That’s pretty much stating the obvious. Asians and gambling go hand-in-hand like ham and cheese, or Sonny and Cher, and M and M. It seems like we’re hardwired to want to gamble. Anyone who has visited Atlantic City or Las Vegas will have noticed the hoards of Asian gamblers trying to make a killing at the Pai Kow, Big/Small, and Baccarat tables. Let’s also not forget the Japanese obsession Pachinko. Now travelblog Gadling reports that Asia is about to turn into a gambling hotspot. Noticing how much money is being made in Macau, Japan is getting in on the act as they’re now considering Vegas style gambling. Even uptight Singapore is constructing a gambling joint on Sentosa Island.

1. Shea Stadium for Game 2 NLDS
2. Shibuya
3. Bahias de Huatulco
4. Shark Ray Alley
5. Hottakarashi Onsen

Lonely Planet Japan is dead on in likening the Japanese to the fickle tastes of Japanese teenager girls. November is one of the more ideal times to visit Japanm but you will still need to hope for the weather to cooperate. The mornings during our time here are quite chilly, the sun peeks out for a few hours and provides an uplift to the temperature guage, then comes evening when it can be outright frigid. There is also the rain that seems to hit us on our travel days. Fresh off the 14 hour flight from NYC, we had to brave the rain looking for the hostel. The day I absent-mindedly left a bag on the shinkansen was a soaker for the entire country. The day we arrived in Fukuoka was drizzling on and off. The following day, the skies opened up and dropped buckets all over the entire Kyushu region. Fortunately, there are enough indoor attractions as there are outdoors in Japan. What better time to do engage in the local activity of shopping than on a rainy day?

If you can afford to stay elsewhere, do so. While this hotel in Fukuoka City isn’t a complete dump, it comes really close to it. The cigarette-smelling rooms are completely worn out, the hallways are reminiscent of an old university dorm room, the reception area that doubles as the breakfast room is dingy and harshly lit by a set of flourescent lamps. The rooms were typically cramped like any budget hotel in Japan. The ominous buzzing flourescent lamp on our floor can be straight out of a movie that takes place in a haunted or crime-ridden hotel. The staircase also looks like it has seen a few visitors coming through. The ancient elevator also doesn’t offer much confidence at first glance, and certainly looks like it is ready to trap someone in any day.

The place, however, does have loads of potential. A fresh coat of paint, new mildew free shower curtains, a working coin laundry, and perhaps a new PC can make HaWeiDa a good alternative to the centrally located hotels in Tenjin. The location is only one stop from Tenjin, 20 minutes from the Hakata Station, and only a block from the Ohori Park. And for roughly USD$60 for a double, the price is comparable to most budget hotels in the country. If you do decide to stay at HaWeiDa and cannot read Kanji, note that the sign outside is not in English. The hotel is around the corner from exit 2 at the metro station. Look for a big blue sign hanging off the side of a building. You will enter through an automatic door. Either take the elevator or stairs to the second floor where the reception is located.

Our second day in Fukuoka/Hakata City POURED! We considered making it a day out getting enriched by culture by visiting some museums, but decided that indulging in the nation’s most coveted pastime, shopping, would be a bit more fun. Especially if it means shopping Japanese style at Canal City.

Canal City is exactly that of its namesake…it’s a mega shopping complex that is more like a vertically planned city. It even has its own canals (they were a bit stinky…just like the real thing) weaving through the ground floor and synchronized fountain shows that are spectacular enough to even wow jaded New Yorkers like ourselves. We spent an entire day at Canal City, browsing at the boutiques and playing in the game arcades. We especially loved the kids floor, that had an awesome candy shop, tons of toy stores to entertain tots as well as adult sized kids like ourselves.

After spending about 4 hours browsing at Canal City, the rain finally let up and we made our way to a Yatai for dinner. Hakata/Fukuoka is known among the Japanese as the nation’s culinary center, which is what attracted us. They are especially known for their Yatais, food stalls, which serve quick delicious meals like Yakitori, sushi, and ramen, the latter being the regions specialty. The food stalls are tiny and draped with a curtain to block out the wind. Lanterns hanging outside the stalls advertise their specialty, but it’s pointless to the average non-Japanese reading gaijan. The major drag of yatais, right by Hakata Bay waterfront, are good but touristy and expensive. We ordered ramen and a dish of oden and yakitori. We met some a nice Japanese couple on holiday from neighboring Beppu, which is hot spring central. I remarked to the man, how sitting in the cramped quarters of the yatai in front of a busy kitchen was as hot as a Beppu onsen! Though delicious, our meal for two, turned out to be the most expensive street food we’d ever eaten! However, cheaper Yatai stalls are sprinkled throughout the city center, and many are even better than those by the waterfront. We hit one off the beaten yatai path after our day in Canal City and our bill was half that of more touristed stalls and our ramen, and was definitely better!

We definitely enjoyed eating and shopping our way through Fukuoka, but I wouldn’t say it’s a must-see unless you are a total ramen enthusiast or plan on spending time exploring the Kyushu region.

… but today was ridiculous. We left Hakata at 10am for Kyoto. The 3 hour ride through the rain was lightning fast. It was so fast that I left my day bag on the shinkansen that was Tokyo bound. In the bag was my camera, ipod, and some random receipts. Luckily, the passports and JR train passes were stowed away in my jacket. I would have jumped in front of a speeding Nozumi express if the train passes went to Tokyo along with the bag.

The staff at the Kyoto info desk contacted the conductor on the train we were on, which at the time was still enroute to Tokyo. Miraculously, he found our bag! And just as amazing, was how they were able to reach the conductor while the train was still in transit! We love Japanese technology and efficiency! Our bag was going to be kept in the lost and found office in Tokyo. We decided we needed to go to Tokyo that night. But at least with our bag located, we felt better and decided to check into our Ryokan, where we can dump off our 30 pound backpacks, before trekking out to Tokyo to get our bag. What was supposed to be a three minute walk from the train station, turned out to be a 20 minute walk of getting lost…in the pouring rain!! After asking about 6 different people where the Chita guesthouse was, we finally found it tucked in an alleyway. Upon our approach, Karen nearly gets hit by a car, we angrily shout at the driver in English…only to learn that we just cussed out Mrs. Sakai, owner of the Chita Inn. Luckily, she doesn’t know one word of English! We kissed and made up, when she heard (based on our broken Japanese and gesturing) about our bag incident on the Tokyo bound shinkansen. She drove us to the station and agreed to keep the door open for us in case we returned after the 11PM curfew.

Three hours later, we arrived in Tokyo. We had a small window of 30 minutes to get our bag and catch the next train back Kyoto. There was a lot of lost in translation and frustration trying to explain in our bad Japanese what we were looking for and moments of sheer panic when they didn’t seem to have our bag! We finally spoke with the lost and found manager and were lead to the shinkansen head office where I picked up my bag with all the contents untouched! If this were to happen back home, all the contents PLUS the bag itself would’ve been sold on the street! I signed some form, and graciously thanked the staff. We left the office with the widest of smiles and headed back to platform 15 to catch 7:06 Hikari express.

We arrived at the Chita guesthouse at around 10PM and were greeted by Mrs. Sakai who presented us with an ice cold can of Asahi. No translation was needed for her to know that was exactly what what we needed.