Naksan Temple
The sometimes lush and green, sometimes bare and craggy Taebek Mountains meet the pounding Eastern Sea in South Korea’s northeastern Gangwon Province. To the north is North Korea, to which originally part of the region originally belonged. (Kim Il Sung’s former villa is nearby). Seoul is a few hours southwest by bus, and everything east […]
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 […]
Seoul
There will be no excuses for this long-overdue post after our arrival in Seoul. It’s been almost a week, and we’re getting pretty settled in. Neither of us knew much about South Korea other than the most basic historical facts. I had a semester of Korean culture/anthropology, but it’s been a while since reading Shamans, […]
Quick-stop in Transit
Hakata is best known for two things: being home to the largest wooden Buddha and Hakata Ramen. We tossed our bags in a coin locker at the station, halfway between Kumamoto and Hiroshima. It was raining on and off, so our walk was brisk. We saw a number of temples on the way, including one, […]
Shinkansen to Nagasaki
The first Shinkansen voyage of the trip was a long haul. We left from Odawara Station, south of Yokohama. It was the first day the Japan Rail Pass was valid, and we were excited to start getting our money’s worth. The pass is only for visitors, and must be purchased before you arrive in Japan. […]
Hakone
Hakone and the surrounding area is a traditional gateway for people from Yokohama and Tokyo to escape the city and get out into nature. The area is mountainous and forested, and there are lots of things to do. Mt. Fuji is close, and if it isn’t covered in clouds you can get a gorgeous view. […]
Home
The following day, my former homestay sister picked us up to spend a few days with her family. On the way, we took a long, relaxing detour to Sankeien, an expansive park with lots of trees flowers and a small lake, opened to the public in 1906. There are also a few relocated buildings, including […]
Yokohama Reunions
Arriving at Yokohama Station, I felt like I was back on my old stomping grounds. I lived here for about a year, my senior year of high-school and the summer after. I haven’t been the best at keeping in touch with my Hodogaya High classmates, but that didn’t stop us from putting together a little […]
Sasquatch
It was a crazy Memorial Day weekend between the Country Cabin Motel and working at the Sasquatch Music Festival in the middle of Washington State. The festival is held at the Gorge Amphitheater, and features a great line-up of indie/alternative bands. Due to the remote location, most people camp, and we were set up right […]
Verano Negro
We arrived in Chincha just in time for Verano Negro (Black Summer), an annual eventsort of like carnaval, celebrating Afro Peruvian culture, history and traditions. Here and nearby Carmen are the cradle of Afro Peruvian culture, evident in the music, dance and in the people themselves. There isn´t much tourism here otherwise, and the region is clearly […]