tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16693931.post5926968514042072107..comments2024-02-12T17:31:58.684+01:00Comments on Jonstraveladventures: Of crazy, drunk locals, sandstorms and Moroccan adventuresAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11667852535983804885noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16693931.post-46074314032999192222009-04-27T20:36:00.000+02:002009-04-27T20:36:00.000+02:00In my view that's definitely the best way to get t...In my view that's definitely the best way to get to know a new place. I now only take a map if it's in order to meet someone else. Otherwise I just figure I'll get there in the end and somehow it all seems to work out. <br /><br />It felt like real freedom to get up in the morning in Morocco and not have any idea which city I would be in by dinner. The lack of any pressure was fantastic.<br /><br />Indeed in Japan where the price of the trains are pretty high, that's not the sort of mistake you can be making too often, but it all adds to life's rich pattern.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11667852535983804885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16693931.post-71701823276175631052009-04-27T19:54:00.000+02:002009-04-27T19:54:00.000+02:00Oh, it was definitely more widespread.
I spent a ...Oh, it was definitely more widespread.<br /><br />I spent a week at Super-Kamiokande several years ago (professor to students: "Would anyone like to spend eight days in Japan, all expenses paid by the National Science Foundation?" Me: "Me me me me me!"). Midway through, I had a day off, and the fellow I was working for suggested doing a bit of sightseeing. The village nearest Super-K is a picturesque little spot called Mozumi, next to which runs a little local rail branch. The local rail connects to the main network at Inotani, where you can get on a train going to Takayama in one direction or Toyama in the other. My supervisor suggested spending the afteroon in Takayama, "One of the many cities in Japan which calls itself 'Little Kyoto'".<br /><br />Later, in the Toyama station. . . .<br /><br />Fortunately, I had yen to spare, so I got myself on a train from Toyama to Takayama, wandered a bit through the 'Little Kyoto' quarter and had a relaxing good time. After picking up a few inconsequential souvenirs, I returned to the Takayama station and got on a train. . . which was not going to Inotani.<br /><br />I turned myself around again at a stop whose name I don't remember, returned to Takayama, got myself pointed to Inotani and took what might have been the last local train of the day back to Mozumi.<br /><br />It was all for the best, though, as on my way back I had to catch a plane from Toyama to Tokyo, so at least I knew how to get to Toyama!<br /><br />I think that Japan trip set my record for being a clueless bumbler, stochastically exploring the available options. I mean, I still <I>am</I> a clueless bumbler, intrinsically speaking, but I take precautions now to cover for it.Blake Staceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13977394981287067289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16693931.post-5212155888457619382009-04-27T19:02:00.000+02:002009-04-27T19:02:00.000+02:00Was this a city-localised lost or something more w...Was this a city-localised lost or something more widespread? Somehow, I think only through chance, I managed to get around in Tokyo ok, and thankfully never got on the wrong Shinkansen - the perfect way to get to where you don't want to go, extremely fast!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11667852535983804885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16693931.post-74842644803368351812009-04-27T18:26:00.000+02:002009-04-27T18:26:00.000+02:00I've been lost on Japan Railways, but I've never h...I've been lost on Japan Railways, but I've never had to get a lift through the desert from an angry drunk guy. You definitely win in the adventure department! :-)<br /><br />"Holographic Spectral Functions in Metallic AdS/CFT" (<A HREF="http://arxiv.org/abs/0904.3905" REL="nofollow">arXiv:0904.3905</A>) is now up on hep-th, in case you hadn't seen it yet.Blake Staceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13977394981287067289noreply@blogger.com