Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Today is destined to be a rather epic travel day so I thought I would try something new. Rather than give you another spiel of my pointless thoughts, I figured it would more fun for a few stories and a bit of travel knowledge. What this means is that I will probably write the same gibberish but not in the first person and without timestamps. Go!

Travel day begins at 7:30am local time. National anthem does not play.

After spending days on trains where the are consistently busy, nothing can be more eery than getting to your platform and finding no one else.

If you are going through airport security three times in a day and all goes according to plan, you stink at travel planning.

No human on this planet can look cool while putting a straw in a juice box.

A train cannot be a called an airport express if it does not go to the airport.

It is a bad idea to watch all the good movies on your flight to your destination. This leaves stuff all to do on the way home.

The things are prohibited from planes are always the things that are the most fun and useful.

Even Koreans don't drive Hyundais.

Airports are the place to be if you have a fetish for standing in queue.

The more you travel the more you realize that being bilingual is being lazy.

Custom declaration forms do not have a space for 'visiting for 4 hours while waiting for your next flight.' You are either staying overnight or in transit.

Power naps are the key to success.

If there is a tv channel showing only a fireplace, that means a channel showing the view out of an airplane window would flourish.

Narita is the only airport where you need to commute from the runway to the terminal. Always takes at least 20 minutes. Does give you the opportunity to see the sights though.

Three countries in a day excellent. So is spending 3 different currencies. So is eating meals in 3 countries.

Have a few hours to waste? Why not explore a new city. Like Narita.

Some lady dressed like a geisha, listening to an iPod. Damn you Steve Jobs.

Trying to spend the last of you foreign currency is a true joy.

It's always nice to discover that your flight is shorter than you expected.

So a two week vacation is just the beginning to another 50 weeks off....right?

Always take advantage of your last opportunity to walk around for the next ten hours.

When wandering around an unfamiliar city, and you have proper directions, just follow those directions. Do not try to 'figure your way out' of the place you are. You will get lost. Inability to learn this lesson will only compound the issue over time.

Everyone should know better than to fly 'Air At Least Ten Minutes Late'

People in their 20s should not nickname their left knee 'Snap, Crackle and Pop'

Ambient lighting on an airplane is terribly trippy.

Your butter too cold to spread on your airplane food bun? Stick it under you hot food for 5 minutes to loosen it up. You're welcome.

Too much turbulence to use a computer, read a book, watch a movie or even leave your seat. All you can do is close your eyes and hope.

Daytime comes too early when you fly east.

Photos are edited and awaiting proper Internet connection for upload.

There are no words to describe how bad eggs smell as airplane food.

Eating seven consecutive meals is bad for you.

Last bit of security is complete bringing the total to 3.5 and 4 trips through customs.

The bright side of utter and sheer exhaustion is that it does eventually you to nap on an airplane.

Returning to your little corner of the world never stops feeling strange after visiting so many different countries, cities, and cultures.

And thus concludes my traveling day. Forty hours later, I'm resting on my bed.


Gibby
On my iPhone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I'm currently sitting in YVR polishing off my last layover of the day (this one being 8.5 hours). I spent the day wandering around Vancouver with Jason while eating and drinking way too much. All the while doing my best to stay awake for this never ending 40 hour day. Since I've got a few spare moments in the airport I thought I'd treat you to a photo dump from Korea and a bit of Japan this morning. Enjoy.

Seoul/Suwon, Korea






Narita, Japan

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Seoul, (Republic of) Korea

Well, again, the surprise is in the title today. Some of you already knew about this little detour in advance but I'm guessing most of you did not.

So a week before I left for this trip I was starting to plan out where I was going to go. After looking at a few places in Japan, I decided that there was too much that I wanted to see and was getting overwhelmed with making a decision. While looking at Google Maps I realized that Korea was much closer to Japan that I ever thought. After seeing that I started checking into flights, etc, etc. And that was that. Korea bound.

I've spent the last two days spending every waking hour wandering around Seoul and the surrounding areas. Last night I spent 6 hours out and about after arriving in the late afternoon. Today I spent 12 hours walking, taking metro, eating, and photographing everything along the way. It's truly been 'Toucan Sam' (follow your nose) traveling for the last two days.

I've only got a few panoramas for you right now. I should have more ready soon. Enjoy.


Sunday, February 20, 2011

Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Tonight I find myself back in Tokyo after two days of traveling and exploring. On Friday I packed up my bags again in preparing to leave Hakuba. I said goodbye to the staff at the Luna Hotel and Hayley and Danny reluctantly drove me to the bus terminal. The whole way they came up with a laundry list of reasons why I should stay, but as tempting it was to stay I knew I had to go. Before I got on the bus we also discussed ways that I could somehow get to Thailand to met them in April. I can't lie, it's very tempting to try to figure out a way to get over and see them again because I have so much fun when I'm with those two. I can't wait to see them again, I just wish I knew when that would be.

After a teary start to the bus ride back to Tokyo, the rest of the drive went smoothly until our second rest stop. While pulling into the service station I noticed a mountain in the distance before realized that this was my first view of Mt Fuji. I took a few minutes to find a viewpoint and captured my first image of the famous peak.


Once I got back to Tokyo I took the subway back to Asakusa and checked into my new hostel. Since then I've spent every waking hour wandering around the city taking photos, or back at the hostel editing photos. I've visited Ueno, Asakusa, Tsukishima, Chuo, Nagatacho, Shinjuku, Sibuya, and many other neighborhoods I've forgotten the names of already. Here's the photographic highlights of the last 36 hours. Enjoy.



At this point I think I've had about enough of Tokyo so I'm going to be heading off to a different country tomorrow. Stay tuned.