Arriving late to my annual date with Tanabata

This post was intended for July 7- I am late - but the story I want to share is so dear to me, I think it's worth telling , even if it is indeed a bit late. The other option would have been to wait for July 7 of next year.... too long. 

I lived in Kyoto, Japan from April 2002 to March 2005. Three very special years in a truly magical place. Kyoto is one of those amazing places that should be in everyone's travel bucketlist.  I attended Kyoto University for my Master's  Degree in Economics and while there, I made friends from literally all corners of the Earth, many of which I still keep in contact with.
My years in Japan were in a sense, like being on break from  the "real life " of work and responsibility. I am a bit of a nerd at heart, so studying and school are fun to me , and paired up with travel and life in Japan,  I felt truly blessed.

My first summer in Japan, my friends and I decided to visit Amanohashidate, one of the three most scenic sites in Japan, and which is , to put it in Japanese exact terms, located exactly 106 minutes by train from Kyoto.

Kyoto Station  July 2002 - with Patrick ( Malaysia) and Giancarlo ( Panamá)

Amanohashidate means "Bridge in Heaven" , a truly beautiful place where earth meets heaven in a 3  kilometer white sandbar covered by pine trees.
 

Photo: Japan-guide.com

My friends and I stayed at a cabin up a hill from Amanohashidate, and we had a really nice weekend, swimming - in rather cold waters- from the standpoint of a Caribbean girl, hiking, cooking and sharing stories. It was like a mini UN reunion, with representatives of Korea, Panamá , Austria, Philippines , Thailand, Malaysia and of course,  Honduras.

With Christian ( Austria ) and Giancarlo ( Panamá)

Kimmie ( Korea ) Gianca (Panama) Kun (Thailand) & Christian ( Austria)

I saw some stunning views -Japan is a very beautiful country- but what truly grabbed my heart at Amanohashidate is the story of what happens every year  there, on the night of July 7, also known as Tanabata

 

Tanabata 七夕- is also known as  the Star Festival. Tanabata is a Japanese tradition where people write their wishes on tanzaku papers (colorful, small strips of papers) and hang them on bamboo branches. People also decorate bamboo branches with various kinds of paper decorations and place them outside their houses, all over Japan.

 

It is  said that tanabata's origin dates back to more than 2,000 years ago with an old Chinese tale: Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in heaven.  When they fell in love, all they wanted to do was play with each other all the time, talk & talk ,and forgot about their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River ( what we know as the Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar.  It's believed that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't see each other if the day is rainy, so people pray for good weather to allow for the lovers to meet on a night they  wish would be eternal.

 

 

So each July 7, I remember these two lovers, and how the beauty of a love  story warms a heart, no matter where, and I think about the optimism of dreaming and writing your own wishes , hoping and praying with all of your heart that they will become true.

 

If you are in Kyoto over a long stay, I highly recommend the beautiful Amanohashidate!

 

The Roads that led me to Rome

Ever since I can remember , I dreamt of visiting Italy. Over the years my dreams of Italy  grew...  Looking back I can remember my first encounters with Italia: Pizza Napolitana with my dad at the still famous  Pizzería Tito in Tegucigalpa, with its walls lined with posters of Florence, Venice and Rome ; the 1986 Italian team at the World Cup with Paolo Maldini ; the hyper romantic lyrics to the songs of Eros Ramazotti and Laura Pausini ; work as a Brand Manager for Benetton perfumes in Honduras...

Funny to say it , but Paris took me to Italy. While working as a Brand Manager for a perfume and cosmetics company , I was invited to a training in Paris, the week before Easter - which in my side of the world usually means a week of vacation-, and although the thought of visiting and discovering Paris made me extremely happy , I could only think of taking a short flight over the border to visit Italy once my training was over,  and that I did. One of these days I will look for my pics - pre Smartphone camera era - of that first encounter face to face with Italy.

 Needless to say it was love at first sight. This happened in 2000. I later returned in 2004 and in 2011 , but today I want to share a bit of my beautiful experience in Rome a couple of weeks ago. I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of a wonderful group linked to coffee in Honduras who participated at a trade show in Italy. This also gave me the opportunity to take a few vacations days and visit some amazing sites . This was a healing trip in many aspects, a point of crossroads in my life  where I chose to cross and look ahead.  It was was amazing to discover , live and fully enjoy the roads that took me to  the eternal Rome in 3 wonderful days .

 

1. The Sky Road : Enjoy the ride ! Note to self.... no worries about turbulence

I am not much into flying... believe it or not...I always try to get a seat near  a window and above the wings, as this is the most stable area of the plane... ( as in... it won´t shake as much as further back in the tail ) ... Most economy class planes have the 2 4  2  seating arrangements... Talk or at least smile to your neighbor ... I have met some extremely interesting persons on my last flights.  Enjoy the amazing view... clouds, blues skies , sunsets, sunrise, mountains, islands, other planes crossing the sky.  And finally, don´t forget to manage your frequent flyer miles !

2. The Unplanned Road : Be open and take the road ahead- unplanned , unknown, unmapped - you will find surprises along the way - like...  Being able to attend Pope Francis' General Audience . I did not plan this , and I was totally blessed by it !

 

When you travel to Europe you usually arrive around noon. I went to my B&B and headed out  as soon as I could, and with no planned itinerary I decided to go to the Vatican, on a Tuesday ... Just to find St. Peter´s Square in full preparation mode for next day´s "Audiencia General".  So from no plan-  I now had a plan .... Pope Francis on Wednesday in Rome.... Happiness ! I am very conscious of my spiritual journey as I travel through life , and this last year has been of profound spiritual awareness. I knew this was going to become a special and treasured memory for me. And that there was a message coming my way.

I caught a glimpse of Pope Francis as he passed by . So , so , so  sweet. The message was on Piety, one of the gifts of the Spirit, and its significance as a sense of friendship with God, that which allows us to come to Him with the trust and the familiarity of a child approaching his Father, because that is what we are: his children. Piety also allows us to be able to reach out in love to  those around us: to laugh with those that are happy , to comfort a heavy heart, to be company to a solitary soul.  I understood that my own road of seeking to be comforted was coming to an end, and that I needed to be more aware of that which I can give to others ahead. I believe God comforts us and sends us helping hands along the way so that in turn we do the same unto others . It's my turn to reach out now.  I am ready and honored .

 And on a funny  & light note, be aware that  St. Peter's Square is a great place for spotting Italy's famous Carabinieri, so keep your eyes wide open !

 

 



3. The Road to a Castle.  I have discovered you can never see all the sites in a city as beautiful as Rome, but that is absolutely OK. Always leave a site to visit on your next trip.  So it was until this third visit that I finally got a close glimpse of the imponent Castel St. Angelo at the Parco Adriano in Rome, with its beautiful St. Michael Archangel crowning it .  San Miguel Arcángel , by the way , is Tegucigalpa's Saint. 

I actually just walked around the park and soaked in the afternoon sun and a beautiful feeling of peace, light and realization .... I was in Rome ! I was making new memories, I was moving on ....

I took one of my favorite self photographs here ... and the caption I used when I posted it was : " With the sun in my face and the wind beneath my wings " .As you travel, especially if you travel by yourself, reach inside and let it be a healing and growing experience. I  hope I can always carry with me , the feeling of wellness , completeness , and optimism that I felt that day at Castel St. Angelo. 

4. The Ancient Road : 

Appia teritur regina longarum viarum

"the Appian way is the queen of the long roads"

The Via Appia Antica is a must if you go to Rome... One of those sites I was not able to catch on my first visits , but that will now be a permanent part of my plans on future trips to Rome.  Beautiful, historical, peaceful, still there. I  absolutely loved it .

 

 

This is the mother of all roads that lead to Rome. Don't miss it !
5. The Road to many happy returns to Rome. When you visit a city as beautiful as Rome, you must believe  with all your heart that you will return . The Fontana di Trevi is not only the most beautiful fountain my eyes have seen, but tradition says that those who throw a coin,  b e l i e v i n g , will surely return to Rome.  Paired up with a spectacular gelato and the blessing of friends to share the moment, this  makes for the best memories and  for the amazing  feeling of a  love affair with Rome that will be continued.

 

 

 

 I will be happy to share tips and suggestions for your next trip to Rome.