RANKING MY TRIPS

I have realized on this trip, that vacations for me are generally divided into two major categories: cultural or natural...and the two really can't be compared.  So how do I decide what was my favorite travel destination?

Visiting New Zealand (one of my favorite destinations) or Snowmass/Aspen, Colorado (where my heart is), and Iceland (hopefully a future trip) are mostly about immersing oneself in nature, with little about history and culture unless you visit a museum.  We hike, we explore mountains, hot springs and glaciers, beaches and distant seas, and we marvel in the absolute beauty of the unique countryside and its native inhabitants, especially animals.  For us, Japan was more about the cultural experience.  Aside from seeing the majesty of Mt. Fuji and beauty in zen gardens, we didn't have time to hike, bike or visit Japan's islands and beaches, and we stayed in cities, both big and small, and saw temples and shrines and all things religious, spiritual and historic.

So I can't say that Japan is better than New Zealand because they are so different and therefore can't be compared.  I can say that my two trips to Africa were my absolute favorite trips and I think that's because Africa is the perfect blend of culture and nature; same with our Machu Picchu/Galapagos vacation combo which ranks high for the same reason.  I can now say New Zealand, hands down, was my favorite natural vacation.  And here we go...spoiler alert!...I can also say that Japan, hands down, is now my favorite cultural destination, but more about that below.

It's important to say that other factors definitely affect the joy of any vacation...the food, the inherent travel delays, the people, the weather. This is why China will never top any "best vacation list".  It is a great cultural experience to see The Great Wall, the Xian terra cotta warriors, the karst formations near Guilin, rice patties and the Yangtze River, the pandas and the spectacular skyline of Shanghai.  However for us, the experience was so affected by the oppressive pollution and lack of any sunshine for 19 days, the bad mystery food, the overcrowded, rushed (bordering on rude) population and the huge travel distances and wasted time between those "wow moments".

Japan was so different from China (which surprised and thrilled me) and now tops my list as my favorite purely cultural experience.  Why?  Many reasons including...
1.  The people were polite, kind and very helpful, despite a huge language barrier, as most speak very little English. They would go out of their way to help, often leading us to our destination.  They would stop and offer help, even if they only knew ten words in English, studying our maps to find the Japanese kanji characters to see where we wanted to go.  They don't smile broadly like Americans as a form of greeting, but they slowly nod and seem so appreciative to see an Anglo face.  Conductors bow when they enter or leave a car of the train.  They have a great sense of style too, no matter what style suits them best. No one can pull off an anklet sock like the Japanese!
2.  The food was fresh and delicious and we tried so much...sushi, shabu-shabu, Korean barbecue, sukiyaki, yakitori, Wagyu and hida beef, ramen noodle soup, soba noodle soup, udon noodle soup, 10 course Japanese keiseki cuisine, mochie, dango, fish cakes, and so many other local delicacies I just couldn't identify.
3.  The trains and subways were efficient and timely, clean and fast!  Our world changed once we figured out how to use the Hyperdia app and realized it was a brilliant road map to where we needed to go by rail and exactly when and how.  And the trains and stations had just enough English to help us out.  The taxi drivers were also professionals and wore suits and ties!
4.  The cleanliness...not a garbage can in sight and no one litters, no paper towels are handed out in restaurants or restrooms and there's a cleansing washlet Toto toilet most everywhere, even in the subway stations.  Smoking is in designated areas and no cigarette butts are thrown in the streets. A lot of attendants in the train actually wear white gloves.
5.  Finally, the outstanding sights...from big city, crazy Tokyo, with its sophisticated people and its Harajuku girls, to Mt. Fuji, which poked its head out just for us the whole time we were there under a full moon, to spiritual Kyoto, with its numerous spectacular shrines and temples, geisha girls and all things vermillion, to Kanazawa, with its colorful market, fresh fish, samarai house restorations, and miraculous Buddhist zen gardens and finally, to quaint Takayama, with its extensive old town, so lovingly preserved and a step back in time, 100's of years ago.  We went from big to small, from modern day to Edo times, from fast paced to relaxed, from funky to spiritual in the space of 16 glorious vacation days!