Full circle… we arrived back in Tokyo a few days ago from Nara. This trip has been one for the books, or the blog, I guess. Upon arriving in Tokyo station via a series of trains, we stopped in Ramen Street (a street with a series of ramen shops in Tokyo station), before heading to our hotel.

We stayed in Shinjuku, in a Godzilla themed hotel. Shinjuku is more in the west side of Tokyo while at the start of our trip we stayed on the east side. For our first night in Shinjuku we decided to go on an organized pub crawl. Much tamer than the ones in Europe, and no karaoke either! In any case, we were introduced to some pretty cool parts of the Shinjuku district, the highlight being Goldengai. Goldengai is a series of alleys filled with over 200 hole-in-the-wall bars (fitting for our trip), some with unique themes. One in particular, Death Match in Hell, serves everything for 666 yen, and is one of the most popular. One common theme was to yell ‘Kanpai!’ (bar wide) whenever we got a drink. Given we have aged (and maybe grown up a little) since our last pub crawl, we called it a night.

The next day we started with a walk through Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Lots of green space here considering how huge the city is. Memories of Central Park, anyone?

After the park we Luup’d down do Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the worlds largest crosswalk, seeing at peak times over 3,000 people cross at once. A river of people. The whole area is surrounded by huge advertisements and skyscrapers. As someone who’s not a fan of massive crowds, this was still pretty neat to see.

We Luup’d back to Shinjuku and prepared for our nice sushi dinner (booked months in advance). This place, such as many others, was in a tiny space, with only a few seats. The whole sushi experience was about 90 minutes of individually prepared sashimi and nigiri. After this we proceeded to Goldengai for a few drinks.

The next, and final day in Japan, we headed to Hakone for a day trip to see Mt. Fuji. This was a long journey filled with trains, busses, boats, gondolas and cable cars. We started by arriving in Hakone central station to catch a bus up a series of switch backs to the Lake Ashi, where we stopped to eat some eel for lunch. From here we caught a boat across the lake to Togendai station, followed by two gondolas up Kamiyama Mountain. We got some amazing views of Fuji before heading back done via cable car. After a series of trains, we arrived back in Shinjuku, ready for our last dinner.

On our pub crawl, a couple days prior, we were introduced to a place that has 2 hours of all-you-can-drink (for 1,300 yen). This was very conveniently right across from our Godzilla hotel. In any case, we committed to the 2 hours and made sure to get some eats along the way. Jordan, who is vegan back home, enjoyed some horse sashimi (as did I)…. probably the furthest from vegan you can get.

To summarize our trip to Japan would be difficult. I remember sitting on the street in Dublin, only a couple weeks into my trip in Europe (a near 14 years ago). A woman sat down beside me, reflecting on her now-ending adventures in Europe. During our conversation I asked her what her favourite moment was… she couldn’t tell me. All she could say was: “I experienced a lifetime of memories in only a few months time.”

My life to-date has been a result from choices made and the adventures I’ve taken (in good company). My trip to Europe being the event that changed my life forever, and something I reflect on often and make constant comparisons. The way I see the world now, has vastly changed in my adult life. It led me to my family (who I miss greatly right now), to Brazil and the family there, and to my overall way of thinking.

As I exit this long awaited trip to Japan, which only spanned 2 weeks, it feels like I have built up yet another series of memories I will never forget and will recall for the rest of my life.

Samuel Johnson once said:
“The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”

This isn’t the end though. There is still more to see.

With that, I leave you with this: Travel. Travel as much as you can. Meet people and share experiences. They’re just people. And don’t necessary say yes to everything, but try to resist saying no all the time.

Until next time. Kanpai! (cheers)

Next stop: …

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With just a quick subway ride, we arrived in Nara, looking forward to a quiet evening after the crazy hustle of Osaka. We stayed at another ryokan here (traditional Japanese inn), where we dropped off our bags and headed into Nara Park (AKA: Deer Park). If you thought there were lots of deer in Miyajima, then wait until you see Nara.

We ventured into the forest for a couple-hour hike through Wisteria, before heading back to where all the shrines and temples are. Who am I kidding? There are shrines and temples everywhere. By this point in our trip, seeing shrines and temples is the norm… or so we thought. We headed over to Todai-ji Temple, which is the largest wooden structure in the world (by combined height and area). Inside Todai-ji Temple is a near 50 metre bronze Buddha (Daibutsu), also known as The Great Buddha. This is deemed a world heritage site. The pictures don’t do justice to the immense size of this thing. Good thing we didn’t start with this temple earlier in the trip, because nothing really holds-up to this one.

By this time we had worked up a hunger… a hunger for sushi. We decided to go on a sushi crawl (you know, like a pub crawl, but with sushi). As we may never be able to have sushi again, we figured we better get as much in us as possible. So… we did. After filling our bellies we went back to our hotel and checked-in.

At most ryokans they have a public bath, which we had not partaken in when in Miyajima. Here, it is private, which seemed a little more up our alley. The bath water itself is fed via a hot spring. After a brief soak to relax our sore legs from the hike, we headed out for dinner and ate a few chicken’s worth of yakitori.

After dinner we headed to a small local bar with a rooftop patio that overlooked the town. Here we befriended the bar owner and some locals, to where I kicked their assess in Mario Kart (it’s common to have a Nintendo in bars here). Such as Miyajima, things close early here… but we ended up keeping the bar open a couple hours past closing, chatting (with the help of Google) and playing vids.

Nara is a must-see if you’re in Japan. I find the busier cities may house a lot of tourists and attractions, but the hospitality and general vibe of the smaller towns is more authentic. Having said that…

Next stop: Tokyo

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After a quick train trip from Kobe, we arrived in Osaka a couple days ago. At the hotel we are staying at, they offer free everything (including alcohol). I could have really taken advantage of this if I were younger. After dropped off our bags, went for more delicious sushi. I think Japan has ruined Canadian sushi for me.

Osaka itself is currently hosting Expo (world fair), and given it is now Golden Week, things are especially busy. We spent the afternoon exploring the Dotonbori area before settling in at a pub for a couple drinks. After the pub we wandered across the bridge and found a small spot outside to enjoy yet another couple drinks. We met a couple from Germany/Switzerland who had been travelling southeast Asia for months. They gave us some good tips for potential future travel. After a couple hours here we found a place that serves fluffy pancakes and called it a night.

The next morning were up early and Luup’d (scooters) over to Osaka Castle in the Chūō-ku district. The castle itself was built in the 1500’s. The castle itself had been witness to several battles and reconstructions over the years, so we figured it would be worth a visit. We parked our scooters and began our hike around the two moats and into the inner castle area. We did a tour inside the castle (no photos allowed), but aside from the view from the top, this was fairly bland and the architecture inside the castle has been modernized. If you ever go to Osaka, you can skip the inside of the castle.

After the castle we Luup’d over to the Kuromon Kiza Market where we enjoyed some takoyaki (fried octopus balls — read that as you will) and other street foods. We then Luup’d back to our neighbourhood and prepared for our trip to the Botanical Gardens in southern Osaka.

In the early evening we entered the Botanical Gardens (by teamLabs) in Nagai. This was probably one of the highlights of Osaka.

Next stop: Nara

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There is only one reason we came to Kobe, and that is to eat the beef. We arrived yesterday after a long trip back from Miyajima to a city where English is more scarce. The city itself is flush with back alleys for drinking and eating, similar to that of Kyoto (but a little more modern).

We arrived fairly late into the afternoon and booked a Kobe beef teppanyaki experience (last minute) and proceeded to the smallest Irish pub in Japan afterwards. The place has a goal to serve 600 pints of Guinness every month (we helped meet this goal). We chatted with some fellow travellers before calling it a night. I’m sure there was more to see and do here, and the nightlife seems very vibrant… but as mentioned, our goal was to eat some delicious Kobe beef (which is a rare type of Waygu only from Kobe Japan — don’t be fooled by the label of Kobe beef in other countries). Mission accomplished.

Next stop: Osaka

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After a bus, tram and boat ride, we finally arrived at around noon yesterday in the sacred lands of Miyajima (also known as Itsukushima). This small island town, south of Hiroshima, is home to the O-Torii gate, which is deemed a world heritage site and one of the top 3 things to see in Japan. The gate itself rests on the sands.

We started our island tour by exploring the small, but architecturally beautiful city. It takes roughly 30 minutes to walk from one end to the other. We started with (of course) some traditional Japanese food, before moving onto some artisan ice cream (as seen on Youtube).

Such as a few other places in Japan, deer here are sacred… and because of this, they are mixed in with the general population of people. We witnessed a local shop owner having to nicely kick the deer out of this store. I even befriended one (as seen below).

After a couple lemon beers, we headed to our traditional Japanese Inn (Ryokan). The Ryokan was an experience all in its own, and included a traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast… and even a yukata (cloth kimono) to wear around the hotel.

During the evening we wandered around the empty town (things close between 5-6pm on this island), and got to see the town and Torii Gate lit-up.

If you’re going to Japan one day, go here.

Next stop: Kobe

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We arrived in Hiroshima early yesterday and took the tram system to our hotel (similar to the trams in Amsterdam – AKA: The happiest place on earth). We dropped off our bags and immediately went for sushi. I’m rather enjoying this sushi diet.

After some delicious sushi, we headed over to Orizuru Tower. The tower’s name and design are all meant to evoke the legacy of Sadako Sasaki and the theme of peace. At the top of the tower is a wooden observation deck that overlooks the Atomic Bomb Dome and the last-standing building from WW2.

While in the tower, you walk / hike up 12 floors. Along the way there’s an interactive area where you make a paper crane and then drop it down into a wall of paper cranes (from a glass floor). All meant to symbolize peace. I think this was the first time I successfully made a paper crane (with a little help).

To get back down the tower, there’s a slide… so of course we did that. After the tower we walked through the peace park and rang the peace bell.

In the late afternoon we found a sake & wine bar on the second floor of what looked like someone’s apartment. The place has only 4 seats and sake bottles all over the ground, and is run by an MMA fighter. After a little too much sake and some good chats with the owner, we went for some more food.

We spent the rest of the evening wondering the city on foot.

Next stop: Miyajima

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We arrived in Kyoto a couple days ago to a much quieter vibe than Tokyo. In Tokyo there is a constant flow of people around every corner, so this was a nice (and welcome) change.

Upon checking into our new digs (close to Nijo Castle), we went looking for food. Given most restaurants close in the mid-afternoon here, this ended up being more difficult than we thought. We ended up finding a quaint Nepalese place with a pretty cool vibe and interesting music. Later that evening we headed over to Kyoto Gion Mikaku, a high-end teppanyaki restaurant, where we enjoyed a 9-course Waygu (A5) beef experience. I may never be able to eat regular Canadian beef again…

The next day we set off early. We joined Kuup, which is a system they have all over Japan for renting electric, high-speed scooters. Scooters under-foot, we scooted down the back alleys in Kyoto to the Shinkyogoku shopping district to enjoy some morning coffee and a quick snack. At 10am we started our samurai and ninja training. After learning a routine with a katana, before starting our ninja training. Fun Fact: Ninjas were the equivalent to spies, but were also farmers. The weapons they used would double as farming tools (or vice versa), with the exception of ‘shuriken’ (AKA: throwing stars). You would rarely find a ninja caring shuriken, as this would give away their identity. After a shuriken and fukiya (blow darts) competition, we decided to find a sushi place for lunch.

Upon a few failed attempts, we finally found an authentic sushi restaurant down a little alley, completely underground. Upon fueling up on some raw fish, we hopped back on our scooters and were off to the Kodaji bamboo forest.

After a quick walk through the forest, we stayed within the area and explored a few of the shrine/templates on foot. We finished off at the Kiyomizu-dera. In the Buddhist template here (Zuigu-do Hall), you go in, and it is a pitch black chamber devoid of all light. You have to feel your way through the template. This is a spiritual experience (tainai meguri) and is meant to symbolize rebirth and making your own light in the dark. Absolutely no cameras or phones (so, no pictures — sorry).

After our shrine and template overload, we headed back toward our hotel. We luckily discovered Sanjo Shopping Street on the way back, where we stopped for some food and drinks.

After a good 12 hours exploring Kyoto, we finally made it back to the hotel, cleaned up, and decided to go out one last time for a few drinks, and even more food. We found a hole-in-the-wall place right beside our hotel (in the third floor of an apartment building). We were the only two there for a good hour, before we finally called it a day.

What a place…

Next stop: Hiroshima.

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We have arrived! Although Jord and I are both zombies from the jet lag, it hasn’t stopped us (or even slowed us down much). Learning how to use local transport has been fairly painless. Probably because we’re old pros!

On our first night, we went to “Sushi-go-round”, a conveyer-belt sushi place here in eastern Tokyo. Such as everything else you learn while travelling, we learned that the different plate colours are used to determine the final cost. Pretty smart. So much sushi was consumed…

On our second day we skipped (not literally) over to Tsukiji Market, a famous fish market with vendors for all sorts of delicious eats and drinks (mostly on sticks — Waygu beef, BBQ Eel, Japanese omelette, rice dumplings, etc). Here we met up with a friend from Brazil in a small alley while doing a sake tasting. Later, even more sushi was consumed.

By this point we are now experts at the local trains, and headed over to the Imperial Palace district to watch some good ol’ fashioned Sumo.

Next stop: Kyoto.

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In the age of nostalgia, I thought it would be fitting to re-spark the old travel blog. Although, I decided to keep it “retro” and didn’t bother updating the layout. Sorry, mobile users.

The countdown is on again. Jordan and I leave in 3 weeks. Stay tuned…

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3 years ago today we set out on an adventure which lead to a series of wonderful outcomes.

I now live in Rio de Janeiro, am married, and have a son. From the beginning I knew that there wasn’t going to be any trip or adventure which was going to be able to top our adventure through Europe. Although, this outcome was never expected. An 18 month trip around the world, which turned into a 4 month trip through Europe, which turned into getting married and having a son with a girl I met in Prague. You know, you can never really predict these things… but we definitely outdid ourselves.

In Europe, something changed… and 8 days ago, something changed again. I remember Jordan and I sitting on the Rhine River, an hour south of Frankfurt, riding bikes to the top of a vineyard. I remember sitting there and looking at the booklet we were given by the manager of the hostel we were staying in. One quote caught my attention: “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”

I was told yesterday that nothing would ever beat Europe. I’d like to say that is true, but it simply isn’t. For me at least. Europe was simply the setting and the stage. The greatest adventure is the one happening right now, and the one which will occupy the rest of my existence. The one which gives me a greater satisfaction than anything else to date.

The best has arrived…

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