No matter what…forgive, forgive, forgive. Forgiveness is the most important medicine for a healing world.  Additionally not forgiving someone only hurts you. Radical forgiveness is allowing yourself to forget any past pain and choosing to remember only the good.  If peace is the goal then don’t point the finger.  It doesn’t matter who is perceived right or wrong.  Put your ego aside.  Don’t forget to forgive yourself too.  Anger and hatred are heavy burdens to carry.

View challenging people and situations as gifts. For this is what allows us to test our capacity for compassion, love, patience, faith, and forgiveness.  When we pass challenging situations with grace this is where we grow. Challenging people or situations allow us to become better people.  Keep in mind, it is hurt people that hurt people. Those are the ones that need our compassion and forgiveness the most.

However, sometimes, no matter how kind, forgiving, and open hearted we are, there are just some people that will be toxic to you.  They might be jealous, desperately unhappy, or even mentally ill.  There are times that you will be defenseless.  Recognize when that is the case and assess and adjust that person.  Keep them at a safe distance so that you cannot be harmed.  By assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly with people you can potentially have a harmonious relationship with almost anyone.

The only way that anyone can ever hurt you is if you want/need something from them.  You don’t need anything from anyone.  The behaviors of other should never be able to disrupt your peace.  Why give that person power over you?

You have everything you need inside of you.  You have all the love, all the strength, all the wisdom, all the answers.  You never have to feel lost, lonely, or unloved.  You are equipped with everything you need and you are the only one that determines your happiness.

Because you have everything you need, give to others.  Give love, kindness, and compassion.  Give without expecting anything in return.  Give without an ulterior motive.

The behavior of others is a direct reflection of the relationship that they have with themselves.  Once you can truly see and believe in this you can understand the pain that someone is in.  On the converse, you can also see who has a self loving, healthy relationship with themselves.  This is such an easy give away.  In understanding this you never have to take anything personally.

Before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning do a gratitude practice. By focusing on all the good in your life more good will enter your life.  Before I go to bed I reflect on what I am most grateful for from that day.  In doing this exercise I am automatically expressing gratitude for my entire day.  In the morning I mediate and one component of that is thanking the universe for all the good in my life.  Gratitude is magic.

Meditate.  It is our mind that controls everything.  It is so important to spend time inside of our minds.  It allows us to become more responsive and less reactive.  It brings peace and a calmness to our soul.  It fosters creativity.  It makes life better.

If there is something in your life that you want, ask the universe for it.  Mediate on it and feel the  gratitude in your heart for whatever it is becoming a reality.

Your thoughts do not define you.  Learn to become an observer of your thoughts.  Instead of engaging in dramatic or unhealthy thoughts, watch them gently float by.  If you engage in the drama through gossip it will only harm you.

Do not judge others. It’s toxic and ugly.  Instead have your default for others be compassion and kindness.  We all have a common goal on this earth and that is to be happy.  Everyone human can connect on that level so whether you view someone as a friend or enemy wish them happiness.

Accept your past entirely.  It all happened as it was suppose to.  Someday it will make sense.  Be happy and joyful in the present for we don’t know when we will take our last breath.  View the future as opportunity but don’t put your better days there.  Some of us want specific things at a certain age or time and if we don’t have those things it creates unhappiness.  Don’t put yourself on a fixed timeline.  Trust the journey of your life entirely.

Be and live in the present.  This is also important with long term relationships.  The longer a relationship the more important it is to live in the present otherwise you will continue to relive the past.

Live a truthful and honest life. You can’t be shaken if you are always providing the truth.  In providing the truth you are also giving others the best and most accurate information for them to base their decisions off of.  Being truthful also does wonders for your karmic path.

Turn your expectations into appreciation.

Be adaptable and embrace chance.  We are made up of cells that are constantly changing therefore it is our very nature to change.  Getting out of our comfort zones promotes growth.

Focus on the good.  When someone does 9 nice things for us we focus on the 1 not nice.  Why? Our ego.  Why let the 9 nice things be forgotten or become unfocused with the noise of the 1?

It is our ego that is attracted to drama, doesn’t allow us to forgive, and compares ourself to others.  It is also our ego that needs an apology. You don’t need an apology, but if you get a sincere one, be gracious.  It takes a brave and vulnerable person to admit fault and take responsibility.  Defying the ego is a decision to choose love every time.

Anything outside of love isn’t real.  This might be a hard one to embrace because we all feel anger and sadness, but this sentiment does provide me with peace.  In making decisions, or in my actions or thoughts I ask myself is this coming from a loving place.  If the answer is yes, it gives me confidence.  We were created in love and outside of that are things, thoughts, emotions we do to protect ourselves.

No matter what good fortune comes your way remain grounded, humble, and grateful.

When good things happen to people share in their triumphs.  Be truly happy for them.  This is such an appreciated, recognized, and beautiful quality.

Exercise, eat healthy, and drink a ton of water.

Travel.  Travel feeds the soul, expands the heart, and humbles the ego.

Really listen to people and yourself.

Don’t have conversations, make decisions, send a text or email when you are emotional.  Instead, sleep on it.

When communicating, DON’T be defensive.  Defensive behavior breaks down any ability to communicate. Instead self reflect and try to understand the side of the other person.  Understand that defensive behavior is coming from a wounded and suffering place.  People’s defensives are their attempt at deflecting and protecting themselves.

In viewing death think of this earthly life as a chapter in a never ending story.  Our time here is finite and when we go we return to the infinite.  When someone we love passes it is our ego that thinks we can’t still communicate with that person.  They are there.  They are our angels.

If you get lucky enough (which you will if you ask the universe for it) marry the best person you know.

In humility and gratitude thank you for reading.

This trip we would spend time in both Fairbanks and Anchorage so that we could visit my entire family.  Which meant  Hodges/in law overload for Peter.

First… Fairbanks.  Always special for me due to spending my first 18 years of the throws of life in this enchanting small town.   My heart will always be Alaskan.

Peter and I  found ourselves in the Seattle airport barely able to keep our eyes open.  We did gather some pep in our step though when we ran into this cute little lady.

That’s my Mom!

She was on her way back from her own adventure in Europe.  Maybe that’s where I get it? Peter and I bumped into her as we were all on our way to the same place…her house.

Hours later Peter and I landed in Fairbanks and were greeted by the very best welcoming committee of all time.  Of all time.

Look at the poor guy on the right.  Head down wondering where his hugs are.

Nothing quite like niece and nephew love.  Oh and I guess my brother too.  I am always surely and affectionately greeted by his favorite nickname for me “hey dummy.”  Some things never change.

Our first night we had a family dinner and got all caught up on the previous months.  Peter, my brother, sister-in-law, and myself all regaled and reminded each other of funny moments and memories of our time spent in Thailand.  This was the first time we had seen them since we had kept them up most of the night before sending them on a 20 hour journey back home. Oh family dynamics.

Highlights of our time in Fairbanks included:

Getting to spend Jen’s birthday together

Our second day home was a special one because it was Jen’s Birthday.  In all the years Jen has been in my life (about 14) I have never been able to spend a birthday with her.  She took the day off of work and we got to spend it together doing girl stuff such as mani/pedis, gossip, and  a lunch with the guys.

The day was rounded out nicely with a family dinner prepared by Chris— King of the grill— and some deletable wine.  Curtesy of Fred Meyer of course.

Towards the end of the evening there was a strong debate on the shortest person in the family.  In the end people couldn’t agree but I think this picture tells a strong story.

Please disregard the pouf atop my Mom’s head and I think we have ourselves a clear winner.

Is the winner the shortest person or the tallest? Either way it’s close. (Update: Grace has now bypassed Mom and I)

Seeing Grace Play Basketball

Playing basketball was one of my most favorite things to do while growing up in Fairbanks.  I absolutely loved it and it brought me a tremendous amount of joy.  I was known for playing with a tenacious heart and for being aggressive on the court.  Some might say I became slightly possessed on that basketball court.  My Mom loves to tell the story of whenever there was a “loose ball on the court, Jaime always came up with it.” It was to my delight to watch Grace and see such a similarity in how she plays her game, only better.  I loved seeing her come alive in such a different way than I have before.  It was made even more special that she was playing in the same gym that I use to practice and play at.

Friends Reunion

I am fortunate and grateful to still have strong friendships with my Alaska girlfriends.  Even though I live far away and lately not even in the same country, we never skip a beat.  There is something so special and unique when it comes to friends you grew up with.  Some of us have known each other since we were born.  With that brings a magic of no matter the time or the distance, when we see each other it is like no time has passed.  There is a comfort and ease that is unparalleled.  It’s something I am always and forever grateful for.

Despite everyones busy schedules (there are a ton of kiddos in the mix now) we were still able to get together for an afternoon of quality time.  Inevitably the conversations go to trouble making, funny teacher stories (we know we terrorized you), heartbreak (love at 16), Jim Sheehan, and the latest in our lives.

Oh and of course Mom juice aka Rosé.

I LOVE and adore these beautiful from the inside out women!

Who is the winner in the shortest contest here? sigh

Duck Hunting

You know the term tom boy? Well I took the cake during my years growing up in Fairbanks.  It wasn’t just the aforementioned love of playing basketball.  Also included  was fishing, hunting, camping, Metallica, White Snake,  etc.  This adoption of many things male was due not only to growing up in Alaska, but also because I have two older brothers that I idolized and wanted to be involved in everything they were doing.  I have since realized that that juvenile idolatry was misguided as well as misplaced.  :)

My husband Peter on the other hand had never shot a gun in his life until he met me.  We had done some skeet shooting a couple summers back.  He enjoyed it.  I was annoyed because he had a really good shot.  Something I had perfected after years and years of practice.

This was the first time I had been home since I left at 18 during duck hunting season.  Some of my tom boy ways have worn off and now I don’t have it in me to kill a bird.  However, the Hodges all thought it would be fun to force Peter into it.  You know, test out the real man in the California boy.  This was mainly done by my Dad and my brother, Chris.

Peter who is one of the more open-minded people I have come across was up for the challenge.

In order to access our cabin at Minto it requires about a 30 minute float plane ride.  The boys went on the first trip while I continued to indulgence myself on High School shenanigan stories and Rosé with my friends.

Here is the float pond where we take off from.

Peter snapped some nice photos from the air.

The guys had a smooth landing in Minto with the most excitement coming from this one regarding being there.

Our cabin in Minto isn’t so much a cabin, but more of a shack. One major storm or bear break in and I feel fairly confident that that thing is a goner.

The inside is seriously cramped quarters.  It’s where we all sleep so this is major Hodges invasion for Peter.  There is some serious family bonding that goes on when spending the night in the middle of absolute nowhere and practically on top of each other.  You will leave a trip like this either closer or not liking one another.  No grey area here.

In the above picture Chris is smiling because he knows what is about to happen for the first time ever.

Who’s the real man now?!?!

Peter, Dad, and Chris quickly got changed and headed out for their “adventure.” Peter was given shooting lessons by the Great Hunter Jay Hodges.  And he did manage to hit about 4 ducks.  He actually really enjoyed himself, but it was more of the hanging out with the guys in wilderness, drinking beer, having bro talk while wearing cameo and gun belts that did it for him.

Chris had to leave after a few hours to pick up the girls.  Peter mentioned to me that being out there with my Dad hearing all his stories was one of the best times he has had with him.  They sat there for hours exchanging stories.  Although Peter was mainly interested in hearing about the life of my Dad.  That’s some serious father-in-law bonding.

Poor Chris had to leave to get Jen and I.  I am sure he was pretty annoyed with us.

Especially when I asked him if inflight beverages would be served.  Where is the Chardonnay?

Upon arrival Chris couldn’t get away from us quick enough and he was off to join the guys for some more hunting.  Jen and I held down the fort by drinking copious amounts of Pinot Noir.  We weren’t totally worthless though we did get dinner started.

I can’t be sure what’s going on in the above picture.

When the guys got back from their full day of hunting I insisted on a photo shoot.  I could barely believe that my Southern Californian raised husband was really duck hunting with my family.  Plus these pictures would lead to a good amount of shock value with Peter’s friends and family.

In fact after firing off the original picture of Peter in the duck blind to his family I received crickets in response.  The radio silence led me to believe that the picture left them with some concern as to our influence on their son.  Totally warranted.

After eating a very Alaskan meal of steak and potatoes we sat around late into the night exchanging what I like to call Cabin Talk stories.  It’s stories that you don’t otherwise tell in a normal setting and it’s where the stories stay.

At one point Chris recommended we head outside to just see if perhaps the Northern Lights had in a fortuitous event decided to join us.

We walked the tree lined pathway that led to the open night sky and to our good fortune the Northern Lights were serendipitously streaking the vastly starry sky.  This was the first time for Peter seeing this wondrous marvel of mother nature.  I can’t think of too many other places to see it that would parallel being exactly where we were.  It was a big day of firsts for Peter.  I knew he had enjoyed it when I looked at him, his mouth agape as he stared up at the laser light show dancing across the sky.

The next morning after preparing a pre-hunt breakfast the guys were at it again.

They were gone for hours and once again came back victorious.  There is something about being out in the wild that makes hours seem like minutes.

Shortly after their return we packed up and Chris took the girls back on the first trip home.  We had a cherry on top of mother nature with a rainbow send off.

Alaska really outdoes itself in the natural beauty category.

On our very last night in Fairbanks Peter was to face his last Alaskan real man test.  My Dad cooked up the hearts of the ducks and asked Peter if he was going to eat one.  The conversation went back and forth with my brother chiming in with a couple chastisements.  Finally after Peter realized that this might not be one he would live down he reluctantly conceded.

The funny thing to me regarding the above picture is that by the end of our trip Peter’s look and persona were actually more Alaskan.

Our next stop was Anchorage to visit the other brother, Jason and his husband Evan.

Thanks to the Hodges for all their hospitality.  As per usual it was nothing but the best of times.  Nothing like — as my Dad fondly refers to it— “family bonding.”  It’s the Golden Years Baby.

Thanks for reading about our adventures.  I’m always so grateful that people want to follow along.

BEAR DOWN! No pun intended.

In the below picture we are at the Orange County airport both pondering what day and time zone we were on while simultaneously suffering from sever jet lag.

Our reasoning for our Seattle trip was to cash in on Peter’s 1st year Anniversary present to me—tickets to see The Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge! Only a big fat dream of mine.  Double bonus – Peter would be able to catch-up with some old friends from Seattle.

In Seattle we opted for an Airbnb on Capitol Hill which turned out to be an ideal location.  I was able walk to yoga classes, coffee, grocery stores, and…Nordstrom. (to Peter’s dismay)

Our first few days in Seattle Peter played tour guide and took me around to all his old spots.  The tour included a trip to University of Washington.  It was especially fun to hear and see him recount and relive stories from his school days.

The campus is quite beautiful with a New England-esque architecture.  The campus is a must see during the fall when the leaves are changing or the early Spring during the Cherry blossoms.  It’s exquisite.

The campus tour included a visit to the library where Peter, back in the day, took on countless hours of studying.  You can see in the below picture what an inspiring place it is to learn.

We also visited his Fraternity House where I imagine no studying occurred.

The days leading up to the concert we got a chance to catch up with friends and I was also able to see and experience what a special place Seattle is.

First off, I was able to reconnect with my childhood buddy RJ whom I have been friends with for over 30 years.  We grew up in the same neighborhood in Fairbanks.  I even took him to my Senior Prom.

RJ is a DMB Gorge expert and aficionado.  He has been going every year for the past 15 years.  Him and his entourage of friends have it all dialed in with their campsite equipped with all the Gorge camping necessities.  I was thrilled that we would be able to join in on all their fun during the pre-show activities. RJ and I got a chance to catch up in Seattle before meeting up at the Gorge a few days later.  Always so nice to connect with friends that you knew while growing up.

Our close friends Andrew and Theresa live near where we were staying so we had the opportunity to grab dinner with them at a stylish, hip restaurant, Oddfellows, and hang out afterwords at their new home.  In the below picture we all agreed that I look like I’m their daughter due to my small stature.

Another fun thing we got to do was hang out with Peter and Debbie—the couple we had just traveled through South Korea with.  We had a great time regaling in our overseas stories as we now did some super American things together.  Such as cheer on U-Dub football and drink beer.  A bunch of us met up at their friends Annie and Steve’s where I experienced some die hard Husky fans.

Even though I have never lived in Seattle or even spent that much time there, I somehow seemed to randomly bump into familiar faces.  Like when Peter and I were walking downtown and we suddenly heard from across the way someone calling out, “Jaime! Jaime!”

It was my friend Kellie who lives in Seattle, but she was also joined by our friend Janet who lives in California.  We had a mini reunion on the street and sent our friend Jen a picture of us.  I met Kellie and Janet at Jen’s bachelorette party years ago.  Always so joyous to run into friends you haven’t seen in a long time.

Additionally, my friend Stephanie who I grew up with in Alaska happened to be in town from Las Vegas.  We hadn’t seen each other in 16 years! We were so excited to meet up and reconnect.  We marveled about how it didn’t seem all that long ago that we were playing softball in my backyard as kids.  How time and distance doesn’t matter when it comes to friends that you grow up with.  That there is a comfort and ease that is unique to certain types of friends and how grateful we were to be back in each others presence.  We both agreed that we wouldn’t let that much time pass again.

After tons of catching up over a few days we were finally off to the big Event—Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge.

For the two hour drive Peter humored me by listening to DMB the entire way.  We arrived about noon on Saturday to the campgrounds where we were immediately welcomed by RJ and his crew.

The campsite is enormous, but we were able to spot them pretty easily due to the landmark of a parachute with attached flags, oh, and a bus.  Like I said this crew goes all out.

We had a blast meeting all kinds of people.  Like most festivals, people are in good spirits, friendly, and all around having a great time.  Even just walking over to the bathroom could potentially be an adventure of people watching or meeting new friends.  I also think that Seattle produces a very down to earth and welcoming type of person.  Rj was a wonderful host and was always making sure Peter and I were having a good time.  Which we of course were.

The main event was finally upon us and we all headed over to the venue.

I had never been to the Gorge so Rj was giddy with anticipation over seeing my initial reaction to it.  It is revered by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most scenic concert locations in the world.  I walked up the hill with a touch of butterflies in my stomach.  As I got to the top and saw it in all its glory, I quickly realized why there is so much hype over this outdoor amphitheater.  The sprawling views of mother nature were both inspiring and humbling.  The trifecta of the sand colored gorge with the Colombia River snaking through the Cascade Range made for a surreal experience.  It’s an unforgettable view and quite the backdrop for any band and concert goer to be a part of. Pictures do not do it justice.

To keep up with the theme of bumping into old friends—we ran into two friends from Fairbanks that Rj and I both know from home, Bill and Meadow.  Always a treat to run into Fairbanks friends.  All of us were thrilled to be there and couldn’t wait for the show to start.

Before DMB took the stage we were treated to a stunning sunset and then shortly after walked over to our seats.

 The next few hours were of pure joy filled with 25 DMB hits, including some of my favorites: Crush, Loving Wings, Tripping Billies, Pig, Granny, Lie in Our Graves, Say Goodbye, Best of What’s Around, Rapunzel, Two Step, and You and Me—which is one of the songs from our first wedding dance.

I have been to a ton of DMB concerts and while I wouldn’t necessarily say this was the absolute best I have ever seen, it’s the energy, campgrounds, people, and venue that make it  such a unique and memorable experience.  Everything surrounding the actual show is what makes up so much of the fun of it.  It is an adventure that I highly recommend.  Peter’s anniversary gift was a huge success.

Peter and I drove back to Seattle that night.  We had an early flight to catch in the morning to Alaska.  More adventures coming up in my hometown of Fairbanks.

Special thanks to my buddy Rj for teaching us and showing us the ropes of the Gorge.  In gratitude my friend.

We were feeling pretty tore up from the floor-up by the time we left Seoul and headed to Abu Dhabi.  Luckily for us we had used mileage and booked First Class tickets on Etihad Airlines to route us back to the States.  We flew from Seoul to Abu Dhabi, had two nights in Abu Dhabi, and then were to board a 15 hour journey from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles. For anyone that has ever looked at a world map you might ask – why not just fly across the Pacific? Flights from Korea to the US take about 10 hours— instead of the 25 hour flying time to go through the Middle East. Well, there’s very few places my husband would rather be that in a first class seat flying for double digit hours on mileage (free) tickets—so the “long way” we went. Plus, I was excited to visit Abu Dhabi.  I’ve seen Sex and the City 2—Abu Dhabi Doo.

We boarded the 9 hour flight from Seoul to ABu Dhabi where we didn’t waste much time getting cozy by sipping on champagne and changing into the pajamas that the airline provides.

We arrived bright and early in the morning Abu Dhabi time which is 5 hours behind Seoul, so we were still feeling twisted irregardless of the comfy pajamas and Ferrari leather passenger seats turned into beds.

With luck on our side and the receptionist greased a little, we arrived at our hotel,  the Park Hyatt, around 7am and were shown to a room.

The Park Hyatt is located on the man-made Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.  The resort is nestled in by a stretch of white sand beach and offers a pretty over-the-top poolside area.  Like how many things in the UAE are done—this was luxurious and opulent.

Here is the view from our room.

Both of of were suffering from severe jet lag sprinkled with travel exhaustion so there was a whole lot of nothing that occurred that day.  We attempted to enjoy the pool, but the weather was blazing hot at 115 degrees so we didn’t last too long.

I also did a stroll over to the beach, feeling like I needed to dip my toe in the Arabian Sea. The sand was scorching and the sun on a different level of heat so it was a quick trip before racing back to air-conditioning.

The next day we ventured out and visited and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.  It was constructed from 1996-2006.  The mosque is a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture, art, and design.  It is impressively innovative and contemporary.  Sheikh Zayed is also the biggest mosque in the world covering 30 acres and accommodating 41,000 worshipers.

It is certainly a sight to behold.

One thing to note about Abu Dhabi is that its one of the more conservative of the Emirates. Unlike Dubai which has really deemed itself as a progressive Islamic Emirates, Abu Dhabi has tried to wield itself as an economic and artistic hub while maintaining its conservative cultural roots. As such, as a woman, I needed to be dressed in a traditional abaya to be granted entrance into the mosque.  Remember the aforementioned blazing hot weather? It was a sweaty disaster underneath that thing.

Although the abaya did offer some rather great picture opportunities.

Just doing some assimilating in Abu Dhabi.

Also as a woman, it was the first time in our travels that I actually felt a little bit less of a person.  This was mainly due to the behavior of the male security working the mosque.  While away from Peter when I had to change into the abaya I found the staff to not only be unhelpful, but almost seemed angry in their behavior towards me.  Any question I had was dismissed, but if Peter had the same question it was respectfully answered.  It was an unsettling, unfriendly vibe that I couldn’t kick.

Something that didn’t help this cause was when Peter and I decided to take a selfie.  As we were posing, Peter put his arm around me and I threw up a peace sign.  This was a double whammy against Islam, where displays of affection at a holy site are impermissible as well as overt posing.  Just as we took the picture a guard abruptly came over and reprimanded both of us for our offensive behavior.  He exclaimed that we needed to erase the pictures.

The picture below shows my terror as the angry guard shamed us.

It could have been worse.  We could have gotten kicked out like Rihanna did after posing too sexy for photos taken in front of the mosque.

I felt a little unnerved throughout the duration of our time at the mosque, but nonetheless I did attempt to enjoy the beauty and splendor of it while we were there.

Inside the mosque is 7 gold-plated chandeliers, all drizzled in Swarovski crystals.  The focal chandelier is one of the worlds biggest weighing around 12 tons.  The chandeliers were an obvious highlight of the inside of the mosque, but just about everything was extraordinary.  The ornate detail and design found on every square inch of the walls, ceiling and columns, were mesmerizing.

Before leaving we snapped a handful of shots outside of the mosque.  This time careful not to cause any problems.

We then grabbed an uber and took it to the Shangri-La Hotel.  The hotel is set in a complex that offers a souk with a traditional Arabic market and is set on a grand canal modeled after Venice.  You can actually take a gondola ride on it.

After doing a walking tour of the canal we stepped into the hotel to explore the grounds.  I retreated to the hotel bathroom where I quickly became acquainted with two American women.  One of them, Heather was particularly nice and interested in what I was doing in Abu Dhabi.  As my time in the bathroom grew longer, Peter confirmed what he suspected—I had made friends in the bathroom.

The women graciously offered to have us come over and meet their group which was as all women.  Peter essentially ran away from this situation, but told me to go enjoy myself.  I ended up going over and meeting everyone who were all lovely and a group that was from all over the world.  I gathered that the women knew each other because their husbands all worked together.  I let Heather know we would be passing through Abu Dhabi here and there and that I would reach out the next time we were in town.

I left to go find where Peter had scurried off to and then we headed to the Souk to grab some dinner.  We decided on a Lebanese restaurant, Abd El Whab.  It was a wonderful choice not only for the food, but the staff was so friendly that it quickly turned my perception around on the treatment of foreign women that had formed while visiting the mosque.  One of the staff who noticed I was cold, even brought a blanket over for me to use while dining.

We called it a night afterwords.  We had an early flight back to the US in the morning.

One pretty cool thing that the Abu Dhabi airport offers—it’s own private terminal and entrance for Business and First Class passengers on Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s hub carrier.

We also had access to the First Class lounge where most of the fellow passengers looked like this.

And then there was this guy.

Peter and I were really excited for this flight—as we always are when we get to travel this way.  But we also knew this was our last flight for awhile since we were going to be in the US for the next 4 months and unsure of where our plans would bring us next.  I’m not complaining here.  I can feel some eye-rolls.

I strongly encouraged a photo shoot for this trip which to my surprise Peter obliged.

He even amused me with a pajama photo session. One of the pictures below is Peter drinking Hennessy Paradis which is typically poured at over $100 a glass.

This is yoga pose while wearing airline pJ’s and simultaneously sitting on the console between our TV screens.

Pretty sure Peter called the photo shoot after this one.

We were back in the states and were so excited to reunite with all our friends and family.  Despite being home we still did quite a bit of traveling.  We can’t seem to sit still for long.  After landing at LAX, we stayed a couple nights at Peter’s folks home in Orange County and then it was off to Seattle followed by a trip to the great state of Alaska.

Thanks as always.  Oh and a trick to fight off dehydrated skin on long flights—a facial sheet mask.

For eight days in Japan we never stopped and ran on little to no sleep.  It was all totally worth it; Japan rocked our world. But what goes up must come down and that’s exactly what happened when we arrived in Seoul. We were exhausted. We took the whole first day and did a whole lot of nothing as we wanted to re-charge our batteries for our friends, Peter and Debbie, who were also in Seoul, visiting from Seattle.

We stayed at Hotel Ibis which is located in the trendy Myeong-dong shopping district.  The area is full of department stores, cafes, bars, restaurants, and more beauty shops in a condensed square footage than I have ever seen.

I thought Japan was the rage in skin care…nope.  South Korea is the winner.  In fact it is the overall winner in beauty obsession beating out the US in terms of plastic surgeries per thousand people. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/5 of all women have had some sort of plastic surgery with blepharoplasty being the most popular.  Blepharoplasty is double eye surgery which is done to make the eye look more Western.  It wasn’t uncommon to see women walking around in the open with bandages and bruises.

The majority of all cosmetic lines carry whitening products.  This is common in most Asian countries.  The whiter the skin, the better.  White skin epitomizes the ideal of beauty and wealth.  Burnt, dark skin meant that you were a farmer working under the sun. The lighter your skin the more access you will have to opportunity, men, jobs, and better treatment in general.  While traveling throughout Asia there were a handful of times when an Asian woman would rub my arm and say, “very beautiful” about my skin.  When I would reply, “you’re skin is beautiful,” I would always get a response back that included an aggressive head-shake in avid disagreement.  That would lead me to arguing back by saying, “yes, beautiful” and then we would end up both laughing at each other over our disagreement.

I spent some time researching the best Korean products and discovered they even have their own beauty awards called Soko Glam.  I also learned they have a ten step skin care routine that is done in the morning and evening.  I wasn’t ready for that kind of skin commitment, but I did pick up a number of products with my favorite being facial sheet masks.  The country has just about anything you could imagine in a facial sheet: avocado, tomato, greet tea, collagen, snake mucus, snake venom, bee pollen, placenta, etc.  There are entire stores dedicated to just facial sheets.

There are also entire streets with beauty stores lined up one after another.

There were products I had never seen, but felt compelled to indulge in.

After a day of rest and cosmetic tomfoolery in the hotel we met up with Peter and Debbie.

My Peter and Peter White were room-mates in college together at University of Washington.  Debbie and Peter were married a year before Peter and I—in Maui as well.  Debbie and I had hit it off years ago when we attended another mutual friends wedding (Sam and Lisa) and Peter and Peter were groomsmen.  This left us to get acquainted over the open bar.  It went swimmingly—as open bars tend to do.

Peter and Debbie had their vacation booked around the time we were planing on also being in South Korea so we were all thrilled when we realized we could make it work and be there together.  Sharing experiences like this with friends adds a drizzle of specialness to trips abroad.

The other great thing (amongst many) about having Peter and Debbie is that that they had both formerly lived in Seoul teaching English. Debbie is fluent in Korean making them the ultimate friends to be tagging along with in South Korea. This was especially nice for my Peter who is usually expending his energy trying to communicate and navigate around the new places we travel.

We were all really happy and full of giddy energy when we ran into Peter and Debbie at our meeting spot at the top of a subway staircase in Seoul. The plan was to walk over to Insadong and catch-up.

Insadong is the art and antique district of Seoul that exudes charm combined with an inviting vibe. Its a throw-back area that has tried to preserve the architecture and stylistic forms of traditional South Korea.  As such, traditional tea houses dot the neighborhood so we stopped into one for snacks, tea and welcomed air-conditioning.

We came up with a game plan for the next few days that would include a lot of hanging out.

After some tea we did a walking tour and continued to catch up.  We hadn’t seen them since our wedding over a year ago.  We made pit stops along the way to try some of the best street food including savory dumplings

And a block of french fries.  My favorite.

That night we indulged in what I was excited most for—Korean BBQ!

We headed out to the neighborhood of Sinchon and grabbed a table at a recommended and frequented spot of Debbie and Peter.  Sinchon was the neighborhood that my Peter visited Peter White over 5 years back when he was teaching English in Seoul so the memories started to flood back as they typically in these sorts of situations.  Peter and Debbie took care of us by doing all the ordering and cooking.  Not only was it delicious, but it made for a fun and interactive dining experience.

The other thing that made it fun—Soju.

Soju is considered South Korea’s most popular alcoholic drink.  Taking shots of it is the etiquette way of drinking it, but it tastes pretty bad so it is also ordered with beer to wash it down.  Also you are not to pour soju for yourself.  It is customary for someone else to pour it for you.  This becomes a fun game—whenever either Peters glass was empty they would of course be quick to filling each other back up.  They were thrilled to see each other and the Soju made the night exciting. What I didn’t realize at the time is that soju doesn’t taste strong but has a sneaky tendency to creep up on you. It also causes the worst hangovers. Ever.

After dinner we walked around Sinchon which really becomes electric at night with people and activity.  Walking around was entertainment enough.  The area offers a variety of activities: batting cages, carnival themed booths, clubs, bars, elaborate photo booths.  We found ourselves entertained and partaking in most of it.

After more soju and Korean beer we found ourselves at what else…a karaoke bar in Hondgae— the energetic, youth driven neighborhood of Seoul.

What makes karaoke in South Korean extra fun is that you have an entire room to yourselves.  Which is genius if you think about it because most of us can’t sing. But if we are in the privacy of just our friends we will tend to be more fearless.  We were joined by Debbie and Peter’s friend Jake who lives in Seoul and brought a delightful and fun energy to our group.  I think this picture does a good job of demonstrating the direction the night was going.

The night of karaoke was absolutely uninhibited hilarity.  We all thought we could sing like Christina Aguilera.  None of us could.  Well with the exception of Debbie, who came out of nowhere with quite a nice voice.  Debbie, I’m still impressed by that.  We were in that room for hours.  Jake would periodically leave for a beer or ice-cream run.  Like I said a delightful energy added to the group.   As the evening became later and later we eventually called it a night somewhere after 3am.

Fun fact about Peter.

He on a rare occasion had been known to do a little sleep walking.  This can also be brought out if there has been a little drinking involved.  Soju had done a number on all of us that night.  The story goes that Peter got up in the middle of the night and walked right out the door into the hallway.  At some point he became aware of his situation and attempted to find his way back to our room.  He stood outside the door knocking on it, only to have it answered by a Chinese man who had his entire family of five sleeping in one bed behind him.  Peter turned on his heels in his underwear and by the grace of God found his way back to our room.  Soju 1.  Peter 0.

The next morning Peter and I vowed to not make the same mistake with soju ever again.  I read up on this liquor and found so many warnings about the terrible hangovers it will cause.  I didn’t find anything however on inducing sleep walking.

The next day Peter and Debbie were again our tour guides and took us around to delicious restaurants and fun neighborhoods.  They introduced me to some of South Korea’s cuisine including Kimchi which is pickled cabbage – something that I truly enjoyed.

A highlight that night was when we headed over to Sinchon and the guys faced off in a series of ping-pong games and Debbie and I shopped for beauty products.  Debbie was such an asset while shopping since she can speak Korean.  Some bars or businesses offer ping-pong table for a small hourly fee.  Just another way one can be entertained in Seoul.  Of course the guys placed a bet on the winner with the victor being my Peter.  Peter White is still asking for rematch.

Our last day in Seoul we decided to go a different route and visit Seoul’s theme park— Everland.  The trip out there was a bit of an adventure as we opted to take the bus.

Stepping onto the grounds instilled a similar feel as visiting Disneyland does, with even a bit more of an added goffy-ness factor (pun intended).  South Koreans seem to adopt a light-hearted approach to recreational life that spilled over and effected us as tourists.  You can see below, Peter especially.

We spent the day getting our fill of rides.

Including some pretty serious roller coasters.  Even one with recommended precautions that we took seriously.

Others things we enjoyed along the way.

I particularly liked the basketball game we played, where like Debbie with her singing surprised us, I got to show off my maintained shooting skills.

Unique to this theme park when compared to Disneyland were things like camel rides.

A safari ride that included lions, tigers, and a bear dunking a basketball??

And entertaining line staff (watch below)

Before we left Peter White paid up on his lost ping pong battle and posted the below picture on Facebook.

We headed back to the city where the group had one last meal together before we all said our good-byes.  Obviously we selected Korean BBQ as our close out dinner.  Our friends again took care of us by carefully picking out the best items which we all throughly enjoyed.  We also had to close out with a little soju toast, but this time we were much more careful with the amount consumed.

Seoul was an absolute blast and wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without Peter, Debbie, and our new friend, Jake.  Thanks so much for including us on your vacation.  We are so grateful for friends like you.

Up next a long flight to Abu Dhabi via Etihad First Class.

As always much gratitude and love for following along.  See you in the Middle East.

We stopped for one last Kyoto meal.

At what point do I admit that this had become an addiction?

Osaka is the 3rd largest city in Japan.  The city offers an electric, good vibes energy.  It’s known for having friendly, funny, and welcoming locals. The trend in fashion is forward, hip, and experimental.  The culture is urban with a focus on food as it is known as the nation’s kitchen.  It’s a city that one is encouraged to eat your way through.  As if we hadn’t already been doing that.  It has a well established, vibrant night life with live music, arcades, clubs, bars, and some of the brightest and biggest neon signages in the country.

As we were walking from the train station to our hotel, we stumbled across this.

That is a beer vending machine.  Just sitting there…outside…on the side of the street.  I had heard about these vending machines and had been on the look out, but hadn’t found one in Tokyo or Kyoto.  I had given up hope that they really existed until Osaka delivered.  The concept alone tickled my funny bone and I really wanted to purchase one for the novelty of it.  More on that later.

We got checked in at Osaka Station Hotel where we had 3 beds in our room.  I don’t exactly know why, but I also found this funny which I think is a theme in Osaka.  There is a lightheartedness to the energy in Osaka.  I mean they have beer in vending machines.

Also located about 5 feet from our hotel door was this.

Yep, that’s a mini beer vending machine located steps from our door at the end of the hotel’s hallway.  This concept is much different from a minibar.  Way more fun!

Peter and I set out for some city exploration and to find some good food.

Peter was thrilled to find out that Osaka also had an Ichiran—our favorite cheap ramen spot in Tokyo.  Playing into our addiction, we decided to make this our first stop.

As we walked over, in the daylight, I could already get a sense of the positive energy, quirkiness, and absorbing architecture.

The ramen was the exact setup with partitioned off individual seats and really, really excellent noodles.

I had read about a special and famous Osaka cuisine called takoyaki or octopus balls.  And no it’s not octopus testicles, but rather fried and breaded octopus shaped in balls.  It is the rage and I considered a must try.  Peter had way overindulged on ramen with ordering a second helping of noodles for his broth— so he was out.

I waited in the long line in anticipation while wondering if this dish would be worth the hype.

I don’t know if Japan had already won me over with the sushi and ramen, but the verdict for me was that it was just alright.

Osaka really comes alive at night.  As the sunset, the neon lights began to radiate off the streets and the jovialness of the locals really started to shine.  Osaka becomes overly photogenic in the night sky.  Peter and I skipped around Dotonbori taking in the vibe and snapping photos.

The Glico running man sign is a landmark in Osaka and a popular tourist photo to capture.  Glico is a Japanese confectionary headquartered in Osaka.  The sign is modeled after a Filipino sprinter named Fortunato Catalon who after winning a big race had a beaming smile that made him well liked.

While walking around Peter and I found ourselves on the big screen in the center of it all as a TV show beamed down on the crowd.

Clearly looking like we don’t belong.

Adjacent to Dotonbori is Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, an area full of stores which offer a myriad of just about any type of fashion out there.  I was thrilled.  Peter went on a hunt for Japanese soft-serve.

Shoppers go bananas in these stores.  I was walking around a drugstore that has an emphasis on beauty products.  I was picking up just a couple of things, but couldn’t help but notice most women were shopping like this.

I was sure to show Peter this picture so that he could see my shopping habits aren’t out of bounds.

After this we walked around the Umeda neighborhood in the Kitashinchi district.  Kitashinchi is ultra chic with tons of cozy restaurants and bars spliced together with….hostess clubs?

Peter and I dipped into one of the dim-lit, cozy bars and ordered a couple drinks.  As we sat there and chatted we both realized we wanted to do the same thing—go back to the hotel and buy vending machine beers.

We stopped at the vending machine outside the hotel and made our purchases.  Once again Japan delivers—the beers were ice-cold.  An absolute perfect temperature.  How do they do everything so efficiently and perfectly?

We retreated back to our room where we clinked our cold beers and marveled at what an exceptional trip we had in Japan.  After those beers were gone there were a couple more trips to the vending machine right outside our room.  How can you not take advantage of that? Peter would time me each trip to see how quickly I could do it.  It was always under a minute.  So our last night in Japan was spent getting drunk off super cold vending machine beers.  It was nothing short of a perfect close out.

The next morning we were heading to South Korea to meet up with our friends Peter and Debbie.

At the airport the next morning, I had one last sushi breakfast before saying my final good-bye to Japan.  Even airport sushi is on point.

There is so much to say about Japan, but to sum it up—I absolutely love this country.  I have never had so many unique experiences and even emotions brought out in one country alone.  Just as people had told me, it will feel so foreign, it certainly did, in all the right ways.

Peace out Japan.  See you again.  I hope.

Kyoto is the yin to Tokyo’s yang (similar to Peter being the yin to my yang).  It isn’t the bustling, sprawling , skyscraper metropolis that Tokyo is.  There is a zen, and calming energy that permeates throughout the city.  Instead of skyscrapers— it’s temples, shrines, and gardens.  There is an ease and lightness to Kyoto that I could feel instantaneously.

We arrived in Kyoto and checked into the Ritz Carlton.  We had decided to do one hotel “splurge” while we were in Japan and this was it.

Upon check-out Peter began to speak with the concierge about the peaceful energy and vibe that Kyoto emits.  It’s also so incredibly quiet which makes it very relaxing.  The concierge explained that the Japanese believe that since we as humans are mostly water, we should treat ourselves as such. Have you ever put a glass of water next to a load speaker? The vibration and sounds rattles the water nervously. The same happens to humans, 78% water, in big loud places— we’re rattled. Whether it’s in the street, restaurant, subway or airport, the courtesy of quiet is something we really loved and appreciated about Kyoto.

As we were getting settled in our room the hotel staffer relayed to us that our room overlooked a cemetery.  I’m an intrigued by the thought of ghosts so out of curiosity I asked her, “How many ghosts sightings?”  She relayed that none that she was aware of, but the Chinese are very superstitious and usually ask for a different room or go to a different hotel all together.  I slept with one eye open.

Our first night in Kyoto we were cross-eyed tired.  Our time in Tokyo was non-stop without much shut eye.  We took the night to relax, order room service, and catch up on our sleep.  I ain’t afraid of no ghost.

The next couple days were mapped out for temple hopping.  I had done all kinds of research on which ones to visit and what order so off we went.

We started our morning with a taxi ride to the Silver Pavilion.

The Silver Pavilion was built in 1492 as a retirement villa for Ashikaga Yoshimasa.  In 1490 is was converted to a zen temple following Yoshimasa’s death.  Contrary to the name it was never covered in silver.  The explanations for the name is that because it was modeled after the Golden Temple it needed a contrasting name and because at night when the moon reflects off the temple it gives off a silvery appearance.  The features include a sand garden, reflective pond, mossy hill side, and manicured trees.  All this make for a serene, peaceful, and certainly zen aura.  The oxygen there felt better and healthier to breath.  Peter and I took long, deep breaths—taking advantage of the spiritual air that filled our lungs.

Our next temple was reached by the inquisitively named “Philosopher’s Path.”  This is a stone path along a canal that is surrounded by cherry blossoms.  Unfortunately the cherry blossoms weren’t in bloom while we were there.  It is named Philosopher’s path because one the the greatest Japanese philosophers, Nishida Kitaro, use to meditate while walking this path on his daily commute to Kyoto University.  Peter and I attempted our best thinker/philosophical poses.  In my opinion Peter nailed it.

The path led us to Eikando or formally known as Zenrinji Temple, which turned out to be one of our favorites.  It’s not as popular or well known as some of the others which made for very few other tourists. With that came quietness which amplified the already dominating feeling of relaxation and peace.  Apparently during the leave changing months (October-Decmeber) this temple offers some of the best and colorful views making is really packed.  Outside of those months the temple offers a quiet oasis highlighted by the Hojo Pond. It was just about this time that Peter said he wanted our future home to have some Japanese design influences.

  From there we taxied over to the most popular temple in Kyoto—Kiyomizu-dera Temple. 

But, before exploring the temple we stopped for a green tea ice cream break and people watching.

Those people are obviously not real life geishas.  There are companies that will outfit people in geisha costumes and you can walk around Kyoto for a day dressed up as one.  Men can dress up as Samurais.  Obviously I was all for this idea.  Just for the pictures alone.  But the yin (Peter) to my yang admittedly shut it down. “Only guys who are in trouble with their girlfriends would so something like this,” he said.

This could have been Peter.

At the base of the temple I noticed a group of Japanese youth having a grand ole time taking pictures together so I imposed myself by asking if I could jump in a picture.  They graciously accepted with head nods and enthusiastic smiles.

See what I mean? How fun does that look?  Peter also took a picture on their camera.  When they looked at the result there was an eruption of laugher and cheer.  Those kids put a real solid pep in my step that day.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple which literally means “pure water temple” was not our favorite.  Being the most famous and popular comes with an obvious crowdedness that was almost unbearable.  It was built in 780 where the Otawa waterfall is located.  In 1994 it became an UNESCO world heritage site.

The Otowa waterfall offers 3 streams to drink from offering longevity, success in school, and a good love life.  It is frowned upon to drink from all three because this is perceived as being greedy.  Peter and I didn’t drink from any which means we are generous…I think.  Actually I don’t know.  I couldn’t find anything on that. We just didn’t want to wait in the massive line that wrapped around as far as the eye could see.

There is also a shrine dedicated to the deity of love and matchmaking —Jishu Shrine.  There is an area where two stones are located about 20 feet from each other.  If you can walk the distance with your eyes closed this will bring luck in finding love.  Lucky for us, we are all set in that area.

Afterwords we refueled with coffee at % Arabica which turned out to serve excellent coffee in a chilled out, hipster vibe atmosphere.

Our last shrine/temple for the day brought us to Fushimi Inari Shrine.  I loved this one!  This is an iconic location for its thousands of vermilion tori gates.  The gates straddle a number of trails that go through a forest and end at the sacred Mount Inari.  The shrine is dedicated to Inari, the God of rice.  Inari’s messengers are foxes which can be seen throughout the shrine.

The entrance to the trails are marked by thousands of tori gates that have all been donated.  On the backside is an inscription denoting who the donor is.  The cost is anywhere from 400,000 yen to a million.

How beautiful is this shrine? The further back the larger the dori gates become.

To make it all the way to the the summit of Mount Inari it takes anywhere from 2-3 hours.  We had already had a pretty packed day so decided to pass on the long trek.

We headed back to town and got dropped of in the Gion neighborhood which is the Geisha district.  My goal was to find a teahouse for a traditional tea ceremony. I had a place picked out that I had researched, but upon entering we were shooed away.  We decided to walk around and take in the vibe and sightsee.  I didn’t hold out any hope for seeing a Geisha in real life.  As we walked around Hanami-koji street, which is the most popular area we observed a number of people gathered together all holding large and impressive cameras.  It was like paparazzi style.  All of them waiting to catch a glimpse of the elusive geisha.

As we walked away from the scene we found ourselves alone on the street,  I said to Peter, “Oh the elusive geisha.”  Just as the words were uttered out of my mouth…there she was.  She magically appeared in a doorway and then proceeded to glide right in front of us in exactly the manner I would have imagined.  Geisha’s are walking pieces of art with their appearance, dress, demeanor, and movement.  It was though she was almost floating.  As I witnessed her perfection, a series of chills surged through my body.  This was the second time that Japan had inspired this type of reaction in me.  We had a brief moment of concern that if we walked too fast we would almost bump into her.  We slowed our pace and were able to watch her movements of sophistication combined with sheer elegance and beauty as she made her way into a car which then drove off.  The one minute it took for all of that to unfold left me thunderstruck.

Shortly after this occurred we walked past Gion corner which is where tourists can pay to watch a performance that includes a maiko dance.  It was another perfect timing moment as two geishas were walking into the building.  You can see in the picture below how they are treated like celebrities.  Look how excited the guy in the picture is after capturing a photo.  This moment was of course great, but it didn’t hold the weight and magnitude of when it was just Peter and I almost running into our geisha friend.

The only way to close out a day like that is with a bowl full of ramen or maybe just head for bed.  How do you top that?

We opted to try the burnt ramen at Gogyo.  Burnt ramen is made by scorching the miso or soy base in 300 degree lard.  Sounds un-appetizing right? Well contrary to how it sounds, it is delicious if a little rich and filling.

This is how they served sake which I kind of loved.

End of day 1.  We kept the same pace in Kyoto that we did in Tokyo.

Our next morning started with a trip to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.  I was really excited for this because of all the pictures I had scene on Instagram.

We did realize fairly quickly that if you want that kind of shot you have to come early or be really good at photoshop.  This is the best we got.

Being there really is a treat with it’s stunning beauty and zen-energy that is exuded from those gift from nature — trees.

Located adjacent to the forest is Tenryuj Temple.  The temple is another Unesco Heritage Site and is highlighted by it’s Japanese koi pond.  It was designed by the lead monk of the temple who used the mountain scenery combined with elements of a Chinese legend of a koa that swam up a waterfall to become a dragon.  It has inspired gardens throughout Japan.  It was here that I said to Peter, “the Japanese really have it figured out when it comes to using the elements of natural beauty.”  This place is stunning.

After getting our fill of zen we strolled over to kochi-Sanso Villa for a tea break in the garden.  It was once the estate of the film actor Okochi Denjiro.

The break was nice, but what really got us going was the beautiful gardens that surround the property.  Thick, lush greenery that blanketed everything as far as the eyes could see.  Combine that with an all encompassing serene energy, this was a place I could have spent hours at.  Peter and I marveled that someone had lived here.  How would you ever feel stressed in a place like that?

During our walk we stumbled across a couple lookouts, one where we caught views of the the mountain side, valley and a little shrine across the way.

The other with charming city views.

Again this would be an ultra zen place to live.

We left the estate and were ready for some lunch, but were faced with the same problem in Tokyo—we couldn’t find a place to get money.  This left us with a pretty big problem because there was no ATM’s around the area we were in and we didn’t have enough cash to have a cab aimlessly drive us around while we tried to find one.  We considered hitching a ride from this guy.

Eventually after a good amount of hassle and another mini-mart lunch we finally found our way to money and our next stop – Kinkakuji or the Golden Pavilion.

This temple is breathtaking with it’s top two tiers dazzled in gold leaf.  The temple overlooks a large pond and is tucked in by vibrant green leafy trees.  The entire look is quite idyllic.  The architecture was modeled after Kitayama culture which was aristocratic and extravagant.  It had been destroyed many times with the last time in 1950 when a fanatic monk set fire to it.  It was rebuilt in 1955 and is the version that is seen today.

Our last stop of the day would bring us to Ryoanji Temple which holds Japan’s most famous rock garden.  The temple was originally an aristocrat’s villa that was converted to a zen temple in 1450.  The meaning behind the rock garden is unclear.  It is comprised of 15 rocks laid out in 5 small clusters on top of moss patches.  It is encouraged to go here and contemplate the meaning of the rock formation and therein life.

On the property is also a nice walking trail and lily pond where we spotted a couple of pure white ducks.  I’m not quite sure I even knew those existed.  The ducks are in so much zen that their feathers turn white.

For our last night in Kyoto we decided to indulge in another sushi dinner.  We took the recommendation of the hotel and booked a reservation at Ikkan.  We even decided to get a little gussied up for date night.

Ikkan was a wonderful choice.  It’s a small family run restaurant with a father/son team of sushi chefs.  We opted again for Omakase and left it in the hands of the chefs.  We had a similar experience as we did in Tokyo where we were given one at time mouth watering pieces of perfection from the sea.  It was pretty incredible how happy really good sushi made me.  We actually did discover that there is something with eating that much quality fish that can give you a feeling of being buzzed.  It’s referred to as sushi high.  There is a phrase in the urban dictionary, sushi drunk, which by definition is the happiest form of being drunk.  There is no doubt I felt it.  I was giddy afterwords and maybe explained why I got teary-eyed in Tokyo—I was sushi drunk.

With bellies full of sushi we headed back to the hotel where we decided to grab a nightcap.  We celebrated such a successful adventure with some fun drinks.  Peter went with single malt Japanese whiskey (when in Rome) and I ordered up a dirty vodka martini.  We toasted and felt gratitude in our hearts for a trip of a lifetime.

Our time in Japan was winding down.  In the morning we were heading to Osaka for the night and then off to South Korea.

Kyoto is one of those places that you can see a million pictures of and you can gather how beautiful it is, but there is an energy that compliments that beauty that I haven’t experienced anywhere else in the world.  The positive energy and zen waves that pump through the air in Kyoto is magical.  The use of natures magnificence coupled with tranquility will bring the most anxious to a peaceful state.  And if you’re lucky… a Geisha will level you with her charm and grace.

Thanks to our lovely family and friends that continue to stay with us on this journey.

XOXO

We did our usual spaghetti bolognese family dinners in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel in Manila with Tod in our hearts and on our minds.

A few days later we said our good-byes for now to Andrew.  He was heading back to the US.   Peter and I were heading to our first place on our Japanese tour…Tokyo.  I was admittedly a little sad because we all had had such a fun time traveling and living in Bangkok together.  But I knew our crew would have more adventures in the future.

I was thrilled that Japan was our next stop.  I had heard so many wonderful things about the country.  I was particularly intrigued because a handful of people had told me how truly foreign it would feel.  I loved that.  The more challenging to the “comfort zone” the better.

Check out our flight there.

That definitely looks pretty different from a flight from LAX to just about anywhere in the US.

The moment we landed I couldn’t stop taking pictures.  I was like Peter “look at this vending machine.”

“Peter look at that taxi cab.  How cute is that?”

That look means ‘put the camera away, I’m trying to get us organized’.  I got that look a lot in Japan.  Why? Because there are so many things to take pictures of, but it’s really challenging finding your way around.  I was constantly taking photos while Peter was constantly trying to get us from point A to B.

Ultimately, Peter was able to maneuver us to our hotel that first night via Airport Express Train, thru Shinjuku Station and then into a taxi-queue to our hotel.  We were staying at the Citadines Shinjuku.  We checked in and immediately, fueled by the excitement of being in Tokyo, headed out to explore the neighborhood of Shinjuku.

Shinjuku provides some of the most electric energy in all of Tokyo.  Specifically the area of Kabukicho, the red light district, which is full of restaurants, bars, bright neon billboards, and… Love Hotels??

We strolled the streets while taking in the intoxicating energy surrounding us.

Our first night we were set on grabbing some ramen for dinner which proved to be super challenging.  We didn’t realize it at the time but withdrawing money from ATM’s as a foreigner is not so easy.  Especially late at night. Only ATM’s at 7-Eleven’s and Post Offices allow foreigners to take out money with foreign cards.  On top of this, none of the simple street-side restaurants accepted cards.  So we walked around aimlessly for a long time attempting to get money while simultaneously being turned away by every restaurant due to our lack of Japanese Yen.  Needless to say, this was pretty frustrating but at times comes the territory when traveling to new places.   We were hungry, irritated, and tired.

In the end we settled on Family Mart because they accepted our credit card.  Peter grabbed himself a cup of chili tomato instant noodle soup.  I picked out an assortment of sushi.  Japan even does good sushi in a minimart. We each grabbed a large Asahi beer and sat on the curb outside the store where we suddenly felt relaxed and laughed about our failed attempt to find money and food.  If you aren’t adaptable while traveling, you probably aren’t going to have a good time.

Just like that our attitude turned around.

The next day we started early to begin exploring some of the different neighborhoods in Tokyo.  We walked back to Shinjuku station which is the busiest in the world. The station is manic in a calm, quiet and organized way.  Four million people a day sift through carousels and trains in harmonious fashion.  Just being there is an experience in and of itself.  Peter assumed the subway maps were some sort of joke.

As always I was super impressed with Peter’s ability to tackle such a challenging task and decode what I considered indecipherable maps.  I’d be lost without him.  Literally and figuratively. Not only are there hundreds of stations in Tokyo, there are multiple train companies and tickets are not transferable. So you need to find where you are going (which is like finding a needle in a haystack on the map) and then figure out which company supplies the route and then determine the fare price. Finally, with ticket in hand, you must swiftly walk through the station to avoid getting trampled by the endless stream of movement of passengers walking, find the right train/color and hope you are going the right direction.  Needless to say, it’s a challenge finding ones way in Tokyo.

We started off in Yoyogi Park.  Since Tokyo is so crowded and housing is small, parks are known for hosting a myriad of activities and so of course – great for people watching.  Groups of people come to practice their hip hop routines, music talents, acting, fantasy fights, amongst other things.  Additionally the park has a quiet and peaceful side and is beautiful.

Next up we walked over to the neighboring area of Harajuku—known as the fashion center and culture for Japanese youth.  Which brings me to something I could not keep my eyes and camera off of—the FASHION.  Oh me oh my.  I have never seen anything like it.  It is a style that I think for the most part you can only pull off in Harajuku/Tokyo.  I absolutely LOVE how inhibited it is.  Anything goes.

The best for last.

While in Harajuku I did a bit of shopping at Toyu Plaza and came out with one important question —why can’t all retail sales people be like the Japanese?

It was the best shopping experience of my life.

The cutest and loveliest Japanese women helped me at each store.  I would pick something out to try on and then they would speak to me in the softest and sweetest tone.  I had know clue what they were saying because it was all in Japanese.  Think ‘Lost in Translation.’  I would shake my head yes and smile.  I would then be escorted to a dressing room where I was instructed with smiles, hand motions, and Japanese language to take off my shoes before entering the dressing room.  I would walk inside and try on the garment then be motioned to come out to show off what I was wearing.

The minute I walked outside the room I was generously given gasps of approval followed by the loveliest tone of language I have ever heard.  It was given with, what I felt, a genuine admiration.  Even if I didn’t purchase something they enthusiastically fond over, I wasn’t made to feel like I was making a mistake or letting them down.

Peter happened to walk up and watch from afar this scenario unravel and he too was taken by the loveliness that these women treated me with.  The whole experience was one of many highlights from our time in Tokyo. What fun.

Our next stop was one of the hipster neighborhoods of Tokyo —Nakameguro.  It is filled with charming cafes, bars, and restaurants.  It’s highlighted by its tree-lined river.

Although the highlight for us was that we finally got a bowl of ramen.  We spotted a restaurant that looked inviting and went for it.  The trick is that you have to order on your own from a vending machine outside the restaurant that is it entirely in Japanese. It spits you out a ticket which you then give to the cook in the restaurant

With our best efforts, we ordered, but weren’t exacly sure what was going to be delivered to our table.

Not to fear.  About 10 minutes later two bowls of deliciousness were brought to us which sparked a budding love with ramen.

Early evening we headed over to Shibuya crossing.  This iconic intersection is located right next to Shibuya station.  All street lights turn red at the same time bringing a halt to all traffic and then a flooding of pedestrians unravels from all directions.  It’s controlled chaos.  Right above the crossing is a Starbucks located on the second floor of the Tsutaya building.  It’s a perfect spot to observe from above.

Bonus for me, Shibuya 109, which is a multi level shopping center is located right at the crossing.  I popped in for some browsing and friendly saleswomen.  I also mistook a woman for a mannequin.  If I’m going to be honest, this happened a lot.  The Japanese having amazing skin.

Up next we headed to the neighborhood of Ginza.  Ginza is one of the most expensive and upscale neighborhoods in Tokyo.  You will find every high fashion, luxury brand store here and a cup of coffee will cost you $10.  We went there after sundown because it’s known for being photogenic at night due to all the neon lights and signs.  If I was a photographer, which I’m clearly not, we would have much better pictures.

After a bit of a bust in Ginza due to most things being closed by the time we got there, we headed back to the neighborhood we were staying in—Shinjuku.  Peter’s friend, Kim, who lives in Tokyo had recommended a ramen spot near our hotel by the name Ichiran.

Dining here, like many aspects of our time in Tokyo was a unique experience.

Like other ramen places there is the typical vending machine to order from.  Then you wait in a queue where you are handed a menu where you can then customize your noodles.

The seating chart is available on the wall in electronic form allowing the staff to have as little as interaction as possible.   Once we were taken back we realized that the seating design isn’t optimal for patron interaction as well.

Everyone is sat at an individual counter with partitions.  In order to receive your ramen you place the customized sheet on the edge of the counter until a mystery person comes by to pick it up.

A little while later we were delivered our ramen and a cold beer.  The ramen was to die for and the best we had on our entire trip.  The elusive dining experience made it even more memorable.

The next day we met up with Peter’s friend Kim.  We made plans to meet in the trendy neighborhood of Shimokitizawa at Bear Pond Espresso.  Kim is a delight and the two of us ended up talking non-stop which did not surprise Peter at all since he already knew our energies together would certainly get along. His only complaint was that he was over-powered by our collective girl-talk and couldn’t get a word in edge-wise.

One of the things I was really excited about in Japan was checking out the Japanese beauty products because it is all the rage in skin care.  I had done quite a bit of research and Kim knew of a nearby store that she and I could go explore.  Peter shook his head in despair at this notion, but off Kim and I went.

One of the best things I picked up that day were these facial sheet masks.

Kim then took us for lunch to get Soba noodles at an all Japanese restaurant.  No sort of English menu and not a place Peter and I could have figured out very easily.  So nice to have a local show us around.  With these dishes you are delivered broth with cold noodles then you place individual noodles via chopsticks inside the broth.  As per usual—delicious.

After several hours with Kim we were off to our next adventure.  We kept things moving in Tokyo.  There is so much to see.

We were finally on our way for a sushi dinner!

Surprisingly getting sushi in Japan isn’t as easy as you would think.  You can’t just walk up to a restaurant and hope for an open seat.  Sushi dining is a bit of a serious event.  A reservation is necessary because the sushi chef goes to Tsukiji Fish Market (the market that sources/export the world’s best sushi) that morning to prepare for that days reservations.  Sure you can go to places that are run with a conveyer belt, but true dining needs to be thought of ahead of time.  Also, sushi is pricey.  Oh and if you are a sushi roll lover, you won’t find that as regularly in Tokyo. This is the real traditional deal.

By recommendation we had made reservations in the Ebisu neighborhood at Matsue.  I was so excited I could barely contain myself when we walked up.  I was actually a bit nervous.  I felt like I was about to meet someone famous that I have a strong admiration for.

We were escorted to the sushi bar where we informed the chef we both wanted, “Omakase,” which in Japanese means —I’ll leave it up to you, or chef’s choice.

Peter and I sat there for the next hour or so and had delicious piece of fresh fish, one after the other, delivered to us in such excruciatingly perfect detail.  It was a bit intimidating because the chef would at times stop and wait for our reactions to gauge our palate.  Then adjust accordingly.  They take their profession so seriously and do it with such confidence and swagger.

I had a profound moment with a piece of toro or fatty tuna.

Sometimes while traveling or in life in general you have certain moments of perfection.  For me, it was sitting there in Tokyo with my husband eating my favorite cuisine.  I was living so much in that moment that when I ate the piece of sushi, which was the best I had ever had, it literally sent chills throughout my body and even brought a tear to my eye.  It was utter bliss.

Here are some of the other pieces of sushi we indulged in.

As if our day could get any better after that, our next stop was back in Shinjuku to attend a Robot Cabaret.

I honestly don’t know what to say about the show, because there is nothing quite like it.

Before the show even begins, sensory overload starts in the lounge area.

Here’s the lounge.

Here’s the lounge band who played hit songs from Maroon 5 and an amazing rendition of “Isn’t she lovely” by Stevie Wonder.

With my love of anything performance art related I was already in sheer joy before the show even began.

Next we were instructed to the basement where the robot cabaret takes place.  Everyone is filed in and shown to their assigned seats.

The show is kick started by taiko drumming performed by a group of women in rainbow wigs and sequin attire.

From then on out it was a frenzy of energy, lights, dancing, techno, and robots.  Mixed in were some dinosaurs, giant fembots, a woman eating snake.  Scarcely dressed women all attempt to fight off the oversize robots while dancing in heels.  There wasn’t a particular storyline to follow or a method to the madness.  We just sat back and took in the silliness, hilarity, and at times oddness of it all. Just another thing to love about Tokyo.

Check the box for yet another unique experience in Japan.  This country rocks.

We night capped it in the Golden Gai area.  Golden Gai is known for it’s nightlife and architecture.  It’s made up of six small alleys that are connected by narrow passageways comprised of 200 tiny shanty-like bars filled with an overabundance of character.  The architecture is significant because it represents what Tokyo use to look like.  It’s an area mainly for locals, but if you spot a bar with an English sign outside of it then it’s probably open to foreigners. Each of the small drinking dens seat anywhere from 6-10 people only. Some of the more famous establishments only allow regulars and entrance is granted by very selective bartenders. Our goal was to visit the public-friendly establishments.

We started with a drink at a bar named Albatross.  It had a quiet mystic feel with eccentric decor.  This included chandeliers, animal heads, crucifixes, and mirrors.  We quietly sipped our cocktails while feeling we had entered an ultra hipster Japanese zone.

Then were off to try out another place when we were waved in my a friendly bartender to am establishment that didn’t appear to have a name.  We attempted to speak with him in broken English and hand gestures which resulted in the bartender handing a cord to Peter.  Said cord was for his phone and connected to the surround sound so we could play DJ.  Peter of course slammed hip-hop.  We had the place to ourselves where we sat, smiled, and chatted about the past couple days of Tokyo exploration.  It had been busy and really, really fabulous.

The next afternoon we were taking the bullet train to Kyoto, but not before one last stop.

We woke up early and headed to Tsukiji Fish Market so we could experience straight-from-the-sea table sushi.  The market holds the worlds largest tuna auction which occurs daily before sunrise.  Over 1000 food establishments go there each morning to buy fresh fish.  A small number tourists are allowed to watch the auction but you have to get there around 3 AM to ensure a spot so we passed on that.

I had done a good amount of research on where to go and there were two restaurants that were highly reviewed, Daiwa and Dai.  We had out sights set on either one, but quickly realized after looking at the queues if you want to eat at either establishment you should probably get there around 5 AM.  Especially Dai; I just read on a blog that one person waited 3 hours after arriving at 5:20 AM.  We hadn’t received the memo so while Peter went looking for a Post Office to get money, I waited in a line at the restaurant next to Daiwa.  I mean all these places are getting the fish from the same place, right?

I can’t speak to the other top rated restaurants but we ended up at Yamazaki and it was incredible.  I’ve read that there is no need to queue for the more popular places and you won’t go wrong at any of the establishments in the market.  The reviews on TripAdvisor for Yamazaki are through the roof.

While here I selected from a menu my sushi choices by fish and quantity.  Peter and I both delighted in the toro with a few pieces each.  Sushi for breakfast—a fantastic idea.  So healthy and light and we were eating the freshest from the sea.  It was another one of those perfect travel moments.

After an extraordinary breakfast experience we headed over to the train station.  Our next destination was Kyoto where we would arrive by bullet train.

Tokyo remains one of my top favorite destinations in all of our travels.  When one place offers so many unique experiences at once, especially one that runs goosebumps throughout my body, it’s a place that will leave a lasting imprint.  It certainly did on me.  There were so many things I was taken with from the people to the food to the fashion to the mind blowing efficiency in which everything is run.  I can’t wait to go back.

And now I’m hungry for sushi…and ramen.

Thanks for reading!

Koh Ngai and Koh Mook are islands off the beaten backpacker trail.  Both islands are perfect if you are looking for a quiet, remote, and romantic getaway.  We could especially feel the isolation when we were traveling in early August as it was low season.   This almost gave us both islands to ourselves.  However, the other thing that low season can bring: Monsoons.

The day before we boarded our flight from Bangkok to Krabi where we would then take a long tail boat to Koh Ngai, we received the following message:

Dear Peter Fotheringham,

            We are looking forward to see you tomorrow:) Anyhow, our
team’s checked a weather forecast and found that there is an
opportunity to have a monsoon in this area during 5-10 Aug.
But, as usual we don’t  know if the forecast is right. At the
moment, the weather on the island is good, a bit cloudy, but
no rain, no wind

So with this is of situation, what we can plan for you are as
shown below:

Tomorrow: we will send a driver to waiting for you at the airport.

Plan 1.  If the weather is good, then he will drive you to the pier, take
a longtail boat to Koh Ngai as an original plan.

Plan 2.  If the weather is not good and seem like boat can not run the
whole day. You can discuss with a driver if you want him help you to find
a hotel in Trang.  Or if you want to go to stay somewhere on the beach
instead: Pakmeng beach or even Krabi, let’s discuss with a driver.

Peter and I weren’t sure what to expect when we landed but we kept our spirits positive.  At the airport I also took a quiet moment to say a prayer for good weather with Ronald McDonald.

We landed in Krabi where we were greeted by our driver and taken to the pier.  The weather was holding up!

We loaded our things on to the long tail boat (pictured below) and away we went.  Piece of cake.  Sun was shining down on our faces.

That’s the funny thing about monsoons — they come out of nowhere.

So the pep in our step, the smile on our faces — soon went away.  Within about 20 minutes the rain came and it came hard.  With that came pretty hefty waves.  I have a fear of waves and drowning so this was basically like living out my worst nightmare in real life.  People have asked if I ever felt scared while traveling — aside from a 7 foot tall Afrikaner grabbing my behind — this was it.

Water was coming at us from all sides over our little wooden boat in an angry sea.

I kept envisioning a wave hitting us and flipping the boat over.  We would collide with a wave and the front of the boat would go up and then come crashing down with a big thud.  This would cause me to fly out of my seat while I simultaneously gave out a muffled yelp.  I was literally terrified.  Other times the boat driver would allow the wave to hit us from the side flooding the boat which thankfully is porous enough for the water to easily drain out.

Usually I don’t get too shaken by things, but this time I couldn’t hide my fear.  All Peter had to do was look at my eyes.  This in turn of course stressed Peter out who kept trying to calm me and give me suggestions, such as “look out into the horizon.”  As if seeing the wave approaching would be better than closing me eyes while white knuckling it in my seat.  Neither worked.  Neither approach calmed me down.  At one point it all became so surreal that I actually thought I was in one of my nightmare dreams of drowning.  The physical shaking of my body told me otherwise.  For the next 40 minutes all I could do was bear down (like an Arizona Wildcat) and take it.  Koh Ngai in the distance continued to get bigger and bigger until we were finally there.

SURVIVORS!

Peter tried to tell me it wasn’t that bad but when we got to shore the lady who greeted us seemed very concerned.  I informed her that what we just did — crossing the Andaman Sea — was “scary and dangerous.”  She replied, “yes yes scary and dangerous.”  Peter defended his position by explaining to me that she didn’t understand what I was saying because she didn’t speak English.  He and I decided to agree to disagree on our individual perceptions on what just occurred.  Either way you can’t fake that kind of fear.

Update: After bringing up this story to Peter after I blogged about it.  He admitted, “No that was really scary.  I was worried that we might face the same situation a few days later so I needed to be nonchalant about it.”  Sometimes you never know what your significant other has going on in his mind.  Peter is always a few steps ahead with his strategic mind.

We checked in and got settled in our room at Coco Cottage. We were two of about eight guests on the entire island.

The next couple days we covered the bases as you do on a remote island.  We relaxed, ate a ton of Thai food, read, watched movies, and unwound.  I needed to after the near-death boat ride.

Koh Ngai offers a long strip of white sand beach with limestone cliffs and sparkling sea views.  We combed the beach as far as we could go in each direction.

After a couple days on Koh Ngai we were ready to move over to the neighboring island of Koh Mook.  Well until this happened.

A monsoon had decided to show up the day we were to take a boat transfer to Koh Mook.  Obviously no boats were running with that rainfall.  We were stormed in at Koh Ngai.  We were leaving for Bangkok in two days so at this point we weren’t sure if we would get there at all.  The hotel staff wasn’t exactly up to par as far as an attempt to get us over to Koh Mook.  ”No boats go” is all we could get out of them.

We were told that our resort on Koh Ngai would call over to the resort at Koh Mook, where we would be checking into the following morning, to have a boat sent.  They seemingly never called so Peter took it upon himself to charter the hotel boat from his cell-phone and pay the roaming fees. Miraculously, they said they would come get us the next morning. None of the fisherman who own boats would drive but the resort at Koh Mook assured Peter they’d be there.

Our boat showed up and we loaded up our things.  Then there was a stir amongst some of hotel staff who were shocked that we were able to secure a mode of transport. They wanted to get to the mainland and asked us if they could join our boat. Of course we obliged.

Than there was more stirring amongst some of the guests. The weather was about to turn and we needed to leave very soon to avoid another forming monsoon. We found out that some other guests at a neighboring resort, under the impression that no boats were available this day, wanted to hitch a ride once they saw our rescue boat. We nervously agreed as the small family packed their rooms. It took them about a half hour to pack. The monsoon was brewing even more and the staff on our boat showed signs of worry.

Than, out of nowhere, a French dude covered in tattoos and muscles struts over to the boat, chest puffed up as if he was about to jump into a cage fight and yelled, “Why can we not come with you?” Losing my patience I chimed in, “What do you mean? We’ve been waiting for everyone this whole time and telling everyone to join.” He quipped back, “ok, so now it’s fine?”  I was just about to fire back in utter irritation when Peter grabbed my knee and shook his head saying without words that it wasn’t worth it.  He was right.  We were all lost in translation trying to escape the island.  At a painfully slow pace the French dude, his wife and kid loaded their things but not before making a stink about the high-cost of the boat charter we were all sharing.

We made it to Koh Mook!

In the below pictures, chartered boat leaving with thankless Parisians on board.  But bonus we landed dry this time.

Since we had been rained in on Koh Ngai we only had one night on Koh Mook.  We checked in at the Sivalai Beach Resort and were decidedly pleased with the room and view.

If you are looking for a beach bungalow right on the sand with sea views at a great price, Koh Mook is your answer.  The other nice thing about Koh Mook is that it’s a bigger island than Koh Ngai so there’s a bit more variety.  The spa services were the first thing we booked.

We did a self-guided walking tour of the island which weaved through traditional Muslim fishing villages. We mazed through the island and witnessed all sorts of men and women doing various work.   Some were sorting fish, others working on long tail boats, and some villagers had opened restaurants due to the rise in tourism.

Late afternoon we relaxed back at the resort where we took our last day of islands life at a leisure pace before it was back to the city. Peter spent a lot of time on a hammock.

 That night it was a quick dinner at the hotel restaurant then a movie back at the room.  Our travels were about to pick up once again.  Knowing this, we took full advantage of the relaxed pace.

In the morning skies were essentially clear and we were all set to take off, this time, on a motorized speedboat back to shore.  On this excursion there was no excitement whatsoever (no monsoon or tatted angry man) which I was relieved and grateful for.

Up next: Back to Bangkok, quick work trip to Manila, then off to Japan.  I couldn’t wait for our adventure in Japan.  I had a feeling I was going to love it.

Much love and safety to you all. xoxo

For Peter it would be three days of long hours of learning, absorbing, and networking.  Because Peter has no real interest in shopping or clothes for that matter— I found myself forcing him to the mall before we left Bangkok to get him ready for his meetings.

When he left the first morning, I felt like it was the first day of school.  Who would he meet? Who would he eat lunch with? I even ironed his clothes.

Andrew joined us, because we can never shake that guy (kidding).  Peter was able to debrief and update Andrew after a long-day of meetings and networkings so the information could be cascading before forgotten.

On the day we arrived we checked into the Carlton Hotel, the location of the training, and that evening took a stroll to Clarke Quay.  We stopped at a restaurant along the water, RedDot, and had a nice quiet evening before Peter commenced his training.

During the days I did a good amount of sightseeing.  I did a ton of research and discovered many of the city’s highlights.  It felt like the old days of solo traveling where I would research and go explore places on my own.  Peter is very talented when it comes to navigational skills so I did miss him, but it was good for me to challenge myself again.

My first day I visited Little India where I grabbed a delicious lunch at a top rated spot, Banana Leaf Apolo.  Then I set out to explore the neighborhood.

I was lucky to visit the temple just when a “pooja” was starting.  A pooja is a ceremony to honor the Hindu deities led by a priest.  It consists of music, bells, chanting, and an electric energy the permeates throughout the temple walls.  It was a treat to witness. We had witnessed our last pooja in Varanasi, India.

Afterwords I dipped in and out of the stores which really were like the stalls that I had experienced in India a couple months earlier.

I did have one peculiar thing that occurred.  As I was walking around I had a young Indian man stop me to ask if I would take his picture in front of the tempe.  I obliged which then opened the door for him to begin a dialogue.  It started off innocent enough.

“Where are you from?”
“Why are you here?”
“Have you been to India?”

Then it turned creepy when he offered me a free massage.  I declined his generous but mainly odd and scary offer and went on my way.  I was reminded in that instance the strange things that can happen to females traveling on their own.  I wonder if that guys manages to beguile any women with that offer.

Next up I visited the cable cars that runs from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island.  It provided a nice aerial view of the city.

I did some walking around the Mount Faber stop and was able to gaze out into the skyline and take in the Singaporean skyscrapers.

Afterwords I headed back to the hotel to meet up with Andrew who had just flown in.  Just about everyone who I asked for recommendations when it came to dining in Singapore suggested Din Tai Fung for dumplings.  Andrew and I hit it up for dinner and neither one of us was disappointed.  So good!

Andrew’s friend Brendan has two close friends who live in Singapore — Greg and Lauren.  He had introduced us via Facebook and we had all made plans to meet up after dinner.  We met at a rooftop bar just around the corner from our hotel by the name Loof.

It was an immediate friendship between all of us.  It was as if we had all hung out many times before.  Just easy, fun, and funny with a lot in common.  There is something really remarkable about making friends overseas.  There is this instant connection because all of you are so far from home and your experiencing something unique together.  Meeting on a rooftop in Singapore adds a distinct element to a friendship.

Greg and Lauren were both so generous to offer their time to show us around the next couple days.

I started the next morning with them to a tour of the Botanical Gardens.  I no longer had to figure my way around.  They picked me up in their car from my hotel.  The gardens have a tranquil feel with some nice trail walks and variety of plants, trees, and people watching.

We were dressed a little more appropriately for hiking.

Next up we headed to brunch at a restaurant called Home.  This is where my fondness for Lauren really heightened to the next level.  And why is this? Because of her superb ordering skills.  She ordered the boldest item on the menu – the aptly named menage-a-trio of doughnuts which came three ways: cinnamon, maple bacon, and peanut butter and jelly.  And a side of curry fries.  And she is a yoga instructor that is phenomenal shape.  MAD RESPECT.

We later joined forces with Andrew and he made this peculiar activity suggestion: “Little India where we can get our fortune told be a parrot.” Having no clue what Andrew was talking about, we all acquiesced.  Apparently on the plane ride out to Singapore he read about this in an article.  Supposedly there is a parrot located in Little India that will point out tarot cards specific to a person.  The parrot owner can then read you your fortune.

As we searched the neighborhood we learned that the parrot has since been relocated to a different area in the city.  Sounding like a wild goose chase we threw in the towel.  Ever since then I can’t get that tarot card pointing parrot out of my mind and have been on the look-out ever since.

Greg and Lauren took off after that — possibly because they were concerned that Andrew might come up with more odd ideas — to get ready to meet up that evening.

Andrew and I with a little time to kill made a trip over to the well known and uber-photographed Super Tree Grove.  It’s known as looking like the world of Avatar.

From the Super Tree Grove there is a nice view of the other uber-photographed spot in Singapore— Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

That night we met up with Greg and Lauren for the National Day fireworks display.  Singapore was celebrating it’s 50th birthday.  We met at One Altitude which offers panoramic views of the city.

Luckily, after the fireworks display, Peter was able to join us and we all went out for a delicious Italian dinner at Trattoria Lafiandra.

We all talked about and hoped to meet up again.  Coincidently as I write this post we are all finding ourselves in Bangkok next week.  This time Brendan included.  Cannot wait.  I’ve been going back and forth with Lauren about various brunch spots and items that she might order.

The next day Andrew headed back to Bangkok.  Peter had his last day of training.  I took the opportunity to explore a bit more.

I did some research for a good lunch spot to try a Singaporean dish — Hainanese chicken rice.  It’s called “the national dish” of Singapore.  Figured it was a must try and found a highly reviewed place nearby called Zheng Swee Kee.  It was fine.  It was chicken with rice.  It was no menage-a-trio of doughnuts.  I already missed Lauren.

After that it was off to Chinatown.  At this point I was getting the hang of the MRT — the underground train system — which is how I got to Chinatown.

Chinatown was fun just to walk around in — the colors, energy, and people alone were enough to be entertained by.

Below are a plethora of serious chess games being battled out amongst non-smiling men.

My favorite stop in Chinatown was the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.  It was around this point in my travels what I was starting to read a good amount Buddhism and was growing a strong affinity towards the philosophy.  One of my favorite things to do is sit and meditate in a Buddhist Temple.  This one was particularly charming.  It contains four floors each offering a different experience of art and history.  I got lost in the world of spiritualism for awhile.  There was a room that told the story of Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha) and all the different stages of his life.  I went though the room and read everything.

 Later Peter and I met up for dinner at the famous Raffles Hotel.  It was here that the invention of the Singapore Sling occurred at the Long Bar.

Instead of paying a premium price —$30— for a drink we don’t particularly care for, we opted to grab a couple pizzas in the courtyard area of the the hotel.

Peter was then off to his last engagement/drinks with Charles and all the people he had trained with over the past few days.

For my last evening I decided to check out the Super Tree Grove which is lit up my various colored lights at night.  I have to say the trees were quite different when compared to seeing them in daylight.  I was happy that I got to experience both.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel also looks spectacular at night.

It’s a times like these that I really wished I was a better photographer.  Something to work on for the future.

For example this is what a talented photographer can do with the same subject.

To end the night I walked over to Marina Bay Sands Hotel and took the elevator all the way to the top and took a long hard look at the inspiring view before I met back up with Peter at our hotel.

The 3 days of training for Peter provided crucial insight and contacts that would place him on a secondary path in his career.  He has since then really honed the skills he acquired during that trip.  Six months later those training days have served him well and he is working harder than ever with reinvigorated excitement.  I’ve been really happy for him and it’s been such fun for me to watch it all unfold.

We left for Bangkok in the morning.  It was funny to see our reaction when we first got to Singapore.  We were both refreshed by the better air quality,  cleanliness,  organization of Singapore, but after a few days we felt ready to get back to the grittiness of Bangkok.  Singapore is a great city, but with it being so young, I didn’t feel a lot of depth and soul to it.  With that being said, I haven’t spent a ton of time there.  We have friends that absolutely love it.  But a part of my heart is perpetually in Bangkok.

Thanks as always for your support in reading about our journey around the globe.