Hwaseong Fortress and Suwon
Suwon, which markets itself as the happy city of filial piety, is an easy day trip from Seoul. You can get all the way there on the Seoul metro subway if you ride line #1 almost to the end. It’s far enough to feel like you’re out of the city, but Suwon itself is still […]
Temples Temples Everywhere
Kyoto is Japan’s ancient capital. There is much to see and do: it’s got historical, cultural, natural, culinary, and modern treasures around every corner, and it can be totally overwhelming. We tried to choose a few must-sees and a few less-visited spots and squeeze in what we could in the time we had here. To […]
Osaka: More is More
Osaka is a great jumping off point for exploring the region. It has a bit of everything, and no doubt something for everyone. Like any big urban center, it can be overwhelming until you get oriented and find what neighborhoods suit you best. We were couchsurfing in the Daito area, not far from Nozaki station, […]
Garden City Okayama: Home of Momotaro, Peach Boy
It seems every Japanese city has a hometown hero, mascot or theme. You see it in decorations, in gifts for purchase, even in the food. The story of Momotaro, the boy who sprang from a peach with his dog and monkey to fight off demons is a well known and well loved tale. His statue […]
Storming the Castle
A quick 45 minute Shinkansen ride dropped us at Kumamoto Station. The city is best known for it’s castle, Kumamoto-jō, which was completed in 1607. The original was burned after a 50 day besiegement in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion, the last stand by the samurai against those who were making their way of life […]
Viva Valdivia
Our first real stop in Chile was the town of Valdivia. It´s unfortunate distinction in recent years was an industrial accident that killed 5000 black-necked swans, but these days it seems to have cleaned up that act, and it turned out to be a great place to spend a few days. Valdivia is an old […]