By the Bay

Only a couple of streets away from where I stayed during my last Brisbane visit was Moreton Bay. I headed to Waterloo Bay’s foreshore where a giant pandanus stood at one end of a small park, and sparkling water off shore.

Narita-san Park

I’d walked through Narita-san Park two decades back, but all I remembered from that time was a frozen pond. Although it hadn’t been snowing, it was an icy January 1^stday.

The Coquitlam River

The Coquitlam River flows from Coquitlam Lake into the Fraser River — a distance of only fourteen kilometres. I’ve hiked its trails that span both sides of the river from Crystal Falls in its upper reaches to the estuary.

Naritasan Shinshorji Temple

When I first entered Narita’s temple more than twenty years ago, a New Year’s day ceremony was in full force. I climbed the steep steps to find there was no way I could squeeze into the main hall. Worshippers sat shoulder to shoulder while the sound of a drum beat a hypnotic rhythm.

A memory from two decades ago

Although I took no photos, I still remember walking along a narrow street in Narita where crowds made it impossible to tread at more than a snail’s pace. I was unaware of the importance of January 1^st in Japan until I reached the temple and saw the crowds gathered before a monk.

Shinjuku’s neon night

I first visited Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district in the day time and noticed the seedy side. Countless massage parlours and huge billboards of women in suggestive poses lined narrow lanes where men lingered outside waiting to lure customers.

A cloudy view

I reached Kawaguchiko Station in the hope of viewing Mt Fuji. Who doesn’t want to see Japan’s most famous mountain? On my final full day in Japan I knew my chances weren’t great. The sky was cloudy, and as I drew nearer, rain dampened the sidewalks. But this was my last chance.