Japanese Vending Machine

The vending machines in Japan are wonderful... full of variety, carbonated, non-carbonated, hot, cold, jelly.... amazing.

Exotic Location

The hotel we stayed at in Hua Hin, Thailand has to be the most exotic location that we have stayed in. It is a little run down but built from what looks like repurposed material, on stilts over the water. The sound of the ocean waves under the floor boards was soooo soothing.

Phitsanulok

We spent a couple of days in Phitsanulok which is the closest train station to Sukotthai. This town is normally passed over by tourists with nothing very famous or noteworthy to stop and see. But that is why we like it. The town has everything but on a smaller scale than the famous towns nearby. Definitely worth a look see.

A Bakery in Taipei

One of the great pleasures of traveling is trying the food. This is a bakery near the hotel that we stayed at in Taipei. I did not try anything here but everything looked very inviting.

End of an Era

At the end of this month, a Kobe landmark will be closing its doors of the main shop. The waterwheel in front of the building has always been a recognizable place for people to navigate downtown Kobe by. I have eaten here a few times and will miss the unique atmosphere the shop brought to Kobe.

The Japan Inland Sea

We often go to Shodoshima, an island in the Japan Inland Sea. It's a change of pace from the hectic life in the city. This is the view from the beach that is just 2 minutes from where we stay.

Padang Style Food

One of my favourite styles of food in Indonesia is Padang style. There is no menu. Just sit down and the waiter will begin placing dishes on your table... usually 15 or more varieties of dishes. If you eat it, you pay for it. If you don't eat it, you don't pay. Wildly simple.

Life From a Coffee Shop

I went to an interesting photography show in Ikeda. It inspired me to try  different kind of set up for my pictures.

Japanese Bamboo

Bamboo is one of my favourite plants here in Japan. I like the texture of the bamboo forest. This grove is in Osaka on the Expo '70 grounds. It's spring and you can see some of the bamboo shoots emerging. It is one of the fastest growing plants in the world.

More Paper Lanterns

A pleasant surprise awaited us when we went to the summer Beer Garden at Minatogawa Shrine. This type of paper lantern is quite famous in the northern part of Japan, especially in Aomori at the Nebuta Matsuri. This lantern was at the entrance of the shrine, a much smaller version of the ones you would find at the festival.

Busan Roof Tile

As I have mentioned before, I like taking pictures of the ornate decorations on the roofs of temples and shrines in Asia. This one is from a temple in Busan.

Colourful Kyoto

I see a lot more girls wearing kimonos in Kyoto recently. This has become a trend, not only among Japanese girls, but among foreign tourists.

Kaoshiung Harbour

I feel that Kaoshiung is an under rated place. Maybe not the most exotic or beautiful city but it has a certain charm to discover. The harbour area is one of those places. It is easy to get to and very laid back.

Sunset in Ayutthaya

I took this picture while on a boat tour of Ayutthaya... it seemed like the perfect time of the evening. If I had waited any longer, there would have been no more light. A magical time at a magical place

Roof Decoration in Lukang

I'm always fascinated with what adorns the roofs of buildings. In Canada, roofs tend to be practical with little to no decorations. Here in Asia, it seems to be a necessity.

Stairway to Heaven... Banister From Hell

Thailand likes to adorn their buildings with intricate designs and mythical animals but this banister was a bit over the top.

Tainan Parade

Whenever we go to Tainan there seems to be an everlasting religious parade going on. We usually arrive in town in the evening and hear the festivities nearby our hotel. We take off toward the noise and, there it is... the evening gods on display.

Korean Temple Library

We made the trip to Haein-sa... a temple in the countryside with a special library of books. All the books are made of wood and are about 400 years old. I really wanted to see this library even though I can not read a word of Korean. It was a 3 hour bus ride from a not so popular city. We spent a couple of days in the city, made the trip by bus, only to find out the library was closed for renovations. Too bad.

Sukhotthai View

The view from our hotel in Sukhotthai was enchanting. Right across from some not so famous temple surrounded by a pond full of fish. People still go there for prayers making it a functioning temple, not a mere ruin.

View From Our Room

Sometimes the hotels in Malaysia have all the amenities except for a window... or a view. This is the only view that we had from our room in Kuala Lumpur. But the room had air-con.

Early Morning Kyoto

We rarely have the chance to stroll through the streets of Kyoto early in the morning. However, one weekend we spent the night in Kyoto so that we could wake up early and do a little sightseeing before the crowds of tourists got too bad. Ironically, this is a picture of the morning sky.