Portland

We decided to make a stop in Portland. Frankly, we only know it from watching Grimm. We stayed a bit of a way from the city center in a treehouse. Portland gave us the impression of being leafy with dense woods. It felt quite creepy at times being in the huge 3 storey treehouse alone. The Airbnb was at the bottom floor.

We paid a visit to the Portland Japanese Garden which is said to be the most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan. We got there 15 minutes before it opened and there was already a queue forming. It was a beautiful day to explore the garden. The sections were immaculately kept and incredibly tranquil.

During the free tour, the guide explained to us the dedication that goes into Japanese gardening. We were regaled with the inspiring tale of a tree that had to be dug up and turned every 70 years to equalise sun exposure. The custodians or trustees would pass down the task from generation to generation. So much passion and discipline can be seen in the maintenance and curation of the garden. We heard that the Japanese are passionate in keeping their local businesses alive through the generations rather than let them die or pass them off to foreigners. This was very inspiring to hear.  

My favourite part of the garden was the waterfall feature. Stunning arrangement.

The narrow boardwalk through the koi pond made us feel like we were walking through a Japanese countryside rice paddy field.

However, the longest queue was for Voodoo Doughnuts. 45 minutes! These were in anyway the best doughnuts we've had to date. 

Pittock Mansion from which there is an amazing view over Portland.

A truly breathtaking view

We had Wendy's for dinner which fries were the only redeeming feature, sad to say.

P.S: We also really enjoyed shopping at Ross & Cotton On and managed to buy much needed clothing at bargain prices!