Sad but I'm ready to move on. I did all the major sightseeing yesterday, saw Mt. Fuji, the Imperial Palace and all that stuff. I really liked the Harajuku area. The people in costumes were hysterical. My new hostel is great. I met a ton of people and we had a beer vending machine party in the hostel lounge last night. And sake. That didn't mix well with the Tsukiji Fish Market today.
Me and my new Swedish friend Ruel got up at 5:30 to see all the fish action. It was cool to see all the wicked fresh seafood being cut up and sold. We even saw them cutting some yellowfin tuna. For breakfast we at at this sushi place in the market. It was literally the freshest sushi in the world. I had a bowl of rice and tuna sashimi. It was delicious.
Tonight is probably the bars in Rappongi and then a 5:10am subway ride to the airport for my 9:00 flight to CHINA. Hopefully they don't block this site.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Welcome to the Shinkansen.
I love the Shinkansen, aka the bullet train. I bought a rail pass before coming to Japan so I could ride all the trains freely. Today I did the math and I saved almost $100 in train tickets. Plus, the pass has the Great Wave on it, so I instantly love it.
Yesterday I got my hot spring experience. It wasn't the sit in the spring type that I was hoping for, but it was still great. I waited till the hostel guy came in and he told me to go to this peninsula that was full of spring towns. I ended up going to Shimoda at the end. The train ride there was along the coast and really nice. The inn I stayed in was real cool. Real traditional. My room had woven mat floors, sliding paper screen doors, and they served me tea at a low table. The bath was cool, a little tub built into the floor that was scalding hot. Even though it was a milling degrees outside it was relaxing. It turns out that Shimoda was the town that Commodore Perry landed in and opened up trade with Japan. Also, Perry was from Rhode Island. They have a little street alley on the river called Perry Road. I was there during a festival called "Candle Cafe" where the whole street was lit up with candles and colored lights. There were musicians, couples in their kimonos, food vendors...kind of like a Japanese Waterfire.
Today I came to Tokyo. What an awesome city so far. I'm staying at another capsule hotel right near the Asahi brewry. Tomorrow I'm moving to a real hostel so hopefully I can go out with some people. Up until now I've mainly been meeting people just as they were on their way out so most of my vacation has been on my own. Tomorrow I'm also going to this place where all the people that you think of when you think of Japan go. Yeah the ones wearing all the crazy costumes. That'll be...interesting.
Yesterday I got my hot spring experience. It wasn't the sit in the spring type that I was hoping for, but it was still great. I waited till the hostel guy came in and he told me to go to this peninsula that was full of spring towns. I ended up going to Shimoda at the end. The train ride there was along the coast and really nice. The inn I stayed in was real cool. Real traditional. My room had woven mat floors, sliding paper screen doors, and they served me tea at a low table. The bath was cool, a little tub built into the floor that was scalding hot. Even though it was a milling degrees outside it was relaxing. It turns out that Shimoda was the town that Commodore Perry landed in and opened up trade with Japan. Also, Perry was from Rhode Island. They have a little street alley on the river called Perry Road. I was there during a festival called "Candle Cafe" where the whole street was lit up with candles and colored lights. There were musicians, couples in their kimonos, food vendors...kind of like a Japanese Waterfire.
Today I came to Tokyo. What an awesome city so far. I'm staying at another capsule hotel right near the Asahi brewry. Tomorrow I'm moving to a real hostel so hopefully I can go out with some people. Up until now I've mainly been meeting people just as they were on their way out so most of my vacation has been on my own. Tomorrow I'm also going to this place where all the people that you think of when you think of Japan go. Yeah the ones wearing all the crazy costumes. That'll be...interesting.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Templed out
Kyoto has so many temples and palaces. Unfortunately that's pretty much why you come to Kyoto, to see them all. What happens when you see the majority of them in one day? You want to die. Of course the guide book points out whats great about all of them, which makes you want to see ALL OF THEM. Then when you don't see one or two you feel like a bad person or that you're missing out on some hidden gem. No thank you, 6 temples in one day is fine for me. Plus, all of the admission fees add up.
I'm shipping out of Kyoto today. Check out of my hostel is in an hour and a half. I don't know where I'm going yet tho. I really want to stay at a Japanese hot spring but I don't really know how to set that up and they front desk guy at my hostle isn't in yet. There are a few places like that I could stay in Kyoto, but I want a real "bathe in a hot spring sitting on a rock" experience.
Today is the start of the second half of my Japan adventure. So far I've had a day where I've eaten sushi for every meal, stayed at a capsule hotel, saw the A-bomb site, seen the Golden Pavilion, and had a conversation with someone about how all asian pastries are shit because they all sneak in red bean paste. I'm excited to see what the rest brings, seeing as how after today, I'll be spending all of my time in Tokyo.
I'm shipping out of Kyoto today. Check out of my hostel is in an hour and a half. I don't know where I'm going yet tho. I really want to stay at a Japanese hot spring but I don't really know how to set that up and they front desk guy at my hostle isn't in yet. There are a few places like that I could stay in Kyoto, but I want a real "bathe in a hot spring sitting on a rock" experience.
Today is the start of the second half of my Japan adventure. So far I've had a day where I've eaten sushi for every meal, stayed at a capsule hotel, saw the A-bomb site, seen the Golden Pavilion, and had a conversation with someone about how all asian pastries are shit because they all sneak in red bean paste. I'm excited to see what the rest brings, seeing as how after today, I'll be spending all of my time in Tokyo.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
JAPAN!!!!!!!
I GUESS I'LL MAKE THE BEST OF THIS COMPUTER NOT HAVING CAPS CONTROL, JAPAN IS PRETTY EXCITING. ITS SUMMER VACATION TIME AND MY TRIP IS TAKING ME TO JAPAN AND CHINA.
JAPAN IS AWESOME. EVERYTHING HERE IS JUST SO COOL. AND EXPENSIVE. WAAAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. SO FAR I'VE BEEN TO FUKUOKA TO EAT SOME RAMEN. YOU FILL OUT THIS ORDER FORM FOR EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT. HOW MUCH OIL, GARLIC, THE TENDERNESS OF THE NOODLES. IT WAS GREAT. AND YOU EAT IT IN THIS LITTLE BOOTH. VERY COOL EXPERIENCE.
THEN CAME HIROSHIMA. IT WAS AN AMAZING CITY. THE MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS WERE SAD BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD I SAW. THE A-BOMB DOME WITH ITS BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. I SAW THE FLOATING TORII GATE AT MYAJIMA AND SOME PAGODAS LATER THAT DAY. I ATE A LOT OF OKONOMIYAKI. ITS THIS PANCAKE MADE WITH NOODLES, EGG, BACON, BEAN SPROUTS, AND GREEN ONION. IT WOULD BE THE BEST HUNGOVER FOOD EVER.
TODAY I CAME TO OSAKA. AT FIRST I WAS PISSED OFF BECAUSE NOTHING WAS LABLED CORRECTLY AND I ENDED UP WALKING AROUND FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO FIND MY WAY. AT LAST I FOUND THE UMEDA SKY BUILDING AND TOOK A CRAZY ESCALATOR RIDE TO THE TOP. THEN I POKED AROUND OSAKA CASTLE FOR A BIT. TONIGHT I'M STAYING IN A CAPSULE HOTEL. ITS REALLY COOL BUT YOU HAVE TO USE THE PUBLIC BATHS TO GET CLEAN. SO MUCH FOR KEEPING MY RECORD OF NEVER USING ONE HAHA. THE HOTEL IS IN AN AREA CALLED AMERICA VILLAGE. ITS JUST A TRENDY SHOPPING AND BAR DISTRICT. SOMEBODY I MET WHILE FINDING MY HOTEL SAID THAT ALL THE JAPANESE HERE THINK THEY'RE GANGSTER RAPPERS. DINNER TONIGHT WAS AT AN AUTOMATED SUSHI PLACE. THE PLATES COME AROUND ON A CONVEYOR BELT AND YOU JUST PICK THEM AND THE ATTENDANTS ADD UP THE COST BY THE COLOR OF THE PLATES. IT WAS SO GOOD. RIGHT NOW I'M AT A 'MEN'S RELAXATION ZONE' AKA THE ONLY PLACE I COULD FIND INTERNET. ITS KIND OF STRANGE. SCRATCH THAT, VERY STRANGE. YOU GO IN TO HAVE SOME...ALONE TIME. AND THE FRONT DESK HAS MANY PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR...ALONE TIME. NO THANKS, I'LL JUST STICK TO THE BASIC ROOM WITH A COMPUTER SO I CAN BOOK MY HOSTELS.
TOMORROW I'M OFF TO KYOTO, THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF JAPAN.
JAPAN IS AWESOME. EVERYTHING HERE IS JUST SO COOL. AND EXPENSIVE. WAAAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. SO FAR I'VE BEEN TO FUKUOKA TO EAT SOME RAMEN. YOU FILL OUT THIS ORDER FORM FOR EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT. HOW MUCH OIL, GARLIC, THE TENDERNESS OF THE NOODLES. IT WAS GREAT. AND YOU EAT IT IN THIS LITTLE BOOTH. VERY COOL EXPERIENCE.
THEN CAME HIROSHIMA. IT WAS AN AMAZING CITY. THE MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS WERE SAD BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD I SAW. THE A-BOMB DOME WITH ITS BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. I SAW THE FLOATING TORII GATE AT MYAJIMA AND SOME PAGODAS LATER THAT DAY. I ATE A LOT OF OKONOMIYAKI. ITS THIS PANCAKE MADE WITH NOODLES, EGG, BACON, BEAN SPROUTS, AND GREEN ONION. IT WOULD BE THE BEST HUNGOVER FOOD EVER.
TODAY I CAME TO OSAKA. AT FIRST I WAS PISSED OFF BECAUSE NOTHING WAS LABLED CORRECTLY AND I ENDED UP WALKING AROUND FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO FIND MY WAY. AT LAST I FOUND THE UMEDA SKY BUILDING AND TOOK A CRAZY ESCALATOR RIDE TO THE TOP. THEN I POKED AROUND OSAKA CASTLE FOR A BIT. TONIGHT I'M STAYING IN A CAPSULE HOTEL. ITS REALLY COOL BUT YOU HAVE TO USE THE PUBLIC BATHS TO GET CLEAN. SO MUCH FOR KEEPING MY RECORD OF NEVER USING ONE HAHA. THE HOTEL IS IN AN AREA CALLED AMERICA VILLAGE. ITS JUST A TRENDY SHOPPING AND BAR DISTRICT. SOMEBODY I MET WHILE FINDING MY HOTEL SAID THAT ALL THE JAPANESE HERE THINK THEY'RE GANGSTER RAPPERS. DINNER TONIGHT WAS AT AN AUTOMATED SUSHI PLACE. THE PLATES COME AROUND ON A CONVEYOR BELT AND YOU JUST PICK THEM AND THE ATTENDANTS ADD UP THE COST BY THE COLOR OF THE PLATES. IT WAS SO GOOD. RIGHT NOW I'M AT A 'MEN'S RELAXATION ZONE' AKA THE ONLY PLACE I COULD FIND INTERNET. ITS KIND OF STRANGE. SCRATCH THAT, VERY STRANGE. YOU GO IN TO HAVE SOME...ALONE TIME. AND THE FRONT DESK HAS MANY PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR...ALONE TIME. NO THANKS, I'LL JUST STICK TO THE BASIC ROOM WITH A COMPUTER SO I CAN BOOK MY HOSTELS.
TOMORROW I'M OFF TO KYOTO, THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF JAPAN.
WHATS NEW...
WELL, BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER I'M ON HAS A BROKEN CAPS LOCK KEY, A LOT IS NEW.
FIRST OFF, I'M STAYING IN KOREA UNTIL FEBRUARY. I WAS STUPID NOT TO RE-SIGN MY PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTRACT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET A HOGWAN (ACADEMY) JOB UNTIL THE END OF FEB. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE. I LOVE THE LIFESTYLE HERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO LET IT ALL GO RIGHT NOW.
I'LL BE BACK IN AMERICA SOMETIME WITHIN 2 YEARS...
FIRST OFF, I'M STAYING IN KOREA UNTIL FEBRUARY. I WAS STUPID NOT TO RE-SIGN MY PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTRACT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET A HOGWAN (ACADEMY) JOB UNTIL THE END OF FEB. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE. I LOVE THE LIFESTYLE HERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO LET IT ALL GO RIGHT NOW.
I'LL BE BACK IN AMERICA SOMETIME WITHIN 2 YEARS...
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