"Winter japan" By chinaoz336 on April 20, 2008. Creative Commons Via Flickr

Holy monkey, I am only 4 months away from heading to Japan for three weeks and with that I am starting on a list of what I should do while I travel there. I leave Newark, NJ on December 6th and return December 28th (my arrival time is before my departure time – gotta love the International Date Line) and will be spending a good portion of my time with my friend @BouncyMcTigger’s sister in Yamato, Kanagawa prefecture. This will be my first time in Japan or anywhere in Asia for that matter so I’m excited. I really have no set plans but I’m arming myself with enough ‘Know Hows’ and ‘Where To’s’ so that I am well armed with activities to do so I don’t miss out on something great.

So far the only thing that is for certain is that I will get to have a weekend in a cabin somewhere, I wasn’t really told much more than that at this point but I’m all for exploring.

Festivals:

Here is a list of festivals thanks to JapanVistor.com that will go on during my stay in Japan.

1. Hiwatari Shinji, 10 December,  Fukugon Temple, Nishihora, Komaki, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture Priests walk over burning embers in a purification rite at Fukugon Temple.
2. Akou Gishisai , 14 December,  Ako, Hyogo Prefecture Traditional dances and warrior parades as an annual memorial to the legendary ’47 ronin’ (wandering samurai) who commited suicide to avenge their master.
3. 47 Ronin Festival, 14 December, Bishamon Temple, Yamashina, Kyoto A procession commemorating the 47 Ronin with people in traditional costume walking from Bishamon Temple to Oishi jinja in eastern Kyoto
4. Iwatsuta Shrine Fire Festival, 14 December,  Iwatsuta Jinja, Ishizugawa, Osaka 108 wooden bundles are set alight and young men run through the flames in a purification ceremony. 8pm start.
5. Akiba Taisai Hiwatari Shinji Festival, 16 December, Entsuji Temple, Nagoya 100 ascetics run through flames before the general public joins in. 7pm start.
6. Setagaya no Boro Ichi, 15-16 December, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Countless stalls and shoppers crowd the streets at this flea market that dates back to 1578. A huge range of items to browse and buy including antiques, second-hand goods and food.
7. Akutai Cursing Festival, mid-December, Atago Shrine, Mt. Atagoyama, Iwama-cho, Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture Priests dressed in white and impersonating tengu goblins are cursed and abused. Participants attempt to steal the goblins’ offerings, while the goblins attempt to ward off their abusers with bamboo staves.
8. Akiba no Himatsuri, 15-16 December,  Akiba, Shizuoka Prefecture Fire festival held to pray for protection against fire held at Akiba Jinja, a Shinto shrine that enshrines Hifuse, the god of fire prevention. Countless stalls and shoppers crowd the streets at this flea market that dates back to 1578. A huge range of items to browse and buy including antiques, second-hand goods and food.
9. Kasuga Wakamiya Festival, 17 December, Kasuga Taisha, Nara A chance to see rarely performed traditional dances at a festival that has been observed every year since it began in 1136. A two-hour procession (owatarishiki) through central Nara begins at noon from the Prefectural Office followed by around seven hours of dances.
10. Izumi Kannon Daruma-ichi, 17-18 December, Izumi Kannon Temple, Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture This temple has been holding daruma (a manifestation of the Buddha) fairs for every year over 400.
11. Asakusa Kannon Hagoita-ichi , 17-19 December, Senso-ji Temple, Asakusu, Tokyo Festive market selling hagoita, the paddles used in hanetsuki, a game traditionally played at New Year. Around 50 stallholders crowd into the grounds of the temple over the two days.

"Snow Monkeys in Jigokudani" By Duchamp on February 6, 2008. Creative Commons via Flickr

Places:

1. Odaiba Island, Tokyo – They have a rainbow bridge leading to it, it therefore has to be a magical place.
2. Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine – Temples and Shrines and ancient spirits – OH MY!
3. Jigokudani Yaenkoen – A monkey park, seriously are you even surprised I have this one on here. Plus the monkeys have their own hot springs!
4. Golden Temple of Kyoto (Kinkaku-ji) this is one of the 17 World Heritage sites of Kyoto, in fact I wouldn’t mind seeing all 17 of them.
5. Shinto Shrine – I’m a sucker for a shrine.
6. Akihabara, Tokyo – Nicknamed ‘Electric Town’ this is the place to go and search out electronics, I wonder if they have a flinging monkey toy so when poo flinging ensues I can simply point over with that “I’m with Stupid” look.
7. Tokyo Tower – Think of the Eiffel Tower but more mini and lit up in red.
8. Mount Fuji – This one probably needs some training and expensive climbing gear but if I get a chance to, at the least, see it and take a photo of it I’ll count it as a win.
9. Roppongi – This is the Nightlife section, while I’ve heard they cater greatly to foreigners I’m in the full belief that everyone needs to get their boogie on some time or another even if this isn’t where all the locals go.
10. Kyoto – This seems to be the place where you can enjoy all the activities of a large city but also experience many of the traditional cultures of Japan as well.

sake / 地水光風, By Kanko* on May 15, 2006 Creative Commons Via Flickr

Things To Do/Activities:

1. Sento (Bath houses) or Onsen (Hotsprings) – nothing like a hot and refreshing back, I hope they have a good filtration system built for furry monkeys.
2. Japan Rail Pass – I want to see if this will help save money on our travels in Japan.
3. Kabuki – a little theater never hurt anyone
4. Tea Ceremony – I like tea, and watching the intricacies of a tea ceremony will surely be enough to help me appreciate this ancient drink.
5. Sumo – Who doesn’t like two fat men rolling around in diapers? The Tournaments don’t start till January from what I have read but I’m hopeful there will be a few opportunities elsewhere.
6. Books:
   1. Guidebooks: Fodor’s Citypack Tokyo I heard this was a great book that included city and train maps and you always have your Lonely Planet Japan.
   2. Phrase Books: I have been taking lessons and hope to master everything in my Frommer’s Japanese PhraseFinder & Dictionary in time so I can order some of the items listed below.
7. Ramen – Ramen noodles for too long have had a bad name here in the states, well I want to go to Japan and prove that Ramen can be a delicious, freshly made and popular dish.
8. Karaoke  – “The ancient art form of singing badly in front of people who will applaud.” That is what it translates to, no really check it out yourself. I feel like I would be a failure of a traveler if I didn’t force at least one torturous tune upon friends and strangers while out on the town.
9. Sushi/Sashimi – Really as if this one was questionable. I love the stuff but more so than anything else I want to see how delicious it is at the birth of it’s creation. Maybe at Tsukiji Fish Market?
10. Sake – I’m a drunken monkey, you should be more disappointed if this didn’t make the list.

Have you been to Japan before or have any insight of places I should explore or avoid. Let me know because I’m always interested to see what you my fellow traveler has to say about a place.

I really don’t know what I will get to accomplish but by being well informed I hope to at least know all my options, and then as usual go with my normal travel theme, “Over plan, then go with the flow” and yes sake will be flowing too.

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Things To Do in Japan in December is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Rosa Nautica Chicha Morada, By Infrogmation on June 12, 2010 via Flickr - Creative Commons

Low and behold my astonishment when walking down the beverage isle of a grocery store in Lima, Peru when I found a soft drink like bottle featuring a big cartoonish picture of purple corn on it. I laughed and thought giddily to myself, “Silly humans, corn isn’t purple and even if it was who would drink…corn?!?”

Well I would, eventually, after being shown that there is purple corn, I mean really purple…I wonder if that’s what made Barney purple? Anyways, the corn is not some genetic freak of nature but actually dates back thousands of years back to the Incas. Hell, this stuff even made its way into a scene in Moby Dick, which since I am now also an amazing animal with a link to this purple corn that somebody should write a book about me. It would be less piratey with the ‘argh mateys’ and more like a cooler version of Eat, Pray, Love but something like Eat, Drink, Fling Poo? I think it’s kind of catchy, throw in some purple corn and you have a best seller.

Back to the corn, the purple corn. I decided it was my duty to try this stuff out, because while I like corn I can’t imagine drinking it, or that enough people would like it to warrant it having its own bottling company.

But before I tell you how it taste, let me tell you how it is made. First they boil the purple corn, I guess you can’t or don’t actually eat the corn which is scary because they drink it. I didn’t get too much of an explanation just a look of, ‘Uh Duh!’ You add pineapple, quince and clove to the boiling mix until it is a deep purple. (Not sure where you would pick up quince though?) Then you add spices like Cinnamon, sugar and lime juice for flavoring although I’ve heard that every recipe is different this seems to be the base of it. After all is said and done you can serve this drink hot or cold and it is regularly compared to wine although without the alcohol. I’m guessing there are a few similar nutrients but the non alcoholic part isn’t it’s strongest selling point in my opinion.

Now that you see all that goes into this purple concoction you can believe me when I say it doesn’t taste like you’re drinking cream corn. It is sweet and fruity not quite like a juice but not like anything else I can quite compare it to either. It’s purple so I want to say grape juice but it is not. The complexities offer a sweet yet spicy drink with a fruity twist that if you ask around is supposed to be a cure all. Will it cure your ailments, sure I guess if you tap your red heals together enough while drinking it down, but more importantly you can boast that there is such a thing as purple corn and you have drank it.

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Chicha Morada – Peruvian Purple Corn is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Rain By spratmackrel, November 5, 2008 available through Creative Commons via Flickr

It’s raining again, damn! It hasn’t stopped raining for days. Normally this wouldn’t bother me because I like the rain, especially on a warm day where even the most mature individual is tempted to jump into a puddle. Today, today is my last day in Rio de Janeiro and I’d like to say my upset stomach was over my uneasiness of leaving a place I’ve called home for four months or that it’s because I am returning home only to be handed a piece of paper that says I’m capable of teaching. Teaching, ha! You would have thought that 23 years of life, four of which backed by a college education, would have taught me not to do six shots right before I leave the bar, after I already reached that ‘feel good’ point. Lesson learned, at least for now, but their are more pressing matters, like the rain.

The gentle drops create a hum on the roof disrupted only by the sound of a cart being pulled across a puddle. I’ll miss that scent, reheated butter and caramel as the street vendor waits outside the school selling popcorn. I should get up, any other day I’d sleep off this hangover but then again my last day isn’t just any other day.

I fill my pockets with the last of my money, slip on my Havaianas and head out to the store. as I round the corner the bus that would any other day take me to the beach squeaks to a stop. Maybe I should hop on just so I can get one last look?

I keep walking tracing the jagged lines of the odd shaped stones that line the sidewalk. Even through the dingy smell of wet pavement older than the US I can smell the sweet potent smell of coffee. I’m almost there.

I’ll miss this, the tiny cup of a coffee the same size, but twice as strong as anything I drank last night. It’s only rival is the fresh baked roll whose crackle as I break it in half is like a lullaby that soothes my stomach’s cries.

I feel like I should do something more, as if the past four months count for not and only this moment will last eternal in my memory of my time spent here. Maybe I should have got on that bus or any bus, never to return so that the ending is merely the beginning of a new story? No, I have to go back, my passport is in my room. They wouldn’t let me cross into Argentina without my passport.

I begin to walk back home weighing my makeshift plan to runaway even though I know the furthest I’d go would be to the beach, if only to watch the waves splash on the shore from a distance.

I’m brought back to my present location by the rustling sound of an old woman digging through the trash bags. This is the hardest part about Rio, the homeless children and elderly. But there are too many of them and the money I have is too few. That is, until today I have some money not enough to exchange back to US dollars but enough for her.

Damn, of all my Portuguese lessons the only one that dealt with the homeless was to shy away from beggars not attract their attention to give them money.

Excuse me I say, “Licencia”, sounding more like I’m questioning myself instead of asking for her attention. She shoots up quick for someone so frail, her eyes big yet sunken like someone too scared to sleep peacefully at night. “I have some money for you, I’m leaving today…I don’t need it.” Did I say that right?

Her timidness quickly becomes defensive, the trash bag is the only thing separating us on this narrow sidewalk, her back against the wall my heals hanging over the curb onto the street. People begin to stare and the saltiness from the rain leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I become nervous at the uneasiness of the situation, why do I feel this way if I’m only trying to do the right thing. I hold out the money, both arms fully extended trying to give it to her but she only shoos me away. Did I insult her? Her actions become more aggressive as her wrinkles attempt to tighten across her face. Do I just drop the money or leave with it, I’m not sure what I should do. I walk away.

I swear only a month ago she was sitting in that same spot asking for money, was it her or did I just insult a woman taking out the trash? No, I’m sure it was her or at least that she had no where to go, no place to call home, but why wouldn’t she take the money, what do I do now? Do I finish packing and go out frivolously spending my remaining Brazilian Real?

Walking too intensely focused on the rain to realize I was getting wet, I continue the day just as it has begun…

My stomach hurts.

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Lost Days of Rio is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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However there are a few shows that seem to embody what travel is all about, while other shows are more of a vacation exploration and more even still I have yet to figure out why they are on the Travel Channel. Cable, being what it is, I’m sure some of these shows are validated by the ratings they bring in and not for sticking to the main topic of travel. Let us look at the good, the bad and the ugly side of travel as shown on the Travel Channel.

The Good

Anthony Bourdaine’s No Reservations – Who doesn’t like this guy? OK, well a lot of people, I’m sure Emerald would like to BAM! Anthony in the head but for those of us with a sardonic twist of humor, we love his commentary. You could say he is real, but what is really real anymore when the likes of Flavor Flav, dancing Kate (sans 8 ) and Eric Nies are all on the same plane of being famous (or brought back to fame for the former) for being ‘real’?

I digress, from my Bourdain’ish rant, that Anthony Bourdain depicts interactions and experiences that you or I could hope to come across if we simply hopped off the tourist bus and took a look around us to really see and experience the place we are visiting. He seems to get it, that travel is about the sites we see and the experiences we have in some distant land becoming, if only for a moment,  intertwined in the lives and stories of the locals.

Dhani Jones’ Dhani Tackles The Globe – You could chalk this up to a jock merely trying to show off his macho-ness around the globe but there is more to this show. First, on more or less an obvious but shallow scale, he’s Black -  if you watched the episode where he went to Senegal (which is in Africa) you would understand why this has such great importance. The connection to who he is and was forever linked to some far off land of spirits passed came rushing together in something that cannot be explained and I believe changed this man for life.

The world is so diverse and varied yet travel is depicted, dare I say it, white washed, that it is good to see someone different showing us their experiences across the world. Furthermore, Dhani really gets to know and interact with the locals training with them building a bond that reaches far beyond just making a good TV episode and that my friend makes a great TV show.

Zane Lamprey’s Three Sheets – Sure he goes around and gets tanked, yeah I know you don’t like it because, well you want that job. Don’t worry, you and me both in fact you could say this site is a bit Three Sheets-ish and we both share something greater than travel and alcohol combined – MONKEYS! Outside of those three awesome bits is the fact that Zane really gets in deep to explore where the drink comes from, how it is ingrained (hehe liquor – grain….get it….ahem) into their culture and sits down with the locals and lets them show him how it’s done. At the very least, this is a mirrored image of a few hostel goers you have encountered I’m sure of it, love it or hate it alcohol and travel are longtime bedfellows.

The Bad

Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods -I like Andrew Zimmern, not in a creepy stalker “we’re friends” kind of way but because he is a dork, I mean really dorky which goes hand in hand with travel and travel blogging. You can’t fake that kind of goofiness. Yet, just because I like the guy doesn’t mean I think he represents travel all that well. He is there to gross you out and he does it very well since he likes every rotted fermented blood and bile soaked thing he eats, grossing out even the locals. Andrew Zimmern depicts the other as an undeveloped uncivilized savage in his exploration of travel, that is the barbaric foreigner doesn’t have a working fridge and therefore eats these disgusting concoctions. Though often the locals are looking at him in horror as he eats some rare food that he had to go out of his way in search of for your viewing pleasure. I’m not saying that this is always the case, but the idea of it definitely sends the wrong message about travel, and will more likely deter someone from traveling because they can’t find anything edible in a certain country than inspire them to pack their bags and head out to explore wherever Andrew goes.

Those cultures that do eat such exotic items are merely served up here for entertainment and any historical/cultural significance is lost somewhere between Andrew’s teeth.

Ghost Adventurers – Is this even travel? Even if they are in some new and exciting location all I ever see is the night vision close up of Zak Bagans face in some basement. I’m not sure if this show is supposed to be scary or funny but it doesn’t really hit either. Not only that but they never catch anything except maybe a creaking door in the background and a shadow someone saw move off camera. I’d rather watch the Chow Down Count Down for the millionth time than another episode of this.

Samantha Brown – She used to be fun to watch, now I feel like I’m watching a Sex and the City travel spin off. Maybe it’s not her fault but the producers, either way after 10 years on the Travel Channel her way of traveling has certainly upgraded. If you can afford this lifestyle, sure there is nothing wrong with it, but for the rest of us who actually need to save to travel you won’t find us dropping a few hundred dollars at all the top shopping spots of every place we visit nor staying in a nice single suite hotel. That is unless the ‘S’ fell off the sign and we are staying at a very nice ‘ho tel’.

On the opposite side of things it is nice to see a women travel host, since this seems to be a very male dominated field. However I doubt she provides any real advice for your solo woman traveler, and thus seems to have its good and bad but still lands itself in the bad category. Sorry Sam, I still think you are adorable @(^_^)@

Here is a list of women travelers who you should follow.

The Ugly

Bert The Conqueror – To be honest, I’ve never seen the show and while I’d go out of my way to watch most of the shows in the Good category I can’t speak on the show itself other than it seems to be an attempt to grasp viewers by showing a big furry trembling man whimpering like a toddler. Although now that I say it like that I kind of want to check it out. If all else fails to reason this into the ugly category, simply look at that photo, pure terror is not sexy – but at least the Travel Channel has Samantha Brown.

Man V Food – Adam’s sex appeal can be debated another time because that is not the root of what I’m getting at but the pure gluttony as I become full just watching him chow down a steak 3 times the size of me. I wondered why he only visited restaurants in the  US until I realized that the rest of the world doesn’t boast its belly busters like the US. Throughout the rest of the world you are more likely to see a Kilogram restaurant, where you pay by the weight of your plate, instead of an all you can eat buffet.

Travel means something different to each and ever person depending on so many factors that what you or somebody else experienced before will never be more than a memory or the chasing of past experiences. That in itself could be reason why the Travel Channel doesn’t show real travel, because what is real at the time can never be replicated by anyone else no matter how many times they try to relive the experience they once saw on their TV screen. Yet, what does come across and what really makes people long to explore are the stories and impact that people share in their explorations of far away places to learn a little more about themselves.

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The Travel Channel: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of TV Travel is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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As I drove down I94 sleep began to take over me, it was around a 7 hour drive to Chicago from Minneapolis and I was only about half way there. I already had a sleep induced mishap when I was traveling to Minneapolis, where a little gravel and not all my wits about me caused me to take a spill on an off ramp as I was headed to get gas. I was startled and slightly embarrassed as two gentleman came over to help me pick my bike back up, this is not something I wanted to repeat.

I’m not sure of all the things Wisconsin is known for but camp grounds should be one of them, that or the fact that Wisconsin Dells seems to be the prime Google search suggestion or better known as the water park mecca of the world could have helped. It was a sign, no literally a big sign that said Camp Grounds and then had like 20 names listed under it. So I veered off and searched for a place to call home for the night. Boondocking.org wasn’t coming up with any suggestions – that or I wasn’t doing it right but either way I was too exhausted to really care and found myself camped out near a bar which was a stop on a bike tour. I rested my head on the firm ground and listened to the roars of Harley’s and the sweet sounds of classic rock as I drifted off to sleep.

The next day I was fully charged and ready to take on the road again, that is until I got stuck at the Belvidere Oasis in Illinois. I started to come up onto the Illinois turnpike and needed to get some cash to pay the toll, so I decided to head off to this rest stop to eat and find an ATM. As I perused through this large fully stocked rest stop I checked every plug until I came across an available one to charge my phone with, ate my sandwich and then prepared to take off and hit the road. What I failed to realize was that my key hit the floor somewhere, I think.

As I strapped down my helmet and put my earplugs into place I went to grab my key, but couldn’t find it anywhere. After searching high and low, asking around, talking to maintenance and waiting for about an hour I gave up and called AAA. Boy, was I glad that I included my motorcycle before my trip because it definitely paid for itself by the end. I was towed the 71 miles to Cicero were I could store my bike for the day then intruded on my friends family dinner, as he put me up for the night. I stayed at his place in  downtown Chicago, but spent little time there because I felt bad about having to be driven around to find a place that would make me a new key. After waiting around next to my bike, enjoying a few delicious snacks at a nearby Mexican restaurant and grocery store I finally had my new key. That is after I paid the man $75, which was all that was left after AAA covered the first $100.

I swung atop the bike said my many thanks and farewells and headed off towards Toledo, OH where I would spend the night until my final ride to my hometown of Lorain, OH where I could return the bike to my dad. Nearly 2000 miles later I was finally able to relax and recuperate, or so I thought. It was time to help out at the local festival – The Lorain International Festival and Bazaar, so that I could earn back some of the gas money spent on my trip.

The destinations weren’t what I had initially expected but the journey itself was more than I could have ever known. The people I met, the lessons I learned and the sights I saw as I rested atop 2 wheels completely exposed to the elements have given me more than I could have ever asked for. I could have spent my month of June many different ways but none better than what I experienced. I can only look forward towards future adventures and hope that the feelings and memories from this trip tide me over until the next.

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Motorcycle Mishaps or Homecoming Hindrances is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Well, I ended up doing what any self respecting budget traveler would do, I went where there was a free couch to crash on. No, not Couch Surfer but through an organization I joined while in college. It was kind of weird at first strangers yet friends all in the same, linked through an organization and connected by a mutual friend. The funny part is that within the first hour I felt like I was hanging out with close friends I haven’t seen in a while, even though this was my first time in Minneapolis.

I was excited to learn more about this town, and while my travels favored Minneapolis over St. Paul the overall experience was a memorable one. At first my stay was only going to be a night, I didn’t want to overstay my welcome but ended up staying a few just out of the continual fun and overall great experience there, plus the threat of tornadoes pushing through Nebraska had me a wee bit worried. I honestly can say that after three days I contemplated my continued living in a smaller city and entertained the thought of venturing off to enjoy the perks of a bigger city. The Twin cities seemed to have all the perks of a big city with a limited amount of the problems, a balance that rested along the mighty Mississippi river that separated these two cities.

Have you ever watched some place on TV and think to yourself, I want to go there? Well I went there, I got to visit Matt’s Bar, home of the Jucy Lucy that’s been featured on the Travel Channel and Food Network various times for their perfection of this liquefied cheese oozing burger. I’ve made these at home and let me tell you, they don’t taste this good when you make it. The best part of this place is the “kitchen” it’s just a small grill at the end of the bar completely open and exposed barely enough room for the dreadlocks hippie guy serving up some delicious bites. This however wouldn’t be my only experience at some delicious dining, I also was able to visit Fogo De Chão a Brazilian churascaria or rodizio as I came to know them in Brazil. If you don’t know what this is, it is a steak house that gives you a card, when the green side faces up the waiters come by with various cuts of delicious steak, rib, chicken, etc. and slice off a piece on your plate and won’t stop serving you until you flip your card over. To top it off they give you a buffet and a few appetizers on your table, including grilled bananas!

I went out a few times to various bars and clubs and while I never had to pay a cover to get in to the places I visited they certainly got their money out of you. I paid $4.50 for a Budlight, yeah that’s a big difference from the $.75 I was paying in Jasper Indiana. During the day you can sober off and save your wallet any damage at lake Hiawatha Park which offers beautiful sights, beaches and plenty of things to keep you entertained.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Wait, isn’t the Mall of America there?” and yes you would be correct but I never made it there. It’s not like I intentionally avoided it, but at the same time I wasn’t too excited to spend my time at a big mall. The only thing that got me sort of excited was the metro ride that I would have had to take from downtown to get there.

The whole trip wasn’t 100% fun in the sun though, my new found friend ‘Frio’ is not a beer drinker so after many shots of vodka after a few days the mornings were a little blurry, but that’s the downside of my job as a traveling drunken monkey, hehe. The other was that while driving around with my Egyptian friend we were pulled over by the police, the reason because he had one of those scented pine tree car fresheners hanging from his rear view mirror which is illegal in Minneapolis. Call it profiling or whatever but that was a minor speed bump while he was giving me a tour of the downtown. I wanted to fling poo at the officer to show him my kind of freshener but I didn’t want to get arrested on charges of assault under flinging on an officer hehe.

Make sure you check out all the pictures below, just click on them to open up the photo viewer.

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Twin City Travels is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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The University of Iowa held a nice campus where some guy with mad frisbee skills hurled (or whatever it is you do with a frisbee) across a field not filled with corn and landed them between two goals. I guess he was practicing for a game called Frisbee golf, I must learn more of this game. There was also a building called a Pentacrest or so I was led to believe but Wikipedia sorted out why this four sided building was called the Pentacrest.

Where there are college students there must be bars, and the Ped Mall was the home for this little section of town. Along with some ‘local’ friends (both out of staters who must have never watched Children of the Corn) we ventured through this mall of sorts. We hit a country themed bar with sickles and saddles and other cowboyesque things on the wall and retro rockers staring down the 3 of us who obviously looked out of place. Cautionary note, I actually don’t get weird looks walking into bars believe it or not but that could be because I stand well below eye level. After a quick drink we headed out to a second floor hole in the wall bar called One Eyed Jake’s where the bartender informed us he just got fired. Seems they were closing the bar down and everyone was getting laid off at the end of the week. He took this news fairly well seeing that he was in a celebrate good times kind of mood because the shots started flowing for little or no cost and he matched us on every one. I hunkered down because I could tell this was a start of a good night, little did I know that it was the end! They close down the bars by 1:30 which means last call is at like 1:00 am, now I thought 2:15 in Ohio and Michigan was bad but this made me a sad little monkey.

I can’t speak on too many of the bars at this Ped Mall but from what I did explore It was all fun for me with plenty of options centrally located and barred off from under-age patrons on the weekends. On top of that there are food vendors who wait outside to help you soak up some of that alcohol.

I wish I could speak more about the town but it really is geared towards the college community and other than my exploration of the campus, the small down town and Corallville there was little to entertain me other than a fun night on the town.

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Field of Opportunities? is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Lover.Kitty, 'Monkeys Thinking' June 27, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

While road trips are not an uncommon experience few have the privilege to enjoy the journey atop a motorcycle. The differences are subtle yet vast greatly at the same time. Completely exposed to the elements with no distractions I kind of picture myself as a modern cowmonkey (Not sure if cowboy would apply and cowmonkey sounds like a weird genetics experiment gone wrong but you get the point). I have my steed – a Honda Shadow 1300, my cowboy hat – a helmet and whatever other things that I can pack on the bike although my pack has a few electronics.
Among other bikers there seems to be a level of respect as a fellow rider. As I come across other riders I open up my paw and hold it out, slightly downward and they do the same. I’m not sure of the history or true meaning behind this because everyone has a different version of the story. I had heard this was first reserved for Harley riders but in time has opened up and become less stringent between Harley and other motorcyclist. It’s not like I haven’t had this done to me before but somehow on this long journey I feel I have earned the right as if I have entered this club of sorts of riders to initiate this gesture while passing others.

I’ve been in road trips where we start from Lake Erie and don’t stop until we hit the Gulf via the most southern tip of Texas. On those trips even with friends and a DVD player I’ve still found myself bored, fidgety and counting the hours we were on the road. Yet on my drives where I’m going for 5-10 hours at a time I’m never bored or tired even though there is no phone or radio to keep me entertained. In fact the earplugs muffle out the loud rushing sound that previously left me ears ringing, which leaves me with just the soft purr of the engine as I cruise along miles of fields intermixed with clusters of trees here and there. I originally wanted to ride to the coast but now that I’m using my dad’s bike I don’t want to run his to the ground, yet while I’m missing out on some sights I still feel as if I’ve learned and experienced so much on this ride. It is as if for once my body is wandering as much as my mind and I have found harmony in the process.

I know this sounds all zen like but being technically outside while I travel has given me time to think and a sense of serenity, really appreciating the journey. I’ll admit right before I get on the bike for the start of my trip I get that feeling as if I need to prepare myself for sitting in the car for hours on end, but once I get on the bike those feeling melt away and I am reminded that this trip will be nothing like that. The only aspects of my journey I don’t like is bugs…they hurt and I end up picking bug juice out of my fur at every stop. Yuck. The other time and only point where I wish I had a car is rain, because rain is painful and slippery which takes all the fun out of the ride. The air dry afterwords isn’t too bad though.

As in my post On the Road Again where I learned and shared the lesson of purchasing ear plugs, I have another lesson learned. Even through my fur sitting out in the sun for a 10+ hours will give you sunburn, sunblock because the way you hold the handlebars exposes the inside of your arms to the sun which usually doesn’t get that much. I now am the proud owner of a bottle of SPF 50 – lesson learned. hehe

Make sure to check back from my post on Iowa and eventually Minnesota.

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No Monkeying Around is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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What is there to do in Jasper? You ask. Well, not too much to be honest. It is a quaint little town with a strong German influence. From what I was told, there are still people here who’s first language is German. So where is the big German beir haus? Well they don’t have one. I know! They get the language and some buildings that take from German architect, but they fail to bring the most important part of their culture to this little town. They do however have a big festival that they call Strassenfest, which isn’t till August so I missed out on the temporary beir garden that they set up – I teared up a little.

I did however get to take a visit to explore Patoka Lake which for a $5 entry fee per car you get to hike, camp, fish, jet ski or whatever else you so desire. I’m not sure if they charge extra for camping but I got to check out all the beautiful scenery. I snuck into a few panorama photos that will hopefully be submitted to google maps soon – I’ll be sure to share the links once thei are posted. The one cool thing I found was the boathouses that they rent out, it’s just a small floating cottage. How awesome is that?!?!

Who doesn’t love casinos? well I’m not quite sure yet because my attempt to explore French Lick Casino and Resort came up short. (Hehe and not just because I’m mini either) We took the 30 minute drive to visit the casino only to realize I left my ID in my other fur. The entryway was really cool looking but other than that I can’t speak about the home of Larry Bird. Too bad because I was excited to play the penny slots- I’m a risk taker living on the edge I know.

Overall my short stay in Jasper was fun because of the company I kept, it surely embodies the typical Midwestern small town. However I do say they need to build that beir haus to keep me entertained a little more. They can call it something cool like Hause of Cornelius, surely you can’t get much better than that.

Now I have found myself Iowa City, Iowa we will see what the state whose motto is “Field of Opportunities” presents itself during my stay here.

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Update: Here is the links to the photos

Patoka Lake Indiana

Patoka Lake Indiana – Giant Rock

Patoka Lake Indiana – Beach

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Jasper the Friendly City is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

• On The Road Again
• The Final Countdown – Part 3 of Moving Out and Riding On
• Prost To the Most: A German American Festival in Northwestern Ohio

I started my trip heading from the greater Cleveland area towards Toledo, here I got held up for a few days as I soon realized that the 2010 sticker wasn’t on the license plate. After a waiting a few days through the snail mail I finally got my sticker, and I was ready to go. They really need to find a way to email things like that, but I digress. I thought I was ready to go but the rain that morning had other plans. Once I saw some sunlight shining through I took my chance and headed out. I drove maybe 25 miles until the rain started up again so I pulled off and put a bandanna around my face and the rain jacket on. I thought that bugs smacking your face at 70 mph hurt- but rain- that is a different story. After getting back on the road I caught back up with the rain storm. Should have figured that one out myself, so I had to pull off again to put on the rain pants because my furry behind was getting wet. Trust me when I say that the ‘wet dog’ smell goes across all types of animals and it’s not a pretty thing.

I took off with all my rain gear on and ended up on the sunny side of things, which would have been OK if I didn’t have my leather jacket and rain gear on. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to keep stopping so I waited till I ran out of gas – 85 miles later! Driving down 75 S pass Dayton and Cincinnati, I was filled with smog and bad traffic. Kentucky was great but Indiana had other plans for me. I thought coming across the rain earlier was bad until I came across a massive thunderstorm. I had just passed through an overpass, where I regularly see motorcyclist rest under during heavy storms, but the next one wasn’t for 10+ miles, which was also my exit. Waiting on the side of the road did no good as I was getting poured on soaking wet even through I had my rain suit on. Just picture it: with one hand blocking my face and the other pushing the throttle I drove through where winds gnashed about pushing me to the other lane, as I tried to steady myself. Luckily once I hit my exit the storm died down a bit, although it was still raining and I was soaking wet.

Even in the pouring rain, I couldn’t help but smile at my exit sign Santa Claus to the left and Jasper (my destination) to the right. I would have taken a picture but I was afraid to take my electronics out of their dry bag. As I rode to Jasper I battled between having the wet bandanna stick to my face making it hard to breath or pulling it down and having the rain directly sting my fur. All was not lost though, and mother nature has her sense of humor for the moment. I pulled into my friend’s house and the rain stopped. I was here in little ol’ Jasper, where I can now proudly think of myself as a biker: someone who has endured the journey – and this is only my first stop. I have learned one valuable lesson though – ear plugs, my ears haven’t stopped ringing in the two days I’ve been here.

More about my stay in Jasper Indiana later… until then fling you laters.

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Don’t forget to fling this post to others if you like what you see!

On The Road Again is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

• The Final Countdown – Part 3 of Moving Out and Riding On
• Motorcycle Mishaps or Homecoming Hindrances
• Jasper the Friendly City