The weather has been super warm this weekend! I feel like immersing myself into a pool of ice cold water right now... ahhh.. *images of cold spring pop up*
Every morning when I take the bus to work, it's always a non-aircon bus that comes. VERY HOT!!!
Is there some kind of portable ice-pack that never melts, which I can bring along everywhere I go??
Jensen Button reminds me of Ian Thorpe!
And I have been truly spoilt by the numerous long weekends that I've had the luxury of enjoying. Weekends usually pass by in a flash but this weekend was uncharacteristically short! Maybe it's because I literally slept half my Sunday away.
3 more weeks, counting down to the next long weekend.... bleargh. Okay back to watching 1박2일. Can't wait for the ending of 溏心风暴. And The Amazing Race starts again!!
Japan!
Day 7
Ueno - Asakusa - Harajuku - Omotesando Hills
In Tokyo early in the morning, dragging our luggage around ...
I dropped my slipper into the railway track! Had to mime to get the station master to understand me. LOL.
Very well prepared for a day of walking! (cotton pads to cushion the back of my feet haha)
After checking into our hostel and washing up, we're ready to embrace our last day in Japan!
Our last day was really hectic... it was just a mad rush around to buy all the things that we were supposed to buy and squeezing in time to visit as many places as possible!
The streets of Ueno. We bought lots of foodstuff! They have pretty parasols too!
We settled down for lunch at Aoi-Marushin tempura restaurant.
OMG this juicy, mouthwatering ebi tempura is probably one of the best I've ever had!
Senso-ji in Asakusa. It's the oldest temple in Tokyo.
The streets leading to Senso-ji were bustling with activity and is a good place for souvenir-shopping!
Sumo wrestler spotted on the train! I sneakily took a shot of him. Haha.
Back to Takeshita Street in Harajuku for some last minute shopping!
One of those fancy elaborate costume shops in Harajuku.. I didn't see a lot of cosplayers around actually.
We rushed to Omotesando Hills after finishing our shopping at Harajuku just so that we could make it in time for this before it closed for the day:
But alas! We were horribly lost :( and we went to the wrong shop, this one wasn't the one that sold bags
In front of our 2nd hostel in Tokyo - Khaosan Tokyo Ninja
It's more spacious than Jimbocho Sakura but the room has a weird musky smell.
And there are also instructions on how to use a love hotel on the back of the male toilet door!
Day 8
Back to Singapore~
This is the 3rd time that we're having McDonalds for breakfast during this trip!
Some last minute Pocky/food shopping at the airport... the Japanese have such weird and intriguing flavours for Pocky and other assorted food! (And they taste good!) The girls have matching jailbird bags too hahaha :D
We are finally EARLY for our last flight back to Singapore! Early enough to actually take this "BOARDING SOON" picture instead of seeing "Gate Closing" all the time!
Us and our luggage
And that's it! Our fantastic Japan trip with great traveling kakis! Blogging about it always makes me wish that I'm in Japan to relive the moments!
Actually I feel very wasted that I have a 5-day weekend and I'm in Singapore, rotting at home most of the time!!! :( This is the perfect opportunity to grab a quick getaway or something leh!
Day 7
Ueno - Asakusa - Harajuku - Omotesando Hills
In Tokyo early in the morning, dragging our luggage around ...
I dropped my slipper into the railway track! Had to mime to get the station master to understand me. LOL.
Very well prepared for a day of walking! (cotton pads to cushion the back of my feet haha)
After checking into our hostel and washing up, we're ready to embrace our last day in Japan!
Our last day was really hectic... it was just a mad rush around to buy all the things that we were supposed to buy and squeezing in time to visit as many places as possible!
The streets of Ueno. We bought lots of foodstuff! They have pretty parasols too!
We settled down for lunch at Aoi-Marushin tempura restaurant.
OMG this juicy, mouthwatering ebi tempura is probably one of the best I've ever had!
Senso-ji in Asakusa. It's the oldest temple in Tokyo.
The streets leading to Senso-ji were bustling with activity and is a good place for souvenir-shopping!
Sumo wrestler spotted on the train! I sneakily took a shot of him. Haha.
Back to Takeshita Street in Harajuku for some last minute shopping!
One of those fancy elaborate costume shops in Harajuku.. I didn't see a lot of cosplayers around actually.
We rushed to Omotesando Hills after finishing our shopping at Harajuku just so that we could make it in time for this before it closed for the day:
But alas! We were horribly lost :( and we went to the wrong shop, this one wasn't the one that sold bags
In front of our 2nd hostel in Tokyo - Khaosan Tokyo Ninja
It's more spacious than Jimbocho Sakura but the room has a weird musky smell.
And there are also instructions on how to use a love hotel on the back of the male toilet door!
Day 8
Back to Singapore~
This is the 3rd time that we're having McDonalds for breakfast during this trip!
Some last minute Pocky/food shopping at the airport... the Japanese have such weird and intriguing flavours for Pocky and other assorted food! (And they taste good!) The girls have matching jailbird bags too hahaha :D
We are finally EARLY for our last flight back to Singapore! Early enough to actually take this "BOARDING SOON" picture instead of seeing "Gate Closing" all the time!
Us and our luggage
And that's it! Our fantastic Japan trip with great traveling kakis! Blogging about it always makes me wish that I'm in Japan to relive the moments!
Actually I feel very wasted that I have a 5-day weekend and I'm in Singapore, rotting at home most of the time!!! :( This is the perfect opportunity to grab a quick getaway or something leh!
I'm gonna blog about Days 5 & 6 together since we were in Kyoto for those 2 days.
Japan!
Day 5
Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji - Ryoan-ji - Kiyomizu-dera - Gion
Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan and they are known for their heritage sites, i.e. temples and shrines. Basically we just hopped from temple to temple.
We left Tokyo drenched and about as fresh as a fish left overnight, and after a long bus ride, we finally get to Kyoto!
This was where we alighted
Kyoto Station is pretty huge
We got lost (as usual), finally found our ryokan and wasted no time in searching for a public bath to freshen up!
That's me looking very happy after a bath :)
And so we begin our day of temple visiting...
Board from the rear exit, and alight from the front!
Our first stop - Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion
The golden pavilion sits in the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex
The top 2 levels are covered in gold
Ryoan-ji was just right next to Kinkaku-ji and so we decided to pop over.
The rock garden, which Ryoan-ji is famous for, is somewhere... there. *points*
A miniature replica of the real thing
And this is the real thing. If you ask me, I don't get it either. LOL.
But since I'm blogging about it, how can I not offer an explanation to all of my 3 faithful readers? Thanks to trusty ol' Google, I found that this rock garden is made up of fifteen moss-covered boulders which are placed in such a way that one can only see 14 of them at a time. "It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view the fifteenth boulder." Ohhhhh. Very Zen.
(To think that I actually took Intro to Japanese Studies in uni! I can't even remember what I learned.)
Took a bus to our next stop, Kiyomizu-dera. It's a long hike up...
Write your wishes on little wooden planks and hang it there
What's this innocent looking stone doing in the middle of the pavement?
It ain't no ordinary stone... It's a love stone! And I had a go at searching for true love! LOL.
A group of excitable Japanese school girls kept telling me to go right! Right! Right! when I was doing the walk with my eyes closed.
Very serene and picturesque... with that glow from the sunlight... Ohmmmm...
Kiyomizu means clear water - it takes its name from the waterfall running through the area
We had a go at drinking the water as it is said that drinking from the three streams can confer wisdom, health, and longevity.
Kyoto's supposedly quite known for their matcha, so we had to try some matcha ice cream!
And we met a couple of yukata-clad Japanese ladies on our hike down!
They were nice enough to pose for a picture at our request :)
It was a really hot day! Decided to go back to our ryokan to rest for a while.
Their rooms are named after... well actually I dunno what they're named after hahaha.
Our comfortable room and futons. Since we didn't get to enjoy our room when we arrived early in the morning, we nua-ed a bit before heading out for dinner.
The Kyoto Tower - in the day, and at night
We went to Gion for dinner, but we didn't see any geishas :(
We met a really CUTE!!!! waiter though!!! :D :D :D
And we had a marvelous shabu shabu dinner. I ate like 3 plates of pork all by myself. That dinner was a lot of fun coz we were just squealing over the cute waiter and asking each other the awkwardest questions we could think of.
And to end the day, my very own yukata fashion spread! HAHAHAHA :D
Day 6
Fushimi Inari - Kyoto Station
Day 6 was really a Rest and Relax day. I guess after our hectic days of rushing around from place to place, we needed to take some time off and slow down!
Our ryokan - Ryokan Shimizu. Personally I think it's a pity that we only stayed for a night and didn't have the time to enjoy it. The staff are friendly, the price affordable, location good!
We passed by a roadside stall selling okonomiyaki and takoyaki and decided to get some for breakfast. The guy manning the stall speaks excellent English! With an American accent! What is he doing there selling takoyaki?!
Our first stop for the day - the Fushimi Inari shrine. Apparently this was where Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed.
Red arches at the entrance
There are lots and lots of these torii that leads up the mountain to other shrines. We didn't climb all the way up of course.
Can you spot us?
Me: Stunning Geisha
Ade: Smitten passer-by
LOL!
Even though I did not watch the movie... but erm, mimicking a scene from Memoirs of a Geisha?
Creative!
Look! Who are those 2 ladies in yukatas?
It's Sandy and Yuanshan! ^^ They ended up buying the yukatas!
We decided that we had done enough sight-seeing for the day and headed back to Kyoto Station where we proceeded to nua the rest of the day away...
Enjoying our afternoon tea break. That's roasted green tea ice cream!
Doing some food and souvenir shopping at the supermarket
Ramen dinner!
We had to find a place to bathe since we'd already checked out early in the morning... don't want to end up all sticky on the overnight bus again.
Off to another public bath! Public baths are the greatest!
Left a note for the friendly people at Shimizu!
That's all from Kyoto - now back to Tokyo!
Japan!
Day 5
Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji - Ryoan-ji - Kiyomizu-dera - Gion
Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan and they are known for their heritage sites, i.e. temples and shrines. Basically we just hopped from temple to temple.
We left Tokyo drenched and about as fresh as a fish left overnight, and after a long bus ride, we finally get to Kyoto!
This was where we alighted
Kyoto Station is pretty huge
We got lost (as usual), finally found our ryokan and wasted no time in searching for a public bath to freshen up!
That's me looking very happy after a bath :)
And so we begin our day of temple visiting...
Board from the rear exit, and alight from the front!
Our first stop - Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion
The golden pavilion sits in the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex
The top 2 levels are covered in gold
Ryoan-ji was just right next to Kinkaku-ji and so we decided to pop over.
The rock garden, which Ryoan-ji is famous for, is somewhere... there. *points*
A miniature replica of the real thing
And this is the real thing. If you ask me, I don't get it either. LOL.
But since I'm blogging about it, how can I not offer an explanation to all of my 3 faithful readers? Thanks to trusty ol' Google, I found that this rock garden is made up of fifteen moss-covered boulders which are placed in such a way that one can only see 14 of them at a time. "It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view the fifteenth boulder." Ohhhhh. Very Zen.
(To think that I actually took Intro to Japanese Studies in uni! I can't even remember what I learned.)
Took a bus to our next stop, Kiyomizu-dera. It's a long hike up...
Write your wishes on little wooden planks and hang it there
What's this innocent looking stone doing in the middle of the pavement?
It ain't no ordinary stone... It's a love stone! And I had a go at searching for true love! LOL.
A group of excitable Japanese school girls kept telling me to go right! Right! Right! when I was doing the walk with my eyes closed.
Very serene and picturesque... with that glow from the sunlight... Ohmmmm...
Kiyomizu means clear water - it takes its name from the waterfall running through the area
We had a go at drinking the water as it is said that drinking from the three streams can confer wisdom, health, and longevity.
Kyoto's supposedly quite known for their matcha, so we had to try some matcha ice cream!
And we met a couple of yukata-clad Japanese ladies on our hike down!
They were nice enough to pose for a picture at our request :)
It was a really hot day! Decided to go back to our ryokan to rest for a while.
Their rooms are named after... well actually I dunno what they're named after hahaha.
Our comfortable room and futons. Since we didn't get to enjoy our room when we arrived early in the morning, we nua-ed a bit before heading out for dinner.
The Kyoto Tower - in the day, and at night
We went to Gion for dinner, but we didn't see any geishas :(
We met a really CUTE!!!! waiter though!!! :D :D :D
And we had a marvelous shabu shabu dinner. I ate like 3 plates of pork all by myself. That dinner was a lot of fun coz we were just squealing over the cute waiter and asking each other the awkwardest questions we could think of.
And to end the day, my very own yukata fashion spread! HAHAHAHA :D
Day 6
Fushimi Inari - Kyoto Station
Day 6 was really a Rest and Relax day. I guess after our hectic days of rushing around from place to place, we needed to take some time off and slow down!
Our ryokan - Ryokan Shimizu. Personally I think it's a pity that we only stayed for a night and didn't have the time to enjoy it. The staff are friendly, the price affordable, location good!
We passed by a roadside stall selling okonomiyaki and takoyaki and decided to get some for breakfast. The guy manning the stall speaks excellent English! With an American accent! What is he doing there selling takoyaki?!
Our first stop for the day - the Fushimi Inari shrine. Apparently this was where Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed.
Red arches at the entrance
There are lots and lots of these torii that leads up the mountain to other shrines. We didn't climb all the way up of course.
Can you spot us?
Me: Stunning Geisha
Ade: Smitten passer-by
LOL!
Even though I did not watch the movie... but erm, mimicking a scene from Memoirs of a Geisha?
Creative!
Look! Who are those 2 ladies in yukatas?
It's Sandy and Yuanshan! ^^ They ended up buying the yukatas!
We decided that we had done enough sight-seeing for the day and headed back to Kyoto Station where we proceeded to nua the rest of the day away...
Enjoying our afternoon tea break. That's roasted green tea ice cream!
Doing some food and souvenir shopping at the supermarket
Ramen dinner!
We had to find a place to bathe since we'd already checked out early in the morning... don't want to end up all sticky on the overnight bus again.
Off to another public bath! Public baths are the greatest!
Left a note for the friendly people at Shimizu!
That's all from Kyoto - now back to Tokyo!
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