan mindenki a kezunket szorongatja, gratulal. Most mindenki nekunk tapsol, velunk akar fotozkodni. Amikor meg hatizsakosan baktatunk, vagy csak pihenunk valahol, mintha szorosabbra fognak ertekeiket, kerulik a szemkontaktust. Vicces leny az ember.
Mielott tovabblepnenk utunkon a tanc es a zene vilagabol, meg egy kedves es kulonleges felkeresre is sor kerul. Kumi es Naoki kerik meg Teodorat, hogy valami festmennyel diszitene hagyomanyos japan lakasuk belso rizspapir toloajtoit. Izgalmas feladat. Nem csak nekunk, de a csaladnak is. A kovetkezo ket napban unokatol dednagymamaig mindenki izgatottan figyeli az uj mu szuleteset, melynek elkeszultet aztan egy fantasztikus csaladi vacsoraval unnepelunk meg. Kumi szerint regen volt mar igy egyutt az egesz csalad az asztal korul.

Mindenki egyutt az Ohara csaladban… no meg mi. 
Hatterben a diszitett rizspapir ajto.

12 Kobe and Osaka

We had to stay one day longer in Hiroshima than we expected because a typhoon was sweeping through the city. It was again a good day for catching up with ourselves, we cuddled up and stayed indoors. Before I started traveling I couldn't imagine that not having a home, a routine and a bed, meeting new people everyday and constantly adjusting to new environments would be so demanding. To have an extra day somewhere, empty of plans and meetings, blessed by some personal space and private time is a real treat. In other words, we didn't mind the typhoon at all.

We finally set out on a still rainy but way less windy Sunday morning and decided (we were becoming more and more experienced hitchhikers) that the best would be to take a short train ride out of the city and start waving our cardboard signs outside of city traffic. It proved to be a good plan. Two young girls picked us up after about 15 minutes of waiting. They were going to a nearby city for a weekend drive and were excited to hear our travel stories. We even gave them a short concert from the backseat, Hunor playing his jaw harp and me playing my sanshin. We had fun in the car but it was less fun to get out and start to look for another ride in the pouring rain. 

We were still 300km from our final destination. Who would want to pick up two soaking foreigners?… We were still smiling - although I have to admit it was not the most honest smile out there under the thunderbolt and the weight of my still too big backpack. After about twenty minutes even our cardboard sign melted in the heavy rain, so we gave up and looked for shelter by the closest convenience store. I thought I could give a chance to ask around and the miracle stuck like lightning after all the thunderbolt endured: the first person I asked was going in the right direction and was willing to take us. A middle-aged man driving home from Sunday golf. I asked him if it's OK to play golf in a thunderstorm and he said OK but apparently he wasn't very talkative, so even though I really wanted to know HOW, i stopped myself from asking. He dropped us off in a big parking lot with food stalls, toilets, covered shelters and a lot of people. Perfect for hitchhiking, good for escaping the rain and bearable to stay overnight if we couldn't get a ride. It was not easy. Kobe, our final destination was still about 150 km and although I kept on asking around maintaining my "hey, we are the best travel companions for sure" smile, either they were really not heading there, or they said they weren't because that was the easiest way to get rid of me. We met a lovely tour guide with a bus of elderly tourists, who offered us to give us a 100km ride on their tour bus. It was a surprisingly generous offer, but we liked the spot where we were, so we decided we were going all the way or nowhere. And our efforts were fruitful at the end. A man in his sixties picked us up and gave us a ride straight to Kobe. A retired businessman, speaking very good English. He told us he was traveling in the US in his 20s. "Then you have the kids, and you settle down. When you see the world, and move around, you extend yourself, you take a journey turning mostly to the outside. When you have kids, you learn about yourself and your parents, you re-live and face your own childhood. It is also a journey but you are turning inwards." 

I write so much in detail about our hitchhiking because it is an exciting experience indeed. Leaving the house in the morning, having just a vague plan of where and how you will end up that evening. Meeting people, hearing their stories, learning about their life, having fun, good conversation, or a nap. Riding all kinds of cars. Preparing cardboard signs. Trusting people. Letting people help you and give smiles, share dreams, laughs and positive energy in exchange. I feel this experience is reshaping my personality.

We arrived to our couch surfing host's place around 9 in the evening, had a good conversation with her and then we slept like babies dry and warm after a wet but adventurous day. 

The next morning it was raining just for a change. First we decided to explore the area around, and we soon realized we are in the funniest part of town - at least for foreigners. It is the Ijinkan district in Kitanocho. Kobe was one of the first open ports for western, especially European ships, and that turned it into a rather international port. The Ijinkan district was the district where the stylish villas of foreigners were built together with embassies and offices (or maybe the villas were later turned into embassies, I am not sure). Elegant, classy and green, on the steep hillside with a nice view on the port and the ocean. Today it is very popular among Japanese tourists, because the centenarian houses have been renovated, and they are open to the public as small museums, cafes and gift shops. Each house has a European country for a theme, there is the Belgian, the Austrian, the Dutch house and so on… And of course you can find all the cliches (and maybe more behind the scenes, we don't know, because we didn't feel the urge of paying the 1000yen entry fee to see Europe through the Japanese eye in Kobe…) So you have Belgian chocolate, Mozartkugels and wooden shoes in the respective houses. On the one hand, it is interesting to find such a mixed area in Japan, where usually the only choice as a foreigner is to adapt to the local rules and lifestyle - especially in architectural terms, since there are so many people, there is no space for extravaganza. On the other hand, as a European it was like looking at my culture with a double twist, an experience both interesting and comical. It felt like the artifical image a country creates for itself to attract tourism came to life here. I have to admit, it was a bit scary. They have a public toilet with huge mirrors and with a spacious and lavishly decorated room - for changing clothes, I found out later. Many ladies come here and change into clothes that fit these houses in their imagination (I would say European fashion 50 years ago) and then go for a photo shoot in this imaginary land. Watching them and their enthusiasm was like having dropped into a middle of a fairytale that I don't believe in. 

artistic installation at the public toilet in Ijinkan district

the changing room at the public toilet of Ijinkan district

In the afternoon we took a stroll in the harbor of Kobe, we learned about the great hanshin earthquake that stuck the region in 1995. They left a small part of the harbor untouched to give an idea of the devastation of the earthquake that hit in the early morning and demanded the life of more than 6000 people.　

I was in a gloomy mood, had enough of rain in the last few days, but Hunor was keeping up his good spirits, taking amazing photographs in the reflections of the puddles. This gave me a new perspective and a way to enjoy a city so alien on a rainy day. 

Kobe tower

just because i found it funny...

The next morning we (unusually)took a train to Osaka city, the biggest metropolis we have been in a long time. Endless lines of people and colorful signs for different trains were almost overwhelming. 

Billiken, the little guy who is supposed to bring luck to the Osakans

The only reason we were here was to meet Naoki and Kumi, our friends from Ishikawa who were here for business and were giving us a ride to Komatsu (about 300km north), our next destination, the home of our Tahitian dance and drum teacher. Surprisingly enough, as we arrived to the agreed train station and came up from the underground maze, we ran into Naoki on the street, so it wasn't hard to find them after all. We spent a day with them, visiting the colorful and spicy-smelling Korean district of Kobe and then going to work with them.

Naoki's brother has a beauty salon in town so we headed there. While Kumi was working on a patient, my hair got a generous special treatment from Naoki's brother. As he was trying to comb my hair (it's embarrassing to admit, but) to his astonishment he found a dreadlock hidden in the back of my hair... Naoki told him briefly our story of how we travel without having a home, but having screenings and concerts sometimes on the way, so he invented a new term for us: HOMELESS CELEB. He told me once he was ready with my hair, I will be fancy enough to hitchhike but turn down lousy cars and go only with those who beg me. 

Well, this day never came, but the homeless celeb expression sticked with us. We didn't even know that a chain of performances are waiting for us in Komatsu, and one day we will be stars on the stage, the next again on the road. It is like being your own guinea pig for an experiment in human behavior - you are the same, but people look at you different as soon as the circumstances change.