wandering Tokyo parks

On September 28, 2011September 27, 2011 By Rick McIn photos, travel2 Comments

The huge city has many big, green and peaceful spaces.

overwhelmed at Shinjuku Station

On September 27, 2011September 26, 2011 By Rick McIn travel2 Comments

Misinformed, I exited the wrong side of Shinjuko.

oops

Shinjuku Station is used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007, making it the busiest train station in the world in terms of number of passengers. …

For about a half hour I was entertained by the manswarm. Eventually I decided to cross over to my intended destination.

After another 90min, I finally gave up and went home. There seemed to be no way to cross Shinjuku East to West. In fact, I needed to watch this instuctional first. There are three different ways to cross.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

researching Japan

On September 26, 2011September 25, 2011 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

My friend Kraig Becker linked to this:

One of the more interesting aspects of traveling through Japan is the bullet train, so named because of their distinctive shapes and the fact that they routinely hit speeds in excess of 150 mph. The trains are well known for being safe, efficient, and on time, making them a popular way to get around the country.

… Andrew … wanted to see if he could cross the length of the country by train in a single day – a journey of more than 1200 miles …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Gadling – Crossing Japan in a day with National Geographic’s Digital Nomad

hiking Japan’s northern Alps

On September 26, 2011September 26, 2011 By Rick McIn hiking, travel1 Comment

I’m confirmed tomorrow to head for the Northern Alps to hike out of Kamikōchi:

… a remote mountainous highland in the western portion of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which has been preserved in its natural state. …

It is sometimes referred to as the “Japanese Yosemite,” although it is considerably smaller than its American counterpart. …

34km

Japan’s classic alpine route.

I’ll be back online by Oct 2nd.

Yokohama Harbour by night

On September 25, 2011September 25, 2011 By Rick McIn gymnastics, travel1 Comment

Following the gymnastics competition in Japan, I joined some of the Canadian delegation for dinner and sightseeing.

We were quite impressed.

… Construction of Minato Mirai 21 (“Port Future 21”), a major urban development project on reclaimed land, started in 1983.

… the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. The 860m-long Yokohama Bay Bridge opened in the same year. …

Yokohama

All’s well that ends well. The Canadians were very happy to have come to Yokohama, despite arriving in a Typhoon and experiencing a minor earthquake.

arrived Tokyo

On September 23, 2011September 23, 2011 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

After too many hours to count, and 6 movies (all good), I’m safely installed in a central Tokyo hostel.

It’s easy to get here from the airport. Only 90min 🙂 by train and subway. Simple.

Blue skies. No sign of a typhoon.

traveling Japan in October

On September 18, 2011September 18, 2011 By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, gymnastics, travel1 Comment

Last week I picked up my 3 week Japan Rail Pass. I’m locked and loaded. My Funemployment continues.

Sunday (today) – depart for Seattle
… hike & bike with Doug Davis out of Port Townsend

Thursday – depart Seattle for Tokyo
… Jr International in Yokohama
… World Gymnastics Championships
… assist with 2 Cirque du Soleil auditions
… travel Japan

Nov. 22nd fly back to Seattle
Christmas in Parksville, B.C. with my folks

My main concern, I’m allergic to smokers.

how Nomadic Matt gets cheap airline tickets

On September 17, 2011September 15, 2011 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

1. Check Kayak and Travelocity to get your base price
2. Cross-reference with Skyscanner, Momondo or Mobissimo
3. After finding the lowest price, see if the airline’s official website beats it
4. Check the airline’s foreign website to see if the fare is cheaper in another currency
5. Compare results against alternate routes
6. After getting your lowest fares, play around with your travel dates to see if you can get it any lower

Matt via consumerist

I usually start with Hipmunk and/or Mobissimo … and then try to beat the price on the airline site itself.

Hey, Google Flight Search has launched, but works only in the USA, so far. It’s got Southwest Airlines, the only SEARCH SITE that does. Lifehacker gives it a good review.

Know that Charter Airlines are not listed on any site.