The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Not everybody gets the chance to meet a geisha walking on the streets of Kyoto, you can only see them when they are going to work at night or running errands in the morning.  Geisha is a job, they are female entertainers who act as hostess whose skills includes dancing, performing classical music and performing in a tea ceremony. Not all female Japanese can wear a geisha costume or not everyone can be a geisha, so there are only a few of them. Also not all parts of Japan you can see geisha, there are only a few districts or prefecture where you can find them. in this case, Kyoto is one of them. At the heart of Kyoto lies Gion. The city's famous entertainment district and center of its traditional arts. Gion is known as Kyoto's famous geisha district. As I have mentioned, not all parts of Japan you can find geisha, there were only specific locations. This area is packed with traditional houses which later on converted into tea houses.  Gion is a

They said that first impression last, and as for my experience, it really did last. All the things I know about Japan and all the things I read and watched were all proven and witnessed  by my own eyes. I don't really set high expectations about the places I visit, I might just get disappointed in the end, but in this case, I hope for the best and boy, no disappointments from the first day until the last day, it exceeded my expectations! As soon as I stepped out of Narita airport, I already witnessed how organized Japan is. Being an organized person, I love  how things were put in the right places.  Staying here for ten days, I will list down all the things I observed, and all the things I like about Japan. Japanese are really polite and courteous people, bow here, bow there and everywhere.  They will greet you be it on the trains, taxi, bus, convenience stores and everywhere you go. In fact, their politeness is very infectious, I still have this bow syndrome hahaha.

Just in a month, there were several attacks that have been reported that scared the world once again. Three weeks ago, there was an attack in Turkey's capital, Ankara and in just one week another blast has been listed in Istanbul. And just a couple of days ago two separate attacks rocked the city of Brussels Belgium that killed at least 30 people and injured around 200. With this kind of incidents, it gives a big fear to people to travel especially when security is compromised. We don't know when these things will happen, in fact, the terrorists may strike anytime and anywhere, so make sure to be vigilant and observant and take extra caution when you are in a different country. With such, I made my own list which I may find helpful on how to stay safe and secure when traveling. When you are in a foreign land always have a contact info of your embassy or consulate in case something emergency happens, you know where the best place to go. In case, there is no embass

Barcelona and it's vibrant culture and artistic traditions doesn't only end on canvas. Its enchanting seaside city is not only home to famous architecture and landmark but also for it's gastronomic scene. Barcelona is first and foremost capital of Catalonia which is an autonomous region of Spain offers a variety of things to discover from food to music, to arts and culture, to the deep blue sea of Mediterranean and of course to the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. ARCHITECTURE OF TIME The city's architectural treasures has been existing some 2000 years ago. Towering temple columns, its ancient city walls give a window into a Roman era. The Gothic quarter gives you the 14th-century feeling as you walk in the cobbled street and see the past tranquil plazas and Middle Aged cathedrals. FOOD HAVEN   Not unlike other European cities, Barcelona has a lot of things to offer in terms of cuisine, the flavorful Catalan cooking will give you gastronomic satisfacti

For a king with no castle is no king at all- King Louis XIV the chateau's main facade Ostentatious extravagant! I don't know if there is such a word like this but I think there should be just to describe this place. Actually, I ran out of words to illustrate this luxurious palace, everything is so lavish. I have seen quite a lot of palaces and castles during my trip but this one is really exceptional.  doors with intricate designs Versailles Palace is everything about details, from ceiling to walls, to chandeliers, curtains, furniture including small pieces, everything is crafted into perfection!  Versailles is one hour away from Paris and I decided to allocate at least one whole day to visit this attraction because the whole palace is very huge. I left Paris very early to arrive at this place early because the palace receives a thousand of tourists per day. I booked my ticket in advance because the line at the entrance and ticket booth would b

When I was in high school, I can still remember how I wanted to be an archeologist someday. With the love of history and geography, I dreamt of going to places one-day discovering things that were connected in the past. I can't believe one day will come that I will set foot in one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the world. Athens, not only a place of the gods and goddesses, mortals, and immortals in the Greek mythology but also the founding father of the western culture. Started during the 7th century BC, Athens played a very important role in the world history. While I was walking through the ruins of the Acropolis, I felt that I traveled back in time, before I only see and read these on history books and now I am here having the experience on what it  looks like living some thousands of  years ago. Athens is the final leg of my 23day euro trip, after spending some days in Santorini I decided to take a whole day trip in this ancient c

I am not a poet, perhaps I was just inspired by the Moulin Rouge to write this poem which is about love. An inspiration to the love story of Christian and Satine, and hey it's Valentine's day today! My Love to a Courtesan Your move, your grind, makes my heart sway Your glance, your stare, makes my body flare Your smile, your grin brings chill to my skin And each time you lift your satin skirt,  I wait in vain to start you flirt Your grace, your poise, your endless joys Makes all young men rejoice While all the men enjoy your show I watch you there without a flaw I know there is no me and you But I am here in love with you If there's a chance to ease my blue Maybe one dance from you will do My lovely courtesan