Troy Lightfield

So we end up losing a day somewhere in there, I don’t know what happen! We woke at 5:30a.m. because Sarah was done sleeping and I actually felt really good after 3 hours of sleep. We headed across the street to the Sunkus, local convienant store looking for coffee. It appears that coffee in a can is the way to go around here so we settled for one of those to get our day going.

We went for a short walk and discovered a cicada hanging from a plant, very cool.  Then it was off to breakfast with mom. Quite a spread at breakfast, rice, miso soup, salmon, fermented soy beans, pancakes, not the world’s best pancakes but mom thought they were ok, pastries, cereal, omelets, salad, corn soup, fruits, coffee and juices. It was a pretty good deal since it was free, thanks again Northwest.

We took a quick stroll around the garden and seen a whole bunch of cicada exoskeletons hanging from a particular tree that we have not yet identified. Mom shops for more candy for the kids!!

Just relaxin’ in the hotel now and waiting for our flight to South Korea. Would have loved to see more of Japan but there really is nothing around our hotel. Oh well, other trip!

Pictures from our morning at the hotel.

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As I sit here (experiencing jetlag Takayla says) enjoying (kind of) my Japanese beer I thought it would be cool to track the beers (and liqour) I have had so far on my trip. My memory isn’t what it used to be and I like to share so this will just be a simple list:

• Asahi - Super DRY – “The Beer for All Seasons” – ( I drank Sarah’s while she slept!) = 500ml*
• Sapporo – “This is the beer that’s great for good times at home or out on the town” – (Is there anywhere else?!) -  500ml
• Kirin – Lager – “A Wonderful Harmony of Refreshing Taste & Refined Quality” – (That’s true too) – 500ml
• Kirin Beer – “Brewed for Good Times” – (Pretty much says it all) – 500ml
• Cass Fresh – “Sound of Vitality”
• Max
• Black Beer Stout – “Stout offers a rich black favor topped with sweet, smooth & creamy head” – (WOW)
• Cass Red – “Savory Taste of High Alcohol Beer made from the finest aroma hop”
• Hoehaarden – I know, I know, not Korean but needed a break.
• Hite – “Clean, Crisp and Refresh” – (Refresh!)
• Soju, Clean #1 – we’ve actually had Soju a couple times now

* Yeah, Travis these are the equivilent of the tall boy Busch Lights you like so much.

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Not a lot of photos to share just yet. We spent the first day pretty much on the airplane, missed our connecting flight and ended up in a Tokyo hotel with bidets, sushi and beer vending machines…I can think of worse places to be!

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We’re off! Oh wait, 1 1/2 hour delay (couldn’t get mom out of Walmart)(no, really, our place was late) before we left Minneapolis and since we had 1 1/2 hour layover in Tokyo we were already concerned that we would not get to see Takayla and Jacob. And, we were right.

So, here we sit in the Tokyo hotel, Hotel Nikko Narita, courtesy of North Western (Delta) Airlines! Which, aside from not seeing the kids it quite alright because we got a stamp in our passport books! We want to get maximum use out of those expensive things!!

Not a bad experience other than it’s too late to see anything in Tokyo and were not really close enough to go see anything. So, we’ll speak to some of the hotel highlights.

I gotta say I like the bidet, not a bad idea.

We got a couple free meals and I actually gave sushi another try. I had shrimp, squid, salmon, tuna and flat sushi. I am still not sold. It wasn’t bad but other than the texture my palet may not be refined enough to carve out the differences. The flat fish definitely was a bit more “fishy” than the tuna and salmon.

Now, here is a winner in my book and quite possibly the sole reason for returning to Tokyo someday…BEER IN VENDING MACHINES = Awesomeness!

PS: Takayla, we won’t be there today.

Day 1’s Photos

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This post may be a little premature but I wanted to set up a table of contents if you will for my upcoming trip to South Korea. I really hope to post while in country but we’ll see how much grief I get for trying that!

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Sarah, my mother, and I will be traveling to South Korea July 21st to see my sister and Jacob. We’ll be there for about 7-8 days so I hope the post on all our adventures, sites seen, and maybe even some of our popular reviews of local eateries and food!

I will definitely increase my photo gallery so everyone can see the beauty that South Korea has to offer.

Check back starting the 22nd as I hope to be reporting from South Korea by then!

7-21-2009 – HERE WE GO! We head out at 3:30 and almost made it….Day 1 of travel!  Photos

7-23-2009 — Yeah, we lost a day, wtf. Started the day at 5:30a.m., Sarah couldn’t sleep…Day 2 Morning. Photos

7-23-2009 — We arrive in South Korea!!! Finally, we get to see Takayla and have a great Korean meal. Photos

7-24-2009 — Sarah and I maintain our status of being different, we have a huge meal with family, and we hit a local pub…Photos

7-25-2009 — Admirals, Octopus, Busan Tower and a whole lots of socks…read more…Photos

7-26-2009 — A visit to the beautiful Temple by the Sea…Photos

7-27-2009 — Haeundae Beach, a walk along the sea front and a visit to Busan Apec and stood where 21 world leaders stood…Photos

7-28-2009 — Gyeongju National Park, baby chicken soup and lotus flowers…Photos

7-29-2009 — Off to Seoul and the War Museum…Photos

7-30-2009 — I become a captain in the Emperor’s Army…Photos

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