Second Round The World Trip
Traveling Around The World The Second Time!
Our first round the world trip was like tasting food samples. This second time allowed us to really enjoy the food đ
Week #1: New Zealand â> Osaka
After weeks of working very long days with days till 2 am in the morning, once our visual effects work on Peter Jacksonâs 2005 âKing Kongâ was completed, we packed up and left for our second round the world (RTW) trip on the very next day! We worked hard and traveled hard!
Before we left New Zealand, we purchased a JR West Rail Pass from a JR Pass agency in New Zealand because this discounted pass is only for the visitors from oversea and need to be purchased before visiting Japan. When we arrived at Kansai Airport (Osaka), we picked up the actual rail tickets at the station by showing our receipts from the agency. Note that once the JR West Rail pass is validated, the clock starts tickling and you have to use it for the next consecutive days. The pass we purchased was for 4 consecutive days.
At the airport, we used our EFTPOS card (aka debit/bank card) at the ATM machine to get some Japanese yen. 100 yen was about $1 USD so it was very easy to do the exchange rate in our head ( before I forget to mention, I loved the 100 Yen store in Japan!).
Additionally, we purchased a Kansai Pass that gave us unlimited usage of non-JR trains in the Kansai Region including subways, railways, and monorails in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Kansai Airport and Himeji as well as unlimited use of the Haruka limited express train between Kansai Airport and Kyoto in the non-reserved seat section. This pass cannot be use on any Shinkansen or limited express trains. We used the JR West Rail pass to travel between major cities that are not covered by the Kansai pass. Japan train system was quite efficient.
Hotels were expensive based on our budget. We stayed at a backpackers hostel in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. The room was super tiny (still much bigger than the capsule), but it was very clean and had a very clean community kitchen. No street shoes were allowed inside the hostel and we had to return to the hostel by a certain time at night. These restrictions didnât bother us a bit. Other hostel guests were quiet and followed the house rules.
After we checked in, we visited the Kyoto Travel Center to pick up free Kyoto Visitorâs guide and surrounding areas as well as a city bus map. So we were all set to explore Japan for the first time!
The underground mall in Kyoto Station had a lot of restaurants with great varieties We ordered very reasonable set meals. The food at Kyoto was so wordlessly delicious! My first meal was salmon roe with thin and finely cut omelette on rice. It was such a beautiful culinary art. The egg was so fragrant and delicate. I have never tasted better Japanese food outside of Japan. I think the taste of the food mattered a lot due to the âzen and dedicationâ of the chef plus how courteously the waitress delivered the food to our table. One thing I noticed was the people in Kyoto seemed to be calm and staying very present in the moment in whatever they were doing. The biggest surprise was the people in Kyoto was also very honest. After hubby finished his grilled chicken rice set meal, he was still hungry (because the food was so good!). He was trying to order a second order of the same grilled chicken rice, the owner of the restaurant actually came over to our table (what was going on in our head was we were forbidden to order more?). He told us that we only need to pay half price for our second order! It didnât say that on the menu. We were so impressed of how nice they were. They could have charged us the whole price. No one took advantages of us. When giving back our changes, the waitress counted the changes slowly and precisely in front of us (unlike the train cashier on the train from Hong Kong to Beijing on our first RTW trip where she was completely out of sight by the time I lifted up my head to tell her that the change was not correct). Of course, there are always petty crimes such as stolen bicycles. It is always wise to stay alert in any surroundings no matter how safe the city is suppose to be.
A must is to eat udon and soba in Kyoto. The broth was so hot and delicious. The noodles were so fresh and delicate. The food reminded me of the movie âTampopoâ. If you have not seen that movie, check it out; I guarantee you that you will go out and eat a bowl of hot udon or soba after watching the movie! Japanese pancake, sushi,. bakery and especially their mochi ice cream even from the convenient stores such as Lawson or 7-Eleven were all delicious!
We joined a 4-hour walking tour for 2000 yen per person starting from the Sunken Garden in front of Kyoto station between 10 AM and 10:15 AM. It was guided by a local old guy probably in his late 60s. It was very informative and excellent! We visited the Nintendo and Geisha districts. The tour guide shared stories of how the locals live their life, their religion, and their work. After reading the âMemoirs of a Geishaâ (a book which I highly recommend; it was written so poetically and vividly), I was curious about the Geisha district.. As part of the tour, after walking for hours, we were offered a complimentary vegetarian inari sushi (sushi rice stuffed in deep fried tofu skin). It was the best I have ever tasted (it tasted extremely delicious maybe due the fact that I was starving after hours of walking with no lunch or snacks). The tofu skin was so moist & tender and the rice was so fresh.
On the remaining days, we walked through the Nishiki Market and down the Tetsugaku-no-michi. We visited Arashiyama Bamboo Grove inspired by watching Zhang Yi-Mouâs âHouse of Flying Daggersâ movie.
Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, a large wooden temple, though it does not have glamorous color like other temples, was impressive especially the showcase of this huge, thick, and long rope made only of human hairs! We visited Kyoto Old Imperial Palace as well. For cities near Kyoto, we used our JR West Rail Pass to travel to Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Himeji Castle. Our first Japan trip concluded with a pleasant feeling all around. We definitely want to visit Japan again especially Kyoto.
Week #2: Munich
When we were waiting to get on board for our flight from Osaka to Munich, we noticed there were a lot of Japanese passengers on the same flight. None of them stood up nor waited in line till their boarding numbers were called. Then each of them got up calmly. That was the only time we had ever seen it that orderly in any airport terminal around the world.
Because our 14 hours flight from Osaka to Munich (with a short layover in Frankfurt) was all daylight, we couldnât sleep on the plane. We left Kyoto very early to take the train to Kansai Airport (Osaka) for our 10:30 AM flight. We arrived at Munich at 4:55 PM (Munich is 8 hours behind Osaka so our biological clock was almost 1 AM.!). I had a major jet lag when arriving at Munich. When we arrived at Munich, we attended an American Broadway dinner show. We were so tired and actually dozed off a few times during the show. We did a brief stroll through the Christmas Market in Munich.
On the next day, we took the train to Linz (Austria). We visited Liezen (Austria) on the way back to Germany. Apparently, due my jet lag, I donât have much recollection of where we visited except the food in Austria was delicious as always. The breakfast at IKEA in Germany was actually quite good. A lesson learned was plan the flight time carefully and avoid any long âdaylightâ flight like the one we did. Getting jet lag or sick on the trip was not fun.
We rode in a Volkswagen mini car on the autobahn (so cool with no speed limit) from Liezen to Neuschwanstein Castle . This was the castle that inspired Walt Disney for the design of Disneylandâs âIt Is A Small Worldâ. The castle was so beautiful. We hope to see it again in the near future.
Week #3 & #4: Boston
We left Munich for Boston. Unfortunately, my jet lag lasted all the way to Boston!
In Boston, I took a 4-day CranioSacral Therapy course taught by the Upledger Institute while hubby visited Boston Aquarium, Quincy Market, and USS Constitution (aka Old Ironsides). Actually, the catalyst of this second RTW trip was because of this course. Although I was jet lagging, I did learn a lot from the class because that was my passion. When I was in New Zealand, I had several CranioSacral Therapy treatments from an osteopath and experienced a great recovery. So I became very fascinated by this type of gentle but yet very effective therapy. During my two years hiatus from the visual effects work, I began my training in CranioSacral Therapy. Combining with my travel passion, I had traveled to Sydney, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Boston for the CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release courses.
Week #5 & Week #6: Los Angeles
We visited friends in Los Angeles and Phoenix. We watched âKing Kongâ in the theater with our friends. It was very rewarding to see both of our names on the screen credits. Memory of those long work days and nights became a distant history. All the hard work was worth it because this movie became well known worldwide and received the Best Visual Effects Oscar Award!
We flew back to New Zealand (back to work!) which completed our second RTW trip!