rk719-blog

[rk719-blog]

I go to Taiwan often. I'll introduce my favorite place in Taiwan. It's Wulai. It's a countryside township which can be reached within an hour or two by train and bus. Even just half a day there is fun. It's not far, but it's a world apart from Taipei. The main village has beautiful mountains and a river, and is famous for its hot springs. First we walk along the main street, which has a lot of restaurants, stalls and souvenir shops. We walk, eating eating special Taiwanese food. When we reach the foot of the mountains, we climb a mountain quickly by ropeway and get the full view of the ravine village from the highest place. It's really magnificent. After that, we go in a hot spring on the way back to the village. We can chose from a lot of hot-spring hotels, and if we have a bathing suit, we can bathe in an outdoor hot-spring by the riverside. Just before we get back to Taipei city, the sun may go down. Then the village changes to its nighttime appearance, which is dimly lit by floodlights. It's really fantastic.

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*Night market in Yau Ma Tei

Night markets are part of many East Asian cultures. For example, the night markets in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Philippines, etc, are well known.

Yau Ma Tei has the liveliest night market in Hong Kong. There are a lot of dim sum, seafood, hot pot, and Indian curry restaurants.  There are also free Cantonese opera performances (similar to open-air karaoke), fortune-telling booths, and stores selling cheap everyday items, pirated CDs and other counterfeit goods. The market is at its best from about 7pm to 10pm, when it has the greatest number of stalls and people. It’s a great place to experience East Asian cultures.

Besides night markets, there is also the early morning market. If you can get up early, consider visiting the charming Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, which comes alive from 4am.

Night Market@Temple Street

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【Lisboa Hotel in Macau】

Macau is the only place in China where gambling is legal. There is a different world separated from the ordinary in a casino. It's an unusual environment for people that have lived in a country, such as Japan, where it is illegal. Even if you don't like gambling and don't gamble, like me, you may enjoy the casino by just walking around.

It is not too much to say that the Lisboa Hotel & Casino is the symbol of Macau. The Lisboa Hotel has an architecture that is in harmony with both the Portuguese style and Chinese style, and has been in Macau from beginning of Macau's casino history. Currently Lisboa Hotel connects to its little sister, the Grand Lisboa, by a foot bridge.

The Grand Lisboa is 260 meters high and the exterior looks like a glowing golden bulb with a flaming, torch shaped structure, attached. It is new landmark for Macau, and helps people navigate the peninsula's streets.

Lisboa Hotel

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Old Downtown District of Macau

Macau is well known for its gorgeous hotels and casinos. However, the old downtown district of Macau, where the citizens of Macau reside, also has lovely streets to walk about.

A lot of local restaurants are open early in the morning. All kinds of food are available. There are dim sum, bread, hamburgers, coffee and both European and chinese style tea. In particular, the egg tart that is typical of Macau sweets is very good. Browsing around through the old downtown eating egg tart can be a great experience.

＊水上街市/Municipal Market of Patane

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【A View of Macau from the Monte Fort】

This is a fort built by the Portuguese in the 15th century. It stands on top of a hill and provides a magnificent panoramic view of Macau. There aren't only complexes of luxury hotels and casinos, but also the scenic old downtown.

モンテの砦は、17世紀にポルトガル人がマカオに築いた砦です。 小高い丘の上にあるため、そこからはマカオ市内を360度見渡すことができます。 ホテルやカジノなど豪華なイメージのマカオですが、古き良き街並みを残した下町のマカオも必見です。

*Garden of the Surrounding of Monte Fort/大炮台週圍花園 charge: free address: 澳門博物館前地112號

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Whenever I go traveling, I usually eat the authentic local dishes. Vietnam is well known for delicious noodles.

I went to a Pho restaurant, "Pho Thin". It is well know as the most delicious Pho restaurant in Hanoi. Pho is a typical Vietnamese national foods.

It's consists of linguine-shaped rice noodles, soup made of beef or chicken stock, meat is primarily of beef or chicken, and a few herbs.

There are other noodles that are not less delicious than Pho in Vietnam. One of them is Bún chả. Bún chả is dipping noodle which is thought to have originated from Hanoi, Vietnam, and it is one of the four major noodles of Vietnam. Bun cha is served thin rice noodle with grilled fatty pork and some herbs, and soaked in sour soup in another dish. I went to Bún Chả Nem Cua Bể and ate it.

*Quán Phở Thìn address:13 Lò Đúc, Phạm Đình Hồ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam Google Map; https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Qu%C3%A1n+Ph%E1%BB%9F+Th%C3%ACn/@21.018041,105.855463,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xcba4ab7ee44ef768

*Bún Chả Nem Cua Bể address:59 Hàng Mã GoogleMap; https://www.google.com/maps/place/59+H%C3%A0ng+M%C3%A3,+Ho%C3%A0n+Ki%E1%BA%BFm,+H%C3%A0+N%E1%BB%99i,+%E3%83%99%E3%83%88%E3%83%8A%E3%83%A0/@21.0366861,105.8483383,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3135abbeb2e22305:0xf415df54627d7e6f?hl=ja

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【full view of Hanoi from Lamdmark72 in Vietnam】 I usually go to the highest place in any city because I can get a view of the whole the city from there. When I went to Vietnam, I went the highest place in Hanoi. It's Landmark 72 on the West side of Hanoi. It's a super tall skyscraper with the height of 350 m; that makes it the highest one in the Indochina Peninsula. The observatory, located 345m up, provides a magnificent 360-degree view of Hanoi City. There are a lot of bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers on vast plains of Hanoi. In addition Hanoi's whole landscape consists of authentic Vietnamese culture and traces of influence from China and France. *Landmark72/SKY72 charge: observatory 180,000VDN Google Map; https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Keangnam+Hanoi+Landmark+Tower,+Keangnam,+M%E1%BB%85+Tr%C3%AC,+T%E1%BB%AB+Li%C3%AAm+District,+Hanoi,+%E3%83%99%E3%83%88%E3%83%8A%E3%83%A0/@21.0167138,105.7841744,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x3135ab54e29650c5:0x453b5c2a98dc5e98?hl=ja

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【ホアルー、タムコック/Hoa Lu and Tam Coc in Vietnam】

現地バスツアーでベトナムのニンビンへ行ってきました。 現地ツアー会社といってもインターネットで申し込めるし、ハノイのオフィスには日本人スタッフもいるので安心なツアーでした（私が申し込んだのではないけど・・・）。 ニンビンといえばホアルーとタムコック、この2つはニンビンだけではなく、ベトナムにとっても大きな意味を持つ場所です。 ホアルーは、北ベトナムの最初の王朝の首都があった古都です。 1,000年前、北ベトナム最初の独立王朝が誕生して、この地に都を開きました、つまりこの地はベトナムの歴史が始まった場所といえます。 そして、現在ここには廟があり、ベトナム最初の王ディンティエンホアンが祀られています。 そしてタムコックは、これこそまさにベトナムと思わせるベトナムを代表する風光明媚な景勝地です。 タムコックやディンティエンホアン寺院を含むこの辺りはチャンアン景観地帯と呼ばれ、2014年にユネスコの世界遺産に登録されています。 ツアーに含まれているボートトリップで川を下りながら、この美しい風景とゆっくり流れる時間を楽しむことができます。 またニンビンはヤギ肉でも有名です。このヤギ肉も食べられるランチもツアー含まれています。 I went to Ninh Bin, Vietnam by local bus tour. t's available to anyone via the Internet. Hoa Lu and Tam Coc aren't only highlights for Ninh Binh, but also important places for all of Vietnam. Hoa Lu is an ancient capital. Over 1,000 years ago, the first independent north Vietnamese dynasty established its capital city here, this instance is the beginning of Vietnamese History. Currently there is a mausoleum for the first king "Dinh Tien Hoang". Tam coc is a typical scenic area of Vietnam. Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, around here included Tam coc or Temple of Đinh Tiên Hoàng are named so. Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. I went downstream in a boat, enjoy this beautiful scenery and calmness. In addition, Ninh Binh is well known for its their producing goat meat. Lunch has goat foods is included that tour. *Hoa Lu and Tam coc Tour (TNK & APT TRAVEL) charge: English US$49/person, Japanese US69/person http://www.tnkjapan.com/tours/han112_hoalutamcoc *Temple of Đinh Tiên Hoàng@Hoa Lu Google Map: https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%C4%90%E1%BB%81n+th%E1%BB%9D+%C4%90%E1%BB%A9c+Th%C3%A1nh+C%E1%BA%A3/@20.2508434,105.9847051,17z/data=!4m5!1m2!2m1!1zVGVtcGxlIG9mIMSQaW5oIFRpw6puIEhvw6BuZw!3m1!1s0x313670b3b06d1763:0x674d8a72dbc6dac0?hl=ja *Tam Coc Google Map; https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Tam+Coc/@20.2127244,105.9489499,15z/data=!4m5!1m2!2m1!1stam+coc!3m1!1s0x31367a590b4fa6c9:0xc64533cc38a86db3?hl=ja

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Night Market in Hanoi, Vietnam

In Asia one of my favorite scenes is Night markets. Night markets are street markets that operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating.

There is also night market in Hanoi, Vietnam. It's held in main downtown, the old town. The old town is north of Hoan Kiem Lake. It was a town of craftsmen who produced gifts for their King.

Every weekend night, there is Night Market, and the main street becomes pedestrian precinct. Night Market is condensed some of the town’s culture. If you stroll here, you can feel the real atmosphere of Hanoi.

*Night Market in old town; open-close 19:00-22:00(only Friday, saturday and Sunday) access: go to Hoan Kiem Lake by taxi and walk close 

Location

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Highlight of Vietnam trip

I went to Hanoi, Vietnam this summer. This was my first time in Southeast Asia.

In a scene symbolic of Vietnam, a large quantity of bikes greeted me.

The Night Market was very exciting.

I went not only to Hanoi, but also to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc. Hoa Lu is an ancient capital. The first independent north Vietnamese dynasty established its capital city here. Tam Coc is a scenic place. I enjoyed beautiful scenery and calmness on a boat trip.

I also went to Landmark72. This is new landmark of Hanoi. I viewed the whole of Hanoi from a 350m observatory.

There are many delicious foods in Vietnam. I especially like Pho and Vietnamese coffee.

[rk719-blog]

【Monjiro, Curry Shop in Asakusa】

I love curry. There are a lot of curry shops in Japan.

I recommend “Monjiro” which is a curry shop inside Sushiya Dori in Asakusa. It’s not a typical curry shop, it's a soup curry shop. Soup curry is one kind of curry that has evolved uniquely in Japan.

“Monjiro” serves soup curry that has more ingredients, with a soup stock that is very spicy and watery. They have generous size portions. A regular curry goes for JPY900.

I’m looking for a good curry shop. Have you got any recommendations?

cafe&bar monjiro Charge;regular curry JPY900 etc Web Site;https://www.facebook.com/asakusamonjiro address;2F 1-8-4 Asakusa Sushiya-Dori, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan TEL:03-6322-7907

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【The most popular ROBOT, Gundam@Odaiba, Tokyo】

There is an actual size Gundam that is 18m in Height in ODAIBA. He and DORAEMON are the two greatest ROBOTs that represented Japan.

Gundam is not only a popular robot among Japanese, but it is also a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo.

After the first two months announcement, over one million fifty people had visited.

Gundam@Gundam Front, Odaiba Charge;Free Web Site;http://gundamfront-tokyo.com/en/ address;〒135-0064 1−1−10 Omi Taito-ku Tokyo Access;3-minute walk from the TWR 「Tokyo Teleport」 Station

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【The Most Symbolic Landmark in Tokyo: Tokyo Tower】

Tokyo Tower, which was built in the 1950s, is a symbol of the rapid post-war recovery of Japan.

There are a lot of symbols of Tokyo, but Tokyo Tower is the most well known.

When most people think of Tokyo, they picture the distinct orange and white color of Tokyo Tower.

Visitors go up to the main observation deck, which is 150m high. (there's another special deck at 250m), It provides a stunning view of the sprawling megalopolis that is Tokyo.

TOKYO TOWER TEL: +81-3-6240-9854 Charge;Main Observatory JPY820, Main + Special Observatory JPY1,420 Web Site:http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/eng/secret/index.html address;4-2-8 Shiba-koen, MInato-ku

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【TOKYO GUESTHOUSE, TOCO】

Guesthouse TOCO is a guesthouse near Ueno station in west Tokyo. t's not only cheap but also a high quality accomodation. TOCO is a classic Japanese style house that was renovated a couple years ago. If you stay here, you can enjoy a classic Japanese style house that has a traditional courtyard.

TOCO has a mixed dormitory (14 beds), a female dormitory (6 beds) and a few private rooms.

mix dormitory JPY2,700-2,900/night female dormitory JPY3,000/night

There are many substantial facilities such as a free kitchen, a refrigerator, shampoo ＆body wash, a hair dryer, a washing and drying machine, a place to dry laundry, a security locker, a free PC and free wifi.

In addition, if you pay an extra 300 yen, you can eat Japanese breakfast. Naturally, staff speak English so you can make reservations in English and will have no problems during your stay.

*Guesthouse TOCO TEL;+81-3-6458-1686 Charge;mix domi JPY2,700-2,900/night, female domi JPY3,000/night Web Site;http://http://backpackersjapan.co.jp/english/ address;〒110-0004 2-13-21, Shitaya, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan 

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【Small Guesthouse in Tokyo, Retro Metro Backpackers】

Retro Metro Backpackers is a guesthouse that is located in Asakusa, which is one of the most popular sightseeing areas in Tokyo, it is convenient for access to the city center. There is the historic shitamachi district, famous shrines and temples, terrific foods and other Japanese culture in Asakusa. If you stay here and make a trip to Asakusa, you may experience a lot of Japanese culture.

Also, Retro Metro Backpackers is a family house that was renovated a couple years ago so you will feel at home.

Retro Metro Backpackers has a mixed dormitory (9 beds) and a female dormitory (6 beds).

mix dormitory JPY2,600/night female dormitory JPY3,000/night

There are many substantial facilities such as a free kitchen, a refrigerator, a shower room with bath tub (24 hours), a hair dryer (6:00-24:00 only), shampoo / body soap, face soap , a common PC (mac x 1) / wi-fi connection, a safety box, bed sheets and tea / coffee / an electric kettle.

In addition, if you pay an extra 300 yen, you can eat Japanese breakfast.

*Retro Metro Backpackers TEL;+81-3-6322-7447　(9:00-13:00, 15:00-22:00) Charge;mix domi JPY2,600/night, female domi JPY3,000/night Web Site;http://retrometrobackpackers.com address;111-0035 2-19-1 Nishi-Asakusa Taito-Ku Tokyo

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【Hase-Temple@Kamakura, Japan】

Hase-Temple(長谷寺) is one of the most popular temples in Kamakura. The focal point of the temple’s main hall is a 9m-high carved wooden Kannon statue.

In addition it also is especially well-known beautiful seasonal scenery. When Spring, you can see Sakura. When Summer, you can see hydrangea. When Autumn, you can see red leaves.

Whenever you go to here, you can enjoy the view of each season.

*Hasedera Temple open-close　(8:00-16:30) Charge;JPY 300/Person Web Site;http://www.hasedera.jp/words/english/e1.html address;3-11-2 Hase,Kamakura City, Kanagawa accese: about 5 minute’s walk from Hase-Station of Enoshima-Line

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【beautiful sunset,Yuigahama Beach, in Kamakura, Japan】

Yuigahama Beach is legally the entire 3.2km beach near Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. If you are here before sunset, you may see the sun dipping into the Ocean. This view is very beautiful and, if you visit, you will experience an unforgettable moment.

 *Yuigahama Beach Charge;Free Web Site;http://yuigahama.sos.gr.jp/en address;4-chome Yuigahama, Kamakura City, Kanagawa accese: Kamakura station of JR Yokosuka line is the nearest station.