str8jism's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member str8jism on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/str8jism en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:47:00 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Sayonara! — Nagoya, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237996980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237996980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237996980/tpod.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:47:00 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Nagoya, Kinki, Japan

So my trip around Japan has come down to the last city we will visit, which is Nagoya. Since there wasn't much more really to see on Osaka, we decided to check out this neighboring city, which is Japan's fourth largest city. It is the home of Toyota Motor Company. Aside from that, Nagoya is a modern city with great architectural places to visit. Coming from LA, I wasn't too interested in seeing that unless it was something extraordinary. Unfortunately, Nagoya didn't offer us too much to visit that caught our attention. So I am not going to get into great detail about my experience here, except that it's worth a little side trip. The only points of interest we checked out was Nagoya Castle, which was actually the feuding castle to Osaka Castle. The other place the Kanaan Temple, a Buddhist temple that is smack dab in the middle of modern buildings
So tomorrow we're headed back to Tokyo for one last day to take of any unfinished business, like to say goodbye to our friends "The Fun Girls" at Roppongi, j/k. I know some of you reading are wondering, where are all the crazy party pictures. Honestly aside from Tokyo, Japan is a real conservative country and they don't party like the people back home. Also, almost everyday as you have read, we have been on the move 24/7 and most nights we're just fine having a great meal and re-energizing for tomorrow. Most of the things to see and experience mostly occurs during the daytime and most locals are content in just knocking back a couple beers and calling it a day. So because of this and due to popular demand, my last blog will be dedicated to the women of Japan. So for the fellas following my journey, this is for you guys, unless you ladies are into that stuff which is perfectly fine with me too! But keep in mind, I did not enjoy posting photos of beautiful Japanese women on the net and only agreed to because I was granted permission by the all and mighty Lindsey. So thank her!
On a final point, I hope you girls and guys have enjoyed reading the places we have visited, the local foods we have eaten, and the pictures we have taken through out this trip. But these were just the highlights and there has been so much more I cannot put into words or pictures like all the side stories, jokes, and new friends we have made along the way. I hope everyone of you can also travel to Japan and have your own story to tell. So see guys back home.



]]> Yokozuna! — Osaka, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237850880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237850880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237850880/tpod.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:37:30 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Osaka, Kinki, Japan

I'm doing a double feature for you guys today because our hostel in Osaka has some boo boo WiFi. But today we're in the city of Osaka and am very excited about this city because we're gonna go check out some sumo wrestling. But before we do that, there's also a landmark worth checking out beforehand. We're headed off to see Osaka Castle, which is pretty much what Osaka is known for. To get there, we had to walk through a huge park. Taking this walk, it gave me chance to reflect on my trip so far. My trip to Japan is winding down with only one more city left to check out.
Osaka castle reminded me of a medieval type of castle where it was a city within a city protected by huge walls like a fortress. The castle has been around since the 1600's and is a big part of those crazy samurai feudal wars. Kinda like the movie "The Last Samurai" except there wasn't a white man samurai involved. I got to see some of the actual armor and weapons used is those historic battles. The castle itself had eight floors and was the home of some of the greatest Shoguns of Japans time.
As I mentioned earlier, we bought tickets to see sumo wrestling. Personally, this was the highlight of my trip so far. Cherry blossoms are great and all, but to see two behemoths slap their bellies and go at it, enough said! Sumo wrestling is the most popular sport in Japan and when you think of sumo wrestling you think Japan and the other way around. Tickets weren't too bad and the stadium was not anywhere near as large the size of the Staples Center, so anywhere you sat you can still see the action. But don't let that fool you. The stadium was alive with people cheering for their favorite wrestler and all the emotions that go along with their beloved sport. I was thinking to myself, "These guys would make great drinking buddies. I can rest my beer on their bellies during the game." I just wished I was able to do some research on the fighters and the match-ups to make it a little more interesting. But me and Jon just downed some Kirin beer and decided to make our own side bets. I just went with the wrestlers who had the bigger turkey legs. Gotta go with what drives the motor! But seriously, I have a lot of respect for the sport. There is a lot of skill and technique involved, which requires years of training and conditioning. Before you leave the Japan everyone needs to see a sum match, especially the guys. These guys are huge and have so much power and speed. Enjoy the pics!
]]> Bambi — Nara, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237761780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237761780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237761780/tpod.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:55:16 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Nara, Kinki, Japan

Today is our last day here in Kyoto and we decided to check by a nearby city, Nara. Nara was originally the capital of Japan before it was Tokyo. On the way to Nara, one can tell right away Nara is still a rural city with a lot of countryside. It is a beautiful city with lush gardens and quaint neighborhoods. One of the places we visited was Nara Park. It was definitely one of as kind, where there were traditional park benches as well as shrines. But what makes this park out of this world was that they let deers, yes deers, roam the park freely. It was amazing to even see a deer, yet to actually get that close to pet them was truly remarkable. It's like one of those biblical scenes where man and animal are coexisting in heaven and that was actually what it felt like. The deers were not afraid of people and you will see that is the pictures. From what I was told, Japanese people believed a deer was considered a messenger of God. They are considered sacred and harming a deer can be considered punishable by death. So there goes my idea of having venison for dinner tonight, j/k.
Our next stop was the Todai-ji temple known for housing the largest bronze Buddha in Japan. On our way there, rain was in the forecast and unfortunately it started to rain. When you mix wild deer in the open and rain together, the cuteness faded away from me right away. Let's just say I was watching closely where I stepped. Once we made it through the deer obstacle course, we finally got to the Todai-ji temple. It was spectacular! When you first walk in you are greeted by two huge guardian statues that stood like 50 feet on each side on the entrance. Going through the gate, a huge building awaits you where the Buddha is housed. And this thing was enormous and in great shape, which you will see in the pictures. I was just in awe of the mere size and history of the statue. It seemed the same exact Buddha you see in textbooks and movies. The city of Nara is definitely a must visit in my book. Those were pretty much the highlights of the day and my feet have been takin' a lickin'. So tomorrow we head out to the city of Osaka.
]]> Cherry Blossoms — Kyoto, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237767660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237767660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237767660/tpod.html Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:30:47 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Kyoto, Kinki, Japan

These are just some random pics of cherry blossom trees in full bloom at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Keep in mind that pictures of me with pink flowers just means I have a sensitive side, too!
]]> Where's the Beef? — Kyoto, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237594260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237594260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237594260/tpod.html Sat, 21 Mar 2009 06:46:37 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Kyoto, Kinki, Japan

Today, it was a light day of traveling. The first half of the day, we headed to to another temple, the Eikando Zenrin-Ji Temple where you take a path lined with cherry blossom trees called the "Philosophers Walk." When in full bloom, it's like walking through arches and arches of beautiful pink/white cherry blossoms. Unfortunately for us, the bloom is in the beginning stages. So we were only greeted with mostly bare trees and a few bloomed cherry blossoms. But the temple was extraordinary as expected and I can only imagine how much more beautiful it would be if the time was right.
As I mentioned in the earlier entry, today was the day we were going to stay at a traditional Japanese style hotel called a Ryokan complete with a full course Japanese meal. When we arrived there, we greeted by a little old sweet lady. Let's call her "Mama San". She took our bags in and showed us around her place. It was a place where she lived, had guests stay, and also offered lunch and dinner for patrons. It is a sight to see with an outside garden complete with koi fish and waterfall. As she showed us our room and dining place, she explained the rules such as removing your shoes always when you get to a certain part of the house and using different slippers for different parts of the room. But with a Ryokan, there are no chairs for you to sit on, or beds to sleep on. You are expected to eat and sleep on special mats. Because of my past of wrestling bears, my rickety knees are not as forgiving as it was before. I tried to sit still as much as possible but it seemed more like I had ants in my pants trying to find that comfort position. At some point, I wanted to just lay on my back and have Mama San just drop the the fish in my mouth for dinner like a dog. But I stuck with it, at least until it was time for dinner. Having a traditional Japanese dinner is a true experience. It was a full course meal with small dishes coming in one at a time. With small little salads and seafood, this big boy was waiting for the main course, maybe a big giant fish! As dish after dish went out, the anticipation for the main course was building. Enough with eating grass, time to bring big daddy the meat! When the bowl of rice came with some small side dish of different little veggies, I thought the next one was it. So I finished the grass, I mean vegetables and saved my rice for the meat. As I waited for the main dish to come next, I heard her Mama San's little steps. And there it was, a bowl of fresh FRUIT! Nooooooo! Was this some sick joke or do I have to go out in the middle of the night and slaughter a cow right now. As I ate up my fruit, I waited again for Mama San to come through the door with one more dish. But there would be no more dish for this hungry American man! But in all seriousness, it was still truly a great experience because you definitely get an idea how traditional Japanese people eat, live, and sleep.
]]> Paparazzi! — Kyoto, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237504800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237504800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237504800/tpod.html Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:25:42 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Kyoto, Kinki, Japan

Today we decided to rent bikes to cover more area since the places to see in Kyoto are so spread out and the subways are not used too much here. Man, it was so mush better. Although I haven't rode a bike since my 10th birthday, I still knew how to get on it. Maybe it was all this muscle mass (hehe) I was carrying that caused the bike to wobble like I was riding my bike in a pool of oil. Checking our sightseeing map, Kyoto has so many temples that I probably won't give you details on each one we visit. So today we saw 2 temples and decided to headed to Gion again to see all the rows of shops open during the day and maybe capture that elusive Geisha and go all paparazzi on her. What I observed in Kyoto is that alot more women wear Kimonos here and hardly any business suits walking around. People from other parts of Japan also come here as visitors. Although Kyoto is not a place known for their nightlife, Gion is probably the best place to hang out in when the sun sets. It's almost like a row of dept stores, swap meet shops, and eateries on the same streets. Ahem, after 5 hours of window shopping by the girls (which I thought all the shops sold the same stuff), we decided to check out a show which included a tea ceremony, comic play, and other older traditional Japanese entertainment. The show was located on the same street where Geishas were supposed to be present, so I kept my eyes open for them. When I thought hope was almost gone, I spotted one 30 feet away from me coming out of the shop. Since Jon was my personal photographer (he gets compensated by green tea McFlurries at McDonalds), I yelled and pointed at the Geisha. I kept yelling and nudging, but Jon just smiled and said I was full of sh*t, It was probably my fault because I've been BS'in with him so many times. When he finally realized I wasn't playing another mind game with him, she pitter pattered away. So that sucke, maybe I'll flick his ear next time. By then it was time to check out the show at Gion Corner. The show was great and we had the chance to see a live demonstration of their traditional heritage. I would definitely say this is a must for anyone who comes to Kyoto. But the night was not over as one of the last parts of the show had some actors dressed as Geishas perform a traditional dance. Although they weren't true Geishas, I was still happy to see them all dressed up. But maybe next year I will capture a photo of a Geisha! So tomorrow we're staying in a Ryokan (a traditional Japenese style lodging complete with traditional dress and food). I'll keep you guys posted.
]]> Rub the Buddha! — Kyoto, Kinki, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237419420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237419420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237419420/tpod.html Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:52:12 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Kyoto, Kinki, Japan

Today we were in the city of Kyoto. The city is known for being a more traditional city in Japan, from the temples and shrines to the older traditional homes lining the streets. This is place where a lot of what we, the foreigners, usually would imagine Japan would be like. Kyoto is pretty much the opposite of Tokyo, in the sense it is not a hustling and bustling metropolis but a very traditional city that seems it has been frozen in time. And of course Kyoto is world re-renowned for their cherry blossom trees. It is usually in the month of April that the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. Fortunately for us, there were some trees that have already started to bloom. I could only imagine how unbelievable of a sight it would be once a majority of the streets are covered with them. That is why we will be here for the next 4 days.
Once we got settled into our hostel, we walked the surrounding area to get a feel how the city was. I forgot to mention that Japan is a real safe city. People don't even lock their bikes up, women walk by themselves late at night, and I haven't seen a cop yet. As you walk the street, the are a lot more mom and pop shops selling local pastries and services and no sign of a 7 Eleven. There's not a lot of big buildings here and a lot of the major landmarks are spread out. So today we decided to check out the Kiyomizu-dera Shrine, which is a Buddhist shrine. It is a huge place and it's more like a mini Buddha city. I hope I can rub its belly and maybe grant me 3 wishes. Oops, that's a genie but maybe he'll hook me up with one wish instead of three. We took some great pics of the place and hopefully you'll get an idea of what we saw. The next place we visited was the district called Gion. This is supposedly the place where Geishas are located. After reading about them and how they train all their lives to perfect the art of pleasuring a man. Oh scratch that last part, I was just elbowed by Lindsey that it's making a man feel at most comfortable. Gion is definitely a city that stands out. There are streets that seem that go on forever full of shops and eateries. I was told by Jon, who has (ahem) done his research on Geishas that they are an elusive bunch. Almost as elusive as that six pack I'm working on. And he was right, no Geishas to be found. Maybe we'll devise a sneak attack next time to capture them. But that was all for the day.
]]> Ode to the Japanese Toilet — Tokyo, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237362540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237362540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237362540/tpod.html Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:02:02 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Tokyo, Japan

This entry is a little off the beaten path, but I thought it definitely deserved it's own space. I'll call this entry, "Ode to the Japanese Toilet". One of the most basic and vital part of traveling is of course using the bathroom. In Japan, it's an experience! When I finally needed to use the toilet, I saw a toilet that was familiar yet truly foreign. I mean it looked like a toilet, but it wasn't just a toilet. The only control I knew about was the ability to flush. And I couldn't even figure that one out. There was this control panel on the side with 5-6 different buttons with pictures on them. There was a picture of what seemed like a butt with 2 puffs of steam or water under it and another with a butt with I believe a fountain of water. All I knew was that neither of them wasn't the flusher. But I finally did find the flusher, which was a round knob on the side of the toilet that you turn. When I was all done, I couldn't help but be curious of what all those buttons do. So the next time I needed to use the toilet, I manned up and intended in getting the true experience of using the "features" of a Japanese toilet. So I finally decided to get on this thing and do what I gotta do and all I have left is to press my way out of there. So I tried the first button with the butt with the steam clouds under it and it blew air under my ass. It surprised me and I laughed like crazy. I hope nobody heard me, but on to the next one. This was the button which seemed to be water shooting into the butt. I pressed it and jumped out of my seat. I didn't know whether to feel violated or it was just the toilet saying "hello". It shot a dead aim of water into my bum hole and kept shooting. I panicked and didn't know how to stop it and didn't wanna flood the place or worse shoot me in the eye. So I started to press the other buttons to stop it. I found it and it stopped. So that was the third button. It was the stop button. One way or the other, I figured out how to finally use their toilet. Let this be instructions on how to "NOT" use a Japanese toilet and a warning of what can happen. "Ode to the Japanese Toilet"!
]]> Walk-a-thon — Tokyo, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237331340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237331340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237331340/tpod.html Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:51:33 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Tokyo, Japan

So today we were all rested up for a full day to see as much as possible of Tokyo. Our first stop was Tsujiki Fish Market, the largest fish market in the world. First of all, I could see why there are not alot of overweight people in Japan. Every destination requires you to take multiple trains to get to and you have to walk fast as if your life depended on it. After finally getting there, what you will see is an open air fish market. It was definitely a sight to see, where alleys of merchants selling their fresh catch of the day. I got to see all the different types of fish I've never seen before and the different ways they were prepared. There were also local eating places along the street ranging from fresh sushi bars, noodle bowl places, and pastry shops. Since being in a fish market, we knew we had to grab lunch at a sushi bar. With the small sit in restaurants there, there are people yelling and offering deep discounts to get you in their doors. We were able to find a place where we were pretty satisfied for only $10. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that the cost to eat in Tokyo is very reasonable and not what I though I would be spending. I would say you can actually eat on a $40 a day budget here. But like I expected, the sushi was definitely much better. Fresh and there was more fish than rice.
Our next stop was a district called Roppongi. For the young people out there, this is definitely the place to go to. Aside from shops in the area, this is where all the bars, clubs, and yes gentlemen, even some nudie bars! The clubs and bars are located differently than what I'm used to that they are all in the same high rise building and each floor is a different club. I believe the higher the floor, the more upscale it is. Too bad we visited the area during the middle of the week in thee daytime. Don't worry I'll post some pics for you to see for yourself.
Afterwards, we checked out Shibuya and Harajuku. These place are also popular place to to shop and hangouts for teens. What you will notice right away is that the style here is, the funkier you dress, the better. Teen girls are all wearing either short short skirts or booty shorts with knee high stockings. Picture the girls in those Japanese animation cartoons, but LIVE! I saw one girl all drsssed as Lil Bo Peep, and of course those naughty school girl outfits. You could probably sit on the side and just watch people the whole day and think it was some crazy parade. I wish could post all the pics but I can only post 5 pics for each entry. But you can always come by and ask to see the non-g rated pics from me, hehe. J/k, Lindsey might read this, but it was for the sacrifice of the blog, lol. So tomorrow, we're headed to Kyoto, which is a two hour train ride and continue.

]]> Day 1 — Tokyo, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237212000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237212000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/str8jism/1/1237212000/tpod.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:23:22 -0400 MR. MIYAGI, HERE WE COME!
Tokyo, Japan

Alrite, I'm finally settled in to write our first day here at Tokyo. The flight was approximately 12 long hours. We definitely lucked out by having business class seats for dirt cheap courtesy of my uncle! The arrivial at Narita airport was smooth and nowhere as busy as LAX. So I took this is as a sign that it was smooth sailing from here, but little did I know of what was to come. From the airport we would need to take multiple trains to get to our hostel and headed downstairs to the rail station. From there it was a mad dash to get to the right train # at th right moment. It was a definitely a sight to see. There were the groups of business men in suits, school children in their uniforms, and even women in traditional kimonos. Although there were different walks of life there, they all had one thing in common. That is, they all needed to get to where they wanted asap and you better get out of the way or you will be knocked around. We found that rather quick when as big a as a burly man (yes I am) as myself was pushed aside by a little old man to get on the train. Once we were finally able to get on all the right connectin flights (thanks Jon) and get out into the street, it was alot better. What you will first notice is that Japan uses very bright colorful signs and billboards in large japanese characters. Some other observances that I made was that most people here seemed very percise and clean about everything. What I noticed that there were alot of people wearing those white medical masks as they walked through the city, thinking there was some time of plague I didn't know of. But I soon realized that I was from LA and that my lungs were built for this. But in reality, the air was fine and it is probably the culture. When we finally arrived at our hostel, it definitely was unlike European hostels. We had to remove our shoes before we entered and the place was really clean. We had our own private room, except for Jon who stayed with 7 other random people. I would definitely recommend people to stay in a hostel in Japan. It's almost like a hotel except maybe the matresses were a bit on the hard side and their is a communial bathroom. But for $30 a night, hands down worth it. Tomorrow we're gonna check out their world famous fish market and also a market area.
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