And where I’ve been – Page 10

Tokyo

I love big cities, so of course I had to hop over to Tokyo while I was living in South Korea.

Here are some Geisha (above), who were on their way to perform traditional tea ceremonies at a tea house.

This is from a traditional Shinto cemetery that I stopped at. I enjoy the different death customs from other cultures.

In a Shinto cemetery, they have sticks that knock against each other in the wind because the noise is meant to keep the dead company. I thought that was a nice thought.

This is Uneo Park, which I enjoyed visiting. There is a little zoo there that I saw, and of course, the swan boats were a good time as well.

It was spring, so the park was ringed with cherry trees. I missed the best of the blossoms, but there were still some left.

In my hotel desk drawer, there was a book. In the USA, it would have been a Gideon’s bible. But of course, this was Tokyo. So to my amusement, there was instead a book on the teachings of the Buddha.

I took it with me (the hotel assured me that I could) and it was a good read. I can’t say I agree with all of Buddhism, but there are some good points.

Everything under about $10 US is coins, which is a difficult adjustment. I am so used to thinking of change as not being very important, but change in Japan can easily add up to $50 if you’re not paying attention.

I guess my point is, don’t just give your spare change to the homeless (a habit of mine in the US) because you might need it.

There are vending machines all over Tokyo. Even in little neighborhoods where you wouldn’t expect a vending machine, they always seem to be there.

This one had Kit Kat soda. I was amused to discover that the Japanese are in love with Kit Kats, because the sound of the words is similar to the sound of the words for good fortune in Japanese.

Jenifer DeLemont in Tokyo

This is Arisugawa-no-miya Park in the Rappongi Hills. At one time, it belonged to the royal family of Japan, but now it is a public park where all are welcome.

The Rappongi Hills are notorious for being a great place to party at night. There is a wonderful night life. But, I went to see the famous shopping and the sights.

In Asia, you run into shrines everywhere. Some of them are really beautiful. It felt disrespectful to take pictures inside, because there always seemed to be people praying.

I did take a lot of pictures of the outsides of the temples, because they are impressive in detail and I love the colors.

Here’s a shot of me by the pond near my hotel. I had a lot of fun, and I hope you’ll all consider a trip to Tokyo if you are able to.

Around Busan City

Busan is a port city in the Southern part of South Korea. It’s a wonderful place to go on a weekend trip. I have taken the KTX (high speed train) down several times when I had a few days free.

Some of the attractions are very unique. For example, Busan has the only UN cemetery in the world, because many of the allied soldiers who died defending South Korea in the Korean War are buried there.

It also has a bustling fish market, as you would expect in a port city. I am told that there is also fabulous shopping, but shopping has never really been my thing.

However, my very favorite part is the area part of Busan called Haeundae. This is where you come to see the beach, and it is a beautiful beach.

There is also a wonderful wooden path along the cliffs where you can see statues of mermaids, lighthouses, and other great stuff.

I wanted to go to the Busan Aquarium, and you would think that would be pretty easy. The map said it was right on the beach, but I admit, I missed it on my first pass. The entrance is a little shark statue, and the entire rest of the aquarium is under ground.

The Busan Aquarium is reasonably priced and has a good range of things to see, from turtles to fish, and even a shark tank with a tunnel through it.

I could spend an entire day there myself, but I really love watching fish swim around. There is something so peaceful about it.

One tank (which is huge) is all full of different kinds of coral and fish, and it has amphitheater seating around it so that you can just get comfortable in the air conditioning and enjoy the view.

I definitely recommend dropping in to give it a look.

Another wonderful thing to do is hop a bus to the temple near Haeundae beach. They have a sunrise ceremony, which I managed to catch only once. But the rest of the day it is just a beautiful place to enjoy ocean views and see awesome things.

Some people will tell you that if you have seen one temple, you have seen them all. I do understand this attitude, but to me, they all have their own personality and unique features.

I find the buildings peaceful and relaxing, the monks welcoming, and the crafts for sale to always be beautiful.

At this particular temple, they have a special place by the sea to practice rock stacking. This is a Buddhist practice that is supposed to be calming, and I admit, I did find it to be a nice activity on a windy afternoon.

If you go to Busan and you are looking for things to do, there is certainly no shortage. These are just a few things that I did, and that I thought were fun.

Oh, and I have to add this billboard because I think it is hilarious. In Korea, it is okay to put cuss words in advertisements as long as they are not in Korean. (We do the same thing in the US. I could own a business named a Korean cuss word and no one would care.)

So, here is the Mini Cooper billboard I saw in downtown Busan.

Thoughts On The Southwest

I was driving across Nevada, and I had the opportunity to think about just how big the US is. When I was a teacher in South Korea, I used to try to explain the scale of the US and just how spread out everything is.

However, I never seemed to be able to convey to my Korean students or my European friends just what it means to drive for 900 miles in one day and still not be where you are going.

The railroads crisscross the country, and so does the highway system.

By the way, both of those projects were huge and impressive. When you take into account the scale of the US as a country, it’s incredible to realize that rail lines and highways go all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.

I guess this is sort of my tribute to wide open spaces. That’s the thing I probably love most about my country.

It’s true that there are wonderful public transportation systems in Europe and Asia. The level of infrastructure is often daunting, in fact.

All countries have their good points, and of course there is too much to list that a person could love about a country they come from.

But for me, it is the wide open spaces and the nature that I love best.

Anasazi Cliff Dwellings

Before there were Blackfoot and Navajo and Ute, there was the Anasazi. Current Native American tribes recognize the Anasazi as their ancestors; though no one is sure of exactly what happened to them.

Once, they lived in fabulous cliff palaces like the one pictured above. After this, there is no history telling us of them except for current tribes calling them ancestors.

As for me, my great-great grandfather was a man named Richard Wetherill. He fought to preserve the Anasazi cliff dwellings for future generations, and so there is something of my ancestry in the park as well.

In fact, that is what brought me to Mesa Verde. I went as their invited guest for the 100 year anniversary of it becoming a National park.

Sadly, my great-great grandfather didn’t live to see the land designated for conservation.

However, park officials credit his letters to Washington and the collections of artifacts that he sent to the Smithsonian as the reason that Mesa Verde is a protected area today.

Richard Wetherill was primarily a trader and rancher, and his fight for preservation of land was a hobby for him.

As a child, I didn’t really know any of that. I just remember the Navajo blankets in our home, and I remember hearing the stories about coyote and the other tricksters from Navajo legends.

As an adult, I have to say that I am pretty proud of his work fighting to preserve land for the future. I have always felt strongly about conservation, and so national parks are a favorite thing for me.

In addition, I hope that we can all agree that leaving our history for our children and grandchildren to see is valuable.

That’s what is so wonderful about Mesa Verde, because it is preserving land and history at the same time.

I hope you’ll all go to Colorado and see the park some day. It really is breath-taking.

In fact, even the drive there is impressive.

People miss a lot of the most wonderful things in the US by flying over the land. But, if you drive across it, you really will see some amazing things.

Just a tip from someone who has been all over the west coast, and seen some pretty dramatic scenery along the way.

Olympic Peninsula

The hiking all around Seattle is amazing, and I could never narrow it down to one spot and say “go there.” But the Olympic Peninsula is a deciduous rain forest that everyone should have an adventure in.

We hiked around on the coast, because I like to be near an ocean when I can. The tide pools were gorgeous, and full of bright green anemones and pink and orange star fish.

As it happens, we went to a beach that is famous. Little did I know, the place known as First Beach is in a book series called Twilight. So while we were looking at the impressive things in nature, we also got to see a lot of vampire groupies.

If you get the chance to go to Washington State, you should definitely hike through the Olympic Peninsula and visit the coast. It’s worth the drive.

Rocky Point, Mexico

This (above) is me in front of a fantastic taco shop in Rocky Point, Mexico. When I lived in Phoenix I used to enjoy going down to Rocky Point. It’s about a three hour drive, and it’s a peaceful fishing village where you can enjoy the ocean and get away from the heat.

Now I will admit that the desert on the drive out is kind of boring. You see saguaro up until the boarder, but once you cross into Mexico there isn’t much to see until you get to the ocean.

There are plenty of nice hotels to stay in. When I was younger, I always stayed at Playa Bonita, but now several nice hotels have popped up and line the beach.

Rocky Point (or Puetro Penasco, as the locals say) thought they were going to be a popular tourist destination.

Unfortunately, stricter boarder ID laws and bad press did a lot to curb the flow of tourists.

Still, perhaps it’s nice to know that it’s still a quiet fishing village and it’s a peaceful place for a quiet get away.

Sedona, Arizona

I was talking to a friend about places to go in Arizona to get out of town. She lives in Phoenix and sometimes she gets tired of being in the city. I was thinking about some of my favorite places when I lived there.

When I think of my favorite places, Sedona always comes up. There is a little place inside a box canyon called Enchantment Resort, and I have stayed there several times.

It’s a tucked away outside of town in a box canyon, and it’s just such a peaceful, stunning place to take a vacation.

It doesn’t matter what time of year you go. I think Fall is best because the hiking trails behind the resort have some trees that change color.

However, it’s a wonderful place to go any time.

Sedona has a wonderful arts scene, and there are lots of galleries to enjoy. There are pink jeep tours, and nature trails all over the place.

Plus, I think the red rocks are some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen, of all the places I have been on Earth.

Of course, not having a DSLR, my humble cell phone pictures can’t begin to convey how beautiful it really is. Even with a real camera, it’s not the same as seeing it in person.

All I am saying is, if you are in Phoenix and need a break, it’s an amazing place to take one.

A Year in Oregon

As you know (if you read my blog) I was in South Korea from January of 2010 to March of 2013. I had a great time teaching there.

After that, I moved to Oregon to visit family from 2014 to 2015. These are some pictures from my year in Oregon, before I moved to Guam.

The art galleries at Cannon Beach are amazing. I love art, and although I don’t buy pieces very much, I enjoy just looking at it. It’s like getting an insight into the mind of another person for a moment.

For example, this person saw a canvas and thought it would be three dimensional, so they added sand and rocks to the painting.

I think it’s interesting that many people look at the same thing, and they can all see something different.

In this case, I actually did buy a piece. I really enjoy metal sculptures. I saw this, and I couldn’t help getting it.

Of course the best part of Cannon Beach is going over to Seaside and listening to the waves.

Sea grass always looks so amazing to me. I am not sure why.

I guess because my dad’s parents had a painting of the Oregon Coast on the wall in their living room, and I always liked to look at it and imagine myself there.

I love painting that you feel like you can walk into. And it’s amazing to go to the place where the painting was done, and walk into it in real life.

Plus, there’s something about a cold beach that is so refreshing.

I liked to bring an old Navajo blanket and sit on it, watching the kids play in the water and splash around.

Plus, the Oregon coast has so many cool rock formations to enjoy.

I love the west coast. I know that the east coast has more history (well, white history) than we do.

However, Oregon has a lot more too it than just the beaches at the coast!

I went to a pumpkin patch in the Fall, which was something I really missed when I was in South Korea.

Pumpkin patches and hay rides are such an American thing, as is Thanksgiving and turkey.

And of course, we have Christmas traditions too, because we spend it with family instead of as a “date night” like they do in Korea.

And then, of course, there is spring.

I went to a tulip festival at the Wooden Shoe Farm, which was a new experience for me.

It was really beautiful, and I had the “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” song stuck in my head the whole day.

Then there was berry picking out at the farms on Sauvie Island.

Koreans don’t consider raspberries to be food because there is a poisonous berry in Korea that looks very similar. I really missed them while I was away!

Plus, it’s just nice to be out in farm country. I like the outdoors, and farms are somehow comforting to me.

When I was very young, my parents and I lived in Northern California on a small farm. We moved to Arizona before I started Middle School and Arizona is “home.”

But, I do love farms. It reminds me of a childhood spent dragging bails of hay to the horses before school and learning to mow the pasture and the yard.

The hiking is wonderful as well. I went everywhere I could, from Babgy Hot Springs to Silver Falls, and everything in between.

Actually, there were waterfalls all over Oregon that are quite stunning.

Sometimes I wasn’t even looking for one, and just came upon one.

Other times I went out of my way to see them, like my trips to Multnomah Falls, which is a beautiful spot.

I think the hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, like the hike to Punchbowl Falls, were my favorites in all of Oregon.

On some of the trails, I was surprised to find rocks stacked up in the same way that you find them outside Buddhist temples.

I am always surprised by the beauty of nature, and I find that it is healing to the soul.

But of course, I am a city girl in my heart. I love to visit nature, but I also love to be able to go buy eggs at 2am. It sounds weird, but that’s how I am.

And as far as cities, Portland is a great one.

I loved the International Rose Test Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, and the Japanese Gardens.

I did get rained on a lot. It’s absolutely true that it rains all the time in Portland. However, that really doesn’t keep it from being beautiful.

Besides, when it’s usually rainy, we enjoy the sunshine that much more. It’s special.

Of course, Portland isn’t all gardens. It’s also a big city full of clubs, bars, restaurants, businesses, and everything else.

I think the most famous place in Portland might be Voodoo Donuts. Locals will tell you that Blue Star Donuts is better, and maybe it is.

But for me, I like a Bacon Maple Bar from Voodoo donuts on the rare occasion that I want sugar.

Definitely try out The Tardis Room, and eat all the food. Food is the best part of travel, after all!

And if you’re ever in Oregon, send me an email and I will suggest places to see.

jenifer.delemont@gmail.com

A Good Cause

My friend Sidra Omer and her family run a school for poor children in Pakistan called Bostaan ‘ilm.

Now, some of you may know that I work in South Korea teaching English. Korea is a rich country with no Taliban to worry about. It’s not a brave thing that I am doing- teaching here.

Sirda, on the other hand, is the bravest person I know. I am honoured to be her friend and honoured to tell you about her school. It’s a wonderful opportunity for poor children in Pakistan to get an education.

Remember, in Pakistan there are places where women are harassed for getting an education. And yet, Sidra’s school teaches girls! It’s a wonderful cause, and you can donate here if you want to help. I urge you all to consider helping Sidra to make Pakistan a better place!

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