Hey all....I just realized they post these in the opposite order. Start from the bottom and work your way up and some of the captions will make more sense.
-bw
Trip Itinerary: June 24-July 2: Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima) July 2-July 13: China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong) July 13-17: Thailand (Phuket) July 17-20: Taiwan July 21-30: Italy (Rome, Amalfi Coast) August 1-13: Spain (All Over)
Hey all....I just realized they post these in the opposite order. Start from the bottom and work your way up and some of the captions will make more sense.
Shawn takes some time to pose with a few ladies in downtown Tokyo. Nora, next to Shawn, is a friend from Austin and now works in Tokyo. She's been gracious enough to let us stay at her apartment and has been a great hostess!
Japenese bars are very good about giving barhoppers precise instructions on the expected behavior.
Shawn, Megan and I lost our guide in Tokyo for a night and were forced to eat at a restaraunt ourselves. Unfortunatley the menu didn't have English or pictures so we let our waitress order for us and this is what she brought out........it ended up being vegetables and cow stomach.
Shawn and I take a pic with of the "cos" (short for costume) kids that dress up then come hang out in a random intersection. We're still not sure why they do this, but it's pretty bizarre.
Naps are common during the day for workers all over Japan. This pic was taken at 2 pm at a Starbucks on a Monday. Definitely I habit I could pick up in a few months.
We found a prayer from another Texan. It may take more than a Shinto priest to have this happen.
People from all over the world leave prayers at the Meiji Ju shrine. Each week, Shinto priests prayer over these cards then burn them.
Me and Megan purify our hands and mouth before entering the Meiji-Ju Shrine. This shrine honors the Emperor that opened up Japan's culture to Western influence.
Tokyo's fish market is filled with energy on a daily basis. Here's a picture of one of the runners.
Japan even honors the animals that died in the war. This is a statue of a dog, horse and pigeon at the War Dead Shrine.
Here is a picture of a shrine honoring the Japanese dead from WWII. The Emperor's family still honors the many Japense that died in the war, including numerous war criminals. Obviously, this has caused some diplomatic tensions for Japan.
Megan and Shawn arriving in Tokyo's airport. Starbucks are pretty much everywhere, which helps our caffeine addictions.
Hey everyone. I have arrived in Tokyo and have been having a blast over the past 3 days. I've even learned a little Japanese (Hello, Excuse Me, - which I use a ton, and Thank you).
Off I go..........it's hard to believe I'll be starting my 51 day journey soon in Tokyo. I honestly have no idea what to expect out of the next couple months, but I fully expect this time to be life changing.