Asian Exploration Part I: Diversify Me, Captain!

Everyone woke up late into the morning (noon) and met in the lobby for breakfast. We walked to a nearby restaurant that served dim sum at a relatively low price. Afterward, half of the group went to get Japanese hot dogs while the other half—including Team Sundona—went to an international Buddhist Temple. Everything near the temple looked sacred and ancient; fruits, flowers, and incense were left on the mantles of religious deities as a form of offering. Even though I am a confirmed Catholic, I enjoyed learning about Buddhism and its historical background from Ryuji and Cuong’s perspectives.

Peaceful Praying

We then headed towards the nearby fisherman wharf to explore the docks. Ryuji fell in love with the brown water, and Sundona remarked that Vancouver’s wharf had “nothing on Alki.” Stephanie and Cuong even took part in a “two girls, one sea urchin” meat tasting. We also stopped by a gelato store, sampled a bread bakery, and took pictures in front of a large Canadian-painted flag with Juliana, Tzu-Lin, and Wendy. Soon enough, our group had an appetite, and we decided to have Thai food near the Aberdeen Mall. The Asian cuisine was great and induced a food coma for Sundona. Thus, Cuong took the wheel with Stephanie as a navigator. Before returning to the hotel, we headed into a Hong Kong-esque grocery mart and purchased snacks/beverages.