Now that's a hiatus

Jeez, I just realized my last post was nearly three months ago. How sad is that? It's particularly onerous when I consider how much has happened in the last three months. Just a short recap (as well as a declaration that I'll not let this thing slide so long again). You've heard the last one before, I suppose.

Anyway, a recap. After we got back from Slovenia in July, things were pretty calm. We had a few little weekenders to towns nearby (Schleswig and Goslar). This was followed by David's brother and his wife, Carmen moving to Vienna, Austria. It is really nice to have them (relatively) nearby. Shortly after, the whirlwind kicked off. The middle of September brought a work trip to Taipei (a fascinating and wonderful city) and a sentimental journey back to Japan with Mark and Joanne. Last week we drove down to the Czech Republic to meet Joshua and Carmen. This week, I was in Berlin.

Now, just a bit more detail here and there. Mostly I stick to highlights since there is just too much.

Taipei:
We stayed in a very cool hotel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_Grand_Hotel). The Grand Hotel is designed in the style of an old palace. The detail inside and out was intricate and colorful - just a very cool place to stay.

Each night after work we investigated a new night market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_markets_in_Taiwan). Each one was filled with all manner of delights - from sweets to soups and sneakers to tchotchke. Interestingly and disgustingly, we saw some of the weirdest food ever. There were wrinkly, black, unidentifiable things on offer as well as some dish (a soup, I think) that made everyone's stomach turn. It was especially nauseating given the heat and the confines of the markets. We tried fresh juice, excellent curry noodles, tea and 10 minute massages that hurt so bad I thought I would throw up. We took a 45 second elevator to the observatory of the (currently) tallest building in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101). And there was a night market where you could pick out a snake and they would kill it and cook it to your liking. Particularly disturbing was the cage full of baby rabbits that I suppose served as dinner for those snakes that were not, you know, dinner.

Japan:
We started our Excellent Adventure in Tokyo where we met Mark and Joanne. After a quick round of hugs we hopped on the Shinkansen headed north to Aomori Prefecture where the whole David/Leslie & Mark/Joanne story began 11 years ago. We went back to Misawa and were surprised to find that the very shabby, rickety bar district that sustained us through our angry, resistant days as young airmen was completely leveled and replaced by what amounted to a crappy stripmall and a concrete pad called "Freedom Park" or some such bullshit. Worse yet, a 1pm curfew was in place. What the hell?

After we mourned our lost Misawa like an old friend, we soaked ourselves in a newly renovated Komaki spa, ate enormous amounts of ramen, kicked around the Hachinohe fish market, walked on the beach, visited a veritably unchanged Yagen and generally took a walk down memory lane. Our first house was still there - no longer military quarters, though. Besides the area right around the main gate and the first bit of "Green Pole" road, Misawa was just about the same. I didn't realize just how rural this part of the world was the first time around.

Sort of the crown jewel to our return north was a night spent at Aoni Onsen in the Hakkoda mountains. Aoni was, way back in the day, a refuge for samurai and until just a decade or so ago, only accessible by foot. It is extremely remote, wonderfully rustic and entirely gas-lamp lit. I can't even begin to describe the ambience. It just wouldn't do it justice. There were a number of hot baths - mixed and gendered. Each one was elegant and exactly perfect. The food was also amazing. Traditional Japanese dinner was served in a dimly lit dining room on very low tables and we sat on tatami mats. Everything was locally caught or gathered. Our rooms were extremely simple with no furniture but a low table. We slept on thin futon matresses under an ocean of feather blankets. We fell asleep and woke to the sound of the creek running through the middle of the spa. I can't wait to go back.

From there we went to Kakunodate - a town featuring preserved samurai houses. As part of this visit we also made a detour for a sake brewery tour. Wow - it was just great. It was like going to your cousin's business and being shown around. Luckily, our cousin was generous and broke out a cache of incredible sake for us to try. I never knew sake didn't suck.

From here we headed south to Tokyo. David booked a night in a kooky capsule hotel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel). It was interesting (and cheap). While I wouldn't stay again just for the fun of it, I would repeat the exercise for the price. Tokyo was great - we ate ourselves stupid on amazing sushi, watched about a million people cross the street at 11:30 at night and crammed ourselves into a TINY little bar where we were thoroughly ripped off. I bought a Japanese kitchen knife that goes through everything like warm butter. And we spied the young and old prowling the streets at all times of day and night.

On our last morning, we marched off to the fish market to have a look around. We found ourselves deep in the dealer area of the market, dodging flung buckets of fish guck and eyeing 65 dollar cuts of tuna. It was really a great "Lost in Translation" experience. Tokyo is such a special city. Man, I feel like a sap, but Japan has a disproportionate part of my heart.

Last weekend, we headed off to a tiny town in the Czech Republic, just across the German border from Dresden. Carmen found us a great little pension in a bucolic little area with excellent outdoor access and cheap beer. What on god's green earth else could you ask for? We spent the weekend walking about in the day and drinking beer and spying wild pigs by night. It was a great time.

As is becoming the norm, we have a number of trips on tap through this year and into the next. It goes with the territory. Our boss told me this week to make sure I have a passport with sufficient pages.

As always, I still love Hamburg (even though I don't see it so much these days).