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I have always been a proponent of exploring cities by walking. By taking guided walking tours with locals, you get to see many of the hidden sights, hear about the cities’ secrets, and learn about the non-touristy places to eat at. When was the last time you walked around a new place without a map, […]

The Top 10 Most Walkable Cities in The World

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Read part 1 On My Way For Yamabushi Training I survived! I am officially one of the first few non Japanese speakers in the world to have received Yamabushi mountain hermit training. It was a wonderful experience and I feel stronger, accomplished and that I have spiritually grown to another level. The 5-day program designed by […]

My Mountain Hermit Training in Japan

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Here I am, headed to Japan for a 5-day Yamabushi Training program! Until a few weeks ago, I did not even know what Yamabushi was about. But an email that landed in my inbox convinced me to go check it out. Yamabushi are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits who, according to a traditional Japanese mysticism, are […]

On My Way For Yamabushi Training

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If you have walked around the streets in Japan, you may have spotted a beautiful lady dressed in a kimono with white painted face and her hair pinned up in a bun. Perhaps she was a Maiko or a Geisha, an integral part of Japanese culture and society. In the western world, perception of these […]

An Evening With a Maiko

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It has become an annual tradition. Each year, I write a blog about the 5 best meals I ate. This is very hard to do since my job involves eating and traveling “for a living.” This year, I traveled to 14 countries and 5 states in the US. Needless to say, I ate a lot […]

Top 5 Meals of 2015

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Fancy eating inside a fake train car, ordering off crucifix shaped menus, sitting in a prison cell, served by video game characters, ninjas or maids, or being surrounded by cats – all in the name of dining at a restaurant? Tokyo is perhaps the leading city in the world when it comes to the number of […]

Dinner with Alice in Wonderland

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Before I even recovered from my 12-hour time change, I headed to a Japanese Cooking Class on my first day in Tokyo (because that’s what I do when I first arrive in a new country). After an intense walk through the crowded Tsukiji Fish Market, where “tuna fish” is more of a prized commodity than food, I arrived […]

Cooking Teriyaki in Tokyo

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Himeshima meaning “Princess Island” is a village island located in Ōita Prefecture of southwest Japan. The sleepy little town of 7 kms is easily accessible by Imi Port. From here you can get nice views of Kyushu, Honshu and Shikoku mountains, where we had been trekking for the past few days. The island has its own laws, […]

Portrait of Life on Himeshima

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