#View from the Airbnb we stayed at while waiting for our apartment to free up!

[learnelle]

26/100 days of productivity

I finished The Bell Jar and went on an IKEA date with my love. These are the better days I told myself about when I was feeling blue. 🤍

#View from the Airbnb we stayed at while waiting for our apartment to free up! #The owner wanted us to pay for a new door even when we weren't the ones who broke it... Like mam' I worked for Airbnb #Finally the training for that job payed off djdjnd #studyblr #langblr #studyspo #lookrylie #heyharri #sonderstudy #100 days of productivity #heypat #100dop #jeonchemstudy #eintsein #Studyvan #problematicprocrastinator #bujo #Light dark academia aesthetic #athenastudying #starryuniversitas #stuhde #French france

[girlwithshipsshitshow]

PART 28

NSFW

(Misaki walked into the room, his spirits were high. Setting his bags down at the lower part of the loft, he ran towards the bed that took up the top part facing the ocean).

Misaki: Usagi! (He squealed from the ladder), this view is amazing!

(Misaki grinned broadly, jumping into Usagi's arms who stood at the bottom of the ladder. The older man laughed, catching him with one arm, almost losing his balance, spinning them around. Misaki looked at him, placing kisses all over his face).

Usagi: I’m truly glad you like it. (He put Misaki on the floor grinning at him), So what now? (Usagi grinned at Misaki, running his hands under his shirt, stimulating his nipples).

Misaki: (Moans), mhmm, m-maybe we could do, Ah (his moans become deeper), that, (Pulling away from Usagi), or, we could explore.

Usagi: It's been two weeks.

Misaki: I know. (He plays with the buttons on Usagi's shirt, debating on whether he should take it off. He didn't want to admit it, but a part of him was nervous because it's been two weeks. Ripping it off, he pushed Usagi on the bed that sat on the lower of the loft, fiercely kissing him, positioning himself between Usagi's legs. He could feel the older man getting hard).

Usagi: (Pulling apart catching his breath he looked up at Misaki, a confused look on his face), Okay, I know you like to take the lead sometimes, but not like that... what is going on with you?

Misaki: Nothing I just- (He shook his head trying to unbutton Usagi's pants, anxiously he reached his hand in stocking Usagi's cock, the older man moaned throwing his head back, Cumming immediately). That was fast.

Usagi: It's been two weeks. (Usagi pulled him down, rubbing Misaki's back), What's with you?

Misaki: Nothing, I told you.

Usagi: (Raising an eyebrow), I know when you're lying to me.

Misaki: I'm scared.

Usagi: (Gently), why?

Misaki: It's been two weeks, I know it's going to hurt.

Usagi: Right, well, we're prepared for that.

Misaki: I'm fine with everything else it's just... (He looked at the floor blushing).

Usagi: I understand, you know we can stop if it hurts, right?

Misaki: I know, but- (Usagi cut him off with a kiss).

Usagi: If it gets too much, we're stopping, okay?

Misaki: Okay.

Usagi: Okay. (he softly kissed Misaki's head, reaching his hand down his pants stroking the tip of his cock, teasing him. The younger boy moaned gently, gripping Usagi's arm. Misaki came fast too. He rolled his eyes at Usagi's face).

Misaki: Don't give me that look. We were both pent up. (He grinned, Pushing Usagi down, kissing his neck softly, biting his ear, sucking his nipples, kissing every inch of his body. He was still nervous about doing blow jobs. Kissing Usagi's cock, he smiled at him). Usagi, um, can you turn it over? I want to be inside you.

Usagi: You're so good with the sexy talk. (Leaning forward, he kissed Misaki's head, then flipped over).

Misaki: (Blushing, he kissed the older man's back slowing inserting himself in, Usagi moaned loudly, clinging onto the sheets as Misaki thrusting hard, both men releasing at the same time. Misaki fell against Usagi, picking his hand up kissing it), I missed you.

Usagi: I missed you too, baby.

Misaki: (Rolls over facing Usagi), It's your turn.

Usagi: Misaki, if-

Misaki: Usagi, I need you.

Usagi: (Nods slowly Kissing Misaki, he plays with his pants, then takes them off, slowing moving the boy towards him). Are you sure?

Misaki: I'm sure.

Usagi: Okay, I'm going in, (He slowly goes in. Hearing Misaki gasps hard, he grips the sheets tightly as Usagi thrusts into him.)

Misaki: Fuck Usagi, (he moans hard, throwing his head back, he cries from a mix of pleasure and pain).

Usagi: (He stopped and kissed Misaki's lower back), are you okay?

Misaki: Yeah, it feels good, and I'm Cumming, keep going.

Usagi: okay, (Usagi kissed Misaki's back softly thrusting into Misaki until he came into him, he rubbed Misaki's cock, feeling that he came as well). Misaki, are you okay? (He fell against him, pulling them on their sides).

Misaki: I'm okay. (he was out of breath, turning his head towards Usagi, he gently kissed his chin).

Usagi: Are you sure?

Misaki: I promise.

Usagi: Okay.

Misaki: It, felt good... can you stay inside me for a while? I missed you; I missed this feeling.

Usagi: (Wrapping arms around him), Sure, as long as you want.

Usagi: So, where should we go?

(After the two took a nap, they showered, took a taxi back to Kamakura station to look for a place to eat. Sure, the place they were staying offered food, but it wasn't a huge menu, and they wanted to eat elsewhere, plus they would get a free bed-and-breakfast for three weeks straight, eating outside of the hotel would be nice).

Misaki: Not sure, there are a lot of excellent restaurants around here. (He paused at a bench to sit down and look at his phone), What are you in the mood for? (He glanced up at Usagi shielding his eyes from the sun).

Usagi: Seafood.

Misaki: Really?

Usagi: (Sits beside him, giving a serious look), Baby, we're at the beach, we have to get seafood! it's like a law!

Misaki: (Chuckles), Okay... there's a place called, Kajiya, we can walk, it doesn't seem too far. And it's only three, so if we hurry we can still make lunch!

Usagi: (Jumps up), Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go! (He smiled, taking Misaki's hand, the two running down the street).

Misaki: YOU'RE INSANE YOU KNOW!

Usagi: I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE! (He laughed, stopping to catch his breath), Where are we supposed to be going?

Misaki: (Rolls his eyes), Actually is just straight down this road, (Looks at phone), Yeah, looks like just a four-minute walk. Oh, and past it is the shopping center! Want to check that out?!

Usagi: Maybe let's go eat first, huh...

Misaki: Sure.

Misaki: Usagi! Look, Sakuras are blooming! (Misaki smiled, pressing his hand to the window. The two requested a booth near the back so they could see the cherry blossom trees, but hadn't known how lively they would be at the moment).

Usagi: Don't you just love spring? (He reached across the table, lacing his fingers through Misaki's. The younger man blushed, turning to Usagi as he nodded slightly).

Misaki: I love when we can see the Sakuras bloom. I love being here with you, (he brought Usagi's hand to his lips, softly kissing his knuckles), Thank you.

Usagi: You're welcome.

(The server comes over, she looks tired, smiling she hands them a menu, then walks away).

Misaki: That was interesting. She didn't even ask if we wanted anything to drink.

Usagi: I know, (He picks up a small menu sitting on the table), There's a drink menu right here.

Misaki: Can we get the HAKUTSURU SAYURI sake?

Usagi: Of course, do you know what you want to eat?

Misaki: Yeah, the tempura lunch set.

Usagi: I'm getting the osashimi-teishoku.

Misaki: That sounds good.

Sever: I'll be right back with your order.

Miski: Uh, where did you come from?

Sever: Over there, I was listening to your convention, waiting for you guys to place your order. I'll be back. She took the menus from them before walking away.

Usagi: That was crazy, right?

Misaki: (Nods).

Usagi: Give me my notebook, this could be a story!

Misaki: This?

Usagi: Not a long one. It could even be a short horror story.

Misaki: Okay. (takes the notebook out of his bag, passing it to Usagi).

Usagi: Thanks, (Quickly scribbling down notes). What do you think?

Misaki: (Takes notebook, clearing throat), Going out to eat you never expect your sever to become your worst nightmare, Annie, and Gen didn't until they had to fight for their lives when a fun night out turned into the fight for their lives. Interesting. You've never written horror before.

Usagi: Are you saying you don't think this could work?

Misaki: No, I believe in you, I just want you to know... this is the same plot just with a fresh setting, but if you think you can do it, you should. It'll probably become a movie, just like all the other tired horrors.

Usagi: So...

Misaki: Go for it! (Gives thumbs up).

Usagi: Thank you. (Pats Misaki's hand). I was going to write it, anyway.

Misaki: I know, (Places Usagi's notebook back in his bag).

Usagi: I'm going to write a better book.

Misaki: I know, Eri said a magazine wanted a short horror story though, at least you don't need to turn it in until August.

Usagi: (Places head on table), I don't want to talk about work; you promised on the ride over here. Nothing was on my schedule.

Misaki: I know, (Reaches over tussling Usagi's hair), and you've worked really hard to make sure you can enjoy this break.

Usagi: (Sits up straight), I have, haven't I?

Misaki: I'm proud of you.

Usagi: Thank you!

Sever: Alright, food and drinks enjoy! (Leaves)

Misaki: Seriously, is she the only one working?

Usagi: I don't know, but let's hurry and get out of here.

Misaki: agreed.

Usagi: I know you wanted to go to the street mall but-

Misaki: I'm glad we made our way back towards the hotel think we should go shopping though, just to have some snacks or whatever to have.

Usagi: I agree, there's a place right up here, let's go in. I hope they have a hot plate; I saw a fridge and a coffee maker in the room, but not a stove.

Misaki: (Laughs, reaching for the door), They do have 24/7 room service, it's also a hotel, not an Airbnb.

Usagi: We should've gotten one of those.

Misaki: (Snaps fingers), Next time. (Laughing he pulls Usagi inside and grabs a small basket. They wander around the aisles). What about six Onigiris?

Usagi: Sure, that's every type. They also have omurice, let's get six of those as well.

Misaki: Even the sweet kind?

Usagi: Get one of each!

Misaki: Okay! (He grins, putting the Onigiri and the omurice in the basket. He loved when Usagi was happy and relaxed like this; it made his heart swell).

Usagi: Look, there' are a few bento sets we can get, it looks like you can eat it hot or cold.

Misaki: Sure. (He snickered).

Usagi: What is it?

Misaki: I just think it's funny that we're shopping like we are going to eat for weeks.

Usagi: (Shrugs), We might want a midnight snack).

Misaki: You mean a midnight meal? (He looked up at Usagi, his green eyes flickering).

Usagi: (Putting his hand on Misaki's face), Hey sometimes, we get up and watch tv together, or talk for hours).

Misaki: (Nodding), We have been doing that a lot lately, haven't we?

Usagi: I LOVE those moments.

Misaki: (Taking Usagi's hand from his face, lacing his fingers through it), me too. A few bentos won't hurt.

Usagi: Right, and I know you like sweets, I saw some of your favorite snacks over here.

Misaki: Okay, we should also think about drinks?

Usagi: Yeah, yeah. I was thinking four of each of these?

Misaki: Coffee treats, Mochifuwa, and the Black gateau Chocolat?

Usagi: Yes, I love Chocolat.

Misaki: I know, because it's not that sweet. Let's get them.

Usagi: Cool, (He pushed the treats into the basket with his hand, causing Misaki to jump back).

Misaki: Babe, you can't do that. What if you made a mess?

Usagi: I didn't though!

Misaki: (Pulling him towards the drinks), Come on, we need drinks!

Usagi: Okay, let's get water, green tea, iced coffee, orange juice, and Asahi.

Misaki: Anything else?

Usagi: Nah, if we run out of- (His eyes dart to the side) Misaki?

Misaki: Yes?

Usagi: Don't you like Jagabee chips?

Misaki: I do! Get some!

Usagi: Okay!

(Flopping on the bed that sits in the bottom part of the loft, Misaki looks up at the wooden part of the bed above him, just hours ago, Usagi and he had sex for the first time in two weeks, in the very bed he lied in, he smiled to himself; he missed the feeling, Usagi's warmth, their bodies together. He loved the sensations, the happy tiredness after everything about it. Usagi hummed as he put the groceries away. The sun was setting, so it was too late to do much on the beach, but they wanted to go for a walk in a bit).

Misaki: (Props himself up on his elbows), Hey Usagi?

Usagi: Yeah? (He put the last of the dinks up, shut the fridge door, folded his arms, then turned to face Misaki, leaning against the counter).

Misaki: You happy?

Usagi: What do you mean? I'm always happy with you...

Misaki: I mean, you seem, relaxed.

Usagi: I am, (He walked over to Misaki, who was still lying down, and put his arm around his waist, smiling at him). It just feels good that we're on this trip, and I don't have any work hanging over me for once.

Misaki: (Fiercely) Well, maybe if you met your deadlines...

Usagi: I have.

Misaki: Yeah! Only now! Why did you start?! You can't use me as an excuse! We've been together for almost five years, what changed?

Usagi: You did, for real.

Misaki: I don't get it.

Usagi: Look, (He sighed, looking away from him), I figured that after we told your brother about us, it would not be a long time before we got engaged, and you would graduate, then we would really begin our lives together. Misaki, (He gave him a serious look), I've been doing this for a long time now, a lot is happening in our lives. I need to take this seriously, meet deadlines, work hard, and go to meetings Conferences, whatever it takes. That's why with you by my side as my assistant I know this will be a lot easier, for me, and Eri. When we get back home, I need a week to organize everything, work, meetings, book tours, new projects, the first of May I want to roll out new projects. I'll have four weeks in April to get serious, I hope you're ready for that, it's going to be a lot of long days and nights.

Misaki: (Smiles, hugging Usagi, pushing him over), I'm ready for anything. (Kissing him all over, smiling into his violet eyes), I'm so proud of you! (Misaki smiles harder, stroking Usagi's face). You and I babe, we're going to take on the world!

Usagi: (Hugs Misaki tight), I hope so!

#junjou romantica #Junjou ramantica fanfiction #misaki takahashi #usaki #usagi x misaki

[eyesopen2019]

Last stop in China - Kunming

On 16th October we were dropped at the tiny Shangri-la airport for our short flight to Kunming which is a city of 6.6 million and 625km away.  There were no trains servicing Shangri-la and the bus journeys were too long for me, especially with kids who get motion sick, due to the mountainous terrain.  But it was amazing to see the close mountain ranges on both sides of the plane as we took off, and I hoped the pilots had good training.  We’d decided to stay for the remaining time we had in China in Kunming as we’d heard it was a pleasant city with lots to do nearby and we didn’t think we had time to go to Guilin as we’d earlier planned.  Kai especially was getting very fatigued with our constant travel and was keen to stay in one place for a bit longer.  Our Airbnb was a small but clean and recently renovated apartment right next to Green Lake Park which was where we’d been recommended to stay.

On our first night in the city, Hung and I stumbled across one of the snack street areas which was next to several large shopping malls. We tried some Chinese noodle dishes which were different to others we’d had previously then we found a supermarket and stocked up on cereal, eggs, bread, milk, pasta, pesto, bacon and cheese which were the staples we were always looking for when we arrived somewhere new and kept the kids, especially Kai, going.  The following day we met Anders (a Swedish man we met in the TLG) for lunch at Salvador’s which is supposed to have the best western food in town and enjoyed some Mexican food which was pretty good.  We wandered around checking out the surrounding streets for the afternoon and on our way home we found the Kunming Zoo which was 60 rmp ($11) for us all to visit so we decided to check it out.  Some of the enclosures were fairly small but they have a huge variety of animals, including a black panther, and we didn’t manage to see them all.  Leon’s favourite was the sloth while Lani loved the otters and snakes.  They both were surprised how big the camels were and said that was the first time they’d seen a camel in real life.

The next day Leon woke early and for some reason suddenly thought that there must be some new books out that he hadn’t read and we spent a morning checking out bookshops looking for the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but after some online research we found out it wasn’t being released for another month.  We did find some bilingual versions of books he has, as well as a couple of new books in English which we bought.  Then we spent a few hours in a café with a good coffee enjoying them.  We came home to get Lani and we visited the zoo for the afternoon to check out the rest of the animals we hadn’t seen on our first visit. We also managed to see an acrobatic show in the zoo theatre which was as good as the one we’d seen in Beijing, although the clowns were really annoying and noisy.  Hung and Kai went for a wander in town together for the afternoon to check out the shopping areas while we were at the zoo.  

There were several interesting day trips from Kunming. One day we got a car out to the western hills area or Xishan scenic spot which is an area to the west of Kunming with forested mountains and various temples.  From the ticket office we got a bus to the cable car station to get the cable car to Dragon Gate overlooking Dian Lake from where we could walk along a rocky path cut into the steep cliffs looking at the views and temples along the way. The area, like most places we visited in China, was very crowded with domestic tourists which definitely takes away from the quietness of visiting these natural areas.  Lani wasn’t too happy to find out that we had to walk down the side of the mountain once we had arrived by cable car with her asking, ‘What’s the point of going up if you just have to walk down?’.  But once we had descended down the path we got another cable car which crossed a section of Dian Lake from where we got a bus back home.

Another day we caught a bus to the Stone Forest which is 75km from Kunming and apparently just far enough away from Kunming so most people who live there never visit it.  It is a set of limestone peaks which looks like a stone forest and covers over 400 sq kilometres.  As you wander through the site it feels like a stone maze with huge limestone peaks with many different formations.  The kids enjoyed exploring the different areas, especially once we got away from where the bulk of tourists seemed to be.  After a couple of hours we decided to get a taxi to the Jiuxiang caves which are about 40km away.  After we arrived our taxi driver wanted to wait for us to see the caves and take us the 45min back to the stone forest and he refused to shut off the meter, but after some discussions with broken English we told him that we didn’t need him to stay and wait for us.  The caves are a cluster of 100s of caves and we walked along the designated path through some of the largest caves which were interesting but filled with coloured lights which made it seem artificial.  It was quite busy and we followed along behind several tour groups all talking very loudly and taking many photos.  There were several large waterfalls inside the caves which were very beautiful and there was meant to be a boat ride but we couldn’t seem to find it.  At the end of the path, we got a cable car back to the entrance and had to rush as we were told the last bus out was about 5pm. After getting on the bus we waited for about an hour before leaving which was annoying as we’d rushed through the caves to get on it but the kids were all tired and enjoyed just sitting as we’d walked a lot in the heat during the day.  We then had one of the bumpiest bus rides I have ever had with the road very poorly maintained and the bus with either too much or not enough suspension, I’m not sure.  I just know it was about 2 hours of constant bumping and almost hitting the roof with our heads.  We arrived at a  central bus station in I’m not sure where but from there we got another bus back to Kunming. It was a very long day but I was pleased we’d managed to see both areas in one day.  When we got back to Kunming, Hung was keen to jump on a bus for a few hours and to checkout some other local surrounding areas but in the end decided he was too tired.  

We spent several mornings and evenings wandering through the Green Lake Park and found a constant supply of Chinese people, young and old, playing games, singing, chatting and dancing together.  On the weekend, there were groups of 100’s of people dancing together for hours in different areas according to their dancing style.  This aspect of Chinese culture, with people joining together in parks, promotes community togetherness and encourages people to participate and I’m sure there are less people alone at home than in many western countries.  

Several other things are really well done in China, including the public toilets which you can find on most streets.  They are free and fairly clean, although smelly, but a necessity with several children in tow.  We also appreciate their various delivery services which are cheap and very efficient. One evening we needed water and after contacting our Airbnb host we had a deliver driver at our door 20mins later with a full bottle of water ready for installation.

On our last Sunday in Kunming we had a relaxing day, as Lani and I got up early and wandered around the park.  We found a man selling fishfood and she fed fish with another girl for a long time.  After a couple of hours we went home to get the boys and Kai took Leon and Lani for a ride in one of the electric boats for rent on the lake and they went around all over the place shooting things with water and crashing into bouys.  It was good to see Kai out enjoying the ride with Leon and Lani as it is easy to forget that at over 6ft he is still a 13yo kid. We all enjoyed Kunming but especially Kai, as he had a desk in his room overlooking the lake where he could play computer games as well as a Starbucks around the corner where he could duck out for drink when he wanted.  But by the end of our stay we were looking forward to traveling onto Vietnam.

[aoibaratraveler]

A Look Back At My Time In Japan Part 1!

Time for some Japan nostalgia!

I was hoping to write this much sooner than now but between settling back after our road trip, finding a job and then finding time to organize my life during my days off has been difficult!

This will be part of a three semi-detailed/summarised blog looking back at what I can remember from living in Japan three years ago; since I was too much of a fool to document it back then but then again I was having the time of my life so that can be a good enough excuse I guess, right?

Part One will be my first month in Japan where I was living in Tokyo with a friend who graciously let me stay in her apartment. Part Two (and maybe three) will be my four months living, studying, and working in Nagasaki and Part Three (or 4) will be my hitch-hiking back-packing trip around Japan in what was my final month of my six months living there!

Pre-arrival/Arrival in Japan and First Impressions:

I was excited beyond belief that I was finally going to go live and explore Japan and be away from home for the first time. I was also super nervous, the preparation to study abroad was pretty intense for someone who had never done it before and for someone who had never gone through the paperwork of visa application, passport renewal and getting all the documents together for the study abroad application itself. Once that was settled though it was just the wait to be able to go (maybe I should write a simple how-to of my experience with the study abroad application and why I think every university student should do it?).  I purchased my departure ticket to be on 29th February 2016 which I thought was pretty cool since it’s not every day you get to fly on a leap year. About six months prior to this I had met up with a close friend of mine who was about to leave for a year to participate in the JET programme and she, we’ll call her L, invited me to stay with her for the month of March in Tokyo to sightsee and hang out before my study program would start in April and of course I took her up on it!

In the days leading up to my departure, I really went all out and planned my own going away party with all my friends and had the best time with an escape game, archery tag and a poutine party. The bf, who at that time was just a friend, met up with me beforehand and helped me pick out a bunch of Canadian souvenir type things to bring with me to Japan so I could give to my homestay family. It was a fantastic day and very special so I had no idea that on the day I was set to leave that one of my other close friends, A and the bf planned to sing me a going away song at the airport (to be clear, the bf didn’t actually sing, A did and he provided the music on his laptop and speakers). This tidbit may a bit unnecessary in my nostalgic walk down memory lane but it is just part of what made those six months some of the best times in my life.

Anyway, enveloped in jitters and excitement I boarded my plane to Japan to start my journey, or as the Japanese say “tabi” (旅). I flew into Haneda airport which is quite central to Tokyo and I then found myself squeezed into a sea of evening commuters on the metro. Unfortunately, when I got off the metro and proceeded to take the escalator out of the station…I dropped my suitcase down it and one of the wheels broke which made walking around Tokyo a tad difficult. At that time I hadn’t realized that there was free wifi pretty much everywhere in Tokyo and while trying to find my friend’s apartment…I got lost for about an hour. It was pretty funny and I wasn’t too worried, to be honest, but I did feel bad to be keeping my friend waiting. I found a payphone to try and call her to tell her what was happening but I ran out of change while on the call (had a bit of leftover change with me from when I had first vacationed in Japan two years prior). After a while of walking around and trying to follow google map’s offline directions, I found a koban (a small police station) and gave the police officer the address that I was trying to find. The police officer was very kind and accommodating and pulled out a map to show me where I was and where I was trying to go (which actually wasn’t too far away…I was walking in circles). He then copied down the address on a big piece of paper with some instructions and hailed a taxi for me since he figured it was late and I should just take a taxi which I didn’t mind. I got to my friend’s place in no time at all and settled myself in.

First Two Weeks in Tokyo:

In my first few days, I took out my Japanese textbooks so I could prepare myself and brush up on things to be ready for classes at my university in Nagasaki and because I was planning to be staying with a homestay family that could speak no English…..well, being that I am pretty much the queen of procrastination, those collected dust pretty fast. Since it was a small apartment and I had a suitcase and big travel rook sack with me, L’s sister advised me to just send it to my homestay to be stored there in the meantime. The Japanese postal service is amazing and although my suitcase was pretty big and heavy they had no problems with shipping it to my homestay in Nagasaki the same day.

L’s neighborhood was quite cute and quiet and super pleasant to explore. It was pretty suburban and away from the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo which I greatly appreciated. Since L had work, I often explored on my own and was able to borrow her sister’s bike to further acquaint myself with the area. One of the days I borrowed her sister’s bike, I rode to Arakawa river which is a huge river just outside central Tokyo. I brought my textbooks along and thought I would spend a quiet afternoon just revising next to the river. I didn’t. Instead I rode the bike along the river and took everything in. There were other people there on runs, some guys practicing skateboarding and an old man playing the saxophone. When I finally got around to sitting down and opening up my textbook, a friendly old man walked up to me and with a big smile on his face asked me what I was doing there and why I was in Japan. I told him and we had a pleasant conversation at the end of which he handed me a bag of something from his garden–I think basil? And then told me to enjoy Japan. I didn’t exactly know what to do with this bag so I just gave it to L’s sister who had been doing most of the cooking in L’s place to include in whatever dish she was next going to make.

In the following days, I did all the typical touristy stuff in that I spent an entire day at one point just walking to and around central Tokyo and taking as many artsy photos as I could manage with my old phone. I explored around the Tokyo Sky Tree, perused Sunshine city—definitely made sure to check out all the Ghibli and Sailor Moon items I could find and get a spectacular view from the 59th floor (the place has 60 floors but you have to pay from the 60th and I ain’t about that life).

At the end of my first week in Japan, I made my way to an Airbnb hostel where I would be spending the next 4 days. This place was pretty interesting and my first real hostel experience. Everyone there was really friendly and I became quite close with my roomie who was the embodiment of a stereotypical German woman in that she was tall, pretty, had long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. She was in Tokyo for a mini-vacation from where she had been staying in Hokkaido and basically just wanted a change of pace. We exchanged stories, shared a few laughs and went sightseeing together. We are both fans of anime so we decided to check out Akihabara and since neither of us wanted to go to one alone, we decided to go to a maid cafe…and boy was that an experience. Firstly, it was super expensive so props to the girls who work there because they probably make a ton of money but it was also just very awkward. The maids put on a performance and called us “master” and refused to take any orders for food from us unless we put our hands up to our faces like cat paws and said “nyaa nyaa” first. Afterward, we did the very cliche anime couple thing and went to ride a pedal boat at Ueno park; it was a very silly but funny day. In the following days at the hostel, the roomie and I explored Shibuya crossing, the Hachiko statue, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno on a rainy day and went to a Pokemon center where I purchased a little Charmander souvenir for the bf (who was then just a friend). It was definitely a very cool little pocket of my time in Tokyo. I ended off my first two weeks in Tokyo by visiting the imperial palace and exploring the royal gardens and…..go to the Ghibli Museum! The Ghibli Museum was beyond impressive and I definitely teared up a bit to be there. It was so cool, we weren’t allowed to take any photos from inside but it was like being transported to another world. On top of the museum was a life-size statue of the robot from Castle in the Sky and inside the museum were all these cute little bits from the movie and a mini theatre where you could watch original Ghibli film shorts. There was also a lovely gift shop with so many beautiful items like illustrated postcards; I purchased a lovely illustrated postcard of the Ghibli museum during the day…which I inevitably misplaced (I’m terrible, I lose everything).

Second Two Weeks:

I met up with a Japanese friend who I had met in Vancouver and we went for a day trip to explore Kawagoe also known as “Little Edo”. I say day trip but really it wasn’t until I got there that I realized that Google had lied to me when I searched best day trips from Tokyo because as lovely as Kawagoe was, it wasn’t worth a “day trip” because it was so small that it could be done in an hour or two! It was really quite funny, to be honest. It was very pretty and had loads of old-style architecture from the Edo period, hence where it got its nickname but there wasn’t all that much to do and a bit expensive to get to so after a couple of hours of walking around and trying to make our money’s worth of the train ticket to get there we decided to head to the next biggest spot to explore; Yokohama. Yokohama was definitely very fun and vibrant and the Chinatown there was great. We snacked on a bunch of samples and enjoyed the pretty night lights of the area. It was certainly a day with a lot of contrast.

The next day was great because the next day L and I headed to Taiwan! L managed to get a week off and so we thought why not explore Taipei during that time and get a little break from Tokyo. I, unfortunately, did not know the geography of the city too well and when I booked the Airbnb it ended up being too far from the centre of Taipei city and hence too far from any convenient connections to explore outside of Taipei PLUS we went right in the middle of the rainy season so it was a bit difficult to do any fun outdoorsy things. We still made the most of our time there and had a lot of fun. We ate at a few night markets and tried a lot of food, explored the area near our Airbnb, visited a cafe that was owned by a family friend of L’s and went to the National Palace Museum which housed tons of historical artifacts from China, it was pretty grand. Even though we spent the last two days of our trip sick in bed I’d still go back to Taiwan again to explore more of what the country has to offer and try more of the food!

Last Week in Tokyo + Night in Fukuoka:

I spent the majority of my last week in Tokyo just chillin’ really and preparing for my departure to Nagasaki, although I did go with L and her sister to do some lesser-known sightseeing in parts of Ginza and did the obligatory visit to the Tsukiji fish market to taste a delicious array of food. As well as some egg on a stick. Good stuff. The last bit of sightseeing that I can remember for that week was in two really interesting parts of Tokyo that not many people think to visit when they explore the city (well this was back then, it seems to have gotten a lot more popular now) known as Yanaka and Nezu.  These two neighborhoods make up what used to be Tokyo old downtown and have really kept their old-timey style. Walking through these neighborhoods felt like taking a trip back to the Show era of Japan and walking through the Yanaka cemetery felt very mysterious and cool. I gotta be honest though, as pretty as these places were, I mostly remember them because of the delicious beef korokke and taiyaki that I had there. 10/10. I’m only in part one of my nostalgia blogs but I’m telling you now that I basically ate my way through Japan.

So it was my final night before heading to Narita airport for my flight to Fukuoka and what did I decide to do? Laundry. Except L didn’t have a dryer and the weather wasn’t warm enough for my clothes to be dried fast enough to pack them up and I’m not sure what exactly happened but I think I broke the washer or something because for some reason the water didn’t drain so it wouldn’t have mattered if she had a dryer because my clothes were soaked. With only an hour to go before I had to be out of her apartment (L was asleep and I had decided to just not sleep that night since my flight was so early and I had to leave her apartment at 5 am), I wrung the clothes out as best I could, packed them in the new suitcase that I purchased in Taiwan to replace the one that I sent to Nagasaki with the wheel I had broken on my first day in Tokyo and was off. L’s place wasn’t far from the train station and I arrived 20 minutes before the first train of the day so I decided to go grab some breakfast and use the toilet at the nearby 7/11. Many convenience stores in Japan have two floors and a seating area so it’s a really nice place to just chill for a bit if you’re waiting for a train. A bit dramatic but I’ll never forget this day for the sheer amount that happened in a single morning. So I said before that I thought I’d use the toilet before heading off for the train and I guess for the first and only time in my life, I left the door unlocked…well a construction worker walked in on me on the toilet because of course. I screamed, he screamed and then he awkwardly and for some reason, slowly, closed the door while I died of humiliation. Anyway, I finally hopped on the train to Narita with tears of humiliation still in my eyes and also simultaneously laughing at myself. There weren’t many people on the train thankfully but I’m sure I was still dubbed a crazy foreigner in the minds of the people that were on the train. Oh, by the way, I may not have kept a journal at the time in a technical manner of speaking but I did have a daily journal in the form of me texting the bf every day (again, he was just a good friend at this point) and sending him long messages of what I did every day. Having him to confide in all the time definitely helped me to not go insane, especially that day and especially since Japan is ahead of Canada so he was still awake at that point. Once I arrived at the airport, I was to be greeted by the news that my suitcase was too heavy to be checked in without having to pay an extra exuberant amount, why you may ask? Because my clothes were still frigging wet. Well, partially owing to that and the fact that I accidentally purchased a heavyweight suitcase in Taipei…oops. After some reorganization of my suitcase and bag and *ahem* throwing out some things that I no longer deemed necessary to my life, I was finally able to be checked in..rather late (everyone was waiting for me, what can I say? I was a mess). Pretty sure I cried in my sleep when I finally arrived at my seat on the plane and passed out.

It was a relief to finally arrive in Fukuoka and the airport was so close to the main train station! It only took about 7 minutes to get there. I obviously got there really early in the day so I walked around Hakata station and explored the area before meeting up with the rest of the people who were part of my exchange program for the Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies at the hotel that they were to be staying at and signing in to show that I had arrived. Now I said they were staying at that hotel because of course, I wouldn’t be. But don’t worry, this was by choice, why spend the equivalent of $80 somewhere when the true shoestring traveler way is to rough it up somewhere for little to nothing? It took a bit of searching but I managed to find a family restaurant that was open 24/7 and not too far from the hotel (although sadly had no wifi), left my big ol’ suitcase outside (yay for safe Japan) and headed inside for the night where I did my best to study for the whole night, order some food every now and then and eventually pass out for a couple of hours. The next day I met back up with the exchange group, boarded the bus to Nagasaki and headed to the university to meet my homestay family who I would be staying with for the next four months! (spoiler alert: my homestay mother was about an hour or two late to pick me up and I was, in fact, the last person to be picked up at the university…so yea the first of many reasons why my homestay experience was certainly an interesting one).

#lifeinjapan #nostalgia #studyabroad #japantrip #firstsolotrip #japantravel #japan #Travelblog

[petersshirts]

Abroad | Part 4

pairing: tom holland x reader

summary: on your way, it gets harder for you to resist Tom and he’s not so sure anymore if you are even interested

warnings: alcohol and a tipsy Y/N!

words: a good old 3,4 k

A/N: this is very, very long, so be ready! i put a lot of love in this story and i’m so happy that you enjoy it! and as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

You spent the next three days in Amsterdam and you had to admit that Tom was really fun to be around. He made a lot of jokes and told you a lot about his home and funny stories about his best friend Harrison. And surprisingly, you started talking too. You talked about your brother and how you had always hated each other when you were younger and now you were inseparable.

You knew everything about Chris’ life and his friends and he also knew everything about you, even though there was not much going on other than mourning over your Dads’ loss. It had been much easier for Chris to get over it because he was a happy person with friends around him who could lift him up.

But when it came to you - it had always been hard for you to find new friends or actually talk to them at first. And that’s why you had been alone most of the time while you were at Uni and not out like you should be. And when your Dad had died, it got even worse. While everyone was getting a boyfriend and falling madly in love, you sat at home, crying til there were no tears left.

It sounds exaggerated, but it was the truth.

But Tom didn’t seem to mind. He still didn’t know that your father was dead and you wanted to keep it that way as long as you could. If you would never see each other again after this trip, you would never tell him. Even though you wanted to see him again and his intoxicating smile.

With Tom, it felt like you were floating on a cloud. Even though the two of you had no city guide or places where you wanted to go, you strolled through the streets of the beautiful city all day and always found new places to explore. Tom always found something to talk about and make you smile. Even though he had admitted you that he liked you, he had never talked about it again.

But you could feel it in his actions. His gaze lingered always a bit longer on you and he smiled at you whenever you looked at him. Your heart fluttered and it felt like your crush grew every day. Whenever you laid in bed, you thought about Tom just laying one room away from you. You would love to just crawl into his bed and hug him close, but it was way too early. Your crush was getting worse every day and it had only been a few days. You were not sure if it would get any better when he was around you all the time, but you just had to wait and see.

But, for now, it was time to leave Amsterdam and see a new place. Again, Tom hadn’t told you where you were going, just pressed his phone in your hand when he jumped into the driver's seat to navigate him. You were really happy that he took over the driver position without question, remembering your small panic attack a few days ago. Those streets were nothing for you. It would be much easier on the highway or a country road.

When you were out of the city, you started driving further into the West. You knew that Tom wanted to see a few beautiful places in Europe so you bet that you were on your way to France.

When you were younger, you had always wanted to go there but your mother always had to work while Chris and you had holidays at school. So finally getting out of your home country and see more of new places that a lot of people talked about; you were all in. You had even learned French in school for five years but you had to admit that you had forgotten everything; the only words you could remember were „Bonjour“, „Ca Va?“ and „Qu’est-ce  c’es?“.

But you were brought out of your thoughts when you drove by a sign that said „Brügge“ in big bold letters. That was definitely not France; that was Belgium.

When you looked over to Tom, he had a smile on his face. „So is Brügge our next stop?“ He only nodded and looked at you swiftly to see your reaction.

„My brother spent a week here with his girlfriend this summer and he loved it. So I wanted to know what the hype is about. Also, the sea is not far away and the sea is always great, isn’t it?“

Brügge was not as big as Amsterdam so Tom found his way around pretty quickly and parked the car in a small side street not far from the city centre. It was still early afternoon and Tom had informed you that your apartment for a few days would be free from 3 pm so you had some time to kill.

An icy wind hit you when you slipped out of the car. You snuggled even more into the hoodie, regretting that your warm jacket was deep down in your backpack, unable for you to get out. When you had left Amsterdam this morning, it had been a warm autumn day but here, right by the sea, the cold wind was giving you shivers.

Tom noticed your trembling immediately and slipped out of his jacket and handed it to you. You tried to protest but he just grinned at you and put it on your shoulders.

His scent and warmth engulfed you and you had to hold in a happy sigh to not make it too suspicious that you were loving his affection. Tom stared at you and bit his lip, wishing that you could wear his clothes more often. But he knew that it would be a one-time thing, so he was not going to push you.

„It looks really good on you,“ he mumbled and when you gave him a shy smile and started to blush, he didn’t feel cold at all. Instead, a warm and fuzzy feeling was everywhere in his body, warming him up from the inside. „Come on, let’s get a look at the city.“

Brügge was beautiful. You had never thought it would be that big but when you googled to see how many inhabitants the city had, you found out that it was actually a pretty large city in Belgium. The city was not as full as Amsterdam and you enjoyed the calmness of the city right by a river, knowing it was a bit calmer than the dutch city you had just left. There were also not many tourists around due to the cold weather.

But Tom and you didn’t mind. You pointed to everything you saw and the two of you got yourself some Belgium waffles - they were even better than you could think. When you walked back to the car, it started raining and the two of you ran the last few metres in the wet, laughing.

When you were back in the car, the silence was filled with giggles. Tom started the car and sent a glance to you and a cheeky grin. You could only smile back, feeling so happy and carefree at that moment. It had been such a long time since your brain was without any worries and the only thing that found a place in your mind was Tom.

Tom Tom Tom.

„I have to admit something.“

When Tom spoke up, you looked at him with curious eyes, wondering what he had planned now.

„What’s it this time?“ You grinned up at him, open for anything he wanted to do.

„I didn’t book a hotel or an Airbnb in Bruges, I’ve actually got a hotel for one night right by the sea. I thought the view would be much nicer.“ Your eyes widened and Tom could see the glow in them, showing him that you liked the idea.

„That’s great! The sea is the most beautiful thing I know!“

Tom grinned at you and steered the car out of the parking lot. „I think it will take around one more hour.“

„How long are we staying there?“ You asked, hoping to get an answer out of him for once. And to your surprise, he actually answered. „For two nights and after that, we’ve got a long drive ahead. Also, do you have any playlists we could listen to? I’m sick of all the pop songs on the radio.“

You grinned at him and got your phone out of the pocket, looking for some music you could listen to. You loved a lot of different kinds of music and it was hard for you to show something so personal to someone else. But with Tom by your side, it felt like just showing him a bit more of you and what you liked. Without hesitation, you pressed on one of your favourite playlists that was full of all your favourite artists.

Tom hummed in content when melodic sounds came out of the speakers and released him from the horrible music on the radio. For the whole drive, you were quiet and listened to your music. You hummed sometimes and it was hard for you to hold back when you were listening to your favourite songs. You always hoped that he wouldn’t hear you but with the smile Tom was wearing, you were sure that he heard every single sound that came out of your mouth.

The time went by in a rush and Tom stopped in front of a big building that was right at the beach. The beach was completely empty due to the cold wind but the waves and the seagulls still brought a smile on your face. When you exited the car, the scent of salt filled your nostrils and happiness filled you. You hadn’t been to the sea for such a long time.

Tom got your luggage out of the trunk and you hurried to help him, but he just shook his head and motioned for you to start walking. „I’ve got it.“

The big building turned out to be a hotel and not an AirBnB, because Tom couldn’t find an apartment around here. The hotel was nothing special, it felt homely and when you opened the door to your room, the view was fantastic. The waves were crashing against the shore and you just stood there, mesmerised by the calmness of the ocean.

„Well shit.“ You turned around to Tom, who stared at the bed with a frown on his face. You followed his gaze and noticed that there was only one bed with only one blanket. Well, what a great way to take it slow.

You walked towards the bed to be sure that there was only one blanket but your eyes had not failed you. Tom sighed and sat down on the bed. „I’m sorry, I called the hotel a few days ago to ask for two beds but it didn’t work.“ Tom sounded defeated but you just put your hand on his shoulder to get him to look up at you.

You hadn’t seen him so unhappy since you started your trip. And when you thought about it; it wasn’t so bad to sleep in one bed right? Even if your heart was beating like crazy at the thought, you could manage it for two nights. The bed was big enough, after all, to let the both of you sleep separately. Even if you wished that he could hug you close to him, engulfing you in his warmth.

Stop being such a sap, you barely even know each other!

„Hey, it’s fine Tom. I used to sleep in one bed with my brother all the time.“ Tom winced when you said the word brother. You were already referring to him as a brother, and that was not the direction Tom wanted to go. Didn’t he already say that?

Tom send you a small smile to fake the hurt that was blooming in his chest. Swiftly, he got up and walked towards his backpack to get his phone. „So, are you hungry?“ You raised your eyebrows at his sudden reaction, not sure what was going on. You took a swift look at your phone to check the time but you noticed a few texts from your mom and your brother.

„Um, can we still wait another hour? I have to answer my family.“ Tom just nodded and sat down on the bed, focused on his phone. You watched him for a few seconds, feeling like you had done something wrong. You didn’t dare sit down next to him so you sat down on the small chair in the corner of the room to focus on the messages that your family had sent you.

Your brother had sent you some useless texts like

Have you kissed yet??

Or wait did he rape you??

Could you like answer so I know you’re not dead or drunk

Hey I’m worried over here

Just kidding

But like please tell me that you’re alright

You grinned at the screen and the texts that were so typical. He would always send like ten different messages, all meaning the same thing. Sometimes it felt like he was really bored and you were his only distraction because finally, there was something happening in your life.

You immediately typed back, knowing that he would try to call you if you didn’t answer in the next few hours just to annoy you.

Hi, I’m completely fine and NO we didn’t kiss. Even though he told me he liked me :) We’re in Belgium btw if you care, but I don’t think so. How’s mum?

You send the message and the three dots that signalled he was texting back immediately appeared. Jesus did he have nothing to do??

Loser

Mum’s okay, but it’s weird that you’re not here.

You shook your head at his answer and your fingers hovered over the screen, not knowing what to answer. He was right, it was weird not to be around your family you had been very close to especially in the last two years. But you also had to admit that you felt so happy like you hadn’t been in a very long time. And you didn’t want anyone to take that from you even though it was hard to stop thinking about your beloved family at home, wondering about what they were doing at that moment.

You decided to only send him an I miss you too to calm your mind and focused on the message your mother had sent you.

Hello sweetie, I hope you’re having fun wherever you are! Remember, you’re doing this for you and Dad is watching you with a smile on his face, knowing that you’re going your way. I’m so proud of you, we love you. x

You teared up when you read those words, hitting you right in your chest. A tear ran down your cheek but you immediately removed it with your hand so Tom wouldn’t see it. It was just a message, nothing more. But the thought of your Dad watching you and being proud of you made your heart beat faster - you were not sure if it was because of hurt or love. You immediately started writing an answer.

Hi Mom, I’m all good, we’re in Belgium, right by the sea! Tom is a really good company and I will text you as soon as I know where we are going next! Love you and miss you, Y/N x

After answering, you turned off your phone and put it back into your backpack to put the bad thoughts away. Tom watched your movement and when you finally looked over to him, a small smile was laying on your lips that had his breath caught in his throat.

„Let’s go eat?“

At Dinner, Tom told you that Belgium was famous for Beer so he immediately ordered two beer without your permission, only earning a strict look from you but you drank the beer nonetheless. And you had to admit, it tasted really good.

And that’s how you found the two of you giggling and walking slowly back to the hotel at 9 pm. Both of you had drunk three beers and the fact that you were only tipsy, was a lie. You didn't have a drink for around half a year so you reacted really quickly in contrast to Tom. He was a bit tipsy and had a smile on his face, but it was not as bad as you.

You were really happy when you finally arrived back at the hotel and you could fall down on the bed, praying that the room would stop spinning. Tom stood next to you with crossed arms in front of his chest, shaking his head.

„I can’t believe you’re such a lightweight.“ You pouted up to him and Tom had to hold himself back not to rush to your side and press a kiss to your tempting lips. Why did you have to be so damn cute???

„M’ not.“ You whined and slowly pulled your jacket of your body, ready to climb under the warm covers and sleep off the alcohol.

Tom noticed that you were struggling so he helped you out of your jacket and hoodie, putting them on your backpack. „Hm, thanks.“ you mumbled and slipped out of your shoes and crawled under the blanket, closing your eyes.

„Hey, you still have your street clothes on!“ Tom whined and pulled the blanket off your body. His tipsy mind didn’t register what he was doing; if he had been sober, he would just let you sleep. But in this state, he didn’t want you wearing dirty clothes in his bed.

You groaned but gave in his whines, the radical part of your mind coming back. You stumbled into the bathroom with your sleeping clothes while Tom pulled his shirt off his body and put on some comfortable sweats on to sleep in.

When you came back, your breath hitched because Tom stood in front of the bed, naked.

Well, not really naked, he was just not wearing a shirt anymore and his boxers were showing under his sweats, but your drunken mind was telling you that he was naked. And you had to admit, that you really liked that view.

Before your mind started speaking out your thoughts, you quickly hopped into the bed and turned your back towards Tom. Your breath was going fast and your head was spiralling, begging for sleep.

„I’m gonna turn the lights off, okay?“ You could hear Toms’ voice behind you, hoarse and soft. „Hm,“ you only nodded, sleep already pulling you under.

A few seconds later, the room was dark and the bed moved under Toms weight. If you had been sober, you would freak out right now. But with you being in a haze, you didn’t mind. You just wanted to sleep and only a few minutes later, you fell into a deep slumber.

Tom on the other side, laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were still running wild and it was too early for him to sleep. Your breath had already slowed down and he smiled to himself, knowing that you were so close to him, but yet so far away.

He wanted to pull you close to him so badly, but he just couldn’t do that to you when you were fast asleep and unaware of his actions. Hopefully soon. It was weird how Tom felt after only such a short time - never had there been a girl who made him long for a lot more after such a short time. For him, it had never been love at first sight. But with you, it had only taken one day to let you win his heart.

It sounded weird, but it was the truth. And Tom wanted so much more but he couldn’t push you. He knew that you were fragile even if you weren’t telling him why. Guess he had to wait until you came out of your shell, opening yourself to him.

And until that, he had to be patient. Even though patience had never been his strong suit. But what else could he do? He just had to watch from beside the lines, waiting or an opportunity to show you that he cared. A lot.

And until that, he would show you the City Of Love.

As always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

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#TOM #tom holland #tom stanley holland #tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland series #abroad #petersshirts #spider-man #Spider-Man: Homecoming #spiderman: far from home #marvel #marvel cinematic universe #MCU

[robynbernard]

JPN DAY ONE: TOKYO

Almost to Home Base: 

My flight landed a few hours before Dave and Ryans as their flight was delayed a bit. I pulled the typical traveler move and took a nap on my bags in the side of the airport waiting for the guys to arrive. Once we met up, we were to navigate to our first Airbnb located in Ikebukuro.  Please Note: In June 2018 legalized home sharing and is part of an amendment to 1947’s Japanese Hotels and Inns Act. The law requires hosts to obtain a government registration number and meet various regulations.This is really important to watch out for when you look for places to stay. 

 It was supposed to take only about a hour by train, however the trains kept getting delayed. We ended up passing out on the train. Our room very large compared to most apartments I've stayed in before. I made sure to have our accommodations include at least 3 beds, shower, a good view, and laundry machine that proved to be extremely useful through out the trip. Specially in August where you will literally sweat through many clothes in the day. 

Breakfast: 

We started the day at 5am, I wanted to go to my favorite bread shop called Boul’ange which is located right outside of Shinjuku station east exit. Sometimes the exits can be quite confusing for people navigating through the train stations. I recommend looking at platform routes and a station map prior to you getting to it. That way you don’t get lost in an underground mall. We finally found the shop and I got a mixed berry pastry and some iced coffee. David went with the hot dog, Ryan choose the manly route and got the egg and bacon quiche. “Real men eat quiche” he says. Most definitely one of my top recommendations for breakfast on the east side of Tokyo. 

      A Quick history Lesson:

Bread first arrived in Japan in 1543, when a Portuguese ship washed ashore carrying with it Christian missionaries, goods, and guns.

The Japanese word パソ (Pa-n) came from the Portuguese word for bread pão. 

パソ is written in Katakana, an alphabet used for foreign words. Thus, even centuries later they still utilize the Portuguese word for bread. 

 Shinjuku Park:

One of my most favorite places in Tokyo for relaxation on a good weather day. Only 200 Yen (roughly $2) you gain entrance to the park. There are many main gates to choose from, But I recommend the Shinjuku main gate if you are coming from Shinjuku station. The best route I feel is walking on the right side towards past the children’s garden and the tea house,  towards the Kyugoryotei. You can almost always see artists around the park, taking photographs, painting and drawing in sketch books. I personally feel the best time to go is during cherry blossom season however, it will be busy. The summer was not as busy but still just as beautiful. I always make a stop by the English gardens as well, there is a series of trees lined up across a path on both sides of the garden, just like that of a fairy tale book. On the way out I would highly recommend a walk through the green house, there’s a waterfall and a pond with an abundant amount of species of plants. Any time of year I would believe Shinjuku garden to be absolutely beautiful and a must see if you are in the Tokyo area.

SushiMaru:

Shinjuku is known for some amazing sushi and ramen. We met up with my two friends from high school Rino and Haruna. They suggested a sushi place near the park we were at. A unique design as you walk in you turn left up the stairs and into a second floor seating area. The boys and I ordered a small sushi plate that costs roughly $15. Rino and Haruna ordered a mixed sushi bowl that was set over rice. As much as I love sushi back home in Michigan. It simply does not compare to the fish you can get in Japan. Each bite was so distinct of the type of fish, I absolutely loved the salmon the most. Paired with a hot green tea this was an amazing choice of eats. I feel in Japan you don’t need to eat as much because most food is truly pure, so you can gain enough nutrients from a smaller portion.

 Meiji Shrine:

The Charter Oath in Five Articles:

 Deliberate assemblies shall be widely established and all matters shall be decided by general discussion based on public spirit.

 All people, regardless of their respective status in society, shall unite their hearts and minds, and vigorously contribute to the development of the country.

 It shall be ensured that all people, officials, civilians or military as well as general public, may accomplish their personal calling and not loose their spirit for life.

 Out-dated and harmful practices shall BE BROKEN, and everything shall be based on universal principles.

 The nation’s core shall be vitalized by gathering knowledge from all over the world, while cherishing our beautiful culture and tradition centering the emperor.

 -       Proclaimed by Emperor Meiji

March 14th, 1868

I promised my self that during this trip I would find more. I’ve been to the Meiji Shrine now three times. This time there was a billboard posted at the entrance speaking of the 100th year anniversary of the shrine being built. They speak of the charter oath in five articles. In a way the world looks at Japan as extremely efficient and balanced in tradition with expanding to new technologies of the future. These articles help design the foundation that help to drive the future. My hope is that other areas of the world can catch up with the abilities of what an society can do.

Roppongi Hills:

After the Meiji Shrine we made our way to Roppongi hills, warning there is no direct JR train to this station but it only costs about $2.40 to get there by a Tokyo metro line. Roppongi hills kind of reminded me of Salt Lake City, it being a kind of combination of an uptown feel. Haruna showed us to Doraemon statues, a ton of little Doraemon hanging out in a display outside of a few buildings, each one slightly different than the other. We were about to take a photo and a wedding party (obviously intoxicated) came up and asked us in English to take a photo of us. One of their friends came into the photo with us and landed us one of the best awkward moments I’ve seen in a while. The boys went to a smoking area after that while Rino, Haruna and I chilled by the stairs talking about boys and girl things. Reminds me of back in high school days, so nostalgic.

We stopped by a shop that served sweets. We all ended up getting the BEST shaved ice cream I have ever had. Unfortunately I was unable to remember the name of the shop. I will most likely ask Haruna and Rino to take me back again one day. 

Mori Tower:

We then went to the Mori Tower, because of Haruna’s work we were able to go for free! You walk in and go straight into the elevator. All of a sudden you feel your ears start to pop, and the lights of the elevator changes color. You then notice the elevators floor number is going up extremely fast and your at above 50 floors. I had a moment of panic and then realized we had made it finally to the 52nd floor. There are a few different things you can do around this floor. A couple of restaurants, an art museum, city view, and sky view. We went to three of them starting with city view. For the first night, this was one of the most breath taking moments I’ve had in a while where you have to just take in the sight. You can see ALL of Tokyo: Shinjuku garden, Tokyo tower, Skytree, Everything. I would highly recommend coming to this spot for any age and time, We arrived just before sunset so, it wasn’t too busy. You then make your way to the sky view. Never in my life I would have ever thought I would be able to see the top of a skyscraper, let alone be on the roof at 55 stories high. We were able to see Fuji from here, and watch the sun as it began to set.

Mori Architecture Museum:

On the same floor of the city view there is a art museum as well. The Japanese are known for their beautiful architecture. The museum talks about how architecture is an art, starting with the material you use, borderless boundaries, structure, and how natural color of mI began to see traces of the design work talked about in the museum in every day architecture as we roam the city. It was most definitely an amazing exhibit to see and cost effective for a day trip.

Robot Restaurant:

I will say this is most definitely the most tourist like activity you can do in japan. Similar to that going to a Vegas show, the robot restaurant is filled with lights and entertainment. Located in Kabukicho the “red light” district of Shinjuku, it is a place where you will find it difficult to just go to one bar. See my previous entries for a break down of kabukicho. There is one recommendation I’ll make for the robot restaurant, drinking makes everything so extra. Highly suggested and it seems like they have lowered prices of drinks as well. The entry cost however cost quite a bit, however you can find discounted rates on Voyagin, Expedia, or Trip-advisor’s websites.  

#Japan #Traveler #Travel #International #Blog #Tokyo #MoriTower #robotresturant #Shinjuku #shinjukugardens #ikebukuro #sushi

[bigjohnsadventuresintravel]

Our Bicycle Ride Through Amsterdam

To begin, I must confess that the title of this post is a bit misleading. Our bicycle ride through Amsterdam makes up only a very small portion of the photographs you will see below. With 1.3 bicycles per person in Amsterdam, it just seemed easier for Rebecca and I to do most of our exploring on foot.  Not only is Amsterdam the capital, it is the most populated city in the Netherlands. Its name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin around a dam in the river Amstel. Just like Venice, Italy and Bruges, Belgium, Amsterdam is a city of beautiful canals and extraordinary history. I know you’ll experience a desire to visit this city yourself once you view some of our pictures.

  Our rental car, a Fiat Panda, fits neatly inside a mini-parking space alongside the canal.

Although driving in Amsterdam was nowhere near as perilous as driving in Rome, I was more than eager to park my rental car and leave it there for the duration of my stay. When driving to our Airbnb, I experienced a very close call when I nearly ran over a bicyclist with my Fiat Panda. I didn’t feel too bad for long though; it wasn’t more than an hour later when a bicyclist nearly ran me over on foot.

The view outside the window of our Airbnb in Amsterdam.

Our little studio apartment was centrally located in the Jordaan neighborhood and was in easy-walking distance to Amsterdam’s most popular sites and attractions.

  It appears the owner of our Airbnb rental was a fan of Marilyn Monroe.

  Big John walks his bicycle through Amsterdam’s Dam Square towards the Royal Palace.

One of the things many Americans do not know about the Netherlands is that they are a constitutional monarchy, as well as a parliamentary democracy.  Resting in the middle of Dam Square sits the Royal Palace, Amsterdam. This beautiful structure is the official reception palace of King Willem-Alexander. The Palace also hosts other royal receptions, such as the annual New Year’s reception, dinners and prize ceremonies. Visitors are allowed to tour the palace during the majority of the year.

  Rebecca stops for a break just outside the Voyagers Coffeeshop and Hotel.

In Amsterdam, coffeeshops are alcohol-free (and usually coffee-free) establishments that sell marijuana, hashish, and cannabis for recreational use. Amsterdam has a very liberal soft-drug policy and the city is widely known as the cannabis capital of the world. The are over 170 legally-operated coffeehouses in Amsterdam.

The Basilica of Saint Nicolas in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam

Amsterdam has numerous churches and cathedral for visitors to admire and worship in. The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam.  It is very close to Amsterdam’s main railway station and is the city’s primary Roman Catholic church. The architecture was a spectacular sight to behold.

    I told Rebecca that she should safely stay within eyeshot of my bald spot when cycling through the streets of Amsterdam. She informed me that under those guidelines, she could straggle at least two neighborhoods behind me and not lose sight of it.

  No matter where you turn in Amsterdam, you’re likely to find more bicycles than people.

      Chocolate is just one more reason to love Amsterdam.

  Rebecca is hoisting up anchors outside the Teun Hotel Restaurant.

    There are some words, regardless of language, that just sound funny. Rebecca was pretty amused with all the signs that read “Boomwortels”. Judging by the picture on the signs, I was pretty clueless that “Boomwortels” was the Dutch word for tree roots. I honestly thought the signs were alerting me to a set of carefully concealed double-speedbumps.

  They say a picture adds twenty pounds to your frame. I’ll just blame the other twenty pounds on good ole’ Dutch beer!

  The Van Speyk, pictured in the background, is a classic Amsterdam style brasserie that serves traditional French and Dutch cuisine. The building dates back to 1659 and is located in the the old warehouse district, between the Dam square and the Grand Central Station.

    They say that the prettiest girls in all of Amsterdam can be found on Prinsengracht Centrum!

    I love how she knows to wait for the “walk” light before stepping out into the street. I could learn a lot from this woman!

  The Atlas scuplture affixed to the top of the Royal Palace signifies Amsterdam’s place in the world.

    The Amsterdam Circle Line offers luxury canal tours at affordable prices.

  Tourists stand outside the Anne Frank Home on the Prinsengracht canal.

Anne Frank hid inside a secret upstairs annex of this structure for a period of two years before finally being discovered by Nazis and shipped off to a concentration camp. During her time in the attic, the young girl kept a diary detailing her daily life as she and her family relied on faith, love and hope to keep them alive. Tragically, Anne Frank’s diary would be the only part of her that survived the holocaust. The Nazis were believed to have exterminated approximately 6,000,000 Jews during the duration of World War II.

In memory of Anne Frank (1929-1945)

  Rebecca standing outside the door of the Anne Frank House.

    Once the swelling went down in her feet, she realized he had bought them a just few sizes too big. She never listens to me!

      This is another view of the canal just below our lofty studio apartment.

  You can’t be Dutch if you don’t like cheese!

    If you’re a bacon-lover like me, make sure you visit the Grillroom Twins in Amsterdam for the best sandwich that money can buy!

  My heart flutters like a Dutch windmill every time she comes near (That may not be a good thing. I probably should get that checked out).

    The setting sun painted a stunning picture of this Amsterdam canal.

    Nightfall on the streets of Amsterdam.

  She knows all too well how to work her voodoo magic on me!

    Selfies are only good when you have nobody else around to snap the picture… or when you have a pretty girl to male them look a whole lot better!

    While exploring the Spuistraat, Centrum district, Big John poses in front of a house built in 1627. 

    Rebecca needs to quit eyeballing my food and just eat her salad. This small snack has to last me until dinner!

    Don’t hate!  It’s hard being an international man of mystery without owning a good pair of shades!

       Whomever rented this bike before me must’ve been over five feet tall! I had to stop and lower the seat.

  I wonder if she knows how madly in love I am with her. Maybe one day I will get the courage to tell her just how I really feel.

  She’s into the tough guys, what can I say?

  Big John and the empty suit hang out in Marnix Park.

  I suddenly just realized that I have the same stance in every picture. Come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve ever really fully extended my left leg…. interesting. 

    Believe it or not, the waters of Amsterdam are home to an amazing variety of fish. There are perch, bream, pike, carp, eel, rudd, mullet, and their highly-prized zander. I highly doubt that you would need a boat though if you planned on casting into this canal!

  I wish my job involved making waffles every day!

  The best tulips in Holland can be found throughout the city of Amsterdam. 

    Rebecca poses in front of the Cafe Hoppe, a charming Dutch pub dating all the way back to 1670.

    These are actually popup urinals that come up out of the street. I saw these in use in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Talk about culture shock!

      “Excuse me Ma’am, do you know where the weight room is?”

  Rebecca outside the Hard Rock Cafe, Amsterdam.

  Big John poses in from of the iconic I AM AMSTERDAM sign.

    The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to extraordinary art and history of Amsterdam.

  That is one very large game of chess!

      Sitting alone on that bench, feeling like the Netherlands’ version of Forrest Gump.

      Amsterdam had several fascinating murals in and around the city, like the one I captured here on the wall of this bank.

She looked so prim and proper riding her bicycle. She’s such a sweetheart!

  This is the section of our tour where picture-taking was just a bit too risque! You’ll just have to trust me when I say there’s a lot in the Red Light District that wouldn’t go over well on a family-friendly blog such as this one.

I can’t believe I flew all the way to Amsterdam to buy some assless leather chaps and they were completely sold out… Joking, they had plenty in stock!

    My cutie-pie posing in front of Café de Zeevaart, a traditional Dutch Bar situated in the heart of the Red Light District. 

    The National Monument on Dam Square was erected in 1956  to commemorate the casualties of World War II and other armed conflicts.

    You can barely make out Rebecca as she tries to hide from me behind that pole.

  Just the sign alone at Coco’s Outback was enough to entice me to enter inside.

  Thorbeckeplein square is located right right in the center of Amsterdam and is well known for their diverse eateries and lively nightclubs.

  Rebecca pedals her bicycle through a crowded portion of Chinatown, Amsterdam.

  I just couldn’t go home home without first getting a picture in front of the Heineken brewing factory.

  For me, the greatest thing about travel adventures is experiencing them with the one you love.

      Did I mention that I really love a good Dutch cheese?

    The Dutch Delicacy takes the grilled-cheese sandwich to a whole new level!

    I would travel to the ends of the earth with this girl…. actually, I think I already have!

After spending three fun-filled days in Amsterdam, this beautiful lady and I hit the road and headed out towards the Rhine. We were off to Germany and then to Belgium where more adventure was sure to await us. Life is great when you have the perfect travel companion by your side!

  A lone Dutch windmill on the outskirts of Amsterdam

I hope you enjoyed my post and thank you for taking the time to visit bigjohnsadventuresintravel.com. Please feel free to explore the rest of my blog site and leave a comment or two so I know you were here.

  Happy travels,

Big John

#Amsterdam #Holland #Netherlands

[simplemoneyman-blog]

We Should Stay In Our Financial Lane

  If you’re new to personal finance blogging or fairly new, you’ll quickly realize that many of your readers are well – other bloggers. You will also realize that you have a lot in common. You’ll also realize that there are some things you don’t have in common. These may include how you grew up, the steps you took to save more money than some of your peers, ways you have generated passive income and, steps you are continuing to take in order to save and invest. The ultimate goal as many writers have put it is to reach something called FIRE – Financial Independence Retire Early.   Sometimes I read other sites and think WOW people have really worked hard and are continuing to do so to reach this FIRE thing. There are people out there saving up to 90% of their income. There are people out there earning tens of thousands in dividends per month. There are people out there who can go for more than a third of a month without spending a single dime. Most of the time it’s inspiring, but sometimes I’m like well I don’t think I can do all of those things. But then I say that’s fine. I don’t have to be able to do every single thing. I should focus in on financial activities that work for my specific lifestyle.   In my reading, I’ve come across the following creative ways to save money and generate more income actual writers have and are continuing to deploy:   Saving Money: Buy and wear ONLY second-hand clothing, quit eating any kind of meat, shopping in the kid's section for their own clothing (for people who can fit into them) didn’t travel at all, not even a weekend getaway for three years Ate questionable, exotic and sometimes slightly expired food didn’t go out to eat a SINGLE time for an entire year maximize days in a month without spending on anything   Making Money: investing in exclusively dividend paying stocks renting out a room or apartment via Airbnb renting their car via Turo when they don’t use it selling stuff on Craigslist or Offer-Up driving Uber or Lyft tutoring taking surveys or shopping online (like we would anyway) and earn cash back planting and selling fruits and vegetables   All, well most :-) of these are great ideas and as a result, many writers have achieved early retirement. As a result of the early retirement, some of these strategies have become habits and part of their lives, which is a fantastic end result. But not all of them may work for everyone. And guess what that’s ok. We all have our own separate and sometimes common path to financial freedom. We all don’t want to worry about money, but at the same time don’t want the lack of money to become a worry in itself either.   The point is that we’re all humans and naturally we’re going to compare ourselves to one another every now and then. But we shouldn’t because everyone is custom built to handle their own specific set of variables and uses the tools they see fit to achieve their financial goals. I myself don’t plan to retire in my 40s or even 50s. Presently I enjoy going to work, interacting with people, learning new systems, procedures while assigned on various projects. I like the team atmosphere at my job while at the same time being able to think and work freely as well.    

Create Your Own Financial Lane

  Staying in your own lane here means establish and working towards your own path for financial freedom.  Maybe you can only do number 3 in saving money and number 6 in making money. Don’t stress out if you can’t do any of the other things or become disheartened when you read about others who can. Instead, try doing some of it. For example, if you have a business or overseas trip or vacation coming up and you really don’t need your car, try putting it up on Turo. If you get a renter, great, if you don’t it’s ok at least you won’t have to buy gas because you’ll be out of town anyway.   If the motivation or desire to achieve financial freedom increases, most likely we will find a way to implement more saving money strategies and more money making strategies. Our circumstances will enable us to work harder and spend more time in our jobs and side jobs to achieve our financial goals.   And finally, one of the most important things is to have a plan and stick to it. This is basically a prerequisite or requirement in my book….or in this case website :-)   Can you answer yes to all of these questions?   Do you have a savings goal and are you following it? Do you have an investing strategy and is it working effectively? Have you cut back on discretionary spending on anything and stuck to it? Have you automated savings? Do you view savings the same as paying a bill? Do you know how much you may need to have at the time of retirement, how much you plan to spend during retirement and how much you may or may not want to make during retirement from a side job?     So how do you determine which personal finance saving and investing methods will work for you? Have you read a personal finance recommendation in a book, magazine, or website that you thought may not have worked but were surprised when it actually did?   _________________________________________________________________________________

I use  because (1) it’s free, (2) it tracks all of my accounts and overall net worth, (3) my account balances automatically update, (4) it shows how my investments are diversified and allocated in various sectors, and (5) can use built-in tools like “Investment Checkup” to get….wait for it…free personalized advice!           Read the full article

#automate #blogging #comparisons #financiallane #invest #lane #makingmoney #save #savingmoney

[fromwinnipeg2everywhere]

Autumn in Japan

It’s been hard finding motivation during the endless lockdowns here in Manitoba, and one of the things that I have slacked on is keeping this page up to date. I was under the impression that nobody read this blog, but recently I found out that at least one person does and that is enough inspiration for me to keep going.

Our last international trip prior to the pandemic was in November 2019, to Manila and Japan, probably around the time when the pandemic was getting started in Asia. We visited with family and friends for a week in Manila, then flew to Japan and stayed there for a week and a half.

Our first stop was Osaka. First, I’d have to say that flights to Japan from Manila are unbelievably cheap, relative to what we must pay for flights here in Canada. We paid about $150 CAD per person for our Cebu Pacific flight and we were told that this is not actually a good deal. I’m not sure that I can even get to Saskatoon from Winnipeg at this price! We stayed at an Airbnb in Osaka, and the apartment was very spacious and conveniently located near Namba Station and Nipponbashi. We stayed in Osaka for 2 nights, but we enjoyed our short stay. We walked around Dotonbori for our first night and had ramen at Ichiran. The following day, we set off early for Nara to beat the crowds and get some alone time with the deer. Shortly before lunch time, the tour buses started arriving, and that is our cue to get back on the train to Osaka. We went to Kuromon Market for lunch and basically ate everything we could get our hands on – otoro (fatty tuna), matcha ice cream, Kobe beef, tako tamago (baby octopus), crab meat and tofu. The food was reasonably priced and fresh. We went back to the Dotonbori area for dinner. I’m not quite sure I get the appeal of this area. I like big cities and crowded places, but I couldn’t find myself connecting with this area. It was just a bit too flashy and busy for me.

The following day, we took the 11am train to Kyoto. It was a little confusing to find which ticket to buy but the attendants at the train station were very helpful. Once we got the tickets figured out, the next challenge was figuring out which platform and which train to take. The train ride to Kyoto was very crowded, so thankfully it wasn’t too long, just about an hour and a half. As soon as we landed in Kyoto, we had lunch at Ippudo and walked around the Nishiki Market while waiting for our check-in time for our Airbnb. Our Airbnb was not centrally located, everything is expensive in Kyoto and this was the most reasonable accommodation we could find. We did have a grocery store next to us, and one of my favourite things about Japan is that you can buy good, cheap meals at convenience stores and grocery stores. They have affordable bento boxes, with lots of variety. Walking around a grocery store or convenience store in Japan is an adventure. There are so many interesting and unfamiliar snacks, and even the ones that you are familiar with, you will find some unfamiliar flavours in Japan. I could survive on grocery store sushi and Calbee chips in Japan, and of course, their beer.

After a quick rest, we walked to the Ninenzaka area to visit the Yasaka Pagoda. The area is very charming, and I think this is what comes to my mind when I think of Japan. Everything looked very traditional, even the stores and cafes. We also had a chance to go to Kiyomezu-Dera at night to see the pagodas and the gardens lit up. We were very fortunate to come to Japan during the fall season while the leaves are changing colours. I’m sure this place would have been beautiful anytime of year, but it was breathtaking with the bright red and yellow leaves. The following day was an early day. We left the apartment at 4:30AM to catch the first train to Fushimi Inari. It was still very dark by the time we got there which was good for hubby because he was able to take some photos before the crowds came. There was really a very a small window of opportunity to enjoy something to yourself when you are in a touristy place. I was able to climb the summit by myself, which was a very peaceful and introspective experience, and because we got there so early, we still had plenty of time to go to other places for the rest of the day. We went to Eikan Do right after Fushimi Inari. Prior to coming to Japan, we were very worried that we were too early for fall colours, but fortunately, some of the leaves did turn colours the week we were there. I can’t even imagine what it would have looked like had we come a week or two later, but it was so pretty that even the crowds didn’t dampen my mood.

Our last day in Kyoto started early again. We took a cab at 5:30AM to go to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The cab fare came to about 3300 Yen ($40 CAD), but we did get a “free” flashlight to use. The cabbie was probably wondering why we’d go to the bamboo forest while it’s still pitch dark, but clearly, we weren’t the only ones with that idea because when we got there, there were already a few photographers set up. We got there at a perfect time as the sun was just starting to rise, and it bathed the bamboos in a very soft light. It felt very peaceful and surreal at the same time. The area around the bamboo forest is surrounded by mountains in fall colours. We walked along the riverside and just enjoyed the perfect weather and the view. At 9:00AM we hiked to the Monkey Park. It was a long and steep climb, but you’re rewarded with amazing views of Kyoto, and at the end of the climb, you get to hang out with local monkeys. They are in their natural habitat, but you can feed them. What is cool about this experience is that you get to feed them while you’re the one in a cage and they get to roam free outside. After the hike down, we went to Kinkakuji and then back to Ninenzaka to buy some souvenirs, and then back to the apartment to pack.

The following day, before leaving for Tokyo, hubby and I walked to Ninezaka again at 5:30AM to try and take pictures of the Yasaka Pagoda without the crowds. It was still dark when we got there but there were already about a dozen or so photographers setup. We stayed about an hour and then had to leave for Tokyo. We took the Shinkansen from Kyoto Station to Tokyo. The trains were very sleek and fast, and I got a bit of motion sickness from it, but nothing that a Gravol couldn’t fix. Enroute to Tokyo, if you sit on the left side of the train, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji, albeit very briefly. We ended up lost and confused at Shinjuku Station trying to find the bus to our hotel, but a kind man not only gave us directions, but walked us to our bus station. It wasn’t a short walk so that was an extremely kind gesture that I hope I can someday repay to lost travelers here in Winnipeg. We rested for a bit then headed to Shibuya Crossing for the evening. I was feeling very overwhelmed on my first day in Tokyo. The trains were packed, the stations were packed, the streets were packed even as it neared midnight. I can’t even imagine what this experience would be like post-pandemic now that we have introduced the fear of crowds into our lives.

Our second day in Tokyo was a designated shopping day. We took the train to Akihabara and spent the day there. We went to Yodabashi, Uniqlo, and we were even able to do a side-trip to the Ueno Royal Museum to catch their Van Gogh Exhibit. Our last day in Tokyo was a very rainy day, so we spent it again indoors shopping. In the evening, we got to experience eating at a “sushi train” place. For 2300 YEN, we ate 14 plates of the freshest sushi we have ever had in our lives. It’s probably considered “fast food” sushi so I can’t imagine what fine dining would be like there. We will save that for next time! Tokyo was a little bit too busy for me. The maps are also deceiving in that I didn’t find it walkable at all. I enjoyed looking at the cute knick knacks at the stores, but I think for next time, I would stay longer in Kyoto. The one thing I do regret is cancelling the day trip to Mount Fuji to go shopping instead. I just couldn’t face the prospect of another early day catching trains and buses, and we weren’t quite sure if we would even see Mount Fuji because I heard that it is usually covered in cloud. However, that morning, when we were having breakfast at our hotel, we could see Mount Fuji, completely cloudless.

I really enjoyed travelling to Japan. Out of everything, I really enjoyed the food most of all. Although we stayed for a week and half, we only did get to enjoy the cities for a maximum of three nights, and I think next time, we would focus our stay in one city and really get to relish the experience, instead of rushing from one place to the next. With the scarcity and inequitable distribution of vaccine supply, it’s hard to imagine when we can travel to Asia again and I’m super grateful that we were able to go, right at the cusp of when everything was about to fall apart. I think, at that time, our attitude was don’t sweat about some of the things we are missing because we would always get the chance to go back anytime we want, but the last year and a half has shown us how very wrong we were.

#japan #tokyo #osakacity #ancient kyoto #foodie

[kateemmerson]

Musings of a Café Writer living #LocationFree

Living #LocationFree for the past 5 years is often met with wide eyes, scrunched up noses, and some weird questions. I know it might sound like nothing more than terrifyingly homeless mixed with exhilaratingly glamour-filled champagne parties on yachts, Instagram style.

It honestly falls somewhere smack between these two extremes.

While it may be very real that digital nomads (aka global nomads, remote workers, location free, etc.) might not have one permanent base to call “home,” we are certainly not “homeless.” We have a gazillion ways we each live into this lifestyle, and we can pretty much make it up as we go along – if we don’t like somewhere, we can move on to more suitable spaces, cities, countries (Covid and visa/passport reliant of course). Plus, folk living this lifestyle are not doing so because they have zero responsibilities, no partners, kids, animals, etc. – we are all working and contributing to society in some format. We have just figured out the best way to earn the required dollars en route – whether working remotely for a company, working in the digital online space, working in the country they are in, running global companies, have property investments, Bitcoin, or business investors – any type of work is possible, to be honest! The worklist is as varied as your creative brain allows … with the added benefit of freedom from a location. Of course, we sleep in beds too! Whether in fancy hotels, rented homes, snazzy apartments, Airbnb options, co-living, house-sitting, or any combo of the above. What binds us together as a tribe is that we are not bound to one location for work or life. There is a sense of freedom, mobility, choice, and possibility!

Possibility of options, countries, cultures, environments, lifestyle, etc

Right now, I’m chilling in a quaint café on the prom of Portobello (see pic taken at Miros <<<) with the quieter than usual buzz and banter as “we-are-in-weird-lockdown-life-but-still-allowed-out” vibe. I’ll soon be self-isolating again before I make my way to my mum in the UK for Christmas, so I am making the most of a little thrill of being outdoors at Edinburgh’s Seaside. There is a delicious light shimmering off the sea and bouncing off the clouds, reflecting the changes in the sun as we edge towards winter solstice. After 7 years of spending most of my time in summer or what travel agents refer to as shoulder seasons, I am fondly referring to my current city of choice as Edinburrrrrrr.

Remember my cold water swimming escapades on Iona that I shared earlier this year? I will manage one more cold dip this month, which means I will have been cold water immersing for 6 whole months! I didn’t even know that I wanted to try it before starting my significant retreat and detox process on Iona. I’m still in a bikini with no warm booties, gloves, or wetsuits like many swimmers – just keeping it real and semi mad. Even if my swims are super short -they still count as a cold water blitz of energy and immune-boosting habit!

  This week, I launched my fifth book, and I feel like a kid in a Christmas Santa store, to be honest. It’s some insights, sharing, and tips from living the last 5 years #LocationFree. I also interviewed 16 other souls (between 40 and 60 years of age) living in similar ways to me. It’s a super exciting collection of tips snd stories for anyone who is intrigued about the possibility of downsizing, packing up, and living and working globally.

One of my all-time favourite things to do when I travel is sitting in a café or restaurant on a beach somewhere – from Malaga to San Fran, Cape Town to Skala Eressos. I simply need my laptop and a strong coffee or a fab glass of vino, depending on the time of day. And always water – and usually a kitty somewhere close by. I seem to attract them and consider myself a bit of a cat-whisperer. Did you spot the content kitty on my book cover?

There is an element of pure delight that is elicited when I can look up from my computer and see water – waves, sand, pebbles, sheep munching seaweed (yes 100% on Iona!), people laughing, kids playing, folk squealing in the waves and that heady aroma of sun, sand, sea, and sun-lotion. Or the smell of rain mixed into it more often than not, here in Edinburrrrr.

I find myself in this glorious city for most of winter 2020, exploring somewhere North. I am still officially #LocationFree and will be for the foreseeable future. I was only planning to be location free for one year, to figure out what country I wanted to live in, but it turns out it’s been too much fun, and here I am five years later.

Ooooh, the cafes you will find when not in your hometown. From dingy and downright skanky, to glamorous, elegant, and exotic; to simple family-run salt of the earth to trendy hipster vibes with a gazillion delicious choices; or the simple paired back local café that only serves one type of coffee and eggs – just the way you like them: the smells, the chalkboards, the conversations, and the locals. The cakes and the decadent treats made with love – from the latest LA trend to grandma’s secret pistachio and rose water recipe. A café is always filled with possibility – and is still the first place I seek out to feel like a “local” in a new spot. It’s one of my “settling-in” hacks I share in my book “10 Lessons for Living #locationFree

So I find myself with a big grin on my chops as I own the fact that I am a café writer. It can be a table on a busy cobbled street, a hotel lobby with glorious views of the pool, a tiny spot perched precariously on a hill, or my all-time favourite, seaside café!. Anywhere in the world, this will put always put a smile on my face.

If there is some Latin Salsa or Bachata music drifting out of the speakers even better, offering the quiet promise of a party as day turns to night….that will always make me type faster and get through my workload ready to pop on my salsa shoes and have a whirl on the floor.

I don’t even need earphones, really –in fact, my ears always get sore trying to wear earphones, no matter the brand or style! I usually welcome the buzz around me and find ways to switch off when I need to focus.

I have amassed a few “offices’ around the world that I have stamped my name on. To this day, there is one table at Gialos on Skala Eressos where we run writing retreats, which is known as Kate’s office. Although I didn’t get to work there in 2020, I know it is waiting patiently for me 2021. I am usually sitting at my “desk” by 6 am before the rest of the sleeping Greek village stirs. While the restaurant is still being cleaned and set up for the day – George will even stop his daily prep to bring me a double greek Coffee. Or as we order there – ena diplo hellenico para kalor!

PIC: This one below taken at my “office” Gialos in Skala Eressos when the world cup was on (and my Argentinean partner at the time was in Russia supporting his team) 

It’s always about the views, to be honest. I find vistas open up my creativity and thinking. Sea trumps everything for me – being able to sit outside and feel the sunshine and breeze is high on my list of needs. When not working, I also love to be a fly on the wall, simply watching people. I can make up stories in my head ad Infinitum. Travelling a lot on my own, I also love to smile and then connect, laugh, and chat with total strangers. It’s bizarrely natural for me to make random comments and speak to people I walk past or sit next to. I will always talk to cats and dogs and stop owners for a cuddle of their four-paws if allowed. I guess that’s why I have found it relatively easy to be location free. What’s the point in staying separate and cut off from others– even when communicating from behind a mask nowadays, we can still connect energetically and with a twinkle in our eyes.

  PIC – The awesome Malaga crew where I pulled together a writing group and started my book 10 Lessons for Living #locationFree exactly one year ago!! Note the lovely views right on the sea! 

Wi-Fi is surprisingly not always high on my agenda, as I prefer working offline with fewer distractions when in writing/blogging mode. In fact, I will often choose cafes that do NOT have Wi-Fi – especially if I am running a writing group – as that just distracts everyone.

My challenge to you today is to visit a local café and watch the world unfold around you! Make it an adventure if you haven’t done it for a while. Take your laptop, a great book, or your journal to pen some thoughts. Let me know what you find on your café outing – I’d love to hear what great conversations you engage in or inspired ideas you come up with when sitting with a different view.

A dear friend just sent me this on Whatsapp this morning – so I will do my level best to simply keep on writing from my heart wherever I am. I just have to. What about you?

“Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate, and the governor is out of the country, and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.” Alan W Watts

WANT SOME INSPIRATION ABOUT POSSIBILITY? GRAB MY BRAND NEW BOOK  10 Lessons for Living #LocationFree 

Do you wish you had the courage to follow your dream, to quench your wanderlust? To downsize, pack light and explore the world while still working? Do you honestly think others are able do it because they’re younger, richer, are single and have fewer responsibilities, with no kids to tag along?

Wrong. That’s simply not true. This book will show you that it’s possible no matter what your age! Do you really want to play it safe just because you’re no longer in your twenties, waiting on tables as you backpack around the world?

Musings of a Café Writer living #LocationFree was originally published on Kate Emmerson - The Quick Shift Deva

#author #blogger #caref writer #location free writer #travel writing #travelling light #writers holiday

[cecilialater]

Visit: New Zealand

Where to Stay:

Tekapo Backpackers- Stay in the “glamping” tents outside

Nomads Hostel Queenstown -Very popular and social

Absoloot Hostel Queenstown- the most comfortable hostel bed I have ever experienced

 Where to Eat/ Drink :

Queenstown- Fergburger, World Bar, Patagonia Ice cream, Cookie Time, World Bar,  Bar Up

Franz Josef: Alice May

Punakaiki: Pancake Rocks Café

Tekapo- Astro Café

My experience:

March 2018 ROAD TRIP-- Dunedin > Te Anu > Milford Sound > Queenstown > Franz Josef > Tekapo > Omarama > Queenstown

DAY 1: My childhood friend Nicole and I flew to Dunedin from Auckland, where she is currently living. We rented a car from the airport which was a semi automatic and we were at first very frustrated by it, but learned to love it over time. We climbed to the top of Baldwin St. before grabbing pies for breakfast to bring on the road. We drove to Sandymount Bay and were going to hike down to the water, but decided instead to take the Lover’s Leap track instead which had beautiful views of the water and SHEEP. This led to my lifelong appreciation and love of the sheep of NZ (and those all over the world). In New Zealand, they are adorable and they are E V E R Y W H E R E. They outnumber the amount of human inhabitants of the country. I drove out rental car for the second half of the first day, which was not as scary as I thought it would be on the opposite side of the road, except when our hubcap flew off at one point! We drove to Te Anu and grabbed a quick dinner before heading to our Airbnb.

DAY 2: We woke up in the darkness and drove to Milford Sound. The mountains appeared through the fog as the sun rose and it was breathtaking. We took a Jucy Cruise to explore Milford Sound, and fought our way to the railing for the best views. With the fog and a bit of rain, it was beautiful, but when the sun came out near the end of our cruise, we were able to get a whole new perspective of the Sound. At one point, the captain informed us that we were going to pass under a waterfall, and only the bravest of passengers strip down to their underwear and stay out on the deck. Since I happened to be standing next to him, I decided to do it because it was a once in a lifetime experience, From his perch I got a view of EVERY MALE on the bow turning their heads when he made the announcement, “an American girl has already decided to do it, any other takers?” It was freezing and the water physically stung, but I’m happy I decided to do it, and even happier that I had dry clothes to put on after. We drove on to Queenstown later in the day and I figured out why The Remarkables had been given that name. Mountains are always beautiful but there is just something about seeing the Remarkables that sets them apart.  We stayed at Nomads Hostel, which offered us a free dinner at Loco, where we met two girls who convinced us to bungee jump the next day, as they had just been. Wandering through Queenstown, we were given free tickets to Ice Bar, so we went there after drinks out of teapots at World Bar, and then headed late night to Fergburger, where we waited in a 45 minute line and ran into two girls we met on our Milford Sound cruise.

Day 3: I started the day by dropping my phone and shattering the screen, but it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would, because I was too busy worrying about whether or not I would bail on bungee jumping at the A.J. Hackett bridge. I knew I wanted to do it, but I am afraid of heights, so my fear was more getting out to the platform and not being able to jump than the jump itself.  We went and though it took a while, the jump itself was one of the best things I have ever experienced. We had lunch at Lake Wanaka, and then stopped for ice cream on the side of the road on our way to see the Blue Pools, which we accessed by crossing two rickety bridges. We stopped again at a beach to break up our drive, and ended the day in Franz Josef. We stayed in the YHA Hostel and had a nice dinner and delicious Pavlova at Alice May.

Day 4: Even though the morning was cloudy, we drove to Lake Matheson for a view of the Mirror Lake and Fox Glacier. We finished our hike right as the rain started. In spite of the weather, we tried to visit Fox Glacier, but after hiking almost an hour towards it, we were told that the road to it was closed due to unsafe conditions, so we hitchhiked back to our car with a group of Californian retirees. We napped and tried to wait for the rain to stop, but in the end decided visiting Franz Josef glacier was worth it, despite the rain. I thought about how disappointing humans can be, as I stopped to pick up random trash on the way to the receding glacier. My mood was quickly turned around as we spotted the glacier through the clouds. We stayed at an Airbnb with a woman who shared with us a bit too much about the personal life of her son.

Day 5: We had an appropriate pancake lunch at Pancake Rocks Café in Punakaiki, after visiting the Pancake Rocks themselves. Nicole took the train from Greymouth, and bought me a greenstone necklace before she left. <3 I ran into a lady from Tennessee who was ahead of me in line for bungee jumping after I said goodbye to Nicole, and thus began the solo portion of rest of the trip.  I drove through Arthur’s Pass, which was my favorite section of driving throughout this whole trip, and stopped at Castle Rock, which is where scenes from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Lord of the Rings were filmed. I then proceeded to get completely lost and drove almost all the way to Christchurch. I arrived at Tekapo Lakefront Lodge Backpackers at nightfall, and slept in one of their “Glamping” tents, which was cold but very comfortable.

Days 6-7: I met a few people while eating breakfast on the deck near the tent village, and we decided to hike together to the Astro Café, which had the best chai tea I have ever had. I stopped at the Church of the Good Shepherd on my way to Omarama, where I stayed with Argentinian friends I had made on the Milford Sound cruise, who I then hiked the Hooker Track with at Mt. Cook the next day. Driving to Mt. Cook listening to old music with this group, I had one of my many moments of reflection that have happened on this trip, where I’ve just realized how lucky and happy I am to be alive. I ended up running into the girls from the cruise a THIRD time at Mt. Cook. The world is tiny, especially for NZ tourists! There were many winding roads on the way back to Queenstown and I  had Fergburger for dinner and ran into some college students Nicole and I had met at the Ice Bar and made plans for brunch the next day with them.

Day 8: I brunched at Yonder with my college student friends, and then set out for a day of adventure with my favorite hostel roommate.  We went to Pub on Wharf, and then headed to Arrowtown, a historic goldmining town, and had lunch at The Stables to escape the rain that continued the rest of the day. In order to hit as many of the places I wanted to visit as possible on my last day, we visited Cookie Time, Bar Up Queenstown, and ended the night sipping whiskey neat by the fireplace at Bardeaux. This country and this trip made me the happiest I’ve ever been, and I am considering moving to New Zealand as a result.

#newzealand #travel #explore #roadtrip

[randombitsofthisnthat]

London and Spain 2019

Yes, for the 2nd time on this blog, i’m writing something about travelling lol

This summer, i visited London (after leaving for 10 months... i know...), Barcelona and Pamplona with one of my besties. This journey, man, i tell you, was one of the most unforgettable and interesting ones i’ve had so far. You’ll see why as you keep reading.

The trip was, in fact, fairly short and rush to be honest. We left Hong Kong on the 1st July, arrived London on the 2nd and we were back to HK on the 11th July.

It was my friend’s first time travelling to Europe (and with such a crazy and tiring itinerary lol) so we did a bit of sightseeing together. As always, you can never get bored with London. There are so many things and places you can do and visit. So, as tourists, my friend and i went to the famous Duck and Waffle for brekkie (it was my 1st time too!). With the beautiful view overlooking London city and their iconic duck and waffle on your marble top dining table, that was literally one of the most delicious and enjoyable breakfasts i’ve ever had.

Within the real short 3-day stay in London, i’m glad that i was able to squeeze in some time to meet with some of my London friends and former colleagues. It was always lovely to see and chat with them!

Leaving London, we off to Barcelona and Pamplona, the main destinations of this trip. We stayed there for 5 days (including 1 night in Pamplona) where all the silly things happened.

Our first day in Barcelona was actually nice. We visited the Mount Tibidabo after settling ourselves at the airbnb. Mount Tibiado is the tallest mountain in Barcelona, and it’s not just a mountain, but one with an amusement park and a cathedral (we went there for the view and the latter one tho). We took metro L7 line to Av. Tibidabo, got on the bus which took us to the plaza where we took the tram to the top of the mountain. Apart from a bit of detour in finding our way to the bus station near the metro, the view from the mountain was not bad at all.

The tram to Mount Tibidabo

Overview of Barcelona city

Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor

Speaking of the detour, as we asked for directions to the bus station, we accidentally came across an elegant old lady whom aunt was a saint of that cathedral as we chatted. My friend and i were quite amazed by that :O We finished the visit by having a GIANT glass of Sangria at one of the peak restaurants.

On the second day, we visited Mercat de la Boqueria and Mercat de Sant Antoni, two of the famous markets in the city centre in the morning. Mercat de la Boqueria is famous for its great varieties of food. Tapas, seafood, ham, cheese, fruits, you name it, were all there.

We tried some of the oysters and unis. fresh and yum.

While Mercat de Sant Antoni, first opened in 1882, is known for its vintage goods/ books stalls set outside the market on Urgell street on Sundays. The market reopened in May 2018 after undergoing a major renovation. Again, the food there was amazing. Compare with Mercat de la Boqueria, we found this one more local and less touristy.

After the markets, we walked around the Sinagoga Major de Barcelona, The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona. We didn’t join any walking tour but just wandering around by ourselves. If you would like to know more about its history and have someone explains to you properly, there are loads you can join as we could see. 

Sinagoga Major de Barcelona, The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona

We then spent the rest of the day visiting Gaudí’s architecture. First off was the Park Güell. Under the crazily hot and almost-too-sunny weather, we strolled around from 3-ish pm until 7-ish in the evening. After that, we had a tasty seafood paella as dinner in a restaurant in the L'Eixample district.

Park Güell

Seafood paella at Bodega Joan, an authentic Spanish pub and restaurant.

After having such a big portion of paella (we tried very hard to finish the whole thing but couldn’t...), we decided to walk back to the bnb by stopping by another two iconic Gaudí buildings, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà aka La Pedrera.

On our way to these two spots, we saw a big recycle bins (you can see these bins everywhere in Barcelona) on fire, was literally burning from the inside. We immediately asked a lady who walked by and phoned the police. Seeing the smoke and the strong smell, another man walked past and asked us what happened, “The trash bin is on fire”, said my friend. ‘Oh, that’s better.”, the man replied with a relieved expression. My friend and I couldn’t quite believe what we heard. We guess he meant it was good that the fire wasn’t come from a building nearby LOL

Casa Batlló 

Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera

The 3rd day in Spain, instead of staying in Barcelona, we travelled to Pamplona for the Fiesta de San Fermín (Running of the Bulls as you may heard of), one of the oldest and traditional festivals in Spain. This annual 9-day event takes place on 6 - 14 July.

But who knew we would almost missed the train to Pamplona (yes, what a ‘great’ start to the trip). We literally were late for ONE minute and were told by the station staff that our train was GONE. We then headed to the ticket counter to see if there were any chance that we can take the next train. “It’s very difficult to get tickets to Pamplona today”, said the lady, shaking her head. BUT, after a bit of searching on her computer, we were so grateful that we were able to get another indirect train there (knowing that we weren’t suppose to exchange the tickets for FREE and my friend saw on the computer screen that those two tix originally costed something like €142......). 

Because of the festival, nearly 99% of the hostels and hotels were booked up way ahead the festival began, even our airbnb costed us HKD two thousands something for just one night. So my advice is to book at least 10 months or a year ahead if you are planning to go. Yet, the host and the apartment were outstanding. We had a very nice chat with the retired psychology teacher/ artist and she even gave us a lift to the train station when we left.

And little did we know that the dress code for the festival was all white (from top to bottom i meant, and people were all so ready and dressed for the festival as they got on the train from different stations), we only had a white tee shirt. Luckily, we got a souvenir pack which includes a small red scarf, a foldable red fan and a festival guide by finishing a survey right outside the train station. Although we missed the opening ceremony (which started at 12noon at the City Hall), we were very excited that we got to see a spectacular fireworks display at night! 

How lucky we were!

Our outfits were SO TOTALLY not matching with the people behind us...

The fireworks was SURREAL.

Apart from drinks and parties, family with kids can also joined the fun by buying some sort of lucky-draw tickets to redeem gifts ranging from stationery to groceries. My friend and I bought 4 tickets at €3.2, got nothing but were told that we might be able to win €2500 at the finale draw when the festival ends.

Of course, the major event of the festival was the running of the bulls (i’d like to clarify that we DO NOT support they treated the cows that way). The very first bulls run kicked off at 8am on the second day of the festival. We got there at around 7:30am but was already very crowded that we had to stand on a table to watch.

Strongly suggest early arrival at like 7am if you want to get a good spot. 

Another major event took place after the bulls running was the Giants and Big-heads Parade. There were four pairs of four meters high giants, each pair came out as a king and queen, representing Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, with some smaller giants accompanied behind. 

After the Giants and big-heads, the statue of San Fermin came out, accompanied by the clergy. They prayed and sang in the middle of street, the crowd was in absolute silent when this took place. 

The statue of San Fermin

People stood at their balconies to watch the parade

Bands and music all around

People went crazy with the cows statues

Despite an awful lot of drunk people and smokers, both my friend and I were glad that we eventually made it to Pamplona and enjoyed the festival a lot. Not only because it was something new and interested us, but also we were able to get to know more about their culture and history, celebrate together with the locals. (Click here if you would like to learn more about the festival)

After two long day in Pamplona, we returned to Barcelona for one last day in Spain. Yet again, who would have guessed that another ‘amazing’ incident happened when we visited the infamous Sagrada Família. 

Right, here’s what happened. 

We bought the ticket via its official website when we first arrived Barcelona, my friend and I actually read through the details together and confirmed all are fine. So we set off from the bnb and arrived at the Cathedral at 9am on the 8th of July. When we were about to go through the first ticket check, the staff suddenly said to us, “Wait, wait, your ticket is for the 9th, TOMORROW.” My friend and I were like, WHATTTTTT?! Are you joking?! We booked the right tickets. Then we looked at the tickets again, OH MAN, it writes 9 JULY 2019. We couldn’t believe our eyes and wanted to cry out loud... We told the Cathedral and the customer service hotline staff that we were leaving in the evening and asked if there are tickets that we can buy on the spot, but the answers were no no no. All the tickets were sold out for the day, all they could do is give us the refund. 

So my friend and I sat outside the Cathedral, feeling and looking helpless, thinking how the heck we booked the wrong date... Suddenly, my friend said, “hey we got the tickets from the official website, does it mean that there are non-official sites that we can get the tickets?”. I was like, “YES YES YES!”. We then started searching on our phones like rushing to finish an exam paper before the teacher says ‘pens down’. 

After 5 minutes of searching, we MANAGED to get 2 tickets at 3pm in the afternoon. My friend and I triple checked the date and time, we even ran to ask the Cathedral staff that is that we can get in with those tickets. And when we heard the staff answered, “Yes, I think so. You even have an English speaking guide to explain you everything about the Cathedral.”, we almost wanted to cry. We were SO happy that we could get in to see this masterpiece after this silly incident.

Sagrada Família. The rest to be finished by 2026. 

Aren’t those stunning? We were amazed. 

After calming ourselves down, we went back to the Mercat de la Boqueria for lunch. We queued at the El Quim and that was one of the best decisions we’ve made in the trip. We ordered their house special: fried eggs with baby squids, razor calms and slow-cooked beef plus two glasses of wine. All of them were really delicious and fresh. If you were there, this is the tapas bar that you could not miss!

And that’s it, with all those silly incidents, we back to Hong Kong with a joyful soul (and a tiring body lol). Thank you our heavenly Father for all the amazing provisions and arrangements during the trip. We couldn’t be more thankful for that! 

[lethaderr-blog]

The Lake Hayes walkway is an easy trek with big rewards.

So, you’ve explored all of and you love nature. I mean, you’re visiting New Zealand, and the spectacular scenery is one of the main draws. If you’d like to check out a spot that offers brilliant views without much effort, you’re in luck. Lake Hayes is a beautiful body of water with mountain peaks off in the distance. There’s a loop path around the perimeter of the lake. You don’t need to spend hours of trekking to enjoy these views! Simply drive up to the lake, and the rewarding sights are instantaneous.

QUEENSTOWN TRAVEL GUIDE

WHERE TO STAY IN QUEENSTOWN: While in , we stayed at the Copthorne Hotel and Apartments. You can check out more reviews here. We recommend booking in advance as hotels do book up fast. Feel free to compare prices between hotels as you plan your holiday. To have your own place in , browse the available listings on Airbnb.

GETTING AROUND QUEENSTOWN: We highly recommend renting a car if you’re going to travel outside of . The two of us rented a car for a two week road trip of New Zealand.

THINGS TO DO IN QUEENSTOWN: For a list of the best things to do in , check out our day travel itinerary. If you’re looking for restaurant recommendations, check out my vegan guide. 

PHOTOS OF LAKE HAYES: Check out our entire photo album of pictures between and to inspire your trip. You can also purchase prints, housewares, and all sorts of gifts made from any of our photos – just click the “buy” button on any picture.

Lake Hayes Video

If you’d like to see the Lake Hayes walkway in action, check out our video. This video sums up our entire day, including both of our stops between and . Justin and I walked around Lake Hayes first, and then headed to Arrowtown. You’ll see just how beautiful Lake Hayes looks in the spring!

Lake Hayes

About a 5 minute drive from , you’ll find Lake Hayes and the Lake Hayes walkway. It’s an 8km loop trail and you can choose to tackle the whole thing or parts of the track. In fact, you can continue even farther from the Lake Hayes walkway to the Twin Rivers (part of the ) or the Countryside towards Arrowtown (also part of the ).

In this region, the Maori iwi tribe of Kai Tahu named the lake, Te Whaka-ata a Haki-te-kura. Legend states that famed princess Haki-te-kura’s likeness was reflected in the lake. While we didn’t see many lake reflections that day because it was a little too windy, you can often see the mountains and the clouds mirrored on Lake Hayes. The body of water was named Lake Hayes after an Australian settler with the last name Hay, and was mistakenly changed to “Hayes” over the years. 

The Lake Hayes trail is one of the best walks you can experience for its scenic trails and vistas. There’s a boardwalk along part of the trail to protect the local wildlife, including a substantial number of Australasian crested grebe. While we didn’t see any of them, Justin and I saw a fair amount of ducks and ducklings that were very cute. The Wakatipu Rowing Club is by the lake, and we witnessed rowers practicing their skills on the water.

The Lake Hayes walkway is also a great place to go cycling. While there are a few narrow sections, it’s a great place for beginner bikers to practice and enjoy the ride. Lake Hayes is one of the best bike trails, at the heart of 30km of track. Cycling and walking are one of the greatest free things to do in because you’ll be able to appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and spectacular natural wonders. This is certainly one of the best walks in , so I urge you to get out there and experience this one.

Our Spring Visit

While we didn’t walk the entire trail, the Lake Hayes walkway is one of the best short walks in . You don’t have to walk the entire thing if you don’t have the time. We loved visiting this gorgeous region in the springtime. Justin and I walked around Lake Hayes in the second week of November. All of the flowers were starting to bloom. We were happy to soak up the sunshine, though there are lots of shaded areas if you feel a little too hot. I’m sure that Lake Hayes is beautiful all year long, though we were very content with our spring visit.

Getting There

To get there, take Highway 6 driving northeast out of towards Lake Hayes. Near the lake, you’ll see a small parking lot where you can park. It’s right at the Lake Hayes Pavilion (you’ll see this marked on Google Maps). You can also park and enter the trail at the Lake Hayes Recreation Reserve and Bendemeer Bay on Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Rd.

Don’t Have a Car?

If you don’t have your own rental car and you’re staying in , don’t worry at all. There are lots of walking and hiking tours that take you to spots just outside of , so you can visit Lake Hayes or have a similar experience. Check out this tour that allows you to witness scenic sights, as well as pan for gold in Arrowtown. This tour takes you on a guided hike near , most likely to Lake Hayes, along with afternoon tea. Furthermore, this scenic tour goes to Arrowtown, the Kawarau Bridge, and one of the southernmost wineries in the world.

Where to Stay

Whether you’re spending the night in or , we have our picks for the best mid-range properties for you. These are two hotels and accommodations where we’ve stayed and we can personally vouch for them. 

Justin and I stayed at the spacious Copthorne Hotel & Apartments, just a short walk from downtown . You’ll enjoy a restful night’s sleep here. This hotel is very quiet and we were never disturbed. The hotel comes with complimentary parking in their underground private lot. Our room also had its own little private courtyard with beautiful views of the lake and mountains. You can also book larger apartments and rooms on upper floors with balconies, though we were perfectly content with our room on the first level.

We adored the location, the large size of the rooms, and the two comfortable nights we spent there. Justin and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this hotel for when you visit . It’s the perfect base for venturing out, whether you spend one day in or several. Book your stay at the Copthorne Hotel & Apartments or check out hotel reviews by fellow travelers.

Once we arrived in , we spent two nights in a yurt accommodation that was a really awesome experience. Oasis Yurt Lodge is a unique accommodation where you can find peace along your hectic journey. These yurts are more luxurious than typical glamping in New Zealand. Every yurt has power and lighting, so you’ll be able to charge and use your electronic devices. The beds are very comfortable for a cozy and restful night’s sleep. There’s a massive shared kitchen where you can prepare all of your own meals, too!

Justin and I wished we could have stayed even longer at Oasis Yurt Lodge. This luxurious yurt combines modern amenities with a peaceful environment, along with spectacular views at the gateway to the Southern Alps. Unwind in style at Oasis Yurt Lodge for marvelous memories that will last a lifetime. If you’re looking for where to stay in , this is our recommendation. We can’t wait to someday return to Oasis Yurts in the future. Click here to book your stay at Oasis Yurts or check out more reviews by fellow travelers. 

PLANNING A TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND?

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Browse tours and excursions around the country for fun day trips.

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The post Wandering the Lake Hayes Scenic : Spectacular Walks Near , appeared first on Justin Plus Lauren.

#LakeHayes #Trail #Walkway #Queenstown #Wanaka #NewZealand #NZ #DayTrip #1 #DayTrip"

[postcards-fromafar]

Sevilla & Málaga

Dan and I had been to Sevilla once before, back in April 2016 and had a great visit, so we were excited to make a return to show the family around and see some new sights. 

Highlights

-Our Airbnb on this leg of the journey was fantastic! Great location, lots of space to hang out, comfy bedrooms, and great, hospitable hosts. 

-Free walking tour- As soon as we dropped our stuff at our Airbnb, we sprinted/power walked over to the start of the free walking tour. We missed the very beginning but managed to find the group anyway. It’s always nice to do these early on in the trip so you get an idea of what’s around to see and what you might want to explore further during your time in a city. 

-Plaza de Espana- We wandered around this massive plaza which was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 (featured in a few movies, including Star Wars), people watched, and took some fun photos. 

-Sevilla Cathedral- Not only is the architecture stunning, but the Sevilla Cathedral contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus (or is at least one of his final resting places- other places also claim they have pieces of him). 

-Church of El Salvador- The second largest church in Sevilla (after the Cathedral). 

-Las Setas- A giant wooden structure made up of six large, mushroom-shaped parasols. There’s a viewing platform you can walk along up top that offers nice views of the city. 

-Alcazar- This was not quite as impressive as it might have been otherwise, coming closely on the heels of the magnificent Alhambra in Granada. However, it was still quite beautiful (though very crowded) and we enjoyed our tour. 

-Drinks with Gabe- Dan, Gabe, and I went out for drinks at a bar on one of the squares and then at a small beer bar (Bierkraft) one of the nights. We had a great time drinking cheap wine and cerveza and chatting away while people-watching and hanging with the locals.

-Going on a night walk with Gabe and Trina- After dinner one night, we abandoned Dan’s parents to pack and took a lovely night stroll around Sevilla. We wandered by the place where Dan and I stayed last time we were in Sevilla, and we also posed for some pictures with the crowns of the Three Kings. 

Our flight back to the states was originating from the largest city in the region, Malaga, so we took the train there the next morning and had a full day to explore on New Years Eve.

-Picasso Museum- We hit the Picasso Museum during our one day in Málaga. It was quite an extensive collection, and we found it to be an interesting glimpse into the life and progression of his work over time. 

-Walking along the beach in Málaga- A more low key activity, and nice to see the ocean!

-Video chatting with family while at the airport on the way home- We traveled home early on New Year’s Day morning, which was actually still later evening on New Year’s Eve back home. We video chatted with my parents and some other relatives while they were up partying in Northern Wisconsin, and then we chatted with my sister Kerri and brother-in-law Warren in Minnesota. We missed out on the classic NYE experience and didn’t go out at all since our flight left so early, so it was fun to chat with all them while they were happily partying away. 

Bummers

-Not being able to go out for New Years- It would have been fun to go check out the local festivities, but I’m too old to party and then only get a coupe hours sleep before boarding an international flight. 

Eats

-Tapas at Casa Ricardo- Recommended to us by our Airbnb host, this place was an authentic, local spot. We arrived at 8:30pm, right when they were opening, to find a crowd of Spaniards waiting to get in. As soon as they opened the doors, people rushed in and snagged all the tables up front. There were a few tables still open in the back, which I asked about. They told us that as long as we were out by 10pm, we were welcome to sit there. Our waiter, Jesús, came over, quickly realized I was the only one who spoke a good amount of Spanish, and introduced himself to me. He explained that there was not a menu, that “I am the menu,” and then proceeded to bring out many rounds of delicious tapas. It ended up being an affordable and really delicious meal, made all the more gratifying because we wouldn’t have been able to eat here (with ease) if I hadn’t spoken Spanish. 

-Lonja del Barranco Market- We revisited the market Dan and I had been to a few years ago for lunch one day. It was nice because they had many different options for places to eat- each person in your group can grab whatever they like and then we just convened outside to eat together. 

-Italian food at Da Pino- We indulged in pizza one night when we needed a break from tapas. 

-Chocolate and churros (x2)- Ironically, this ended up being our last meal in Spain. 

-Paella- Definitely not my thing (especially since I’m not big on shellfish), but a must eat item while in Spain. 

Drinks

-Wine, wine, wine- Between the group of us, we took down at least a couple bottles a day. 

-Beer at Bierkraft- Dan and Gabe were excited to get flights of craft beer here. 

People

-Mom, Dad, Gabe, Trina- We had such a wonderful time on this trip with the family. Looking forward to wherever our next trip together takes us!

Observations and Insights

-Sevilla was much more crowded this time around than when we had been here in April a few years prior. Not sure if it was just because of the holiday season or what. 

-The Spanish love the Three Kings, and Three Kings Day appears to be more of a hoopla than even Christmas. We missed it by a week, but the Sunday before we left, we stumbled upon a Three Kings Day Parade right outside of our apartment. It was very culturally interesting but also very strange, as some of the people in the parade and many of the spectators were wearing black face. It sounds like this is starting to become less condoned, but is still very present in many Spanish celebrations. 

-If you don’t pronounce “Daniel” the Spanish way, you end up with something like what Dan has on his cup here (for the record, I ordered his coffee this time so it was my bad). Hi Temu!

#sevilla #spain #europe

[onmountcarmel-blog]

Rome

We just got back from a lovely trip to Rome, as a sort of late-honeymoon. In October, we decided to take advantage of all of the cheap Ryanair flights from Tel Aviv to Europe over the winter months, and Rome in February was the winner! Our flights were less than 300 euros combined. We stayed in a cozy airbnb, which was perfect for our needs and kept our travel and accommodations at less than $500.

Since this was our honeymoon, we decided to not worry about costs once we were there (we had set aside some wedding money for this purpose), but as the frugal people we are, we still managed to keep costs pretty low. Breakfast (a pastry and espresso) averaged around 10 euros and lunch and dinner between 20 and 30. We also had our fair share of additional espresso and (obviously) gelato. We paid for entrance to the Vatican Museums (16 euros each), to climb up all the stairs to the rotunda of St. Peter’s Basilica (8 euros each), and combined entry to the Coliseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill (12 euros each).

In planning for this trip, I asked for a travel guide to Rome for Christmas from my brother and sister-in-law, which was a great way to learn identify which sites we really wanted to visit. We also watched the three part Rick Steves Rome. I made a hyper-OCD google map that we used as a broad outline; we didn’t do everything or follow any plan exactly, but it was nice to be sort of familiar with where places were and how far certain thing were from each other.

We arrived at the Fiumicino airport in the late evening. Passport control went quickly and we hoped in our shuttle to our airbnb. We chose to get a shuttle because of our late flight (we knew we would be in a hurry to eat dinner in ROME!) and because of the low cost and time. For two, the shuttle to and from our apartment’s door to the airport was 66 euros. This was in comparison to around 30 euros we would have paid to get there on a train and a bus. The time difference (35 minute direct ride on the shuttle, hour on public transit - without any mistakes) really made the difference due to our flight’s late arrival (and my tendency to get hangry).

Our airbnb was located in the Trastevere neighborhood, which our Lonely Planet guidebook describes a “outrageously photogenic and pleasurably carefree.” Cradled in the left-bank curve of the Tiber River, Trastevere is a labyrinth of backstreet, old-world cobbled lanes full of restaurants and bars. It was so charming! Somehow the large shuttle van was able to navigate the sharp turns and tiny streets, dropping us off at our quaint loft accommodations.

After a brief struggle to connect with our host, we dropped our bags and headed to the nearest restaurant, Cajo e Gajo, for our first Roman meal. We each had a glass of wine, split some warm and delicious focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and enjoyed the American music. For our main course, Kenny had lasagna and I had cacio e pepe (literally cheese and pepper). This was our best meal in Rome (and Kenny says the best of 6 lasagnas that he tried!). It was delicious and we went home exhausted from our day of travel and full of our first indulgent Roman meal.

Day 1 

We left relatively early the next morning to go to the Coliseum, stopping for an espresso and pastry on the way. The place where we stopped, Panetteria Romano, was so delicious that we went there for breakfast the next two days, as well!

The walk to the Coliseum was about a mile and a half, across the Tiber and past the Circus Maximus. That’s just how Rome was - everywhere that we went, there was something else historic and/or beautiful on the way. The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium that held a quarter of a million people; only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can hold that many people today.

At the Coliseum, we waited in line for about 45 minutes to get our tickets (which included entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill). We did not purchase any tickets ahead of time, thinking that it was the off season, and I think that we made the right choice. Purchasing early also requires a fee, and we did not mind waiting (we were in the Coliseum!!). I even found an Italian 5 cent euro coin, which has the Coliseum on the reverse.

Once we had our tickets, we went inside and up the stairs to the exhibits, which are located where you would imagine the concessions to be located at any stadium. It was so fun to learn more about the building, its history and architecture, while we were actually inside! The exhibits were in Italian and English, making it easy for us to absorb the content.

After getting our fill of Coliseum history, we headed out where the seats once were. The sunshine was warm and welcome, and the view was incredible. The entire time we were there I was impressed by its massive size!

We left the Coliseum hungry, so headed to get an espresso and a quick snack. After talking about our plan for the day, we decided to go to the Historic Center.  Our first stop was the charming Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary located among ancient ruins of four different temples. Torre Argentina also contains part of the famous portico of Pompey, upon whose steps dictator Julius Caesar was betrayed and killed. We watched as a volunteer fed three cats and one of them even hoped into my lap! 

Our Historic Center wandering took us along cobblestone streets, through beautiful squares with beautiful fountains (like Bernini’s Four Rivers). I would say that the highlight was stepping inside of the Pantheon, a former Roman temple that is now a Catholic church. The building was built around 110 BCE and, similarly to the Colosseum, is massive! The Pantheon’s dome is considered the Romans’ most important architectural achievement (and it remained the largest dome in the world until the 15th century).

The last stop for us was for a late lunch at Cantina e Cucina. Their lasagna, which Kenny enjoyed, was rated as some of the best in Rome. I had a simple and delicious vegetarian pasta.

Everyday on our trip, we headed back to the airbnb around 3 or 4PM for some rest before heading out for dinner in Trastevere. Given that we walked over 9 miles each day, I think that we earned our sietas!

For dinner, we had pizza and craft beer at Bir e Fud. Israel does not have much of a craft beer scene, so it was fun to get to have an interesting brew; the options at this modern, industrial pub were vast. I had a delicious apricot sour and a pizza with smoked mozzarella cheese. I knew it was going to be amazing the moment the waitress placed it on the table and the smokey aroma arrived inside of my nose! We walked home and were asleep quickly.

Day 2 

The next morning (after a quick breakfast at our favorite, Panetteria Romano) we headed to Palatine Hill. Sandwiched between the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill is an atmospheric area of towering pine trees, majestic ruins, and memorable views. Rome’s emperors and other affluent Romans of the Republican period resided on the hill, and excavations show that people have lived in the area since the 10th century BCE.

After walking through a millennium of archaeological ruins, the timeline jumped forward another thousand years and we found ourselves in the Orti Farnesiani, one of Europe’s earliest botanical gardens (laid out in the mid-16th century). My brain was overwhelmed by the span of time we were wandering through! 

The rush of history continued as we entered the Roman Forum, ancient Rome’s “showpiece center,” a district of temples, basilicas, and public spaces. Currently a collection of impressive ruins. We enjoyed the arches, the Curia (the seat of the Roman Senate - mostly a reconstruction) and the house of the vestal virgins.

I think if I were to visit Rome again, I would spend more time at Palatine Hill, splurging for the behind the scenes tour. There were several sites that the general public does not get to see that I would have enjoyed.

We headed into the neighborhood of Monti for lunch and randomly popped into Pasta Chef, a simple and unpretentious restaurant on a quiet street. I had the ravioli special: asparagus cream ravioli with a red wine reduction sauce. I’m drooling just thinking about it! Kenny had the lasagna. We were both satisfied with our quick and delicious meal.

After a long day of walking and a luxurious, if not fast, lunch, we needed a little pick me up. We got espresso at a little coffee shop and then hopped on the Metro to Piazza del Popolo for another afternoon of wandering through Rome’s neighborhoods. Our ambling took us down cobbled car-free streets, up the Spanish steps, and to the impressive Trevi Fountain, where we enjoyed some tasty gelato and tossed coins over our shoulder (thus ensuring our return to Rome).

We took the direct route back to the airbnb for another siesta before our evening meal, which we enjoyed at another local trattoria. We got a 50% off discount for booking using a mobile application called The Fork and were able to enjoy a long, romantic meal for half price. It took some of the stress out of ordering multiple courses, knowing that it was going to cost less! We got a bottle of prosecco and bruschetta. I had the traditional pepper and cheese pasta, while Kenny enjoyed lasagna and a nice cut of beef.  

Day 3

We spent our last full day in Rome exploring Vatican City. Our walk from the airbnb to Vatican City (with a stop for pastries and espresso, of course) took us along the Tiber and it was absolutely beautiful!

Our first stop was St. Peter’s Square, where there are lovely public restrooms. 

Then, we headed to the Vatican Museums. Based on the guidebook and everything that I had read online, we were expecting a long line (up to 2 hours), but we almost never slowed down and were inside super quickly. Booking tickets online costs twice as much, so I am glad that we decided to wait!

The museums were amazing, exhausting, awesome. They have works from an immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. There are 54 galleries in total and it is one of the largest museums in the world. The Sistine Chapel and Gallery of Maps were our favorite stops.

Sunny weather greeted us on our walk to lunch. We stopped at a modest trattoria, where we enjoyed resting our tired legs. Kenny had the lasagna and I enjoyed a fresh salad, and then we shared a delicious four cheese pizza.

We exchanged some shekels for euros in anticipation of our next stop: St. Peter’s Basilica! It is free to get into the massive church, but we had the added goal of climbing to the top of the cupola. St. Peter’s is the largest church in the world, and when we were inside, it felt huge. The ceiling is so high and the entire interior of St. Peter's is lavishly decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture and gilding! After doing a slow lap around the behemoth structure, it was time for us to climb to the top.

We opted to climb all the way up, instead of taking the elevator halfway. It was around 500 steps to the top and our tired legs met the challenge. Halfway up, the path takes visitors along the inside of the rotunda where you get to see Michelangelo's mosaic masterpieces up close.  

The last bit of the climb is between two layers of the dome. It gets very tight. I had to move my backpack onto my front! The final few flights are up a spiral staircase that it so tight that all there is to hold onto is a rope!

But the view at the top was more than worth the ascent. We got to see the mountains in the distance and all of the neighborhoods and buildings that we had explored the past few days.

At this point, we were tired and ready for another afternoon rest. We headed back, with the intention of stopping at Gianicolo Park for another beautiful view. Unfortunately, there was an ancient wall around the park, so instead of a beautiful view, we went up a steep incline and had a much longer trip back. Gelato made it all better once we made it back to Trastevere!

For dinner, we decided to book another reservation using The Fork. Once again, we had a meal at a 50% off discount. However, this time, the restaurant was not as good. I enjoyed my mushroom risotto, but Kenny’s lasagna and carbonara were not that good. We even got a dessert, cream caramel, and the caramel was burnt! But the liter of house red wine and the company were what made the evening lovely.

Homeward Bound

The next morning, we were up early for our flight back to Tel Aviv. Our shuttle arrived 20 minutes late, but we made it through security in about 10 minutes, and had plenty of time to enjoy our last breakfast of pastries and espresso! Since our flight was over the lunch hour, we also grabbed some takeaway sandwiches.

We had a lovely, charming trip. I am so happy that we chose Rome as our late-honeymoon destination! 

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/owners-area/our-blog/vacation-rental-marketing-the-bookdirect-blueprint/

Vacation Rental Marketing - The #Bookdirect Blueprint

Reinventing The Wheel

#bookdirect day won't bring you direct bookings - This article will

Tomorrow (February 6th) is #bookdirect day but there's a lot more to getting direct bookings than sharing an image on your website or social media once a year.

In this article, I outline a strategy that you can adopt that will bring you direct bookings.

I also share a case study and real data that shows that this strategy works. 

And I share why this is the only viable option going forward.

In many cases vacation/holiday rental businesses are unlike other businesses.

The majority of owners already had a second property that they used as their own vacation/holiday home before they decided to rent it out.

They read about the possibilities of earning extra income by joining the likes of VRBO and before they knew it, they were in the vacation rental business.

How we got to where we are now...

The first evolution of the wheel

As I said, most owners had a home and decided to list with a listing company. It was that simple 5 or 10 years ago - List it and they will come. People literally did just that. They joined VRBO, Stayz or Ownersdirect, paid the subscription and waited for bookings. And booking came. 'All you had to do' was deal with inquiries, meet and greet, handle cleaning and changeovers and you were in business.

The thing is, this isn't really a complete business model. All of the marketing was done through the listing site and if you don't control the marketing you don't control the business (as many have come to learn).

You can see this in the graphic below

The wheel represents the business and it's supported by a single spoke (in this case just one listing company).

Any wheel with just one spoke is vulnerable to bumps and potholes along the road and when Homeaway/VRBO introduced 'best match' and traveller service fees a lot of owners ended up with a bit of a business wobble caused by a buckled wheel.

The second evolution of the wheel

Owners quickly reevaluated their marketing strategy and they spread their offering by signing up with other listing sites and supplemented that with some social marketing.

These additional spokes made the marketing wheel more stable and less prone to catastrophic bumps in the road. They had spread the marketing risk but still didn't control any of the marketing itself. The marketing was just handled by more platforms.

This wheel was also pretty unsafe and as the big listing sites increased costs, added their own cancellation fees and took control of the money the wheel started to shake. Again, it became unsafe and it caused problems.

The third evolution of the wheel

By this stage, owners were beginning to see that this model of marketing was posing a danger to their businesses so many, if not most, started to add more and more spokes in order to spread the risks posed by any one platform changing it's rules or model.

The wheel below shows where many owners are today

The above wheel shows a mixture (clockwise from 12 o'clock) of Facebook marketing, email marketing (to past guests), booking(.com), Pinterest marketing, VRBO, Houfy, Local listing sites, Tripadvisor, Twitter, Airbnb, nurturing guests (with content marketing, extras and offers) and Homeaway.

Because this is a more stable wheel (with more spokes) it's a much safer to use than the two previous versions but it has a major flaw, and that's the hub.

The hub is the most important part of any wheel. it connects all of the other parts. It holds those parts together. It's where the power comes from.

The hub of any online business (and we're all running online businesses) is it's website and, believe it or not, around 50% of owners still don't have a website. The bad news is that even for those that do have a website the above wheel is flawed in a major way.

A lot of the spokes point outwards in a marketing sense and the main listing sites do everything in their power to stop any traffic arriving to your site.

Reinventing the wheel

There is a relatively new type of wheel that lends itself perfectly to this analogy. It doesn't have spokes and it has built in suspension that make rocky roads less bumpy.

It's called the Loop Wheel and whereas spoked wheels are constantly under tension, this wheel is relaxed and much more flexible. Just as before, the hub is the most crucial part and without it the wheel will fall apart.

As you can see, by using the Loop Wheel approach we've broken the marketing channels into 4 sections. An owners or managers website is the hub of the marketing wheel. Nearly all of your other touchpoints point back to your website. This is key.

Your marketing channels break down into 3 categories.

Guest Nurture (GEO)

The most important of the 3 categories, by far, is the guest nurture category, after all, it's the guests that pay the rent. I see lots of owners and managers talking about search engine optimisation (SEO) but very few are spending their time on GEO (guest experience optimisation). GEO covers the pre-stay, in-stay and post-stay aspects of the entire guest experience. Most owners and managers currently spend their time chasing bookings through third parties and very few focus their attention primarily at the guest and this is a big mistake.

Pre-stay

Pre stay marketing takes the form of content marketing. Owners spend their time creating articles that answer potential guests frequently asked questions. Once these are added to the website they sit in the search engines and drive traffic back to the site.

These can then be shared on our own Vacation Soup where we collect, collate and syndicate them for much-increased exposure (see the case study below for evidence of how this works).

In-stay

In stay nurture takes the form of great customer service. This can take all forms from a stocked fridge to an extra change of bedding half way through the booking. You can provide fresh flowers on arrival or an interactive iPad guide. The simple idea is that you simply offer a higher service level than your competitors.

If you are on Vacation Soup, then you can refer guests to the content on your website and they can access your recommendations through a map-based experience while they are out and about (see here for an example of how this works).

Post-stay

The cheapest cost per guest marketing is repeat guests. So up your game by sending regular newsletters that tell guests about new content on your website, last minute discounts and what upcoming events are taking place in your region. These also point back to the website and keep past guests engaged with your brand.

Adopt some form of customer relationship management (CRM) system and send Christmas cards, birthday cards and the like.

All of this keeps you and your property front of mind.

Social Platforms

The second part of the wheel applies to getting your message out on the social platforms. Each of these also point traffic back to your website.

I spoke about Facebook in a previous post so won't cover it here.

Youtube is much underused by owners and managers but you don't need to be a big marketing agency in order to leverage traffic from it (it's the second biggest search engine).

We all carry a smartphone that can take video, so consider shooting short recommendations (less than 3 minutes) when you are out and about. Just include a "For more information visit (yourwebsite).com" - Add the videos to your website content.

Pinterest is another great source for driving traffic back to your site. Create a business account (this is quick and free to do) and create boards for your location. Base your board titles and content around things to see, things to do, places to eat, photos, guides, etc. Include your destination in each boards title.

Every time that you share your website content to a board, Pinterest will automatically add a link back to the article on your website. You can drive a surprising amount of traffic this way.

3rd Party Sites

I recommend trying to wean yourself off of the big listing sites due to over saturation, fees, cancellation policies etc. That, and the fact that in reality they sit outside of the marketing wheel as they bring no traffic to the hub.

Local sites generally offer fewer properties so you have better odds of getting a booking. Many, if not most, don't add service fees so you will appear to offer better value and most allow direct communication with potential guests.

Many new sites like Vacation Soup, although we aren't a listing site per se, provide direct links back to your website, the same goes for Houfy, Florida rentals by owner, Emerald Coast by owner and others also link back to the owners' websites.

Proof Is In The Pudding

A case study

Meet Laurie,

Laurie and her husband, Jeff, own a condo on Maui. Before we go any further I should mention that there are over 21,000 competing rental properties on Maui and the island isn't even 40 miles long. There's a hell of a lot of competition.

Anyway, Laurie has adopted the Loop Wheel approach to her marketing and she created a website via our free website giveaway and video course.

She then followed our destination marketing course and started adding great articles to her website. Laurie has been kind enough to share her results with us and you can see them below.

First off, let's look at some examples of what she's been doing

Read 1,879 times on Laurie's website

Read 1,560 times on Vacation Soup

Laurie's Post Views On alohacondorentals.com

Laurie's most popular post has been read 1,879 times in the last 6 months. Her 5 most popular posts have bought 5,878 visitors to her site in that same time. All of her posts have resulted in over 18,000 site visitors

Laurie's Post Views On Vacation Soup

Laurie's top 5 articles on Vacation Soup have also been read another 3,150 times in the last 6 months. So, just her top 5 posts on her site and the Soup have been read over 9,000 times.

It's also worth noting that the average time spent reading each post is over 8 times longer if it's read on Vacation Soup.

You can also see (below) how traffic to these articles is growing, month on month, as the articles rise in Google's organic search. This graph shows traffic for the 'Best happy hours, Maui article which currently sits on the first page of Google in +/- 5th place.

Best happy hours Maui Traffic growth

Laurie's Overall Traffic For The Last 90 Days

Here are Laurie's stats for the last 90 days. Once again, you can see how this is growing.

Site Visitors

Here's a list of site visitors by channel.

As you can see, aside from Google there is a lot of direct traffic. As a brand grows this direct traffic grows as people search directly for the site by name. This is the advantage of building a Loop Wheel with everything pointing to your website.

You can also see good numbers coming from Pinterest and Facebook underlying the value of these social channels.

People coming from Vacation Soup spend more than double the time on the site than the average visitor. These leads have already been browsing Vacation Soup, and have looked at her property, so by the time they come through they are genuinely looking to book.

Bookings

Here's the proof that all of this works.

Laurie doesn't list with any of the big listing sites.

Laurie's had 46 Bookings in 18 months from a standing start

Laurie's website was launched 18 months ago today

Here is the breakdown of bookings taken, by channel

You can visit Laurie's Maui Guide here

The real reason that you need to do this...

You don't need to adopt this method because I say so. You don't have to adopt this method because it works. You have to adopt it because the method that you are currently using is failing - and it's going to get a lot worse. I'm not scaremongering here, this all comes down to simple math(s).

When I started a villa rental company in Algarve, Portugal in 2003-4 there were 3,000 competing properties in the area. There are now 59,000.

That's a 20 fold increase in competing properties in 15 years

Tourism to Portugal has 'only' doubled in that time.

The fact is, that only five years ago there were between 3 and 6 million rentals worldwide (depending on which data source you believed).

There are now 16 million rental properties listed on Hometogo alone.

I think it fair to say that that number could well double again in the next 5 years so no matter how you look at it that's going to result in fewer and fewer bookings per property.

There is NO escaping this fact

In Summary...

Those of you that don't have your own website really need to do something about that. You'll really struggle to get direct bookings without one.

If you have your own site then make every effort to point all of your marketing back to it.

You can't get direct bookings without traffic - Traffic doesn't just arrive at a website, you have to drive traffic and the most successful way of doing that is to produce great content. The more traffic that you drive to your site the more booking you'll get.

Don't focus on SEO too much because as you add more and more content to your website the SEO will come with it.

Pay attention to GEO instead. Great GEO will bring direct bookings, repeat bookings and social word of mouth.

I would love to know your thoughts on this subject so please share your ideas in the comments section below.

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