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Solar Eclipse 2009??
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November
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6
Posted : Mar 25, 2009 08:11
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People,
my friend in Tokyo checked that ferries are not available yet. As are not JapanAirlines planes Tokyo-Amami. I've found other aircompanies, but they sell 2-inter-Japan-transfers tickets for astronomical prices  . So let's just wait till local tickets are available. Or, as orgs promised in last distribution letter, - maybe some more travel hints!
Anyway, I already miss all you people coming that distance to rave!!! See ya there! Inevitably! |
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jds
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
384
Posted : Apr 18, 2009 00:15
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Hey, a friend in Japan passed along this info for the Ferry:
There is a ferry leaving from Osaka on July 14th, arriving to Amami Island on July 16th morning.
The cheapest ticket for 15,100Yen~150$ for one way, at the open space (no reserved seat).
Room for 8ppl(8beds) will be ~18,000Yen per person.
June 14 is the earliest booking date.
Next ferry will be on July 18th,arriving to Amami on 20th July.
Best wishes chasers. Looking forward to seeing you under the shadow.  |
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November
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6
Posted : May 18, 2009 10:26
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You can buy a JAL ticket Tokyo-Amami 2 months in advance. So you can start buying them already by one-way! Or take a risk and wait for return-date and buy return ticket. Cheapest one-way is some 30,000 YEN. |
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the daleks
Moderator
Started Topics :
34
Posts :
584
Posted : Jun 4, 2009 07:03
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Looks like the flights are booked up to one week before and after now..
there are some flights to Tokunoshima available, which looks good for viewing the eclipse but will miss the party
From Kagoshima the ferry is looks pretty fast and cheap
Anyone interested in road tripping to Kagoshima from Tokyo?
I have a van and would be willing to go, if there were interest and drivers
 Gamma Riders EP out now on iTunes and Amazon.com!
The Daleks : www.myspace.com/thedaleksupreme
A-Boys : www.myspace.com/akibaboys |
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November
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6
Posted : Jun 8, 2009 07:50
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I've got flight ticket Tokyo-Amami, but not back. If someone can suggest how to get back from Amami to Tokyo by July 25th - or even has something to offer, please do! Will be verrry grateful. |
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November
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6
Posted : Jun 16, 2009 15:53
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People, I've sorted out my travel all the way from Moscow to Amami and back! Coming to Paradise on July 12th, look for a guy with pigtail beard, - will be glad to commute! |
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jds
Started Topics :
8
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384
Posted : Jun 21, 2009 08:31
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We've organized a couple of meeting times for internet friends to hook up. Come by, bring some extra food and drink to share and have a picnic dinner:
earth area (healing space)
Saturday, July 18th - 6pm - left speaker
Monday, July 20 - 6pm - left speaker |
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jds
Started Topics :
8
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384
Posted : Jun 25, 2009 20:10
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Got an email about this, thought I'd pass it along:
The Amami festival organizers have co-ordinated a ferry from Kagoshima for festival attendees (extra cost). This could be handy for anyone who hasn't arranged travel yet. It is still possible to find relatively cheap last minute flights to Tokyo, train to Kagoshima, then this ferry could be a good option to get to the island.
Here's the link:
http://www.airlink.co.jp/cpn/ongaku-v/index.html
Unfortunately the ferry only departs July 20th, returning July 24th. |
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oMcyLOm
Started Topics :
9
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1417
Posted : Jul 6, 2009 23:40
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How is the festival commin up ppl???
~~Co-Creator of A Ritual~~ |
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the daleks
Moderator
Started Topics :
34
Posts :
584
Posted : Jul 13, 2009 08:57
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well, looks like we might be going to Tanegashima..
the normal ferry company really doesnt have their act together with the lack of a proper non-cancellation no-show policy.
thats right, you could have called 100 times, and booked 100 different people and locations without any kind of penalty if you never come to the port to claim..
Tanegashima is about 2 hours from Kagoshima, and will enjoy about the same amount of totality as Amami. looks like there are some grass-roots parties coming together as well
Amami will still be great, and I'm not 100% sure even, we might end up there yet. its all in the hands of the fates right now
>oMcyLOm
Varanasi sounds nice too!
Gamma Riders EP out now on iTunes and Amazon.com!
The Daleks : www.myspace.com/thedaleksupreme
A-Boys : www.myspace.com/akibaboys |
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rookie_india
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1
Posted : Jul 13, 2009 09:18
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is this a Psytrance festival???
I am in Japan for a month or so, would love to attend a party here. |
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Nomolos(Zenon Rec.)
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
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2027
Posted : Jul 25, 2009 21:37
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oMcyLOm
Started Topics :
9
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1417
Posted : Jul 27, 2009 09:43
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Quote:
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On 2009-07-25 21:37, Nomolos(Zenon Rec.) wrote:
so...how was it?
Cheers
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+1 
~~Co-Creator of A Ritual~~ |
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duyoush
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
164
Posts :
2510
Posted : Jul 27, 2009 12:06
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Quote:
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On 2009-07-27 09:43, oMcyLOm wrote:
Quote:
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On 2009-07-25 21:37, Nomolos(Zenon Rec.) wrote:
so...how was it?
Cheers
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+1
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+1
Cheers "The external world became changed as in a dream and colors became more glowing.When the eyes were closed,colored pictures flashed past in a quickly changing kaleidoscope.what had caused this condition?"
Albert Hofmann Laboratory Notes (1943) |
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jds
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
384
Posted : Aug 1, 2009 00:35
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I had an amazing time.
Inflexible psytrance only types that judge festivals only on the standard cookie cutter international 'lineup' might have other things to say but the music for me, particularly on the beach stage, was great. I especially liked the integration of traditional local culture with the Amami drum chant circles that happened both at the main stage (huge! everyone joined in, it was awesome!), and the smaller one on the night after the festival up in the earth area.
The location was fantastic. The 2 main camping areas were fairly barren but the beach camp area and the earth stage camp area were beautiful. I camped in one of the barren areas because by the time I got to the festival site I was out of energy to wander the entire site to find the good camping areas. But it worked out fine because I got a good corner spot with trees to hang a tarp and my hammock. I seldom spent any time there anyway though, actually never. I slept on the sand on the beach any time I needed rest. I spent most of my days on the beach, in the water or under the communal shade structures built at the back of the beach, or up at the earth area getting massages, or enjoying yoga workshops, and dance meditation sessions.
Night times I was usually at the beach stage all night long. I checked out some sets at the main stage but mostly ended up going back to the beach, grooving at the dancefloor, or napping under the spectacular stars to the sounds of the crashing waves.
The main food area didn't have many vegetarian options for me but the cafe by the ticket area serving the volunteers always had vegi options and the cafe up at the earth area always had great vegi food as well. I hitch hiked to a grocery store nearby every few days to stock up on water, nuts, and fruits so that took care of food for myself anyway.
There were plenty of porta potties that were always kept very clean. There were plenty of garbage collection areas which had separate bins for recyclable plastic, bottles and cans, burnables, unburnables, and composting. Very organized and clean garbage collection kept the whole festival site beautiful and in harmony with nature. Possibly some of the best garbage organization I've seen.
The environment and setting at all 3 stages was phenomenal. The earth area was a very comfortable place with great energy. Healing sessions in all forms of massage and yoga going on all day long. Chats on Mayan calendar and eclipse story sharing at night. The deco at the main stage was incredible. Huge structures filled with art that kept growing each day. The beach stage was unbelievable. I absolutely loved the DJ booth, the shade structure, and all the decorations surrounding it. It looked amazing during the day and at night. Definitely one of the best dancefloors I've had the pleasure of enjoying.
The weather was wonderfully hot and penetratingly humid. I loved it. During the day it was so hot all you could do was sit still in the shade and not think. Moving would immediately make you dehydrated and thinking about moving would immediately make you sweat. It was awesome. I loved it so much. The water in the ocean was crystal clear and amazing and not 20 feet off the beach there was live coral and colorful tropical fish everywhere. I picked up a cheap pair of goggles at the grocery store and spent hours free diving every day. We experienced a couple day time downpours that were wonderfully drenching and refreshing (never cold). And one spectacular night time storm that had the main stage rocking so hard I was terrified at many times. Anyone that stayed out on the main stage that night has some serious memories to take with them. What an experience! I still can't get over the weather. Coming from a desert climate it was great to spend time in such tropical lushness. We never had to brace against the weather, not at night, not during the storm or anytime. We experience the full range of the weather pattern from heat and sun to torrential downpour and wind. Very, very, very psychedelic.
The eclipse day was overcast and cloudy making for an obscured corona but the shadow passed nonetheless and day turned to night. For me it was a very powerful experience. I've seen a clear eclipse on a cloudless day and now I've experienced a cloudy eclipse and I know I will still travel to any end of the earth to get into totality regardless of weather. The clouds brought new possibilities to the experience. We could watch the partial eclipse on the way into and out of totality with bare eyes through the clouds not needing eclipse glasses. The orb of the sun behind the clouds shrunk slowly into a smaller and smaller point changing into eerie blue green colors. When the last faint point winked out of existence the shock of losing the daytime sun as the shadow overtook us was awe inspiring. The last moments before totality, the clouds took on such a deep dark menacing color it was downright frightening. Being on the ocean near the edge of the path of totality, we could actually look out and see to where there was no shadow. So we had darkness above us and to 3 sides of us and far off to the other side we could see light on the ocean. Very cool to witness this as on a previous eclipse I was close to the center line of the path of totality and saw darkness on all sides.
Back to the music, I enjoyed the beach stage the most. They divided the nights into themes. So there was a trance night, a house night, a mix night of techno variations, a chill night, and another spacey mix night. I enjoyed every one of them but for me the highlight was the house night which was filled with deeply progressive experimental house, which (for me) is far more psychedelic than most trance tries so hard to be (I'm a way old school raver, I'm still waiting for this trance trend to pass, haha, I kid... but really is it over yet? hehe). The trance night was great also and the dawn set was powerfully dark and left everyone in shattered fragments of their consciousness. There was much talk about that set during the rest of the week.
I spent a lot of time at the earth stage also where there were dance meditation sessions at dusk (which I attended almost all of). The intention of these sessions was to create a space for serious dancers to throw themselves fully into the experience without distractions. To achieve this a simple set of guidelines was put in place at the beginning of each session: no late entries, no re-entries, no alcohol, no smoking, no chatting. Just pure hard core dancing. It was a great experience and a wonderful way to begin each evening. It sounds a bit snobby but if you're really into dancing and going deep into where music can take you, having a space like this with such a strong intention and free of annoyances is a real treat. I applaud the efforts of the people who created this experimental space.
Specific music highlights for me were:
- System 7's set at the main stage
- Hideyo Blackmoon's sets at earth and beach stages
- Tsuyoshi's main stage set
- Etnica's main stage set
- Mixmaster Morris's set in the rain at the main stage
- Mixmaster Morris's festival closing set at the beach stage (holy fuck, what awesome vibes)
- Andrew Till at the earth stage
- DJ King at the main stage in the afternoon after the eclipse, holy crap this guy blew my mind
- whatever DJs were playing the house night at the beach stage between 1-4am (I gotta look them up)
- Treavor's morning techno set at the beach
- Nogera at main and beach stages (killer drumming)
But mostly it was all about the people. A fair collection of international travelers from Australia, South Africa, Russia, South America, North America, and Europe, but mostly Japanese. Japan is great. This was my first trip to Japan and it has been a lifelong dream. The reality outdid any preconceptions that I may have had. Never have I been so surrounded by such genuine people. The spirit of the country is palpable and shines strong in the smiles of its people. Japanese hippies are the shit. Unbelievably cool people. OMG so hardcore and no attitude. This was one trip I almost didn't come back from. I'm all responsible nowadays and don't run away anymore but it was close. Hanging out after the after-party, I was invited by some Japanese heads to join them at the south end of the island to camp and then to make way for another island further south where they were going to make rainbow camp for a couple weeks. My return flight almost went vacant. I'm still there in spirit...
Thank you Japan, thank you Amami, thank you to everyone I met and shared space and time and the shadow with. I'll hold these memories forever. Such a fantastic country, I look forward to returning. Such a wonderful festival. Amazing vibes, great people, great setting.
(Just FYI, it was dead simple to get the the island. I talked to many people who booked domestic flights at the last minute (like within a week). The majority of people who took the various ferries just showed up at the port and bought a ticket for the ferry that day (going to, and leaving the island). It was neither expensive nor difficult.)
I'll post a video montage next week. (I've got some pictures up on Facebook but they weren't taken to document the festival (mostly shots of me and new friends) so they'd just look narcissistic, so I won't link it here.) |
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