Yakushima Wonder & Regret

Covered in primeval rainforest, Yakushima is Japan's luscious island. I went there in mid January, the off season, which allowed me to have hiking trails to myself. But I was also blessed by unseasonably nice weather. Of the three days I was there, it only rained on one of them. Fortunately that was on my last day, and I had already taken lots of pictures on the first two days.

I thought I was being prudent by bringing my tripod. I knew that taking pictures under canopy trees would limit light even at midday. I was right, but I wasn't careful enough. While the tripod allowed me to shoot at a slower ISO and thus avoid graininess, I should have also been more careful with the aperture. Most of my pictures have short depths of field. In addition, one of the lenses I was using (35mm) I later found to be slightly off-focus (i.e., in need of repair). As a result, many of the shots are a tad fuzzy. I had thought it was preferable to use the 35mm over the VR 18-200, but this was also a lapse in judgement. When I finally starting using the VR lens towards the end of day two, I realised it was far better, not only because it was in working order, but also because the VR made a real difference when shooting in dim conditions -- a difference I couldn't fully understand until I was comparing images on my computer screen. I wish I had used the VR the whole time.

So my trip to Yakushima was one of wonder and regret. Wonder at the beauty of the island with so much to offer for the outdoor enthusiast, and regret over the disappointing pictures -- I could blame the lens issue but I'll want to do a better job regardless. Both feelings make me want to return as soon as I can.

More Yaksuhima pictures are on my gallery page at an-fi.com.









More Yaksuhima pictures are on my gallery page at an-fi.com.

Niigata Mountains

What a fabulous hike up Hiuchi-yama and Myoko-san. These are two mountains on a well-marked trail of 21 kilometres in length just north of the Nagano border in Niigata prefecture. I was blessed with great weather. The trail-head at Sasa-ga-me is at about 1300m and it was a day's climb to the summit of Hiuchi-yama at 2462m.

I camped overnight beside the Takidani-ike mountain hut at around 2100m and then climbed nearby Myoko-san at 2446m. It is hard to believe it was only a change of 350m in elevation because it was an arduous climb, taking over three hours. It was another three hours to get down the mountain. My legs were stinging and I was exhausted to the bone but I was also thrilled to have climbed my first real mountain in Japan.

Next time I climb, however, I think I should leave the D80 and VR 80-200mm lens at home, opting for something much LIGHTER instead.

See more pictures of "Niigata Mountains" are at my an-fi photo gallery.



























See more pictures of "Niigata Mountains" are at my an-fi photo gallery.

Otsu Fireworks

Otsu, a small city on the southern side of Lake Biwa and a short train ride from Kyoto, hosts one of the best hanabi matsuri (firework festivals) in the Kansai area. Despite having far less fireworks than the big Tenjimbashi festival in Osaka, the fact that they explode over open water with no tall buildings nearby means that you and the other thousands of spectators can enjoy expansive unobstructed views. This is especially good for photographers.

I arrived two hours early to get a good spot on the bank, reading a book as the sky reddened and then darkened before the fireworks began. I used a small manfrotto tripod, no taller than 30cm, propped up on the water's edge. Thankfully, the cute little girl who sat beside me didn't kick it into the water.

See more pictures of "Fireworks" at my an-fi photo gallery.







See more pictures of "Fireworks" at my an-fi photo gallery.

Tottori Sand Dunes

A large sand pile exists in western Honshu and I thought it was just the thing I needed to see to remedy a fit of wanderlust that hit me during the summer holiday break.

Measuring 16km by 2km the Tottori Sand Dunes lie just northeast of the city of Tottori on the Japan Sea coast, about three and a half hours by bus from Osaka.

I arrived in the late afternoon on a Saturday and slept in my tent at a free public campsite on the edge of the dunes. I woke up before sunrise and set out over the dunes, enjoying a a gorgeous day and a thrilling experience walking over the sand taking pictures.

See more pictures of "Tottori Sand Dunes" at my an-fi photo gallery.







See more pictures of "Tottori Sand Dunes" at my an-fi photo gallery.

Luscious Bali

Greenery. That is my lasting image of Bali after escaping from the cement fortress of Osaka and visiting this small luscious island in the Java Sea. Everywhere there was thick tropical foliage: squat banana trees, tall coconut trees, slender bamboo, rice terraces, lush creeping vegetation.

R and I avoided the touristy part of Kuta and divided our time between Ubud, a large town near the central mountains that is considered the cultural capital of Bali, and Pemuteran beach, a very secluded area in the northwestern part of the island between mountains and the Java Sea.

Balcony view in Ubud

Our hotel near Ubud, the much recommended Bali Spirit Hotel & Spa, was surrounded by jungle and overlooked a river in which local people bathed. It had a pool, spa, spacious rooms decorated with Bali artwork, and a large open-air eating area. Tropical flowers and palm trees dotted the huge hotel grounds, making the distance from the room to the any of the hotel facilities a very pleasant walking experience.

Swimming pool in Permuteran

In Pemuteran, The Aneka Bagus Hotel & Spa --where we stayed in a private villa-- was likewise huge, open-aired and dotted with flowers and foliage, with a swimming pool over-looking a rocky beach.


To be constantly surrounded by nature was a wonderful experience. There was all that greenery, but there were also other things, like the industrious ants that snaked their way along the dining area floor, moving small chunks of toast to their hole. Or the myriad of bright flowers, some of whom would fall from trees above into our paths. Or the awesome power of a thunderstorm that rattled the roof all night long. Or the expansive, multi-terraced rice fields that blanketed a hill, with its just-sown paddies reflecting the orange hues of a setting sun. Or the regal lotus flower in a pond of lilly pads in a temple surrounded by thick bamboo. Or the constant flight of birds or bats overhead whether day or night.


Our experience with Balinese people was delightful too. Coming from a society where strangers don't smile at you and greet you while walking by, it was at first embarrassing to come across welcoming smiles wherever you looked. Balinese usually followed this by a cheerful "HELLO!" while the children often added "PHOTO!" and would gleefully line up to pose. What is striking is that, away from the touristy areas, where you can mingle with local people, one could easily sense their sincerity and friendliness. Any kind of interaction was a pleasant one.




So I left Bali and returned to Osaka charmed and relaxed. It was such a short trip (only four and a half days!) but there is a long list of great memories.

More pictures are on the an-fi photo gallery page (62 images). As usual I don't pretend these are authoritative pictures of Bali. I was just a short-term tourist, these are just vacation-type pictures and most were taken within the near vicinity of my hotels.