There aren’t a lot of people that dislike travel. The ones that do, dislike it because of the monotonous style of it: pack your bags, leave, land, sightsee, eat, sleep. But, in all the sightseeing, what do we learn?
I do believe it is a mighty task to be able to go through the entire Vatican Tour, because history is something we learn of from books, but we learn about life only through experiences. Something that isn’t taught in a school book, something we don’t learn from our parents; we only learn from people and places we have never met or seen. One such experience for me, and as fate would have it, right before coronavirus took over the world, was a zip in, zip out trip to Japan.
The land of the rising sun has seen so many ups and downs, and in my honest opinion, an example for those that wish to rise from their ashes (ref. the nuclear attacks). Vacations, for me, are relaxed, slow-paced; the getaway I need from a high-intensity work and city environment. This trip, however, was work-related, and there was no relaxing involved. Experience wise, it was the most I learned from. Japan is a land where people are smart, but yet sensibly cautious. My trip involved experiencing all that my future travelers would. Albeit, the absolute cliches of experiences, the country in just four days, taught me what my own country wouldn’t.
Before I continue boring you with my experience, keep the below in mind:
- Japan was still welcoming International Travelers in 2020
- Coronavirus Pandemic on the rise
- A ship of coronavirus patients docked in Okinawa just 2 days before our arrival
- A country filled of generally cautious people
So here goes. We land in Tokyo without any knowledge of how to reach the bullet-train for our journey to Kyoto. Fret not, the people will go out of their way to help you. I was guided by two lovely gentlemen, one after the other, on how to reach the booking office for the Japan Rail Pass. Once there, gently guided to marked boxes on the floor (by now you know what this is for). It is 7AM and freezing cold winds blowing all around us.
We head towards the rail track for our train, which is 45 minutes later. Close by, I see one of those fancy vending machines. For the life of me, I am bad with gadgets, so imagine how long it would take me to figure out how to get a coffee out of it, if not for a helpful local close-by. Thankfully, she spoke broken English 🙂
A swift one-hour journey filled with snoozing before a long day ahead, reached us to Kyoto. Taxi drivers all over the place waiting to take you to your destination. Remember, it is COVID time and no one is obliged to assist us in any way. However, much to our surprise, the hotel taxi was waiting for us, hands wide open to take all our luggage and relieve us of our travel stress. I was astounded. In India, people were literally shooing dogs away, imagine if a human came close.
Welcomed warmly and treated to some piping hot tea, our day began with our guide who not only helped us in holding our bags, but also ensured that we were well-insulated from the cold as well as well-fed to take on this journey of walking for hours and hours. While touring Kyoto, I noticed stores open around us, people chittering-chattering happily, and smiling at passers-by. I thought to myself, ‘Hey, this 4-day getaway might actually teach me something!’. It’s not often that you see strangers smiling at each other, much less during a raging pandemic. It takes heart, belief and trust in humanity, to be able to interact with one another, whether known or unknown, to help each other and to support each other.
I have never had such a fast-paced trip, never. But it didn’t hinder me for the slightest this time, and I reckon it has to do with our hospitable guide and how warm the people around were. When one travels in the midst of a pandemic, one doesn’t expect support or assistance. If anything, we expect to be isolated. This warmth had me fall in love with the country and its people. I did learn my true favorite Japanese word ‘Arigato-Goszaimasu’ – which means thank you for what you have given me. And what Japan gave me was belief in humanity, some time to reflect and realize that it is the people that make a place, not the food, not the economy and certainly not its sightseeing spots (A small part of me says, when I saw Mount Fuji, my breath was taken away from me).
Enter Tokyo, two days after our arrival, back to the pavilion. Bustling with lights, people, traffic, shopping, bullet trains buzzing and the metros whistling away in the biting cold. I do believe strongly now, that I like beaches more than the snowy mountains. At least your teeth do not chatter non-stop. The first thing we did was, run to Uniqlo, because three ladies on a trip means there has to be some shopping involved.
I loaded up on thermals and a weird poncho-style overall (please bear in mind, I am the kind that lives in V-necks and shorts). Our colleague and counterpart, Xiaohu, a gem of a man, the sweetest I have ever met, was shocked by the number of bags we walked out of the store with. Nonetheless, he was more than happy to hold each one and walk us around.
I have recently turned vegetarian, after being guilted by watching animal abuse videos. This man, despite his own comfort of pork ramen, made sure we went through so many lanes and traffic to get to a restaurant that serves the best vegan ramen in the city.
As Robert Rosen always said, ‘Self-reflection entails asking yourself questions about your values, assessing your strengths and failures, thinking about your perceptions and interactions with others, and imagining where you want to take your life in the future’.
The next day, braving the cold, we experienced a visit to Hakone, at the foot of Mount Fuji. A boat ride on Lake Ashi and a cable car ride up to Owakudani, we felt like royalty. Barely other travelers, and the staff had no trouble assisting us all the way. A good meal and we were driving back to the station. Evening brought us to Ginza and Harajuku for an evening of fun, lights and shopping.
The next, right before the day we left, was the highlight of my entire trip. As a lover of lights and believer in vibes, I was pining to tick teamLab off my bucket-list. And so, I did. Surreal, ethereal, magical, intense, and thought-provoking – teamLab borderless, a collaboration of artists, designers and creators, is a haven of lights, technology and experiences. Art is something that makes you think, speculate, retrospect & consider. This immersive art experience is another realm. Imagine you are Bilbo, and you have just been introduced to Rivendell. Mesmerizing, magical, inspiring, calming.
Their lamp room was my most exciting experience. A room full of lamps hanging at different lengths, changing colors from warm to cool, a floor of mirrors, because what enhances lights, other than more lighting?!
I walk around this establishment, wondering how powerful collaboration is. When two people’s ideas mix together to create something beautiful, something lasting. Togetherness is what brings joy, success and innovation in this world. Once again, teamLab is a heavily frequented spot by tourists. There was no hassle in how the waiting lines and visitors were managed by the staff. Warmly, patiently and cautiously. Every facet of this country has caused me to believe in humanity much more than I usually do. There is a sort of motivation, a hope in almost every individual I met here; hope for a better day, a smile on their faces in the coldest of times too.
The next morning was our farewell to this lovely country, and its wonderful people. In any other country, I would be dying to leave as soon as I would have arrived (once again ref. COVID), but this was one place I did not want to leave. It has my heart. And I will go back again. To experience fully what it is to be around Japanese culture in all its glory.
A reflection into what our past teaches us, what our experiences bring us, and a thought about how we will apply it to our future, is one that we all need. This pandemic, wishing ill upon us, also brought in a boatload of time for us to reflect, retrospect and wonder about what really matters. Yes, the monthly income helps us survive, but think; what makes you live?
Like they say, we are all a sum of our experiences; make yours count!
Written By Anisha Masand
Week 41, October ’20
