Fujiiyama Mama

photo: Detail from  Bathhouse Women  by Torii Kiyonaga, 1752-1815.  Library of Congress An older naked woman pops her head out of the door. "Chotto matte (wait a moment)" she says, and hurries back inside. When she returns, she's carrying two large ice cubes. She hands me one, and motions for me to put it in my mouth. Instantly, the cold startles my senses but cools down my body. She joins me in the hot spring and we are bathing side by side, silently looking up at the sky, sucking on the ice. It isn't until I'm bathing nude at a sento in Kyoto, that I feel accepted as a foreigner in Japan for the first time. I've chosen a plain looking sento, down a residential street called Hakusan-yu Rokujo-ten because it's close to Kyoto Station and tattoos are permitted. Most sentos, onsens, gyms or anywhere with communal bathing areas forbid people with tattoos from entering. And unless your art is small enough to cover with a bandage (or 6), you can forget abou...

photo: www.nextstopworld.com There are many possible outcomes to getting your purse stolen in a Hong Kong nightclub. The most obvious, of course, is not getting your purse back and spending the rest of your trip trying to get a new passport, replacing credit cards, getting money, etc. On the flip side, you could get yourself arrested. Or you could fall somewhere in between with a friendly Canadian security guard, an Irishman and a blue haired best friend who isn’t afraid to slap somebody. It was a low key night to start. My travel partner Cece and I had just survived a typhoon (with McDonalds - so don’t worry, we weren’t in much danger). We were just getting over the jetlag and ready for our first big night out. We hopped on the subway from Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon to Hong Kong Island.   We were searching online for places to go and found some rad dives and hidden bars. I can’t help it, I really love secret spots because I like to pretend I’m cool even though I’m totally not. Our t...

Do you ever daydream about where you would go if you ever had to fake your own death and disappear? That's not just me, right? My requirements would be pretty straightforward: hard to find; tropical; beautiful beach; plenty to do (and eat!); and disconnected from the rest of the world. Photo: https://tomzap.com/FLIGHTplayas_AM.html I t's safe to say I've found it hidden off the southern coast of Oaxaca, Mexico at the Lagunas de Chacahua National Park . To be fair, Chacahua wouldn't be for everyone. It comes with a level of isolation which people could either find lonely, or wonderful. But if you're looking for peace, nature and beauty you'll find it here. Hard To Find But getting to Chacahua takes some commitment. You aren't going to stumble upon it by accident, and that's one of the best parts. If you're like me, and don't mind putting in a little effort to wind up somewhere amazing, you'll find it's worth it. And once you get there, you...

  If the flyer says DJ Jello, yes it IS Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and that's not the only surprising thing. When he's dj'ing, he actually won't talk your head off , and he selects great music. Jello may be too busy to talk but he plays brilliantly obscure garage, soul and rock n' roll on vinyl. My homegirl Cece and I tried to sneak him into the photo booth, instead he was happy to pose for pics right there while he kept us dancing.   No matter when you go to East LA's Cha Cha Lounge, this dive has everything you want and plenty you didn't know you wanted, but need. The Mexican themed bar has the perfect soundtrack every single night and checking their Facebook will let you know to expect punk, hip-hop, metal or any number of genres. There's ample dance floor space, and DJ's who make the most of it. The crowd has always been friendly, which is nice for a spot in the hip Silver Lake 'hood. Cha Cha Lounge checks all the right boxes to impress ...