One of the challenges of travel is having to bring myself with me. If the trip is going to be more than passive entertainment, I have to try to erode my preconceived notions, prejudices, blindspots, and cultural programming. This week I felt shock when I first saw the scene pictured at the top of this…… Continue reading Travelling with Cultural Baggage
Category: Asia
Transported
After warming up with a bowl of ramen in delicious pork broth in a large Asian supermarket, I was delighted to find green tea Kit Kats: one of over 200 Kit Kat flavors in Japan. I was transported.
A Very Japanese Christmas
Christmas was coming to life when I visited Japan in early November. Colonel Sanders, an integral part of Japan’s Christmas traditions, was in his Santa garb. Ticket counters in some train stations were decorated with tinsel and little ornaments. Christmas trees were starting to sprout. Christmas tree being set up at Nagoya’s main train station.…… Continue reading A Very Japanese Christmas
A Very Japanese Christmas
Posted A Very Japanese Christmas.
Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes
It can be a challenge getting to a hiking trailhead. Public transport may be spotty or non-existent, and once you’re in the locale, trailheads have a bad habit of hiding in plain sight. Once I’ve found the trailhead, I can usually muddle my way along the trail with the assistance of GPS, map, signage, and…… Continue reading Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes
Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes
Posted Four Kyushu OLLE Hikes.
HND-MSP
Some of the flight crew will swap out on this 12-hour journey to Minneapolis.
Train to HND
Lined up to board a train to Tokyo HND.
Snapshots: A Night in a Bicycle Hotel
This week I spent a night in Hotel Cycle, in a converted warehouse in the port city of Onomichi, Japan. I used it as a base to cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido trail across the Seto Inland Sea. Had I arrived on a bicycle, I could’ve cycled into the building and up to the front…… Continue reading Snapshots: A Night in a Bicycle Hotel
Nakasendo Section
Hiked a section of the Nakasendo in Nagano Prefecture. The Nakasendo follows the route of an ancient mail road that ran from Kyoto to Tokyo.