Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. Having put a plane journey between ourselves and the Tokyo heat & humidity, I`ll admit I wasn`t quite prepared for the Okayama climate - walking into which felt like trying to walk through a brick wall. A very hot brick wall.
As such, I greeted news of a fast approaching typhoon vigorously, and when it just about missed Okayama I was as disappointed as a kid who awoke on Christmas morning to find instead of GI JOE in his stocking, Santa had emptied his bowels inside. Co-incidentally, this is almost exactly how certain areas of Okayama smells on a warm morning.
What makes the heat that much more unbearable is that my predeccessor, upon clearing the apartment, obviously decided that I was undeserving of an air-conditioner, and ripped it from the wall and took it with him. Thanks, you fucking guy.
Forgive me for painting a negative picture of my time so far in Okayama, as it`s really not the case. Though the Lonely Planet guide was possibly scribbled on a single sheet of two-ply in the bog of a domestic flight somewhere over the city, there is actually plenty to see and do.
The two most well known sites are Korakuen Gardens and Okayama Castle. The former is a huge, sprawling Japanese garden which turns into an illuminated beer garden by night. The latter, meanwhile, is a reconstruction of the original distinctive black castle. I`ve been all over Japan, and invariably the castle I`m feverishly taking pictures of and marvelling at was burnt down hundreds of years ago and reconstructed in the 1960s. So, here`s a tip for budding Japanese feudal warlods, don`t build your fortresses out of fucking wood.
Sorry, started ranting again there.
Hey there, good blog, like your since of humour! The last line is classic!
What was wrong with the Lonely Planet guide? I work for Lonely Planet and we are always trying to make things better, so let me know what you think you should improive on.
Cheers
Comment by aaronAaron Lamb
Hey there, good blog, like your since of humour! The last line is classic!
What was wrong with the Lonely Planet guide? I work for Lonely Planet and we are always trying to make things better, so let me know what you think we should improve on.
Cheers
Comment by aaronAaron Lamb
Thanks for your kind words, and also forgive me for my not-so-kind words.
I don`t mean to single out Lonely Planet, for it is a failing of all travel guides to comprehensively cover places off the beaten track to the extent that they perhaps should be covered. Space is at a premium, so it`s understandable that Kyoto and Tokyo get chapters and chapters, with Okayama relegated to little more than a couple of pages.
I`ve not been here a wet week (and God how I am praying for a wet week in this heat), but I`ve already found there`s a tonne of stuff to do. From getting roped into traditional Japanese dancing in a local park to wandering into a bizarre parade of high-kicking dance troupes backed by blaring pop music, to the spot-lit beer gardens and picturesque boat rides down the Asahi, there`s been plenty to see and do!
I forgot to mention the massive fireworks display for the Momotaro Festival, but it`s also worth seeing - if a little crowded!
In the end though, I`m sure you can appreciate that my comments were made with my tongue firmly in cheek and I meant no disrespect to your fine publication.
Comment by BrendanHaha, of course there’s no disrespect, your whole blog was a really good read and we can take criticism!!
So would you say that we should perhaps put some more info or maybe some antidotes about Okayama in the next guide? If so I can let the right people know that when they are researching the new guide to perhaps take a little more time and give Okayama the coverage it deserves. Of course it is always up to the author but it’s always good to know as many opinions as possible!
You can email me: go@lonelyplanet.co.uk
Cheers, and have a good day!
Aaron
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