Misguided Update to Personal Blog that Very Quickly Goes Awry

Well ain't this a mess.
Actually had to put effort into finding this sink hole of a blog again.
You know when you crack open the high school yearbook with the family and everyone comments on what a handsome young man you were then, but really they're trying to be nice once they see your face contort with cringing shame?
 THAT IS THIS BLOG. MY CRINGING SHAME. AND I WAS VALEDICTORIAN.

Much of the time I hear comments from people about how funny my personality is. Setting aside the simple jabs of being dropped on my head as a child, I often wonder if I do have a fetching, humorous personality that attracts people to me... Or if the people I attract are just simple minded and easily entertained by simple jabs.
Maybe being dropped on the head is the proper way to go and the non-skull fractured persons are unusually bland and stunted. Does that make me superior? Brain-damage induced humor?

I think it does.

Behold! I am the future of mankind! I will lead you unto a new, higher plain of existence and become the masters of this world!

Now throw you babies on the ground.

Solo Traveling Japan Final Day!

As the vacation came to a close i finally found myself wishing for some company. Not due to loneliness, but i wish others could have shared the adventure. I've had so much fun out here on my own that I feel selfish for not sharing!

One thing I had to fight to find was Okonomiyaki - two fried vegetable pancakes with meats
and sauces oozing out between...

I hate to admit to being mopey as i packed up my things and folded up the bedding and Tatami mats for the last time. 

Though for the last time, i'm not so sure.

Japan has always been such a soothing place to wander and wonder that its hard to stay away for long.

Of the most impressive sights of Japan, the simple things were the most amazing. Streets being swept impeccably clean every day ranks among them. You really don't appreciate how clean and beautified every street, sidewalk and railway is until you go elsewhere and immediately see junk and litter constantly rolling across your feet.

Same goes for the people. Just so well mannered- not in the way that they talk or bow but just in the way they walk and drive and live. 

No one is in such a hurry that they are pushing to get where they're going. Cars don't cut off, horns don't honk, bodies don't bump when you cross paths in the street.

I've been to a lot of places in the last two years, but Japan has been the only place where I could walk along the streets of major metropolitan centers yet feel overwhelmed by the serenity and refinement of the city and its people.

Temples amoungst towers amoungst sky scrappers. A most indicative sight.

A little bit of traveling solitude makes you really learn to live well with yourself. After just these four days I honestly couldn't be happier (except for when I bust out all those Duty Free goodies!).

 I would have felt cheated if it weren't for this trip ending my time abroad in such a positive way. I'll more than likely return one way or another but at least now I can fully say without any regret or remorse-

I'm ready to come home~

Solo in Japan Day 3

Japan Day 3

Okay so here's the DL. Some people may be antsy about it or it might seem rather unnatural, but so far i've come to LOVE traveling solo.

No places to be unless I want to be there. No obligated sights to see unless I really want to see it. Everything is at my pace and is for my own entertainment. No one to tell me "No Ben you just took that out of the garbage bin, you can't eat that!"

Total freedom. Gotta love it.

Its been a self-serving and indulgent few days. Finally the last day of the Osaka leg.

With the OSAKA UNLIMITED tour pass that i bought, there were literally HUNDREDS (more like 30) sites of free access museums and palaces and gardens that i could have gone to. Not to mention loads of discounts on all the best places in each district.

In the end, I used two free passes and one discount coupon.

All good though since the unlimited free rides on the subway made the pass more than worthwhile. Though instead of going to a new district and riding on old boats and climbing crowded towers- I went to the mall. A real proper mall. First one i've been to in.... nearly 3 years? It was just as showy and noisy as all the other ones back home. Everyone dresses their best just to be seen and goes looking around just to look at things.

Still, self indulgence has a great many benefits. Main one- it makes me happy! Spent the better part of two hours just searching for a serviceable pair of jeans. And guess what?

Found the best fitting pairs EVER. OHMAGAUUUD!

This however is not it.

Still, rather proud of myself to have bought some good clothes without the pestering of a woman to tell me yea or nay. Just believe me when I say its good.

The short and long of it is that i had a great time getting lost in Osaka, but time was that I move on to the second leg of the trip. Time to visit the more atmospheric parts of Japan- meaning Kyoto.

The following day was eventful.

As eventful as 8 hours of walking in silence can be. 

But these older places, the ones shaped with regality- yes they are designed to hook a stampede of tourists with its water downed relics and over stylized sights for thousands of foreign folks to "Ooo" and "Ahh" at...

BUT! 

Those imitations are far superior to any 'authentic' tours I've experienced.

Sights like the Bamboo Grove of Arashiyama.

A whole park with walkways surrounded by thickets of bamboo. Set right outside the major vendor streets, its often stuffed with crowds.

Not so during the bitter cold dawn. Just as you see here, not a soul in sight except those scuttering through the branches.

Not quite in the park itself but just up the next mountain was the Japanese Monkey Park.

A little reserve where the Macaques live in observation but more by choice than captivity. Technically, these fellas live all throughout the mountains and can go where they please- humans are just allowed to pass through.

They're rather used to humans so its no bother to walk right beside them. You could very well sit down and have a chat if you wanted. May as well too since they're happy for the company of new travelers- as long as you've got treats.

As soon as the snacks are gone they're off to sulk.
At least until the next visitor arrives.

There really is so much more to say of Kyoto. The places and sights and foods and people (yes I actually talked with people) but i'm not desperate to share every last bit of it. Because it was my vacation. My time. I wasn't (completely) joking when i said i loved the freedom of solo travel.

I spent my final evening soaking in the hot springs for what might be my last time in a long time. And I can really say i'm content with life this way.

Eventually i'll come home- but i'm more than tempted to take the long way around and spend some months traveling still...

Soloing Japan Day 2

First off let me just say that its always a good day  when you see something new and unique. And that certainly happened today. Most specifically, i saw a 60 year old woman playing Animal Crossing DS on the train today. It was so precious to see her go at it and get so into it and be just as enraptured in her device as all the other young-uns on board.

Sadly to say she's hopeless at catching butterflys. Pick up the pace gram, that museum isn't gonna beautify itself!

Truly though its been an exhausting day and i'm ready to call it quits. MAN! Vacationing is haaaaaard.

So much fried food and a great view from the top.
Now if only they were open on a Sunday morning...

I was on my feet sightseeing nearly all day. Seriously.  8 - 8. AM to PM. trotting along the trails or standing in the trains for practically the whole time. Not to mention LOST most of the time, but that's really how you get around new places- being hopelessly lost in them.

Other unique things i actually spoke with  today were a gaggle of Korean Girlies, also on vacation and from Daegu of all places too! So we chatted in Korean and took pictures and posed like PSY. The whole shebang. 





















We split soon after as our groups separately ( them in theirs, I in mine) explored Osaka Castle and its surrounding gardens.

Graciously gorgeous and wonderful to see even in the dreary winter season. A castle park as big as three city blocks! The different areas all with their own histories and stories (all of  which i've forgot but that's what pamphlet are for, right?)

The castle heights making a genuinely worthwhile view of the city. (And i'll just say now, WOW. Japan has a ton of tall buildings. I've been through big cities before and seen how the business sectors are always the high rise areas- but UUUAAAAOOOOUUU its like these thing keep getting propped up like a metalwork game of Jenga......which admittedly is not the best analogy but i am honest about how big these things seem to get.

The entire castle grounds was so amazing! I'll be sure to visit again with an actual translator!

My plan for the rest of the day was to head to the Umeda Sky Garden and get another eyeful from  a 80-story viewing platform. So i got off the nearest station and trotted around thinking I just had to walk in the general direction and find the biggest building, right? right.

Doofas. I had to quit looking or otherwise risk being lost and walking all the way back to Korean.

And let me say right now, the Japanese as a society are GREAT at many A thing. Amazing food, beautiful architecture, heroic history-

And did i mention the amazing food?

Something they're terrible at? Making maps.

GOD DAAAYUM  these  people lack common sense when it comes to making instructions. I was lost for three hours- THREE HOURS- because i was a big enough fool to forget my own wits and trust the directions offered by local maps. The fault in this? None of these maps are oriented in the same direction.

WHAT BACKWARDS BROKEN SOCIETY MAKES A MODERN DAY MAP WITH >NORTH< POINTING TO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER!?

Its barbaric.

Its unspeakable.

Its unforgivable.

And its my fault for expecting the world to make sense.

Hell, even when I did ask a guy for directions- he sure as hell didn't know which way to point me. He had to stop three more grandmas to ask which way to go on my behalf, and none of them were quite sure where they were.

Next thing you know we got a possie all huddled around  my map and  the boys phone GPS all trying to make sense of it. Bless their souls to Heaven and back but lack of direction must just be an inherent Japanese trait. Cuz guess how far I had to go....

Three blocks up and around the corner.

Embarrassing revelation and pain in the ass to find but once that was finally figured out I could rest these sore feet at a great Royokan Sauna (for free thanks to the tour package i bought) and just melted away in those hot baths in the cool night breeze. Especially breezy  since it was located at the top floor of a ten story Pachinko and Gambling hall - another fact they failed to mention on either the property listings or the maps on hand.

That melted all my troubles away- and as it did i came to the blasphemous conclusion that it may well be my last experience in a bath house for quite some time. They really are not common amoungst the US and even more so in Oregon and the west coast.

Where else am I going to find a bath tub I fit in though!? Life truly is cruel.

How cruel? Take a look at this sweet display. Absolutely delicious and completely out of reach...  

The only way to ease my suffering is by turning in early under the influence of 200Yen Whiskey, sleep in till 11, go to the cool districts i neglected today, eat fried foods, shop, buy gifts, and spend the evening on a slow train to Kyoto to crash at the next hostel.

OH THE AGONY!

Soloing Japan Day 1

Day 1 of Japanese trip.

The first day of travel. Flying solo to and through Japan on an end of the year excursion. Why? Because I deserve it! So i'm i'm looking forward to the fun, the food and the finds!

Yet, most of the day has been of waiting and reading.

Waiting on the Bus.

Waiting on another bus.

Waiting in the terminal.

Waiting on the plane - the train- the station until i can finally crash in the guesthouse.

Last view from school. Most exciting part of my day.
The rest was spent sitting...

WHEW!

But over all its been a good simple day. 

We all need days away from the distractions of home and out of our comfort zones. And i'm glad to say i'm not too put off by being here. Quite the contrary. Upon entering Japan, everything has taken on a tinge of brighter colors.

Better designed posters and station platforms and general populace apparel. 

And its quiet. 

AND IT DOESN'T SMELL! (as bad. but come on its still the city).

I digress. Finding my hostel was easy enough. I'm killer at directions when i need to be. Got a natural sense about such things.

Of course once I found the place and met the cute desk clerk girly- i was adamantly hopeless with directions and suddenly found myself in dire need of her directions.

Quaint and easy to talk with (by which i mean flirt with) though i'm ashamed to admit i've forgotten her name already. It was something cute and sweet that sounded like su-shi but I can get by with common pronouns until i get a firm grip on her name.

Theres something i'm in dire need of improving. Invest in memorizing names. I don't want to be that guy that just pretends he knows everyone- up until he has to introduce them to others- and then panics and poisons the party punch so no one will every know of his secret...

BUT I DIGRESS AGAIN! Spent the evening trotting around, getting a feel for the area and flirting with shu-si as she pointed out must see places for the 'morrow. Invited her along as my personal map reader. She eventually caught on that I was half-serious. (hey, i wasn't lying when I said she was cute!) Declined since she's got friends to meet but admitted she 'might' join for the day after.

Unexpeced but a nice thought all the same.

Time to take a quick wash before lights out. Big day tomorrow. Lots of places to trod.

I'm gonna need new shoes...

First time I've eaten here in years- Its my vacation! Don't judge!!

Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Tour.

Alls this...

Fit in THIS!

Of the first two days in Vietnam I can say that it is far grungier than I expected. I knew it wouldn't be anything like Japan or Korea or even Malaysia, but its so different it surpassed every expectation I had- including how much fun i'd have.

Of course it was a third world country and technical communist in their political stance- those being two major things you're taught to fear in America, but it was no trouble. I was just another foreigner for merchants to pan handle to and bargain with, which was kinda nice since i'm poked at in Korea as some kind of mutant.

Cross that I dare you

You often hear hotel clerks caution you against the best pickpockets in the world living in Ho Chi Minh , but I have my doubts. The only occasions I was accosted was buy two amatures with a pitiful story about being "college kids" and wanting to "meet foreigners."


PFFT. Likely story from a young couple walking in the park with backpacks! I'm on high alert and not so easily bought in!

Even so it was easy to stretch a dollar when you're bartering with motorbike taxis and rival waiters vie for patronage between their two adjacent eateries. Saving money was half the adventure itself! The idea of never taking things at face value or accepting the labeled norm has become such a requirement in my recent travels that I'm starting to wonder why I don't argue the price over things like that more often. Hmmm...


Well within our second day we sight saw in Ho chi Minh most especially the war museum- which makes you feel absolutely terrible yet compelled to see every gruesome bit of it.


That whole time period was a intercontinental train wreak and thanks to these houses full of remnants we can review the past follies of each gruesome story. Its a version of a well known history that seems ancient to kids these days (AKA me) but blindly believing the lapse in time makes us immune to the effects of slaughter risks dehumanizing the suffering of real people. Then and now.


I Like  believe I'm not  so callous.



The most surprising article of the museum were the memorabilia posters from third party nations that rallied AGAINST the USA, such as Japan and Russia. Back then the fight was pretty two dimensional, but seeing it from the other dimension certainly makes a difference.

There were plenty of other palaces and towers and cathedrals to see, but the height of the Ho Chi Minh circuit was spending evenings out with other travelers and drinking on the cheap. but the food - OH THE FOOD! Generally Spectacular, including the sweet-spicy frog porridge. No Cajun frog legs here- nothing so meaty. Its every bit of the tiny pond hoppers that end up on your plate. but Oh man that was sweet culinary justice against all the fermented soy I've been suffering by in Korea. 

We knew we were in for a great treat after that, and so day 3 approached and before heading north to the next great adventure, we made a side trek to the Meekong Delta, the true country roots of the south.

Just a small outing on a crystal clear river

Then to a Coconut Candy factory where the samples were still warm and chewy.

Observed a harvest up close

And even got cozy with some local wild life.

With such a varying experience after only a few days i was already feeling worn out, but soon enough we'd have a whole new wild, unforgettable and slightly regrettable experience waiting just around the bend, though if you want THAT story, you'll have to ask in person...

About to Depart

As i sit at my desk on Monday August 5th and double check all the final packings and preparations for my major trip I think of how oddly afraid yet at peace I am. If you could blend the two together like a milkshake you'd get a smooth anxiety frappe.

Its the first major trip of nearly- indipendant country roaming, though hopefully not the last. Its a major excursion as far as my previous excursions go- though now it seems i'm just psyching myself out... But even when We first left for Korea, I walked that terminal gate alone but by the time we landed I had met at least 5 others who were in my position. I'll never forget all the brave faces of those nervous kids, myself included, when we landed in Inchon Airport and practically tiptoed through the foreign halls of the terminal before finding the major meeting site for all the affiliated teachers.

That first night was spent on my own though. Having a separate meeting time the next day I had to pull myself up by the britches and book my own hostel ahead of time. (And when I say book my own I mean trust my contracting agency to not screw me over when they booked one for me.)

Even when our College Choir toured through Europe we had constant guides and daily agendas.

Even in the Philippines for our fake honeymoon we were corralled like cattle here and there, often to the cheapest and blandest of restaurants and sites. The adventure was to slip away and discover what we could in those few hours of freedom.

Its the same but this time its different.


11 days of freedom to roam.

And of course whats a roamer without his roaming cap?

No schedule, no agenda, no strict list of things to see or places to be. Just two guys and an open, new, foreign country to explore.

It'll be dangerous. Which of course is half the attraction. Everyone needs a bit of danger on their adventure and being in the most unadventurous town for as long as I have- lets just say we've got to even it out.

It's impossible to know whats gonna happen but the most I can promise myself and others is this: I'll try my best to keep my head on my shoulders. Keeping an eye on my pack, people and surroundings as much as possible.

I trust my travel companion completely so i'll watch his back as much as he watches mine.

He's practically an Angel he is - only the most trivial of character flaws. Honest!

 Won't take unnecessary risks, though favorable risks with potential payoffs are open game~

And I'll try my best to come back alive. Which is only meant to be half sarcasm. Though I am naturally cautios, These last two years have been so stuffed with new and wild experiences that i'm not so paralyzed by the potential dangers anymore. Keeping god friends close and a clear head is key- but as long as we enjoy this short life adventure no matter what happens will be worth it.