Getting Around by Metro and Train

Suica Card
On our first day in Tokyo we bought two Suica cards that we used throughout our stay on the metro as well as JR trains.

We initially purchased cards with a value of 1,500, but ended up adding another 1,000 yen to the cards after a few days. The cards were so convenient and it was nice to not have to worry about calculating the fare and buying tickets with every trip on the metro. We even used the cards to purchase food on the train and at convenience stores.

We didn't have any problems purchasing the cards from the machines. We just selected the English option and followed the instructions. Adding value to the cards was just as easy.

JR Passes
Before leaving for Japan, I purchased two adult 7-day (Ordinary) JR Passes. The passes were $292 each plus $25 for FedEx delivery through JRPass.com. Delivery was incredibly fast. I placed the order on a Friday and they were delivered the following Monday.

I worked hard to organize our trip in a way that would maximize the value of the JR Passes. Below is a list of the train trips we took along with their fare in yen:

1. Tokyo to Hiroshima (17,850 yen)
2. Hiroshima to Kyoto (11,110 yen)
3. Kyoto to Takayama (9,680 yen)
4. Takayama to Tokyo (14,300 yen)

The fares totaled 52,940 yen and the pass cost only 28,300 yen, so we saved 24,640 (or nearly $250 per person.

In addition to the long-distance trips listed above, we also used the JR Pass to take the train and ferry to/from Miyajima and the train to/from Nara. While the costs for these trips was fairly low, it was nice to have the passes and not worry about getting tickets in advance.

I exchanged our exchange orders for passes at the Ueno station as we headed back from Asakusa. It was very easy. I just needed to show our passports and fill in a small form. At this time, I also made reservations for Tokyo-Hiroshima and Hiroshima-Kyoto trips. Prior to leaving Kyoto, I made the remaining reservations. I could have done it all at once, but I wanted the flexibility to change our plans (which I ended up doing).

It was really easy to use the passes. You just have to go through the manned gate instead of using the automated turn styles. The first time our pass was used, it was validated at the gate.

Elevators
We were traveling with our two year old son and because of the crowds and the fact that we were usually running a bit late, we generally had him in his stroller in train stations. Fortunately, almost every station had elevators that were easy to access. We just followed the signs and when we couldn't find them, we would just ask one of the attendants. They were always more than helpful with locating an elevator or providing a track number so we can quickly get to our train.

Hakone - Planes, Trains and Automobiles (well, trains, buses, boats and cable cars)

On Tuesday we headed out of Tokyo for a day trip to Hakone. If the weather had been clear (which it wasn't), it woul dhave been our chance to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. Even without the view, it was a fun-filled day with lots of forms of transportation around the Hakone area.

We started by taking the metro to Shinjuku station where we could buy our Hakone Free Pass (2-days, 5000 yen plus 870 yen surcharge for the "Romance Car"). The "Romance Car" is the silly name for the express train to Hakone-Yumoto. This service is operated by a different rail company, Odakyu, so we could not have used our JR passes for this trip. Once we found the Odakyu ticket counter in the station, we bought our tickets and headed to the platform. Surprisingly, we were on time.

This was our first time on a Japanese high speed train and it was as sleek, clean and fast as I had imagined. It was a weekday and it was not very crowded, so we could stretch out and take up a few seats.

The Free Pass covers train fare from Tokyo, as well as most of the other types of transportation in Hakone. We did the standard "loop" from Hakone-Yumoto backwards so there would be less crowds. This entailed:

- Bus trip to Hakone-machi

- Sightseeing cruise to Togendai

- Ropeway to Owakundani and Sounzan

- Cable Car (funicular) to Gora

- Train to Hakone-Yumoto

- Express Train back to Tokyo's Shinjuku station

Narrow gauge train between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora.

Sightseeing boat across Lake Ashi.

View of the cable car/ funicular that runs uphill from Gora.

In Owakundani, we ate the famous black eggs which are boiled in the hot springs and turn black because of the sulphur. The eggs are said to increase longevity.

And even though we missed out on any views of Mt. Fuji, we still enjoyed the ride on the ropeway and the amazing views across the valleys.

Back at Hakone-Yumoto, we hopped on the express train again for the ride back to Tokyo, but before we did, we picked up a few beers to keep us company along the way.

Tokyo - SkyTree and Asakusa

We got a late start on our second full day, probably due to a combination of jet lag and a long day prior. Once we were up, dressed and fed, we made our way to the Tokyo SkyTree for amazing views of the city.

It was very easy to reach the SkyTree. We took the Asakusa line metro from the Higashi-Ginza station near our hotel and hopped off at Oshiage. We made our way up through the station and bottom of the building to the 4th floor to buy tickets. The line was pretty long but kept moving and lasted about 20 minutes. We bought our 2,000 yen tickets and after an elevator ride that zipped us up 350 meters in less than 50 second, we were at the first observation deck.

The SkyTree opened about a year ago and you can tell. There were vast facilities at the SkyTree, as well as a shopping complex. At the observation deck, there's a cool section of the floor that has a glass bottom so you can see all the way down to the ground.

We jumped on the Toei subway this time and got off one stop later in Asakusa, which I think was my favorite neighborhood in Tokyo. It was approaching 5pm by the time we got there, so many stories were already starting to close up for the day. We wandered through Nakamise Dori and tried a few snacks before stopping at Sensoji Temple at the end of the outdoor market.

  

Next we headed to Kappabashi (Kitchen Town) and were disappointed to find that all of the shops were closed for the day. We promised to come back before we left town so we could get in our ceramics shopping.

Since it was dinner time, we decided to find a place to eat in Asakusa rather than struggling to find something not too expensive in Ginza. Thanks to Lonely Planet (and Google Maps) we found a local, no-frills tempura restaurant called Daikokuya that we enjoyed.

Next it was back to the hotel for the night since we planned to have an early start the following day for a trip to Hakone.

First Day in Tokyo - Harajuku and Shibuya

We started off our two week trip with about 5 days in Tokyo. Our flight from Delhi arrived into Narita at 1:30pm and by the time we made our way to our hotel by the airport limo bus it was about 5pm. We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard Ginza for five night using points (yay!). The room was pretty small, but that was to be expected for Japan, but it had everything we needed. What the hotel lacked in space, it made up for in service and cleanliness.

The location proved to be great, just a few blocks from the heart of Ginza. Two metro stations were nearby - the Ginza and Higashi-Ginza stations were both only a few minutes walk from the hotel and the JR Shimbashi station was about 10 minutes on foot. There were lots of restaurants, shops and malls nearby and a Lawson's convenience store was only a few stores down.

Day 1: We started by taking the JR train from Shimbashi to Harajuku. We could have gone by metro, but we would have had to change trains. Since it was our first full day in the city and we were moving around with a 2-year old, we decided it was better to have a longer walk to the station and no transfer. Before exploring the Harajuku area, we visited the Meiji Shrine, which provided our first introduction to Buddhist temples and shrines.

From there, we walked through the crazy streets of Harajuku, braving the masses out for Sunday shopping. We stopped in Daiso, one of the 100 yen shops, visited Kiddyland to pick up some coveted toys, and then made our way through the high end stores in Omotesando Hills. We were out during a torrential downpour, but managed to find cover for 20 minutes to wait out the storm. Fortunately, skies were clear for the rest of the night.





We finally ended up in Shibuya where we went to the Starbucks overlooking the famous Shibuya Crossing and met up with a friend from college for dinner. We had a nice introduction to Japanese food at a restaurant just a few blocks from the crossing called Kankura where we grilled our own food and had an assortment of tofu, chicken, beef, shrimp and veggies.

It was a long, but productive and interesting first day in Japan. We returned to our hotel to rest up for the next day.

  

Ani and Aaron outside the Starbucks at Shibuya Crossing.



Shibuya Crossing at night.



After dinner at Kankuro with Brin. 



Aaron learns to pose for photos in Japan.



Land of the Rising Sun

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We're heading to Japan on Friday night and I figured this was a good time to revive the blog after a two year hiatus. We decided on Japan for our summer vacation because wanted to take advantage of our proximity to other countries in Asia while we still live in India. Despite the proximity, it's still an 8 hour overnight flight from Delhi to Tokyo, but still much easier than flying from the US.

I've done a ridiculous amount of research to put together our two-week trip. Even though Japan is geographically small, there are so many options: bustling cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the cultural capital of Kyoto, small towns in the Japan Alps, beaches in Okinawa, flower fields and hot springs in Hokkaido.

After numerous versions, I finally finalized our itinerary:

1. Tokyo for 5d/5n where we plan to take in the craziness of crowded capital, enjoy the food and do a little shopping. We're also planning to visit Hakone for a day trip where we hope to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fiji.
2. Hiroshima and Miyajima for 2d/1n where we'll visit the Peace Park and Peace Museum in Hiroshima and then stay overnight in a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn, on the nearby island of Miyajima
3. Kyoto for 3d/4n to see some of Japan most well-known Buddhist temples, shrines and gardens
4. Takayama and Shirakawa-go for 2d/1n to experience a quieter, more traditional Japanese town in the Japan Alps and see the gassho-zukuri houses
5. Tokyo for one more night before out flight back to Delhi

I'm already thinking ahead to the next trip to Japan because there are several places that I just couldn't fit in. I really wanted to go to Hokkaido to see the amazing flower farms in the summers, but I'm going to defer it for a later trip when we can spend more time driving around the island and make the most of a visit there.

We'll be traveling throughout the country on the famous shinkansen or bullet trains and have 7-day rail passes. I packed in all of our long-distance travel into this 7 day period, hoping to get as much value as possible out of the passes. We're not even there and I'm already amazed at the efficiency of Japan's rail network. I'm looking forward to the super clean and punctual trains, probably the complete opposite of what I have experienced in India.

I did realize that this is our first trip where we'll do a lot of sightseeing with Aaron. We went to Singapore when he was 6 months old, but that was just a long weekend for relaxing and eating, as Ani and I had visited most of the major sights a few years before. And we went to Malaysia this past winter, but again, that was largely relaxing by the pool or beach. So, my fingers are crossed that this trip will go well. I'm intending to balance the temple visits with downtime for shopping and leisurely exploring and we may have to forgo museums all together. Hopefully Aaron is a bit prepared for this trip and he's already looking forward to "riding the fast train" and eating "noodles."

Sayonara to us!

2010 - A Year of Travels

2010 was certainly my best year yet when it comes to international travels. Thanks to some great work opportunities and also some careful planning, I was able to visit 11 countries in 2010 (8 of them for the first time). And Ani traveled to 9 countries (8 for the first time). Not too shabby for either of us!


Here's a brief recap of our 2010 travels:

1. and 2. Singapore and Bali

We started the year in Singapore and Bali and absolutely loved both. We loved Singapore largely for the food and we often talk about going back for a long weekend. If all goes as planned, we will make a return in 2011 where most of our meals are already decided - chili crab at Jumbo Seafood, chicken rice at Tian Tian Hianese Chicken Rice and dim sum at Din Tai Fung. My mouth is water just typing this...

Enjoying a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel

(See previous posts on Eating Our Way through Singapore and Exploring the Streets of Singapore).

We also had a lovely week in Bali, where we celebrated both my birthday and New Year's. This vacation was a great combination of relaxation, adventure and culture. We enjoyed the beach and pool at our resort in Nusa Dua, cycled through rice fields in Ubud, and enjoyed kecak dance shows and Indonesian cooking classes where I learned some of my now-favorite dishes. We also had some amazing meals in Bali, with the most spectacular being at Mozaic on my birthday.

A kecak dance performance at Uluwatu Temple

(See previous post on Nusa Dua and Southern Bali and Ubud and Central Bali).

3. and 4. Hong Kong and Macau

We hit Hong Kong and Macau in February 2010. I made it into a stopover on my way back from Sydney (where I was fortunate to go for training and where I was even more fortunate to return to later in the year, so more on Australia later). Ani flew from Delhi and met me there for a long weekend. Thanks to my everlasting supply of Marriott points, we had a lovely weekend stay at the JW over the Chinese New Year. This proved to be both a blessing and a curse. It was great to see the city lit up with festive decorations, but it also meant that many shops and restaurants were closed for the holiday. On top of that, the weather was pretty yucky, so our views from the top of Victoria Peak were extremely limited due to the massive fog.

A lion dance performance for Chinese New Year

We also took a high-speed boat over to Macau for a night. Honestly, I found it to be a strange juxaposition of wealth and poverty - a lot like India, but in a more compact space. We did venture over to the Venetian Hotel, which was just like the one in Vegas, but bigger of full of Chinese gamblers there for the holiday. We also had a really nice Portugeuese-Macanese meal at La Lorcha that was the highlight of our 24 hours there.

(See previous post on Hong Kong and Macau).

5. Australia

I spent 6 weeks in Australia for work in May-June 2010 and Ani was able to travel there towards the end of my stay for a visit. I spent the majority of my time in Sydney, but also traveled to Melbourne on a few occasions and Ani was able to see both during his 10-day visit. In addition, we spent an incredible weekend in Queensland where we snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef and visited the wet tropics near Cairns and had a lovely day-trip to the Blue Mountains, which are just outside Sydney.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and in the Blue Mountains

I also got to spend time with my friend Yomi from the US and her awesome Australian husband, Dave. For those of you who haven't heard their story, Yomi and I have followed similar paths over the past few years. We both traveled to faraway countries for work project, only to find and fall in love with our now-husbands. And today we now live in Delhi and Sydney, respectively.

(See previous posts on my first visit to Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and The Blue Mountains).
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6. Switzerland
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Not wanting to travel all the way to Europe and not visit a *new* country, I added in a weekend in Switerland before our longer visit to Italy. We started in Zurich where we happened to arrive during Zuri Fascht, a street festival throughout the city. This was a great way to explore the streets, the food and the people all in one go. We spent the following day on an amazing day-trip that took us up Mt. Rigi by train, down to the village of Weggis (which we LOVED) by cable car, and then over to Lucerne by ferry. We rounded out the day with another train ride back to Zurich for our final night in Swizterland.

From the top of Mt. Rigi and Hanging out in Lucerne

(See previous post on Our Swiss Holiday).

7. Italy

We spent nearly two weeks in Italy, which was our longest vacation ever. We started with a few days in Lake Como, which is trily as beautiful and relaxing as everyone says, and where we discovered our favorite pizza. This was followed by a few days in Cinque Terre, where we hiked most of the paths connecting the villages. Next was the highlight of the trip, several days in Chianti for Drew and Simona's beautiful wedding. All of this was capped off with a few final days in Florence and a day trip to Pisa and Lucca.

Our favorite pizza and at Drew and Simona's wedding

(See previous posts on Lake Como, Cinque Terre and Drew and Simona's amazing wedding).

8. US

In September, Ani and I both headed back to the US for what has become our annual trip. I started about a week before him and arrived in time to participate in the HL Reunion and Baby Shower Palooza at Brooke's house on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. There, we celebrated the now recent arrivals of Baby Horak, Baby Oates and Baby Henneman Kastellec.

The following weekend was for the annual trek to Mike's house in Maine for relaxation, lobster and a little outlet shopping. And finally, we headed up to Saratoga Springs, NY for Joey and Jarret's weddingh. Somewhere between all of our weekend travels, we managed to squeeze in some quality time at home with the family.

The gang in Maine and Mike, Ani and I at Joey and Jarret's wedding

9. and 10. UK and Sweden

On my way back from the US, I met up with my bossess for a few days of meetings. I ended up being in London for barely 24 hours, but fortunately I had a bit longer in Stockholm. Our first day of meetings there was literally at the airport conference centert, so we stayed in a nearby hotel and didn't get to see much of the city aside from a brief trip in that night for dinner. The following day, we worked from the Stockholm office and after my bosses left for their flight back to Delhi (via London), I headed to the Old Town to explore for a few hours. I needed to fly back through Paris and could only take an early morning flight in order to connect to the once daily Paris-Delhi flight, which gave me a bit of time to see and enjoy Stockholm.

Old Town Stockholm

11. Sri Lanka

We spent the long Christmas weekend in Sri Lanka for our final trip of the year and our final international trip sans child. We figured that being only a 3 1/2 hour flight from Delhi, a holiday weekend in Sri Lanka was comparable to one in Goa, but probably a bit more peaceful. All in all, it was a nice, relaxing weekend, but we could have done with less road travel. We spent the middle two nights on the south of the island. While it was a mere 200 km (125 mi) from Colombo, travel time on the two-lane road takes about 6 hours.

View from the hotel lobby

So, that's a wrap of our 2010 travels. Again, 2011 will certainly be quieter, but hopefully we'll get in one or two international trips to satisfy our hunger!