Time for some city life. Our next destination would have been too long of a drive from Biei, so we stopped off at Asahikawa, Hokkaido’s second largest city, for its famous zoo and shoyu ramen. The Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa is one of Japan’s most famous due to its unique enclosures, which allow visitors to […]
Noodles
Chiayi (嘉義)
Philip’s nephew, Matthew, and his girlfriend, Katie, came to Taiwan mentally and physically prepared for the adventures awaiting them. They tackled Taipei like pros, and based on her culinary tastes we’re all convinced that Katie is part Taiwanese. Over the weekend, we headed south by high speed rail to the city of Chiayi. Chiayi is […]
Japan, Part VI: Kyoto and Osaka
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 […]
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 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 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 […]
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 […]
Escaping to Yilan 宜蘭 for a Day
We took advantage of a school holiday to go on a day trip with Aunt Ivy to the ever-crowded city/county of Yilan. We made the half hour, eight mile long drive through the Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道), the ninth longest tunnel in the world, connecting Taipei to Yilan. The alternative is a vomit-filled two hour ride […]