Clik here to view.
Arashiyama station
We didn’t know this when we came her for a lunch break, but Arashiyama station has a peculiar little point of interest called the Kimono forest: a few hundred poles which showcase Kimono designs. It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nijō castle
From Sagaarashimaya we made our way to Nijō castle, another interesting place to visit in Kyoto. Now, this glorious gate suggests indeed this is a castle, but it is certainly a very different castle or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Someone peeing into your ass crack
I have mused about Japanese toilets before. And for the record, also about bidets. Now here’s the toilet we have in our room at the Westin: A very typical Japanese toilet, which means it looks like it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kinkaku-ji: The Golden Pavilion
Kinkaku-ji is a magnificent garden that features one of the most stunning temple buildings I have ever seen: the Golden Pavilion. This time I tried to pick a better photographer for the family photo...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji, or Temple of the Dragon at Peace, was next on our list of sights for the day. Ryōan-ji features lush green gardens, beautifully set around a lake. See the little bridge in the background? It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ginkaku-ji: The Silver Pavilion
The last visit of the day took us to Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. Naturally I was wondering: after the Golden Pavilion that in fact is golden, would the Silver Pavilion be actually silver? Nope....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fever update
Looks like things get finally better, indeed: Oskar’s morning temperature is back to a normal 37 ºC. The rash has also disappeared. Instead, he has now developed a really mean and highly liquid...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tōdai-ji
Nara is the old capital of Japan and famous for more amazing sights and parks. It’s only a 45 minutes train ride from Kyoto but somehow I yet expected that we would likely face a funky diarrhea party...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Kasuga-taisha
After Tōdai-ji we walked to Kasuga-taisha, a shrine which seems to be located in an enchanted forest. These stone lanterns make for great photos… … especially when a model is standing right inbetween...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Clik here to view.
And the shuttle bus even left on time…
We returned to Kyoto and by now you might have rightfully asked yourself: didn’t he tell us Oskar had the diarrhea of the century? And that they brought lots of replacement pants to Nara for when...
View ArticleClik here to view.
No pizza at the Westin!
We arrived at the Westin hotel and decided we did not want to go out anymore for food. We had had dinner at the hotel already a few times as well, and my wife was craving something definitely...
View ArticleClik here to view.
That’s what they’ve done for you lately
Tomorrow our new helper will start with us. Her name is Agnes. Tess will return to the Philippines on Monday, May 11, so there will be one week of overlap. This is a little stressful: how will Oskar...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another big question gets answered in a different way
If you have been following this blog closely and really read through all my recent entries about Japan (like my buddy Francisco did), then you know that we are expecting again! … it makes me smile just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tess’s farewell
In two days Tess will board a plane back to the Philippines and start a new phase in her life. We’re happy for her, but it’s hard to see her go. Tess started to work for us and live with us in January...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Mira and Zuhreen are singing Happy Birthday for me…
Sajal was buying me coffee for my birthday and I got this unexpected serenade. Thanks a lot, girls! And yes: I am buying a lot of coffee there…
View ArticleClik here to view.
The cap I’ve had before already…
Another belated birthday present – this time from Nagi and Fely. A shirt and a very nice photo book. Thank you! :)
View ArticleClik here to view.
Parcel Ping Pong
I had shipped out my iPhone 5s to Germany with DHL on Thursday. It’s a present for my mom, and I sort of had hoped it would arrive on time for Mother’s Day on May 10, but I knew it would likely not...
View Article