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Post by ten15 on Nov 8, 2018 16:27:34 GMT -6
Wouldn't want to snorkel in Baltimore in February.  unless it was the top of the page........ |
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Post by sick2b on Nov 8, 2018 20:54:35 GMT -6
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Post by sick2b on Nov 8, 2018 20:56:33 GMT -6
I'll look at all the possible shore excursions (including snorkeling, which I have never tried!) in December.. I first need to a least buffer a little bit that cruise expense ;-)
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Post by irvred on Nov 12, 2018 10:17:08 GMT -6
So I’ve been back in Ohio just under a week now... haven’t really done any type of write-up on Japan, and I don’t know if I can even get that in-depth. It was a lot and a little at the same time lol. Tokyo at times felt like just a never-ending gauntlet of shopping malls. It was overwhelming. I had a blast but when I go back to Japan I definitely want to make a point of exploring the countrysides and forests and mountains and really taking in the natural scenery.
The memories I’ll really take away from Tokyo almost exclusively consist of the various methods I could eat or drink myself to death. I experienced the most high-end, immaculate food as well as the grossest 2am bullshit; an example of the later, it is super common for bars to offer ‘nomihodai,’ which just means you pay about 1500yen (depending on the bar) to drink as much well shit as you can order in a 90 minute period. The big street-food fad during our stay was to fry a block of mozzarella like a corn dog, but not before rolling the freshly-battered cheese in shoestring fries, creating an outside crust of french fry and a gooey cheese center. This was in Shibuya and Harajuku, all these hip kids eating the fairest fair food. Also I’m pretty sure I already posted about the Airstream gin bar. That was a small miracle - we discovered it while escaping down alleys from the pandemonium of Shibuya Halloween.
On the other end of the spectrum are the kaiseki dinners I had at Narisawa and Den, easily the two greatest dining experiences in my lifetime. I don’t have it in me to write out all 10-13 courses from my iPhone but they were all completely wild - there was one semi-miss at Den, a thing that involves a pureed oyster gel that looked wholly unappetizing, but it still tasted great so shrug I guess. They are both two-star Michelin joints but very very different experiences and price points even. Narisawa was pristine in every way, the staff outnumbering the guests, each with an earpiece to communicate, working machine-like. They were friendly, but in the absolute most professional way. We got their hits, like the Bread of the Forest and the ‘Sumi 2008’ kobe beef, both of which were mind-blowing, hands down the best steak I’ve eaten. Sea turtle sausage was another standout for me, as well as a course of raw botan shrimp and salmon roe atop yuba. The two desserts - one built on fresh grapes and one on melon - were so refreshing; fruit is insane in Japan? Like, it is all ten times more expensive but 200x more flavorful? Like, US grapes and melons are watery garbage and in Japan they are deserved delicacies.
I think overall I preferred Den, though? It was a goddamn rollercoaster, the staff were legit all the nicest, goofiest people. The first course was a monaka (a traditional Japanese wafer-like sandwich cookie with red bean paste in the middle) and the server was like, ‘Yeah we’re fun and wacky here, we like to start dessert-first, so bite in!’ And then upon biting in we discovered it was foie gras, and the server came back and went, ‘Ha, surprise it is actually foie gras marinated in white miso.’ Every fucking course was like that. The first dessert, the servers came out wearing gardening gloves, switched our plates out for newspaper, and brought the dish out on a spade, telling us, ‘So this is something fresh from our garden. The garDEN. Get it?’ And then sprinkling roasted tea leaves as garnish by scattering them across our entire table from two feet above it. After revealing each part of the spade-dessert was made from a different Japanese tea, they said, ‘So you could call this a TEA-ramisu. Get it? Do you get it?’ After the meal the chef said his dog would like to thank us all, and so he brought out his tiny dog named Puchi Jr. and it bowed to all of us because he had fucking taught this teeny ratty dog to bow repeatedly.
Also I went to One Piece Tokyo Tower and completed a scavenger hunt certainly designed for children and won a free pin of my favorite character. Good vacation.
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Post by dij22 on Nov 12, 2018 10:26:58 GMT -6
it is super common for bars to offer ‘nomihodai,’ which just means you pay about 1500yen (depending on the bar) to drink as much well shit as you can order in a 90 minute period. * googles "1500 yen to USD conversion" * |
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Post by alady on Nov 12, 2018 10:33:41 GMT -6
I am loving that write up!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 9:41:24 GMT -6
NYC was fun. I feel broken right now, but it was all worth it. Highlights: Smorgasbord My friends being broken by the hot chicken at Peaches Finally walking the Brooklyn Bridge Wandering around The Velvet Underground Experience High Line Pub Crawl Dynaco Giant deli sandwich at 3am Saraghina Lowlights: No HOT DUCK sightings.  |
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Post by Xamnam on Nov 13, 2018 9:41:42 GMT -6
GO BACK
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 9:46:06 GMT -6
no Cheryl's this time? really tho walking the brooklyn bridge was maybe the biggest highlight for me as well |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 9:52:36 GMT -6
We tried to walk the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday and then it started storming and we ended up stuck in a bar nearby. Very happy I was able to convince the friend who was joining me for the Velvet Underground Experience to head out early the next morning so we could walk the bridge.  Surprisingly not crazy crowded. |
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Post by alady on Nov 13, 2018 9:54:54 GMT -6
That is just a neat thing to do.
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Post by ten15 on Nov 15, 2018 9:41:12 GMT -6
Leaving this afternoon for a weekend in Las Vegas and woke up with an upset stomach. Good times! Ugh.
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Post by ten15 on Nov 25, 2018 21:30:16 GMT -6
Still waiting for my 8:45 PM flight to London to be de-iced so we can take off.. Now the pilot is telling us that one of the runways is snowed over, so it may take awhile.
Ugh.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2018 10:26:16 GMT -6
A hotel my wife and I love in Santa Fe had a 30% off deal for Cyber Monday, so looks like we're making a return trip to Santa Fe! #babbyscoots is going to have her mind blown at Meow Wolf.
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Post by venom on Nov 26, 2018 12:52:56 GMT -6
i spent last week in cambodia and found angkor wat to be pretty underwhelming. on the other hand, i was enamored with about a half-dozen other temple sites that i'd never heard of before planning the trip.
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Post by claypoolfan on Nov 26, 2018 13:18:29 GMT -6
i spent last week in cambodia and found angkor wat to be pretty underwhelming. on the other hand, i was enamored with about a half-dozen other temple sites that i'd never heard of before planning the trip. Sorry to hear that. It has been over 10 years since I was there, but I remember it as the most amazing place I've ever been in my life. Where else did you go in Cambodia? |
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Post by venom on Nov 26, 2018 13:45:46 GMT -6
i spent last week in cambodia and found angkor wat to be pretty underwhelming. on the other hand, i was enamored with about a half-dozen other temple sites that i'd never heard of before planning the trip. Sorry to hear that. It has been over 10 years since I was there, but I remember it as the most amazing place I've ever been in my life. Where else did you go in Cambodia? part of the issue was i had a guide (on a 6-person bike tour) who was too rigid. i did not have a lot of time to leisurely explore angkor wat. at other sites, i peeled off from the group more. the next day at koh ker, beng mealea, and some other temples a few hours north, i was on my own and had a much more enjoyable experience. |
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Post by ultravisitor on Nov 26, 2018 14:52:28 GMT -6
Anyone been to both Angkor Wat and Pompeii? Is Angkor Wat the kind of place where it'd be cool to just explore on your own the way that Pompeii is?
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Post by c1916 on Nov 26, 2018 19:57:57 GMT -6
Been to Angkor Wat. While I think you can do all of the Siem Reap stuff on your own with complete comfort, the site itself is a little different. Legally, I believe that once you purchase the Angkor Wat ticket, you are free to explore on your own, I don't think I'd advise it. There's just so much going on that it's likely that you'll miss out considerably relying on yourself. It was 10 years ago, but Angkor Wat is top 2 (along with Inca Trail) for me all time, even if I went back I'd still look for a guide that can tailor to the stuff we want to focus upon.
TL:DR. Cool, yes. Advised, no.
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Post by fiveiron83321 on Nov 27, 2018 20:05:50 GMT -6
i signed up for a cheap airfare alert email to get a deal on brussels for next year
if something good pops now, is it worth snapping up or okay to wait if I am thinking spring time? The email gives a rough notice of when they think the deal expires (12 hrs, 1-2 days, etc.). This current dea is about 12 hrs, but highly considering snapping a 1 way to force myself to plan this trip
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Post by fancypants on Nov 27, 2018 20:11:49 GMT -6
i signed up for a cheap airfare alert email to get a deal on brussels for next year if something good pops now, is it worth snapping up or okay to wait if I am thinking spring time? The email gives a rough notice of when they think the deal expires (12 hrs, 1-2 days, etc.). This current dea is about 12 hrs, but highly considering snapping a 1 way to force myself to plan this trip I don't know much about airfare but today is known as one of the cheapest days to buy airfare out of the year |
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Post by alady on Nov 27, 2018 20:20:18 GMT -6
Is it? Why is that?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2018 20:39:50 GMT -6
Airlines are calling it "travel Tuesday" and offering deals left and right.
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Post by fiveiron83321 on Nov 27, 2018 21:12:21 GMT -6
man all the better deals are round trip. hoping one ways were super cheap too because i wanted to combo this trip to probably amsterdam. seems travel inefficient, but i guess the train won't be too bad to go there and back for a few days
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Post by fiveiron83321 on Nov 27, 2018 21:50:17 GMT -6
man all the better deals are round trip. hoping one ways were super cheap too because i wanted to combo this trip to probably amsterdam. seems travel inefficient, but i guess the train won't be too bad to go there and back for a few days said fuck it. booked it from 4/3 - 4/13. used CC points so $0 is nice |
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Post by goodson on Dec 10, 2018 10:12:42 GMT -6
headed to miami for christmas 😎😎 and then driving up to new orleans, staying there for about a week
need food recs urgently
also where can i see a ghost in new orleans
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Post by thebosma on Dec 10, 2018 10:14:10 GMT -6
headed to miami for christmas 😎😎 and then driving up to new orleans, staying there for about a week need food recs urgently also where can i see a ghost in new orleans Bruuuuhhhh how long will you be in Miami??? I'll be in Boca a week from today and then we will head down to the keys after a few days! |
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Post by nanatod on Dec 10, 2018 13:00:39 GMT -6
and then driving up to new orleans, staying there for about a week need food recs urgently in new orleans, eat at k paul's, the restaurant created by the now late paul prudhomme. it was the first meal I had in new orleans a long time ago, and it was fantastic, although these days, you won't get paul coming to your table during dinner to say hello, because he passed away in 2015. |
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Post by thebosma on Dec 10, 2018 13:03:43 GMT -6
Gotta book the ghost dinner package for that
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Post by claypoolfan on Dec 10, 2018 13:07:03 GMT -6
I feel like Verti Marte is the most important New Orleans food rec. It's the ultimate drunk late night spot.
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Surprisingly not crazy crowded. 
