The Journey Home

The beer vending machine in the train station as I leave Chichibu.

Had to catch the 5:05 in the morning train in order to get to Narita in time for my flight. I did it! The Kakizakai family were there in their sleepiness to see me off.

Singapore

I arranged for a one night stopover in Singapore on my way back to Australia. I reserved a room at the Madras Hotel in Little India. From the Little India Metro station, it was only a four block walk through the drizzle to the hotel. The room was clean and spacious.




It was evening when I got there and after a short rest, I went to a small restaurant close by. There were fancier places but I just wanted simple fare. The Chennai Arya was full of Indians eating meals with their hands. I ordered a Masala Dosa and a fresh coconut. When I finished that, I ordered a couple chapatis and a lassi. I gave up half way through the dosa and resorted to my fork and spoon. As you probably know, you only use your right hand to eat and I haven't mastered the technique well enough to move the food from plate to mouth in a timely manner.






With my meals, I got to watch a Bollywood music video. Great fun. I managed to gorge myself on only $6.00 and it was a great digestive as well!









A Good Night's Sleep
Returning to my hotel room, I got ready for a good sleep. Hmmmm, there was a disco close by. In fact, it sounded like it was right outside my window. Sometime after midnight, I gave up trying to sleep with the constant drum tracks rolling through my room and went downstairs to the reception. "It is only on weekends." It was going to go 'til 4 in the morning! Fortunately, there was a vacant room on the ground floor with a more muffled version of the rage mixed in with the sounds of a night lobby in a hotel that rents some rooms by the hour.

I woke late. I was somehow rested and after packing, I stashed my luggage in the lobby and went for a brunch at the same restaurant. Delicious!

I had a day to wander before my flight and I chose to just hang close by. Up a nearby street, I found this beautiful mosque.











Across a main road was a structure that intrigued me. When I wandered into the interior up some stairs, there was still a paint smell. I discovered that it is the La Salle College of the Arts. A building directory listed a wide variety from multi media labs to dance theatre. It was a Sunday with no one around, so, I went up into an interior space and blew on my flute. Great fun! I have posted more photos on my flickr site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_kundan
































Later in the afternoon, I prepared for my upcoming economy class flight with a Thai massage. Only $25.00 for a half hour and it was a great massage. She offered an extra few minutes for another $50.00 but I decided to maintain my relaxed state.

Finishing the Journey!

An overnight flight brought me back to Oz. As the plane was landing, I started to feel the effects of my most recent Indian meal... Somehow, my body cooperated with my deep heartfelt wishes and we landed without incident.

Here are photos from the front veranda of my present residence. The photo on the left shows the Byron Lighthouse. (Actually, the photos should be positioned opposite but this blogging software is not so easy for arranging photos.) It's a beautiful view and I'm happy to be back to it.

Farewell Japan

My Last Week In Japan

Winter had set in and I was using all my layers as I approached my leaving date. I was ready to return to Oz. I just wished that I could take my teacher with me.




The EcoProducts Expo



Eight days before my departure, Kirsty and I ventured forth early in the morning on our way to an area on the Tokyo bay for the EcoProducts Expo. The expo was happening at the Tokyo Big Sight on Tokyo Bay. In it's ninth year, they were expecting more than the previous attendance of 140,000 people. The expo had begun with mostly trade attendance but now has a large general public including many school children. Kirsty had arranged for us to join an English language tour and we ended up with our own translator for a while. There are more photos at my flickr site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_kundan

The Concert

The other big event of the day was a performance of our teacher Kakisakai-senei that evening in Tokyo. The piece was November Steps. Shakuhachi and Biwa with a symphony orchestra. Kirsty managed to sneak the following photos with her large lens camera from our balcony seats. I have borrowed the photos from her site.

For a very well written detailed description of the concert, I am including Kirsty's shak blog url. Her blogs are very enjoyable and her photos are excellent.

http://kirstykomuso.blogspot.com/2007/12/kakizakai-senseis-november-steps.html



An interesting aspect of the piece is that the orchestra is arranged as two mirrored halves.

My teacher wailin'.















The Biwa.

Played in a percussive way.
A dramatic compliment to the shakuhachi.













The concert was followed in true Tokyo tradition by a small group of us students going to one of the little drinks and snacks places under the railway tracks that you find around Tokyo. Knee to knee and bum to bum around a narrow table with beer and sake and various skewered grilled meats and fish and veggies. Flapping plastic panels to keep out the rain. Shouting to be heard. A father and his son getting drunk together at one end of our table and using their fairly good english on us. A memorable experience that will remain unique in my memory and it's occurance.




A Morning of Temples.
A few days before my departure, Megumi took time one morning to show Kirsty and myself around a couple of the outlying temples. A rainy winter's day. No other visitors. Very pleasant.

Below is the 500 year old tree at one of the temples.

















































A raindrop bejeweled tree.

















My two companions.


































My farewell dinner the night before I departed.


Kaoru showing the soba noodles that he made. Besides being a great player and teacher of the shakuhachi, he is a master noodle maker! Take my word for it.



















My teacher in a serious moment.






That's Kaoru's mom on the right. She made the delicious tempura you see and I ate.











By Special Request
I surprised my teacher a few days earlier by asking if as a farewell present he and Megumi could play a duet at the dinner. I'm happy to say that they played a beautiful piece for us.

A different perspective on the duet.
















A 1.6 shak. Shorter than normal because of the range of the usual Koto.




































Two shots to for a better view of the Koto and Megumi's playing.
Notice Megumi setting up the movable bridges. Different placement for different pieces.
































As I say goodbye to my Chichibu-

Tokyo Repels the Invading Horde

Kundan slips through enemy lines disguised as a Kangadeer.

It all started when Kakisakai sensei reminded me that he was going to Vietnam for eight days to perform with a symphony orchestra in Hanoi. I started searching for possible trips to take during this hiatus in lessons. The prefered island paradise was out of my range money wise. I started looking for accommodation in Kyoto to find that I had left it too late. It was Kirsty's Time Out Tokyo guide that set me on the idea of spending a few days in Tokyo. It listed all kinds places that I didn't know about including about twenty jazz clubs. There was also a listing for a hotel that was very cheap. $27.00 a night. I wasn't expecting much but, being Japan, I knew that it would be clean.

So, the plan was to arrive midday in Tokyo on Thursday. Go to the National Noh Theatre and get a ticket for friday's performance, then, hit a jazz club on Thursday night after checking into my hotel. Friday, I would go to Kamakura an hour from Tokyo and be back in time for the Noh performance. Returning Saturday.

Here's what happened.

Got up Thursday and finished packing. Peeled the second half of a nashi. The nashi pears here are so big that I can only eat one in a sitting. I am the kind of wierdo that looks askance at someone who is peeling a carrot and, yet, I have found that the nashi peel detracts to too great an extent from the joy of this fruit. I section and peel. Then, sitting comfortably, I lose myself the rapture of biting into the succulent flesh of the ripe nashi.

After rinsing my plate and fork, I looked at my watch... I looked at my watch!!! Ten minutes til the express train leaves the station and they only run once an hour. I slip on my daypack and grab my new sports bag as I run for the door. The bag is slapped onto the rack of the bicycle to slouch with the bungy strap whipped across. I peddle at top speed. Halfway there, I make a turn and the bag slips to drag along the concrete. Quick grab and toss on the back. One hundred metres and I have to stop again. Slip the shoulder strap over the head and I'm off. The bag slides around to bang against my thigh as I peddle madly. I will not be stopped! There is a space in the bicycle parking area! Lock the bike and sort of run the fifty metres to the station office. With my last gasps, "Red Arrow, Ikebukuro". I have two minutes left on the clock as I stumble onto the train.

The ride in was the usual pleasantness after they removed the oxygen mask.

My already well thumbed and marked copy of the guide headed me in the direction of "the best natural foods restaurant in Tokyo". I have already mentioned that you cannot find a place by its address because they are not street addresses. The guide got me headed in the right direction and then I asked along the way. After ten minutes, I asked a postman. He said, "Closed". Yes, that's what he said. I don't know if he meant closed closed or just for the day. I returned to the station and rode for five minutes to search for the next on my list. At the exit, I asked for a police box as they usually can send you in the correct way. Two blocks to the police box. A few minutes search on his maps and I'm off. First turn on the right and, then, just two blocks took me to the restaurant just twenty metres from the station exit where I began.

Lunch was vegan and a delicious little meal. Note the word "little". Kundan is not really a "little" meal eater. Well, the day was moving along and my next stop was the National Noh Theatre. That was much easier to find and after being directed around to the correct entrance at the front, I was helped by a young woman who spoke very quickly with an accent that left not a word understood by yours truly. Usually, I can get the gist if I know what the sentence is about. Fortunately, there was a computer with seating charts and it became clear the Friday and Saturday were sold out with only two seats left on that very night. I put my money down and worried when she spoke a sentence with "cancelled" in it. I crossed my self and went on my way.

It was only half and hour by trains and a ten minute walk to the hotel. I won't bore you with almost not getting a room because I had left my passport in Chichibu. I eventually was shown around and sent to my cell through the billowing cigarette smoke in the hallways. Rather than the short rest, I dropped off what I would not need and headed back out into the fresh air arriving an hour early to wander around Sendagaya taking photos of interesting buildings that it eventuated were not photogenic when they passed through my camera.

About Noh. Photo taking was not allowed, so, here's the website. Check out the stage.

http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html

I must admit that the music was what I loved about Noh. The first hour began with musicians playing traditional instruments. Two very strange pieces that were totally enchanting. There was a koto, a small horizontal flute and kind of mouth organ that looked to be made of a clump of various lengths of bamboo. The second piece include a biwa (a large lute used as a percussion instrument).

What followed was a two person Kyogen play. More folksy and very funny. About a servant who is entrusted with preparing some chestnuts for a banquet.

The Noh story was very simple and as I said it was the music that I enjoyed the most. A chorus of six sang much of the dialogue and the narrative. The were two hand drums and a flute. Each seat in the theatre has a small screen with a modern Japanese or English translation of what is being said onstage.

A satisfied Kundan left the theatre and walking in the direction of the train, noticed a placard for a Japanese restaurant down some stairs. I followed my instincts and stomach. The meal was so good that I got no photo. (It has been observed that when good food is placed in front of Kundan the rest of the world disappears.) It was not until I was waiting for desert that I thought what a great photo op I had missed.

But, the green tea cake and soba (buckwheat) ice cream made it into my camera for you.

A more satisfied Kundan made his way back into the night streets.






Off To Kamakura

I was up the next morning and on my way to Kamakura. A town in some hill near the sea less than an hour from Tokyo. It has some beautiful Zen temples. One being the oldest Zen temple in Japan. First stop was to be an Indian restaurant. I arrived in Kamakura to discover that it was a national holiday and guess where half of Tokyo decided to go for the day. Add to that, the restaurant had been replaced by some upmarket Italian place. A couple rice triangles and a cup of miso soup on the street and I backtracked to Kita=Kamakura where my favourite temple existed.

Before the temple, I went looking for a coffee shop away from the crowds. I found this tiny little place that could maybe hold eight people max.









Here's a guy I call him the 'Buddha customer'. Not only for the way he looked but because he spoke English and shared his sandwiches with me.







Engakuji
It's actually a complex of fifteen temples. You could go into the grounds of a few but mostly it was just wandering around the paths.

There is a Kyudo dojo where I played almost thirty years ago with my friend Asanga. We would return there in the early nineties a couple more times. It's small and beautiful. Only two people shooting at a time.















An Autumn temple gate.












Pond in Engakuji.




As much as I loved Engakuji, there were a lot of people around and, so, I walked up the street and headed up a side street that led up to some houses high on the hill. I figured that there would be a spot up there where I could be away from the people and blow on my flute.

Near the top of the hill the houses finished and a path took over. I found myself just behind a couple on their way I know not where. I hope it was pleasurable. They turned left and I continued straight up. Yes, up and through a woods of short trees and tall thin bamboo that crowded the narrow path. It was perhaps a half an hour before I came to a place where I was on a ridge with a path that led down to the other side of the hill. I emerged into a small valley of homes and winding streets. I found some steps that wound down maybe fifty in all. I took a break, unpacked my flute and let the neighbours wonder what the strange sounds were in their quiet afternoon.

Packing up I wanders down through the valley til I turned the corner of a house to find a cafe. The walls were covered with various musical instruments. The owner looked to be an old hippie. He was a friendly soul. He was giving an okareena concert as I left. I signed his guest book promising to play a piece for him when I return. My first perfomance commitment! UH, OH!!!


On my way back to Tokyo, I just could not find the effort to go sit in a smokey jazz club. I had a delicious Indian meal instead and wandered around Shibuya. The in place for the youth to hang. It was fun and when I got back to the hotel, the smoke was markedly less than the night before. I got a good night's sleep after watching a half hour of a Japanese telemovie set shortly after the war. A young boy is taken by his aunt from his poor single mother to live in a country town with his kindly grandmother. I didn't need to understand the dialogue. A bit of candy for sweet dreams.

Watch out Japan! Kundan's back!

I stepped onto the plane bound for Japan with some trepidation. "What am I going to put in my blog?"

Had I used up Japan? Or, at least, that part that I am playing in Japan. More photos of my shakuhachi, kyudo or hiking trails?

Yes, there would be the photos of the Japanese autumn, but, what new, unexpected?

So,here I am, four weeks later and I have managed to include a few photos with my many words. I hope you enjoy my ramblings.

This image is explained at the end of this posting.



The Rest of California

My last few weeks in California, I stayed with my sister Mary in Chico. Fifteen minutes drive from Chico and you're in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was the end of summer and the foothills were very brown. The first few days the sky over Chico was clouded with the smoke of forest fires. The canyons have some interesting rock formations, but, I didn't have my camera with me when we made that drive.

A beautiful park goes right through the centre of Chico. A creek and walking/biking trails. Mary and I went for relaxed walks quite a few mornings there. Mary moved to Chico from San Luis Obispo just the last year and has already settled in with good friends and her local quilting guild. That's her passion. It's wonderful to behold some of her compositions.

Lilly meets Uncle Kundan

I actually went to LA a few days before the flight to Japan. I wanted to spend more than an overnight with my nephew Paul, his wife Libby and seven year old daughter Lilly. Last time I stayed there, when they were leaving for school and work the morning of my leaving and the day after my arrival, Lilly asked, "Why is he staying here?" This time I had time to play with her and become a great uncle. When Libby was taking Lilly to her soccer practice on my last day with them, she asked her mom, "Is Uncle Kundan coming?" Yes!!

Lilly's soccer practice would have had a few nice action shots if I had remembered my camera. Perhaps, one day, I will succumb is the world of the mobile phone. If so, I will be sure to buy one with the camera included. That way I will not miss those moments; for, as we all know, a mobile phone is not just a phone, it is an appendage.

Returning to Chichibu

My plane from LA was two hours late. In the US, this is not even noticed. However, it meant that I was too late arriving at Narita Airport and I missed the connection for my train to Chichibu. I stayed at a hotel near the airport and at the buffet breakfast the next morning, I met a Japanese student who had just returned from one-month in Russia. We rode the same train him into Tokyo and I got to see the photos from her trip to Moscow and St Petersburg.

Here we are on the train. I should have made at peace sign like all the Japanese kids do.

Interruption

I want to tell you about my latest toy. While in California, I purchased a copy of iListen. This is a voice recognition software. I am able to speak into my computer and have it write what I say. I had to train it. The training of the software consists of reading several stories, letters, or groups of quotes. (It took about three hours.) At one point, I thought that I had read in all the training scripts. Actually, I had only read half to have them. There was a scroll bar that I had not noticed. So, when I tried to use the software I got very strange as responses. I could say something like, "I am going to the store" and the machine would type, "I am walking through the door". The software learns phrases, not just words. [I have completed reading all of the scripts. The last one was an edited version of the first part of RAM us do Oaks track Villa.] The preceding bracketed sentences are what came of the software when I a spoke just now. It didn't do very well on "Bram Stokes 'Dracula'". However, the rest was good and it usually does do well enough for a first draft. I'd do have to keep an eye on the typing. Sometimes, it creates words that would totally confuse me if I read the sentences later.

There are some interesting sides to this software. The first is that you speak all of the punctuation. Even the grammatically challenged, such as myself, use punctuation occasionally. So when I say " question mark", it types "?" and "comma", it types ",". Now I know we usually you don't use words like "question Mark" or "comma" very often as words, however, we sometimes do use the word "period" to mean something other than punctuation. I have to be aware when I use words such as "period" or "point" (which is a period after an abreviation). Of course, there are the times when it types "too" instead of "two". I won't tell you what it typed for the word "succumb"!

Writing like this is a pleasure. Taking the mechanical part of typing out of the process is a very enjoyable thing for me. I can just sit here, relaxed, and speaking as if I am talking to a friend. Just telling a story.

Back to the story:

14 October-

Today is my sister Mary's birthday. The story goes. When I was born, I was brought home from the hospital on her birthday. I was her birthday present. That is why she is so nice to me........ Wait a minute! Why she is so nice to my brother? He was born in March!

Cabin fever again. I went out on my bike at about five o'clock in the afternoon. It was already getting dark. Heading over to the closest hills when I noticed the lanterns of a Temple up a side street. This was a new discovery for me. In to addition to being often beautiful places, the shrines are very peaceful places. My little trailer is very close to two busy streets, so, I enjoy the discovering places quiet nearby.This one is a particularly lovely small temple up against the hill.

Returning home, I stopped at a little bottle shop that I had not seen before. When I came here last Northern spring, I brought a bottle of duty-free Bombay Sapphire Gin. When the weather warmed up, I went to looking for some tonic water. There was none to be found! I tried some soda water. No Good! I found a pre-mixed gin and tonic. I bought that and added my own gin. It was pretty bad. Being an ever optimistic person, I went in to the Little shop. The woman said, "yes"! So, I am sitting here celebrating my sister's birthday with a delicious gin and tonic. Cheers!!!

Learning English in Japan.

I was chatting with my teacher and his wife when I use the phrase, "my sister was pleased." Megumi asked Kaoru a question which included in my phrase. Then, she said, "please give me."

I understood the confusion and explained that the old way of saying "please give me..." was actually something like "it will please me if you'd give me...." Thinking about this exchange, it was easy to understand her classification of the word "please" as only a word that creates the polite form of a request. Besides being an interesting example of the evolution of a language. Also, there is the reflection of Japanese culture in this linquistic confusion.

In the Japanese language, forms of respect are very important. As in English, there are differnt levels of politeness. However, it is carried a bit further in Japanese culture/language, such as, there being different verbs that one that uses when speaking to an elder or one of superior position. One who wishes to really learn the language, has much more to learn than just the literal translation of phrases.

Which brings me to-

The State of the Japanese Language in Kundan's Brain-

When I came to Japan seven months ago, I jumped right into expanding my aptitude in relation to understanding and speaking the Japanese language. I was very devout for the first two months. Then..I burnt out. Upon reflection, I now know that I will not be spending an extended period of time in Japan. Therefore, the guilt which I felt at the time of burnout has almost vanished. In the four weeks since my return, I have not cracked a single Japanese language text or even a dictionary. I expect that this will change at some time soon. My survival level, plus a little, is adequate for most areas of my life here. The one exception would be at the Kyudo dojo. Playing Kyudo it is the only part of my a present life in which I would need to use Japanese conversational skills to a greater extent. I have not returned to the dojo as yet. I enjoyed the the social aspect of Kyudo very much. However, the demands on my Japanese language skills made me uncomfortable. Constantly pulling out my dictionary tended to interfere with the flow of conversation. I was very happy to just sit and shoot and listen to others conversation. My exercise requirements are easily met with my Tai Chi, Pilates and long walks. However, I am drawn to return to the dojo. I really enjoyed my collegues there. Also, the space that I would enter sometimes during the form is very special. There are many ways to enter that space. Kyudo has its own flavor and it beckons me. So, I will get out the text book again, slip back to the dojo, and, see what happens.

Kundan's New Digs-

When I first arranged to come here, the trailer was already reserved for the month of December. Today, I moved into an apartment that has been used by other students of Kaoru. Here are some photos of the apartment.

I have two six mat rooms. A tatami mat is approximately three feet by six.

My bed/sitting room.

Notice the bright light flooding the room. Very important in cold climate!



The little table is a kotatsu. It has a wire cage underneath with large red globes inside that heat up the space. The table has two tops. In between the two tops you place a large duvet that hangs onto the floor. In cold times, you rug up and sit with your legs under the kotatsu. When I first lived in Japan nearly thirty years ago, this was our only source of warmth in a house that had three inch thick walls. On cold nights, we would sleep with our feet under the kotatsu. It worked well except that my fingers would get cold when I wrote anything. This why I believe that the Japanese slurp hot liquids. Slurping makes it possible to drink hot liquids before they cool in such circumstances. Eventually, we got a kerosene stove. However, it meant that I would have to open the window frequently to vent the room. It was not a very satisfying solution. In the old days, the kotatsu had a hole in the floor under the low table with a charcoal brazier in it.

The second tatami room is my exercise/ guest room.

And...

Here is my music room.

A nice view out the window to the mountains. I think that I already play better because of it.








The kitchen/dinning room is a good size as well. However, the great thing is that the apartment also has an o-furo. A Japanese style bath tub that is deep rather than long. You soap and rinse outside the bath. Then, you sit in it like a hot tub. The trick is that they have them so hot that you can barely step into one. When you do, though, it melts your bones. A great way to end the day.

The Museum is Open!

Yesterday, I took a walk up to the park at the top of a hill nearby. There is a private art museum there that has been closed during my other visits. It was open and has a permenant display of one of Japan's most famous artists of the twentieth century. His name is Shiko Munakata. He lived at the north tip of the main island. He is best known for his block prints. If you follow the links below, you can see some of his more famous works. There is a series that is on display in the museum that I wasn't able to find online. Each print is about four feet tall. It's called "The Ten Disciples of Buddha". Each one is a monk in a different posture expressing various emotions. Most of them seem to be feeling extreme pain or suffering and are squeezed into the square shape of the block print. But, one of them is standing with plenty of space around him, a serene buddha.

http://www.munakatashiko.com/

http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=jump;dtype=i;startat=1
http://www.lantecweb.net/shikokan/
http://spectacle.berkeley.edu/~fiorillo/texts/sosakutexts/sosaku_pages/munakata3.html

One last thing!

I was going to let you go but I had to tell you about my shakuhachi lessons. Last week, Kaoru gave me a piece to learn that is definitely what I would call the 'real thing'. I have learned it more quickly and easily than previous pieces. In fact, today, he was surprised that I could play farther through than he had assigned last lesson. Also- We begin the lesson blowing 'ro'. That's the lowest note. My tone and length of breath has been improving alot since my return. Today, Kaoru said, "Most times when a student plays ro, I think, 'that is good for a student'. Today, when you played, there was a time when I thought, 'He is play like a colleague!'"


Well kids, that's it for now. Must get my beauty sleep. Nighty night.

So What Am I Doing in California?

Well... we had a hotspell in Chichibu and, though we were up in the mountains a good ways away from Tokyo, we had smog! Now, I grew up in LA and I have had more than enough smog to last me a lifetime. I decided that I could not remain in Chichibu for the summer. I hadn't been to see my family in a couple years, so, I booked my ticket. I'm here til the end of September, then, I go back to Chichibu for another three months intensive. This has turned out well. I'm enjoying playing my shakuhachi without the pressure of a lesson every three days and, yet, making progress that will make my next three month intensive even more productive.

I arrived in LAX. Spent a night with my nephew Paul and family and the next day took the train to San Luis Obispo where my brother lives. SLO is half way between LA and SF. It's 15 miles in from the coast with a dry mild climate.

That's my brother standing with me in front of his alternative energy store. Twenty- seven years he's been in the business!

That's his electric scooter that he lets me use while I'm visiting. It is classified as a bicycle, so, no license and I can use the overpass across the railway tracks and save a couple miles on my way downtown. I use it when I'm going shopping but I prefer to walk.

John and family were away in Europe when I first arrived in California. Slovenia, Switzerland, Romania and Italy. Meanwhile, back in their home, my sister Mary, her boyfriend, Max and I were enjoying the good life. SLO was once called the best place in the nation to live. Lots of refugees from LA. Very prosperous, laid back town. Weekly farmer's market on thursday evenings. Large performance venue out at the university. Mary had season tickets to an international choral competition. She gave me the ticket for one afternoon. I was stunned at the quality of the performances.

A few days after the return of John, Stephanie, Renee and Curt, I headed north to Arcata. I have now returned to John and Steph's til the beginning of September. Then, it's off to my sister's place for three weeks. I fly back to Japan September 25th.

The following posts have more photos.

Arcata California

Arcata is a town of 17,000 located way up the north coast of Califonia in Humbolt County. The tourist mostly peter out before they get this far. There is a narrow strip of land along this coast and then small mountains. In the summer, it's foggy on this side and boiling on the other. The forest covered mountains are green with redwood trees and federal helicopters flying over at certain times of the year. The older part of the town has many Victorian style houses. Here's a photo of one of the biggest and fanciest.

Humbolt State University swells the population most of the year. My niece Renee lives here. She just got her BA in English. Plans to be a high school teacher. She's one of the reasons that I chose to come to this particular spot. Summer is a less crowded with the school on break. One of the local radio stations plays 60s and 70s rock music all day. Janis wailing about a piece of her heart...

Renee is next to me. She and her friends took me out one night. It's not your eyes. The photo was blurred. Shot in a pub.



There is a gallery on the plaza that is run as a cooperative by twelve artists. The works are various mediums and very high quality. I then spied a shop called the "Humbolt Glassblowers" near the plaza. I thought it would be interesting to see some local glassblowing. I walked into the shop. One wall had a large assortment of equipment for golf frisbie. The other side of the long room had a glass display case with all sizes, shapes and colours of Bongs! They even had padded velour shoulder bags specially for carrying the larger bongs. I guess if you're going to a party and you want to show off your latest addition to your collection... They had a tshirt on a rack that read 'vagetarian'. I liked that.


Renee took me to a ball game. The stadium is just a block from the plaza. (That photo's a baseball diamond for you Aussies.)

There was an interesting band giving a bit of support and entertainment in the stands. A very lively bunch.


The town centre has lovely grass covered plaza. The buildings on the streets surrounding it have been restored and everything is very neat and pretty except for one row of four bars (not taverns or pubs) that have managed to retain a seedy feel about them.

Every Saturday is the farmers market at the plaza. The stalls are set in the street around the perimeter. In the centre of the plaza are a few food stalls and the band for the day. Here's a pic of the local steel drum band. They were really enjoying themselves. The week before it was a raggae band. The week after The Buckey Walters! (Read the post about the Garden House to hear of the Bucky Walters.)

A guy cooking with a solar cooker made from a satellite dish. I think maybe the cover on the rim was to control the heat on his skillet.










Some of the crowd playing and cruising the stalls.



On the second Friday evening of the month,
Shops around the plaza stay open, have free wine and nibblies and live music. A cafe had a jazz qaurtet. The furniture store had a blues band. (Guys my age) They let you sit on the display couches and listen. At the book shop, there was a fiddle, guitar and mandolin playing appalachian music.... Then, on my way home, as I was passing an intimate restaurant/ bar away from the plaza, I happened to look in and discover a guitar, mondolin and double bass playing Jango style gypsy music. They were hot! It was their regular biweekly dinner gig. I went up to the bar and nursed a schooner for a nice long while.

A few blocks away from the centre of town is Cafe Mokka. Finnish saunas and hot tubs. The sauna huts have sod roofs.

The interior shot is the cafe with newspapers and magazines from around the world. It became my favourite hangout. They even had the best prices for refreshments, cakes and snacks in town.








And finally, a few miles up the coast in a small bay is the shortest lighthouse I've ever seen.