Orient Beach

After my short but fabulous time in St.Barths, I returned to St.Maarten for a stay in an apartment rental in Orient Beach. The apartment - a 2nd story 1 bedroom plus loft - was cutely decorated and had great amenities including laundry, internet, cable, a balcony and access to a swimming pool. Plus, it was only a 2 minute walk to the beach, restaurants and a small market. My days were all about the beach, and evenings involved either take-away pizza from the market (the most delicious!) or dinner at a local restaurant and a late night swim in the pool. Pure rest and relaxation. Although I did venture out to Baie Rouge on the other side of the island for some beach time, my only real outing was a day trip to the nearby island of Anguilla. Once a British territory, Anguilla is a peaceful, quiet place with high-end hotels and powdery white beaches. After landing at the ferry port, I grabbed a taxi to the beach at Shoal Bay, rented a beach chair and ordered some cocktails. I also grabbed some lunch at a local barbecue stand before heading back to St.Maarten on a high-speed ferry with yet another stamp in my passport.

Only the ocean and me...

Because I had wheels, I was able to explore a few of the the excellent beaches in St.Barths. Most of the ones I did visit, I had almost completely to myself...

Only a one minute walk from my hotel, Anse de Lorient is a surfer's beach with rolling waves and powdery sand. With no beach clubs or chair rentals, the beach seems quiet...but not too quiet. It's also a short walk to a mini-mart and grocery that sells prepared cheese plates, baguette, fruit, sandwiches, and cold beer and wine. There are two small snack-bar style restaurants close by - Bouchon and Jojo Burger.

Anse de Grand Saline is a stunning, pristine, seemingly secluded beach. Reachable by a 10 minute winding path shaded by trees followed by a rocky climb, it's totally worth the walk. I was literally the only person on the long stretch of beach at one point. There is nothing at this beach so it is absolutely necessary to bring some water and snacks. Although, there are a few restaurants (recommended by my guide book) just near the parking area.

Baie de St-Jean is the most famous beach on St.Barths and is where the jet-setting, special people get away from their yachts to play in the sand. This powdery, calm stretch of beach I visited is flanked by the posh Hotel Eden Roc and the Nikki Beach Club - the very famous celebrity party spot.

I could never pick a favourite but Saline does get top marks as I actually visited there twice during my short stay. There are nearly 20 different beaches on this tiny island, all of which are open to the public - which definitely means I will still have a lot to see when I return again someday soon.

Budget St.Barths

Although I had hoped to travel with a few friends, my latest trip back to the French West Indies was destined to be a solo one. While it would have been more affordable…and fun…for the three of us to travel together, there was no way I was going to cancel my plans to get away, especially given the recent drama in my career.

I decided to again visit my favourite island in the Caribbean, St.Martin, and used two of my favourite online resources Homeaway and VRBO to locate the perfect apartment for my stay on Orient Beach. But, sadly, my perfect apartment was not available for my entire 14 night stay so I decided to consider a visit to nearby St.Barths for the remaining 3 nights that I still needed accommodations for.

I’m sure most of you think the words “budget” and “St.Barths” don’t really belong in the same sentence, unless the word “unlimited” is included.  But, surprisingly, St.Barths is way more affordable than one might suspect. I am always motivated to find a good travel deal so with lots of research on blogs, Tripadvisor and travel web-sites, I managed to find some bargains I am so happy to share. St.Barths is an exceptionally beautiful place and people shouldn’t be so daunted by its pricey reputation; especially when so many Canadians travel to nearby St.Martin, which is only 15 minutes away by air.

I started this trip with a reasonably priced, direct flight to Princess Julianna International airport on the Dutch side of St.Maarten. I arrived too late to catch a flight to St.Barts (the last flight leaves around 5:30 pm) that night so I spent the night in the French capital of Marigot at an inexpensive hotel overlooking the pretty marina. The following morning I caught a taxi to the small L’Aeroport Esperance on the French side for my short flight to St.Barths. I had carefully packed to ensure my bag was well within the set limits for traveling on a small aircraft – no more than 20 kg per person to be checked and no more than 10 kg carry-on. Trust me - this was very difficult for a two week trip and for someone who really, really likes her shoes. The check-in was simple and as it turned out, I was only one of 2 people on my flight. The flight wasn’t exactly cheap (at $190 US return) when compared to taking a Ferry from Marigot ($100 US) but I really wanted to experience an inter-island flight and see St.Barths from the sky. The flight was beautiful and short at only 15 minutes. The descent into St.Barths did make me feel a little nervous because I am afraid of heights but I am definitely glad I did it. I would not, however, recommend it to people who don’t like to fly.

I was greeted at the airport by the lovely Olivier, my representative from Welcome Car Rental who transported me to my hotel so we could take care of my rental car agreement. While I hadn’t planned on renting a car, my hotel recommended Welcome and I was so glad they did. As cabs are few and expensive on this small island, it would have cost me €20 Euros each way to / from the airport. Instead, I paid €25 Euros per day to have a car at my disposal to discover all of the beautiful beaches on the small island. No deposit. No strings. Just €75 (approximately $110 CN) paid upon return – a fantastic deal! My car, a small SUV, had 4-Wheel-Drive, which is necessary with all of the mountain roads and a pre-programmed GPS system to help me easily and safely travel throughout the island. I will say the roads are a bit daunting – mountain roads with steep inclines and descents, fast, impatient French drivers, scooters and lots of construction – but after my first drive around the island I felt very comfortable finding my way. You can contact Welcome through their web-site here.

My hotel – Normandie Hotel - was also perfectly lovely! Not only because it was extremely stylish, affordable and cleaner than any hotel I have ever stayed in – but because the staff of the hotel was so personable, helpful and nice. Eula, Melane and owner, Wendy, made me feel like I was visiting with friends rather than staying in a hotel. While I was given plenty of space to do my own thing – they were always available to recommend a good beach or restaurant. My rate per night – a measly €105 (approximately $160 CN) – included accommodations in a renovated room beside the pool complete with satellite TV, wireless internet and a cool, modern bathroom. It also included a fantastic breakfast (coffee, juice, croissant and baguette) which can be taken beside the pool or inside the lobby area. And, at 5 pm the ladies offer you a nice glass of wine. A hotel with free wine – does it get any better?  Yes. It does. The hotel is a short (1 minute walk) to a fantastic beach (L’Orient) and some markets where you can purchase wine, cheese, baguette etc. I kept my trip affordable by eating from the markets, where they will happily make you a sandwich for €3 and picking up snacks for a picnic at the beach.

I did venture out for dinner in the pretty capital of Gustavia with Wendy, the owner of the hotel. We visited Harbour, a restaurant along the pretty marina and I had a nice glass of rose, a Thai style beef salad and finished it with some amazing coconut ice-cream.

I was actually quite sad to leave St.Barths. I had met some really nice people and felt like I was just getting my bearings for the island. It is a really beautiful place – there is a reason fancy people love it. But now that I know I can visit without breaking the bank, I will have to come back more often.

It's not what you lost...

The e-mail simply read: Are you getting on an airplane? I wasn’t. But…maybe I should be? I mean, why not? So at 3 pm I booked an evening flight to Los Angeles. I booked the hotel just minutes before a taxi whisked me and my disorganized suitcase off to the airport for one seriously last minute adventure.

But I think I should really back it up a few steps before I get into the details of this trip, which was considerably impulsive even by my standards.

For those of you who don’t already know, my job will be ending in a few months as my employer has made the decision to close their Toronto office leaving most of their sixty employees without work…including me. One might think that I’d be angry or frustrated or sad or even scared by this situation. And, while I am certainly sad to part ways with my amazing friends and cool job, I am honestly quite okay with how everything has turned out. I am happy, healthy and extremely grateful for the amazing fourteen years I got to spend working on something I am very passionate about, with some amazing friends and seeing a bit of the world along the way. Most people rarely find the time (or money) to pursue something new in life, especially at my age. So I plan to make the best of it.

And I get to leave on a high note…how very Costanza of me.

But what does this have to do with my trip to Los Angeles?

I actually got the news about my job right in the thick of a press and promotional event I had been planning for almost an entire year, with special guests and friends flying in from far and wide. But what should have been a sad and awkward weekend ended up being one of the most fun and special experiences of my career. Mostly because of the great group of people I got to know over the course of the weekend. So, when one of my guests invited me to another press event in Los Angeles, I thought, why not?

After landing in L.A. and smartly taking the affordable Super Shuttle ($16/person), Lyndsey (my colleague and travel partner-in-crime) and I checked into the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and were surprised to find that I had been given the exact room I had stayed in on my last trip – 924 – directly beside the room that is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Montgomery Clift. You can read my previous visit here. The 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite was perfect. How lucky! After ditching our bags in the room, we made our way down through the beautiful, historical lobby to 25 Degrees and indulged in a martini and a delicious green chile cheeseburger (veggie burger for Lyndsey) with fries AND onion rings. With the time change, we were eating these burgers at 2 am – which meant it was 5 am in Toronto. That's my kind of breakfast.

Another colleague – Kelly – arrived on Saturday, just in time for some lounging in the sun by the Roosevelt’s famous pool with a steady flow of margaritas, mojitos and prosecco keeping us cool. Following that we headed out to our evening event – a screening of a film directed by our friend. After technically working the previous event back in Toronto, it was nice to be at this event as a guest and show our support for our very talented friend. It was a super fun night topped off by drinks at a local pub and finished by yet again another green chile cheeseburger.

Unfortunately I somehow forgot to bring my camera in my packing haste but I did get a few snaps on my blackberry. I guess I will just have to go back to LA to get another pic of that burger.

GoldenEye: Double-O-Heaven

I don't have a good excuse. I took way too long to finish this post which is strange; because it was truly one of the nicest days I have spent in quite a while.

As a lover of hotels and the Bond books and films, I had long wanted to visit this famous beach hotel that was once the private home of Ian Fleming on the very beach where James Bond was first imagined. Called GoldenEye, the hotel has been built on Fleming’s original property including his own cottage on a pristine stretch of beach in Oracabessa, Jamaica.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may recall that I visited another Jamaican property in the Island Outpost family of hotels – Jake’s – just last summer. You can read those posts here, here, here and here. My experience at Jake's was so amazing that all signs pointed to visiting their fancier (meaning more exclusive and expensive) sister property, GoldenEye, as soon as I could. Renovated and re-launched just last fall, GoldenEye (and all Island Outpost properties) is owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records who was raised in Oracabessa and is best known for helping to introduce Jamaican music and culture to the rest of the world. Now a luxury resort, GoldenEye offers rooms starting at around $400 a night and has 2 restaurants, a bar and a spa. You can check out their very cool website here.

As I was again traveling in Jamaica for wedding this past April, I had the crazy idea to steal away from my all inclusive resort and make the 2 hour road trip to Oracabessa. But GoldenEye is uber-exclusive with people like Beyonce and Bono (you know, like people with only one name that starts with “B”) staying at the hotel so I knew just showing up on their doorstep would not work. I decided to contact GoldenEye directly through their website and they were happy to make a lunch arrangement for me at their restaurant. I impulsively booked a table and crossed my fingers a few friends might like to join me.

I would have gone alone but I didn’t have to! My new friends Melissa, Norm and Spiro (fellow guests of the wedding) were also up for a crazy adventure to the land of Bond. We booked a driver, Andrew, to take us out for the day and packed up our swimsuits and cold beer. Andrew picked us up in his sporty car and Norm rode shotgun to keep the Jimmy Cliff pumping and ensure we were never without a Red Stripe in our hands. After a quick stop in Ocho Rios for some shopping at the dodgy market, we headed to the town of Oracabessa, about 90 minutes south of Ocho Rios to find the entrance to GoldenEye hidden amongst the greenery and without a sign. How cool are we? We were warmly greeted at the hotel and were given a quick tour of the facilities starting with the beautiful lobby filled with Fleming and Bond memorabilia.

Our amazing lunch was served at their open air, ocean-side restaurant. Melissa and I started things off with the GoldenEye, their signature cocktail featuring their own Blackwell Rum. We also split the jerk chicken taco appetizer, which I followed up with a vegetable curry. We didn’t pass on dessert, which was brilliant because it was crazy good. We sipped a digestif and were surprised to discover that Spiro had secretly (and generously) picked up the entire tab. So very sweet.

After lunch we decided to take a dip in the infinity pool. Newly nicknamed Octopussy (Melissa) and Honey Ryder (moi) and still tipsy from the rum, we moved from the pool to the ocean and then to the famous lagoon that inspired the lagoon scene in Dr.No. I never wanted to leave there. Ever. But, I think perhaps we may have been overstaying our welcome, so the time came to say farewell. But not before we were lucky enough to get a quick tour of one of the rooms from the hotel manager. The beautiful villa overlooking the lagoon featured a four poster bed, outdoor shower and open air soaker tub. I imagine it would be the perfect honeymoon getaway. Maybe I’ll come back when I finally meet my Bond…or some other guy with a one-word name that starts with “B”.

The Jerk Store called...

Jerk Chicken. Jerk Pork. Festival. Patties. Beef *and* cheese patties. Ting.
Mmmm.
The food in Jamaica is really good. Like, really good. Fortunately for me, I was traveling with a group of people who not only appreciate the simple joy of a cold Red Stripe (or many, cold Red Stripe)...but also like to eat. Cheers to that!

Not only was the food at the hotel pretty decent - a large selection at the buffet, a couple of themed restaurants (including a Teppanyaki grill with a chef called Blackie Chan!) there was a great beachside grill that served up Jerk everyday from noon till 3 pm. Really good jerk chicken and (sometimes) pork with a choice of three sauces from Hellfire to Smooth. Amazing.
Also on the property - authentic Jamaican patties! Sold inside a little pharmacy in the main square, the beef or beef with cheese patties were $2 a piece. So perfect with a nice cold bottle of Ting.
A bunch of us also decided to leave the resort to check out a local seafood restaurant - The Spring Garden - in nearby Ocho Rios. We (appropriately) took a "short bus" into town and invited our driver, Donovan, to join us for a fun dinner. My dinner - chicken curry - was great. Apparently the crab cakes were also good since my friend Norm tried to buy 35 of them (for $50) before we left. No deal.

And while all this food was amazing...it did not hold a candle to the holy grail of Jerk known as Scotchies. Or known as Sketchies, Skankies, Scootchies or Snatchies...depending on how many Red Stripes you'd had that day. I could tell you all about Scotchies gloriously smoked chicken and pork, homemade chicken sausage, festival bread and beautiful gardens but I think I will let my photos speak for themselves.

Runaway Bride & Groom

I'll admit it. I am a sucker for a wedding. What's not to like? Food, family, friends, fancy clothes, fun...you know, all the good things in life that start with "f".
So it's no surprise that I did wake up extra early to watch The Royal Wedding, just as I had thirty years ago for that other royal wedding. Weddings are a beautiful thing. So back in the fall when I received an invite to the destination wedding of two lovely friends - Vince and Katie - it was a no-brainer. The wedding, which took place in Runaway Bay, Jamaica in early April was filled with lots of laughs, sunshine and a very happy bride and groom.

As it was my second visit to Jamaica within a year, I was excited to see a whole new side of island I hadn't made it to previously. Our resort - the Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay - located about an hour east of Montego Bay was lovely but a truly massive resort. So big, in fact, that some people (no names mentioned) had an incredibly challenging time locating their room...for several days. Needless to say, between the lost hotel rooms, good (and bad) bartering on the beach, a naked "Jersey Shore" swim chase in the pool and a swan dive in the Town Square fountain, there was definitely not a shortage of good comedy.

Nor was there a shortage of good food. So good it deserves it's own post...stay tuned.

Winterpeg

It was only fair. After some pretty exotic business travel, I was due for a good dose of reality.

It's been a while since I have posted any of my travel stories so I have lots to catch up on. Starting with my February business trip to Winnipeg. Or, as it is lovingly known as in warmer parts of Canada, Winterpeg. It had already been a cold, long winter in Toronto when I packed up my warmest boots (good for up to -30C) for a week of business that would involve some long days outdoors in cold, snowy and windy conditions. But, as cold as it was, I actually really enjoyed my trip. Not just because of the fabulous people I met while I was there...but the great restaurants, cool, old buildings and amazing vintage shops I came across when I had some time to wander around downtown. I even spent 4 long, cold hours outside in a full-on blizzard...and still managed to have an awesome time. The weather was treacherous but, at the same time, it wasn't so bad. As everyone there says (often): it's a dry cold.

My hotel, The Fairmont Winnipeg, (located right at the corner of  the famous Portage and Main) had the most fabulous staff who would go out of their way to make sure your visit to their city was great. On several occasions the friendly door staff drove me and my friends around the city in the house car (a shiny Mercedes). Rod, our breakfast waiter, was especially nice and our waitress in the bar would draw us maps to some of her favorite local restaurants. Also a bonus - the rooftop pool, hot tub and steam room, a wonderful thing to come home to after a day outside in the cold. Secondly, the Exchange District, just a short walk from the hotel, is full of old buildings, faded murals, vintage shops and art galleries. I would highly recommend a trip to Peasant Cookery for an amazing dinner.

Winnipeg - I will be back! (But most likely in warmer weather.)

Cabo

 Yes...visiting Mexico twice in a one month span is a bit indulgent, even by my standards. But, I had been extremely sick, busy and stressed over the weeks leading up and just felt the need to wind down...so when I checked my Airmiles balance and realized I could spend very little cash to get away, it was a done deal. Airmiles now lets you apply your points balance as cash towards vacation packages (including last minute deals) from Sunquest and Transat Holidays.  My 4 night getaway to San Jose del Cabo would leave on a Thursday afternoon and return on Monday night - a short trip indeed, but a deal too good to pass up.

The flight there was long at 5.5 hours. I had grabbed a bite to eat at the airport and noticed a group of people having drinks at the bar having a great time. Good for them, I thought.  Little did I know that they would be the loudest, drunkest and (hate to say it) most annoying people on my flight. One of the women, who was about 50 years old, was actually stealing mini-liquor bottles from the flight attendants. What was I in for?

Landing at the airport in Cabo was pretty uneventful and the drive to the hotel (the five star, Riu Santa Fe) was about 25 minutes. I must admit, I have always been reluctant to visit the Pacific coast of Mexico only because I am so in love with the Caribbean sea. But when I saw the beautiful full moon and the mountains that night, I was a changed woman.

It was late when I arrived so I settled in and called a night. My a room was nice and had a fridge full of water, pop and beer which is a simple thing but makes a huge difference. I hit the pool early to lay in the sun and decided to park myself close to the infinity pool and bar...though it was a challenge with all of the best spots being reserved by the towels and books of people who were no doubt catching a few more hours sleep. The sun was lovely and I got most of the way through my book (Zeitoun by Dave Eggers). I ended up drinking way too many mojitos (and one enormous "Bob Marley" shot) and, no surprise, made some friends in the pool. (Hello to Cale if you are reading this!?)

Day two should have been a slow start after all those drinks the day before but I dragged my ass out of bed and decided to go Whale Watching. For $50 I was picked up at the beach of my hotel by a glass bottom boat and taken just two miles out to sea  to witness one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. HUGE whales - and tons of them - breaching and blowing near our boat. Unfortunately my camera wasn't fast enough on the rocky boat (and I was far too stunned by the beauty and size of the whales) to get any amazing photos, but I did get a few shots. I was lucky enough to experience this trip with two other young guys - Antonio and Julio - who were Mexican, from a town just two hours away. After the whales, our boat captain took us over to the famous Arch rock formation at the very tip of the Baja, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. It was so beautiful - the sun sparking on the turquoise green sea, sleepy sea lions, crabs clawing their way across the rocks, white sand beaches...

After my boat trip I retreated to, what I dubbed, the "quiet pool". I finished my book and chilled. Dinner was at the resort buffet which was excellent (except for the "chilled" red wine) and hung out in the bar area for a bit before calling it an early night. Lame, I know.

I spent my last day sunning myself at the quiet pool before taking a taxi into the town of Los Cabos (5 minute taxi) to have lunch in the pretty marina and watch the NFL games on a patio. Not a bad day, especially considering the temperature at home in Toronto was -30C.

My last day was a bit of a wash since I had to leave for the airport at 7:30 am. I finally reached my home in Toronto around 7:30pm and, thankfully, it had warmed up to -5C. It was a great trip but I am already getting the itch to get out of town again...time to start planning a February getaway.

Cozu-mellowing out...

At the beginning of 2010, I set a hugely aggressive goal of traveling ten times in the year. I thought I'd get close...but I had no idea I would actually surpass my goal. My Christmas vacation to Cozumel, Mexico was trip number 11.


My family - myself, my parents and two of my three brothers - decided to get away from the cold over the holidays and booked an amazing, last-minute deal to a resort in Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is an island just off the coast of Playa del Carmen, which is just south of Cancun. The island itself is quite small and underdeveloped but we were able to fly directly into it's airport. You can also access the island by a 40 minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen. Known for it's beautiful reefs, Cozumel is a diver's destination - the beaches are a bit rocky and arid  and but the snorkeling and scuba is terrific. There are a few major resorts on the island, and we were happy to be staying at the Wyndham Cozumel. Our hotel was decent - on a good stretch of beach, great food, nice rooms - but it was even better after we were upgraded on our 3rd day to the "Sabor" section of the hotel. The Sabor section included a la carte meals, hammocks and water-slides running from the rooms to the pool.

While I am very used to traveling over Christmas (and not at all sad to leave the snow), it was very unique to spend it in Mexico. The resort did a great job keeping things festive - decorating the resort, creating special holiday meals and even having Santa para-sail, then jet-ski to the beach and distribute gifts on Christmas day. And, we even enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner complete with our waiter, "Jesus", ironically wearing a full-on Santa suit. Christmas dinner served by Jesus himself. It doesn't get much better than that.

My brother, Matthew, and I did a snorkeling tour ($40 US / person) which took us out in a glass bottom bottom to three different reefs over 2 hours. The snorkeling was really good and I was happy to have my water-proof camera, even though the camera doesn't really capture the colours very well.

I also made sure that I left the resort and saw a little bit more of the island before I left. A walk just down the beach yielded a 30 minute massage for $15. Score.  I also headed into the little town of San Miguel. A cab cost me $20 US one-way and I was dropped off at town square where I shopped for a bit and then enjoyed happy hour - 2 strawberry margaritas, beef tacos, guacamole - plus a serenade from a guitarist.


It was a lovely getaway...but felt too short. I was tempted to stay longer but lots of important work was waiting for me back in Toronto. However, as soon as the work was over I would be making my way back to Mexico again (Cabo this time) in less than a month...but that story is for my next post.

Lost in Translation

I was supposed to spend my Sunday taking a train to visit a traditional Japanese village just outside of Tokyo...but...I woke up and felt like I needed a rest. I decided instead to treat myself to a relaxing day of lunch (an amazing 6 course Italian meal), another walk around Harajuku and a visit to a hair salon (the stylist, who spoke no English,  was very excited to work on my long blonde hair). That night, I decided I would treat myself to one last luxury - drinks at the American Bar at the Park Hyatt. A gorgeous hotel, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is most famous for it's starring role in Sofia Coppola's film Lost in Translation. As a lover of hotels, I had actually hoped to stay there but did not make my booking in time to take advantage of a decent enough rate. The hotel lived up to it's reputation with impeccable service and an almost serene vibe. I parked myself close to the jazz musicians and a beautiful view of Tokyo from the 52nd floor, sampling three delicious champagne cocktails and an amazing cheese platter.  The pretty-much-perfect end to an already perfect day.

On my last day, it was raining but I made my way out to do a bit of shopping (super cute new boots) before my bus to the airport. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for 2 hours, giving me a whole 5 hours to kill in the airport. I promptly booked myself a massage at the spa inside my terminal. It was no Thai massage but it hit the spot for a fairly decent price. When I finally flew out of Tokyo, the sun was just starting the set and the city looked really beautiful. I wish I had the time to see even more of Japan...but. fingers crossed, I'll be back again soon.
Japan in the spring, anyone?

Fast & Furious: Tokyo Tour

This may, in fact, be the longest post I'll ever write. It was such an amazing, random, weird day that despite writing pages and pages I may still be leaving all kinds of crazy things out. But, before I already lose your attention with my run-on sentences...I'll try and get to the good parts.

I started the day off with some breakfast at an amazing French patisserie in the train station connected to my hotel. I had slept pretty well but some strong coffee was definitely in order. I was now 6 hours ahead of Bangkok time and my body was feeling the pain of two weeks of travel. I met up with Chris around 10am and we set out for a walk to Harajuku. I was hoping to see a bit of old (traditional Japan) and some new (architecture, fashion) on this trip, but the fashionable district of Harajuku was one must-see on my list.

We started the day off with a pit stop for some Japanese fast-food – yummy burgers, one was even served on a bun made of rice. We then hit the Harajuku flea-market that sits just on the edge of Yoyogi park. Hipsters of all sorts were selling their clothing cast-offs, no doubt just to make room in their closets for more. There was vintage everything – records, bags, shoes, jackets, stuffed animals – laid out on blankets and tables. We moved along through the beautiful Yoyogi park on our way to visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine. As it was mid November, the trees were full of colour and people were enjoying a leisurely, warm Saturday along the shores of the small lake, playing with their children or having a quiet moment under the shade of a tree. And there was some unusual sights to be seen, this is Japan after all. For one, we came across a “School Girl” photo-shoot. Right next to that, there was some sort of “fifteen-legged-race” going on with some students. We saw a strange looking man playing a ball game with his amazing little dog…and another two little dogs dressed in clothes (one wearing jeans!?) getting their photo taken by a professional photographer. We also saw lots of little girls dressed in traditional Japanese garb. As it turns out, there was a special celebration at the Shrine celebrating girls aged 3, 5 and 7. We came across this one little cutie who flashed us a big grin for the camera…then promptly resumed frowning as soon as the shutter clicked. I don’t think she was enjoying walking in her awkward shoes, but she looked so cute.

The Shrine was really beautiful. Chris showed me around and schooled me in some of the customs involved with a visit. Then - the most amazingly cool thing happened! Not one, but two weddings were happening at the Shrine and we got to witness one of the wedding processions. So spectacular to see and I am so happy with the beautiful photos I was able to capture. 

After the Shrine, Chris and I wandered over to another area of the park and snuck into a traditional Archery competition. Very Kill Bill-esque. So cool!

We then headed over to Harajuku for a trip down the famous Takeshita Dori. It was jammed with young kids buying clothes, strutting their stuff and hanging out. The fashions were pretty wild (and kawaii!) and I loved it. We wandered our way back to the metro after stopping to look at vintage kimono (I was too picky to find one I loved) and headed towards the neighborhood of Asakusa.  Our first stop in Asakusa was the Sensoji Temple - a beautiful ancient Bhuddist temple where we read our fortunes (all good!). We also walked around the neighborhood and saw lots of food stalls, souvenirs, Pachinko Halls and more vintage kimono (still no luck).

After grabbing a quick snack of pork and pizza "buns"at Family Mart (a Japanese convenience chain), we made our way by subway to Akihabara, also known as Electric Town...or, as I like to call it, Nerd Heaven. This is the area known for computers, electronics and anime...and French maid cafes (more to follow on  that one). We met up Chris' very pregnant wife Kaz outside a local department store and decided to sample some of the top quality cuisine from some of the vendors inside - pork sandwiches, traditional Japanese curry and pork cutlets - which we ate outside on the street while people-watching.  Afterwards we toured around to continue our people watching. We visited lots of touristy shops - including an Adult store that was seven floors of some of the weirdest, naughtiest  things I will likely ever see (ie a vending machine full of used School Girl panties. Nasty!) Lots of people dressed as their favourite anime characters and lots of white nerdy guys with Japanese girlfriends who are ten-times-hotter than them. Good for you fellas!  After being approached several times on the street, we decided to venture into one of the French Maid Cafes. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, basically it is a cafe (mostly) for men who want to have a drink and be doted on by a cute girl in a french maid costume. It may sound sexual...but it actually very tame. The girls will serve your drink, sit down, talk and flirt with you...maybe even play darts or boardgames with you (which costs extra). Chris and I went in for a chu-hi and played 3 games of darts (I beat Chris all three times!). It was really fun but, unfortunately...no cameras allowed. Sorry. Afterwards, we took another stroll and came across a girls pop group performing on a street corner. Very kawaii! Again, we were walking around, just waiting for the next weird thing to happen when we were handed a flyer for a "Cat Cafe". Hmmm. This was just too weird to pass up - 1 hour of unlimited cat petting and a free drink. Done. The cats were all very clean and beautiful but, surprisingly, unfriendly. One was a dwarf cat with short little legs. The clientele was all Japanese and they were very into the cats - except for one girl who was just sitting around reading. After that we hit an outdoor batting cage. I sucked, but Chris was pretty good. Then it was back to the subway to head over to our last stop on the tour - the neighborhood of Shinjuku.

Shinjuku was a bit of a shadier place but definitely alive with lots of bars and nightlife. Chris really wanted to show me a cool place called Golden Gai - a neighborhood of teeny tiny bars - but for the life of us we could not locate it. Thankfully his Japanese was good enough for us to get directions to this amazing little spot! Hundreds of little bars that would never hold more than a dozen people could be found down a series of narrow alleyways. We visited Bar Albatross - a beautiful little place with dark red velvet banquettes and chandeliers. The four or five seats were full at the bar so we moved upstairs to sit in the loft and enjoy a...you guessed it...chu-hi. :) But it was getting late and we had to get moving or else Chris would miss his train home. We bid each-other a quick farewell on the subway - and I made my way back to my hotel a little sad that I wouldn't see Chris again for a long time. He's a terrific friend with an amazing sense of humour and a great attitude towards life and I am so grateful that he spent so much time showing me his new city. Now I'll just have to plot to find a way to visit again soon...

Tokyo!

Almost immediately after meeting Chris in the lobby, we took off on a whirlwind tour of the neighborhood of Shibuya. As it was Friday night, the streets were filled with an after-work energy - people filing into bars and restaurants or waiting to meet up with friends for a night on the town. I was so overwhelmed  - by the speed of Chris' tour, the lights, the people, that I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favourite scenes from Amelie.

I was almost immediately in love with Tokyo and I never saw it coming.
Our first stop was the Shibuya station to see the large scale mural "Myth of Tomorrow" by Taro Okamoto. Outside the station, we visited the statue of Hatchiko - a most famous dog whose loyalty to his owner is honoured in this station. You can read his amazing story here.
After passing through the incredible Shibuya Crossing - a set of traffic lights with a "pedestrian scramble" - we slowed down long enough to catch up over a few drinks. It was here that I was introduced to the deliciousness that is the "Chu-Hi".  Mmmm. Thankfully these drinks are not readily available in Canada or else I would be in big trouble. We followed that up with some sake, but sensing two young dudes across the bar were eyeing up the two young ladies who were sharing our table top, we decided to let them make friends and we moved on. So generous of us.

Now it was time for Chris to deliver an important lesson in Japanese culture - I was to learn all about "kawaii". Which, if you don't know, translates to "cuteness" . Japanese girls live and die by cuteness. Think pink, fluffy, big eyes, small lips, hello kitty, stuffed animals, fur boots, and short skirts. Our first stop on the cuteness field trip was a little pet store with only the cutest pets. Teeny tiny dogs and the youngest, cutest, tiniest little kittens peered at you from their glass boxed cages with the biggest eyes you can imagine. Uh-oh - I seemed to be falling prey to the cute business but luckily we moved on before I found myself going back to Canada with a pocketful of over-priced pets.
But the cuteness wasn't over yet - next up was a Photo Booth shop filled with make-up, accessories, props and a whole bunch of over-sized photo-booths. After modeling several strange hats (Chris was wearing a rice ball hat!) we made our way into one of the booths for a photo shoot. On a screen in front of us we were instructed by a very "kawaii" looking girl on how we should pose "cute" for each photo. We then waited for our photos close by where we could add all the stars, hearts etc we wanted to our masterpiece - which, when printed out had exagerated large eyes and pink lips. Too funny...and weird.

After that we decided to cruise around Shibuya and see some of the shadier sights (umm...look up a place called "Strawberry Jam" on the net) and we came across a sign for "Drinks, Guns & Popcorn". Now really, who could possibly walk past a sign that said that? We made our way up three flights of stairs to a small space that looked like an apartment. As the sign said - it was a deal for one drink, one round of air-rifle shooting and...best part...all-you-can-eat-popcorn. While the young owner fetched us a couple of Chu-Hi and fired up his old-fashioned popcorn cart, we picked our weapons from the menu. We both shot a pistol - I was only okay - but I went back for more and tried the magine gun on for size. Much better!

We were pretty hungry at this point so we hit a popular chain of restaurants that charge only 250 yen for every dish on the menu. 3 dishes, 2 chu-hi's and a bottle of sake later it was time to call it a night as Chris had to catch the metro back home. I hit the sack exhausted...but excited for another whirlwind day in Japan tomorrow.