Your Ordinary Travelogue ….or so….

Running…moving….speed…..keep going don’t stop….sea of humanity….myriad emotions, feelings, people, relations, complications, Judgement!

Automatic, not my mode on the Nikon body. My own thoughts. My Mind, My Life. Auto mode. Just do, just function. Breathe. Do. Do Breathe. Eat, Observe, Do, Watch, Judge….no judge we mustn’t. STOP…..go back….good subject, zoom in……focus…..now pan on the biker. Observations. Now blank….Just do…..click click click …..lets click. Precision, zoom in. Sadness, filter, disgust, hide, smile, travel shot…Tick its done. Observe….happy, hmmmmm, for now. Shots are good.

Shibuya moments transpired.

 

Tiredness, sleep, awake, food, Delicious lemon pie…….life is good. Room…..observations. Read….more observations…….Lets go out Beautiful Sunshine. Social media…Shut Up once and for all….Out for a break!!

Walk, see, click….not so clicky ……..still click……love the weather, vanity, I look good….check out lens person reflection, yes good. !5 years later. Loving the space, the eclectic sense. Observe observe some more. No hashtags, no words…..just be. More words, more weapons, more….. Ah beautiful lines. Loving the lines. Love this city. Bow, bag checked, arigatou gozaimasu…..Walk in explore….Ticket…..nothing familiar, no more stroller, just my camera and me. My baggage, my thoughts. Stop already. Does it matter where they are from. Here just like you. Fancy camera……can’t afford that. Time…..loads on my hand…..explore…..see….love the colours, the weather. I want this moment to freeze…..awww babies…..adorable….not mine…..don’t have to take care of them, even better. School kids... Fun days...Gone days. Smile move on. 

Oh these stone walls. Witness to a lot. Beautiful, so well kept…I love this city….I love their aesthetic sense….I have evolved, no! I have eyes now. Different ones. Looks nothing like before. No resemblance. That’s ok no?

Walk, click, click walk. Observe. Make a picture! Make a Picture!...Too much stress How about I don’t. Just breathe. Sit, observe. Just be. Lovely weather. Fall colours. Just see. Deep inhalations. Long exhalations. Sun going down on me. No words. Just me and experience. No pictures.

Later in the evening, Ginxa, Kimono, I’m done. I need dinner. A fun dinner. Hot chocolate and sweet cheese tart. I love. More dinners like these. Check the waist line. Who needs it.

New day, up early. New excitement. More pictures. Beautiful location. Just opening. Is this where it is. Apprehension. Will I make some shots? Do I have to? Shops not yet opened. Loving the quiet morning air. The buzz has not yet begun. Less touristy. Just burst of colours. Bright sky, cold day, my Nikon. Me in auto mode. Let’s go…..click click click……an hour elapsed. A quiet moment. I bow down. Sanity….no wait. A quiet moment. Back to click click click. Here, there, no look there. I posed. Partner clicked. Vanity…oh yeah…loving it. Bad angle, good angle. Who cares!! 30 second fb fame. Hungry…Breakfast? Let’s eat.

Let’s go, more pictures. Let’s flow. Mt Fuji beckons. 15 years ago…memory flashes…no view…just clouds. Will I see you this time. I meditate. I pray. You appear. First glimpse…far far away. I breathe. Please stay. You did. We reached. Beautiful cold lake Town. Loving it. OMG this is heaven, or something like it. Dump bags lets go. OOOooooo the colours, the crowd. Where are they coming from. So many of them. Fall festival. Me… you…. all of us here. Click….selfie sticks. Vanity….oh gawd why here. Judgement creeping in. Stop. This lil bridge, you me and Fujisan. Thank you. Gratitude. Quick eye exchange…need a quiet spot. Can’t do this

Walk, explore, Found it. My spot. With Boatman. His shack. Quiet jetty. Closed for the evening. Me you and jetty and the Glorious Mountain. Stands tall. Evening light splendour. Bathing in the light. Me you and Fuji all cleansed. Precious. Let’s breathe. Hold it still. Can this be forever. Coffee, yes please. Coffee with the best view. Not so hot, so what! Ducks. Quack. Brrrr…..cold Brrrr….click we must.

Night shots… freezing cold. Can’t feel my nose. Average shots ….a memory created. For whom. Me me me…..I need memories. Me in auto mode. The chatter it won’t stop. I don’t want words. #nowordsplease. Just breathe. Done...cant shoot sunrise…rains forecast. Tired legs, strained shoulders….doing a mental dance. Yippeee no hike. Thanks to Hotel owner guy, who kindly offered to take us. Nice fella. Good looking too. But so happy can sleep in. Tired feet. I wake nonetheless….5 a.m. crazy winds, the rains. Sleep.

Breathe, breakfast with the best view ever. Serenity this is it. A fresh snow dust. Its clearing. More pictures. Oooo these colours. Collect, gather, throw on canvas kinda yummy colours. They are coming. Make more pictures…..we do. Ah well….lets do the Botu (Silly touristy feel) Flip, Smile, Flash the teeth. My jowl… your head cropped…re-do. Ok Okay….lets go. Whirlwind of a trip. Head buzzing. Is it the cold. The pace…the space. Its me. Auto mode slow down. Pace slow down. Happy. Content. Gratitude. Feeling it. Ready to go back.

Eat. Hunger pangs they come.

Gun on the door. So what. Let’s enter. Follow me. My intuition rules. Sign language. Yes can do vegetarian. Back of the room. Speechless. Zen room. Zen view. Couldn’t ask for better. Breathe, Eat, experience…..overwhelmed. Senses fused. Me, you, blended. This view. This artful food. This Zen mood. Camera in switched off mode. Set aside. Words cease. Let’s be. Breathe. Breathe….Long deep breaths. Let me be. Sooooooooo……………………………………………….hmmmmmmmmmmm

I’m home.

The above is my experience abridged into a stream of consciousness mode. I however do want to recommend two places. Firstly, the place we stayed in Lake Kawaguchi. Amazing view from the home, but it’s the hospitality and the warmth that has me feeling so much love for the place. The Weekend Shuffle, Lakeside Inn, Lake Kawaguchi.

 Another accidental discovery was our last lunch at Fuji. A beautiful Zen space with minimalist décor and the same aesthetic touch brought to the food. Lovely couple run venture, and a self-taught chef who can give a Michelin-star chef, some insecurities. Toyoshima near the train station at the Lake Kawaguchi, named after chef, Masaya Toyoshima. Don’t get intimidated by the gun handle on the door.