In a moment of boredom, I mapped out the Japanese prefectures I’ve visited (blue), many of them multiple times. While I’ve traveled through the yellow prefectures near Tokyo, I don’t count those. The younger me might’ve felt the need to visit every prefecture to ‘complete the set,’ but these days I embrace the imperfection: a bit of travel wabi-sabi.
Category: B-List Travel
Wandering feudal streets without the crowds
Spent the day exploring Hagi’s feudal past, including wandering quiet streets of well-preserved houses in the merchant and samurai districts. Very few other tourists were in evidence; most visitors to Japan stick to the “Golden Route” (mainly Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka via bullet trains), drawn by its popularity and the expectations set by social media. Hagi can only be accessed via slow routes, which guaranteed our quiet explorations today.
Spirited away to Hagi
We were reminded of that classic scene in Spirited Away as we boarded this rural train bound for Hagi. Unlike the Sea Train in the movie, we didn’t cross a flooded landscape, but the journey was magical nonetheless as we passed lovely views of the Sea of Japan dotted with tiny islands beyond the crenellated coastline. In Hagi, we’ll stay for two nights, sleeping in a traditional tatami room and being served multi-course dinners and breakfasts.
Mt. Fuji, en route from Tokyo to Fukuoka
Fuji-san made an appearance as we climbed out of Tokyo en route to Fukuoka today.
Introducing B-List Kyoto
We introduced our nephew and his dad to Kyoto’s over-loved bucket list favorite, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, in order to build the case for exploring B-list Kyoto. After that initiation, we walked towards quieter places.
On Golden Bay
We drove almost as far as we could to the northwest of New Zealand’s South Island to Golden Bay, named for the gold mining that took place here in the 19th century. Our VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) cabin stood on its own, above a beach, at the end of an unpaved road. En route,…… Continue reading On Golden Bay
Where Gold Miners Walked
Walked through a subtropical forest in the footsteps of 19th century gold miners in nearby Kahurangi National Park. It’s New Zealand’s second-largest national park, one of the least-visited, and slightly off the beaten path; a good choice for B-list travelers.
Japan 2019
Tomorrow we go to Japan. I’ve been visiting Japan annually for several years as a solo traveler. I’m grateful my recently post-work partner now has the time to travel with me. (1) We’ll fly into Matsuyama via Tokyo. We’ll explore southwestern Japan with the help of Japan Rail passes and hiking boots. Towards the end…… Continue reading Japan 2019
Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel
Posted Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel.
Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel
Estimated numbers of hotel rooms in places we stayed: Granada, Antequera, Marbella and Nerja, Spain. May 2019 data from Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. If you’re planning to visit Spain’s Costa del Sol, you’ll probably be staying in a busy place. It can be hard to avoid over-loved places, but I prefer to seek out B-List…… Continue reading Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel