The world is a big place. We’ve tried our best to take advantage of our current locale to visit parts of the world that previously seemed unreachable. In August 2014, we spent two weeks traversing Australia. Japan on its own could fill years of travels, but we’ve started chipping away with trips to Kyoto and Osaka, Fukuoka and Mt. Fuji among others. However, our latest adventure has been the most epic yet. Spanning 33 days, three countries and every transportation method imaginable, we’ve had a taste of southern Asia that’s left us hungry for more.
From Tokyo to Delhi, Kathmandu to Bangkok… our 2015 tour de Southeast Asia. Click on the image for a closer view.
Beginning in Delhi, India, we toured the northern part of the world’s seventh largest country before crossing into Nepal. From Kathmandu, we flew to Thailand, where we lounged on amazing white sand beaches, explored national parks, lived with the locals and wandered through one of the world’s greatest cities.
A couple on vacation from Krabi helped us get settled in Kiriwong
Along the way, we met amazing people with both heartbreaking and heartwarming stories. We experienced the “real” India, Nepal and Thailand, but could also see the impact that tourism is having on the identity of these cultures. We ate what the locals ate and what the tourists ate—spoiler alert: they’re not the same.
The streets of Delhi
This trip was not only a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but also a perspective-altering one. The reality of seeing developing countries in different states of progress trumped anything I’ve ever read in Time or Newsweek. Our eyes and minds opened as we struggled to understand a way of life that flew in the face of what we know to be “right”—arranged marriages, extreme poverty, access to education and gender inequality.
Our made-from-mud duplex in Nepal
It also brought new opportunities. I can now say that I’ve played cricket (on the banks of the Ganges River, no less) and I generally understand this sport that mostly remains a mystery to Americans (despite being the second-most popular sport in the world). We slept in overnight trains, mud huts and bungalows—the latter included a 5 a.m. wake-up call from both a crowing rooster and a flying chicken landing on our roof with a thud. We gained a better understanding of Hinduism as well as the role it played in shaping Indian society and many of the world’s religions. And we learned a thing or two about toilets around the world (“squatty potty” anybody?).
Enough with the teasers. Let’s dive right in with a look at some of the best food we’ve ever eaten… anywhere! Meet northern Indian cuisine!
The support of our family and friends during our journey has been so appreciated. And when that support includes chocolate, it’s just that much more appreciated!
Eight months in and with autumn in full swing, the recent round of care packages from home came at a perfect time. So, without further ado, let’s get to unboxing!
At the end of October, a fall-themed care package arrived from Cascadian Mama Val
Shortly before we headed out for our trip to Osaka and Kyoto, a package arrived from Viktoria’s mom. It included some pantry staples like split green peas, lentils and quinoa; dark chocolate from Oregon’s Dagoba Organic Chocolates; Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bar mix; and a host of goodies from Costco and “The Russian Store” as we all refer to the European-goods store back home. More than a few of these things made it into the backpack for our trip and more than a few of these things have already been eaten.
The first of two packages from Cascadian KronWeld arrived in mid-November
After we returned from our trip, the first of two boxes from Cascadian KronWeld showed up at our door. I only managed a picture of one, but the second box was full of spices that we’ve had a hard time finding. Among the treats were Costco-sized bags of pistachios and walnuts, Sriracha hot sauce, caramels, pumpkin-spice tea and a giant bag of tortillas. Extra-large containers of smoked salts, cayenne pepper and pumpkin pie spice followed shortly. A special thanks to Cascadian Brian for carrying that smoked salt in your car for a couple hundred miles.
A special treat worth it’s own paragraph: Pumpkin Pie Almonds (I’m assuming from Costco). These only lasted a little over a week despite the giant bag. Almonds with a pumpkin pie flavored candy coating. Holy $&@^ these things were amazing!
Today’s arrival from Cascadian Mama Vera. In other news, Justin’s Peanut Butter stock is through the roof.
Today, I heard a faint ringing while washing the dishes. Fortunately, I investigated as it was the mailman delivering a package from my mama. This one had some odd specific requests (which I chose not to include in the photo, but Thank You Mom!) as well as some creature comforts from home, such as Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, every package of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups on the Oregon Coast, fresh cranberries (which were still cold after a week in transit), Starbucks instant lattes and some static-cling mustaches, which I’m certain will end up in some interesting places.
Thanks again to everyone for your support during our adventure!
After two wonderful days in Osaka, we set out on the second-half of our Kansai adventure, bound for Kyoto. But first, coffee!
Giving into the holiday pressure and diving into the Snow Maple Toffee Latte at the Temmabashi Station Starbucks
I only mention the coffee stop because it was the morning of November 3, yet the Starbucks at Temmabashi Station was already decked out for Christmas with an updated drink menu and American holiday music blaring through the speakers. But, as the saying goes: “When in Starbucks, do as the Starbuckians do.” We ordered the seasonal Snow Maple Toffee Latte, a take on a Canadian/New England treat called Maple Taffy (which the internet says is made by pouring boiling-hot maple sap over snow).
With a lethal dose of caffeine and sugar coursing through our veins, we boarded the Elegant Saloon 8000 express train to Kyoto. Other than the comfortable forward-facing seats, I didn’t notice anything particularly special about the train, but all along the 30-mile route, photographers with tripods and $10,000 lenses were set up, waiting to capture a photo of the train with the hills of central Japan in the backdrop. I snapped a horrible photo of the train once we arrived in Kyoto because it seemed like the right thing to do.
The changing colors of the Japanese maple trees in Kyoto
So, right… Kyoto. An amazing, dynamic and diverse city, the former imperial capital of Japan boasts more than 2,000 temples and 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We intentionally scheduled our trip for early November to see the sights surrounded by the changing colors of autumn and we were not disappointed.
A few of the thousands of torii (shrine gates) lining the path to the inner shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha
We started our day at Fushimi Inari Taisha, the shrine dedicated to the kami (god) of rice (among other things). The shrine is famous for the thousands of torii (shrine gates) that lead to the inner shrine in the middle of Inari Mountain.
Another view of the stacked torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha
Inari is also the kami of industry, so in an offering to the god, Japanese businesses have donated each of the torii. Each gate is marked with the date it was placed and the name of the donating company. To the uninformed foreigner (us), you’d probably assume the words to be something spiritual. However, to the Japanese-literate, it’s an endless string of advertisements. Pretty cool advertisements though!
Lunch near Fushimi Inari. The inari sushi is on the left. Top, a scrambled egg udon bowl. Bottom, kitsune soba, topped with a slice of fried tofu
We spent a couple hours hiking up/down the trail to the middle of the mountain, where a view of the entire city opens up. We stopped for lunch, which of course included inari sushi (a fried-tofu pouch filled with sushi rice, named for the kami). We also had a bowl of kitsune soba. Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes play a significant role in Japanese folklore. They’re also said to be fond of aburage (fried tofu), hence the namesake dish.
The main hall at Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. One of the UNESCO sites, its current structures date back to the 1600s. The impressive main hall, with its large veranda designed to accommodate thousands of pilgrims at any given time, was built without a single nail.
I’m a big fan of the Buddhist temples and the smell of incense that fills the air. Despite the large crowds (turned out we were there over the Culture Day holiday weekend), there’s still plenty of opportunity to find a moment of Zen.
Two separate groups of students practiced their English on Viktoria. They were clearly unimpressed with me.
One (or two) such moments occurred when small groups of students descended on tourists to practice their English. They asked three pre-written questions with no follow-ups. The shrines and their large crowds must be popular for this homework as we experienced this in Asakusa back in May as well. The earnest students left a good feeling as we ventured into the temple.
An artist working on a sketch of Kiyomizu-dera’s main hall
From the veranda of the main hall, you can see a grand view of the city and, across the way, the temple’s lonely pagoda rises from the trees. A scenic walk leads to the pagoda. An older Japanese man sat near the trail, oblivious to the crowd around him as he made a beautiful color sketch of the iconic main hall.
The pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera
We reached the pagoda after a lovely walk, where I’ll admit to committing a cultural faux-pas. A very nice lady of Asian decent was snapping photos of her travel companions by the pagoda, so I asked her if she would take our photo as well.
Me: Shasin wo totte morae masu ka? Her: I’m sorry, I don’t speak Japanese.
Shoot… As a person who is offended by the general clumping of cultures, I felt terrible, but she didn’t seem to mind. I’m guessing it’s one of those things that the other person doesn’t think twice about, while you beat yourself up over it for a couple days. The picture turned out lovely though!
Kyoto Tower rising from the edge of the city’s downtown area
We headed to our temporary Airbnb home near Kyoto Station. We’d need to rest up with two days and 2,000 temples to see.
Day two of our Osaka adventure was consumed by the majestic Osaka Castle (大阪城). We were lucky enough to visit on the weekend the castle honored the 400th anniversary of the Siege of Osaka, filling the park with several bonus events.
Sengan-yagura Turret (left) and Tamon-yagura Turret (right) once protected Osaka Castle’s Otemon Gate, but now welcomes visitors
Osaka Castle Park was just a short walk from our apartment, located in the middle of the government-building-heavy Chuo Ward. The surrounding area is typical modern Japan, but the park is a sprawling green compound—nearly half a millennium of history in the heart of today’s Osaka. We entered through Otemon Gate on the west side of the complex, Sengan-yagura and Tamon-yagura turrets looming as a reminder of the area’s more violent shogunate past.
The Shudokan (Martial Arts Training Hall) hosting a Judo class
Upon entering the compound, you get a sense of what life may have been like in those days gone by. Even today, the Shudokan (martial arts training hall) is brimming with life, hosting judo, kendo and naginata classes.
A statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi outside Hokoku-jinja Shrine
Nearby, a large statue honors Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the mastermind of the castle’s construction and Japan’s second “great unifier” responsible for ending a century of war in Japan’s feudal period.
The first view of Osaka Castle, peering through Sakuramon Gate
Not long after, we had our first glimpse at the architectural masterpiece itself. Sakuramon Gate frames the castle and marks the entrance to the main part of the castle grounds.
Osaka Castle’s samurai serve a different purpose today
The grounds were lively with the festival remembering the 1614-15 Siege of Osaka, which resulted in the destruction of the original castle. Modern interpretations of traditional music filled the air. People in period costume wandered the park, snapping pictures with willing tourists.
A group demonstrated Hōzōin-ryū, a martial art form utilizing spears
A Hōzōin-ryū demonstration (see video below) captivated the crowd. Hōzōin-ryū is a form of martial arts that specializes in sōjutsu or spear-fighting. The men wielded the yari (spear) with the respect demanded by history, showing off the different maneuvers like a choreographed dance.
Ame-mura (Clockwise from top-left): Artistic street lamps; Statue of Liberty replica; What Japanese people think America is; Mexican-style poutine and pizza at Canadian-owned Slices Pizza
We took a break from the castle to find lunch. We headed back for the entertainment side of town and landed in Amerikamura. Known by the locals as “Ame-mura,” the area of American Village is Osaka’s take on western culture. While it has a reputation as a foreigner hangout, there aren’t actually many foreigners in the area. It felt very similar to Tokyo’s Harajuku district as far as the types of shops and fashion, but decorated with a tired caricature of the good ol’ USA.
We tracked down a Canadian-owned pizza joint called Slices and had a veggie pizza, some tasty fried potato strings and a nacho-style poutine. Refueled, we headed back to Osaka Castle for the rest of the festivities.
The city as seen from Osaka Castle Park
We re-entered the park from the southeast side, which leads into Forest Park and the Plum Grove. A climb up a Fuji-steep set of stairs led back into the main part of the park. The sun was beginning to break through the clouds, casting a yellow glow on the city and the castle.
The castle as the sun began to break through the clouds
The park closes around sunset, bringing an end to our time at both the castle and Osaka in general. The next morning we’d be on the express train to Kyoto.
Last week, a school event gave us a nice long five-day weekend. We took advantage of the time to visit the metropolis of Osaka and Kyoto in Japan’s central Kansai region. This will be the first of a series of posts since we packed a LOT of activities into those five days. Plus, a new feature… read to the end to find out more!
Riding the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka
We were excited about our first real Shinkansen (bullet train) trip, which covered the 500 km trip from Tokyo to Osaka in about 2 1/2 hours. Technically, the train to Narita Airport in Chiba is a Shinkansen, but it doesn’t really reach the speeds that the Nozomi trains do.
The Shinkansen culture is an experience in itself. There is a definite sense of velocity, especially once you get out of the Tokyo metropolitan area and are speeding along the southern edge of Honshu. The train feels like a much more comfortable airplane. The seats recline to a healthy 45 degrees, but with ample legroom, you don’t feel cramped by the seat in front of you. Spacious airplane-style restrooms are located in between the cars and train staff bring a cart through offering snacks and drinks.
Everyone had their bento boxes open before we were out of Tokyo-proper
Many of the riders brought their own bento (boxed lunch) with them, which could be readily purchased at the train station. 1,000 yen (a little under $9 USD) will get you a large bento and a tall-boy can of Japanese beer. We had our American bento—a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with potato chips.
Our home sweet home away from home
We would have two days to see what Osaka had to offer. We dropped our bags at the apartment we found on Airbnb. If you haven’t tried it yet, Airbnb is a great way to find low-cost places to stay all over the world (I feel like they should pay me for that statement…). The apartment was comfortable and centrally located between three main train lines, making it easy to navigate the city.
While the PB&J was a nice train treat, it was time for a proper lunch. We headed down to the Japan we’ve all seen on television—Dōtonbori. At night, the popular tourist district lights up with neon and video (more on that later), but it’s pretty impressive during the day too.
Okonomiyaki overload! Clockwise from top-left: Western-style, the bar at Kyo-Chabana, tomato, and the famous Osaka-style.
Osaka is famous for its okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is basically a savory pancake. Each region of Japan does it a little differently, but Osaka-style is the most common in Japan. The batter is made from grated yam, flour, eggs and cabbage, then it’s topped/mixed with a variety of ingredients. Walking through Dōtonbori, there was no shortage of places offering up this Japanese soul food. We ended up lunching at Takohachi, more famous for its fried octopus balls (takoyaki), and dining at Kyo-Chabana after the line at the famous Mizuno didn’t move for 15 minutes.
Oregon’s own Rogue’s Pumpkin Patch Ale and Shonan Orange IPA from Kumazawa Brewing in Kanagawa
After lunch, we walked over to the National Bunraku Theater and bought tickets for an act of that evening’s show. We had a couple hours before the show started and hunted down a cool craft beer bar called Yellow Ape. I’d learned about it when I reached out to Newport, Oregon’s Rogue Ales to see where we could buy their Pumpkin Patch Ale in Tokyo. I’d expected a form message in reply at best, but instead I received a quick personal message and was put in touch with Phred, their distributor in Tokyo. Phred not only offered up some Tokyo locations, but told me the dates the beer would be on tap and suggested Yellow Ape while we were in Osaka. Rogue was already pretty cool in my book, but I was really impressed with the personal and super-helpful service.
It turned out Yellow Ape was close to our apartment. We stopped in before the bunraku performance and enjoyed a pint of the Pumpkin Patch Ale and an excellent Shonan Orange IPA from Kanagawa’s Kumazawa Brewing.
One of the ningyō dolls used in the show; the Tayū (narrators) and the shamisen players before the act; A photo of a photo of a scene in the show (photography was prohibited during the performance)
Showtime! Bunraku is a type of puppet theater that was founded in 17th century Osaka. The performance itself begins at 11 a.m. and ends around 9 p.m. It consists of several acts and you can buy tickets for individual acts (about two hours) or the whole day. We opted for the single-act tickets.
The puppets (ningyō) are amazing up-close, standing between three and four feet tall. The heads of the puppets are divided into different classifications based on things like personality and social class and are used in multiple shows, so you can easily tell the heroes from the villains.
During the performance, the puppets are expertly animated by the puppeteers (Ningyōtsukai) and two assistants. While the assistants are dressed in black from head to toe (including a hood), the main Ningyōtsukai becomes part of the performance. The Ningyōtsukai is responsible for constructing their own puppet for the show, making the connection between puppeteer and puppet very personal.
For me, the highlight was the narrators (Tayū) and shamisen musicians, who sit side-by-side at the side of the stage. A different pair is revealed for each act from behind a rotating wall. The information provided at the performance says “The narrator and the shamisen player, in their twin positions, seem to be trying to top the other in artistry… but in fact they are in perfect unison: neither leads and neither follows.” It was a perfect description as each stood out in their artistry, but in a way that fit together. The shamisen is a three-stringed guitar and has that traditional Japanese music sound. The Tayū stretch and strain their voices as they fill the roles of all of the characters as well as that of the narrator.
While the performance was in Japanese (an English “gist” was provided in print and a more in-depth “gist” could be rented in recorded form), the artistry of the whole thing outweighed the story, which was quite violent and soap-opera-esque. By the end of the story, several characters were killed off and more than one revealed themselves to be disguised as someone else.
The gateway to Dōtonbori
After the show, we headed back into Dōtonbori. By now, the neon signs illuminated the night and the crowds packed in tight for the quintessential Osaka photographs. Dōtonbori itself is just a collection of restaurants, shops and clubs, but the environment is energetic and highly entertaining.
Signage hanging above the restaurants in Dōtonbori
In addition to the ornate and playful static signs mounted above most of the restaurants, several were also animatronic, willing you with their subtle wiggling toward their offer of goods and services. We took a few laps around the area, had the aforementioned okonomiyaki fix and headed back to our apartment to rest up. Our Kansai adventure had only just begun!
Cascadian Abroad :45
I’m trying something new with this trip. Pictures are great, but so much of the experience is, well, experiential. I thought it’d be great to share some moving images to provide a better feel for some of our adventures. Since our video camera is also our point-and-shoot camera and I’m a terrible videographer, I’m going to condense the essence of the trip into a 45-second video. Quick and easy to watch, plus a lower risk of motion sickness from my shaky hand! Here’s the first one… enjoy!
