If there is one thing that the Greeks like (besides yogurt, gyros, cigarettes and mustaches), it's fish and lamb - OK, that's two things, (or really six). So, of course, there is a enormous wholesale market in Athens for both, and one that also sells nuts and olives, but their poses aren't all that dramatic or blog worthy.

Yesterday, our Hop On, Hop Off bus passed a famous wholesale meat and fish market, and while I don't think many tourist go back - we just had to! Besides wanting to wander the long, dark (and odoriferous) army barrack-like buildings, it was also next to the local's "wholesale hardware-store row" and we wanted more European plug converters. So, off we went (all seven of us) on the Athens subway to find the markets (which were conveniently located next to some really nice flea market type shops as well).

Not much to say about these markets other then they were very cool and very 'anatomy-class like' - it was on the cusp of being scientific specimens on display. But where else would you see something this authentic and gritty? In the U.S. the fresh meat purveyor markets are not really open to the public, plus they open at 5 AM and are closed by noon. That is, unless a hipster bar scene springs up and kicks them out like in Chicago and NYC.

The kids wouldn't dare enter in, so the women and children waited outside, while us men-folk rushed forth, camera's-a-blazing. It was very cool to experience and reminded me of a sign I used to read daily on Halsted Street (near both the Chicago meat market and our Greek Town - Freshly Slaughtered Lamb Available Here).

I think I'll order the lamb tonight. Just not the head.

Yesterday was a hellish 22-hour travel day; we started in Tokyo, ended in Athens and stopped over in Moscow. Thanks to Aeroflot Airlines for providing a "discount airline-like experience" for a discount price (less than half the cost of the next possible airline option!). Overall - practical, a little brusk, and not too bad.

What stayed with me through the long ordeal, however, even more than the Russian airline experience, and even through the burning, blurry eyes, and overly-tired ringing in my ears, was the extreme differences of the three cultures we experienced, back-to-back-to-back.

I think that aspect is both one of my least, and most, favorite parts of this travel experiment – experiencing so many cultures consecutively. When all is said-and-done, I think we will hit 20 countries and 40+ cities in 26 weeks, and when done in rapid sequence, it gives the incredible experience of comparing and contrasting each culture not only to the U.S., but also to each other. I am making all sorts of comparative cultural check-lists in my head, but I know there is a more formal way to do this, and 30 years ago, I learned a few.

You see, one of my partial majors in college was Anthropology and my love for examining and understanding different social systems and cultures is being reignited on this trip. But how much can you learn in 4 weeks (as in Buenos Aires), 4 days (as in Sri Lanka), or in the case of the Moscow Airport, 4 hours? Probably quite a bit, and then to some degree - almost nothing at all. But surely more than if we never tried this crazy and exhausting travel idea.

I'm not sure Russia will get a fair shake in such a short visitation time, but we did get some distinct impressions.

And speaking of 4’s, in Anthropology classes, we often studied a society through these four pillars:

1.     Religious Beliefs, Rituals and Myths

2.     Governance, Organizational and Military Models

3.     Trade, Commerce and Economic Systems

4.     Social Customs, Mating Rituals and Gender Relations

While we haven’t had the time to sit and analyze each of these countries through such a complex academic lens, you do get the “gut feel” for a country, whether on their soil four hours or four weeks.

We wrote quite a bit about Japan, so no rehashing there. The Moscow airport was interesting as when you land from a longer flight on a larger airplane, visitors from prominent cities like New York, London, Rome and Tokyo are treated to the fancy upper-level with huge and very “non communist” billboards for Mercedes and crisply-suited sales attendants at luxury Duty Free Shops. But, as you worm your way down to the smaller connecting flight gates, the hallways get narrow and dirtier, and the services grittier and more aggressive. And the duty fee shops go from luxury brands to mostly cheap vodka. A model for Russia in general, or just an American traveler’s ‘snap’ impression? Hard to know how much to put into these insights?

Greece - first impression? Warm, friendly, old world European - and a little dirty and rough-around-the-edges due to economic struggles in the last 5-6 years. Athens itself is like a charmed tourist city fallen on hard times, not much different than Buenos Aires in many ways.

One last thought, and really an unexpected part of this trip, especially for Suzanne and me; we are not only seeing current cultures as they operate in the everyday world, and visiting historical elements that built those cultures, but we are also experiencing some local and global crisis in real-time and away from our isolated comforts in the U.S. (and the U.S. media's take):

-       Peso devaluation, economic instability and consumer anxiety while in Argentina

-       Pre-election campaigning and political strife in India

-       Anti-government protesting while in Thailand

-       Disappearance of the Malaysian Airline while in SE Asia and search and recovery while in Australia

-       Obama’s visit to Japan while in Tokyo (and his navigating Japan's tensions with China)

-       Traveling through Moscow and watching their televised version of the Ukraine crisis while on their soil

I am not sure if we will see any anti-austerity protests while here in Greece, but based on everything above, it wouldn’t surprise me.

The people, the culture, the history, the live events…it’s hard to take it all in whether in 4 weeks or 4 hours, but I am glad we are trying.

“May you have the good fortune of living in interesting times”. – Chinese Proverb

- Mike

P.S. More on Athens and classic Greece coming up shortly! Suzanne's parents, Bruce and Linda Kamp, flew out to join us here and it is a blast to see them - and to have some new company. The kids are thrilled to see Grandpa and Grandma, pumpkin bread was brought, and we've only had one Republican v. Democrat heated argument in the first 24-hours. So, it's going well by any standard!

After three weeks, we are thoroughly exhausted and all Japan-ed out! And we ended our last night on an apropos note: our final ride on the famous Tokyo subway at Rush Hour and we got the "mass shove" experience! As the doors were about to close on our more-than-full-car, another ten bodies crashed the car at full-speed and we all moved a good 6-ft back instantly...and no one seemed to mind, or even notice - and Maddy squealed with delight as it was like her first mosh pit!

Today we crammed: Hop On, Hop Off Sightseeing Bus to see the Tokyo SkyTree, then the Tokyo Imperial Palace (sort of like Boston Common dropped in the middle of Central Park) and the famous hipster fashion-area, Harajuku! Phew.

So; three weeks, two apartments, three hotels, four roller coasters, two bullet trains, 30+ subway rides, 20+ malls, and exactly only one sushi night-out and we are off to Greece tomorrow (via Moscow on Aeroflot Airlines, so if war breaks out tomorrow in the Ukraine, we won't be back for a while).

Japan is an amazing country and we loved every minute of our time here, even in Tokyo which we were worried it was going to be crazy crowded, but with the excellent layout of the city, the well-planned parks and plaza's, and ultra-wide streets, it felt very open and you would not know you were in a city of 13 MILLION!

If you are a "big city" tourists and like the New York, London, Paris and Rome-type destinations, put Tokyo on your list. It was a blast.

Oh, and it was really nice of our President, the esteemed Mr. Obama, to coordinate his visit while we were here. I wished we could have heard him speak in public, but it was all behind closed doors. We did wait for his motorcade to pass one night, but it was taking forever so we hopped back on the subway. The Japanese were very excited that he was here and gave us many compliments on our President!

Sayonara!

- Mike

P.S. Japan is the Anglicized version of the country's native name - Nippon, which means "Origin of the Sun" or "Land of the Rising Sun". It was translated through Chinese as Zippong, which was pronounced Jappon by the English, and then eventually Japan.

                                *******************************************************************************

No, it doesn't make much sense traveling Around The Globe just to get to Japan and turn around. I know. But we have already done Hawaii and San Francisco and we really, really want to be in Europe in the springtime. Moscow, here we come.  No wait, Athens!!!  Santorini!! 

I love Japan for all of it's wackiness and fun cartoon characters.  I can see now why the Hello Kitty craze has transcended generations of Japanese women as I saw many a middle-aged lady with a cute little kitten phone case, bag, purse or other accessories.  Oh, the accessories!! My goodness do these people like to shop.  Even I was tired by the end of  three weeks.  I'll post pictures of our loot next time but Mike is very lucky that we have to pack 'lite' or else the girls and I would have needed an extra suitcase. 

And a HUGE thank you to Tracey Lissner Hadley for making me feel so at home in Tokyo.  I got to spend an entire afternoon hanging with a friend for lunch and an excellent foot rub.  Much better than a US-style pedicure. I also love that our girls got to meet and spend some time together. Marin, Tracey's daughter is about the same age that Tracey was when we met.  They may never be best friends but now they have an international connection.  Hope to see you this summer, Trace!

Goodbye Tokyo!!  Hope to see you again sometime.

-Suzanne

Scouting in Japan started in 1912, only a few years after the U.S. adopted the program. The English Boy Scouts founder General Robert Baden-Powell visited Japan in 1912 and endorsed Scouting, but it wasn't officially embraced in japan until 1922 when it began to thrive, that is until WWII when it was almost completely eliminated. Rebuilding from scratch, the program was jump-started in the 1950's with the help of many prominent Japanese Community Leaders including Masaru Ibuka, the co-founder of Sony Electronics.

Japan Scouting received a big boost with the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and has grown steadily ever since with approximately 150,000+ currently active. Next year in 2015, Japan is hosting the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in 2015 expecting over 30,000 Scouts to come to Yamaguchi from over 150 countries.

Ben and I (and the girls) visited the National offices in Tokyo, where our new friend Kenji-san gave us a tour of the Museum, Library, Store and Jamboree offices which currently employ 10-full time positions.

We explained our family trip, our Hinsdale Troop and asked a great deal of questions. We also exchanged patches and took some photos. Like our other foreign Boy Scout office stops, they could not have been happier to have us! We signed the guest book and were on our way back on the subway!

We hope to make at least 2-3 more introductions and patch exchanges on this trip. Sweden? Germany? France? Definitely England!

- Mike

Some things in life are just so rich that you cant make them up.

Ever since I knew we were coming to Tokyo, the sophomoric side of me wanted to do something campy about Godzilla; but the respectful visitor side resisted. You see, growing up in the 60's, I watched Godzilla re-runs endlessly - from the original black-and-white versions where the nuclear overtones were serious and solemn, to the later color sequels where Godzilla looked rubbery and literally mugged and aped for the camera, breaking the 4th-wall with double-takes for the audience, and Three Stooges-like slapstick antics. And as a teen with a wholly-developed Godzilla-crush, it was sad to watch his decline, especially when he started fighting large moths with singing twins, multi-headed dragons, and turtles with tusks that shot rockets. But when he took on a funky looking King Kong covered in donkey fur, that was the final straw and I never looked back.

That is until 1994, but more on that in a moment.

People who believe in synchronicities say that "there are no coincidences"; so it was really weird when two nights ago, during our first-ever night in Tokyo, Suzanne and I settled in to our retro binge-watching of Arrested Development on Hulu, and what do we see...? A Godzilla spoof where Tobias dresses as a giant mole and crushes a fake miniature city while Japanese investors look on! (Season 3 Show 45, Mr. F). No way!!!

OK, so I was blown away and took it as a divine sign - all bets are now off and I am now officially off and running with all things Godzilla in Tokyo - and Go-Go Godzilla-ing (Blue Oyster Cult)!

I am showing the kids the old Godzilla clips on Youtube tonight, I visited one of the two Godzilla statues in Tokyo (the small one, see below), and also, and in another "non" coincidence, in 3-weeks we are slated to see the 60th Anniversary (of the first release in 1954), opening of the brand new Godzilla - see the preview clip from Youtube below. I believe the producers are going back to a more of a "homage" to the original, versus the 1994 40th anniversary version, when during that "Jurassic Park" movie era, they made Godzilla very thin and forward-leaning and dinosaur-like. This time he looks and SOUNDS more like the pudgy, upright original (which I read somewhere his sound was a lion roar slowed down and played backwards???). The sound always made Godzilla movies special to me.

Please note; in 1990, I spent 40+ hours making a full-sized chicken-wire, carpet-foam, glue-gun and spray paint Godzilla Halloween costume, and won multiple prizes that year. If I were back at home, I would scan a picture - it was that good.

And one more movie plug; (and speaking of homages), last year I took Ben to see Pacific Rim, expecting to be looking at my phone the entire time (because I thought it was going to be a Transformers knock-off), but man, that is the ultimate Godzilla worship-film with several large Godzilla like creators, and with really cool, Godzilla size-matched (80-ft.) mechanical suites (mech's) which were used to fight the creatures in hand-to-hand combat instead of with planes and ships. It sounds corny, but it was clever and very good (and has a cool Japanese angle to it as well). I felt like a little boy watching an old Godzilla again and it is one of my favorite movies from the last 5-years. Download it if you get a chance.

Oh, and Arrested Development - way, way clever and we can't wait to get to the final and long-awaited Season 4 that came out this year. And thank you AD for encouraging my inner Godzilla fanboy to come out again.

- Mike

P.S. Factoid: Godzilla is an English adaptation of the original given-name, GOJIRA, which is a combination in Japanese of Gorilla + Whale!

One of the things I wanted most from this trip was to experience different cultures in a meaningful, authentic way. We've tried many new experiences on this trip but visiting an authentic Japanese Onsen has been one of the most authentic. 

If you have ever enjoyed this experience, please feel free to correct my assumptions about the ritual and what it means in current Japanese culture, but overall it was a very authentic experience that can't be duplicated anywhere in the world.

The hotel that we are staying at is attached to a local Onsen here in Fujiyama, Japan.  I had seen signs for them several times and always assumed that they were similar to a Russian bath house or a fancy spa in Napa Valley. It's neither.

Mike and I did our obligatory visit to 'check it out' when we arrived at the hotel.  Luckily we did.  Turns out the Onsen bath ritual that is taken very seriously in Japan. Visitors are welcome but the rules are strict. First, no clothes.  Second, no tattoos. Looks like both of us were out.

The Japanese have a huge aversion to tattoos that I was not aware of. I assumed there were certain older, stricter places that people would have to cover their tattoos but in reality, the tattoo seems to be closely associated with Japanese Crime groups (Yakuza) and is strictly prohibited in many public places. Including public baths and amusement parks. Who knew?

I did a little more online research and decided I would try the Band-aide approach.  It seemed to work just fine. I went alone the first time to vet the place and get alone time. Selfish, but had to be done! Basically the Onsen is a large room of different types of baths. Hot, tepid carbonated, sleeping, jet, cold. You move from bath to bath, the end goal being a cleansed, relaxed state. There is also a sauna, steam room and brushing room. Our Western culture is almost religious about the shower, so the bath feels like a luxury, and the striping of oils from our bodies only to re-apply via lotion or oil when we get out of the shower is something only Westerners do. 

There are very few cultures in the world that shower as often as we do. (Hence the popularity of the bidet everywhere except the U.S.) I wish I could tell you why and how often people use the Onsen but I have not been able to get a good answer out of anyone or off the internet. This is where I would like some feedback.  Please share.

After my first visit and a little convincing and the enticement of a hot bath, I was able to convince the girls to come with me. Ages 10 and 12 are rough times for anyone to parade around naked in front of strangers but I invoked the 'When in Rome' clause and both girls were willing to give it a go.  Now, I might not have pushed this in Napa, but I felt that we would never be able to have this experience outside of Japan. There did not seem to be any sort of age discrimination in the Onsen and women and girls of all ages were using it.

Izzy's middle school gym class experience came in handy here and she gave Maddy a few tips. Overall the girls handled themselves beautifully, and became even more confident for it. If you can imagine.  ;) 

Our visit to Mt. Fuji came to an end the next day. We had the chance to visit the Onsen in the morning before we checked out and both girls wanted to set their alarms and go again. They say it's addicting and I think they might be right. But when the alarms went off there was more snoring than action and I realized that I wouldn't have to worry about my girls' addictive personalities after all.

- Suzanne

I am really mad at my mom. She fully knew that I'd never really been on a real roller-coaster before, and she fully knew that it was the worlds tallest roller-coaster in the world, she still made me go on it. I was crying like a little girl before we even started. Did I say I? I meant we, as in me and my dad. (But I seriously was crying the whole time. Not fun.)

But otherwise, if your in Japan, you have to go to the Fuji Q. And if your lucky, you can get a hotel room with a view of Mt. Fuji. My favorite ride was the, ummm..., the thing were there a bunch of chairs hanging with chains from a circle up above, and you sit in the chairs and the circle rises up and spins you around. That one. I went on it 10 times.They had one that went really high up, but I only got to go on the small one. I also liked the mad mouse. 1 or 2 people got in a small car, and the car went to a high track and went up and down and turned. Its more fun then it sounds. They also have teacups, merry-go-round, a big roller-coaster that has you go backwards and flips you and turns you in all directions, and they also have the world steepest drop.

At the hotel, they have a buffet restaurant that have pizza, chicken nuggets, salad station and more. But the best part is the chocolate fountain!

-Maddy

P.S. Don't go there on Tuesdays as it is closed!


Good News: We got to stop at Mt. Fuji on our way from Osaka to Tokyo
Bad News: It was foggy and misty the whole time and we never saw the famous snow top
Good News: We stopped at the Fuji Q Amusement Park
Bad News: It was cold and misty the day we were there
Good News: World famous roller coasters (4) and the lines were only 5-10 minutes long
Bad News: Maddy was afraid on the first coaster and her screaming defined "blood-curdling"
Good News: Ben and I went on all of them and he is a champ

- Mike

When I first saw the giant Buddha, I really wanted to go and climb up and sit on his shoulder like a parrot. I just had to say that.

Anyway, the Buddha was HUGE. He would win in a fight with Godzilla. If he ever wanted to fight, of course.

Also, the Buddha does sit in the worlds largest wooden building in the world. Fun fact, the original purpose of the building was to store the giant Buddha, so they killed 2 birds with one stone with that.

But my favorite part was the deer in the park. All around the park there were deer. And when you open a packet of crackers to feed them, they literately nudge you in the butt with there heads to hurry up. Trust me, it's true. Plus, the dear had access to the shops around the park. We saw a few dear in a gift shop.

- Maddy


We took a 'field trip day' to Nara, Japan to see the largest all-wooden structure in the world - the Todai-ji Buddhist temple housing three very large Buddha statues, each about 30-ft. tall. Nara is a local tourist destination as the town has many restored wooden Buddhist temples, pagodas and a great deal of dedicated and manicured park space. The scale of the all-wooden buildings (up to 50-ft. tall) and the statues are hard to tell from these photos, but they are huge! We were there on a weekday and it was "all students, all the time" - and all in smart uniforms.

Click here for more on the Todai-ji Temple: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4100.html

Plus, there was an amazing museum which detailed the artistry in carving large statues, building all-wooden temples and ancient print making. I wished we could have stayed there for a while...

...but ahh, if only the kids would share our interest in these things as much as they do the museum gift shops. Or the deer.

Yes, deer - hundreds and hundreds of them, all walking around the parks and sites waiting to be fed "deer crackers" that you can buy from entrepreneurial elders. The deer are reprtedly there as part of the founding tradition..."According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō. Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country.[16] Tame Sika Deer roam through the town, especially in Nara Park. Snack vendors sell "shika sembei" (deer biscuits) to visitors so they can feed the deer."

Actually I like the idea, especially if you had a tourist destination that was lacking traffic  - just put out live animals that you can pet and feed. Personally, I think the deer are as equally responsible as the religious-pilgrimage aspect for this being such a highly visited Japanese site.

It was a fun day all-in-all. Now, off to Mt. Fuji!

- Mike

You know what really GRINDS MY GEARS? The the fact that my father will stop at EVERY PLACE WITH PLASTIC FOOD for pictures. I mean, it's not like they aren't all the same, rice, noodle, fish, and meat dishes - but he doesn't care! What you will see below is only 5% of what we have.

-Izzy


First, let me clear up a few myths; I don't stop at ALL of the plastic food displays, only 95% of them. And second, what you see below is 95% of the pictures I have taken so far. And third, I submit for your review that they are all NOT the same. Look at the pix below, they range from traditional rice and sushi dished to drinks, pancakes, hot dogs, spaghetti, etc. Which is exactly why I take the so many pictures - to get the variety.

I will admit that I am as mesmerized by the plastic food displays here as I am with the actual Japanese food - I love them both. I do stop at most of the restaurant fronts that display plastic food and I do admit to slowing down our walking-progress at times.

I keep wondering if anyone has done a coffee table book on the subject. And I know I am not the only tourist fascinated by it as in one tourist store (at in the Osaka Castle), after Samurai gear and Geisha souvenirs, the plastic Japanese food aisle was the third biggest merchandise display - they had clocks, key chains, magnets and even full-on cell phone cases all made from plastic food!

My other thought was that this must be a huge business here in Japan because it is everywhere - and I'll bet while it is mass produced, it still takes some artistry to boot! Sure enough...thank you, Youtube.

- Mike

P.S. One thing Suzanne and I noticed about food here in Japan is that Sushi is not as common as you would think and you have to seek it out. The primary dishes are either rice and vegetable based, or noodle dishes with fish stock, vegetables and pork. Also big is Yakatori (meat skewers) and Tempura. Check out these selections, and then check out the pics below: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.html

"It's a big train that goes fast. What else is there to write about?"

- Ben (as dictated to Dad)


We took one of Japan's fabled "Bullet Trains" from Shin Osaka to Hiroshima, and it was a very unique experience. To see the Japanese countryside whizzing by at 185 MPH, all the while not feeling a bump was amazing.

The ride there was an express and quick at 1:30, but on the way back we took a local and it was three hours. We rode and read in comfort so all was good...and smooth.