Fidibus, Shiogama Shrine, Takamatsu, Japan

Kuhbert Posted Jul 1, 2012, 7:07 pm	Huhu, I´m Fidibus and I´m still at home and ready for a big journey! Yours, Fidibus
Kuhbert Posted Jul 4, 2012, 5:23 pm	Hello everybody, today my voyage started, and now I´m on the way to miami. I hope that I will arrive healthy that I can get a step closer to the goal of my mission to visit all continents. Fidibus
tarepanda Posted Aug 12, 2012, 4:48 am	My trip takes a long, long time to arrive.  Somehow along the way, my package was torn open, so I have to stop in a post office rest stop to get it repaired, before I continue my journey.  I hear some noises.  Have I arrived? Hey someone is pulling my tail!!  Help!! My new friends tell me not to worry, they will help me get out.  I sure hope so! Help!  I think my tail is going to come off!  And is someone stepping on my head?  He said he is helping to push me out.  I wonder if it feels like this to come out of my mommy's belly? Phew I am free!  I am very grateful to my new friends, sweetie, Big Foot, Genoveva, (both rats are from Germany!) Mocha the moose and Orange the fish. My friends realize how tired and hungry I am, so to cheer me up, Genoveva takes out some German candies to celebrate.  I am so happy I have arrived safely, and very moved to receive such a warm welcome.  Hmm, where is the beer?
tarepanda Posted Oct 16, 2012, 11:16 pm	Today the weather is very nice so we go to the park.  It will be the first time I get to see how South Florida looks like! I see people running and exercising. The palm trees are very beautiful here. There is a dog park where people can unleash their dogs and let them run around inside the fenced area. Hello, are you having a great time like me? We find this little palm tree. Look there are some palm nuts. We catch a glimpse of the ocean. I spy a bridge.  Where does it go? It is a vista point for the bay. The bay connects to the Atlantic.  You can see all the boats anchored there. These are the mangrove tree.  They are very important, ecologically.The roots hold on to the soil, and slowly increases landmass. It also acts as barrier to protect against hurricanes.  Now people know about its importance they no longer cut them down. Wow looks like the wind is really strong here. We find a gym playground. Let's get fit! Phew we are tired.  Let's sit down for a rest.
tarepanda Posted Oct 19, 2012, 9:25 pm	Today we go grocery shopping! Wow look at all the candies and drinks!  Hmm, hopefully I will not gain weight and look like an American now I am living here? Look at the colorful salt water taffy!  This candy originated in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  David Bradley's candy shop was flooded during a major storm in 1883, and his entire stock of taffy was soaked with salty Atlantic Ocean water. When a young girl came into his shop asking for taffy candy, he joked that he has some "salt water taffy." But the girl and her friends liked it, and a new candy was born.  Today, Bradley's shop is still on Atlantic City boardwalk.  Hey look what I found! And a Mozart chocolate bar! A rainbow of Jelly Bellies! Okay okay let's look for something healthier.  How about some nuts? You can get freshly ground peanut butter and almond butter, which tastes a lot better than the ones in jar. Coffee, anyone? And cheese? We found some Champignon German Brie among all the French stuff! And Cambozola among the blues.  Yay! Look at all the big chucks of Parmigiana Reggiano!  Hmm we better get out of here, my friend Big Foot is drooling all over the place, and you can never trust a rat with so many cheeses... Don't forget a nice loaf of bread to go with the cheeses. We get some olives at the olive bar. This is the spice rack where we can get some spices. Let's pick a bottle of wine. Here's a guy doing a tasting.  Sadly we don't have our IDs so he won't give us a glass. Hmmm maybe we should go for a good beer instead?  Either way sounds like a delicious dinner tonight!
tarepanda Posted Oct 21, 2012, 4:16 am	Yay today we are visiting the beach!  The very famous Miami Beach! We pass by the W Hotel.  Look who we see? Hello Kitty.  But why is she crying a bucket of tears? Hello Miffy! And My Melody. We continue on to the broadwalk. Someone is making jewelry to sell. Look look, Mommy and Daddy! I am on the beach now.  It's a beautiful beach. What a lovely day it is. I am at the Atlantic Ocean now.  On the other end is Europe.  I am missing home a bit! Looks like someone is trying to build a sand castle.  Let's offer some help. Hmmm, life is good. The sun is a bit strong. I think this cabana is perfect.
tarepanda Posted Oct 23, 2012, 2:09 am	After such nice sunny days it has gotten rainy. We watch the news.  A hurricane is coming!! Looks like it may be heading to Florida.  The storm has caused a lot of damage and death in Haiti already.  It's rather scary. Weather in the island of Key West, the southernmost part of Florida, looks rather bad as the reporter shows us. Our host family decides to put up the shutters.  We give them our help.  The metal shutters prevent projectiles by the wine from breaking the windows and causing major damage to the house.  Many houses are installed with shutters or if they don't people nail up wooden boards, which are not as strong but cheaper. Besides the shutters, we also need to buy extra water and food, in case the water supply gets contaminated or the electricity is down. After we put up the shutters the weather calms a bit.  It's not that the hurricane is over, but the bad weather comes in bands.  We decide to go around the neighborhood for a look.  See how windy it is? This house looks prepared! This one too. Looks like this owner takes a break while installing the garage shutters.  Look, this little wind wheel here is going crazy! Even though there is no rain the wind is rather strong.  We better head home before it gets bad. I hope we are safe and the hurricane will pass soon.
tarepanda Posted Oct 23, 2012, 3:17 am	Yay the hurricane has passed and the sun is out again.  Let's enjoy the sun and go outdoors.  We decide to visit the Botanical Garden. They have a variety of trees. Hmm what is that hanging from the tree?  Looks like some weird fruit.  Oh, it's some glass decoration! They have a Japanese garden inside.  I feel like I am in Japan. This gazebo is very nice to rest in. What a weird looking little tree. We better stay away from these spiky ones. This looks pretty. This one looks like a bad hair cut. Hi little gecko how are you doing? Look at this statue in the pond!  It gets big feet!! Yup, sure bigger than mine!
tarepanda Posted Oct 31, 2012, 3:01 pm	Today we decide to make some laksa noodle.  I've never tried it before! First we help clean the bean sprout and trim the tails off. It is quite a bit of work but makes it taste better. We cut up some chick'n - that is vegetarian chicken.  Usually a laska noodle has shrimp and other ingredients too, but we are just making it simple with whatever we have on hand. Meanwhile, we cook the noodles.  It's some white rice noodle we bought at a Vietnamese grocery store and comes in little bundle tied with a bamboo straw.  We fried some garlic slices and set it aside. Now we cook the onion with some curry paste. Then add the chick'n in. We add the broth, as well as other seasonings. It's almost ready!  We put the noodle and bean sprout into a bowl. Now add the onion, chick'n and broth.  Sprinkle the garlic on top. Mmm mmm, it looks delicious!  And sure tastes so too!
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 4:07 pm	Today we go to Miami Beach.  This is a very nice hotel called Fontainebleau.  Opened in 1954, it is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach.  It has also appeared in many movies and tv shows. This is the Chateau Lobby. Let's get a drink and see if we can spot some celebrity! Our host comes today to visit the spa.  With 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) it is a very nice spa and we get a special promotion coupon.   After a good massage we decide to visit the pools. Lots of people are enjoying the sun. Hmmm this is very comfy!  I am feeling sleepy! This round bed looks fun. How about this one with TV?  We can order some drink and while we wait for our movie star friends!  Oh here is the kiddie pool with a slide. We have a good time swimming in the pool. After the sun and some good exercise, we feel a bit hungry.  There are some restaurants in the hotel, but they are all very fancy. The Chinese restaurant has a US$195 Peking Duck. The pasta dish in this Italian restaurant is among the best! However, as it's a warm beautiful day we decide for something casual and cold.  Our host suggests we try some ceviche. Ceviche is a seafood dish made from fresh raw fish marinated in lemon or lime juice, and seasoned with chili peppers, onions, salt, and coriander. It is popular in the coastal regions of the  Central and South America but is believed to have originated in Peru. This place has won some award as Best Ceviche in town! Let's check what they have. We can see the chefs prepare our food. Here is our food!  Octopus taco and fish taco with some tortilla corn chips.  Yummy!
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 5:04 pm	Today we have a new visitor! His name is Micky, a little mouse from Germany.  Genoveva and Big Foot are happy to have a baby cousin, and  I too very much enjoy the German chocolate Micky brings along.
tarepanda Posted Dec 27, 2012, 5:13 pm	We decide to take our new friend to try some Chinese food, because, he he, we start to have some cravings after our wonderful trip. We have some hand made noodles with beef, and a steamed bun. For dessert there is some sweet bean pancakes, and some sweet tofu pudding. I have to say it's not as good as the food in China.  Ah, guess we have to make a trip back!
tarepanda Posted Dec 28, 2012, 3:44 am	Today another box arrives!!  Hmmm, what is it?  Hello?  Anybody there? Oh my gosh, it's another rodent?  Hey we are having an infestation here!!  No, just kidding... all TVs are welcome, though I do wish we have more giraffes visiting... His name is Mozart, after the famous composer.  But he is not from Austria.  He is from Russia.  I like him already because he is a very friendly guy and brings us lots of candies!
tarepanda Posted Dec 28, 2012, 4:51 pm	Our host bought this by mistake last week when she shopped for some beets.  We did not know what it is, but we helped her figure out that it is a rutabaga.  We decide to make a soup out of it. First we cut it up into pieces. We also cut some potatoes and carrots. We brown some onion in the pot. When it's ready we put the root vegetables in as well.  We throw in some herbs, bay leaves and pepper and some water. Now it's time to put everything in the blender. We put the puree back into the pot, add a bit of wine, salt and pepper to taste. Let's a final touch, of scallion and shredded asiago.  Doesn't it look good?  It's very delicious!
tarepanda Posted Jan 3, 2013, 4:10 am	Today we are going to Tampa, which is on the west coast of Florida, to visit our host's friend.  We get onto the turnpike. See the bridge up there?  It's the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Look, the water in the gulf is so beautiful! You can see the old bridge.  Part of it is still around and used as a  fishing pier. When we arrive... we are feeling a bit hungry.  I wonder what we are having for lunch? It's a Korean restaurant.  The decor looks very interesting. We first enjoy some hot tea. Or maybe we should order some Korean wine?  It is similar to Japanese sake. At a Korean meal, there are many small dishes called banchan.  Kimchee is the most famous type, but there are others made with steamed, marinated or stir-fried vegetables, anchovies and more.  Some are spicy but some are not. We have some soup and a spicy noodle.  It's so delicious!
tarepanda Posted Jan 4, 2013, 4:42 am	I will be leaving Florida soon.  I decide that I want to try some local food.  So we go to this restaurant. The restaurant is called Cracklin Jack and says A Taste of the Everglades.  The everglades is a wetland in South Florida, near where this restaurant is.  It looks like a swamp, or a grass prairie, but is actually a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long.  How slow does it move?  It travels about half a mile (0.8 km) a day!  I can walk faster than that!!  The Everglades has been inhabited by Native Indians since over 15,000 years ago and today is still home to some Indian tribes.  On the wall they have pictures from old newspapers. They have frog legs, catfish and gator tails!  Our host tells us that there are a lot of alligators in the Everglades, one time she went cycling and saw 47 of them on a 15 mile trail!  Hmmm... I was thinking of visiting the Everglades but now I change my mind.  Here are more traditional Southern dishes: sweet potatoes, fried okra, fried green tomatoes.  In the south, they like fried food a lot, and a common meal will be fried chicken or fried catfish.  They are also famous for their barbeque as well.  Real barbeque is different from grilling.  The meat is put into a pit with low heat and smoke, and cooked for many hours.  Here it is!  Fried catfish! BBQ ribs with baked beans. As we head home, we pass through the Everglades.  We are now in the Indian reservation area.
tarepanda Posted Jan 6, 2013, 4:23 am	It has been a lot of fun, but sadly it's time to say goodbye to my dear friends.  My host tells me that she is taking me somewhere special for a farewell party.  I wonder what it is? Gosh it's a restaurant named Giraffe? There is a pair of giraffes on the door!  I wonder what kind of restaurant it is?  I am sure they don't eat giraffes here right?  Right??? Ha ha I happily find out that there is no giraffe steaks.  Just regular Brazilian style burgers and steaks.  We place our order and find a table.  I love all the giraffes on the wall! We are number 73.  We first get our drinks and the cheese bread, which are round little balls. This is the quinoa salad.  It's delicious! There is also steak.  Like many South American cuisines, the meat comes with black bean and rice.  There is the chimichurri sauce, made from parsley and garlic, for dipping the steak in. My friends and I have a good dinner together.  It's sad leaving them, but we all feel excited that I will be travelling to Japan.  A few of my friends have visited Japan before so they give me some useful tip, like saying "Hajimemashite.  Watashi wa Fidibus desu. O sewa ni narimashide, dozo yoroshiku o nengaishimasu!" to my new host.  I hope I can remember all that! We promise to stay in touch.  Hopefully one day I get to see my friends again.
hanachan Posted Jan 31, 2013, 2:30 am	Happy New Year! - Akemashite Omedetou! Osechi Ryouri & Ozouni Hi The new year day in Japan is very calm. Family people meet together at their parents' house to celebrate the New Year, wishing for the future health of everyone. The first meal in the new day is Osechi Ryouri and Ozouni. The New Year's food arranged in the lacquer boxes and special soup with rice cakes, vegetables, etc.
hanachan Posted Jan 31, 2013, 2:36 am	Melon Pan - a type of sweet bun from Japan In Japan, western food is often developed and changed in its own way by fusing with Japanese original culture. It's interesting. What do you think? P.S. Oh, I know I always eat...
hanachan Posted Jan 31, 2013, 2:47 am	Yashima Shrine This shrine was built in 1651 by Matsudaira Yorishige, the first Feudal Load of Takamatsu. It was the place where to worship his grandfather Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. When we visit the shrine, first we wash hands. An old tap is often decorated everywhere in the world. In Japan lots of shrine and temples have "Doragons" like this. Then I went up to the long steps of stone and looked back... wow!
hanachan Posted Mar 14, 2013, 10:56 pm	Ogijima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea. It is next to Megijima, a few kilometers from Takamatsu port. It's a very small island just 4km around, about 150 people lives. Today we go to the island by ferry boat.  But... The weather in the island suddenly turned to bad. We reached the lighthouse in the stormy rain This is the northernmost tip of Takamatsu city. haha... terrible trip
hanachan Posted Apr 14, 2013, 10:02 am	Kobe is the 5th-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo prefecture. We changed a train at Okayama station. Here the Shinkansen Express "Sakura" is coming. It's hard to take pictures of them, because they come quickly and stop just a few minutes After 45 minutes, we reached Kobe. The weather was a little bad From the window of Marine Liner train Our train is running across the Seto Ohashi Bridge over the Inland Sea. If it were sunny day, we could see a beautiful scenery. Sakura, the Shinkansen Express train Sakura N700 Series Shinkansen In central Kobe city The tall building behind us is Kobe City Hall. We found cherry blossoms bloom  Port of Kobe From the center of the city we walked to the port of Kobe. That red tower is very famous as the Kobe landmark. The Former Foreign Settlement The modern-era western style buildings remain standing in the new city. China Town Nankin-machi Nankin-machi is a compact chinatown in central Kobe, one of the three Chinatowns in Japan. (others are in Nagasaki and Yokohama) This area was developed by Chinese merchants who settled near Kobe Port after the port was opened to foreign trade in 1868.
hanachan Posted Apr 20, 2013, 6:35 am	The weather is a little bad also in Takamatsu, but it's warm. Sakura cherry blossoms start to bloom. Walking around my host hanachan's house, we can see many Sakura trees beside the streets. Soon they are in full bloom.
hanachan Posted Apr 20, 2013, 6:40 am	This is Ritsurin Garden, a typical Japanese garden. It is located in the center of the city, among the modern buildings. Stepping inside it is like slipping into another world and another time. For 228 years long since 1642, the Matsudaira family, the feudal lord of Takamatsu owned and maintained the garden. Today the garden is open to public. What a wonderful world! more about Ritsurin Garden
hanachan Posted Apr 20, 2013, 6:45 am	Sakura is full blooming This is a small Shinto shrine near hanachan's house. The sky is blue. It's a beautiful day.

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