Takayama- Miya-gawa Morning Market, Higashiyama Walking Tour

Got our temple fix early in the morning at Hida Kokubun-ji, Takayama's oldest temple. It was originally built in the 8th century. Next to it is a 1200 year old Gingko tree....

We then headed to the Miya-gawa morning market...right alongside the river. This market takes place every morning. We had the street food mitarashi-dango, skewers of grilled riceballs seasoned with soy sauce.

Most of the sellers are rugged farm folk...selling bags of mystery dried fruits, vegetables, pickles and other unidentifiable objects.

We then went to the Sanmachi district which has the furui machinami or "old private homes". Beautiful old traditional homes right near the river.

Amongst the homes we found a Sake brewery! They are easily recognised by the spheres of cedar fronds hung out front. This one had a shop full of goods as well as a beautiful back garden.
We could also see the fermentation tanks, tastefully covered in bamboo...everything "industrial" in Japan is disguised.

Then there was the sake bar! Makes you want to take a seat, doesn't it? We did try some local sake, but not here.

On to the Takayama-Jinja, the only remaining prefectural office building of the Tokugawa shogunate. There are government offices, a rice granary, garden and torture chamber (of course).

After lunch, and a nap (we are both fighting colds) we did the Higashiyama Walking Tour. Basically a two hour walk that can be extended when you can no longer find the signs that say "Higashiyama Walking Tour". The first part is in the Teramachi district which has over a dozen temples and shrines.

Behind the temples we found huge old cemeteries  We saw a few women cleaning their loved ones headstones and providing fresh flowers as well as food and drink offerings.

After many wrong turns, and getting mauled by a non-English speaking Japanese women's Akita dog (okay, so it was a puppy..but still...and we did manage to break the language barrier...she pointed us in the right direction) we came to Shiroyama-koen, a mountainous park.

Oh, as an aside.....even the manhole covers in Japan are beautiful. I had been wanting to take a picture for days...but had to wait until no one was around. "Crazy American!"

In the park, I got the chance to use the "Japanese" style toilet. The actual use of the toilet was not the problem...it was the small nature of the space. Getting out of the stall without putting a foot in was difficult. When I came out Dean said, "jeez, did you fall in?

A view of the Japan Alps from the ruins of the castle, Takayama-jo built in the late 16th century. Nice view to wake up to every morning.

Ended the day with another fantastic meal of Sukiyaki....cooked the beef and vegetables over the little grill, then dipped it in raw egg. Quite good!

Takayama- Hida district

We left Tokyo and headed for Takayama (the gateway to the Japan Alps) on the Shinkansen or bullet train. These trains can reach speeds up to 300km/hr. They are also amazingly comfortable...more leg room then I could ever imagine a tiny Japanese person could ever need...but greatly appreciated by us! They arrive on time by the minute. Incredible. We transferred to a regional train on the way up the mountain. The ride was beautiful- next to a large gorge with a blue/green river at the bottom.

We arrived at our Ryokan to find very small doorways typical of Japan. At least they warn you here! We hit our heads often. Our room has the typical tatami mats and futons. Very comfortable and affordable.

Here is our lounge at the Rickshaw Inn...shared with a small kitchen. Very much like a B&B. Mostly international tourists.

Takayama is famous for it's Hida-gyu (local beef). It rivals Kobe, Argentine and American beef.
We found a local butcher shop that has a restaurant upstairs (Yamatake-Shoten). You choose your own cut of meat and they slice it up for you. You then get a plate of vegetables and cook it over charcoal at your table. You barely cook the meat..then dip it in a steak sauce and soy sauce with wasabi. The meat literally melts in your mouth. It is NOT lean....but delicious.

Takayama is full of little alleys and side streets with bars and restaurants. It is also well known for it's sake breweries, which we intend to explore further!

Tokyo- Shibuya Crossing, Harajuku Girls, Meiji Shrine

Slept in for the first time in Japan..."might" have had something to do with the late night out! We decided to head to Shibuya Crossing, which was made famous by the movie Lost in Translation. When the light turns "go" for pedestrians it is mayhem. Starbucks has the second floor of the building right smack in the middle of my picture. Got some coffee and watched the world go by. GREAT people watching.

We then headed to Harajuku. This area is a shopping mecca for teenyboppers. Shops full of hilarious tshirts, lingerie, costumes...you name it, they sell it.

I was trying to get an example of a Harajuku girl. They dress in goth, punk and other types of costumes. They are sometimes called cosplay-zoku, dressed as anime characters (Japanese animation). They wear tons of make-up. They do this only on the weekends- posing for pictures.

On our way to Meiji-Jingu, a shrine, we passed this display of rice barrels in the park. I just like this picture.

At the shrine, we stumbled upon two different formal Japanese weddings. It was incredible! A procession...with everyone in kimono's. Above is the bride, groom and bride's mother. They are covered by an umbrella. All of the guests follow behind as they parade around the shrine.

Here comes the second wedding party through the shrine gate. Security was there to keep the onlookers from approaching.

Dinner again with Mark and Noriko. We had shabu-shabu. Basically thin slices of meat and vegetables cooked by swirling in a light broth (spicy and soy) then dipped in yummy sauces. You prepare them at your table.

We ate until nearly popping! It was an "all you can eat" package...and we did Japan proud! Now on to Takayama, the gateway to the Japan alps.

Tokyo- Ueno Park, Ameyoko Arcade,Kagurazaka

Woke up early and took a long walk to Ueno Park. One thing we have noticed in Japan is the attention to detail. Above is the perfect example. In the U.S. there would be one guy sweeping in a park...in Japan there is 15. A few to sweep, a few to hold the bags and a few to stand in reflective clothing and watch. Note the bamboo brooms.

Part of Toshogu shrine...The park has 5 museums, a zoo and a huge pond blanketed in lotus leaves. We took a run through it the next day. Japanese are "new" to running and LOVE it. Tokyo marathon is only recently open to the public. When we passed a runner he seemed delighted and gave a sign of comradery.

We then headed to Ameyoko Arcade-a lively outdoor shopping market. Saw all kinds of fun things. Not sure what they all were...but fun!

Did a Lonely Planet walking tour of Kagurazaka, which is known for it's cobbled alleys, expat-run French cafes and bars. It is a challenge finding anything in Japan....as the street signs are in Japanese. In fact, Lonely Planet doesn't even label the streets on their maps. So we go "5 streets up, a right...go around a curve and pray that it's there!" We had ramen for lunch in a non-english menu/speaking place. Did the point at a picture thing. Mine was HOT with a red chili oil and mystery meat....but delicious.

Met my childhood friend Mark and his girlfriend Noriko for the evening. Had drinks and appetizers on the deck of their 9th floor apartment overlooking the city skyline. Their apartment is considered quite large at 700 sq feet. Mark said that most "single" people live in about 300 sq feet. Afterwards we went to the most amazing restaurant for dinner. Above is the menu (thank goodness for our Japanese speaking hosts!) You crawl in through a tiny door.

We started with sashimi (on the black plate) and moved to grilled vegetables and seafood. The chef prepares everything on a grill in front of you. It was soooo fresh and delicious.

Here is the chef, grilling away with a burst of fire. At one point they celebrated someone's birthday...turned off all the lights and the entire room sang Happy Birthday in English. Very entertaining, especially for Dean who had left the room and came crawling through the tiny door in the middle of it all!

The night started with champagne, white wine...then moved to beer, sake, and shochu (a distilled grain liquor). Here we are sipping our sake. It is served chilled with a wooden container to catch the overspill. It was all delicious...until the next morning's hangover.

We caught the midnight train....last one. It was unbelievable. Japanese work HARD. Most work until 8pm-midnight every night. So when Friday night hits, they go out BIG. There were numerous business men passed out on the train. Everyone races to get the last train, as taxi's are expensive...or you party until 5am (next train). So it is mayhem! Kampai! (Cheers!)

Tokyo-Fish Market & Tokyo Great Cycling Tour

We made it to Tokyo! A day late and a thirteen hour flight later....we arrived and managed to navigate the train system as well as find our Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn...although ours is much like a small hotel).
Our room- with tatami mats and a futon to sleep on. The futon and surprisingly firm pillows are actually quite comfortable...might be somewhat related to the eight hour time difference causing extreme jet lag..;)
The street outside our Ryokan...quite empty at 6am. We are in a great neighborhood, only a few train stops from downtown...but away from the hustle and bustle. The tiny streets are full of small restaurants, bars and shops. Our first night we found a small tempura restaurant. The owner/chef came out to try his English on us. Most Japanese do not speak English, and even if they can, they are often too shy to try it. We ended up running into the chef at the Fish Market the next morning. Small world in big Tokyo!

The Tsukiji Fish Market. The big draw is the tuna auction, but it was closed due to "inappropriate behavior by visitors". (ie tourists getting in the way). Trust me, there was no way to NOT get in the way. The Fish Market was the craziest place I've ever been. I felt like a huge bumbling "American tourist"....everywhere I turned I was in the wrong place. You had to avoid workers, bikes, trucks, splattering fish blood, motorised carts. The place was amazing..but I wanted out.

A chunk of tuna in a glass display case worth hundreds of dollars. Dean and Bill caught at least 24 of these same size chunks (6 huge tuna) in the Cook Islands.

A breakfast of FRESH sushi at the outside market. Tried fish that I've never had before. Yum.

After breakfast we joined the Tokyo Great Cycling Tour. We did the "Sumo tour", which meant we saw sumo wrestlers as well as the rest of Tokyo on a bike. Above I am in front of a sumo "stable"- this is where the wrestlers live/eat/practice.

Two of the wrestlers with our bike tour friends from New York. Igor, on the far right, had no hesitation in calling out "hey friends, can I get a picture?" to the huge, humorlous wrestlers. Yikes.

Me cuddling with a sumo wrestler wood block painting in front of the Sumo Museum.

Senso-ji...one of the many temples we will see on this trip. Had to put it on the blog, as it is very Japanese and quite beautiful.

Riding through the gates of the Imperial Palace. The Emperor and royal family live deep inside the forest...surrounded by a moat and protected by guards.

The moat and part of the Palace. Our bike tour lasted about eight hours. It was incredible how much we were able to see. I expected Tokyo to be a crazy place to ride a bike...but it was actually quite pleasant. We were pretty pooped after our ride...headed home for a nap and a late night snack at a bar before calling it a night!

Japan Part One

This is a picture of what we should look like right now...unfortunately, this was taken in January on our way to the Cook Islands. We got up early this morning, hopped on the MAX and arrived at the airport. Our airline was American Airlines...but when we got there they said that our flight to L.A. was on Alaska. They partner with them. At the Alaska desk they said that our 8:10am flight "no longer exists". We were supposed to be on the 6:55am flight...but our travel agency never told us. There were no other flights to L.A. that would get us on our Japan connection. Awesome.

Our travel agency responded with such helpful statements as "did you check in two hours early?" and "did you confirm your flight the night before?" Um....really? Who does that? If you do, don't rub it in. We will from now on (well...I will confirm the flight, only because my travel agency appears to be unable to complete this task...and I will get to the airport 1 1/2 hours early). The interesting thing is that in the past five months we have received notifications for every little insignificant detail "your flight has changed from 8:01am to 8:02am", but when the flight no longer exists they don't catch it.

The good news is that we try again tomorrow. In a year of travels, we will undoubtedly encounter every travel snafu known to man. Check off "flight no longer exists..." ;) The blog is back!
P.S. I added more pictures to the Cook Islands blog..internet was sooo slow there we couldn't put many up.

Updated Travel Itinerary!

We will be back on the road (or plane) on May 3rd!!!!!! Here is our updated itinerary....not all of it is set in stone.


May 3-18 JAPAN- Tokyo, Takayama, Kyoto, Nara


May 18-June 27th-THAILAND/LAOS/CAMBODIA/VIETNAM

June 27th-July 11th-MALAYSIA/INDONESIA (with Jeff and Sarah)

July 11-end of August-GREECE/TURKEY/CROATIA

End of August-September 18th- USA!!!!!

September 18th-25th-GERMANY (Oktoberfest with Jessi and Tyler!)

September 26-December 19-AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST (Oman)

December 19th- USA!!!!!!!!!!!! Home for Christmas...and back to work...