Japan - October 15th

Woke up today at the ungodly hour of 3:30 AM. Why you ask? So we can see the tuna auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market. They only let in a limited number of people each day and we didn't want to miss out! The tour starts at 5:30 AM but you have to start getting in line an hour before hand and get a ticket. Then you wait for your tour to start and the auction to begin. I've never seen a whole tuna before but they're pretty big fish! We were brought into the auction room and got to watch as the buyers inspected the fish and took notes. Once the auction started each fish was auctioned off in a matter of seconds! Everything went by so fast. Once the auction was done another person came through and marked each fish with the buyer's name. Overall, a pretty cool hour spent at the auction but then we had to navigate a way out of the market past all the moving carts, bicycles, trucks and people. It's quite a site! since we were up so early we were hungry so we got in line at 6AM for a sushi place in the market. We were finally seated at 7:15! Crazy wait for breakfast but we got some delicious fish! And yes, eating raw fish that early in the morning is delicious. By 8:00 AM if felt like we put in a full day of touring already so we headed back to the hotel and took a short nap. Woke up in time to get on the subway and head out to the Asakusa neighborhood to walk around the outdoor shops and the temple that was there. Too bad a lot of other folks thought the same thing! The whole neighborhood felt crowded and we ran into the most tourists in this area. We were ready to leave the area but got some noodles for lunch before finding our way back to the hotel on the subway.

Back at the hotel we freshened up for our nice dinner out with Dave & Eurie at Kyubei. This sushi restaurant is one of the best in the city and is frequented by celebrities (apparently).

Everyone sits at a sushi bar and is served personally by the sushi chef. Each chef only prepares food for 6 people so the setting is very intimate. It's amazing to watch the sushi chef prepare each piece of fish and rice while you watch. About halfway through our meal, we were greeted by the owner of the restaurant himself, Mr. Kyubei! The sushi chef was gracious enough to take our photo. Overall, a fantastic meal that will forever change how we eat and think of sushi. I'm sure this meal won't be repeated any time soon!

After dinner, we decided to get a drink and walk around the Ginza neighborhood. What we didn't realize was that it was so expensive to drink in Tokyo! Beers and cocktails were no cheaper than $20 on this Friday night. We ended the night with a lot less money, but with great memories of a whirlwind day in Tokyo!

Japan - October 14th

Today was our last day on the island of Hokkaido and we were in the city of Sapporo. We needed to leave the hotel to get to the airport around 9:30AM so Kevin and I decided to venture out into the city by ourselves to do some quick sightseeing. We left the hotel at 6:30 AM and took the train into downtown. For the next 2 hours we did a pretty quick tour of downtown and all the sights there. We started at Sapporo Station where the local and regional trains arrive/depart and headed south back towards to hotel. We saw the former Hokkaido Government Office Building (picture at the left), the Clock Tower, Odori Park including the TV Tower, the Shopping Arcade and the Suskino neighborhood, known more for it's night life than early morning activity. We did all that walking and managed to get back to the hotel for a quick pack and shower and we all got on the bus for the long ride to the airport. Once there, Dave, Eurie, Kevin and I left on a flight to Tokyo while the rest of the family returned to Pusan in Korea.

The flight to Tokyo took a little more than an hour and we landed at the local airport, Haneda Airport, the one that is closer to downtown. From here we got our luggage and braved the Tokyo light rail and subway. Since Dave & Eurie were staying at a different hotel we parted ways for the day and agreed to meet up in the morning the following day. Our hotel was near Tokyo Station so we made it there to discover this train station is HUGE!

It's a labyrinth of trains, shops, busses, taxis, restaurants and everything in between. From where we got off the train to leaving the station, it took a good twenty minutes! To the left is a photo taken just outside of Tokyo Station and the huge crosswalk that's outside. Lots of people! Once we got situated in our hotel we headed out to explore the neighborhood and get something to eat. We had lunch at a small diner type place where you placed your order at the vending machine and the ladies in the back cooked it up for you. Pretty efficient if you ask me! After that we headed to the Ginza district to see the shops and madness of the area. Lots of money can be spent in this neighborhood! On our way back to the hotel is was time for a drink so we stopped at the British pub that was on the first floor of our hotel for their happy hour specials on beer. We would come to find out tomorrow that those beers were the cheapest around!

After a long day of traveling and exploring, we went to sleep in our tiny hotel room.

Japan - October 13th

On Wednesday morning we left the hot springs and drove to Lake Toya, about an hour away. Once there we boarded a boat shaped like a castle (still haven't figured that out yet) and took an hour tour of the lake and the scenery. To the left is Kevin and Eurie on the boat. The lake is like a big donut with an circular island in the center. It was a nice and peaceful boat ride and we got to enjoy the fall scenery. After the ride it was back on the bus for a long, scenic drive through the mountains. The road was very curvy and made for lots of turns.

It made us all a little tired and sick since we hadn't eaten lunch yet. But, along the way we did get to see some beautiful scenery. After that long ride we finally arrived in the town of Otoru. Here we finally got to eat lunch! We went to a local sushi restaurant and enjoyed a relaxing lunch with the family. After lunch we strolled through the streets of Otoru and did a little shopping. It was good to get out and walk a bit after sitting in the bus for so long. In the late afternoon it was back on the bus for the drive into Sapporo.But, before we could get to the hotel we had one more stop.We weren't entirely sure what the next stop was but it turned out to be a Chocolate Factory!?!? Not sure that any of us was excited about this portion of the tour. But, we dutifully got out of the bus and hurried our way through the Shiroi Koiboto Park, which houses the Shiroi Koibito Factory where they make chocolate. We were told it was a famous attraction but we didn't buy it. At this point in the day we were all tired and just wanted to get the hotel before dinner. A bus full of tired people is dangerous! We finally made it to the hotel and got about a hour of rest before it was back on the bus to head to dinner. We decided tonight we were going to celebrate Grandpa's birthday so we went to a nice, traditional Japanese restaurant and ordered the local specialty, crab! We each chose how many courses we wanted and just started eating! So much food came out that we got really full pretty quickly, but everything was so good! We ended the dinner with eating a cake we bought for Grandpa's birthday. We even took a nice group photo.

Japan - October 12th

Tuesday morning we all (all 9 of us!) made it to the Busan airport for our flight to Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. Our first stop off the tour bus (yes, we had our own tour bus) was lunch in a small seaside town. Outside the restaurant/market was a huge crab and a equally huge bear, both of which we would see a lot of on Hokkaido. We had ramen and salmon roe on rice for lunch. The ramen was ridiculously good! After lunch it was back in the bus to visit Noboribetsu Date Jidai Mura, an Edo era village in the town of Noboribetsu. Here we saw a traditional Japanese theater show and a ninja show. We also walked around the gardens and the other replica buildings. It was all a little hokey but the weather was nice so it was comfortable walking around. From here it was back on the bus for the ride to the Shikotsu-Toya National Park where we got to see a sulfur hot spring. With the sulfur it stank pretty bad but it was a beautiful park! We even got a short hike to see the small geyser there as well. The sun was setting right when we got there and it cast some beautiful shadows on the rocks and vegetation. Our hotel for the evening was located right across the street and used the water from the hot spring in the onsen (Japanese hot spring baths) that were located on the lower levels of the hotel (one for women, one for men). Since the hotel and the area is famous for its onsen, we decided we had to go. Here's a photo of us in our robes ready to head down to the baths!

We had buffet dinner at the hotel that night and walked around the small town later that evening.

Korea - October 6th - 12th

This October Kevin and I traveled to Korea for his grandfather's 88th birthday party. His parents, brother, sister and brother-in-law were also traveling to Korea for the party and family vacation. We left Baltimorethemorning of the 6th and arrived in Seoul the evening of the 7th. It was a 26 hour travel "day." I don't think you can call it a travel day once you travel for more than 24 hours! We got to our hotel around 10:00 PM and was in bed shortly thereafter. The morning andafternoon of the 8th was our only time alone in Seoul. We decided to go somewhere we hadn't been before and with limited time I thought going to N Seoul Tower would be a good adventure. It was close to the hotel so we could walk there and I hadn't been there before. The weather was a bit cloudy but we thought going to the top of the tower would still afford us a good overview of Seoul. The tower is located in Namsan Park, on top of a hill, just south of downtown Seoul. You get the full 360 degree view of the city. It's amazing to see the amount of high rise buildings and how far into the distance they go! We spent the afternoon at the hotel and walking down the Cheonggyecheon, a restored stream in downtown Seoul. It was a nice relaxing way of spending the afternoon. Then it was off with Dave & Eurie to a family dinner with the Hyun side of the family. We walked to their new apartment and was able to meet the family again and share a meal.

The next day, Saturday, we took the KTX train down to Busan to meet up with the rest of the family and to visit the grandparents. Had a family meal at their house and spent time with the family. Sunday was the day of the party and we started early with Mom and I going to the spa in the morning to get clean and body scrub. A quick breakfast at the hotel then off to the salon for the ladies to get their hair done. The party was at Todai and we arrived early to take some family photos, but not everyone was on time. So we waited for a while and finally got everyone together for a group shot. The party included family and friends and turned out nicely. In the evening we walked through Dongnae Market and had dinner there.

Monday was a slow day spent with the family. Went to lunch at Todai, walked through the Centum City department store (supposedly the largest department store in the world, it really looked like a mall), visited Samchoon and his new wife and baby and walked along Gwangalli Beach. Had dinner near the hotel and an early night to bed.

Tuesday we were all on our way to Japan for our tour of Hokkaido!

Happy 3 Year Anniversary!

Today is our 3 year wedding anniversary! Three years ago we were in Portland celebrating with friends and family. Today, we live in Baltimore all the way across country and we are both at work. Tonight we have dinner plans but what those plans are is a mystery to me since Mr_BMT won't spill the beans on where we're going. To add to the excitement and mystery, he surprised me with flowers delivered to the house this morning! I put them on my desk so I can look at them all day! Thank you!

UPDATE:

We went to Clementine for dinner, a new place we hadn't been to before and to Salt for dessert because we love that place. A nice night out!

New Kids On The Block and a special visit!

When I found out the New Kids on the Block were going to be in Baltimore I called up the sisters to see if they wanted to come out for the show and spend the weekend in Baltimore. Gretchen said yes and decided to bring a mystery guest with her. I suspected the mystery guest was my other sister Heidi, but she wasn't able to get off of work to make it out. So, I was surprised with a visit from my best friend Becky! They arrived on Thursday afternoon and we headed to Cross Street Market for lunch. Becky got her coveted chinese take out and Gretchen and I got cheese steaks. After lunch we took a quick walk to Federal Hill park for a view of the harbor. We headed home and got ready for the concert. We hit up the liquor store for those cute little booze bottles that we could smuggle into the show to avoid the expensive drinks there. All we had to do was buy some coke or sprite and we were set! The opening act, Jabbawockeez, was a dance group and they were okay but not all that entertaining. On to the main act - having never been to a show of NKOTB's in the past, I had no idea what to expect. The sound of that many girls/women screaming was incredibly loud! Holy moley! It was an insane amount of noise...the loudest concert i've been to! The drinks definately helped cope with that aspect of it! The show was good although I still wish I had seen them when I wanted to as a kid. Set list is below, which kicked butt...sang all the songs I wanted to hear and closed with Hangin' Tough, that was pretty darn cool.

NKOTB Set List:
Call It What You Want
My Favorite Girl
The Right Stuff
Didn't I Blow Your Mind
Valentine Girl
Please Don't Go Girl
Grown Man
Dirty Dancing
Games
Single (B STAGE)
If You Go Away (B Stage)
Two in the Morning (B STAGE)
Tonight (B STAGE)
Twisted
Baby I Believe In You
Give It To You
Joe's Medley (I Remember When, Where Do I Go From Here, Thank You)
Cover Girl
I'll Be Loving You Forever
Click, Click, Click (with Pose Off)
Summertime
Step By Step
Hangin Tough

One of the few photos I took from the weekend is of us totally smashed at the Brewer's Art after having a delicious dinner at b a Bolton Hill Bistro. Notice how none of us really have our eyes open except Gretchen, who normally always has her eyes closed so it's always a good clue to look for when she's been drinking!

Skiing at Snowshoe

At the end of February, Mr_BTM and I left Baltimore on a road trip to West Virginia to meet up with the Mr's parents and brother at Snowshoe for some skiing. We left town on Thursday night and spent the night in Staunton, VA to break up some of the driving. We left first thing Friday morning on a 2-land winding road through rural VA and WV. It was rough going for a while since there had been fresh snow the night before but we made it to the top of the mountain without incident. We were able to ski a full day on Friday and enjoy some of the fresh snow. Too bad it was so cold and windy! Friday night we had dinner at the condo and watched a movie before retiring early. Saturday was a nice sunny day, but really busy on the slopes. We skied with Dad in the morning on some of the tougher trails and met up with Mom and Chris in the afternoon for some easier skiing. The lift lines were pretty long so Mr_BTM and I called it an early day. That evening we went out for dinner at one of the restaurants in the village at the top of the mountain. It wasn't the greatest meal, but it was good to get out and have dinner with the family. Sunday we woke up to fresh snow! We headed out with Dad again early and got in a lot of good runs on the fresh snow. The lift lines were non-existent and we were able to do as many runs in the morning before lunch than we did all day on Saturday! After a great morning of skiing, we headed in for a late lunch and to pack our gear away for the drive home. We got out to the car to discover we had a flat tire! Ok, no problem we'll just change it with the spare, except the spare was held hostage by our bike rack we didn't bring the key for! Doh! **Note to self - get the key for the bike rack and put on car key ring.** Good thing the mountain had a tow truck and an on site shop. We were able to temporarily inflate the tire and drive it to the shop. Once there, they found a screw that had punctured the tire and fix the hole. All for a mere $5! Mr_BTM tipped him heavily for his assistance and we were able to get on our way back home after an hour delay. The drive home was pretty stressful since we were driving through that same snow storm that gave us fresh snow on the mountain. I can't handle that kind of night driving when they haven't plowed the interstates! It took us a bit longer to get home but we got there safely. And, the tire is still going strong!