The Perfect Balance

There should never be a last day in Japan...

2011-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

At the airport getting ready to board watching this American heavy metal band get on and I have no idea who they are...anyway....more photos when I come home...and please visit this blog from time to time if you liked it...I will be writing about a lot of stuff! See you on the other side of the Pacific!

Kampai!

Hakone: By Land, By Air, By Sea!

2011-10-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

We left Tokyo yesterday in a "Romancecar," a train that takes you out of the city and into the lush countryside of Japan and an hour and half later arrived in the sleepy town of Gora in the Hakone region of Japan.

Our first glimpse of Gora as we stepped out of the train, our hotel is on the left.

We had arranged to stay in a traditional Japanese style type hotel, a Ryokan, for the evening and do a little exploring the next day. We were greeted very warmly and given these lovely Kimonos and pajama type garb to wear though we didn't exactly know when to wear it all. The girl who checked us in (a very pleasant young lady who spoke English very well) checked us in gave us a tour of the hotel and showed us to our rooms which were beyond charming. I don't ever remember staying in a room like this, if it wasn't for the TV and phone on the wall I would have thought we had stepped back in time:

After a long relaxing steam bath under the stars, Mary and I prepared for dinner. We had a little trouble figuring out what we should be wearing...was it the Kimonos you see above or could we come in our western garb. We decided to go as the latter but when we peeked inside the kitchen everyone was dressed in Kimonos...so went back and changed! Dinner was a little nerve wracking for me for little did Mary know but this was going to be a very special night for her...for us. I had planned for weeks to ask for her hand on our trip and thought this was the perfect place for this to happen...so after dinner, dressed just like this, in the privacy of our room I stumbled through my proposal which she happily accepted!!! We are now engaged!

After the excitement of the night before we somehow managed to focus on a little sightseeing. Hakone is rich with activities...there is Mt. Fuji (which unfortunately, wasn't visible on the day we were there...too much cloud cover), sulphuric, gas rising in some areas from an dormant volcano and a nearby lake which was formed by the volcano. Unfortunately for me we had to take a "fun" sky ride to all these spots knows as a "Ropeway." It was the quickest way to visit all these small towns and spots so I just sucked it up and tried to enjoy the ride.

The Hakone Ropeway links between Sōunzan and Tōgendai via Ōwakudani, all within Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. The line became funitel in 2002, the second of its kind in the nation, after Hashikurasan Ropeway. It makes a part of the sightseeing route between Odawara and Lake Ashi.

It was worth it though...there was some magnificent views from our little Ropeway:

We had a chance to get close to the fumes which were quite pungent! They actually had signs out warning people with respiratory issues and heart conditions to stay away...and as soon as we snapped a few photos we were out of there! I wasn't sure how much longer we could take it! It was not unlike the smell of rotten eggs!!!! That's as close as I can get it!

We made our way to Lake Ashi and took a ride on what looked like an old Clipper ship...

...where Mary had a chance to walk around the upper deck show the first class passengers her new engagement ring:

...a nice German couple offered to take our photo together so we took them up on it...thank you nice German couple!!!

Well after the excitement of the day it was time to make tracks to our next stop...the former capital of Japan...Kyoto! So back on the Ropeway we went (bleah) and after collecting our luggage from the hotel from the same sweet girl who checked us in,we made boarded a train down the mountain, transferred to another, then to another (one of those amazing bullet trains) which to us into Kyoto in about 2 hours! We got on a subway for a short ride to the spot were we expected to find a shuttle waiting to take us to the Hotel Brighton (our home for the next few days) but instead we just found a long line of taxis. We bit the bullet, thinking the ride and the fare would be outrageous but found out later that both were quite reasonable! So here we are ordering dinner before we go to bed...and I leave you with selections from our menu! Nite!

Shef's Salad

Fryed Peteto

A Gourmet Sandwitch...perhaps a seasonal delight made for Halloween?

Two Days in photos!

2011-10-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

We are getting to leave Tokyo for Hakone so I only have time to post some photos! Enjoy!

Takeshita Street in Harajuku!

We would have died of thirst if not for the vending machines located on every city block!

Family preparing for some sort of ceremony at the Meiji Temple. It is a popular place for weddings.

A volcan that erupted every hour in Tokyo Disney!

The Columbia in Tokyo Disney!

The Nautilus
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No...this is not Central Ameerica...this is part of the Indiana Jones ride in Tokyo Disney!

The Imperial Palace - wow.

The insanity that is Shibuya! Home to one of the last remaining Tower Records!

We have to catch a train! See you all in a few days...where the unexpected lies ahead...who knows what surprise I might post next time? Stay tuned!

The Walking Dead

2011-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

I only have time for a short post today as we are running a little behind schedule! Yesterday saw us hitting the fish market...not a place I envisioned as part of my itinerary (I just not a big seafood person whether it's eating or observing) but as the more I read about it the more fascinating it became. Tokyo is a port and the sea is a very important part of their culture and livelihood so for me to observe this is to understand Japan a little better. Well we got there right at the end of the busiest part of day (the subway gave us trouble again) but there was still lots too see and experience! The photos say it all!

Along with the buy and selling of fish there were other surprises, knives! Thanks to my experience with Sur La Table I now have a deep appreciation for cutlery, especially Japanese cutlery. It took all my will power not to purchase one of the beautiful knives on display until Mary mentioned there was a legendary knife store in Kyoto so I held back for the moment (I just hope they aren't as pricey as these guys were.

I was just about to put my Yen away when I spotted some amazing noodle bowls for a mere 4 Yen! That is just under 5 Dollars American which is an amazing bargain as I remember similar bowls for for close to 20 at home so I got two! Mary and I walked away having visions of enjoying noodles at home in our new sleek new bowls. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of them because the gen at the market wrapped them up so nicely for travel, I want them to make them trip home safely so they will stay the way the are for the moment!
We wandered around the market finding all types of things...and when you came across a photo op like this, you take it:

We came across a festival in the middle of the market where people enjoyed grilled squid (bleah), bento boxes and one of my favourite pastimes...biru (or...beer)! We left to the music of Serge Gainsbourg's Couler Cafe perfuming the air..."ahh these people have great taste!" I thought as we made our way to the river!

Mary had the great idea of taking a river boat cruise to Asakusa, our next stop. It was a lovely, relaxing 50 minute trip where we passed under nearly every style bridge imaginable:

We got off and headed to the Sensouji Temple where we were greeted by a throng of people and and a bustle of activity. I don't think I have ever seen so many vendors in one place. There was so many distractions I nearly didn't make it up to the temple.

Mary kept me focused and we pressed on and it was such an impressive site...I don't think I quite captured it the way my eyes did:

I am sure Mary has better shots on her fancy new camera! I am sure they are on her blog!
Well, by this point we couldn't decide if we were more hungry or more tired...we tried looking for a noodle bowl place but we couldn't find one so we gave up on that and made our way to our last stop, Akihabara, the electronics district!
After going in the wrong direction for a few blocks we finally found our way over to the craziest part of town. Tons of people, lots of lights, arcades and shops and a million of those "Maid Cafes" I heard so much about. I am dying to get into one and find out what they're all about:

You could see the girls dressed up in all these odd outfits trying to pull some business in but I didn't see anyone biting. Still, I am curious and I will try and get to one before we depart.
At any rate, after walking, walking and more walking we stopped at one more place because it was so irresistibly cute: "Kotobukiya" a haven for the nerd in all of us. I picked up a gift and a little something for myself (a sort of Lego looking clock). Very cool.
We barely made it home with enough strength for food...but somehow we managed to find the strength to have a little Italian at a little spot near our hotel where I finished the day with a biru! Another terrific but tiring day in Tokyo!

Food for Thought

2011-10-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

"I don't know. I just want to... get healthy. I would like to start taking better care of myself. I'd like to start eating healthier - I don't want all that pasta. I would like to start eating like Japanese food."

Bob Harris - "Lost in Translation"

Today started out a bit slowly as Mary had caught something and was sick most of the morning. I am not sure what it was but it certainly packed a wallop...she was either in a near coma on the bed and the only thing that got her up were several trips to the bathroom. As the morning gave way to early afternoon, I feared I was going to explore the city on my own and sadly pulled out maps to plan my day but after a couple of aspirin and some more rest she bounced back nicely and we made our way into Tokyo together!
We decided to have a light day of shopping just in case Mary started feeling ill again so we decided to visit nearby Ginza, the Beverly Hills of Tokyo. However Mary's currency situation was still an issue so before figuring out the subway system we headed over to 7-11...one of the very few places foreigners can pull money out of ATMs. Well, this was not as easy as we had hoped. After we had inserted her card and put in all the necessary information we got an "invalid card" message and it spewed out a receipt. This was not a good sign and you could see the disappoint on Mary's face as we walked away from the 7-11. We just couldn't figure it out! We decided to try another branch and on the way over we saw a post office. I had read earlier that post offices in Japan have foreign friendly ATMs as well so I suggested we go in there and try it. Well, the same thing happened again but something told me that the card was not invalid....the amount she was trying to withdraw was, so I asked her one more try it one more time using a lesser amount...and BINGO! She had money! I wish I had a camera at that moment as the look on Mary's face was priceless! I don't think I ever experienced such a roller coaster of emotions over an ATM withdrawl!

We started our walk over to the subway station and I pulled out my subway guide. I had found the line needed to get us to Ginza but that was the easy part.. How do we buy the tickets? How much do they cost? How far will they take us? Can we buy a pass? Thankfully, the ticket machine had an option for English and Mary figured it out within minutes (she is such a brain)! We got our tickets and walked down the ramp to our train. Mary pulled us over to the train on the right...not even thinking to check which direction we were supposed to go. Thankfully it was the right one. We didn't even think about it until the return trip but we could have gone in the wrong direction because we were so careless but what I am starting to find out is...EVERYTHING always seems to work out for Mary Ash!

It may look confusing but it's actually not so bad!

Well a few short stops later we arrived in Ginza and we emerged from the subway tunnel to a sea of building and people! One of the places I most wanted to stop in was Uniqlo, a Japanese shop I fell in love with in London. After picking up a nice shirt we decided to have a light lunch so we decided to head over to one of the the department stores famous for their floors of food and fashion.

Mitsukoshi Department Store: Go for the food!!!

We went right up to the 11th and 12th floors where the restaurants were located and after spending a few minutes trying to figure out the menus (all we had were pictures of food to go on) we decided to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and walk into an establishment specializing in noodle bowls (I've been dying to have a noodle bowl since we got here). As were wondering how we were going to order the waiter brought us menus...IN ENGLISH! Yeah! We ended up pointing to our choices and a few minutes later two steaming hot bowls of Udon noodles were sitting in front of us. I don't know if I was hungry or if I was caught up in the fact I was in Japan but that was the best noodle bowl I ever had! Delicious!

At this point Mary was feeling tired so we decided to go back to the hotel to rest up before dinner...before we left though we decided to visit the groceries on the bottom floors, I had read interesting things about them. As we made our long way down to the bottom again we made a quick stop to pick up one of my favourite treats in the world, macarons! But not just any macarons...macarons from Laudree! I was introduced to this heavenly creation in London by Fabienne and now if there is a Laduree anywhere near me I have to visit it! I didn't have to clue in Mary on Laduree macarons...as always she is well up on her good...especially when it comes up to sweets!

After picking up a small box of macarons to enjoy later we made our way down to the bottom floors and found ourselves in a sea of sights and smells. There were counters upon counters of baked goods and sweets, displayed behind glass cases as if they were jewelry. As we walked by each display we were greeted warmly by the sales associates, never once did I see anything but a smile. This made a very enjoyable experience even more enticing! It doesn't seem to matter where we are, the Japanese are friendly and cordial wherever we go.

I wanted to take photos of everything but thought that would be an odd thing to do but I managed to sneak in a couple of covert shots. I had no problem pulling out my camera for what I like to call the "kitty cakes." They were too adorable not to photograph! I found it surprising that they celebrate Halloween here...I've seen signs of it all over town.

Well at that point we had to make our way out of there because there was way too much temptation surrounding us. So we made our way back to the subway stop which was thankfully right there as we exited the building. I somehow managed to get a very tired Mary to pose for me, usually she's resistant to photographic situations like these but I think she always looks beautiful.

So back we went to the Grandbell for a short rest before the big dinner Mary planned, we had dinner reservations at 7 at Creations des Narizawa, one of the top fifty restaurants in the world as rated by Michelin, a guide known for it's ranking of fine dining. We planned a short rest to gather strength for the evening ahead, but things on this particular trip don't always go to plan...

We awoke in the dark in a panic! It was nearly 6 and we had an hour to shower, get dressed, get down there and actually find the restaurant, not an easy task in this city! Well, fortune favoured us again and thanks again to Mary's strong navigating skills we actually got there early! We got there and were greeted warmly by the host. At first glance, it was hard to tell where you actually entered the restaurant but we followed our host and he led us to a wall which opened up much like something out of those old Sinbad stories and in we walked into a small room and were led to a small cozy corner with a view of the kitchen and the entire restaurant...it was perfect!

A minute later our waiter arrived with a warm smile an English menu. He spoke very good English and proceeded to explain the menu to us. The items on the menu were chosen by the chef as our meal for the evening, it focused mainly on fish (not something I am particularly fond of) and we had no choice on what we could have...it was a long list of items that would be carried out of the kitchen in a random order, this worried me at first but I had trust in Mary when it comes to food, she has never failed me! So one after the other, the meals arrived...I can't really explain this experience in words...they would not do it justice. It was as much visual as it was taste and smell; each dish was an adventure in itself. I won't go over the entire menu but I will say that when my waiter poured liquid nitrogen onto my squid and this smoke arose from my plate, I was "wowed" beyond words! It was something I will never forget (that and the bill...mercy!).

Big in Japan!

2011-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

WE HAVE ARRIVED!
At this moment I am sitting at our hotel desk at nearly 6 in the morning watching the sun rise in the land of the rising sun! Our first day was a long one. I never do well on planes and long flights drive me batty but I've adjusted to them over the years. However, for whatever reason, this flight was particularly draining on me, there was too much turbulence for my taste and the movie selection was sub par so all I could think about was getting through it all. Mary handled it in her usual calm, relaxed fashion and slept half the way over...that is, until we landed!

We touched down at about 4 in the afternoon local time and I was in a hurry to get through immigration and into the city as Narita International is about an hour and a half from Central Tokyo! Well, after being fingerprinted and photographed by customs we collected our bags and proceeded to make our way out of the airport. However, we did have to jump one more hurdle. We had to pass through another security checkpoint where they ask you if you have anything to declare. They look over your baggage and they refer to the little card you had to fill out on the airplane. We were given one by the flight attendant, she said we only needed one as we were traveling together. Well, that was not the correct information. Mary filled out the card with her information and they let her go through but they said I needed one of my own! So as Mary was being ushered out of the airport I was ushered back in to fill out my card. I had all the information except for the hotel we were staying at. Well, they weren't pleased with that and they weren't going to let me through. Thankfully, the same lady who let Mary go through came over and straightened it all out! Thank God! For a minute there I thought I was going to spend my holiday in the airport!

Well, I got through and found Mary in a Wi-Fi hotspot trying to work out where our hotel was. A bus was going to take us into Tokyo to one of the hotels on its route but we had to navigate a few blocks to where we were actually staying, the Grandbell. So, while we were sitting there two Japanese policemen came up to us, smiled and said..."Random security check. passports please!" Well we pulled out our passports and they asked a few questions one of which (directed to me) was "Are you in the army or navy?" Mary answered for me by laughing.   The policemen took down our information and thanked us...they were very friendly but it was odd experience...well, maybe not so odd...I do look like a thug but we all now how opposite to the truth that is!
Well we got our bearings and got ready to finally leave the airport, I was so ready to get out of there at that point!   Mary needed some Yen so we went over to a currency exchange desk to get some from her debit card and well, they don't do that here. Currency exchange, at least at the airport is cash for cash. This nearly sent Mary over the edge as we found out how hard it is to exchange currency in Tokyo but she held it together and I suggested we just get to the hotel and sort it out in the morning. Luckily we got tickets and grabbed a bus minutes before it departed into the city. That was the first bit of luck we had!
Well, nearly two hours later we got off on our stop and started the search for our hotel. Mary had to use very crude directions from the web to get us here.   They don't use a "grid system" here...they have some odd way of numbering blocks and buildings which we haven't completely worked out yet. Well, we wandered around for a few blocks and we had to stop for directions but for the most part Mary's map was pretty much spot on! When the hotel came into our sights I nearly wept with joy and when we passed a British pub called "The Mermaid" that is right next to the hotel, I think I DID shed a tear! It was clearly a sign that everything was going to be alright from then on!
Well after a minor hiccup at check in (apparently they charge extra for two people in a single room) we got in and collapsed onto the bed! We made it!
There wasn't much fight left in us that day but I did want to walk around a bit before we hit the sheets so we headed over to the 7-11 (oh thank heaven!) we spotted earlier on our search for the Grandbell and picked up some much needed supplies (the usual stuff...coke, sweets, etc) and made our way back to our room to watch some Japanese game shows.
The last thing I did before I closed my eyes for the day was charge my very dead phone. I woke up this morning to find I have no service after I was assured by the ATT agent that my phone would have no problem overseas. This is a little frustrating as I am paying extra for an international plan and Mary has to make a very important phone call to her credit card company. I haven't said anything to her yet...she's having a rough morning.

View from our hotel room!

Our trip has got to get better from here on out...I am optimistic about it! I got very excited walking around last night...this is definitely going to be an experience I'll never forget!

From Here To Eternity!

2011-10-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome!
If youve found this blog you have been one of a select few of my friends invited to read about my semi interesting,, fairly comical life, either that or you typed a word in google search which brought you here. At any rate, be you a close friend or a curious passerby you are welcome to sit down, put your feet up and enjoy the write. I am not sure how long I will keep this up or if anyone will read it or if it will be interesting but I suppose its more of a creative outlet for me more than anything else so I wont sweat it too much. The next several entries should prove to be a pip as me and my girl are off to Japan Wednesday for two weeks! I should have some fantastic photos and embarrassing stories to share so stay tuned! Until next time I put head to pillow and dream of Japan: tasty noodle bowls, selvedge denim, bullet trains through the breathtaking countryside, temples and the curious inhabitants of Harajuku! Oyasumi!