Travelin Sistahs

Our Fun Ship Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Carnival Triumph

Posing with a showgirl outside the Paris Dining Room

Progreso

Cozumel

Yep...More Pics!

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Yaxcopoil hacienda

An iguana in Cozumel

Breakfast in the dining room...the best!

Carnival ships in Cozumel

Instead of "diet" it's light

An alligator in Cozumel near Chen Rios

Streets of Progreso

Temple of the Magician

Entrance to Uxmal

Pesos (and Tamika's fingers ;-))

Experience the Travelin Sistahs

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:16:00 +0000

Pictures tell a story and so do videos. We're posting a few so that you can see what we saw and hear what we heard. I must say...we had an amazing time.

In Cozumel receiving history of the area

These are videos at the Uxmal Mayan ruins...particularly in the ball court where matches would be held. A ball would be thrown down the center and the players would have to hit it with various parts of the body (hip, etc.). Decapitation also became a part of the game. The Mayans thought the greatest sacrifice was life so this game was truly a blood sport.

There is also a video where Carnival waitstaff puts on a show!

Azure Waters and the Wild Side

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:18:00 +0000

The water in Cozumel is amazingly blue and clear. It is so beautiful. After disembarking the ship, we arrived at the pier. We talked a taxi driver down and got a 3.5 hour tour of the island for $25 a person. Our driver was extremely nice, and drove carefully, which was a HUGE PLUS.

Cozumel is a very small island, so it's very easy to see quickly. We wanted to visit the "wild side"of the island; the East side is called the wild side because it has not had electricity since a hurricane many years ago. We stopped at Iguana’s, a restaurant with a private beach (a naked beach per the sign). We took pics, stopped at Chen Rios for a quick photo stop, and headed to our next destination—Playa Bonita restaurant.

Iguana's Restaurant

Chen Rios

I’d read great reviews on Playa Bonita so we just had to try the place. Playa Bonita sits on the beach, and our table was steps away from the pristine water. The tortilla chips are fresh and the salsa is pico de gallo, not the chunky salsa you find at Mexican restaurants in the States. We found that crunchy tacos are more of an Americanized thing. Also, tacos in Mexico are handmade tortillas. Ma ordered chicken nachos, I ordered beef nachos, and Tamika ordered beef tacos. The food was SUPERB!

Beef tacos

Beef nachos

Whew!

Our last stop was El Mirador, which is a series of rock formations. Afterwards, we headed back to the pier, took some touristy pics (hehe), and boarded the ship.

El Mirador

Ruins, Hacienda, and a Cow’s head??!!

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:43:00 +0000

We woke up to the beautiful scenery in Progreso this morning. Progreso is in the Yucatan Peninsula and is a sleepy fisherman’s town. We had plans to meet our tour guide, Pablo, who I found through the cruise critic boards (an excellent resource by the way). We booked Pablo in August, and were excited the day had finally approached. Our plans were to visit Uxmal Mayan ruins and experience Progreso like locals.

Entrance to the church in Uman

local market

The view is astounding. It was worth the long climb to the top!

Pablo

We met Pablo and set off on our journey. Having a personal tour guide sure beats getting hurdled like cattle in one of those tourist traps. Our first stop was the small city of Uman; Pablo took us to a local church and gave us the history of the Mayans. Mayan history is very similar to African American history; the Mayans worked as slaves and built the church. At one point, the church was a fortress.

We visited a local market and Yaxcopoil hacienda, which used to be a plantation that housed Mayan slaves. The hacienda just took our breath away.

Entrance to Yaxcopoil

We then went to Uxmal and visited the ruins. Fortunately, the weather was great! The breeze was light and it was not HOT. All of the natives were cold LOL, but we were just fine.


A cow's head

At the local meat market

Pablo gave us a ton of history everywhere we went. Legend has is it that Uxmal was built in one day by a dwarf magician. We saw the Temple of the Phallus, Nun’s Quadrangle, Temple of the Magician, and many other sites, and were provided detailed information on each. How Pablo retains this information is beyond me, but he is just that good. Having a knowledgeable tour guide that was concerned about our interests was a highlight of our trip.

After Uxmal, we visited an authentic Mayan restaurant and ate. The restaurant was beautiful and all of the servers were dressed in white linen pants and long sleeved shirts. The food was okay—I think it’s because the Mayan’s season food differently. However, the experience was wonderful and truly memorable.

Isn't this restaurant gorgeous?

Nun's Quadrangle

The salsa was made with habanero peppers and it was HOT!

the hacienda

so much fun

we climbed a lot of steps, but were too afraid (and tired) to reach the top!

Travelin Sistahs & Pablo

Highlighting the Experience...Welcome Aboard!

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:52:00 +0000

The Promenade
Here are some pics that depict our experiences onboard. We will post videos as soon as Blogger doesn't take 2 hrs to load them ;-) We know that you're just dying to get the inside scoop!

yum!

A HUGE poblano pepper

Spaghetti

lobster and shrimp for the formal night

all smiles at the Lido Deck

having a great time

1st Sea Day & Riding the High Seas

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Well, it’s our first day at sea and the waters are pretty choppy today. Can you believe that this ship is taller than the Statue of Liberty?! We sure can't! We got seasick, which was a first for Tamika and I. This is mother’s first cruise and she DID NOT get seasick at all. A crew member advised us to eat saltine crackers and not drink any fluids to rid ourselves of that queasy feeling. Fortunately it helped, and we were all better in about an hour.

We are in love with our room, and the view of the ocean is just gorgeous. We ate breakfast at the Lido Deck and attempted to lounge around poolside, but alas the weather is a bit chilly.

At the Lido deck

Our itinerary includes stops at Progesso, Mexico and Cozumel Mexico. Tomorrow we will arrive in Progresso and we are just giddy with excitement. We walked around the ship so that we could become more familiar with it; it’s still confusing to navigate around.

Tonight is the formal night so we get to dress up in our fancy smancy clothes and take pictures that will cost a minor fortune if we choose to buy them.

After dinner, we headed to the Promenade where there was a Motown show. Everyone was dancing, and the entertainment was wonderful. We had a really good time sashaying around in our cocktail dresses to the music of Motown. Later that night, we attended a show.

Our room steward spoiled us rotten. These stuffed animals were such a nice surprise ;-)

Ready for the show in the Rome Lounge…

Travelin Sistahs looking fancy!

Ready for a Fun Time?!!! (Day 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:35:00 +0000

Tamika & Ma

Me at Mother's Restaurant

TODAY is cruise day and we are very excited. After getting dressed, we decided to venture out into the city. We received recommendations to try Mother’s Restaurant for breakfast. After a ten minute walk we arrived at Mother's and waited outside for about ten minutes. We were then escorted into the quaint restaurant where pictures of celebrities lined the walls. Mother’s is a neat place that serves up French Creole cuisine and very good breakfast entrees. Ma ordered a ham biscuit, and I must say, the biscuits are HUGE and come with a dollop of what appears to be homemade grape jelly. YUM!

Tamika and I both had grits and cheese, smoked sausage, and biscuits. The portion sizes are large and the food is delectable. I haven’t had a smoked sausage in a LONG time and it was so good. Check out the pic of our food!

Breakfast for champions... Yummy!

We left Mother’s Restaurant stuffed and happy. Afterwards, we walked over to Harrah’s casino, played a few slots, and headed to the Riverwalk in search of Café du Monde. We heard such great things about the beignets at Café du Monde that we just had to try them. A beignet is a fried French doughnut with powdered sugar on top. We waited about ten minutes for an order of beignets (everyone was ordering them). They were $2.14 for three and we each had one. The beignets were good, fluffy, and airy. Ma really enjoyed them and it made for a nice experience.

While waiting in line, a jazz band walked around the Riverwalk and sung Christmas classics with a New Orleans jazz twist. It was quite the sight to see!

Nothin' like Christmas tunes with a NOLA twang!

Ma playing a few slots

After leaving the Riverwalk we headed to the Port oF New Orleans to meet our ship—the Carnival Triumph. After a bit of waiting, we finally boarded the ship, dropped off our luggage, and headed to the Lido Deck for lunch. The Triumph is gorgeous! Walking into the 3^rd floor lobby just takes your breath away as one encounters the beautiful décor, Christmas decorations, and the grandeur of the ship.

Okay, back to lunch. If you’ve been on a cruise ship you’re well aware that the food is nothing to rage about—at least its that way for me. We each had samplings of nachos, hamburgers, chicken fingers, and yogurt. The yogurt was incredible—I had two cups ;-) Everything else was pretty average. We didn’t see anything else on the buffet that suited our fancy sans fruit, so we stuck to the grill.

After eating, we decided to head back and REST. Our feet were burning from all the walking we did while waiting to board the ship. We met our room steward who is so sweet, and decided to catch a few zzz’s before dinner.

Dinner was in the Paris Dining Room and fancy smancy…LOL. The dining room is so beautiful, and service was excellent. We dined with two funny ladies from Mississippi, and three other ladies from Louisiana. Tamika and I even found out about a strawberry festival in Louisiana that we will try to attend next year. Mother had the ribs and they were good. I think she lucked out on her entrée. Tamika had a medium well steak that was tough as nails, and I had Mahi Mahi.

The food was not well seasoned, but then that’s to be expected—cruise lines are not expected to please everyone’s taste buds, so I was content with the good company, ambiance, shrimp cocktail, and vanilla icecream ;-) The food was ALWAYS displayed so elegantly on the china...sometimes it looked too pretty to eat!

At the Paris Dining Room

Stuffed mushrooms

Welcome to NOLA (Day 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:23:00 +0000

After the 5+ hour drive to New Orleans, we were TIRED! We headed to our hotel, the Wyndham Garden, which was absolutely gorgeous. It was surely a long day. We decided to order chicken wings from a place called Daisy Dukes, which came highly recommended by the hotel staff. The wings were GOOD, spicy as all get out, and had a wonderful Cajun seasoning on them. I love spicy food—the spicier the better. These wings were sooo spicy that my nose started running ;-)

We’re so excited about our cruise…check back to see what we’re up too next!

How You Doin, Wendy? (Ogenki Desu ka)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Chocolate and Browsing (Day 15, 16, & 17)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:32:00 +0000

A lovely home we passed by everyday on the way to the train station

Door at Hanazono Shrine

Day 15 was a pretty easy day. Juan escorted Tamika and I to Shinjuku where we visited Hanazono Shrine and walked around the city. We went to Isetan, a department store, in search of Jean-Paul Hévin chocolates. Tisha gave the chocolate very high reviews, so I just HAD to try some. Y’all know I am a dessert connoisseur. After waiting in line for about seven minutes to go into Jean-Paul Hévin's store, which is in the basement section of Isetan, we were granted entry. The store is very small and holds about 15 people max.

After buying three miniature pieces of chocolate (about the size of a quarter) for 955 yen (roughly $10 USD), we left the store. Jean-Paul Hévin chocolates are extremely tasty. The chocolate is smooth and melts in your mouth (per Tamika). Was the chocolate worth the exorbitant price tag? No. However, it is the experience that counts. I could see $1 per miniature piece of candy, but then again, Jean-Paul Hévin chocolates are not available in the U.S.

Moreover, Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world--so the prices are to be expected. Afterwards, we browsed around the various shops in Subnade, an underground shopping center.

Tori gates

Hanazono Shrine

On Day 16, Tamika and I packed our things and reminisced about our trip. We were NOT ready to leave Tokyo! The city is amazingly beautiful, full of spunk, and all that jazz. Juan took us to Mori Town where we did a little shopping. We went to Mister Donut to taste the difference between their doughnuts and Krispy Kreme. Of course they were out of glazed doughnuts, so Tamika ordered a strawberry doughnut which was pretty good, but was still not sweet enough for me; I ordered a chocolate doughnut, which was not as good as Krispy Kreme.

As I stated in a previous post, sweets in Japan are not like the typical sweets found in the States. But I appreciated trying them. After leaving Mister Donut, we headed to Cold Stone Creamery where Juan and I had ice cream, which was SWEET! Later on that night, Tamika and I grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the hotel to prepare for our departure.

On Day 17, with sadness in our hearts and a plethora of memories, Tamika and I left our “home away from home” for the past 18 days (we did not count the day we arrived ;-)). Juan came and saw us off as we boarded the bus and left Tokyo.

After traveling to different places in Japan (Tokyo, Kamakura, Yokohama, & Kyoto), Tamika and I said our last goodbyes to the place we fell in love with, and bidded Juan farewell. This was an awesome trip. Thank you to all our readers for following us as we sojourned throughout Japan. Thank you to those that prayed for us, helped us in various ways, and sent happy thoughts.

On the long flight back home

Japanese drinks

The Body can do That?! (Day 14)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:43:00 +0000

The performers concluding the show

Leaving Tokyo Disney!

At Tokyo Disney--I have my superstar smile on

Tamika and I headed to see Cirque du Soleil's ZED. We are big fans of Cirque du Soleil, as well as cirque shows that aren't affiliated with the company. We found out about Zed from Juan, who gave it good reviews, so we decided to make the 2 hour ride to Tokyo Disney to see the show. Simply put, the show was awesome and well worth the long train ride. As with any cirque show, there were dazzling acrobatics, mind blowing skill, and agility that comprised the show.

Having a fantastic time!

At the entrance to the theatre

One of the highlights of the show was when several jugglers juggled three lit torches at a time, and threw them to each other across the stage. There were about 20 or so torches being thrown at a time, and lots of smoke was in the air.

ZED was an incredible show that we thoroughly enjoyed. The power of the human body is amazing. The concept of the show is about the human experience, and Zed's growth as a human. At the end, everything comes together harmoniously.

Afterwards, we headed to Coco's for some curry--Juan says I should have tried something different but oh well. Juan picked us up and dropped by the "chicken shack," where he bought me a meal, and the chicken was good. I have leftovers for tomorrow; hopefully, it will still taste good.

More curry

At the "chicken shack"

Fun, Friends, and Praise (Day 13)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:07:00 +0000

With Natsuki at Chili's

Yesterday was a pretty full day. We were up at about 6:30 a.m. so that we could meet Juan at 8:30 a.m. Trust and believe that Juan is always on time, so we couldn't be late! As Tamika recently blogged about, Juan surprised us with a scenic flight around Tokyo and Yokohama. I've never been much for surprises, but I've become more apt to them now as I've gotten good ones. Yesterday's surprise was so awesome I can't even put it into words! I always saw the scenic flights on t.v., but never thought I'd take one. I don't call Juan my best friend for nothing ;-)

Afterwards, we headed into the city. Tamika and I went to dinner, and met Juan and Tisha later on that night to go bowling. For some strange reason, my bowling game is not as good as it used to be, and Juan ended up winning the game.

Today was a pretty restful day. I slept in pretty late (9 a.m.), while Tamika slept in even later! After heading to the fitness room, washing clothes, and mulling around the hotel room, Tamika and I got ready for our dinner date with our new friend Tisha.

After dinner, the three of us headed to bible study at Juan and Tisha's church. The group spoke about praying boldly to God, and how we should ask Him to guide our steps. We studied Hebrews 4:16, and how we should rely on God to supply all of our needs, but that we should also go boldly to Him and pray fervently. We must strive to make prayer a constant action in our lives, and feed our faith by studying the word of God. Interestingly enough, it was discussed that one can tell a Christian by the way they live their lives, and that they don't have to proclaim it to the world. This is something that I was discussing with Tisha and Tamika two days ago. God speaks to us in many ways--we just have to listen...

I have been very blessed to have a friend like Juan. Even in our silence we understand each other, and there is a commonality between us. Tamika and I are extremely blessed to have met Tisha and formed a new and beautiful friendship. I know that anyone that is a friend of Juan's is a beautiful person.

A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.

- Arabian Proverb

Altitude Sickness?!…No!! (Day 12)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:22:00 +0000

Getting ready to see Japan from the air!

In the previous post, we alluded that AnJuan had a surprise for us. Yesterday, at 8:30am sharp, we headed to the Aero Club for an aerial tour of Tokyo and Yokohama. The tour lasted for a little over an hour, the plane was quaint and cute, and we had a blast. The excitement didn’t hit me until Shermika said that she would ride in the front seat of the plane. It was a Cessna plane that seated up to four individuals. We even had our own headsets where we could talk to each other being that there was a lot of noise from the plane’s engine.

It was amazing to see Tokyo Tower and other major sites from above in the air. This was one of the nicest surprises that we have ever received! Thanks again Juan for your thoughtfulness and kindness. Believe it or not, I am afraid of heights and even told Juan this when he took us to Sunshine City's observatory to see the city up close and personal. The observatory was on the 60th floor and the elevator went 600 mph, reached the floor in a few seconds, glowed in the dark and displayed the different zodiac signs.

After leaving Sunshine City, we headed to a few other places in Japan including Roppongi Hills, and Tokyo Tower. Be sure to check out our videos and pictures below!!

Check out the plane! Cool, huh?

Juan striking his usual pose

Me cheesing!

Shermika with Tokyo Tower in the background

Riding in the front seat never looked this good!

Floral shop near Tokyo Tower. The building has flowers all over it.

In Roppongi in front of Maman sculpture

Shermika looking down at the city
I was too scared to stand on the steps. If you look closely, you can see the reflection of Shermika's shoes.

In the middle of Ikebukuro--A busy area

Beautiful view from the plane

Tokyo Tower--up close

Waterfront area

Miles and miles of Tokyo--3xs the size of New York

Getting the plane ready for flight

Sunshine City's elevator--fastest & coolest in the world

Royalty Galore (Day 11)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Tokyo
Beauty surrounds me
Amazing culture abounds
Language, lights, and love

A haiku I wrote while here...

Guard at the Imperial Palace

These guards did NOT move once while we were there--not even a blink.

Having a grand time!

Flowers at the East Gardens

Nijunbashi bridge--said to be the most photographed scene in Japan

Edo Castle at the Imperial Palace

In front of a guarded entrance

Two days ago, Tamika and I visited the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, as well as Nijunbashi, two bridges that allow entrance into the inner palace grounds. The Imperial Palace is home to the Imperial Family. The palace buildings and inner gardens are not open to the public.

After a short walk from Tokyo Station, we arrived at the palace. The palace is absolutely gorgeous, and is surrounded by large stone walls. Tamika and I took in the different sites around the Imperial Palace and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We hung around Tokyo for a bit, admired the scenery, and then made the trek back to the hotel.

Walls of the palace

Hanging around Tokyo

Tamika and I at the Imperial Palace

Leading into the East Gardens--these doors are VERY tall!

Tamika at Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse

This was the largest guardhouse set up in front of the Ote-san-no-mon gate leading to Honmaru for inspection of visitors who entered from Ote-mon gate in the Edo Period. One hundred samurai guardmen, chosen from among the guardsmen and loyal retainers of each of the four main branches of the Tokugawa clan had their quarters there and worked in shifts day and night. No...Tamika isn't a guard ;-)

Store Hopping and Dinner Plus Dessert (Day 10)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:35:00 +0000

In the restroom

Shermika and Tisha

AnJuan and I

Yesterday, Shermika and I stayed in for the most part to rest until we were escorted to the mall later on that night. Earlier that day, we ate lunch, took a walk around the Air Force base, and surfed the net. We went to Aeon Mall where I was in search of a cute purse and a reasonably priced hat. In Japan, flowers are popular on everything from hats, to shoes, purses, and clothes. This country has some of the nicest restrooms I have ever seen!!

After doing a little shopping, Tisha and Juan took us to Koni Steakhouse, where you will pay anywhere from ¥1,600 to ¥6,600 (roughly $20-$70 USD) for a steak depending on the cut. Afterwards, we had dessert at Cold Stone Creamery and headed back to the hotel. Today, we plan on visiting some of the few places left on our itinerary. We practically completed our list of places to visit in a week! Tomorrow, AnJuan is suppose to take us somewhere top secret so, check back later to see where we visited!!

In the restroom...isn't it nice?

Enjoy the Music & the View

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:36:00 +0000

As a lover of music, I had to post this video of a musician at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Tamika and I were mesmerized. It sounded beautiful.

View of Tokyo from the 45th floor of TMGB's South Observatory

Crowded Streets & Achy Feet (Day 9)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 08:49:00 +0000

At Takeshita Dori--look at the crowd. Whew!

Today, Tamika and I visited Harajuku, which is home to teenage fashion culture. This was our second visit to the area, and we went for three main reasons: to see Japanese teens dressed as their favorite cartoon characters, visit a park and shrine, and shop at Oriental Bazaar.

Tackling this city is a feat in and of itself, which is why this was our second visit. You can never finish all of what you planned, and today was no surprise. We saw some teenagers dressed in outlandish costumes. The park and shrine will have to be tackled on another day--as long as we got to shop I was content ;-)

Oriental Bazaar is one of Tokyo's largest souvenir shops, and they had some beautiful goods. We had fun browsing around the store and picked up a few items along the way. The store was magnificent and replete with nice trinkets.

St. Patrick's Day parade. The streets were crowded with people. There was hardly any room to walk.

On Omotesando avenue outside of Oriental Bazaar. Tamika finds the coolest things!

Having a fabulous time

Riding the subway back to the hotel

A dessert shop in Tachikawa station. The Japanese are big on sweets and presentation. Desserts are meticulously arranged on platters and look gorgeous. However, their level of sweetness is not the typical "sweet" in the U.S.

As a dessert junkie, I wasn't too impressed with the strawberry milkshake I had, cinnamon roll, manju, or doughnut. YES, I kept trying things, but it was the experience that counts. I did have something today that tasted like a light and airy poundcake; it wasn't very sweet, but it was good. At any rate, the wagashi was delicious, so it made up for everything.

Streets of Harajuku (along Ometasando avenue)

Pagondas and Toilets...Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:53:00 +0000

5 storied pagonda at Sensoji Temple

Japanese Toilet

Use Your Feet and Make a Move! (Day 8)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:49:00 +0000

Shermika on the bike...the seats are REALLY SMALL!

Several ducks passed by us

Friends on the pedal boat

Today was a beautiful day! It was sunny, the wind was perfect, and we decided to hang with an old and new friends to visit a local park here in Metropolitan Tokyo. Showa Kinen Park, per their website, was established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa's reign, and it now comprises about 163 acres of completed area. There were pedal boats, so you know we had to test drive one! It was a workout to keep the boat moving, but we often would let the wind guide us on the water.

Next, we covered a lot of ground with the help of our bikes that we rented for ¥410 (yen)! It was tricky at first, but Shermika and I got the hang of balancing the Japanese bikes. After coming off a hill I even fell in the bushes; if you know me then you are well aware that I brushed myself off and laughed. We reached our destination, which was beautiful. AnJuan told us that the area is more spectacular in the fall, and when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom. The cherry blossoms will be in bloom in a couple of weeks, so I hope that we at least get to see some!

After working up an appetite, we headed to a local Japanese eatery, Sherlock Holmes, that our friends like to frequent. The food was superb and the service was awesome, even though there was a language barrier. We didn't leave a tip as tipping is not customary in Japan; it can even be considered to be rude as the Japanese believe that service should not come at an additional cost.

Lots of food for a little over 2,000 yen. This includes meal, drink, rice/bread, salad, and dessert. What a deal! No refills in Japan though.

Yummy! I couldn't even eat it all. Dessert is next...

Miles on our Feet and Swap Meat! (Day 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:43:00 +0000

On the way to the garden

Yesterday was a lazy day, so we decided to relax and enjoy one of the local gardens, and visit one of the large shopping markets in Japan. We left the hotel around 12pm, which is late being that we are normally out of the door no later than 9:30am. After getting a bite at Burger King, yes, Burger King, we headed for Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. The name of the garden, “Korakuen,” is derived from a Chinese text that states that there’s “a need for those in power to worry about maintaining power first and then enjoy power later on.”

So, "Korakuen" means "the garden for enjoying power later on." This historic garden was filled with beautiful trees, ponds, and stone walkways. One tree was in the shape of a “s.” Neat, huh? We enjoyed the beauty of the garden by sitting on a bench where you could see beautiful flowers, listen to the birds, and hear the screams of adrenaline junkies on the roller coaster that was near the garden.

"S" shaped tree--BONSAI

Me in front of Otowanotaki waterfall

Engetsu-kyo (Full Moon Bridge)

The reflection of the bridge in the pond produces a full circle, which looks like a full moon. The design was created by the Confuscian scholar, Shu shunsui of the Ming dynasty. It has survived in its original form since 1629 in the early Edo period.

Next, we headed to Ameyoko, a very busy market street filled with people selling everything from octopus to spices, to shoes and seafood. One tidbit: "Ameyoko" is a short form for "Ameya Yokocho" (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. On the other hand, "Ame" also stands for "America", since American products used to be available on the black market after World World II. They still sell a lot of American shoes and clothes, but it was swap meat.

Shermika and I couldn’t believe how many people were selling fake Sean John, New Balance shoes, and many other well known brands. And of course, Shermika did her favorite thing--shopping for SHOES! She actually found two cute pairs within her frugal budget ;-)

Check back later to see what we’ve been up to. Peace!

Seafood, spices, octopus galore!!!

At the entrance to Ameyoko. A kind stranger offered to take our picture. Arigato!

Rapid Train Please! (Day 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:10:00 +0000

Me in front of Chinatown

Yesterday, Shermika and I ventured out to Shinjuku and Yokohama, Japan's second largest city. After getting up early to catch the Chuo-Ome line and then transferring at Tokyo Station, we headed for Yokohama. Right outside the steps of the subway station were Motomachi department stores with over-priced goods that to me, didn’t seem worth half of what they wanted for the items. After viewing these stores we went to one of the world’s largest Chinatowns. We experienced friendly locals and narrow streets marked with bright, bold colors, plenty of food, and clothing stops.

At Yamashita Park

In Motomachi

After taking a stroll through Chinatown, we headed to Yamashita Park. There you couldn’t miss the massive first-class black and white ocean liner, Hikawa Maru, that once attracted Charlie Chaplin and the Imperial family. It was securely docked at the shore. In Shinjuku we visited the well-known tourist attraction, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. We went to the 45th floor where we had the pleasure of viewing many sites and cities across Japan. The view was spectacular, and Shermika and I will go again next week to check it out after dusk.

View of Tokyo

Strolling Around the Ancient City (Day 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:30:00 +0000

Tamika at Tsuragaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Yesterday, we went to Kamakura, which is about 2.5 hours away from us by train. Kamakura was once the capital of Japan, and is an ancient city replete with shrines, temples, and the like.

Great Buddha

Tamika at the Great Buddha

One of the main attractions is Kotokuin Daibutsu (Great Buddha) and Tsuragaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Great Buddha is the second largest bronze statue in Japan. Tsuragaoka Hachimangu shrine is one of the most popular shrines in Kamakura; it is the largest Shinto shrine in Kamakura. Buddhism and Shinto are two of the major religious practices in Japan.

Having lots of fun!

Shopping on the streets of Kamakura

The weather in Kamakura was simply gorgeous compared to the winter chills of Tokyo. Tamika and I walked around tiny streets where merchants were selling goods distinct to both Japan and Kamakura. On a narrow shopping street, we found a merchant selling goods, and she counted the money with a cash register that looked like beads. This was very neat...I tell you culture is AMAZING! This woman was counting our change without the typical cash register. To top it off, she was extremely nice and spoke to us entirely in Japanese!!!

Video of the cash register is below....

Loyalty and Teenage Fashion District (Day 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:24:00 +0000

At the loyal Hachiko's statue--a popular meeting spot in Shibuya

Three days ago, Shermika and I visited Shibuya & Harajuku. We went to the infamous Shibuya Crossing, and saw the statue of the loyal dog, Hachiko. We didn't have to walk far before we spotted Hachiko. There were people praying to Hachiko, snapping pictures, and beautiful flowers and dog biscuits were lying at Hachiko's statue. Hachiko is a very famous and loved dog in Japan because of his loyalty. Everyday, he would walk to Shibuya station to meet his owner so that they could walk home together. After his owner's death, Hachiko still walked to the station in hopes to meet his owner, until his own death 10 years later. Talk about loyalty!

Shibuya crossing is the most crowded crossing where people come from all directions. We went to Krispy Kreme where a dozen doughnuts are 1600 yen ($17 USD roughly). There are a variety of doughnuts that are not in the states, some of which are heart-shaped. After roaming around, we left to go to Harajuku. Both Harajuku and Shibuya are known for their trendy spots that attract young, hip Tokyonites.

We visited Meiji Jingu shrine (172 acres, which we didn't walk!) in Harajuku, which was extremely huge, peaceful, and relaxing. The shrine is in the midst of a forest, and we were greeted by beautiful trees, ponds, and the exotic sounds of birds. After relaxing a bit, we left and went to Takeshita Dori street where a multitude of shops are crowded on a little tiny street.

Shermika doing her favorite thing--shopping for shoes! If you KNOW her, this is completely expected ;-) (FYI...she didn't buy any YET--y'all know she's undecided and always looking for the best deal!!!)

Shermika at Meiji shrine

Me in Harajuku--Takeshiti Dori street (FYI...the McDonald's is much different than it is in the States).

Shinkansen, Geishas, & Maiko Makeover! (Day 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Shermika and Tamika) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:05:00 +0000

Riding the Shinkansen Hikari to Kyoto! All smiles.

Me as a maiko

In front of Yasaka no toh

Tamika in Gion

In front of Yasaka no toh

Today we traveled to Kyoto (about 3 hours away) on the world famous shinkansen (bullet train). Japan is known for their uber efficient transit system, and the ride was comfortable. Kyoto is the former capital of Japan, and home of the Geisha district (Gion). Our hope was to catch a glimpse of a real live geisha, but unfortunately, we saw a tourist dressed as a geisha. Most importantly, our primary reason for visiting Kyoto and Gion was so that I could get a maiko makeover. A maiko is an apprentice geisha, or person of the performing arts. If you haven't seen Memoirs of a Geisha, check it out to get a feel for what I'm saying.

After the makeover

Looking darling

After the makeover, we had plans to see the famous Golden Pavilion and a few other sites in Kyoto; but alas, AnJuan called and informed us that it was snowing in Tokyo. We quickly got back to the subway, hopped on the shinkansen, and made the journey back to Tokyo. Fortunately, Juan came and scooped us up after he got his car out of the snow! We then went and got some fried chicken curry from Coco's, which was tasty. I had to buy some boots for 1,000 yen (USD $10-$11...yay! yall know I'm frugal) from Seiyo, Tokyo's Walmart, because my New Balance shoes have mesh at the top and were completely soaked (socks included!).

It's snowing!

Fried Chicken Curry-yum!

Maybe we'll trek back to Kyoto to see what we missed...