tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91534465703430131092024-03-05T03:09:46.828-05:00Eat Fly & PlayJCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-37181681414801361532014-06-23T20:27:00.004-04:002014-06-23T22:32:12.412-04:00South Africa - After thoughts & tips<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">After thoughts - </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">South Africa was an easy introduction to Africa for us. Our itinerary of Cape Town and the Sabi Sand Safari were so different that it felt like we were on two separate trips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cape Town is so blessed geographically that it was really one of the most beautiful cities I had ever visited. Growing up in Taipei, a city surrounded by mountains and the ocean was not far away, I was reminded how nice it was to have nature so close by. Cape Town was small in size and population. Within minutes of a drive, you were immersed in stunning and dramatic landscapes. Being used to flat land and skyscraper buildings in New York city, I am envious of Cape Towns' natural beauty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our Sabi Sand Safari felt like a luxurious adult summer camp. The experience was far from my romantic visions from the movie "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089755/" target="_blank">Out of Africa</a>". However, even with the five star amenities and attentive service catering to our every needs, when we were sitting on the 4x4 driving out to the bush, we were quickly reminded that we were on this ancient and majestic motherland of Africa. After having our first safari experience, we were ready to embark other parts of Africa. I know I will be looking for wildlife migrations for our next safari. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tips - </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cape Town: </span></b><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rental car</b> - Although some people may be intimidated by driving on the left side in South Africa, renting a car is highly recommend when you visit Cape Town. The city is not safe to walk around at night and the public transportation is not very convenient. It takes a while to get used to driving on the right side, but the traffic is quite manageable in comparison to other major cities. If you decide to rent a car, be sure to get a GPS system. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Township tour</b> - You probably already read it in other websites or guidebooks. Yes, it is the must visit when you come to Cape Town. We highly recommend <a href="http://www.townshiptourscapetown.co.za/" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Siviwe Langa Township tour</a>, the tour company we used. If your schedule allows, go there on a Sunday morning for the church service and vibrant township life. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Table Mountain Cable Car</b> - It is a good idea to book tickets in advance online through <a href="http://tablemountain.net/" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Table Mountain Aerial Cableway</a> website, which would save you sometime waiting in line at the kiosk. </span></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tips - Sabi Sand Safari:</span></b><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vaccination - </b>we spent a lot of time doing research on what vaccines to get, if and what anti-malaria drugs were necessary. There was a lot of debates on this topic that you can find online. After researching and consulting with the doctors, we received a Hepatitis A shot, Typhoid pills, and Malarone pills (one of the three anti-malaria drugs) in the end. It is also a good idea to educate yourself on the pros and cons on the three types of anti-malaria drugs: Malarone, Mefloquine, and Doxycycline. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kruger National Park vs. Private Game Reserve</b> - When it comes to choosing either Kruger park or one of the lodges in the private reserve, here are some deciding factors. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Budget</b> - Kruger provides more economical options if you want to bring your cost down. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Animal viewing</b> - Animals are free to roam between Kruger Park and Sabi Sand reserve so you will most likely see similar animals between these two. The only difference is that the private game reserve provides a team of professionals to maximize the game viewing opportunities and more intimate experience by having access to drive off-road and drive at night. </span></li>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*If you decide to go with the private game drive, there is really no need to use a travel agent. The lodge should be able to arrange the trip for you. </span></i><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Packing list</b> - Beyond layers of earthy tone outdoor wears you should bring on a safari trip, don't forget pack your binoculars. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alarm clock</b> - If you stay in one of the private reserves, it may be a good idea to set your own alarm in the morning and not rely solely on the lodge's morning calls. I am not sure if it is only Lion Sands' unique problem, but it happened to us and other couples that the lodge missed our morning calls during our 4 day stay. </span></li>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-9974319375826795402014-06-11T23:24:00.000-04:002014-06-23T20:32:17.467-04:00Lion Sand Private Game Reserve 9.7 to 9.10 - Other than animals<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Besides 6 hours a day of game drives and sleep, what else did we do the rest of the time?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was a gym in the lodge, but we did not even know where it was located; two unheated outdoor pools overlooking the river that were way too cold for us to take a swim. I spent one afternoon pampering myself at the spa. Another afternoon, we visited children in the villages outside of Kruger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Food was a major component of our safari experience. There were constantly food and beverages around. We were fed five times a day. Two snacks during the game drive breaks while we watched sunrises and sunsets. 3 course gourmet meals were served while the menu changed daily during our stay. We had some interesting wild games on the menu, such as Nyala loin, kudu tartar, wildebeest, etc. The chef was very skillful in preparing the wild games. They all tasted quite good, not gamey at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Although this trip was my birthday gift, I wanted to do something for H as well since it was also our wedding anniversary. I had secretly booked the tree house for one night as a surprise.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PkgwSqvZ9yM/UpLDPiGxy7I/AAAAAAAAQD4/iyFJxbmMRn0/s1600/IMG_1956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PkgwSqvZ9yM/UpLDPiGxy7I/AAAAAAAAQD4/iyFJxbmMRn0/s1600/IMG_1956.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were three tree houses in Lion Sands. <a href="http://www.lionsands.com/treehouse.asp" target="_blank">Chalkley treehous</a>e was the original treehouse built by the funder of Lion Sands. <a href="http://www.lionsands.com/kingstontree.asp" target="_blank">Kingston treeouse</a> was built a few years ago with a shower & a roof, which was the one I booked. The newest addition which must have just opened up after our trip in the recent months was <a href="http://www.lionsands.com/tinyeletitree.asp" target="_blank">Tinyeleti treehouse</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The treehouse surprise was a bit tricky to pull off. There were so many variables that made me anxious. Would it be too cold at night? What if there is a wild fire since the bush was very dry and there was a wild fire warning? What if wild animals, like leopards or monkeys would jump into the treehouse in the middle of the night? Would I be exposed to mosquitos that carry malaria? Would H enjoy it? I was nervous the whole time not sure if the treehouse would be a good idea. However, I remembered many years ago when H and I slept outside by a lake one summer night, it was one of the most amazing experience we had. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other than my anxiety about spending the night in the wild, there were also other details that I needed to iron out without H's notice. The morning of, I met with the chef to decide on the dinner menu, packed up the toiletry and hand our overnight bag to Andrew, the lodge manager, behind H's back. The staff was in on the surprise and did a great job distracting H while I made these arrangements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the middle of our afternoon game drive on 9.8, Andrew and another driver came to take us away from the rest of our group. H had no clue what was happening. After about a 10 minute drive in the bush, we were led to a beautiful and exclusive treehouse lit with candle lights and oil lamps. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cgMI9OlmPLM/UpLDBPFAaAI/AAAAAAAAQCM/b-jSAMezJ7c/s1600/DSC_0120_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cgMI9OlmPLM/UpLDBPFAaAI/AAAAAAAAQCM/b-jSAMezJ7c/s1600/DSC_0120_2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The treehouse overlooked the african bush which was covered with a warm yellow glow of rising dust in the horizon. The dinner boxes, wine and champagne were already set up at the dinner table on the deck. There was no electricity, cellphone or wifi reception. Andrew left us a spotlight and a walky-talky in case we needed to contact the staff for any emergencies. The main lodge was 8 minutes away from our treehouse. In other words, if we made the first 8 minutes of any emergencies, like a leopard attack, we would have a good chance to survive. Andrew and the driver closed the draw-bridge after giving us a brief tour and drove away. H and I were completely alone in the wild.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The treehouse was luxurious, and the setting could not be more beautiful and romantic. We were both nervous and excited at the same time. We watched the sunset while enjoying the delicious gourmet meal and sipping on champagne.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VLXhf9ONy1M/UpLDOZetaAI/AAAAAAAAQDw/axYU2665K6Y/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VLXhf9ONy1M/UpLDOZetaAI/AAAAAAAAQDw/axYU2665K6Y/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once the sun went down, the temperature dropped. It was pitch dark. Our high powered flash light could not spot any animals, but we knew the animals were active. They were out hunting and making all sort of growling and humming noises that I had never heard in my life. It was such an unique experience. Once we finished our dinner and got used to the animal sounds, we wrapped ourselves in blankets, laid on the lounge sofa, looked up to the stars, and talked and drank. There was no light pollution and not even one airplane flew over the sky the entire night. The milky way and other countless stars filled the pitch dark sky as far as our eyes could see. We also spotted quite a few shooting stars that night. This night without the distraction of technology went by slowly. Breathing the cool fresh air, and hearing the unknown animal sounds, it felt surreal that we were all alone under the African wilderness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We barely got any sleep that night despite the comfortable bed and the warm blanket. Every little noise from the wind and animals startled us. And just when we were getting used to the noise, the bush became quiet all of a sudden. The wind died down and the animal movements stopped. Now the complete silence kept us awake. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kJQi-B4FieQ/UpLDVXfW4rI/AAAAAAAARLY/-a1MkoNBfJk/s1600/IMG_1957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kJQi-B4FieQ/UpLDVXfW4rI/AAAAAAAARLY/-a1MkoNBfJk/s1600/IMG_1957.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We got out of the bed around 5 AM, and watched the sunrise while we had coffee and breakfast. We were a little tired, but still giddy with excitement that we had this amazing and memorable experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That same evening, our group stopped at a beautiful lookout by two gigantic trees for our bush happy hour. We were sipping wines, taking group photos, and chatted with our ranger and another lovely couple that was sharing the same vehicle with us the past few days. As we watched the sunset and took in the cooling bush air, H wrapped his arm around me as we both became quiet. We were a bit sad that our vacation was coming to an end, but also very happy that we had found the Africa that we hoped to see. </span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-90700548828944115522014-02-01T13:40:00.002-05:002014-06-11T23:29:21.398-04:00Lion Sands Private Game Reserve 9.7 to 9.10 - Animals<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"A <b>safari</b> is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purpose of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other </i><i>wildlif</i>e" - Wikipedia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the next few days, we followed the camp's strict schedule, which</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was designed for the optimum wildlife viewing. Two game drives a day, one at the crack of dawn, one at the sunset. The temperature varies drastically from </span><span style="font-size: large;">mid 30</span><span style="font-size: large;">ºs F (around 0º C) before sunrise to near 9</span><span style="font-size: large;">0</span><span style="font-size: large;">º F (</span><span style="font-size: large;">30</span><span style="font-size: large;">º C) at mid-day, and then once again dropping to mid 30's after sundown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spent an average of 6 hours a day on a 4x4 open vehicle out in the bush with our team mates, ranger and tracker. It was always an unknown discovery when we drove out into the bush. You never know if, when, and what animals you would see. Even at times when we did not spot many animals, I enjoyed the peaceful ride and the scenery. There was an indescribable feeling that we were on the soil of the motherland. The landscape was primal and rough. It was about survival and natural selection for all the living creatures, even trees grew poisonous </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">thorns to protect themselves from being eaten by animals. </span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />At some point when you plan an Africa Safari trip, you will for sure read about "The Big Five". The big five animals are lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalos, and leopards. They were referred by the big game hunters to be five most dangerous and difficult animals to hunt, rather than their sizes. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jona, our ranger, seemed to have quite strong opinions on the term being used by the safari tour operators for the marketing purposes nowadays when he explained the big five to us. </span><span style="font-size: large;">However, for someone who rarely watches any national geographic/animal </span><span style="font-size: large;">kingdom shows and on the first safari trip, I wanted to see the big five and some more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spotted white rhinos and the rarely sighted black rhinos at various occasion during our stay. The way they moved their disproportional tiny ears reminded me of Shrek so much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had many close encounters with elephants, and they were so much fun to watch. One early morning, we came across to a herd of elephants. Our vehicle stopped in the middle of the road as they peacefully strolled passed us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJGi4vuppYA/UpLDgEX38rI/AAAAAAAAQFg/y3QZ291uxyE/s1600/DSC_0272_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJGi4vuppYA/UpLDgEX38rI/AAAAAAAAQFg/y3QZ291uxyE/s1600/DSC_0272_2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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Another morning, we watched a herd of lions taking naps in the same spot the whole day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Leopards are usually very hard to spot. We were very lucky to spend quite some time watching a young leopard playing with his food and jumping up and down the trees while his mother rested under the bush one morning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The animals are used to seeing 4x4 vehicles around. As long as we stayed seated in the vehicles, the animals would not bother us. Being so close to these animals and seeing them relaxed and playful gave you a false sense of security. You are tempted to stick your hand out to pet these adorable giant baby elephants, rhinos, lions, or leopards. Now I understand why some tourists were attacked on safaris because they got too close to the animals. Do not be fooled, any reckless move could aggravate the animals and put your life in danger. The trackers and rangers understand the wildlife and read the situations carefully. They know how to keep a safe distance and not aggravate these animals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One day after breakfast, Jona and Abraham took us on a bush walk. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We walked to the river bed and got a close look of some hippos. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jona told us that he thought buffalos were the most boring animals to watch, and we did not see any buffalos for the first few days. Later on, we spotted a few of them across the river from our dining deck. Were they boring to watch? I couldn't tell. They were too far away. However, the last day when were out on our last game drive, we were told by other guests that a few lions came by the river to attack a herd of buffalos. Two buffalos were killed while others got away. That was definitely National Geographic material. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eht0zF9JAcQ/UpvF8lnvknI/AAAAAAAAQN8/R7IOBJgI4lg/s1600/DSC_0514_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eht0zF9JAcQ/UpvF8lnvknI/AAAAAAAAQN8/R7IOBJgI4lg/s1600/DSC_0514_2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course there were many other animals that lived in the bush. We got a glimpse of a hyena, two funny looking warthogs, some zebras, a few giraffes who </span><span style="font-size: large;">gracefully chewed on leaves on top of the trees</span><span style="font-size: large;">, and herds of bushbucks, kudus, nyalas that I still have trouble to differentiate from one another sometimes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the last game drive before we returned home, we saw a baby elephant that was just born within hours, still covered in blood, and barely could walk. Here is the adorable footage of the baby elephant and his mother.</span><br />
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</span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-19255865034666573992013-12-01T21:13:00.001-05:002014-06-09T22:36:22.502-04:00Lion Sands Private Game Reserve 9.6<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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We woke up at 3:30 AM to catch our flight to Johannesburg at 5:45 AM. The host of the hotel packed some simple breakfasts for us in two brown bags. How thoughtful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">It was pitch dark when we left. The city took on a different vibe at that time of the day when there was no cars on the road.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">When we drove to return the rental car, the staff at the gate asked us if we have anything to eat because he was hungry. It was a bit odd. He obviously was not a homeless and we didn't know what to make of it. Anyway, we gave him the brown bags of breakfast, and he thanked us. As we drove away, in the rare mirror, we could see that he rushed to open the bag and started eating. I felt bad. Was he hungry because he didn't have money to buy food or because he could not leave the gate?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Before driving into the car rental company's parking lot, another guy approached us and told us that we could return the car to him right there. The guy did not wear the car rental company's uniform or badge. I told H that I did not feel comfortable to just leave the car with this guy. H politely explained to the guy, he did not seem to be offended and walked away. After pulling into the parking lot and returned our car to the representative, we asked him if the other guy was legit. The representative told us that the first guy worked for the car rental company and we could've indeed returned the car to the first guy we saw. Oh well, maybe I've lived in New York for too long.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">We booked the Safari portion of the trip through <a href="http://www.africadirect.co.za/" target="_blank">Africa Direct</a> because the owner, Tanya Kotze, was highly recommended on the Trip Advisor. However, I am not sure if it was necessary to go through a travel agent to arrange the Safari, especially if you have already decided which lodge you want to stay. Once you book the lodge, they can arrange the transportation for you. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The flight from Johannesburg to Sabi Sand was through a small charter flight operator, <a href="http://www.fedair.com/fly-to-sabi-sands#.UofgWaUftuY" target="_blank">Federal airline</a>. We had no clue how to get to the connection flight once we landed in Johannesburg at 7:35 AM. Thank god that a driver was already waiting for us outside of the baggage claim. He drove us to a small airport three minutes outside of the O R Tambo international airport to check in. The airport had a nice departure lounge with WiFi and food. However, we learned that our original flight time at 9:30 AM was changed since April and the new flight time was not until 10:35 AM. We were quite annoyed that neither Tanya from Africa Direct nor Lion Sands lodge informed us of this change. We could've slept in and taken a later flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg if we knew that the earlier flight was cancelled. Instead, we were stuck in this tiny airport lounge for 3 hours.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN2FlYDd19Esk7Z6Ufxv0t17SboxpUFV9F7MwlPoc33GJAQK98sX4Ns8RoFmobkbD_N5Vae84gpmBNx0lP-gfhITjcOPUbHmsaDmetQV8ie_7E0opwWGd1gcGapFDA2aDe2Cyt3g3/s1600/DSC_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN2FlYDd19Esk7Z6Ufxv0t17SboxpUFV9F7MwlPoc33GJAQK98sX4Ns8RoFmobkbD_N5Vae84gpmBNx0lP-gfhITjcOPUbHmsaDmetQV8ie_7E0opwWGd1gcGapFDA2aDe2Cyt3g3/s320/DSC_0474.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The airline company claimed that they sent out emails to inform the travel agents and lodges a long time ago but both Tanya and Lion Sands general manager told us that they did not receive any emails. We did not know who dropped the ball and it was quite disappointing how this was handled. Finally, we were sitting on the small plane by Noon. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">After an hour of a bumpy ride (I really dislike small airplanes), we landed at the airport and were immediately taken by an open 4x4 to our game reserve.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">The sun was strong, and we started peeling off layers of clothes. We drove on a dirt road looking over shades of yellow and gray landscapes. The ground was dry and covered in hays. Most trees and bushes were bare. The greenery was sparse. We were keenly aware that although this was still part of South Africa, our journey would be completely different from Cape Town.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g7VFztLs8ZQ/Uoj6fs2krBI/AAAAAAAAPzQ/1RFLhZ64h_0/s1600/DSC_0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g7VFztLs8ZQ/Uoj6fs2krBI/AAAAAAAAPzQ/1RFLhZ64h_0/s640/DSC_0484.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">After 45 minutes, we arrived at <a href="http://www.lionsands.com/default.asp" target="_blank">Lion Sands Game Reserve</a>. It was a beautiful lodge. Our hut was spacious and comfortable with a bushbuck chilling in front of the porch, and a bug greeting us on the nicely made bed. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">For those who have never taken any safari vacations, let me break it down for you. After checking into the lodge, we were assigned three lodge staff during our entire stay. A butler, who served us three meals a day; a ranger, who was the knowledgeable licensed guide for our game drives; and a tracker, usually someone experienced in the local wildlife who track down the animals when we went on game drives.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">There is a strict schedule to follow for the safari vacations to maximize our opportunities for wildlife viewing. The morning game drive starts before sunrise at 6AM. Breakfast begins at 9 AM. Lunch is served at 1 PM. The afternoon game drive starts at 3:30 PM. Dinner is at 7:00 PM. It almost feels like staying in a luxury summer camp for adults. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YjIfFWUrAOc/Uoj6x4hKfgI/AAAAAAAAP1A/fjXyr2l1ylA/s1600/94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YjIfFWUrAOc/Uoj6x4hKfgI/AAAAAAAAP1A/fjXyr2l1ylA/s320/94.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">We covered our exposed skin with bug spray/lotion, and came out of our hut for lunch. Our meals were usually served at the open deck overlooking the Sands River. Our butler, Jeffery, was attentive, calm-natured, and always with a warm smile. The lodge has really good chefs serving gourmet meals with local ingredients and wild game. The menu changes daily and we rarely had disappointing dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Perhaps most people already finished their lunch, there were only a few tables of guests. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">After lunch, we went back to our hut for a quick nap. At 3:30 PM, all the guests gathered around in one of the lounges, where snacks, cookies, and beverages were served while our rangers came to collect us. There were about 30 guests at the lodge, and I would guess the average age of the guests here were over 50. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Our ranger, Jonna, who is in his mid 20's came to collect us and two other couples, both Americans, also just arrived today to the vehicle. Abraham, our tracker who grew up in the Kruger area, was already waiting by the 4x4. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYQd5-jwrC4/Uoj61bUx0WI/AAAAAAAAP1Q/vGAIDmvrWdw/s1600/IMG_2566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYQd5-jwrC4/Uoj61bUx0WI/AAAAAAAAP1Q/vGAIDmvrWdw/s640/IMG_2566.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Although the temperature was still warm, the breeze while driving through the bush made it quite comfortable. Jonna gave us some background information, pointed out trees, birds, and other animals while we drove through the bush. It was a quiet drive. We spotted two giraffes, hippos in the river, some bushbucks, and lions from far far away. But it was our first drive, so we were an easy crowd to please. At 5 PM, we stopped on a field for some drinks and snacks. As we watched the sunset, the temperature dropped drastically. We loaded up the winter gear and covered in blankets for another hour of night drive before heading back to the lodge around 6 PM. When night falls, all guests must be escorted by security when walking in the lodge property for safety reasons. We visited the bar for some drinks, mingled with other rangers and guests before heading to the candle light lid patio for dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">My head hit the pillow shortly after dinner. It was a long day, and tomorrow's morning call would wake us up at 5:30 AM. The last thought before I fell asleep was, for the next four days, all we would be doing were animal viewings, eating & drinking, and sleeping. </span><br />
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<br />JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-55862479819693689322013-12-01T21:11:00.001-05:002014-01-07T20:05:20.431-05:00Cape Town 9.5<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">City Bowl</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cape Quarter shopping center</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chapman's Peak Drive</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pepenero Seafood Restaurant</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We had breakfast at Cape Cadogan's beautiful breakfast room. There was a breakfast bar and hot food made to order. We noticed that all the bread in South Africa had a soft and spongy texture. I wonder why? Personally, I love the texture, but H, who usually prefers firm and dense bread, was not a fan. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the early part of the day, we left the car at the hotel and just walked around the city. We did not have any specific itinerary, but rather to simply take in the city by foot. We walked along Kloof Street, Long Street, Church street, and visited many shops along the way. The cast iron balcony buildings on Kloof Street reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans. We passed a protest near a government building, but with all the music and dance, it looked more like a parade. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Greenmarket was a tourist trap like the guidebook said. The better shopping experience was at the <a href="http://www.capequarter.co.za/" target="_blank">Cape Quarter shopping center</a> with more local brands. We loaded up our souvenir gifts at the Cape Quarter. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was a sunny and warm spring day, perfect to be walking around the city. I love getting to know a city by foot and it was exactly what I was missing on this trip so far. We walked all the way to the V & A waterfront before taking a taxi back to the hotel. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our time in Cape Town was coming to the end. The only thing left on my itinerary was the drive from Seaport to Haut Bay. We left the hotel around 4 PM and headed to the coast. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za/" target="_blank">Chapman's Peak Drive</a> was absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy and gray so we didn't see the sunset. Nonetheless, the view was spectacular. We took many stops at various view points. I had never visited any other cities with such an unique topography like Cape Town. There are massive mountains, dramatic coastlines, and pristine sandy beaches all within a 10 minutes drive. I am envious. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Before dinner, we stopped by Sea Point Promende for a walk. There were many high-rise apartment buildings along the seashore. Many locals were out jogging or taking a stroll. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our last dinner in Cape Town was at <a href="http://www.pepenero.co.za/home" target="_blank">Pepenero</a> seafood restaurant, suggested by the host of our hotel. We had another seafood platter for two people, and the meal did not disappoint.</span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-38892752176781522462013-11-03T20:29:00.001-05:002014-06-09T22:34:40.048-04:00Winelands & Coast 9.4<br />
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Vergelegen Estate</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hermanus</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Coast Drive Route 44 </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Miller's Thumb Seafood Restaurant</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;">Akademe's owner, Katherine, greeted us in the courtyard when we came down for breakfast. Two black ladies dressed in white aprons were working in the separate kitchen preparing breakfast. The table was set in the elegant dinning room for the two of us. The breakfast included various fresh and pickled fruits, yogurt, bread, and made to order eggs, sausages, bacon, etc. The whole setting felt quite "Gone with the Wind" to me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Over the breakfast conversation with the owner, we learned that the Route 45 & Route 43 from Franshhoek to the coast </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">was closed due to the heavy rainfall. It was supposed to be a beautiful drive taking us through the mountain and lake. Instead, we had to drive back to Stellenbosch before getting to the coast. What a bummer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After checking out of the hotel around 10:30 AM, we headed to our last winery visit, </span><a href="http://www.vergelegen.co.za/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Vergelegen Estate</a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. This was the only estate that we visited that charged an entrance fee (R10). However, it was well worth it. There were 17 themed gardens in the property and six magnificent Camphor trees over 300 years old standing in front of the old manor house. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For every charming chic town that we drove through these past two days, there were always townships nearby along the highways. It was not an uncommon sight to see the black Africans from the townships hitchhiking or running across the highways. The sharp contrast of the racial/economic divide is still quite apparent everywhere we go. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UMd6xsECzo/Uj3bJrHd8wI/AAAAAAAAPm0/ykgi-GwQjvM/s1600/DSC_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UMd6xsECzo/Uj3bJrHd8wI/AAAAAAAAPm0/ykgi-GwQjvM/s320/DSC_0376.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">During breakfast, I asked Katherine if it was worth going to Hermanus if we did not plan to spend too much time doing any whale watching activities. She hesitated, but told us to go anyway. Turned out, her initial hesitation was probably a better indication. There was not much going on in Hermanus except some whale watching tour operations catered to big tour groups. The immediate surroundings did not feel safe to me so we stopped for 5 minutes and quickly drove away. It was absolutely a waste of time visiting Hermanus. H told me that I was being way too paranoid on this trip. Maybe I was, but I'd rather be paranoid than sorry. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The drive along the coast back to Cape Town was absolutely incredible. On one side of the road were the majestic mountain, and on the other side of the road was the ocean. It was one of the most dramatic and scenic routes we had ever drove. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.capecadogan.co.za/" target="_blank">Cape Cadogan Boutique hotel</a> was where we would stay for the next two nights before the Safari trip. It was an elegant old victorian-Geogrian building sitting on a hilly quiet street located in the Gardens overseeing the Table Mountain. The hotel was tastefully decorated and the staff were all very friendly. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The surrounding area of the hotel was safe to walk around at night. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We decided to walk over to</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> a nearby seafood restaurant for dinner. The hilly streets of the Gardens reminded me of San Francisco, but the view of the mountain was uniquely Cape Town.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Growing up in Taipei city, a basin surrounded by the mountains, this trip made me realized how much I missed having the mountains within reach. It also brought back the fond memories of late night drives to the mountains overlooking the city dazzled in lights. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.millersthumb.co.za/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Miller's Thumb</a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> is a casual seafood restaurant with a simple and straight forward menu. Kingklip and Pinotage had became my go-to choice of seafood and wine on this trip. All were good and fresh. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">fter dinner, we took a walk along the bustling Kloof street. We were driving most of the time on this trip, and it was nice to be finally on our feet walking around the city for a change. </span></div>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-3580156956668459232013-11-03T20:18:00.000-05:002014-01-07T20:05:20.419-05:00Winelands 9.3<br />
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Delcare Graffiti Restaurant</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Blaauwklippen Estate</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dormier Estate</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Warwick Estate</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Akademie Street Boutique Hotel & Guest house</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After checking out of the Westine Hotel, we were on our way to the wine route. I love visiting wine regions. The scenery is always picturesque, the wineries are beautiful, and wine tasting along the way just enhances the whole experience. What makes South Africa Wine Region special is the majestic mountain backdrop within close proximity to Cape Town. A short 25 minutes drive from Cape Town, we are in the heart of the wine land. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our lunch reservation was at <a href="http://www.delaire.co.za/index.php/dining/delaire-graff-restaurant.html" target="_blank">Delaire Graffiti</a> Estate. Delaire Graffit is a modern, luxurious property with vineyard, lodge, spa, and stunning views of the mountains. It would be the perfect place for a weekend of R & R if I had a few extra thousand dollars to burn. The good thing is you can also come here for the world class gourmet meal and the magnificent views that costs a lot less. Our lunch was delicious and the service was excellent. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After lunch, we stopped by <a href="http://www.blaauwklippen.com/" target="_blank">Blaauwklippen Vineyards</a> (a 300 year old rustic estate with a farm in the property), <a href="http://www.dornier.co.za/" target="_blank">Dornier Wine Estate</a>, <a href="http://www.warwickwine.com/index.asp" target="_blank">Warwick Wine Estate</a>, and <a href="http://www.boschendal.com/content/manor-house" target="_blank">Boschendal Manor house & Winery</a> (another old estate with dutch style architecture). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Since H was driving, we didn't do much wine tasting except Warwick Wine Estate, mainly because we wanted to try their red wines. The South African wine tasting is an entirely different experience compare to the US wine tasting; in a good way. It is a much more relaxing, enjoyable, and dignified experience. We sat at the outdoor table looking out to the valley and mountain, and tried a set wine tasting menu with a friction of the cost compared to the US wineries. The tasting staff was knowledgable, attentive, and friendly. I didn't remember if I had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinotage" target="_blank">Pinotage</a> before, but I had enjoyed the Pinotage I tasted on this trip. We sat by the outdoor patio taking in the beautiful scenery, drank good wines, heard interesting stories, and never felt rushed. This is how wine tastings should be at all times. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We arrived at <a href="http://www.aka.co.za/" target="_blank">Akademie Street Boutique Hotel & Guest House</a> just short of 5 PM. Akademie is a well maintained property sitting on a quiet street in Franschhoek. Our second floor suite, Uitsig, was specious and airy, with a pantry packed with free snack & drinks, a bathroom with heated floor & towel rack, and a balcony looking out to the encircling mountains. The courtyard with beautiful lemon trees, rose bushes, and other plants was idyllic that reminded me of the enchanting secret gardens in the children's books that I read when I was young. Unfortunately the weather was still too cold for us to use the swimming pool, but I could totally picture myself lounging around in this courtyard on a warm lazy summer afternoon. The host in Akademie had sent us plenty of information by email after we booked the room. They even offered us a cellphone during our stay if we ever needed to call for assistance. I thought that was a really nice touch. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The hotel was so charming that we did not want to leave the room. H took a nap while I took a bath. At 7:30 PM, we finally walked out of the hotel. It was a quiet night and there was wood burning scent mixed in the fresh cool air everywhere. Although we were told that it was safe to walk around town, there was barely anyone on the street and I did not feel completely comfortable walking on the street at times. After the decadent lunch we had earlier today, we were in the mood for something more low key. </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kalfis-Restaurant-Franschhoek/111513942225402?id=111513942225402&sk=info" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Kalfi's Restaurant</a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> with it's rustic ambiance and home cooking South African dishes was exactly what we were looking for. We sat by the fireplace, ordered a bottle of Pinotage and more food than we could finish. The Cape Malay Bobotie (a South African Dish consisting of spiced Minced Meat baed with an egg-based topping) was hearty and full of flavor. The Warthog Schnitzel tasted just like the regular pork schnitzel.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/11/south-africa-winelands-coast-94.html" target="_blank">Winelands & Coast 9.4</a></b></span></div>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-89118516069504271962013-10-07T22:01:00.003-04:002014-06-09T22:33:33.411-04:00Cape Town 9.2<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Table Mountain</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We woke up on a sunny day with no cloud in the sky, the perfect weather to visit Table Mountain. We wore the warmest clothes we brought for this trip, packed our gloves, hats, and windbreakers before leaving the hotel. After a short 15 minutes drive, w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">e parked our car on the side of the Talfelberg road, and walked for another 5 minutes to the Lower Cable Station. There were tour buses, and lines of people waiting to get tickets when we arrived around 9:30 AM. </span></span><br />
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Before the trip, I was contemplating hiking up the table mountain. However, I discovered that I had this borderline irrational fear of cliffs after our Iceland trip. Last year, I turned back midway hiking in Scottsdale, Arizona because the fear was getting the best of me. After reading my Lonely Planet guidebook that "More people have died on Table Mountain than on Mt. Everest", I went on the <a href="http://tablemountain.net/" target="_blank">Table Mountain Aerial Cableway</a> website and purchased the round trip cableway tickets beforehand. Being paralyzed by fear and stuck in midway hiking up the Table Mountain was not my idea of fun, but for those who are interested in hiking up Table Mountains, please do not let me discourage you. There are many <a href="http://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/tourism/safe_hiking.php" target="_blank">hiking routes </a>that you can choose from. Make sure to read the safety guidelines first. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Table Mountain is one of the <a href="http://world.new7wonders.com/new7wonders-of-nature/the-new7wonders-of-nature/" target="_blank">new 7 wonders of nature</a>. It is so impressive no matter from which angle you look at it. It was very windy and much colder on top of the Table Mountain. We were lucky with the weather that there were barely any clouds in the sky, and the view of the mountain descending into to the city and eventually submerging into the ocean was breathtakingly beautiful. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With all the amazing geographic surroundings, Cape Town is truly one of the most beautiful city in the world in terms of its landscape. </span></span><br />
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</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QcTLZGrLcjg/Uj3ZVYVUT-I/AAAAAAAAPbU/o_BZSp97Cjw/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QcTLZGrLcjg/Uj3ZVYVUT-I/AAAAAAAAPbU/o_BZSp97Cjw/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">After 2 hours on top of the Table Mountain, we took the cable car down and were on our way to the Southern Peninsula. We took the Boyes Drive and stopped in Kalk Bay for lunch. <a href="http://www.harbourhouse.co.za/livebait" target="_blank">Live Bait</a> is a charming seafood restaurant sitting by the harbor looking out into the ocean. We ordered a seafood platter for two that came with shrimps, calamari, mussels, crayfish (looks like a mini lobster), kingklip (a very common white fish in South Africa). Everything was so fresh and tasty and the whole meal costed us less than US$40 including tips. We also stopped by a few antique shops on the Main Road in Kalk Bay before heading out. </span></span><br />
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Next stop Boulders is famous for the South African Penguins. To be honest, it felt like a tourist trap to me. We paid 45 Rand per person to walk through a boardwalk by the white sand beach, took pictures of penguins, and left within 3o minutes. But we also easily spotted the penguins for free. </span><br />
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From Boulders beach to Cape of Good Hope is another 35 minutes drive. On the way there, we spotted a group of baboons on the roadside.</span><br />
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Once inside the Cape of Good Hope, it was another 10 minutes drive to get to Cape Point. I had the same feeling driving to Cape Point as when we drove to the <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2011/10/iceland-93-hella-to-stykkisholmur.html" target="_blank">sharkfarm in west Iceland</a>. There was an outworldly energy in both places that made me feel like that I was at the end of the world. It was quite amazing to be at the point where the Atlantic ocean and Indian ocean meet. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cape Point closed by sunset. We headed back to the city, had a simple dinner at the V & A Waterfront food court, and spent the rest of the night at the hotel swimming pool & sauna again. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/11/south-africa-winelands-93.html" target="_blank">Wine Route 9.3</a></b></span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-21783419621149234152013-09-29T21:25:00.002-04:002014-01-07T20:05:20.413-05:00Cape Town 9.1<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Langa Township</span></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We were in deep sleep, lost in a sea of soft blankets and pillows, until we heard a gentle knock on the door. "No, thank you." H said in his sleepy voice. "Is it the wake-up call?" I asked with my eyes closed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We booked the <a href="http://www.townshiptourscapetown.co.za/" target="_blank">Siviwe Langa Township tour</a> for this morning at 9 AM. I specifically booked the sunday tour because I wanted to see the church service. Last night, we requested a wake-up call for 7:30 AM, and I asked H to set up the alarm on his phone before we went to bed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"No, it was the housekeeper." H told me. "You sure it's not the wake-up call?" I had a bad feeling. "What time is it?" I opened my eyes. The curtain was thick, and the room was dark. H got out of the bed and went to the door to see if anyone was standing outside. The housekeeper left us alone. "What time is it?" I asked again, searching for my eyeglasses. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"9:35 AM!" H said. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Sh*t! F*CK!! F****CK!!! We missed our tour!" I jumped out of the bed, my heart sunk. "Are you sure it's 9:35? I didn't hear the morning call or the alarm!" I said, now fully in panic mood. "Great! that's the one thing I really wanted to see in Cape Town." My head was spinning, thinking of a back-up plan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Turned out, the hotel did not make the wake-up call, and H failed to set up the alarm on his phone correctly. I was annoyed and disappointed. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I asked H to call Siviwe to apologize for missing our tour and discuss the alternatives. I figured, the best case scenario we would either join the tour an hour and half late or take the 12 o'clock tour and missed the church service. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Siviwe was beyond nice and more than accommodating. We told him that the earliest we could get to the meeting point was 10:30AM. He told us that it was not a problem and another tour guid, Nathi, would be at the meeting point waiting for us. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was so happy that our morning was saved. We quickly got ready and rushed to our meeting point at 10:30. Nathi was already at the meeting point waiting for us. He got into our car and took us to the Langa Township visitor center. We parked our car on the street, and spent the next 4 hours with Nathi in Langa Township.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Langa was the oldest Township in Cape Town, built in 1927, after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_laws" target="_blank">1923 Urban Area Acts</a> were introduced in South Africa. It was designated for the black Africans with majority residents from the Xhosa tribe. For people who are not familiar with the term "Townships" in South Africa, they are residential developments established for non-white race groups (blacks, coloured, and Indidans) living near or working in white-only communities until the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_Era" target="_blank">Apartheid</a> (racial segregation system) ended in 1994. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nathi first took us to a Church before service. The choir was singing gospel music on stage, families and friends greeted one another, everyone was smiling and singing along. A young father was carrying his adorable wide-eyes toddler daughter in his arms the whole time as his daughter sucked her thumb looking out to the crowd curiously. The energy of the room was full of love and joy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our tour guide, Nathi, is in his mid-twenties who grew up and still lives in Langa. H teased him if he was the mayor of the township since he seemed to know everyone passing by. Nathi told us that community was a very important part of township culture. He was genuinely passionate about his community, and happy to share his knowledge with us. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We passed by schools and shops, visited some people's houses, spoke to locals, and saw the different socio-economic areas. The children were so open and friendly. Random kids just ran towards us with the brightest eyes and biggest smiles to give us hugs! (What?? Did their parents tell them not to approach the strangers??) </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTXxccG85kQ/Ujj9LBP0edI/AAAAAAAAPUA/vJHU_AxQL6A/s1600/IMG_2339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vTXxccG85kQ/Ujj9LBP0edI/AAAAAAAAPUA/vJHU_AxQL6A/s200/IMG_2339.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We saw a few long lines of people in front of stores, and Nathi explained to us that this is the first of the month. People had gotten paid and were lining up to buy electricity. Nathi further explained that people would buy electricity in units. They then receive codes to input into their electricity boxes in their houses. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nati told us that many people choose to stay in the Township for the community and culture even when they can afford to move out. During the tour, we saw quite a few Mercedes driving by. On one end of the spectrum, there were upscale neigherbhood where houses were as nice as any middle-class single houses you can find in the U.S. On the other end, we also visited hostels where 3 families cramped into a small dorm room with twin bunk beds, shared bathroom, kitchen, and zero privacy. The alternatives would be shacks built with corrugated iron, where the summer is brutally hot, winter chilling cold, and water dripping through the roof when it rains. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At one point during our walk, a young boy ran towards us and aimed his fake gun at us shooting. Nathi quickly lectured the young boy and spanked the young boy's behind. I thought to myself, "Wow, there is no way this could happen in the U.S. to discipline other people's children." Nathi told us that in the Township, everyone has the responsibility to teach children if they misbehave. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hmfHg7uiIo4/Ujj9UBWdE3I/AAAAAAAAPU0/k7e9h23qMXg/s1600/IMG_2352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hmfHg7uiIo4/Ujj9UBWdE3I/AAAAAAAAPU0/k7e9h23qMXg/s320/IMG_2352.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We told Nathi to that we would like to have lunch at one of the local places. Nathi took us to a hole in the wall that was owned by a woman, as many un-registered small businesses were in Langa. We had stew chicken with beans, beets, mashed potatoes, and pickled vegetables. The place is not for the faint of hearts. We shared the only table with another customer in this tiny eatery and were handed utensils soaked in water from a plastic container. In the middle of the meal, Nathi handed the lady his soiled cloth napkins, The lady quickly washed it in the sink, twisted it dry, and handed back to Nathi. The meat was quite tough. I would not go as far as describing it being delicious, but it was an authentic home cooked meal. The dish cost us $2, and we did not get sick. What more could we ask for?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We continued our tour and Nathi shared more stories about the townships and villages after lunch. At one point, we asked Nathi how long these tours last. Nathi shredded his shoulder and said nonchalantly that it normally ends in 2 hours, which was already running one hour overtime. Nathi was not in any rush, and told us that we were on "South African Time". Before we concluded the tour, Nathi took us to the "<a href="http://happyfeetyouthproject.org/programs/" target="_blank">Happy Feet Youth Project</a>" he was personally involved in. He gathered some children to dance for us. Other children congregated and sat next to us to watch the performance. To be honest, I was not entirely comfortable, fearing that we were exploiting the children although I am sure this was never Nathi's intension at all. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We quickly stopped by the visitor's center before picking up our car. One of the vendor selling local arts & souvenirs gave us the hard sell, telling us the beaded animals he was selling were hand made by the orphans. I did not think so, these beaded animals were sold everywhere in South Africa. Although we did not buy anything from this man, H was gilt tripped into "donating" 50 Rand to this man for the needed orphans. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We finally said good-bye to Nathi a little after 2:30 PM. Nathi did not charge us any extra even though this turned out to be a 4 hour private tour. Thank God for the South African Time! I wok up in the morning thinking the day was ruinned, and the time we spent with Nathi in Langa turned out to be one of my favorite moments in Cape Town. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The way I plan trips has slowly changed over the past few years. I no longer have the patience nor time to do in depth research on hotels, restaurants, and sights. I also know that there are things I am simply not interested in, no matter how famous they are, such as fortresses or prisons; and I am willing to pass up these sights even if they are the "must-sees". As the result of my more "laid-back" approach, our itinerary left plenty of room for flexibility and at times, errors.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only thing I planned for today was the Langa Township. After the tour, we had to figure out what to do next. It definitely gave us a lot more freedom by renting a car in Cape Town and we decided to check out Bo-Kaap, which was about 15 minutes away by car.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bokaap-capetown.co.za/" target="_blank">Bo-Kaap</a>, formerly known as Cape Malay Quarter, used to be home of slave descendants from south east Asia and other African countries. The whole neighborhood felt a little deserted. I did not feel comfortable to explore the area by foot even though we did see a few tourists walking around. In the end, we did a quick drive through and stopped for some pictures. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4S4LF637G8/Ujj9sHz-xHI/AAAAAAAAPWg/sCjy6xxwwsY/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4S4LF637G8/Ujj9sHz-xHI/AAAAAAAAPWg/sCjy6xxwwsY/s200/IMG_1294.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next stop was <a href="http://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch" target="_blank">Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden</a>. We arrived at the botanic garden a little after 4 PM. The garden was supposed to open until 7 PM from September on, but the staff at the ticket booth told us that it remains the winter schedule and would close at 6PM. Well, as Nathi said, we were on "South African Time". </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am not an expert on botanic gardens. The times that I visited one could be counted with both hands, but Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden is absolutely amazing. The garden is on the base of the Table Mountain with a stunning setting and housed only the indigenous flora of South Africa. It is part of the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1007" target="_blank">Cape Floral Region</a>, UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of the plants are not found anywhere else in the world. Even though I am far from having a green thumb, I wish I could have brought some of those exotic flower seeds back home! H and I loved our time in the garden and two hours were just barely enough. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mv7kI5gmrOg/UkEDR1hNkgI/AAAAAAAAPt0/wMwjmH6k9bU/s1600/IMG_2390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mv7kI5gmrOg/UkEDR1hNkgI/AAAAAAAAPt0/wMwjmH6k9bU/s320/IMG_2390.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We went back to the hotel after the botanic garden closed. As soon as we walked into our room, there was a bottle of wine, desserts, and a letter from the manager on the table. The manager apologized for missing our wake-up call this morning. This was a nice gesture and considering how the day turned out, all was forgotten! </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was our sixth wedding anniversary on September 1. Before the trip, I tried to make a dinner reservation at the famous <a href="http://www.thetestkitchen.co.za/" target="_blank">The Test Kitchen</a>. Unfortunately, like many restaurants in Cape Town, the Test Kitchen was closed on Sunday and Monday. We took the concierge's suggestion, and took a taxi to the nearby <a href="http://www.goldrestaurant.co.za/index.htm" target="_blank">Gold Restaurant</a>. Okay, for all the food snobs readers, you can stop reading right here. Gold restaurant is touristy. In fact, I doubt any of the customers were locals. The restaurant serves a set menu serving Cape Malay cuisine with nightly live African dance/drum performances. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We went to the restaurant knowing that it was for tourists, and we didn't mind that it was touristy. The food was delicious, the service was great, the performances were entertaining, and what can I say, we WERE tourists after all. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">NEXT: <b><a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/10/south-africa-cape-town-92.html" target="_blank">Cape Town 9.2</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-3440035701595121822013-09-28T10:14:00.003-04:002014-06-23T22:31:57.335-04:00Cape Town 8.30 - 8.31<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">South Africa<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When H and I were planning our wedding in 2007, I wanted a Safari honeymoon. H was not ready for Africa, so we ended up going to the French Polynesian Islands instead. It was the perfect honeymoon and I would not change it for anything, but I never took the safari off my travel list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Six years later, the time has finally come. We are on board for not only our first safari, but also the first trip to the African continent. As much as I would like to see myself as adventurous, I must say that Africa seemed intimidating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Since we know very little about Africa, any safari destination would work for us. I was greedy at first, and wanted to visit Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia all at once. However, after the shocking realization of how expensive the itinerary would be, we quickly settled for South Africa only. The country is stable, relatively safe, the capital city of Cape Town would serve as the gentle introduction to our first African experience. Kruger region is ideal for a safari at this time of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We booked our trip at the beginning of this year, and counted months and days for my romanticized African expedition to finally come.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVtLvcHaJIC9brKNdo1kZ-n1fwtekitPpQZ_L76Gk9TYCdfk4qKQxI5dyJJefH-wHRYD1YTpmRIaDE-o-fwfmnJeQwdEfzRIcMulDyxJDmgstFyMAnmEyOChue077j7kgCg72Um9R/s1600/IMG_2241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVtLvcHaJIC9brKNdo1kZ-n1fwtekitPpQZ_L76Gk9TYCdfk4qKQxI5dyJJefH-wHRYD1YTpmRIaDE-o-fwfmnJeQwdEfzRIcMulDyxJDmgstFyMAnmEyOChue077j7kgCg72Um9R/s320/IMG_2241.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">South African Airway(SAA) provides daily direct flights between New York (JFK) and Johannesburg (JNB). The flight is 15 hours long. There are several flights a day between Johannesburg and Cape Town (CPT), which is another 2 hours long. It was our first time traveling via SAA, the food was good, there was plenty of water provided and many movies to choose from. It is worth mentioning that quite a few movies had Chinese captions. Who knew! I assume SAA must have a lot of Chinese customers. We are used to the long haul flights from our trips back to Asia. The flight seemed shorter this time somehow. Upon landing in Johannesburg, our pilot announced that this was his last flight before retirement. As a tradition, our plane was sprayed down by two airport fire trucks in honor of the pilot's successful career (As the pilot said, equal numbers of take-offs & landings). The cabin erupted into loud claps and cheers. It was a really neat experience. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Johannesburg is a huge airport and we only had less than 90 minutes to go through the customs, claim the luggage, and check-in for our domestic flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While we were running across the airport trying to board, two guys looked like they were the airport staff guided us to the customs. The first guy guided us to the customs designated for airline crew. The second guy then showed us the right customs that was 500 feet away. He showed H a 100 euro bill and told him to pay tips. Really? 100 euro for 2 minutes' walk? We didn't think so. H handed him 2 dollars and he walked away. However, this seemed to be quite common in JNB. A lovely couple we met during this trip shared a similar story and paid us$20. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By the time we got our rental car at Cape town International airport, it was around 2PM on Saturday 8/31. H was anxious about driving on the right side of the road for the first time so we rented a GPS to help us navigate. H quickly adopted to driving on the left side. Not having too much traffic on the road most of the time definitely helped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We arrived in Cape Town at the end of the winter. The air was cool and crisp. The temperature during our stay was between 56 – 68 F (15-20C) during the day and cooled down to around 45F (9C) at night. Table Mountain was the dramatic backdrop on the N2 Highway when driving into the city. As we drove through one of the townships by the highway, there were people running across the highway to the other side of the township! This was definitely something we have not seen before in other countries that we visited!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The drive to our hotel took about 20 minutes. For the first three nights, we stayed at the <a href="http://www.westincapetown.com/">Westin Hotel</a> by the convention center near the V & A Waterfront. It’s becoming our preference these days as we are expanding our travel map to countries that may seem intimidating at first. We would book the international chain hotels first to gain our footing and get comfortable with the surroundings. I was hoping to check out </span><a href="http://www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">neighbourgoods market</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> since it only opened on Saturday. but it was too late by the time we checked into the hotel</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. After a quick shower, we took our car out and drove to the nearby V & A Waterfront.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.waterfront.co.za/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank">V & A Waterfront</a> is like South Street Seaport in New York or Quincy Market in Boston, It’s touristy and commercial. It is the most visited attraction in Cape Town. We first headed into the shopping mall searching for food. <a href="http://www.willoughbyandco.co.za/">Willoughby & Co</a> has pretty good reviews. It is a seafood restaurant and the sushi is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, we were rather disappointed. The sushi was mediocre at best. <span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We spent the afternoon taking a stroll on the waterfront, passing through the upscale shops, and browsing isles of groceries in the supermarket. <span style="background-color: white;"> There were people from all walks of life and all races. The shopping mall had quite a few interesting home good stores with names I never heard of in New York. I kept searching for clues that I was in South Africa and the only thing that gave it away was the accent when people talked. We were back at the hotel by 7 PM, and spent a couple of hours at the hotel's swimming pool, jacuzzi, and sauna on the top floor taking in the view of the city. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> A</span>fter a 17 hours flight and more than 35 hours from when we last slept in a bed, it was time to call it a night. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/09/south-africa-cape-town-91-langa-township.html" target="_blank">Cape Town 9.1 - Langa Township</a></b></span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-68806993938308657402013-03-13T08:42:00.001-04:002014-01-07T20:08:34.470-05:00Jamaica 2.23 - 2.27<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nisLZqaoP7k/UTJT3LgbUKI/AAAAAAAAO3E/yuj2qwBmZ2M/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nisLZqaoP7k/UTJT3LgbUKI/AAAAAAAAO3E/yuj2qwBmZ2M/s640/IMG_2103.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">I was in need of a vacation this winter. H didn't know
it, but I knew he needed one too.</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">We stayed put in the cold, windy, and dark <st1:city w:st="on">New York city</st1:city> over the holiday season. Work
had been aggravating, out of town friends came to visit every month,
and weekends were packed with social gatherings....</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">So, I dreamed of warm weather, sunshine, white sand beach, blue sky
and swimming pools, where I can laze around for days. (We will NOT be
traveling, but just be two beach bums working on our tans. I will NOT be reading a guidebook, but a beach novel instead.)</span></span><br />
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">I could hear the <st1:place w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place>
ocean's wave, and it was calling my name.</span></span><br />
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBzXo1iWmKg/UTJT2Am_ohI/AAAAAAAAO28/xCOpoarHjPk/s1600/IMAG2097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBzXo1iWmKg/UTJT2Am_ohI/AAAAAAAAO28/xCOpoarHjPk/s640/IMAG2097.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">My timing was off though. H was booking my birthday trip for the summer
in January. The costs were higher than what he expected. (Then again, most
things were more expensive than what H expected. I think he is stuck in year
2000' s cost of living standard, where beer costs $3 per pint and flights
rarely costs over $1000.) My suggestion of a <st1:place w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place>
gateway sent him over the edge.</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">I wasn't entirely surprised by his reaction. While trying to give up the
vacation idea, I couldn't help but continue checking a few websites for package
deals.</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Finally on a Thursday night while I was daydreaming about my <st1:place w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place>
vacation and surfing the net for deals, magic happened. H relented and said, "Let's do it." 15 minutes later, we booked our <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region> trip
leaving in 9 days.</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Truth to be told, it could have been any island in
the Caribbean. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region> came out on top because the
direct flight was less than 4 hours, it was a bargain destination, and we have
never been there before.</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Some researches show that the travel plans lift up your mood for as long as 8
weeks before the trip, and the relaxed mood only last less than 2 weeks after a
trip. As soon as we booked the trip, I already felt less stressed and
happier at work. I only wish we could have booked the trip earlier to get my
moneys worth of the maximum mood boost effect!</span></span><br />
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Without any guidebook or itinerary, we took a cab
to the airport at 4 AM on Saturday morning. We were so unprepared that H thought we were going to
LaGuardia. Good thing we checked our itinerary, realized the mistake at the last minute, and asked the driver to take us to the JFK.
By 9:45 Am, we touched down in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">It also marked a milestone for me, </span><st1:country-region style="color: #0b5394;" w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"> was the 30th country
that I visited!</span></span><br />
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kzoqGetNSvQ/UTJTueXpgeI/AAAAAAAAO10/KNrmCZL88FQ/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kzoqGetNSvQ/UTJTueXpgeI/AAAAAAAAO10/KNrmCZL88FQ/s400/IMG_2167.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">At 11 AM on Saturday morning, we have already checked into the </span><a href="http://www.iberostar.com/en/hotels/montego-bay/iberostar-rose-hall-beach">Iberostar
Resort</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"> in </span><st1:place style="color: #0b5394;" w:st="on">Montego Bay</st1:place><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">, changed into
our swimming suits, smeared the sunblocks all over our bodies, and layed on
the beach chairs facing the ocean. Margaritas were by our sides, and the spa appointment was made to kick off the vacation properly.</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">There was no time difference, Jamaicans speak English although the accent could be hard to understand at first. We never exchanged any Jamaican currency and TV had plenty of US channels that I even watched the Oscars on Sunday night. For a quick getaway and some R & R, Jamaica was so easy! </span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">This blog would not do <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region>
justice. The purpose of this trip has very little to do with traveling. We spent most of our time in the resort except an excursion for kayaking and
snorkeling in mangrove, and another quick trip to the rose hall shopping mall.
We did try to make an attempt to venture out if it was not for the
ridiculous expensive taxi fares: round trip to <st1:place w:st="on">Montego Bay</st1:place>
downtown is $70 and short ride to a local restaurant will set us back
$40.</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">An all-inclusive resort is like an fancier version of a dormitory or a retirement
home with a better location. Food and drinks are readily and excessively
available anytime. (The resort we stayed in had 4 restaurants, 5 bars plus room services.)
There are different programs & entertainment through out the day to
keep you occupied if group activities is your thing, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">I was glad that we came at the short window of time when most families have
already left and the spring break is still a couple weeks away.</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">The first day after we arrived, I was in a vacation coma. I
napped on the beach, dozed off through my massage session, and fell asleep
again by the pool. The only time I was awake was when I put food in my mouth. I
was in bed before 10 PM. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">What was it about the warm weather, ocean breeze, salty air, and sound of the waves that immediately relaxed your body? This trip was exactly what the doctor ordered!</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CU_aYef725c/UTJUGKnVwpI/AAAAAAAAO5E/JN4b98QdnSg/s1600/IMG_2191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CU_aYef725c/UTJUGKnVwpI/AAAAAAAAO5E/JN4b98QdnSg/s200/IMG_2191.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">The next 4 days were pretty much interchangeable. We woke up without an alarm, usually before 9AM. The weather was forever sunny and
pleasant in the 80's without any humidity. We strolled over to the buffet restaurant for
breakfast. The food selection was great. We started out with a
glass of mixed juice with green vegetable and fruits, and another plate full of
various fruits. I got my hands on mango, star apples, and soursop whenever I could. Jamaican mangos were like something I never tasted before with an intense sweetness and a hint of lychee flavor. We indulged
ourselves in eggs, yogurt, vegetables, bread and pastries, oatmeal, and the aromatic blue mountain coffee.</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">After breakfast, we would be laying by the beach, napping, taking a walk by the
beach, or taking a quick dip in the ocean.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">By 1PM, the buffet restaurant opened up for lunch with selections of both typical
western dishes, such as pasta and roasted meat, and Jamaican flavors, such as curry goat and jerk chicken . H and I had our eyes on all kinds of grilled fish fillet, groupers, pangasius, snappers, and etc. They were so fresh and tasty. </span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Later in the afternoon, we would move to the poolside, nap some more, and attempted to read some magazines or books on my iPad. When I got bored of laying
around, I would stay in the pool swimming until my fingers wrinkled. H would ordered piña coladas or rum infused cocktails. The pool
started to clear out around 5 PM. Around that time, we would smell a trace of ganja (marijuana) in the hotel hallways or by the beach. Although marijuana was illegal in Jamaica, it seemed wildly available. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">We usually headed back to our room after 6 pm, showered and changed for dinner. By the
time we were ready for dinner, the full moon
would appear in the clear sky. It was so bright that it casts shadows on
the ground.</span></span></div>
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Other than the usual buffet restaurant, there were 3 additional restaurants in
the resort that required advanced reservations. We tried the Cajun and Japanese restaurants during our stay. Although I thought the buffet restaurant served the best food, it was fun to change the dinning scenes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">After dinner, we would either " bar hop" in the resort or stay in our room and
watched TV, and started all over again the next day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">Besides eating, drinking, laying around, and sleeping, we did manage to do something else. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">On one morning, we booked a mangrove kayak and snorkeling excursion through <a href="http://dresseldivers.com/en/home" target="_blank">Dressel Diver</a> in the resort. It turned out to be our private tour since H and I were the only ones that signed up. There were 3 people taking us to the excursion. Ding-dong (no joke,
that was his nick name) was the caption. Jack (just Jack) was in his 20's who dreamed about finding a bag of
money in the ocean so he could buy a fancy Mercedes. Twenty-one (21) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">was the photographer and the guide. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">(Jack told
us that twenty-one got his nickname from getting 21 gun wounds, which I doubt
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<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">We kayaked through the mangroves trees, saw many birds and some jelly fish, and snorkeled </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">around coral reefs and saw some colorful
fish and a sting ray. After honeymooning in Bora Bora, snorkeling in other parts of the world could hardly compare. But it was still fun to get out of the resort and enjoy the ocean. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">On anther day, we took the free shuttle to Rose Hall shopping mall within 10 minutes drive away from our resort and got some coffee beans and souveniers. The shopping mall was quite small so we only stayed for an hour. And </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">we finally took the catamaran out for sailing the last morning. It had been a perfect vacation that was so nurturing and satisfying. It also made me happy to know how much H enjoyed it too. Although against</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> the idea at first, H now is singing a different tune. He tells me with enthusiasm that we should do this every winter, but I know better. Comes next winter, he will be complaining that we are spending too much money on traveling, and I will have to coax him into vacationing in the Caribbean</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.... </span></div>
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</span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-90939197761283464002013-01-28T19:54:00.003-05:002013-03-12T20:55:34.690-04:00Japan - After thoughts & Tips<span 12pt="" font-size:="" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;"><b>After thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;">On the last night in Osaka, H & I stayed in the hotel packing up our luggage, drinking beers, eating snacks, and watching Japanese game shows on TV. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;"> I was not ready to put our trip to an end. I would have loved to spend another day to wonder around window shopping, people watching, resting in a cafe, having dinner in a restaurant, and just taking everything in. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;"> I can now understand why my Taiwanese friends visiting Japan over and over again. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;">I did not expect to feel this way since this was my 3rd trip. Perhaps it was more enjoyable because I saw Japan through H's eyes as a westerner coming to Japan for the first time: polite and reserved people, clean and orderly society, meticulous attention to details, a relentless pursuit of aesthetics, the refined, understated elegance in almost everything you see, and the contrasting and rebellious energy you found in pockets of the city. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;">H enthusiastically said to me that he would like to come back again. I smiled and nodded in agreement. Yes, I'd like to come back again. Hokkaido 北海道 is another region in Japan I would like to visit. It probably will not be for awhile though. I mean, there is still the Safari trip that I have been wanting to go for years, Machu Picchu has been calling my name too, and the list goes on and on........</span><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
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<li><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Lodging:</b> When travel to this part of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:city w:st="on">Osaka</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on">Kyoto</st1:city> are both popular cities to stay. If you only have limited time and want to immerse yourself in the old <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:city w:st="on">Kyoto</st1:city> without a doubt is the best option, preferably a ryokan in Gian district if you have the money to splurge for at least one night. If you have more time and want to visit other places in the Kansai region, <st1:city w:st="on">Osaka</st1:city> is an ideal base with plenty of hotel options that meet your budget. Try to find a hotel near the Umeda station as it is the major hub for both Osaka subway railway systems so you do not need to deal with transfers from Osaka Subway to JR rail system. </span></li>
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<li><b>Railway: </b> Japan's railway system is a great way to travel. They are clean, frequent, and amazingly on-time. However the system is quite complex since there are several national and private owned railway companies and each company issues its own packaged deals. It is worth doing your homework and learning to navigate the railway system. It will also make life easier if you pick one railway company as the mean of your main transportation during your stay to simplify your trip planning.</li>
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<li><b>Kyoto Buses</b>: Do not feel intimidated to take buses in Kyoto. The subway stops are limited and taking buses is the best way to travel from one temple to another. Grab a <a href="http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/img/basunabieigo-rosenn.pdf" target="_blank">bus route map</a>, and learn to take buses like the locals. </li>
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<li><b>Money:</b> Credit cards are not as commonly accepted as in the U.S. and maybe other parts of the western world. Most temples only accept cash payment. Same goes for the day passes for subways, trains, or buses. Be sure to exchange enough Japanese Yen. </li>
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<li><b>Shoes:</b> You will, without a doubt, be walking A LOT when you visit. Bring a pair of comfortable shoes for walking that are also easy to take on and off, since you will be doing it a lot when you visit temples and staying in ryokans. </li>
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<li><b>Language:</b> English does not seem to be as commonly used at the Kansai region as in Tokyo. The English channels we saw on TV, CNN & BBC, has Japanese voice over. Many websites does not have an English version (Google translation will be a great tool when navigating these websites). Some locals shy away when you ask simple questions in English. It makes the travel easier if you can read Chinese characters and it is definitely useful to learn some basic Japanese phrases. But don't let it discourage you from visiting Japan. All the trains, subways, and buses and major tourists sights have English directions. A little patience and some hand gestures will get you very far. </li>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-42935259222200559442013-01-28T19:47:00.004-05:002013-01-28T19:55:09.543-05:00Japan - Kyoto 11.09<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004d43918df0a77e0673&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=35.01636,135.760117&spn=0.067483,0.109863&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Japan 11.09</a> in a larger map</small> </span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kinkakuji Temple 金閣寺 (Golden Pavilion)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ryoanji Temple </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">龍安寺</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ginkakuji Temple 銀閣寺 (Silver Pavilion)</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: pre;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Path of Philosophy哲學之道</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Honen-in Temple 法然院</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nanzenji Temple 南禪寺</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kyoto Station 京都車站 </span></li>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At 8 AM, we heard a gentle knock on our door. It was breakfast time! Tomako brought trays of food to our room: miso soup, tofu stew, grilled fish, tamakoyaki (Japanese omelette), tsukemono (various types of pickled vegetable and plums), nori (dried seaweed), and steamed rice. We were still full from last night's dinner and could barely finish one third of the food in front of us. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I was eating the traditional Japanese breakfast and looking at the plates and trays used in the Japanese cuisine, I thought to myself, it must be hard being a Japanese housewife! Forget about the varieties of food needed to be prepared in one meal, to wash all the dishes along would take a very long time! </span></span></span></div>
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After breakfast and a bath, sadly, it was time to check out. Although a splurge, we really enjoyed our short stay at Shiraume. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtRmuRtKl0Y/UQH-2gSJU4I/AAAAAAAAOtU/Bgy1ZlWWN8M/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtRmuRtKl0Y/UQH-2gSJU4I/AAAAAAAAOtU/Bgy1ZlWWN8M/s640/DSC_0020.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We took the Kyoto bus to the opposite side of the town and arrived at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.shokoku-ji.jp/k_about.html#" target="_blank">Kinkakuji 金閣寺</a>. The temple was packed with tourists, understandably since it was an iconic and visually stunning temple in Kyoto. The setting made me better understand and appreciate the </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">classical Japanese literature I read in high school. </span></span></span></span></div>
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Another quick bus ride later, we escaped the mobs of crowd and came to the peaceful <a href="http://www.ryoanji.jp/smph/eng/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ryoanji Temple 龍安寺</span></span></a>. The temple was famous for its rock garden. Speaking of garden, we really loved all the temple gardens we visited so far, whatever styles they might be. H kept saying that he would get a Japanese garden just like the Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison, has if he had the money. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ydVpAbSpO-ydgZe8-TR7IpVHc0fssfA42OHX5E9Dn2i6vs1OFX6q1Zrkd6gy_A3S-LmWWquivExFSCf-BI7dgNV8uRXcUu-B0S8vXc_dSqqxXsabnTNXJ2DRTueexqK9doLY9xYq/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ydVpAbSpO-ydgZe8-TR7IpVHc0fssfA42OHX5E9Dn2i6vs1OFX6q1Zrkd6gy_A3S-LmWWquivExFSCf-BI7dgNV8uRXcUu-B0S8vXc_dSqqxXsabnTNXJ2DRTueexqK9doLY9xYq/s320/DSC_0046.JPG" width="212" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next temple on our agenda was<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.shokoku-ji.jp/g_about.html#" target="_blank">Ginkakuji Temple</a></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. From Ginkakuji, we walked down the <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3906.html" target="_blank">Philosopher's Path</a>, a scenic stone path by a canal. Along the path, we stopped by two more temples, <a href="http://www.travel-around-japan.com/k62-28-honen-in.html" target="_blank">H</a></span></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.travel-around-japan.com/k62-28-honen-in.html" target="_blank">onen-in Temple 法然院</a> and </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3905.html" target="_blank">Nanzenji Temple 南禪寺</a>. As New Yorkers, we were used to walk everywhere. However, after 5 days of walking, our legs were hurting! </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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After visiting all the temples, it was time to head back to Osaka. But before we said good-bye to Kyoto, we spent sometime inside the ultra-modern
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It was down to our last night in Japan. Maybe we were too greedy about our itinerary or maybe there was just too much to see and too much to do in Kansai region, this trip had been exhausting! But there was still so much we want to do; I barely had anytime to shop, H wanted to go back to
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After getting back to Osaka, we stayed in Umeda shopping district and did some last minute shopping before the
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-after-thoughts-tips.html" target="_blank">Japan - Afterthought & Tips</a></b></span></span></span></div>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-25084951641227995512013-01-23T21:14:00.001-05:002013-01-28T19:48:25.366-05:00Japan - Kyoto 11.08<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004d3eb7424ec3d15840&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=35.010526,135.770416&spn=0.033744,0.054932&z=14&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nijo Castle 二條城</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">TenTenYu Ramon Bar</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kyoto Imperial Palace 京都御所</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shiraume Ryokan 白梅料理旅館</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kiyomizu Temple 清水寺</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kodaiji Temple<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>高台寺</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gion<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>祇園 </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Finally, it was time to visit Kyoto today. H's birthday is in November. When I was preparing for this trip, I decided to book a traditional Ryokan in Kyoto as H's birthday gift. Originally, I was planning to stay at </span><a href="http://www.shiraume-kyoto.jp/en/about/index.html" target="_blank">Shiraume Ryokan</a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> for the first 2 nights of our trip. However, with only 6 rooms in Shiraume, I was only able to secure one room for one night. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">We checked out of Sheraton and stored our luggage at the hotel since we would be returning the next day and only brought a small backpack with us to Kyoto. The express JR train took less than 40 minutes from Osaka to Kyoto. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once at Kyoto station, we purchased the </span><a href="http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/info_required/transportation/bus&taxis/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">two day bus/subway pass</a><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> for JPN 2,000. We probably did not ride enough to make the pass worthwhile, but it definitely saved us a lot of hassle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our first stop was </span><a href="http://www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo/" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Nijo Castle</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The Ninomaru Palace had 5 huge halls with tatami floors and wall painting dividers connected by a corridor. I kept wondering how people centuries ago kept warm in the winter in these types of architectures. Walking on the corridor of the Palace, the wooden floor made squeaking sounds, almost like bird chirping. It was called a nightingale floor to alert guards when intruders were coming in. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">After Nijo Castle, we were starving. Our next destination, </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kyoto Imperial Palace, had <a href="http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/institution_kyoto.html" target="_blank">fre</a></span><a href="http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/institution_kyoto.html" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">e English tours at 10 AM and 2 PM</a><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">. We decided to get a quick bite before the 2 PM tour. I was craving for Ramon and was lucky to find a small Ramon bar in Shijo. The ramon noodle soups were delicious!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVE8yEc6O-Q/UPxqJeFmayI/AAAAAAAAOkA/6ZITb66M5P8/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVE8yEc6O-Q/UPxqJeFmayI/AAAAAAAAOkA/6ZITb66M5P8/s640/111.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kyoto Imperial Palace was inside the Kyoto Imperial Park. There were two subway stations at the opposite end of the park. Imadegawa Station 今出川駅 will save you at least a 15 minutes walk and take you closest to the office of Imperial Household Agency to apply for the free tour. After spending a lot of money on layers and layers of entrance fees the past few days, it was a pleasant change to have a free tour of the Palace.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the palace, we were ready to check into our Ryokan. The Shiraume Ryokan was located in the heart of the historical Gion district with the Shirakawa Stream 白川 running in front of the Inn on the picturesque Shinbashi 新橋通 street. It was an idyllic setting in a beautiful location. We felled in love with the inn before we even stepped a foot in it. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Satoko, one of the inn keepers was there to help us with the check-in and decision on dinner & breakfast details. H was thrilled with our traditional tatami room and private garden and I was happy to share the experience with him. Eventually, I had to force H out of the room so we could visit </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kiyomizu Temple 清水寺 before it closes. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kiyomizu-michi 清水道, the street leading to the </span><a href="http://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/lang/01.html" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Kiyomizu Temple</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, was probably more interesting than the temple itself. Beautiful old houses and souvenir shops along side the streets. By the time we reached the temple, the sun had set. The view from Kiyomizu Temple overlooking Kyoto city was beautiful. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">After Kiyomizu Temple, we headed back to our Ryokan just in time for our <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2348.html" target="_blank">Kaiseki Ryori</a></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2348.html" target="_blank"> 懐石料理</a></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">. There were no other guests in the dinning room that night so we had the place all to ourselves. The Inn owner, Tomoko, was serving us that night. She offered a pot of Kyoto sake with golden flakes for H's birthday. The sake was light and smooth, so much better than the sakes we had in New York. Tomoko explained that Sake is a very delicate drink. Often the transportation of sake affects its flavor. The ten course Kaiseki Ryori meal was too exquisite to be eaten. Although every course came in small portions, we were quite full by the end of the dinner. Tomoko was a gracious hostess and great conservationist. Every time she brought the dishes to the dinning room, we would chat about the food, the Inn history and Kyoto. Tomoko told us that Shiraume was originally an Oyagi teahouse in Edo period and she was the 7th generation owner, and that this type of business was only passed down to the women in the family. Although there were other guests in the inn having dinner at their rooms, Tomoko gave us undivided attention, and the service was never rushed.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GvC1jAKhLLs/UPxsHamdCiI/AAAAAAAAOp8/8QCOjmDddbA/s1600/112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GvC1jAKhLLs/UPxsHamdCiI/AAAAAAAAOp8/8QCOjmDddbA/s640/112.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two hours later, we finished dinner and headed out again to </span><a href="http://www.kodaiji.com/e_index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kodaiji Temple</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: pre;"> </span></a><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.kodaiji.com/e_index.html" target="_blank">高台寺</a> as per Tomoko's recommendation. During the autumn season in Kyoto, many temples and shrines host evening illuminations of the fall leaves in displays. Kodaiji Temple is well-known for it. When the light lid up the garden, the reflection of the maple leaves on the temple's pond was absolutely breathtaking. We reluctantly left the temple after the temple staff politely informed us of it's closing time. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-havqlQAjAXY/UPxqzGqNmoI/AAAAAAAAOow/kQM57vHgPW4/s1600/DSC_0083-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-havqlQAjAXY/UPxqzGqNmoI/AAAAAAAAOow/kQM57vHgPW4/s640/DSC_0083-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Walking back towards our ryokan, we strolled through the cobbled street of Hanami-Koji 花見小路通. The street was lined with traditional old wooden houses that operated as restaurants on both sides. We saw Japanese men in business suites accompanied by a geiko (Geisha in Kyoto region) or a maiko (apprentice geiko) coming out of the restaurants. Old fashioned taxies were waiting by the street as the restaurant hostesses and chefs came out bowing good-bye in a 90 degree angle. The setting was so dreamy that H and I felt that we were transported back in time to the Edo era. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It had been an amazing day with highlights after highlights. Both H & I were exhausted, and we returned to our ryokan just before the mid-night curfew. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>PHOTO ALBUM</b></span></span></div>
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</span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-80821010345323016742013-01-19T15:12:00.001-05:002013-01-23T21:30:34.229-05:00Japan - Kobe, Arimon & Mount Rokko 11.07<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004d3b0f1096a90a05b7&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=34.73992,135.358429&spn=0.270839,0.439453&z=11&output=embed" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kobe Beef at Royal Mouriya </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Airman Hot Spring 有馬溫泉</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">subway+train+train to the hot spring</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Airman hot spring</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mount Rokko 六甲山 cable car</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Umeda Underground shopping malls</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Izakaya 居酒屋</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_PZqy8oahk/UPMIH1D3nMI/AAAAAAAAOew/bp9_wB1jUKg/s1600/IMG_1897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_PZqy8oahk/UPMIH1D3nMI/AAAAAAAAOew/bp9_wB1jUKg/s320/IMG_1897.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">We had made our lunch reservation at Royal Mouriya before the trip. It was the only
thing I had on the agenda for today. Last night at the hotel, we looked over
our options and decided to visit Airman Hot Spring and M<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">ount</st1:placetype> R<st1:placename w:st="on">okko</st1:placename></st1:place> after lunch. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After an hectic day yesterday, we slept in this morning and did not leave the hotel until 10:3o AM. Before we headed out to Kobe, we purchased the <a href="http://www.feel-kobe.jp/_en/profile/traffic_service/#05" target="_blank">Arima & Rokko one day pass</a> (<a href="http://m.nicklee.tw/?p=217" target="_blank">有馬六甲一日遊卷</a>) with an extension between Osaka Umeda Station and Kobe Sannomiya-Eki (三宮) Station</span></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> at the</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Hanshin (</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">阪神線)</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> railway office in Umeda Station for JPY2,400 and used the pass for today's transportation. <i>(Tips: There is no English version of the day pass, it will be almost impossible for foreigners to figure out how the pass works if you can not read some Chinese characters or Japanese.)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">H always enjoys a piece of fat, juicy steak. Naturally, he was excited about today's lunch. </span><a href="http://www.mouriya.co.jp/en/index.html" style="color: #b45f06;" target="_blank">Mouriya Restaurant</a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> has over 100 years of history and is quite well-known among Taiwanese travelers. It has three locations on Ikuta Road serving similar menus. We made a reservation at Royal Mouriya and arrived at their doorstep at 12:15 PM excited for our Kobe beef steak. To figure out which part of the beef to order was a bit confusing. I think H and I ordered the Rib & Sirlion steak lunch set. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbzVp74LCLg/UPMII0LOcLI/AAAAAAAAOe4/JsO5DRNf2Ck/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbzVp74LCLg/UPMII0LOcLI/AAAAAAAAOe4/JsO5DRNf2Ck/s640/11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">The meal was prepared in Teppanyaki (鐵板燒) style. </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">The chef first cut off all the fat on the edge of the steak, and used the fat to cook
our meal. The meat was very tender, soft, and moist. When I bite into it, I could almost can feel the fat running through my mouth. H loved the
meat and claimed that it was the best beef he had ever eaten. (Although I secretly thought the fact that we were in Kobe eating Kobe beef kind of enhanced the whole experience for him.) For me, who has
always preferred the leaner cut and denser texture of the meat, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kobe</st1:place></st1:city> beef was slightly too fat. The portion of the beef was quite small, especially considering how much it costed, but with such high fat content, the portion made sense. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJzyBlrAuFQ/UPMINGgs3MI/AAAAAAAAOfY/EOsZ4F69_Yk/s1600/DSC_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJzyBlrAuFQ/UPMINGgs3MI/AAAAAAAAOfY/EOsZ4F69_Yk/s320/DSC_0828.JPG" width="213" /></span></a><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After the lunch, we headed to <a href="http://www.arima-onsen.com/eng/" target="_blank">Arimon Hot Springs</a>. It was a series of transfers: <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kobe</st1:place></st1:city>
subways, train, and bus. It may sounded daunting, but they were all short rides
with connecting transportation waiting at the gate. Once again, they were amazingly on time and so well organized. 40 minutes later, we arrived at Arimon. </span></span><br />
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Arimon Hot Springs is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan and the only one in the Kansai Region</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">. It is
rated the top three best hotsprings in Japan. The one day pass include a free admission
for one of the two public hotspring bath houses, <a href="http://arimaspa-kingin.jp/cont01/cont01-flm.htm" target="_blank">Kin-no-Yu</a> and <a href="http://arimaspa-kingin.jp/cont02/cont02-flm.htm" target="_blank">Gin-no-Yu</a>. The town of Arimon was small enough for a few hours stroll. We took a quick
dip at the Kin-no-Yu public bath house. The public bath house was clean and small. There were separate baths for men and women. The hotspring water was quite unique. The water had a golden brown color with shimmery minerals floating. Before the trip, I read it on the internet that people with tattoos were not welcomed or permitted in some public bath houses in Japan. However, H has three tattoos and did not encounter any issues in the bath house. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUJEermlqLw/UPMIhW469II/AAAAAAAAOhY/vogjF_NcRZg/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUJEermlqLw/UPMIhW469II/AAAAAAAAOhY/vogjF_NcRZg/s640/IMG_1919.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After the Kin-no-Yu, we took the cable car to the <a href="http://www.rokkosan.com/en/" target="_blank">M<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">ount</st1:placetype> R<st1:placename w:st="on">okko</st1:placename></st1:place></a>.
The cable car ride took about 15 minutes each way, and that was the main attraction of the Mount Rokko. The view was absolutely stunning! Once at the M<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">ount</st1:placetype> R<st1:placename w:st="on">okko, t</st1:placename></st1:place>here was not much to do. We ordered some tea at the only cafe to warm up and visited the <a href="http://feel-kobe.jp/_en/sightseeing/spot/?sid=350" target="_blank">Rokko-Shidare Observatory </a>(<i>Tips: Don't bother</i>) before we headed back to take the last cable car at 5:20 PM to enjoy the million dollar view once again. </span></span><br />
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We took the same route back and returned to Umeda station before 7 PM. Umeda has the world's largest underground shopping mall complex. One could easily get lost in it. We were distracted by the gourmet food court inside one of the Department Stores. All the food, pastry, and desserts looked so refined and appetizing. Although we had a good time in Arimon & Mount Rokko, I almost wished that we could have spent the afternoon in Osaka to shop and eat. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUKrEKSji0Pwm5RXCzG_U9BR6qAQy1tRbiAd2URFTOVHYmm964qQMfbol2VjC6G4_PpkLKXt8RtWenhNcxIgKUpdz17L3Fn9SBaGFUsEmBueXiw3q3vvM49x30y_2n7ylO3mIvw9_/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUKrEKSji0Pwm5RXCzG_U9BR6qAQy1tRbiAd2URFTOVHYmm964qQMfbol2VjC6G4_PpkLKXt8RtWenhNcxIgKUpdz17L3Fn9SBaGFUsEmBueXiw3q3vvM49x30y_2n7ylO3mIvw9_/s640/111.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">We had discovered some small eateries and bars in the underground
level, which connected to the subway station next to our hotel last night. These places seemed to attract a lot of after work crowds who would stop by for a quick bite and some drinks before heading home. </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Some small bars were so tiny that it would barely fit 4 people. </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">H was intrigued and we
decided to check out one of these small eateries tonight. </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">We picked a charming i</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">zakaya</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> that had a few dinning tables and felt low-key and intimate. </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">This izakaya was a two people operation. One Japanese guy in his mid 40s
was probably the owner/cook in the tinny kitchen. Another woman in her early 40s was
the waitress/bartender.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inIE6ZzdyRw/UPMImaQ-24I/AAAAAAAAOi0/36B_qYqZrbI/s1600/IMG_1932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inIE6ZzdyRw/UPMImaQ-24I/AAAAAAAAOi0/36B_qYqZrbI/s320/IMG_1932.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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There was only one other couple sitting by the bar. There was no English menu, and the staff didn't speak a word of English. Ordering drinks was the easy part. However, ordering food became quite a challenge. Luckily I could read Chinese characters, the waitress wrote down the menu items in
Chinese characters combined with some hand gestures. The other couple sitting by the bar also jumped in with limited English. After 10 minutes of guessing, we ordered our food and were excited to see what plates would be delivered to us. With the fresh beers in our hands, we felt relaxed in our surroundings. After a group effort to help us understanding the menu, all six of us in the restaurant felt a lot closer to one another. The other couple spoke some English so we were able to have a simple conversation. Occasionally, the cook joined in and the couple translated. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our dishes came. They were simple, unpretentious, and perfect to go with beers. We enjoyed our dishes, and everyone else was happy that we liked the food. It was, after all, a group effort and everyone felt invested. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CXkcSvxqDGE/UPMInZZOgsI/AAAAAAAAOiY/hQAJSvkHZpI/s1600/11-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CXkcSvxqDGE/UPMInZZOgsI/AAAAAAAAOiY/hQAJSvkHZpI/s640/11-001.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />It was the first day after the US presidential election, we were out all day
without the internet access. We were curious about the election outcome. The
couple next to us said "Obama" while put out 3 fingers, and gestured 2 fingers for Rodney. We were not
sure what the fingers meant, but we understood that Obama had won the second term. I clapped my hands and said "Yeah!" The couple, the cook, and the waitress all smiled and nodded. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Sitting by the bar of this unknown izakaya in Osaka, it was exciting and foreign, yet strangely familiar and comforting. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-kyoto-1108.html" target="_blank">Japan - Kyoto 11.08</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">PREVIOUS</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-arashiyama-nara-1106.html" target="_blank">Japan - Arashiyama & Nara 11.06</a></span></span></b></span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-34217388908578581742013-01-15T21:31:00.003-05:002013-01-23T21:30:34.225-05:00Japan - Arashiyama & Nara 11.06<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Hozwkyo 保津峽</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Arashiy</b></span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">ama 嵐山</b></li>
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<li><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Tenryu Ji天龍寺 </b></li>
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<li><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nara</st1:place></st1:city> Park 奈良公園</b></li>
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<li><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Todaiji Temple 東大寺</b></li>
<li><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Kasuga Shrine 春日大社</b></li>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was going to be a hectic day today. We bought the <a href="http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/" target="_blank">one day JR-West Rail Pass</a> and intended to take full advantage of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Umeda (梅田) station was a major hub, connecting subways and many railway lines. When we came here for the JR train, it was the morning rush hour. Countless expressionless Japanese men with black suites all carried briefcases, and women with business dresses walking synchronized to the different entrances of the station. There was no rowdy chatters, only the sound of heels hitting the tiled floor and soft background music playing in the station. It reminded us of the sardines in the aquarium we saw yesterday. It also reminded me of Haruki Murakami's<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"> (</span>春上村樹) novels: The subway music felt hypnotizing and we had entered into this surreal world in one of his novel setting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or first stop was Hozwakyo (保津峽), it was written in my Taiwanese guide book as a beautiful gorge to see fall foliage. The JR train ran extremely efficient, incredibly reliable and punctual. The transfer is always scheduled in a way that the other train is at the same platform and next train departed a few minutes after the first train arrived. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The train dropped us off at the Hozwakyo station. The deserted station was bridged between two mountains. We were a bit apprehensive at how remote the station was. With the limited time that we had, it was a destination that we could have skipped. <o:p></o:p> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">30 minutes later, we hopped on another train and moved on to our next destination: Arashiyama 嵐山. <a href="http://www.tenryuji.com/" target="_blank">Tenryu Ji</a> (天龍寺) was the most important temple in Arashiyama. The zen garden and the pond inside the temple was breath taking. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> It was H's very first Japanese temple, and H absolutely loved it. Unlike the ornate and intricate temples in Taiwan, Japanese temple architectures were simplistic and calming and the gardens were exquisite. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After Tenryuji temple, we tried the Arashiyama tofu & Soba noodle at a random street </span><span style="clear: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">vendor for lunch. They were delicious! So simple yet so tasty!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We walked around Arashyiyama a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">little more after lunch, browsing through some sovounier shops and stopped by Togetsukyo Bridge (Moon Crossing Bridge 渡月橋). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally at 2pm, we arrived in </span><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4103.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nara</st1:place></st1:city> Park</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. The train station was about a 20 minutes walk from the main sights in the park. We checked with the information booth before getting out of the train station and hopped on the bus taking us straight to the Dondaji temple (</span><o:p style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">東大寺).</span></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ3-2o9k5y4/UOZSjsbaDdI/AAAAAAAAOYc/UfLPYOckIuM/s1600/DSC_0720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ3-2o9k5y4/UOZSjsbaDdI/AAAAAAAAOYc/UfLPYOckIuM/s320/DSC_0720.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ3-2o9k5y4/UOZSjsbaDdI/AAAAAAAAOYc/UfLPYOckIuM/s1600/DSC_0720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The first thing you noticed once inside the park were all the deer roaming around. Many tourists bought the megadeer crakers from the street vendors to feed these cute bambies, but quickly realized that they were surrounded by the relentless deer that were quite aggressive until the crackers were gone. Watching the scene, I thought the idea of feeding deer was more fun than actually doing it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dondaji temple was one of the most impressive temples I have ever seen. It was grand and solemn. Unfortunately it was also a very popular site and there were a lot of school tours the day when we visited. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After Dondaji temple, we walked through the park for ten minutes and came to Kasuga Shrine (春日大社). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before we headed back to the train station, we passed Kofukuji Temple's Treasure House (興福寺), but it was under renovation. Many people liked to spend more time in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nara</st1:place></st1:city> Park. However, since this was not the peak of fall foliage, we didn't lingered in the park for long. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h1lLwuNmBVU/UOZTAXyZXzI/AAAAAAAAObk/AIdyIn56zW8/s1600/IMG_1887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h1lLwuNmBVU/UOZTAXyZXzI/AAAAAAAAObk/AIdyIn56zW8/s200/IMG_1887.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On our way back to the Nara train station, we walked passed <a href="http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/english/info/multilingual.html" target="_blank">Coco Curry House</a>, a chain restaurant which serves curry dishes. Our brother in law had worked in Japan for 2 years and recommended this restaurant to us. We decided to get a bite before heading back to Osaka. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Japanese curry is very different from the southeastern Asian curry dishes from India, Thailand, and Indonesia. It did not have all the other spices the southeastern Asian curry dishes have. It was creamy and milky and usually served with fried chicken or pork cutlets with a flaky crust. Personally, I like Japanese curry better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We got back to Osaka around 7 and neither one of us was hungry. H decided to take a nap in the hotel while I did some shopping at the near by mall. Unfortunately, all the department stores and shops close by 8 pm in Osaka, so we really did not have much time to shop during this trip. By the time I returned to the hotel room, we never made it out again. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-kobe-arimon-mount-rokko-1107.html" target="_blank">Japan - Kobe, Armon & Mount Rokko 11.07</a></b></span></div></span>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>PREVIOUS: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-osaka-1105.html" target="_blank">Japan - Osaka 11.05</a></b></span><br />
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</span></span></span></span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-157946164468443722013-01-13T19:33:00.001-05:002013-01-23T21:30:34.221-05:00Japan - Osaka 11.05<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
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<li style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;">Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 海游館 & Tempozan Ferris Wheel</span></li>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">After a two week stay in Taipei with my family, H and I took an early flight leaving Taipei at 8:00 AM, and arrived in <a href="http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/index.asp" target="_blank">Kansai International Airport</a> before 11:30 AM. The airport bus took us directly to the <a href="http://www.miyakohotels.ne.jp/osaka/english/" target="_blank">Sheraton Meyako Hotel Osaka</a> in 45 minutes. The whole process was surprisingly easy. Although the bus took a little longer than the train and was slightly more expensive, the convenience of door to door service was hard to beat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: 12pt;">Like most hotels in Japan, the rooms at the Sheraton Meyako was pretty small. It was a mid-range hotel with relatively convenient location. There are 2 subway lines and Kintetsu private railway located in the same station (Tanimachi Kyuchome-subway station/ Osakauehonmachi - Kintetsu railway station) right beneath the hotel with a small shopping areas nearby with underground food courts and supermarket connected. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Shortly
after we had checked in, we headed out to the underground food court and had
takoyaki for a snack. H was excited setting foot in </span><st1:country-region style="font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, and I was excited sharing
the experience with him. Before taking the subway to O</span><st1:city style="font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">saka</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: small;"> castle, we made a quick stop to buy the </span><a href="http://www.jr-odekake.net/en/jwrp/kansai.html" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">JR Kansai Area One Day Pass</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> for the next day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sL8Od5rwwDA/ULVxy6AGOsI/AAAAAAAAOQQ/CTtGtVihkZM/s1600/DSC_0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sL8Od5rwwDA/ULVxy6AGOsI/AAAAAAAAOQQ/CTtGtVihkZM/s640/DSC_0488.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We were walking around the </span><a href="http://www.osakacastle.net/english/" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Osaka Castle</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> by 4 PM. It was the beginning of the fall foliage season, and a few trees began changing colors. After some photos and a </span>decadent<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Hokkaido milk ice cream cone, we headed to the <a href="http://www.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/index.htm" target="_blank">Osaka Aquarium</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyHRypkvF6WMyRvtcilaNJHyY9zZYr8QqlDC51AU2o7ztFb3bIfBotrQOjMTN_XVJJAcWYWlPP0WyRVEcx9Yw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Osaka Aquarium is one of the biggest aquariums in the world and was the one place that I wanted to visit in O</span><st1:city style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">saka. </st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I figured that coming to a country surrounded by an ocean and famous for their variety of
seafood, the aquarium should be interesting. It did not disappoint.
</span><st1:city style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Osaka aquarium was a really fun and fascinating
place to visit especially if you have kids. The central tank with a whale shark and a swarm of sardines was the center of the show. H and I spent a long time just watching the fish swimming in a mesmerizing rhythm.</st1:place></st1:city></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">By the time we got out of the aquarium, the night has fallen and it was a good time to take the ferris wheel ride.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The Tempozan Ferris Wheel was one of the tallest one in the world and</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the view from above was beautiful. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the trip to </span><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iceland</st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
and </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> where we had the luxury of 18, 20 hours of daylight, it was a rude awakening
when we did not have the luxury anymore. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the Ferris wheel ride, we took the
subway back to the famous Dotombori for dinner. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UljeZCIhfPo/ULVyFMIpx0I/AAAAAAAAOSg/v-gIuj0CwtM/s1600/DSC_0604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDCOQecnBsU/ULVyB5JnsGI/AAAAAAAAOSI/ZsVFhCuUW28/s1600/DSC_0585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDCOQecnBsU/ULVyB5JnsGI/AAAAAAAAOSI/ZsVFhCuUW28/s320/DSC_0585.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Before we found Dotombori, we went to the opposite side of the canal, Soemon-Cho (宗右衛門町) which turned out to be a red light district. There were girls dressed in school-girl outfits approaching Japanese<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> business men passing by. Some much younger looking
girls dressed like teenagers walked arm in arm with much older men in business suits. The scene fit all the kinky Japanese stereotypes. It was pretty fascinating to watch, I must say. After walking around for 10 minutes on Soemon-Cho, we finally realized
that we were on the wrong side of the canal. The burst of energy in Dotombori is the complete anti-dose of the old </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan:</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> over-sized store signs, neon lights, restaurants after restaurants....We got
lost in all the stimulation. As tired
and hungry as we were, it took us awhile to finally settled for one restaurant
specialized in fugu (blow fish) for dinner.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We ordered the fugu sashimi, raw fish rice, and Okonomiyaki(</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">大阪燒)</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">. The fugu fish' meat
texture is quite distinct, almost squid like, but the flavor is pretty plain. I was glad to have tried it, but I couldn't understand why Japanese people were making a big fuss about Fugu fish. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the dinner we took a stroll and came to a small street, Hozenji-Yokocho. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> All the noise and chaos just
disappeared. The stone paved narrow path led to a Hozenji (</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">法善寺</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, a small charming temple. Along the stone paved narrow path, there were small eateries and bars on both sides. It was enchanting and dreamy. It was only our first day in </span><st1:city style="font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Osaka </st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> but it had made me begin to appreciate </span><st1:country-region style="font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> in a way that my previous trips to </span><st1:city style="font-size: 12pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> didn't.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-arashiyama-nara-1106.html" target="_blank">Japan - Arashiyama & Nara 11.06</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>PREVIOUS: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2012/12/japan-prelude.html" target="_blank">Japan - Prelude</a></b></span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-82137591741381808542012-12-19T22:42:00.001-05:002013-01-23T21:30:34.232-05:00Japan - Prelude<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004cf5397095318eb587&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.713956,-153.984375&spn=114.868669,225&z=2&output=embed" width="640"></iframe>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004cf5397095318eb587&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.713956,-153.984375&spn=114.868669,225&z=2&source=embed" style="color: blue;">Flight to Japan</a> in a larger map</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It would be my third time visiting Japan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first visit was the summer when I turned 16. I went with a study broad program to California for a month. On the way back, we stayed in Tokyo for a few days before we returned to Taiwan. The only vivid memory that I had of that trip was watching porn in the hotel room for the first time with a bunch of girls; which would be a story for another time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The second trip was maybe 10 years ago, meeting my high school best friend in Tokyo before going back to Taiwan. I remembered lots of shopping, running around and getting lost, early morning fish market and sushi brunch, and almost missed the return flight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of my Taiwanese friends LOVE Japan, and return to visit year after year. I did not understand their enthusiasm. If it was not for the debate that H and I have been had for a long time, I honestly did not know if and when I would return to Japan again. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A few years ago, H met his colleague friend for two hours when we had to transfer flights at Tokyo International Airport. H did not leave the airport but he did go through customs and had a stamp on his passport. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I met my friend in Japan, I went through the custom and had the stamp to prove it!" H said with a mischievous smile. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"No way! That did not count. You didn't see anything in Japan except the airport." I insisted, rolling my eyes at him. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last year, when the airline that we usually take to visit Taiwan changed their flying route from New York-Alaska-Taipei to New York-Osaka-Taipei, I figured that we can finally </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">legitimize H claim after all these years and stop by Japan for a short trip after visiting my family in Taiwan. Deep down, I knew H would LOVE Japan, and I was excited to take him there. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2013/01/japan-osaka-1105.html" target="_blank">Japan - Osaka 11.05</a></span></b></div>
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</span>JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-48182951490722740102012-10-14T19:16:00.003-04:002012-10-14T19:16:37.079-04:00Russia - Afterthoughts & Tips<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"What do you you think of Russia?" People asked us when we returned from our trip. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">H and I found ourselves having a hard time answer the question. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"It was different than what we imagined". That was the best way we could describe our feelings about this trip.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before this trip, Leo Tolstoy's literature and Tchaikovsky's music came to mind when I thought of Russia. I imagined it </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">being</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> a freezing, dark, depressed and repressed land with people who were stern and harsh. H still had vivid memor</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ies</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> of watching news of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Soviet Union with his grandfather growing up. Secret police giving us hard time and the inevitable bribery to get us out of trouble was what he expected of this trip......</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Walking </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">n the streets of St. Petersburg and Moscow, we could not find any trace of evidence that associated to the impressions we had of Russia. St. Petersburg was as beautiful as many Eastern European cities, and Moscow did not miss a beat compare to any other global metropolitan </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">city</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The trip demystified Russia for us. To be 100% honest, we were almost disappointed that we did not find the Russia we had pictured; the Russia that was a bit dark and dangerous to satisfy our cravings for adventure. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shortly after we came back from Russia, H started look into travel</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ing</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> to North Korea out of curiosity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I cracked up. For someone who hesitated traveling to Russia at first, this was a little extreme, don't you think?</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After thoughts: </span></b><br />
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There definitely is a lot of room for improvement when it comes tourism in Russia. Although the system can be challenging for tourists, most people we encountered were very nice and helpful. </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were times when we travel to other cities, and we felt that the hotel staffs or store clerks were flaky in a way that they were trying to make a few more bucks and be less truthful about the information they gave you. The people that we encountered in Russia were endearingly direct and honest. We never felt once that we were misguided to spend more money.</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think what really surprised us about this trip was the soft side of Russians. The arts were amazingly colorful and cheerful; so many restaurants were tastefully done and elegant. The most charming thing we had quickly discovered was that Russian people LOVE flowers! At the custom</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> exit </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> St. Petersburg Airport, I have never seen so many men holding bouquet</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> of flowers</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> waiting to pick up their loved one</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. Walking </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> the street</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> of St. Petersburg, it was a common sighting to see women holding flowers that their dates brought for them. There were flower shops in every metro station. Who would've thought that Russian men were so romantic!</span></span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tips:</span></b></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Travel Resources:</b> I bought two guidebooks for this trip: Frommer's and Eyewitness Travel, but found the these guidebooks either did not cover a lot of details or </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">were</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> not up to date. The best resource for the trip planning to Russia for me w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g294459-i705-Russia.html" target="_blank">Tripadvisor forum</a>. It is especially useful if you are an independent traveler. </span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Midnight Train:</b> Although we had a good experience taking </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> "Red Arrow" train for our overnight trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow, I discovered </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> "<a href="http://www.grandexpress.ru/en/" target="_blank">Grand Express</a>" after I came back home and found that it was probably a better train to take. The travel time is longer which allow</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> you more sleep, and the facility on the train seems new and modern compare to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Red Arrow. The most important thing is that </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Grand Express has </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">an</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> English website and is so much easier to navigate and purchase tickets. </span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Opening Hours: </b>Traveling to Russia in the winter may be a different story, but a great benefit about traveling to Russia in the summer is that a lot of tourists sites and shops open very late. You really feel that you can do so much in one day. Do not rely on the guide book's information about the opening hours since we have discover</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ed</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> that many tourist sites change their opening hours from season to season. It is best to go to their websites for the most updated information. </span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A-La-Cart Admissions:</b> Get used to may layers of admissions </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> one site when you travel to Russia. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">M</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ost audio guides cost extra, many special exhibitions cost extra, and in rare occasions, it will cost you money to take photos or videos. If your budget is tight, you may want to do some homework and be more strategic about what to pay and what to skip. </span></span></li>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-52131369764452755922012-10-04T22:10:00.002-04:002012-10-14T19:29:29.584-04:00Russia - Moscow 7.7 - 7.8<div style="text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tretyakov Gallery</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>White Sun of the Desert</b></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Metro Stations</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Ulitsa Arbat</b></span></li>
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<li><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Sturgeon </span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Caviar</span></b></li>
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<li><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aeroexpress</span></b></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Although Moscow is a bigger city than St. Petersburg, in terms of tourist activities, Moscow seems more manageable. (It is a different story if you like shopping and night life.) </span><span style="color: purple;">Our walking tour guide from the first day had recommended</span> <a href="http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/" target="_blank">Tretyakov Gallery</a>. <span style="color: purple;"> Since we really enjoyed the arts we saw in St. Petersburg, we decided to check out the gallery </span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">on our last day in Moscow. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRbj56G1sNo/UFplqZSmXdI/AAAAAAAAN24/B83U_tUN0cA/s1600/DSC_0235-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRbj56G1sNo/UFplqZSmXdI/AAAAAAAAN24/B83U_tUN0cA/s640/DSC_0235-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFFd-lqXY10/UFplpSEj2kI/AAAAAAAAN2w/wL1jSa71U08/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFFd-lqXY10/UFplpSEj2kI/AAAAAAAAN2w/wL1jSa71U08/s200/IMG_1512.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the beginning of this trip, we had always paid extra for the audio tours to all the sights that offered them. As we waited to pay for the gallery admission, we looked at each other and had the same response, "Nah..." Both of us just could not sum up the concentration to listen to another audio guide anymore. Trekyakov Gallery also had some really good collections, but we did notice that there were quite a few duplicated paintings from the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. The museum staff struggled in English trying to explain to us the reason. From what we could gather, it seemed like the painters painted a few copies of the same paintings, so all the duplicates were authentic. It was also worth noting that seeing the Royalty family portraits with the dresses we saw in display at the Armory Museum was pretty cool. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6kD2O55aP0/UFplsPibjJI/AAAAAAAAN3I/hoDP1XQSRRs/s1600/IMG_1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6kD2O55aP0/UFplsPibjJI/AAAAAAAAN3I/hoDP1XQSRRs/s320/IMG_1517.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></span></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After the museum, it was time for lunch. Although I had a restaurant in mind that I wanted to check out, I was dreading to repeat the nightmares of looking for addresses and getting lost. Judging from the map, the restaurant was within walking distance. We decided to take a chance and find the restaurant. We walked through some residential area. The streets were quiet and clean. In front of one building, we saw three guys cleaning the building windows with only a few strings to secure their waists. Crazy! I guess I have been living in the U.S. for too long now that I have become a total wimp! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Luckily we were able to find the restaurant without too much drama. </span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://www.bsp-rest.ru/" target="_blank">White Sun of the Desert</a></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> served central Asian cuisine. The menu was extensive that would make your head spin, and there were a lot of meat and intestine dishes. We ordered a couple of appetizers to share. Perhaps we did not order the right dishes. The food was good, but not memorable. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although I did not write much about <a href="http://engl.mosmetro.ru/" target="_blank">the Moscow Metro</a> so far, we had been using the Metro everyday since we arrived. For 28 rubles per ride and trains arriving at the stations every 1-2 minutes, the Moscow Metro was an amazingly efficient and economical way to travel around town. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Operating since 1935 for the first time, the Soviet Union played a </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">pivotal</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> role in building one of the largest metro system in the world by enlisted red army soldiers, members of communist youth league, and many of the best artists. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Metro stations reflected Russian's socialist</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> glorious past and was an excellent way to explore underground Moscow. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We often hopped off the train to take pictures of these beautiful stations and hopped back on the next train to the next station. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After taking a detour and visiting a few more metro stations, we eventually came to the pedestrian street, Ulitsa Arbat. There were a lot of souvenirs shops and restaurants along the street, but it felt quite touristy.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HvO7LDtcC-s/UFplh5tQVoI/AAAAAAAAN1o/rJb0kNA5fyk/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HvO7LDtcC-s/UFplh5tQVoI/AAAAAAAAN1o/rJb0kNA5fyk/s640/IMG_1586.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since it would be our last night in Moscow and we really had not eaten a decent dinner in Moscow yet, we made an effort to make a dinner reservation at Kitezh, a highly recommended restaurant by Frommer's guide book, and prayed that we would find the restaurant easily. However, not so lucky. We once again found ourselves running around in circles and people on the streets were sending us in different directions even though the whole time, we were standing in front of the court yard that led to the restaurant. 30 minutes later, we found the restaurant and was led to our table in an empty, small, narrow, and ark cellar. The restaurant seemed to host a private event that day and there was a large group in the next room with a live band playing extremely loud music. I put down the menu, asked H, "Do you want to leave? I don't want to eat here." H felt the same way, and with in 2 minutes, we walked out of the restaurant. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XguOvXOqFO4/UFplmuU77dI/AAAAAAAAN2Q/JiY2PkMaRuY/s1600/IMG_1652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XguOvXOqFO4/UFplmuU77dI/AAAAAAAAN2Q/JiY2PkMaRuY/s200/IMG_1652.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sigh..... I was feeling defeated and really disappointed that I had not have a chance to try the Sturgeon Caviar in Russia. We did not know where to go for dinner nor did we want to put ourselves through this ridiculous ordeal to look for another address again!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, we went back to the gourmet food shop at Gum, bought Kvas, a small tin of Sturgeon caviar, bread, and some other goodies, and had a picnic dinner at our hotel room. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was our last night in Moscow, and the next day, H and I would go on our separate flights. I would be leaving from the international airport back to New York in the morning. 2 hours later, H would be leaving from the domestic airport to Austria visiting his family. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was not what I pictured how we would spend our last meal in Russia, but sitting in bed next to H, and eating caviar in our bathrobes, it was both intimate and romantic in a strange way. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning, H took the Metro with me to the station that connected with the airport shuttle, <a href="http://www.aeroexpress.ru/en/sheremetyevo.html" target="_blank">Aeroexpress</a>. The transportation was seamless, easy, fast, and cheap. I waved goodbye to H as the train quietly sliding away. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Knowing that H was nervous coming to Russia in the beginning of our trip, it was ironic that he ended spending time here alone. I wondered what he would be doing the last two hours in Moscow by himself. </span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-39009402229546974992012-09-24T21:44:00.003-04:002012-11-19T21:14:32.772-05:00Russia - Moscow 7.6<br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was the day for <a href="http://www.kreml.ru/en/" target="_blank">the Kremlin</a> today. The MUST SEE place in Moscow. H loves history. Knowing that there were so many important political events taking place at the Kremlin that had profound impact not only to the Russian history, but to the world, he was excited to finally see this place in person. To beat the crowd, we were already waiting in line for the tickets by 9:15 AM, 15 minutes before the ticket booths opened. Once we got the tickets, we headed straight to the Borovitskaya Tower entrance to wait in line again </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for the Armory Chamber</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. There were a few people being turned away at the check point because they carried backpacks. The coat check station was near the ticket booths. I felt bad for these people. Hopefully they had a chance to make the 10 o'clock admission session for the Armory. As an independent traveler to any country, you either do the homework and be prepared or accept some unexpected hassles. Traveling here in Russia, it is important to keep that in mind. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">The Armory Chamber was absolutely worth the extra costs to visit. I was most fascinated by the carriages and coronation dress collections. They were amazing! After the Armory, we came to the Cathedral Square. A total of 3 churches and 3 cathedrals surrounded the small square. By the time I made the round, I was all Cathedral & churched out!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />After the Kremlin, it was time for lunch, and I was in no mood to spend hours running around looking for restaurants in vain again. Fortunately, we stumbled upon <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298484-d301484-Reviews-Okhotny_Ryad_Shopping_Center-Moscow_Central_Russia.html" target="_blank">Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center</a> right by the Kremlin. Another huge shopping mall with a food court on the bottom floor. The food court was a mix of American and Russian Fast Food. It was really interesting to see what Russians Fast Food was. We got some Pelmeni and Fries, H had a beer, and I finally had my first Kvas (A dark sweet, low alcoholic content drink made from Barley and Rye). Having only been to "proper" restaurants spending at least 2 hours on each meal the past 6 days, the quick and easy Russian Fast Food was a welcomed change, and the food was pretty decent by the tourist standards.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">Since we were already in the mall, naturally, we went shopping after lunch. Okhotny Ryad Shopping Mall had more contemporary brands and the prices were a lot cheaper than the luxury boutique shops at the GUM. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">A couple of shopping bags later, I was happy, satisfied, and once again remembered how tired my feet were. We returned to our hotel a few minutes walk away to drop off our bags and gave each other foot messages. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We left the hotel around 3:30 PM again. I was craving for some tea & desserts and decided to go to <a href="http://www.cafe-pushkin.ru/en/" target="_blank">Cafe Pushkin</a>. On the way there, we finally found a postal office to get some stamps for our post cards. It seemed that post office was the only place you could buy stamps, or you may pay a premium at the hotel for them to mail the postcards for you. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.cafe-pushkin.ru/en/" target="_blank">Cafe Pushkin</a> looked like it was frozen in time from 19th century. You would've never guessed that it only opened in 1994. Again, the service was impeccable, and my honey cake was TO DIE FOR. So good!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Traveling to a new country, I always love visiting the local food markets to see what people are eating. I was especially looking forward to check out Yeliseevskiy Gastronom after seeing the exquisite interior of this 19th century food hall from my guidebook. Better yet, it was open 24/7! It was such a luxurious food hall with huge chandeliers and ornate walls. I could not imagine a more refined and elegant environment to do grocery shopping.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BgWcezfH4XI/UFUklMtDLJI/AAAAAAAANsI/tHDQnuoTfNc/s1600/73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BgWcezfH4XI/UFUklMtDLJI/AAAAAAAANsI/tHDQnuoTfNc/s400/73.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although we just had tea & dessert not long ago, shopping in </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yeliseevskiy Gastronom made us crave for something to eat again. We had no plan or desire to look for restaurants again, so we went back to the shopping center food court and got some Chinese dishes, blini with mushroom & cheese, soup, and Kvas from the Russian pancake fast food chain, <a href="http://teremok.ru/" target="_blank">Tepemok</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was an early night for us, as our legs could not take more abuse to walk any longer. We spent the evening at the hotel's Jacuzzi and swimming pool</span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-2228725460107496112012-09-18T12:26:00.004-04:002012-09-24T21:53:35.995-04:00Russia - Moscow 7.5<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209028809586252075364.0004c9c64ca7c455f6e35&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=55.760736,37.6371&spn=0.048293,0.102997&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Moscow 7.5</a> in a larger map</small>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">30 minutes before the train glided into Moscow Leningradskiy Train station, our train attendant knocked on our door to ask if we wanted some coffee or tea in Russian. Although we did not get too much sleep that night, we were too wired to feel tired. The train arrived on time at 7:55 AM. Once we got out of the train, we easily spotted our driver arranged through our hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">15 minutes and 1,500 rubles later, we were at the <a href="http://www.national.ru/" target="_blank">Hotel National</a> checking in. The classic Hotel National in Moscow is the total opposite of swanky W hotel that we stayed in St. Petersburg. Built in 1903, it has a rich history. Lenin stayed here in room 107 in March 1918. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The location of Hotel National is excellent. It sits opposites of Red Square, and has a metro station next to it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our room was not ready yet when we arrived, so we decided to get some breakfast at a random cafe nearby. The city was slowly waking up, and traffic was getting busy. It was clear we were not in St. Petersburg anymore. The city felt more commercial, crowded, and busier. The weather was about a few degrees warmer as well. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had booked the <a href="http://moscowfreetour.com/" target="_blank">Moscow Free Tour</a> online for this morning at 10:45 AM. In St. Petersburg, we had not gotten any chance to take the Metro. I was glad to finally get a chance to take it to our tour meeting point, Slavyanskaya Square. Our tour guide, Airat, was a colleague student majoring in Political Science who spoke great English. He did a great job not only feeding us historical and factual information, but also engaged in some interesting conversations about Russian culture and politics today. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The 2.5 hours took us through most major sights in Moscow and ended in Christ the Savior Cathedral. We were glad to do the tour the first thing when we arrived in Moscow. It was a quick way to get us oriented and to plan what sights we wanted to come back and visit. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the time the tour was over, our room was ready for us. Before we walked back to our hotel, we stopped by the gorgeous <a href="http://www.gum.ru/en/" target="_blank">GUM</a>, which stands for State Department Store. Created a century ago, The building was magnificent with ornate facade and glassed ceilings which occupied almost the full eastern side of Red Square.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> It housed many top designer shops and probably was one of the most gorgeous department stores I have ever seen. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We went inside the Gastronome No. 1, a gourmet shop inside the GUM. I guess all the sour creams & dills in almost every Russian dishes had gotten to us, and H was really craving for a cold cut sandwich. We did some food shopping, headed back to our hotel to finally take a shower, make sandwiches for lunch, and take a much needed nap. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We left the hotel after a couple hours of rest, and walked back to the Red Square and <a href="http://www.saintbasil.ru/" target="_blank">St. Basil's Cathedral</a>. Bigger than the Church of spoiled blood in St. Petersbugr, St. Basil's Cathedral stood on the north end of the Red Square. From afar, it almost seemed unreal that these onion shaped domes and vibrant colored architecture should only exist in a fairytail. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">The Cathedral opened late in the summer time. By now, we were sort of used to the a-lar-carte admission fees through out all the Russian tourist sites. However, it was the first that I saw an additional cost for Photography (160 rubles) and videotography (180 rubles). As elaborated and impressive the exterior of the cathedral was, it could not be said about the interior. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">After the Cathedral, we were ready for dinner. </span><span style="color: purple;">Both H and I really enjoyed the Georgian food at Kavkaz Bar in St. Petersburg, so for dinner, we decided to take Metro to <a href="http://www.restoran-genatsvale.ru/" target="_blank">Genatsvale restaurant</a> for Georgian food again. Once again, we were running circles trying to locate the restaurant. It was another frustrating hour long search. Finally, a super nice Ukraine woman walked with us for a good 15 minutes to bring us to the restaurant. But guess what? The restaurant was closed for private event!! Of course, as I am writing and visiting the restaurant website for the first time, I just discover that Genatsvale restaurant has a few locations in Moscow. UGH!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKXDs_9M5lw/UFKdGI8T0jI/AAAAAAAANmE/DB0qroCW6pQ/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKXDs_9M5lw/UFKdGI8T0jI/AAAAAAAANmE/DB0qroCW6pQ/s200/IMG_1341.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once again, we found ourselves in the situation that we were too tired, hungry, and annoyed to sum up the strength to look for another restaurant. And frankly, I was done looking for addresses in Russia. I just wanted some familiar comforting food at this point. We ended stopping by a Japanese restaurant on the way back to the hotel to have some sushi & noodles for dinner. It was not Georgian food, but nonetheless comforting. Walking out of the restaurant, I was in a better mood. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2012/09/russia-moscow-76.html" target="_blank">Russian - Moscow 7.6</a></b></span></div>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-53102453497480167302012-09-14T14:41:00.002-04:002012-09-14T14:41:35.706-04:00Russia - St. Petersburg 7.4<div style="text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Russian Museum</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tinkoff Restaurant</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Red Arrow Midnight Train from St. Petersburg to Moscow</b></span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It came to my favorite part of the trip, when we had crossed off most of the items on our itinerary, familiar with our surroundings, and felt relaxed. It was our last day in St. Petersburg, and the only place on our agenda was the Russian Museum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">We slept in until 11 AM,</span><span style="color: purple;"> checked out of the W at 1 PM, and left our luggage in the hotel. The hotel concierge helped us to book the taxi for tonight and even coordinated with our hotel in Moscow for next morning's pick-up. They were so helpful!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">We walked back to Nevskiy Prospekt, and went to a random cafe for some bagels & wraps before heading to the <a href="http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/home/" target="_blank">Russian Museum</a>. </span><span style="color: purple;">We started with Benois Wing first since it housed the 20 Century Russian arts. </span><span style="color: purple;">Although I did not know much about Russian art prior to this trip, I truly enjoyed the exhibitions in the Russian Museum.</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we left the Russian Museum, we took one last chance to take more pictures of the Church of the spoiled blood, wondered around different canals, and simply enjoyed the city. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-ItuKxaQio/UAYlzKQ50vI/AAAAAAAANWo/QGaPAQFsYho/s1600/71-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-ItuKxaQio/UAYlzKQ50vI/AAAAAAAANWo/QGaPAQFsYho/s320/71-001.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We wanted to try a Siberian restaurant listed in Frommer's guidebook, "Black Cat, White Cat" for dinner. It turned out to be a frustrating search. First, it was hard to find the addresses in St. Petersburg to begin with. After asking many people on the street, we "probably" had found the correct address, but there was no restaurant in sight. Even now, I can't tell you whether we did not find the address, or the restaurant was closed. By the time we gave up, we were tired, annoyed, and hungry. We randomly picked another highly recommended restaurant from Frommer's guidebook, <a href="http://www.tinkof.ru/">Tinkoff</a>. It was probably the WORST dinning experience we had in Russia. The restaurant looked like a combination of a bar/nightclub with dim lights and cold bland decor. I wanted to walk out as soon I stepped inside the restaurant, but I was too tired to look for another restaurant. The simple German sausages we ordered took more than one hour to come. We could not wait to finish the dinner and leave. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we finished the dinner, we still had sometime left before our midnight train to Moscow. We went back to Gosti restaurant to get some dessert and tea. This had never happened to us in our previous trip that we actually went back to the same restaurant three times! We told our regular waiter that we were leaving to Moscow. Our waiter quickly said, "Give it four hours, you would not like it." in a no none-sense manner that we had already gotten used to by now. We laughed. Like it or not, we were ready to find out. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nmjDIEX2ESw/UAYl2V2ZyfI/AAAAAAAANXQ/fNzqSd63-VY/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nmjDIEX2ESw/UAYl2V2ZyfI/AAAAAAAANXQ/fNzqSd63-VY/s320/IMG_1102.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we were planning for our Russian trip, we deliberately skipped the flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow so we can experience the midnight train with sleeping compartments. However, booking the tickets from the <a href="http://rzd.ru/" target="_blank">Russian Railway Website</a> turned out to be incredibly challenging for someone who could not read Russian. Fearing that we would book the wrong tickets and wake up somewhere in Siberia, we ended up biting the bullet and booked the higher price tickets through a travel agency in Germany. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By 11 PM, we returned to the W hotel to collect our luggage. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shortly after, we took the prearranged taxi to the Moskowasky Train station. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Red Arrow Train from St. Petersburg departed at 23:55 PM and arrived in Moscow the next morning at 7:55 AM. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was only 11:30 when we arrived at the train station. All the signs in the train station were written in Russian, and H was getting anxious trying to find the platform. Thankfully, it was pretty simple and we found our train quickly.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfIc2Ym7C3c/UAYl-bzhhJI/AAAAAAAANYg/a-vSPtMBulI/s1600/IMG_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfIc2Ym7C3c/UAYl-bzhhJI/AAAAAAAANYg/a-vSPtMBulI/s320/IMG_1129.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our compartment was clean and did not feel claustrophobic. There was a TV and electronic outlets in the compartment. Bottles of water, clean towels, bed sheets, blankets, and pillows were provided. We were a bit concerned about the safety on the train, but the luggage was stored under our beds, and we were able to lock our compartment. We were excited. It felt nostalgic and romantic to be traveling the old fashioned way. </span><br />
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-35256154947570328812012-08-28T09:52:00.001-04:002012-09-15T11:34:36.594-04:00Russia - St. Petersburg 7.3<br />
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Peterhof</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Peter & Paul's Fortress</b></span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I felt slightly anxious last night. Despite my best intention to go with the flow and be relaxed about our itinerary, after the luggage delay and not really doing much yesterday, I thought there were still quiet a few important sights we haven't seen in St. Petersburg and time was running out. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So we decided to get our act together, and asked for a morning call at 8:30 AM this morning. After a quick breakfast stop at a nearby cafe, we were at the ticket booth behind the Winter Palace boarding the Hydrofoil to Peterhof at 10:30 AM. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">30 minutes later, We were at the Peterhof. There was no shortage of tourists when we arrived. It was hard not to be dazzled by all the water fountains and golden status as we walked through the lower garden. <i><b>Tip: If you go to Peterhof, resist the urge to get distracted by the Grand Cascade. Save the photo ops for later, and head straight to the Palace entrance first</b>.</i> Once we got to the entrance of the palace, all the a lar cart admissions for various exhibitions, and a very long line getting into the main palace were aggravatingly confusing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It took us awhile to figure out which line was for the Palace admissions. Of course it was the longest line right in front of the Palace main entrance. 10 minutes after we were in line, a staff member announced something in Russian. People waiting in line looked annoyed by the announcement and some left. We were confused and tried to get some answers. Another staff member used broken English explained that the ticket booth was closed. Not willing to give up so easily, we went back to the announcer again for more information. It must be our lucky day, because the announcer actually pointed to the main entrance and gestured us to go in! We were like two VIPs in the New York night clubs scene, walking through the crowd, and going straight past the red velvet rope!! What just happened??</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once we got in to pay for admissions, we realized what a great timing we had. Turned out, it was 11:55 AM, and the ticket office was about to close. We were the last visitors in the morning! If we would have been turned away, we would probably have missed the palace after coming all the way to the Peterhof. I could not believe our luck! </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">THANK YOU, GOD!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The interior of the Palace reflected the Russian Royality's aesthetic preference with a lot of intricate details and gold plated panels. However, since photography was not allowed, I could not remember much. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We tried to figure out how to get to the upper garden after the palace, but it did not seem that the upper garden was open to the public at the time of our visit. So we went back to the lower garden for more water fountains. It was a really hot day, and we saw quite a few Russian women all decked out with high heels in the garden. I was impressed!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By 2:30 PM, we were back in St. Petersburg and on our way to Peter & Paul Fortress. Personally, if I never visit another fortress for the rest of my life, I would not miss it. It just does not excite me. However, H loves it and I was happy to go with him. It was pretty neat to visit the Cathedral seeing the actual tombs of all the Russian Czars and their families. The </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Trubetskoy Bastion was another </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">captivating</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> site for us to get a glimpse of the turbulent Russian past. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After Peter & Paul Fortress, we went back to the hotel for a quick break. Our legs were hurting with all the walking we had done the past few days. But there were still a lot to see and we still had the whole night ahead of us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We dragged our tired feet out of our comfortable bed. (Seriously, the W bed and blanket were the MOST comfortable ones we slept in! Obviously we were not the only ones who felt this way because the W actually sells their beds & blankets <a href="http://www.whotelsthestore.com/index.asp">online</a>.) The evening started out with the visit to <a href="http://eng.cathedral.ru/raspisanie">St. Isaac Cathedral</a>. Although we only had 5 days in St. Petersbug, but coming to visit in the summer time had its advantage. Everything opened late, and the sun was out until midnight, so we were able to do so much more in one day. <i><b>Tip: </b></i></span><i><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The opening hours for Cathedral and colonnade walkway varies depending on the time of the year you visit, and the admission fees were higher if you visit after 6 PM. Check the website for accurate information. </span></b></i>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">St. Issac Cathedral was one of the most impressive cathedrals we have ever seen. It was grand and majestic. After we toured the inside of the Cathedral, we decided to have dinner before returning for the</span> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">colonnade walkway. </span>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://elbagroup.ru/restoran/">Restoran</a> was on Vasilevsky Island, a short walk from St. Isaac Cathedral. As soon as I walked into the restaurant, I fell in love with it's </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">minimalistic</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and elegant decor</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. Although our server was struggling with English, he was attentive and made great suggestions on what to order. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since Restoran has an extensive appetizer selections, we skipped the main course and ordered several appetizers. It was really a lot more fun to sample different dishes this way. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><b>Russian Collection </b>-<b> </b>Salmon tar-tar with pike caviar, vinaigratte with sprat, forshmak, olivier with veal. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I loved the pike caviar! It was similar to the flying fish roe in Sushi restaurants. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Zakuska</b> - lard, onion, garlic.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was H's favorite dish. The server mentioned this dish usually would be ordered with vodkas. I could see that the salty jerky texture like lard being the perfect match for vodka drinking. </span><br />
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<i style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Solyanka</b> - Country style fish soup (Left)</i><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><b>Pancake with salmon caviar & Sour-cream</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Salmon caviar had a much stronger fishy flavor. I wanted to order the sturgeon caviar instead, but with the heavy tag of more than $200 per plate, I simply could not stomach it. However, </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I did like the combination of caviar, sour cream and pancake together. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Dessert: Kissel - </b>berries jelly with cream</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Cranberry, Siberian buckthorn, and pepper vodka.</i></span>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cranberry vodka was my favorite one. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">H and I love to share dishes when we dine out. In New York restaurants, we often have to request for extra plates and utensils when we share dishes. Coming to Russia, we did not expect the service to be good. To our surprise, the service had been exceptional in most of the restaurants we went. Every dish that we shared were split and served on two plates. A new set of utensils was provided for every new dish. I almost felt bad for all the extra work our server had to do with us sharing dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was glad to walk off the meal by climbing to the top of St. Isaac Cathedral. It was around 11 PM and the Sun slowly came down over the horizon and cast a golden glow over the city of St. Petersburg. The city from this angle was serene and beautiful, in an understated and nostalgic way.... </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NEXT: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2012/09/russia-st-petersburg-74.html" target="_blank">Russia - St. Petersburg 7.4</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>PREVIOUS: <a href="http://eatflyandplay.blogspot.com/2012/08/russia-st-petersburg-72.html">Russia - St. Petersburg 7. 2</a></b></span></div>
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JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153446570343013109.post-55090027711843109312012-08-12T21:06:00.002-04:002012-08-28T09:55:36.138-04:00Russia - St. Petersburg 7.2<br />
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Kilikia Restaurant</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Nevsky Prospekt </b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Kupetz Eliseevs Gourmet Store</b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mariinsky Theatre</b></span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Did it ever happen to you when you travel that there were days when you just could not get anything done for one reason or another? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This day was THAT day for us. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite a morning call at 10 AM, we still managed to leave the hotel around noon. Yesterday around this time, we already went to the airport, got our luggage back, and ready to head out again! I blamed it on H as he was taking his sweet time getting acquainted with the hotel toilet if you know what I mean....</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, the sky was cloudy like yesterday morning, and we were debating whether we should bring an umbrella or not. Since H carried an umbrella for nothing yesterday, he decided to chance it and not bring one. Of course you know what happened next. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We headed straight to <a href="http://en.restoran.ru/spb/detailed/restaurants/kilikia/">Kilikia restaurant</a> to try Armenian food for lunch as we were both hungry. The food was mediocre at best, so I am not going into too much details. Bottom line: Don't bother. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the time we finished lunch, it was pouring cats and dogs. We had to ask the restaurant manager to call a taxi for us so we could go back to the hotel to get an umbrella. Once again, I blamed H for not bringing an umbrella in the first place. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, after we went back to the hotel and got the umbrella, the Sun had came out. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We decided to visit the Russian Museum in the afternoon. As we were trying to buy the tickets to get in, the credit card machine was not working, we did not have enough cash, and the museum ATM machine would not take our bank cards. Oh yes, I blamed it on H when I suggested getting more cash earlier, and he thought it was not necessary. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you can imagine, H was having SO MUCH FUN today. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and we had tickets for the Ballet at 7 PM. The day was pretty much a bust. We gave up any attempt for sightseeing, and just walked along Nevsky Prospekt</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> people watching and window shopping. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was our third day in St. Petersburg, and a couple of things had caught our attention:</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>1. Russians love flowers. </b></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First day when we came out of the airport custom, we saw many Russian men holding </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bouquets</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> of flowers waiting for their loved ones. There were many flower stands/shops in the city. It was a common sight to see couples walking on the street with woman holding a bouquet. Who knew Russian men were so sweet and romantic. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2. Russian women are gorgeous. </b>This should not come as a surprise, we all know that already. But walking on the streets of St. Petersburg, not only there were many tall, blond, beautiful women, most Russian women were also very fashion conscious. We saw many women walking on the street with full makeup, 8 inches stilettos, and dressed to the nines during the broad daylight. I definitely felt under dressed!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>3. Parking on the sidewalks. </b>This one was a bit confusing, we saw a lot of cars parked on the sidewalks in all directions. Is it legal to park on the sidewalk in Russia? </span><br />
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Drinking on the streets. </b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Drinking in public is illegal in the US, so it was really fascinating to see many people carrying bottles of wines/liquors/beers on the streets drinking in public.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had passed </span><a href="http://www.kupetzeliseevs.ru/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kupetz Eliseevs</a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">gourmet</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> store the day before and I was drawn to the colorful window display right away. There were the beautiful stained glass windows. Inside the store, the whimsical huge pineapple was in the middle of the store with chandeliers hanging from the leaves, which made the surrounding tables more so inviting. The cold cuts, caviar, or dozens of various desserts looked enticing. I am a total sucker for ambiance, so it was a no brainier for us to take our coffee break at Kupetz Eliseevs this afternoon. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After the coffee break and a quick nap back in our hotel room, it was time to head out again for the white night festival ballet performance at the Marrinskly Theatre. It was the premiere of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_jeune_homme_et_la_mort">Le Jeune Homme et La Mort</a>. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that I didn't like it. I was hoping to see the classical ballet, and Le Jeune Homme et La Mort was not. After the intermission, we were seated for a long time and the curtain would not open. The audience grew impatient and started clapping several times trying to get the performance started. Finally, we knew the reason for the holdups. After the VIPs returned back to their box seats, lights were dimmed, curtains were lifted, and the performance finally began. I was really aggravated! How could the theatre make all these people wait for a few inconsiderate A-holes? </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udNYKuW-nIY/UAYVJQvUJOI/AAAAAAAANMQ/ZWQadN4pLQ4/s1600/IMG_0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udNYKuW-nIY/UAYVJQvUJOI/AAAAAAAANMQ/ZWQadN4pLQ4/s640/IMG_0760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, the second part of the ballet was better. Although there was no story lines, we got to see the dancers' skills and techniques. I wish we could have seen a classical ballets such as the Nutcrackers or Swan Lake. </span><br />
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<br />JCNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02369173773558697008noreply@blogger.com0