Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Japan Trip - Episode 7

On the 8th Day of our little adventure, we decided to go to Dotonbori for a little last minute shopping for souvenir.

The famous Glico Running Man. Why is it famous? Well, somehow he is the one who open this place (dotonbori). I guess so. 


Little food cafe, they even got food truck and various of food to choose from.


We end up eating Japanese Crepe.


There were a lot of people that day we basically cannot move until the person in front of us moved.


There were so much food to choose from!


The crab is moving like a giant crab trying to crawl on the building. 


My husband and his mediocre skill on grilling seafood.


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Japan Trip - Episode 6

We went back to Osaka on the 6th Day, the cost of the trip covered by JR pass. bla.bla.bla. On the 7th Day we traveled to Kyoto as it was the last day that shinkasen trip covered by JR pass. We planned to take Sagano scenic train but unable to do so as the ticket already sold out. We then proceed to visit the Bamboo forest.





The room we stayed in Osaka. Very near to the station and we booked it through Airbnb.



The bamboo forest was mesmerizing.


Along the way, there were many sceneries to look at.


There were a lot of people that day, we can barely walk. There were girls in traditional kimono.


More people here and there.


We stop to eat at nearby takoyaki shop because it was so tempting.


And then proceed to search for souvenir which we end up not buying because of the price. Sigh.



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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Japan Trip - Episode 4

Day 4 on our trip schedule was kind of lay back because we arrived at our apartment around 10pm the other night. We only visit a few places in Tokyo today.


We strolled around Shibuya and decided it was too cold and then decided to visit Akihabara.


In Akihabara, we found this mini pablo (the bigger one was very expensive) and decided to try it. We bought one pack consist of 6 mini pablo. We bought 2 original, 2 chocolate and 2 strawberry. People was queuing (mostly tourist) to purchase.  


They got a lot more to choose from. Didn't have much money to buy them all.


After a few good photo we move to Asakusa for shopping time!


Asakusa is a shopping street where we can find a lot of things. I really mean a lot of things. Fake handbag, t shirt, fridge magnet. This is the perfect place to find souvenir for friends and family. 



They got lot of food, kuih ni macam bahulu je, nampak sedap sebab cuaca sejuk. brrrr.


Got a lot of people wearing traditional japanese kimono to visit temple near Asakusa. The end of today visit.


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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Japan Trip - Episode 3

Day 3 was the highlight of our journey! My fever was getting better and we decided to proceed with our plan to do the kurobe alpine route. Horeah!


Kurobe Alphine Route Map

As you can see the complete Kurobe Alphine Route will be from Dentetsu Toyama until Shinamo Omachi or vice versa. It is a two way route. You can choose where you want to start. Our aim was to be at Murodo to play with snow (Gayat orang kampung). We choose to do only half of the route from Dentetsu Toyama up until Daikanbo only as I was not fit enough to walk in the Kurobe Dam. From my survey, we would have to do almost one hour walk from Kurobe Dam to Ogisawa. A big NO from me.

So we departed from Tokyo around 10 am (after breakfast and all) to Toyama using Shinkansen with our JR pass (without the pass it will cost us around 13,000 Yen per person one way equal to RM 500). It only took around half an hour to get there. From Toyama we walk around 3 minutes to Dentetsu Toyama. It just in the opposite building. I love it that we go during weekdays. There was literally no people taking the Route that day. From Dentetsu Toyama we bought train ticket to Tateyama Station (1,200 Yen. Cannot use JR pass here). The train was an old train and it took around 1 hour to arrive at Tateyama. The view along the way was spectacular.



The train we took from Dentetsu Toyama to Tateyama.


Isn't the view amazing?


My picture did not do justice to the view.


Arriving at Tateyama.

Arriving at Tateyama, we straight away bought the route ticket up until Daikanbo which cost us around 7,000 Yen (RM300) per person. And again, literally no people here today, nada, nil, zero. From Tateyama we took Cable car to Midagahara. The view was wow! We arrive around 15 minutes later and straight away need to take a bus to Murodo. We didn't queue because it was just around 10-15 people there. The view to Murodo was amazing. One hour later we arrive at Murodo, we relaxed and ate a little because it was soo cold and then proceed to take the Trolley Bus to Daikanbo. Daikanbo observatory was small and is the highest peak in Aso mountain. We can see the Dam from here and and the view of some part of the mountain. It was beautiful. After a good 15 minutes and a bake potato we back to Murodo for a snow play.



View from Daikanbo





View from Murodo.

Honestly, if I knew, I would stay for a night at least at Murodo. Waking up to the shining snow and play snow sled at least. I wouldn't go up until Daikanbo because the view in Murodo is stunning enough. Probably next time with my little baby. 


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Japan Trip - Episode 2

We were supposed to go to Snow Yeti Town Ski Resort on our second day but due to my fever we had to cancel. Such a loss. We decided to find a clinic for me and to have a brief visit around Tokyo. Japan people were very nice. We do not know how to read Japanese and totally depended on waze searching for clinic (internet is a must, you can rent unlimited internet from http://visondata.com.my/ for about RM20 per day). I took travel insurance from Takaful Ikhlas (cost me RM37 only) but my company also covered medical for overseas. So I did only claim using my company insurance.

We found a clinic based on symbol however it turn out to be an acupuncture clinic.


Somehow look like this symbol. It is an international symbol of a clinic.

We are lucky that one of the customer whom can speak English was very nice enough to show us another clinic which was in another building. Meeting with the doctor was another challenges. The nurses and the doctor both have very limited vocabulary in English. We had to do sign languages to communicate but still they were very polite and attentive. The cost for medical in Japan since we are foreigner was a bit steep. Not sure whether it was due to currency or the cost of living in Tokyo. It cost me around RM250 for the consultation and the medicine. 

 After the treatment we continue our mission to visit the famous Tsukiji fish market.


My MIL and Hubby


Tsukiji Market is a mesmerizing place. Got all delicious food in one place.


This is actually an omelet i think. 


Cutting of fish. You can straight away eat the raw and fresh fish. I didn't try, you know because of the little baby inside me. 


more food. I think they were beans. Kekacang.


Fresh ocean seafood. I actually suggest to buy some and cook it at our apartment but my mil and husband declined as we have very limited cooking utensil in the apartment. sigh.


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Friday, December 30, 2016

Japan Trip - Episode 1

On November, finally I was given a chance to have a short holiday in Japan with my Hubby and MIL. Bercuti di Japan hooyeah. The plan started just 3 months earlier when MAS was having a sale and I managed to get the ticket to Osaka for RM900++ two way. I know that probably we can get cheaper with Air Asia (minus all the little treasure in flight like food and entertainment and luggage and slightly good sleep) but I would prefer to have it all in with MAS. #Jangankecam

Within these 3 months, I did all the survey and planned all the good places we can go to. I even planned to visit ski resort (yeah snow!) and compressed all the place i could visit in one day until I know that I am pregnant 1 months before the trip. Nevertheless, I still am positive I can do it all during the visit. 

We took night flight to Osaka, not really sure whether they have day flight but I would prefer to sleep during the 7 hours flight. we departed at 12 am. My MIL was so excited with the trip that she grinned all the way to the plane. I waited for our late supper before go to sleep by busying myself with the in flight entertainment and goes straight to sleep after supper. Unfortunately, I have a fever that night, I guess the pregnancy is taking its toll on me. I did not have enough sleep that night. 

I like it in Japan. when I was going through Customs check, the customs officer actually said "Terima Kasih" to me. Wayyyy different with my experience during Customs check in UK. Macam lah semua orang nak sangat pergi sane. Whatever.

When we arrived at around 6 am, we straight away search for the famous prayer room on the 3rd Floor. While searching, one Japanese police officer actually come to us for a brief check. Although we should be scared because Malaysian always afraid of police, we did not, the officer was so friendly and funny we actually had a good laugh. He spoke broken English and so do us. He then showed us the way to the prayer room.


Prayer Room on the 3rd Floor

We had our Subuh prayer there in the big and comfy prayer room and move to find the JR exchange counter. We change our JR pass that we bought back in Malaysia (from http://www.his.com.my/). You can buy it from any websites online but it such a hassle and much more better to buy it from HIS travel agent. We bought it for a price of RM 1,164.00 per person (depends on currency exchange rate). I did it all the buying through email and then request them to courier the Pass to my office. We exchange the our pass with JR pass that is valid for 7 days. Then we straight away walk to the nearby counter to buy Osaka Amazing Pass - 1 Day pass for 2,800 yen for one person.

JR pass

Osaka Amazing Pass

We then took the Shinkansen to Osaka using our JR pass (note that without the JR pass the cost of shinkansen is around 3,500 yen per person (~RM 133)). The trip took around 1 hour.

With Osaka Amazing Pass, all the ride train and bus in Osaka is FOC. Our first stop is the Osaka Museum of House and Living. The entrance is free with the Pass. I really thought that the museum is an actual village but it is actually an indoor village on the 8th floor. Quite a small place but have a lot of houses and you can pay around 300 yen to wear their kimono. All three of us did not missed the chance to tried the kimono and walk around in the area and pretend that we are Japanese along the way.


Osaka Museum of House and Living

Next we went to ride on HEP Five Ferris Wheel located on the top of HEP 5 shopping complex. It was tiring, I was breathless as I still have my fever. We decided to depart to Tokyo and check in.


HEP Five Ferris Wheel

We book the shinkansen seat from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo, the cost should be 14,340 Yen per person (~RM 550) but free with JR pass. We arrived in Tokyo around 8 pm. From Tokyo we took train to our apartment that we book using Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/). We only spend around RM 1,800 for 8 nights stay in Japan. Of course you can get cheaper but by sacrificing comfort which I cannot do. 

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