You're stuck with "cruise people": You're trapped on a boat with the same crowd for the entire trip, and a lot of them wouldn't exactly be your "first choice" of people to hang out with....
Tourist traps, scams, and trinket hustlers at ports: Port visits are a blur of tourist traps, not real culture. Get off the boat and step right into a sea of overpriced souvenirs and tourist scams, not exactly "seeing the world."
Crowded public areas and long lines: Because nothing says vacation like fighting for a spot by the pool.
Annoying sales pitches: Constant upselling for photos, spa treatments, and specialty dining.
Diarrhea and illnesses spreading like wildfire: A floating petri dish, but hey, it's all-inclusive!
Limited and repetitive dining options: Same buffet every day, anyone?
Tiny cabins: Small rooms that make a budget hotel room feel like a suite.
Overpriced drinks and extras: Want a cocktail? That will be $25.
Restricted freedom: You're stuck with the ship's schedule, not your own.

Anyone else get a daily notification/spam for those in socal to go deliver in Palm Springs? Anyone actually do it? Is it even worth it it's a 40mil/1hr drive for me.

My husband and I are running the Dopey Challenge in Jan 2025.
We don't want to visit the theme parks on race days for several reasons (early mornings, keeping steps relatively low, recovery etc.) but will be spending time in them after the race. I'd prefer to hobble around slowly after my races than ruin myself for my races!
So my question is, what are everyone's recommended resort activities or places for us to visit during the marathon weekend race days that aren't any of the theme parks? It is probably worth mentioning that we don't have kids that we need to keep entertained, just us child-like adults. We are staying at All-Star Music, so anything easy to get to from there. I haven't stayed on property before so I don't know what transport is like to all areas of the resort from the hotels, so I apologise if it is a bit of a silly question.
Also, I would love to hear any restaurant recommendations for pre- and post-marathon meals in Disney Springs (or anywhere else on property worth giving a try).
Thanks!

Borrego Springs offers activities for everyone, from local dining and live music to stargazing and exploring Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Summers can be hot (100+ degrees), but you can still enjoy resorts, star gazing, and the local art and food scene. The cooler months from fall to spring are the most popular times to visit.

Start at ABDNHA: https://www.abdnha.org/calendar1.htm

• Educational Panels: Learn about the area's history, wildlife, and geology from the panels outside.
• Gift Shop: Find local items, educational materials, souvenirs, and gifts.
• Events: Enjoy guided walks and expert talks. Check their calendar for current events.
• Local Passion: ABDNHA's small-town team is dedicated to the area, making your visit enriching.

Where to Eat

• Breakfast: Calico’s, Kendall’s Cafe, Red Ocotillo
• Lunch: Carlee’s Place, The Arches, The Propeller Bar & Grill
• Dinner: Pablito’s Mexican Bar & Grill, Carmelita’s Mexican Grill, The Fox Den
• Coffee Breaks: Calico’s, The Fudge Shop

Discover Galleta Meadows

• Spend a few hours exploring the metal sculptures depicting prehistoric creatures, historical figures, and whimsical creations.

Immerse Yourself in Music

• Community Concerts: The Borrego Springs Community Concert Association hosts a variety of concerts each year. Check their schedule.
• Live Music at Carlee’s Place: Enjoy live music events scheduled a few weeks in advance. Find the latest happenings.

Stargazing

• Ideal for stargazing with dark skies and reduced light pollution.
• Follow local astronomer Dennis Mammana on Creators.
• Night sky tours are available through local organizations. Visit California Overland.

Where to Stay

• Airbnb: Find unique stays like Divine Desert Destination.
• Resorts: Borrego Springs Resort, La Casa del Zorro
• Mid-Century Modern: The Palms at Indianhead, Hacienda del Sol
• Camping: Camp at Palm Canyon or other campsites in [Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]()

Things to Do

• Hiking: Explore trails ranging from easy walks to challenging hikes.
• Biking: Discover scenic bike routes.
• Droning: Capture aerial views at the dedicated Drone Zone.
• Photography: Take stunning photos of the desert scenery.
• Desert Garden Walks: Learn about native plants in local gardens.
• Thrift Shopping: Visit Frugal Coyote and Bargain Barn for unique finds.
• Art Exhibits and Events: Explore exhibits at the Borrego Art Institute.

Entrance to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

• Borrego Springs is the entrance to California's largest state park, featuring diverse landscapes, hiking, wildlife viewing, and geological wonders. The park is renowned for its wildflower blooms.

Conclusion

Borrego Springs offers an array of activities and experiences for all interests. From exploring natural history and dining at local eateries to enjoying live music and stargazing, there's something for everyone. Plan your visit today and discover the magic of Borrego Springs.

♥️ love you guys.

I had a treatment yesterday at a spa that’s part of a hotel. While I was getting ready I asked my daughter to pack my bag, I’m after unpacking my bag today and see that she packed the spa robe. should I return it and explain or say nothing?

My hand is taken from my side-
the toy in the hand of the impatient boy.
Moments before, we meandered the gallery corridors
of Plymbridge woods (our first date),
pausing in silence before the bluebell canvas,
natures indelible stroke.
Him, kind eyes and immaculate shoes,
shimmers of wisdom in his hair
the silver birch man dappled in early mornings’ flare.
Me? I drummed silly teenage rhythms on eager strides -
soaked in those spring suds
to rinse those who sit as freckles on my skin.
Now, with our palms entwined in a premature kiss,
air curdles and familiar clouds clump the horizon –
memories clots.
Un-kiss un-kiss.
For I’m the lonely tree of Llanberis the counter of all seasons.
Aged 21 again,
boxed and bedded in the hibernation room -
three years of winter I was told,
the day of my M.E. diagnosis,
the day I jack-knifed like a fever dream on a black ice runway.
But spring never did bloom into aching bones
and so, I lingered in the blur of a sleepy winter -
abridged on the safe side of the glass,
forever dry and never growing -
until today.
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/1cuuaoh/comment/l4l64zy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/1cuobhn/comment/l4na63o/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Last night.
Seems like it may have been deliberate as the report mentions he was trying to drive into the Marilyn statue....
https://kesq.com/news/2024/05/18/impaired-driver-plows-through-two-palm-springs-businesses/

Six Senses Con Dao 2024 offer

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Andrew Larder

Six Senses Con Dao 2024 offer

Six Senses Con Dao
Discover untouched natural beauty at Six Senses Con Dao, nestled on a 2km private beach embraced by the National Park. Harmonizing contemporary and tradition, the resort boasts 50 exclusive pool villas, reminiscent of a traditional Vietnamese fishing village. Recognized by National Geographic Traveler, it secured a place among their top eco lodges for sustainability. Savor diverse dining, from local flavors to farm-fresh produce, with personalized experiences by Destination Dining. Unwind at the Six Senses Con Dao Spa, offering pioneering wellness and rejuvenating yoga. Experience snorkeling, hiking, and turtle hatching (May – December), or delve into Con Dao’s rich history and vibrant heritage.
Six Senses Con Dao Exclusive Offer – for stay date from now until Dec 23, 2024
Exclusive Savings, 10% off on Best Flexible Rate
Inclusions: – Daily breakfast at By The Beach restaurant – Complimentary round-trip shared airport transfer
– Complimentary Room Upgrade as below (subject to availability upon arrival):  From Ocean View Duplex Pool Villa to Beachfront Duplex Pool Villa  From Beachfront Duplex Pool Villa to Beachfront Deluxe Pool Villa
Complimentary activities: – Complimentary home-made ice cream between 11:30 – 16:30 at Eat Lab – Usage of fitness center, outdoor swimming pool – Complimentary beach outdoor activities: volleyball, basketball, football, etc. – Complimentary non-motorized water sports: paddle boarding, snorkels and kayaking – Complimentary yoga or meditation session as per resort’s schedule – “Grow With Six Senses” program for children from 4 to 12 years old Value-added for Residences: – A bottle of champagne, once per stay – Daily fresh fruit – Daily replenished assorted macarons and chocolate-dipped fruit, and a plate of savory amenities – Complimentary minibar: daily replenished, local soft drinks & beers – Complimentary one activity from the below list (once during the stay):  Con Dao Historical & Prison Tour  Con Dao Local Life Tour  Hike to Bang Beach  Hike to House Peak Terms & conditions: – Non-combinable with any other offers – Applicable for new bookings only – This offer is available for all L&L partner agencies
__________________

Six Senses Con Dao Offers – Extended Stay

Book a minimum of seven nights and enjoy up to 20 percent off on our Best Flexible Rates.
Inclusions: Daily breakfast at By The Beach restaurant Round-trip shared airport transfers from Con Dao airport A great selection of exciting Grow With Six Senses activities for kids

Six Senses Con Dao Reservations

Contact me to book a stay at any Six Senses property, worldwide:
Andrew Larder, FORA Travel Advisor

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Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.

Going to West side of LA for work and hoping to find a spa or beach where I can be nude and relax. Happy to join others if that’s an option too and just hang out. My hotel room will help but prefer with others.

My wife and I (<30M, American) planned our first visit to Europe in spring 2020. 4 years deferred, the trip evolved from a barebudget experience to something closer to a second honeymoon. I don’t claim any special knowledge, I really just wanted to give back to this sub.
Total Budget: $8,000
Total Spend: $8,100
Day 1-3: Arrival and Beaune
We took the TGV to Dijon and arrived in Beaune via train at 14:00. It’s a fairytale fucking town. You are forced to downshift as you wander a warren of streets. The locals are justifiably proud of their wine and food and were generous in educating us on their culture. Burgundy’s distinctive roof tiles reinforced our sense of place.
-Highlights: Cycling Beaune-Pommard- Volnay-Mersault, Hotel Dieu/Hospices de Beaune, escargots and wine.
Best Food: A grand dinner at the cellar of Le Conty, a quiet table at Le Bistro des Cocottes.
-Additional Comment: We stayed at Hotel des Tonneliers and while the rooms were simple, the staff was so lovely and this was our favorite stay in France. The conti-brekky in the courtyard was pleasant and convenient.
Day 4: Travel, Fontenay Abbey, Guedelon Castle
Our second leg was the Loire Valley so we rented a car and stopped at some remote sites in transit. Fontenay was serene but Guedelon was a surprise highlight of the entire trip. The artisans work openly and the half-finished castle is surrounded by a village of tourist-friendly but not tacky canteens and gift shops. We enjoyed seeing ordinary French families at play.
-Highlights: Guedelon (castle and food on site), driving manual transmission in rural Burgundy.
-Best Food: Seasonal offerings and local hard cider at the Guedelon canteen
-Additional Comments: I’m American and had only driven stickshift for an extended period once before. If you have any previous experience, I recommend eschewing automatic transmission for the fun of it.
Day 5-6: Amboise and Chateaux of the Loire Valley
While Burgundy felt ancient and impressive, the Loire Valley was graceful and romantic. Willows crowd the river and flowers poured from window boxes. The renaissance chateaux are a powerful reminder of the wealth of the aristocracy and the government extends place the estates in their proper historical context. Sites actively engage children with scavenger hunts and augmented reality exhibits.
-Highlights: Hot air ballooning over Chenonceau, the grand chateau at Chambord, drinks on the Ile d’Or facing Amboise castle, crowd of rowdy regulars at Art is Ale Brewery.
-Best Food: Michelin starred lunch at L’Orangerie, intimate but thoughtful tasting menu at the patio of L’Alliance, Le Shaker bar.
-Additional Comments: We stayed at Chateau du Pray, which was grand but a 2km drive from Amboise. In hindsight, we preferred humbler digs closer to town because we were rarely in our room.
Day 7-8: Paris, Rue Cler
Emerging from the metro and onto the streets of Paris is a singular experience. The pedestrian zone on Rue Cler was perfect for an introductory stroll but we quickly branched out using the excellent and cheap public transport system.
-Highlights: L’Orangerie (we were most impressed by the Robert Ryman exposition), Napoleon’s Tomb, Saint-Chapelle in the rain, the metro.
-Best Food: Warm hospitality at Comice, sandwiches from any given boulangerie, apertifs (Lilet Blanc is my fav)
Day 9-10: Paris, Le Marais
This was our favorite neighborhood. Le Marais is near (practically) everything, feels like an authentic community and has excellent restaurants. We cancelled a planned trip to Versailles because we were greedy for more time here.
-Highlights: Picasso Museum, people watching, drinking on the banks of the Seine with college students at sunset
-Best Food: Stunningly generous hospitality at La Bourse et La Vie, oysters with cognac vinegar at Huiterie Régis, random falafel
-Additional Comments: I enjoyed running the neighborhood in the early morning and watching it all come to life.
Day 11: Travel Praise be to Xanax.
General Thoughts
-Stereotypes about the French are so outdated. Everyone, especially in the countryside, was gracious
-DO learn basic phrases in French. The French are gracious hosts and I felt that the respect demonstrated by attempting the language is reciprocated
-DO ask questions. I asked our waiter about “Eau de Vie” and after disappearing, he returned with three bottles, a generous free tasting and stories about his grandfather’s still in the countryside. I left the restaurant educated and happily drunk. In another situation, I asked a vintner if he had any older bottles off-menu following a tasting and he revealed a small but venerable stock that were for sale but too few to advertise
-DO make reservations, especially in small towns. I avoided it from fear of speaking French on the phone and executed a mad scramble to secure our tables at the start of the trip
-DO eat late. The tourists seem to clear out of restaurants by 21:00 and we enjoyed listening to the buzz of French voices when we dined on their schedule
-DO wake up early, at least sometimes. Provincial streets are so dreamy at dawn
-DON’T go to Montmartre. Obviously my opinion but it was aggressively touristy, full of hustlers and I’m no prude but fuck, there were a lot of cheap sex shops
-DO change your plans as you go. You can rebook train tickets for a modest fee or rebook hotels with reasonable notice. Be open to discovery
-DO use public transport whenever possible
-DON’T expect anything from speaking Spanish or Portuguese. This may be different in the Southwest but in the places I visited, neither of these were viable bridge languages when my French failed me
-DO check wine in your bag home

Hello :) I’m looking for new friends. Long term, short term.
A little about me: I love baseball 🫶🏻 my favorite team is the dbacks. (I know we’re horrible right now 😫) I also like football and hockey. I work in a casino/hotel (on the hotel side) I like to read and take naps. I love Spanish rock and going to concerts when I can.
Anywho, look forward to talking to y’all.