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| |  "Re(1):Travel thread once more!" , posted Sat 10 Dec 15:40:  
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I've got a lot of time between now and February to do some travelling!
Part of me wants to go to Europe, because I have never been there before, but I wonder if it being winter means that it won't be such a good deal what with the smaller number of daylight hours and the general darker and wetter weather.
Some friends of mine are planning on being in Tokyo in January, and southeast Asia is fine in the winter. I have been in parts of Thailand before, and nobi's in northern Thailand, which would be fun for a visit. I certainly wouldn't mind visiting Hong Kong and Singapore and eating crazy amounts of food there.
I'm interested in both cultural and natural things (I'm kind of tempted to go to the Scandinavian nations in spite of the freezing cold just to see winter there and the aurora!), and I've been recommended to visit Italy when it comes to Europe, and the extreme amount of cool architecture/history/food there is honestly pretty compelling.
What does mmcafe folks with knowledge of Europe think of winter travel there? How about southeast asia?
In college I did a study abroad program for a semester in France then ended it backpacking through Western Europe (Paris, Rome, Florence, Bavaria) in the winter. I had a fantastic time. It gets COLD AS HELL though. Especially in Germany. I remember as our train was approaching Munchen, the cold just seeped through everything. I ended up in a giant human hamster pile with my friends cos our clothes weren't enough to keep us warm. I had to buy a new set of clothes just for Germany (Florence was surprisingly chilly too). I've never appreciated a warm pair of gloves more in my life.
You're pretty tall though, so I think you can pack light cos you won't have a hard time finding stuff that fits you in Europe.
I've only experienced Europe outside of France in the winter and I loved it. In fact the snow made everything feel even more magical.
That said, COME VISIT ME IN CHIANG MAI. WE WILL EAT LIKE KINGS.
I can recommend some good day trips too. And if you're curious I can introduce you to all the local game devs.
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Sat 10 Dec 15:43] |
| | "Re(1):Travel thread once more!" , posted Sat 10 Dec 22:53
As a Mediterranean for whom sun is vital (and consequently suffering from sun withdrawal depression 8 month a year in the UK), I can have tremendous fun in south and east of Spain and most of Italy or Greece even mid-January, for example (with sufficient clothing). Amsterdam and Scandinavia would be dreadful, though. Paris and London are much more manageable if only because of the sheer size of it: you will always find things to do and watch regardless of the weather outside.
For some northern people (brits at least), Spain, France and Italy become gradually impossible to survive by May, all the way to October for the more skin-sensitive ones.
Iceland is fantastic but also crazy expensive if you think you're getting a shanty in the middle of nowhere. But then, you're in the middle of nowhere, and in winter can get 4 hours of light but also aurora borealis.
Italy will get you plenty of history, architecture, nature and FOOD regardless of the month, and is south enough so that you would get daylight from 8AM to 5PM in January. That should be enough to do plenty if you're organized enough. The trick will be management of warm clothing, as you can have a sudden chilly spell in the middle of a warm afternoon. Also, obviously, don't bring anything valuable because Sticky Fingers is not just a reference to some obscure band.
The problem in Europe is really balancing what you want to do and what you can actually do. Without enough preparation, you'll end up wasting your day in boring places and miss everything that's actually worthwhile. With too much preparation, you'll spend your time in trains and end up exhausted after the 3rd day without enjoying anything because you need to catch the bus at 12:47.
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| | "Re(1):Fuurai No Spoon" , posted Thu 15 Dec 12:15
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The Cafe makes a good case for Europe, even in the winter! But if you decide to acutally be warm instead, Southeast Asia should be fine then. Singapore is plenty warm then---you can hang out with Zepy (I think), or go eat perfect food everywhere (kaya toast and dim sum for breakfast, Hainan Chicken and Malaysian food every other time) and then go to Marina Sands and Sentosa, ideally on a sexy business trip with all expenses paid, nominally as your temporary boss' interpreter (this last part will take more preparation on your part). When you get bored, you can go next door to Malaysia and continue to eat well while in warm weather, and maybe go surfing. It is not a bad plan! Not to mention Thailand.
I hear it has cafes with nice names, too.
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| | "Re(1):Paging Maese et al" , posted Tue 20 Dec 12:00
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General call to anybody who will be in Tokyo in January from the 18th onwards: let's meet up!
You can also all tell me about the places I really should be visiting that I don't know to, like which parts of Kabukicho I should totally (not) go to.
Also, an acquaintance of mine will be working for DoCoMo in Japan starting next year. Has anybody here ever worked for/with them?
Spoon used "Summon Maese ++"
"Summon Maese ++" was super effective!
If you are going to hit Tokyo around Jan 18th, that's a most perfect timing for me. Hopefully Professor and other Tokyo-ites would be around as well!
Pretty much anywhere around Kabukicho should be fine for a foreigner. The scary part is actually the slums of Kabukicho, that no-man's zone that extends between the outskirts of central Shinjuku and Okubo. The whole place looks like a discarded filming set for some seedy yakuza movie from the 70s. But, then again, you have lived in San Francisco, so that would be like a walk through the park for you I guess. For more depressing stuff you could try the Sanya area, the slums hometown of Joe Yabuki, which has not changed that much since the 60s anyway. But, other than that, pretty much anywhere you go in Tokyo would be shiny and pretty.
As for touristic recommendations goes, I don't know what places of the city you already know, so it's difficult to tell. Anyway, for geeky purposes you can't go wrong with the usual stuff: a walk around Nakano Broadway, a visit to Takadanobaba to hit retro arcade heaven Mikado (and mingle with drunken college students once you are done playing Street Fighter Zero on a CTR monitor), or the usual pilgrimage to Akihabara. While I never liked Akihabara too much, I guess is one of those places you have to visit at least for a couple of hours if only to enjoy the crazy atmosphere. And I have to admit that Akiba HEY is probably the best arcade center in the country. Oh, and just near the JR station you can find two very interesting eateries: Ginzo is a personal favorite of mine, one of the best places to get good sushi for a reasonable price in Tokyo. Bonus points for always playing The Beatles as piped music. The other one is Showa Shokudo, where they serve the best old-style kara age chicken in the city. Nothing overly fancy (this is Akiba after all), but good stuff for affordable prices nonetheless!
But you probably know about these places already. Why don't you catch the Chuo Line from Shinjuku and venture around Western Tokyo, further than Nakano?
Koenji, Ogikubo, Kichijoji... Those places are full of neat little food stalls, awesome bars and great eateries. The atmosphere is great and they're easy enough to walk around. You don't even have to walk more than a 5 minutes distance from each train station to get on the middle of the action. The Japan from the Showa era still lives on these places, and the people is friendly enough to strike a conversation pretty much anywhere. Kichijoji wins extra points for its gorgeous park (featured in a lot of mangas from the 80s/90s, from GTO to Video Girl Ai), and for being a hot spot for curio shopping as well. If you are lucky, you might even walk into Tsukasa Hojo or Katsuhiro Otomo, since they live on the area along with a fuckton of other manga artists. Tsukasa Hojo, Tetsuo Hara and the gang even manage a posh cafe restaurant there (!), which is also highly recommendable.
Western Tokyo is an underrated gem, ready to be discovered. I mean, I live there for a reason! Ask our dark lord Maou for extra tips about the area, he's a huge fan as well. I will be happy to show you around if you want!
No idea about DoCoMo, but for IT companies they are pretty much as big as it gets here in Japan, so that could either mean it's a really nice place to work... or a living hell.
A Talking about Japanese History sword in hand
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| PSN: zonepharaoh
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| "Re(2):Paging Maese et al" , posted Tue 20 Dec 12:15
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Western Tokyo is an underrated gem, ready to be discovered. I mean, I live there for a reason! Ask our dark lord Maou for extra tips about the area, he's a huge fan as well. I will be happy to show you around if you want!
My advice is to follow my man Maese's advice since we love all the same things: old-school Showa-era shoutengai shopping centers, hole-in-the-wall eateries, tiny "live house" concert bars run by some dude who spent his 20s hitchhiking across 60s America and is now the most rock and roll guy in town, nice parks in Kichijouji, etc. Shibuya and Shinjuku are nice for a visitor or to go party, but West Tokyo is where you want to live, and not in a boring live with your 2.1 kids (or in Japan 1.7  ) kind of way. Best advice is to follow Maese around the west side and make sure he takes you to that cool place with the manga art on the walls, then join Professor on the rounds to his favorite spots, and ideally to then lose to both of them at Justice Gakuen and SNK games at Mikado.
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No idea about DoCoMo, but for IT companies they are pretty much as big as it gets here in Japan, so that could either mean it's a really nice place to work... or a living hell.
Hahaha. They say DoCoMo has the best celluar service, but like with people working at their favorite game companies, people may soon find that "liking their products" doesn't correlate to "liking working there." But maybe it's good anyway!
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
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| | "Re(2):Paging Maese et al" , posted Wed 21 Dec 18:03
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There's lots of places to visit within Tokyo too, though it depends on what kind of stuff you and your traveling friends (if any are coming) are interested in. Some people want to shop otaku stuff til they drop, some just want to check the cultural stuff, some want both...
For me this trip is a bit odd because I don't have a super clear objective of what I want to do or get out of it... it seems more like a trip that my pals want me to join in on. I did joke with them that they should just rent a car and drive around Gunma, especially since two were big fans of Initial D way back in the day!
Last time I was in Japan we had a much larger trip planned that did involve the JR pass, but we won't be needing them for this one.
I think one thing I wouldn't mind seeing is Kyoto again, especially if there's still snow there in January, even if it is a bit of a trip.
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The worst thing to do though, is just keep on going to the arcades 24-7
Neither of my two friends who are also going are so bent on arcades to do so, and I certainly won't be doing that, though I will certainly pay a visit to Taito Station or whatever given the chance.
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| | "Re(3):Paging Maese et al" , posted Wed 21 Dec 18:36
quote:
There's lots of places to visit within Tokyo too, though it depends on what kind of stuff you and your traveling friends (if any are coming) are interested in. Some people want to shop otaku stuff til they drop, some just want to check the cultural stuff, some want both...
For me this trip is a bit odd because I don't have a super clear objective of what I want to do or get out of it... it seems more like a trip that my pals want me to join in on. I did joke with them that they should just rent a car and drive around Gunma, especially since two were big fans of Initial D way back in the day!
Last time I was in Japan we had a much larger trip planned that did involve the JR pass, but we won't be needing them for this one.
I think one thing I wouldn't mind seeing is Kyoto again, especially if there's still snow there in January, even if it is a bit of a trip.
The worst thing to do though, is just keep on going to the arcades 24-7
Neither of my two friends who are also going are so bent on arcades to do so, and I certainly won't be doing that, though I will certainly pay a visit to Taito Station or whatever given the chance.
If you do Kyoto you might as well get the JR pass and also hit up Nara. You know, so I can vicariously live through you.
www.art-eater.com
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| PSN: zonepharaoh
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| "Spoon's Bizarre Adventure" , posted Fri 23 Dec 02:35:
Spoon-kun, good news: you have great flexibility in price/transport/accomodations, including the ability to ditch your friends because of the ease of getting around and because hotels essentially charge by occupant, not by room size.
Your accomodation budget will be next to nonexistent unless you are staying in a needlessly fancy hotel or ryokan. Outside Tokyo/Kyoto, a perfectly comfortable business hotel will be 5000Y/50 dollars a night. That is the same price as the psychological counseling you'd need after staying in an American hotel at that price!
If you want something more interesting, there are still state-run pseudo-ryokans and public onsen hotels all around the country. Jalan can find you exactly the hotel or ryokan you need. English site now, too.
Similarly, you can pay the big bucks for shinkansen, or execute a chain combo of super-local trains and scenery in 8 hours intead of 1, for cheap! Use the Norikae Annai and HyperDia sites and apps to chart trips by price and time. quote:
rent a car and drive around Gunma, especially since two were big fans of Initial D way back in the day!
This, however, is the best option. People are always making fun of my youthful home because it's "boring" and the girls are "not very hot" and the karakkaze dry wind is "really cold." These people are idiots! Gunma will give you:
-rolling flatlands encircled entirely by really cool mountains, most famously Akagiyama, for good driving/camping
-pleasant metropolitan areas in the south-central areas (Maebashi, Takasaki), magnificent gorges and waterfalls up north towards Midori (and Nikko), and famous onsen way out west (Kusatsu, Agatsuma gorge area)
-the kind of gigantic used comic-game-music-fishing gear(!?) warehouses that only the country can house
-an unbelievable museum of Showa-era pop stuff (albums, comics, bromides, old cars) gathered by an eccentric collector, because all non-game media after 1989 was bullshit and we all know it
-excellent soba and udon, and the best local dessert out of any prefecture (I will only tell you if you go)
-Gunma-chan, the number three ranked prefectural mascot character of 2012
-all of the above for cheap because no one goes there!
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Fri 23 Dec 04:59] |
| | "Re(1):THAILAND" , posted Tue 17 Jan 07:55
quote:
THREAD HIJACK
I'm thinking about doing a big trip late this year or next year, and one of the potential destinations is Nobi's homeland if I'm not mistaken*.
I'm still at the early stages of planning so I'm not looking for precise advises, but generally:
* I've heard November was one of the best times as the monsoon is over and the pollution level is still low (traveling with an asthmatic, I'm paying attention to that). True/False?
* Also, I'd be traveling with a weakling prone to stomach bugs and the like. My image of Thai food is that it's safe as long as you don't rely on dodgy food stalls. Y/N?
* How easy is it to travel around Thailand without a car/driving license? Are public services/bus/trains reliable?
* We like to walk. A lot. Are there big natural places we can visit and walk around without risking being eaten by a wild tiger uppercut?
* Has the political situation stabilized? A lot can change in 10 months anyway (hopefully for the better), but just to get some context.
* Any other general thing about the country I should know?
Thanks in advance!
It's worth pointing out that Thailand is a pretty big place, with double the land area of the UK. Where in Thailand are you thinking of visiting? If either of you cannot easily stomach fish sauce, fermented shrimp paste, dried shrimp, or nuts you will have a hard time.
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| | "Re(1):THAILAND" , posted Wed 18 Jan 03:22:
quote:
THREAD HIJACK
I'm thinking about doing a big trip late this year or next year, and one of the potential destinations is Nobi's homeland if I'm not mistaken*.
I'm still at the early stages of planning so I'm not looking for precise advises, but generally:
* I've heard November was one of the best times as the monsoon is over and the pollution level is still low (traveling with an asthmatic, I'm paying attention to that). True/False?
* Also, I'd be traveling with a weakling prone to stomach bugs and the like. My image of Thai food is that it's safe as long as you don't rely on dodgy food stalls. Y/N?
* How easy is it to travel around Thailand without a car/driving license? Are public services/bus/trains reliable?
* We like to walk. A lot. Are there big natural places we can visit and walk around without risking being eaten by a wild tiger uppercut?
* Has the political situation stabilized? A lot can change in 10 months anyway (hopefully for the better), but just to get some context.
* Any other general thing about the country I should know?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Iggy! Thailand is indeed one of my homelands (the other being the USA). It's a pretty big place and I can't speak with authority on most of it, but I can tell you what little I know.
First off, Thailand is exactly what you make it to be. Whatever your expectations are, you can have them fulfilled. It is a very accommodating country.
If you want awesome food, beautiful temples and relaxed people. You'll find them.
If you want to party hard, do blow and prostitutes, you'll find them (it's not my thing but I won't judge you too much).
If you wanna train hardcore martial arts in the jungle for a year, you can do that.
If you wanna go "digital nomad" and hang out at trendy cafes drinking coffee with free high speed internet all day and night dreaming of how your startup will disrupt society (but really just playing World of Warcraft and Overwatch all day), you can do that too.
There's so much to see and do. Everything you've heard about the country is true to someone's experience. You get what you put into it. I think this is true of most places, but particularly true about Thailand, which is something of the world's playground (you will meet people from EVERYWHERE here).
To answer your questions:
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I've heard November was one of the best times as the monsoon is over and the pollution level is still low (traveling with an asthmatic, I'm paying attention to that). True/False?
FALSE. Burning season begins in November traditionally, but farmers will begin earlier and end later. They don't do much to stop them. Many farmers will try to get in an extra cycle of crops this way. This is maybe my least favourite thing about Thailand. The air can get pretty bad. It makes me really appreciate the USA where air quality standards are legally enforced.
Aside from burning season they also don't enforce emissions regulations on cars, so there are a lot of diesel fueled monstrosities on the road. It's a serious problem. It's getting a little better lately. For instance, Bangkok is MUCH BETTER now than when I was a kid. But just be on alert, especially if your friend has athsma. It's not as bad as say Beijing, but the air quality will be significantly worse than what you are probably used to in the USA or Western Europe or the UK. I really don't recommend jogging outdoors or even intense bike rides because of this. Tourists see the beautiful weather and palm trees etc and I see them running like, roadside, during rush hour, just breathing in the toxic air! DONT DO THAT. It's ok to just run on the treadmill at your hotel. Your lungs will be so much healthier for it! (if you really need a running fix just wake up super early, like 4am or so before all the traffic starts up and earlier than the farmers will be burning).
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* Also, I'd be traveling with a weakling prone to stomach bugs and the like. My image of Thai food is that it's safe as long as you don't rely on dodgy food stalls. Y/N?
TRUE. Thailand is very clean compared to most tropical nations. I've been here 2 years now and haven't had any serious food poisoning (although keep in mind I'm a slob who will eat yogurt a month past the sell by date). My friends who have visited from other SE Asian nations have all remarked on how amazingly clean Thailand is compared to their home countries.
The best restaurants will have enough pride to run a very clean operation. For food stands, just stick to the popular ones. If there's a line it's probably actually good and clean. No one will return to a food hawker who has poisoned them!
Don't worry too much about dietary restrictions too. Unless you are deep in the countryside there's always going to be a 7-11 within walking distance offering the comforts of sandwiches and junk food. Thai 7-11s are actually really good. Up there with Taiwan and Japan. The frozen microwave foods ($1 each) are surprisingly tasty and not overly processed.
If you're in a destination city like Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket, there will be tons of western food options. And these days they are getting quite good. There are lots of cafes with breakfast/sandwich/pasta options that would be considered good by San Francisco standards.
But of course, if you can stomach the spice and the fish sauce EAT AS MUCH THAI FOOD AS YOU CAN (I will help you with this if you swing by for sure).
quote:
* How easy is it to travel around Thailand without a car/driving license? Are public services/bus/trains reliable?
Bangkok is not walkable at all. The BTS system is pretty good, but it's limited in where it goes. You will definitely need to take cabs to get around. Uber is getting really big now though. It's SUPER CHEAP too. I recently took a ride that was probably about 25 mins, 10km at it was less than $3. I'm pretty sure they are subsidised somehow.
Chiang Mai is SUPER WALKABLE if you stay in the city. And it's super easy and cheap to get around in the red trucks. Uber is also extremely easy to use here too.
I can't personally speak on Phuket and the beach towns, but I hear biking is not a bad option there.
Depending on where you go, you might even want to rent a van. You can get a huge comfy van and personal driver for an entire day. It's under $100 and you pay for gas. You can see A LOT in one day. If you're with a group this is totally worth it. Don't do tour groups, just hire a local driver. They'll know the best spots to eat too, even if you drive out to remote temples and parks.
For travelling across the country buses, trains and planes are all very reliable. I actually highly recommend the overnight buses. There are some that are styled after airlines, replete with an airhostess serving snacks and personal tv stations full of pretty recent movies. They're comofortable enough that I can actually sleep on them (unlike a Greyhound bus in the US). Buy tickets ahead of time though, they tend to sell out on weekends and holidays.
The train is also great, though it's a very slow way to travel. Much slower than the buses actually. But very comfy.
quote:
* We like to walk. A lot. Are there big natural places we can visit and walk around without risking being eaten by a wild tiger uppercut?
I can recommend some places for you in Chiang Mai. Lots of great day trips. And even in the city you can do a hike up to Doi Suthep, the locally famous temple (where they shot Mortal Kombat and Surf Ninjas!).
I've heard Pai is really great for natural beauty too. Well, depending on who you talk to it's also called a drug haven for dirty hippies. But i've also heard from recently married couples that it's beautiful and great for hikes.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/mae-hong-son-province/pai
I haven't been down to the beaches since I was a little kid, so I can't speak on them. But my friends who have visited have had a great time. They are extremely beautiful, though they're also very very crowded. Tourists everywhere. Protip: DO NOT GET BLACKOUT DRUNK OR HIGH in the beach towns if you're out and about. People will scam the hell out of you. You might even get beatup. They're generally a lot sketchier than Bangkok and especially Chiang Mai.
quote:
* Has the political situation stabilized? A lot can change in 10 months anyway (hopefully for the better), but just to get some context.
Unless you are in the border towns visiting an islamic separatist village you'll find Thailand to be very safe. The country is very stable right now. I was pretty worried after the former king passed but, life has gone on as usual. No recent coups, no economic crash.
There IS a curfew still in effect since the last coup though (we have A LOT of coups though they're not as dramatic as you might think). Most places stop serving alcohol after midnight. A few places have special exemptions (they are well connected with the police) so they stay open later. You can usually find some little mom and pop shops selling beer after hours though.
quote:
* Any other general thing about the country I should know?
If you visit Chiang Mai, I'd love to hang out! I'd be really happy to show you guys around! I'm not big into clubs or partying or sex tourism (not that I'm judging--just I simply wouldn't know how to help you there), but if you want to eat awesome local food, visit temples, get the best coffee in South East Asia, look at art, buy used books and comics, visit a bug zoo full of giant beetles, that kind of thing i can help you with.
Oh, also it's super easy to meet people on Tinder here. Gets to swipin' before you come! Whether you're looking to hookup or actually genuinely make some new friends, it's a very viable way to meet people throughout Thailand.
Also look out for free sim cards when you land. Usually the company called "True" will have people handing them out. You can probably get a week of free service out of the card. When you run out you can refill it at any 7-11 in the whole country. It's really easy and every clerk will know how to do it for you.
If you have any more specific questions let me know.
Oh one more thing. If you or your friend are vegetarian then you should DEFINITELY plan to visit during the Vegetarian Festival which takes place from October 20-28. During this time the whole country will focus on eating healthy but DELICIOUS vegetarian food. Every major chain will have vegan options marked by red and yellow Chinese letters. 7-11 (which is ubiquitious) will offer tons of Vegan stuff during this week nation wide. And there will be tons of pop up stands offering the best tasting stuff I've ever eaten that no animal had to die for. Karasu, you should visit at this time too!
One more note about being vegetarian in Thailand: although Thailand is a very Buddhist nation, it's surprisingly un-vegan friendly if you don't know where to go. Thai Buddhists don't place much emphasis on being vegetarian. Much like the historical Buddha, Thai monks actually just eat whatever people offer to them. If it has meat, so be it. So much like Japan's love for dashi, there's a good chance anything savory you eat will have some kind of fermented aquatic animal's essence ground up into it.
Anyway, thanks for your inqueries! Keep em coming! As you can see I absolutely love playing travel guide for people who visit.
If anyone else from the Cafe is gonna be in this neck of the woods, let me know. We will eat well! (See you soon Spoon!)
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Wed 18 Jan 03:39] |
| | "Re(3):THAILAND" , posted Thu 19 Jan 14:24:
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Nobi's amazing wall of detailed and precious information
Gosh. I knew the Cafe would not disappoint, but this is something else. Thank you very much!
XD :D
You're very welcome. I looooove travelling and also playing tour guide for travellers.
quote:
Just one thing: if November is a no-no from an air quality perspective, when would be the best time to visit to prevent asthma issues? October? December? Maybe January?
Correction to what i said previously. Burning season traditionally starts in January, so the very worst months tend to be Jan-March. However, from my experience I've smelled smoke in the air as early as November. November and December will still be much lighter than Jan - March, so if November is the best time for you to travel I'd stick with that. Burning season is particularly a problem in Chiang Mai since it's nestled inside a mountain range which traps in a lot of the pollution (like Beijing). If you're going to the beach or Bangkok you won't notice it.
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I like how you leave subtle hints about alcohol and partying and debauchery like that you assume that's the kind of things I would be
Haha well I don't judge (too much!). I'm just trying to be considerate! I know there are many reasons why people visit Thailand haha. I recently had a friend show up in Chiang Mai and essentially tell me "hey wtf where are all the hookers and blow? This is NOTHING like Bangkok!" and I was like "uh ... that's not really what people come to Chiang Mai for ..." I mean you can do that stuff here too, but it's not on the insane scale that you can do it in Bangkok.
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"Bug Zoo"
Ah! Nice! I always mention this place to people and outside of a few close friends (always other artists or Kamen Rider fans) no one ever goes! But the Siam Insect Zoo is SO COOL. It's a ZOO not a MUSEUM, so you get to handle giant awesome live insects! Giant Stick Bugs! Scorpions! Beetles from all over Asia and even South America! The gigantic phallic grubs that will turn into them! Caterpillars that will turn into beeautiful butterflies! It's sooooooo cooooooooooool.
It's located in an area called Mae Rim, which is where a lot of the animal/outdoors attractions are. So if you wanna wash an elephant, ride an ATV, shoot a gun etc, you can do all that in the same day while you're out there.
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Taking good note of this invaluable Thailand for my own...purposes in the future, as well.
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Nobi has just sold Chiang Mai to me... I think I already know where I'm gonna spend this year's Golden Week holidays!
I look forward to seeing you guys again! Iggy, I hope we get to meet in person sometime this year!
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Thu 19 Jan 14:52] |
| | "Re(1):To South Korea once again" , posted Sun 5 Feb 17:37
quote:
Hello again, cafe members. First I gotta apologize for not being as active on here as usual but I will strive to fix that. Second, as luck would have it I'm planing to visit South Korea in mid-March, and this would be my second time there since my last visit 2 years ago (in which I have also consulted you good folks on a travel thread just before).
This time, I'm hoping to stay longer and to go outside Seoul for a longer period of time, probably the majority of the time in South Korea even. All your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
To answer professor's thought from a few years ago, Chinese "fried sauce noodles" have a lot less sauce and the sauce is a lot oilier and saltier than the Korean counterpart.
What did you see last time?
I was amused to see not an insane local offering at KFC, but that Subway was there and had an essentially identical menu to North America. Perhaps the insipid mediocrity of it is a novelty there.
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza is interesting if only to see an extravagant use of space wherein somebody designed a half melted starship enterprise to serve as a museum. I greatly enjoyed walking to and visiting the royal palace, as the massive plaza before it was still full of very orderly protestors, while the palace itself lets you feel like you are in one of countless medieval dramas. I suddenly gained a much stronger appreciation of how it could seriously take minutes for word of a fight happening in one corner of the grounds to reach another.
I like hiking, so hiking some of the wall was really cool. One western part of it has monuments to historical oppression by the Chinese as well as a nice hike that may see you encountering Buddhist chanting on the way up. Past a certain point there are reminders not to take photos in a particular direction, which would likely be the direction of the royal palace, visible below.
The grounds of the major temple honouring past kings to the east of the old palace is interesting for many little notes, like how the performance grounds are deliberately uneven so people are instinctively discouraged from running across it.
Insaedong is touristy, but it is a delight to look at because of its big variety of building facades and the numerous art galleries in and around it.
If you haven't walked it before, Cheonggyecheon river bank is quite with a walk.
There are places to eat everywhere, but the area East of Jonggak station is packed with late night eateries frequented by salarymen and younger people. As such, the restaurants there tend to cater to group meals rather than solo ones.
Make sure you eat your Banchan! It's how you maintain good digression in the face of all the meat you might eat! If your going as a group, you can certainly look for places that serve makgeolli! I don't think that that is very much fun to have alone.
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| | "Re(4):Travel thread once more!" , posted Tue 27 Feb 18:50:
quote:
Another year, another travel thread post. This year I'm headed to Japan, to Tokyo again and for the first time to Osaka, mainly to attend KSB2018 but I would very much like to spend time in the city that birthed fighting games as we know it. I'll probably do the standard SNK-fan pilgrimage of visiting the Esaka bridge and maybe SNK headquarters, and some general touristy bits like Osakajo and such. But I appreciate any input.
If you're into fighting games at a competitive level (which I assume since you said KSB), you might also be interested in taking a visit on one of the evenings to the Cross-up gaming bar in Osaka.
For Tokyo, I'd love to make some specific suggestions, but for the time being, the usual places like Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya, Akiba, Ikebukuro, Odaiba, comes to mind. To make better suggestions, it really depends on what in particular you're interested in (culture, gaming, otaku shopping, sightseeing, etc). Some people come around Tokyo and only spend their days at the arcades and game bars, while some others come mainly for shopping, and *ahem* some particular people (you know who you are) go on a gourmet fest through even places I've never heard of.
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 27 Feb 23:18] |
| | "Re(2):Re(10):Travel thread once more!" , posted Sat 3 Mar 04:07
restaurants I can recommend:
Nakano:
yami yami curry in nakano broadway. they used to have a vegetarian option, now they don't. So I can't eat there anymore, but you can!
the taiwanese cafe on the 4th floor of nakano's sun plaza has great vegetarian food, and the lady is great.
Govinda's, also in the nakano area, has great indian food that feels cleansing. totally vegan, and the proprietress speaks at least 3 languages (english, hindi, japanese) and switches between them interchangeably.
80s j-pop bar. it's an 80s j-pop bar. you can make requests. it's fun! once a french guy and I requested the same song at the same time and hugged.
Shimokitazawa:
Magic Spice. You have to check when it's open, but they have indonesian-style soup curry that you can make super hot. veg and non-veg options abound. It's great, and is right next to one of the better Disc Unions.
Tonkotsu Ramen - right by the station, also has a totally vegetarian option (among many meat ones) and has a super cool guy working there who likes to talk in an old man kind of way.
Asagaya:
If you're there for some reason (I can't imagine why) they have a really good bakery. If you can find it, because I forget what it's called :P
Akihabara:
there's a shojin place near the station that's pretty decent. I wind up having to eat there constantly because there's nothing elseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. depends on how much you like shojin (monk) food.
Uhh that's all off the top of my head
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| | "Re(10):Travel thread once more!" , posted Sat 3 Mar 14:37
quote:
If it tastes good and it's located near something I'm visiting I'm all for it. It certainly beats trying to guess my way through the menu at some random noodle shop.
Well, one place that's not in any way unknown but that you're certain to pass by during just about any visit to Tokyo is T's Tantan, located in Tokyo Station just at the entrance to the Keiyo Line (in the 'Keiyo Street' shopping area that always reminds me of a differently spelled Keio). They have incredible vegan ramen and breakfast curry, and best of all they're relatively cheap, which is a real plus in an expensive place like Tokyo. where vegan food is even more expensive. They also open very early so they're a good bet for food on the way to an early flight via the Narita Express!
Noted! Thanks for the recommendation. That looks good and I'm not just saying that because I had a light breakfast this morning and am already hungry.
Kyoto is my favourite place in the world. The temples are just so breathtakingly beautiful and everything tastes good! You can walk in off the street anywhere and have an awesome meal! That said, here are two places I remember from my last trip that were real fun:
Blue Oni!
Aonigiri! What a fantastic pun!!! (with an added 4th layer as the proprieter's name is Mr Aomatsu). It's not fine dining, but man does it hit the spot. It's a lovely cozy little shop with a lot of soul and personality. Mr Aomatsu is super friendly and fun to chat with. On top of all this, it's the perfect food to eat on the go as you walk the Philosopher's path which is just around the corner!
Here's a video I took of Mr Aomatsu in action when I visited his store:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeiJaOBV4aY
Cafe La Siesta
This is a must visit for any member of the cafe. It's the coolest little videogame cafe I've ever seen. The food and drinks are just alright, it's the atmosphere of the place that's really rad. It's jam packed full of classic and obscure retro game STUFF. Not just games but old magazines, comics, doujinshii etc. Last time I was there they had a lot of chiptunes stuff. I believe the owner does his own Chiptunes? I remember buying a CD where every song had the word "kuso" in its title!
Those are the two places I remember most vividly. I also had some amazing Kaiseki and noodles and kyo-wagashi, but I don't recall the names of the places I visited. They were all ubiquitously GREAT though. Some of the best food I've ever had in my life, consistently. I mean, I was also just in a wonderful daze visiting all those temples, but Kyoto is also known for its amazing food in general.
Also PLEASE VISIT AS MANY TEMPLES AS YOU CAN.
THEY ARE ALL AWESOME. I'm sure you've already got some in mind. Wherever you go though, I highly recommend you collect the temple seals. This is the most wonderful souvenir I've ever gotten on any trip.
Be sure to pick up a Goshuin-cho, a beautiful notebook used for collecting said temple seals (shuin). Many temples will have a house calligrapher who will stamp your book with the temple's unique seal, and then hand write BEAUTIFUL calligraphy over it. It's such an amazing custom!
If you're interested, I can recommend some temples to visit based off of my own very limited experience.
www.art-eater.com
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| | "Re(9):Re(10):Travel thread once more!" , posted Mon 5 Mar 06:49:
Hey Ishmael,
It is nearly 4am over here and out of the mists of memory rises the best meal I've ever had in my life:
Irafune Sushi in Tokyo.
If you want to have world class sushi at a fraction of the price you would normally pay (for that quality) elsewhere, then make your way to the quiet residential neighborhood in Setagaya that has been blessed with this restaurant.
Many years ago I went to Japan to visit my girlfriend at the time (and also dearest Maou and The Professor!). This is where my girlfriend took me, knowing that I was crazy for sushi. This is where her father would take her for special occassions. She came from a very well to do family (the kids at the school in her neighborhood wore capes like they were going to Hogwarts and the house across the street from her was built in the style of Gaudi!) so she knew her fine dining.
We had watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi together in the US years earlier on our proto first date (that wasn't a date but turned out to be a date later). She was moved to tears (just some little ones) by Jiro's commitment to his work. She also told me that as great as the movie was, Jiro's was not the best sushi in Japan (she was deeply practical) and really there was no clear consensus best, but maybe someday she would take me to her favourite place, which was as good as any of them.
Well that day finally came and it was pure food euphoria.
Obviously I was already super hyped/biased by years of build up and being in love (the best spice!), but man Irafune Sushi did not disappoint!
I ordered the Omakase set which set me back about $130 or so. It was worth every penny and more. I am stupid enough to have spent as much as $500+/person at 3 Michelin star restaurants during the periods of my life where I could afford such luxuries. This meal absolutely blew those out of the water.
It was the best meal I have ever had in my life. Each piece of sushi was the platonic ideal of that dish. It was a learning experience. Every bite was glaringly obvious "SO THIS IS WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE."
The most surprising thing to me wasn't the flavours, but the lackthereof. Like awesome pretentious jazz, it actually made me accutely aware of not just the notes the musician is hitting but also the ones that they AREN'T playing! Gone was any hint of "fishiness." Instead, unfettered flavours unique to each cut of fish blossomed on my tongue.
And the TEXTURES. That was the biggest difference I can recall between regular tasty sushi and these almighty concoctions before me. It was like all the sushi id ever had before had been presented on fuzzy 2nd generation VHS copies played on an old standard def TV and for the first time I was getting to experience sushi shot on 70mm film projected in the most beautiful and intimate theater (mind you I chose this metaphor because I do genuinely love both these things).
I could FEEL the fast twitch muscle fibers of a prawn. The stretchy alien fibers of a squid. The highly oxygenated deep red muscle fibers of the tuna. My God the tuna! And the O-Toro. That was the bejeweled crown on this empire of flavours. I don't know how, but it tasted at once like tuna as well as the best cut of premium beef steak in the universe. I actually shed a tear eating it.
You know that part in Toriko where a mysterious chef ends all wars through a good meal? This meal made me believe that perhaps that ridiculous fantasy could be possible!
Anyway uh ... this place was really good!
It's been several years since I've been there, but if it's under the same management I'm certain it will still be an exemplary sushi experience.
Thank you/I'm sorry for this excuse to drudge up weepy old memories. I'd actually forgotten the name of this place until this thread came up. When I finally found it I was hit by a tidal wave of emotion.
If you wish to reach sushi enlightenment for yourself here is the Trip Advisor page for Irafune Zushi:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1066455-d1678363-r152599159-Irifunesushi-Setagaya_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html
Have a good one!
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by Nobinobita on Mon 5 Mar 06:52] |
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| "Re(5):Travel thread once more!" , posted Mon 5 Mar 20:56
Thanks everyone for helping out quote:
if you're into fighting games at a competitive level (which I assume since you said KSB), you might also be interested in taking a visit on one of the evenings to the Cross-up gaming bar in Osaka.
Prof: I am actually. In fact I'm kinda worried that I'll get too roped into the fighting games stuff to actually get time to explore Osaka outside of that. KSB will be a lot of fun I'm sure but I don't know if I'll even get the time or energy to do other stuff, but I will try. That gaming bar sounds like fun tho.
As for Tokyo, I'm heading with a friend who lived there for a few years so he probably will know his way around.
Karasu: We might end up being there together at the same time since I will be in Tokyo in late April. Just hit me up on twitter if you do get there, I can also let you know on twitter when I'm there!
Chaz: Good tip, I should probably arrange my stays as soon as possible.
Maou: Oh I probably won't have the time or money to relax. It'll mostly be getting up, heading to KSB, playing there, then maybe at night heading to arcades to play with the Guilty Gear/KOF gang, and then heading back to sleep. I doubt we will have the luxury for a ryokan. But the site you suggested is great, seem to have good hotel offers.
Exodus: Good recs, shame about that place not having a vegetarian option tho
Nobi: I recall you did recommend Blue Oni for Kyoto in 2015, and sadly when I was there I went to the place and the shop was off for vacation, we never got to eat there  .
Other recs sounds great still.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
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| | "Re(6):Travel thread once more!" , posted Tue 6 Mar 01:34
quote:
Prof: I am actually. In fact I'm kinda worried that I'll get too roped into the fighting games stuff to actually get time to explore Osaka outside of that. KSB will be a lot of fun I'm sure but I don't know if I'll even get the time or energy to do other stuff, but I will try. That gaming bar sounds like fun tho.
As for Tokyo, I'm heading with a friend who lived there for a few years so he probably will know his way around.
Karasu: We might end up being there together at the same time since I will be in Tokyo in late April. Just hit me up on twitter if you do get there, I can also let you know on twitter when I'm there!
Chaz: Good tip, I should probably arrange my stays as soon as possible.
Ah so your trip will be all-round-gaming! Gotcha. For Tokyo then, it's probably Mikado, Nishi-nippori Versus, Las Vegas Carnival, Shotbar Lucy, and Tokyo Game Bar. Of course depends on how long you'll be in Tokyo. Wow... come to think, I haven't really played KOF in over an year..
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| "Re(7):Travel thread once more!" , posted Tue 6 Mar 06:04
quote:
Ah so your trip will be all-round-gaming! Gotcha. For Tokyo then, it's probably Mikado, Nishi-nippori Versus, Las Vegas Carnival, Shotbar Lucy, and Tokyo Game Bar. Of course depends on how long you'll be in Tokyo. Wow... come to think, I haven't really played KOF in over an year..
I've been to a few of these (thanks to the MMCafe arcade guide, haha) but much appreciated. I also haven't played KOF in a while, tho I kinda feel ok whenever I get back to playing it, like riding a bike.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
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| | "Re(8):Travel thread once more!" , posted Tue 6 Mar 20:20
quote:
Ah so your trip will be all-round-gaming! Gotcha. For Tokyo then, it's probably Mikado, Nishi-nippori Versus, Las Vegas Carnival, Shotbar Lucy, and Tokyo Game Bar. Of course depends on how long you'll be in Tokyo. Wow... come to think, I haven't really played KOF in over an year..
I've been to a few of these (thanks to the MMCafe arcade guide, haha) but much appreciated. I also haven't played KOF in a while, tho I kinda feel ok whenever I get back to playing it, like riding a bike.
Great to hear that the guide was helpful!
Out of curiousity, what's your main game at the current time? I was assuming it was KOF because of your nickname.
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| | "Re(10):Travel thread once more!" , posted Sat 17 Mar 03:00:
quote:
Great to hear that the guide was helpful!
Out of curiousity, what's your main game at the current time? I was assuming it was KOF because of your nickname.
Right now it's Guilty Gear. Historically it was KOF right until late 2014 when Guilty Gear Xrd came out and I moved on to that (& I only dabbled in Guilty Gear before Xrd). I still play KOFXIV at every chance I get and attend every tournament I can but given the small number of players in my immediate local scene compared to Guilty Gear, I don't do it as often. Plus I'm not entirely satisfied with how XIV has turned out, even if as a whole I like it more than XIII, but I can't lie, I think XIII was just more fun to watch and follow, but I prefer how XIV plays.
Badoor-- Gotcha about your games. It might be interesting to see you play GG with another local MMCafe member if the timing is right. I can 'kind of' play KOF13/14, as I haven't touched either titles in a while. Since you're coming around Golden Week though, you should find plenty of players in the arcades of Tokyo and probably some events too (if you want to drown in matches during your stay).
Right now the hayfever is really bad in Tokyo but fortunately by the time you're here, that should be all gone. Unfortunately the Sakura blossoms will also be gone, although if you still want to experience something pretty grand you can take a daytrip to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival
On a completely different note, this subject just reminded me that around last April, I took a day off with a one-day train pass for the Setagaya Line known as a Temple lover's tourist heaven. Behold, the cute freaky cats that will haunt your sleep!
[this message was edited by Professor on Sat 17 Mar 03:02] |
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| "Badoor's Japan Report" , posted Thu 14 Jun 19:35
quote:
I'm also looking forward to hearing badoor's report on his expedition. His Let's Play: Japan should provide an excellent walkthrough.
So yeah I'm back home (and have been for close to a month now, sorry I only got back to this now) and I wanted to write a bit on my Japan trip as requested!
Me and a friend stayed a few days in Tokyo, then in Osaka for the KSB tournament, and then back to Tokyo. During the first Tokyo part, we were mostly occupied in Mikado arcade training being that it is the hotbed for Guilty Gear in tokyo (I even got to play on their stream a few times), but we did get some time to go to Odaiba to check out the new Unicorn Gundam there, we also got to check out the SNK Limited store in Akiba, pretty cool for SNK to finally up their merch production, I don't think they ever had as much merch since before their bankruptcy probably.
In Osaka, we attended KSB, which was my first time attending a major tournament in Japan. The venue was pretty cool, and I liked that they quickly turned most tourney setups to casuals once the pools were run, so lots of places to play casuals. My performance at the tourney wasn't great in KOF (I got 0-2'd), tho I did a little better in Guilty Gear (I lost to Taka for my first match, then I won my first loser's match against a Millia, only to lose against Maroshi, a Kum player, right after). They didn't set up screens for watching the streamed matches before top 8, so for a big chunk of the tournament people had to just crowd right behind the actual tourney setup and watch on the same monitor the players are playing on. But top 8 itself was a great time. KOFXIV was the first major event that came after 3.0, and it really cemented how strong Najd and Heidern are given their big presence in the top 8s. M' was great fun to watch, especially his K', tho he couldn't win against Score's Najd and Heidern, and he got 2nd. Guilty Gear was more predictable, but on the teams side it was much more exciting. My MVP was Consomme's Potemkin in the teams tourney.
Outside of the KSB tournament I did get some time to go around Osaka for a bit, went to Osakajo, Shinsekai and Dotonbori. I also was happy to finally fulfill a lifelong promise of visiting Esaka crossing. I wouldn't be calling myself an SNK fan if I didn't go there, even if there isn't much at the crossing besides a 7-eleven and an Excelsior Caffe.
Lastly back at Tokyo, we kinda got post-convention flu so we didn't have much energy to do much, but we did spend it mostly shopping for stuff in Akiba (I got a decent batch of Saturn games). But the best part was I got to finally meet The Professor face to face. We hung out (appropriately at a cafe) chatting about each other and about old and new fighting games and the fighting game scenes in my home country compared to US and Japan and such. We also got to play some games in a nearby arcade (we played KOF XIV and XIII and wow his King is no joke, haha). Hopefully I can come back to Japan sometime soon.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
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| "Re(2):Badoor's Japan Report" , posted Thu 21 Jun 05:20
quote:
Food-wise, did you try anything interesting in the two cities?
In Tokyo I mostly relied on my friend who was familiar with the city, had the usual katsu curry, yakisoba, unagi & beef donburi, and the rare ever hard to find beef ramen place. I did get a chance to try out the "Japan variant" of Denny's, their hamburg steaks were pretty good. I also tried some McDonald's special promotional burgers. Wasn't too impressed with them but the chicken McNuggets were just lightyears ahead of any other country I tried, very crispy and yet soft, probably the only time were the nuggets were tasty just dry by themselves, but the limited onion nugget sauce made them even tastier. The highlight tho was a "grill your own meat" type of place called Tontsuu in Kinshicho. I had some of the tastiest cuts of grilled beef ever there. And the black sesame ice cream was a perfect end to a great meal.
In Osaka I couldn't really try out places since I was overall occupied with the tournament, but I did try some Takoyaki, which I kinda didn't like that much, haha.
Oh and I drank lots and lots of hot canned/bottled boss coffee
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
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| | "Re(3):Badoor's Japan Report" , posted Mon 25 Jun 01:53
quote:
Food-wise, did you try anything interesting in the two cities?
In Tokyo I mostly relied on my friend who was familiar with the city, had the usual katsu curry, yakisoba, unagi & beef donburi, and the rare ever hard to find beef ramen place. I did get a chance to try out the "Japan variant" of Denny's, their hamburg steaks were pretty good. I also tried some McDonald's special promotional burgers. Wasn't too impressed with them but the chicken McNuggets were just lightyears ahead of any other country I tried, very crispy and yet soft, probably the only time were the nuggets were tasty just dry by themselves, but the limited onion nugget sauce made them even tastier. The highlight tho was a "grill your own meat" type of place called Tontsuu in Kinshicho. I had some of the tastiest cuts of grilled beef ever there. And the black sesame ice cream was a perfect end to a great meal.
In Osaka I couldn't really try out places since I was overall occupied with the tournament, but I did try some Takoyaki, which I kinda didn't like that much, haha.
Oh and I drank lots and lots of hot canned/bottled boss coffee
Whoa, how in the world did you find hot canned coffee in May? That's kinda wild.
Denny's is actually run by Seven Eleven (or at least the same company)! I find them ok I think? Their noodle stuff should be good because their CEO has a thing abnout them... when a new product doesn't get his blessing during taste test it won't go product.
After seeing the size of meat on yout Twitter I just checked out their site... that is one long beef.
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