Information and Access on Travels to Yame City and Kurogi (Fukuoka Prefecture)

The photo above is that of the Yame Chuo Tea Plantation, the iconic symbol of Yame City, Japan's source of its best tea. The same photo is the cover of the Yame City Tourist Guide brochure. We're dedicating this post to share information on travels to Yame City if you come from, say Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka. We're posting this because there are very few English-language information available online.

With my JR Pass, I took the local train from Hakata Station to Hainuzuka Station in Chikugo City which took 40 minutes. You need to be attentive though and take note of the signs at every stop because many of these signs are in Japanese characters, you might miss your stop. Even the LED information inside the train isn't in English.

Yame City, located south east of Fukuoka city, is out of the way from places tourists commonly visit. But this small and slumbering city has several interesting places worth checking out.

Yame City Map in Japanese

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Shwedagon Pagoda and Alienation in Yangon Burma

Spires and stupas of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon skyline. This photo only courtesy of Jean-Marie Hullot.

Shwedagon Pagoda grounds. This photo only courtesy of flickr's MikeRussia.

Shadows and lights. This photo only courtesy of dwstein.

Night time awe. This spectacular photo courtesy of dr. sithu win.

At a travel forum prior to this travel, I mentioned that if there was only one place to visit in Myanmar, Bagan and its temples would be the no-brainer. Another traveller agreed but he would have to add the Shwedagon Pagoda if there were only two places to visit.

The Shwedagon Pagoda (Yangon) is Myanmar's most revered place of worship. A $5 foreigner's entrance is all worth it. From atop the mount, there are temples all around. It's easy to get humbled by the grandiose beauty of this sacred paya. Of particular interest to buddhist followers was a temple section where prayers, incense and flowers were offered. It was an octagonal (8-sided) temple. Each side represented the 8 days of the Burmese Buddhist calendar - where Wednesday is further subdivided into two separate days: Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, don't ask me why. You needed to be aware of the particular day you were born so you can make offerings on that side of the temple. This is supposed to dispense blessings and luck. I was born on a Thursday (I checked beforehand), so I just offered a silent prayer nearby since I couldn't find my specific side of the octagon. Everything was written in Burmese.

Needless to say, the view of the city skyline was awe-inspiring.

I was also missing a good bit of civilization - of an email acount that has all the complete features - instead of the very basic wap-based skeleton; I missed the beep of my mobile, or withdrawing money from ATM; abusing the endless possibility of my credit cards, and of course, directly sending and receiving messages from family and friends. I miss the smell of my car, my room back home, and the frosty cineplex of Manila or Bangkok. It can feel a bit constricting; alienating, like being in Pluto with "Clouds Across the Moon" blaring at a nearby speaker.

I will be hopping with glee once I step into Suvarnabhumi.

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Ayutthaya - Might and Splendor in Ancient Thailand

Ancient cities are always a thrill to visit. With a dash of imagination and some heaps of history, we found the Ayutthaya Historical Park a walk back to an era of kings and merchants, of adventurers and spice barter trades. We traveled barely 2 ½ hours until we were standing at seemingly neglected ruins that still evoked historical pages from what we expected. An ancient city in the central plains of Siam rose a century (year 1351) after the founding of the North Thailand's Kingdom of Sukhothai (year 1238).

For 417 years, the ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya, 85 kilometers north of Bangkok, flourished as a city comparable in size and wealth to Paris of that era. Some 33 kings of different dynasties ruled the Thai city which, at that time, was Thailand at its mightiest. The name itself meant “undefeatable city”. Founded by King U-thong in 1350, the reign lasted until the Burmese sacked and pilfered the kingdom in 1767. These days, ruins to the kingdom stand as mere shadow of a once mighty kingdom. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that enjoys frequent day-tour visits from Thailand’s millions of tourists.

If you don’t have much time to do a comprehensive visit to all the temples and chedis – many of which are in dismal ruins with no hint of preservation – then just make a checklist of the major sites. Foremost on this list should be Wat Phra Si Sanphet (Sri Sanphet Rd), the largest temple in Ayutthaya, known for its row of chedis (Thai-style stupas). Housed within the grounds of the former royal palace, the wat (temple) was used only for royal religious ceremonies. Entrance fee is a measly 30 baht, but if you take a guided tour, you usually pay between 1000 to 1,200 baht that includes visit to several other sites like the Bang Pa-in palace, your lunch, transportation, hotel pick-up, most of the entrance fees and a sketchy tourist guide. Wikitravel says, “It once housed a 16-meter Buddha covered with 340 kg of gold, but the Burmese set fire to the statue to melt the gold and destroyed the temple in the process.” Roaming the whole area, one is reminded of the mindless destruction from a violent past. History has taught us time and again over the stupidity of war, yet how many countries in the present world are currently embroiled in such nihilistic folly? We just never learn.

There are several ways to visit the Ayutthaya. You can take the train from Hualamphong Station in Bangkok. A 3rd class ticket will cost you 20 baht for a 2 ½ hour travel. A first class train will take 1 ½ hours. Upon arrival in Ayutthaya, you have several options to consider. You can rent a bike and pace your own visits, which is a fun way of exploring the park, especially if you’re fit enough to be pedaling for the day. Bike shops charge from 40-50 baht per day. The more convenient option is the tuktuk as you don’t have to brave the harsh sun. They usually charge 300 baht/hour – or a discounted 1,000 baht for 4 hours. However, if you consider a guided or arranged tour from Bangkok that charges 1,200 baht (that already includes your transportation, lunch, entrance fee to the temples and several spots to visit), hiring a tuktuk and the trouble of arranging your own itinerary (as well as dealing with opportunists and touts) seem like a poor option. You are better off getting the package tour. It saves you a lot of time, money – and headache.

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Buddha head overgrown by trees at Wat Mahatat.

Clambering up chedis and temples are a big no-no. Hehe