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 […]
TRAVEL
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 […]
Vietnam, Part VI: Hội An
A day of rest. We slowed down the pace a bit today and meandered through Old Town, popping into the odd shop and enjoying cold beverages while writing postcards in one of the quiet cafes overlooking the river. I couldn’t resist leaving Hoi An without one of its famous fabric lanterns, so we stopped in […]
Vietnam, Part V: Hội An
As soon as we landed in Hoi An, a city 1 1/2 hours south of Hanoi by air, we knew we were in for something different. Our coats and layers from the north were quickly shed to adapt to the much warmer temperatures. Outside of the Old Town the area reminded me of parts […]
Vietnam, Part IV: Hà Nội
The three hour journey back to Hanoi from Yen Duc Village gave Philip the chance to spot his must see national animal of Vietnam…water buffalo! Despite modern machinery, water buffalo are still used in rice farming here, since they are able to navigate the deep, muddy fields of the rice paddies. Along the highway, we […]
Vietnam, Part III: Yen Duc Village
Not ready to head back to the hustle and bustle of city life just yet, we spent the next couple of days at Yen Duc Village, a community-based tourism retreat set amongst rice fields and farms an hour west of Ha Long City. It’s working on obtaining US/EU organic certification at the moment (a rarity […]
Vietnam, Part II: A cruise to Bái Tử Long Bay
Our van picked us up bright and early for the four hour journey east to Ha Long harbor for our overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay, a less touristed area than the popular Ha Long Bay. This area is considered one of Vietnam’s most valuable natural assets due to its unique ecosystem and […]
Vietnam, Part I: Hà Nội
Drawn by the prospect of delicious food, friendly people and beautiful scenery, Vietnam exceeded our expectations in all three areas. Our trip began in the northern part of Vietnam in its capital, Hanoi, where we stayed in the Old Quarter. First, lunch. We sat down with locals at Banh Cuon Gia Truyen and feasted on […]
Christmas in Los Angeles
The original plan was to spend the Christmas holiday in Australia. Then, we found out that my brother, Howard, and his wife, Jungha, were expecting their first baby girl at the end of November. Hello, tinsel on palm trees. We received one of our Christmas gifts early this year — Philip had Christmas off on […]
China, Part VI: Xi’an (西安)
The last Xi’an post, I promise. We were not quite ready to leave this city, which we found to be friendlier than Beijing, more relaxed and its food tastier. For our last day, we spent the first part of the day at a quiet, privately-owned museum, the Tangbo Art Museum (唐博), housing Chinese folk art […]