Toyama Castle was originally constructed in 1543, and was destroyed and rebuilt several times between the 16th and 19th centuries. Like many of Japan’s castles, the current building is a post-WWII concrete reconstruction. The age of the current castle may not be especially impressive, but the surrounding public park adds to the atmosphere, and it [...]
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Sunday Snapshot: Toyama Castle at Night
Toyama Castle was originally constructed in 1543, and was destroyed and rebuilt several times between the 16th and 19th centuries. Like many of Japan’s castles, ...
How to Choose Your Kyoto Temples and Shrines
The girl behind the guesthouse desk pulled out a city map. “Where do you want to go first?” she asked. I fumbled through my purse, trying to find my sightseeing notes. “Mmm”, I mumbled distractedly as I searched, “…that uh…really big temple…nearby”. I hadn’t meant for that to be the end of my description, but [...]
Sunday Snapshot: Fenghuang
Today’s Sunday Snapshot comes from Agness of eTramping. Agness is a Polish vagabond who, after graduation, left her comfort zone and set off for a journey of her lifetime to China in 2011. She has been constantly travelling the world since then (slowly, but surely as she says), living like a local for less than [...]
Why I Was Afraid to Travel Alone
As Brent slowed the car down in front of the bus station, I secretly wanted to beg him to come with me. I knew that once I stepped out of the car and closed the door, it would be just me. On my own. For the next 4 days. My first, albeit very brief,solo trip [...]
Sunday Snapshot: Tad Se Waterfall
We visited Tad Se Waterfall in Laos as part of a canoeing and cycling trek. It’s also possible to reach the falls by car, motorbike, or tuk tuk combined with a boat ride from Luang Prabang. But personally, I loved the feeling of leaping into the bright blue, icy cold pools surrounding the waterfall to [...]
The Frog Says “Gero”
I once tried to draw one of my kindergarten classes in Thailand into a rousing chorus of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”, only to be met with confused silence when I reached the first animal noise. It’s one of those weird things that you learn when you’re not only living in a foreign country, but [...]
Sunday Snapshot: The 1000-Year-Old Cherry Tree
We couldn’t let cherry blossom season in Takayama pass by without checking out the colossal 1000-year-old cherry tree in Garyu Park. ”Garyu” means “lying dragon” because the shape of the tree’s trunk and branches is believed to resemble said lounging beast (I have to admit, though, that this image was a bit of a stretch for [...]
Workaway and Helpx: Would I Travel with Work Exchanges Again?
Workaway and Helpx are both websites that connect volunteers and hosts to participate in work exchanges. Volunteers agree to work for the host in return for food and accommodation, which adds up to an experience living, eating, and working with a local family. Brent and I traveled for 8 months in Western Europe by participating [...]
Sunday Snapshot: Early Morning at the Colosseum
I’m far from being the first person to fall in love with the food, the language, and the architecture of Rome, but I fell very hard nonetheless. It’s one of only a few places that Brent and I still continuously talk about returning to one day. We went to visit the Colosseum early in the [...]
They Say It’s One of Japan’s Most Beautiful Festivals…
When the day of the Takayama Spring Festival finally arrived, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, wondering exactly how early is too early to jump out of bed. I’ve been anticipating the Takayama Spring Festival since last October, when I first googled this little town in the Japanese Alps where we just might [...]
Who Am I?
Hello, I'm Jess! Wander with me as I discover how to get the most out of traveling on a budget, and how to live as an expat anywhere in the world.
