Author: denniscronin33

Our final week in Tokyo was super fun and kid-friendly. We especially maxed it out on Takeshita Street. We went to a mini-pig cafe and a second animal cafe where we got to play with ferrets, hedgehogs, meerkats, a fox, and a capybara. Life goals!  We also ate the most amazing — and huge — rainbow cotton candy.  We topped the day off with a visit to a cafe where they do custom 3D foam art on your latte or hot chocolate. Look for Hazel in the pics!  

While I would like to say we went to all these incredible restaurants, we actually ate many of our meals at the phenomenal convenience stores – you can get everything there! At least we made it to the obligatory conveyor belt sushi restaurant (see video) and shaved ice.  Technology was a bigger goal for the kids so that meant several gaming cafes, a visit to Akihabara, and a trip to Tokyo Bay for an indoor amusement park that Dev found.  Luckily, it also included a beautiful front row ride on a monorail (see video).  We also went to a cafe with robots before visiting the iconic Shibuya crossing; it was a bit gimmicky, but cute. Probably one of our collective favorites was the subway system.  It is so easy to navigate, so well run, and we especially enjoyed the many different chimes for the doors closing. Dennis recorded many of them.   

We visited National Tokyo Museum to see an immersive exhibit on Neo-Japonism, connecting the contemporary art in anime to ancient Japanese arts.  It was fine but what Dennis and I really loved was an exhibit on ukiyo-e woodcut prints and contemporary reinterpretations of the traditional art form.  It was particularly fun to see pieces by Chiharu Shiota since we recently saw the installation she did at the Istanbul Modern (remember the room with all the red string?).  And for Mother’s Day, I learned from the mistakes of my birthday and instead of a genocide memorial we went to teamLab:Borderless which was the type of immersive experience we all enjoy (see video).  We stayed there a while, meandering through the rooms, and ended with their interactive cafe. 

While Dennis and Dev got in some last-minute gaming at warp speeds, Mira and I took a wonderful kintsugi class.  The only other participant was a woman who is an artist from Abu Dhabi.  We had a lovely morning of tea, treats, and repair with these really amazing women.  It was a special and meditative experience — lots of sanding! — and we bought a set of all the materials needed to repair items that we are bound to break in the future.  Mira also snuck in a last-minute photo session in a kimono.  We quickly stopped by the Mitsukoshi Department Store on the way home so Mira could at least get a taste of the famous department store basements filled with food.  

Meanwhile the morning of our flight, the adults squeezed in some last-minute shopping.  We made an early morning trip to Tsukiji Fish Market to buy some knives at Aritsugu (thanks to Aunt Namiko for the suggestion!) which was its own experience.  And I rushed to the Ozeki lantern factory to buy lamps from the same manufacturer of Isamu Noguchi’s Akari line. Then we were off to the states for the kids to finish the last month of school.  

While the trip is not quite done — we leave again in July — it is still amazing to think how far we have we each come in the last nine months.  We are particularly proud of the kids and how they have grown, matured, and faced various challenges with persistence and courage (and, let’s be real, a fair amount of whining).  

Mira says she’s going to write some posts while we’re here.  You’ll be the first to know.  Otherwise we’ll be back with more travel updates in July when we head south.

We have two weeks in Japan after changing our plans to come home early so we streamlined things to focus primarily on the kid’s first priority: Tokyo. That means we cancelled our plans for Hiroshima, Naoshima, Koyasan, and Hokkaido. It’s a bummer but we also feel confident that Japan is a place where we will return.  

After landing in Osaka we took a Hello Kitty train to Kyoto where we spent a couple quick nights before Tokyo. We went to the Kiyomizu-dera temple up in the hills which was crowded beyond belief but still beautiful. Afterwards we stopped at a super yummy mom and pop counter for ramen that was recommended to us. We finished the day with an evening stroll through Gion. 

On our second day we went to the majestic Arashimaya bamboo grove and then to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, a temple hidden in the nearby hills. This temple was definitely our favorite. It is much quieter with very few visitors and is known for its many (1200) unique Rakan statues. We loved meandering around looking at all the different faces.

After a quick stop at a cafe, we headed back into the city to take the bullet train to Tokyo. The train reaches almost 200 mph and tilts when it turns at high speed. Add to that the incredible views of Mt. Fuji and it makes for a spectacular experience. 

Of course we couldn’t go to Japan without doing a food tour. We decided to do a pretty basic one in Shinjuku which interspersed food stops with visits to Memory Lane, the big G-dzilla, and the 3D cat billboard. We also got to eat taiyaki (fish shaped pastries) which was on our shortlist.  

We also scored tickets to baseball at the Tokyo Dome! It was a “classic battle” between the visiting Hashin Tigers and the home Yomiuri Giants. The historic rivalry goes beyond baseball. The fans were loud throughout the whole game with chants and songs (see video below). 

Hanoi and Bai Tu Long Bay

On the way to Hanoi we had our version of a celebrity sighting.  We were in line next to, and on the same flight as, Uyen Ninh, who Mira apparently loves and follows on the interweb.  She got a picture with her and it made the entire flight more exciting.  

We spent several nights in Hanoi and loved it! It was during the 50th anniversary of reunification between north and south Vietnam and they closed the roads near our hotel for one big street party.  We watched live music, the kids rode motorized tricycle-type bikes, and we saw a music video being filmed. We also hung out at the nearby lake where there was lots of action and dancing. The kids even took a cyclo ride one night. None of that, however, compares to the fact that we found a nearby pizza place with pizza that was as good, or even better than (gasp!), our favorite local place in Brooklyn. It was disorienting. We also stocked up on yarn for projects on our cruise (see below).

Then we spent two nights on a cruise of Bai Tu Long Bay, which is basically the same as Ha Long Bay but further away and therefore much less crowded. As Mira says, “It was majestic!”  Our rooms were beautiful with epic views that I could have stared at for hours, and did.

We went kayaking a couple times, visited a cave within one of the small islands, and Dennis took a boat trip to visit a remote oyster farm community that produces pearls and jewelry. We had incredible and varied Vietnamese food throughout. There was no wifi which was the best; it forced everyone to do crafts and talk to each other. The kids lived their best life with Dev really taking it up a notch by wearing the official cruise silk robe all over the boat (even to our last dinner) and getting a massage. 

Next we are off to a brief Japan visit.

We spent two more relaxing weeks in Hoi An and as the weeks passed we did less and less. The kids enjoyed having their own rooms and Dev took advantage of having a TV. 

Still, we took regular scooter rides in the rice fields and around town, and tested out various spots on the beach to find our favorite. Mira even convinced the parents to swim far out in the South China Sea in our clothes.  Also, Mira was the lead designer for a mosaic table, and we finally indulged in various spa treatments. Another highlight was going into the ancient town with our friends one night for the monthly full moon festival where we took a boat ride and released candle lanterns on the river while making a wish. 

We also found a local Chabad (who knew?) where we were able to buy challah for Shabbat and then matzoh when it was time for Passover. We did our very best effort at a Passover Seder with new friends. Imagine cau lao instead of matzoh ball soup and wasabi instead of horseradish. We made it work and the Seder and its story of collective liberation and resistance against tyranny resonated even more deeply this year. Though I feel like I’ve been saying that every year for a while now.

Without the rest of the family, I took a walking tour with some other moms which was lovely — both for the company and for getting to see and learn a bit more about Hoi An. On the flip side, the whole family went to the nearest city and checked out the mall where the kids won a stuffed animal in one of those scam grab games. I might have been just as excited as they were.  Afterwards we tried to go see a USA rated PG-13 movie and they wouldn’t let the kids in; you had to be 16 and above even with parental permission. I’m not sure what that says about what we expose our kids to in the US but after getting rejected by the manager, we gave up and went bowling. 

For our final hurrah, we took a really long and steep cable car ride up to the Golden Bridge with huge hands holding it up. There was also a small amusement park where we tried every 3D and 4D movie and rode surprisingly scary alpine coasters down the hill.  Oh, and Dennis made sure to get one more avocado and coconut ice cream!

Next up is Hanoi and a 2-night cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay.  

We are spending a month in Hoi An, Vietnam.  The Hoi An Ancient Town is a designated UNESCO site but we are staying in An Bang Beach, a few minutes away, and the area is separated by beautiful rice fields (another check mark for Dennis who said he wanted to see rice fields).  We splurged to get our fanciest Airbnb and the owner has a daughter who is Mira’s age and they have been able to hang out together, which has been particularly nice.

We were excited to reconnect with some of our friends from the hub in Morocco and continue building connections even as we travel.  There is a large community of homeschooling and world schooling families here.  The kids have tried all kinds of classes and group meet-ups with varying levels of success.  It’s been fun for them to try things like badminton, mechanics class (bonus points for their drum set!), Minecraft meet-ups, chess, Rubik’s cube, movement on the beach, and game nights, and to meet other traveling kids and teens. 

We also rented a scooter for the entire month and it has made even the most basic errands a fun adventure.  Driving through the rice fields is a particular treat, passing cows and water buffalos along the way.  We also found a place nearby to play foosball and went to see the new Minecraft movie.  Dev agreed it was fun but it was not like the *real* Minecraft.  

Don’t worry, we also did another food tour.  This may have been one of the best yet, both because of the guide and the food.  We started by visiting a couple “factories” which are really homes where families make a certain food.  Both had been maintained for generations.  One family was cultivating beansprouts — which you can see Mira particularly loved — and another was making the noodles used in cau lau, a regional noodle and broth dish that is so, so good.  We even went to a restaurant that uses that family’s noodles.  In Vietnam, is it common that businesses, even restaurants, are run out of people’s homes and for us it is not always immediately apparent that it’s a business.  That was especially true for one bakery that had no signage at all and the tour group basically walked into their house to try the sweets.  When Dennis and I returned a few days later, I think they were pretty shocked to see us there.  

Vietnam also has a deep coffee culture and I joined some of the other parents for a coffee making class.  I learned to make salt coffee, egg coffee, and the traditional phin black coffee (imagine a brilliant combination of pourover and french press). 

Tonight is our last dinner before Passover starts.  We offered the kids pizza (there’s a really good spot near us) and Dev said she’d rather have banh mi.  #winning!

Getting to Cambodia was a bit rough.  We took a four-hour redeye to Bangkok and then had six hours in the world’s coldest airport lounge before our short flight to Siem Reap.  When we finally arrived, we spent nine days in Siem Reap and didn’t go much further than that.  

As has become one of our traditions, we started with a food tour.  This time we did it by tuk-tuk which helped entice the kids who have been less enamored with four-hour walking tours.  We purposefully did a morning one with morning food—noodles, soups, meat and rice—as opposed to an evening street tour which tends to include lots of insects.  Realistically, our family is not eating tarantulas, yet…   For everyone, the top hit was pancakes with coconut cream and second went to a noodles in broth dish that an intern “fixed” up for us.  One surprise for us was that Cambodians add lots of sugar to all of their foods, even savory dishes.   

Seeing Angkor Wat was on my (Johanna’s) bucket list so that was a priority.  Dennis and I obsessed and watched all kinds of videos about avoiding the peak crowds.  In the end we decided to do the shortest tourist circuit because that was the most realistic for our kids.  Then, on the way to the temples at 5am, the guide advised us that it was the spring equinox and around 20,000 visitors were also expected to be there for the sunrise.  Oops, we missed that part in our planning.  We decided to watch the sunrise from a nearby temple and wait for the crowds to clear out.  Then we went immediately to Ta Prohm, the temple famous for being overtaken by tree roots—and being featured in the movie Tomb Raider—to experience it without the crowds.  We did everything in reverse and finished at Angkor Wat which worked out perfectly for us.  It all lived up to the hype.  We were also really happy that we were able to walk around Ta Prohm in the quiet with birds instead of crowds and the kids loved finding ancient chambers where you could pound your chest and it would echo.  

We did a couple other things that were big hits in Siem Reap.  One was going to Apopo Visitor Center, an amazing organization that trains African Giant Pouched Rats (or, as they call them, “heroRATS”) to detect landmines.  We watched a demonstration of the rat’s skills, learned about the history and scope of landmines in Cambodia, and had an opportunity to cuddle with the rats.  We immediately searched to see if we could get one as a pet in NYC (answer: most likely not).  To stay on theme with unicorns, death, and genocide, we also went to see Phare Circus, where the talented performers are graduates of a free vocational school started by refugees returning after the Khmer Rouge.  We even got special backstage passes to go behind the scenes where the magic happens before the show!  It was wonderful to meet all of the people that make the show happen, try on costumes, and see the performers warming up.    

And then there were the craftworkers!  At Artisans Angkor, we took a tour of their workshop and learned about the skill required to create the traditional Cambodian crafts, along with the work being done to revitalize those same industries. On our last day we took a deeper dive; the kids took a traditional rattan weaving class in a nearby basketry village with some women who had a great sense of humor but also very demanding expectations for quality control.  Still, everyone agreed it was a super relaxing activity and the kids got to take home their own keychains.

In our spare time, Dennis and Dev played a lot of foosball (and even played a match or two against the hotel staff); the kids went to the spa; and we went swimming—and did math—in the pool (see video).  Mira also learned how to fold the lotus flowers that were everywhere at the hotel and Dennis took a couple more motorcycle riding lessons so he’s feeling much more comfortable driving in an emergency situation.  And, admittedly, we also watched lots of fun tv and hung out in the air conditioning doing math problems.  

Next stop:  Hoi An, Vietnam

We wish we stayed much longer in Sri Lanka. It was really great and we barely saw a fraction of it. So we are already plotting our return. 

We slowed down our pace considerably for this week and tried to recover a bit. We first spent three nights in Colombo, a city full of green trees that contrasted dramatically with the overwhelmingly white buildings. It was lovely and reminded us a bit of Mexico City. We used tuk-tuks to get around which was a lot of fun and our hotel had a rooftop infinity pool with an incredible view that was especially amazing at sunset. 

The guide for our scheduled food tour got sick but he kindly walked us through the tour via video and we still learned a lot, including that Sri Lankan food (and tea) is delicious with incredible flavor and spice. We also visited Gangaramaya and Seema Malaka, a Buddhist temple complex.  The Gangaramaya Temple is famous for many reasons, including its varied architecture and that its Bodhi tree is believed to be where the Buddha meditated to reach enlightenment. Seema Malaka is nearby on the lake and is used more for meditation purposes, rather than worship.  It was redesigned in the 1970s by Geoffrey Bawa, arguably Sri Lanka’s most famous architect.  We also made quick visits to Viharamahadevi Park – mainly because of the name which has “Devi” in it — and the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque in Pettah Market with its distinctive red and white exterior. It felt a bit like the counterpart to our beloved black and white striped church in Sienna, Italy.

We spent the rest of our trip in Habarana, an area known as the “cultural triangle.”  We had a particularly nice tuk-tuk driver on our last day in Colombo who said he had a car so we hired him for the rest of the trip. He showed up with a fancy, decked out van that thrilled the kids so we knew we were off to a good start.  On the way to Habarana, we stopped to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple which consists of five Buddhist cave shrines, each with beautiful statues and brilliant, detailed murals covering the entire caves. The shrines have been used by monks since the 3rd century BCE and continue to be active today.  

In Habarana, we were lucky to stay in another beautiful spot, this time a 2-bedroom villa in the jungle with monkeys (and mosquitos) joining us for breakfast. We continued to go slow, doing school, taxes, and other exciting things and it was nice to be in such a lovely spot with wraparound views of nature.  We did manage to get out a bit, however. We went on a half-day jeep safari to see Asian elephants — because you can never see enough elephants — and we were lucky to have more close encounters with baby elephants, in particular.

And on our last full day we climbed Sigiriya Lion Rock, an ancient rock fortress dating back to the 5th century AD. The history behind the fortress is pretty intense: in essence, the king’s son who was born out of wedlock was upset he would not inherit the throne; he killed his father and took over; and he created the fortress as a new capital to avoid the wrath of the other son (who eventually returned and defeated him). The entrance to the fortress was a huge lion but only the paws remain. We were initially worried about the 1200 steps — and I was worried about the height — but it was all pretty manageable.  At the top, the view was breathtaking (or was that the steps?) and we were able to FaceTime with AR and the kids as we remembered our late Uncle K at one of his favorite spots.

On the way to the airport, we stopped at a seed farm where an Ayurvedic practitioner showed us all the things that would fix our ailments, including our skin.  We tried to find an ethical elephant orphanage but both attempts were a bust so we gave up and headed to the airport for a long overnight trip to Cambodia.

With love in our hearts, remembering Uncle K.