Kawah Ijen
Posted May 19, 2012 / By Adam and Amanda / 1 Comment
I just want to go ahead and say that descending into Kawah Ijen was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. For as long as I can remember, I have had a dream to someday visit an alien planet. I think Kawah Ijen is as close as I will ever …
Seminyak, Bali
Posted May 12, 2012 / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
Ubud is beautiful and cultural rich but it lacks one thing: a beach. We didn’t want to leave Bali without checking out it’s legendary beaches so we headed down the coast to Seminyak for a few nights. Seminyak is a couple town away from the world famous Kuta beach. Kuta is the probably the most …
Ubud, Bali
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 1 Comment
After so much non stop sightseeing in Japan, we were really looking forward to a chance to slow down and relax a bit in Bali. I sent an email to Wayan, the owner of Bali Gen Bungalows which was the same place that stayed in 2006. Baligen is secluded, family-run group of bungalows in Ubud, …
Nara
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
Nara is the site of the largest Buddha in Japan, the Daibutsu. The temple of Todaiji is the largest wooden building in the world and the Buddha inside is the largest bronze building in the world. Nara is also famous for its large population of deer that wander around the temple grounds. For a small …
Kobe
Posted May 11, 2012 / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
We knew it would be expensive but Amanda and I discussed it for a few days and decided that since we were so close, we should splurge on a meal of real Kobe beef. We had heard of a good place called Mouriya so we took the 30 minute train ride into Kobe from Osaka …
Hiroshima
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
Hiroshima is pretty close to Osaka so it was easy to take a day trip there. Near the center of town is the A-Bomb Dome, which is one of the few remaining buildings that was left standing after the bomb was dropped. We also went to the memorial museum which was a powerful experience and …
Osaka
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
It’s hard to describe Osaka, but I could totally live there. It was mostly leveled during WWII, so it doesn’t have as much ancient culture as some other cities, but it more than makes up for it with its Blade Runner-esque nightscapes and its unique blend of pop/ Japanese hipster culture, music scene, and nightlife. …
Food Interlude
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
No matter which country we are traveling in, sampling the local cuisine is one of our favorite things to do. This was taken to a whole new level in Japan. We knew that we loved Japanese food from back home, but I think we were a bit unprepared for the vast variety of different culinary …
Tsumago-Magome
Posted / By Adam and Amanda / 1 Comment
Tsumago and Magome are two small villages along the old Edo post road which stretches from modern day Tokyo to Kyoto. They have been historically preserved that residents are forbidden from selling, renting or destroying their property. We had heard great things from our friend Ilene before we left, so we were really excited to …
Furukawa Naked Man Festival
Posted May 9, 2012 / By Adam and Amanda / 0 Comments
Japan is known for it’s crazy festivals and Furukawa may just have the craziest of all. The Furukawa Matsuri (festival) is also known as the naked man festival. During the day, different neighborhoods around the town all prepare their beautiful wooden floats and decorate them with lanterns. Children climb up inside onto the roof and …