Greetings from Pusan, Korea! Oh, and we mustn’t forget Happy Thanksgiving here at Hotel Dong Shin! Apparently we missed the memo that it’s holiday weekend across the country and all trains, planes, & automobiles are booked until Tuesday. Here’s to an unplanned adventure—more on that once we make it to Seoul!
Recap on Japan—Although we weren’t able to get past “hello” & “thank you” in Japanese, it’s been a blast having the locals and other travelers write messages on the whiteboard. From geishas near the historic temples, to the owners of traditional restaurants and the amazing world travelers we’ve met along the way, the photos sum up the trip perfectly.
Kyoto is definitely known for its elaborate pagodas, but we also found a monkey park at the top of a huge hill. These happy creatures have quite the set up looking out over the city, and Justin even tried out their long mountain slide.
Next stop was Hiroshima! The local cuisine was amazing. Sushi and ice cream from 7-eleven often hit the spot but it couldn’t compare to the okanamiaki at midnight surrounded by boisterous locals. We also saw the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. It’s astounding to see a city so vibrant when just 60+ years ago it was wiped out by the first Atomic bomb.
Our last day was spent on the island of Miyajima —where the low and high tides crash in and out of a popular gated temple. This small city is also known for having the worlds largest rice scooper and chocolate filled treats…mmm, delicious. That evening we couldn’t make it to South Korea and didn’t reserve another night at the hostel so we ventured out for a place to stay (DUN Dun dun...) We stumbled upon the Aster Plaza “Youth Hostel”. After receiving the room key we made our way upstairs to find giant chandeliers and a private corner room with views of the city skyline and riverfront. We quickly put on the complimentary kimonos and took action photos while jumping on the beds...
Great finale to Japan!
NEW People Whiteboarded!
SEE PHOTO ALBUM TOP RIGHT OF PAGE
