To go up the hill... Onomichi - Imabari

After leaving Hiroshima and Miyajima I cycled one day on the island Imabari where I stayed at a very nice guest house.

The owner teached me to play Majong and gave me a lot of tips about Shikoku Island. That was really nice to cycle again, hot and sunny day. The ocean in between the islands is really interesting, the tide is creating some currents which I never seen before.

The day after, I made my way back to Onomichi by bus. The bus is going through all the islands and you can enjoy the view on the ocean bridge after bridge.

This small city is fascinating. I had the chance to book a Japenese style room on top of the hill where I could watch the sunset and the lights of the city. 

To go up the hill you can walk or take a rope car. 

There is plenty of temples to visit and few nice Cafes around to relax, there is one entirely dedicate to Oals . When I passed by a temple a lot of peoples were sitting in front working on making the rope you can see sometime hanging in front of the door. 

Onimichi is the starting point to cycle to Shikoku Island. I found this city quite refreshing and relaxing. Everyone is smiling here! That was nice to walk in the main market cover street and enjoy some coffee.

I decided to stay one more day, hotel was a very nice deal and I could use time to relax and chill enjoying a second day walking the temples.  Walking back to my hotel at the end of the day I watched a sunset which I'll never forget!

It's been more than a month that I'm traveling and I can feel that I'm getting tired! I know it sound silly! I'm in holidays after all! Who get tired during holidays? Moving from one place to another, staying one or two nights then move again is challenging sometime. I really enjoy the flexibility of it and the fact that everything is new every day. I can jump in a train and be on the other side of Japan in few hours, or I can decide to stay more, that's perfect! Maybe it's because I'm alone and not interacting and speaking much which get me tired, I don't know. Maybe only because I'm walking a lot. Luckily I have a small backpack and I'm starting to get rid of some items I don't need anymore. I thought it was already quite minimalist but there is many things I didn't use this months. 

I promised myself to come back to Onomichi to cycle all the small Islands to go to Shikoku. I like the freedom of cycling, especially in Japan, where everything is ready and convenient for you. They got a baggage service to drop your luggages at each stop you'll make for the night, so you can cycle all day light and find your luggage every night in your room. And that way that's a very affordable deal! That is Japan! Normality here is almost luxury for us. And I won't speak again about how clean public toilet are in Japan! But you know already! 

Like always I'm not quite sure where to go now, there is so many places I want to check. I decided to go to Kobe and then few days in Kyoto.

I already been to Kyoto but I'm looking forward to it! I had good memories there and some more to discover! Especially the golden temple that I didn't see last time. 

Make an Island of yourself...

This morning I get up early to take the ferry to zamami Island.

Theres is something magic to jump on a boat when you are traveling, this is like a travel in the travel. It took two hours to arrived at Zamami. After checking in my new room, I walked straight to the beach to jump in the ocean. The water is green blue and 30°c.

When I arrived I was suprised by the simplicity of zamami town, I was expecting big hotels resorts all along the cost with thousand of tourists swimming around. No, that's not what you'll find in Zamami, you'll find the opposite : simplicity and authenticity.

After almost a week in Naha town, you need some time to adapt yourself to the pace of Zamami. Just sit and relax and don't forget your hat and some sun cream!

There is two beaches 20 minutes walk from the small city, they are both beautiful and perfect for a morning bath or sun bathing, the blue emeraude ocean is singing to you a peace song to help you to be in the present moment. Luckily I found not much peoples there, that was like the ocean was mine! Alone with nature enjoying the sound of the wave, clean, clear water...   

A small paradise, an unknown destination? I found myself almost being the only occidental walking around, which increased the feeling of immersion.

The first day there I choosed to take my time and to chill around, stop doing,start being...

An immaculate sand beach is perfect for that. Leave all your electronics devices in your room and enjoy!

Put fins and mask on and go for some snorkeling to see some beautiful fishes, coral and if you are lucky you'll meet one of the local stars : The turtles!

There is a lot of scuba diving shops around, I went to see one and we agreed to meet the following day for two dives, where I was able to meet turtles, shark and an octopus.

Dive were shallow, but no need to go deep to see amazing fishes and coral diversity.

During the first dive we went through some narrow caves with open roof letting some godrays coming in, that was stunning. Unfortunately on the second dive, a part of my equipment failed (out of the water) and I decided that I will snorkel the following days. I was lucky to spend almost 20 minutes with this beautiful turtle and I saw some magnificents school of fishes.

After few days in zamami, I felt really chill, peoples here are very nice and welcoming.

Close to my room there is a nice cafe where you can sit in the garden, coffee is awesome and sandwiches are really tasty! Yummy! That was perfect for lunch break, you know the break in between the bath in the ocean and the nap;) haha...and then bath again ...

This town/village really kept a sens of simplicity which I really like. There is 500 peoples living on the island and even less during off peak.

One night, I was walking in the street looking for diner, and I couldn't really find some restaurants, when I saw two peoples looking at a wall and opening the door which looked like a simple house to me. That was a restaurant! I pushed the door as well and was welcome to sit in the living room on some tatami, tv was on, open kitchen, the couple leaving here was cooking diner for the guests. I had some very nice Soba!

It remenbered me my first experience when I arrived in Japan last year, I was walking around looking for a restaurant but everything seemed to be close and hidden behind a curtain, as a shy European you need to open the door and to ask, most of the time you'll be welcome to enter to have awesome food.

when writing about Naha, I told you that music was everywhere in the street. This is the same in Zamami, regularly I can here some music and announcement while walking in the city. Every hour there is a gentle music, and sometime someone is announcing something I can't understand. Haha!

After a day snorkeling in the water I got sunburn, so no beaches for me today, maybe tonight to watch the sunset...

Sunset time was around 6:30pm, I Walked to tbe beach and found a nice spot to enjoy it! Quiet time watching the sun going down and listening to the ocean song.​

I've spent 5 days on Zamami Island and could have stay longer. I really felt in love with the rythm here, the time to be, to look at birds, ocean, fishes, clouds. That was a good time not to think, just to be one with myself. I know now almost every streets, every small hidden restaurants, where to find the turtles, when the tide is the best, I wonder if I'll come back one day...

Here you just have to let it go and everything will follow... Time will stop... and everything will be up to you...

A Horn is ringing, this is the ferry calling us to go back to civilization. Good bye Zamami! And thanks you!!!

Are you ready to be an island?

Less is more ...

Over the last months and few reads, after 1 year of work in London. I've chosen to go on travel again for a long period.  Why? 

Less is More ...

Minimalist traveller.

I'm 43 year old, single, working in the Visual effect industry and I'm sitting a fair amount of hours in front of the computer all day long. 

When basics questions came to you regularly as 'What should I do with my life ?', or 'Does this job is for me?' 'Should I go back to France to live there ?' 'What's next ?'. It's usually time to answers them but that's not that easy. My first thought was: I need to travel?, escape ? discover myself, I don't know. 

One day after lunch it hit me! My flat tenancy in London was ending in September, my contract jobs a month later, that seemed to be a perfect timing. So : Let's go! But where ?

Being in Japan last year during a month, I really enjoyed it and felt that I had more to discover there. I've started meditation (yes ... can you imagine a year ago..it changed my life by the way...), Origami and did a lot of read about Japan this year : Zen, Japanese arts, Japanese cultures.

So why not going back to Japan I thought!, but why not take the time to visit all. Starting by Okinawa to do some scuba diving and finishing at Hokkaido to do some skiing. (I know that sound already too expensive....but let see..). South to North.

Three months seemed to me the perfect amount of time to road trip Japan and most important to be back in France for Christmas! Yeah, let's do it :)

Ok, that's one thing to take the decision but that's an other to organize it so it become real. I'm usually a 'doing at the last time possible' person. But here how it worked for me. 

First I've started to think about my bag and my last travel back from New-Zealand, 2 suitcases, one backpack, 1 ukulele (you think you'll play some every night, well you won't haha !) and that was a pain to check-in/check-out, find a place to store it. One suitcase was full of my T-shit collection which I never wear since year... but you know : just in case ;)

Never Again! That's when I was thinking about it that I had a look on the internet, thanks to google : 'travel light' ... And I met minimalism .... I had no idea that some peoples could live with that small amount of objects, that sounded crazy to me, who don't need 100 books on his shelves and A collection of 50 T-shirts you never wear. OK, ok ... digging more into google, here I am, some guys are packing a bag with the essential ... That's what I need yeah ! OMG, 4 T-shirts (yes I know that's crazy) / 4 underwear /  1 pair of shoes / 1 Shirt /  4 pair of socks  and so on ... 

Well... that sound not much but maybe I could try! And I will.

Over the last month, I've started to unclutter my flat, my objective was to live my flat with my 38L backpack,my Scubadiving Gear and avoid to store anything somewhere. Considering the amount of objects I had in the flat, that seemed to me impossible in the first place, I just bought a piano 3 months ago, how funny! 

That's started by throwing away what I'm not using and what I cannot give to a charity or sell, basically things that you put on the side because 'I can use it later', well 10 years later it's still standing in your living room! Yes you know this old fashion computer that you were planning to repair one day...or this lovely collection of coffee maker that you will use one day ...

Then I put on the side what I wanted to give to a charity, starting by emptying my wardrobe and put all my cloths on my bed. HA my lovely collection of T-shirt. Ok lets do it! the one I give on this side (the ones I never wear or will wear) and the one I keep on the other one. that's was hard, and I have to do it few time to make my mind, but finally I've ended up with a fair amount of clothes to donate. Putted all in a bag... and boom... go to charity shop, clothes / books / DVDs ... I think that's the first time I entered a charity shop in London and in a way even if what you give is nothing, well it's something, and that gave me a nice feeling. 

About the 4 Tshirts / 1 Shirt / 1 Pair of shoes etc.. i have to admit that I'm still not there haha ... but I'm getting there :)  I've sold most of what I had, using this money to buy flight and trains tickets. 

As my flat became less clutter, I've started to enjoy more and more the empty space. As I was having less and less objects, I felt more and more happy and had a kind of a freedom feeling, hard to describe, but yes.

So here I am, writing this first article for my blog in a beautiful cafe-library in Hampstead, heading to Okinawa in 2 weeks. I'm planning to write few articles along my trip to share my Minimalist experience, my photos and videos. 

Apologize for my English and pardon my french ;) But if you made it until the end of this article without burning your eyes ! All good!

Take care ...