Merry Christmas!

The Epic Sign Post

One thing we learned while traveling this year: there are a lot of signs in the world. Signs, we also learned, come in many flavors, from helpful to funny, and downright strange.  At some point, we started taking pictures of them.  So, without further ado, here are some of our favorites.

Australia

Mixing British sensibility and caution with the Australian devil-may-care attitude, road signs in Australia are both practical and entertaining...

They forgot about the sharks.

Many tourists forgot this, so these were quite helpful.

A disheartening sign, especially since we were biking and wine tasting.

New Zealand

We spent a lot of time at holiday parks (a.k.a. campgrounds) in New Zealand. While the people running these parks were almost always kind and friendly, they also invariably posted slightly crazed signs like the one below. Woe to the camper who doesn't obey the signs... 

Malaysia

Signs like the one below were common throughout Southeast Asia, where durian is a popular fruit to eat. It also smells strongly of trash and makes everything around it smell like trash - as we discovered on a very long train ride in Vietnam.

Vietnam

Speaking of Vietnam, it was the source of some of our favorite signs, from propaganda to helpful rules about which guests were allowed in your room.

These signs contained no sense of irony.

Picky guesthouse owners. No prostitutes?!

Their third bullet was inviting, but we did not eat here.

Thailand

Thailand had a more mothering tone to its signs, warning us about dangerous people out to take our stuff and hurt us. Thank you Thailand!

 

Unfortunately, this sign was posted in a Buddhist temple.  Where all the monks were dressed in red... 

Excellent advice for life on the last line. 

Japan

Japan also likes to provide lots of signs, though they often advertised their usefulness in English, then offered all the information in Japanese. Below are three of our favorite English translation signs  - they capture the friendly and polite spirit of the Japanese we met.

We never saw the bee. 

This sign would have been more useful in Mongolia. 

Yes, let's!

And so, the next time you're abroad, just remember:

Nepal Part 4: Trek recap and photos

As you might expect, we visited some pretty spectacular places and took a lot of photos while trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal.  Like this one, capturing the entire Annapurna range at sunset:

But as you also might expect, the internet in Nepal is pretty slow.  So it wasn't until now that we had a chance to get some photos online.  Out of over 1,000 taken across five weeks of trekking, we've tried to put together a manageable album from each of our two treks for your viewing pleasure.  To put the pictures in context, here's a quick recap of each of our two treks.

Manaslu-Tsum Valley: 22 days, 191 miles

This trek took us up the Manaslu Valley, with a 9-day side trip up and down the Tsum Valley.  Both of these areas are only recently open to tourists, are fairly remote, and have a strong Tibetan influence.  We spent a lot of time within a 1-day walk of Tibet, and the area reflects this.  The Tsum Valley also has a lot of monasteries (or "gompas") full of monks (lamas) or nuns (anis).  It's flanked by the Ganesh Himal (with several 7,000 meter peaks) and numerous minor peaks that form the border with Tibet.  It's a relatively untouched and beautiful place.  We even stumbled across a Buddhist festival at a local gompa:

And here's a typical early morning view from the trail:

The upper end of the Manaslu Valley is similar, and is an old trade route to Tibet.  The villages reflect this, and there's still a lot of trading, though less now because of China's influence.  To get there, we walked for five days up a narrow river valley, often perched on trails about 3-4 feet wide with a sheer cliff on one side and a hundred-foot (or more) drop on the other, down into the raging river below.  It was tough walking, but rewarded at the upper end by views of the Manaslu Himal, which contains one of the world's 8,000 meter peaks (there are only 14), Manaslu.  Unfortunately, due to a recent storm and remaining icy conditions, we were not able to cross the Larkye La pass into the Annapurna region and instead had to descend along our original route down through the river gorge.  The last 4-5 days were a bit frustrating as a result, with a busy trail and repeated downhill days taking a toll on our knees.  But the trek was still very scenic and diverse, with changing landscapes every couple of days.  Here's a shot of Mt. Manaslu:

A photo gallery from the Manaslu-Tsum Valley Trek is available here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6088721278173380593

Annapurna: 13 days, 99 miles

We had a guide and porter for the Manasu trek, but that's a double-edged sword.  There are a lot of hassles dealing with a guide, who has his own ideas about the route you should take.  And porters can be ill-equipped and are usually not that experienced in the mountains (oddly) so it can limit your high-altitude options.  For the Annapurna, we opted to just go out on our own, which was a great call.  We got a chance to take some very remote and unused trails, explored high ridgelines, and over 13 days managed to almost double the climbing of our Manaslu trek, ascending about 26,000 feet in total.  It helped that we were well-acclimatized.  The trek was a lot of fun, and the Annapurnas are stunning.  Annapurna Base Camp itself, our highest point in our entire time in Nepal, is an amazing basin hidden behind fortress-like mountains rising over 25,000 feet.  Here's a late-day view of a few peaks:

A photo gallery from the Annapurna Trek is available here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6088921645973869873

We're not sure if we'll ever make it back to Nepal, but we're glad we visited.  The scale of the Himalayas is hard to understand until you've stood at the base of an 8,000 meter peak and stared up in wonder at those who climb to such heights. It's a place of amazing natural beauty, interesting culture, and great outdoors challenges.  Including a lot of dodgy bridges...

And we're back...

We're back in Florida after a fairly interesting 45 hour trip.  It started off inauspiciously, with dense fog in Kathmandu and a closed airport.  Luckily, the fog lifted and we managed to leave Nepal with only a 2 hour delay and some chaos at the airport.  Next, it was a 12 hour overnight from Bangkok to Frankfurt.  That flight left on time, but Thai Airways managed to give Erin food poisoning.  So not much sleep that night, yet we arrived in Frankfurt in relatively decent shape (by this point, we're pretty used to long bus/train/plane rides and OK operating on 2-3 hours of sleep).

As it turns out, the Lufthansa pilots had chosen that day to strike.  Meaning 1,400 flights cancelled and 150,000 people stranded throughout Europe.  We were just starting to look forward to extending our trip by a week or two (hey, Germany and Switzerland?  why not!) when we found out that the only flights not cancelled were about a dozen to the U.S. and Japan.  Our final 10-hour flight left Germany on time, US immigration and customs was a breeze, and -- miraculously -- all our luggage made it.  That's something like 25 flights, a dozen trains, and countless bus rides with no lost bags and no theft.  Sort of amazing.

So now we're relaxing in Florida at Brook's sister's house, somewhat disoriented but in pretty good shape.  It's good to be back, but we're still in denial about facing reality.  Things like phone bills, car insurance, and jobs seem like such a hassle... but we really can't complain.

Walking Downhill

It began about ten days ago, when we started walking downhill from Annapurna Base Camp.  As we hiked through Himalayan villages, caught our last close glimpses of their ice-shrouded guardians, and navigated our final ridges, we both knew that we had started down a long but inevitable path back. First back to Pokhara, then Kathmandu, then the airport and the strange limbo of international transit, finally arriving again on US soil after nearly eleven months away. It was then, during those first steps downhill, that we began to feel a sense of ending.

It's strange and hard to explain, ending.  This year we've seen amazing things, met great (and horrible) people, had adventures, gotten lost, gotten found, drank too much wine then not nearly enough, climbed things, lost things, found things, and have if anything grown to love and appreciate each other all the more for having experienced it all together.  And we don't really want it to end when we board our flight home tomorrow.

At the same time we miss everyone back home. This year we've really missed friends, family, and being part of life events and celebrations, big (congrats, Emily!) or small (go Pats!).  We also miss decent sandwiches, good beer, laundry machines, BBQ, paychecks, and the comfort of sleeping in the same place more than a few nights at a stretch.  But we don't miss the office or vacation parceled out a few days at a time.  

So it's going to be a balancing act.  Between restarting careers we both enjoy and carving out a life that lets us keep adventuring.  Between the comforts of home and the challenge of exploring. We're looking forward to the next stage, and to seeing all of you again and sharing a year's worth of stories over a beer or three.  Just as soon as we survive our three-flight, four-nation, 45-hour trip home.  See you Tuesday.

Nepal Part 3: Route finding in the Annapurnas

Two days ago we wrapped up a 13-day trek in the Annapurnas, and it was a very different experience than the Manaslu region.  While the Manaslu and Tsum trek was largely a matter of following large river valleys, the Annapurna sanctuary is a gnarled area of ridges, gorges, and minor peaks. And this time we went out on our own, with no guide or porter, intending to explore some more remote areas on less popular trails.

Over thirteen days, we did manage to find wonderful, off-the-beaten-track areas.  With much of the main Annapurna circuit and sanctuary area under development with (very bad) roads and power lines, there are new trekking routes springing up that use local trails and visit more remote areas. We linked two of these areas, the Mohare Danda and Koprah Danda (danda meaning ridge), both of which have newer community-run lodges, with proceeds going to local schools. They also have amazing views. Here's the view from Mohare Danda, where we spent our second night:

From left to right, you can see Fang, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre, ranging from 7647 to 6441 meters high.  

The major trekking routes tend to follow old trails that sprang up ages ago as transit routes between villages. But these often follow rivers or valleys, avoiding unnecessary climbing but also missing out on views. By contrast, the newer ridge line hikes are more spectacular, more remote, and much less heavily travelled. During our day and night at the Mohare Danda lodge, which we found with the help of a local man hired as a guide for the day, we saw only two other trekkers, but plenty of peaks and stars.

While remote and exciting, these treks do necessitate some route finding, and have plenty of hard climbs and descents. We did pretty well over six days, then found a nice quiet spot for a rest day before pushing on up the main trail to Annapurna Base Camp.  Appropriately enough, it was called Little Paradise and again, we saw few trekkers but did make friends with a girl from Colorado and a group of Nepali guys up for a few days from Kathmandu. Here's our rest-day spot, with a good view of Annapurna South and it's fortress-like ridge:

From there we pushed up to Machhapuchhre Base Camp in two days, and the next day had a short one-hour hike up to Annapurna Base Camp (usually just called ABC) at 4,130 meters (13,500 feet or so)  At that point, we'd been trekking for about 30 days, with over 10 of those spent between 3,000 and 3,600 meters (roughly 10,000-12,500 ft.). It was gratifying to take advantage of our acclimatization and cruise uphill during the last stretches, not feeling the altitude, and enjoying a mostly sunny day rambling around ABC. It's a beautiful mountain sanctuary, where you're completely surrounded by huge mountains towering well over 25,000 feet, with hanging glaciers, and a real sense of the size and majesty of the Himalayas.  We got up at dawn for a last look at the mountains:

Then we had a knee-crushing 10,000 foot descent over three days, a short taxi ride, and a pizza dinner back in town.  It was a fun trek, and we really enjoyed being on our own, making decisions daily and not bound by a guide or itinerary.  

Between the Manaslu-Tsum valley trek (22 days) and our Annapurna trek (13 days), we spent five solid weeks on the trail.  We spent this morning putting some numbers together, so here they are:

Manaslu-Tsum Valley, over 22 days: 308 km (191 miles); 6,490 meters of climbing and the same descent (21,287 feet each way).

Annapurna, over 13 days (including a rest day): 160km (99 miles); 7960 of climbing and about the same descent (26,109 feet each way)

Total distance hiked: 468km, or 290 miles. Total elevation gained: 14450 meters, or 47,396 feet. Plus another 47,396 feet downhill.  Our knees feel it, and we're both a couple pounds lighter, but otherwise we feel surprisingly good. 

We're headed to Kathmandu tomorrow, where we have a few days before flying back to the US on December 1, landing in Miami on December 2. We're looking forward to getting back and seeing everyone, but also dreading the 40-hour trip and feeling a bit sad that our travels are nearly over. But more on all that later. Right now we've got to get back to the hard work of relaxing in Pokhara...

Nepal: Part 2, in which we traverse the Manaslu and Tsum Valleys

We just wrapped up a 22 day trek up (and down) the Manaslu and Tsum valleys, in central Nepal. Both run up to the Tibetan border, and are populated by Tibetans at the upper ends. Tsum runs through the Gamesh Himal, and Manaslu the eponymous Manaslu Himal. Both have many 7,000 meter peaks, while Manaslu itself tops 8,100m, or about 25,000 feet. But the highest we got was 14,000 feet or so at a monestary at the top of the Tsum; most of the trek was in the 6,000-12,000 foot range. 

It's surprising how subtropical it is in the Himalayas. For days we walked up a hot river valley (well, more like a gorge), surrounded by rice paddies and banana trees. It wasn't until about 8,000 feet that it started to feel alpine, and even then there were thick forests and monkeys all the way up to 12,000 ft. Watching the landscape and scenery shift is one of the weird things about hiking here. You can literally spend weeks approaching and climbing a single hill or pass, moving from jungle to forest to subalpine to alpine. Along the way, the people shift as well, from Indian-Nepali to Tibetan, with commensurate changes in architecture, food, agriculture, and customs.

When we set out, we had intended to cross the Larkye La pass into the Annapurna region. But a few days before we started, a massive, unseasonal typhoon dropped a few meters of snow up high. Scores of trekkers and locals were killed by avalanches and blizzard conditions in the northern regions.  Two weeks later, as we approached the pass, we learned it was still icy and dangerous. So we turned back after getting some great views of the Manaslu range from the ancient village of Samagoan. 

A week later, we're now relaxing in Nepal's original capital of Gorkha, a very pleasant town, and headed to the resort town of Pokhara tomorrow. After a few days there, we're hoping to set off on an independent (no guide, no porter) trek through the Annapurna sanctuary (which involves no high, icy passes).

Having a guide for three weeks was more challenging than expected. Language and customs prevented effective communication at times, and there were some very frustrating moments. But all was well in the end, although we're still not sold on the value-add provided by a guide in an age of maps, compasses, and GPS. Our porter Surya, though, was invaluable for our knees and sanity. He would gladly share a beer or rakshi (local rice wine) with us and patiently taught us some Nepali, helping to remind us that we're all just people, cultural frustrations aside. Surya is 26, and earns $10/day for waking up mountains with someone else's kit on his back.  But he's always smiling.

We have also realized that Nepali food is singularly well suited for trekking. Most days included at least one meal of dahl baht - lentil soup, rice, veggie curry, and often sautéed greens (although those stopped at the higher elevations) -- served in all-you-can-eat portions. The guides would pack away 3 plates each night, Brook 2, and Erin at least 1. The lodging was also surprisingly civilized: we had beds all but two nights, in private rooms at small lodges. There's even hot showers at a few places, or at least a way to take a cold wash-up. Our only real issues were a 5-day stomach bug (Erin) and week-long mild cold (Brook). But no altitude problems or even serious blisters. 

After a year of this, our major problem is probably Brook's boots. First, the almost complete lack of tread remaining. Secondly, and arguably more important, the smell. But with only a few weeks left, we'll somehow muddle through...

After 10 months away, even here in the Himalayas, we're starting to itch for home. Our own bathroom would be nice for starters, along with decent beer, wine, and a burger you can trust. We miss you, dear reader, and following this final jaunt in the mountains, we look forward to catching up.  In person.

p.s. No photos for now. Internet in Nepal is way too slow for that... But we'll post albums from the trek when we get a chance.

Nepal: Part 1

We're now two weeks into our Manaslu-Tsum Valley trek and, miraculously, they have wifi at one of the guesthouses. They also have beer, often electricity, and beds - all of which has definitely made this easier. When we set out, there was a bad, unseasonal storm that dumped a couple meters of snow on the mountains and passes in the Manaslu and Annapurna areas. Sadly, many trekkers, guides, and local people died in avalanches and from exposure. We have changed plans accordingly, and are not attempting any of the high passes or snowy areas.  Instead, we're going up and back a few valleys, and playing it safe.  We'll send a full report later, but we're enjoying the hike so far, and feeling just a tad beat up after weeks on the trail.  But then again, at least they have beer...

The Moment

Tomorrow we start our trek in the Himalayas. It's been a hectic few days in Kathmandu as we organize our gear, struggle to find working ATMs, buy last-minute supplies, and meet with our guide. But at this point, we're as ready as we're going to get.

Sometimes it's hard to believe we've come this far. When we left home in January, Nepal seemed a lifetime away. It's been nine months since then, with adventures spanning three continents and eleven countries. There were times along the way when we'd talk about this trek, or about going home, as if those things would never really happen. 

When you're traveling, you become consumed by the present, whether it's finding your way around a new city or simply sorting out a morning coffee. Every event is it's own little challenge, and while you must plan for the future, buying tickets and booking hotels, it's the now that seems to matter most. That can be a really wonderful thing, and we've tried as best we can to live in the present.   

And right now, the present is the dirty chaos of Kathmandu and a 5-am wakeup tomorrow to begin the longest hike of our lives. And truth be told, we're a bit nervous. First, we're tackling the Manaslu and Tsum valleys over about 23 days. Then our guide will head home and we'll continue on our own for 10-15 days across the Annapurna circuit. We did make a last-minute call to hire a porter for the first leg, and the Annapurnas are fairly civilized with teahouses and lodges available, but 30-40 days on the trail is still a long haul. 

We're also a bit daunted by one simple fact: this is It. The culmination of our year of travel, the last stop before we fly back to the US and family and jobs and all the rest of it. At the same time, we're psyched. We're getting more and more excited to see the world's greatest mountain range, and coming home in a few weeks means we get to see much-missed friends and family.

So you might not hear from us for a while, while we're out on the trail. But we'll be out there, walking, doing our best to stay present, but with an eye towards home.

The century egg, revisited

"Wimps". That's what a friend called us for not trying the century egg, which he claimed was actually quite good. We couldn't let that stand, so we took advantage of our three day stopover in Kuala Lumpur to dig into a century egg.

Thanks to a strong Chinese influence in Malaysia, century eggs are easy to find. We picked up a four pack at the local grocery store, which had a selection of duck, chicken or quail eggs. We chose chicken.

Century eggs are eggs that have been preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks or months. This process turns the whites of the egg a lovely brown while the yolks become greenish. The egg smells a bit like ammonia.

After peeling and rinsing the egg, all that was left was to give it a try...

The texture of the egg wasn't great - the whites are (after weeks of "aging") firm and gelatinous, requiring you to chew while simultaneously threatening to slip down your throat without warning. The taste, though, wasn't too bad for Erin. In fact there wasn't much of a taste at all, so long as you didn't take a big whiff of the egg while eating it. Brook thought it was akin to munching on, well, a pickled rotten egg...

In the end, we think the century egg is best as an novel accompaniment. Perhaps sliced with a salad or chopped up in a sandwich. We probably won't be buying more century eggs for our flight to Nepal, but we're glad we're not wimps anymore...

Recharging in Japan

Japan surprised us. Despite a fast-paced tour of Honshu and Hokkaido - breaking our three night minimum rule a few times - we found ourselves rejuvenated at the end, and very sad to leave.

We kicked off our Japan tour in the Kobe area, hanging out with Erin's high school friend and her awesome family. We visited local tourist sights and got to experience a little of normal Japanese life.  We learned, for example, that all school kids wear the same, standard issue and remarkably fashionable backpack, and that learning to ride the unicycle is compulsory. Builds coordination. We also got to sample Kobe beef, conveyer-belt sushi, and visit a grocery store to figure out which snacks we like (Brook voted for ramen chips, while the kids were begging for dried squid - we got both).

We also got a large dose of Japanese history on a 24-hour whirlwind tour of Kyoto, which has more temples, palaces, parks, and museums than you could possibly visit in one go.

After Kobe, we started to make our way north on the train, which is every bit as efficient and clean as you might imagine. We spent a few days soaking in luxury at an onsen (traditional Japanese hot springs bath) in Hakone, then ventured to Tokyo to see more friends and check out the famed fish market. Here's a link to some photos from Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo:  https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6067444215233432497

Fortunately we found Japanese trains comfortable, because after Tokyo we had a 10-hour, four-train ride up to Otaru, a small town on the north island of Hokkaido. 

We arrived in Otaru on the perfect cliché of a dark and stormy night: town seemed deserted (it was only 7 or so), it was pitch black, and an icy rain was lashing down. And unlike Tokyo, which has lots of signs in English, this small town was very Japanese. Which means we reverted to what Brook calls medieval mode. Functionally illiterate, we rely on pictures. If a shop has a picture with a chicken in a

pot, chances are you can get chicken in a pot inside. Carving of a foamy beer? Good bet there's beer, and maybe food on offer. Applying that technique, we spotted a shop with a steaming bowl of noodles on its sign. Cold, wet, and hungry we wandered in, and were greeted by the nicest, most welcoming person in Otaru, the owner's father, Shin.  Shin, a former air traffic controller (with near-perfect English) chatted us up, bought us beers, insisted we take home a bottle of sake on the house, lent us maps, and also cooked a mean bowl of ramen. We stayed a while.

In addition to ramen, Otaru has some great hiking trails along the coast and up local mountains. We got in two solid day hikes with some great scenery. We also got stopped by the cops while walking back from a hike through a very local neighborhood. We're assuming someone called and warned them that two  honkeys were wandering about and

looking lost. Now, we almost never carry our passports, preferring to lock them

up in the hotel safe, but by chance

we had them on us that day. So after a quick (and apologetic) passport check, the officers made sure we weren't lost, bowed, and sent us on our way.  We really enjoyed our stay and, like most places in Japan, were sad to leave Otaru. Here's a few photos from our hikes there:

https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6068086914767661137

After Otaru we visited Daisetsuzan National Park for a few days and hiked as much as possible with foggy weather and snow on the ground. Daisetsuzan is amazing. It's sort of like the White Mointains: similar size peaks, great fall foliage, lots of good day hikes. But it's way more badass. Instead of black bears, they have grizzlies. And instead of rocky ridges, there are steaming volcanoes.  We had a great time, and again didn't want to leave... Here's some shots of the scenery on our hikes:  https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6068085000566997633

We wrapped up our Japan tour in Sapporo, which, being near a volcano, home to the first brewery in Japan, and seemingly obsessed with flannel, is appropriately the sister city to Portland, OR. 

You can't always anticipate which places will help you recharge. You may think that lying on the beach is what you need, but find that time with friends, meeting the friendliest ramen noodle shop owner, or just hiking up a snowy mountain proves much more effective. Of course, ubiquitous hot springs and heated toilet seats don't hurt either. Whatever it was, Japan gave us a little extra boost before we start the final leg of this adventure: Nepal, and five weeks of trekking in the Himalayas.

On food and an unrequited love of spice

The first few months of our travels were, from a food perspective, bland. Sure, we had wild venison in New Zealand, more avocados than we could eat in Chile and the opportunity to try Australia's coat of arms, but when our plane landed in Kuala Lumpur, we were ready for some real spice and a little more flavor.

Over the next 4 1/2 months we got it, and a few times it got us back. Our willingness to try (almost) anything, along with a large supply of tums and pepto, led us to some delicious food discoveries. Below is a round-up of some of our most memorable eating experiences:

The Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast seems like an appropriate place to start, and is the meal where we were most out of our comfort zone. It's also the meal where we discovered some of our new favorite dishes. For example, roti canai in Malaysia - a delicious Indian-inspired flatbread often served with ayam, a chicken curry dipping sauce, or filled with banana and coated in honey. Best served with Teh Tarik. 

Another favorite breakfast were the dumplings with fried bread in China. We think the dumplings had cabbage and egg in them, but aren't sure. Regardless, they were delicious. 

And, of course, the multi-course Japanese breakfast that includes broiled fish, pickled vegetables, some type of egg and mysterious but tasty tofu logs. And, of course, rice (or rice porridge).

New Favorite Foods

This could be a long list, so here's just a few. 

Chicken rendang from Malaysia - an excellent example of Nyonya cuisine, which is a happy marriage of Indian, Chinese and Indonesian food. 

Fish amok in Cambodia - a coconut leaf filled with fresh fish and an aromatic coconut sauce that you will want to put on everything. 

Banh xeo in Vietnam - a rice pancake filled with greens, pork and shrimp, wrapped in rice paper then dunked in a fish/soy sauce. We started ordering this at any restaurant that would make it for us. Even if it wasn't on the menu.

And, of course, öröm from Mongolia - at first we were scared of this homemade yak milk cheese/butter spread, but once we tried it we couldn't get enough. Best served with sugar and fried bread. Healthy!

Happy Rediscoveries

We eat a lot of Asian food at home and one thing we've realized while traveling is that most of it is really quite good. For example, sushi in Japan is no better than sushi in New York, Boston, or Portland.  But there are a few dishes that we though we knew, until we went to the source.

Green curry in Thailand - You think you like green curry? You have no idea what you're missing. Green curry in Thailand is just better, much better. Maybe that's why the Thai government is investing in this important project: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/bad-thai-thailand-creates-taste-testing-robot-to-authenticate-cuisine/article20862979/?

Ramen - Sure it's trendy now and everyone ate it in college. But have you had ramen in a homemade pork broth with a perfectly cooked egg and homemade noodles?  Or with a soy broth and chunks of slow-braised beef tendon? It's a totally different food.

The Untested, and the Untried

We admit, there were a few things our stomachs just couldn't fathom, and we weren't brave enough to try. Like...

Dried organ meat in Mongolia: At several gers, the host would pull a plate of dried yak(?) organs from under the bed and offer them up as a snack. We always refused, but our horse riding guide would whip out his knife and start slicing off bites. In our defense, we did try some of the freshly boiled organs and learned the Mongolian words for heart, liver and intestines in the process.

The century egg: We first saw this example of Chinese cuisine in a Malaysian market. It's an egg preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks or months (thank you Wikipedia). On the outside it looks like an egg covered in charcoal, but on the inside it has a dark green/grey yolk surrounded by brown gelatin. Yummy.

Scorpions, tarantulas, or any other insect: We consider these "tourist food" - who, besides tourists really eats this anymore? Or maybe we're just hiding our fear behind a veneer of traveler superiority. Regardless, we didn't eat any insects in Asia. Yet.

For now, we're quite happy with our nine course Japanese dinners.

Loving Japan

We're enamored with Japan. It's totally foreign to us, yet oddly familiar. There are beautiful, wild spaces, but plenty of civilization. The food is great, the hotels have hot springs baths (or "onsen"), folks are friendly, and the trains are awesome. Here's one of the famed Shinkansen, or bullet trains, which we've taken a few times:

We're on the north island of Hokkaido now, after visiting Kobe, Kyoto, Hakone, and Tokyo. It took us four trains to get up here from Tokyo, but only about 9 hours to cover the 1300 km (800 miles), including traversing the world's longest seabed tunnel -- over 50km long and 240 meters below sea level -- in this cool train:

Tokyo was a good stop, but fundamentally a big, global city. After living in and visiting so many cities, we're finding them all a bit the same in the larger ways, but different in the smaller ones. We stayed near the famed fish market, ate lots of sushi, wandered around a lot, and drank too much beer at one of the local brew pubs. Turns out Tokyo has an emerging craft brew scene. Here's the river near our hotel:

And here's a cityscape from the top of the Metropolitan Building (unlike in NYC, there's no charge to visit the top):

We also caught a glimpse of our future selves (in maybe fifteen years) while boarding a train at a Tokyo Station:

The ride north from Tokyo was beautiful, with some rural areas and weather rolling in:

And here's the platform in Sapporo where we changed trains for the fourth and final time that day.  Because the trains in Japan run precisely on time, you can actually make a 5-minute connection with no problem...

The ride went smoothly, and we arrived in Otaru at 7 last night in a driving cold rain.  Otaru is an old seaport on the north coast, about 45 minutes west of Sapporo. It's a destination for Japanese tourists, but only a few westerners visit, so very few people speak English.  But it's got some great hikes and a cool old downtown area complete with canals:

Wandering around town last night (wet, hungry, and cold) we stumbled onto a ramen place owned by the friendliest guy in town, Shin, who happened to speak English with a Sylvester Stallone accent. That conversation, along with his delicious ramen, the free beer, free sake, and loaned maps and guidebooks, made for a great night.  

Today, we explored the coast on a nice five hour hike. We also got stopped by the cops for the first time this year (not counting Brook's automated speeding ticket in New Zealand). Just a routine passport check, with a polite bow from the officers. Then another hot springs soak, sushi, some local beer, a little sake, and this blog post. Yep. Japan's a pretty great place. We could get used to it...