Nature
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Kamakura’s Shonan R134
Kamakura. The first thing that enters people’s minds when Kamakura is mentioned is probably the city’s Big Buddha. If not the Big Buddha, then the city’s many shrines and temples. There’s a reason Kamakura is known as “Little Kyoto” after all.
But what Kamakura doesn’t seem to be known for is it’s beach or beaches, I should say. If you stray from the shrines and temples, you’ll find yourself reaching R134. What is R134? It is a road along the coast and it’s beautiful. (Think Pacific Coast Highway but a tad bit different and shorter.)
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Cherry Blossoms at Yoyogi Park
Having seen the cherry blossoms in Okinawa, I couldn’t understand the hype over hanami or cherry blossom viewing. I found the dark pink flowers overrated. To think that people would actually look forward to these flowers blooming annually, I couldn’t help but to find it a tad bit strange and a tad bit ridiculous. They were just flowers that were nice to look at but nothing of the extraordinary.
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Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
In Kyoto, there’s a shrine that’s super popular, open 24 hours and free. It’s popular thanks to its many tori. Chances are high you’ve come across photos of famous instagrammers in front of the famed red gates (tori) before.
Nothing wrong with that but it does make Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine rather crowded.
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Vancouver’s Waterfront Renaissance Trail
If I had to make a choice between Oregon and Washington, I’d choose to live in Washington, hands down.
I say this because Washington (Vancouver, specifically) seemed more open and friendly with people of color. Oregon (think Portland) on the other hand was not so tolerant of people of color and it was pretty obvious. (You basically could just see it in the looks that locals give you. Not cool, I tell you.)
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Nagasaki’s Dejima Wharf
I looked forward to visiting Japan’s Nagaski for two main reasons:
#1. Back when Japan closed itself from the outside world, Nagasaki was the only place that remained open to foreigners. (Most likely for selective trading reasons, but still…)
#2. Ninja Shadow. I want to say enough said but I realize that some of you may not know what I’m talking about. It’s a game/app that takes place in NAGASAKI! Because I’ve played Ninja Shadow (I don’t care if you judge.), a big part of me wanted to see exactly how legit their history and imagery of Nagasaki was. I want to say it was on point but then again, I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to see every nook and cranny of Nagasaki.
The area around Nagasaki’s Dejima Wharf was a pleasant place to take a stroll. While it wasn’t much of a walk, I found much joy in the ambiance. The fresh air. The people, here and there. The hilly backdrop. And the ships.