NOTE: Since writing this post I have returned from Everest Base camp and answered all the questions I had here in the post, Everest Base Camp Questions Answered! So given my complete lack of experience in what I expect the conditions of my Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek to be, I have decided to do
To Everest We Go
Japan has been great! At least that's what I tell everyone. My almost five months in the country constitute the longest consecutive period of time I have spent in one place since my departure from Brazil three years ago. I need to escape. But escape to where? I am terrible with choices, and
Garbage In Japan: The Country’s Greatest Mystery
In case you missed 11 Reasons You Will Hate Japan, one of the problems you encounter whilst gaijin-smashing your way through the country is the lack of waste receptacles, particularly garbage cans (recycling bins are far more abundant). However, this minor inconvenience encountered whilst
Climbing Up (And Pooping On) Mount Fuji (Part II)
Didn’t read Part I? Climbing Up (And Pooping On) Mount Fuji (Part I). TL;DR: I'm now sitting in the freezing cold on top of Mount Fuji waiting for the sunrise after a crowded and frustrating climb up from the fifth station. I open my eyes. Yup, just as I suspected, still dark. Have I
Photo Gallery: Kyushoku, School Lunch In Japan (給食)
Japan has granted me the opportunity to experience school lunch in a third country, on a third continent (depending on how you classify The Americas, that is). Weekdays in Japan I eat lunch at one of two junior high schools - the Japanese know this lunch as kyushoku (給食). I eat alongside
Climbing Up (And Pooping On) Mount Fuji (Part I)
At 12,388 feet (3,776 m) Mount Fuji, or Fuji-san, claims the prize of "tallest mountain in Japan". And I'm going to poop on it. Most people are familiar with images of the symmetrical, snow-capped stratovolcano set behind some perfectly reflective lake (or superimposed behind a shot of the
What The Hell Is Fukui?
Fukui, one of Japan's 47 prefectures is located on the island of Honshū in Japan's Chūbu region along the country's western coast. Fukui is seventy minutes north of Kyoto and three and a half hours west of Tokyo via train. Fukui is my soon-to-be base of operations. But what do we know about
A Beginner’s Guide To Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun. Japan is ahead of the rest of the world in more than just time (they are winning the race for the fastest shrinking population too). Sure the Japanese have sushi, sumo, samurai, and shiba-inus, but the country has much more to offer than stereotypes (but karaoke is
Photo Gallery: Taiko Drumming Performance
I have never been to a taiko performance before, and my expectations are rather low heading into the auditorium. It would be entertaining, I am sure, but how exciting could these drums really be? The answer: pee-in-your-pants exciting. Taiko drumming turned out to be one of the coolest things