I’ve written this post a half-dozen times.
I just don’t really know where to start or—how to. My time in Thailand was unlike any other travel experience I’ve had.
Detailing it here feels like it would somehow cheapen the experience. So, instead, I’ll keep things brief..
I sat 37 floors above Bangkok, watching a storm roll in over The Bay of Thailand.
I burnt off a decade of stress at the edge of a sun-soaked pool.
I met someone.
I said goodbye to someone.
I learned a lot about myself. About my life.
It was the kind of thing they put in books. The kind of story one doesn’t imagine ever makes its way into real life.
I will be forever grateful for my time here.
I hope you are well. Take care.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been on the road for almost a month already, first to Chicago and Michigan, then to Tokyo, and now Taipei. As time does when you travel, it has both crawled and somehow flown by.
Due to the heat and humidity, the days here feel long right now. I try and find something to do first thing in the morning, a long walk through a park or to breakfast, some tourist exhibit… something like that. Then, I tend to hole up for the afternoon and work. The schedule has been kind of perfect. I get a little exercise in the morning while the clouds build up and prepare themselves to downpour. Then, while I sit on my computer in the afternoon, the sky drenches the world on the other side of the window.
However, this trip has been primarily characterized by spending time outside, at night, after most of the heat and rain have concluded. Thus, pretty much all of the photographs are after dark.
That’s turned out to be a gift, though, as both Tokyo and Taipei are particularly photogenic after the sun goes down.
Also, I’m not the only one who has developed this pattern; the locals also seem to swarm the streets after 5 p.m.
Cafe Latte - カフェラテ - 拿铁咖啡
One thing I am particularly happy about on this trip, however, is that I faced my fear of ordering things in Japanese and braved some cafes. I am proud to say that I managed it more or less, even answering some of the questions right in Japanese (emphasis on some). This also opened up a whole new world for me, work-wise, as it enabled me to get out of the AirBnB and spend time with my laptop in cafes. Make no mistake, I don’t SPEAK Japanese. But I’m really glad some of my language-learning efforts have opened the door, even just a little wider.
I tried to carry over this practice to Taiwan. But uh, let’s just say the results have been more—mixed. From Starbucks I can consistently walk away with… a latte—so that’s cool.
It might be hot, it might be cold, it might be for here or to go. Total crap-shoot. Even though I keep looking up how to say these things and order in Chinese, the language is quite challenging to pronounce. Clearly, I am not well understood. It’s pretty funny most of the time.
Fujifilm X-E3 and the 27mm F2.8
One thing I’ve really been enjoying is shooting with the little X-E3 I picked up before I left. I decided to pare things down on this trip and only travel with a small camera and one pancake lens. While I am missing some of my other lenses a bit, I always find that limiting my equipment is often freeing and enjoyable.
It’s all just for fun anyway, so there’s no need to obsess over the photographs I missed with this more limited kit.
Flying to Thailand
My feelings on arrival in Taipei were sort of mixed, so I booked a flight to Thailand only a few days into being here. I regret this decision a little, as the place has grown on me considerably. I think I need to remember that I am always a bit uncertain of a new location in the first few days of arrival. That’s ok, though; what’s done is done. I would love to come back; there is so much more to explore here.
Hope you all are well. Take care.
With my trip to Japan concluded, I figure it’s time to wrap things up here on the blog. So, let’s begin where we left off.
Kanazawa
I had heard that Kanazawa was an interesting place in Japan. Popular sites there include some large and sprawling castle grounds, nationally renowned gardens, and a Kyoto-like old town. So, I dragged Thomas there by train. He seemed neither enthused nor unenthused by the prospect, just a more-or-less willing participant. Which is kind of how he is most of the time. So, we went.
When we got there, we found the train station packed with tourists. Though we had a lovely time during our week there, we never did really figure out why so many people go to visit. Kanazawa was just kind of… fine. Nice, but—fine.
We saw the castle, wandered through the gardens, and made our way through the quiet streets of the old neighborhoods, but I hardly took any photos. Maybe it was just the trip winding down, but I didn’t feel the urge to capture much of it.
It was peaceful there, though, and that was nice.
Really, the highlight of Kanazawa was our random and unexpected trip to Tsurugi.
Where is that, you say? That is also what we said when I found it randomly on the map. So, the next day we got on the most busted-up old train I’ve ever been on and went to see another random small town in Japan.
This excursion included the discovery of melon soda (the best soda flavor on Earth, IMHO), a pointless yet exhilarating walk across a river, and an equally pointless and slightly less exhilarating hike to the base of the mountains (which we could not hike into because they were… closed. I guess.)
Traveling to these random towns and villages became a thing for us. I don’t know why we both found it so interesting. Maybe it was just being in a place that most foreigners don’t go. Additionally, I find it fascinating to see how people actually live outside of Japan’s sprawling concrete landscapes and electric cities.
I find the Japanese countryside deeply endearing in its own way.
After we left Kanazawa, our collective adventure was basically at an end. We spent two days in Tokyo, and then Thomas flew home. Though I was sad to see him go, I was also looking forward to some alone time and the opportunity to do some more photography in Tokyo.
Cyberpunk Photos
I spent my final two weeks in Japan eating ramen and taking lots of night photos. I decided to edit said photos with a cyberpunk feel. I’m not sure why, but I figured I’d do something different. So, I will leave you with those to consume. Thanks for following along and reading.
If you ever get the chance to visit Japan, go.
