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aidengeorg · 4 years ago

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Avenue south residences condo

Defined by, and developed because of, the Long Island Railroad, the slender, almost fish-profiled tract of land originally called Paumanok by indigenous Indians and now bridge- and tunnel-appendaged to New York, owes much of its existence to it.

Earthly distances require means, speed, and sometimes intermodal connections to traverse so that miles, as measurements, can be reduced to hours and minutes. Untethered to the continental Untied States, and thus surrounded by water, Long Island itself sought solutions for the population which grew after the farmers were attracted there by the promise of sprouting crops. But not immediately.

"The century year of 1800 found Long Island to be a largely rural region of remote villages located along the shores," according to Robert C. Sturm in his book, "The Long Island Rail Road Company: A History, 1834-1965" (Long Island-Sunrise Trail Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. 2014, p. 3). "The principle means of transpiration and communication were carriages and sailing vessels. The fact that travel was slow, arduous, and sometimes perilous meant that the average person rarely, if ever, traveled further than 20 miles from his or her place of birth."

Integral to the seed that evolved into the Long Island Railroad and ultimately resolved this dilemma was the ten-mile Avenue south residences condo Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad Company, whose April 25, 1832 incorporation was envisioned as the first step in a land-and-sea link to Boston, essentially bypassing Long Island itself, but reducing the primitive, three-day horse-drawn coach and 16-hour all-steamer methods to 11 hours.

The second segment of the intermodal journey became reality on April 24, 1834, when the Long Island Rail Road Company was chartered to operate from Brooklyn to Greenport on the North Fork. The third was the cross-sound ferry voyage to Stonington, Connecticut, whose hilly and river-interspersed southern shore otherwise eclipsed technological, track-laying capabilities, and the fourth was the continued and final rail link to Boston on the Norwich and Worcester.

Two years later, on April 18, or the very day that the Brooklyn and Jamaica was completed, the barren island began sprouting tracks, along with its crops, reaching Farmingdale in Suffolk County in 1841, Deer Park the following year, and Medford two years after that, and met the North Fork-originating, westward-laid rails by summer, although a shortage necessitated a temporary, two-mile, heavy timber and strap iron crowned insertion until the final section was delivered from Britain.

Inaugurating service on July 27, 1844, the fledgling, steam-powered railroad immediately demonstrated its capability, covering the 94 miles from Brooklyn to Greenport in three-and-a-half hours.

But the ground which supported it began to crumble after only a few years of operation, since the previously considered "impossible" southern Connecticut rail route was conquered by 1850, eliminating the need for the Long Island Railroad's intermodal and inter-state purpose and leaving it to serve a sparsely populated farm community. Now, more than ever, it needed to grow branches that would cater to developing towns, after its initial, cross-island line spurred their development.

Today, tunnel-connected, beneath the East River, to Manhattan, the Long Island Railroad operates nine branches to 124 stations, covering more than 700 miles of track, and is both North America's busiest commuter railroad, feeding and fielding the daily workforce, and the oldest one still operating under its original name. In 2009, it celebrated its 175th anniversary and six years later carried 87.6 million annual passengers.

Its rich history can be gleaned through Long Island's many railroad-related sights.

2. Hicksville and the John Bull Locomotive:

Located on the flat, barren, 60,000-acre Hempstead Plains--the largest such prairie in the eastern United States-Hicksville was first claimed by Welsh settler, Robert Williams, in 1648. But, despite the promise of population, it remained just as virgin for another two centuries, until Valentine Hicks, a Jericho businessman, acquired the site and formed a land association to establish a town on it in 1834.

Because the first 15 miles of track had reached the area three years later, in March, its then terminus status transformed it into a destination or, in the reverse direction, a gateway to Manhattan in the west, establishing a tether to a major city.

Not coincidentally, Hicks himself became a Long Island Railroad board member and its second president, while the station, ultimately located at the crossroads of the Main Line and the Port Jefferson branch, evolved into a hub.

But financial panic at the time of its inception ensured that it remained the terminus for four years, until the intermodal connection could regain its momentum and ever eastward-laid track could imprint the ground. In the meantime, however, the railroad transported people, who, in sedentary form, translated into population, and the once barren farmland took root as a town comprised of stores, businesses, residences, and hotels. Its "Hicksville" name, again not coincidentally, reflected its Valentine Hicks founder.

The Long Island Railroad's first locomotive, the "Ariel" and the 19th constructed by Matthias W. Baldwin, was delivered in November of 1835 and, aside from providing motive power for the inaugural Hicksville service, was employed for some two decades.

"The original locomotives were of simple construction, comprising a five-tube boiler mounted on a frame that also accommodated a two-cylinder engine," wrote Sturm in "The Long Island Rail Road Company: A History, 1834-1965" (p. 10). "Hand-cut pine, which was conveniently harvested from the Pine Barrens, was the fuel. Water was carried on the tender car, either in casks or (in) an iron tank. There were no brakes; coasting to the station and finally 'plugging' the engine (running it in reverse) was the only method used to stop the trains."

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totravelistoliveco · 7 years ago

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In the 1960s and 70s, with free love coursing through the air, hippies travelled overland from Europe to Turkey and through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and India, route called Hippie Trail.

Hippie Trail: Hippies – the pioneers of so much of today’s tourism – took to this route because it could be travelled cheaply (mainly via hitchhiking, buses and trains) and was as far away from the evil capitalist West as possible. Also, plenty of mystique was attached to these far-flung lands, a desirable quality for people seeking spiritual enlightenment at the same time as a good time.

The European capitals of free love and dope, London and Amsterdam, were the usual starting points for the journey. An ideal route wound through Europe via Yugoslavia and Greece (with a possible island side-trip) to Istanbul. From here, permutations varied, but a typical path went to Ankara, then through Iran to Tehran, to Kabul in Afghanistan, through the Khyber Pass to Peshawar and Lahore in Pakistan, and then on to Kashmir, Delhi and Goa in India.

Origins of the Hippie Trail

The roots of the Hippie Trail probably lie with the overland expeditions of the mid-1950s, when small groups of wealthy individuals or sponsored students would travel east from England by Land Rover or Bedford Dormobile to climb mountains or carry out scientific studies and surveys, often publishing accounts of their travels afterwards.

Many who read of such pioneering trips were less interested in science or mountaineering than with the descriptions of the exotic places and cultures on the way. Air travel was in its infancy and prohibitively expensive, but for those seeking adventure the prospect of an epic overland journey was both attractive and increasingly affordable.

The first established British bus company to ply the overland route was The Indiaman in 1957, closely followed by Swagman Tours (later renamed Asian Greyhound). These began as one-man operations catering for a handful of adventurous travellers, and as the economy boomed and the market grew, other bus companies started to spring up in the 1960s.

Advent of the Hippies

The first overland travellers who might be described as hippies appeared in about 1967, when the term became shorthand for just about anyone with long hair. The concept of the “mystic east” was gaining interest, and after The Beatles visited India in a blaze of publicity in 1968 the number of young people hitting the road from western Europe began to increase dramatically.

And they weren’t all Europeans. Americans and Canadians crossed the Atlantic to take part, Australians and New Zealanders had a strong backpacking tradition and found the route convenient. Westerners of all nationalities were represented.

They had many reasons for going: some sought spiritual enlightenment, some were escaping from a rigid conventional lifestyle, some saw opportunities for profit, and some just wanted to see the world. They all had a sense of adventure, but not all of them could be described as hippies – many were simply keen to explore the overland route to the east, first blazed by Marco Polo.

But from the late 1960s onwards the largest contingent, united by a common interest, were the young people with long hair who gave the hippie trail its name – and what defined the hippie trail was that it led to the major hashish-producing centres of the world.

Afghanistan, Chitral, Kashmir, Nepal – familiar names to the pot-smokers of the sixties and seventies, most of whom knew very little else about the countries where their herb of choice was cultivated. But for the next ten years or so they set off in their thousands to look for it.

Overland bus companies sprang up to cater for them, advertising cheap tickets in the “underground press”. They shared the road with a motley procession of private cars, vans, minibuses, even motorbikes. Many vehicles never made it all the way, and many more never made it back. It was, after all, a journey of over 6,000 miles in each direction, and it took in high mountain passes, scorching deserts, and some very rough roads.

Popular legend tells of the Magic Bus that left from Amsterdam – except that it never did. The company was merely a booking agency and didn’t actually own any buses. Passengers were found places aboard the scores of independent coaches that plied the route. Other companies such as Budget Bus did actually run their own small fleet of vehicles.

Public transport was another option. Although the railway in those days ended in eastern Turkey, from Istanbul onwards there were cheap local buses, and western drivers also picked up passengers from the city’s famous Pudding Shop, where rides in independent vehicles could often be arranged. Access to cheap rail travel resumed in Pakistan and India.

People also hitch-hiked, particularly on the way home, though this was usually only possible in Europe, and the cost of public transport was extremely low in Asia. Westerners who could drive were sometimes paid to take vehicles from Germany to Lebanon or Iran, another way of affording the trip.

The Hippie Trail Route

The route of the hippie trail essentially started at Istanbul, the point at which all roads from Europe converged. From here the direct route led straight across Turkey, though some headed south for Lebanon, for centuries the main hashish producer of the Middle East.

From Turkey the route continued across Iran, then a secular country run by the Shah, and on to Afghanistan, the first major destination of the hippie trail, a land where foreigners were made very welcome and where a large proportion of the population used hashish themselves.

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After Afghanistan the trail offered many diversions. On entering Pakistan some would head north towards Chitral, but the majority crossed the country and entered India, where a trip up to Kashmir was an immediate option for enthusiastic potheads. Northern India also offered Manali, another popular destination for hippies and another centre of marijuana cultivation.

In winter months most hippies would head south for the beaches of Goa, where hashish was always freely available (though it was not actually produced there). But in the summer the hippie trail ended in the mountains of Nepal, where until 1973 there were many hashish shops operating legally, and where there was no real difficulty obtaining the world’s finest charas afterwards.

Visas, where required, could be obtained easily at the borders or towns en route. British passport holders did not require a visa to stay in India long-term.

Always A Freak – Never A Hippie

Those who went on the hippie trail often referred to it as “going to India”, a shorthand way of describing the trip. They did not call themselves “hippies” anyway, preferring the term “freaks”, and in Kathmandu everyone knew where “Freak Street” was (though the official name was Jochen Tole).

While other travellers – those who were not “freaks” – quite reasonably refer to the route as “the overland”, there really was a distinct hippie trail. In every major stop along the way there were hotels, restaurants and cafes that catered almost exclusively to the pot-smoking westerners, who networked with each other as they wandered east and west – there were no Lonely Planet guides in those days, and (of course) there was no internet.

This influx of long-haired western youth must have been a curiosity to the locals, who were largely unaccustomed to tourists of any sort back then. But they were generally hospitable, and many found welcome ways to derive extra income. Their experience was caricatured in the 1971 Bollywood movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which featured a scene involving chillum-smoking hippies, accompanied by the enormously popular Asha Bosle song Dum Maro Dum.

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The hippies tended to spend more time interacting with the local population than traditional sightseeing tourists – they had no interest in luxury accommodation, even if they could afford it (which few could), and some would “go native” after a fashion, particularly in India. Of course, they were still tourists really, albeit of a different sort, and hedonism was the primary aim.

There were casualties, undoubtedly. Staying healthy could be difficult, particularly in Afghanistan, and even hippies can suffer from culture shock. Some would get severely ill, or run out of money, and have to be flown home. Others would wind up in jail, not a pleasant experience anywhere and particularly tough in a third world country.

Most survived, however, and lived to tell the tale on their return, often inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. And a few stayed on, found ways to support themselves, and still live in India.

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The End of The Road

The classic hippie trail came to an end in 1979, when Islamic revolution in Iran and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan closed the overland route to western travellers. Lebanon had already lapsed into civil war, Chitral and Kashmir became less inviting due to tensions in the area, and even Nepal eventually lost its peace and tranquility.

Air travel had by now become affordable and Goa became the main centre of the hippie scene, based around the village of Anjuna, where hippies had been renting houses for many years before any hotels were built to accommodate the massive influx of tourists in the 1980s.

Those who flew to Goa in later years to partake of the hippie lifestyle doubtless enjoyed themselves, and the more adventurous will have travelled around India and learned from the experience. But the overland hippie trail, which lasted little more than ten years, was gone forever.

Simon Watts talks to Richard Gregory, who did the Hippie Trail in 1974.

A Brief History of the Hippie Trail, Overland from Europe to Asia in search of Hashish by Richard Gregory

Hippie Trail: A Brief History of the Travel Pioneers

#history #photography #travel #nostalgia #oldies #vintage #hippies #hippie #traveling #ontheroad #totravelistolive

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shannrussell-blog1 · 6 years ago

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An important rail line for transporting passengers and cargo from 1882 to 1970s, the old Tallarook to Mansfield line sat fallow after its closure until the decision was made to turn it into a rail trail for cyclists, walkers, and horse riders, in 2004. Now it’s a popular tourist drawcard that sees hundreds of cyclists ride it in its entirety each year.

Where Is It?

The Great Victorian Rail Trail, formerly known as the Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail, is situated in North Eastern Victoria.

It runs from Tallarook, just off the Hume Highway, south of Seymour, to Mansfield, to the west of Mt Buller – gateway to the ski fields, according to the locals.

How Do I Get There?

If you start at Tallarook, it’s approximately a 1.5-hour drive from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. Mansfield is situated about 2.5 hours from Melbourne.

I caught the Seymour V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Tallarook. The journey takes just over an hour, and most train services have bicycle facilities on-board.

When Should I Visit?

Autumn and spring are the best times to visit. I visited in late summer and receives some unpleasantly hot weather. I would imagine sections of the track become muddy after rain.

Where to Stay?

The Great Victorian Rail Trail is suitable for all sorts of bicycling tourers – credit card tourers and the self-sufficient alike. Generally, you’ll have a town to stay in each night.

Most towns offer a range of accommodation options. These are the accommodation options I observed in each town:

Tallarook – Pub, bush camping, bed and breakfast

Trawool – Motel

Yea – Pub, motels, caravan park, bed and breakfast

Molesworth – Pub, campground

Alexandra – Pub, motel, caravan park, bush camping, bed and breakfast

Yarck – Pub, bed and breakfast

Bonnie Doon – Pub, caravan park, bed and breakfast

Mansfield – Pub, caravan park, resort, bed and breakfast

If you’re willing to get off the track a bit, there are many other bush camping options available in and around the Lake Eildon National Park.

Where To Buy Food and Supplies?

The major towns along the trail have supermarkets of varying sizes, including Yea, Alexandra, and Mansfield. The smaller towns have general stores, some have service stations. There are some fine bakeries along the routes, and loads of great places to get a good cup of coffee.

Mansfield Coffee Merchant, Yea Emporium, and Hock The Ruby where my favourite places to grab a coffee.

Here’s a more comprehensive rundown on the type of resupply points and businesses available on the track:

Tallarook – Pub, cafes, general store

Trawool – Cafe/restaurant

Yea – Supermarket, cafes, restaurants, pubs, takeaway shops, butcher, bakery, service station

Molesworth – General store, pub

Alexandra – Supermarket, cafes, takeaway shops, butcher, bakery, service station

Yarck – General store, cafes, pub

Merton – Service station

Bonnie Doon – General store, pub, restaurants, service station

Mansfield – Supermarket, cafes, restaurants, pubs, takeaway shops, butcher, bakery, service station

Places To Stop For a Rest

There are plenty of places to stop for a break on this trail. Some spots are designated and sports shelter, seating, and a long-drop toilet. Sometimes the call of a big gumtree is enough.

Make sure you carry enough watch to get to the next town as while most of the toilets have a small rainwater tank the water isn’t suitable for drinking, and maybe empty anyway. (On my trip in February 2016 all of these rainwater tanks were empty, so I couldn’t even use them to wash my hands.)

See the map below which shows all the former station sites. Most of these sites have rest facilities, and there is also a shelter and picnic table at Merton Gap and Eglinton Cutting – two of the best views on the entire trip.

Ideal Credit Card Bicycle Touring Itinerary

Credit card cyclists are those that set off with very little gear, maybe a few changes of clothes, toiletries, and a few bits and pieces, and stay in motels or cabins each night, and eat out at restaurants and pubs. Here’s my take on the ideal itinerary for the credit card bike tourist that wants to ride a section of the rail trail over 4 days:

Day 1

Drive or catch the train to Tallarook first thing in the morning. Grab a coffee at Hock The Ruby and lunch in Yea. Cycle to Molesworth (56.2km). Stay at the Molesworth Hotel Motel. Have dinner at the pub.

Day 2

Cycle from Molesworth to Mansfield. Grab a takeaway breakfast at the Molesworth General Store – or let some muesli bars tide you over until you get to Yarck (11.8km) where you can enjoy something a little more substantial at the cafe. Stay in a cabin at a caravan park or motel in Mansfield. Dine out at one of the pubs or restaurants.

Day 3

Grab a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs at one of the cafes in Mansfield. Cycle from Mansfield to Alexandra (72.7km). Grab snacks and/or lunch at Bonnie Doon, Merton, or Yarck. Stay in a cabin at the caravan park or motel in Alexandra. Dine out at one of the pubs or restaurants.

Day 4

Cycle from Alexandra to Tallarook (73.1km). Grab breakfast at a cafe in Alexandra. Stop for lunch in Yea. Arrive in Tallrook late afternoon for a beer at the pub before catching the train or driving back to Melbourne.

Tallarook to Mansfield and Back Again in Late Summer

As I pushed my bike up to the front of the Tallarook Hotel two well-watered gentleman stumbled out. “It’s closed, maytttteee” the locals slurred as they unwisely stumbled to their cars. “I’ve got a booking, it’s fine” I told them as I tiredly pulled my phone from my pocket to inspect the time. 11:16pm.

Today was a long day. It started at 6:30am, as I cycled in the still darkness through the backstreets of Adelaide to catch The Overland train to Melbourne. An eleven-hour train journey was followed by a two-hour delay in Melbourne, giving me enough time to sink a hearty burger and slurp down a few pints of lager.

I was tired and just wanted to sleep, but there was still an hour of train travel to be beared, up the Seymour line to the sleepy village of Tallarook.

But this wouldn’t be last of my journey along railway lines – I was about to embark on a weeklong cycle up The Great Victorian Rail Trail to Mansfield and back again.

I had no idea they grew wine grapes in the area. These vineyards are just out of Tallarook.

Setting off

Next morning, the first day on the saddle, was off to a slow start. I slept in and wouldn’t make off until midday. No matter, I’ll make it a short one, I assured myself. I have plenty of time. A big breakfast at Hock The Ruby had me feeling I was in trendy Fitzroy, not a little rural town where dusty utes are the norm.

I was to learn that this part of rural Victoria was in no way caught behind the times, and was well up with my inner city tastes.

Good food, craft beer, and great coffee were found wherever I went. But not while feeling commercial or overly touristy. The towns largely support the communities, and the nature is pretty raw. Very raw in places.

First day in the saddle

The first day, indeed, was a short one. From Tallarook it was a pleasant downhill along flats of the fast-flowing Goulburn River, before it retreated and made its way past the old stations of Trawool, Granite, Kerrisdale, and Homewood.

The trail surface mainly comprised granitic sand up until Homewood where it gave way to chert and become a decidedly more difficult surface to ride on with a fully-packed touring bike with fairly slick 32mm tyres.

Bill Power, the owner of the Tallarook hotel, commented on my tyres as I set off, telling me they’d be a little uneasy on the sandy stretches. I found it to be quite the opposite – I thoroughly enjoyed the granitic sand and found the chert that made up most of the track beyond Homewood to be really hard going. All part of the fun, right?

I can proudly tell you I only nearly had one spill the entire week. I ducked into the Trawool Resort to grab a bottle of orange juice – a carb-loving cyclists best friend! As I was returning to the track via the gravel carpark I took a corner a little too tightly for my heavy bike. A sheet of gravel slid out from underneath me, as a couple of lunchers looked on, and I ended up under the bike.

I didn’t so much as come off the bike, as slowly place it on top of myself in a controlled manner with lots of swear words. I was fine. The bike was fine. We all had a laugh and I went on to think, ‘What an embarrassing story that would have made had it been worse. One mishap on the track. In a carpark buying orange juice.’ Onwards…

That dark grey gravel is the chert substance I have been whinging about. Beautiful view though, right?

Homewood to Yea

From Homewood it’s a slow climb up to Yea. The rough surface and headwind made it slow going and I arrived exhausted, after only 40km, around 4pm. With no bush camping options near town, I opted for a night at the Yea Holiday Park. Not a bad choice, either.

Self-sufficient campers enjoy a multitude of places to pitch a tent along the banks of the Yea River. The only thing that let the place down was its proximity to the Melba Highway which was alive with traffic well into the night.

Dinner was my favourite Back Country Cuisine Thai Chicken Curry and instant mash potato. Yes, this is a plug. It’s actually delicious. Try it for yourself.

As I cooked dinner a German couple who arrived in a campervan started to chat. They had intended to tour the south-east of Australia, from Brisbane, on their motorbikes.

One of the bikes carked it, it was going to be too expensive to repair or replace, so they resorted to completing their trip in a camper. They didn’t seem pleased but were happy to be in a warm climate.

Sleep came easily on a cool, still night.

The next day

Time to climb. From Yea, the trail winds through farmland, well away from the road, before making its way up to Cheviot Tunnel. The climb is gradual and scenic. Seeing the little dark blip of the tunnel entrance on the hillside was a relief. It meant it was downhill for the next several kilometres.

The Cheviot Tunnel was completed in 1883 and is constructed from approximately 675,000 handmade clay bricks. 130 years later, it is still in remarkable condition.

At the insistence of some locals I met in Yea, I turned my bike light on as I cycled through the tunnel and could make out the old lantern hooks used during construction, on the southern wall. Visible for the bird crap underneath them – they’re a popular perching spot it seems.

The mighty Cheviot Tunnel. Well worth the long, slow climb. Look at those bricks.

Descent to Molesworth

The descent down into Molesworth was pleasant. The track surface was sandy once more and was nicely shaded by terraces of trees, removing the pinch of the late morning sun.

A quick break for lunch, and I was on my way to the site of the old Cathkin station, then onto the old spur line down into the village of Alexandra, or Alex’ as locals call it.

It’s 14km from Cathkin, along the branch line, to Alexandra. It’s mostly gradual uphill on a chert surface, before you break out from the cutting right next to the Maroondah Highway, which reveals superb views of the township, the Cathedral Ranges to the south, Lake Eildon National Park to the east, and Kingslake, which was devastated by bushfires in 2009, way off in the distance.

As this trip was to be part camping, part credit card touring, I decided Alex’ was a nice place to get a motel for the night. Slack, I know!

The view over Alexandra. Those ranges in the background yield to Lake Eildon further to the east.

Heading off again the next morning

Remember that lovely descent into Alexandra I told you about? Well, going up it was the way I would be starting my day today. My fitness had improved a lot, despite only having 80km or so under my belt, so the ascent was easy going and before I knew it I was back at the spur lines junction with the main rail trail.

Today was going to be a long day. I would be riding from Alexandra to Mansfield – 79km and the longest climb of the trip. And what’s more, the mercury was set to hit 35°c.

From Cathkin, it’s all uphill for just over 20km to Merton Gap. Despite the ascent and again, the trail surface, this was one of my favourite sections of the track. It starts out running alongside the Maroondah Highway, though the tiny village of Yarck, before retracting inland through tacts of native woodland. Rolling hills all round. And the last of the Goulburn Valley.

The climb begins gradually before becoming steeper, with more ups and downs, as you curve back onto the main road, prior to the final stretch of the gap. It’s important to stop and look behind you as you approach the cutting. The views over the valley and the ranges beyond are stunning. It’s at this point you start to realise how far you have come.

A quick descent into Merton for a bite to eat and toilet break and it was on to Bonnie Doon. I challenge any Aussie who has seen the cult Australiana flick, The Castle, to say, read, or hear the name ‘Bonnie Doon’ and not break into song:

“We’re goin’ to Bonnie Doon. We’re goin’ to Boonie Doon.”

Riding to Bonnie Doon

It was nice riding into Bonnie Doon. Mostly flat with a bit of decline if anything. It passes through lush farming country, with the odd herd of cows or sheep to keep you company. Old Landcruiser utes swish by on the road, their kelpies in the back. The hills widen from the valley as you approach Bonnie Doon, telling you that Lake Eildon is near.

First you pass Brankeet Inlet to the north, which at the time of my trip was long dry. I spotted what I thought were clouds of smoke ahead. What could that be? Something was moving on the ground. I pulled aside and lay my bike against a wire fence. A farmer is herding his sheep. They’re running like mad through the dry lake bed and kick up dust as they go. What an unexpected sight.

The track eventually drops into Bonnie Doon. I contemplate spending the night here but didn’t like the look of the caravan park. I top up my water bottles out the front of the servo, douse myself in a couple of litres, and marvel at the sweat crystalised on my merino tee.

I phone ahead to a caravan park in Mansfield and advise them that I’ll be there around 6:30pm. I look forward to a beer and meal.

The car bridge over the Bonnie Doon arm of Lake Eildon. According to locals, water levels were apparently very low in all of these arms, but quite healthy in the main part of the lake.

The final 20km’s

The final 20km takes longer than expected. I’m clearly fatigued and the heat has gotten to me. Everybody I meet along the way think I am mad doing 79km in the heat. I vow to take the next day off, with temperatures forecast for 39°c, rather than do a side trip up to Mt Buller.

The highlight of this stretch is Maindample. Situated to the side of the track is a gazebo for shade, and an esky attached to an honesty box full of cold cans of soft drink, and a supply of cold water. A cold can of lemonade is just what I need. I empty what would have been about $6 of change into their jar as a sign of my gratitude. Puttering into Mansfield at around 6:45pm, I won’t make the supermarket to get some provisions for dinner. I’m chuffed by this – a pub meal it will be!

I’ve completed the Great Victorian Rail Trail. All 157.1km of it, including up and back the Alexander branch. That was fun.

Finished!

Accommodation after a long ride

Accommodation this night was the Mansfield High Country Caravan Park, right in town. Despite its central location, the unpowered tent sites were quiet and pleasant. Dinner was a protein-filled marinated lamb salad and a few pints at the Delatite Hotel at the end a rather hot and tiring day. Despite night-time temperatures in the high 20s, I slept well.

The next day I explore Mansfield and rent a cabin with an air conditioner. I’ve never been one for the heat, and today is hot. Problem is, the next day, when I’ll have no option but to get back on the trail, it’s due to be 38°c.

Travelling back to the start – the highlights

I won’t share the full story of travelling back to the start, but I will share with you some highlights (and lowlights!) The 67km ride from Mansfield back to Molesworth was hell. Half the day I was accompanied by a thick northerly headwind and 38°c temperatures. It was a tough slog.

However, the aches and pains and overheating soon went away when I pulled into the Molesworth Recreation Reserve campground, my resting place for the night.

Situated on the banks of the Goulburn it was a magic place to camp. I could have stayed a week.

Camping at the Molesworth Recreation Reserve. Dirt cheap, at $10 for an unpowered site, and oh-so peaceful and idyllic. My favourite camping spot of the trip.

Molesworth to Tallarook was a gentle ride and allowed me to appreciate the scenery that I had a few days earlier cycled away from. The upper reaches of the Goulburn is a stunning, rugged sort of place. With wooded hillsides, and sharp little escarpments of granite popping out here and there. It looks like it would be a beautiful place to hike someday.

It was early afternoon on a Thursday as I pulled into the main street of Tallarook once more. In 5 days, according to the Strava app, I had cycled 280.3km. To be sure, that’s not a huge number of kilometres, but with a heavy touring bike, average fitness, high temperatures, and that bloody chert, it was a challenge.

Final thoughts on my trip

No doubt, after riding the Great Victorian Rail Trail I have a taste for this kind of exploration. According to Rail Trails Australia, there are over 130 rail trails across Australia. They contribute greatly to tourism and local communities. This trail also represent a healthy way of exploring the outdoors while being inclusive of cyclists, walkers, and horse riders of all levels of fitness and abilities.

What’s more, they show you a perspective of Australia that has been observed and appreciated for many hundreds of years.

Update 12/07/2016: Added more information on the rest stops, food options, etc. Added ‘Ideal Credit Card Bicycle Touring Itinerary’ section.

The post The Great Victorian Rail Trail by Bike appeared first on Snowys Blog.

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dbamountaineer · 6 years ago

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The fourth and last day tour that I had while in Perth. And while completing my writings for my travel post which started in Perth, I just realized that I almost did a counter-clockwise travel from the said city. First tour was going south, second tour was going east, third tour was going north, and last but not the least, the last day tour was going west.

Perth is already at the west side, which place I was referring to that means my tour was going west? If the three tours were all by land, the last tour was involved with crossing the sea. I took a ferry that goes back and forth from Perth to the island named Rottnest. I still booked a tour to the island since my flight returning to Manila happened at the evening. It was my last day in Perth, or let say my last day in Australia since I must return to my country that night. That day for me like, every moment counts because I am not sure when I will be able to return to the third country which became my home for more than 1.5 years.

It was Sunday and I did checked-out in my hotel. Then, I temporarily left all my luggage at the hotel lobby as I will picked them back again after my last day tour. Since it was Sunday and like my usual Sunday, I attended personal activity early in the morning. Then, I took an Uber to reach Hillarys Boat Harbour as my tour will commence from the said harbour. I reached the harbour and I was thankful that I had a bit of familiarity of it since the night before, I had a chance to drive to the harbour with the help of Patricia (my tour guide from previous tour). When I got-off the car, at first, I thought I had to go to straight to the jetty where the boat will pickup their passenger. Then, I inquired some people whom I thought will be doing the same tour in the island and then I learned that I have to go the ticket booth first to exchange my booking. I was glad that I had time and I did exchange my booking for the actual ticket. Then, I went to the boarding area and realized that the boarding had already started. I approached the staff in the area and shown my exchanged ticket. And after inspecting my ticket, I was allowed to enter in the gate and walked to the ferry, I was very excited to get on-board.

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Hillarys Boat Harbour at Night

While traveling via ferry, it was already an adventure because the ferry captain announces if they found a whales along the way so that people on-board will have a chance to see them in their natural environment. At first announcements, I missed to see them, but after third or fourth announcement, I had a chance to see them playing in the water. Unfortunately because of immediate appearance of the whales, I was not able to capture photos of them.

The travel time from Hillarys Boat Harbour to Rottnest Island is around 45 minutes. We left the harbour just few minutes after 10AM and reached the island just after more than 45 minutes. When I arrived the island that was the time I realized how popular the island to people. At the time of tour in Rottnest Island, there was bike racing event and it can be the main reason why lots of people were there at that time. Most of the visitors brought or rented a bike, a one way to enjoy and explore the island for less.

Thomson Bay

Salt Store

Walking Trails featured in Rottnest

The tour that I booked was Grand Island package where there was an assigned tour guide. As I had limited time, I took the said option. And honestly, I never regret that I took that Grand Island tour because I was able to maximize my time exploring Rottnest.

From the Main Jetty (ferry terminal), I walked and followed the path to meet the tour guide as described in the brochures that was given to me when I exchanged my booking to a ticket. And the walking path was easy to follow. Then, at first, I was hesitant because I met the tour guide and he said, we just need to wait a couple of minutes to see if there are other guests that will join the tour. And in few minutes, two female adult joined the tour. We were exactly three people in the tour.

Rottnest Island offers bus options but it was different compared with the tour that I booked. Because, the bus that we had were designated on the tour while the other bus options is operating as hop on / hop off. This means that passengers has to wait to the drop-off/pick-up point to be able to take a bus. And at the time of the visit, it will take some time to wait for the bus. While on my end, since it was a tour, our bus was right there, we were able to easily navigate and explore every corner of the island which for me was a great choice, as I don’t have so much luxury of time to see all of what Rottnest Island has to offer.

The tour started at the center of Thomson Bay Settlement area where the Main Bus Stop terminal is located. Our tour started and our tour guide started telling us information about the island. He mentioned that at that day, all the accommodations in the island was fully booked and he added that if in case we plan to book accommodations in the island, it has to be done months before your holiday to get vacancy.

Bickley Swamp

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The railway from Oliver Hill Station to Settlement Station (Left) or Kingstown Station (Right)

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Dyer Island from Parker Point Road

We took Parker Point Road from Brand Way. And along the road, we saw Bickley Swamp, a crossing rail-tracks and some set of accommodation units. Following the road track of Parker Point Road, we saw Dyer Island from a distance and our tour bus had a quick stop at Henrietta Rocks where we saw “The Shark” shipwreck which said to be the easiest shipwreck to enjoy around the island for diving and for snorkeling as it is accessible 50 meters from the beach.

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At Henrietta Rocks with Dyer Island

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The Shark Wreck

A bay scenery near Henrietta Rocks

Since we never get-off the bus, our tour guide continued driving along Parker Point Road until we reach Parker Point itself. It was the first stop in the tour where a part of its stunning turquoise water bay greeted us. Parker Point has white sand beach and some portion of turquoise water, I can say it’s a great spot for short distance swimming and snorkeling to enjoy the water. At the time of the visit, there were just couple of boats nearby the coast. Based from our guide, during peak season, it’s normal to see lots of boats in Parker Point. But for me, I can say that I was lucky seeing Parker Point with few boat as it honestly lovely.

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Porpoise Bay from Parker Point Road

Almost near at Parker Point

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At Parker Point

After appreciating the beauty of Porpoise Bay that surrounds Parker Point, we found the famous creature exist in Rottnest Island near of Perth, Bald Island near Albany and isolated scattered populations in forest and coastal heath between Perth and Albany. That animal is none other than Quokka. We found one of them drinking water (though it is advised not to give them food and water) by some bikers that were resting in Parker Point.

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Quokka

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At Jeannies Lookout

After Parker Point, we had a short drive to Jeannies Lookout where different pools between reefs are visible from the lookout. Then, we passed Little Salmon Bay (one of the best site to snorkel and to swim), Eastern Osprey Nest (one of the 14 nest site of Eastern Osprey – a wild large eagle bird shape in Rottnest) and Salmon Bay (where beached boasted its beauties and offers lots of underwater sites to enjoy snorkeling and swimming) wherein all the photos were captured while inside the bus.

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Little Salmon Bay

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Eastern Osprey Nest

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Salmon Bay

Next destination that we stopped for a while for another great scenery was Cape Vlamingh. It was the same place where we ate our packed lunch. In that same location, where I enjoyed second incident of up-close observation of flying silver gull with the beautiful backdrop around it.

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Fish Hook Bay while at Cape Vlamingh

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At Cape Vlamingh Viewing Platform with scenery and silver gull

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At Cape Vlamingh

Not far from Cape Vlamingh is Cathedral Rocks where we had another stop in the island. This is where the New Zealand Fur Seals (local residents of the island) can be observed from the viewing platform or from the boat that can go nearer to these wilds at short distance. If lucky, will have a chance to see them playing around in the water.

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At Cathedral Rocks with New Zealand Fur Seal

West End (Between Cape Vlamingh and Cathedral Rocks) – Near the corner of Aitken Way and Digby Drive

The tour continues around the island and to be honest, I was really glad that I joined the tour, because of limited time that I had, I was able to see more in short period of time. Another places that I saw and appreciate while inside the bus were : Rocky Bay, Stark Bay, Ricey Beach and Catherine Bay Beach.

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Rocky Bay

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Stark Bay

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Ricey Beach

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Catherine Bay Beach

Taking Bovell Highway

While we took Bovell Highway, I was able to see from a distance the Wadjemup Lighthouse, Lake Vincent, Lake Baghdad, Geordie Bay and Rottnest Wind Turbine.

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Wadjemup Lighthouse

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Lake Vincent

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Lake Vincent and Wadjemup Lighthouse

Lake Baghdad/Lake Vincent Wadjemup Lighthouse

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Geordie Bay

Rottnest Wind Turbine

Taking Geordie Bay Road

Places to appreciate while taking Geordie Bay Road were : Herschel Lake and Rottnest Wind Turbine.

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Herschel Lake

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Rottnest Wind Turbine and Herschel Lake

Taking Digby Road

The scenery to appreciate while driving along Digby Road is the Government House Lake

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Government House Lake

One of the historical sites that can be found in Rottnest Island located almost at the center is Oliver Hill where it features the military remnants from World War II specifically the 9.2 inch gun battery. And I had a chance to see it up close and experience a tour on its underground tunnels. For a more details of the visit, please see my post about Oliver Hill.

After Oliver Hill, we visited Wadjemup Lighthouse which stands in the highest hill in the island. But unfortunately, tour schedules were over when we arrived. Therefore, we only took couple of photos inside the lighthouse and its surroundings.

At Oliver Hill

Wadjemup Lighthouse at Oliver Hill

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Wadjemup Lighthouse at Digby Drive

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Inside and Outside of Wadjemup Lighthouse

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At Wadjemup Lighthouse and its surrounding scenery

After coming from Lighthouse, we went straight to Thomson Bay Settlement where our tour bus ended.

At the start of my travel in Rottnest Island, my only impression was that it’s just holiday island and nothing else. While taking the guided bus tour, I was really impressed and thought that it was a perfect place for recreational activities. The last part of my tour in the island was a worthy education for me. My earlier impression in Rottnest was changed. The island has its imperfections that needs to be known by people who comes and visits the island. But these flaws should not spoil the guest perfect holidays, but at least to be a great lesson to learn, to accept and to respect what Rottnest past has.

Rottnest Island Museum is one of the colonial buildings to discover in Thomson Bay Settlement area and currently the island’s museum. To know more about my visit in the museum and some of its display, please check Rottnest … Island Museum post.

Rottnest Island Museum

Another part of the island to discover is the Thomson Bay Settlement area where most of the historical and colonial heritage building can be found and still standing today. The full post about my walk following the colonial buildings of Thomson Bay, check the post Rottnest Walks : Collonial Buildings of Thomson Bay.

Military Barracks (1844) – 3 Flats (“E”,”J” & “H”) or Room 339, 338, & 337

The Quod

After a quick walking tour about Colonial Buildings in the island, I had to run to the Main Jetty to board the ferry that will bring me back to Hillarys Terminal. And before totally turning my back to the island, I had another glimpse of The Salt Store and Rottnest Island Visitor Centre

The Salt Store

Rottnest Island Visitor Centre

The Main Jetty

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Around the Main Jetty

When I was inside the ferry I just relaxed myself. And I had my silent moment of my life. Rottnest was the last place that I left before leaving Australia. And the thought of my flight made me reminded, when I will be able to see again the country that had been part of my life because of my career. And it made me felt that I am going to miss it a lot.

The ferry we had when returning from Rottnest Island to Hillarys Boat Harbour

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Hillarys Boat Harbour (Hillarys Ferry Terminal)

We returned to Hillarys Boat Harbour and from there, I took my last shots of the harbour. Then, I waited for my tour bus that will pick me up so I can return to my hotel before going straight to Perth Airport.

Until then.

Rottnest Island – Its Perfections and Imperfections The fourth and last day tour that I had while in Perth. And while completing my writings for my travel post which started in Perth, I just realized that I almost did a counter-clockwise travel from the said city.

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jgfiles · 8 years ago

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Random info regarding EP 6

As the Ep 6 month is ending here there’s a collection of random info people will hopefully find useful for a better appreciation and understanding of Ep 6…

Mind you, most of this comes from internet sources and it’s not meant to be a perfectly accurate retelling of information but just a general outline of useful info to help you better enjoy the episode. For more detailed information I recommend you to check trustworthy historical books.

Also, for once I didn’t divide it in parts but stuffed everything together in one single post so there’s a lot of info here. Consider yourself warned.

Manchukuo (満州国)… or to be exact (Great) Empire of Manchukuo ((大)満州帝国) (1934–1945)

It’s the place in which this episode takes place and, at the time, it was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan. Currently it’s just a part of China better known under the name of Manchuria (it was returned to the Republic of China after WW2).

Anyway Japan seized it from China in 1931 , planning to use it as a buffered state between Japan and Russia. To create an air of legitimacy, the last Emperor of China, Puyi, was invited to come with his followers and first installed in 1932 as the head of state for Manchuria (Manchuria was said to be the "homeland" of the Qing Dynasty, China’s ruling family before the emperor was forced to abdicate and the republic of China was established) then proclaimed emperor in 1934.

Puyi though was just a figurehead and real authority rested in the hands of the Japanese military officials. The Manchu ministers too all served as front-men for their Japanese vice-ministers, who made all decisions.

In this manner, Japan formally detached Manchukuo from China. Chinese in Manchuria though organized volunteer armies to oppose the Japanese and the new state required a war lasting several years to pacify the country.

With Japanese investments and rich natural resources, the area became an industrial powerhouse. Manchukuo had its own issued banknotes and postage stamps. Several independent banks were founded as well. In 1935, Manchukuo bought the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Soviet Union.

There’s to note though that the League of Nations insisted in acknowledging Manchukuo as part of China, leading Japan to resign its membership.

This should give you an idea of how the place was at the time in which this episode takes place.

Below there’s a map of how Manchukuo looked at the time, with the Asia Express railway and the cities mentioned in the story and which one should be their current name.

Hsinking (新京)

Our story starts here.

Hsinking was previously and is also currently known as Changchun and it was called Hsinking, which means “New capital” in 1932 when it was designed as the capital of the puppet state of Manchukuo.

Always in March 1932, the Inspection Division of South Manchuria Railway started to draw up the Metropolitan Plan of Great Hsinking and finalized the plan of a 200 km2 (77 sq mi) construction area including extensive tree planting so that by 1934 Hsinking was known as the Forest Capital with Jingyuetan Park built, which is now China's largest Plantation and a AAAA-rated recreational area.

As Hsinking's population experienced rapid growth after being established as the capital of Manchukuo and exceeded the prediction of the time the plan needed to be modified in 1940 to expanded the urban area. Hsinking was the third largest metropolitan city in Manchukuo after Mukden and Harbin, as the city mainly focused on military and politics function.

It’s worth to note that Japanese force also controlled Hsinking's police system, instead of Manchukuo government and that major officers of Hsinking police were all ethnic Japanese.

So now you get why Joker Game takes its sweet time showing you the city even if it’s actually meaningless for the plot. This city at the time was pretty relevant, especially for Japan.

Asia Express or Asia-gō (あじあ号)

The train on which the story takes place isn’t just a random train (which is probably also why the anime shows it so much).

This train was an express passenger train operated by the South Manchuria Railway (南満洲鉄道株式会社 “Minami Manshūtetsudō Kabushikigaisha” or “Mantetsu” for short) from 1934 until 1943. This limited express, began operation in November 1934 and was Mantetsu's most iconic train, operated in Manchukuo between Dairen (now Dalian) and Hsinking (now Changchun), its line extended to reach Harbin in 1935.

The Asia Express featured several world firsts, such as fully enclosed, air-conditioned carriages, and was envisioned as being the first step in building a network of high-speed trains extending as far as Singapore. It served as a symbol of technology and modernism in Manchukuo, and was used to demonstrate the success of Japan's imperial project. It was featured prominently on fliers, posters, and even postage stamps, and Manchukuo children's textbooks included passages about it.

As we learn in the episode it was the fastest train in Asia, faster than the Japan National Railways' limited express trains in Japan also thanks to the streamlined way it travelled. The level of service on the Asia Express was extremely high, with even third-class accommodations being luxurious well beyond other third-class services. The carriages were air conditioned and had on-board refrigerators. The dining car featured meals prepared aboard the train, and employed Russian waitresses (that’s why you see at the restaurant maids with blond hair and pale blue eyes).

The popularity and name-recognition of the Asia Express was very high in Manchukuo and Japan, being one of the most recognisable symbols of Manchukuo and Mantetsu in the 1930s and early 1940s, and remains symbolic of the region and the time period to this day. The Asia Express appears in a wide array of books and magazine articles written about Mantetsu in general and the Asia Express in particular, it is frequently mentioned in books about Manchukuo, and is often referenced in fiction, in both prose and manga and even now it remains in Japanese consciousness even now, with items as diverse as USB memory sticks and Zippo lighters bearing its image being marketed. It has also been featured in video and DVDs, both those specifically about the railway and the train itself, and those more generally about the area or history, as well as in movies and anime.

Now, as this is relevant for the episode I’ll also list the rolling stock order:

The first is obviously the Pashina class locomotive with the coal car, then the baggage/mail carriage, two 3rd class carriage(s) (in the second one there’s the SMERSH Killer), one dining car (where Tazaki and the kids will talk), one 2nd class carriage, and one 1st class observation carriage (where Morozoff, Tazaki and the kids were… if you pay close attention the kids were at the very bottom of it, in the most panoramic point).

Why all this is relevant? Tazaki could see that the killer didn’t go in the first class, as he was in it when Morozoff was killed and saw no one enter, and could check the second class with the excuse of going to the dining car as he would have to walk through the second class to reach the dining car… but it would be suspicious for him, an adult, to wander in the third class as he would have no reason to go there.

I didn’t post pictures of the toilet or of the washing room or of the drawing room as it seems the staff couldn’t find pictures of them either, so they had to draw them as they thought they would look like while all the other cars are instead based on photos of the original cars.

The episode shows us also the Asia Express schedule. Here it is:

The info you hear about the Asia Express in the episode are accurate enough so I’m not going to retell them.

The Treasure island expedition or “Takara-jima Tanken” (寶島探檢)

I couldn’t find out if this book exists or not. The title reminds the Japanese title of ‘Treasure Island’ (1883) the book by Robert Louis Stevenson as in Japanese it’s called ‘Takara-jima’ (宝島) but, as you can see, the way you write it is different from the one used on the cover (寶島) even if the two names sound the same and mean the same so it could be it’s a completely different book… we can’t really tell.

Soviet Union, Manchukuo and the Soviet consulate in it

Russia had interests on Manchuria by a long time and, in 1858, gained control over Outer Manchuria (it's the north part of the historical region of Manchuria) and continued to make efforts to take control of the rest of Manchuria so that even inner Manchuria came under strong Russian influence in the 1890s with the building of the Chinese Eastern Railway through Harbin to Vladivostok. However, as a direct result of the Russo-Japanese War (1904/05) Japanese influence replaced Russia's in Inner Manchuria and, between World War I and World War II Manchuria became a political and military battleground between Russia, Japan, and China. Japan moved into Outer Manchuria as a result of the chaos following the Russian Revolution of 1917. A combination of Soviet military successes and American economic pressure forced the Japanese to withdraw from the area, however, and Outer Manchuria returned to Soviet control by 1925.

Long story short, after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japan turned Inner Manchuria into a Japanese-aligned puppet state but the Soviet Union continued to have a strong interest in it. The Soviet Union extended de facto recognition on 23 March 1935, but explicitly noted that this did not mean de jure recognition. They however established a consulate in the city of Harbin, which had and still has a sizable Russian population, instead than in Hsinking (which was at the time the capital of Manchukuo).

In fact, just so you know after Russia's Great October Socialist Revolution in November 1917, more than 100,000 defeated Russian White Guards and refugees retreated to Harbin, which became a major center of White Russian émigrés and the largest Russian enclave outside the Soviet Union. Due to the huge amount of Russian population Harbin had a Russian school system, as well as publishers of Russian-language newspapers and journals. When the Republic of China discontinued diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1920, many Russians found themselves stateless and when the Chinese Eastern Railway and government in Beijing announced in 1924 that they agreed the railroad would only employ Russian or Chinese nationals, the emigrees were forced to announce their ethnic and political allegiance. Most accepted Soviet citizenship.

It's also worth to remember that Japan and the Soviet Union (and Mongolia) were fighting each other in an undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflict that goes under the name of Battles of Khalkhyn Gol (11 May – 15 September 1939).

We don't know which information about the Soviet Union Morozoff wanted to offer to Japan but it's possible they're connected to this. If you're interested in knowing this, Japan was defeated so, if the information Tazaki obtained were meant to be useful for this conflict, he's right in saying the Army failed in using them well.

Harbin (哈尔滨)

Harbin in this episode is where Morozoff works (as the Soviet Union Consulate is in Harbin) and where Elena’s nightclub is.

We don’t really see pictures of Harbin in this episode even though Harbin was an important city at the time as well sadly not for the best reasons.

Harbin became a major operations base for the infamous medical experimenters of Unit 731, who killed people of all ages and ethnicities by experimenting on them for the purpose of researching, developing, and deploying epidemic-creating biowarfare weapons. They also were used to test weapons. I won't go into details here because just this is terrible enough it makes my skin crawl. The biggest part of the victims were Chinese (almost 70%), but a good part were also Russian (close to 30%).

Morozoff’s advertisement

I don’t know if it was part of the code or just a ‘Joker Game’ Easter Egg but in the advertisement you can read the name Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina. Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina is a character from “Demons” (Бесы, Bésy) a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky first published in the journal The Russian Messenger in 1871–2.

Due to this, thought it could be just me, the fact the advertisement mentions also three small children, reminds me of “The Brothers Karamazov” (Бра́тья Карама́зовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy) the final novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, published as a serial in The Russian Messenger from January 1879 to November 1880 even though the Karamazov brothers are all but children (but well, they were three ^_-).

The Wash Room (洗面所 Senmenjo)

In my country it would be usually connected to the toilet, but on the Asia Express that’s not the case. It’s worth to remind though that, while the depiction of the other places on the Asia Express is faithful to the original, on this the Joker Game staff couldn’t find info so this might differ from how it was in truth.

It’s a room where there is a washbasin (洗面台 (せんめんだい, senmendai)) and one washes one’s hands and face, in contrast to the room (or stall) that houses the toilet or toilets.

Tarot & the Hanged Man

The tarot (first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games. In the late 18th century, it began to be used for divination in the form of tarotology/cartomancy.

The tarot has four suits, each suit has 14 cards, ten cards numbering from one (or Ace) to ten and four face cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Jack/Knave) and, in addition, the tarot has a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit.

The Hanged Man is one of those separate trump cards.

It is considered depicting a pittura infamante (a genre of defamatory painting and relief, common in Renaissance Italy in city-states in the north and center of the Italian peninsula during the Trecento, Quattrocento, and Cinquecento), an image of a man being hung upside-down by one ankle with a solemn expression on his face. This method of hanging was a common punishment at the time for traitors in Italy.

There are tons of interpretation for what it actually represents, from Judas, as Tazaki says, to someone who hung himself there of his own accord (and therefore this represents self-sacrifice) to the Norse god Odin, who suspended himself from a tree in order to gain knowledge.

Common interpretations for fortunetelling of this cards are:

Larger forces than yourself control your destiny. Guard yourself against sacrifices and setbacks. The situation calls for the wisdom to know that things beyond our control must be endured. Try looking at things from another point of view.

If the card is placed reverse: Avoid selfishness and blindly following the thoughtless crown with its self-serving opinions. Try to understand another feelings. Preoccupation with oneself can lead to wasted efforts.

SMERSH (СМЕРШ)

SMERSH is the acronym of "death to spies" in Russian (Смерть шпионам SMERt' SHpionam).

The name SMERSH was used for an umbrella organisation for three independent counter-intelligence agencies in the Red Army formed in late 1942 or even earlier, but officially announced only on 14 April 1943. The name SMERSH was coined by Joseph Stalin. The main reason for its creation was to subvert the attempts by German forces to infiltrate the Red Army on the Eastern Front.

As the episode is placed in 1939, there’s no way the historical SMERSH could be involved in it.

However the fictional SMERSH that appeared in “Casino Royale”, the first James Bond novel by Ian Fleming and in other James Bond books instead was already operative in 1940 and therefore might have existed in 1939 as well.

In fact in Ian Fleming’s book SMERSH is blamed for the assassination of Leon Trotsky.

Note that Leon Trotsky isn’t a fictional character he was a real person, a Marxist revolutionary and theorist, a Soviet politician and the founding leader of the Red Army who was assassinated on 21 August 1940 by the Soviets due to Stalin’s orders after an ineffectual assassination attempt in March 1939 and another in May 1940… by NKVD (and not by SMERSH!), the ‘People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs’ a joint law enforcement agency of the whole Soviet Union that directly executed the will of the All-Union Communist Party and closely associated with the Soviet secret police, which is known for its political repression. Worth to note is that the NKVD was headed by Soviet secret police officials.

The Special Sections of the NKVD responsible for military counterintelligence (CI) will become part of SMERSH, so the two are historically connected… even if they aren’t the same thing.

I guess that, for this episode of Joker Game to be correct, historically wise, the assassin should be a NKVD assassin… but I guess the name SMERSH, due to the 007 books, would work better in a spy story so they went with it.

Note that historically SMERSH wasn’t just a ‘secret organization that mercilessly assassinates traitors to the URSS’ as Tazaki says… but, since we’re dealing with a fictional SMERSH, ‘Joker Game’ might have changed things or just decided to oversimplify them. We’ll never know.

Oji-san (叔父)

The kids call Tazaki Oji-san, which is commonly translated as “uncle” but it’s also the correct way children should use to refer to a man Tazaki’s age.

South Manchuria Railway (南満洲鉄道株式会社 Minamimanshūtetsudō kabushikigaisha) or Mantetsu (満鉄 literally "Manchurian Railway") for short

It was a company founded by the Japanese in 1906 and operated within the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The Japanese-controlled railway ran from Dairen to Hsinking, were it connected to the Russian-controlled portion of the southern Chinese Eastern Railway. The company was often referred to as "Japan's East India Company in China".

Pigeon or Hato (はと)

I couldn’t find much info on this special express one apart that it seems that it was an honourable train, introduced in 1932 by the South Manchuria Railway with the idea to make it its representative train and, in 1934, the Asia replaced it on the Hsinking-Dairen line as the Asia was much faster.

Still the Pigeon didn’t go out of use but continued to operate and operated even longer than the Asia as the Asia was abolished in 1943 while the Pigeon was in use till 1945, even if its speed was slowed down.

Swallow, or Tsubame (燕)

The name Tsubame started to be used from 1 October 1930 for limited express services operating between Tokyo and Kobe, hauled by JNR Class C51 and JNR Class C53 steam locomotives. These services operated until 30 September 1943. At the time it was the fastest train in Japan. They were prestigious trains that represented Japan.

In present day you can still take a Tsubame on the Tokyo-Kobe line as the name has been used on a succession of limited express trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Main Line though currently it seems it’s written in Hiragana (つばめ) while the first Tsubame had its name in kanji.

The Manchuria Daily News and the articles in it

The newspaper Morozoff used that should contain the info he wanted to sell really existed. Apparently it was printed at Dairen and presented itself as ‘An Independent Daily, not the Organ of any Institution’.

Among the articles printed on The Manchuria Daily News we can see one talking about a certain Rodion Romanovič Raskol'nikov. This guy is a character from Crime and Punishment (Преступлéние и наказáние Prestupleniye i nakazaniye), another novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

We also see the name Shiro Suzuki. Now I could find two ‘famous’ Suzuki Shiro; one is is a Japanese announcer born in 1938, the other is a character from “Meitantei Conan” Suzuki Sonoko's father and the chairman of the Suzuki Financial Group.

And then, another article mentions Porfiry Petrovich, another character from Crime and Punishment. In the same article they talk also about a Nastasya and guess what? There’s a Nastasya Petrovna in Crime and Punishment. Sadly I could find no reference to Mr. and Mrs. Kenan, the ones who would host them in their house.

To make up for these obviously fake advertisements (are they all coded messages like Morozoff’s was?) the news on the first page are more or less historically accurate.

It seems that there were at the time ongoing negotiations in London for an Anglo-French loan of £8,500,000 to Poland which ended up in a deadlock, though, according to The Telegraph of Jul 22, 1939, by the 22 things were smothering over (the deadlock happened on the 20th). But well, since ultimately Great Britain agreed to grant Poland a military loan on August 2, 1939 maybe by the 23rd they were again arguing about things which is likely as those negotiations were defined "a never-ending nightmare" from which Poland got not only a lot less of what it asked but less than it was granted to Turkey at the same time. It seems that the loan was part of the military alliance between the United Kingdom and Poland for mutual assistance in case of military invasion from Germany.

There’s another article instead claiming Japan will fight for coat and oil in SaKhalin.

Now… this is a bit too vague but let’s try to check on the info I could find. Sakhalin (Сахалин) is a large Russian island in the North Pacific Ocean.

Historically speaking Japanese forces invaded and occupied Sakhalin in the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War and, in accordance with the Treaty of Portsmouth of 1905, the southern part of the island reverted to Japan, while Russia retained the northern part. In 1920 Japan again occupied the northern part of the island, returning it to the Soviet Union in 1925 however, Japan continued to maintain petroleum and coal concessions in northern Sakhalin until 1944.

It’s good to remember that, when this episode is taking place, Japan and Soviet Union are busy in an undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflict that goes under the name of Battles of Khalkhyn Gol. It’s possible that, at the time it was assumed that the conflict would expand to Sakhalin or would affect the concessions Japan had in north Sakhalin. It’s just a speculation as there’s really too little to guess what the article was about and I couldn’t find info regarding fights happening in Sakhalin in that period. Whoever has more info on this regard is welcomed to share!

Asia Cocktail

A cocktail prepared by the Russian waitresses on the Asia Express and devised especially for it. There were two variants of the Asia Cocktail, the Green based on vodka with peppermint liqueur added, and the Scarlet, made with Cognac and grenadine syrup.

Drawing Room

For who has no idea what a ‘drawing room’ on a train is, I’ll say it designates some of the most spacious and expensive private accommodations available on board a sleeping car or private railway car.

Mukden (ムクデン)

And here it’s where Tazaki’s travel ends.

Mukden is currently called Shenyang.

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904—1905), Mukden was the site of the Battle of Mukden from February 19 to March 10, 1905, the largest battle since the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, and also the largest modern-era battle ever fought in Asia before World War II. Following the Japanese victory, Mukden became one of the chief bases of Japanese presence and economic expansion into southern Manchuria.

The city was originally called Shenyang. Mukden was its Manchu name, which started to go in use in 1634 along with the name Shengjing when the Manchu leader captured it. In 1914, the city changed back to its old name Shenyang, but continued to be known as Mukden.

In the early 20th century, Mukden began expanding out of its city walls and, thanks to the railways, became an important commercial center. In the 1920s, it was the capital of the warlord Zhang Zuolin and several factories were built in it to manufacture ammunition in the northern and eastern suburbs, factories that would laid the foundation for its industrial development.

Mukden is famous for what is called the “Mukden incident”.

At around 10:20 pm on September 18, 1931, a small quantity of dynamite was detonated close to a railway line near Mukden owned by the Japanese South Manchuria Railway Company by Kwantung Army Lt. Kawamoto Suemori. The Imperial Japanese Army, accusing Chinese dissidents of the act, used this as pretext to launch a full attack on Mukden, and captured the city the following morning (September 19). After the Mukden Incident, the Japanese further invaded and occupied the rest of Northeast China, and created the puppet state of Manchukuo. During the Manchukuo era (1932–1945), the city was again called Fengtian (and Mukden in English), and was developed by the Japanese into a centre of heavy industry. The development of Mukden was unbalanced in this period; municipal facilities were mostly located in Japanese residential areas, while Chinese residential areas had poor living conditions.

Dairen (大連)

Dairen, currently Dalian, is only mentioned as the place in which the boys will get off the train and the place in which Tazaki has to send his message.

In the past it was better known as Port Arthur or Ryojun (Japanese: 旅順) and it’s worth to mention that the city wasn’t part of Manchukuo. While in present day Dairen is in China, at the time in which the episode takes place that part of China belonged to Japan.

Japan obtained Dairen as a consequence of the the Russo-Japanese War, thanks to the Treaty of Portsmouth. Japan then set up the Kwantung Leased Territory or Guandongzhou (關東州), on roughly the southern half (Jinzhou District and south) of present-day Dalian. Japanese invested heavily in the region, which became the main trading port between Manchuria and Japan. Japan leased the area from Manchukuo after establishing the puppet state in 1932. In 1937, as the Second Sino-Japanese War began, Japan enlarged and modernized the trade zone as two cities: the northern Dairen (Dalian) and the southern Ryojun (Lüshun or Port Arthur).

Carrier Pigeon or homing pigeon

A variety of domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) derived from the rock pigeon, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. The wild rock pigeon has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally return to its nest, using magnetoreception.

Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages as messenger pigeons. They are usually referred to as "pigeon post" or "war pigeon" during wars.

Homing pigeons are often incorrectly categorized as carrier pigeons, a breed of fancy pigeons selectively-bred for its distinctively rounded hard wattle.

Muto’s sentence and Miwa Shiro’s joke

Muto compares D Agency to rotten apples… to which Miwa Shiro replied grawing a comic in which Yuuki sent him apples with a note assuring him the apples weren’t rotten.

Lieutenant General Akutsu

This is the episode in which Akutsu shows up for the first time.

While he’s clearly someone important, he can’t be the head of the General Staff Headquarters as, at the time, it was kept by a general or Field Marshal and Akutsu is a lieutenant general.

The Vice Chief though was usually a lieutenant general, so it can be that in the Joker Game universe, Akutsu is the Vice Chief of the General Staff Headquarters.

Historically wise though the real vice chiefs of that period would keep their position for around one year so Akutsu shouldn’t have kept his position for long. It’s possible he was created to replace Lieutenant General Shigeru Sawada who was the General Staff Headquarter Vice-Chief from 2 October 1939 to 15 November 1940 (which would mean Akutsu would have lost his position as Vice chief short after the raid at Shirahata villa… which likely happened in October 1940).

#Joker Game #Joker Game Anime #JG Asia Express #Tazaki #Akutsu Yasumasa #Muto #Seto Reiji #Joker Game Random Info

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townpostin · 5 months ago

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South Eastern Railway Extends Special Train Services

Extended operations aim to ensure continued passenger convenience on key routes The South Eastern Railway has announced extensions for several special train services, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining essential connectivity and accommodating passenger needs. JAMSHEDPUR – South Eastern Railway officials have confirmed that multiple special train services will continue to operate on key…

#जनजीवन #Barauni #Bhanjpur #Digha #extended operations #Howrah #Kochuveli #Life #Passenger Convenience #Puri #Railway Services #Santragachi #Shalimar #South Eastern Railway #Special Trains #train schedules #varanasi #Yesvantpur

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axomlive · 5 years ago

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'Shramik Specials didn't get lost but were diverted due to congestion'

New Post has been published on http://www.asomlive.com/news/shramik-specials-didnt-get-lost-but-were-diverted-due-to-congestion.html

'Shramik Specials didn't get lost but were diverted due to congestion'

BY ANAND SINGH (16:42)

New Delhi, May 28 The diversions of the Shramik Special trains, causing delays of several hours in reaching their destinations, was due to the congestion in the North Central Railway’s Prayagraj-Manikpur-Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay section as most trains from Maharashtra and Gujarat bound for eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar take this route.

According to Railway Ministry sources, Shramik Specials, which departed for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between May 21 and 23 and should have arrived the next day, were delayed by more than 20 hours.

Speaking to IANS, Western Railway spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar noted: “First of all I want to make it clear that the trains never lost their way.”

“It is practically not possible for a loco pilot to lose the way as they do not control the route. The trains had to be diverted due to congestion on the route as most of the trains from across India were headed to one part of the country. With shortest routes being congested, trains had to go through alternative routes,” he said, admitting that it led to problems of providing food and water to passengers at small stations.

Bhakar said there was extensive bunching of unscheduled Shramik Special trains heading to various northern states from Maharashtra and south India on the Bhusawal-Khandwa-Itarsi-Jabalpur-Manikpur stretch, resulting in congestion.

Explaining bunching, he said that it occurs when two or more trains on the same route, which were scheduled to be evenly spaced, instead run at the same place at the same time, because at least one of them is unable to keep to its schedule.

He said the North Central Railway (NCR) deals with trains going towards eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, coming from Jabalpur-Manikpur route, and as the route was swamped with trains amid adherence to the coronavirus (Covid-19) guidelines, the trains took much time to disembark passengers safely.

As 80 per cent of all Shramik Special trains were terminating in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, it meant that the route was already congested, Bhakar said.

“And as the shortest route was jammed towards eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, one solution was to allow trains to be diverted via alternate routes.

“Thus rerouting was considered as a better option than forcing trains to be stranded in the middle of nowhere for hours as small stations have no facility to feed over 1,200 to 1,700 passengers travelling in these trains,” he added.

According to Western Railways from May 21 to 25, it has operated 54 Shramik Special trains from Palghar, Vasai, Dahanu road, Borivalli and Bandra Terminus for different destinations, largely in eastern UP and Bihar.

However, the issue was faced most on at least three trains starting from May 21 to 23.

Bhakar also said that the Shramik Specials are charter trains running on the request of the state governments and they cannot be compared with the normal time tabled trains.

He said they are given halts on enroute stations for catering and watering for all the passengers and crew of the train and to attend to the number of emergency and distress calls. “So till the time all these things are attended, the train cannot move from the particular station,” he said.

Bhakar also contended that many of the people who were travelling in these trains were not in very good health and moreover, the extreme weather also made things harsher for them.

Asked why the passengers were not informed about the diversions, he said: “As there was no public announcement system in the train and no TTE or pantry service travelling in the train, the announcements were made on the stations where the train made its halt.”

A senior Railway Ministry official said that after the guidelines were liberalised on May 20 in order to accommodate the requests of states, multiple additional stoppages were allowed wherein all stoppages were to observe health protocols since most of these trains were headed towards eastern India.

He said instances of severe congestion at several destination stations like Gorakhpur, Deoria Sadar, Jaunpur, Katihar, Danapur etc. were observed despite the best efforts made by the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar governments.

Even several instances of alarm chain pulling were also being observed on these trains, further adding to the congestion on these routes, the official added.

“Several trains consequently got stalled on the tracks for hours at a stretch and this pipeline congestion also meant that new trains could not depart. At the point, Railways took a conscious decision to divert some trains via longer alternate routes to decongest and also give passengers more convenience in terms of moving the train rather than keeping it stalled for hours,” the official said.

He also admitted that some instances of delay in arranging food and water were reported on these Shramik Special trains.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at [email protected])

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kevingbakeruk · 7 years ago

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South eastern trains: Department for Transportation announces strategies for more train capability

Plans have been unveiled to boost train capacity - with space for at least an extra 40,000 passengers per day on the Southeastern network.

The Department for Transport announced today it will introduce improved, longer, more comfortable trains and fast wifi connectivity by 2022.

The region will also become the first in the country to have a new joint team running day-to-day operations for track and train to cut delays and improve performance.

A Southeastern train. Picture: Southeastern

But the next operator of the South Eastern franchise will be told to remove first-class accommodation on all services within 18 months of taking over - to increase space for all commuters.

The plans announced today by Rail Minister Paul Maynard come as the competition for the next company to run the franchise was launched today.

Under the plans, the network will be the first in the country where a single director is responsible for a joint team, made up from the train operator and Network Rail, that operates the trains and the tracks and is accountable for the performance of the network.

Bidders will need to show how they can deliver extra services and more space for passengers on services across the region, as well as providing greater connectivity, smarter ticketing systems and improved compensation.

Provide longer trains and upgrade or replace older trains, creating space for at least an extra 40,000 passengers

Introduce fast Wi-Fi on all services, making journeys more productive and enjoyable for passengers

Bring in improved compensation with a simple, easy to claim system that will provide a refund after 15 minutes

Introduce new smart ticketing systems, including a pilot for pay-as-you-go

Improve customer service, with staff better able to respond quickly to passengers’ needs

Deliver significantly enhanced cooperation between Network Rail and operator through a new structure designed to increase the reliability of the railway and put the passenger first in all decision making.

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: “We are investing in the biggest railway modernisation for over a century. Today marks a major step forward in giving passengers better journeys across the South East and beyond.

"We’ve listened carefully to passengers and have introduced innovative new plans that see smoother, more comfortable journeys for passengers, with new, longer trains and more space.

"South Eastern will be also - for the first time - be run by a joint team from the operator and Network Rail under a single director – responsible for day-to day performance and accountable to passengers.”

Southeastern has run the rail franchise across most of Kent since 2006

South Eastern services carry 640,000 passenger journeys a day, and will soon need to integrate seamlessly with future Thameslink and Crossrail services to transform the way people travel across London, the South East.

The next operator must also meet tough targets for improved Wi-Fi to increase the speed of data connection and coverage on trains.

And when passengers are delayed, travellers must be able to claim compensation quickly and easily when their journey is delayed by more than 15 minutes under an improved Delay Repay scheme.

More than 10,000 responses were received for the Department’s consultation on the future of South Eastern.

Source

http://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/major-plans-unveiled-as-southeastern-136089/

from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/south-eastern-trains-department-for-transportation-announces-strategies-for-more-train-capability/ from NOVACAB https://novacabtaxi.tumblr.com/post/173458294741

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novacabtaxi · 7 years ago

Text

South eastern trains: Department for Transportation announces strategies for more train capability

Plans have been unveiled to boost train capacity - with space for at least an extra 40,000 passengers per day on the Southeastern network.

The Department for Transport announced today it will introduce improved, longer, more comfortable trains and fast wifi connectivity by 2022.

The region will also become the first in the country to have a new joint team running day-to-day operations for track and train to cut delays and improve performance.

A Southeastern train. Picture: Southeastern

But the next operator of the South Eastern franchise will be told to remove first-class accommodation on all services within 18 months of taking over - to increase space for all commuters.

The plans announced today by Rail Minister Paul Maynard come as the competition for the next company to run the franchise was launched today.

Provide longer trains and upgrade or replace older trains, creating space for at least an extra 40,000 passengers

Introduce fast Wi-Fi on all services, making journeys more productive and enjoyable for passengers

Bring in improved compensation with a simple, easy to claim system that will provide a refund after 15 minutes

Introduce new smart ticketing systems, including a pilot for pay-as-you-go

Improve customer service, with staff better able to respond quickly to passengers' needs

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: "We are investing in the biggest railway modernisation for over a century. Today marks a major step forward in giving passengers better journeys across the South East and beyond.

"We’ve listened carefully to passengers and have introduced innovative new plans that see smoother, more comfortable journeys for passengers, with new, longer trains and more space.

Southeastern has run the rail franchise across most of Kent since 2006

The next operator must also meet tough targets for improved Wi-Fi to increase the speed of data connection and coverage on trains.

And when passengers are delayed, travellers must be able to claim compensation quickly and easily when their journey is delayed by more than 15 minutes under an improved Delay Repay scheme.

More than 10,000 responses were received for the Department’s consultation on the future of South Eastern.

Source

http://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/major-plans-unveiled-as-southeastern-136089/

from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/south-eastern-trains-department-for-transportation-announces-strategies-for-more-train-capability/

0 notes

tripcom · 7 years ago

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Travel on a Budget: Chengdu

Chengdu is famed for being the home of cute giant pandas, and they are the No. 1 reason that people visit Chengdu. However, this destination also offers one of the most delicious cuisines in the world as well as plenty of natural, cultural, and historical sights in and around it

Air passengers from 53 countries can now enjoy Chengdu's 3-day visa-free transit policy.

Our travel on a budget will help you to plan your trip and provide you some useful tips to get the best out of your time in Chengdu.

Getting There

By Air

The city has one airport, the Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), in the southwest of the city. It has flights to more than 70 domestic cities and over 20 international cities.

By Train

As the largest railway hub in southwest China, Chengdu offers convenient railway transportation.

Where to Stay in Phuket

Here, we list some hotels that have been carefully hand-picked based on our customer ratings.

Those who are looking for convenient accommodation for going out, we recommend you to stay around New South Gate Bus Station or Chengdu Railway Station. For sightseeing, tourists can choose to stay around Chunxi Road or close to Wuhou Temple.

Here are some options we think you might like:

Three Bugs Youth Hostel Ctrip Deal: CNY 34

This hostel is located near the shopping malls, restaurants and convenience stores in the heart of Chengdu, not far from Jianshe Road and Eastern Suburb Memory Park.

Lingshang Serviced Apartment Ctrip Deal: CNY 346

The hotel is situated in Chunxi Road Commerical Area, offering excellent services. This is a great choice for couples willing to explore the city.

lvtujia hotel Ctrip Deal: CNY494

Tujia Vacation Rentals can be found close to Chengdu Wuhou Memorial Temple and Traditional Chinese-inspired Jinli Street. Tianfu Square and Shuangliu International Airport are a 25-minute car journey away.

Where to Eat on a Budget

Sichuanese food is famous across China for its diversity of flavors and sophistication.

Here are our picks for you:

Lao Ma Tou (Hot Pot)

This popular restaurant offers a bewildering choice of meat and vegetables to cook in your hotpot, as well as plenty of ready-to-eat snacks. The restaurant's reputation speaks for itself: be prepared to join the long line of clients queuing for a table.

Zhuanzhuan Mo

Zhuanzhuan Mo offers all the classic Sichuan dishes, from mapo tofu to liang fen, as well as some excellent house specials.

The Lazy Pug (Western Restaurant)

The Lazy Pug is a popular choice among expats in Chengdu. Portions are generous and there's a large range of authentic western food. Brunch is available on Sundays as well as a themed Mexican night on Thursday.

Find our best deals NOW!

#Chengdu #China #Travel #Wanderlust #Deals #Asia #Food #Foodie #Hotel #Foodporn

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charlizealcaraz-blog · 8 years ago

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Between Black and White: What Life Was Like for Other Races During the Racial Segregation

The racial segregation that took place in America from 1896 to the 1950s is an example of one of the many horrendous things that should never be repeated. It reeks of the repugnant discrimination that African-Americans experienced on a daily basis and how inferiorly-treated they were by Caucasian people (slavery, lynching, etc).

Public facilities were made and separated only for white people and black people, and it is no doubt that white people were at the top of the social hierarchy and black people were at the bottom–but what were the other races doing at the same time era, the era of racial discrimination and the peak of racism?

Most people would say that there were barely any other races during the racial segregation in America as most history textbooks never talk about them; nevertheless, they did exist in huge numbers and were fully functioning and living American citizens.

According to the racial census done in the 1940s, there was a total amount of 18 million non-whites living in America. Although 12 million of them were black, the other 6 million were other races among the 132 million people in America during that time.

Mixed (Black and White):

Mixed peoples who lived at the time of the segregation struggled with identity issues as their black and white beings were not accommodated in a black only and white only America. They also dealt with the same discrimination that all-black people did and received the same racial slurs and distasteful experience in school, and at work.

Although it was illegal, interracial marriages did exist during the segregation which resulted into mixed children. The children were naturally neither 100% white nor 100% black as they are a mix of both; hence,

“...there was no place for them

in the Black and White America.”

They were treated just the same as pure blacks even though it was evident that they were not just black. Any person who has even just the littlest fraction of black ancestry was considered black and required by law to only use black facilities. There was even a whole rule about it–the “one-drop rule” where it states that any person who has even a drop of black blood would be considered black according to law.

Homer Plessy was ⅛ black and ⅞ white and had an appearance of a white man. He boarded a vacant “white-only” car in a passenger railway and he was immediately detained for occupying a car that was apparently not designated for him, as he was “just not white enough” to legally occupy a “white-only” car.

Asians:

Records show that Asians were treated variously throughout the states when the Jim Crow laws were in effect. Some states considered them to be “white” and brought them into the white society of privilege and a higher spot in the hierarchy, while some were labeled as “coloured” or “black” and were segregated and pushed back to the bottom of the social status ladder.

Being an Asian immigrant–or even an Asian-American–in the segregated South was not different from being African-American in the Southern states.

A hefty amount of Chinese people immigrated to America right after the American Civil War–most of them headed towards the South. The Mississippi Chinese were a group of Chinese people who had migrated to Mississippi during 1865 to 1877, and that time period and region was considered to be societally dominated by Mississippians of British and African descent.

The Mississippi Chinese immigrated to America for financial purposes, hoping to help fund their families back in China with the money they earn overseas. They were seen as “peasants” and from poor artisan families by Native White Americans; hence, also being labeled as “coloured” and received discrimination from them, although less than what African-Americans get.

They were also just as segregated as black people. Although not centralized in Mississippi, the Chinese communities in San Francisco and some other states had separate schools, theatres, etc–this also meant that they were involved in the ‘separate but equal’ idealism, having less quality facilities and less accommodations than white people.

Although not coming from white people, Filipinos endured discrimination and hatred in the 1930a for supposedly ‘taking jobs away’ from other minorities. There was a huge need for agricultural workers at that time after the exclusion of Chinese and Japanese people, and Filipinos were called in to fill the empty spots.

They were brought in as ‘strikebreakers,’ or people who work in place of others who are on strike, and these Filipino workers encountered heated tensions with Mexicans and other minorities who were protesting against their employers as they felt that they were taking away the work. Preserved documents show that Filipinos received hateful letters coming from the people they subbed in for, and even had their camps destroyed.

Filipinos were also seen as a threat to white people as they felt that Filipino men were taking their local European women; hence, they were strongly against Filipinos marrying white women giving Filipino men no dispensation regarding the Anti-Interracial Marriages Law.

Much similar to Filipinos, it was mostly men from India who immigrated to America for agricultural labour. Although records show they lived a decently peaceful life, the Congress barred immigration from India in 1917. It is unknown when the immigration ban was lifted, but it was evident that because of it, there was a great gender imbalance. Consequently, Indian men married local Mexican women–a bizarre dispensation from the Anti-Interracial Marriage Law.

Interestingly enough, black men would try to pass off as anything but black to avoid being lynched. They witnessed how untouched the Indians were, especially Sikhs, and decided to sport one as well to get around racial discrimination. Turbans helped black people go incognito during the Jim Crow Era, and it worked out well for them as they were often not questioned once seen wearing the traditional accouterment.

A turban isn’t limited to just Indians–it is also commonly worn by Middle Easterners, East Asians, and North Africans in different variations–but it was classified as the “racial marker” for Indians and thus, anyone who wore a turban during the racial segregation was Indian.

Mexicans, Latinos, and Hispanics:

The 1940 American census above doesn’t show a category for Mexicans, Latinos, and Hispanics and that only indicates how inferiorly treated they were. Although not as much as African-Americans, these groups experienced extreme discrimination and lynchings, and were also subjected to more inferior segregated facilities.

Mexicans immigrated to America after Mexico and the United States had formed the bracero–a labour program in which Mexicans were encouraged to move to the U.S. to as contract workers. The braceros were desperate for jobs and kept them despite being paid very low wages, and often worked under inhumane conditions that other ethnicities, especially whites, would be unwilling to accept. Mexicans were treated so poorly in the United States that at one point, the Mexican government refused to send any more workers to the country.

Much like other non-white and non-black ethnicities, Mexican communities were also given separate schools for their children. These schools were much more inferior and alienated than other races’ schools (example: Chinese Schools); so much so that they filed many cases to the Supreme Court, claiming that their rights were being challenged.

Discrimination amongst Hispanics and Latinos, revoltingly enough, were based on how light or dark their complexions were. Lighter skin Latinos and Hispanics, since they could pass of as white, experienced no discrimination at all unless they tell them what their last names were. Even if they did, they would change their last names to “white” last names. For example, one woman would change her last name “Purcell” to “Purcella” or from “Juan” to “John.”

American Baseball teams set a conspicuous example of this malpractice. Sports teams during the Jim Crow Era were, unsurprisingly, also segregated to White Leagues and Negro Leagues. There were no separate leagues for Latinos and other ethnicities, therefore, they were ‘smuggled’ into the two existing leagues depending on their complexion. Light-skinned Cuban baseball player Adolfo Luque played for the Cincinnati Reds for example, while dark-skinned Cuban baseball player Martin Dihigo played for the Negro Leagues.

The Jim Crow Era in America was, undoubtedly, the worst times for blacks as they were treated inhumanely and were killed simply because they were of darker complexion. It is appreciated that history textbooks were formatted to highlight both their sufferings and excellence in that time era of peak racism, but most often they forget to talk about other ethnicities and how they were treated–whether they were just as alienated as black people or not.

Their stories are unsung and they need to be told in order for this generation, and generations to follow, to understand the conditions of International Relations between America and other countries.

It seems as if their stories are forgotten and are completely omitted from America’s history by the way they were documented. Lest we forget the way other minorities were treated in history to learn why we shouldn’t do it in the present and avoid it in the future.

#history #race #culture #oppression

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