Day Five part 1

today is the first day of my trip where i got to wander and just get lost. since i had a flight to catch, i was on a half day adventure.

omicho market -

i'm a big market person. whenever i go travel, i enjoy walking around markets. the more traditional the better. market places, traditionally are the center of the society. you get a quick glimpse of the locals, what they eat (whether its bizarre or not) and you can see how they interact with each other.

unfortunately, i went to omicho at a poor time, there weren't too many people. but i did notice, like many markets in japan, they sure sell a lot of fish & seafood!

this crab is going for $150...

this inari sushi was the size of my fist. no joke.

i wish i bought one. :(

kanazawa castle -
i was way too lazy to learn what this castle stood for. so, sorry, no exciting stories. instead i just walked around, took pictures and just soaked in the beauty and the delicacy of this castle.

the first thing i couldn't get my head around, was that this castle is white! wat the white castle?! very pretty though, reminds me of some disney fairy tale.

samurai village -

i mentioned before, kanazawa housed and trained samurais. this is the original village of where the samurais lived and trained. something i noticed... the walls on both sides weren't very tall!

it was a cute little section of town with old winding streets that weaved into a maze. it was hard to imagine that they were training ruthless killers!

samurai house -
this samurai house had a gorgeous garden. it was amazing!!!

these pictures just don't do it justice.

see the tree manipulation. :P

proof that i was there!

kanazawa was such a cute little city, not highly populated and close to the mountains. there's a ruralness to this city, which allows you to walk and live life at your own pace. it contrasted the huge, populated, bustling tokyo, where the busy streets predetermine the tempo of your steps. i've come to realize that i can live and enjoy both the big city and the suburbs.

i like the quietness of a suburban town, but i also like the fast paced, bright lights of the city. (i'd get all caught up in it. :P ) growing up in taipei, it certainly was not the suburbs and i enjoyed it. things were convenient, you were in the middle of things and the world revolved around your city. it was exciting, it was fun!
at the same time, i wouldn't mind living in the suburbs, or as this summer will prove, i'll be moving to a ranch! the quietness, the tranquility, nature. these are things i love as well.

so, does it have to be one or the other? for me, i think i'd be content in either, and be able to enjoy both life styles. so my traveling motto intersects with real life: when in big city/suburbs, do like the big citianites/suburbanites do. :P

anyways, back to my blog...
so i made it to the airport in time for my flight.

sapporo, here i come!