aundriagottfried

[aundriagottfried]

10/5/19 - Part 2

Kyoto, Japan

Our final night in Japan... We consumed loads of gyoza, shabu shabu, some whale, and way too much Asahi. Let's just say it was a rough trip back to NRT the next day!

[aundriagottfried]

10/5/19 - Part 1

Kyoto, Japan

More beautiful sights from Kyoto - walking the riverfront, perusing the indoor/outdoor market, visiting temples right in the middle of town, and sightseeing in the historic preserved neighborhoods.

[aundriagottfried]

10/4/19

Kyoto & Nara, Japan

Got our butts up early to head south on the train to the town of Nara. We took a short walk through town, and we arrived at Nara Park, where we found the famous “bowing” deer mingling with visitors everywhere. After a couple hours feeding the deer and exploring the temples, we hopped back on the train to Kyoto. With some time left in the day, we decided to visit the Bamboo Forest, which we reached right at dusk. We slowly strolled back to our hotel under the warm night sky.

-Brett

[aundriagottfried]

10/3/19

Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan

After a final late night in Tokyo, we made our way to Tokyo Station to get our rail passes sorted out, and rode the 2 1/2 hour train to Kyoto. 

Unfortunately our booked accommodations were a little rough, so after a quick change in plans we decided to stay at the lovely Framboise Hotel. We breathed a sigh of relief and left to walk the dark and quiet streets of Kyoto, hitting up my favorite dive, Club 7-11. 

[aundriagottfried]

10/2/19

Tokyo, Japan

The last couple of nights have been a blur of beers, neon lights, and crowded crosswalks... We rode an elevator up 60 stories in the Sunshine Tower for an incredible view of Tokyo - which really does look like something out of Blade Runner! Other highlights included eating yakiniku, vising the Pokemon store, and hanging out at The Lockup, a gimmicky but fun restaurant where all the booths are darkened prison cells filled with spooky faces. 

[aundriagottfried]

10/1/19 - Part 2

Tokyo, Japan 

It cooled down quite a bit as we walked toward the arcade district, Akihabara, and we were overwhelmed by the skyscrapers enveloped in neon lights and girls dressed in maid costumes at every corner. 

We each dumped a chunk of change playing crane games - some which involved mechanisms we’d never seen before - and collecting random prizes from “quarter machines”. 

On our walk back home, we decided to stop for a nightcap of ice cold Asahi and sizzling gyoza. 

[aundriagottfried]

10/1/19 - Part 1

Tokyo, Japan 

This morning we walked through the Nakamise shopping area, which felt very different to me as I’d only see it at night when most booths were closed. So many people, and so much to buy! 

Josh and I ducked into a small sushi shop and savored some of the best fish we’d ever had. He even tried sea urchin! Which he said he’d take any day over the fermented shark we tried together in Iceland last year. 

As the temperature started to rise, we walked across the gravel expanse leading up to the Imperial Palace. We stopped briefly to take some pictures next to the moat, and continued on our way. 

[aundriagottfried]

9/30/19

Tokyo, Japan

Hello Tokyo! I arrived from Manila and took the orange line express to the city, and met up with Brett and Josh in time for dinner. I’ve only been here for half a day, but wow, what an incredible city! It’s like no other place I’ve ever been. 

[aundriagottfried]

9/28/19 - 9/29/19

Tokyo, Japan

As Aundria was halfway around the world, I began packing my bag to hit the road again. Josh met me at my house, and we took off for the airport. After ten hours of watching movies we finally touched down. We didn’t waste any time - once in the center of Tokyo, we dropped our bags off and ran out the door. Our first stop was the Nakamise Shopping Street and Sensō-ji Shrine. After that we proceed to drink beer and eat ramen, not a bad day at all.

-Brett

[aundriagottfried]

9/28/19

Bohol, Philippines

Today we woke up with the sun for an early boat ride out - we swam with sea turtles and whale sharks! Even though the whale sharks only eat krill type creatures, it was still mildly terrifying to swim next them, knowing your entire body could be swallowed up in one gulp. 

Unfortunately I didn’t have a waterproof camera, but I will update with pictures from the group when I get them. 

Tomorrow we fly to Manila, then it is on to Tokyo for me to meet Brett and Josh!

[aundriagottfried]

9/27/19

Bohol, Philippines

To wind down from four straight days of meetings, we took a 20-minute flight to Bohol, a beautiful island much less developed than Manila and Cagayan de Oro, for a couple days of R&R.

We hung out by the pool, catching some sun (a little too much for me, unfortunately... ended up with “lobster legs”) and drove out to the tarsier conservatory. The tarsiers were adorable, something between a lemur and a monkey, about the size of your palm. 

On our bumpy ride out to the Chocolate Hills, my boss bravely chomped into a boiled egg that contained a duck fetus, which is called balut here. I had heard of this delicacy before, and was not too interested in partaking, much like the rest of our group. However we all had fun watching!

We also passed by some beautiful rice fields, and a few other small towns along the way. 

[aundriagottfried]

9/26/19

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

LOOK WHO’S BACK, BACK AGAIN

It’s been nearly a year since I've been able to break out my passport, but 2019 has been absolutely incredible - from starting new jobs in February and celebrating 5 years of marriage in September, to buying our first home a week ago, I can’t think of a better way to start wrapping it up than with a fresh stamp in my little blue book.

I’m very lucky to be in the Philippines with my office, building better relationships with those I work with on a daily basis. It took nearly two days to get here, flying from Portland to Tokyo, then to Manila, finally taking a small plane to Cagayan de Oro.

After work hours highlights included munching on crickets and fried chicken intestines at the food park, karaoke with way too many San Mig Lights, eating at the famous Jollibee chain, and walking around absorbing the many sights and sounds of the city.

[aundriagottfried]

11/18/18

Reykjavik, Iceland

A small break in the rain allowed us a walk down the shopping streets, and we ducked into a few cozy pubs for some drinks. The local McDonald’s style restaurant Aktu Taktu proved delicious however expensive, like much of the other fare in town. Sunday night we drove south to the tourist hotspot Blue Lagoon for a dip in the milky geothermal pools. We all breathed a sigh of relief relaxing and soaking in the giant steamy hot tub, bringing our trip to a close.

[aundriagottfried]

11/16/18

Reykjavik, Iceland

Caught up in a seasonal storm, we spent the day eating and drinking our way through Reykjavik. We ticked off another item from Josh’s bucket list, fermented shark, which was a unique and rather unpleasant experience we suspected might be a local trick played on tourists. Our other indoor activities included visiting the whale museum and national settlement museum, where we learned about the history and people of Iceland.

[aundriagottfried]

11/15/18 - pt. 2/2

Reykjavik, Iceland

As the last hour of light faded away, we piled back into our clown car and drove the two hours back to town for dinner and drinks. A few interesting things on the menu we saw were whale and smoked puffin...

[aundriagottfried]

11/15/18 - pt. 1/2

Reykjavik, Iceland

Possibly one of our last good weather days, we decided to hit up some of the sights on the Golden Circle. Driving out of Reykjavik north, we found the air to be much chillier, so we bundled up each time we got out of the car. 

Walking around Thingvellar National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall felt like being on another planet. Now we realize why Iceland is such a popular filming location!

[aundriagottfried]

11/14/18 - pt. 2/2

Reykjavik, Iceland

After a late lunch we turned around and headed west on highway 1, and decided to use our last few minutes of daylight to check out Solheimajokull glacier. As the light began to fade, we were treated to a beautiful orange and red sunset. Brett was a real champ and drove the whole day, around 5 hours round trip :)

The scenery here takes your breath away - our first day in Iceland was fantastic. The only thing that takes some getting used to is the smell of the hot tap water...