On the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว) in Bangkok

On the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว) in Bangkok. Within a few days of being in Bangkok I took a break from job hunting to actually experience something unique to the country, its temples.

The Busy Street Outside

As I was staying near Khao San Rd. at the time it was a nice walk from my guesthouse along the Chao Phraya River (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) and through the amulet market. The 400 baht ticket got me entrance to the grounds of the Grand Palace and entry to the temple. Less interested in the Grand Palace, I spent the majority of my time wandering about the temple.

The Grand Palace

Aside from observing the debauch that takes place on KSR, this was my first leap into tourist Thailand. The day was hot and muggy and I wore bad shoes (in an attempt to not wear flip-flops). Almost every photo I took was came out overexposed due to the bright sun. I also observed some weird behavior on the part of some of the other tourists (like, seriously). I saw a older man strip down to his underwear to put on long pants. I saw a young-ish dude wrap a sarong around his waist as if it was a towel to cover the fact that he was wearing shorts, which really irritated the guard and later I saw a lady sit down in front the Buddha with her legs stretched out in front of her like she was doing morning exercises (holy smokes, read a guidebook OR if you can’t be bothered, look at how every other person in the place is sitting with their feet behind them OR read the sign with the picture posted out front that says “Don’t point your feet to the Buddha”).

The whole experience wasn’t incredibly pleasant for me, but the architecture of the temple was absolutely extravagant and decadent and everything I had expected.

Lawn

Monks and Tourists

Upon Entering the Wat

Guard

Gold

Points

So Many People

Details

Up Close

Guardian Lion

Statue

Looking Up

Don't Look Down

Chofahs (ช่อฟ้า)

Gable

Kinnara (กินรี)

Students

Water Lilly

Carving

Kinnara (กินรี) Again

Blue and Yellow Diamonds

Offerings

Incense

Guard

Stupa

Elephants

Claw

Fingers

To the Sky

Blue Skies

Bell Tower

Gate

The significance of this temple is that it is the home of the Emerald Buddha. You wont see any pictures of the Buddha here however, because you can’t take pictures inside. It really was quite magnificent though. It was, for all intents and purposes, a tourist attraction temple and I knew this going in. Aside from the occasional monk sighting I felt that there was very little culture to be observed here other than the culture of how tourists (from all over the world) behave when visiting Thailand. A bit of a false start for me in Thailand…

On Farmer’s Markets in San Diego

On Farmer’s Markets in San Diego. One of the great things about my hometown is the abundance of really great farmer’s markets and produce available on any given day of the week.

Lettuce

When I am home trips to the market are as important to me as going to work. My favorites being the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market on Sundays, OB Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, the North Park Farmer’s Market on Thursdays and the Little Italy Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Here is a collection of photos I’ve taken since being back stateside.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Bruschetta

Oranges

Cactus

Dandelion Greens

Carrots, Cabbage and Broccoli

Roots

OB in Full Force

Potatoes 'n Such

Squash

Seeds and Micro Greens

Kale and Chard

Hillcrest

Little Dancers

Strawberries

Brussel Sprouts

Vegetables

Mushrooms

More Root Vegetables

On Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)

On Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺). If anything about my trip to Kyoto stands out as the most special thing I saw it would be Kiyomizu-dera. Between the perfect weather and the reposeful mood of the city, visiting this temple was a highlight.

Steps

Visitors

sdfs

Pagodas

Benches

Dragon

Respect

Red Trees

Leaves

View

Looking Down

Bridge

Collections/Donations

Omikuji

More Omikuji

Stone

Bright Orange Omikuji Post

Shine

Bell Rope

Courtyard

Pond

Crossing the Bridge

A View of the City

Another Shrine

Guard

Wine and Money

Aprons

Drinking Water

Stone and Leaves

Trees

Statue

More Trees

The Rising Moon

Pagodas at Night

Detail

Leaving

On Namdaemun Market (남대문 시장)

On Namdaemun Market (남대문 시장). It’s the season for winter gear and my boss needed a new winter coat so we went to Namdaemun Market and to see what he could find. This market was really fun, busy and had everything. I found it better than Dongdaemun.

I decided to revisit on Christmas day to people watch and to have some kalguksu (칼국수). To get there go to Hoehyeon Station, line 4. Take exit 5, walk straight ahead and you’ll be there. There may or may not be a woman trying to persuade you to go to the first shop right outside the row of shops. She will most likely be standing right in front of the door to the “street”.

Busy Market

Carts

Jewelry

Fur Coats

More Fur Coats

"Designer" Underpants

Ladies Undergarments

Legs

Jerseys

Wallets

Mushrooms

Gim

Kalguksu Street

칼국수 and "service" sides for 4.500w

The noodles were delicious and the adjumma kept pouring more warm broth into the soup for me as she watched me eat. She was really friendly!

Donuts

Food Tent

Hotdogs and Fishcakes

Pajeon and Seafood

So Many Choices

Ramyeon, Makgeolli and more Seafood

Stuff

Store

More Stuff

KPop Stuff

Socks

Still Busy

On Kyoto (京都市)

On Kyoto (京都市). I took the Shinkansen (新幹線) from Tokyo to Kyoto a few weeks ago. It took a little over 2 hours to travel 464.9 kilometers.

Train/Subway Station

Once in Kyoto my friends and I checked into Ayado Guest House, which was – hands down – the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in. The guy, Tako, working the front desk was friendly and helpful, the room was super clean and the location was perfect.

School Girls

Bright Orange Everywhere

Women in Kimonos

A Monk Sweeping

Gate

Rocks with Aprons (Representation of Limbo)

Shrine

Prayers

After checking in, we walked down a busy major road to find Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺). It was a beautiful temple and a good time to visit because the fall colors were still vibrant and gorgeous. On the way up to the temple the road was lined with old houses, souvenir stores and food shops.

Shop Lined Road

A Temple

Cart

View of Kyoto

Fall Foliage in Winter

After walking about the temple for a while, I walked down to the shops. The first shop I stopped at handed me a cup of green matcha tea and was set up so that people could sample the sweets they were selling.

A Shop

Wagashi (和菓子)

Wagashi (和菓子) Sample

Green Tea

After we reconvened, we went downtown Kyoto to find a proper meal and see more of the historic city.

A Restaurant

Another Restaurant

Noodle Shop

We walked down the alley, Pontochō (先斗町), in the past it was lined with tea shops and guesthouses. Now it is lined with nice restaurants and bars, so it is still a place of entertainment.

Alley

We picked a place and got a small room to drink sake and beer.

Table

Room

After the resturant we stopped at a vending machine and gathered supplies to continue the night at the hostel.

Beer and Sake Vending Machine

The next morning we headed to the Nishiki Market.

Shoes

A Mellow Street

Stream

Leaf

Purses

Beads

Fans

Architecture

Sashimi

Casino

Graveyard

Statues

Art

Chandelier

People Eating

On Food in Japan

On Food in Japan. I just returned from a week in Japan. As with many others, I am pretty familiar with Japanese food.

When folks think of food in Japan, sushi is pretty standard. There is a reason for this and there was sushi everywhere in Japan. I like sushi and I definitely ate sushi a couple of times while there, but I found that the sushi wasn’t anything different from what I can get back home, both in quality, presentation and in price. Coming from California and having lived off the coast means that I have had the opportunity to have amazing sea food in the form of sushi or sashimi back home.

I was however super impressed by the noodle shops, convenience store snack foods and of course, the huge selection of beer. Here are some of the things I ate while in Japan.

Noodles:

Udon (うどん) in Tokyo

Spicy Bamboo Ramen (ラーメン) in Kyoto

"The Best Ramen of My Life" in Osaka

Snacks:

Cheese Sticks

Salmon Oshizushi (押し寿司) and Amazake (甘酒)

I bought these for breakfast in Tokyo. It was right next to the coffee drinks, but I was pretty sure that it wasn’t coffee (which I was purposely avoiding that particular morning). The consensus was that the drink tasted “bready” (i.e. was an alcoholic rice drink of some sort). It is in fact booze, ironically not that far off from Korea’s makgeolli. Good thing I was on vacation…

Pocky (ポッキ) and Suntory Boss Coffee

Specialty Snacks:

Fried Mochi

Gion Bread Sakura Puff in Kyoto

Wagashi (和菓子) in Kyoto

Takoyaki (たこ焼き) in Osaka

Shiitake (シイタケ) in Kyoto

Royal Milk Tea

Yakitori (/やきとり) in Tokyo

Asuparabēkon (アスパラベーコン) in Tokyo

Bento Box (弁当) in Tokyo

Nigiri and Sashimi:

Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司 Bento Bow in Tokyo

Toro (tuna belly) Roll

Fugu (blowfish) Nigiri

Anchovy Sushi

Katsuo (Skipjack Tuna) Nigiri

Alaska Uramaki

Futomaki (太巻)

Inside-Out Roll

Eggplant Nigiri

On Adult Beverages in Korea

On adult beverages in Korea. I had previously posted about the drinking culture in South Korea. It’s time I posted about what the common drinks are.

Soju (소주): Sweet potato spirits (sweet potato is commonly used today, but traditionally it is made with rice)

Soju is certainly the most popular drink in Korea and every area of has its own kind. It goes well with Korean BBQ and raw fish.

Soju

Soju Glasses

"Fresh"

More Soju

Mekju (맥주): Beer

Goes well with soju. There is really nothing special about Korean beer, but it is very inexpensive and goes well with anything really.

Empty Beer Bottles Collecting on the Floor

Cass and Hite

"Fresh"

Soju + Beer = SoMak:

"Bomb Shot"

Makgeolli (막걸리): Rice Wine

Goes well with hiking in the mountains, rainy days and fried food. My personal favorite.

Makgeolli Bowl

Pot and bowl

Another way it is served

Makgeolli on the Mountain

Makgeolli After the Mountain

Makgeolli in a Kettle

Cheongju (청주): Clear rice wine

This doesn’t seem very popular, but it does exist. It tastes like sake.

Similar to Sake

On Bongeunsa (봉은사)

On Bongeunsa (봉은사). I have a friend visiting from California, which means I am getting to revisit places that I think are worth it. One of those places is the Bongeunsa (봉은사) temple in Gangnam. I feel that this temple is special as it is in surrounded by tall financial buildings and Coex Mall and a huge convention center and still manages to create a space of peace. It is also very active with people visiting to pray or do temple stays. It is possible join in on prayers if you are there at the right time, but finding a mat and a spot to stand might be difficult because the temple is so busy.

The Festive Entrance

Sky Scrapers and Tiled Roofs

Fall Colors

Colors

Drinking Water

Fish and Fall

Details

Looking Up

WIndows

The Temple and I

On Korean Side Dishes, Part 4

On Korean Side Dishes, Part 4. Some time spent travelling around and a season change means I’ve eaten more banchan.

For Your Health

Manul Changachi (마늘 짱아찌): Pickled Garlic

Pickled Garlic

Gaji namul (가지나물): Eggplant

Eggplant

Gaejang (간장): Raw crab in spicy sauce

Raw Crab

Hobak (호박): Pumpkin

Pumpkin

On the National Folk Museum

On the National Folk Museum. In addition to visiting Cheongwadae Sarangchae on Monday I also visited the National Folk Museum and revisited Gyeongbok Palace as they are all connected.