Arriving in Jeju Jeju Island is located off the southern coast of South Korea. It’s known as the “Hawaii of Korea” because of its volcanic formation and natural beauty. Jeju is the most popular honeymoon destination for Koreans. We caught…
Busan, Part 2
Haeundae Beach Haeundae Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Korea. In the summertime, it’s packed with people and umbrellas — but when we visited, the beach was nearly deserted even though it was 80 degrees outside. Sunny…
Busan, Part 1
Ferry to Korea We took the JR Beetle ferry from Fukuoka, Japan to Busan, Korea. The boat is a hydrofoil so it “flies” out of the water on little stilts. It took about 3 hours to cross the Tsushima Strait.…
Fukuoka & Kagoshima
Arriving at Our Hotel – Sky Court Hakata We arrived at our hotel in Fukuoka to find that our room had a rather spooky view. Spooky View… Is it Drafty in Here? Fukuoka Ramen Fukuoka has a unique style of…
Hiroshima
Okonomiyaki We stopped for the local specialty in Hiroshima — Okonomiyaki. It’s a cabbage, noodle and egg pancake covered in a special sauce. Okonomiyaki, Yum! A-Bomb Dome & Hiroshima Peace Park The Hiroshima Peace Park is a monument to those…
Nara
Arriving in Nara We got off our train in Nara, dropped our stuff off at the front desk of the hotel, and went straight to the famous deer park. We snapped these photos along the walk. Art in the Park…
Kyoto, Part 2
Yamazaki-ya Ryokan We stayed at Yamazaki-Ya for our last two nights in Kyoto. It was a beautiful Ryokan tucked away in the hills of northwestern Kyoto. We were surrounded by traditional Japanese gardens and a stream right outside our window.…
Kyoto, Part 1
Tanaka-ya Ryokan We arrived in the late afternoon in Kyoto and checked into our accommodation, Tanaka-ya Ryokan. Ryokan are traditional Japanese guest houses and Tanaka-ya was a great place to stay in the heart of old Kyoto. Entrance to Tanaka-ya…
The Most Hi-Tech Toilet, Ever
Here it is, the most technologically advanced toilet in the world. This is the future.
Nagano
Train to Nagano The train to Nagano was our first experience on the Shinkansen bullet train. We used our JR Pass (we can take unlimited trains for 2 weeks) and it was very convenient to get on. The train itself…