Adelaide lays it out

A yearning

Adelaide, a name I first heard when in Grade 3. The school headmaster, a Mr Lucas, was from Alice Springs in Australia. His daughter, Hannah, and I were classmates. She often referred to the cities. They became  ingrained in my mind.  Later one of the books prescribed for my Cambridge 'O' level examinations was No Highway by Nevil Shute. I was so taken by the author's style, plot and language that I began to read his other novels. That's when I came across A Town like Alice (the story of a young English woman captured by the Japanese in Malaya, and the Australian soldier( from AP) who tries to help the women and child prisoners of war). It struck a chord since I was born in Malaya. My father was a fugitive during the Japanese occupation of the peninsula. I  was understandably very excited indeed.

50 years later, I'd been disappointed that on our first trip to Perth,  Australia, we were not able to visit Adelaide. That Alice Springs is a 6 hr flight from Adelaide did not matter. It was close enough for my imagination. We'd driven down the Western Coast from Perth to Albany, overnighting in a camp ground which had stationary old out-of-service RVs propped up on bricks that served as chalets. The ablutions were common. The manager was friendly. The small kitchen on board was adequate for our basic needs. We didn't have time to travel further.

On our second trip to Australia, Sydney this time, we drove up to Sun Shine Coast and then all the way down to Melbourne. We wanted to do the great coastal drive towards Adelaide. and we did, but, only half way, again due to time constraints.  

Adelaide lays it out

Our chance came when we cruised all around Australia, starting in Tasmania and ending in Sydney. 

We disembark and walk right into a Christmas parade. The city is abuzz. Naturally traffic is blocked. The floats filled with fictional and fairy tale characters in various settings and styles glide by. We find a vantage point on the steps to a colonaded building. When Santa, who brings up the rear, enters we know the parade is about to end. Within a few minutes the city is almost devoid of traffic. It returns to its normal quiet self, except on some streets where the partying continues. 

The trams within the city are free. We try them. it helps to discover that the route is quite walkable. And so we stroll to the city centre, sit on a bench and watch the world go buy. A little earlier we had walked into the central market area where we were irresistably drawn to the soft round Lebanese bread. Pulling off pieces of the bread and savouring them under the shade of a tree, facing an interesting facade, is one the most restful things we've enjoyed in our travels.

Architectural curiousities shaped by history 

Walking down the streets we cannot help but notice iconic buildings.

What's in a name?

I've never come across a market calling itself a Fruit and Produce Exchange. Arched entrances and cantilevered canopies retain the historic facade of this heritage historic site. It is an invitation to the richness of colour and variety of products plied in the innumerable stalls.

The iconic buildings are all within easy reach. The unique light earth tones of the bricks make the facades look as thought the walls have been minutely sculpted. The University with its classic renaissance style, 153 year old St Peter’s Cathedral with its gothic spiralling colums and lancet windows, and the Victorian Town Hall all together symbolise the city's independant culture. The city, unlike most cities in Australia, did not begin with convicts. It was based on free settlement, not convict labour.

Celebrations continue in the many wide spaces between the buildings, with clowns, balloonists, a didgeridoo performance and even a party on a bar on wheels!

DrInk has seen enough and wants to return to the ship. I do not like to miss botanical gardens, especially if it is in the heart of the city.

A tree that squawks

So, here I go and within minutes I'm met by dense greenery. One particular tree stands out. It is all mostly parrot green interspersed with clusters of red. Curious to know whether it was crab apple or some berry bearing tree I approach and that's when it strikes me! Where's all that squawking and screeching coming from? The tree! It is dense with rainbow  lorikeets. They begin to flutter. I steer clear so as not to disturb their town meeting. The hazy picture I take of the action filled moment depicts the flurry both in the observer and the observed. 

The gardens were laid out very well but to me they paled in comparison to the birds that greeted me.

Diversity and architecture 

I've been to botanical gardens in almost all the cities we've visited, but this one remains the most unique. The conservatory and palm pavilion are like those in Edinburgh with a diversity of flora ( I've yet to visit Kew Gardens in London) except for the architecture ( the largest single span glasshouse house in the Southern Hemisphere). The water lily pavilion  also sets the garden apart.

Singularly notable sculptures fashioned out of various kinds of material abound. Enlivening it all are the eyecatching scarecrows. 

Museum of Economic Botany, really!?

True. It's not only one of a kind but also the last of its kind in the world. Most of the exhibits have been there since the inception of the museum 140 years ago. They showcase various uses of plants with minimum wastage. The coconut and banana tree come to mind.

A knowing look: The Garden of Health

Medicinal plants grown in a tranquil setting. A living demonstration! The labels show how different parts of the 2,500 plants are used to heal the body, mind and soul, in the various cultures of the world. I had never seen lucerne, rennet, and caper plants before. Imagine my delight in discovering  the ingredients I use in my cooking in their raw form! I believe I got a knowing look and a nod from them.

Sustainable environment, especially water

Walking into another part of the garden is even more edifying. We very well know that water, climate and soil condition determine the type of flora. The Water Mediterranean  garden incorporates  brooks and about 130 species from all the Mediterranean  zones of the world, all carefully nurtured into a stunning display. They tell the story of how they are intertwined with cultures. Very intriguing indeed for one who delights in human geography.

A suitable entrance

Now I'm confronted by a randomly arranged set of low fountains. The sculpture is carved out of black granite and has water flowing over it as a fountain. The 14 piece sculpture was inspired by the fossilised vertebrae of an Ichthyosaur, a highly specialised  aquatic reptile, displayed in the South Australian Museum. How fitting a representation of the objectives of the gardens!

Naha: not so Japanese

Naha: Dragon or Mushroom?

Naha, a city in Okinawa, Japan. Most of us who are familiar with WW II will remember Okinawa as the island where the US Marines defeated the Imperial  Japanese military in 1945

During my school days I remembered Naha by associating it with a Sanscrit homonym, Naga, which means dragon -- a mythical creature with slightly different features in various Asian folklore. My nemonics didn't go far wrong, or so I thought. As we enter the entirely rebuilt city from the cruise port we are greeted by two towering dragon like pillarss.No problem with the  nemonic. But the origin of the name? I had something to learn. Naha is a Western Japanese name for mushroom! There had been a mushroom shaped rock in the city which  has since gradually eroded to the ground and disappeared entirely. The name remains. It seems an apt description for a town that was completely destroyed during the battle of Okinawa mushrooming into the vibrant city it is now. 

It's all about location and worth

Where is the tourist information center? Opposite McDonalds and therefore easy to locate! 

We are not sure we want to take the public transport to visit the restored and rebuilt Shujiro Castle touted to have beautiful gardens (as only Japanese gardens can be). They are free to enter but the castle itself is under renovation. The guide at the information centre looks up the entry fees and then helpfully adds that we would be charged only half the rate since there would be very little to see until the works are complete. If we did go we would still not be able to visit the 450 metre long complex of tunnels underneath it  that were used as a major command post by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II, the reason why the castle was subsequently almost destroyed by the US Marines. Did we visit? . . 

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Traditions and associations 

Our free shuttle from the port drops us off, as usual, at the popular shopping arcade with a warren of side streets an alleys. Flanking the entrance of the arcade are two shisaas, lion dog statues,l one with a closed mouth and the other open as though baring its teeth. These are no laughing matter.. The close-mouthed keeps the good spirits protected within while the open mouthed frightens (roars?) evil spirits away. They are talismans that form a significant part of the Okinawan culture. You see them everywhere, at entrances to buildings, on roofs, at the corners of eaves, and of course, in abundance at the temples and shrines.

You may wonder: Isn't the lion a Chinese symbol? Yes, it is. But why in Japan? That, of course, takes you back to ancient history and how the island was once part of China. I am told some Okinawans also speak Hokkien, a Chines dialect. 

Chanpuri, paanipuri, potpourri

Okinawa boasts of 'Chanpuri' cuisine. The word reminds me of the Indian  'paanipuri' ( crispy bite sized shell loaded with spicy salad). In fact, The Japanese word 'Chanpuri' means 'that which is mixed'! 

How so? Japanese penchants, Hawaiian weather, flavours of China, American symbols!

Are we in Hawaii?

It is a blazing sunny day. We find ourselves taking shelter in the shadows of lamp-posts as we wait for the lights to change at the crossroads of Kokusai-dōri, the main shopping thoroughfare. We weave through explosions of colour. The alleys are interesting and crowded but we have seen enough. Okinawa is the Hawaii of Japan. Palm trees line the streets. Eye-catching, colourfully printed Hawaiian like beach attire and footware seem to tumble out of the little shops. 

Dog fashion

The same shops also sell beach wear for dogs in displays that would certainly tempt  the dog owner. I can't speak for the dogs. 

American symbols 

We have enough of the nearly 2 km long shopping street filled with groups of Japanese youth dressed in different uniforms, carrying large shopping bags that display 'Spam', 'Orion', etc. Go figure the large presence of 'America'!  

Cuisine

Time to make the quick customary fish market visit,which turns out to be rather quiet for it's rather late in the day. The restaurants here serve more meat, not just sea food, and a greater variety of vegetables and fruits compared to the rest of Japan. This also is a result of history and geography (the tropical climate).

Dragon boat

Farther along the road, outside a swanky glass and steel building -- along a meandering canal that has concrete paths lining both banks, crisscrossed by bridges-- occupied by high end shops which do not seem as popular with the youth as the shopping street,  sits a huge yellow boat which I almost miss in spite of its size and bright yellow paint. It was sitting just a few metres ahead of me and yet I had to find someone to show me where it was. Expectations and reality to not always match. Alas , it was only a replica of a simplified dragon boat reminiscent of the boat races of the past. Another mark of Chinese influence.  With one side cut off and pairs of  concrete seats down the middle you could sit there and imagine yourself in a race. 

Kid-me-(k)not

Next we find a relatively shady road that takes us towards a pottery lane. We are distracted by a display of what seems like a gigantic rope knot. It is a rope! It is huge. Not even Sumo wrestlers but only giants, or machines can even pick it up.The cross section is fascinating. We find a board that tells us about it in English. A rope used in a tug-of-war. It was pulled using thinner ropes placed strategically  along the thicker one. Needless to say the rope was used to celebrate either a coronation or a victory.

Pottery: slipped in or painted on?

As we walk we see unmistakable signs of the pottery lane. Shops line the slightly undulating and meandering street. Some are ancient. These were the only ones that remained almost intact during the battle of Okinawa. We could have walked into any of these and not be surprised to see a potter at his wheel creating beautiful ceramics. One fairy-tale-like cottage, perched on a low hill, looked particularly ancient and promising but too intimidating because of the awe it inspired. Climbing up the hill from the back I came across a long traditional adobe kiln. Going by the shards of pottery laid at the base of the trees with ancient gnarled roots holding them in place certainly did evoke a strong sense admiration and respect for the artists devoted to their work now displayed in museums. Their work was unlike the Chinese Ming ceramics with fine, intricate paintings. The Okinawan pottery, the way I see it,  were shapes that were determined by the  natural earth colours blended or slipped into them as they were shaped.

Religion

It is extremely hot today compared to the last few months. Getting a tan! So we return to the ship and then get back onto the pier as the day gets cooler thanks to a few clouds.  Throughout our walk in the morning we have come across several shrines that ranged in size from a tiny hut to a multi-roomed building with tiled roofs. We have spotted one near the pier. We cross the major junction flanked by the dragons to get to the teeny weeny stretch of a beach. We find ourselves at the foot of a hill on which stands a place of worship with its unmistakable tile roofs with sishas placed at various points. We work our way around the hill and find the path that takes us up to a flight of stairs through a couple of Shinto arches. The temple next to it is locked. Spying through the glass sliding doors we can feel the sublimity and calmness of the white pebble covered zen courtyard. The buildings around it seem to embody structures related to, Buddhism, and Taoism. Again the unmistakable Chinese heritage.

Threats

Happy that we found a calm end to our day we leave the old Confucius temple. The moment we do the skies open. We break into a quick walk hoping the rain will peter out. As we walk down a couple of punk( because of their hairstyle) like youth loudly ask us where we are from. This is Japan and so we give them our unguarded honest answer even though their bold manner didn't reflect the Japanese respect. We try to find shelter under the trees but we have no idea if the rain will stop and so we continue. We get a  little drenched. The ground emanates its earthly smell. As we were rush to the ship the drops peter out. We are dry by the time we reach the ship. We made it.  We will leave the port in an hour.

The incident with the bold Japanese youth keeps bothering me. Why? They remind me of the Yakuza. Wasn't one of the culprits of the Sarin attack in Tokyo arrested on the island of Okinawa?

Fukusyen  Park

This Chinese garden is close to the pier. Pictures do not do justice to the aesthetic lauot, choice of structures and that of the plants.

Did you know?

Karate originated in Okinawa. It evolved from the ancient Kung Fu

Residents of Naha have the worlds longest life span.