Sorry for the delay, but there will be an update this week, maybe tomorrow, definitely before the end of Wednesday. A heavy work load and a nasty cold have left me unable to complete this weeks article on time. To…
It’s More Fun in the Philippines! (Part II)
The Road to Vigan Sagada was our last major stop in the mountains but on our way to the northwestern coast we stopped at the Battle of Bessang Pass Memorial, which commemorates a late World War II battle between a…
It’s More Fun in the Philippines! (Part I)
My personal paradise is the Philippines. Not the beaches and beer Philippines, though. You can keep that. It’s the Philippines that’s covered in pines, isn’t shy about its headhunting past and sees nothing wrong with blasting “Gangnam Style” whilst lasering…
Samukawa Jinja: Ancient History in a Sleepy Town
Samukawa is a town of less than 50,000 people located on the shores of the Sagami River in central Kanagawa Prefecture. The town comprises of mostly mixed residential and farmland, with some industry along the river. For most, the town…
Postcard Tour of Bruges
Visiting Bruges is like walking through a series of postcards. An old city of medieval buildings, soaring brick towers, cobblestone and scenic canals that surround and cut through it, it’s hard not to take a shot that couldn’t be stamped…
Tsumago and the Nakasendo Road: Day 2
By: Dave Hansche If you haven’t read day one yet, you can find it here: http://www.wayfarerdaves.com/?p=615 When we left off, my co-blogging friend and I had just finished a rainy hike into Tsumago-juku, an old post town on the…
Tsumago and the Nakasendo Road : Day 1
Japan is a beautiful country, filled with towering mountain peaks and sleeping volcanoes, and crisscrossed by springs, rivers, and mountain streams. Every time I wander into the mountains of rural Japan, I am amazed at how stunningly beautiful it…
Folk Museums in Japan
When I was young, about an hour from my home was a folk museum and living history site called Norskedalen. This old site, nestled in the back of a valley in the middle of nowhere, but it…
Last Warship Standing: USCGC Taney
When I first laid eyes on the old cutter berthed at Pier Five in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, I didn’t think much of her. Part of a maritime collection that boasts a sloop that fought in the U.S. Civil War and…
Byodoin: The Power of the Fujiwara Clan
On the way from Kyoto to Nara, about half way between the two cities, lies Uji. Uji is a modern city, founded in the 1950s, however the area has been a popular site for noble estates since one of…