Agathi Arvanitidou - MEMORIES from ASIA

MEMORIES FROM ASIA

PROLOGUE

I n my second book, Memories from Asia, I describe my traveling experiences through the countries of Asia, as they were recorded in my memory and captured by my camera.

Traveling the world, meeting new people, their history and culture was a lifelong dream for me. Traveling to distant countries, completely different from your own, is such a beautiful adventure and one that I would encourage everyone to take. It is a life experience that stays with you forever. You learn the history of centuries old cultures in just a few days. What a spectacle! Ancient Temples, Palaces, forts and monuments all bearing the name of their creator and testifying to their glorious past. In present day Asia, enchanting landscapes, cosmopolitan style, rich markets and hospitable people complement the unique beauty of each country.

I hope you will dream and travel through the pages of this book to the vast continent of Asia. You will meet the worlds most ancient civilizations and walk to the most populous countries in the world.

I hope you will mentally cross the undersea tunnel connecting Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong island, ascend Victoria Peak and enjoy your meal at the glass restaurant you will find at the top ( Hong Kong ).

You will experience the true madness of the streets of Delhi with the tuk-tuk tricycles, the citys taxis, the thousands of people riding bicycles, the motorcycles, the fast sport cars and the cows roaming the streets ( Delhi ).

You will enjoy a glass of Raktsi , the local rice wine, on the slopes of the Himalayas, admire the beautiful awe-inspiring mountain tops and feel like a climber for a while ( Nagarkot ).

You will take a night cruise on the Bosphorus and admire beautiful Istanbul illuminated by night and the impressive illuminated bridge that connects Europe and Asia across the Bosporus Straits changing colours ( Istanbul ).

Vast and miraculous world. So much beauty and knowledge everywhere!

Note

All city maps included in this e-book are from Google and all country maps are from Geology.

ASIA

J apan and China: both distant countries full of culture and traditions, magnificent landscapes, amazing monuments, famous markets.

Thailand, Singapore and Bali: home to an exotic atmosphere, cosmopolitan style, lush vegetation, Palaces and Temples.

India: a vast country with ancient history, Palaces and Temples, Muslims and Hindus, a mix of wealth and poverty.

Nepal: magnificent monuments, Buddhist and Hindu Temples, open-air markets, hospitable people.

Turkey: memorable days in Istanbul and Pontus.

JAPAN

W e are four friends traveling with a travel agency, from Thessaloniki to Japan and China. The first flight is from Thessaloniki to Frankfurt. We have a wait in Frankfurt airport before we board a Boeing 747 in the evening and fly to Japan, with a stopover in Hong Kong.

After a fantastic eleven-and-a-half-hour flight, we arrive in Hong Kong the next day at noon. As the plane lands, we admire Hong Kong from above and our first view is more than impressive. We stay in the plane for about an hour, for the necessary procedures to take place. The passengers who have reached their destination get off the plane, new passengers board the plane, the crews are cleaning, some employees are fuelling the plane, the pilots and the flight attendants are replaced and finally we start our journey for the Land of the Rising Sun! After a four-hour flight, we arrive exhausted at Osaka International Airport. We take the bus and travel to Kyoto, 57 kilometers northeast of Osaka.

The first inhabitants of Japan arrived from Korea and Siberia at least 30,000 years ago.

After 300 BC they began rice cultivation, making iron and copper tools and establishing strong military cities. Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the 6th century, from Korea.

Japan has adopted western ideas and rules that have turned it into a global power. It is an island country with more than 6,800 islands. The population amounts to 127 million inhabitants, of which 56% are Shinto (traditional religion of Japan) and 35% are Buddhists.

KYOTO

C apital of Japan from 794 to 1868

We drive from Osaka to majestic Kyoto, the capital of peace. Although archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on Japan to approximately 10,000 BC, relatively little is known about human activity in the area before the 7th century. During the 8th century, when the powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence, to Heian, later renamed Kyoto, meaning capital city.

Kyoto is the cultural centre of Japan. It is arranged following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals. Kyoto developed the Japanese wooden architecture and the art of Japanese gardens, which influenced gardening landscape around the world. We walk the narrow streets of old Kyoto. The wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city.