Asia 2018
After Five Weeks, We Finally Got to See Mt. Fuji! Wait….Dammit!
AUGUST 10, 2018
On our last full day in Tokyo and Japan, the weather was beautiful and we decided to head out to Hakone to try and catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. The journey out to Hakone was quite a journey in itself, involving a few trains, just to get to the first cable car, which would then lead to a series of more cable cards. By the time we got to the area, we realized that the weather there was much more foggy and our chances of seeing Fuji were pretty slim. Despite this, the area was beautiful and we enjoyed the journey up. (continue)
The Sun is Setting On Our Trip
AUGUST 9, 2018
We began the morning by heading over the the famous fish market of Tokyo, Tsukiji. This market is most famous for it’s tuna auction which you have a small chance to witness if you get up at 3am to join the line, and even then you likely won’t get a spot. Despite hearing that it is a really cool experience, we decided it wasn’t for us and would be happy to wake up at a normal time and just walk the market instead. We strolled around the very packed market stalls. (continue)
Third Typhoon is The Charm
AUGUST 8, 2018
This piece was at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago to show off Japan’s art capabilities.
We woke up to yet another Typhoon warning and quite a bit of rain. We headed to the Senso-ji Temple, which if one that Chuck remembered visiting as a child. We walked up a path full of vendors leading up to the giant red lantern under the gates of the temple. This temple is the oldest in Tokyo, built in 645, and it was interesting to see one right in the middle of the crowded city. There was a 5 story pagoda and lots of incense. We got our fortunes again (this time translated into English) and it was another good one, so we are feeling pretty lucky. (continue)
Ramen! Robots! People! Welcome to Tokyo!
AUGUST 7, 2018
We have arrived in Tokyo and it is not like the rest of Japan we have seen so far! As we left the train we were immediately met with the sights and sounds of a big city again-tons of commuters, all in a rush, and all the lights and noise you can imagine. It’s also a bit dirtier than the rest of Japan has been, and by “dirty” this is nothing compared to literally any other city we have ever visited, but not quite what we were used to in the rest of the country. (continue)
Takayama (How could we not think of a pun?! We’ve been pun-ished)
AUGUST 5-6, 2018
We had a small setback on our way to our next city, Takayama, as we found out the day before that all the train lines we had planned to take (on the Shinkansen of course) were out of service because of heavy rains and mudslides earlier this month. We would have to take a bus, but aside from the stress, it turned out fine and we still made it there in a couple hours. (continue)
Thank you Anthony.
AUGUST 3-4, 2018
When we decided we would be visiting Japan, we did what we usually do when planning a trip and watched any Anthony Bourdain episode that is filmed where we will travel. While watching every episode of his on Japan we saw one where he comes to Kanazawa and were instantly sold on this city. After we later heard the sad news of his death, we realized how much he has impacted both our love of travel and learning about cultures through food. As we began to plan further and every blog or article discussing the city described it as a food lovers paradise, we knew we made a good decision. Also, be prepared for us to discuss all the food we ate here. (continue)
Walking through a dark cemetery...We're fine...What was that?!
AUGUST 2, 2018
We were excited to head out of the city into the mountains to Koyasan!
Getting there was quite a journey in itself, involving several train transfers and a steep cable car ride up the mountain, and about 5 hours after we started we arrived. The ride only got more beautiful as we went along, passing small towns and farms. As we began the cable car ride we could smell the pine trees and hear the creek passing by, and it was already obvious why this location was chosen as the home of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It was developed in 816 by Kobo Daishi. In addition to being the father of this sect of Buddhism, he was also a poet, artist, and engineer. As we researched to learn more about him and this area, we found many of his quotes, but one that stood out to us was: “Do not follow in the footsteps of great men, but seek what they sought.” (continue)
Who needs AC when you have gold siding?
AUGUST 1, 2018
On our last full day in Kyoto (again incredibly hot), we went to Kinkaku-ji, Rokuon-ji, or The Golden Pavilion Temple. This Zen Buddhist temple was originally a villa for a wealthy family and then became a retirement home for one of the owners, before becoming a temple after his death. The temple was smaller than we pictured, but stunning. The top two levels are covered in gold and a Phoenix stands on top. As with all of the other temples we have visited it is surrounded by beautiful gardens and a pond. We also noticed that the trees have so much color here which makes it constantly look slightly like fall. (continue)
A Gate to Hiroshima
JULY 31, 2018
It was another day with temperatures nearing the 100’s but we were excited to take our first Shinkansen bullet train and as promised it is incredibly fast. We head west to Miyajima Island. This area is famous for it’s “floating” Torii gate. During low tide you can walk right up to it, but today we are checking out with high tide and the appearance of it floating on the water. The first Torii here was built in 1168 and the current one was built in 1875 (the 8th gate). The island also had a pagoda from 1407 with 5 stories. There were also plenty of deer walking around again and we learned that deer are thought to be sacred messengers. They were also a bit more aggressive here than Nara and we were glad we weren’t walking around with food. (continue)
Oh deer, that's a big temple!
JULY 30, 2018
We decided to take a day trip to Nara. This area is famous for having more beautiful temples as well as it’s deer population. In our walk from the train to our first temple, we walked through a shopping street and were met with tons of deer souvenir shops. There was everything from food with deer stamped on it to stuffed animals, hats, and anything else you can imagine with deer images. Even the street manhole covers were beautifully decorated with images of Nara and of course deer! (continue)
Bamboo-zled by Ice Cream
JULY 29, 2018
On day two we woke up to find out many train lines are shut down due to a looming typhoon. We had planned to visit Chuck's friend Yosuke but the trains that would get us there weren't in service. This is our second potential typhoon and we are hoping it passes us like the last one in Hong Kong did. Since we weren't seeing Yosuke, we ended up having a lazy morning, waiting for weather updates. We then decided our area was safe and headed out. (continue)
Torri-ng it up in Japan!
July 28, 2018
After another full day of travel, we finally made it to Japan! It was pretty late by the time we made it to Kyoto but we could immediately tell how clean and orderly it is here! We got in line for train tickets and notices everyone lined up on set lines, nobody pushed in front of each other, and the trains were impeccable. We were at the end of the line so we watched them clean between rides and rotate the seats-at every stop, all the seats can be rotated so you can always ride facing forward-such a minor detail, that we loved. We also immediately noticed vending machines are everywhere and can’t wait to try some of those out. (continue)
Thai-ing it all up!
JULY 26, 2018
On our second day in Bangkok, and final day in Thailand, we wanted to check out one of the floating markets but found out that many of the good ones are only open on weekends. There was one that is open daily but is apparently incredibly touristy and not authentic anymore. It was also an hour and a half away, so we decided to skip this and stay in the city. (continue)
We went gaga for Gaggan! (Yes, more food...)
July 25, 2018
We headed back to a big city in Bangkok and were immediately greeted with the traffic, scooters zipping by, and the smell of diesel in the air.
We spent our first day here exploring the Jim Thompson house. He was an American that fell in love with Thailand and revitalized their silk industry. He took several traditional Thai style homes, had them dismantled and brought to Bangkok to be rebuilt into his home. The grounds were beautiful and designed to feel like you were in the rainforest. The house also has all the art and china that Thompson collected from all over Asia including Thailand, China, Laos, and Cambodia. Another interesting detail in the bedroom was a mouse box, which looked like a dollhouse. Apparently before television they would put a mouse inside and watch it go through the house as entertainment. Jim Thompson disappeared without a trace in 1967 and they have never found out what happened to him. (continue)
K...Oh Samui suppose to jump off this thing?
JULY 23, 2018
Our next couple days were to be spent relaxing on the beaches of Koh Samui (Su-my). Unfortunately, our morning flight was canceled so we lost an entire day here. To make matters worse, we ended up missing one of the last ferry’s and were worried we wouldn’t even make it to the island that first night. We got lucky and they fit us on the 10pm local ferry, but we didn’t make it to the hotel until after midnight and losing an entire day to travel can be pretty stressful.
However, when we woke up the next morning and went to grab breakfast right on the beach, we were pretty excited to have even a little bit of time here. (continue)
Oooh Massageland...I mean Thailand!
July 21, 2018
When in Thailand...you get massages. So we decided to get another today. This one was from a small family owned shop and it was much more relaxing than the first. It was also only $15 so that helped. Anna could definitely get used to these Thai prices for massages back home. (continue)
Ele-phantastic Day!
7-20-2018
Today could be considered the best day ever, aside from our wedding of course…right? We got to spend the day hanging out with elephants! When we first starting looking into our trip we knew we would want to see these amazing animals up close. However, once we began to research, we quickly saw that the elephant tourism industry here is really sad. There are tons of camps offering riding or playing with elephants, but elephants are just not meant for that, which means they are often taken as babies from their mothers and “broken” in order to be used for tourism. (continue)
Wat? Another temple?
JULY 19, 2018
On our second day here, we decide to visit all the temples. Really it was like four out of the probably thousands in the city, but it certainly felt like a lot. We started with Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a temple in the mountains. First, we had to grab a ride up the mountain in our first songthaew, or red truck. It was quite an experience, with steep, winding roads and the scent of diesel in the air. (continue)
Will I Chiang Mai view on Thai Food?
JULY 18, 2018
Hello Thailand! Our first stop in Thailand is Chiang Mai and as soon as we land we know we are in for a treat with the lush green mountains and cute city. So far it is also much less humid than China was, which we are both surprised by. We found a lunch spot inside the old city walls, near our hotel, and had our first true Thai meal! We decide to try our usual items from back home (Pad Thai, Panang curry, Thai iced tea) so we can compare and we are not disappointed! Although I don’t think Pad Thai is originally a Thai dish, it is the best we’ve had and we are pleased. (continue)
We Hong out at the park
JULY 17TH, 2018
We began the morning with a trip on the Star Ferry to Kowloon. We enjoyed our ride, but were even more interested in learning about their history. Apparently, it was a fare raise on the Star Ferry that led to the Hong Kong riots of 1966 after a student went on a hunger strike to protest the fare increase. Also during WWII, the Japanese commandeered the fleet and used them to transport prisoners of war. Several were bombed and sunk by the U.S. but two were recovered and put back in service. (continue)
There's another skyscraper...and another...and another...
JULY 16TH, 2018
We arrived in Hong Kong and immediately noticed a shift in lifestyle from mainland China. First, the pace is much quicker and it is a huge city with tons of high-rises. There seems to be a sense of freedom too, both in the advertisements and in people’s attitudes. Our first night here we decided to try dim sum for dinner. We found Tim Ho Wan, the cheapest restaurant that has a Michelin Star and we were sold. The barbecue pork buns were amazing, unfortunately everything else was just okay and we were a little disappointed. I guess we will just have to have dim sum every day until we find our favorite! (continue)
Rolling Karsts of Tea
JULY 13TH & 14TH, 2018
The bus ride to Yanghshou got more and more beautiful as it drove along and we knew we were in for a treat in this town. We took a van upstream and took a bamboo raft down the Yulong River. We began at JiLong Bridge, which began on a quieter spot of the river and were so excited to see that we would be on a real bamboo raft after reading than many are not made from pvc pipe and use motors. Ours was real bamboo and our driver used a bamboo pole to guide us down. We passed the Dragon Bridge, definitely the most crowded spot of the tour and were glad we started where we did. (continue)
Oh, so that's what humidity is...
JULY 12TH, 2018
We arrived in Guilin late and took a bus to the city, but even in the dark we could make out our first views of the karst mountains and were excited to see them in daylight. We only have about a day here and decided to take it easy (relatively) and walked to Deicai Hill. On our way we walked through the park along the lake and enjoyed watching the locals do Tai chi, dance, and enjoy the beauty of the park. The rest of the walk also included us figuring out how to cross the street and discovered that the trick is to just keep walking and the cars and scooters move around you. (continue)
I guess the emperor didn't sleep well.
JULY 10TH & 11TH, 2018
After a quick bullet train ride, we were in our second city of the trip, Xi’an! We arrived and made it to our hotel and encountered our first language barrier that actually made things difficult. We used various apps to translate to each other and she agreed that we were at the right hotel but couldn’t find our reservation. After a couple calls to the bank and confusion we realized we were at the wrong hotel and had to walk another block to find ours. (continue)
Oh great, where's the wall?
JULY 9TH, 2018
On our final day in Beijing we made our way to the Mutianyu portion of the Great Wall. On the way we got to experience the chaos of Beijing traffic and the amount of smog in various parts of the city. It was an overcast day but we could still see the wall as we approached and were excited to finally see this icon up close! There is something surreal about visiting a place you vividly remember learning about as a child and imaging what it would be like to visit. (continue)
A boat made of marble? Well there's your problem!
JULY 8TH, 2018
We started the morning with a trip to the Summer Palace. The palace dates to the Qing dynasty. We began on Suzhou Street, which was an old shopping street along a lake, and is now mostly tourist shops where people tried to sell us boat-ride tickets. Then, we hiked up several flights of stairs, took more pictures with locals, and finally made it to the top of the hill where there was a Buddhist temple. We walked to the Buddhist Incense Tower, a pagoda with a thousand-armed Buddhist statue. (continue)
Forbidden City...unless you pay
JULY 7TH, 2018
We woke up early to head to Tiananmen Square and try to avoid the crowds. Little did we know that there is no way to avoid these crowds! After getting off the train right next to the entrance, we were ushered across the street and about a block away to the start of the security line. Once we figured out which line we had to be in, we shuffled along and finally made our way in. It was quite the experience. (continue)
Keep the sleep at Bei...jing!
JULY 6TH, 2018
Despite over 14 hours of travel and a 13 hour time difference when we landed in Beijing, around 10am, we knew we had to power through the day to fight the jet lag and not fall asleep by lunch. We decided to brave the train system immediately and this involved trying to figure out how to by train tickets. We first approached a self-serve kiosk and hit the button for English when an older man rushed in and cancelled our order to start his own. Apparently if you aren’t moving quickly enough people will find their way in front of you. We soon realized this would be a trend along this trip - lines don’t really exist, but while waiting in what appears to be one, people will join from all directions and cut wherever they want. It doesn’t seem to be rude either, it’s just the way it is and everyone is used to it. This is how traffic seems to work too. (continue)