Tokyo Tower, Minato, 20191031
One year ago I was on holiday in Nippon. These are some photo's of exactly one year ago.
This was my second time in Japan. My first time was in 2001 and I was 23 at the time. I had just enough money for the hotel and to buy some food. That was the way I traveled at the time, as a student. Japan was my dream destination. I stayed in the cheapest hotel in Minami-Senju, not far from Ueno. I didn't have a plan. I had an arrival date and a departure date. Everything in between was one big adventure. No preparation, 100% improv. Everything can be found on internet now, that wasn't available back then. You had travel books but what do they know? So you just went out and discover shit yourself. Believe me, I was lost all the time. I didn't care because everything was interesting, everything was a story, everything had to be explored. Not everything was in English back then, it wasn't as tourist friendly like it is now. You had to figure shit out yourself. I wouldn't say it was the purest shit ever but it was pure traveling for me. As far as that is possible in a world class city. I discovered new music, I discovered new brands, all kinds of shit I've never seen before. That trip was one of my best ever because I opened up and I was fed.
My 2019 Japan trip was also one of my best. But it is different now. Everything is on the internet and on your mobile now. You know where you are, where you are going, when you are going. You are never lost. Because of this and the globalisation of the 18 year in between 2001 and 2019 you are not discovering as much new stuff. Lots of Japanese things are available in NL now. It much less of an adventure. There is nothing you have to figure out. It is done, some mf-er did it for you and put in online. For this trip, which was all planned out, you know what you're going to see and do. And while you see and do it, you enjoy it. That is what it is now.
I'll have to find a new way of traveling so that I can explore and have my own new pure adventures. I still have time to figure this out because the covid nightmare isn't over yet.
The official covid soundtrack is Hendrix's Voodoo Child:
I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to you one of these days
Tokyo Tower, Minato, 20191031
One year ago I was on holiday in Nippon. These are some photo's of exactly one year ago.
This was my second time in Japan. My first time was in 2001 and I was 23 at the time. I had just enough money for the hotel and to buy some food. That was the way I traveled at the time, as a student. Japan was my dream destination. I stayed in the cheapest hotel in Minami-Senju, not far from Ueno. I didn't have a plan. I had an arrival date and a departure date. Everything in between was one big adventure. No preparation, 100% improv. Everything can be found on internet now, that wasn't available back then. You had travel books but what do they know? So you just went out and discover shit yourself. Believe me, I was lost all the time. I didn't care because everything was interesting, everything was a story, everything had to be explored. Not everything was in English back then, it wasn't as tourist friendly like it is now. You had to figure shit out yourself. I wouldn't say it was the purest shit ever but it was pure traveling for me. As far as that is possible in a world class city. I discovered new music, I discovered new brands, all kinds of shit I've never seen before. That trip was one of my best ever because I opened up and I was fed.
My 2019 Japan trip was also one of my best. But it is different now. Everything is on the internet and on your mobile now. You know where you are, where you are going, when you are going. You are never lost. Because of this and the globalisation of the 18 year in between 2001 and 2019 you are not discovering as much new stuff. Lots of Japanese things are available in NL now. It much less of an adventure. There is nothing you have to figure out. It is done, some mf-er did it for you and put in online. For this trip, which was all planned out, you know what you're going to see and do. And while you see and do it, you enjoy it. That is what it is now.
I'll have to find a new way of traveling so that I can explore and have my own new pure adventures. I still have time to figure this out because the covid nightmare isn't over yet.
The official covid soundtrack is Hendrix's Voodoo Child:
I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to you one of these days