Fondly remembering my time spent in a Hagi hotel two years ago this very month (Photo-essay)

The powers that be here in Hong Kong today passed the film censorship law they said they would back in August.  Not surprisingly, it's heavy handed in nature and is predicted to worsen self-censorship and fuel fear among filmmakers.  And of course I feel upset about it's not like it was unexpected.  Also, if truth be told, I'm still absorbing the shock news delivered yesterday that, beginning today, "if you test positive for Covid in Hong Kong, you're taken to hospital isolation ward for minimum 10 days, then a second quarantine for 14 days.  [And i]f you test positive while in hotel quarantine (as many do) you could end up spending up to *six weeks* in isolation"!  

 

The tightening of pandemic travel restrictions that were already tighter than most other territories in the world, at a time when Hong Kong has recorded zero local transmissions for some weeks now has perplexed medical experts and upset a whole bunch of people.  And it's got me thinking that I won't be vacationing outside of Hong Kong for many months to come even while, as it stands, I've now been on a plane for what may well be the longest period of time since I turned five years of age! 

For the record: the last time I was out of Hong Kong was two years ago this very month.  And since I haven't finished posting about that Japan trip (24 months after having taken it!), I figure I will devote the rest of today's post to one more photo-essay that hopefully will bring back good memories when I look at the photos and bring some cheer tonight -- the latter for those visitors to this blog who enjoy looking at my travel pics as well as myself...

 

It took two trains and one long bus ride for me to get to the

next town that I'd spend a number of days and nights in --

Hagi, a former castle town and old capital of the Choshu Domain

 

On account of it being off the beaten international tourist track,

it was hard to find a hotel to book there -- and the one that 

I ended up staying in felt more like a ryokan than regular hotel!

(*Sadly, it appears to no longer be in business -- a victim of the pandemic?!)

 

The dinners (which were included in the room price, along with breakfasts) 

there were quite something -- quantity- if not quality-wise! (N.B. This is 

just a portion of the dinner I was served my first night at the hotel!)

 

Part of the dinner I was served my second evening of my stay

at the hotel -- and yes, fugu (a Yamaguchi prefecture specialty) 

was indeed on the menu!

 

Also part of dinner my second night at the hotel -- 

there seriously weren't stinting on the ingredients

as well as amount of food served!

 

The dinners there were memorable, and I very much enjoyed 

my luxuriously large room (and its tatami main section) but

the highlight of my stay at the hotel might actually have been

the spectacular sunset views from its rooftop space!

 

Honestly, it seemed that every few seconds, the views

got better and better!

 

Also, truly, I feel that I've really lucked out with regards

to getting amazing sunset views in Japan (with the standouts

in addition to these being those seen over in Matsue and Takayama)