It's time to talk about TOKYOOOOOO! I tend to hesitate writing posts about our trips abroad because it's impossible to write down every thought/feeling/experience and adventure which always leaves me feeling a little disappointed. Even though we only spent 3 days in Tokyo, we managed to jam pack a years worth of sightseeing (hyperbole, of course) into 72 short hours. Thankfully for us, the rail system in Tokyo is one of the worlds best so darting around from neighborhood to neighborhood was relatively painless and unbelievably cheap. Our only real trouble occurred during our first 30 minutes in the city. Not only could we not find the train that was going to take us from the Narita Airport to Tokyo, but when we finally boarded we realized that we had bought tickets for the wrong route. This mishap meant that it took us over an hour and a half to get from the airport to our airbnb. The only consellation was that we were able to see plenty of Tokyos outer communities which included densely packed suburbs and sparse rural areas.
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Nakamura HouseBen and I told each other that after a long week of work and a crazy weekend in Tokyo we would relax and do nothing all weekend.... But surely enough, we found ourselves scheming away Saturday morning for somewhere to poke our heads around with our favorite third wheel Kevin Clark. We all agreed on visiting the Nakamura House in the quaint village of Kitanakagusuku which is conveniently located behind our little town.
Last on our honeymoon trip was to Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon. I'll keep this short because quite honestly.... I was really unimpressed. The city was not only filthy, but the air was covered in a thick visible layer of air pollution which left Ben and I struggling to breathe comfortably and stung our eyes. There are no street lights or laws of the road which meant that hundreds upon hundreds of motorbikes were in the street (and on the freaking sidewalks) driving erratically so crossing the street was nearly impossible. I did enjoy the French influence in the post office and the Notre Dame, but was left unimpressed but the rest of the city. Also, to add insult to injury it rained... All in all I probably could've gone without this stop, but I know Ben was happy to see this country so I would've done it again for him.
The first city on our actual cruise was Bangkok. Although it seems as though there is somewhat of a stigma against tour guides, especially with millennials who want "authentic" travel experiences, Ben and I knew that we could not see everything we wanted to without the help of an experienced and knowledgeable local so we went ahead and booked a private guide. Our guide Shah was a local Thai woman who had a passion for Buddhism and the Thai Kings Rama 1 through 10. Needless to say, Ben and I learned A TON. Shah was incredibly intelligent and taught us the backstories, cultural customs, and history of the city she loves and calls home. She seemed to know just about everyone in the city too which gave us some insight about the locals.
Our "honey-versary" Royal Caribbean cruise left port in Singapore so we made sure to spend as much time as we could before and after the cruise to explore the city. Singapore is very, very small which made seeing all of the touristy sites quite easy. Ben and I were amazed by how many tall, thin, nearly identical skyscrapers were clustered in a small section of the city. The whole place looked pretty futuristic with its "helix bridge" made out of twisting metal, a giant lotus shaped building located right on the marina, and it's Marina Bay Gardens which contained many massive, man-made tree structures. The gardens were perhaps my favorite part, Ben and I felt as though it resembled a little bit of the Planet of the Apes. Definitely a futuristic, other worldly vibe but undoubtedly beautiful.
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Welcome!We're Kara, Ben and baby Zoe also known as the Lesniaks. We’re a Marine Corps family currently stationed in Yorktown, Virginia after a three year tour in Okinawa, Japan. Enjoy our adventures, travels, photos, thoughts, and life together!
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December 2019
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