10.7.07

Letters from Chichijima

(Lee esta entrada en español en "Comments", al pie)

Between March 9th and May 20th, 2007, I lived and worked as a WWOOFer in the isle of Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Living in Ogasawara, as many of my close friends know, has been a dream and an objective of mine for more than 6 years. I still remember those hours spent browsing the net for information and pictures about this archipelago. I used to daydream of its beaches, sea landscapes, forests and people as if it was my sole aim in the coming years to go and live there. When I saw myself on the ferry’s dock looking at Chihijima’s rugged cliffs, only 5 minutes away from landing on my private promised land, … I felt on top of the world.

What followed was in a way quite different from what I expected but yet, it was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve had so far. And certainly, it marked the beginning of a new life phase for me.

Although I will never forget the incredible beauty and warmth of Ogasawara and its people, I reckon I need to relive it, put my ideas and feelings together and share with you the memories of my most incredible journey till date.

You'll find all this here, in my “Letters from Chichijima”.

9.7.07

Pikalpie. Y ahora… Ogasawara?

(English in Comments)

A todos los que leen este blog,

Es justo hacerles saber a los que no lo sepan o intuyan ya, que este blog está mas retrasado que las obras de la Sagrada Familia. Fíjate tú si está retrasado que en la última entrada estoy saliendo de Tokio en dirección al archipiélago de Ogasawara y en la realidad ya he pasado por Ogasawara, por Tokio de nuevo, por Edimburgo y ahora escribo estas líneas desde Tenerife. Un total de cuatro meses de retraso.

Sin embargo que nadie se sienta defraudado ni descorazonado. No se trata de que un servidor esté perdiendo el interés por escribir sino, muy al contrario, que mis interés por VIVIR a tope está creciendo tanto que no me queda tiempo ni para escribir. Los últimos meses desde que dejé el puerto de Takeshiba en Tokio con el ferry en dirección a Ogasawara, hasta la actualidad han sido una auténtica montaña rusa de acontecimientos, proyectos, sentimientos y esfuerzos. Demasiado voltaje vital como para poder pararse a escribir. Demasiado picor en los pies como para parar de rascarse.

Pero les aseguro que todo lo que ha pasado merece la pena ponerse en palabras y me comprometo aquí a hacerlo aunque me deje la piel en ello. Así que de forma retrospectiva seguiré escribiendo hasta que me encuentre con el momento presente. Sin embargo, les anuncio una novedad: mi experiencia en el Parque Nacional de Ogasawara se merece un capítulo aparte, así que voy a empezar un nuevo blog que relatará todas mis andanzas en estas otras islas afortunadas con detalles textuales, videos explícitos (;-) y fotos reveladoras.

Todo esto lo encontrarán en mi nuevo blog "Letters from Chichijima".

Al mismo tiempo, en “Me pica el pie” seguiré relatando todo lo que ha ocurrido tras el periodo casi onírico de Ogasawara. Desde mi última semana triunfal en Tokio, pasando por mi mes de reencuentro con mi querida Escocia y su cálido y soleado verano ;-P…, hasta mi aterrizaje en Tenerife para pasar un verano de trabajo duro, senderos de montaña y decenas de caras nuevas y familiares .

Así que les animo a que sigan leyendo por aquí y en mi nuevo blog. Y por favor, manden comentarios, que siguen haciendo falta. Muchos besos, abrazos y mis mejores deseos para los pequeños y grandes proyectos de cada uno. Sigamos en el camino. Y al que le pique el pie, que se rasque. Besos.

2.7.07

Love to live by - M-flo

Absolutely awesome video from Japanese hip-hop band M-Flo. Extracted from their 2007 album "Cosmicolor" and featuring the vocals of talented Japanese musician Chara. An uplifting video that'll bring a smile to all of you guys having a bad day today.


1.7.07

Tokyo & #8

(Español en comentarios)

Last day in Tokyo

Well, the last day finally arrived and I had so many things yet to do. However, I managed quite well to sort out all my shoppings and last day arrangement. In Shinjuku I visited Kinokuniya, the famous book store, for books and maps of Ogasawara, since I had no idea if these could be bought in the islands or not. I managed to get all the 1:25.000 maps and a couple of good general guides, some of them with names of plants and animals, and their photos, but… all in Japanese. What I didn’t manage to get was a mobile phone. My lack of knowledge on the Japanese mobile phone world and the lack of interest in speaking English of all the shops attendants that I asked in Shinjuku made me give up on the hunting. Having a mobile here is terribly important, but unless you have someone to help you out with choosing and actually purchasing one, you’re lost. So, no mobile for me this time. Maybe a good thing after all.

Once again I visited Takeshiba, the place from where the boat to Ogasawara departured the next day. I checked out the timetable, boarding dock and left my luggage in a “coin locker” overnight so I could arrive at the pier easily on peak time the next day. Inside the pier complex, surrounded by expensive hotels and perfectly designed gardens, I spotted a few tents with bags and personal belongins outside them, which seemed very much the home of homeless people. The first thing that stroke me about this “camp” was that they actually had tents and even bicycles (something you don't see in UK) and the apparent neatness of their stuff, that didn’t appear to be as messy as Spanish “camps”. And of course, it stroke me, as it did many times later, the fact that they were so obvious, right in the middle of a port and business area, the equivalent to the London Docks. This was my first encounter with the super-evident reality of Tokyo homeless people.

On the way back I decided to wonder around Ogikubo a little bit and I found how pleasant and quiet a residential area of Tokyo can be. I loved the quietness of the streets, without car racing and honk competitions and instead, plenty of mature housewifes stopping to catch up with neighbours on their way from shopping and children cheerfully talking while returning home from school.



Last day in Tokyo and last dinner with Maki-chan. We were both really tired so it was an early night. I had had my monthly allowance of sleeplessness in just a few days since Madrid, topped with my first jet lag experience here in Japan. So my body was absolutely exhausted by then. I was also really worried about getting there on time for the boat, since it would be rush hour and I would be pushing my horribly heavy luggage thru the momentous and thick crowd of Tokyo early commuters.

So I went to sleep, half excited with the prospect of the new stage to my adventure and half in need of a rest from my adventure.