The peace and quiet of early morning is priceless, especially when sightseeing. On our last day in Kyoto, I was the sole beneficiary of an entire block of cherry blossoms just by waking up a couple of hours before everyone else. So worth it. I eased my way through the streets of Gion, enjoying […]
Month: March 2018
Japan, Part V: Kyoto (東京)
We dragged our feet this morning, sad to leave our beautiful machiya behind for our next home, the Kinoe ryokan. A ryokan is a Japanese inn where guests are pampered and served multi-course dinners and breakfasts en suite. In hindsight, a ryokan that accepts children probably should have been a red flag, since the luxurious […]
Japan, Part IV: Kyoto (京都)
After taking it easy the day before we were all set to go hard again. We set out early to beat the crowds at one of Kyoto’s iconic sights, Kinkaku-ji Temple, or Golden Pavilion. This Buddhist temple is popular for its gold plating and reflection in ‘mirror pond’ and the gorgeous surrounding landscaping. Despite […]
Japan, Part III: Kyoto (京都)
We had to leave Tokyo before I bought any more Kit Kats from Japanese super chain Don Quixote. I am not a candy/sweets person at all, but I go crazy for the amazing variety of Kit Kat flavors you can only buy in Japan, like Hokkaido roasted tea, limited edition sake, Uji matcha…. I end […]
Japan, Part II: Tokyo (東京)
We started our next day in Tokyo with a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market. We opted out of witnessing the crack of dawn tuna auction and instead stood on line to wait for Kagura sushi to open its doors for breakfast. Since Jules has not ventured into the world of raw fish yet, we […]
Japan, Part I: Tokyo (東京)
Hundreds year-old traditions, impeccable food, polite-to-a-fault natives and cherry blossoms? Count me in! Since Philip’s mom and sister, Kim, were arriving one week into Jules’ spring break from school, we had exactly seven days to squeeze in two weeks’ worth of fun in Japan beforehand. Here we go… Landing at Haneda International Airport and figuring out […]
Sun Moon Lake (曰月潭)
Although we’re heading to Japan in a week, we couldn’t resist going away for a weekend trip to take advantage of the quickly fleeting gorgeous weather in Taipei. Philip had mentioned checking out Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan awhile ago, but I wasn’t so keen on it due to prior subpar tour group experiences. […]
Weekend retreat in Wulai Aboriginal Village (烏來)
I really can’t complain about needing to ‘get away,’ since I’ve had seven months off from work thus far. However, it’s still nice to leave the frenetic energy of a big city every now and then, so Jules and I set out for one of Taiwan’s aboriginal villages in Wulai this weekend. I also happened […]
Pingxi Lantern Festival (平溪天燈節)
What is it about bright lights in a night sky that captivates people of all ages across all cultures? The draw is so deeply embedded in our universal consciousness that 100,000 revelers, Jules and I attended the annual Pingxi Lantern Festival in Taipei last night. At this event, people can release burning lanterns into the […]