Getting my possessions in the hotel, I headed for the port, but I was exhausted by the extreme heat and fled into Tully's coffee shop. Then I took a taxi to the port, though the distance was only 1 km or so. After purchasing my ticket, I wasn't able to get away from beer! The jetfoils which I saw yesterday was waiting with its wing sunken.
ホテルで荷物を受け取り港へ向かうがやはり暑さに参ってしまった。タリーズコーヒーへ逃げ込み１時間を過ごし、気を取り直して港へわずか１ｋｍ程度の距離だがタクシーで。船のチケットを購入してビールを一杯！ 昨日見たジェットフォイルは羽根を沈めていた。いよいよ種子島へ向かう！
It was burning hot also on 22nd. I searched for the information on the last few days of Saigo Takamori last night and knew that a cave in which Saigo had been hiding with his comrade for a few days was preserved. Having my possessions kept at the front desk, I headed for the cave, but I couldn't put up with the sweltering heat and took a taxi up to the hill. Viewing the Sakurajima and going down a little, there was the cave. I felt really sorry to know that Saigo spent his last few days in such a dark and gloomy place. I walked down the route along which Saigo must have walked. He was shot on the way and reached his ending place which I visited yesterday.
２２日も強烈な暑さだった。昨夜、西郷の最後の数日の様子を調べた。なくなる前の数日間隠れていた洞窟が残っていることを知り向かった。丘の上にあり、あまりの暑さに閉口。タクシーを使って丘の上まで登った。雄大な桜島を眺めて少し下ったところに洞窟を見つけた。数日間とは言えここで過ごしたとはあまりにも寂しい。洞窟を出て西郷が歩いたであろう道を下った。途中で狙撃され負傷、そして昨日も訪れた終焉の地に至る。
I entered Kagoshima city by bus from the airport. About 150 years ago, Kagoshima was a nerve center to drive the Meiji Restoration. I'd like to visit several historic places associated with one of the biggest turning points of Japan. Though I got time for sightseeing by the abrupt change of my flight plan, I didn't have preparations, so I decided to walk around the hotel following the recommendation of the front desk.
I dropped in at some places relevant to Saigo Takamori with hasty steps. I passed his statue and reached the place of his death, where he killed himself by committing hara-kiri. I don't have enough knowledge on him to write about him. If you are interested in him, search for his records. He is still an existence to receive adoration and respect from most Japanese people.
My feet took me to the port of Kagoshima. Sakurajima, an active volcano and a symbol of Kagoshima, magnificently stood off the shore. I understand that we are restricted to reach its summit for security reasons, and I'd like to come to its foot some day.
Then I found two weird-shaped boats moored. That's the boat which I would get on board tomorrow. I checked about these boats on the net and knew that they were an improved version of a Boeing 929 Jetfoil. The whale-tale like parts jutted out from the bow, go under the sea and generate floating power like the wings of planes. Anyway, I was surprised to know that Boeing produced high-speed ships as I assumed that Boeing was an aircraft company. I wanted to go downtown at night, but I refrained and ate a simple supper at the hotel for fear of catching Covid-19.
(Vocabulary)
adoration 熱愛, 敬慕 (文) 崇拝, 崇敬
a look of adoration 敬慕のまなざし
空港からバスで移動して夕方に鹿児島に着いた。鹿児島は明治維新の原動力となった土地柄。そのため、歴史フリークの自分としては訪れたい場所が多い。元々夜の便で到着し、一泊して船で種子島に向かう予定だったので、鹿児島市内の観光については何も考えていなかった。取りあえず、ホテルでもらった観光名所の内、近場を回ってみることにした。
とはいえ、夕暮れまでに数時間しかない。駆け足で西郷隆盛にまつわる場所を訪問した。彼の銅像の前を通り過ぎ、切腹した場所へ。今は石碑が建っている。彼のことを英語で詳しく書く知識を持ち合わせていない。興味を持たれた方は是非、自分で調べてみて欲しい。多くの日本人が尊崇の念をもつ偉人だ。
足の向くまま海岸に出た。目の前には活火山、鹿児島県の象徴、桜島がそびえていた。今は山頂までは登れない。危険があるため制限されている。ただ、麓まではいつか行ってみたい。
さらに当てもなく海岸をふらついていると、妙な形の船を見つけた。これこそ、明日乗る予定のジェットフォイル。この夜、その仕組みを調べていて知った。元々はアメリカ製、Boeing 929 Jetfoilという。現在は日本でライセンス生産されているらしい。舳先の前に突き出ているのが海中に入り、羽根となり揚力を生み出す。明日が楽しみだ。夜は街に飲みに出かけたいところだが、ウイルス対策でホテルでじっと我慢、一人飲み。
I was to leave Matsuyama for Kagoshima on the evening direct flight on July 21st, but my flight was cancelled. JAL didn't announce the reason, but I thought it might be due to the small number of passengers. Finally I moved to Fukuoka, then headed for Kagoshima. It would be one of the influences of the Chinese origin virus. It was before the pandemic when I booked the flight. However, I was able to enjoy two flights without any additional fee. I was happy, as I like flights.
The plane which I got on at Fukuoka airport was new to me. Its door was set in the rear and it was curious for me just due to my lack of experience, but as far as the plane is secure, it's no problem. One thing, my seat was next to its propeller. It was a nuisance and uneasy to me that such awfully rapidly rotating equipment was beside me. On-flight service was so-so. Only a wet towel and a small bottle of tea were delivered. CAs were mostly seated to avoid the closeness to passengers.
夜の便で鹿児島へ移動して、翌日の船便で種子島へ行くつもりだったが昼前に出発して福岡空港を経由して鹿児島へ到着。中国発のウイルスによる減便の影響を受けた。飛行機が好きなので追加料金なく２回乗れたのは悪くは無かったが。
福岡からの飛行機は初めて乗る機材。後ろからの乗り降りにはビックリしたが、安全で効率的ならどの位置から乗っても問題は無い。ただ、座席は写真のような場所。離陸するとプロペラは視界の妨げにはならなかったが、こんなものがすぐそばにあると落ち着かない。
機内サービスはやはりウイルスのせいで最小限。写真にあるお茶を飲みながら眼下に広がる九州を眺めて過ごした。
About half a year ago, I was asked to work for a few days from a municipality operating hospital on a small island located to the south of Kyushu. That island, Tanegashima, is badly off for doctors, and they wanted me to stay at the hospital for four days in July. They'll offer transportation expenses except my salary. The best thing was that I was able to see one of my old friends living on this island. I decided to accept this offer promptly and I was looking forward to the day.
Hearing the name of the island, average Japanese people recall the rocket launching site and guns. Tanegashima has two images of cutting-edge technologies and its glorious history. I'll write about my two weeks' trip to Tanegashima, which is called the closest island to the universe.
半年ほど前、九州の南に浮かぶ小さな島の病院から救援依頼が来た。元々医師の少ない島であるが、医師不足のため7月の半ばに4日ほど勤務して欲しいという。その島は種子島。給料をもらい、往復の運賃も支給される。そしてこの島には研修医時代に苦楽を共にした仲間がいる。彼らにも会いたい。即断した。そしてその日がやって来た。
種子島と聞いて平均的な日本人なら、ロケットと鉄砲を思い浮かべるだろう。最先端技術と古い歴史の同居する島。観光もしてみたい。しばらく、宇宙に一番近い島と言われる種子島の旅行記を綴っていく。
I went out for a drive, tempted by the blue sky. The destination was Suwazaki Cape, which is located at about two hours' drive from my home. It's not so far from my house, but I've never been there. According to the signboard at the parking lot, you can walk to the tip of the cape in about 30 minutes, but it was considerably hot to do so. As I didn't bring water, I gave up reaching the tip. The heat of this summer is murderously unbelievable. With proper preparation, I'll walk to the tip sometime.
天気が良いので我が家から１時間半ほどのところにある諏訪崎へドライブした。近い割に行ったことが無い場所。駐車場から２ｋｍほど歩くと岬の突端に出られると案内があったのだが、暑い日で水も持っておらず先端まで歩くのは断念。しかし、予想以上に静かで落ち着ける場所だったので、準備を整えてまたいこうと思う。
I wondered how many shrines there are in Japan. I found a shrine in the neighborhood of a hospital which I visited for assistance with surgery today. The shrine's name was Ozu Shrine. Its description says, it is said to have been built more than 1000 years ago and its accurate historical records have been preserved since the latter half of 15th century. Knowing that, I understood its sublime atmosphere. After some relocations, it was settled in the former Ozu village. "Zu" in the name of the village means a port. This place used to face the ocean before massive reclamation work and the shrine was expected to protect people from maritime accidents.
A renowned Japanese physicist and essayist at the same time, having been born in this city, seemed to frequently visit the shrine in his childhood. His museum apparently exists in the neighborhood. I'm going to drop in at the museum next time. The shrine is located in the center of Kochi city now, but it was surrounded by forest and calm. I was able to concentrate and brace myself for the surgery.
小津神社
一体日本にはどれだけ多くの神社があるのだろうか？今日も応援に来た病院の周辺を散策中に立派な神社を発見した。小津神社という。沿革を読むと、創建は１０００年以上前で正確な記録が残っているのは１５世紀後半から。数回の移転を重ね、小津村に鎮座。津という漢字は港を意味する。この場所に鎮座した頃はこの地は海に面しており、海の安全を守る神様として鎮座したと伝わる。
この地の出身の有名な物理学者、随筆家が子ども時代に足繁く通ったという記録もあった。高知市のど真ん中に位置しているが、森に囲まれ、ピンと張り詰めた静けさの中で数時間後に始まる手術に向けて、精神集中、気を引き締めることが出来た。
A malfunction of the A.I. of my car seemingly occurred on the way home. Look at the following picture. A road cone stands just in front of my car on the screen, but actually it doesn't exist. I always admire the A.I.'s function, but sometimes it cracks a joke.
I assumed that several factors were at play and the reflection of the setting sun from the car just ahead might be a culprit. Anyway, how did I cope with this situation? There was no obstacle ahead actually. If I dare to go over the phantom road cone ahead, does the A.I. try to stop me?
While thinking like that, the red signal turned green. I resolutely decided to go ahead. Having the wind taken out of my sails, the road cone disappeared just when the car in front began to move. I wondered that the car ahead had affected it somewhat.
(Vocabulary)
crack a joke (インフォーマル) 冗談を言う, しゃれを飛ばす
Several factors are at play here. それにはいくつかの要素が影響しています。
be at play 効果を発揮している 影響を及ぼしている
Do you know who owns a Buddhist temple? It doesn't belong to the chief priest. He is only asked to stay and manage the temple by its patrons. If no one in his family inherits the temple, his family has to leave the temple when the priest retires. I visited a temple which used to be managed by my relative. I heard that the temple had no priest now and was managed by its patrons.
The brother of my grandmother had managed the temple until a few decades ago, but no one in his family wanted to become a Buddhist priest at his retirement as the chief priest. Consequently, his family left the temple. Since then, the temple has been managed by the local people around the temple, but I felt it went to the dogs. The name of the temple is Yamadayakushi, which is one of the three biggest Yakushi in Japan and honors Yakushi, the healing Buddha. This temple is said to have been built by Gyoki in the early 8th century.
By the way, when it comes to this temple, I can't skip the story of a big stone in the picture. I have only uncertain memories, but every time I visited this temple as a child, I played with friends in the grounds. A small building called "Daishi-Do", the hall with an enshrined statue of Kobo Daishi at a Shingon temple, stood just at the big rock.
My father hearing the incident in Yamadayakushi, he and I headed for there. Calculating my age, it was around the time I would turn 5. I remember that I was so surprised to see the rock. Torrential rain caused a landslide on a night and Daishi-Do was crushed, but the statue was thrown out and was able to avoid the damage. The color of the rock was red at that time, but became discolored. Sticking moss, weeds, crack due to weathering made me feel that as much as 50 years actually had passed.
(Vocabulary)
go to the dogs 荒れ果てる
weathering 風化（作用）
仏教寺院は誰の所有物かというと、檀家の所有であり、住職は雇われて住んでいるに過ぎない。住職の身内に跡を継ぐ者が居なければ一族は寺を出て行かねばならない。今日は少し遠出してかつて親戚であった寺に寄ってみた。今は専属の僧侶はおらず、檀家が管理していると聞いた。
かつて親戚と書いた。僕の祖母の弟が数十年前まで住職を務めていたが、引退に際し身内から跡を継ぐ者がおらず、一族は寺を出た。この寺は山田薬師という。日本三大薬師のひとつで仏教の薬師如来を祀る。この山田薬師は奈良時代の天平年間に行基によって創建されたと言われている。
写真にある大岩のことを書かねばならない。ぼんやりとした記憶しか無いが、この寺に来ると今ではこの大岩の下敷きになってしまった太子堂の周りで遊んでいた。中にはお大師様の像があり、太子堂を含めた境内全てが遊び場だった。
ある日、親父が山田薬師が大変なことになっていると聞いて、一緒について行った。計算すればちょうど５歳になる頃だった。岩を見てたいそう驚いたことを覚えている。豪雨に伴う山崩れで太子堂が潰れてしまった。しかし、お大師様は外に転び出て無事だった。当時は１個の赤い岩だったが、色は変わり、また、こびりついた苔や雑草、二つに割れた割れ目をみて５０年以上の年月の流れを感じた。
Fun driving on my way home after the technical assistance of a surgery in a hospital located in a rural area --- I made a detour to look around in the central area on Shikoku island. The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky. My car doesn't generate unpleasant noise except the wind noise being driven by electricity. When I opened windows, the sound of wild birds came in --- the experience only in the cars without combustion engines.
Pulling over my car, I looked down from the road shoulder. A narrow river was running. I didn't know its name, but it surely was one of the tributaries of Niyodo river, which is renowned for its transparency and color called "Niyodo Blue".
By the way, did you notice a small shabby bridge over the river? This type of bridge is generally called chinkabashi, which means literally "sunken bridge". This type of bridge indicates that the stream often changes into a torrent. This bridge is designed to avoid the strong pressure from the current even in a swift stream. That's why it has no bridge-rail. When the water increases and the current becomes rapid, the bridge get sunken and avoids being destroyed. It's the collected wisdom of many centuries.
山の中のドライブ
手術応援からの帰り、山の中をドライブ。天気が良くて、快適なドライブとなった。車の騒音がないので窓を開けていると野鳥の鳴き声が聞こえてくる。電気自動車ならではのことだ。道路脇に車を止めて川を覗き込むと沈下橋が見えた。何の飾りもない、手すりすらない石橋だ。水量が増えても水の流れに逆らう部分を極力なくしたこの形は橋が流されることを防いでいる。この川は美しい水、景色で知られる仁淀川の支流で、最近は外国からカヌーイストもやってくると聞く。たまにはこういう田舎のドライブも楽しい。
Chinese originated pneumonia causes havoc in the northern hemisphere. The Japanese Government always ends up reacting after the event because they are concerned for China and trying not to dishonour the Chinese Government. However, the one thing that they have to do is protect the lives of their people, Japanese. I hope that the Government will take strong actions against the virus.
The Yokohama-based cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, came back to its home port, Yokohama city, on Feb 3rd, but almost all the passengers and crew members were stranded in the ship. It carried a Chinese from Yokohama to Hong Kong two weeks ago, who later developed the novel pneumonia in Hong Kong. Therefore, the Government suspected that there might be some people affected with pneumonia. Actually the new type of coronavirus was detected in the specimens from passengers. Both passengers and crew members are confined to their rooms until the end of the latent period of 14 days.I'm so sorry to hear that. Honestly, I had been on board this ship from Dec. 15th to 23rd last year. I can't afford to be indifferent to this incident.
The four pandemics occurred only in 20th century. All of their epicenters were the southern part of present China; Spanish, Asian, and Hong Kong flu, then SARS. From my viewpoint, the social conditions in China are too dirty for me to live, though I'm not going to live in China at all. I hope the virus will be confined soon.
(Vocabulary)
havoc 大混乱, 大損害
end up reacting after the event 後手後手になる
latent 隠れている, 潜在的な
At the beginning of the New Year, the father of my sister-in-law passed away. My wife and I headed for Tsuyama city by car where the funeral would be held. As you know, I have a Tesla Model 3 named "Ryuseigo", which is driven by electricity.
The charging spots open to the public are becoming prevalent around my hometown, but the Tesla's Supercharger, which is specially and exclusively designed for Tesla cars, doesn't exist. The Tesla's charging network has been also expanding in Japan, but not enough yet. I had been eager to use the supercharger after I got my Ryuseigo.
The amount of charge of Ryuseigo was enough to reach the destination, but I went out of the toll road to try to use the Tesla Supercharger(link) in Kurashiki city on the way, though the highway toll become a little higher once you get out of the highway.
Then I dropped in at a Tesla charging spot in Kurashiki city and charged Ryuseigo from the Supercharger for the first time. Adding to the easy procedure, I was amazed at the speed of the charge! I usually charge it in my house. The speed of the Supercharger was 10 times faster than my usual charge. As the following pictures show, it can charge electricity for the drive of 336km in an hour.
https://www.tesla.com/supercharger
親戚に不幸があり、岡山県の北部の町まで流星号でドライブ。目的地までバッテリーに余裕はあったのだが、テスラスーパーチャージャーを試してみたくて倉敷で高速道路を降りて充電してみた。さすがにテスラ専用の充電器だけあり、速い! 写真が示すように１時間で３３６ｋｍを走行できる電力を充電できるようだ。
CHAdeMO is the trade name of a quick charging method of EVs. Ryuusei-goh, which is the nickname of my tesla model 3, has been charged in my home, but I utilized CHAdeMO for the first time away from home. As you know from the following pictures, it requires a special adaptor to connect the car and the charger, and it looks a little strange. This type of charger is found everywhere in Japan and is handy, but it takes more charging time than the tesla supercharger. I hope for the prompt development of the tesla supercharger network.
CHAdeMOというのはEV（電気自動車）の急速充電方法の商標名。流星号(僕のモデル３にニックネーム）はいつも自宅充電だったが、外出先で初めてCHAdeMOを使ってみた。写真でわかるとおり、アダプターを付けなければいけないのでなんとも妙な具合に写っているが、これで正常。この充電器は至るところにあるので便利だが、テスラ専用充電器に比べると遅い。テスラのスーパーチャージャーのネットワークの充実が待たれる。
When the ship entered into the channel to Tokyo Bay, the sea surface became really calm. The Diamond Princess proceeded to Yokohama Bay. The last night was stormy, but the weather changed for the better this morning like my usual last day. It's always like that. The last day of my trip will be sunny with a high probability. I just hope that it will be so in the midst of the trip. Anyway, I enjoyed the scenery of Yokohama from the deck. When I started the trip 8 days ago, it was dark. There were lots of suitcases lined up on the pier. They would belong to the tourists who would join the next cruise. The staff members would be busy preparing for the next cruise by cleaning up the rooms and public areas, or to bring food and necessities in or to take garbage out, and so on within the limited time. We were able to disembark about 2 o'clock. As our flight to our hometown was at about 1900, we were able to take a rest in Haneda Airport.
On my last cruising trip on this Diamond Princess, I had an opportunity to talk with a medical crew. I learned how they work on board and her story aroused my interest. The company that operates the Diamond Princess is Princess Cruise in the U.S., and it apparently has 16 cruise ships or more. I informed her of my skills in the medical field and languages. She said to me, "fully qualified!" I can speak in German, though a little haltingly and naturally Japanese, so, according to her, I would be welcomed to the cruise especially in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, as the number of Japanese people who enjoy cruising in those waters is soaring. I started thinking of taking up a new lifestyle as a ship's doctor.
Postscript:
Disgusting Wuhan pneumonia occurred on the Diamond Princess during the next next cruise tour after our disembarkation. I was so surprised as I had already submitted my resignation on Dec. 30th. declaring that I would quit my job on June 30th. Postponing my ship's doctor plan, I had to seek for my new job until that day, but don't worry. I already received so many offers from various facilities.
(Jan. 30th)
東京湾に入ると、鏡のような海面になった。ダイヤモンド・プリンセスは滑るように進んでいく。いつものことだが、旅の終わりには晴れる。本当に良い天気だ。昨夜の嵐は夢だったのか。ベイブリッジをくぐり、大桟橋に近づくと、大量のスーツケースが見えた。どうやら今日、乗客を入れ替えてまたどこかへ向けて出発するのだろう。客の入れ替わるわずかの時間に掃除をしたり物資の搬入、搬出とスタッフは忙しいことだろう。我々夫婦は１４時頃に下船できた。６時間以上遅れたけれど、羽田発は１９時頃の便なので余裕。前に乗ったときにも思ったのだが、この船、あるいはこの会社で船医として働きたい。船医への転身を真剣に考えてみようと思う。ま、これまでも、多分これからも、成り行き任せの人生だから、、、
（２０２０年１月３０日)
追記 次の香港へのクルーズのその次のクルーズで例の武漢ウイルス感染が起こった。心底驚いた。船医計画は延期となった。１２月末に辞表を提出してしまったし、さて次は何をしよう(^_^;)
We were supposed to arrive at Yokohama in the early morning on Dec. 23rd, but the last night's stormy weather made for the delay of 6 hours or more. As the passengers will be allowed to leave the ship in order of the rank of the room from the higher to the lower, then it would be toward the last in the afternoon for us to disembark. It was a nice decision to book the last flight from Haneda Airport. Even if the arrival was late, we had enough time to connect to the next schedule. The internet room was crowded last night. I thought that they were attempting to change their modes of transportation via the internet.
Most of our possessions were sent to disembarkation control last night, and we were bored as I had no books, and no mobile pc. The sea became incredibly calm and we climbed up to the restaurant on the highest deck. I was sure to have had enough last night, but became hungry in the morning. We were able to take a nice table to view the ocean. Eating too much to kill the time (grin), a vague silhouette came into my sight. It was Izu-oshima Island! I felt we were approaching Japan. I'll show you the map which was shown on the screen when we got back to the room.
早朝に着く予定だったはずが、６時間以上遅れるとのこと。部屋のランクの高い乗客から降ろされるので、我々が下船できるのは昼を優に過ぎるだろう。羽田からのフライトを最終便にしておいて良かった。昨夜インターネット室が混んでいたのは、交通機関の予約変更などをするためだったのだろう。
荷物のほとんどは昨夜のうちに部屋から送り出しており、手元には必要最小限のものしかない。何もすることがない。昨夜の揺れが嘘のように穏やかな波になっており、最上階のレストランに行って見た。昨夜も食べて飲んだはずだが朝になると腹が減る。眺めの良い席を取ることができた。厚い雲がどんどん晴れてきた。暇に任せて大量の朝食を食べていると、島が見えてきた。スマホで確認すると伊豆大島！日本に戻ってきた実感が湧いてきた。部屋に戻ったときにテレビに表示されていたマップ、１時間後のマップをＵＰする。
We had to give up sightseeing in Keelung due to the terrible weather and made for Taipei following the tour guide's suggestion, though we didn't have any special plan in Taipei in advance. A certain Taiwanese drink has been getting popular in Japan recently. It's various drinks including tapioca. Taipei is the birthplace for the tapioca drinks, so we decided to taste them. As for me, I wanted to buy my wife some accessories made from hokutolite, which is very precious now. This mineral is found only in Taiwan and Japan, and it's prohibited to newly mine them.
The tour guide told us that it was clear or at least cloudy in Taipei, though the city is only less than 30km away from Keelung. It was natural for us to feel doubtful about her words. According to her explanation, Taiwan is geologically divided into two parts, the east and west side, by the 4000 meter class mountain range. Both sides show totally different climates. It appears there are few plains on the east side. As she put it that way, there were no vast areas in Keelung as far as I saw. Moreover Taiwan can be climatically divided into two parts longitudinally. Its northern half has a subtropical climate, and its southern half has a tropical one. I understood the affluence of various kinds of fruits in Taiwan.
(Vocabulary)
hokutolite 北投石
climatically 気候(上)の; 風土の.
I hate the phrase "Chung Cheng", because it's another name of Chiang Kai-shek. I didn't want to visit the place bearing his name, but the tour guide advised us to take a look at Keelung port from the Park even though it was raining. As she said, we were able to see the panoramic view of Keelung. I wished it had not rained. Our tour guide seemed to have moved to Taiwan from the continent after the Great East Asian War, or his/her descendant. I'm going to write about this issue in the next entry. By the way, her Japanese skills were excellent and we got lots of knowledge about Keelung and Taiwan.
I think a word of caution is in order here. Taiwan used to be under Japanese reign for about 50 years since 1895 in the wake of the conclusion of the diplomatic pact with the Qing Dynasty. That is to say, it was a simply legal act. On the other hand, the reign by Chiang Kai-shek had no legal basis. Consequently, Taiwan is not acknowledged as an independent nation yet.
Leaving the park, our tour guide wanted to walk around the city center, but the weather was terrible, so we headed to Taipei to taste Taiwan's tapioca drink, which is getting popular also in Japan. We'd like to try genuine ones.
(Vocabulary)
zhōngzhèng gōngyuán, Chung Cheng Park 中正公園
中正という名前は嫌いである。なぜかというと、蒋介石の本名だから。こんな名前を冠した土地には近寄りたくもないが、一応観光地で景色が良いというので行って見た。ガイドさんはどうやら外省人のようである。日本語が実に堪能で、前回の台湾旅行で案内してくれたガイドとは雲泥の差。何でも尋ねられる。 ここで一言注意をしておく必要があると思う。かつて台湾は日本の統治下にあったが、それは１８９５年に清国と結ばれた国際条約によるもので合法的な行為であった。しかし、蒋介石が台湾に住み着いたことについてはなんら法的根拠はない。 さて、ガイドは街歩きの後、夜市を案内したかったようだが、天気が悪く４時までには船に戻らねばならなかったので、台北へタピオカドリンクを飲みに行くことにした。やはり本場で試してみないといけないということで。
No matter how strong the wind was, I was going to visit Peace Island, which was called Sharyoujima under the Japanese reign. Lots of Okinawan fishermen are said to have lived on the island in those days. Its terrain was like yěliǔ dìzhì gōngyuán at which we looked during the last trip to Taiwan.I viewed the raging ocean from the tip of the island and the scene reminded me of the last night's pitching and rolling of the ship. If an old fishery boat like one which was made in the early times of the Meiji Era faced such furious waves, it would never survive the storm. Four or five dozen fishermen were actually washed up on the island due to a violent storm early in the Meiji Era. They weren't able to communicate with local inhabitants and most of them ended up being killed by the natives. The Meiji Government came to dispatch Japanese soldiers to Taiwan in the wake of this incident. It was the first military dispatch to an overseas country for modern Japan.
I put my hands together for victims in front of their monument and felt the difference between Taiwan and China. Chinese people would never build such a sincere monument but a simple signboard with a fake description. On the way to the next spot, the driver pulled over abruptly at a tiny fishery port called zhèngbīn yúgǎng, which was apparently one of the picture spots. Now that he mentioned it, the port had a little European feel.
(Vocabulary)
hépíngdǎo 和平島
yěliǔ dìzhì gōngyuán 野柳地質公園
zhèngbīn yúgǎng 正濱漁港
雨風がひどいのだが、どうしても訪れたい場所があった。和平島だ。戦前は社寮島と呼ばれていた島である。沖縄の漁民が大勢暮らしていたとされる。前回の台湾旅行で行った野柳地質公園に似た地形が似ていた。荒れた海を見た。昨夜の揺れを思い出した。これでは明治初期の漁船では遭難するだろう。ここへ流れ着いた宮古島住人を地元民が虐殺した事件があった。言葉の通じない時代のことだ。明治政府が初めて海外に派兵した事件はここから起こった。
琉球漁民慰霊碑に手を合わせた。やはり台湾は違うなと感じた。支那だったらこんな慰霊碑は絶対に作らないだろう。帰りに正濱漁港で記念撮影。観光スポットだという。少しヨーロッパの雰囲気があるかも。
Unlike Miyakojima, Keelung was perfect as a port for big vessels. Miyakojima Island is formed by coral reefs and is shallow to a considerable distance from the shore. We had to use a tender boat to reach the island, but the Diamond Princess was able to directly berth at the pier in Keelung. The Diamond Princess sails under British colours and Japanese passengers disembark in Taiwan. I presumed that the procedure of passport control would be too much trouble, but all the formalities were already finished by morning. Really skillful! I recalled the incompetent Russian officials whom I had met in Karafuto, Sakhalin in Russian language. (link)
When we walked along the designated route at the pier, our guide spotted us. It was a good idea to have sent our pictures in advance. By the way, where should we go in the heavy rain? I wanted to see shīqiúlǐng suìdàoas built in the period of the Qing Dynasty and has been partly preserved. It's also a historic spot of the first-ever tunnel in Taiwan, but I had to give it up due to the heavy rain. I'd heard of a historic battery, Ershawan Battery , in Keelung, which was originally built against the British invasion in the times of the Opium War and was destroyed during the Sino-French War (1884-1885). However, the battery was renovated and now open to tourists. I wanted to see it, but our tour guide advised us not to visit the place in the heavy rain, because the tracks to the battery were very muddy.
We dropped in at qìng ān gōng, or Qingan Temple which is dedicated to Mazu (the Goddess of the Sea). Our tour guide was a real pro and her explanation on the temple was perfect. We were lucky to hear her story exclusively though it was expensive to hire a tour guide. I informed her about a shrine also dedicated to a deity of the sea which is located near my hometown. It's well-known in Japan. It would be helpful for her future guidance.
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2015/09/review-of-the-karafuto-tour.html
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2015/09/immigration.html
(Vocabulary)
berth 停泊する
shīqiúlǐng suìdào 獅球嶺隧道
qìng ān gōng 慶安宮
Taoism 道教
宮古島上陸とは違い接岸しているので上陸は楽ちん。船はイギリス船籍でその船から日本人が台湾へ入国するわけだが、入出国の手続きは昨夜のうちに終わっている。実に手際が良い。樺太で目にした仕事の遅いロシア人たちを思い出した。(リンク)
船から下りて決められたルートを歩いていると、ガイドが待っていてくれた。あらかじめこちらの写真を写メしていたのですぐに見つけてもらえた。さて、このひどい雨の中でどこへ行くか、、、、獅球嶺隧道を見たかったが、諦めた。これは、清朝統治時代の鉄道トンネル跡で、台湾で最初かつ清朝時代のものとしては唯一現存する鉄道トンネル。そして、海門天險（アヘン戦争時代にイギリスの侵略を防ぐために築かれた砲台で、清仏戦争で破壊されたが修復された）も道がぬかるんでいるため訪問できず。
あまりに酷い雨のため、雨を避けてまずは慶安宮へ立ち寄った。支那文化について少し学ぶ。こういうとき、独占的にガイドの話を聞けるのは有り難い。高いガイド料の価値はあった。四国に金刀比羅宮があるが海上交通の安全を守る神様ということで似ていたのでガイドに教えてあげた。次からの日本人客のガイドに役立つだろう。
Recent Comments