I know it's a little late, but here...

I just thought I'd share some pictures from our winter vacation trips to Japan and the Philippines.

We spent 9 days in Japan and visited Tokyo, Kawaguchiko (Mt. Fuji), Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka.  It was a very busy trip, full of early mornings and late nights, but it was completely worth it.  We were able to see so many things and experience so much of the beauty that Japan has to offer.  Here are some pictures of some of the highlights.

Sumo: probably the coolest cultural experience I've ever had.
Nothing quite like a six pack of Asahi and a live sumo
tournament. (Tokyo)

Skytree (Tokyo)

Japanese ramen: We bought this at a really famous street vendor.
 It was ridiculously delicious.  Unlike the ramen we are used to in the states, this
ramen had a very rich and savory broth and was served with pork
and green onions. (Tokyo)

Yoshidaguchi trail head: One of the original trail heads used to summit Mt. Fuji. 

Mt. Fuji: We never thought we'd see Mt. Fuji...she's amazing.

The snow really added to the aesthetics of our trip.  I decided I had to make a snowman.
"I shall name him...Fujiman."

Fushimi Inari:  One of the coolest places we've been to.  It's pretty insane how many
of these things are scattered all over the mountains. (Kyoto)

Fushimi Inari: We made a friend :)  (Kyoto)

The Golden Pavilion:  The way this place reflects off the water is  beautiful.
 For any OS X users out there, I believe this was a stock background for one of the recent
versions of the OS...that's just me being a nerd though.   ^ ^ (Kyoto)

This was a food street near our apartment in Osaka.  The best restaurant we found
was at the base of that tower. (Osaka)

Osaka Castle:  My $3 tripod certainly came in handy. (Osaka)

Karaoke:  They certainly do this right in Japan.  Alyssa and I  went to
Karaoke twice during our stay.  This place has congas! (Osaka)

Okonomiyaki:  A delicious layered treat full of soba noodles, egg, onions, some sort of sauce.   (Miyajima - Near Hiroshima)

A-bomb dome: This was a very humbling experience.  (Hiroshima)

For those of you who truly know me, you know that this is a big step for me.
 (Miyajimaguchi - An island near Hiroshima)

Sake: The best way to make friends with your chef is to pour him shots of sake :)
These guys were so awesome.  The chef (right) kept giving us different
dishes to try on the house. (Hiroshima)

Ichiran: Our last meal in Japan. (Fukuoka)

The bathroom at Ichiran.  (Fukuoka)

About one month after our trip to Japan, we decided to go on a relaxing vacation to Boracay in the Philippines.  We were beach bums the entire time and it was a wonderful contrast to the crazy vacation in Japan.  The following are some pictures from our trip to Boracay.

I lost our room key in the ocean around the time this picture was taken...we had only
 been on the island for a few hours at this point.

"What the...?" 

Just perfect. 

We had to get on a boat in Cataclan to take us to Boracay.

I hate it here...this is boring...I want to go home...beer, ewwww.
(Get it?)

We made another friend in the Philippines.  Look at those eyes!

Pub crawl.  "I can't see."

There was a lot of this happening.

I couldn't have asked for a better trip with a more wonderful person.