Gude Travel

I failed in my attempts today to visit two Shinto shrines and a Buddhist temple. Like a total newbie too Japan, I was caught in the rain without an unbrella…at a temple that was a 15 minute walk from the train station. Talk about a walk of shame. Before that, though, I was able to…

Today I ventured out to the Osaka Aquarium on my own. I bought two tickets both times instead of a transfer ticket, and realized I should have used my Suica card (which is why I got it in the first place). I’m looking forward to my future train travels being much simpler as a result.…

I am heading out on my own in Japan now. I can’t really describe the fear and excitement I have because they almost cancel each other out so I’m just meh. I am excited to not have to acquiesce to the needs of others (something that is a constant when taking a group of 14…

There’s nothing quite like a Japanese festival. The food. The games. The dances. The parades. Did I mention the food? My personal favorite is the cucumber on a stick. This one featured a stand complete with a Kappa!! Honorable mention to the sugar coated sweet potatoes. Of course it wouldn’t be a festival without shaved…

Duality as a concept had a negative connotation. It’s often used as synonymous with “two-faced” or having ill intentions despite good actions. But I argue that duality is not only commonplace but essential for life. For example: I can disagree with someone’s point of view and still care about them as a person. I don’t…

Today I came across two things that left a lot of questions. Without more information in English or time to ask (we only had an hour at this location) I was left with a lot of questions. the first thing was a dwelling from the Jomon period. I didn’t know what the Jomon period was…

I don’t think any 11 hour flight is a pleasant experience. But there’s something magical about seeing your destination from the sky. You get these feelings of: “I made it,” and, “I’m about to explore all of that!” On this plane ride I watched Marcel the Shell, a stop motion “documentary” about a shell living…

Gearing up for my Japan trip in about 13 days, I’m reminded of the first trip I took to Japan. After an overnight flight into Japan and a groggy connection into Hiroshima, we landed in the late afternoon and hustled our way to our lodging. Having traveled for a good 15+ hours and crossed the…

I’m a lazy traveler sharing my stories from all of my adventures. The first trip I will highlight is a trip to Japan this June! I will travel first with a group and then on my own for a few weeks. It is my second time traveling alone out of the country and I can’t…