Jaymerica

Well, it's time for yet another adventure. I've just returned home from a month touring around the UK in a camper van with my good friend Braddlesnake for the Rugby World Cup. I didn't end up documenting that trip here, probably for the best, as it was filled with debauchery. That said, it was a tour for the ages. However, now it's time to turn the page and head to the other end of the globe. Today I leave for Brazil for a 4 month tour of South America. I plan on meeting my boy Schmeck Demnshmeckerleker in Rio, then touring around before I meet up with some others. This is the most fluid and un-planned trip yet, so let's see how it works out for me. Hopefully it'll be entertaining and I can share some ... read more

I was pretty relaxed after Koyasan... Almost too relaxed, so I thought it was time to mix it up a bit in Osaka. After the great deal of temples I had already visited and reading my guidebook a bit, I was somewhat relieved to find that the main sight in Osaka that I was interested in was the entertainment district of Dotonbori. Osaka is essentially the Toyko of southern Japan and has been an economic hub for decades especially due to its close proximity to the sea. Unfortunately, my hostel was located on a bit of the outskirts of the main part of town, which some might consider a "rough part". With that in mind, if this was the rough part of Japanese metropolis, I would happily take it any day over the "rough parts" I've ... read more

I was eager to hop on the train bound for Kyoto not only to experience the cultural hub of Japan, but it gave me 2 hours of much needed sleep on the infamous Shinkansen (bullet train) from my lack thereof the night before in Tokyo. I also planned on taking a day trip to Nara, about an hours train ride away, which was Japan's first permanent capital in 710AD. So I hopped off the train eager to experience some traditional culture. What struck me already was the amount of tourists both foreign and domestic. Not only is Kyoto sought after by international visitors, but Japanese people also roam from different parts of the country to absorb their rich culture. On my way to my hostel in the Gion district of Kyoto, I was already able to ... read more

Well, let's keep our fingers crossed that there aren't any earthquakes overnight. I don't say that to sound facetious, but the first time I tried to make it Japan in 2011, the most devastating earthquake to hit the region happened right as I was packing the night before departure. I'll never forget the disbelief as I turned on my TV to watch the tsunami rolling in. So here's to another kick at the can. This is the most structured trip yet, as the popularity of the time of year in Japan makes accommodation hard to come by. I'll land in Tokyo and make my way south, stopping in key spots such as Nikko, Takayama, Kyoto, Nara, Mount Koya, Osaka, Hiroshima and finish off in beach bum style with a few days in the tropical Okinawa. Oh, ... read more

The next high-speed train I boarded was en route to Xian, home of the Terracotta Army. This train would share a similar time as the one for Beijing, but I would be awake for a little more of it. Richard would meet me there via air from Shanghai. I was stoked because this would be the first actual “on the road” travel experiences I’d have with him. As the train arrived at the station, I already began to feel like a bit of a pro. I had the trains down, networks of metros seemed fairly easy, and I was actually picking up a few functional words in Chinese. I disembarked the train and made my way directly to the metro ticket line, and bumped into two fellows from Switzerland and France. We chatted for a moment ... read more