The things I noticed/observed/love about Japan

First off - sorry for the delay in posting. I wrote this days ago but couldn't post in China due to their social media/internet restrictions. So here goes....

• It is so clean which is really surprising because I can never find any garbage cans.
• Everyone smokes yet you never see cigarette butts on the street.
• The toilet seats are heated….I love this! Who doesn't want a warm toilet seat?
• The girls are all thin (yet eat everything they want), have amazing skin, and are always fashionable. If I sound envious it’s because I am, especially since I’ve almost worn the same thing with no make-up for pretty much a week.
• There are vending machines with everything on each street corner – cigarettes, soda, beer, even clothing.
• The people are really friendly. And really well mannered.
• Fish that Americans would probably think is weird is usually a delicacy.
• There are TONS of patisseries all over…..the Japanese seem to really like dessert. :)
• There are tons of Ice Cream shops….they seem to love Ice Cream too!
• The Train Stations are really nice and always have great restaurants.
• It seems like a really safe place.
• Coffee and Tea is always really pricey….usually at least $5.
• Subways, trains, and buses are the best way to travel and are quite easy.
• Cafes always play great cheesy music like Ace of Base, Men at Work, Cyndi Lauper to name a few... Oh and Vanilla Ice too!!
• I love saying Japanese words - Kinnichiwa and Arigato - they just sound fun!
• Darsh really likes Suntory beer.
• I apparently really like Sake.

We both loved Japan and are sad to go. Arigato my Japan peeps!

Onsens and Ryokans – A day of many firsts!

We hopped on the train to go to a quaint little town, Kinosaki, which was 2 ½ hours North of Kyoto. We loved Kinosaki. Thanks to our friend Holger who recommended it.

Kinosaki is known for their Onsen (hotspring baths) and crab. It really is the cutest, quaintest little town with tons of shops, cafes, patisseries, and Onsen. We stayed at Ryokan Mikuniya which was pretty cute and close to the train station. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese Guesthouse where we ate dinner on the floor and slept on futons on tatami mats. We were also given Yukatas (Kimonos) and Getas (wooden sandals) to wear around town. I definitely think everyone who visits Japan should stay in a Ryokan at one point just to get the true Japanese experience. They are a bit pricey though but dinner and breakfast are included.

So basically you come to Kinosaki to experience the baths. Let’s just say this was a first for both of us. They are separated for Men and Women. It’s basically a large communal bath with saunas, jacuzzis, and hot springs. There are "rules" one follows when bathing at the Onsen. I just did what everyone else did. It was quite an experience and I'm glad we did it but it may not be for everyone. :)

For dinner we were served a traditional Japanese meal with lots of seafood, sushi, squid, some kind of soup/egg/custard, miso soup, shabu shabu, crab, rice, tempura, and some stuff I couldn’t recognize. There were definitely things I couldn’t try but I did eat some tentacles of a squid/octopus looking thing. I was proud of this since Darsh wouldn’t even try it! Breakfast was also some of the same type of stuff. I wasn’t as adventurous for breakfast, somehow I couldn’t stomach a whole fish at 8am. Really I have no idea how I haven’t lost any weight yet…. :)

The rest of the time we spent walking around the town hanging out at the cafes. Darsh also hiked up a mountain to see the Onsenji Temple which provided a view of the city and the Japan Sea. Our time in Kinosaki was short but perfect. The people couldn’t be any nicer. Thanks again Holger!! :)

Temples, Shrines, Pagodas, and Geishas

We got to Kyoto in about 2 ½ hours from Tokyo on a Shinkansen, the bullet train. Supposedly we saw Mt. Fuji on the way. I’m not really sure which mountain was Mt. Fuji though….I'm guessing it was the biggest one.

The first two nights in Kyoto we used points to stay at the Hyatt which was a treat. They even had a great gym which we used…..Felt really good to work out! :) The last night we stayed in K’s Hostel. We’ve never stayed at a hostel so we thought it’d be kinda fun and we are trying to staying on a budget with such a long trip. It was actually very clean and close to Kyoto train station so worked out well.

Kyoto really has so much to see. I felt like we were rushed trying to fit it all in. Luckily the Hyatt was in Southern Higashiyama which is right in the middle of one of the main sight seeing districts. We got to see Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, Kodai-Ji Temple, Maruyama Park, Shoren-In Temple, Chion Temple, Yasaka-Jinga Shrine, Sanjusangendo Temple, Nishi Hogangi Temple, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji Temple. We both loved Kinkaku-ji Temple which is also called the Golden Pavillion….amazing! Also at the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple there was a shrine, Jishu-Jinja, dedicated to Okuninushi, a god of love and good matches. People pray to find their true love....how cute! The two streets leading to Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, Chawan Zaka and Sannen Zaka were lined with tons of teapot stores, cafes, and restaurants.

We spent a lot of time walking around different areas, Gion and Ponto Cho mostly. Gion is the Geisha district and has some really great cobble stone streets lined with teahouses, cafes, and restaurants. We did see a few Geisha as well. Ponto Cho is another great street right on the Kamo Gawa river. It's probably the main area in Kyoto for nightlife. We had dinner at one of their Izakayas and had some great Yakitori. We also tried Shabu Shabu, thinly sliced beef, which you cook yourself. This was quite hilarious to watch because I'm sure we did it wrong and the waitress tried to look out for us but her instructions were lost in translation. It was yummy anyway though!

Kyoto is so different from Tokyo. They are both great in their own ways. Tokyo has so much to offer with so many diverse neighborhoods each with its own personality and Kyoto has so much history literally on almost every street corner. I'd definitely recommend at least two full days for Kyoto.

Lost in Translation

After an 11 hour flight we got to Tokyo at about 5pm on April 21. The flight went smoothly….we even had an empty seat next to us! Trying to get cash and figuring out the right train was a bit trickier. It’s funny how when you first get somewhere everything seems so hard but after 1 day we were pros at the subway….which really isn’t that difficult but I think with luggage and the language barrier everything seems harder. Thankfully our hotel, the Chisun Grand Akasaka was right across the street from the train station. The rooms were TINY but clean and in a decent area....short walk to Roppongi. Really it was great for $110/night for Tokyo. But seriously they are TINY rooms.

Unfortunately it pretty much rained the whole time we were in Tokyo but since we only had two full days we tried to pack as much in as possible. We walked all over the city so we got to hang out in all the different hoods: Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, and Roppongi. Harajuku was my favorite – it’s the trendy, fashion district. Takeshita Dori was the funnest little street with tons of shops with funky clothing. It was really hard not to shop! Omote Sando was another great street with a bunch of cafes and bistros….very European actually. Shinjuku is kinda like Times Square with tons of shops, restaurants, and lights. We hung out in Roppongi the last night which can be kind of a cheesy party scene (We went to Heartland and Gas Panic) but fun to experience it.

As far as the sights go we didn’t do a whole lot because of the rain. We tried but both days we were pretty soaked and just freezing that it was hard to energize for more parks and shrines. We did get to see the Tokyo Tower, Yoyogi Park, The New York bar at the Park Hyatt, and Tsukiji Fish Market at 7am. It was too bad that the fresh fish auction at the market (which people highly recommend) was closed to visitors. Apparently tourists had bad behavior at the auctions so they close it off sometimes. I hate it when some people ruin it for everyone! We did have sushi at Daiwa Sushi Bar though at 8am. I decided to be adventurous and got the set menu. Really not a great idea for someone who is picky about sushi and seafood. I really don’t know what I was thinking! By the end of the meal I felt really bad because I just couldn’t get myself to eat everything and I'm pretty sure I offended the owner. I tried but really couldn’t stomach the Sea Urchin. It didn't look appetizing at all and Darsh still shutters every time I mention it….He did try it and didn’t like it! :) But still it was a great experience eating sushi with locals in a tiny, packed restaurant.

Two days was enough time for Tokyo especially since it was raining. There are tons of neighborhoods to explore and just people watch so if the weather was better you could spend days there.... Thanks so much Tam and Holger for the recommendations!!

Konnichiwa from Tokyo

So we made it! It was a pretty uneventful flight and we even had an extra seat to ourselves....yay! All is well in Tokyo. Had one missed stop on the train but other than that, we've been able to navigate fairly well. Let me just say though that I completely understand why you need to pack light!!!!

Unfortunately it's been raining which limited how much we did yesterday but today is another day. More to come later but for now we're off to Tsukiji, a fresh fish market....and sushi at 7am.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder....

10:56pm and I'm done packing. Not so bad. Darsh is almost there too. That is surprisingly good as he's usually a last second packer.

It just feels so weird that we're actually going on this trip. I mean we're almost gone for half a year (4 1/2 months to be exact but Darsh seems to think we'll extend it). Weird!! I'm so excited but of course I'm also kind of sad to be leaving. I'm a total creature of habit so it's going to take me a bit to get out of my need for "home" and all that is comfortable. That said, I am soooo going to take advantage of this amazing opportunity and see/feel things from a different perspective.

There a million things I'm going to miss but if I had to name the top 5 they would be:

1. Above all, my friends and family
2. My workouts - specifically those with Brad Newman and Natalie Yco. And of course I'll miss all my Equinox peeps. I'll still work out but well it doesn't even compare....
3. Santa Monica/Venice Beach - we'll be visiting a ton of beaches but it's just not the same
4. Taco Bell - I think it's funny that workouts and Taco Bell are in my top 5 but this will always be my favorite "bad" food
5. My iPhone - this includes immediate access to Facebook and Twitter. I've been told that I need to do a technology cleanse....

Just for kicks here are Darsh's top 5:

1. Friends and family
2. Day drinking and/or biking at the beach
3. Practicing DJ skillz
4. Taco Bell - it's really funny that he said that also because I really don't know any other person that would
5. Not having to be on a budget

We leave tomorrow at 12:30pm. One long flight later we'll land in Tokyo. We've got our rail passes and our phrasebook so hopefully we'll be good to go. :) Japan is going to be a whirlwind since we only have 7 days and there is a ton to see.

There are so many things I'm excited to see but most of all I just want to experience different people and cultures. I'm really hoping the planner inside of me will chill a bit so I can really just get the "local" experience. Darsh will keep me grounded I'm sure. :)

Missing everyone already. Have a wonderful summer and try to visit if you can!

xoxo

peace and love

It's in the Bag!

I'm literally sitting here wondering what to do next. We have one more load of laundry to do before we can do our "final" packing. I say that in quotes because I'm pretty sure that we'll need to take some stuff out. I just read an article about "What to pack" for an extended trip (thanks Dag!) and well I think we've over packed. Yikes! I'm actually a pretty light packer (for a girl) but I still have no idea how to pack for a trip like this. What I've learned so far is you can pretty much live with the clothes on your back with a few necessities and buy the rest on the way. But honestly that freaks me out!!

Anyway, I've got it down to 3 pairs of khakis (capris so they're kinda cute too!), 3 sundresses (casual but I could wear out), a few tanks/t-shirts, some shorts, a sweater, 1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of shoes (including running because I do plan on working out!), bathing suit, and my toiletries. Seriously our toiletries and meds take up the most room!

We did a bit of research on the type of luggage to buy. We basically decided that we wanted a suitcase with wheels but could also be used as a backpack if needed. We've heard that's the best way to go since you can't always wheel luggage. We ended up going with the Eagle Creek Switchback 25. There are other brands that are pretty good too like Osprey, Northface, and Swiss Army Victorinox but we just liked the Eagle Creek better. We also went back and forth on finding a bag that we didn't have to check in but honestly I just don't think we could have gone smaller. We'll see how it goes during the trip....

Another great find was this LL Bean toiletry bag that Darsh found (we got the medium size). It's pretty cheap and extremely functional with tons of compartments. I'm seriously amazed at all the stuff I can fit in here....much better than my "fancy" makeup bags....although those are fun in a different way! :)

My favorite stores for the trip were:

• REI - We bought a ton of stuff here like mosquito repellent (with DEET), toiletry containers, quick-dry towels, compression bags (for our dirty clothes), luggage tags, locks, and probably a ton of other stuff....
• Luggage Pros - We bought our luggage here on sale for $25o instead of $330!
• Distant Lands - I LOVE this place! They are located in Pasadena for you CA peeps but they also have a great online store. Seriously they have the most knowledgeable staff. We spent over an hour here talking about bags, our trip, what we needed etc.

That's it for now. Off to do laundry so I can do my "final" packing!!

OMG!!!!

Wow! I can't believe we leave in less than a week! I feel like we have it together but yet still so much to do. People have been asking me how you plan for a trip like this. Honestly I still don't have the perfect answer. I know most people that do extended trips like this do things kinda on the fly....booking hotels when you get there or a couple days ahead. Honestly I'm trying to do that....but I think that stresses me out even more!!!! As much as I'd like to say I'm totally spontaneous and carefree, I plan everything. I think it's a curse!

That said, I've pretty much booked hotels for most of Asia. We're moving around a lot in Asia so I didn't want to have to deal with finding accommodations at the last second. I've also heard that places get booked in Europe because everyone vacations there during the summer so I've booked a few of the bigger cities as well. All in all I'm trying to have some structure with the trip but not too much structure....if that makes any sense....

After the trip I'll definitely share what worked and what didn't but for most of my planning thus far this is what I used:

• Lonely Planet - These are my favorite travel guides. I just feel like they give a wider range of options than Fodor's or Frommer's. I've also used the Eyewitness Travel Guides in the past.
• TripAdvisor - Seriously this is my new best friend!
• Expedia - They've got some really great deals
• STA Travel - Ashley in the Westwood office is the bomb!
• Hostel World

There are a ton of sites that you can use and I'll probably come across others along the way. Seriously I don't know how people did this pre-internet days....

What's the Plan?

Since we both love lists, tables, and spreadsheets we actually had a somewhat methodical way of coming up with our destinations. We used a white board (kind of embarrassing actually) to list each continent with cities we wanted to visit. In case you're wondering, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and South America were on our list. Then we created a table listing each destination with average temperatures by month. Crossing off destinations with poor weather basically gave us our draft list....well that and the fact that we really wanted to go to Asia and I HAD to see the Tour De France. Thus Asia and Europe won out. And finally, we changed stuff based on input from friends and family.

When we first started planning we were thinking about traveling for 2 months. Once we actually started mapping it out we ended up with a 4 1/2 month itinerary. I know - crazy!! We just figured that we probably won't get an opportunity like this again so we should make the most of it. :)

So here it is....the final plan. Asia is pretty much locked down. Europe may change slightly since train travel allows more flexibility.

Apr 20: Our journey begins!

Apr 21 - 27: Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Kinosaki)

Apr 28 - May 1: Beijing

May 2 - 5: Shanghai

May 6 - 9: Hong Kong

May 10 - 25: Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue/Hoi An, Nha Trang/Mui Ne, Ho Chi Min)

May 26 - Jun 1: Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap)

Jun 2 - 3: Bangkok

Jun 4 - 16: Bali

Jun 17 - Jul 6: Italy (Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast)

Jul 7 - 20: Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Pamplona)

July 21 - 31: France (Bordeaux, Paris, Provence, South of France)

Aug 1 - 14: Spain (Seville, Southern Coast, Ibiza, Barcelona)

Aug 15 - 25: Croatia/Prague/Budapest (Not sure we'll do all this)

Aug 26 - Sep 3: Ireland (Dublin, Cork, Countryside)

Oh and yes we split up Spain because we're meeting peeps in Italy and had to run with the bulls and see Tour de France!!

That's it....we're hoping that many of you can meet up with us!!

Who, What, When, Where, Why

Who: Darshan and Sejal....and anyone who wants to meet up with us!

What: A Life Vacation

When: April 20 - August/September....

Where: Asia and Europe

Why: Why not?

Yep in less than two weeks we'll be off on a life adventure! We've been planning for months but I can't believe it's actually happening. Long story short, we love to travel and we'll soon both be out of work (by choice so it's a good thing), don't have a mortgage, and don't have kids so we decided now was the perfect time.

We're both really excited to do this and can't wait to experience different cultures, meet new people, eat a lot of food, and see the world from a different perspective. We'll be posting our itinerary so that people can meet us along the way!

xoxo