Hi & thanks for stopping by! I hope to gather all the photos from my travels and share them here with you. I find that our memories can get muddled & lost with all the daily constants in our lives and we need to find a place and time to look back. That is why I wanted to build a curated space for my photography so I can truly take it all in. I hope "Straight On Till Morning" will inspire you to visit towns you have never heard of, travel to a country you may have been apprehensive about, or introduce you to a different restaurant in a vacation spot you been going to for years. Let the journey begin!
Bon Voyage!
It’s been over year since I have posted on my travel blog! I’ve decided since many people aren’t traveling due to COVID-19 that I would look back through my past travels and relive some amazing memories. I met my husband in Tokyo for our first trip in Asia together. He was in India working and thought it would be fun to meet me “halfway”. I love Japanese culture. I always told myself if I had one place in Asia to visit, it would be Japan. After exploring this beautiful city I felt my expectations had been exceeded. I appreciated the care and consideration that was put into every detail, from food to landscapes, I felt like I was moving through a beautiful curated dream.
We stayed at The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho which was stunning! This is a brand new hotel in the heart of Tokyo. Every room has large windows overlooking the city and it feels like you’re floating. Their parlor was always packed for small tea time get togethers and their bar/nightlife is a scene from 007.
Shibuya Crossing
This area is fun because all the cars must stop at a very large intersection allowing pedestrians to fill the streets. We found it very difficult to get a photo in the crosswalk without someone - well, crossing. It was like Grand Central but x10. This spot has been featured in many movies, (film buff here) such as Lost in Translation and Resident Evil.
This statue is in remembrance of Hachiko (ハチ公, November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935). This Akita Inu would meet his owner at the Shibuya station every day after work even for the 9 years after he passed. It is a symbol of loyalty and fidelity in Japan.
Ginza District
This is the ritzy designer district of Tokyo. There were so many tiny upscale boutiques and posh coffee shops. The architecture was clean, modern and bright - kind of like an elevated outdoor mall.
We ended up walking down random streets of neighborhoods that caught our eyes. I loved observing all the small homes and apartments with an abundance of plants outside. There were so many charming alley ways that reminded me of downtown New York.
Meiji Shrine
A traditional Japanese wedding was taking place as we were walking through the Meiji Shrine. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. There was a beautiful trail surrounded by trees that took us through 170 acres of natural landscape.
Barrels of sake.
I wish I had more photos of all the sushi we consumed but those were taken mostly on my cell phone since I didn’t want to lug my DSLR around to dinners. However, the first night I arrived I was so jet lagged that I fell asleep at dinner. I remember gobbling as much sushi as possible and then my husband claims I became a zombie and I don’t remember the rest! Once I got my body clock adjusted, it was smooth sailing from there! We only had a few nights in Tokyo and spent the majority of our trip in Kyoto, which will be my next post! Stay tuned for Japanese nature galore and cute monkeys.
