Egypt – Cairo
While we were standing on the Giza Plateau, the pyramids didn't seem to be mysterious to us anymore, but their sheer size still overwhelmed us.
Egypt – Start
After almost a full day on the road, we finally checked into the hotel overlooking the ever-mysterious Nile River.
Japan – Kyoto – The Heart of Japan
Famous for its refined cuisine, crafts and gardens, Kyoto is considered by many Japanese as where their spiritual hearts reside.
Japan – Hakone
We spent one day at Hakone on our way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Hakone is famous for its hot springs.
Japan – Tokyo – Lost in Translation
Japan was our first trip to a country whose language was foreign to us. Luckily, almost all names of the places have Chinese characters, Kanji. It makes our lives a lot of easier.
Japan – Tokyo – Culture Fusion
Tokyo is the most unique city in the world to showcase the fusion of east and west, tradition values and modern sensations.
Japan – Temples and Shrines
There are countless temples and shrines in Japan, especially in Kyoto. While temples are for Buddhists, shrines are the worship places for Japanese traditional Shinto (神道教). Shinto Shrines are marked by its symbolical gate, Torii (鸟居). The most famous, also the most photographed, shrine is Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) in…
Japan – Beautiful Food
Most Japanese food taste quite light, (except noodles, they are very salty), and simple. A small portion of salted vegetables (咸菜) or Sashimi can be put on top of rice to make a dish. In fact, the rice itself is an ingredient. It is fresh and fragrant so the whole…
Japan – Restaurants and Work Culture
We arrived in Tokyo at Sunday night (4/25). I woke up at 4AM in the morning the next day and couldn't get to sleep any longer, so I decided to have a morning walk around the city. Our hotel is only 5-minute-walk to Ginza (银座). With the reputation of one…