Translation lost in Tokyo

Arrived at 6am in Tokyo expecting it to be alive given it's name as one of the cities that never sleeps. Yet when I arrived it was almost a ghost town save for the few roaming into work early.

I rarely do any research on a city or country before I arrive. Instead I rely on information from the locals. I thought my 3 years of Japanese would be useful, but time without practice has stifled my capabilities. And I learned that it's much more difficult in Japan to communicate in English than in other countries I've been to. The majority of the time a response from a guy would be, "no English." From gals I'd  get a giggle then a whisper to their friends finished off by no response back to me. Didn't get far with that method so I relied on the subway reading material that had some English.

Got me to Tsukiji, Japan's largest wholesale fish market. Wasn't as impressive as Busan but I did have very good and very expensive sushi right in front of the docks.

Land of the temples and shrines...Kyoto

Thankfully Kyoto is only a 30 minute train ride from Osaka. The whole city is littered with temples and shrines in every direction. It would probably take more than a week to see them all so I picked out the three best from a hostel mates recommendations:

Rokuon-Ji Temple (the Golden Pavilion), Ginkakuji Temple (Zen temple) and Kiyomizu Temple which both have greet views overlooking the city as well as great wooden architecture.

Also visited Nijo Castle which I enjoyed more than all the Castles I saw in Europe. It has a simple elegance with master craftsmanship and is atheistically pleasing which all give it a sense of tranquility and peace...in turn a feeling of comfort.

Come to think of it the whole of Kyoto has that feel of comfort through uniformity.

Mix up in Osaka

Arrived in Osaka, Japan hearing that it was full of natural beauty. Somehow got the city mixed up with Kyoto so I spent the first days wandering an urban oasis full of industrial parks, neon lights, massive strips of gaming centers (the Japanese do love their electronics and games, especially pachinko), and great tasting cheap eats.

The hostel/hotel didn't have individual showers, well at least that's what I thought at the time. Instead they had a Japanese spa which has a communal bathing area as well as a hot bathing pool and steam room. So relaxing. Wanted to take a picture of the spa room, but I'm sure you and the naked men contained within wouldn't have appreciated it.

Snow and palm trees in Jeju

Snow and palm trees...I didn't believe it either until a friend pointed it out on Jeju Island (not typical weather). In my mind palm trees are synonymous with sunshine and warm weather, well not anymore.

There was enough snow to make some pretty awesome snow angels. And just being able to relax at a resort for a day was priceless. I was beginning to forget what the word luxury meant. I splurged at the resort and had my first steak in 6 months as well. No USDA Prime Choice but it more than did the job.

Friendly visit to Busan

It was great to see some more familiar faces from my previous travels. JiHun and HaeIn, thanks for showing your hospitality and providing a place for me to crash as well as showing me around Busan.

The ssamgeupssal (pork belly) was 1 inch thick steaks sliced and grilled over charcoal. So yummy. You can never go wrong with bacon.

The fresh fish market was like nothing I've ever seen before. Pike Place Market pales in comparison in both shear size, variety, as well as freshness. Not only were they filleting freshly caught fish right in front of us, but I've never seen so much live fish in tanks.

A night stroll along the Haeundae waterfront was beautiful. Didn't even know Korea had sandy beaches. I bet they're amazing during the summer and a reason for me to come back.

Btw the hoduk (Korean dessert pancake) was delicious. So worth the 15 minute wait in the freezing cold!

Gwangju family reunion

It's been over 10 years since I've seen my family in Korea. Before I arrived I expected our time would be awkward knowing that communication would be limited due to my subpar Korean language speaking abilities. Thankfully we broke through that barrier and had an awesome time, to the point where I wished we had more time.

I've never eaten so much good food in my life. From Korean BBQ to the freshest sashimi (literally saw the fish swimming in pools as we entered the restaurant). Never ending plates of goodness from breakfast, all throughout the day, to late night snacks. Ridiculous how much I ate. I gained almost 10 lbs of legitimate weight in three and a half days! So worth it.

Some interesting foods as well...

Rest in Seoul

After one and a half days of travel on two different planes I arrived in Seoul, South Korea from Johannesburg, South Africa.  From the sun and the sand to the snow and the cold.  My first meal right after I landed: sutpul kalbi (charcoal grilled marinated beef), three orders all to my myself.  Made the hours on the plane seem like ages ago.  First thought during the food coma: just like home, maybe even better.  Wish I remembered to take pictures to commemorate the event.

I've been in Seoul for almost three weeks now of which I spent Christmas and an unforgettable New Years, most of which I'm still piecing together, as well as many days of rest and relaxation.  These bones definitely needed the break after 5 months on the road living out of a 60L hiking bag.

Highlights of the past several weeks including food, friends, and family (thanks JaeYoung and JaeWon Hyung for letting me crash).

Before...

...the aftermath

Hiking Gwanak Mountain. My only exercise since I've arrived.

Babysitting the nephew and niece. Always getting into all my stuff...

Side note: To all those telling me that I lost too much weight, don't worry I've gained most of it back.  That's what good food will do to you.

Theme Song for Africa: Eyes Open by Snow Patrol
Don't know if it was the altitude sickness kicking in at the summit of Kili, but this song really got to me and stayed with me throughout my southern African travels.