Light-skinned-ed Girl

Light-skinned-ed Girl Travels Home

It's been an amazing trip.  The last days of sheer luxury and indulgence ended on a remote Philippine island resort.  Little did we know that our trip coincided with the celebration of the Chinese New Year which the resort did in high style.  The resort hosted not just any beach barbecue, but the most amazing.  It started with cocktails on the beach lounge.  Sofa beds and tables had been set out along the beach--candles--placed into wells dug into the sand--illuminated the ground.  Hot air balloons were set adrift the water.  A small bonfire burned before us, floating on the water!  The barbecue was an immense feast: sushi and sashimi that rivaled Tokyo's (in the best way), Indian and Thai specialities, grilled meats and a roast pig turned over an open spit by a fellow whose only job all night was to keep those pigs turning and roasting.  There was an astrologist who did my star chart--he says I must work hard this year and next year the book will be published.  Hooray.  I liked that news.  The evening was capped off with an amazing fireworks display.  Now, en route back to the west coast in the Tokyo airport, I am beginning to think I have many more posts to come about this trip--hopefully, you'll indulge me.

Light-skinned-ed Girl on remote Philippine island

Amazingly beautiful place.  It is 10:30am and time for my mid-morning nap.

Light-skinned-ed Girl in Bangkok

Those fabulous short shiny buses are called Jeepneys.  And can you believe I didn't manage to take a single photo of one.  The other moped thing with a pod on it is called a tricycle --also known in Bangkok where we are now--as a tuk-tuk.  Manila treated us so well.  Then we spent a day a little bit south of the city in the Tagaytay province where we were treated to stunning views of the world's smallest volcano inside a volcano from every restaurant and from the home we stayed in.  Most of the tagalog I managed to learn are words for food: mostly bread and sweet (really sweet) stuff and many times both.  It has been worth every single calorie.  Today, we flew to Bangkok; had tea in The Oriental Hotel --Author's Lounge of some note with many great writers such as Maugham.  Then off to the night market.  A shopper's delight.  I'm not a shopper, but it was fun to look and watch other people do their bargaining magic.  --I am forgetting many things about the Phillipines' adventures--like learning to play mah-jong (and even winning big--four dollars per player--on my third game)--and so much more . . . But now, the adventure continues, drinks on the rooftop of the city's tallest building.  It's already a stunning night from the fifth floor.

Light-skinned-ed Girl in Manila

Hello from the Philippines.  After another day of eventful dining in Tokyo, we flew to Manila yesterday.  All is well here.  The weather is beautiful.  The hotel is beautiful.  There's a fantastic gym and spa.  I confess that we haven't ventured out of the hotel complex yet, but that's today's plan.  We've only seen what there is to see on the way from the airport to the hotel.  First, there are a lot of people.  Many more people out and about than we saw in Tokyo.  The weather has something to do with it I'm sure--but I also got the sense that things happen here on the street.  Everything is in motion.  Everything that can carry more than one person seems to be a taxi.  I was fascinated by the short metal buses that served as taxis --and even more drawn to the mopeds that had seats and passenger pods rigged to them to create open-air taxis or shuttles.  I'll try to take a photo to better show what I mean.  I hope to have more tales to tell soon.  In the meantime, I am luxuriating in this luxurious oasis of a hotel!

light-skinned-ed girl in tokyo

Hello from Tokyo where we have been for close to 24 hours and all I've eaten is sushi.  Last night at a wonderful sushi bar in Ginza where the chef introduced us to sea urchin roe and shark.  The sea urchin, a delicacy that looks something like mustard brown play doh and doesn't taste too bad --it's just the squishiness that made me a little queasy.  Sharks, as it happens, taste fishy.  This morning more fish -- yes, for breakfast.  Thoroughly jet-lagged we headed to the fish market around 6am.  It's hard to be at a fish market at that hour.  It was all bulgy eyes and death.  I'm exaggerating, but still, that much fish smell at that hour took a little bit out of me.  By the way, it's winter in Tokyo.  It's freezing.  Thank goodness.  Can't imagine what the market smells like in the heat of summer.  Then an adventure: try to find Eddie the sushi chef at a one of the dozens of sushi places by the market.  There's a sliding door and there are signs in English out front.  No restaurant name or address.  Oh, yeah, and ask for Eddie.  He's Filipino.  This was a family recommendation--so we looked for Eddie.  Finally after about an hour of walking through the market and a short coffee break.  We did indeed find Eddie.  What a treat.  He speaks English (the only Japanese in my arsenal is arigato) and could tell us the names of what we are eating.  Thankfully, he didn't share the English for a seasonal delicacy--it's all about delicacy--fish sperm sushi.  He tells us it is popular with the young women as they drink wine.   It won't be on our next menu though.  Promise.  Again, can't say that it tasted bad.  But, the texture . . . well, the translation says it all.  I ran out of feeling adventurous with food at that point and passed on the still living shellfish sushi Eddie wanted to prepare and went for snapper ("The brother of him," Eddie said and pointed at the still swimming snapper in the tank behind him.)  The brother tasted good!  Then more walking about until the wind and the jet lag forced us inside for a long nap.  Then an afternoon workout.  Now off to dinner.  I'm not sure I want to know what's on the menu.