travel zen on friday: kinkakuji (golden pavilion zen temple)

Kinkakuji - Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.

restuarant review: sukiyabashi jiro roppongi (and my experience getting a reservation)

(Tokyo, Japan).  Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi is a 2 Michelin-starred sushi restaurant run by the son of Jiro Ono who was showcased in the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi".  My husband and I loved the documentary and for years dreamed of eating at the original location.  

restaurant review: chote chitr in bangkok

I was very excited to finally eat Thai food in Thailand - except there, they just called it food. For my (and the lovely Mr. Sazy Rock's) first meal, we headed to the old city and sought out Chote Chitr, one of the oldest restaurants in the city. The hubs has previously dined here on a prior visit and it made such an impression on him that he wanted to see how things have changed (or not changed) since his last visit. I was more than happy to indulge him as it meant I was going to eat. (Contrary to anecdotal theories that heat and humidity suppress the appetite, mine has always maintained a constant level of needing to feed my tummy.)

Chote Chitr.

The Scene

When we arrived close to noon, the place - a small, 6-table restaurant - was empty. Indeed, it remained empty the whole time we were there. This did not really bother me but it seemed odd that no one else was there.

travel zen on friday: sunrise in Bagan

I found Bagan a magical place... especially at sunrise. Happy Friday, everyone!

Sunrise in Bagan

Below is a time lapse video I took of hot air balloons at sunrise in Bagan. Enjoy!

day 6 in tokyo: mori art center (roppongi hills), sukiyabashi jiro roppongi, nakano broadway and ippudo ramen

(Tokyo, Japan).

Large spider statue in front of Mori Art Center.

After yesterday's day o' shopping, we decided to have a more "cultural" day.  We were fortunate enough to score lunch reservations at Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi (a famous 2 - Michelin starred sushi restaurant - the chef's father was showcased in the documentary film - Jiro Dreams of Sushi).  The restaurant was located in Roppongi Hills which happened to have lots of museums and galleries so our plan seemed perfect!

Gundam Exhibit Ad in the subway.

We took the subway and, again, it was super easy.  We just had to read the signs carefully and watch for the color coding.  When we got to the Roppongi station and walked towards the Mori Art Center, we saw several bulletin boards and posters for a special "Art of Gundam Exhibit".  My husband and I are both fans of Japanese anime and this show was one of the pioneers of anime, so we were both excited (but I have to admit my husband was way more excited...)

airline review: asian wings airways

Asian Wings.

Although a few international and regional airlines fly into Yangon and/or Mandalay, many (if not all) do not fly domestic routes. Instead, it appears that local airlines dominate those routes. Asian Wings is one of them.

I flew Asian Wings between Yangon and Bagan - a short hour or so flight - and thought it was harmless enough.

Booking

First, I booked the flight through another airline with a code share with Asian Wings. I booked and paid online and received confirmation fairly quickly.

Check - in

The check in process was fairly chaotic, as detailed HERE. It was also quirky in that check in was done in person with no option whatsoever for online checkin. For more quirks, please check out my previous post HERE.

The Flight

We boarded from the back of the plane and deplaned the same way. So, if you want to get off the plane, sit in the back.

The plane was small but clean. The seats were also smaller than US airlines. So, taller folks might have some issues. But, for shorter folks, it should be somewhat comfortable. There was no in flight entertainment or anything like that but for such a short flight, it did not really make a difference. One thing I did not really like was that the windows were too scratched up and it was difficult to take pictures from the window seat. A shame, really, because there were some pretty nice views especially when we were getting in to Bagan.

The window of Asian Wings.

The flight attendants were well dressed in their uniforms and were friendly. I believe they all spoke English with varying degrees of proficiency.

Asian Wings did provide in flight snacks (included in the fare price, which was not cheap). They were not great (the sandwiches were dry and sparing) but I appreciated a bit of a bite to quell my gnawing hunger.

Asian Wings Snacks.

Asian Wings Sandwich.

Verdict

Overall, I had an okay experience with Asian Wings. It got me from point A to point B and back without much problems.

Have you flown with other domestic airlines in Myanmar?

travel zen on friday: nakano broadway nostalgia

Nakano Broadway in Tokyo is a must-see attraction if you love manga, anime, and science fiction.  This little shop made me incredibly nostalgic and oddly homesick...

day 5 in tokyo: shopping in shinjuku (isetan), pork tonkatsu at takumian, and lazy rainy day

(Tokyo, Japan).

Melon Pan - basically a sweet bread.

 I was still combating jetlag, but 5 hours of sleep was pretty good overall.  While my husband was still sleeping as I watched him with green-eyed envy, I tried some of the melon pan we bought along Nakamise-dori (at Sensoji Temple) yesterday.  It was lightly sweet and still fluffy.  mmmmm...

Today we didn't have any specific plans other than to explore Shinjuku and do some shopping - which was ideal on such a rainy, grey day.  We took the subway from Ebisu to Shinjuku (4 quick stops) and found a tax-free store adjacent to Uniqlo.  I think it was called Bicqlo or something like that - about 5 or 6 stories of fun stuff to buy - makeup, clothes, housewares, snacks, toys galore!  We especially liked the anime/toy floor where they had several rows of gonchapon machines.  Basically vending machines where you can get little toys - but it's always a surprise what you end up getting.  Very addictive....

things to know about yangon international airport (rgn)

RGN.

As Myanmar continues to open up to the world, I am certain that it will attract many more visitors. This is not surprising. I found the country beautiful, the people were friendly, and the food was tasty. A perfect trifecta.

But first, what should a traveler expect when arriving at/departing from Yangon International Airport (RGN)?

The below is accurate as of my visit in November 2015.

travel zen on friday: fishermen in bagan

Fishing at dusk. Happy Friday, everyone!

Fishermen on the Ayeyarwady River.

how i got around tokyo (and kyoto) with my suica card and tokyo metro app!

Tokyo has so much to see but the attractions can be a bit spread out and taxis are also a bit expensive (but the service and cleanliness can't be beat).  So how did I get around in Tokyo more economically?

bagan eats: curries and more

Feast at Shwe Myanmar (aka Golden Myanmar)

While Mr. Sazy Rock and I enjoyed eating in Yangon, one other dish that captured my stomach comes from Bagan: the pork curry. I soon learned, however, that the dish itself, while very tasty, was not the draw. Instead, a particular restaurant that served that dish was the star.

But before I get into my top tastes in Bagan, as a little background information, we ate a lot. We tried many dishes. But, some, sadly, were not worth mentioning. The below, on the other hand, deserve a lot of kudos:

travel zen on friday: bamboo forest in kyoto

Happy New Year!!!
Sharing one of my favorite places in Kyoto - the Bamboo Forest.  It is incredibly serene and lovely; and there are lots of delicious restaurants and shops nearby.