Japan

I found the cleanest place in the world I have ever seen, in July 2002… Japan. I toured the southern part and went back six years later, in 2008, to see the northern island of Hokkaido.

Asakusa
After landing at the Tokyo Narita International Airport, we started our tour in Asakusa, seeing a temple. It’s almost like, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Nevertheless, Japanese temples are tranquil places, where beautiful cherry blossom trees flourish and the sound of flowing water is usually never far.

Mt. Fuji

Tokyo
The capital of Japan is what you would imagine but so much better. It’s a high-tech mecca full of business people rushing around, but it’s not like New York City (no offense) — Tokyo is clean, and the people are ultra polite. The Ginza Tower, well, towers over one part of the city. And from our hotel room, we could see Mt. Fuji, the country’s tallest mountain and what I think is the world’s most beautiful mountain.

Yokohama
This pretty oasis of serenity is also Japan’s second largest city, where modern buildings line the skyline and young men (they could have been teenagers) await customers wanting a ride on a rickshaw.

vending machines in Toyohashi

Toyohashi
We took a bullet train from the Hamamachi train station to Toyohashi. Bullet trains are among the fastest in the world, screaming toward you like a white ghost while you wait on the loading platform. You shouldn’t stand too close to the track because the wind produced by the high-speed train is so strong, you might get blown over. The ride, though, was amazingly smooth. Everywhere we went, including in this city, I bought green tea ice cream: from vending machines, from ice cream stands, from cafes. I took full advantage of its widespread availability. We also visited the beautiful Kinkakuji Temple’s Golden Pavilion.

Kinkakuji Temple's Golden Pavilion

Kyoto
Models put on a fashion show at the Nishijin Textile Center, where we saw seamstresses make kimonos, yukatas, and other Japanese clothing.

Osaka
Perhaps my favorite city in Japan, it’s home to the majestic Osaka Castle and Shinsaibashi Suji (a mile-long, outdoor shopping arcade), where I had my first Starbucks green tea frappuccino. I prayed that Starbucks would start selling it in the U.S., but I had to wait a couple of years before this delightful drink made its way to my home country. With several blocks of stores, I indulged in more than just green tea frappuccino; I had green tea, green tea ice cream, green tea frozen yogurt, and green tea slushie. I also fell in love with the Sony store — designed so much more high-tech and modern than computer/technology stores in the United States. Pachinko (a cross between pinball and slot machines) parlors were abundant in this shopping arcade, and there was no shortage of people playing the game. Funny enough, I felt like I stuck out in Japan, especially in Shinsaibashi Suji, because I have naturally black hair, whereas most Japanese young people dye their hair brown or even blond.

Shinsaibashi Suji

Nara
In Nara Deer Park, we got up close with graceful deer. And of course, we visited Nara Temple and Todaiji Temple.

Kobe
Kobe Tower at Kobe Port is an impressive red structure that’s a landmark among other uniquely designed buildings.

Read about my second trip to Japan, during which I traveled throughout Hokkaido, in an earlier blog entry.

Vevay, Indiana

No wonder it was voted Budget Travel magazine’s #4 coolest small town in America!

Ohio River view from our hotel

me, before the Media Celebrity Grape Stomp

My first trip to Vevay (pronounced Vee-vee) was on August 29, 2009. I — along with a stuffed animal version of FOX 41 mascot Snow Fox– represented our Louisville TV station in the Swiss Wine Festival parade and competed in the Media Celebrity Grape Stomp for Charity. Unfortunately, weighing the least and having the smallest feet, I came in dead last among nearly 20 stompers from the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis media markets, producing only three cups of grape juice in two minutes! That’s the first time I’ve ever claimed last place in any competition. But it was a really fun and relaxing day, full of good food and nice people.

Best Western Ogle Haus Inn lobby

I didn’t have time that day to explore the rest of the town because I had to go straight to work after I finished my part in the festival. So my husband and I went back just over a month later, on October 12. We stayed for just 24 hours, but it felt like the most luxuriously long vacation we’ve had in a while. Things are slower paced in small towns like Vevay, so we had enough time to see almost everything and take it all in. We stayed in a huge, very nice suite with his-and-her vanities and an elevated whirlpool-jet hot tub with steps outside the tub at Best Western Ogle Haus Inn. I know, you’re thinking, Best Western… nice? It was unexpectedly charming, set on the Ohio River (which divides Indiana and Kentucky). The hotel used to be owned by Paul Ogle, but now it’s run by Best Western, which renovated it in 2006. Vevay also has several lovely bed & breakfasts in historic mansions.

Danner's Hardware in downtown Vevay

Vevay, IN is the birthplace of American commercial winemaking, so you’ll find wine tasting opportunities, like at Ridge Winery Tasting Room. You’ll also -find shopping and dining on a small scale in downtown. We spent a morning and afternoon taking an easy stroll down just a few short blocks, stopping into such quaint shops as Edelweiss Floral & Gifts, Signatures, The Mercantile, and other stores that sell antiques and Amish goods. Danner’s Hardware is Indiana’s oldest business still in its original location. Julia Knox House is a historic mansion converted into a gift, furniture, and accessories shop. Be sure to pay a visit to the Switzerland County Historical Museum and “Life on the Ohio” River History Museum and ask for the guided tour; you’ll take a very interesting step back in time, back to when the Swiss settled the area.

As for food, I highly recommend the steak tacos I had for lunch at Los Bandidos, a new Mexican restaurant with staff just as friendly as the other shopkeepers we encountered in this tranquil town.

Plus, Belterra Casino Resort & Spa is just seven miles from Vevay, in nearby Florence, IN. There you can find such gems as Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse and upscale boutiques. And take a ride on a zipline at Dagaz Acres in Rising Sun.

Alaska

me aboard a Holland America cruise ship

My mom and I took a Holland America cruise in August 2001 along Alaska’s southeastern coast. It was the most pleasant time of year to visit America’s coldest state. The views were breathtaking in the daytime. One night, we ventured out onto the dock… big mistake. It was freezing cold, terrifyingly windy (howling), and as dark as dark could be out in the middle of the pitch-black waters. We scurried back inside immediately.

MUST-SEE

view of Juneau from helicopter

1. Ketchikan. The salmon hatchery at Deer Mountain offers a good learning experience, since Alaska is famous for its salmon industry. The best fried fish I’ve ever had was at Halibut Hole along the dock. It was heavenly — smooth, fresh, white fish from cold waters.

dog sledding with a lady from our cruise

2. Juneau. Go on a salmon bake, if you want to watch a cook make your Alaskan meal in the wilderness and eat it in the same rustic surroundings. Take a helicopter ride over the beautiful, snow-capped mountains, land on a glacier, and go mushing (dog sledding) — we got to experience the speed of retired Iditarod dogs, an exhilarating ride. Seeing Alaska from the air, barely above the mountain peaks, is like watching one of those nature videos that shows sweeping shots from an aircraft, but you’re actually doing it and seeing it firsthand. Breathtaking.

Sitka Pier

3. Sitka. Kayak in Wilderness Sea — what a peaceful adventure in crisp, refreshing air. The Sitka pier is picturesque, like a postcard. From there, cruise on through Disenchantment Bay, Glacier Bay, and see Hubbard Glacier. Our ship was so close to the glaciers, I had a Titanic moment; I felt like we could almost touch the glaciers.
4. Valdez. Famous for the big Exxon oil spill but also a nice place for whitewater rafting. The waters are frigid and choppy, which made for a bad combination for me, when the water splashed into my whitewater rafting “warm” suit and ran down my back. Brrr…

Disenchantment Bay

5. Anchorage. Visit the Alaska Zoo, where you can see animals that roam the Alaskan wilderness, like bears. Of course, you can pay a lot more money for shore excursions that take you on bear-watching expeditions but don’t guarantee you’ll see any bears. From our cruise ship, we did see whales in the waters around us.

China

Dongguan

Dongguan, China

In July 2002, I boarded a Turbojet ferry from Hong Kong with my mom and a long-time friend, bound for mainland China across the South China Sea. It was my first time to visit the mainland, after having been to Hong Kong (a British territory that was handed back to China in 1997) and Taiwan (Republic of China) several times. We arrived in Dongguan, a city in the Canton province. It’s almost like a gateway between mainland China and HK because there’s a lot of travel between the two places, and people speak Cantonese in both (though the accent is a little different). I don’t have any recommendations on specific places to see in Dongguan because I spent only half a day there, but I can tell you about my experience.

jewelry gold-plating factory

My mom’s friend owns a jewelry gold-plating factory in this city of close to 8 million people. As with any other factory, young people, predominantly women in this one, were hard at work churning out rings dipped in 24k gold. A lot of other industrial plants line the area, where life is slower than in the bigger cities of China. Funny, this city of 8 million isn’t considered that big in the world’s most populous nation! Most people ride bicycles and motorcycles (we rode one), buzzing through the otherwise quiet streets. People take afternoon naps at their fruit stands in the open-air market, as customers browse. Speaking of food, red-bean-and-milk slushie drinks are refreshing on a hot, summer day. I had one at a cafe. And Chinese food is cheap.

In the not-too-distant future, I plan to spend a few weeks traveling across the vast, diverse land of China, where you can find extremes in weather, food, sizes of people, urban-rural life, buildings, and everything else. It’s an amazing country, as demonstrated in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, especially in the Opening Ceremony. It’s full of history, some of it personal. My mother was born in mainland China before fleeing with her family to Hong Kong when she was a baby because the Communists took over and my grandpa (my mom’s dad) was an adviser to the Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai Shek. My father’s parents had moved from the mainland to HK earlier, so my dad was born in HK.

Boston

Boston Harbor

Boston

Boston was the site of the 2009 Asian American Journalists Association Convention, so I was there in August with my husband and mom in tow for some sightseeing as well. We stayed at the waterfront Seaport Hotel at the World Trade Center, where the convention was held.

History all around you
The neat thing that sets Boston apart from most other American cities is the sheer amount of history you can see and touch all around you. So many significant events happened there that shaped this country. So that’s the positive side of an old city. The negative side is that many building facades are worn and ugly, and the subways are creepy and depressing. But overall, the greater Boston area was quite charming and scenic.

Boston Harbor near downtown

Seafood
I was unimpressed by the seafood I ate, even though it was at popular joints recommended by locals. It’s no better than fresh seafood I’ve had elsewhere, including my hometown of Houston, which sits near the Gulf Coast. Alaska’s fish is still the best I’ve ever had.

Chinatown
Boston’s Chinatown is similar to Chicago’s in that it’s old and it’s a walking Chinatown. Several blocks shoot off the main street, and you can walk the sidewalks to get to restaurants, bakeries, and other stores. Residential units sit above the ground-floor storefronts. It’s unlike Houston’s or Los Angeles’ more modern, sprawling Chinatowns that are best traveled by car to each shopping center. Like other Chinatowns, Boston’s boasts good food at dirt-cheap prices. An 80-cent slice of cake, anyone? You’ll find it at Great Taste Bakery & Restaurant. We also ate at Gourmet Dumpling House — a popular, crowded eatery open late at night.

Boston Common

MUST-SEES

Freedom Trail

1. Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail encompasses most of Boston’s famous historic sites. Boston Common is believed to be America’s first public park, and it’s a scenic one. From there, you can cross the street to see the Massachusetts State House with a gold dome (made of real gold). Then you pass historic churches and meeting houses along the trail, which is delineated by a continuous thin strip of red brick on the ground. It’s especially chilling to go past the site of the Boston Massacre. On a more positive note, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a fun shopping and dining complex, which includes Quincy Market. But again, like almost everything else in Boston, it’s got that old-world charm. Freedom Trail wraps up with the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), Charlestown Navy Yard, and Bunker Hill Monument.
2. Harvard University & Harvard Square in Cambridge. People definitely look intelligent on the campus of America’s top-ranked Ivy League school, Harvard. The campus itself looks as old as it is. Minus the passed-out drunks on outdoor benches, Harvard Square is a delightful nearby shopping district of cafes and boutiques. I had the best salmon sandwich at Crema Cafe.

Harvard Square

3. MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It looked like one: very institutional and geeky. (I can say that because I went to a brainy university myself, but Rice has beautiful Mediterranean architecture. MIT looks like the rest of Boston: old and a little depressing. Sorry, I like contemporary style!)
4. Boston Harbor. Waterfront dining and shopping opportunities are abundant, as well as just places to sit and enjoy the view of sailboats on the famed Boston Harbor.
5. Beacon Hill. A charming, wealthy neighborhood where gaslights line the street and stay lit all day and night, Beacon Hill has been home to famous figures both historical and current. Even the 7-Eleven is classy.
6. Newbury Street, Back Bay, Copley Place, The Shops at Prudential Center. All are a shopper’s heaven. Newbury Street is like the Rodeo Drive of Boston. Filene’s Basement, which is famous for its annual Running of the Brides, during which brides-to-be rush into the store to grab deeply discounted bridal gowns, is a bargain-hunter’s paradise for everyday items you’d find in a department store. Back Bay and Copley Place are also nice shopping destinations not far from Newbury Street. And Prudential Center is an office building with a floor of department stores, restaurants, shops, and a food court — just like a mall.

Boston Harbor

We took the Boston Duck Tours to see most of the main attractions. The tour guide took us around the Boston area in a World War II amphibious landing vehicle that starts on land, then drives into the Charles River and functions much like a boat for us to see the city from the water.

Boston Duck Tour in Charles River

Vatican

St. Peter's Square

The Vatican, also known as Vatican City, is the world’s smallest country. So there’s not much to see, but what there is to see is very significant. We literally stepped into the Vatican from Rome, which borders the country. A place with so much history, St. Peter’s Basilica is where the Pope makes his speeches and crowds gather below in St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro in Italian). While that’s not going on, the area is teeming with tourists.  I was 17 at the time of my visit. There’s a new pope now. The square is also the location where many Christian martyrs lost their lives. It’s a beautiful setting for such tragic events.

That brings us to the end of my European tour. In the coming weeks, look for new posts about my domestic travels in the United States, plus more exotic places, including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and more of Japan.

Italy

St. Mark's Square, Venice

Italy was hot in June 1999. The tour guide warned us of devious gypsies, who would go to any length to pickpocket people, especially tourists with cash. So I was on full alert. It was a good thing because I encountered some gypsies.

Venice
Venice was our first stop in Italy. We went to a glass-blowing factory, watched the glass blowers work, and bought a few exquisite souvenir pieces. We took a peaceful gondola ride down Grand Canal to view a city on water. We saw the iconic St. Mark’s Square and Marco Polo Monument.

Florence
What a picturesque city, just like in the movies! The cafes and restaurants with tons of outdoor seating — rows and rows — really exist. And the pigeons surround you in wait of any food you might drop. Tourist attractions include Place of Duomo and Cathedral of Santa Croce — majestic in all their detail.

outdoor dining, Florence

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Pisa
Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa is surreal. The building almost looks fake. It’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World that you read about in textbooks as an elementary school student, but you don’t imagine seeing it in person. Yes, fresh out of high school at the time, I had to do the cheesy pose, leaning with the tower.

Milan
It’s the fashion capital. And there I had the best pasta — noodles cooked just enough to be bouncy and chewy, not too soft. We also paid a visit to La Scala, the opera house.

Rome
This is where I had my first direct encounter with gypsies. They managed to pickpocket a few people in our tour group — knocking one man into the street to grab cash from his fanny pack and unzipping one unsuspecting woman’s backpack to steal her wallet. I, on the other hand, was not going to become a victim, so I clutched my purse tightly to my chest, giving them no chance. I spotted two women — with eyes roaming like a pendulum clock, searching for goods to steal, and one breastfeeding a baby to distract you from the thief who would go in for the steal. I stared them down. They realized I knew what they were up to. So they signaled to let me pass and didn’t attempt to steal from me. After dealing with all that, I finally made my way to the ruins of The Colosseum and the beautiful Trevi Fountain, where I threw in a coin and made a wish.

The Colosseum, Rome

My final step, literally, in Italy was when I stood with my left foot in Rome and my right foot in the Vatican.

We’ll explore the Vatican next week, as my European tour comes to an end.

left foot in Rome, right foot in Vatican

Switzerland

From France, we journeyed on to Switzerland, the third country on our summer 1999 European tour.

Lucerne

Mt. Titlis, Lucerne

Even though it was early during my summer break after graduating from high school and before going to college, it was chilly in Lucerne, Switzerland. Snow covered mountain peaks, but pigs and cows grazed on grassy mountainsides. This was the friendliest place I visited during my 5-country tour of Western Europe. The citizens were nice and soft spoken. The city was clean. The air was crisp.

We spent only a couple of days in Lucerne, so I don’t have too many recommendations for sightseeing. A gondola ride up and down Mt. Titlis is picturesque and scenic. You get a view of the city from high above and you get to see those pretty, pink pigs and cows (wearing cowbells).

Step into a shop that sells cuckoo clocks, cowbells, and knives — like we did — and you’re sure to find some Swiss souvenirs. In addition to a cowbell, I also picked up a Swiss Folklore CD (Jodel, Alphorn, Swiss Music) because music can take you back to a place and capture the emotions you felt there.

Next week… gypsies, heat, and street vendors take over, as I take you on my trek to Italy. Find out how I managed not to get pickpocketed, while others in my tour group fell victim.

France

Eiffel Tower

The second country on my post-high-school-graduation European tour, France, is one I’ll want to return to. We took a train from England in the summer of 1999, and our first stop was Paris.

Paris
Paris is romantic, no doubt. I love French style.

MUST-SEES:
1. Seine River. A boat ride down the Seine River was very relaxing; couples enjoyed the sunset along the banks.
2. Eiffel Tower. You can get a great view of the city from various sides of the lookout deck of Paris’ most iconic structure.
3. Louvre. The Louvre is the art museum of art museums. We hear so much about the Mona Lisa that it was neat finally seeing Leonado da Vinci’s painting in this world-famous art museum.

Mona Lisa, The Louvre

4. L’arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile. This magnificent triumphal arch on the Champs Elysées is breathtaking. The tomb of France’s Unknown Soldier sits underneath.
5. Galeries Lafayette. A pricey department store, much like Harrods in London, Galeries Lafayette is more beautiful and ornate than any department store I have visited in the U.S. I bought one article of clothing: an over-priced French Connection shirt. But I like to buy clothing from every country I visit, so I can wear my experience.

Versailles
The main tourist attraction we went to in Versailles was the Palace of Versailles, home to three French kings. It was grand.

Palace of Versailles

Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay in posting this blog entry. I was on vacation — traveling! Coming soon (within the next couple of weeks), I’ll write about the next leg of my European journey: Switzerland, with another step back in time to 1999.

England

My high school graduation present (in 1999) was a trip to five countries in Europe. The first stop: England. The country is so often portrayed in movies, it’s almost exactly how I’ve seen it in film and imagined it. We spent most of our time in London and only drove through the English countryside on our way to France.

MUST-SEES:

Buckingham Palace

 1. Windsor Castle. The Queen’s home, it’s just one of those places you have to see. It’s the closest most of us will ever get to royalty. Tourists were teeming around the castle when we visited.
2. Buckingham Palace. Another grand estate, this is where official business of the Monarchy gets done.
3. Eton College. Prince William (Princess Diana’s older son) was attending school here at the time of our visit.
4. Westminster Abbey. Princess Diana is buried at this church.
5. Big Ben. It’s the world’s largest 4-faced chiming clock and sits above the Thames River.
6. Trafalgar Square. This beautiful public square is complete with fountains and statues and surrounded by art galleries and an opera house. It’s the kind of outdoor spot in which you’d want to sit down and sip a cup of coffee and maybe read a Jane Austen novel.

over Thames River

7. Harrods. Possibly the world’s most famous luxury department store, Harrods, Knightsbridge is unlike any other department store. Ornate, intricate designs are carved into the ceilings. Every detail is highlighted. The merchandise, no doubt, is expensive, but the experience of walking through the store is worth it. I managed to find a few affordable items.

Harrods

And of course, don’t forget to grab some fish and chips at a local pub. Plus, take a subway ride to Picadilly Circus, where we ate at a Chinese restaurant with excellent wonton noodle soup. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the name. But I’m sure a local Chinese person who knows his cuisine can tell you. The days are long in London, albeit often cloudy and gloomy, so we took advantage of the daylight until as late as 11 p.m. London is an interesting mix of the royal and modern. I was conceived in London; my husband was born just outside the city.

Next week, my journey through Paris and Versailles, France. And as my Western European tour continues, we’ll venture to Switzerland, Italy, and the Vatican in this blog in the coming weeks.