Blogs from Asia - page 11

My next destination after Vietnam was Japan, I landed in Tokyo at an odd hour and just crashed the first night. While end March is spring time in Japan, this year the winter has lasted longer and the cold, rain and the winds have lingered. The next day, I went out in search of Cherry Blossoms to Ueno Park, but due to the cold weather, only a few trees had bloomed. At Ueno Park, I was fortunate to see a Torii Gate without people though. Torii Gates are found at the entrance of Shinto Shrines as a mark of transition from the mundane to the sacred. As I explored more, scattered cherry blossoms trees appeared and I saw both the Yoshino cherry blossoms and the weeping cherry blossoms. Next day, I headed to Sumida Park in ... read more

Tuesday’s nearly gone with the wind. Heading out for some shopping for gifts for the gym. Finally had a little time between sessions although the time goes fast. Up early today and feeling rested. Lots of things to get done in these next 3 days. Because I was so tired from the training yesterday, I didn’t get out for much shopping. Tomorrow afternoon I will head back to Terminal 21 and see what else is available on the streets. This morning I did a good stretch. That seems to help ease any running issues, and that was true again today. I arrived at the gym and started my run feeling good. It’s an 8 lap morning and had no cramps or any problems all the way through. I decided to do a sprint down the alley, ... read more

Now entering the final week of the trip with 4 more training days to go. This morning I got a good stretch in before leaving and felt pretty good. The BTS was very empty this morning, but the road and people traffic this morning was the same as every workday. I got to the gym at 7:30 and no one was there. Even the gate was mostly shut. That must mean the victory celebration lasted well past when I left yesterday. I slid quietly inside, dropped the bag and then headed out for my morning run. Not as easy as I was hoping, but I did pound out my 8 laps in 30 minutes. Had a small cramp in my leg but only on the last lap. It was a tough run to get through this ... read more

So much to see in this amazing land of contrasts. I’m enjoying observing regular people going about their lives perched above them from our tour bus window, and I love interacting with locals when I get the chance. Indian people are warm and friendly. Several times we’ve been photographed by locals who are intrigued by our differences, and on a few occasions I’ve been asked to join a group shot, not dissimilar to travelling in Japan! This time I’m writing while travelling from Jaipur to Agra, the home of the uber famous Taj Mahal. I’m glad we’ve left the Taj well into the tour, otherwise I fear all other monuments will pale into insignificance! Back to Jaipur, and in fact Pushkar which we visited for one night en route from Jodhpur to Jaipur. Pushkar is a ... read more