There are new photos of Japan on our Everlater link. Check out some of the amazing food we enjoyed and the sites we got to see. xoxohttp://www.everlater.com/demelzad/asia
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Japanimation
I love Japan!!! The food, the people, the few sites we got to see in two weeks, the language, culture and even the small tremor of the earth we felt one night while falling asleep. Our first night in Tokyo was welcomed by a lovely couple that invited us to stay with them through Couchsurfing.org. Keita met us at Gotanda Rail Station and walked with us to his flat where his lovely girlfriend was preparing a meal for us. We put our bags down, and through the major language barrier enjoyed a meal of sushi, sauté, Kirin and miso soup. They would like to open a guesthouse when they retire so for now they invite people who are planning visits to Tokyo into their space and show them around when they can. Keita spent the following day taking us to all the embassies we needed to visit in the attempt to get a Shengan visa for EU and was so patient looking up addresses and walking in the heat with us. We spent that night thanking them with a meal Craig and I cooked for with foods we found from local markets and grocers.
After only 4 days in Tokyo we took a super fast bullet train to Kyoto where we stayed in a very clean hostel with little cubicles for beds and nice Japanese toilets with the bidets I've fallen in love with. We spend the next few days on bikes exploring temples, back streets, parks, and finding the best Ramen in town. Oh and we found it! 4 days in Kyoto didn't seem like enough but we packed as much into our time there as we could before heading to Osaka for the last 5 days in Japan. We got on bikes and explored some more. With Craig's expert navigation skills and my sense of adventure we found some really cool places and things in Osaka. Being one of the highest populated cities in the world, it's big. But on a bike you can see it slow enough to take it in but faster than walking which would take triple the amount of time to cover the ground we did. There's ferris wheel we enjoyed the view of the whole city from right next to one of the largest aquariums in the world with a whale shark, which we didn't visit. I'd rather spend the money scuba diving to be honest. Aquariums are like zoo's to me. Cruel.
Osaka has some serious Baseball. So since there were no Sumo matches while we were there we got the cheapest seats we could and went to a Japanese baseball game. The Osaka Buffaloes vs the Osaka Tigers. We were on the Buffaloes side with a bunch of highly participating fans who were proud to have us there. Some of them even offered us some of their snacks! So nice. With one grand slam from our team and two more runs in the 7th inning the Buffaloes took the game! We had a really good time. Next time we'll know that you can bring your own drinks and snacks to these games. The gate check dude will even give you a cup for your own beer you bring from the store. Nothing like any US sporting event where they capitalize on you having to purchase concessions from them.
The best way to explore Kyoto and Osaka is on bike! If the hotels you stay in have free bike rentals like ours did you save enough money and burn enough calories to spend it on more delicious food which both these places are well known for.
From Gotanda we went to Asakusa area where the Sky Tree lives and our new hostel we would call home for the next 2 nights. One guarantee in Japan is that even if you're not paying much for the place you stay, it's still going to be nicer compared to most other countries you're in paying the same amount. The toilets are always nice and the place will be clean. At least this was our experience of a budget hostel.
Mika and us at one of the lakes around Mnt. Fuji.
After only 4 days in Tokyo we took a super fast bullet train to Kyoto where we stayed in a very clean hostel with little cubicles for beds and nice Japanese toilets with the bidets I've fallen in love with. We spend the next few days on bikes exploring temples, back streets, parks, and finding the best Ramen in town. Oh and we found it! 4 days in Kyoto didn't seem like enough but we packed as much into our time there as we could before heading to Osaka for the last 5 days in Japan. We got on bikes and explored some more. With Craig's expert navigation skills and my sense of adventure we found some really cool places and things in Osaka. Being one of the highest populated cities in the world, it's big. But on a bike you can see it slow enough to take it in but faster than walking which would take triple the amount of time to cover the ground we did. There's ferris wheel we enjoyed the view of the whole city from right next to one of the largest aquariums in the world with a whale shark, which we didn't visit. I'd rather spend the money scuba diving to be honest. Aquariums are like zoo's to me. Cruel.
Osaka has some serious Baseball. So since there were no Sumo matches while we were there we got the cheapest seats we could and went to a Japanese baseball game. The Osaka Buffaloes vs the Osaka Tigers. We were on the Buffaloes side with a bunch of highly participating fans who were proud to have us there. Some of them even offered us some of their snacks! So nice. With one grand slam from our team and two more runs in the 7th inning the Buffaloes took the game! We had a really good time. Next time we'll know that you can bring your own drinks and snacks to these games. The gate check dude will even give you a cup for your own beer you bring from the store. Nothing like any US sporting event where they capitalize on you having to purchase concessions from them.
The best way to explore Kyoto and Osaka is on bike! If the hotels you stay in have free bike rentals like ours did you save enough money and burn enough calories to spend it on more delicious food which both these places are well known for.
Mika Masuda, a kind loving friend who drove us to the most lovely Mnt. Fuji San on one of her few days off. I met her in Hawaii when she came to visit the boutique I was working for, while she was the manager of our Japan store at the time. Thanks to Facebook we stayed in contact and i'm so happy we did. She treated us like long lost friends not only driving us to Fuji and taking us to a very lovely dinner. Our last night in Japan she picked us up from the train station, took us to her favorite local restaurant and let us sleep in her home. It is people like this that inspire me to be a better person than I am and think of the way I treat people. Thank you Mika San again for your love and hospitality.
New Itinerary
So since Europe is out due to silly visas and countries not wanting to give them to me, we finally have a new plan. We're only going to countries from now on that I don't need visas for. This list of countries that South Africans can visit without rigorous visa requirements isn't as long as we would have liked, but it does include most of the South and Central American countries we had wanted to visit anyway. So thanks to our wonderful travel agent in New Zealand and a smaller fee than we anticipated, we have a new itinerary and a new outlook to go with it.
After leaving Japan 2 days ago we hopped down to Guam where we've been relaxing, catching up and trying to get some sun in-between the rain showers. I got to use my green card for the first time and they let me in with questions at all. From here we will head to the Philippines for about a month and do some scuba diving and eat more delicious food, then head to Malaysia for a month. In August we'll finally land in South Africa where we hope to spend about 2 months visiting family, showing Craig where I grew up and seeing places I haven't even seen yet. After South Africa we fly to Brazil and then our last flight with the Around the World ticket is to Argentina. For there we're on our own again and depending on funds and desire we might slowly make our way back up to the US or just catch a flight back on the points we've accrued throughout the year of travel. We'll cross that bridge when we get there through. For now we're excited about our new plan of attack and the new places we're going to see. There a bit of planning to catch up on now so Guam is the perfect place for it.
Speaking of Guam, i'm surprised at how tired this place seems. The hotels are all sort of run down and dilapidated, along with the rest of the buildings and streets. Everything is over priced except for our hotel room which due to the lack of people visiting we got at an outrageous discount. We're only here for four days and that's enough for us. It's nice to be here and strange to be using USD again but I'm ready to get back on the road and see some different places. If I were to choose between Hawaii and Guam I'd take the former without hesitation.
After leaving Japan 2 days ago we hopped down to Guam where we've been relaxing, catching up and trying to get some sun in-between the rain showers. I got to use my green card for the first time and they let me in with questions at all. From here we will head to the Philippines for about a month and do some scuba diving and eat more delicious food, then head to Malaysia for a month. In August we'll finally land in South Africa where we hope to spend about 2 months visiting family, showing Craig where I grew up and seeing places I haven't even seen yet. After South Africa we fly to Brazil and then our last flight with the Around the World ticket is to Argentina. For there we're on our own again and depending on funds and desire we might slowly make our way back up to the US or just catch a flight back on the points we've accrued throughout the year of travel. We'll cross that bridge when we get there through. For now we're excited about our new plan of attack and the new places we're going to see. There a bit of planning to catch up on now so Guam is the perfect place for it.
Speaking of Guam, i'm surprised at how tired this place seems. The hotels are all sort of run down and dilapidated, along with the rest of the buildings and streets. Everything is over priced except for our hotel room which due to the lack of people visiting we got at an outrageous discount. We're only here for four days and that's enough for us. It's nice to be here and strange to be using USD again but I'm ready to get back on the road and see some different places. If I were to choose between Hawaii and Guam I'd take the former without hesitation.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Change of plans
dearest friends and family,
First of all my wish is that this finds you all happy, healthy and well wherever you may be. Craig and I send our love to you!
Our trip is going swell and we`re having such a wonderful time now n Japan. We`ve been giving something called Couchsurfing a try and actually finding it to be such a unique and lovely way to travel. We stay with locals who open their homes to travelers and if they have time and desire show us around and give us advice on local customs, language and good local food. We had our first experience with it in Seoul, S. Korea and though sleeping on a couch wasn`t ideal the first 3 nights it was free and we had an amazing experience with the new friends we had made. We had a couple invite us to their home in Tokyo where we stayed the last 2 nights and though there is a language barrier they are learning and we had such am amazing time with them and thier friends, cooking and hanging out together. It`s become one of our favorite ways to travel and it:s free which isn`t even the biggest reason its our fav.
We have however run into a little, okay large hicup. After many visits and phone calls to various Embassies in Hong Kong, Seoul and now Tokyo I am unable to get a Shengan visa for Europe as a South Afican passport holder applying outside my own country. So we are in the process of changing our `around the world` tickets and deciding which countries we will go to insead. This does mean that we will be going to South Africa a lot sooner than October but still not sure on the dates as of right now.
To our family in SA, would we still be able to come and stay with you in the next few months. I:ll be more certain on dates within the week so will let you know. I am so excited to come HOME after so many years and Craig is also excited to see SA for the frist time and since we have more time now we may be staying a few weeks longer.
To those of you who offered your homes and hospitality to us throughout Europe thank you again and though we will not be able to see you this time we will be going to see you at some point in our lives, maybe when I have a US passport. Also to the people we were going to meet in EU Sorry for the sudden change. We were so excited to see you there but maybe we can meet somewhere else like S. America.
After working with our amazing travel agent in New Zealand and figuring out a new itinerary we will be posting it on the blog again and I:ll send another email.
We love and appreciate you all! thanks for your support and love returned. xoxo
Demelza and Craig
First of all my wish is that this finds you all happy, healthy and well wherever you may be. Craig and I send our love to you!
Our trip is going swell and we`re having such a wonderful time now n Japan. We`ve been giving something called Couchsurfing a try and actually finding it to be such a unique and lovely way to travel. We stay with locals who open their homes to travelers and if they have time and desire show us around and give us advice on local customs, language and good local food. We had our first experience with it in Seoul, S. Korea and though sleeping on a couch wasn`t ideal the first 3 nights it was free and we had an amazing experience with the new friends we had made. We had a couple invite us to their home in Tokyo where we stayed the last 2 nights and though there is a language barrier they are learning and we had such am amazing time with them and thier friends, cooking and hanging out together. It`s become one of our favorite ways to travel and it:s free which isn`t even the biggest reason its our fav.
We have however run into a little, okay large hicup. After many visits and phone calls to various Embassies in Hong Kong, Seoul and now Tokyo I am unable to get a Shengan visa for Europe as a South Afican passport holder applying outside my own country. So we are in the process of changing our `around the world` tickets and deciding which countries we will go to insead. This does mean that we will be going to South Africa a lot sooner than October but still not sure on the dates as of right now.
To our family in SA, would we still be able to come and stay with you in the next few months. I:ll be more certain on dates within the week so will let you know. I am so excited to come HOME after so many years and Craig is also excited to see SA for the frist time and since we have more time now we may be staying a few weeks longer.
To those of you who offered your homes and hospitality to us throughout Europe thank you again and though we will not be able to see you this time we will be going to see you at some point in our lives, maybe when I have a US passport. Also to the people we were going to meet in EU Sorry for the sudden change. We were so excited to see you there but maybe we can meet somewhere else like S. America.
After working with our amazing travel agent in New Zealand and figuring out a new itinerary we will be posting it on the blog again and I:ll send another email.
We love and appreciate you all! thanks for your support and love returned. xoxo
Demelza and Craig
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