The train ride from Ichinami to Kyoto was much easier than some of the other long train journeys we were on in Japan. It was only one transfer, we road the JR line to Fukui, then took the Thunderbird express train to Kyoto. Honestly, anyone who ever tells you that traveling by train in Japan is “easy” is lying. Well, okay, so traveling in Japan by train is easy if you’re only going to major cities. The second you decide to travel out to the countryside you’re working with local trains and if you don’t speak Japanese, it can be rough to figure out where to go.
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If you’re visiting Japan and are looking for an “off the beaten path” adventure, this is a fun one for ya
Nestled between a moody mountain range sits the sleepy city of Ōno, home to a stunning 1580’s Japanese castle. Echizen Ono Castle is famous for being known as the “castle in the sky”. In early mornings when the fog hangs low, you can see the castle appear to float above the clouds. However, this phenomenon only occurs about 10 times a year and most likely in the month of November.
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I’ve never been less embarrassed to love the things I love. It was my dream to come to Japan ever since I was little! I was obsessed with Pokemon, anime, and video games. Tokyo’s nerd heaven did not disappoint! I’m 30 years old and I still play video games, love Pokemon, Star Wars, anime, and all things chibi . Sometimes I feel like I have more in common with 12 year old boys than women my age. But in Tokyo, there are old men in business suits playing Pokemon Go, and arcades are packed as if they’re bars. Tokyo is pretty cool in my book
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One of the tours that you can do while staying in northern Thailand is a trip to Chiang Rai to see the White Temple, Blue Temple, and the Black House. These three temples are all about 20-30 minutes apart from each other, which is convenient to including them all in a day trip.
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We are not beach people. This is ironic because John and I both grew going to the beach on family vacations and our house in America is in a beach town . Thailand is known for it’s beautiful beaches, so we couldn’t live here for a year and not go to the beach. Luckily, one of my best friends, Beth, was coming to visit and she wanted to see the beaches, so we had the perfect excuse to go check it out! We decided to go to Railay Beach in Krabi after some recommendations from our friends Sven and Alix!
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We spent a total of 10 days in Chiang Mai during our road trip around Northern Thailand. Wow, we spent a lot of time in Chiang Mai, come to think of it. It’s easy to use Chiang Mai as a hub for travel into Chiang Rai, Fang, Pai, and Mae Hong Son. A lot of people only think of the beach when they think of traveling Thailand – but Thailand has so much more to offer! Especially for those who like a good adventure!
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Let’s be honest: there are tons of fancy shmancy resorts in Thailand. It’s easy to book something fancy. We all travel differently, and trust me, I like nice things (and staying in nice places) too. Are you getting the most authentic experience when you stay at a resort? While resorts manufacture “authentic” experiences, a homestay offers something more raw.
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Last Saturday, we arrived at the far reaches of Thailand – far west – on the border of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The city of Mae Sot is bustling, international, and unsuspectingly cool.
Not many tourists venture out this far, which is exactly why we wanted to go!
Located just across the border with Burma, Mae Sot has felt the result of the military dictatorship that has ruled Burma since 1962. Due to repression and civil war, hundreds of thousands of Burmese came to Thailand for safety, work, and to take advantage of better education and health-care. Visiting Mae Sot and spending money here gives you the opportunity to do some good: support the local economy that’s made up of Burmese immigrants and refugees.
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A few weekends ago, we took a little day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya on our motorcycle . We left early in the morning, packing our ponchos, and an extra change of clothes in case we got caught in the rain . It is rainy season after all!
Even though our end goal was to see the ruins, we ended up taking two detours at the Bang Pa In Royal Palace and the Japanese Village Museum. They were on the way and well-worth the visit!
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The hustle and bustle of Bangkok can be completely overwhelming. I don’t do well in large crowds – they completely tire me out and I just shut down and my eyes glaze over. Can anyone relate? LOL. So when we decided to explore Thonburi, I was mentally prepped for the crowds, only to discover that the Artist House area is a total hidden gem. It’s a little off the beaten path, but it’s well worth it. It was nearly empty – a stark contrast to nearby Wat Arun, which is totally mobbed on a good day.
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After living in Bangkok for two months, I was really excited to visit Hong Kong to see another big city in Asia. Hong Kong truly is a foodie city! Most people come to Hong Kong and think dim sum. Although we didn’t actually eat any dim sum on this trip, we did have some truly amazing pizza . We start off this blog post at the Blue House Cluster at an awesome little vegan restaurant called Local Ginger. Then, we get an afternoon snack at Mammy Pancakes and then finish off the night at Mother of Pizzas. The next morning, we head to The Flying Pan for some brekkie. Are people still calling it “brekkie”?
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There is a TON to do in the city of Bangkok. Like any big city, there are so many tourist attractions (and tourist traps!). If you’ve exhausted Bangkok tourist attractions and are looking for a fun and different day trip- visiting Lopburi is for you!
Lopburi is a city that’s run by monkeys. If you’re from the West, I can guarantee that you’ve never seen anything like it!
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If you’re looking for a day trip from Bangkok that isn’t too far out but involves fresh air and bike riding, this one’s for you. Feel the sense of adventure as you explore an island that isn’t mobbed by other tourists!
We visited Bang Kachao twice now and I have to clarify that I’ve been calling it an island but it is actually not an island! There are a few different spellings of it, “Bang Kachao” and “Bang Krachao”. When you look at a map of Bangkok, Bang Kachao is the section where the Chao Phraya river snakes around like a horseshoe. Bang Kachao is known as Bangkok’s “Green Lung” as its located in an area adjacent to Bangkok. It’s only a 5 minute speed boat ride across the river but it feels like you’ve traveled miles away from the city!
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Bangkok is definitely a foodie city . With John being a vegetarian, it’s sometimes a game going out to eat – trying to find a menu with ample vegetarian options is more of a challenge than you would think! As a meat eater, I never really thought about it! Next time you go out to eat, pay attention to the menu and see what doesn’t have meat in it. Sometimes when we go out to eat, there are only 1 or 2 true vegetarian options (no fish sauce, no beef stock, no bacon bits). But! At Supanniga Eating Room, there were vegetarian options a-plenty!
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I apologize in advance for the low-quality iPhone photography , the lack of food pics, and the pile of words! I’m passionate about good quality photography and want my blog to have only the best – but this blog post is a little different than others! I wanted to document our trip for our close family and friends who were interested in how the trip went!
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I woke up this past Saturday and the first thought that popped into my mind was: “It’s our wedding anniversary. A year ago, I said ‘I Do’ to this crazy dude. And oh my god, in two weeks, we’ll be on a plane to Bangkok!”
I wanted to do something a little different and give a mini life update of my thoughts, feelings, and what I’ve been up to. Admittedly, it’s been hard though it all to stick to a consistent blogging schedule, but I’m hoping that when the dust settles and we’re in Bangkok, I’ll be blogging more regularly.
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I travel to San Francisco two or three times a year for work and I have to admit I don’t hate it. My best friend Haylee moved out to the Bay Area 2 years ago, and it’s always a treat to hang out with her. Also, the food scene in the Bay Area is insane. Every time I travel to SF, I get so excited to eat. So this time, I decided to keep track of my favorite meals and places. Here they are below, enjoy!
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When I first heard of a Nepali restaurant opening up in Winthrop, I was brought with a huge sense of relief. “Thank god it’s not another Italian restaurant.” Listen, I love a good Eggplant Rollatini and there is nothing wrong with the Italian food in our town, but there are times that I’m craving something totally different.
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Last Saturday, John and I checked out Len’s Coffee in Medford, MA. While their business is mostly online, they do have a small store where they sell coffee and coffee accessories for folks who are local. We popped in for what felt like 30 minutes but ended up being about an hour and a half. We ate cookies, did the Decaf Challenge (where you were given 3 cups of coffee and had to guess which one was decaf. I chose correctly and won a bag of coffee!), and tasted their Wintah Awesome Cold Brew on tap and Cascara Punch.
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