If you’re thinking about visiting the Big Apple, your timing couldn’t be better when it comes to relatively inexpensive outdoor dining options. I use the term “dining” loosely here, for I am talking about the growing New York City food truck scene. Spring and summer are fantastic times to walk New York City’s neighborhoods and…
Author: katrina
Japan Part 3 – Tokyo, the Cleanest, Safest Place on the Planet
I like contrasts so it should come as no surprise that I booked a five-star, $600 per night hotel for our weekend in Tokyo and then spent the weekend searching for free things to do. This wasn’t hard given Tokyo’s plethora of immaculately kept public city parks and gardens. Tokyo IS the First World, folks….
We’re Just Tenants Here
The Earth’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, is located along the Nepal/Tibet/China border, stands an astounding 29,035 feet, and grows a quarter inch every year. Garbage grows with the mountain; Mount Everest has become such a popular place that several decades worth of trash have accumulated. An estimated 50 tons of garbage, including a rusting helicopter,…
Japan Part 2 – Tiny, Cute Pieces of Healthy Food in Cute Boxes
I was eating a bowl of kale with chopsticks at a noodle bar in downtown Woodstock, New York, when I thought about how different the mainstream American diet could be. I railed against the typical American way of eating before I went to Japan and, then after nine days in Japan, I experienced just how…
Japan Part 1 – Urban Explorers’ Schlep and First Impressions
Who schlepps in Japan? No one except a trio of New Yorkers hauling luggage, cameras, books and kids toys around Tokyo and Kyoto. Yes, we went everywhere with a giant stuffed “Perry the Platypus.” Locals seemed amused. The Japanese don’t schlepp; they stroll…purposefully, quietly, and the ladies often wear high heels whether they are at…