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Travel Journal: Meandering on Miyajima, Japan
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On Location: Dream Trips – Illustrated Travel Bucket List vol. 2
It doesn’t matter the time of year, I’m always dreaming of another trip. Below is a continuation of my illustrated Travel Bucket List. I’ll take you to Africa and Asia, South America and Europe– come see the next 10 incredible spots that are a must-visit in this lifetime. Soak in the Blue Lagoon – Grindavik, Iceland The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located about 50 minutes from Reykjavik or 20 minutes from the Keflavik International Airport. Although it is a man-made lagoon, the water is fed by a nearby geothermal power plant and renewed every 2 days. The water temperature averages a balmy 99-102 degrees F year round, so even in the…
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Culture: Shopping – Harajuku, Shibuya, Takeshita Street & Cat Street in Tokyo
A trip to Tokyo is not complete without a shopping outing in 2 very trendy and youthful neighborhoods, Harajuku and Shibuya. Narrow streets snake behind the big roads and are filled with boutiques and shops brimming with the latest Tokyo fashions. Whether you are a kid or not, one must browse through Kiddyland, a several storied shop filled with iconic cartoon characters and Japanese pop culture. There is nothing subtle about Tokyo fashion! Bright colors with bold graphics were abound. Popular trends from other cultures were also seen– there were lots of clothes with references to Brooklyn, New York, cowboys, and British punk! Once you’ve browsed the main boulevards and small back streets of…
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Culture: Spiritual – Discovering Traditions at a Shinto Shrine in Japan
Like many travelers, I find one of the best parts about exploring a new country is learning something new. Experiencing new traditions, religions, ceremonies, and rituals can not only be educational but also a perfect way to reflect on my own culture’s traditions and perhaps bring some new insight home with me. Before traveling to Japan, I did not know anything about the indigenous Shinto religion, the largest religion in Japan practiced by nearly 80% of the population. I was aware of the many shrines I was told to visit, but did not know of the varied rituals that take place within a Shinto shrine (jinja.) Fortunately, I was lucky to be toured through some…
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On Location: Sketching a Serene Spot in the Middle of Bustling Tokyo
Going on an urban adventure at dawn was definitely something different for me and my family. After we observed sumo training at a local stable, we arrived early to our next stop, the Edo-Tokyo Museum in the Sumida district. Unfortunately, it had not yet opened for the day and we were stuck trying to decide how to cope with the unbearable humidity as we waited. We chose to walk around the block, and amazingly found a little slice of paradise in the middle of sweltering Tokyo, a serene Japanese garden. Our Japanese friend who was taking us around for the day mentioned this garden was privately owned, but free to the public to explore. We…
