Tales From the Land of the Rising Sun: Part 5

We left Kobe as the sun began to set and grabbed a local train for our next destination...Nara. While Ryan did all the planning for the trip, Nara is home to a very particular attraction that I wanted to experience and so when he asked me about things I wanted to do, I made sure to mention Nara. But more on that later. As per the normal routine, once we stepped foot in Nara, we made our way to the hotel to check in and unwind for a bit. Up until this point, our trip had run without a hitch, but we were about to hit our first speed bump.

We made our way into the hotel which we had to take an elevator right inside the door up to a certain floor. Once at the front desk, we gave the clerk our passports and waited for our room keys. While super friendly, both clerks barely spoke English. I note this because up until this point, all of the hotels we stayed in had at least one staff member whole spoke it well enough to communicate. So this was the first time experiencing the language barrier. After a few short minutes, the man at the desk gave us back our passports and showed the cost on the screen. Ryan gave him a confused look as he had already prepaid and pre-booked all our hotel rooms for the trip. He tried to explain this to the clerk. The clerk asked us to wait and disappeared in a back room. After a bit he returned and Ryan showed him the receipt via email. The clerk asked us to wait in the lobby and disappeared behind the curtain once more. We could hear him talking quickly on the phone. As we were waiting, I was wondering if this was going to be a long back-and-forth situation, but had no concern of not getting a room because the clerk had rung one up. Eventually he re-appeared and explained the best he could with his limited English that there was no booking in the record system. Not wanting to draw it out any longer, Ryan told him it was okay and we would pay for the room. Somewhere along the line, Booking.com fumbled the reservation, but thankfully we managed to get a room without too much trouble. 

As we made our way back to the elevator, I noticed an entire rack of pillows in the lobby. It was odd to me that they were all stored near the entrance. When we reached our room, I looked at the bed and was caught a bit off-guard. The pillows on the bed were long, lanky, and filled with beans. It was weird and abnormal. I put my head on it, and while it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, I figured I could make it work. We took our daily breather before exploring the night side of Nara.

Ryan was very excited to show me this city, especially at night. From what I could see, it was as dense as the others in terms of large, man-made structures everywhere with little to no nature in sight. But the thing that made it stand out was that in a city of just over 360,000 people, at the early darkness of night, you could hear a pin drop. We walked the near empty streets as the buildings towered over us. We passed by an occasional human, moving car, or anything else that would contribute to the noise pollution for a city, and still could hear ourselves think. And to be clear, it wasn't a deathly silence, but rather a serene calm. Like if there was a city an old person would retire to, this was it. 

If one were to say that Nara had a bit of magic, the serenity wasn't the limiting factor. As we continued to stroll the streets, we turned a corner and came upon an incredible site. Before us was a large square pond. Hanging high enough above it a running the whole way around its perimeter, were orange, paper lanterns, glowing in the night. The scene that lay before us was enough to stop our movement and observe its beauty. If I lived in that area, I would most certainly stop by that spot every night, as it could soothe the soul. Unfortunately, our moment of tranquility came to an end when some yahoo with an obnoxiously loud motorcycle came roaring on by. His engine was so loud, it could've woken the dead. Thankfully he disappeared almost as quickly as he came. We ourselves eventually left and headed back towards the hotel. Along the way, we saw a massive gashapon store and had to take a gander inside. There were flashy lights, high energy music, and rows and rows of gashapon machines. It was a sight to behold.

The next morning, we headed off to the part of Nara I wanted to see the most. Nara Park. If you are unfamiliar with it, it is a large, beautiful park that is filled with free-roaming and friendly deer. They are no one's pets, but they hold no fear of humans. Every single one will let you walk up to them and pet them even if you don't have food. I know we see deer all the time here in the US, but they're all timid and have no interest in humans (some for good reason). So to say I was excited to experience this phenomenon would be an understatement. 

Upon arriving at the main gates, the deer were already abundant. Immediately I was in awe that I could walk right up to them and pet them. To be able to be in the presence of a touch wild animals with a soothing nature was therapeutic. Nearby the gates were little old ladies selling stacks of deer crackers for 200 yen ($1.26). Ryan and I each bought a stack and soon discovered something we were not expecting. Before we had those crackers in our hands, the deer did their own things and paid people no extra attention. But once they saw the old ladies hand them over, every single one within proximity swarmed us, forming circles around us so we had nowhere to go. We began to hand out the crackers to the deer, but soon found another surprise. The once docile deer turned slightly hostile. They all wanted the crackers and if you were feeding their friends, they weren't waiting for you to notice them. I heard Ryan let out a "hey" and "no!" I then let out a little yelp myself as I felt deer teeth make contact with my backside. It was a nip, but those nips don't feel too good. So I spun around and gave that deer a cracker...then was promptly bit in the butt again. I realized in the moment that I shouldn't have rewarded the deer who bit me, but my brain's reaction to get it to not do it again was to feed it. Which is ultimately the reason they do it because they know they won't get harmed and they'll be fed. I made it through my stack of crackers pretty quickly and came out with no broken skin nor red marks. And while being nipped by deer isn't something I would recommend, it was one of those rare travel experiences that I can now talk about for the rest of my days.

Nara Park is known for more than just the deer. It's grounds are home to multiple ancient temples, one of which houses the largest bronze buddha statue in the world. We had arrived at the park before the temples opened, so after we fed the deer, we wandered over to the first temple, found a vending machine (no surprise), grabbed a cool drink, and plopped ourselves down in the shade. At one point, I noticed a deer laying down against a building, so Ryan and I went over to it and parked ourselves next to it. We enjoyed our drinks, shared some chit-chat, and even spoke to the deer even though it wouldn't respond. It wasn't too long after that the temples opened, so we said good-bye to the deer and went exploring.

As we stopped at each one, the history and craftsmanship oozed out of them. Ryan is very avid about Japan's history and was consistently spewing out history facts about each place we stopped. Before this trip, the only other countries I had visited were English speaking countries with similar culture to the US. And after years of seeing other cultures only through books and the interwoven webs of the internet, I was now experiencing a culture with no English ties. The statues inside the temples were incredibly fascinating. In both size and craftsmanship. But it wasn't until we walked into the Todai-Ji temple that a full wave of awe washed over me. The bronze statue was so towering, my mind tried to wrap my head around how they moved that impressive chunk of stone and carved the very detailed human figure before me. To quote Ryan "It's their Mount Rushmore." 

After we left the massive statue for all the other tourists to observe, we wandered the grounds a bit more and found an incredibly cool photo op spot. My feet were set on the paved path with a small wooden fence. Beyond that was a calm still pond, which was spread out before a grassy hill. Then on top of that hill was the Todai-Ji temple. It all embodied the beauty of Japan. We had one last thing to do before we departed the park and that was finally try some matcha tea. We followed the signs into a very modern and tourist tailored cafe. A waitress greeted us and brought us to a table. Two mugs of matcha were ordered and it wasn't long before they arrived. It was one of the greenest colored drinks I had ever had, but it was delicious. After we had downed the last drop, it was time to say good-bye to Nara and take another train ride to our next destination. Our stay was brief, but it was a magical one. I highly recommend a visit if you ever find yourself in that part of the world.

One Last Look At 2025

Another new year is upon us. As the calendar turns from 2025 to 2026, events and moments of years past seem like only yesterday. The new year is both a fresh start and a constant reminder of what came before. And as each year comes, it has different meanings to each person. Some will tell you it was a good year. Others will say it was awful. Each year brings different swings of life, but ultimately, if you're still breathing as January 1st arrives, that in itself is enough to be grateful. Without further ado, here's a look back on my journey through 2025.

January wasn't going to be outdone by the gifts of Christmas and decided to bring me a second nephew. Tim and Kay had another boy and he's been a cute bundle of joy. Some friends from our sister church in Australia paid us a visit and we took them to a Cavaliers game. It was ironic because exactly nine years prior, we took another group of Aussies to a Cavs game as well. And before January bowed out, Carlf and I drove down to Columbus to see a Blue Jackets hockey game and visit some friends in the area.

February wasn't too exciting, but I was living on cloud 9 as my favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles, beat the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. Not every fan gets to witness their favorite team win it all, so when it happens, I soak in every moment. March was also quiet for me in terms of life adventures, but I did stay up until 1:30am to see a lunar eclipse and captured the moment on my phone. I also hit the 10 year milestone of when I started geocaching. It's crazy to believe that I've been doing this hobby for 10 years now.

April was when everything began kicking into high gear. At the end of the month, I drove back to my hometown to attend my cousin Dave's wedding. It took place at a lovely barn overlooking the beautiful countryside. And while rain threatened earlier in the day, the weather was perfect at the time of the  wedding. Congrats again Dave and Tara!

May arrived the following weekend and I kept the adventure going by hoping on a plane to Boston. A group of geocaching friends (George, Amy, and Dave) and I were attending a large geocaching event in Attleboro, MA for the weekend. I flew in before them and took the time to pay a visit to Grace Wang, a dear friend living in the Cambridge, MA area. We caught up, ate some delicious food in an Irish pub, and enjoyed discussing life. I returned to Boston after where I met the rest of my crew. We got a rental and drove to Attleboro. The next morning we drove all over the New England area, finding geocaches and exploring new places. I added two new states to the visited column in Vermont and Rhode Island. I also got to finally see Cape Cod for the first time. The geocaching event was great as well with lots of people in attendance, cool events, and lots of geocaches to find. SEMAG 2025 was quite the adventure.

The beginning of May kicked off with a bang, and the end of it wasn't going to be outdone. I drove 3 hours down to Morgantown, WV to attended the US's second biggest geocaching event ever in the history of geocaching called GeoWoodstock. Along the way, my 2018 Ford Fusion that I bought in 2020 with 18K miles, hit the big 100K. Of the three cars I've owned, it was the first I got to see hit that milestone. I've put 14K more on it since then. As for GeoWoodstock, it was incredibly well done with thousands in attendance. Since I went solo, it was a lot of fun bumping into other geocachers I knew from Ohio. I had a blast exploring Morgantown and all the new geocaches it had to offer. May did have two final mini highlights for me. The first being that Ryan and I attended a Guardians baseball game with the Dodgers in town. Ohtani hit his 20th home run of the season and it landed about 25ft from us. I wasn't quick enough to react to secure it, but the guy who did was nearby and the Japanese media came over and swarmed us to see it. The other was my 30 year old washer stopped working. Thanks to the power of youtube, I was able to fix it myself and it didn't cost me a dime. That was a feat I am proud of.

June brought my next big adventure as I went to visit Keith and Coyee in Denver, CO. I had never been to Colorado before, so this was new state #3 on the year. Keith took me out exploring and I experienced a mountain river that remains ice cold year round, even in the sweltering heat. We explored Red Rocks Amphitheater and the beauty of it was breath-taking. I have to see a concert there some day. We also explored more of Colorado's natural beauty and hiked a trail were dinosaur footprints were discovered. And I got to check another baseball stadium off my list as a group of us attended a game at Coor's Field. Fun fact, the row we sat in was exactly 1 mile above sea level. I also spent time with the people they met out there and members of the church. It was a breath of fresh air meeting them and talking with them. Thanks again for having me Keith an Coyee!

July did July things with its summertime magic. While I didn't go on any major adventures, I took part in a handful of youth camps. I returned to Laurelville, PA to serve a jr. high camp where I had done so many times before. But this was the first time in 8 years that I had gone back and it was a real treat to be able to participate once again. I also took part in our high school camp which was held here in Cleveland. We planned this 10 challenge activity that I oversaw which required groups to complete 10 daunting tasks in the quickest time they could. I acquired a full costume for the bit and it was a blast. The other important event that occurred in July was our annual fantasy football competition. While we do get overly competitive, it's always a grand time when we can get the whole crew together for a weekend, especially when we don't see each other as often due to work, taking care of our families, being out of state, etc. I also attended the annual Midwest Geobash and camped in a tent there for the first time. I even ended up riding out a severe thunderstorm at 4am inside of it which was quite the experience and something I hope to not ever do again. So while I didn't travel far, but July was crammed full of excitement.

In August, I held an event to celebrate my 10 years in the game of geocaching at Lakewood park. Folks came out and we had a dandy of a time enjoying goodies, cornhole, and each other's company. August was also the month we took our family vacation up to Wisconsin. Not all of us were able to make it, but every time I go, I savor the moment. We rented a large cabin on a lake I had never been on before. We did a lot of fishing and boating, all while enjoying the natural beauty. We joined the family for a church pig roast, had fires on the farm, and spent time with the family. Other highlights included my cousin bringing his little speed boat and tube so we went tubing on the lake. I told him to not hold back and he went nuts trying to toss me. I went airborne 3 times and still managed to not be thrown. That was a great day. My dad, Stephen, Lydia, Hannah, and I took a day trip to Minneapolis to catch a Twins game at Target Field. That marked MLB stadium #18 for me and would be my last one of the year. My brothers, Nathaniel & Stephen, and my sister's boyfriend, Ben, and I tackled the 60th ranked disc golf course in the US. It was 27 holes all on a large piece of land. It was fantastic and one of the best courses I've played on. We ended the trip with dinner by the fire on the farm. No fish fry this year as my two bros left early for a wedding. Wisconsin is always a dandy time.

 September started off as a chill month. There were some baseball games, geocaching events, and end of summer shenanigans, but as September came to a close, I was about to go on what one would call, and adventure of a lifetime. If you've been following this blog or my facebook page, you know what I'm referring to. Japan. My longtime high school buddy Ryan approached me in 2024 about this trip. He had already gone before, but wanted to do it again. He asked if I wanted to go and the answer was obviously yes. While there's so much I could put here, I'm already in the process of blogging it now. So I'll just add some photo highlights and let them speak.

The Japan adventure went into October and five days after I returned, I got in my car and drove all the way back again to my hometown in PA as my other cousin, the younger brother of the one who got married in April, was also getting married. They had their wedding about an hour away on a beautiful venue in the countryside. I got to see my nephews again and my grandmother who turned 90 in July. Congrats again Joe and Megan!

I turned 35 in November which I'm still undecided on how to feel about that, but for now, I'll take it as another year. This month was filled with small geocaching events with friends, multiple friendsgivings, and just being around great groups of people. We also got our first snowfall on Thanksgiving and other than a few days here and there, the ground has been consistently covered in snow and it's been quite cold. 

And finally we come to December. The holiday season saw many events with friends and family, with the final adventure being a trip down to Maryland to Tim & Kay's new house for Christmas. I spent four days there with the family. We ate good food, went disc golfing on a surprisingly warm day, toured Longwood Gardens in the cold, exchanged gifts, and spent a bunch of quality time to close out the year. So overall, 2025 was pretty good to me. And with that, I say so long and hope for many joys, thrills, and blessings for 2026. Happy New Year y'all!

Tales From the Land of the Rising Sun: Part 4

The sun was going down and with the small amount of daylight left, we hopped on a local train and bid the ancient city of Kyoto adieu. Kobe was our destination. While it is home to the world famous wagyu beef, we were not able to secure a booking at the restaurant famous for it as it's booked six months in advance. But Ryan has a soft spot for Kobe, having been here once before and wanted to return so that's what we did.

First thing we did after getting off the train was go straight to the hotel. The long day in Kyoto had us beat. We checked in and recharged both our phone batteries as well as our human batteries. Taking a breather from heavy travel does both the body and soul good. Approximately 2 hours later, we left the hotel and went looking for a bite to eat. There was a restaurant right around the corner with tempura advertised on the glass. We decided to go there. Upon entering the doors, there was a kiosk where you placed your order. Very conveniently, it has a button to translate everything to English. I ordered a bowl of tempura, rice, and a noodle soup. As I stuffed delicious tempura in my face, I let the warm steam filled with the wonderful smells of what I was consuming rise through my nose. After satisfying our stomachs with another taste of Japan, we set off for what I originally thought was going to be a short walk, but turned into a new adventure.

I noticed that there was a virtual geocache not too far down the street from where we were. We had to go to an observation deck at the top of a hotel. Ryan was game so off we went. We walked down sidewalks washed in the glow of warm evening lights. People were out and about, but not enough to cause us to break our stride. We made it to the hotel and took the elevator to the 24th floor. Exiting our lift we entered a large, enclosed room with big windows. As I peered out them, I could see the lights of Kobe showing life in the city. There was a park directly below that had a nice glow from the pathway lighting installed there. In the distance was a Ferris wheel whose neon lights made it a beacon in the night. All I had to do to claim the virtual was snap a picture of myself at the observation deck with the city in view. So that's what I did. 

After we got our fill of the view, we took the elevator down to the main floor. I expected we were headed back to the hotel to call it a night, but Ryan asked if I wanted to go to the boardwalk. Normally I would be all over that, but it had been a long day and I was a bit beat. When he mentioned it was a 25 minute walk from where we were, I groaned slightly. He said it was worth it and reminded me that we were in Japan. I couldn't argue so off we walked. The 25 minutes actually went by pretty quickly as we chatted and it gave me opportunity to catch more pokemon in Pokemon Go. Before I knew it, we had reached a massive plaza surrounded by the sea. The sky was dark, but the boardwalk was lit as if the area was celebrating Christmas. Before me was the tall Kobe Tower. All lit up in red lights. To my right was the maritime museum with its artistic metal roof jutting out like mini mountains. Closed for the day of course, but we would visit when it opened the next day. From another direction was a large BE KOBE sign that you could stand against and get a picture with. There were quite a few people waiting to do so, even at this hour. 

As I was still taking in the scenery, a big screen off to the side announced that a light show was starting. Then it boomed out a countdown. Once it reached zero, the night sky was flooded with some upbeat music. Then, all the structures I had observed prior began flashing and changing lights with the beat of the music. The museum roof flashed brilliant blues, the Kobe Tower majestic reds, and others fired off vibrant purples, oranges, and yellows. It was an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. Ryan then suggested we go up in the Kobe Tower. It cost about 1500-1800 yen ($10-$12 USD) so it was a no brainer. Up another elevator we went and saw the city of Kobe from a different high point view. The ocean, the lights, the cars, and whatever else moved in the city once again was spread out before us. We discovered that there was a restaurant one floor down and it rotated around the tower. So we grabbed some refreshments, took a seat, and enjoyed moving view. I experienced something similar when I was a top the Space Needle in Seattle in 2018. Now I was experiencing it on the other side of the world and with a good friend. Eventually we called it a night and made the long walk back to the hotel. We would revisit the streets of Kobe the next morning.

With the morning sun came another interesting hotel experience. The hotel's continental breakfast was one of the most intriguing I've ever had. While we got to choose from standard breads, fruits, and pastries, everyone got the same main course. The chefs called out when it was ready. I walked up to the counter and picked up an assortment of food on carrying try that I was not expecting to see. There before me was a freshly prepared salad, with a thick rectangular slice of fish, a fried egg, a cup of yogurt with jello, and a small cup of warm tomato soup. It all tasted really good, that that was the first time I've ever had soup and salad for breakfast.

We continued our morning by exploring the colonial part of Kobe. Kobe was one of the first cities to open to western influence when Japan opened to the world. Westerners came and built a bunch of colonial style houses in the city. One is really famous as it has now been turned into a starbucks. So we paid it a visit, got a cup of joe, and experienced a cultural fusion in Japan. After we installed Java, we wandered around the old embassies and the rest of colonial town. In the process, we realized the gondolas that took us up to the herbal gardens way up on the hill were operating. So we purchased tickets and took the sky rides to the top. The ascent in the metal orbs with glass walls was just the right speed to both take in the view of the Kobe skyline as we rose above it and to anticipate what awaited us at the top as we climbed higher and higher above the tree canopy. I gazed through the translucent floor beneath my feet and stared in awe at the gardens below. Before I could fully take it all in, we had reached the top.

Before us awaited a path to a gate, that led to a slew of shops and an artistically designed patio area. We decided it was a good time for refreshments, so we ordered some and found a countertop that we could sit and stare over the massive city we just rose above. Just being able to take a moment, soak in the view, talk about life, and stare at the beauty before us, is something to be grateful for. 

We finished up our break and went to enjoy the gardens. We followed the large stone path as it wove back down the mountain. Each bit we walked, the cultivated beauty before us changed. There were areas dressed for a fall harvest, areas with water fountains flowing free, areas with flowers grown into familiar shapes and formations, and so much more. There was an area I spotted from the gondola that I wanted to check out. At that time, there weren't people in that area yet, but by the early afternoon when we had arrived, the people were there. This section had a patch of green grass on the hillside that was covered in hammocks. I always love a good hammock. Ryan and I found two open and plopped our semi-weary carcasses in them. There I was, swaying in a hammock, with the sun beaming down, a gentle breeze blowing, and the greenery of Earth around me. It was another one of those moments. 

We weren't going to stay long to see the full gardens as we had other places to be, but we wandered through the green house area and other old style buildings that contained museum-like pieces from days of cultivating past. My favorite was the scent room where there were a couple hundred scent bottles you could smell. I flooded my nose with lemon, lavender, cinnamon, turmeric, mint, and so many other wonderful smells.

After sending my nose on a wild ride, we caught a ride of our own from the gondolas back down the mountain. We then made our way to Chinatown for a brief site-seeing excursion. We meandered through the crowds, street performances, the Chinese lanterns that hung above our heads and the liveliness of it all. Once we had our fill, we headed back to the docks where the Kobe tower stands as we were going to see the maritime museum. 

The docks and the ocean were in different light at that of the day. I could see the water lapping the docks, the birds were about, and folks were more abundant. But we were here for the museum, so we entered in and paid for our ticket. Before us were case after case of models of many types of ships that have roamed the sea. So much hand crafted detail went into each one. But in the center of them all was a massive ancient wooden ship. Full size, just there in the center of the room. We continued to wander and as we did, there was a section on aircraft, a section with hands-on experiences, including flight, ship, and even motorcycle simulators. Kawasaki sponsored a chunk of the museum, so they had an entire wall replaying a brief video documentary of the evolution of transportation they have provided. Then further down was a full display of their motorcycles. It was quite a site to see. We lingered a little longer to cover the rest of the museum that wasn't at an additional cost. We then stepped back outside to take in the docks one more time. Then it was off to the hotel to get our stuff and begin the adventure to Nara, where more fun and surprises would await us.

Tales From the Land of the Rising Sun: Part 3

 I can't start off talking about the full second day without highlighting the hotel we stayed at in Kyoto. We woke up and made our way to the first floor for the complimentary breakfast. The main course was ordered off of a menu. While the staff prepared that dish, there was an open buffet style for everything else. I'm talking fresh fruit, yogurt, freshly baked breads, juices, coffee, teas, basically the whole works. And none of it was instant food like you find in standard hotel breakfasts in the US. For the main course, I ordered the omelet and it was delicious. As Ryan and I enjoyed our meal and discussed the day, he asked me to guess how much the one night cost. I guessed under $50 as this was Japan, but it was around the $50 mark. For the room, the breakfast, and the hotel itself, it would easily cost over $200 USD a night back home. And once again, the hospitality of the staff was unmatched. 

Since we were headed for another city later in the day, we checked out of the hotel and stored our stuff in lockers near the train station. Then it was off to one of the most famous shrines in the land. The Fushimi-Inari. This shrine is located way up on a mountain. The main path greets you with a massive orange gate. As you lift your eyes toward the mountain peak, there before you are hundreds of smaller orange gates. Known as torii gates. Around 800 to be exact. They were all donated by the people of Japan. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. Now Ryan and I did not walk through the gates all the way to the top. We wanted to avoid the main throng of tourists. Armed with a travel tip Ryan picked up prior, we walked the back streets up to the mountain side. At one point we had to re-route due to construction, but our re-route was blocked. There was a police officer below us where we needed to go and we debated going down. After a bit of pondering, we decided to ask if we could pass. Ryan was taking a sec to think of the proper way to ask in Japanese, but I just blurted out "Konnichiwa!" which is "hello" in Japanese. The officer, slightly startled, turned around. I made a motion with my hands to go down the stairs and said "can we go down? in English. He gave us permission with a very friendly smile. We thanked him profusely and trekked on. 

Our path took us to the edge of the mountain. We left the pavement and entered into to forest. But it was not a normal forest. Before us were the biggest and thickest bamboo shoots I had ever seen. They scraped the sky, blocked the sun, and were majestic. For the next 10 minutes or so, we walked along the bamboo on what was an easy descent. As we walked higher, I took in the serenity of the forest, the beauty of what the locals created on the side of the mountain, and simply the fact that I was a stranger in another land, exploring all it had to offer.

Eventually we stood before the challenge we knew was coming. The final climb up the steepest part of the mountain. Hundreds of wooden stairs with earth in between challenged us. So we continued our ascent. The sun had found a way through the canopy and the warm air opened the pores. I didn't mind the heat as I prefer it to the bone chilling cold, but the sweat and the exhaustion that came with the stairs were taxing. We got to a point where we just had to stop and take a long breather. As we caught our breath, a handful of people who also knew about the backway caught up to us. They were really nice folks from Missouri. They were having a rougher time making the ascent than we were. But we bantered for a bit and Ryan encouraged them to press on because the end goal was worth it.

We parted way and continued on. After what seemed like a short eternity, we reached the shrine. It was a mild surprise to not see the throngs of other tourists we saw at the main torii gate. It seems like many people were content with observing the gates rather than making the full ascent. Which worked out great for us because we were able to enjoy the sights with more serendipity. Now even though we reached the top, one of the best parts of the journey required a slight descent along the main path (not the side of the mountain we went up). We took a few moments to view the shrine, then we headed down.

It wasn't long before we came upon a breathtaking view. With the orange torii gates leading off to the left, there in the distance was the city of Kyoto. The trees of the mountain lacing the bottom, the man-made structures laid out like an ocean, and the mountains in the distance. I have a weakness for incredible views and the climb to get here was so worth it. Now with most locations like this that attract tourists like ourselves, there are more things to experience than just the natural beauty. Like soft, cold, delicious, ice cream. And it was so good. So there I was, on a mountain, with an incredible view, eating ice cream. It was great.

Because we had gone up, we eventually had to go back down. We wisely chose not to take the hard route back. We chose to join the other tourists and walk the gate path the whole way down. We made a bunch of stops along the way as there were souvenir stands frequently along our path and Ryan was on the hunt for specific things. By the time we made it to the bottom, we were famished. There was a local joint nearby called Dragon Burger. It tickled our fancy so we went in. We ordered and shortly after the burgers arrived. They were a bit smaller than I'm used to, but the combo of them, the fries, and the cool, crisp, tea...it was all delicious. Japan even does burgers right.

We had one last big stop in Kyoto before heading to our next destination. The Kiyomizu-dera temple. If you ever seen the scenic shots of Kyoto online, or the big, orange pagoda on a wallpaper, this was the that place. We didn't take anything easy the whole day, so why stop now? We decided to once again, make the trek up. But this time, it was a matter of walking up paved roads. As we walked, we had left the general city behind and passed through local neighborhoods. Then, we suddenly found ourselves high on hill, with a cemetery built into it. There had to be thousands of stone sides by side, flowing with the hill. And they overlooked an incredible view. I haven't seen a resting place anywhere like it. 

Our serene walk to the temple ended when the steps to the main temple finally appeared. Like the Fushimi-Inari shrine, crowds suddenly appeared out of nowhere. But it made sense. This temple and its pagoda are icons of Kyoto. The travel websites, magazines, videos, wall papers for your phone or PC, pretty much anything to make Kyoto catch your eye includes these structures. The eye-popping orange, with hints of green can put you in a trance. The close up view was incredible, but there was another we were here to see.

We traversed the steps and took a brief look at the first temple. Then, we drifted back into the flow of humans and followed them around the main deck. While people drifted in and out of the stream, I kept moving with and around them. I had my sight set on one thing. To get to the observation deck. I've been to many incredible vantage points in my lifetime. And while this view was not atop a tall tower, nor from a cliff face, it still held a scene worth the cost of a plane ticket alone. Picture this. You are standing on a wooden deck, high above the tree canopy. The trees swarm out beneath you, and for a distance, all you see is green. The green see eventually meets the concrete shore, home to many steel structures. For miles you can see the bustling life of man. But dwarfing all of that as a towering backdrop are the mountains and all their grandeur. But the real kicked, standing off to the side as the eastern border, that great orange pagoda in the distance. If I had the skills of an oil painter, I would paint this scene. But since I don't, my words will have to be the paint on the canvas. Such beauty is a marvel.

This would be our last thing we did in Kyoto. It was time to say goodbye to the ancient city and head out to our next destination. Kobe. Home of the Wagyu Kobe beef. Stay tuned.

Tales From the Land of the Rising Sun: Part 2

I woke up with a mild headache, but not because of the hotel environment. It was a jetlag headache...fun. But I couldn't let that hold me back. We had a country to explore. We packed our belongings and headed down to the main floor. Yet again, no staff in sight. We went to a larger kiosk and began the checkout procedure. Once Ryan deposited the room key in the machine, That large T-rex that was dormant the first night roared to life...literally. It thanked us for our stay and hoped to see us again. That hotel was quite an experience to say the least.

Our stay in Tokyo was brief, but that's because we were saving it for the end of the trip. Kyoto was our destination and we were about to embark on a world famous mode of transportation. The bullet train. Now I knew about them for many years and had seen videos here and there, but to experience them is something else. Let me paint you a picture. Kyoto is roughly 6.5 hours from Tokyo by car. That's basically Cleveland to NYC or Cleveland to Chicago (depending on how slow you drive). The common option is to take a plane. That consists of buying a ticket months in advance (about $160-$200), getting to the airport a couple hours early, going through TSA, waiting to board, the time it takes to board, the 1.5 hour duration of the flight, and finally, the time it takes to deplane and leave the airport. Now imagine walking up to the ticket counter the day you want to leave. Then you choose the available times you want to leave, some of which can be 30 min from ticket purchase. You pay $90 for a ticket. Then you go straight to the platform when it's time to depart. No security checkpoints and your train is there and ready to go. You get straight on and find your seat. The train departs literally at its departure time. And your off. The world becomes a slight blur as the train gets up to close to 200mph. You gaze out large windows at the passing countryside. Before you know it, 2 hours have gone by and you've arrived. What is such a pain in the butt in the US makes long distance travel a cake walk in Japan. Bullet trains are an incredible first world mode of transportation and there needs to be a way to eventually make them work here.

Two hours later we arrived in Kyoto. A city with so much vibrancies, color and history. The city is over 1200 years old which was nuts when I thought about it. America is still a baby compared to the rest of the world and being able to say I wandered city founded over 1000 years ago was pretty sweet. 

We couldn't check into the hotel until 3PM so we began a daily travel routine consisting of the following steps: 1) Leave hotel and get transportation to the next destination. 2) Arrive and find some lockers to stow our carry on luggage for a chunk of the day. 3) Find food and then explore. 4) Get luggage from lockers and go check into the hotel. 5) Take a rest break. 6) Go back out, explore, get dinner, and explore some more. 7) Return to hotel to get some sleep. Rinse and repeat. The lockers I mentioned are a very convenient for this type of travel. The ones we found usually cost $4-$6 for the majority of the day. When you bounce to a new city each day, but can't check into a hotel, those lockers are clutch.

After we got off the bullet train and set foot in Kyoto, we found some lockers just outside the station. Lucky for me, there was a geocache nearby. So once we stored our bags, we went across the street and over to the base of some stairs. A short search later and I had found my first geocache in Japan. It was a nice size container as well. Travel had us famished, so we decided for a familiar place, but with a new cultural experience. We headed straight for the Golden Arches themselves...McDonalds. I decided to compare what I normally get in the US with how it's served here. I ordered a McDouble, a McChicken, fries, and an iced tea. Let me tell you. This is now the second country I've been in that does McDonald's food better than we do. The buns on the burger and sandwich were golden and fluffy and not brown and smashed. And they tasted excellent. The fries weren't soggy like they sometimes are here.  The iced tea was different too. It's Earl Grey instead of the black tea we use here. Add in the Japanese hospitality where the workers were constantly keeping everything clean and taking care of you, McDonald's Japan does it right.

With full stomachs, it was time to begin exploring. We decided to start with the Kyoto Pokemon Center because being 90s kids, we grew up with the loveable pocket monsters and in our 30s, we still haven't outgrown them. In the game, a Pokemon center was a place to heal your Pokemon after battle. Here, it was the largest store of Pokemon paraphernalia anywhere. If you wanted shirts, hats, cards, figurines, keychains, stickers, plushies, and basically any type of Pokemon collectibles you could think of, you could get it here. While this was our first visit to one of these centers, we planned to stop at one in each city we went to. A must do for any Pokemon fan.

Next we made our first cultural stop of the trip. The To-Ji temple. It was founded in 796 and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. This was my first time seeing ancient temples and a pagoda in person. The pagoda was built in 1643 and was destroyed and rebuilt 4 times, the 4th being its current state. Standing at 180ft high, it is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. It was a marvel to be standing at its base and seeing it tower high above me. It was quite peaceful wandering the grounds, amongst the trees and the pond, simply realizing that I was on ancient grounds, seeing the wonders people from over a thousand years ago created. And this wouldn't be the last. I should also note that you could enter a number of the buildings and shrines without charge. If you've never seen large Buddha statues up close, they dwelt in places like this. And they were big.

Since Kyoto is loaded with places of cultural relevance like To-Ji, we went to explore more. We decided to catch a local bus to our next stop. It only cost 200 yen ($1.30) USD and was supposed to be quick...but we got caught in something very unexpected. We were about halfway to our destination when we came upon a large crowd of people in white robes. Hoisted on the shoulders of a cluster of them was what I would describe as a carriage without wheels, but in a square shape. It's actually called a Mikoshi, which is a palanquin used for religious ceremonies. We thought we were going to pass right on by, but suddenly, police appeared and stopped traffic. For the next 10-15 minutes, the people in robes marched around the intersection, chanting and carrying the Mikoshi. Traffic was stopped. Surprisingly, nobody on the bus said a word. Even the bus driver sat there in pure patience. I couldn't get a good read on what he locals were feeling, but I was a mix between fascinated and annoyed. While it was a random cultural experience that was very interesting to witness, I'm not a fan of anything that holds up traffic, especially when I'm stuck in it. But since We weren't in a rush to be anywhere and in a foreign country, it wasn't the end of the world. The things you see in Japan.

We eventually made it to the next temple and it was smaller than the To-Ji, but still interesting to see. Then it was back to the hotel for a brief rest before heading back out to get a bite to eat. I'm glad I brought my windbreaker that deflects the rain pretty well as the skies had opened up. The rain wasn't heavy, but it was enough that the windbreaker was a gamechanger. And since the restaurant wasn't far, from the hotel, we decided to walk it. Once we arrived, I noticed right away that even though it was small, this place was a popular tourist spot as I noticed most of the diners were foreigners. We were taken to a table on the second floor that overlooked the main floor. The server spoke some english as was a pretty chill dude. The menu was on the smaller side and most of the food was actually more western than Japanese. I wasn't super hungry so I ordered what was called Mexican Potatoes. These turned out to french fries covered in beef and a sauce. Almost like poutine, but not quite. I did end up spilling some of the sauce on my pants, which left a couple of stains. That was not ideal as I didn't have any stain remover on me so this pair of shorts didn't get worn the rest of the trip.

After dinner, we went and explored a bit of modern Kyoto at night. We stopped by the Kyoto Tower, which was all lit up in multiple colors. It looks very similar to the Seattle Space needle and it was probably modeled after it as the Space Needle was built in 1961 and the Kyoto Tower was built in 1963. This was one of the only high points we actually did not go inside nor up. But it was still cool to see lit up in the dark. We ended up wandering up to an observation deck nearby to get a higher view of the area, and high observation points are always a plus in my book. Eventually, we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel to get some rest, as we had big plans for the next day of our Kyoto adventure. First day in Japan was a great success.

Tales From the Land of the Rising Sun: Part 1

2017. That was the last time I set foot outside of the US borders. I have been traveling all over the US between now and then, but the stars didn't align for another overseas adventure...until now. When a longtime friend asked over a year ago if I wanted to go to Japan, I couldn't say no. I blogged the Australia adventure daily as I was there, but since I knew I would be moving around a lot in Japan during this trip, I decided to write the blog after. Because while pictures and video do portray many words, there is still magic in words on a page. So without further ado, here's the story of my trip to Japan (part 1).

We left the morning of Friday September 26th from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. They have international in their name, but they really don't fly to many other countries direct. We had to take a 30 minute flight to Detroit. Yay for extra airport hassle. After a standard layover, it was 13 hours to Tokyo. Thankfully I had done a long flight before, so I knew what to expect. But that did not mean it was going to be easy. I can't sleep in any moving vehicle. Car, train, boat, or plane, if it's moving, I don't sleep. So when we touched down in Tokyo around late afternoon on the 27th (we crossed the international date line), I had been awake probably north of 24 hours. But we still had business to take care of. The Beastie Boys said it best with No Sleep Till Brooklyn, well it was no sleep till Tokyo. 

We exited the plane and had to navigate our way through customs. It wasn't very difficult, but there were a lot of steps. First, we had to follow a path based on whether or not we had filled out the pre-customs form online (we did). Then it was off to a computer terminal to scan our passports and take a verification photo. Then a desk with a person to stamp the passport. In this case, it was a sticker instead of a stamp placed inside the passport. This man did it with ninja like speed. After I got my sticker, I had to follow arrows and ropes for a decontamination process. We walked up to a big video screen which scanned our faces and based on the photo we previously took, it delegated us to specific lanes. I followed my lane across a blue sanitation pad, meant to decontaminate my shoes and luggage wheels. I was given the all clear and had made it past all of the checkpoints and was now officially free to roam Japan. 

I reconnected with Ryan and the first thing we did was go get tickets for the bullet train as we were headed for Kyoto the next morning. The ticket people were very kind and welcoming and they spoke English so no language barrier issues yet. We booked our tickets and grabbed a taxi to the hotel. For the second time in my life, I found myself on the opposite side of the road as they drive on the left here. As we made our way to the hotel, I gazed out the window and took in everything going on around me. The city architecture was moving swiftly by and it wouldn't be long before I was going to get to explore it.

A short ride later and we at our hotel. We thanked the taxi driver and wandered inside. There before me was a giant tree all strung up with lights. At the front desk was a dinosaur and a witch. I thought they were Christmas decorations at first, but the reality was that they were our front desk clerks...and they were animatronics. There were no humans behind the front desk. We signed in through the computer, followed the prompts, and scanned our passports at the scanner. The animatronics responded to our selections which was quite amusing. Finally, we were all good and the nearby kiosk spit out our room key. The animatronics thanked us and told us to enjoy our stay. Still no human staff in sight.

The room was smaller than the American hotel rooms I'm used to, but it still fit both of us comfortably. The beds were smaller and a bit stiffer, but I was still able to get a decent sleep. The game changer was the heated toilet seats and bidets. Every hotel we stayed in throughout the trip had them and to me, it was a luxury. With a full day looming closer, we decided the best course of action was to take an evening stroll to a convenience store for a light bite and any interesting drinks they sold. Then it was back to the hotel to wind down and call it a night. On the way back I took in some initial observations. People riding bicycles were prominent. Almost every street we turned onto, a cyclist came cruising by. And the sun had already gone down. Side streets had no car dominance. Pedestrians had a walk path on the side, but with no traffic, would walk in the middle. They would give way to cyclists and also approaching cars. All three types used the center of the street and everyone was patient, but also gave way to the faster form of transportation. This was only the tip of the iceberg of the cycle of everyday life in Japan that I was about to experience. Slightly jetlagged and definitely tired, we made it back to the hotel to call it a night and prepare for the journey to Kyoto in the morning. 

The Story of My Life: Kicking Anxiety in the Teeth

Fourteen years of life had progressed and the earth took another trip around the sun. I still hadn't given up the hope that we would be returning to PA. I did let the wall I was trying to keep up come down a few levels. My friendship bond with Timothy and Jeremiah was getting stronger. We were sleeping over at each other's houses on a more frequent basis. We would bond about our weeks in interests on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. At this point, my goal to not make close friends was dead and buried. 

Yet, I still had something holding me back. This terrible thing called anxiety. I've been no stranger to telling of its dastardly deeds, its ghastly games, and its harrowing haunts. By this point it had become a ghost in the night. It wasn't prevalent, but it was always there in the background and could strike at any moment. Some days you could tell when it was eating me alive, other days it was a hidden scar. My parents didn't sit by on the sidelines, but there was only so much they could do. It wasn't a disease that could be cured with a drug. At least that's what I thought. 

Then one day my dad pulled me aside. He told me he had been recommended a liquid solution that helps with nerves. It wasn't a prescribed medicine, but my brain said otherwise. I vehemently said no. My brain screamed that if I touched that stuff, it would mean there was something truly wrong with me. And while I refused my dad's suggestion, he still managed to help me in a way he probably had not intended. 

Being offered that solution triggered a switch in my brain. It decided that it was going to do whatever it took to not have to take that stuff nor be offered any other medicinal-like solution for my anxiety. What had me in chains for years suddenly showed signs of rust. A death grip became a small squeeze. It was like a weight had been lifted. And all my brain needed was the right motivation. 

Now that's not to say it went away over night. But I was now able to handle it head on. If I was invited on a trip or to an event at an unfamiliar location, no longer would I hesitate about going or worry about the details and how I would be able to get from point A to point B. Suddenly my world became brighter. Life was more enjoyable and I was constantly kicking anxiety in the teeth. 

For a 14 year old, that was a big life accomplishment. It gave me confidence that I really could overcome issues in my life. It was like a new window to the world opened before my very eyes. But it also reminded me of a moment years ago where my childhood friend Wesley spoke something that hit me in the core. We had made our annual trip down to Camp Wabanna and that was the year of the crazy storm. Wesley could tell something was off, but he couldn't lay a finger on it. I was refusing to do something because of my anxiety and he simple said "What happened to the old Josh? I want him back." It was a simple observation, but those words danced in my brain for years. Thinking there was nothing I could do and downcast at the fact a close friend said such a thing. But now that's something I could look back on and say I had risen above.

Summer was quickly approaching and my time at Riverside was coming to a close. I'll save those stories for another entry because they need their own place. There was one sunny and warm afternoon where Timothy, Jeremiah, and I were enjoying the weekend. We were climbing trees, playing games on the hall property, and even climbed up onto the meeting hall roof. Then, Timothy and Jer concocted a brilliant idea. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith had just hit theaters. They decided we should go see it and stay the night at Jer's house. Timothy had to go get permission so we followed him home. Jer's sister, Maria, was hanging with Timothy's sister, Hannah, and they were in earshot when Timothy asked. They decided that was a good idea and wanted to join. We contacted Jer's parents and mine and got the all around okay.

It wasn't long before we packed into the Johnson's Chevy Astro van and headed to Medina. I was giddy with anticipation because this was a first for me. Up until now, I had never been to a movie in a movie theater before. It was simply something that was never in my family's cards. But finally, my time had come. The Johnson's dad, Tim, being the driver, stayed for the movie. Jer's youngest brother Nathan joined us as well. We bought our tickets and piled into the theater. I was in awe of the massive silver screen before me. The size, the sound, heck even the previews made me feel like I was in a wonderland.

Then the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the sound boomed. Those familiar words I had seen on VHS tapes and DVDs scrolled across the screen "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." I was mesmerized through the whole movie and the theater was everything I hoped it would be...magical. Eventually the credits rolled and and my theater experience was complete. I knew from that moment I would make many more trips back. 

We all went back to the Johnson's house that night where the six of us had a blast doing typical sleepover shenanigans into the early hours of the morning. Things were finally looking up, but 2005 was only beginning. Waves were coming and I would have to learn how to ride them and ride them fast.