Acres Wild

On January 19, 2020January 20, 2020 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel9 Comments

“I’ll make love to you
In all good places
Under black mountains
In open spaces
By deep brown rivers
That slither darkly
Through far marches
Where the blue hare races

Where the dance of ages is playing still
Through far marches of acres wild”

When I first heard about Acres Wild, the first thing that popped in my mind was the Jethro Tull song “Acres Wild”. Just like the song, Acres Wild is a beautiful, rustic farm nestled in the Nilgiri Hills in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, India at an elevation of 6000 ft above sea level. Not much else can be expected from a die hard romantic, music lover and nature lover like me and the decision was easy. We decided to visit Acres Wild on our vacation in India as it came highly recommended by a friend. I conjured up visions of mountains and greenery and fresh air and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

Acres Wild is approximately a 1.5 miles from the Coonoor Bus Stand and the last half-mile drive to the property may be a bumpy ride. Sitting on a 22 acre property, the farm is a nature lover’s dream with trees, wild flowers, ferns, bushes and lush greenery. It sits on a hillside surrounded by tea plantations with views of the mountains and the town of Coonoor.

The moss covered rocks and cobbled stone pathways and trails are welcoming and one cannot resist taking solo walks to sooth the soul. The view of the mist covered valley and the mountains with the town of Coonoor filling the landscape with its bright colors in the distance is mesmerizing.

The appeal to this farm is its connection and proximity to nature and wilderness and if you are looking for manicured lawns and trimmed hedges, this is not your place.

In nature I find my peace..Acres Wild, Coonoor

We decided to do a 4 day stay at the farm and were housed in the Haloumi Cottage. The property is set on a hillside and the living spaces are divided in three levels: The Upper level comprises of the Haloumi Cottage, Colby Cottage and the Cheese House, the middle level houses the Club House and the main house and the lower level consists of the Cheddar Cottage. You may have realized by now that all the cottages on the farm were named after cheese. The Haloumi Cottage, a beautiful two bedroom house at the topmost level of the farm, provided us with stunning views and privacy.

Solitude..Haloumi Cottage, Acres Wild, Coonoor

The house also has a gazebo in front for guests to lounge and relax and a fireplace in the living room for cold evenings. The cottage was fully furnished with tasteful décor, a beautiful kitchen, and other amenities except for the television! If you cannot live without the TV, again I reiterate that this place may not be for you.

The Club House sits on the middle level and comprises of a dining hall, a game room and plenty of area for relaxation and stunning views. For animal lovers like us, there is an adorable little cat who lives in the Club House and is taken care of by the staff. We were greeted very enthusiastically by Shankar, the caretaker of the property, and served tea immediately. Our room was also made ready for us right away even though we had arrived much earlier than the check-in time.

Very soon we found out that the place runs very efficiently due to diligent staff members named: Munna who is the manager and his team comprising of Shankar, Murugesh, Mary and Radha. Munna checked in on us daily multiple times and insisted we ask for anything we needed and to walk and explore any part of the property.

Not only are the men are the polite and hospitable, they are quite the cooks also. The tomato onion chutney Murugesh made one day for breakfast was finger licking good and he was kind enough to write the recipe for it for me also.

Breakfast

Our breakfast was served every morning with a hot vegetarian dish such as sooji upma, idli and sambhar or vermicelli upma with an assortment of delicious chutneys and omelet and bread was always offered as a choice along with the vegetarian items. A dish of Acres Wild homemade ricotta cheese and fruit preserves were also served at every breakfast and the combination of bread with a layer of ricotta topped with the fruit preserves was to die for. Breakfast is served between 8.00-10.00am so make sure to go during the specified time.

Lunch and Dinner

We also ended up eating lunch on our first day at the farm and ate dinner every night at the farm also. Meals had a choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and guests do need to let the staff know their intent to eat at the farm 2-3 hours before meal time so the staff could prepare the meals. Don’t worry if you forget to let the staff know of your intention to eat at the farm because Munna will be sure to call you and check in.

Meals are served in the dining room and we got to meet other guests and interact with them. It was a good experience meeting interesting people from different walks of life. A cute little 5 year old girl who was holidaying with her parents latched on to me for three days during meal times and ate up all the cucumbers served in our salad at every meal. Aah..the innocence of childhood and a refreshing change for us living in the US where we have instilled the fear of strangers in our children.

Meals were home cooked, simple and hearty and just what you would expect at a farm. Lunch and dinner consisted of two vegetable dishes, dal, roti, rice, curd and dessert. Non-vegetarian choice included dishes such as egg curry or chicken curry. If you are looking for gourmet spread, I suggest you go to the Culinareum or La Belle Vie or any other food joint in Coonoor and there are quite a few choices in the town. I was not about to skip Radha’s kesari or payasam for any gourmet cake or mousse.

We also visited the Cheese Factory which was conveniently located right next door to the Haloumi Cottage. The Cheese House is a quaint building with beautiful stained glass pane windows overlooking the vista.

Mary, the cheesemaker met us at the door and gave us thorough and detailed information on how the cheese was made and types of cheese that were created. We got a tour of the plant and the storeroom where all the cheese was being aged. Every shelf on the racks in the storeroom was loaded with cheese such as Gruyere, Colby, different types of Gouda, Parmesan, Cheddar and Monterey Jack being aged for 3 months. It is quite mind boggling to note that 55 liters of milk produce approximately 5 kgs of cheese only.

Cheese, Cheese and more Cheese! Acres Wild, Coonoor

I made sure I got a big stash of cheese to bring back with me. I can visualize a wine and cheese evening with friends reliving Wild Acres memories. There was an assortment of soft cheeses available such as herb cream cheese and ricotta, but alas that would not have lasted the journey back to California or made it through Customs. So I had to make do with a sample for the soft cheeses.

As the farm is self-sustaining and self-sufficient in food supply for most part, the milk used for cheese making comes from the cows raised on the farm. Guests are allowed to go help milk the cows at 9.30am and 4.30pm daily and all you have to do is inform Munna. I let go of this amazing opportunity due to my fear of god as far as cattle are concerned. The docile, gentle cows of the world don’t seem to like me and are always out to kill me, so I wasn’t planning to walk into a deathtrap by milking one of them.

As for me, I made most of my time at the farm exploring the trails and walking down to the Cheddar Cottage and back. In addition to the beautiful views, one can sit near the pond and there is also a small stream that runs through the property near the Cheddar Cottage. Please note that walking up and down from the Club House to Haloumi Cottage or going down all the way to Cheddar Cottage and back can be quite the workout. I am an avid hiker and a runner and a simple run down the hill to Cheddar and back had me gasping for air. I got out of breath as the place is at 6000 ft elevation so give yourself the time to acclimatize to the elevation.

Acres Wild is home to many domestic animals such as dogs and cats, however don’t be surprised when a wild animal comes through. One day in the morning, a whole herd of Asian Bisons or Wild Gaurs went through the farm and I was awestruck to see the size of those beasts. Leopards and wild elephants have been known to frequent the farm sometimes too.

On the last day of our stay, we also got to meet the owner of the farm Mansoor Khan and we chatted up a storm about development, competition, growth and the repercussions on the environment. An extremely intelligent, forward thinking and accomplished man although he may claim to be otherwise, Mansoor Khan has four blockbuster hits to his name as a movie director. We discussed his book “The Third Curve” and Mansoor’s passion for the environment, his perception of the present world, and his understanding of reality is evident from his way of living and his deep thoughts. It was an excellent evening of stimulating and eye-opening conversation and a great way to end our stay at Acres Wild.

We came away from the vacation and the farm stay wanting more. The place had a rustic, earthy charm which was hard to resist. We as a family got to spend the time quality together whether it was a game of carom or pool. The cool weather combined with the warmth of the people at Acres Wild made it hard for us to leave. I for one fell in love with Acres Wild and can’t wait to go back..

Acres Wild Farm

Address: 571 Upper Meanjee Estate Kannimariamman, DM Kovil St, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 643102, India

Phone: +91 94432 32621

https://www.acres-wild.com/index.shtml

Berlin

On February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 By Take a Chance On MeIn TravelLeave a comment

Berlin is a city with the most history in modern times in my mind. The city’s turbulent and violent 20^th century is evident from several ruins, monuments, and memorials across the city such as the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Berlin Wall. The city has come a long way from its past to being a center of reunification and a hub for art, music and sports.

I got a chance to visit when my son decided to do a Study Abroad program in Berlin and I jumped at the opportunity to go with him. How could I not? It was a city on my bucket-list and I was ecstatic that my son decided to go to Berlin when he had the choice to go to London or Copenhagen also.

We flew from San Francisco and after a couple hours layover in Amsterdam, we reached Berlin at 2.00pm. The most interesting part of the airport was that the moment we got off the plane and got out at the gate, the baggage carousel was right at the gate. As we had already cleared immigration at Amsterdam as we were in the European Union, we got our bags right away. In fact, our bags were the first ones on the carousel which was a miracle by itself as I always have to wait for my bags.

We got our bags and I went looking for the booth to validate my Welcome Berlin Card and also check for Sim cards. Unfortunately, I didn’t get either of those tasks accomplished. We decided to head out and found a taxi to take us to our hotel. Taxi’s at Berlin airport are available at Gate A9 and taxi drivers will not stop in front of other gates.

The hotel Ludwig Van Beethoven was in an area called Kreuzberg. I chose Kreuzberg because it was close to the center of Berlin and close to my son’s dorm. The ride to our hotel from the airport was around 20 minutes and the fare was around 31 Euros.

Address: Ludwig Van Beethoven

Hasenheide 14, 10967 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 30 6957000

We reached our hotel, checked in and crashed as we were exhausted. Jet lag took over and we fell asleep for a while. We woke up late in the night and just ate food and snacks we had on us.

Day 2: Monday

We had breakfast which was amazing at the Ludwig Van Beethoven Hotel. The choices ranged from scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, deviled eggs, to sausages and different sliced deli meats such as ham, prosciutto, salami, smoked salmon. There was meat salad and egg salad, fruits, yogurts, cereals and breakfast sweet breads such as danish, croissants, muffins and cakes etc.

Breakfast at Ludig Van Beethoven Hotel

After breakfast, we went to O2 to figure out the SIM card. At 1pm we took a cab to my son’s institute in Gneisensaunastrabe to get my son checked in and settled in his dorm. He was starting orientation right away so there wasn’t much I needed to do.

After he was settled in his room, I realized I was on my own. I took the train U7 towards U Grenzallee (Berlin) from U Gneisenaustraße to U Hermannplatz. It was a quick journey with two stops. The U Hermannplatz station was a minute walk from my hotel.

After resting for a bit, I ventured out again to Gendarmenmarkt. This time I took the following route:

I reached Französischer Street to find everything dark and the shops closed at 7.30 pm. I still walked the block to Gendarmenmarkt to find everything dark and desolate.

There was no one at the Konzerthaus plaza so I walked around the plaza and returned back to Friedrichstraße street and walked to Check Point Charlie.

The distance from Gendarmenmarkt to Check Point Charlie is less than a mile. The road was well lighted and there were a few people walking around. The restaurants and pubs were open even though the shops and stores were closed.

I took a couple pics at Check Point Charlie and spent some time in the Museum Shop. I picked up a few souvenirs and one particularly special item was a piece of the Berlin Wall. The museum shop had them for sale and I felt I needed to own a piece of history. The museum shop also provided an authenticity certificate with the piece I bought.

I returned back to my room around 9.30pm. The U Bahn station near Check Point Charlie is U Kochstrabe and I backtracked my way by taking U6 with a change to U7 at Mehringdamm to U Hermannplatz.

The U Kochstrabe station was completely empty and I found myself alone on the station waiting for the train. It may not have been the wisest decision to wait for the train or to be alone in an underground train station. However, the trains come literally every minute and my wait was short and there were people on the train. It did creep me out a little bit and I wouldn’t repeat that adventure again. Anyway, I returned to my room safe and sound.

Day 3: Tuesday

The next day I woke up and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages and smoked salmon. I think I like Germany! I did get a couple fruits to go with me and ate yogurt at breakfast too so I covered all the food groups.

After breakfast, equipped with my map, I took the train to Alexanderplatz. I had bought the Welcome Berlin Card online back in the US and needed to redeem the voucher for the card. The easiest thing to do would be to redeem the voucher at the service desk at Tegel Airport. However, I did try but because of my poor German skills, the person didn’t understand me and asked me to redeem at the bus stop. I had no idea which bus she was talking about so I left the airport without getting it done.

Anyway, the Welcome Berlin Card can also be redeemed at the Park Inn by Radisson at Alexanderplatz so I made that my first stop. The train again was very convenient and I took the U8 to Alexander Platz from Hermannplatz.

Alexanderplatz is a huge busy square in the center of Berlin. It also has the bus station, the train station in addition to the U Bahn. From Alexanderplatz, one can walk to several sights such as the Berlin Tower, Berliner Dome, Museum Island and if one continues to walk on Karl Liebnecht and Unter Den Linden, you can walk all the way to Brandenburg Tor which may be 1.5 miles from Museum Island.

The World Clock is located right in the square outside the station. There are several stores and restaurants in the area.

Park Inn was very easy to find as it was the only skyscraper in the square. The concierge exchanged my voucher for the card right away and I was good to go. I got a coupon book, city map along with the card. I had paid 37€ for the 4 Day ABC region Welcome Berlin Card so my transportation was free for the rest of my trip on all buses and trains in the city and Potsdam.

The card also gives you discounts at several museums, restaurants and the hop on hop off bus. Equipped with my card, I took the U8 train again for a few more stops to Bernauer Straße for the Berliner Mauer or Berlin Wall Memorial.

As it was freezing cold and raining heavily by the time I got to Bernauer Straße, I decided to take a quick stop at the cafe across the street from the train station. The cafe was cute with a very charming hostess who was very knowledgeable of the area and sights to see. After the hot chocolate break, I started the Berlin Mauer walk along the lines steel rods and part of the wall. It’s a nice walk along the wall interspersed with rods, and pavilions to walk through.

Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer or Berlin Wall Memorial

One can also walk to the Documentation Center and climb a few stories to the Observation Deck. One can see the whole area from the Observation Deck. The walk to the end of the memorial and back must have been close to 1.5 miles or so.

Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer Documentation Center

I walked back to the Bernauer Straße U Bahn station and made my way to Alexanderplatz again. From the station I stopped by the World Clock and then made my way to Fernsehturm or the Berlin TV Tower.

Berliner Fernsehturm

My next stop was St. Mary’s Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral that I went in to visit. The walk from Alexanderplatz to Museum Island has historical sights and buildings all along the way so give yourself the time.

From St. Mary’s Cathedral, I slowly made my way past every historical building and fountain to Museum Island and stopped by each museum and the water to take pictures.

My last stop was the breathtaking Berlin Cathedral. You have to buy a ticket for 7€ to go inside. Also, make sure to keep any bags or bag packs in the lockers before heading into the cathedral. Also please note that when you buy the ticket, the machine churns out the receipt first and the ticket later. I forgot the ticket in the machine and assumed the receipt was the ticket and had to go back.

The Berlin Cathedral is one of the most stunning churches I have ever seen and believe me I have seen many in Europe and Central America.

The self-guided pathway takes you through the main area with the amazing dome and altar to the pathway that leads up to the Berliner Dom. There are approximately 280 steps to the top and the steps get narrow as one gets closer to the top.

Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

The view is absolutely stunning with a 360 degree view of the city from the dome of the cathedral. It was breathtaking and as usual I found myself alone at the top. It is a definite workout though!

img_9345-1 — View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

img_9350-1 — View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

View from top of Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

The path down the narrow steps lead all the way down to the crypt and one can only exit the cathedral by making their way through the tombs.

img_9325-1 — Crypt, Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

img_9324-1 — Crypt, Berliner Dom (Cathedral)

I left the place happy to have visited and climbed it as the view was worth it. I also lit a candle at the altar and said a small prayer.

After the Berliner Dom, I realized I was exhausted and had clocked more than 6 miles so I made my way back to U Alexanderplatz and came back to my room via the U8 route. After resting in my room for an hour or so, I ventured out to Gneisenaustraße for dinner at a small, quaint restaurant on Gneisenaustraße called Little Tibet.

Little Tibet

Food was good and their portion size for the entree was more so I boxed some leftovers. I came back to my room on the U7 line to finally crash for the day as I had clocked 7.4 miles and 41 floors climbed for the day.

Night view of the Berlin Tower from my room

Day 4: Wednesday

Day 4 started like every day I had been in Berlin, cold, grey and rainy. Actually, rain had been replaced by snow but it wasn’t snowing heavily.

I started the day with a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages, fruit and yogurt. I could easily get used to this lifestyle if I didn’t have to watch my weight and every bite I eat. So I took the U7 line from Hermannplatz towards Rathaus-Spandau and got off at Mehringdamm and changed to the U6 line towards U Alt Tegel to get off at U Kochstrabe Check Point Charlie station.

As my last trip to the spot had been in the dark, I walked around Check Point Charlie and checked out the museum across from it. Checkpoint Charlie was the crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War where at one point, Soviet and American tanks briefly faced each other during the The Berlin Crisis of 1961, the last major political/military incident in the Cold War. The checkpoint was the official crossing for foreigners and diplomats until German reunification in October of 1990.

A US Army soldier was standing at the station but I wasn’t too interested in getting a picture and there was no one there to take out picture actually even if I had wanted to.

I walked down the Niederkirchnerstraße street for a couple blocks to the Topography of Terror and spent some time walking around the ruins and then inside the information center. The Topography of Terror is located where once the main vein of the Third Reich was located. It was also the headquarters of the Gestapo, as well as the Reich Security Main Office. The Topography of Terror is an indoor and outdoor museum that documented the history of the rise of the Nazi regime to their fall.

It took me a while to go through the pictures and information and it wasn’t easy. Some of the pictures are graphic and my heart broke and tears were falling. I looked around to see that I wasn’t the only ones. There was hardly any dry eyed person and mood was somber. A word of caution for those with young children as the pictures are quite gory and depict executions, public shaming, and mass graves.

After the Topography of Terror, I walked down to Stresemann Street to PotsdamerPlatz. PotsdamerPlatz is an urban square with offices, stores and restaurants.

Potsdamer Platz

After a couple pictures, I continued straight on Ebertstrasse towards Tiergarten. There are several monuments and sculptures on the way to Tiergarten. Tiergarten is a serene park which gives the feeling of a forest and woods in midst of a bustling city. I decided to take a detour from the city streets and ventured into the park and its trail. It was wonderful to see a slice of nature in midst of the hustle bustle of the city. Like most places I was venturing out to in Berlin, Tiergarten was empty too and I loved my solitary walk. I only came across only two runners my while time in the park. I did wonder where the people were, but I think I may have been the only crazy walking miles and miles in freezing cold weather in rain and snow. But I think despite the rain and snow, I lucked out as it didn’t pour down and the mild drizzle felt good while walking.

Tiergarten

There are a few statues and sculptures in Tiergarten that one can look at. There is a beautiful Goethe statue in the park and I found it to be a beautiful walk along the trails.

The Holocaust Museum also known as the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe is right across from Tiergarten at the corner of Ebertstrasse and Hannah-Arendt Straße. It is a somber site with tomb like structures of different sizes lining and spanning a few blocks. The heaviness in my heart continued as I spent some time at the memorial. It was surreal walking through the concrete slabs of varying heights in a grid formation on a slope. Underneath the memorial is the Place of Information. I decided not to go to the place of information as I was an emotional wreck by this time.

I had to sit down and process my thoughts and wonder why us humans behave the way do and where humanity was going. My thoughts may have been too deep but it was my surroundings and I can’t imagine any human not being affected.

Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe

From the memorial I walked less than a couple blocks to Brandenburg Tor or Gate which is a beautiful gate like structure. The whole area is in the heart of Berlin and is part of the city center.

From Brandenburg Tor, it’s a short walk to the Republik Building also known as the Reichstag. I walked around the building and took several pictures, however I opted not to go inside and take the tour. Entry to Reischstag is free but one needs to make an online reservation a day in advance at least. Be prepared for long lines and security check to get in. You can go all the way up to the dome to take a tour.

From Reischstag I walked through Tiergarten back to Brandenburg Gate and walked through PariserPlatz on Unter den Linden to Friedrichstraße.

The whole street is lined with stores and beautiful old buildings which are now being used as embassies by different countries. You can continue to walk straight on Unter den Linden to Karl Liebknecht Street to Museum Island and Berliner Dom and Alexanderplatz.

The distance cannot be more than 1.5 mile. I turned right on Friedrichstraße to reach Französischer Street and decided to go to Gendarmenmarkt labeled as the “most beautiful square in Berlin”. As I had walked by the place at night a couple nights before, I decided to go by the Konzerthaus and Franz Dom and Deutscher Dom. I was excited to see a couple people in the area this time 🙂

img_9489-1 — Konzerthaus, Gendarmenmarkt Square

There are a couple shops where you can buy chocolate on Charlottenstraße near Gendarmenmarkt. I stopped by a small cafe on Friedrichstraße and got some hot chocolate as it was cold and drizzling.

After feeling warmed up, I decided to take Bus 147 from the corner of Französischer Street and Friedrichstraße to Berlin Ostabahnhof to visit the East Side gallery. The bus was a very convenient way to get to the East Side Gallery as the Wall starts at the corner of Berlin Ostabahnhof.

This section of the Berlin Wall is covered in murals painted by several artists. The wall spans for a mile or so and goes past the Mercedes-Benz complex and Mercedes-Benz arena.

At a point you can go up to the river and check out the Oberbaum Bridge.

Although I liked most of the murals painted, the most popular mural is the painting of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing and titled “ God save me from this deadly love”.

After walking and checking out all the murals, I backtracked on Mühlenstraße to Berlin Ostabahnhof and took Bus 147 back to Französischer Street and took the U6 back to Mehringdamm and changed to U7 to get to Hermannplatz and back to the hotel.

As it had been a long day, I got take out at the local Turkish restaurant Donyali and spent a quiet evening in my room. It had been another 6.5 miler day for me.

Day 5: Thursday

Day 5 started the same way as usual with a hearty breakfast. The day started with me first making a stop at Conrad Electronic Store at Hermannplatz for converters. With a combination of me speaking broken German and sign language, I managed to find a converter and left the store feeling accomplished. I took the U7 going towards Rathaus Spandau and got off at Gneisenaustraße where my son was staying in the dorms.

As he didn’t have any classes on Thursday, it was my day to spend with him and get him the items he needed. We took the U7 train to Rathaus Neokolln to go to Kaufland and bought groceries. My son needed to stock up on food and snacks and Kaufland turned out to be an amazing grocery store. It is located in a mall right across from the train station. We were also able to buy books, notebooks and other stationary supplies at McPaper in the same mall.

We finished our shopping and then took the U7 back to Gneisenaustraße and dumped the items in his room.After that we walked a few blocks down to a small store where we got the SIM card changed for the phone so he could use it. The deals for cell phones were cheap and my son got the 7gb data for a month.

With our work accomplished we decided to go to Potsdam, a small town outside of Berlin. I had the Welcome Berlin ABC Card so I didn’t have to buy a ticket for myself but we did get a ABC day pass for 7.70€ for my son. The easiest way to get to Potsdam was to go to Alexanderplatz and then taking the RE1 to Potsdam.

The train ride to Potsdam is around 45-50 mins and any RE1 line should take you to Potsdam. As we missed the Magdeburg train, we took the next one going to Brandenburg and got off at Potsdam Park. There are three stations for Potsdam and the first one actually takes you to Potsdam Scholss or Palace. As we wanted to walk in the park, we got off at the last station Park Sanssouci.

The trail walk to through the park to the Neues Palais (New Palace) and Potsdam Universitat is .8Km and the palace grounds and the university make for a beautiful site. We walked all the way to the Neues Palais and the University and then walked the trails for a while. The well maintained grounds and the uniformly pruned trees lining the trails made for a beautiful walk. As usual, like the rest of my trip we were alone on the grounds.

One can walk to Schloss Sansoucci and Orangerie Schloss, but we had decide to take the train to Schloss Sansoucci. We walked the grounds of the palace for a while and then walked through a different trail in the park back to the train station.

We took the train to Potsdam Hbf and got off for a quick walk to Schloss Sansoucci (Old Palace). As it was getting dark and we were almost out of time, we just took a couple pictures and then caught the train back to Berlin Bahnhof.

Potsdam Palace2 — Sansoucci Schloss, Potsdam

Potsdam Palace — Sansoucci Schloss, Potsdam

Once we got back to Berlin, we took the train to Mehringdamm and ate dinner at Curry 36. Curry 36 is right across from Mehringdamm station.

Curry 36 serves one of the best Currywurst and I chose the option of Currywurst with French fries. There was something magical about hot steaming on a cold rainy winter night. After a full tummy, we decided to crash and turn in for the night.

Currywurst, Curry 36, Mehringdamm, Berlin

Day 6: Friday

Day 6 was my last full day in Berlin and it was a free day. I hadn’t planned too much for the day as I had pretty much explored the whole city. After breakfast, I decided to check out Charlottenburg Palace and Olympia Stadion.

Those were the only two places I had left as they seemed further away from where I was staying in Kreuzberg. Anyway, I decided to check those off on my last day.

Directions were pretty straight forward to Charlottenburg Palace from my hotel. I took U7 from Hermannplatz to Richard-Wagner-Platz. The palace is around 10 minute walk from the station.

I toured the palace and its grounds and Schloss Charlottenburg is an opulent and massive structure again like the rest of the palaces I saw in Potsdam.

I walked back to the train station to make my way to Olympia Stadion. I took U7 going towards Grenzallee and got off at the next station BismarckStraße and transferred to U2 going towards Ruhleben. Olympia Stadion was only 5 stops away. I got off at the station to find that it was built exactly like the stadium and had several posters and photos on display to showcase the history of the stadium and the 1936 Olympic Games.

It was raining and fairly cold at this point, but again like before I found myself alone at the station and outside the station. The path to the stadium is around 1 km and goes through dense woods known as Olympia Park. I did get a tad bit spooked because I was alone and my antenna for personal safety did go up.

I debated not walking the lonely path and going back to the platform to take the train back and was tempted to do so, however I decided to make the walk.

Olympia Park

Coming so close and not seeing the stadium did not sit well with me. So I walked the wooded path and the large parking lot to the stadium. The stadium looms large and is a witness to several events in the history of Germany. I remained alone in the large span of the area and enjoyed the solitude.

After taking a few pictures, I made the lonely path to the station. Luckily, even though the path was lonely, there were a few people on the station and I felt a sense of comfort. I took the U2 train back to BismarckStraße and changed to U7 going towards Grenzallee.

As it was my last day in Berlin, I met up with my son in Gneisenaustraße and we decided to go to Pariser Platz and Brandenburg Tor to spend some time and eat early dinner. We took the train to Französischer Straße by taking U7 from Gneisenaustraße and changing to U6 from Mehringdamm.

By this time, I had learned the train system and was so used to the routes that it became fun to travel by trains. After browsing in a couple souvenir shops we ate dinner at Nanteck. The menu consisted of several German dishes and my son ordered the Fried Cod with Parsley Potatoes and I ordered the Crayfish Bisque with Rye Bread. The food was amazing and the service was good.

Nanteck, Berlin

After dinner, we walked a few blocks on Unter Den Linden to BebelPlatz, a square I hadn’t had a chance to visit. BebelPlatz is a square in the center of Berlin and is surrounded by St. Hedgwick’s Church , Humboldt University, and the Opera Building on each side. BebelPlatz is named after August Bebel, the founder of Social Democratic Party of Germany in the 19th Century.

Right in the square, visitors can look through a square of glass floor in the basement room, which is a memorial to the Nazi book burning by Micha Ullman.

From BebelPlatz, we walked a couple blocks to Friedrichstraße to U Französische Straße and took the train back to Hermannplatz. We decided to go Karlstradt Store to buy some items my son needed for his room.

Karlstradt is a huge store with multiple levels and carries everything from take out to clothes, shoes, linen, home goods, shoes etc. I did satisfy my love for boots by buying three pairs from my favorite brand. I got them for 30% off and could not believe the deal. If I had space in my little suitcase, I would have bought more!

Anyway, that ended my Berlin trip and I said goodbye to my son and returned to my room heartbroken that my baby was going to be staying so far away from me. I came back to my room to pack and crashed for the night as I had an early flight out of Berlin.

I was happy that I had a chance to explore Berlin and the city was everything I imagined it to be.

Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice

On December 26, 2018December 27, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel4 Comments

Our Seven Day Journey Through Iceland

There is no place on Earth quite like Iceland with its dramatic and breathtaking landscapes. Also popularly known as “The Land of Fire and Ice” Iceland is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe, and some of the world’s most active volcanoes. Iceland’s beautiful landscape features the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water in the most dramatic way.

: Snæfellsbær

Iceland is a progressive and peaceful nation where freedom and equality are the most valued. It ranks high among the countries for quality of life, gender equality, and is one of the oldest democracies in the world. It was a refreshing change to be in a country which did not find the need to defend itself with an army and where the law enforcement personnel do not carry firearms or believe in them.

Iceland is a country of extreme geological contrasts. Long summer days with near 24-hours of sunshine are balanced by short winter days with only a few hours of daylight. We decided to make the trip later in November as we were hoping to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Sunrise is around 10am and sun sets around 4.00pm in November and that meant we would get around 6 hours of daylight to get our activities done, so we needed to plan our outings well. You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you that it gets cold in Iceland as the first word in the country’s name starts with ice! It can get bitter cold in Iceland in November with temperatures in 30s and 40s if not lower and you can have wind, rain, snow and sunshine in a matter of minutes. In fact, a common quote by the locals is “if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, just wait for 5 mins”. So make sure you are equipped with a warm, water-proof jacket, shoes, caps and gloves as it can get cold and windy. Iceland is the third windiest place on earth and the first two are not inhabited by humans, so you get the point.

Below is a day by day narration of our week long trip. We didn’t rent a car because we were worried about the treacherous icy and snowy conditions and being stuck in wilderness. Only 20% of Iceland is inhabited after all. However, we lucked out on the weather and could have driven. Driving is similar to the USA on the right side of the road. Enjoy!

Day 1

We flew on Icelandic Air directly from San Francisco to Reykjavik. We arrived at Keflavik Airport fairly early in the morning around 6.45am. Immigration was a quick breeze at the airport and so was baggage claim and we were ready to head to our hotel right away. As Keflavik airport is around 47 kms from the city of Reykjavik, taking a bus to the city is a good option. Bus service such as Flybus or Airport Direct stop at most hotels and apartments so they are cheapest and most convenient method of transportation. Bus tickets can range around $18- $20 per person and it takes approximately 45 minutes from the airport to the city. Taxi service is available but extremely expensive and a ride from Keflavik airport to the city can be easily around $200-$240…ouch!

We chose to take Flybus as the counter is at the exit after baggage claim at Keflavik Airport. As we reached our apartment still fairly early, we were able to check-in early as the manager was kind enough to let us do that. The name of our apartment was Atlantic Apartments and it seemed a couple miles from the city center on a busy street named Gensavegur.

Atlantic Apartment, Grensásvegur 14, Reykjavík, Iceland

Phone: +354 588 0000

It was only 10am in the morning and the sun was just rising. We relaxed in our room for a bit and then walked around the neighborhood and spent time in the area. As it was a Sunday and sunrise was at 10 am, all cafes were closed so we went into a local gas station with a small restaurant called Olis and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon.

Jet lag took over after that and we slept for rest of the afternoon and went out for a walk in the neighborhood again and found the grocery store named Hagkaup and shopped for groceries.

Dinner was at a cute little restaurant named Le Kock which was decorated in punk style with excellent food. I chose the chicken option while the boys chose burgers.

Day 2

I had booked a couple tours on Wake Up Reykjavík as their tours were rated very high.

Wake Up Reykjavík, ID: 660218-2030

Phone: +354 7753555

info@wakeupreykjavik.com

www.wakeupreykjavik.com

The confirmation I received was from Sterna Travels for the Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Tour at 10.00 am pick-up.

Sterna Travel / Iceland By Bus, ID: 690611-0310

Phone: +354 551 1166

info@sternatravel.com

http://www.sternatravel.com/

The Golden Circle Tour takes you through three main attractions. Our first stop was Thingvellir National Forest and the Silfra fissure. It’s the Eurasian fault that separates Europe and North America. We hiked through the fissures among giant rocks and lava fields. The vast land is dotted with lava rocks and lakes. There was a small waterfall at the end of the trail that I never got to because I was busy taking pics but the boys did. There is a gift shop and a small museum at the park that one can browse through.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park

Our next stop was the Geothermal Area and Geysir. The whole area smells of sulphur and you can see steam bellowing from the ground. In some areas you can see giant pits with boiling water.

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

The main Geysir also known as Strokkur bursts every 5 minutes or so and is fun to see. After watching the geyser burst a couple times, we left to eat lunch at the cafe.

Strokkur

Strokkur

After lunch our next stop was Gulfoss Waterfall. Gulfoss is probably a mile or less from the geysers. Apart from Niagara Falls, I have never seen a waterfall that enormous and powerful. Gulfoss was beautiful with water cascading a couple levels before flowing into the canyon. We walked all the way up to the top tier of the waterfall. Be prepared for wet and slippery walkway and getting wet as the water spray gets you. Gulfoss was stunning as the sun was shining despite a cloudy and rainy forecast and there were rainbows dancing on the falls.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Our last stop at the end of the day was Secret Lagoon. It’s a natural hot water pool heated by hot springs and was perfect to dip in at the end of the day. You can rent out towels and swim suits etc. although we had gone prepared. Dipping in the hot water pool while it was freezing outside was an interesting experience. Some parts of the pool closer to the hot spring were very hot but the rest was comfortable and relaxing. A perfect end to the day for sure.

Secret Lagoon Hot Spring

We drove back to Reykjavik by 7 pm and luckily for us, due to the proximity of our hotel to the freeway, we were the first ones dropped off from the tour bus. For dinner we just walked close by to Dominoes Pizza place nearby.

Day 3

We had breakfast in the room as we had decided to spend the morning in the city. We took Bus #14 from Grensavegur to Downtown Reykjavik (The Pond). The bus took us through the residential areas of Reykjavik. All buses in Reykjavik take cash only and have free wi-fi. You need to have the correct change for tickets as drivers do not provide change. We got off at the pond and walked around, the swans in the pond were beautiful and not afraid of the humans and came close. I saw a lot of people feeding the birds so that may be the reason. We walked around the historical buildings and the downtown including the plaza where some sort of protest was happening.

Downtown Reykjavik

Our lunch was at the popular Hot Dog stands in the center of the downtown in a place called Holla Bator.

At noon we took the bus back to room as we were scheduled to go for the Icelandic Horse Riding Tour with Islenski Hesturinn.

Website: https://islenskihesturinn.is/

Icelandic Horses

The tour guide picked us up at our hotel exactly at 1.15 pm. The stables were half hour outside of Reykjavik and we were given a lesson in horse riding, safety procedures and then fitted with the gear. I learned about gaits and the difference between cantor and gallop and a new term called “Tolt”. Icelandic horses have a fast trot with a unique rhythm called Tolt. After being fitted with the gear we were introduced to the horses and assigned to our horses. I was assigned to a beautiful horse named Blessi Minn. He was a gentle, loving 18 year old horse who would rest his head on other horses behind every time we stopped. We were taken through the lava fields, hills and in some parts through 4 feet of water.

Íslenski Hesturinn Tour

After riding for around 3-4 miles, we came back to the stables. It was a fun sight to see the horses having their play time and rolling in the mud. Each of our horse was a gorgeous creature and their names were: Blessi Minn, Adam, Tvistur, Graamann.

After spending 3 hours or so at the stable, we returned to our room at 5.15 pm. That night we decided to have dinner in our room.

We had scheduled for the Northern Lights tour at 8 pm. The tour was booked on the Wake Up Reykjavik website and we were picked up sharp at 8pm from our hotel. The tour took us west to Reykjanes and we waited for over two hours but the night was too cloudy and we couldn’t see any lights. We drank hot chocolate and ate Icelandic donuts and waited but no lights were visible though as the sky was clouded. We finally gave up and returned to room at 12.00am

Day 4

We slept in until 8.30 and spent a relaxing day in Reykjavik downtown. We went shopping bought beanies and other items at 66 Degree North, blankets at Cintamani, souvenirs at Viking, Christmas Shops, Hard Rock Cafe, and the Icewear store. Shopping in Iceland can blow a hole in one’s budget easily as everything is expensive. You will find one of a kind items in winter wear at Cintamani, Canada Goose and 66 Degree North stores.

We decided to eat lunch at a classic Icelandic bistro and restaurant called Laekjarbrekka. It is housed in one of Reykjavik’s oldest buildings and makes for a very quaint setting.

Laekjarbrekka

Address: Bankastræti 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

https://www.laekjarbrekka.is/

We ordered fish and chips, fish stew with rye bread, fish of the day pan seared, and pulled lamb with mashed potatoes and veggies. The food was traditional Icelandic and amazingly delicious. We had an interesting experience at the restaurant as we were asked for permission to be filmed while dining as part of Iceland Air promotional video for 2019. The restaurant gave us fresh Icelandic donuts as a thank you. So look out for us in the video next year!!

Fish and Chips, Lækjarbrekka

Bread Basket, Lækjarbrekka

Pan Seared Trout, Lækjarbrekka

Fish Stew with Rye bread, Lækjarbrekka

Icelandic Donuts, Lækjarbrekka

We also visited vintage stores like Sputnik and strolled up and down lighted streets. We took the bus back to our hotel and stopped to do some grocery shopping at Hagkaup on our way back. We bought Krispy Crème donuts and groceries and had dinner in our room from a Chinese takeout place near by.

At 8.45 pm, the Saga Travel Iceland Tour picked us up for our retry tour for Northern lights on BusTravel Iceland. Make sure to call the tour company to set up a retry tour if you don’t get to see the northern lights on the first tour.

Saga Travel GeoIceland, ID: 421009-1040

Phone: +354 558 8888

sagatravel@sagatravel.is

www.sagatravel.is

We drove over an hour east from Reykjavik to Thingvellir National Forest and skies were clear in midst of the lava fields. We managed to see some northern lights in the quiet icy cold darkness under starry skies. The northern lights were not the flashy bright waves but a bright fluorescent green band that spread across the horizon and was visible in the dark. Although my husband had the camera set up on the tripod, I had downloaded the Northern Lights App on my iphone and was able to take pictures on the iphone. The tour guides are also knowledgeable and can guide you on the best camera settings to take pictures.

The tour gave us hot chocolate, donuts and I even tried some fermented shark which I liked much to the dismay of many people on the bus. We returned to our room at 1.15am satisfied and happy to have seen some northern lights.

Day 5

It was a long day of tour to Snæfellsness Peninsula on Grayline Tours.

The Gray Line Team

Email: iceland@grayline.is

Phone: +3545401313

Pick up was at 7.30 am so we were sleep deprived. Our tour took us west to Snæfellsness peninsula. As pick up was early at 7.30 and we had left at 8 am from the main bus terminal, we were able to rest for an hour or so before a coffee stop at Borgarnes, a small community on western Iceland.

After a quick coffee and croissant break, we were on our way. Our next stop as we drove among old lava fields was Snæfellsbær where we stopped at a rocky black pebble beach with lava rocks. It was interesting to see the black pebbles line the coast instead of a sandy beach. Views were stunning with the vast landscape all around.

Snæfellsbær

From the beach, our next stop was Arnarstapi, a small fishing village on the west coast. Here we went for a short hike along the picturesque coast to see coves and rocky beaches with stunning views of the mountains in the background. A rocky arch was a point for several pictures. Lunch was served in a small Icelandic cafe with an older nice woman manning the counter.

Arnarstapi Village

Gatklettur Cliff, Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi Village

Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss Statue

Arnarstapi Village

From Arnarstapi, we went to the Lava Caves Exploration where we were guided and taken to the lava tubes 150 feet below the ground via a steep spiral stairwell and were able to see lava beds, stalactites and stalagmites. We were taken to two caves but then explored a third cave on our own as we had a bit of extra time. It was thrilling to be in the cave all by myself without a guide and the darkness and quietness hits you. From the lava caves, we also got a stunning view of the Snæfellsjokull glacier in full glory under the bright sunlight. We were told multiple times how lucky we were as the glacier is supposed to be shy and usually hidden under the clouds. The weather was unusual for November for sure.

Vatnshellir Cave, Snæfellsbær

From the lava caves we were taken to the coast again to see a beautiful lighthouse as the group was split into two thanks to two tardy tourists on our tour who didn’t show up for a long time at Arnarstapi and the tour bus had to drive off without them. The guide stayed behind and managed to get them and a ride to the lava caves.. drama! So never be late!

I am not sure if the coast stop with the lighthouse was in the plans or not but it added to day and we ran late by an hour. After the lighthouse stop, we went to Djupalonssandur Black Beach and Dritvik which is a stunning black sand beach with the Snaefellnessjokull glacier in the backdrop. It’s a short hike to the beach amidst huge lava rocks and the beach is stunningly beautiful with fine black sand and rocky coast. On the beach there are big round stones which men were expected to lift and test their strength in the days of the fishing stations: Fully Strong 154 kg, Half-Strong 100 kg, Weakling 54 kg and Bungler 23 kg. Weakling meant that any man who couldn’t lift the stone was deemed unfit as a fisherman.

Djúpalónssandur Beach, Snæfellsnes Peninsula

After a short stop at the beach, we were driven to Gundarfarjobaer and the bus was able to find parking and stop at the stunning Mt. Kirkjufell. It is one of Iceland’s most popular mountains and makes for a breathtaking structure with striations and makes for a beautiful sight with a small waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss across from it. Although, it was getting dark we were able to see the sight and enjoy the short break.

Grundarfjörður

Mt. Kirkjufell, Grundarfjörður

Grundarfjörður

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall, Grundarfjörður

After Kirkejo we took a short break at Gundarfojorur for coffee and food at a small rustic cafe. The cafe had wooden tables and couches for customers and musical instruments were kept with a play me sign. My son decided to play the guitar and the guitalele while we were in line to order food and waiting for it.

After the stop, we drove back to Reykjavik which was a long drive back of almost two hours and we reached at 8.30 pm instead of the scheduled 7pm. Luckily, we knew by now that due to the close proximity of our apartment to the freeway, we were always the first ones dropped off.

As all of us were tired and knew we had another long day on Friday, so we stayed in the room and ate a light dinner of yogurt and eggs and bread and the boys went out for their daily hotdog at Olis. Who could resist when the hot dogs looked like this?

Day 6

We were scheduled to visit the South Coast and Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon with Grayline Tours. Another long day was ahead of us and pick up was sharp at 7.30 am. In fact, we came down at 7.25 am and driver was already waiting for us.

We left the bus terminal in a bigger bus at 8 am and were asked to rest for an 1.5 hours until we got to a small community called Hvolsvöllur where we stopped for coffee and morning break.

From there we were driven to Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Seljalandsfoss waterfall is a stunning waterfall along Iceland’s southern coast and is fed by melting water from the famed glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This powerful waterfall cascades into a pretty meadow and one can walk to waterfall. There is a walkway behind the falls so you can get up close the water. Be prepared to get cold and wet near the falls as it is misty and you can feel the spray of water on you.

Seljalandsfoss

Take the path to the right to the waterfall as it’s an easier trek to the water and less rocky than path to the left. Beware that the path is rocky and slippery due to the wet conditions.

We were able to see Eyjafjallajokull or A15 and heard about the havoc caused when it erupted in 2010. The eruption caused all air travel from Europe to the American continent as the ash cloud went over Europe due to the winds. It was interesting to hear not just about the lava and smoke damage but also the glacial floods as all the active volcanoes in Iceland are ice capped with glaciers. The flood damage in such an event is unimaginable. The volcano Katya is expected to erupt anytime as historically it’s eruption has followed A15 eruption. We were educated about the nearby 600 household community in the area and the evacuation plan in case of an eruption and glacial flood. The people in the town practice running up the hill to keep themselves fit so they can run up the hill in case of a glacial flood occurring.

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

We stopped at a Falls which is right below the volcano. From Seljalandsfoss, we drove to another stunning waterfall named Skógafoss on Skógá River . The sheer intensity of the falls and the drop even though it’s a short drop makes for a stunning sight. The stream flowing from the waterfall is clear and we even took gulps of water from it. The whole area with the beautiful mountains, birds, the rainbows as the sun was shining and reflecting off the mist was beautiful. There is a pathway one can climb up to the overlook at the top of falls with 436 steps, however there is no view of the waterfall as one climbs up and you cannot see the whole of the falls from the top although one does get a bird’s eye view of the whole area.

Skógafoss Waterfall

The whole south coast and the two falls were part of several James Bond movies, Bollywood movies, Game of thrones TV shows etc.

South Coast, Iceland

From Skógafoss, we drove approximately 20 minutes to a small ocean front village named Vik for lunch at a small mall. After a lunch of spicy pasta and soup at the lava cafe, I took a short walk to the beach which was again stunning due to the black volcanic sand and rocks. The mall has an Icewear store where one can buy souvenirs or warm clothing. I decide to take a short walk to the black sand beach with stunning views.

Reynisfjara

Vik, Iceland

After lunch was a long drive of 2 hours 20 minutes to our next destination, Jökulsárlón Glacial lagoon. The whole south coast was full of stunning sights with glaciers one after the other. The biggest glacier in Iceland or the whole of Europe, Vatnajokull has over 30 outlet glaciers and line the landscape. This is a view that needs to be seen and enjoyed by naked eyes and cannot be captured on a camera.

After what seemed like a long drive, we reached the glacial lagoon. It’s amazing sight with blocks of ice floating in the water. The glassy white blocks of ice along with a beautiful blue give the lake an ethereal look. The icebergs break off from the glacier and have made a lake as they melt. Considered to be the deepest lake in Iceland at over 300 mts deep, Jökulsárlón is stunning and a must see on an Iceland trip. The glacier was supposed to have reached the ocean half a mile from the lagoon and then receded. But the water from the melted glacier flowed into the ocean. The lake would not freeze because the tide would bring the ocean water inside. The icebergs floated in the water slowly as they went into the sea. The tide would also bring in sea animals such as seals into the lagoon.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park

The glacial lagoon with the glacier in the backdrop along with snowcapped mountains was a sight to behold and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park

After a long stop at the lagoon, we drove a few blocks from the lagoon to the black sand beach also known as the black diamond beach. The Black Diamond Beach is a black sand beach belonging to the greater Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located by Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. The beach is covered with ice blocks and pieces of ice as the water from the lagoon brought the icebergs into the Atlantic ocean and the waves crashed them and broke them and they floated back to the beach. It’s a natures wonder for sure and I was happy I was able to make it.

Black Diamond Beach

We started the long 5 hour drive back to Reykjavik after the beach. We did make a stop at the same mall for dinner at Vik again on our way back. This time the Lava cafe was closed so we ate at the cafe in the Icewear store. After dinner was a non-stop 2 hours drive back to Reykjavik and we reached our apartment at 10.30 pm tired and happy to have done not one but two long days of touring where we covered a huge part of the country.

After coming back to the room, the boys as usual went to Olis market for a hot dog and coffee while I packed up all our stuff for our trip back home on Saturday.

Day 7

We slept in unlike our other days and woke up around 8am and felt rested. After breakfast in the room, packing and cleaning up, we decided to spend the day in Reykjavik as the boys wanted to spend time in the city center. This time we decided to forego the usual Bus #14 and took a taxi cab to the city center to save time. The drive took a quick 7 minutes and $30 but the cab driver took us to the flea market in the center of downtown Reykjavik.

The flea market called Kolaportið was a quaint market with locals from all over Iceland coming in with their goods to sell from jewelry to woolen goods. I ended up buying a woolen cap for myself and my son got a sweater for himself made out of Icelandic wool and the prices were better than the commercial shops we had visited. We walked around and shopped for trinkets and souvenirs to take back. Downtown looked festive as it was decorated for Christmas with lights and bells everywhere.

Reykjavik City Center

After spending a few hours, we came back to our apartment to pick up our luggage and waited for our ride to the airport. Keflavik airport is very technologically advanced as travelers are expected to not just self- check but print the luggage tags and out on their luggage. Travelers are expected to scan their own boarding passes to go through to the bag drop area. Bag drop is automated with travelers having to scan their luggage tags and putting the luggage on the conveyor belt.

Food is expensive and poor choice of food at Keflavík airport. Immigration is fast but the gate areas can be very crowded. Iceland Air does not board by zones but by first come first serve basis so lines can become very long and chaotic.

Tips:

Iceland is very connected with free wi-fi everywhere on public transportation and tour buses. Every store and restaurant offers free wi-fi also.
Tour buses are very comfortable and have great seating with USB connections to charge or plug-in to charge so carry your chargers with you.
Alcohol is not available at all stores and is carried by Vinbudin only. But it’s EXPENSIVE! So buy for consumption during your stay if you have to. If you plan to buy to take out of the country, the duty free shop at Keflavík airport sells the same alcohol at 1/2 the price.
Food is expensive in Iceland, especially eating out. A simple meal of burgers and hot dogs can cost anywhere between $15-$25 per person. You can easily spend $100 for a meal for 4 people in Iceland. So buying food at the grocery stores such as Hagkaup and cooking breakfast and other meals in the room if possible is a good optiom. We stocked up our fridge with bread, eggs, lots of yogurt etc. Krispy Creme is also available in Hagkaup.
Food is good even at N1 and Olis Markets which would be similar to 711 in the US.
Please make sure to get the tax-free receipt from the stores if you shop for more than 6000 Krona. At the time of departure at Keflavík airport, make sure to go the tax refund section before check in and submit the paperwork. You will get 14% refunded back on the credit card. They do require you to fill out each receipt with all your information including passport number and credit card number. Please remember, if your refund crosses 150,000 krona then you are required to have the items ready to be shown to the tax officer.
No food allowed to be eaten on tour buses and no drinks allowed.
In the hindsight, we could have used two days to explore the south coast of Iceland and stayed in Vik or even at Jokulsarlon. It would have given us a chance to hike Vatnajokull glacier, visit the ice cave and other surrounding areas.

Sun Kissed Trails: Alamere Falls

On July 27, 2018July 29, 2018 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel2 Comments

I love nature, I crave for it and I am the happiest in natural surroundings. So, it is not surprising that I look for nature trails for running and hiking every place I visit. I have been hiking for a while now and I have never blogged about my hikes, but my recent hike inspired me to write about it. My friend and I decided to do the Alamere Falls Hike in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore region. I had heard about this scenic hike to the tidefall and I wanted to see the spot where the waterfall tumbled on to the beach creating a beautiful sight. It had been on my bucket list since then and I had been yearning to go.

I researched online and looked up all the information on the trails and the hike and finally came up with a plan. The most tricky part of this hike was that it needed to be timed with tide timings as the high tide doesn’t allow for any space on the beach. This hike is also supposed to be extremely popular so we decided to go early which meant a 4.15am start from home as the drive was close to 2.5 hours for us.

There are three trailheads that one can hike from to get to the falls, however we chose to do the most scenic and the longest hike from the Palomarin Trailhead. The trailhead is a little tricky to get to as it is in the little town of Bolinas off of Hwy 1. It is well known that the residents of Bolinas love their privacy and steal the street signs and markings so they can hide from the tourists. The road to get to Bolinas itself is unmarked and can be easily missed and we drove a few miles before realizing we had missed it. So read the directions carefully and print them out or take screenshots as we had done. There is no reception past Stinson Beach and that adds to the challenge. Eventually, we did make it to Palomarin Trailhead. Please be aware that the last mile to the trailhead is an unpaved, dirt path full of potholes etc. so drive slowly. Despite the 4.15 am start, we reached the trailhead at 6.50am and luckily we were the second car to park at the trailhead. After a quick restroom break, we were off on the Coast Trail to Alamere Falls.

The trail starts off with a beautiful wooded path which goes through tall eucalyptus trees before opening to wide views of the coast and sheer cliffs.

At about 0.2 miles, stay on the right side of the path on the Coast Trail.

The trail meanders along the coast and goes through a pine forest, beautiful firs and cypress tree tunnels which make for a scenic trail.

The lush greenery with sweeping views of the hills on one side and the ocean on the other side make for some breathtaking views.

You can also see the fog rolling in the early morning hours. Due to our early start time, the trails were empty and we were able to soak in the nature and its beauty.

The trail goes past a couple wooden bridges over creeks and a couple ponds.

As you continue on the trail, you reach a junction and stay on the Coast Trail.

Continue on the Coast Trail and you will reach Bass Lake at approximately 2.8 miles. There is a small trail that does go to the lake, but we decided not to go there as we were keen to get to the falls before the crowd came in.

So we continued on the Coast trail going past another lake named Pelican lake towards the falls.

All my readings on the hike had mentioned that the longer route on Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp and then the 1 mile beach walk to the falls was safer, but there was plenty of information on the “shorter unmarked trail” which led to a steep incline to the top of the falls. Every post I had read on the so called shortcut talked about the safety risk of the steep incline and tried to deter the reader from taking it. However, for me sometimes the thrill and excitement overrides common sense and in this case the safer, longer path. I know patience is a virtue and I will be the first to admit that when it comes to adventures like these, I usually opt for the path less chosen. So here I was monitoring every gap and crack in the bushes to find the somewhat hidden trail leading to the falls. The narrow unmarked trail was actually very easy to find as someone had marked the trail with an arrow made of pebbles and small rocks.

No other signs were needed and we immediately tuned left. The narrow trail gave way to a nice wide trail in some areas, tree canopies and some areas where one had to walk in a single file.

The trail also led to some sweeping views of the lush green hills before reaching a cliff side with views of the top of the falls and the beach below.

The incline is steep to get to the top of the falls and the path is narrow for one person only. The incline is steep but not as rocky and one can hold on to the rocks on the side for support.

There are two paths to go down and the path on the left is steeper and narrower than the one on the right. One may find themselves sitting and scooting down on their bottom to get down. The first climb gets you to the top of the main waterfall and there are three tiers as the water drops down the hill side.

You will find that each tier has created a small lagoon and you can take a dip in the water.

Alamere-Falls-Hike-17_thumb

The water then flows down the cliff side to drop 40 feet to the beach. I even took my shoes off to dip my feet in the refreshingly cold water and after spending some time at the top and taking a food break, we started the descent down to the beach through the rocky incline.

Every word I had read warning about the dangerous climb down was true. The path to the beach is steep with loose gravel and rocks. You have to take care to make sure that the rocks you hold on to for support on the sides are sturdy and don’t give away under your hand and each step you take is steady. The loose gravel makes the downward climb dangerous as it is slippery.

My heavy backpack made the climb down a little challenging and so I decided to take it off and just slide it in front of me. The narrow path allows for only one person to go though so be prepared to wait in awkward spots and angles for faster people to get through. Slowly and steadily we made it down to the beach to a gorgeous sight. The water cascades down a 40 ft wall to the beach.

We had plenty of opportunity to take pictures and enjoy ourselves. The fog had given way to the sun and after spending some time on the beach, we decided to climb up the incline.

Taking the backpack off made the climb going up easier than the one coming down although arm strength is needed to pull oneself up. I came home to find my palms scratched up due to holding the rocks on the sides.

We back tracked the same Coast trail back happy to have made down to the falls and felt accomplished. As we walked back, we came across a continuous stream of hikers heading to the falls and considered ourselves lucky to have done the falls before the crowd got there. I shudder to think how we could have climbed down the steep incline amidst the crowd. By the time we made it to the car, the fog was rolling in again and we had completed 12.6 miles and 27,169 steps for me. As we got out of the parking lot, we realized that there were cars on both sides of the mile long dirt path making for some tricky driving and I felt relieved when we got on to the asphalt.

Tips:

Check weather and tide timings before the hike as high tide will make it impossible to reach the beach.
Wear protective gear as the trails are covered with stinging nettle and poison oak.
Download and print all trail maps and directions as there is no reception after Stinson Beach.
It may be a good idea to put your phone in airplane mode so that the battery does not run out.
Take plenty of water and food. I took 2.5 liters and went through almost 2 liters.
There is no restroom on the trail except the Palomarin Trailhead.
The hike can be strenuous because of it’s sheer length
Make sure to wear hiking shoes with treads to go down the steep incline. I would rate the difficulty of the incline as a 7 on a 10 scale.
Enjoy the hike of course!! Take lots of pictures too 🙂

Japan Continued..People, Food and More

On August 18, 2017August 20, 2017 By Take a Chance On MeIn TravelLeave a comment

Japan was everything I expected and had heard about. This post is based on my observations of the place and its people. In all my travels around the globe, there is no denying that Japan ranks the highest as far as politeness and courtesy is concerned. This country has the most courteous of people I have ever come across. Everything is endearing about the culture from their bowing in politeness to their greeting of each other to their ever pleasant smiles. Anywhere you go each person is acknowledged and greeted separately making the good old American greeting of ‘Hi Guys’ or ‘Hi All’ seemingly impersonal. The fact that waiters and cooks scream out ‘Ohayo’ in restaurants when you enter and exit the restaurant brings a smile out. How can one ignore being acknowledged and welcomed with such gusto and enthusiasm?

Food is an integral part of the Japanese culture or should I say Japan has a culture of food. After all Japan gave the world “The Iron Chef”!! In a country that touts healthy living and highest longevity, food is an obsession. Every train station, bus station, airport and market is packed with restaurants and eateries. The obsession is obvious and you cannot miss it. The effort and time taken to select the best ingredients, to cooking the food to perfection and the presentation of it is mind blowing.

I have seen enough of Food Network shows and Iron Chef to know that the Japanese take immense pride in their food. Just the name Masaharu Morimoto brings about images of an intense, passionate chef and exotic foods carefully selected, deliciously cooked and beautifully presented. Whether it is meant for take-out or dining in, food is a work of art and beautifully packaged and the quality is given more importance than quantity. Japan is an expensive place but as far as food is concerned it is definitely worth every dime or yen for that matter.

In our gastronomical journey through Japan we tried several foods. I am probably the least experimental and most picky out of the family lot. However my kids were born without the omnivore’s paradox and they had a fabulous time tasting and trying. My boys were raised consciously to try everything and eat everything and believe me they do! While other parents would be telling their kids to “try new foods” or “eat something”, I would be telling mine to be careful and make sure it is food before you put it in your mouth. They would be at the 711 early in the morning eating Chicken Katsu every day in Japan and I finally got over my hang-up of eating food from a 711 and tried it. I had to agree begrudgingly that it was good. I know I have a lot of work to do to get over my yuppie “registered dietitian will not eat from fast-food joints” attitude. But to my surprise the 711’s in Japan offered a wide choice of fresh fruits, yogurt parfaits, sweet breads, breakfast foods to traditional Japanese foods.

In my limited experience, the best dish I tasted and loved was in Hiroshima. You cannot leave Hiroshima without trying the Okonomiyaki! We went to a restaurant called Nagata-Ya as it was rated very high on Yelp. There was a wait as predicted and we waited patiently in a line outside the restaurant of course. Everyone in Japan waits in line and definitely for some good food. In the line, we were given the menu to look at and there were several choices for the Okonomiyaki from original to oyster. I chose garlic and the boys chose between original and special. By the time we were seated, we were hungry and the sight of people assembling and cooking the Okonomiyaki made our expectations high. The experience was just like we imagined..amazing!

It is not an overestimation to state that Japan is probably the only country that is packed with “food souvenir” stores at every bus station, train station, and airport. You can find shops teeming with people buying goodies to eat early in the morning. It was hard for us to resist the food souvenir stores as we made our way in and out of the train stations every day. The waffle shaped cookies to the crescent shaped sweets, mochi in decadent flavors to the bean cakes and let’s not forget everything matcha. Each morsel and bite a slice of heaven..

Some of the samples of sweets we tasted throughout our journey..

5-packs-of-japanese-traditional-sweet-rice-cake-manju-bean-paste-jam-cake-with-black-sesame-citron-flavor-kyoto_21567411 — Rice cake with bean paste

The hot and humid weather also called for lots of juice stalls, ice-cream and shaved ice kiosks and we did have more than our share of the frozen goodies. It was impossible not to..I made sure I went running just to burn some of the extra calories and make space for some more.

Matcha, Vanilla Ice-cream with Adzuki Bean Paste

Strawberry Milk Cotton Candy Shaved Ice Snowcone

In all the food talk, I don’t want to miss out on Sake, the Japanese Rice Wine. We did come home with a few bottles of Sake. We were told to look for Junmai Ginjo by a Japanese friend so we did. There are several types of Sake in the market such as Ginjo, Junmai, Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Daiginjo, Honjozo. The Junmai Ginjo is a Sake that is made up of water, koji mold, yeast and rice milled 40% with 60% of each grain remaining. Ginjo is to Sake what single malt is to scotch and considered to be a premium sake. It is not a brand and identifies the sake by category and class. What an education for a complete non-drinker like me, but I did learn how to read the kanji script enough to pick out the Junmai Ginjo Sake bottle from the counter.

Moving from food to the next Japanese obsession! Trains!!

Train travel was interesting in Japan and even though the network of trains is amazing, it can be quite daunting for tourists to navigate the subway system, the private lines, the JR lines, and the Shinkansen. Most travel to tourist destinations involves the use of multiple trains. I found that most people were helpful and would stop to help even though language was a barrier or even if they were rushing to catch the train themselves. One instance was on our second day in Japan and we got on a train in the green car not realizing it was a reserved car. We were using our Japan Rail passes and had bought first class green passes in the US before travel however we got into the wrong car. The ticket conductor came to check the tickets and let us know that we were in the wrong car but asked us to continue sitting in our seats. Even after we got up realizing our mistake, he came back and told us not to. It wasn’t just the conductor, but a woman who spoke English well also came and told us that it was ok and not to get up. We thought it was unbelievably polite for her to do so. Even after two gentlemen came in and had obviously reserved our seats, the conductor gave them different seats. When two other men came and asked my sons to get up, the conductor apologized again and seated the boys himself telling them no one would ask them to move.

A similar incidence took place again when we got on a wrong train by mistake in Tokyo. The ticket conductor guided us and gave us a schedule to go to our destination. Another passenger heard the ticket conductor talk to us and came and informed us that even though the route given by the conductor was correct, the lines were too crowded and asked us to take a different line from a different station. As we got ready to get off the train, the conductor ran to us thinking we were making a mistake and asked us not to get down. We had to reassure the conductor that we knew what we were doing. These two incidences were enough to show the caring and helpful attitude of Japanese people. Why would you worry about tourists otherwise?

There were a few other incidences which impressed us regarding Japanese politeness and courtesy. Other subtle observations were that people would stand in line for trains and buses and would get on in a line no matter how crowded the trains were. Even in the most crowded of situations where the people were packed like sardines in the trains, people remained polite and civil.

Before I left for Japan, I knew it was a safe country. I had read that the chances one could get lost in Japan were much higher than getting mugged and I did get lost a couple times. The word “safe” brought on a completely new meaning when I saw little children of 6-8 years of age walking alone on busy streets, crossing streets, and traveling in trains and buses. Young children around 10-11 years of age traveling at 9.30 pm or 10 pm in school uniforms was a common sight throughout Japan and we even saw young teenage girls traveling alone late at night. At the risk of sounding cynical, this practice would be unheard of in the US or most countries we have been to. I sincerely wish the country remains as is in the years to come and nothing changes for them.

So until I visit again..sayonara..watashitachi wa modotte kimasu

Japan: A 10-Day Journey

On August 5, 2017September 11, 2023 By Take a Chance On MeIn Travel6 Comments

Japan has been on my bucket list for a long time and I was finally able to check it off this summer. The country, its people, the food, and the courtesy were everything I had expected if not more. Here is a detailed description of our 10-day journey through Japan.

The Day is Here!!

We flew non-stop ANA flight from San Jose, California to Narita, Tokyo.

Day 1

We arrived at Narita Airport. After clearing Customs and Immigration fairly quickly, we got our baggage and took the train Keisei Skyliner to Ueno. From Ueno we took the Subway Yurakucho line to Yurakucho and then a cab to Harumi Grand Hotel.

Address:

8-1, Harumi 3-Chōme
Chuo, Tokyo
Japan 104-0053
+81 3 3533 7111

We had chosen Harumi area because it was less than a mile from Tsukiji Fish Market and my husband was very interested in watching the fish auction at 5am. However, his enthusiasm dwindled a little when he was told that he had to be there by 3.30am as only 60 tickets were issued to watch the auction. So we decided to wait and see how we felt at 2.00am before rushing there.

We settled in our room and after resting for a little while, we went for a walk in the park and along the water. The evening and night views of the city were breathtaking.

After spending some time along the water, we ate dinner at Utabe Sushi nearby. The restaurant was excellent with melt in the mouth sushi, cod, tuna and squid!

Day 2

As my jet lagged self was awake and alert at 2.30am, I tried to wake my husband up, but predictably he backed out of attending the auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market and also the sushi breakfast he had promised me. So I decided not to hike it alone in the middle of the night even though Japan is probably the safest country on earth. I was more worried about getting lost than being mugged. Oh well..

So we had breakfast at Harumi Grand Hotel which was free and consisted of a mix of Japanese and Continental breakfast in a large spacious dining room. There was a variety of breads, danishes, muffins, cereals, eggs and pancakes to breaded chicken and fries, salads, seaweed to pickles available.

We took a cab to Sakuradamon Station and I went for a run on the trails of the Imperial Palace grounds. The grounds were gorgeous with beautiful trails and pathways. The palace is partially visible and covered by moat. There are several heavily guarded entrances to the palace. The trail goes inside the gates of the palace and alongside the moat all around the palace.

Seimon Ishibashi Bridge, Imperial Palace Tokyo

It was an amazing sight to see the old buildings of the palace alongside the modern skyscrapers teeming high into the sky.

Address:

Chiyoda 内堀通り
Chiyoda, Tokyo
Japan
+81 3 3213 1111

After a nice run for me and a leisurely walk for the boys, we took a train from Sakuradamon station to Toyusu station and walked to our hotel to check out.

A Runner’s Paradise, Imperial Palace Grounds Tokyo

We took a cab to Asakusa View Hotel and checked in the hotel. The reason we had to stay in Harumi Grand Hotel for one night was because Expedia made a mistake and booked us from the 25^th when we were reaching on the 24^th. But do be careful with the dates, as you do lose one day due to the travel time and the 16-hour time difference between Japan time and PST.

Address:

17-1, Nishiasakusa 3-Chōme
Taito, Tokyo
Japan 111-0035
+81 3 3847 1111

After checking in our bags, we walked Hinayashi-dori or street to Sensoji Shrine and Pagoda to visit. Asakusa View Hotel is conveniently located only a couple blocks from the shrines and shopping area and also gives breathtaking views of Tokyo Skytree which is just over a mile away. The entrance to Asakusa Station is conveniently located in the hotel premises too.

Address:

2-3-1 Asakusa
Taito-ku
Postal code:111-0032

View from Asakusa View Hotel. In the Backdrop is Tokyo Skytree

After walking through the shrines which were fairly crowded with visitors especially tourists, we browsed through the shops surrounding the shrines. The streets around the shrine and its temples are teeming with shops for souvenirs and foods. There are several restaurants serving traditional Japanese food in the area and for the ones who want to stick to the same old same old, there is even a McDonald’s available. We stopped for lunch at New Asakusa Restaurant for some rice and fish and then treated ourselves to ice cream and shaved ice as it was hot and humid. .

The Sensoji Shrine is a vast and beautiful area comprising of several temples and statues of Buddha. The place is a good example of old world and new world living in existence together. It is an amazing experience to see thousand year old shrines surrounded by skyscrapers and a high-tech network of trains and connectivity.

In the evening we took a cab to Tokyo Skytree Tower. The Tokyo Skytree is a massive steel structure that shoots up high in the sky giving a birds eye view of Tokyo. The view was special at night for sure. If you go during the day time and are lucky enough, you may get to see Mt. Fuji. Ticket price: 2030 yen for Tembo Deck at 350 meters and another 1030 yen for Tembo Galleria at 450 meters.

We came back for dinner at one of the places near the shrine called Ippudo Ramen. There are hundreds of restaurants with food choices near the shrine. Eating places vary from only take-out to sit down places.

Day 3

Breakfast at Denny’s in Asakusa. Once seated, the waitress won’t come to take your order at Denny’s until you hit the bell and the table number lights up. We waited for a long time until a lady sitting at another table realized that we were tourists and asked the waitress to go to our table. Something new to learn every day!

We took Tsukuba Express Subway train from Asakusa Station to Akihabara Station and then used the Yamanote line to Tokyo Metro Station. At Tokyo Metro JR East center office, we registered the JR passes so that we could start using the passes and then took the JR Yokosuka-Sobu line to Kamakura.

Although we could have walked to the Kotoku-In Shrine, it was raining that day and we decided to take a taxi to Kotoku-in Daibutsu Shrine. The massive Buddha statue known as “Daibutsu” or the Great Buddha and the temple premises make for a beautiful serene location. Tickets prices were 200 yen per person and we even paid 20 yen additional fee for a ticket to go under the statue. The small climb down to the underbelly of the statue is interesting as it gives a glimpse of how the statue was built in 1252.

Address

4-2-28, Hase, Kamakura,
Kanagawa Prefecture 248-0016, Japan
Phone：0467－22－0703
Fax：0467－22－5051

Daibutsu or The Great Buddha, Kotoku-In Shrine, Kamakura

After spending some time in the Kotoku-In Shrine, we hiked the Daibutsu Hiking trail for a couple miles. The booth selling charms and books in Kotoku-In Shrine next to Daibutsu statue gave us a trail map explaining the Daibutsu Hiking Trail. After walking alongside a street for half mile or so, the hike climbs up rapidly with wooden stairs covered in grass and moss. We hiked for a couple miles until the Zenlaral Benzaiten Shrine before turning back and hiking back to Hase-Dera Kannon Shrine.

Stairs here and Stairs there, Daibutsu Hiking Trail

At the Hase-Dera Kannon temple, there is another climb to the temple and the shrines and the caves. Ticket price for Hase-Dera Kannon is 300 yen per person.

Hase-Dera Kannon is another gorgeous shrine built around 1192 AD and situated high in the mountain with stunning views of Kamakura town and the ocean. The shrine is surrounded by beautiful gardens and the caves make up for an interesting experience with figures carved on to the rocks and walls.

Gardens at Hase-Dera Kannon Shrine, Kamakura

Address

11-2, Hase 3-chome,
Kamakura,
Kanagawa 248-0016

After spending the rest of the afternoon at Hase-Dera Kannon temple, we walked to the city and took the bus to Kamakura station. Using our JR passes, we tracked back to Tokyo Metro using the Yokosuka-Sobu line and then using the Yamanote Line to Akihabara and back to Asakusa on Tsukuba Express. JR passes are also valid on the Yamanote line, but you need to buy ticket to go to Asakusa.

Day 4

A beautiful day started at 6.30am with a run in the morning at Sensoji shrines and its premises through the empty streets in Asakusa. The empty Shrine and its temples were serene and peaceful to run through.

Address:

2-3-1 Asakusa
Taito-ku
Postal code:111-0032

Shops Lined Empty Streets of Sensoji Shrine

After a quick breakfast at 711 Holdings we were off on the train to Tokyo Metro via Akihabara from Asakusa Station. Yes you read it right! 711 in Japan is an equivalent to WaWa and offer a choice of entrees and snacks including yogurt parfaits etc. I have one son who made it a point to go to 711 early every morning to eat Chicken Katsu which was delicious actually.

We took the Tsukuba Express from Asakusa Station to Akihabara and then Yamanote line to Tokyo. JR passes are valid on Yamanote line. From Tokyo we too the Nambiaki Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and then finally JR Nikko line to Nikko. The whole journey took us about two hours but the destination was worth it.

We bought a bus pass for 2000 yen at Nikko station for the Toshugu temples and Lake Chuzenji. The bus to go to Toshugu shrine and temples was Tobu Bus # 1B. Remember the 2000 yen ticket is just for the bus to ride through the town. It does not include the ticket price for the shrines.

Toshugu Shrine and temples are the most beautiful shrines with intricate ornamental design and carving. Toshugu is known as the most decorated and ornate of all shrines in Japan and it was truly so. Please be advised that it is a climb to the temples. Ticket price is 1300 yen per person and a 1000 yen for the museum.

Address:

Japan, 〒321-1431 Tochigi-ken, Nikkō-shi, Sannai, 2301

Again similar to the other shrines, there was a steep climb up the steps to the top. I didn’t count the number of steps, but there were definitely more than 150 steps for sure. The climb down brought extraordinary views of the shrines.

After touring Toshugu Shrine, we decided to take Bus #8 to Lake Chuzenji but it was disappointing as the bus didn’t come for 1.5 hours and we ran out of time as we had tickets reserved on the Shinkansen from Utsunomiya to head back to Tokyo. We did take bus #1B to other temples and sites around Nikko which happens to be a beautiful hill town with great hikes. We also stopped by Shinkyo Bridge or Sacred Bridge and the entrance to Nikko National Park We walked around the town browsing the shops before taking the bus back to Nikko Station.

I did complain to the bus office at the station regarding the bus to Lake Chuzenji, and after making several calls etc. they did return the 1500 yen per person back as we couldn’t see Lake Chuzenji. There was a group of young men from Germany who had waited with us at the bus stop too. They had complained to the office before us but were refused a refund until I came along and demanded one. Their group got the refund because of me and I chalk that to woman power!

We took the JR back from Nikko to Utsunomiya and then Shinkansen to Tokyo and the Yamanote line to Shibuya to see the Shibuya Scramble.

Shibuya Scramble is a crazy place that would make Times Square New York seem like a suburb crossing. It does keep to its name of being the busiest intersection in the world with a an ocean of human kind scrambling to cross the street with a purpose obviously. We crossed the street a couple times for the thrill with iPhone’s held high to video tape the scramble. We also took a couple photos near the Hachiko dog statue as you cannot go to Shibuya and not see the statue right outside the station. The statue commemorates the love of a Japanese Akita dog named Hachiko who waited for his owner for nine years at the intersection loyally after his owner’s death at work.

We finally returned to Asakusa taking the Ginza line exhausted and weary after a long day and ate a late sushi dinner in Asakusa.

Day 5

We ate breakfast at Denny’s and shopped for knick-knacks at the street stores outside Sensoji temple in Asakusa. I fell in love with a small shop on Hinayashi-dori run by an older Japanese man who was an artisan selling handmade dolls and samurai warriors etc. We bought a samurai headgear and sword at the small shop and bargained a deal at $200 for the headgear and sword. The man impressed thoroughly by my husband’s Japanese speaking skills even threw in a couple fans for both of us.

After shopping in Asakusa area, we took the cab to Tokyo Metro Station from Asakusa View Hotel ($25) and then caught the Hikari Super Express Shinkansen to Kyoto. We did make reservations at the JR/ Shinkansen office to reserve seats.

We arrived in Kyoto and walked a couple blocks to the rental. After settling in our rental which turned out to be a traditional Japanese home we went walking by Kyoto Station and ate in the food section of the station. Kyoto station is a huge place with an eleven story mall and Floors 1, 10 and 11 full of restaurants.

Day 6

We ate breakfast at the restaurant on Kyoto Station as the place seemed to be teeming with restaurants and café’s from Mister Donut to French Patisserie to Café Du Monde to name a few for breakfast items.

The plan for the morning was to visit the Inari Shrine which was nearby. We took the JR Nara line to Inari which was only a couple stops away on the train from Kyoto Station. Do make sure the train is a local train as Rapid lines do not stop at Inari Station. The Shrine is right outside the station and again a slow climb similar to other shrines. There are no tickets for Inari and admission is free. The Shrine remains open from dawn to dusk also.

Address:

68 Yabunouchi-cho,
Fukakusa,
Fushimi-ku

The Shrine and temples are beautiful structures built in 711 AD and lined by over a 1000 pillars colored bright orange that go all the way up Mt. Inari.

The structures also have gates placed at intervals and the gates are guarded by foxes on both sides.

The hike does have some gorgeous views of a lake and mountains along the way. The whole walk and climb tops 4 kms and please keep an 1.5-2 hours for this site.

We came back to Kyoto Station and had lunch at one of the eateries on the 11th floor restaurants at the Station and then imbibed in ice-cream at Cafe du Monde on the 2nd floor at the station.

After a short rest in our rental, we bought a day pass and took bus #104 from B3 section at Kyoto Station to Nijo-jo castle. The castle is approximately 25 min bus ride from Kyoto Station.

Address:

541 Nijo-jo-cho, Horikawa-nishi-iru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City
Tel.:075-841-0096 Fax: 075-802-6181

Access: A short walk from City Bus Stop Nijo-jo-mae (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Railway Karasuma Station), or Nijo-jo-mae Station on the Tozai Subway Line

The ticket price for the castle is 600 yen per person and you can walk the grounds and visit the inside. You will be required to take off your shoes outside to visit the rooms in the castle. The 33 room castle is covered with 800 Tatami mats as flooring and is adorned with ornate paintings on the walls depicting everything from tigers and leopards to peacocks, pine trees, cherry blossoms, maple trees to mountains etc.

The palace is surrounded by a moat and beautiful gardens that you can walk through. It took us a couple hours to cover the palace and the grounds.

After visiting the castle, we took Bus #205 from the castle to Kyoto station. After an ice-cream and snow cone break due to the heat, we caught bus #9 from A2 to Kawaramachi and got off at Shijo Kawaramachi. We had promised the boys to take them shopping at the BAPE Exclusive store in Kyoto and we found the store a couple blocks from the bus stop in Otabachi area.

After shopping at the store and spending some serious money at the store, we walked around Kawaramachi area window shopping, people watching, also spent time on the bridge and finally deciding on dinner at Himalaya.

The restaurant was further than we expected and Google maps gave us incorrect directions. We did call the restaurant for directions and were told that it was in front of Royal Hotel. We found the Royal Hotel but couldn’t find the restaurant and had just about given up when the restaurant called us back and the owner came to pick us up. It was an interesting experience as we have never had anyone come to pick us up. The owner had actually walked half a mile to pick us up. The restaurant was empty when we got there and we were a little skeptical and assumed that the owner had come to pick us up because he was desperate for business, and there might have been some truth to it, but the food and service was excellent! By the time we left, the restaurant was packed with people waiting. We ordered chicken curry, mutton curry and naans and the chef made tandoori rotis for my son because he asked for them even though they were not on the menu. The boys finished the leftovers we brought back for breakfast the next day and that is testament to how good the food was. It was interesting that the naans did not change texture unlike the ones made in the restaurants in the US.

We took the bus #8 back from Kawaramachi to Kyoto station after dinner.

Day 7

We were woken up by what we thought was an explosion but it turned out to be thunder and rain. We packed up our stuff and checked out of our place by 9.30. We stored our luggage in coin lockers at Kyoto station at the Hachijo West exit. Each locker costs 600 yen and luggage can be stored for a maximum of 3 days.

We used the JR Sagano line to Saga Arashiyama which was a 15 mins train ride. We rented bikes right outside the station at Saga Arashiyama and rode our bikes through the city stopping at a couple temples before heading to the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge. The bridge is open and wide to give stunning view of the mountains and city.

Address: Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 616-0000, Japan

We parked our bikes on the other side of the bridge and then walked across and down the street to Tenryu-ji Zen temple which happens to be a World Heritage site.

Address:

68 Susukinobaba-cho, Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, 616-8385 Japan
Tel: (075) 881-1235 (8:30-17:30) Fax: (075) 864-2424

The Shrine was beautiful but we were more in awe of the gardens that has a separate ticket entrance of 500 yen per person.

Gardens, Tenryu-Ji Shrine Arashiyama, Kyoto

After touring and walking through the gardens we exited through the gate on the other side of the gardens which dumped into the Sagano Forest trail. The Sagano Bamboo Forest is the prettiest grove of trees I have ever seen. The tall bamboo trees line the trail on both sides making a canopy.

Address:

Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Sagano Bamboo National Forest, Arashiyama, Kyoto

After walking through the walkway that goes between the bamboo forest we came back to the Main Street and ate ice cream and shopped before stopping for lunch at one of the small restaurants near the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge.

We rode our bikes back through the city back to the station and took the JR Sagano line back to Kyoto. At Kyoto Station, we retrieved our luggage from the coin lockers and checked into the platform to catch Shinkansen Hikari 515 to Shin Osaka with a change at Shin Osaka to Sakura 567 to Hiroshima city.

We arrived at Hiroshima station and took a cab to our hotel Rihga Royal Hotel a short distance away. The view from the hotel was stunning with a birds eye view of Hiroshima city.

Hiroshima City View, Rihga Royal Hotel, Hiroshima

The hotel was situated a couple blocks away from the Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome and the Peace Memorial. The river was close by too, so we went for a walk. The Hiroshima Castle was right across from the hotel and the restaurants and shopping were close by too.

Address:

1-10 Otemachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture 730-0051, Japan

Phone: +81 82-242-7831

Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome), Hiroshima

The Atomic Bomb Dome is the ruins of the Exhibition Hall building over which the atomic bomb exploded. The bomb actually exploded 160 meters over the Shima Hospital next door and Aioi Bridge, however everyone perished in the aftermath of the explosion. The building is supposed to have remained intact as the bomb exploded right above it. It was a profoundly emotional experience being in the area and we all went silent. My son and I could not hold back our tears and they kept flowing just at the thought of the immense loss of life regardless of who was right or wrong.

Hiroshima had the best food we ate on the trip with Okonomiyaki at Nagata-Ya for dinner which was right next to the bridge.

Okonomiyaki at Nagata-Ya Restaurant, Hiroshima

Day 8

The day started with a run early in the morning at 6.30am and I ran past the Atomic Bomb Dome and along the river and across the bridge to see the Peace Memorial, the Memorial Mound, the Peace Bell and then past the Rihga Hotel to the castle area. The feeling of sadness continued during the day time too and I couldn’t shake the feeling.

I came up to the room and then went out with my husband to do a repeat of the above. This time I didn’t run past the sites, but stayed and read every cenotaph and every plaque and post. I rang the peace bell hoping and praying for peace on earth. The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound overwhelmed me the most and I got physically sick. Even though I had read about Hiroshima and knew what to expect, it was still a gut-wrenching experience as the feeling of melancholy still stays 72 years after it happened.

View of Genbaku Dome from the other side of Motoyasu River, Hiroshima

Peace Bell, Atomic Bomb Memorial Park, Hiroshima

Children’s Peace Bell, Atomic Bomb Memorial Park, Hiroshima

We picked up breakfast foods at 711 and then checked out of the hotel. After storing our bags with the concierge, we went shopping and more sightseeing and ate Ramen for lunch right next door to Nagata-Ya where we had eaten the night before. The Ramen was the best we have eaten in our lives.

Later in the afternoon we made our way to Hiroshima Station and booked our tickets to go to Shin Yokohama via Shin Osaka.

The first leg of the journey was on Shinkansen Sakura Superexpress 558 to Shin Osaka which took approximately 85 minutes. The second leg of the journey was on Hikari 567 to Yokohama and took approximately 2hrs and 35 minutes. We then bought Subway Blue Line to Shin Yokohama. Our hotel Prince Shin Yokohama was right next door to the train Station.

The hotel also was the location for Prince Pepe Mall with shops and restaurants. We had reached at 9.00 pm so I skipped dinner and the boys went alone. Our rooms on the 36th and 29th floor had fabulous views.

Address:

Japan, 〒222-8533 Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama, Kohoku Ward, Shinyokohama, ３丁目４

Phone: +81 45-471-1111

View of Yokohama City from Prince Shin Yokohama Hotel

Day 9

Breakfast was free and sumptuous in the Kotchel Dining room on the 2nd floor and comprised of Japanese and Continental foods.

We had decided to take our last full day easy and for shopping and light activities. So we headed to Yokohama on the Subway Blue line to Minat Morai area.

Access: From Tokyo:
[Rail] 40 min from Tokyo to Sakuragicho Station by JR Keihin Tohoku Line.

The area has malls Queens Square and Landmark Towers and close to Yokohama Bay and Pier. Pier 21 gives a stunning view of the bay and the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

After spending sometime in that area we took the Blue line to Yokohama and then took the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line to Shibuya with a change at Shin Kawasaki. The journey to Shibuya was barely 25 mins from Yokohama.

We decided to go back to Shibuya as it was an interesting spot from the Hachiko statue to the Shibuya Scramble. We also spent time browsing the streets and small stores in Shibuya.

Our son went to the BAPE store again for the third time after Kyoto and Hiroshima, so may be he broke some kind of record. The BAPE store in Shibuya was the largest store we had seen out of the three and we got acquainted with youth fashion trends. The son spent all his pocket money on more shopping at the store this time and walked out of there happy as a clam.

We ate dinner at Bangkok Night and by far it will rate as the best green curry I have ever tasted.

The journey back was a little stressful with heavy rains delaying several trains and finally after making the journey in extremely packed trains we made it back to Shin Yokohama after changing 3 trains on the Shonan-Shinjuku line and Yamanote line which now I know is extremely crowded and packed during rush hours. Prepare to be pushed shoved and packed in the train with no place to even move your arms and legs.

After coming back to our hotel room, my husband went to meet his friend so my son and I went to Don Quijote to look for souvenirs but we couldn’t find too many. We returned to the hotel exhausted and tired and fell asleep.

Day 10

After our breakfast at the hotel, we shopped a bit in the Prince Pepe mall and Bic Camera store for Sake and other goodies.

We then took a cab to Yokohama City Air Terminus (YCAT) for the Narita Bus. The Narita bus is more convenient location abc they store the luggage themselves. Tickets were 3600 yen however they charged us 11100yen for the 4 of us. The bus is more convenient than the train as it can be stressful to carry the luggage through the train station. We left YCAT at 1.00pm and reached Narita at 2.20pm.

The price for Narita Express is 4290 yen per person and the time to reach the airport is the same which is approx 1 hr 20 mins. Upon arrival the luggage was pulled out of the bus for us and carts are free at Narita Airport.

After checking in, we ate at the Japanese eatery and were ready to head home.

A Side Note:

I consider myself to be a simple girl and not too tech-savvy, and I am fairly content as long as my basic needs are met such as food, clothing, and a clean restroom. Well I was in for a culture shock with the toilets in Japan! I have been happy with a normal knob to flush and imagine my shock when I had to figure out what seemed to be a million buttons from the temperature to heat the toilet seat to the type of flow and power etc. etc. For god’s sake it is a toilet and not a microwave to figure out the settings. I hope I didn’t leave behind a trail of broken pots in all the places I visited..ha ha. I am going to deny everything and say I didn’t do it for sure!

Tips:

Download Hyperdia for train schedules.
Buy the JR Pass and there is no need to buy first class or green car passes as you will pay extra for it. Make sure to reserve seats on the Shinkansen in advance, however you can always get a seat in the unreserved cars.
Remember that the JR pass cannot be used for the Shinkansen Nozomi. It may be used for Sakura, Hikari, and Kodama. Kodama is the slowest of all.
Download Japan Connected Free Wi-Fi app when you get there. However, many cities such as Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama provide free wi-fi. Train stations running JR lines provide free wi-fi and 711 is one of the hotspots for Japan Connect Free Wi-Fi. So if you are one of those who like to be connected to internet, you won’t feel cut-off at all.
No tips!! No custom of tipping in Japan and no one accepts tips. Even when they are extremely helpful. It was difficult for me to accept all the help and courtesy as is.
Every train station small or big is a place to shop and eat in Japan. The train stations have malls situated inside and you can typically walk out with anything from groceries to clothes to computers from the train station.
Travel light! It is tough to move around from one place to the other especially changing trains with heavy luggage. Most trains including the Shinkansen do not have luggage racks and luggage can only be stored on overhead shelf. Luggage racks are available on Narita Express and trains going to Narita and Haneda airports only.