The Temple Bell Rang at 4:30, and That Wasn’t the Hardest Part
The first sound I registered in Gyeongju wasn’t birdsong or chanting or the wooden clack of a moktak—it was the…
East Asia
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Stall 47’s Eel Ajumma Was Not Impressed by My Empty Plate
The woman at the eel stall didn’t smile when I sat down. She was in her sixties, maybe older, with…
One Bowl, One Table, One Street in Seoul
Late October, a Tuesday afternoon. I’d taken the wrong exit from Jongno 3-ga station and ended up in a tangle…
Japan Alps to Kyushu Campervan Crossing: Day 11 to 14
The ferry from Naruto cuts across the Seto Inland Sea on a Tuesday morning that looks like it might rain,…
Japan Alps to Kyushu Campervan Crossing: Day 6 to 10
We woke early in Tsumago-juku, not because we planned to beat anyone, but because the light filtered through the paper…
Japan Alps to Kyushu Campervan Crossing: Day 1 to 5
The key didn’t want to turn. We stood in a parking lot near Tokyo’s eastern edge, a light rain beginning…