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Vientiane: Central Bus Station has been Moved (2015/10/14)

Central Bus Station (CBS) in Vientiane had been moved. CBS has many buses which goes to north Thailand and many places in Laos.
Maybe this is a temporary moving because of construction of new bus station building. New temporary bus station is located about few hundreds meters from original place. So it could go by walk.

List of destinations

There was a sign like this:

Information sign about Bus station (Maybe)

I cannot read Lao language (Tell me if this is wrong understanding) but maybe this is like this:

Under construction

CBS is under construction. Bus station divided two places. Please go there.

CBS1 (North) has buses depart for:

Laos – Thai International Bus

Bus 29: Dongdok

Bus 23: Thangon

Bus 20: Dongkhamxang)

Bus 32: Donepamai

CBS2 (South) has buses depart for:

Bus 14: Friend ship bridge (* and also goes Buddha Parl)

Bus 08: North Bus Terminal

Bus 30: Thongpong – Tadthong

Bus 32: Phontong

Bus 33: Nongtha

Bus 49 Nongteang)

Bus 05 Namxouang)

Bus 06 Pialard

Bus 19 Paksap

North Stop (CBS1?)

Buses for Thailand etc. departs from here.

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”17.963,102.615″ zoom=”17″ width=”100%” height=”450″ marker_latlon=”17.96356,102.61506″ marker_name=”mic_red_pinother_02.png”]

This is a little bit south from original position. Not far from.

This is a photo of CBS1. It becames a litlle bit messy, and tight place.

CBS North (CBS1?)

South Stop (CBS2?)

Buses for Friend Ship Bridge (Border gate place for Thailand), Buddha park etc. departs from here.

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”17.963,102.615″ zoom=”17″ width=”100%” height=”450″ marker_latlon=”17.96247,102.61526″ marker_name=”mic_red_pinother_02.png”]

This is a little bit fat from original position. It is a road side bus stop rather than “Bus Station”.

CBS South (CBS2?)

Picture from CBS South to North, Talat Sao

The end of bus from Thailand which I rode was here.

By the way, old bus station place was like this. Entirly nothing.

Old Place of CBS

So be careful if you will go Vientiane now.

Shops around CBS is crowded even now.

Permalink to single post 2015/11/4(Wednesday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Overseas Bus, Thaailand, Vientiane

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Salmon Sushi flavoured Potate Chips

Salmon Sushi flavoured Potate Chips

This is a snack sold in Seven-Eleven at Hong Kong. Salmon Sushi flavourd Potato Chips.
I’ve never seen in Japan. It looks good, so I tried it.

There was two bags in outer bag. One is a wasabi powder bag, and another is a potato chips bag. According to instruction written in back, I should put wasabi powder in the potato bag, and shake it.

Without wasabi powder, it tastes like an Ebisen. But aftertaste was like Salmon. I couldn’t feel “Sushi” flavour. (Also I don’t know what sushi flavour like…)

Wasabi powder was exactly wasabi. It was good. You should eat together.

BTW, why did they make a salmon sushi flavour snack rather than tuna or something?
There is many salmon menus in sushi restaurants. Are they popular in Hong Kong?

: Inner bags

: This sounds like very different meaning for us

Permalink to single post 2014/11/28(Friday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Overseas Food, Salmon, Snack, Sushi

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I visited Hong Kong (Hong Kong Pro-democracy Protests)

Selfie! (A little bit outdated?)

I’ve seen around Hong Kong and Macau.
I have many purposes visiting Hong Kong like sightseeing, shopping etc.
But first of all, I’ like to write about Hong Kong Pro-democracy Protests.

Now Hong Kong is…

Currently (2014/11/22), I think everything in Hong Kong is normal except very limited exceptions. It is safe. If you don’t anything thoughtless things like violences or breaking something, it is okay.

There is so many photographers, and so many people taking picture with their smartphones. (Sure, I’m one of them.)

About protesting

There is two large demonstrators groups. One is around Mong Kok Station (旺角駅) at Kowloon. Another one is around Admiralty Station. (金鐘駅) Roads at both of them is blocked with a barricade. Mong-Kok is like an shopping street. Admiralty is the distinct of government offices and large banks.

Mong-Kok (旺角)

Barricade

Mong-Kok is located at Kowloon area.

[osm_map lat=”22.319″ lon=”114.169″ zoom=”12″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”22.31876,114.16946″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

Here is an shopping street. There is many visitors and locals.
Cars were blocked by the barricades, but pedestrians can walk into there. Shops were open.

There is some people speeching, but so few demonstrating people. Here is relatively mild.

Protester’s Barricade and Polices

Left back side is the Protester’s Barricade, other side is polices and police’s cars. Pedestrians walks at the middle of them.

Police’s Cars

These cars are towards Protester’s Barricade. Many polices in cars.

Speeching Person

He was speeching in Chinese language (maybe). Polices listen his speech, but not tense atomosphere.
I didn’t recognize his speech because I didn’t recognize Chinese language.

People of the press climbling roof on Station Building

They probably want take good videos anyway. It is normal in here now.

Papers posted in a Bus Stop

There was so many things to protest.
Almost of them are in Chinese Language so I could not read them. But I could read Kanji, so I understood meaning of about half of them.

Totoro with Yellow Umbrella (Symbol of protesting)

They used many famouse Japanese character like Totoro, Doraemon, Hello Kitty.

Mannequin Protester

Like An Error or Something

From GTA 5

I think they are so creative. It may be result of thinking for observer from outside country. (Or they just kidding.)

Japanese person who says about nuclear power or forign people something should look them.

Person Saying Something Different

Some people said different thing than main stream protesting. Maybe person in this picture was saying about unfair treatment of a trial.

(Maybe) An Protest Blocking Roads by Hong Kong Protest

This is easy one to understand for us. Probably this says like “Return a right to use roads! I’m protesting blocking roads!”. (Perhaps misunderstanding…)

Admiralty (金鐘)

This is Admiralty which has government buildings, and many banks.
It is placed at north of Hong Kong island.

[osm_map lat=”22.28″ lon=”114.166″ zoom=”16″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”22.27981,114.16628″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

It was in night of friday, there was so many protesters. Some people was speeching central in this group.

Boothes for The Mass Media

They (protesters) prepare these boothes for the media.

First Aid

There is some first aid tents. Some person (looks like students) which wears red-cross marked clothes were walking around.

Enter to the Place

They made stairway to enter the protesting place.

They were very thoughtful of safety, and of effectively saying to outside. Many things are made carefully, and thoughtful. It is awesome.

Many labeled Wall

Many messages were putting on this wall. Some of them written English, and Japanese Language.

Character of Line ?

Are Hong Kong people using LINE?

Polices

Of course many polices watching them. But here is also not tense.

Business in Usual (KFC)

They were doing a business with effort.

Stairway with Many Labels

It seems like a sightseeing spot.

Anyway, They are fighting for freedom, seriously.

Permalink to single post 2014/11/27(Thursday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Travel Hong Kong, Protest

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Varanasi to Kathmandu, Mt. Everest

I got out from India, go to Kathmandu, Napal.

Varanasi

Ganga

I see Ganga (Ganges river). It is large river.
So many of f**king touts.
I visited Marnikanika Ghat. There is also so many cheaters here. They said they need money for wood to burn poor person’s bodies, or person who has no family. They are ABSOLUTE CHEATERS. DO NOT GIVE MONEY! NEVER!
They have no humanity. I hate them.
I went to airport just in time. But my flight (Air India) is delayed about half hour. I think staff (at least ticket counter staff) should tell me about that, but no kindly staff in there. Moreover, the flight delayed thirty minutes more. Silently.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Around Mt. Everest. It seems that a mountain in center which hides in cloud is Everest.

It is a little warm than I expected. (But very cold in night and early morning)
I went to Mountain flight to see Mt.Everest by Buddha Air. But I can see only the foot of the mountain because of clouds.
It is very quiet than India! Also few garbases in road side. (It is like after festival moment in Japan) So many people cleans entrances their home.
Cars and motorcycles drives rough, but a little bit milder than India.
So many polices in roads. They do traffic control sufficiently.
Interruptions of the power supply happens very frequently. But I think it is almost same as Varanasi. (Perhaps it depends on seasons?)
Internet connections is good. Some WiFi spot reaches 700kbps. It is better than India’s hodel I stayed.
Many shops of SIM and Smartphones as same as any other cities.
So many cables above roads. Power line or signal line? How many used? How it made? It is mysterious.

I’ll go back to home tomorrow, via Delhi.

Permalink to single post 2014/10/18(Saturday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Travel Delhi, Everest, India, Varanasi, WiFi

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India Impressions And The SIM Card

Many Indians.
I went to India Gate. No impression particularly.
Walk around delhi. Dirty. Bad smell. Danger. Violent people.
I went to Nehri Place which said indian “Akihabara”. They recommended me laptops many times. I don’t neet.
Breakfast was curry with something. Launch is McDonalds. Dinner is Domino pizza. I love america.
This hotel is a little noisy. Someone played music in midnight with large volume. It is hard to me. I’ll use earplugs.

Seriously India is best place ever visited. Very tired.

How to configure Airtel SIM

I had believed that it could use immediately after an activation without any configuration, but it is not.
We probably need to configure APN (Access Point Name) .

I configured it with my Xperia Z2, but other machines might be able to configure almost same way.

(1) Let’s activate as I wrote yesterday. (Insert SIM. Turn off roaming and Wifi. Call 59059 and answer the questions)

(2) Open [Setting] > [More…] -> [Mobile networks]

(3) Make sure that airtel is selected, It could from [Service providers] at (2)

(4) Open [Access Point Names] at (2)

(5) Tap add button, and enter below (Any other options than below should be keep in initial state. Maybe.)

Name: Airtel Internet
APN: airtelgprs.com
Proxy: 202.56.231.117
Port: 8080
MCC: 404 (Entered initially in my case)
MNC: 10 (Entered initially in my case)
Authentication type: Not set
APN type: default

(6) Save. I could use network with them. If you cannot, try rebooting.

Below is my screenshots of setting screens. (But it is in Japanese)

Probably there is information about this configuration in airtel homepage or elsewhere, but could not find them. I found this config way with googling and try many partial information.

Some informaion says they send about configuration via SMS. But I could not receive them.

Permalink to single post 2014/10/16(Thursday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Technology, Travel

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I’m in India

I’m very tired.

Some memos For person who will comes India whenever.

How to get out of airport and go to hotel

Many sites says that you will face some difficulties when getting out of the Indira Gandi International Airport. So you should ask pick-up service or something to your hotel. But I could get out and go to New Delhi Station with the Airport Express easily without any problems. If you will not arrive at midnight (The trains will suspend at midnight), it is probably good way. I think there is no need to stay airport until morning.

At New Delhi Station

You should leave this station ASAP. Sometimes many indians come here (Rush hour?). Many people push each other because there is no space to walk. Some people are fighting (literally). Station staff beats the counter window to banish people for some reason. Very fearful.

SIM Card

Today’s mission. Getting SIM Card. docomo (A mobile network provider in Japan) serves roming service in india, but it is too expensive.

I bought a SIM card at Airtel counter in the airport. It was easy. I showed them my passport. They take a picture of me. I told them my name, my father name and my hotel name. Then they wrote application paper for me.

I bought around 6 pm. They said that I should call 59059 to activate around 9pm – 10pm.

First try is failed. It might be because of my roaming setting. Probably we must disable roaming when call them to activate. (They told me about the problem on the phone in English. But it is hard to understand to me…)

In second try, I switched off the roaming option, and selected mobile network to “2G airtel”. Then they ask me the expected question (Name, Father Name, Hotel Name). I could activated my SIM card correctly.

But I could not use their network. I will solve tomorrow because sleepy.

Difficulties to find my hotel

The hotel address shown at reservation site was different from actual hotel address.
The hotel place shown on google maps was different from actual place of hotel obviously.
The rule (or order) of address numbering is not understandable.

So I lost way because of these problems. I walked alone the town several hours at night. It might be so dangerous.

Eventually, I recommend you to ask pick-up service.

I had stayed four nights at “Hotel Private Affairs”. It is around 3000 yen per night. It was large room, good internet connection, good bathroom. This hotel might be good for business.

Permalink to single post 2014/10/11(Saturday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Travel Airtel, India

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Japan Median Tectonic Line Islands Touring (2) – Kashikohjima, Masakijima, Tomogashima

This article is continuation of “
Japan Median Tectonic Line Islands Touring (1) – Kamishima, Tojishima, Sakatejima”

Kashiko-jima (賢島)

[osm_map lat=”34.321″ lon=”136.831″ zoom=”11″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.30776,136.82035″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

This island is in complex terrain area at Shima city. There is two road bridges and a railroad bridge between this island and the mainland. So this island do not looks like island. There is a lot of buildings like an aquarium (Shima Marine Land), resort hotels , sea-food restaurants and Pearl shops.
Not only this island, but also this area is famous place for pearls.

A port at Kashiko-shima. There is ships for Masaki-shima, Goza, and so on.

The railway station of Kintetsu.

Maruyama park. There is memorial tower for pearl oysters.

Monument at Maruyama-park. Apparently this is for praising an inventor of cultured pearls.

A memorial tower of pearl oysters.

Masaki-jima (間崎島)

[osm_map lat=”34.293″ lon=”136.829″ zoom=”12″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.28975,136.81572″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

This island is also in cove at Shima city. It looks like connected with the mainland at first sight, but actually it is isolated.

It looks good place for sea bathing. There is facilities like lavatories and showers. The beach is clean and smooth sea because this island placed in a cove.

Also it is good place for walking, but there is only few rest places and promenades. It’s a little disappointing.

Overview of island from the beach. Clean beach. Good place for sea bathing

“Ship for Masaki-jima. There is no passengers other than me.

There is only a hut.

A vending machine.

This building had been used as elementary school. It is not being in use now.

First cat in Masaki-kima

Second cat

A canopy of greenery and a couple

Dead end of main way. There is nothing.

Shiono-misaki (潮岬)

This is not an island. This is a cave. But I visited for looking a lighthouse.

[osm_map lat=”33.435″ lon=”136.155″ zoom=”7″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”33.43587,135.75963″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

This cape placed at the southern tip of Kii Peninsula.

Shionomisaki lighthouse

A raccoon dog. They say there is a lot of raccoon dogs in Kii Peninsula. But I saw a raccoon dog for the first time.

Tomoga-shima, Okino-shima (友ヶ島・沖ノ島)

[osm_map lat=”34.282″ lon=”135.229″ zoom=”9″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.28487,135.02046″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

This is at west side of Kii Peninsula. There is some island in there. They are called “Tomoga-shima”. I visited “Okino-shima” in “Tomoga-shima” islands.

Basically it is an uninhabited island. But there is campsites and some old hotels (Probably they have not been in business).

A ship for Okino-shima. Many passengers.

A ship for Okino-shima. There is many passengers./caption]

[caption id="attachment_1862" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Overview from north of island.

This island is tourist attraction

There is a umino-ie (resting place). I’m not sure it is in bussiness or not.

Beach. A bit too many garbages.

A old-hotel.

Remains of a gun battery

Tomogashima lighthouse

A wild deer or something

Remains of an observation post of old japanese navy

From inside of the remains

A distant view of Tomogashima lighthouse

A rader for flights or something.

The third remains of gun battery. This is looks like Saru-shima at Yokosuka.

An slanting fault. Probably this is a part of the JMTL

A distant view

That’s all.

In this touring, I visited some islands around Mie Pref. and Wakayama Pref.
Sugashima is also an island in Mie, but I have visited it before, so I had passed it in this trip.

I have visited 89 island. It’s just a bit more till 100 islands!

Permalink to single post 2014/6/6(Friday) by SUNAGA Takahiro Leave a comment Islands, Motorcycle

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Japan Median Tectonic Line Islands Touring (1) – Kamishima, Tojishima, Sakatejima

In Japan, there is a large fault system named “Japan Median Tectonic Line (JMTL)”. A lot of rises in there, also many small islands in there.
So I traveled island around JMTL in Kii Peninsula.

I traveled with my motorcycle. I went to Irago-misaki, and go around Kii Peninsula. The route is (Tokyo) – (Irago-misaki) – Kamishima – (Toba) – Tojishima – Sakatejima – Kashikojima – Masakijima – (Shiono-misaki) – Tomogashima – (Nagoya) – (Tokyo).

As an aside, I ran Meihan-Kokudo on way back (famous road as frequent car accidents). It was scared a little.

Kami-shima (神島)

[osm_map lat=”34.659″ lon=”136.998″ zoom=”10″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.54578,136.98068″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

An island in ahead of Irago-cape. It’s the gateway of Ise-wan.

This island is the setting of a novel “Shiosai” written by MISHIMA Yukio. I don’t know detail about him.

Overview of Kami-shima. From ferry between Irago and Toba.

Overview of Kami-shima from an ferry between Irago and Toba.

A ship to go to Kami-shima.

“Sentaku-ba (Washing place)” in the village. There is many houses in this small area. So it’s very narrow. An stairway in this picture is way to lighthouse.

Kami-shima lighthouse. The gold plate says “Holy place for lovers”.

Kami-shima Kanteki-Sho Ruins (神島監的哨). These had been buildings for observing test firing from Irago. They had watched points of impact from here.

The village.

A building looks like monster or something. Probably no person living in this.

Toji-shima (答志島)

[osm_map lat=”34.471″ lon=”136.876″ zoom=”10″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.51693,136.87563″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

The island near from Toba which is famous tourist resort.

Apparently they have doing movement for making bridge from toba (This signboard says “The hope of all of us, Building bridge of Toji-shima”). Surely this is not unrealistic because this island is so close from Toba.

“Kubi-zuka” (means mound of a head) in small mountain near from the port. It is said that there is KUKI Yoshitaka’s head in here, who committed suicide in here.

This is “Dou-zuka” (means mound of a trunk). There is also KUKI Yoshitaka’s trunk in here. Sadly his head and trunk are splitted different mounds. Maybe some reasons there.

“Chiarai-ike” (means pond for washing blood).

Pure water and clean beach.

“Kaniana-kofun” (an ancient tomb). I could not recognize where is the tomb because this is not typical “kofun”. (See also: Kofun at wikipedia)

An island of Yahata shrine. It is connected by footbridge.

The time of departure of group of fishing boats.

Around Wagu fishing port (in Northern part of the island). Kubi-zuka and Dou-zuka are in small mountains in center part of this picture.

This is around Momotori fishing port (Southern part of the island).

A distant view of Shimagasaki lighthouse. I couldn’t go near because no time to go.

JMSDF’s vessel anchored. There is many kinds of ships in Irago-suido (Sea area aroung Irago-misaki).

A ferry with a clane. Looks like useful.

Sakate-jima (坂手島)

[osm_map lat=”34.496″ lon=”136.877″ zoom=”11″ width=”600″ height=”450″ marker=”34.48807,136.85846″ marker_name=”wpttemp-red.png”]

This is an island near toba too. Small island.

Overview of Sakate-jima village.

In the village. Almost ways in this village are very narrow like this. Apparently some of them use mopeds. But I thought it is difficult to go with mopeds…

Ayame-ike (irises pond). There was so many flags written “Ayame festival”. They say May is the iris season.

Ayame.

This signboard says “(Do not trash here.) DO NOT TRASH NYLON. I BEG YOU PLEASE.”.

There is many signboards like it in this island. Maybo so many nylons have dumped. Is it used in fishing or something?

A cat in Sakate.

A building for a water service. Undersea pipe for sending drinking water from Toba have connected here. Isolated islands, particularly small islands often faces difficulties of securing drinking water. Many of them have depended on sending pipes like this.