Jeff Keller's Blog
Because everyone else is doing it…-
Asia 2009: Day 4 (Kyoto)
Posted on October 10th, 2009 No commentsWe spent the first half of our day touring Kyoto some more, followed by a traditional Japanese lunch (maybe a bit too traditional for my taste). After that we hit the road for Kobe, to board the Volendam.
- Nishiki Market
- Kinkajuji Temple, AKA the Golden Temple
- It’s real, and it’s spectacular
- I’m glad we don’t have these at home
- Entering Niji Castle complex
- Now that’s a big moat
- Gate to Nijo Castle
- Nijo Castle, which has the famous “nightingale floors”
- They wouldn’t let us take photos inside, so this is it
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Asia 2009: Day 3 (Kyoto)
Posted on October 9th, 2009 1 commentWhat more can you say about Kyoto? It’s an amazing city. At first it seems like just another big city, but almost everywhere you turn you find a temple, shrine, or park. And I only saw part of the city. Here are the photos from my first day in Kyoto:
- Sanjusangen-do Temple from the outside. No photos allowed inside. Literally hundreds of Buddha statues inside!
- Kiyomizu Temple
- Purification time
- This must’ve been quite a construction project back when it was built
- Heian Jingo Shrine
- Nice garden
- Bridge without Jeff
- Bridge with Jeff
- Nanzenji Temple,I think
- Old aqueduct
- Lovely gardens
- Another shrine
- Local resident
- Canal along the Philosopher’s Path
- Lots of neko hanging around
- Dusk nears
- Kyoto has a bustling downtown as well
- Dinner at a soba restaurant
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Asia Trip 2009: Day 2 / Part 3 (Osaka at Night)
Posted on October 9th, 2009 No commentsIn the evening, I took the train to Osaka to meet up with some of the marketing folks from Panasonic Japan. We had a great dinner at a teppan/okonomiyaki place, then they took me into what I’d call a combination of Las Vegas and Times Square — Dotonbori.
- This isn’t Benihana, that’s for sure
- Okonomiyaki!
- The Japanese love their shopping arcades. Above ground, underground, they’re everywhere.
- Lots of crazy signs in this part of town
- See what I mean?
- Indoor fishing!
- Bizarre souvenirs!
- These were everywhere too. Don’t they know that you never actually win?
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Asia Trip 2009: Day 2 / Part 2 (Nara)
Posted on October 9th, 2009 No commentsOn our first full day in Japan, we headed out to the country, to the town of Nara. We visited Deer Park, a Buddhist Temple, and a Shinto Shrine. After lunch I wandered around on my own, getting a bit lost in the process. While there is some English here and there, navigating both Nara and Kyoto on my own was challenging.
- On the road to Nara
- Huge wooden gate outside Todaiji Temple
- Lots of these little aqueducts around town
- Another part of the temple complex
- Todaiji Temple
- Lots of umbrellas on this rainy day
- There was once a 7 story (I think) pagoda here
- 60 foot tall Buddha
- Bodhisattva was his right hand man, from we were told
- Trying to be artsy here
- If I recall, if you crawl through this hole, you are reborn when you turn 60
- Like deer? Nara Park is for you.
- Be sure to obey the rules, if you can read them
- Baby deer
- These guys are fearless — they walk right up to you
- The first of many purchases at a vending machine
- Deer patrol
- You need to purify yourself before entering a Shinto shrine. Our guide did the honors.
- Lots of lanterns
- People gave lanterns as gifts, instead of money
- Here’s the actual shrine
- Shinto maidens
- 5 story pagoda
- Another shrine, right next to the pagoda
- Nara Hotel, where we stayed for the night
- One more view of the pagoda
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Asia 2009 – Day 2 / Part 1 (Morning in Osaka)
Posted on October 8th, 2009 No commentsAfter a difficult night trying to sleep, I woke up and saw gloomy skies, and hundreds of suit-clad men and women streaming toward the office buildings that surround the hotel. I had an American-style breakfast and went outside for a few minutes, before we got on the bus to Nara.
- Morning view from my room
- I was waiting for the ghosts of past hotel guests to appear at the end of the hallway!
- Atrium of the hotel
- People streaming across the bridge from the train station
- Everyone was impeccably dressed
- Heading into the office building next door
- This cat village has umbrella covered houses
- Local resident
- Osaka Castle rises in the distance
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Asia 2009 – Day 1 (Off to Osaka)
Posted on October 7th, 2009 2 commentsMy first day was almost two days long. My flight left SFO at 11:15am and we arrived in Osaka at 3pm JST, which is 11pm back home. I then stayed up an additional 5 hours and then had a difficult time sleeping. We arrived at the same time as a typhoon, though it didn’t seem that bad, at least from my room in the amazing Imperial Hotel Osaka.
I didn’t get to see much of the city, but what I did see reminded me of Blade Runner. Lots of tall buildings, elevated roads, and neon. In some places the roads were three levels high — amazing for earthquake country.
- SFO International Terminal
- The Red Carpet Club was busy, but the food selection sucks
- Our ride
- I think this one was going to Tokyo
- Old UA business class seat… good enough for me
- We first headed northwest toward Alaska
- Aleutian Islands
- Mountains poking through the clouds
- We’ve made the turn toward Japan
- I can see Russia from my seat!
- Yay, Osaka’s on the map!
- First vending machine of the trip
- Japan is super paranoid about the swine flu
- Bedside controls
- Still haven’t decided if I like the washlet or not
- Background music for the bathroom
- View from my room at the Imperial Hotel Osaka
- Another angle
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One week to go
Posted on September 29th, 2009 1 commentExactly 7 days from now, I will be stepping off the plane at Osaka Kansai airport in Japan. From there I will spent a few days in Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka before boarding the ms Volendam for a 17 day trip toward Hong Kong. Along the way we’ll visit Nagasaki, Busan, Dalian, Beijing, Shanghai, Naha (Okinawa), and Taipei. As with past cruises I’ve been on, I will be posting photos as I go, so check back often for those!
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Been a long time
Posted on September 26th, 2009 No commentsSomebody recently told me that I don’t post any photos of Zoe and Flame anymore, so here are two recent shots that I took with the Panasonic GF1!
- Flame on his new perch
- Zoe keeping an eye on things














































































































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