Alone with the Crowd

The fish, with a stick through its carcass, jerked a few times, then jerked again. Karen was the first to notice. "It's still moving!" She refused to eat it. I grabbed a piece of sashimi with my chopsticks, waved it in front of the fish, taunting it. "I'm gonna eat you! You gonna be delicious!" Karen, my two friends Terri and Winnie, the waitress, the family in the corner, and the old man dressed like a Mongolian in the other corner, all stared, aghast.

We were in a seafood restaurant on a cold, rainy night in Moto-Hakone. With the exception of the 7-11 next door, it was the only place open. I was hungry, soaked and a little chippy. The entire day was spent getting to this spot. From our hostel to Asakusa station, then a train to Shinjuku station, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto, then a bus that crawled through winding roads.

I took my frustrations out on Flopsie. That's what we called the fish for the remainder of our trip. I assured everyone that Flopsie was quite dead, but that didn't make anyone feel better. I also said that fish have no feelings, so my taunting didn't really matter. That made everyone feel worse. I stopped talking and ate more of Flopsie.



This was the start of our trip away from Tokyo, to get away from the crowds. The plan was to stay a night at the Moto-Hakone Guesthouse, then wake up early and get a full day of Hakone in, with our Hakone Freepass. For 5000 Yen, our freepass was good for selected buses, trams, cablecars, ropeways and ferries.

The only problem was that we planned this day for November 23rd. This happens to be a Japanese National Holiday. Which meant thousands of other Tokyo-ites were leaving town, for the quiet scenery of towns such as Hakone. There went our hopes for a quiet day-trip.

Crowds surrounded us. On the bus from Moto-Hakone to Gora. On the cablecar from Gora to Sounzan. While waiting in line for Ropeway from Sounzan to Togendai. On the cruise boat across Lake Ashi back to Moto-Hakone. Swarms of families; mostly Japanese with a few westerners. Snapping pictures at every opportunity, taking in the foliage as the rain clouds were swept away for a brief moment. My energy drained with each trip. I just wanted to get away from our getaway.


*Aboard the sightseeing cruise*

The crowds stayed with us on our two-hour bus ride back to Hakone-Yumoto station. I spent half the ride standing up. With each hairpin turn I shoved my backpack into a old man's face. The crowds followed us back to Shinjuku. Only when we trudged through Asakusa to our hostel was when they left us alone. What was supposed to a restoring daytrip turned into an endurance test. I failed. And we had to fly to Hong Kong the next day...

Hakone, with its foliage and mountain views, is a beautiful place. Contrasted with the bustle of Tokyo, it can be a peaceful getaway. Just be mindful of those national holidays.

And if you happen to be in Moto-Hakone and get the sashimi, just be warned.

Autumn in Tokyo

I love autumn. I love the brownish red and orange leaves. I love the crisp air that doesn't bite so much as embrace you as you walk. The sunlight seems softer in autumn. The day shortens, but that makes you appreciate it more.

I don't get to enjoy autumn much in L.A. This past September, the temperature Downtown reached 110 degrees. It rained a few days in October, I think. Otherwise, warm temps. Nobody seems to complain. They brag to their relatives back east that they wear flip-flops year-round. I weep for autumn in So. Cal.



Japan knows autumn. The trees flaunt their colors in areas like Ueno Park. After our Sushi Adventure, we strolled down Ueno Park, from the the Shinobazu Pond on the south side, all the way to the Tokyo National Museum to the north.



We thought these were water lilies covering the pond, but after further review, they're lotuses. I had never seen anything like this.

We weren't the only ones enjoying this autumn Saturday in the park. Kids dragged their parents to the Ueno Zoo and the amusement park. A group of old men played croquet. Other kids encircled a pair of jugglers. Tourists like me snapping pictures at trees and fountains. I don't blame them.

I love the weather in L.A.. I'm spoiled. But I still love the autumn. And I had to go to Tokyo to find it. I'm sure it's cheaper to go to New England. How's the sushi there?

Foodie Nirvana, Part 1

Our first meal in Tokyo was taken by a waiter who spoke to us in broken Mandarin. Somehow we ended up with yakitori for six, at about $6 USD per person. Food, not English, should be our universal language.

They love food here. In the district of Asakusa, where our hostel was, a constant aroma of ramen, tempura, and God knows what else, caught us blindsided. It was a glorious mishmash.

I was in food nirvana for five days. Here are my highlights:

1) Set Menu at Sushi Daiwa



This is by the Tsukiji Fish Market. Our original plan was to show up for the auction at 5am, but a late arrival the previous night put an end to that. We still arrived relatively early to catch the sushi while it's fresh.

Daiwa is next to the famous Sushi Dai, but the line for that looked...long. Well, the lines are long at both places, so we tried our luck at Daiwa.

We waited close to an hour, which may seem long, but I heard about times of two to three hours.


*At the front of the line. So close!*

They're not keen on the guests taking photos. I guess that just prolongs your stay there. They want you in and out.

The set menu is fantastic, especially the toro (fatty tuna). Definitely worth the wait.


*Haha! Take THAT, Sushi Daiwa!*


2) Wagyu at Yakitori Alley

Yakitori is basically chicken parts on a stick, grilled over charcoal. Yakitori Alley, which lies in the district of Ginza, is a smoky avenue of open-air restaurants, each serving chicken wings, chicken hearts, and chicken livers.



At the place we went to (sorry, can't remember the name, we just went where it was most crowded), in addition to chicken, they served Wagyu. And WOW...One of the best food experiences of the trip, hands down. All topped off with a mug of Asahi.


*Obligatory beer pic*

3) Tonkatsu Ramen at...Random Ramen Place

My friends Reub and Susie found a ramen place by our hostel. They said the ramen was "SOOOO GOOOD".

Problem is, that place opens at 11am, and we had train to catch around noon. So, at 9:30 in the morning, we wandered the back streets of Asakusa, and followed our noses to this:


*Reub and Ramen*

Asakusa is full of ramen joints, as well as sushi, yakitori, tempura, donuts (for real), udon, soba, and did I mention ramen? It's worth mentioning twice.

4) Beef Bowl Set at Yoshinoya



Don't sleep on the Beef Bowl! I posted on Facebook that this was my last meal in Tokyo. It was met with disbelief and disgust. I've never had Yoshinoya in the US, so I couldn't tell you if it's better there than here. But I can tell you that this hit the spot. I can never go to a Yoshinoya in the States, ever.

There were other dishes I tried, and there were dishes that I never got to (okonomiyaki, anyone?). These four alone were enough to put me in food heaven. And then I went to Hong Kong. But that's another entry.

The Road East - Reflections

*From left to right: Some random guy, K, Reub, Susie at Lantau Island*

This was a safe trip.

No lost passports. No hassles with immigration. No foot massages gone awry. No issues after eating questionable street food. Just a safe, trouble-free trip. Normally this would be great, except if you're trying to capture stories, safe isn't the greatest word.

There was a lot of walking, a lot of sitting (or more likely, standing) in metro cars, a lot of staring a locals in subway cars. There was a lot of observing, a lot of taking everything in. If you're a writer, this is wonderful.

This was also a short trip. Gone are the trips where three nights in one country is enough. It isn't. It took me four days to figure Asakusa out. The same amount for Wan Chai. And the next thing I knew, I'm gone. I'm going to have to restructure my future trips. Two to three weeks at least. Maybe longer.

Though time was short, and action was relatively light, there's still plenty to tell. Little bite-sized morsels about two insane metropolitan areas. I can't wait to tell them. Or at least try.

InTokyo

I`m　eating　a　lot. And　the food is GOOD.

Still　trying　to　get　a　handle　on　this　city,　but　so far I am impressed.

The Road East - Prologue: To Just Be

In 2008, fresh off the high of traveling to Thailand and Malaysia by myself, I laid out a "five-year plan" for my future destinations. It went something like this:

2009 - Europe
2010 - South Africa
2011 - China
2012 - Back to Europe
2013 - South America

When I made this plan, I was single. Unattached, free to roam the world by myself or with my buddies. Now, I'm less than five months away from taking the plunge into that thing they call, "Mawwage".

South Africa will have to take a backseat to the future in-laws. I will be traveling to Hong Kong to see my fiancee Karen's sister, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. Along the way, I'll be making five-day jaunt in and around Tokyo. Sushi, ramen, yada yada yada.

This will be the first time I celebrate my birthday abroad (Most likely, I'll be in Tokyo in a karaoke bar singing ABBA). This will also be the first time I celebrate Thanksgiving in a foreign country. I've been told there will be turkey. We'll see.

(Excuse me while I get all Anthony Bourdain on you for a moment...)

I'm on the lookout for interesting things. No doubt I'll be eating myself silly, but I hope there's more to this trip than food. My goal is to get my hands dirty. To not be tied down to an itinerary. To follow my nose, and just...be.

I aim to do this every year, and it never turns out the way I want. Either my body gives out, or I get tired too quickly, never appreciating where I am. Well, I want to change that.

I just want to enjoy being where I am. And not forget anything.

(How was that, Bourdain? Can I get on your show now?)

OK, enough thinking.



Let's do this.

If you want to keep track of my trip, follow my twitter account! And maybe I'll post here if I have time.

In Training

Even though I finished the L.A. Rock n' Roll Half Marathon last Sunday, I'm still in training.

It's a different kind of training. Travel Training, if you will. I have three weeks until I depart for Tokyo, and then Hong Kong. Three weeks to get my body, soul and stomach ready for everything Japanese and Cantonese.

Here's what a Travel Training regimen looks like:

- Walk more, run less.
- Journal more, so by the time I'm abroad, reaching for the pen and paper become second nature.
- Practice the discipline of slowing. I am a huge fan of slow travel, where you not rushing from landmark to landmark, but rather you're immersed in place, capturing as much with your eyes and ears as possible.
- Practice conversation skills. Simple things like listening more, or asking more questions. So that when you're with the locals, interaction is less awkward.
- Refraining from sushi and dim sum, so that I can experience it in their native lands.
- Learning simple phrases in Japanese and Cantonese (Haven't really done this yet)

That's just a small list. Surely to keep me occupied until I leave.

How do you "train" for an upcoming trip? Do you train at all? Leave a comment to answer.