Category Archives: Travel

Japan 2026 – Finishing up in Kanazawa

Posted on November 12, 2026 by herktrav

We woke to a pleasant day in Kanazawa. We slept well, so we were ready for another day of exploring. Kanazawa was an area with a strong Samurai past and today we visited a samurai house from the 1500’s and … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Onward to Kanazawa

Posted on November 11, 2026 by herktrav

Our bus ride from the Awara Onsen to Kanazawa took us along the coastline of the Sea of Japan. The sea looked angry with large waves breaking along the shore. The ride was actually pleasant as we passed along a … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Moving on to Awara Onsen

Posted on November 11, 2026 by herktrav

Kyoto was fabulous, but it was time to move on. No train today -instead we went by bus. We rolled our luggage out, it was loaded onto the bus and we were off. Our ultimate destination was a traditional ryokan, … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt. 3

Posted on November 10, 2026 by herktrav

When we last connected, our group of intrepid travelers were heading back to the hotel to rest up before dinner. Feeling a bit refreshed, the group gathered and we headed over to the Matsunaga Waygu Yakinuku restaurant. We had an … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt 2

Posted on November 10, 2026 by herktrav

After that wonderful welcoming dinner, the itinerary ramped up with visits to shrines, temples and gardens. Our regular guide and fearless leader Fergal turned the group over to two local guides who conducted the day’s tours. Our guide was Mr. … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt 1

Posted on November 6, 2026 by herktrav

We started our day by gathering with the group and boarding our bus to the Hiroshima train station. There was definitely an increase in the traffic on the roads – and then there was the train station, bustling with activity … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Moving on to Hiroshima

Posted on November 5, 2026 by herktrav

Today is one of those days that shouldn’t excite us as much as it does – our first ride on the Shinkansen or Japanese Bullet Train. We’ve traveled by train plenty of times in different countries, but this is one … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Our tour begins: first stop Tokyo

Posted on November 3, 2026 by herktrav

Since we are staying at the same hotel that the tour uses, we had no travel to worry about today. We awoke to bright skies and were ready to start the day. We met up with the group at 8:30 … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – Our first two days in Tokyo – On our own!

Posted on October 31, 2026 by herktrav

So yes, there is definitely a bit of jet lag, but we were feeling pretty good. We slept comfortably, with the city lights acting as a bit of a night light. We were a bit tired when we arrived, so … Continue reading →

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Japan 2026 – From Toronto to Tokyo

Posted on October 29, 2026 by herktrav

We must have blinked more times than we thought. We went from deciding what to pack, to checking-in to our hotel in Tokyo. It started when we received our travel packet from Inside Japan with all our paperwork. That was … Continue reading →

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