Christmas Without The Snow

It's Christmas season again and those of us who currently live, or previously lived, in the Northeast know exactly what that means. You can expect lots of snow, ice, shoveling, and frigid cold to go along with your holiday cheer. For the past few years I've either toughed it out in the frozen tundra of NYC or high-tailed it back to the Caribbean to get some sunshine. This year I plan on doing something a little different. Instead of heading back home for my entire vacation I've decided to share myself equally among a few of the islands so none of them gets too jealous. (The map to the left doesn't include St. Vincent and I am trying not to be offended, while also being too lazy to find another one.)

Over the next 9 days I'll be hopping from Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten/St Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent, and Barbados. There is nothing better than the Caribbean, but experiencing multiple islands in one vacation sure comes close. Most of these islands are known for incredible beaches and snorkeling, two things I love doing, and I plan on getting as much as I can.

Some of the most famous beaches in the world can be found in the Caribbean. They include Magen's Bay in St. Thomas, any of the 365 beaches on Antigua, Orient Bay in St Martin, and Grand Anse beach in Grenada. I've also heard that Snorkeling in Grenada is not to be missed and I certainly don't plan on missing it.

I wish everyone an great holiday season and the best for the new year. Let's all enjoy it.

READ MORE >

Monet and Jazz

What could be better than impressionism and cool Jazz, well maybe many things. Nonetheless, this evening I got to put those two great works of art together for an entertaining night on the town in Tokyo. First up was an exhibition of some of Claude Monet's artwork at Bunkamura in Shibuya, Tokyo. The exhibition has just opened and the crowds haven't caught wind of it yet so the viewing was quite enjoyable. Admittedly most of Monet's more famous works were missing from the exhibition but that's to be expected. Along with Monet there were pieces from John Breck, Theodore Butler and other impressionists and paintings of Giverny. Some were certainly more interesting than others, but all were worth a look.

After leaving the art exhibition I headed to Body & Soul in Aoyama to end the night with some live jazz and ox cheek, more on the ox later. Body & Soul is a cozy little jazz bar and restaurant located in Aoyama just a few minutes walk from Omotesando station. The cover is a bit steep for the performance, but that's how it goes for live performance in this town it seems. For dinner I went with the ox cheek, I am more of a ox tail man but tonight I made the exception. Plus there was no ox tail on the menu. The cheeks were pretty good and I'll definitely order it again if I ever encounter it on a menu. To end the post in the right mood, here is a clip from the opening number at the bar, enjoy.

READ MORE >

Sitting On Top Of Tokyo

One of the great things about winter in Japan is that the skies clear up and you can see into the horizon without obstruction. This is true for daytime, but it's especially true at night. On any given winter night if you can get high enough you'll be able to see the splendor that is Tokyo, and tonight was no exception. I ventured to the top of Roppongi Hills, the same building that houses the Google offices, to the 52nd floor observatory and spent the evening relaxing to an unexpected musical performance and starring into the night's sky

The building sits on top of Roppongi in Tokyo, a hill famous for its nightlife. Even though the building is nowhere as tall as the Tokyo tower, from its position on top of the hill it certainly feels that way. As you can see from the photo above I was looking down at the Tokyo tower which is amazingly lit as always.

The area directly below is also extremely well decorated with the street-level tree line wrapped in festive winter lights. Time seems to fly by when you're at the top of Roppongi Hills without a care in the world and it was a very enjoyable night. But what really made the night special was the unexpected and very welcomed performance of an up-and-coming Japanese R&B singer, Meajyu. I've included some video clips below for your enjoyment. The video could have been better, but I didn't have my HD recorder with me. Enjoy.

READ MORE >

J-League (Japan Soccer League)

It was Saturday December 4th. The weather was fair, the sky was clear, and even though it was a little chilly it was a great day in December. This was certainly a day to take in some Japanese sporting action, and what better sport to watch than soccer? With my HD video recorder and dSLR in hand I traveled south out of Tokyo to Yokohama to watch the three time J-League champions Yokohama F. Marinos take on the not so successful Omiya Ardija at the Nissan International Stadium in Yokohama.

The fans were as energetic as I've seen at any international soccer game. The stadium atmosphere was top notch, and to top it off I managed to nab some great seats at midfield on the fifth row. Watching a soccer game doesn't get better than that, unless of course you're on the field itself. One thing I found interesting was that the fans, who were 99% Japanese, chanted in English for the entire game. They chanted theme songs of Premier League teams like Man U and Chelsea. This was both very funny and entertaining.

As for the game itself, well let's just say it wasn't exactly premier cup or Series A, but those guys played their hearts out and gave a good show. Below are some clips from the game itself.

READ MORE >

Kamakura

Just 31 miles south-south-west of Tokyo you'll find the small city of Kamakura in Kanagawa, Japan. The city is filled with many historically significant temples and shrines. On any given weekend it's bustling with tourists from all walks of life, though mostly Japanese. Kamakura has been on my list of places to visit for some time now and I finally got the chance to go down there this weekend to check it out. It's a short 1 hour train ride from Shibuya station in Tokyo and there are both direct and multi-train options to get you there. In short, I found Kamakura to be as pleasurable to visit as Kyoto, but without the two and a half hour bullet train ride or the massive crowds getting in the way.

Once I arrived at the Kamakura train station it wasn't very intuitive to figure out where to go from there, mostly because I couldn't read the signs in Japanese. However, once I figured it out getting around was surprisingly easy. Everything is in walking distance, if you don't mind 30 minute walks, and you can travel from one major site to the next without needed an auto, maps, or even directions in my case.

First on the site seeing tour was Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, it's the major and most important Shinto shrine in Kamakura and was originally built in 1063. Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū is the geographical and cultural center of Kamakura and is one of the best shrines I've seen thus far. The shrine has a lovely approach which gives it a feeling of grandeur on a large scale. One thing I love about the various major shrines is their scale and size. The grounds of the shrine are as important and as impressive as the historical buildings themselves and is a pleasure to explore.

After the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū shrine I walked around the surrounding shops

and restaurants just outside the shrine grounds. The residents have done a nice job of filling the natural tourist path around the city with places to eat and things to buy. I ate at one of the nearby restaurants which looked like a converted home and was very cozy. The waitstaff seemed like family and the food was great for the price.

After lunch it was time to head to the Great Buddha, or daibutsu, at Kootoku-in. The site was about a 25-30 minute walk from Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and I got there without direction or a map, both of which would have helped.

"The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha located at the Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The bronze statue probably dates from 1252, in the Kamakura period, according to temple records." - Wikipedia

The Buddha was an impressive sight to behold. It's large scale can only be appreciated in person as it towers over you from 13 meters high. The grounds of the buddha is very well kept and monitored and even though there were crowds there it still felt tranquil.

Sadly, I wasn't able to see much more of Kamakura after daibutsu. The other shrines closed down at 4:30PM, at which point I walked around a bit more before heading back to the train station then back to Tokyo. I plan on revisiting Kamakura to catch the other sites, and since it's less than an hour away it should make another great day trip in the future.

Update: The following day president Obama visits Kamakura as well and goes to the Buddha statue. Even more, he had ice cream just like I did - probably vanilla too. Why is he always trying to bite my style?

READ MORE >

Yokohama Hakkeijima Seaparadise

Who doesn't like fishes? Either you enjoy watching them swim about playfully in the sea, or more likely in a tank, or you're a huge fan of eating them. Either way, we all love fishes of all sizes and some of us even pretend to be a fish every now and then. Well with that in mind I strapped on my wetsuit and headed to the Hakkeijima Seaparadise in Yokohama.

"Hakkeijima Seaparadise is a leisure land surrounded by nature. It is located at the tip of Yokohama Bay and is a new generation style amusement park. It is the home of one of the top aquariums in Japan. There is Japan's first surf coaster that swings out over the ocean..."

Long story short Seaparadise is a lower budget Seaworld in need of some renovation. Considering the stellar condition of most things in Japan it was a bit surprising how out of date the facilities were. Thankfully though the fishes were all up to date and still living.

The park is a pain to get to from Tokyo and took about an hour and a half from my apartment.

Yes, that's nothing by NYC standards but it's plenty when you consider how close everything is to me here. Now I know how Manhattanites must feel when you tell them to meet you in Brooklyn. It took about 3 or 4 train transfers then a long 15 minute walk to get to the actual park, even though Yokohama is less than 30 minutes away from Tokyo. The animals in the park were worth the trip however and the whale shark was impressive. Below are some of the animals from the aquarium for your entertainment.

READ MORE >

Tokyo Disney

A thorough trip to Tokyo can never be complete without a stop at Tokyo Disney. The resort is about 40 minutes away from Tokyo station and easily accessible by public transportation. I decided to head out to Disney just to compare it to Disneyland in CA. There was absolutely no cosmetic difference except for the size. Tokyo Disney is even smaller than Disneyland. Those of you who are used to Disney World Resort would feel a bit claustrophobic at Tokyo Disney and the park experience will be over in a few hours. It was still a great novelty to ride "It's a small world" in Japan and the park is just as fun as any in the world. As an added bonus I was able to catch some fireworks while I was there. Video below, enjoy.

READ MORE >

Temples of Kyoto

As an amateur photographer I live for the right combination of subject, light, and background. With that said I've never had more of the perfect mixture of all three than over the past few days. This weekend in Kyoto has proven to be one of the most enjoyable landscape photography opportunities that I've ever had and I managed to come away with a few shots that I absolutely love.

The temples where absolutely beautiful and immaculately kept, as I expected. The grounds are exactly as they were centuries ago, or so I was told and believed. Making my way through the various temples and their grounds made me appreciate them more than simply seeing them in a picture. Also I had a very strong appreciation of how sacred these sites are to the Japanese. They're not just tourist traps where the locals try to shake you down for your coin. These sites are still very functional and I felt like I would be voted off the island if I mistakenly touched something that I wasn't suppose to.

There are many shrines and templates in Kyoto and just as many ways to see them all. You can go as fast or as slow as you like. I had a little more than two days to get in as much sightseeing as I could and felt rushed, like I could spend 3 more days and still not see everything. Many people who visit either walk around to the shrines, take the bus, or use a combination of both. Considering I wanted to see as many of the sites as I could I opted to cab it from one temple to another when walking was out of the question. This limited my time spent waiting on the bus and made for some very interesting cab driver conversations. Many of the drivers used the opportunity to practice their English, just like in NYC.

It's hard to pick a favorite of all the templates, so I wouldn't. However, if you do visit Kyoto and have limited time I recommend going with the major templates. If you have time to spear then walking from one shrine to the other is by far the most enjoyable way to experience them. I absolutely plan on coming back to the city to take in more of what it has to offer. For now though I'll have to settle for two days, my photos, and my memories.

READ MORE >

Performing in Kyoto

Kyoto sits at the top of most people's Japan must-see list, both those who live in Japan and those who plan on visiting one day. Fortunately I am in the first group and I'm able to make my way to the city with relative ease. Monday is health and sports day in Japan and this provides the perfect 3 day weekend for a trip. I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and head west (south-west to be exact) to historic city Kyoto for a few days. It was about time I made my way to this part of Japan.

"Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area." - Wikipedia

About 14% of Japan's important cultural properties are in Kyoto city as well as 17 World Heritage Sites. This makes for some incredibly beautiful and inspiring site seeing. From Kinkaku-ji (the golden pavilion) in the north of the city to Ginkaku-ji (the silver pavilion) in the south of the city you can spend a number of days exploring historical sites in Kyoto and not get bored. This of course depends on whether you're into this sort of thing to begin with. However, for someone who enjoys photography like myself it's a breathtaking experience.

My adventure started in Tokyo where I took the Shinkansen, or bullet train, from Tokyo station to Kyoto station. The bullet train is a network of high speed railway lines connecting Japan's major cities. These trains can go as fast as 275MPH although they typical don't pass 186MPH during operation. Riding the Shinkansen is like riding a quiet, spacious airline. However those who can't find a seat tend to stand in the isles or congregate at the

doorway, which was a bit annoying.

Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto via Shinkansen may take as much as 2.5 hours depending on the type of train you use, some trains make less stops. The price also varies by train type. I decided to take the fastest train possible and consequently paid the highest price for a Shinkansen trip to Kyoto. My trip cost about $163 each way and took 2.15 hours which isn't bad for a 230 mile trek across Japan.

The weather wasn't on my side the first night in Kyoto. However, I did arrive just in time to see a great performance of a traditional Japanese opera at a shrine not too far from my hotel. The performance was an unexpected but very welcomed cultural experience. I was one of very few foreigners who happened to encounter the performance and, like most of them, had a taste of the Japanese culture that most people come to Japan to experience.

There were stalls at the shrine that sold some more traditional Japanese snacks like my favorite, grilled rice balls, squid, and chicken. There was also one snack that I thought tasted totally disgusting but all the locals seemed to love.

Minus the rain, my first night in Kyoto was excellent. Once the performance was over it was time to head back to the hotel and get some rest in preparation for a long day of temple hopping tomorrow.

READ MORE >

Sights, Attractions, and Food

This weekend reminded me what an incredible city Tokyo is, as if I need any reminder of that. I started out by cracking open that Tokyo city atlas which I received when I first moved here and headed out to experience and capture some of the best sights, attractions, and food that the city had to offer.

My first stop was breakfast at the Prince Park Tower Hotel, which I consider one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in. The hotel is close to Tokyo Tower, which would be my next stop, and having stayed there in the past I knew their breakfast was worth the trip.

Weekend brunch at the Park Tower is served in the sky lounge which is on the 33rd floor of the hotel overlooking Tokyo Tower and other sights in the city. The food isn't quite amazing, but it's not incredibly pricey either, as you may expect, and it's tasty. I enjoyed the steamed scallops and salmon, and the eggs and pancakes really hit the right spot. Once I was stuffed it was time to get up and walk off all that food. My next stop was Tokyo Tower, which is a quick walk from the Park Tower through the hotel's garden and neighboring shrine (name?).

The hotel sits inside a park and the grounds are very well kept which is one of the hotel's most appealing qualities. I couldn't help myself from stopping and taking a few pics on my way through as I've done in the past, it never gets old. After a few clicks of the shutter is was time to ascend Tokyo Tower, one of the major attractions in the city.

"Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.5 metres (1,091 ft), it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.

Built in 1958, the tower's main sources of revenue are tourism and antenna leasing. Over 150 million people have visited the tower since its opening. FootTown, a 4-story building located directly under the tower, houses museums, restaurants and shops. Departing from here, guests can visit two observation decks. The 2-story Main Observatory is located at 150 meters (492 ft), while the smaller Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 meters (820 ft)." - Wikipedia

I've been to the top of the tower before at night, which is probably an even more amazing experience, but I couldn't help and wonder at the vastness of the city and how peaceful everything looks from above. One of the most distinctive features of Tokyo is the commingling of tall, modern skyscrapers with small, traditional city homes. It gives Tokyo a community feel despite its large size and gives you some respite from its sometimes overwhelming scale. I took about 30 minutes enjoying the view from the top of the tower and taking a few photos, then I headed off to Ginza and Nihonbashi for some shopping and dinner.

READ MORE >