1.China Japan Trip . PART ONE : JAPAN : DAY ONE.: Transit Day from Mumbai - to Osaka.

DAY ONE - 08 May 2015.  Transit Day from Mumbai - to Osaka.

We were required to meet Kesari Rep at terminal 3 of Mumbai Airport on 07 May 2015 . In normal conversation no one calls it "Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport ". We were further told to be there by 2100 h .( 9 PM for majority but I will stick to 24 hour clock) Flight departure about 0130 h on 08 May 15 . That is how 08 May 15 becomes Day One.
As Priti & I, knowing well , that the train is late , always land up at railway station minimum of 1 hour earlier than scheduled time , no wonder we were present at terminal 3 by 2000 h .
It was a sheer coincidence that when the New Terminal building was  inaugurated  by the then PM ManMohan Singh happened to be a day  we were present at the airport catching Nagpur flight from domestic terminal . So this was the first time we were visiting new terminal building . To be precise terminal 3 of new airport. Having reached early we had plenty of time to look around . What we saw we liked :-)

On the Right 

Well lighted and flaring out latticework around the main supporting concrete pillars not only hid their ugliness but gave the whole terminal a beautiful and aesthetically clean look .

Below.

Same can be said about the the roofing slabs . Whoever thought of the putting inverted pyramidal  lights and the roofing  had definitely earned whatever he was paid . This not only gives the whole roofing very pleasing look but the pyramidal cones are acoustically absorbing to reduce the traffic & other noise.

Happy to see not only the interiors but outside landscaping has been given equal importance . 

More photos of the interiors , the Duty Free , the corridors , the waiting areas , included in the DAY ONE ALBUM ,will convince even the best of the skeptics that given political clearance and noninterference by the babus , we can do any thing . Today the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is as good as any and may be better that few International Airports around the World . 

However what really emotionally overwhelmed me was this sight 

The proudly fluttering Tricolour in the gentle breeze.

The height and the size of the Tricolour was just of right proportion to suit the majestic look of terminal 3 . Putting up this Tricolour was the crowning touch . Made me feel very proud .

Well , to get back to where I had left off.

From the past experience we knew that when given time of 2100 h , Kesari fellow would normally stroll in at 2230 or there about . So we were mighty surprised to see few Kesari fellows hanging around. I reached them to check things , but before I could even open my mouth he said , Singapore ? , other fellow said Sri Lanka? I just nodded a negative and walked towards the "flagpole" the designated rendezvous . Any way this encounter made it amply clear that besides our China -Japan tour, Kesari was seeing off two other tours , one to Singapore and the other to Sri Lanka. Clear indication that majority of the so called middle class Indians now had disposable cash and may be if not enjoying the hectic life were at least enjoying tours abroad . Also brought to mind one of the statements of my friend SU Soares that the maximum number of tourists consisted of Bengalis but Tatyas( Maharashtrians) were fast catching up . I am sure now he will have to concede that Tatyas have overtaken the Bengalis by vast margin . 

Gradually number of people in the vicinity of Flagpole was increasing and and by some intuitive feeling you could make out the ones most likely to be your companion on the tour . Our friends Dilip & Madhuri Mandpe arrived with Hemant & Vandana Joshi .  Kesari fellow along with our tour manager Chetan  also  finally rolled in about 2200 h.One by one all the he handed over the passports , journey tickets and hampers . Among the three travel companies we have travelled Kesari is the only company which gives out hampers with snacks, wipes , tea, sugar, milk sachets there is also a rain coat , These items really come in handy , specially the snacks. After receiving directions from Chetan it was free for all .

After receiving directions from Tour Manager ( here onwards TM) there was rush to reach check-in counters .( left ) These were well organised and good . 

Duty free shops were very well put up and appeared well stocked .

Availability of internet , with monitors , almost all of them in working order cam as a pleasant surprise.

On board Cathy Pacific Airline flight CX 660 Airbus 330 , from Mumbai to Hongkong.In focus Hemant and Vandana Joshi from our group . The very fact that the lady is totally amazed means she is not from our group :-)

Following photos clicked enroute Mumbai to Hong kong.

Flying Time , Seat Numbers and route details given in route map.

Transit through Hongkong International Airport .  

Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, which largely comprises land reclaimed for the construction of the airport itself.Even today during approach and After takeoff ons can see that land reclaimation projects and connecting these reclaimed island though bridging work is in full swing.

After landing ,  First of all there was mad rush to get the boarding cards for the next flight to Osaka. Did not even think of taking photo of check-in counters :-)

After walking miles and miles following the " Transit " arrows and security screening , finally arrived at the boarding gate :-)

Alas, no photos on board flight Hong - to Osaka Cathy Pacific Flight Nomber  CX 568 .Aircraft for the flight was Boeing 777 - 300 ER .

These photos were taken during flight from Hongkong to Osaka. 

Landed OSAKA,JAPAN 

We did not land at Osaka Airport but at Kansai International Airport . Some interesting facts about this change .

Need was felt by Japanese Authorities to decongest Osaka International Airport as it was unable to handle ever increasing passenger and cargo traffic. Proposal was put forward to construct an artificial island 4 Km (2.5 miles ) long and 2.5 Km(1.6 miles) wide.Construction had also to cater for high risk earthquakes and typhoon waves of upto 10 meters (30 feet) feet.After literally moving three mountains and vast resources (details of which can be found elsewhere) . The island had been predicted to sink 5.7 m (19 ft) by the most optimistic estimate as the weight of the material used for construction compressed the seabed silts. However, by 1999, the island had sunk 8.2 m (27 ft) – much more than predicted. The project became the most expensive civil works project in modern history after twenty years of planning, three years of construction and fifteen billion (US) dollars of investment. 

Back to my travelogue 

After reclaiming the baggage went to through the customs / Immigration and gathered near the coach These are those photos 

 After loading all got in to the coach and occupied pre allotted seats , which were based the time frame of your booking the trip . Earlier booking front seats :-) 

Once all on board we went to  Indian Restaurant in Namba Station Area for dinner .

After dinner it was to Hotel New Otani , Osaka . Collected room keys . Hotel was quite good and rooms comfortable. It was a long long day and time to say Good Night on day one.

Last photo of the day , our room New Otani Hotel 

Here is the link for photo album of China- Japan Trip : Japan: DAY ONE .

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100798393236899222624/albums/6155301014961311489

Please Do read the captions , info given in the comment column of photo and the mapped position . If you are interested you may even see the street view of the photo.I hope it will be an interesting experience :-)

Have a nice trip .Good Night :-)

My Google Map of China - Japan Trip . Covering PART ONE : JAPAN : Stored in My Maps.

My Google Map of China - JapaTrip.This is Part one - Japan Trip.
Stored in My Maps. 

This is a screenshot of that map . Unfortunately it does not open by clicking on it . To open copy and paste following link in address bar

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zhhZ6ZYYuJgw.koEQFoQA7PMo

Desired map will open in a new window.To navigate through this map:

1. The square on the left gives the heading and contents of the map .

2. There are various layers . the opened map is for layer 1.

3. This layer contains Travel routs and destination at the end of these routes as well as start & end points of the route , covered during PART ONE of China - Japan Trip , that is the tour portion covering Japan . All these are indicated in the same table.

4. Placing the cursor on any item will highlight that item on the map , Clicking on it will highlight  information and photos of that point. For example placing the cursor on Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport will highlight Mumbai Airport with a circle , clicking on it will open a table giving information about the airport.The writing is faint. Unfortunately I have not been able/ do not know how to make it dark and easy to read . Any help on that will be most welcome . 

5. Layer 2 covers the places of tourist attraction covered during the trip .To open this layer scroll down . click on the square in front of  " JAPAN cities visited, Sights visited....."It will open this layer. Navigate through this as layer as for layer 1.

Future blogs will cover the trip " day wise " giving details of activities for that day .

Hope you enjoy the trip .

Japan - China Trip 08/05/15 - To - 22/05/15.

Japan - China Trip 08/05/15 - To - 22/05/15

Our last trip was to Sri Lanka in January 2014. We had Jaya and Shrish Tatwawadi for company , and must say it was very enjoyable company .It was a good trip.
That was now more than a year and half in the past . Having bitten by the travel bug and not going on any journey for such a long gap we were now itching for another trip .
After debating on trips , African Safari , Australia and ; New Zealand , only New Zealand and China Japan . We finally decided on China Japan . 
Based on Cost comparisons and past experience, made us settle for Kesari . 
The trip was for 13 days and 14 Hotel nights. Starting on 7 May night / 8 May morning at 01:30 hrs ex Mumbai.
The costing was :
Tour Cost , Indian ₹  :  1,39,990/-
Tour Cost , US $        :  2595/-
at the time of final payment , with the prevailing forex rates and taxes , the costing was ,
Tour Cost , Indian ₹  :  1,39,990/-
Tour Cost , US $ in ₹ :  1,67,584/-
Total................... :  3,07,574/
Even after lot of bargaining we could get only the following discounts 
Early bird ₹   :  50,000/-
Sr Citizen ₹   :  1000/-
Ex Guest  ₹   :  1000/
Total       ₹   :  52,000/-
So after discounted amount tour cost  ₹ 2,55,574/- per head .
Cost of travel Insurance :
Priti  ₹  :  1771/-
Self   ₹  :  2648/- 
So the total cost for both of us , including travel insurance worked out to ₹ : 5,15,567/-
This time we had the company of Dilip &; Madhuri Mandpe , and , Madhuri's brother Hemant & his better half  Vandana Joshi  from Mumbai .
The tour had total of 38 members .

Kesari tour China and Japan 08 May 2015 To 22 May 2015.

Our Group had Total 38 Members .

Photo taken at Main stadium of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 

Keep watching this space 

Coming shortly coverage of 

PART ONE JAPAN - 08 May 2015 - To  - 13 May 2015 

3.China Japan Trip . PART ONE : JAPAN : DAY THREE .HIIROSHIMA

DAY THREE - 10 May 2015. HIROSHIMA

Today we leave for Hiroshima . So the three timings for the day were advanced by 30 mts. Now they were 0600 wakeup , 0700 Breakfast and 0800 departure . 

It was to be a road journey with one halt enroute .  As on previous days , Starting of on time was not much of a problem and we set course more or less at the decided time of 0800 We followed Sanyo Expressway . Distance to Hiroshima on this route is approx 340 KMs. 

At Hotel Otani, my pre breakfast photo sessions were done on previous days, no photos were taken pre breakfast . However for the life of me I can not remember why I did not take any photos of our start or enroute till we reached our first halt on the way . So it comes to pass that the first photo of DAY THREE was taken at Kibi Service Area on Sanyo Expressway about 180 KMs from Osaka.

First photo day three.

Photo taken at Halt at Kibi Service Area . Sanyo Express way . Enroute Osaka - to - Hiroshima.
In one of the Japanese blog this statue is mentioned as "Sanyo Road Millet with three animal companions"

Started on road journey from Osaka to Hiroshima on Sanyo Express Road . Approximate Distance of 340 Kms. Halt at Kibi Service Area . Almost half way,for Tea , Coffee and snacks Break.

Panoramic view  Kibi Service Area 

Good facilities for a break after long drive . All facilities available.

Kibi Service Area . A refreshing Coffee and eats if you want them .

Knick knacks , Fruits and what have you . All at Kibi Service Area. :-)




After halt of about 30-45 mts took to Sanyo Expressway and were away for Hiroshima . On the way saw some examples of of Japanese Green House Farming . Have no idea what was being cultivated , took photos nevertheless.

  

Greenhouse Farming.

Greenhouse Farming .

Village scene en-route to Hiroshima in the vicinity of Kaita Ohashi Bridge . The Hills form part of Ogonzan Ryokucchi Park.

Flyovers - Flyunders galore . In the vicinity of Kaita Ohashi Bridge. Hiroshima just about 30 Mts away.

It was approaching lunch time so we proceeded to Ganesh Indian Restaurant in 

Hondori Street Arcade , Hiroshima .

Hondori Street Aracade, in the neighbourhood of  Senda Dori Avanue , Nara Ward , Hiroshima .

Ganesh Indian Restaurant.We had lunch here .

Takanoshi Central Hospital seen from the Eastern end of Hondori Street.

The Road Junction near Eastern end of Hondori Street .

A word about Hiroshima . 

It will be difficult to find a person with decent education who has not heard about Hiroshima and Nagasaki the two Japanese cities ,to be attacked with Atomic bomb. The only cities in the history of mankind , of human existence , to be subjected to such an attack . 

A uranium gun-type atomic bomb (Little Boy) was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Hiroshima got the unfortunate and dubious distinction to become the first city in Human History to be the target of Atom Bomb .
The bomb which was dropped was named " Little Boy". It contained about 64 kg (141 lb) of uranium-235 took 44.4 seconds to fall from the aircraft flying at about 31,000 feet (9,400 m) to a detonation height of about 1,900 feet (580 m) above the city .  It created a blast equivalent to 16 kilotons of TNT . The radius of total destruction was about 1 mile (1.6 km), with resulting fires across 4.4 square miles (11 km²).Some 70,000–80,000 people, of whom 20,000 were soldiers, or around 30% of the population of Hiroshima, were killed by the blast and resultant firestorm, and another 70,000 injured.Hiroshima was a destroyed and devasted city after the bombing.
Hiroshima was rebuilt with heroic and collective efforts of the common Japanese People and very efficient Government.But they created " Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park " at Hiroshima and similar countless memorials and monuments across all over Japan so that the people and the world at large never forgets the horrors of an Atomic attack .
There are almost 23 sites listed as tourist attractions . Some Main amongst  them are Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and associated Monuments,Shukken  (Japanese Garden),HiroshimaCastle, Itsukushima(Shrine Island),Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum and Hiroshima Museum Of Arts.
We saw only one of them : Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and associated Monuments / Memorials .
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park 

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park  is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims (of whom there may have been as many as 140,000). 

The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was once the city’s busiest downtown commercial and residential district. The park was built on an open field that was created by the explosion and spread over an area of 120,000 square meters.I am 100% sure that the problem of relocation of those living at this site earlier wae never politisied as it is a common thing to do in India in erlocation of Project Affected People . If it was also politicised in Hiroshima the city would still have devasteted look .

 Today there are a number of memorials and monuments, museums, and lecture halls, which draw over a million visitors annually. Quite afew of minor memorials were built by the people/ descendents of the people living in that area before the area was destroyed or by people affor who suffered by the divastetetion. One example of such a memroal is memorial for Korean victims. 

Monument dedicated to Korean Victims and Survivors .This is a monument to all the Korean nationals who were killed or injured by the Hiroshima atomic bomb on 6th August 1945. It wasn't just Japanese who were killed by the bomb. It's believed that around 30000 of the 70000 to 80000 people who died immediately in the blast were Korean nationals, while another 20000 were exposed but survived immediate death.

Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound on the left . The Mound is flanked by two stone Lanterns . One is on the  right of photo . The other one on is in shadow & not visible.

The Figure of the Merciful Goddess of Peace (Kannon).
Memorial Monument for Nakajima-hon-machi Residents .Nakajima Hon-machi was 100~700 meters from the hypocenter. What the the inscription beside the figure reads is given in comments  coloumn of photo in the album.

Entry Gate . Main Building  Hiroshima Prace Memorial Museum .

Scale model showing devastation and destruction caused by Atom bomb explosion in Hiroshima .  Because of the proximity fuse settings The bomb  had exploded at pre determined height above ground . about 1900 ft The height was set on purpose to cause maximum destruction . Red sphere indicates the height and the place above which the Bomb exploded. The point on ground below the red sphere is known as " Hypo Centre " .

Statue of Prayer - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The figures of a young couple holding their child in their arms are the work of the sculptor, Yoshizumi Yokoe.

The Children's Peace Monument.
The monument is in the memory of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who contracted Lukemia as a resrult os exposure to Atomic Radiation . Some how she believed that if che could make 1000 paper cranes she would be cured . Thousands of origami cranes from all over the world are offered around the monument.
See the comments on these photos in album.

Memorial Cenotaph.

Near the center of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The monument is aligned to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. The Memorial Cenotaph was one of the first memorial monuments built on open field on August 6, 1952. The arch shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims.

Atomic Bomb Dome . Hiroshima.

The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties .

Afterlooking around for some more time and taking a few more photographs it was time to proceed for Dinner , We went to the same Ganesh Indian Restaurant where we had lunh in the afternoon . After dinner it was to  Rihga Royal Hotel . Hiroshima.

While allotments of room etc was being done I took some photos.

The lobby Royal Righa Hotel.

Boutique and Faishon Hall at  Rihga Royal Hotel . Hiroshima.

Shops at  Rihga Royal Hotel .

Our Room in Righa Royal.

Actually this was the last photo of DAY THREE but I wanted to end the blog with this photo 

The Roses Righa Royal Hotel .

Tomorrow we check out of Righa Royal Hotel, Hiroshima and proceed to Tokyo, by Bullet Train but ,Via Fuji Visitors Point and two other points if Interest .

Here is the link for photo album of China- Japan Trip : Japan: DAY THREE

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100798393236899222624/albums/6174944404182552145

Please Do read the captions and info given in the comment column of photos.

 Also check out mapped position  . If you are interested you may even see the street view of the photo.I hope it will be an interesting experience :-)

GOOD NIGHT DAY THREE.