It’s a state of mind.
Hiroshima today is a vibrant, bustling city. If you didn’t know an atomic bomb completely destroyed it, killing hundreds of thousands of people near the end of a war three-quarters of a century ago, you might not believe it actually happened.
Once upon a time, Kyoto was the largest and richest city in Japan; the seat of imperial power. Then the shoguns took over.
Though Kanazawa is only about 70 miles from Takayama, the difference is night and day. Or more like several centuries.
One of the old-era experiences that Takayama tourists can enjoy is a stay in a ryokan, a unique kind of hotel in which the guests follow certain rigid traditions of Japanese life long ago.
It takes about 30 minutes by train to get to Yokohama from central Tokyo. Yokohama could easily be considered a Tokyo suburb if it wasn’t Japan’s second-largest city.
I highly doubt U2 were referring to Tokyo in their famous hit song. It just seemed like a good title to steal.
It seems the Japanese prefer smaller things. Sometimes really creepy smaller things.
A visit to Panama City seemed like an appropriate ending to our South American journey. Granted, it’s not actually in South America. But it’s close enough for government work (or French scientists).
I’m happy to report that I was able to write this blog post from the comfort of our Medellín hotel room. You may be wondering, how did we manage to escape whacko Raoul?
When people think of Bogotá – and Colombia in general – they often think of violent crime, vicious gangs, and kidnappings. Nowadays this is mostly not true. I say “mostly” because George and I have, in fact, been kidnapped.
The city of Quito occupies a narrow valley in the Andes mountains, at a point very near the equator (hence the country’s name). But Quito’s climate and environs are nothing like the equatorial regions you read about in middle school.