Just a few short notes from the city formerly known as Edo: Free Hugs As I came out of the subway at Shibuya, I saw this couple with a hand-drawn sign that said “Free Hugs.” Now, Shibuya Station is huge, with three metro lines and two train lines all converging here. Above ground is the famous (or infamous) “Shibuya Scramble” a pedestrian street crossing reputed to be the busiest crossing in the world. I watched them for a while, and they really were hugging people. Not asking for money, not trying to get anyone to sign a petition, just giving free hugs. Intrigued, I went and asked them about their sign. Turned out the young man was Japanese, and all his life he had been very shy. He was determined to fix this, and he figured ... read more

I like food (well, duh! Who doesn’t?) But one of the many things I value about travel is getting a chance to taste and see food that either I’m unfamiliar with, or that I don’t get a chance to eat at home. Tokyo gave me opportunities for both. The Fake You have probably seen fake food, made of plastic, displayed outside of restaurants in order to lure you in. When I found that there was a whole street in Tokyo dedicated to shops that sold this sort of fake food, I knew I had to go look. The street is Kappabashi-dori, located in the Asakusa neighborhood – not too far from Senso-ji Temple. As I was standing on the corner, looking at a map and trying to get my bearings, a gentleman came up and asked ... read more

I’ve been waiting for someone to develop the transporter beam from Star Trek for decades now. Before you scoff, think about cell phones, especially the older flip phones, and how much they look like Star Trek communicators, and there are now thermometers that can take your temperature without touching you, just like a tricorder could. But I digress. Sadly, the Tokyo Teleport Station is far more mundane. It is a just a station on the Rinkai subway line, on the island of Odaiba. Odaiba is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, which was made from six smaller man-made islands. The original six islands were built in 1853 to protect Tokyo – then called Edo – from an attack by sea, which primarily meant keeping Commodore Mathew Perry and his “black ships” at bay. It didn’t work; ... read more

My intention this morning was to go to the Tokyo Teleport Station, just because it sounded intriguing. Could I teleport to Paris? The jungles of Borneo? How about Mars? One of the world’s tallest Ferris wheels is in the area, and I’m a sucker for Ferris wheels, so it sounded like a win all the way around. Add in the Maritime Museum and the Fuji TV Building, and I was in. Fortunately, I checked opening times, because, sadly, some of these attractions were closed on Monday, and today was Monday. So – on to Plan B. Ueno Park is a lovely green spot in this huge city. Home to several museums, memorials to poets and samurais, and a couple of beautiful temples, this was today’s adventure. Add the fact that a market street crammed with shops ... read more

So much of what I found as I was researching my trip to Myanmar was out of date or incorrect. Things in Myanmar are changing very quickly; this information was correct as of December 2016. - By the way, the US still calls this country “Burma” on its websites. I expect this will change in the near future. In an interview while I was there, the US Ambassador was asked when the US was going to start calling the country Myanmar. The ambassador replied that he expected that would happen soon, but, you know, there are lot of forms. Visa You can now get a visa for Myanmar online. The cost for a tourist visa is US$50, payable with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or JCB. The application is simple, and you will get your visa letter ... read more