Our first day in Japan was not our smoothest arrival. Our flight got us into Osaka (the second- or third-largest city, depending on how you count) at 10:30 pm local time. Check-in at our long-stay apartment-style hotel closed at midnight, and a cab was supposed to take half an hour, so we needed to make it through baggage,…
Hi A! Thank you for the kind words! We think it’s pretty cool, too! We’ve seen lots of amazing things on our trip, and we’re very glad that we did it. Learning how different people live has been one of the best parts of our trip! People everywhere are similar to us in lots of…
We didn’t see as much of Kyoto as we might have liked, but there were still a few things that surprised us about the city: In many of the Kyoto subway stations, the subway worker – dressed like the conductor from the Shining Time Station show we watched as children – often says ‘Thank you’…
Neighborhood: Yamashina-ku Also Called: Otowa? Pros: It is a residential neighborhood, so you can see how people really live here. It’s pretty, with mountains and cherry blossom trees nearby. It’s quiet. It has plenty of dining options—though many are chains—and the employees/servers are very nice. It is right on a major subway line through the city, so…
For many of the cities we visit, I look up events happening during our stay. We don’t attend many, since they tend to be performances of international artists or bands – and we’ve come to that country to experience their local art. However, in Bangkok, we did. I had read about a market/festival that had gotten rave reviews the…
Neighborhood: Tennoji-ku (ward) Also Called: N/A Pros: It was within walking distance or a short subway ride to almost everything we wanted to see, from a distinctive Japanese puppet show to their Times Square-like area. It felt safe, but that was true of everywhere we visited in Osaka, so not sure if that merits mentioning. It was…
Cambodia had a lot to recommend it. Regardless of what’s in the guide books, here’s what we enjoyed and remember the most – now that we’re two months removed: B’s List Being rich! From being able to get so many massages to paying $15 for medical care that would have cost thousands back home <link coming>,…
Here are some things we were surprised by in Osaka: Subway cars have heating vents underneath the seats, so you feel like your feet and/or butt are being warmed. Excellent idea! Toilet seats are also heated. An even better idea! They generally have a lot of features, from a bidet-like sprayer to a sound-making machine to cover the…
Neighborhood: Tonsai Bay Also Called: N/A Pros: Lots of different restaurant, shops, and activity vendors are within easy walking distance. There are even a few local Thai stands, which is rare here. (None of them are any more affordable than anything else on the island though, so choice does not equal affordability here.) You don’t have to…
Neighborhood: Thong Sala Also Called: Town, Port Pros: Lots of different restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance. This also means that food tends to be more affordable, because there are many options. It’s fairly equidistant from various parts of the island, from the parties on the east side to the beaches of the west side,…