Japan & Vietnam 2K15: Part 6, Hoi An & Ho Chi Minh

Well folks this is it! The final installment of the epic Japan & Vietnam 2K15 trip. I can't believe this is the last post of the trip. Apologies for how long it's taken me to get this up, but I guess I prolonged it because it means that the trip is really over. I don't believe in coincidences, so it doesn't surprise me that I just so happened to "find the time" to post this on the first official day of the online class I registered for haha.

Anyway on to the trip.

As previously mentioned, I decided to lump the last two cities together because we had such a short amount of time in each and we had no major tours or trips planned. Also, it being the end of the trip we put a lot of emphasis on resting so there wasn't quite as much activity as in the previous cities (this was planned purposefully).

Hoi An
We arrived in Danang in the early afternoon after a very interesting (and short) flight on VietJet airlines. We quickly found a taxi and negotiated a price with the driver and headed to our hotel. Similar to Hanoi, the streets near the airport were buzzing with activity and tons of people on mopeds/scooters, but as we drove into Hoi An and neared our hotel it definitely quieted down a bit.

Lunch by the pool

The Victoria Hoi An is absolutely breathtaking and although it was a bit cloudy out this didn't discourage us from enjoying some relaxation time and a delicious meal by the pool. The hotel offered a complimentary shuttle to the center of town where there was tons of opportunity for shopping and eating. Hoi An is home to many, MANY shops offering tailor-made clothing, which can be ordered on the spot and are ready within 24 hours. The shops display samples of their work outside, and most have books and books filled with catalogs showing other options. They can also make an outfit based on a picture or sketch brought in. After selecting fabric and discussing price and details of the outfit you desire, the shopkeeper takes your measurements and tells you what time to report back the next day for your first fitting (usually some time in the late morning/early afternoon). Final adjustments are made, if necessary, after this initial fitting at which time you are asked to return one more time later that afternoon/early evening for the final fitting. It's all such a quick process and prices are much more reasonable than ANY department store. Additionally, most stores hold on  to your measurements and have some sort of online program/web site through which you can make future orders. My parents and brother all participated in the process and walked away with beautiful suits and dresses (unfortunately no pictures were taken, but my mother plans to wear her dresses in the near future and I will update this post at that time).

The rest of our time in Hoi An was spent purchasing gifts for friends and co-workers and simply enjoying the time together as a family. It was our last two days with Brandon so we really wanted to enjoy it.



Ho Chi Minh
 Our final stop of the trip was Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, which many in the country still refer to it as today. Brandon took the flight into Ho Chi Minh but left early the next morning to meet up with friends in London. After he left, the three of us set off to see as much of the city as we could in one day. Our biggest stop was the Vietnamese War (American War to the Vietnamese) Remnant Museum. The visit was extremely intense as the museum was filled with graphic imagery and descriptions of the war itself so I have chosen not to post much from our visit. I will say that it is a very powerful experience and one that should not be missed if you ever find yourself in Ho Chi Minh.

*Note: Mother Rose's bonus clip was too large to put into the blog so you can find it on the brand new Ivy Rose Facebook page!

Coconut candy making process

Our final tour of the trip was to the Mekong Delta. Similar to the Ha Long Bay tour, we got on a bus with about 10 other tourists and traveled a few hours to the Delta where we were led by a guide through various sights. The trip began with some fresh fruit and live music, after which we hopped into 4-person canoes and traveled a short distance down a portion of the delta. We stopped briefly to learn about and watch the production of coconut candy. a major export of this area. I'm not a fan of coconut but I did try it and found that it had more of a caramel taste than anything. Of course there were many other coconut products, the most exciting of which was the pure coconut oil, which my mother and I bought two bottles of. Finally, we all got into a bigger boat and traveled down a larger portion of the delta ending at a house where we were served the greatest feast. The day ended with a peaceful visit to a nearby Buddhist temple featuring three very large Buddhas.

I couldn't think of a better way to end this epic trip. This was such an amazing adventure, and the travel bug has definitely bitten me once again. I don't think I'll ever take this long of a hiatus from traveling again. I hope you've all found the videos and posts both entertaining and inspiring.

Take a peek at the final video below (it's a bit longer than the other videos but also includes some footage of my solo journey back home).

Questions, comments, suggestions, corrections, etc. are welcome of course. Thanks for following along and as always...

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam, Part 5, Ha Noi/Ha Long Bay

Ok so normally I'm able to bounce back from jet lag pretty quickly, but this time I really got my butt kicked. As you can probably tell from the posts and videos my family goes pretty hard when we travel, and I was a bit out of travel-shape. I handled it like a champ while on the trip (although admittedly there were way more cranky moments/days than a 30-year-old probably should have two weeks), but the recuperation process has definitely been interesting.

Basically, all of that was a long-winded way of explaining why I've taken such a long time to put up the last two videos and posts. I guess we should just jump right in at this point so as not to waste any more time. 

My parents and I arrived in Ha Noi relatively late at night (I believe it was some time between 10 and 11). What immediately struck me was how active the city was. Actually, that's a lie, what immediately struck me was the intense heat and humidity. I'm from Miami, so it wasn't anything I hadn't experienced before, but Miami at least cools down a bit at night. Stepping out of the airport that night it was clearly still in the upper 80s and very very humid. But once we got acclimated to that and stepped into the car the hotel sent for us, the NEXT thing that struck me was the amount of activity at this time of night. The main mode of transportation in all of the cities we visited in Vietnam are mopeds, or what some might call, scooters. For all of my Gators out there just imagine your typical day on campus except EVERYONE is riding a moped/scooter on their way to and from class--not just the athletes and brave freshmen who miss their cars.

Anyway the drive to the hotel was fairly quick and although he was sleeping when we got there, we were all very excited to finally get to spend some time with my younger (but much taller) brother, Brandon! Our hotel, The Viet View,  was very nice and had a beautiful restaurant on the top floor that had fantastic views of the city. Our suite was also very lovely, with a master bedroom and a separate sleeping area for 2-4 more people down the hall and an amazing balcony with similar views as the restaurant. Our bathroom was also very nice, although we did have some issues with flooding from the shower. The hotel management was very accommodating and provided us with a separate room down the hall where we could take our showers without having to give up our suite, which I thought was a nice compromise.

So normally I split the trip into the "stops" we made within the city, but this time it seems more fitting to use the term "adventure" since we did a couple of tours in which we made a few stops along the way:

Adventure 1: Ha Long Bay Boat Tour

My brother and our Tour guide, Tu

Our first adventure was a two-day, one-night cruise along Ha Long Bay. We crammed into a van (that luckily had pretty decent air conditioning, with two tour guides and 12 other tourists (from all over the world) and set off on a 4-hour drive to the bay. Most of our travel companions were backpackers, many were traveling as couples, but there were also quite a few single travelers, which I will note here as I plan to write a commentary/reaction piece on traveling alone in the near future. The drive wasn't too bad as I slept for most of it and our tour guide, Tu was great! We made one stop half-way through the drive for restrooms, snacks and shopping....AND BOY COULD YOU SHOP! I'll just let the pics speak for themselves.

The tour company we chose was Ha Long Dagong Sail, which is one of the mid-priced bay tour companies and overall we were very pleased with the accommodations and service. All meals are included in the package price, but any drinks on board are extra-and they push them all day. The first day on the boat we did quite a bit of exploring and made two major stops:

Stop 1:  Sung Sot Cave
Sung Sot Cave, or the Surprise Cave/Cave of Surprises was absolutely mind-blowing. We had to make a pretty decent hike up what felt like a million steps in the heat, but we were rewarded with breathtaking views and a much cooler environment inside the cave. Again, I think I'll just let pictures do the talking here.

Stop 2: Kayaking
Our next stop was kayaking around the bay, which we all felt a little too tired for due to the heat and the fact that we were repeatedly told that we couldn't swim because of jellyfish. However, we were once again rewarded with magnificent views and our guide ultimately felt that it was safe enough in our particular area for a quick swim and we all literally jumped at the opportunity to cool off. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the actual swimming because-well I was in the water-but my parents do and I'll link to their blogs once they put them up.


Then it was back to the boat for a sunset cruise, with one complimentary beverage and delicious fruit, followed by dinner and socializing/bed time. The next day was spent entirely on the boat and most of us tanned, tried to stay cool and slept until it was time for our cooking class and final meal. We met up with some people who were on a 3-day trip, which includes an overnight stay on a nearby island in the bay and then we all got into two vehicles (my family was lucky enough to get placed on the larger bus) and made our way back to our hotel.

Adventure 2: Food on Foot Tour

Fresh fruit

Happy Father's Day Dad!

The day we returned from Ha Long Bay was Father's Day and my mom had booked a food on foot tour as a special surprise for my dad. The tour package includes a guide who takes you through the streets of Old Quarter in Ha Noi, visiting 5-6 local restaurants so that you can sample the local cuisine. The guide also provides history of the Old Quarter and the people living there. Our guide was amazing and took us to some really awesome spots,  although he loved to play the "guess what you're eating" game, which we only failed once when we ate a mixture of meat that included ground up worms....which was surprisingly delicious.

Delicious rice cake

The tour was a great way to get a lot of information on the city in a short period of time and I highly recommend it.










We were exhausted from our boat trip and adventurous eating experience and had to head off to our next city-Hoi An, which my mother promised would be filled with tons of time to relax by the pool or on the beach. Since the last two cities were both pretty quick stops (about a day and a half in each city) with no pre-planned activities, I am going to merge them into one final blog and vlog. Hopefully I'll have them both up by Monday night at the latest.

Comments/questions/suggestions are welcomed and encouraged. Also, take some time to watch the video above.  If you think anyone else might find this post interesting and/or useful please pass it on. Make sure to follow (this blog) and subscribe (to the youtube channel) for future posts and vlogs. Many of my other series are picking back up now that I'm back in the states. As always...

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam, Part 4, Tokyo

I can't believe I'm already writing about the last piece of the Japanese leg of our trip. We packed a lot into each stop on our trip and Tokyo was definitely no different. Let's jump right in.

Day 1: Arrival & Sightseeing Part 1
The night before we left for Tokyo I stayed up way too late (working on things for this blog and my youtube channel) and I was extremely tired and cranky when we set off for the train station. Luckily we were taking a train into Tokyo (I really LOVE trains and as many flights as I've taken in my life, I actually prefer them to planes). The Odakyu "Romancecar" got us to Tokyo in less than 2 hours, which wasn't enough time for me to get the nap I desperately needed but did leave us with plenty of time to get our bearings in Tokyo without losing the whole day to travel.

Outside of our hotel

We arrived on the tail end of morning rush hour and Shinjuku station was buzzing with people trying to make it to school and work.  I was still a bit drowsy and cranky at this point so it probably felt a lot more chaotic than it actually was--imagine Penn Station or 42nd Street stops at rush hour and it was pretty much no different. After a quick stop at the information desk we hopped on a train and headed to our hotel. (Note: I found Tokyo's  metro system to be extremely easy to navigate--much easier than NYC's. All of the stops are numbered and the ticket machines are simple to use, often calculating the exact fair for your trip so you rarely end up overpaying or coming up short. Also the trains are SUPER clean and comfy). We stayed at another ryokan hotel, the Homeikan Daimachi, similar to the one in Kyoto. However, this one had bathroom facilities outisde of the rooms, which were shared by all of the guests. There was a "family/private" facility that could be locked and used by a single family or person as well as larger public bathrooms for men and women. Both featured a traditional Japanese bath/onsen similar to that seen in Hakone, which was great for our travel-worn bodies. Additionally, breakfast was served in the rooms each morning at a time selected at check-in.

As usual we dropped off our bags and hit the streets.
Stop 1: Shibuya Crossing
Anyone who has ever watched a movie or television show filmed in Tokyo will be familiar with this area of Tokyo. It gave me a bit of a Times Square feel, although MUCH more crowded (if you can imagine that) and way more visually stimulating. The most mind-blowing thing about this particular spot is the sheer number of people that constantly flow across the street at the crossing's four corners. We joined the crowd a number of times during our exploration of the area, but eventually made our way onto the second or third floor of a nearby building to watch from above. I assume the crowds in Times Square look almost as impressive, however the fact that no one even attempts to cross once the light has changed, regardless of traffic flow, and that the mass of people is almost the same size every time, makes it seem almost like a beautifully choreographed dance (see YouTube video below for a clip). For some reason I found myself completely mesmerized by this, and watched at least 3 crossings before my parents were able to tear me away to move on to our next stop.

Cool art on our way to the Harajuku area

Stops 2 & 3: Harajuku Area (Omotesando & Takeshita Street)
Although it was raining we decided to walk to our next stop and take in a bit more of the city. We were well equipped with large umbrellas and jackets and the rain left the air a bit cooler so it made for a nice walk, and we saw some interesting shops/stores along the way.

Seen on Takeshita Street

Side street off of Takeshita St.

As mentioned in previous posts about this trip, my mother visited Japan as a chaperone on a trip and she took us to many of the same areas. Omotesando and Takeshita Street were at the top of her list for Tokyo, and I'm glad we prioritized them. The areas were definitely designed to cater to a younger/more hip crowd with Omotesando featuring many high-end stores and cool coffee shops and restaurants. The area was packed with tourists, but many Japanese teenagers were also out in this area, particularly when we got to Takeshita Street, which caught my attention for its interesting clothing shops and amazing graffiti/wall art. Unfortunately by the time we made it down to this area many of the shops were already closing, but we did get some great photos and I got to check off my only mandatory activity: eat at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant!

My stack of plates at the sushi spot

Day 2: Technology (and shopping) Day
Stop 4: Miraikan (a.k.a. The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)

Dad in front of the Miraikan

ASIMO

During her research for this trip, my mother happened to stumble on a bunch of videos and articles about the advances in technology taking place at the Miraikan, particularly those involving the development of androids and humanoids (robots). She was particularly interested in seeing the ASIMO demonstration as he(?) is known as "the world's most advanced humanoid robot". It took us a  bit longer than anticipated to get to the museum, and due to technical difficulties we had to stick around until after the 4 PM demo (we arrived around 1:30, but it was DEFINITELY worth it. 


Stop 5: Ginza District
This part of Tokyo is another area known for it's high-end stores, entertainment and restaurants. We thought this would be a nice area to find some souvenirs as we hadn't really purchased anything up until this point and the area has a lot of history, keeping many of its traditional street signs and building markers around. Luckily we did find a few stores and I must say I did quite a bit of damage in the souvenir/gift department. My mother also kept stressing that we must stop into a Japanese department store and visit go down to the lower (underground) levels. Apparently beneath each department store, particularly in this area, is at least one floor filled with high-end gourmet food and beverage counters/shops. It's quite unexpected that these shops are down there and definitely something worth seeing. Some even have a wine tasting counter where you can have a few sips of wine before continuing on your journey...although keep in mind this is "the good stuff" so it's going to be a bit costly.

Stop 6: Akihabara (a.k.a. The Electric Town/City)
This was another area that my mom continuously heard about as she prepared for this trip. Akihabara is home to many, many, MANY electronic shops and is known as the center for diehard anime and manga fans. Admittedly, I was a bit worn down by the time we reached this part of town and my feet literally went numb due to the culmination of walking and climbing done throughout the week (and also the poor choice in shoes on this particular day) and I reached a bit of a brick wall in terms of sightseeing. However, I did enjoy the general atmosphere of the area and if you have even the slightest interest in electronics, anime and/or manga this area is a MUST SEE.

We pretty much shut down after this and groggily headed back to our hotel to search for food so we could eat, shower and pack. Luckily our flight wasn't too early the next day and we were extremely excited to get to Vietnam and meet up with my brother.

Our stop in Japan was a whirlwind and while I know we just scratched the surface of what this amazing country's culture I loved every second. As I've stated before this is a place where you want to stay away from guided tours and pre-packaged activities as much as possible. Every city is so easy to get around and the people are so kind and willing to help that you can always find someone to assist should you have a question. Of course I've made a video of the last stop, which you can watch below:

I hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into the first half of our trip. If you have any information you'd like to add/correct about or any questions/concerns about any of the locations/activities I've discussed throughout these past few posts please don't hesitate to leave a comment here or on the corresponding YouTube channel. Also take a minute to become a follower of the blog and/or subscribe to the channel so you can stay updated on the upcoming posts covering the Vietnam leg of the trip (these won't be posted until I get back to the states as I am currently wrapping up the last two days of travel as I type). If there is anyone that you think might find this blog interesting please pass it on. Once my travels are done it will take on a bit of a different flavor, but will still very much document my journey through every day life. Thanks for joining me so far and as always....

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam, Part 3, Hakone

Welcome back to the journey everyone! Views are up on all of the videos and blog posts and I really hope everyone is finding them both entertaining and informative.  Remember, I’m fairly new to the blogging world and BRAND new to the vlogging world so please ANY advice/feedback/tips/strategies/suggestions are more than welcome (I JUST realized I should have been filming in landscape mode on my phone. Sorry for the annoying portrait view in previous videos…).

Anyway, back to the trip…

Our second city in Japan was Hakone. When planning the trip, my mother purposefully placed this city between Kyoto and Tokyo to build in a bit of a rest period. The atmosphere of this city is much more relaxed and was a very welcome change of pace after the busy (but fun) three days traveling to and exploring Kyoto.

Day 1
Arrival: We arrived in Hakone in the afternoon, after riding the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) in from Kyoto station. The trip was about 3.5 hours and took us to a neighboring city, Odawara. Once we arrived there we purchased a 3-day unlimited pass which not only afforded us unlimited access to buses and trains but also discounts on entrance fees to various sights within Hakone and the surrounding areas. From Odawara it was about a 30-40 minute bus ride to our BEAUTIFUL hotel, The Fujiya, which is one of the first resort in Japan and has hosted the likes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono as well as political leaders from various countries.

Many of the sights and activities we wanted to engage in were closing once shortly after we arrived so our first day we spent most of our time in and around the hotel.

The Fujiya has a beautiful garden that takes about 25 minutes to walk through and the sunny weather provided a perfect opportunity for us to grab our cameras and work on our photography skills. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

We then walked to Naraya Cafe (about 10 minutes from the hotel) where we enjoyed ice cream and beverages while soaking our feet in a hot spring bath! Our feet were a little swollen and tired from the previous three days of travel and the hot soak felt SO GOOD! Finally, it was time to head back to the hotel for tea in the Fujiya’s famous Orchid Lounge for…well..tea and of course some sweet treats. During the tea my mother convinced me to join her in taking a Japanese bath or onsen. The process was initially very intimidating and overwhelming to me (click the 'onsen' link for details) and I actually walked out twice before trying it, but I'm so glad I did. Soaking in the hot spring water left my skin feeling cleaner and softer than its ever felt and I've never had better sleep. I loved it so much that I ended up doing it again at our hotel in Tokyo...but more on that later.

Day 2: To make up for not being able to hit any of the sights on our list the day before, we got up pretty early and covered nearly everything before closing time!

Stop 1: Hakone Open Air Museum
Easily my favorite part of the trip so far! I love art museums, especially when the work is uniquely displayed or presented. I was literally rendered speechless by the sheer size of some of the work presented and the combination of art and nature was perfect. Ultimately, I ended up putting on my headphones and wandering around the museum by myself for most of the 2-3 hours we were there, and of course took a TON of pictures. I could make a whole post just devoted to this place (and probably will), but for now click the link and enjoy the few pics I've included here and in the video below.

We were also able to enjoy another foot bath here, which for some reason included oranges. Here is a clip of my mom sharing HER thoughts on the matter:

Stop 2:  Gora

Our next stop was to a cute little area called Gora. This is where you can catch the Hakone Tozan Railway, which is the first step in getting to Lake Ashinoko (sight 3). Since we were starving we sat down and had a delicious soba noodle lunch (Gora is filled with soba noodle spots) and then hopped on the train. There isn't much shopping or other activities to do in this area, although there is a park in the area that has wonderful gardens and views. 

Stop 3: Lake Ashinoko

Hakone is one of the cities from which you can get a clear view of Mt. Fuji. Lake Ashinoko, or Lake Ashi for short, is the perfect place to do this and is usually done by taking the ropeway or a boat cruise. Unfortunately for us due to increased volcanic activity in the area the ropeway was shut down (something I was actually not too upset about since the thought of dangling above a mountain didn't seem very appealing to me). Seeing as our only option was the boat tour we hopped on a bus that took us down to the dock and we got on a beautiful boat that took us on a ride across Lake Ashi and dropped us off on the other side where we could shop and eat if we wanted to before catching a city bus back to the train station. While the boat ride was very peaceful with beautiful views, it did get a little crowded with tour groups and we had a bit of a cloudy day and could not get a clear view of Mt. Fuji. However, the shopping on the other side of the lake was pretty decent (mostly touristy souvenir types of shops) and we were able to finally get some delicious bean-filled buns! 

At this point a lot of things in Hakone were beginning to close and we needed to head back to the hotel and figure out what we were going to do for dinner. I will say that if you visit Hakone during the week, plan on eating an early dinner as most of the restaurants don't stay open very late. We ended up eating in our hotel's bar, which was actually really delicious, but there were a ton of places nearby that we wanted to try. As you can tell, Hakone has a very different vibe from Kyoto, but it was just as enjoyable. As I said before my mother planned this portion of the trip to give us a chance to rest before taking on Toky, and as you'll see in the next post we definitely needed it. 

As always I've gone ahead and made a vlog of our short time in Hakone. Make sure to check it out and leave a comment to let me know what you think:

Before I close out I'd like to take a second and say that I almost didn't write this post because of all that is going on in the world in the past week, particularly around the lives of Black people throughout the diaspora. However, as I was looking for guidance and inspiration in my own processing of emotions around these events I came across the following quotes and offer them to you merely as food for thought:

"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it."  -  Marianne Williamson

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." - Maya Angelou

 

Next post will again require at least one or two days for me to get ready, but it is one you defnitely don't want to miss!

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam Part 2, Kyoto

So when I last left you, we just arrived at our hotel in Kyoto. We quickly dropped our bags off and headed out to explore as we only had two days in Kyoto,  and my parents had quite a schedule planned for us. I'll briefly run through the six major stops we made throughout the two days along with pictures and my general thoughts. Each name of a stop is linked to a site that provides much more detailed information, including specific locations, nearby restaurants and shopping opportunities, travel info, etc. As I am setting out to present a much more personal account of my experiences, I went ahead and found some wonderful resources for the previously mentioned vital information. Please make sure you click on the links and visit these other sites. We used blogs and sites similar to these throughout the trip and they were life (and time) savers!



Day 1
Stop 1: Kinkaku-ji Temple (a.ka. The Golden Pavillion/Temple)
We decided to take the city bus to this location since our hotel sold one-day unlimited passes and it was more cost-effective than taking the train or a taxi. The 40-minute bus ride gave us a nice opportunity to rest a bit after our morning of travel and we were REALLY energetic and ready to take in our first sight in Kyoto. Kinkaku-ji is accurately nicknamed the Golden Pavillion/Temple and although I took a million pictures it really is much more impressive in person (either that or my camera skills need a little work). I definitely thought this was a great first stop for the trip although I could tell that there was potential for the crowds to get really overwhelming so I would stick to a visit closer to opening or closing time. We were a bit hungry around this time but didn't want to stop for a full meal so we decided to have our very first taste of green tea ice cream. Check out the video at the end of the post for our reactions!



Stop 2: Gion & Higashiyama Districts

Entrance to the Yasaka Jinja shrine

Yasaka Pagoda

In order to get our money's worth from our unlimited passes we had to take at least three bus trips (each trip was 230 yen/person and an unlimited pass was 500 yen/person at the hotel).  We spent some time figuring out the routes and hopped on a bus that took us to the Gion District of Kyoto. Before we even reached the bus stop I could tell that this spot was extremely popular with tourists, many of whom were dressed in traditional geisha-style clothing as this part of Kyoto boasts the title of "most famous geisha district" in the city. During our stop here we browsed around the Yasaka Jinja Shrine, and meandered through the surrounding side streets taking in the traditional architecture that remains preserved in much of this area. About a 10-15 minute walk later we found ourselves at the Yasaka Pagoda and the Yasaka Koshindo Shrine (located in the Higashiyama sightseeing district). Both were extremely breathtaking and I put my brand new Nikon D3300 to work once again. We set off exploring the various side streets attempting to locate an interesting area my mother remembered from a previous trip to Japan 10 years ago and wound up back at the Yasaka Jinja Shrine. This time we walked further back behind it and stumbled upon Maruyama Park. In need of a break we sat on some benches and enjoyed live music from a street performer (a piece of his performance is included in the video below!). Around this time we were STARVING and began the search for food. As Gion is known for its restaurants and theaters with geisha performances we found it difficult to locate a reasonably priced meal in the area. After over an hour of searching and our energy quickly fading we decided to walk away from the Gion area and luckily came across a cute little place that served delicious noodle dishes and even Japanese Pancakes (SO GOOD!). Unfortunately we were so hungry and tired we forgot to take a picture of the spot and none of us can remember the name but it is only about 4 or 5 blocks from the Yasaka Jinja Shrine and one of two places in the area that we saw offering the Japanese Pancakes. I have footage of it's interior in the video below, which might help identify it if any of you should find yourself in Kyoto in the future.

Day 2
Stop 3: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (a.k.a. The Bamboo Forest)
We started day 2 bright and early with a delicious Japanese-style breakfast at our hotel. I much prefer this over traditional Western breakfasts that are often served in hotels (heavy on items such as bread, pancakes, bacon, etc.). I left completely full and yet not weighed down. I'm definitely incorporating some of the components of this approach to breakfast into my daily routine. We decided to take the train this time as we had A LOT of sights to fit into one day and couldn't afford another 40-minute bus ride so early in the day. Although my mother told me exactly what the bamboo forest was, I had no idea just how gigantic the bamboo would be and the landscaping of the forest was just perfect. I think for this portion of the post I'll let the video footage and photos do the talking for me.

Stop 4: Togetsukyo Bridge
The bridge is about a 10-15 minute walk away from the bamboo forest and boasts more stunning views of the area. As a Florida girl I am always so blown away by mountainous terrain and I honestly could have stood on that bridge all day taking in the view of the water and the lush mountains in the background. However, there were many more sights to see, so after taking a few selfie-stick pics we were off and running to stop 5.

My sashimi rice bowl

Stop 5: Nashiki Market
I'm not a huge shopper but Nashiki Market provided a wonderful opportunity to note the variety of food in Japan. It was an amazing cultural experience and as much of it was seafood I was definitely in my happy place! However, I must note that if crowded spaces are not your thing you might want to skip this stop. Nashiki Market is PACKED with tourists and locals attempting to buy everything from fish to "I heart Kyoto" t-shirts. Often times we were shoulder-to-shoulder with those around us, all attempting to make it through the market. Personally, this was a bit of a struggle for me as I don't do well in big crowds, but all my worries and anxiety were quickly forgotten once I took my first bite of the greatest rice bowl w/fresh sashimi from a sushi spot near the center of the market.


Stop 6: Kiyomizu-dera Temple

View from the upper balcony

We definitely saved the best for last, heading back near the Higashiyama district where we climbed up the steep, tourist-packed street to reach our final temple visit of this portion of our trip. At this point I was kind of templed-out and definitely feeling the effects of the jet lag due to the 13-hour time difference. However, this temple was like nothing I had ever seen and we spent the next 2 hours or so exploring the massive temple, taking in the views from the various landings and balconies, and exploring the preserved streets in the surrounding areas. I'm usually not a big fan of the super touristy stuff, but coming to Kyoto without stopping at this particular temple would be a huge mistake.



I know this seems like a lot to cram into two (well 1.5) days,  but it was an absolutely amazing experience. Check out the video below for another glimpse into our experiences in Kyoto:

 Although I could barely walk or keep my eyes open by the end of the day I really feel like we got the essence of the city. I definitely recommend taking public trans (city bus and/or subway) over taxis or guided tours as you get to feel the vibe of the city and get to know it on a much more personal level. We have since headed to Hakone, which provided a nice change of pace. I'll be uploading a post and video of our very special time there in the next day or so. Make sure you keep your eyes on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram to ensure you don't miss it! Please leave your comments/questions/feedback* below and pass this info on to anyone who might find it useful, and as always...

Enjoy the journey....

*I'm beyond exhausted and had a ton of technical difficulties attempting to get this post and corresponding video up by my self-imposed deadline. I'm sure there are a ton of tiny mistakes and there will probably be some edits to this post in the very near future. Bare with me folks :-)