Asia Trip!

I hopped on a plane and for two weeks in August headed for Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Hong Kong! It was amazing! Here is a glimpse of my travels:

 Ho Chi Minh from the air!

The first night in Vietnam, I was surprised by a flash flood! I took refuge in a coffee shop right on the road.

Night Market! Each night while I was in Vietnam, I would stroll through the many night markets in the city and bring back some food to my hotel room.

 First night: Mangosteen!

Mangosteen are really hard to find in the US and I've never actually had one before. They were really incredible!

Rambutan! Similar to Lychee, Rambutan is just a bit less sweet... and covered in a bizarre skin.

 Bangkok!

Hong Kong!

...and back to Japan!

Bike Ride

On August 23rd, from 8:45am to 4:30pm, I biked (on my fixed gear folding bike) around the entire Miura Peninsula. EXACTLY 60.1 MILES... in 7 hours and 45 minutes!!

Amanohashidate

Outside of Kyoto is one of Japan's top 3 scenic views. Amanohashidate (also called "Bridge to Heaven") is a 3.3km natural landbridge. A single-person chairlift takes you to the prime viewing spot to see it!

According to legend, by looking at the bridge upside down, between your legs, it will appear as if it is floating on heaven.

What do you think?

We also rented bikes and rode the entire length of the bridge!

Climbing Mount Fuji

Climbing Mount Fuji is really only possible during July and August when the weather is suitable. A group of fellow Fulbrighters and I were up for the challenged and booked our bus tickets to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji for the last weekend in July!

We took a bus out of Tokyo around 9pm- enough time to allow for the 2 hour bus ride, and plenty of time to climb to the summit for sunrise! The bus was sold out weeks in advance!

Gym shorts over tights is the dress code.

The climb was way more difficult than any of us anticipated! Climbing uphill over rocks and other obstacles overnight in the dark with only the glow of a flashlight was tough!

Unfortunately, our hopes of seeing the sunrise from the peak were quickly squashed by a thick layer of stubborn fog. Instead of the sun, we were rewarded with an otherworldly blue fog that made the mountain side seem like another planet.

There was a single file line during the last 500 or so meters that made the climb to the top a bit more difficult.

The final 200 meters really seemed like a lot longer.

The final tori gate at the top!!

Within about twenty minutes into the descent, the fog cleared and revealed some incredible views...