3.22.2010
Fish Consumption in Japan
Despite Japan's global reputation as the world's premier seafood loving people, we have noticed a discernible taste for beef among Japan's youth. According to the Wall Street Journal (03/22/10) fish consumption in Japan has been declining. In fact, per capita fish-eating fell below meat for the first time since 2006. The average monthly household spending on seafood has dropped 23% since 2000, to approx. $74 in 2009. While staying at Yoshikawa and Kayotei ryokans in April, we will be sure to check the seafood/beef ratios in the kaiseki dinners - will report back to you our delicious results late next month!
3.12.2010
Asia Travel Updates
Greetings friends, clients, Asia colleagues!
Based on the demands of our ever-inquisitive clients, the Lynch Family will be exploring more extraordinary lands in 2010. In addition to returning to Japan for the April sakura, we will travel back to Southeast Asia for the Jayavarman Luxury Cruise along the Mekong River, our first visit to the amazing land of Sri Lanka, and finally, based on pressing requests from Bev and Zen, travels to Southern France and Paris.
Please enjoy reading our latest Asia travel updates, including the new "Zen's Corner".
Many thanks & safe travels!
Randy, Bev, & Zen Lynch
JAPAN'S FASTIDIOUS (AND WONDERFUL!) NOODLE CULTURE
No doubt Bev, Zen, and I truly enjoy the many amazing eating experiences throughout Japan,including the tasteful aesthetic of the kaiseki dinner and all the fresh sushi. Japan's wonderful array of slurping noodle dishes may be among our favorite culinary delights. Whether ramen (spaghetti-like noodles), soba (thin, grayish noodles made from buckwheat flour), or udon (thick, snowy wheat noodles), half the fun is eating these various dishes is the slurping ("tsuru-tsuru") – no worries about proper etiquette here! Zen enjoys visiting Sato Yosuke, a small restaurant in Ginza featuring Inaniwa udon, a regional premium noodle dating back to 1665 and produced completely by hand. Japan's noodle obsession is truly a national addiction and still another reason Japan is perhaps our favorite destination in all of Asia!
JAYAVARMAN LUXURY CRUISE ALONG THE MEKONG!
Bev, Zen, and I have had many wonderful experience along the Mekong River whether river cruising in Laos or walking along the banks of the Mekong in Luang Prabang or Phnom Penh. With the inauguration of the new Jayavarman luxury river cruises, one can now cruise from My Tho, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, and then onto Siem Reap and the grandeur of Angkor Wat. With only 27 luxury cabins, the Jayavarman vessel offers intimate, high-touch service while also introducing Mekong River stops that would be inaccessible if not by boat. A complete report from the Lynch Family coming later this year.
INDIA'S NEW LUXURY MAHARAJAS EXPRESS TRAIN
As many of you know, traveling through India via rail is most challenging and not so enjoyable an experience. That's all changed with the launching of the new Maharajas Express Train Service. Beginning in Mumbai, with stops n Udaipur (we feel Udaipur to be a beautiful gem), Jodhpur to Delhi, luxury rail service has triumphantly arrived in India. We look forward to boarding the Maharajas Express for our return to the tiger sanctuary at Ranthambore (yes - the train stops here!).
SRI LANKA
The New York Times recently listed Sri Lanka as it's Number 1 must-visit destination in 2010. Described as having the feel of one big tropical zoo, we have no doubt that sugar-beach-ladened country is on the rise.
Despite our many travels to Asia, we embarrassingly concede that we have never visited this idyllic island nation. Bev and Zen are pushing for a quick trip to Sri Lanka after school ending early June 2010. Rest assured we will keep you updated with high-touch experience that our clients demand.
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR - AIR NEW ZEALAND
Congrats to Air New Zealand for being awarded "Airline of the Year" by Air Transport World Magazine. As a prominent agent of Air New Zealand (NZ), our sister company, travNET, has been a big fan of NZ for many years. We are all looking forward to Air New Zealand's launching of its New Economy "Skycoach" later this year!
UA SEEKS RIGHTS TO TOKYO'S HANEDA AIRPORT!
We are very excited about United Airlines' application to provide nonstop service from SFO to Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport. With Haneda's close proximity to central Tokyo, arriving here is a huge advantage for travelers vs. the inconvenient far-flung location of Narita.
ZEN'S CORNER
Hello fellow global kid travelers!
My family and I are preparing for our fourth sakura/cherry blossoms trip to Japan. Wow, does time fly, even for a 9 year-old! I love Japan for many reasons. The fact that I need no shots or pills to travel there is a good start! Also, I really like staying at the ryokans. The personal attendants are so kind and look so beautiful in their kimonos. I always tell my dad that I sleep best when lying down on the soft futons spread out over the tatami mats. (So comfy!) I am excited about making our first visit to Yoshikawa Ryokan in Kyoto, famous for its tempura. I will be joined by one of my school classmates on this trip - this will be awesome! Take a look at our itinerary. I will tell you all about our Japan adventures when returning in mid-April!
For fun, please enjoy my haiku:
People in a boat
Flowing down a wet river
Ahhh! A waterfall!
Zennia Lynch
P.S. If your kaiseki dinner is too much food, you can always hide some under the table!
Lynch Family Annual Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) Pilgrimage!
April 2010
Bev, Zen, and I will be making our annual spring break/cherry blossoms (sakura) pilgrimage back to Japan this April.
Traveling to Kyoto in April for the cherry blossoms is becoming somewhat of a tradition in the Lynch Family. Cherry blossoms were literally exploding this year in the backdrop of all the wonderful Kyoto temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Kiyomizu Temple. Perhaps our favorite setting for cherry blossoms is the Heian-jingju Shrine the many weeping cherry trees in the gardens are heavenly this is one of the most beautiful, meditative walks in all of Kyoto. From March through May, the progress of the "cherry blossom front" is reported nightly on the weather reports as it makes its way through the archipelago. The local Japanese meteorologists always become animated when their regular weather report moves onto the "cherry blossom front".
Based on the demands of our ever-inquisitive clients, the Lynch Family will be exploring more extraordinary lands in 2010. In addition to returning to Japan for the April sakura, we will travel back to Southeast Asia for the Jayavarman Luxury Cruise along the Mekong River, our first visit to the amazing land of Sri Lanka, and finally, based on pressing requests from Bev and Zen, travels to Southern France and Paris.
Please enjoy reading our latest Asia travel updates, including the new "Zen's Corner".
Many thanks & safe travels!
Randy, Bev, & Zen Lynch
JAPAN'S FASTIDIOUS (AND WONDERFUL!) NOODLE CULTURE
No doubt Bev, Zen, and I truly enjoy the many amazing eating experiences throughout Japan,including the tasteful aesthetic of the kaiseki dinner and all the fresh sushi. Japan's wonderful array of slurping noodle dishes may be among our favorite culinary delights. Whether ramen (spaghetti-like noodles), soba (thin, grayish noodles made from buckwheat flour), or udon (thick, snowy wheat noodles), half the fun is eating these various dishes is the slurping ("tsuru-tsuru") – no worries about proper etiquette here! Zen enjoys visiting Sato Yosuke, a small restaurant in Ginza featuring Inaniwa udon, a regional premium noodle dating back to 1665 and produced completely by hand. Japan's noodle obsession is truly a national addiction and still another reason Japan is perhaps our favorite destination in all of Asia!
JAYAVARMAN LUXURY CRUISE ALONG THE MEKONG!
Bev, Zen, and I have had many wonderful experience along the Mekong River whether river cruising in Laos or walking along the banks of the Mekong in Luang Prabang or Phnom Penh. With the inauguration of the new Jayavarman luxury river cruises, one can now cruise from My Tho, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, and then onto Siem Reap and the grandeur of Angkor Wat. With only 27 luxury cabins, the Jayavarman vessel offers intimate, high-touch service while also introducing Mekong River stops that would be inaccessible if not by boat. A complete report from the Lynch Family coming later this year.
INDIA'S NEW LUXURY MAHARAJAS EXPRESS TRAIN
As many of you know, traveling through India via rail is most challenging and not so enjoyable an experience. That's all changed with the launching of the new Maharajas Express Train Service. Beginning in Mumbai, with stops n Udaipur (we feel Udaipur to be a beautiful gem), Jodhpur to Delhi, luxury rail service has triumphantly arrived in India. We look forward to boarding the Maharajas Express for our return to the tiger sanctuary at Ranthambore (yes - the train stops here!).
SRI LANKA
The New York Times recently listed Sri Lanka as it's Number 1 must-visit destination in 2010. Described as having the feel of one big tropical zoo, we have no doubt that sugar-beach-ladened country is on the rise.
Despite our many travels to Asia, we embarrassingly concede that we have never visited this idyllic island nation. Bev and Zen are pushing for a quick trip to Sri Lanka after school ending early June 2010. Rest assured we will keep you updated with high-touch experience that our clients demand.
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR - AIR NEW ZEALAND
Congrats to Air New Zealand for being awarded "Airline of the Year" by Air Transport World Magazine. As a prominent agent of Air New Zealand (NZ), our sister company, travNET, has been a big fan of NZ for many years. We are all looking forward to Air New Zealand's launching of its New Economy "Skycoach" later this year!
UA SEEKS RIGHTS TO TOKYO'S HANEDA AIRPORT!
We are very excited about United Airlines' application to provide nonstop service from SFO to Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport. With Haneda's close proximity to central Tokyo, arriving here is a huge advantage for travelers vs. the inconvenient far-flung location of Narita.
ZEN'S CORNER
Hello fellow global kid travelers!
My family and I are preparing for our fourth sakura/cherry blossoms trip to Japan. Wow, does time fly, even for a 9 year-old! I love Japan for many reasons. The fact that I need no shots or pills to travel there is a good start! Also, I really like staying at the ryokans. The personal attendants are so kind and look so beautiful in their kimonos. I always tell my dad that I sleep best when lying down on the soft futons spread out over the tatami mats. (So comfy!) I am excited about making our first visit to Yoshikawa Ryokan in Kyoto, famous for its tempura. I will be joined by one of my school classmates on this trip - this will be awesome! Take a look at our itinerary. I will tell you all about our Japan adventures when returning in mid-April!
For fun, please enjoy my haiku:
People in a boat
Flowing down a wet river
Ahhh! A waterfall!
Zennia Lynch
P.S. If your kaiseki dinner is too much food, you can always hide some under the table!
Lynch Family Annual Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) Pilgrimage!
April 2010
Bev, Zen, and I will be making our annual spring break/cherry blossoms (sakura) pilgrimage back to Japan this April.
Traveling to Kyoto in April for the cherry blossoms is becoming somewhat of a tradition in the Lynch Family. Cherry blossoms were literally exploding this year in the backdrop of all the wonderful Kyoto temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Kiyomizu Temple. Perhaps our favorite setting for cherry blossoms is the Heian-jingju Shrine the many weeping cherry trees in the gardens are heavenly this is one of the most beautiful, meditative walks in all of Kyoto. From March through May, the progress of the "cherry blossom front" is reported nightly on the weather reports as it makes its way through the archipelago. The local Japanese meteorologists always become animated when their regular weather report moves onto the "cherry blossom front".
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