NYE escapade - 東京(3)

The third day in Tokyo.

It was basically a shopping day for me. From Shibuya to Harajuku. My legs almost broke, and I didn't even manage to cover most of it. I skipped most malls, and randomly walked into bookstores, handicraft shops like Tokyu Hands, cool boutiques selling bohemian stuff. Those kept me in for hours... I didn't even walk into fashion stores, maybe I did but nothing caught my eyes. I looked at food more than clothes to be honest! LOL.

Anyway, the New Year Sale was still going strong. Many were selling lucky bags with items at a fraction of the original prices. I had no idea what to buy and I didn't want to get one just because it was at a deal. I looked at a lot of them but eventually decided I didn't need one. Haha.

I really enjoyed Shibuya. I thought Harajuku seemed to be more for the younger hippy kids. I particularly didn't like Takeshita street, it was almost an ideal place for pickpockets because it was so packed and everyone seemed to be pushing. Unlike the usual polite Japanese. I left quickly after entering, it was an eye-opener but definitely not my kind of hangout.

I headed back to Shinjuku to meet Stephanie whom I had invited her back for a cake (got it from the hotel bakery!) and happy hours at the bar. She met Adam and Sebastian whom also had some guests over. We had a quick drink before we left again for Shinjuku for more shopping (for Stephanie!).

It was a really long day, especially one for my legs. Poor legs.

I didn't come across any Monchhichi so far and definitely I had to get them the following day as it was my last full day in Tokyo. I purchased my return coach ticket to Narita together with a subway pass (good deal), and so I could use the pass the next day!

I told Adam I would be abandoning him in the room early the next morning (4th day) as I wanted to get out early (after 4 hours of sleep!!). He was more than happy to stay in as it was the night he got us upgraded to a suite! Staying in a suite in Park Hyatt Tokyo, an expensive dream came true!

I headed for Senso-ji at Asakusa, and this place is practically the home for Monchhichis! Like the birth town, I sighted so many of them but overwhelmed with so many choices, I couldn't make up my mind and only bought one. I later regretted not getting my Kumamon Monchhichi. Oh well! By Senso-ji, there was also a food market and I managed to grab some grilled sweet potato sticks and an eggplant pancake thingy. I then headed towards the Tokyo Skytree in search of places for dango, but unfortunately it was a fruitless trip. Many things were not opened, but I stumbled upon the Asahi Brewery and a very nice river.

I ended off shopping at Uniqlo in Ginza and got some winter clothes which I couldn't wear in Singapore!! LOL. But I am sure I will utilise them somehow for future trips. Before I headed back to the hotel, I stopped by at Daimaru food hall to grab some dinner for me and Adam (who never headed out). I didn't know why Daimaru as they were thousands of departmental stores there but I remember Daimaru from my last Japan trip and the food market was heaven. Indeed, it never failed me, 2 levels of Japanese goodies. I just kept on piling and piling food on top of my shopping bags, bought 2 cakes, 2 dangos, 1 bento set and sandwich but I had to eat most of them as Adam was so health conscious I think he avoided all the sugars! Man!

The following morning (last day), I headed out again for a quick walk in Shinjuku to get any last hope of spotting any more Monchhichi (never did again) but found other things I needed! Then it was time to head back and stuff all the things I bought (together with a complimentary bottle of wine and baumkuchen from the hotel!) into my luggages. I swore they were almost bursting. It was an afternoon flight (but I needed 2 hours to get to Narita!), and my flight back to Singapore was via Seoul. So it was a long way back but I figured I could do with some "Korean skincare" shopping at the airport or maybe a shower too!

But Incheon airport is one of the lousiest I ever seen, most of the shops are closed by 9pm with one or two exceptions and you are not allowed to go in. You can make your order telling them what you want. CRAP. Whoever shops like this??? But I knew what I wanted so I just bought it. The shower room which was said to operate till 10pm was closed as well. So what a lousy transit airport, just utterly wasting time in a boring airport! Even Narita was more interesting! Now I do appreciate how good Changi Airport is!

I finally got back home after a long day of travelling, commuting and flying! And the best thing was a nice taxi driver whom was not grumpy about my destination! I rounded up the dollar and gifted him a mochi before saying bye! Japan, till we meet again! *muacks*

NYE escapade - 東京(2)

The next morning.

Hello 2015!!!

It was a beautiful day and I witnessed my first sleeting in Tokyo. Felt like dancing under the ~rain.

Most establishments are closed on the frst day of the New Year in Japan, so I decided to follow where the Japanese go. To the shrines it was then. I picked Meiji shrine, because it looks really magnificent, you can enjoy a stroll through the nature before you get to it. Because it was the New Year's Day, it was insanely packed. Adam wanted to tag along to snap some photos, so we went together but I think the crowd intimidated him or maybe he has agoraphobia!

There were probably thousands of people but everyone was nice and polite. Nobody pushed or got frustrated. The crowd management was superb, very orderly and very clear signages even for people like me who couldn't understand Japanese. So we queued, got in, asked for blessings, threw coins, then gave thanks and left. On the way out, I paid a small token to draw a lot but it was in Japanese and I couldn't read. I took a picture for translation later (LOL) because I had to tie it into a ribbon right there. Right next to the shrine, there was a food market all set up. I almost went nuts at the variety of food... I wanted to eat everything!

I had to filter out so many and I settled for these. I really wished I had space for more. But fortunately I didn't stuff myself because when I headed out, there was another stretch of food market down Harajuku and I found BBQ mochi!

We headed back to the hotel after, I wanted to stay out but everywhere was swarming with people and Adam looked stressed out (LOL!). So we went back, this time we switched to Park Hyatt Tokyo. The hotel is magnificent, the lobby is on the 41st storey and has a view of Mount Fuji! Everyone was impeccably dressed, from the porter to the receptionist, Park Hyatt seems to hire the best. Model height, slim and very pleasant features!

We couldn't check in till 7pm as it was full, so we enjoyed our Happy Hours at the bar where the bartender promised me anything and everything! LOL. I am impressed indeed. There was a selection of tapas, though limited choices they were prepared on the spot! Read more on my stay on Tripadvisor.

Finally we got checked in before 8pm. I got so restless that I just ventured out to Shinjuku after I dropped my bags in the room. I wanted to breathe the cold air in Tokyo and not trapped inside the hotel no matter how posh it was! It was about 4 degrees outside. I managed to have a little stroll though many things reamined closed. At least the vending machines were always available, and a hot drink definitely warmed up my tummy!

When I got back, I realised I haven't had dinner, so did Adam. LOL. We looked up places to go for food before he suggested 24/7 Denny's which was a 15 mins walk away (but better than going back to hunt in Shinjuku). We walked in the cold, cold and hungry at around midnight... but the HOT food in Denny's made everything worthwhile. I had a very very delicious beef Sukiyaki! I bet I could sleep really good after that!

NYE escapade - 東京(1)

東京

Tokyo.

My first time.

This was pretty abrupt. Barely a week before the trip, a friend chatted me up. During the conversation, he mentioned he was going to Tokyo to join a friend's birthday celebration. And out of nowhere, he asked if I wanted to go along. I knew him for maybe 7 years, we have met a couple of times during a trip or two when they happened to concide. It was the first time he invited me. Well, of course, I wasn't suspecting anything unusual or whether he had any motive... my only thought was he wanted a companion for the trip. So I agreed. He said he was burning his air miles anyway, and he had accomodation sorted, so all I need was to come along.

Booked.

I flew to Haneda on Singapore Airlines and sat with two very polite Japanese women. It was a night flight, so I managed some sleep on the plane. I arrived on 31st December, it was early in the morning and the tourist information counter at the airport wasn't even opened yet. So no free wifi for the trip (I read they do give out free SIM card). I sorted out the bus ticket directly to the hotel, arrived there but couldn't check in, so I left my bags and went into the city for breakfast.

The weather was freezing but I loved it.

So my friend, Adam, was only arriving later that evening, I decided to hook up with a fellow Singaporean friend living in Tokyo to have a little tour. I met up with Stephanie, an ex-intern in my company before, Stephanie is half Chinese half Japanese, so having her around helped a lot! She took me to Jiyugaoka, a hippy area outside the city centre to see the "Little Venice", we chanced upon a good ramen place and some cool boutiques. We also ended up in a tiny cafe serving awesome cakes, and regretted we didn't eat more that afternoon! LOL. But I had to get back to the hotel for check-in and also probably heading out for more food that night.

So when I got back, Adam had arrived. He was with his friend, Sebastian, who was staying next door. I don't know why but Adam did not bring a winter coat (haha!), he was probably travelling too much he forgot it was THIS cold in Tokyo. Thanks to all the NYE sale, he found a really good bargain at GAP. After that, all of us went to this quaint Japanese restaurant for dinner. It seemed pretty authentic with lots of Japanese customers, we had to keep our shoes in lockers, kneel or sit around a small table for food. The whole place was a bit smoky though and I was sure we smelled after that!

I decided to pick what the locals would go for, Hoppy beer with intestinal skewers. The boys opted for safer options, pizza and some sausage-alike skewer! LOL. I didn't realise I could get high on Hoppy beer as they actually mixed it with shōchū. After that, I could feel the heat on my face and had to get some snack from the convenience store to dissolve my intoxication.

We didn't have the most exciting countdown for sure. I was there whatsapping with the guy who broke my heart before (wrong move!!!) and making myself a lovely bath, while the boys headed down to the lobby for some champagne. Goodbye 2014 and goodbye to that jerk.

I was staying at Hyatt Regency Tokyo that night, here's my review on Tripadvisor.

Bears' Wedding in London (4)

Day 6 & 7.

These 2 days were entirely reserved for my bestie so I could help her do up her wedding props and other preparation. We checked into the hotel a day before the big day, but there were still things not done. Poor Angela was so worried. But I assured her everything would be okay and we would work through the night to get them all ready. Her cousin, Joy and brother were a big help!

The night before the wedding, we also had a pre-wedding dinner at a Spanish restaurant. All of us forked out a small amount of money and the rest was taken care of by the bride & groom's families. We had suckling pig, sangria and really fantastic tapas! It was a fun evening, also I got to meet Alex (Laura's son), this cutie got stuck to me most of that evening. He was so adorable everyone was dying to get a piece of him.

That night, we really worked through the night (with a few hours of sleep!!!) with the company of Paul's cakes!

The next morning, Angela, Joy and me had breakfast at a nearby restaurant and ran through the checklist for the wedding. We had to set up at the venue, basically to lay out her photo albums, photo frames, her wedding favours, the decors on every dining table, do up the table she was going to sign her wedding certificate (I was the witness!!) and get all the beautiful ribbons to be tied to the chairs. They also engaged a photo booth which the guests would be able to take home with them a memorable shot or two for that evening. The dinner was buffet style but the wedding party and family table would get served instead! The cupcakes Angela catered were super addictive, also that candy bar she set up was a magnet for kids (and big kids!).

Both Joy and I had to give a speech, but we didn't get to rehearse at all. LOL. But I was glad it somehow flowed smoothly and I didn't cry this time! I think Angela almost did! The wedding was lovely, very romantic and almost perfect. The only bad thing was I didn't get to take as many photos of them as I would love to as I was the maid of honour and was running around all the time! We danced and drank a lot that night and smuggled a lot of candies back too!

I gifted them a self-compiled photobook depicting the story of FAB4 and of the recent memories we had together, and was so proud when they displayed it together with their wedding album.

Not forgetting we took lots of silly photos at the booth, I can't wait to see their whole compilation when I visit them next.

May you both live happily ever after, Mr & Mrs Green!

Bears' Wedding in London (3)

Day 5. Friday.

I hanged out with Joy & Aaron whom just got back from Paris as well as Angela's family members. We went to Borough Market, my favourite food market. The good thing about going with so many people was that we got to try much more things! So much more than the last time I went with Glyn.

Not to mention, there were also many eye candies around. Some selling cheese. LOL.

After lunch, I took Angela's family to walk across London Bridge which we then parted. They wanted to go shopping in Oxford or Knightsbridge while I headed towards Tower of London hoping to catch up with Joy & Aaron to see the poppies exhibition. But we were too early, they were still installing them, and I didn't see both of them too. They underestimated the time they needed to get there so I left after waiting for 30mins.

I wanted to take a selfie of me and the poppies but it was so tough with the crowd so I gave up! LOL. Maybe a selfie stick would have helped!

I managed to get to Petticoat lane and Spitalfields market just before they closed! I bought a handmade necklace by an Italian lady, really pricey but I just thought I should splurge on myself a bit. Also I found a really pretty wrap dress. After a happy time shopping and indulging myself with a banana milkshake, I got to get back to Covent Garden to meet the gang for dinner. I was lost. LOL. I couldn't find a bus to Covent Garden. So I took one to somewhere nearby and walked over.

We settled at this English restaurant called Porters. The food was awesome, ten times better than Jamie Oliver's Italian for sure. The portion for the pies was also huge. I had the Guinness Steak Mushroom. It was DELICIOUS! It was a great night with Angela's family. After that, we decided to do a brief hen's night for Angela - just me, Joy, Michelle and the bride-to-be.

We went to a stretch of bars, picked one and had some drinks as Angela wasn't feeling spontaneous that night to do crazy things. The poor bride-to-be was so stressed out she broke down that night... We were shocked but we managed to calm her down and brought her back to smiles! Fortunately. Of course, we didn't forget our colourful wigs and made lots of silly photos with it.

Bears' Wedding in London (2)

The following day, I lazed. Not really. LOL. I needed to finish booking the accommodation for my Europe trip which was a week away! As everything was planned very last minute (unlike the me in my 20s!!!), things were a bit chaotic. But somehow the plan seemed to fall into place nicely.

So I asked my hosts if there was anything I could do around the area (without going to town). They suggested a nearby farm. A great idea I thought! Glyn took me to the first British farm about 6 years back and this time I could go to one again. With the best guide I have (London A-Z), I found my way to Deen City Farm. There were a bunch of kids and I felt like one of them, I fed the sheeps and cows! There was also owls and gigantic bunnies.

After the free farm tour, I headed to Marks & Spencer for a late lunch and got some grocery. I almost wanted to buy half the supermarket! LOL.

Day 3.

I had planned a trip to Harrods Food Hall, this seemed to be a must. LOL. I couldn't resist good food and I wish I had a bigger stomach and a more efficient digestive system! Haha. I got almost £10 worth of food for my picnic at Hyde Park. It was a pity no one could join me but it was a great sunny day to sit out there and people watch. After my picnic, I went to HSBC to run some errands before making my way to Oxford Circus. Yes, you can walk from Hyde Park to Oxford Circus, thanks to the non-humid weather!

On the way, I chanced upon St Christopher's Place where I sat down for a smoothie and witnessed a middle aged woman begging for food and money from someone sitting besides me. The kind lady really bought her food! Bless the kind lady!

Finally I made my way to Oxford Circus where I caught up with Johnathon, a guy I met during my tour in California which was about 2 years back. John took me to a really cool pub for pies, said to be one of the best ones in town! It was called The Windmill. I had the seasonal pie - spicy chicken and chorizo pie, houmous & tzatziki; it was thin and crispy on the outside and very juicy and hot on the inside. I really loved it, it wasn't like the traditional beef and kidney pie with hard crusty exterior. It was still bright at 9pm that evening... amazing. I bid farewell to John after the lovely catch up and went home and continued to have big cherries for supper! LOL.

Day 4.

After my breakfast, I went on to find a money changer to get my European currencies. There were so many different ones it was a bit confusing, fortunately I could order them online and head down to collect it. Then I was supposed to meet Selwyn, a bloke I met in Japan a year back. LOL. All these travelling have gotten me quite a few friends.

I nearly couldn't recognise him already! LOL. But I remembered that smile. He was also very sweet and made me a lemon pound cake he promised me on Facebook some time ago! It was really yummy and my friends loved it too. So we went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch, as usual the quality always seemed to be much better than the one I had in Singapore for that price. It was called Sticks 'n' Sushi by Covent Garden.

When we stepped out, we saw this food market by Covent Garden and there was this amazing pulled pork burger that I could die for. We promised to be back for them for dinner, but it was sold out by then. DEVASTATED. :((( I must have it on my next trip to London!!! Look at them!!

So after late lunch, we went to British Museum. As usual, I could never get bored there but it was closing really early (by 5pm I think!!!) so we had to find elsewhere to go. Selwyn suggested bowling, I was a bit intimidated as he bowls for competition but I still went ahead! It was at an underground bowling alley and it all looked a bit dodgy from the outside. Haha.

We went back to Covent and were disappointed about the burgers. So we just got something else for dinner. I couldn't remember what because it was so insignificant compared to that burger!! But I did remember I got home with a big pretzel! :P

Bears' Wedding in London (1)

Back in London again! This time it was for a greater cause, my best friend's wedding, it was about 3 years since I last visited. But Angela was back couple of months ago when she brought her in-laws to Singapore for a tour and meet her parents session.

It always felt good to be back. It was as if I never left, just grown older! LOL. Anyway, my plan was to spend a week in London before embarking on the European tour which I should have done years ago, then back for 2 days and back home to Singapore.

I was supposed to be flying with Jan (Angela's good friend) on Malaysia Airlines to Heathrow, but the MH17 crash on 17 July freaked us out. Just days before our departure and on that identical route we were supposed to be taking, we decided to cancel the booking (we lost the booking fee as we bought it through CheapTickets). With an earlier missing plane MH370 incident on 8 March, there was a rumour there would be a third incident. I have to say the customer service on CheapTickets had been exceptional with this Malay girl keeping me updated all the time about the refund process and status! Everything got sorted out promptly, it also brought a huge relief not only to us but our family and friends.

That was about 2 weeks away from the wedding day, Jan and I both had no flights. I quickly scanned through all the airline sites for promotions, even emailed or tweeted to some of them, but not many were compassionate enough about MAS incident. But Lady Luck was smiling on our side, I chanced upon British Airways for a really good deal (direct, no transit and awesome timing, it was a night flight!). Just a few hundred bucks more, and almost a week before departure, that fare was unbelievable!

I can't believe when everyone else is jerking up prices for last minute flights, the European airlines are the ones letting them go cheap. Thank God for BA, I will fly with you again!

Booked.
British Airways.
27 July - 22 August 2014.

The flight there was about 12 hours, I didn't manage to sit with Jan as it was almost full by the time we booked and most seats were taken up when we checked in online. I was sitting with a mother with two cute toddlers but my entertainment sound system was faulty, so I got shifted to another aisle seat further back with no one besides me! I ate, watched some drama, and fell asleep.

When we arrived in London, Jan and I got on the tube but went on our separate ways. He was going to his airBnB while I was bunking at Angela's. I knew the way (good memory) so someone was waiting for me back in the house that morning. It was going to be very laid back as I didn't have much plans except to help Angela with her wedding preparation and see some old friends.

The first day in London.

So I met Glyn again, we had tacos at Wahaca in Covent Garden. I wasn't sure if I would recognise him after another 3 years but apparently we did. After the late lunch, we had a bit of a stroll down the Thames River and Millennium bridge. We had a good time talking about the past and how things have evolved. But sadly, I don't think I will see him again, I have to stop there and then.

It was a bright sunny day but still a little chilly. Little did I know that the weather just decided to go cranky that afternoon, and I had to shop for a sweater to keep myself warm! Ha. British summer.

Then I went off to meet Daniel (Angela's hubby-to-be) whom kindly took a few hours off work earlier so he could show me Shoreditch, one cool place in London I have missed out. I didn't manage to buy anything though I was really tempted but Daniel found a few things he liked. We had a quick beer before we went to meet the rest of the gang at Jamie's Italian for dinner.

Our first Jamie Oliver's experience and maybe also our last. We weren't that impressed, and we decided to switch the other dinner venue from Jamie Oliver's to a traditional English pub. But we did get a complimentary bottle of Prosecco that night because of some mishandling of one of our orders.

I also didn't forget to get my favourite Paul's flourless chocolate cake (almost) every time I saw it. It made all breakfast perfect.

Ted goes to KL

23-25 May 2014.

It was my second visit to Kuala Lumpur and the first for Ted! I first went there years ago with the FAB4 girls via the overnight train. I can't recall much except that we really just partied and ate. This time round, my sister was heading up for a conference and asked me to tag along.

We took the Aeroline coach which was really like a premium coach service. There was a service crew, hot meal, drink, blanket and also entertainment. Wow. Such a cosy ride that I would do this again anytime!

We stayed at Corus Hotel which was also the arriving and departing point for Aeroline coaches, what great convenience! The hotel is also in a very central location, within walking distance to the Petronas Towers and KLCC malls. Read more about my stay here on Tripadvisor.

It was a 3 days 2 nights trip so we didn't have much plans except for some shopping, attending the conference (just one evening for me) and then seeing the Batu Caves (I missed it the last time round!). We also enjoyed Nandos on the first night which was half the price than having them in Singapore before heading out for the conference!

The next morning, we set off for Batu Caves. As usual, Ted was up to his usual mischief again!

But we managed to keep him in check and arrived at Batu Cave after about 30mins of train ride. It was a glorious day, and a long climb up! We survived it and saw cheeky monkeys playing around in the caves. It's a quick and easy getaway you can do on your own and I suggest doing it as there isn't much to see in KL. After Batu Cave, the sister left to attend her seminar while I was left on my own to explore.

I went to the malls of course (the safest bet) and came across a small designer Pop-up event inside Bukit Bintang's Lot 10. There were lots of pretty things on sale but as I was on a short trip I didn't have much cash on me, so I could only admire them! Then I headed over to Berjaya Times Square which is a gigantic mall (over 10 storeys!!) and one can easily get lost in there. I only bought one thing there, I was pretty amazed at my self-control! LOL.

Then I went back to the hotel with my dinner as by then I was exhausted from all that walking. The following morning, the sister was busy with her seminar as usual. So I was tasked to go get some souvenirs (food) home! I also got lucky and found my Chocolate Banana cake from Secret Recipe, just as I was almost giving up I saw the restaurant right across the road! Haha! Bliss!

The journey back was another comfortable ride on the coach and we got into Singapore late that Sunday night.

我的朋友在香港(vi)

Time flies when you are enjoying~

My second last day in Hong Kong was the only day I had time to go shopping! I dedicated the whole of Monday to be on Hong Kong island, so I could be on the trams (locally known as "ting ting") as much as possible.

That morning, I made it a point to get into Hong Kong island early enough to sit in a cafe and had a drink. I had been reading up on cafes even though I am not a fan of coffee and had shortlisted a few of them. As I was meeting some friends for lunch, I settled for one in Central named Simplylife Cafe, having my favourite - hot chocolate! I wished I could dine there but I couldn't with all the things already scheduled for the day!

Hong Kong island, especially Central, is packed all the time, I guess it is because it is the CBD (Central Business District) of Hong Kong but people seem to be everywhere at anytime. Even at 10am on the streets, you see all the people around. I wonder if the working hours are that flexible?

After a drink to start the day, I began my walk to Sheung Wan to meet an ex-colleague whom returned to Hong Kong for lunch. Coincidentally, another ex-colleague was in town with her husband, so all of us got together for a Dim Sum lunch date! It is very comforting when you meet familiar faces abroad! It was a really sumptuous lunch at Dim Sum Square, many thanks to Rebecca whom insisted on footing the bill. Look at the amount of food we had to finish!!! I even got the leftover as takeout.

After a very heavy lunch, I just had to burn them off by walking. Haha. I went to Cat Street to have a peek at the antiques market but it was surprisingly small. So I moved on to Causeway Bay's Jardine Crescent on the ting ting but along the way, something caught my attention. I spotted a market along Tai Yuen Street and immediately alighted. I was loving the fact that I was alone and I could do WHATEVER I wanted, at my own time! It was one of the best markets, competitively priced and with a lot more variety of stuff, from clothes, babies goods, food, accessories, mobile cases to stickers and toys. I would have stayed longer if I had more time.

Then I moved on to Causeway Bay to see Jardine Crescent and got a few more stuff (many bags and clothes here mainly) and also checked out a few shops that my sister and friend had requested me to see. I dislike running errands for others on a holiday but since I was almost done with what I wanted to see, I gladly ran along. It ended up they didn't want to buy anymore and I bought myself my most expensive shoes from Melissa! Damn, those shoes still bite me, whoever said Melissa doesn't hurt??

Thanks and no thanks to the free data plan, my phone was almost dead before the evening. My last run in Causeway Bay was to get Hang Heung wife cakes for people back home, arrghhh, I hate this but just gotta do it.

Then it was a mad rush getting back to Soho where I met an old friend for Tapas and drinks. It was also my first time in Soho and being on those mid-level escalators, not as exciting as I anticipated! After a couple of hours, we aparted our ways at our respective ferry terminals. I was overloaded with shopping bags by then and I wondered how I managed to get back at midnight after all those hours of non-stop walking. Then it was last hours of crazy packing and I resigned to bed at about 3am!

The following day, I decided to do in town check-in at Hong Kong station instead of getting a taxi across. So in that way, I still had a bit of time on the island, perhaps getting a decent lunch before I boarded the plane. The in town check-in was a breeze, almost effortless, and I was luggage-free to wander around! If you have a late flight, this is highly recommended!

My last mission for the trip was to get myself a magazine! It seems like a must for me to get a fashion magazine from Hong Kong whenever I visit; I had been eyeing at them since the first hour I stepped into the airport but could only leave them to the last. So heavy! I got the Cosmopolitan (HK version) which came with a super cute Tsumori Chisato water bottle.

Syn came along that morning and we had Tim Ho Wan, it was amazingly affordable but very limited variety for a Dim Sum place. But it definitely wasn't Syn's day, I didn't know how but she splattered soy sauce all over herself and in the end she lost her appetite, so I made her brought home the leftover. Awww, poor girl!

Then I boarded the Airport Express to the airport where I met Adam who was also departing the same afternoon. We went into the lounge for ice cream :) Haha. I was fed again (fortunately a different flavour) on the flight back. Sadly, Sex and The City wasn't showing and the food on the way back was worse than the flight's before. I wasn't excited to go home, but somehow I was ready to leave Hong Kong and say bye bye to the ferries.

Hong Kong, till we meet again!

我的朋友在香港(v)

The following day, I just wanted to laze in bed! Gimme a lazy Sunday anytime!

The night before, I attempted to ride on Syn's bike which was overloaded with bags and fell right within a minute of getting on it! Haha. It must be about 6 years since I last gotten on one, gosh.

Syndy suggested all the daytrips I could do to Tai-O fishing village or Citygate Outlet but I just didn't fancy a long bus ride out to anywhere. I wanted to stay still for once. I would have loved to do a morning trek but that muscle pulling in my calf wasn't encouraging me to do so. So I stayed in, did some laundry, watched the neighbour's dog and then attempted the second time on the bike to get lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. Haha. As expected, I nearly knocked a tourist in her bum when she accidently walked right onto my path. I had the cold noodle with lemongrass pork chop recommended by Syn who said it's a hot favourite among her visitors and John. Indeed it did not disappoint!

 

After lunch, we embarked on a walk around the Mui Wo villages and visited a small waterfall. Apparently, there are quite a few villages in Mui Wo, when you do go around, you get to see all sorts of houses and very innovative scarecrows. They brought a smile to my face, seeing how creative one can get! On the way to the waterfall, Syndy adopted a stray dog which looked like it was half blind (I wonder if it was where the fleas came from. Or perhaps from the fleece jacket I accidentally dropped, a kind soul picked it up and left it on the bridge when we came from, so I found it!) This must be one of the rare trips I kept losing stuff.

After all the drama, we met John at the beach for a picnic and beach badminton. The Sunday Mui Wo beach was packed with families, dogs and people whom came over from other parts of Hong Kong. The ferry fares are also almost double on Sunday! It definitely wasn't easy playing badminton on a windy beach! But it was a good exercise. We didn't stay long enough but just about the time we finished a pack of nachos and a drink.

We went back for a rest before Syn and me headed out for a so-so claypot dinner and grocery shopping. I had a better grasp of the bike now with lesser people on the road. I love supermarkets, but I didn't get as much as I wanted with the limited luggage space I had! I gotta leave some space for all those shopping the following day which was my last full day in Hong Kong.

That night, we painted our nails and also google hung out with the girls in London and Vancouver. It was a few months since the last one. A good good night.

我们去澳门(iv)

The following Monday, I bade Adam goodbye after a good lounge breakfast and headed to the ferry terminal. The Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal was harder to get to than I thought; things didn't get easier with the unfriendly morning Hong Kong residents. It just irked me being in another big city where everybody were all about themselves.

I finally found the ferry terminal just in time to join the queue and when it was my turn, I was told I was at the wrong queue! What a day, what a start! Then I was finally queueing at the right one, and when I was about to enter, someone tapped on my shoulder and said I dropped my "Octopus Card", naturally I followed her and got out of my queue to realise that my card was indeed gone and was it stolen or picked up by someone I really don't have a clue till today. Then yes, I had to re-join the line all over again. It was really just my luck!!! Poor Octopus Card, and I hoped that dishonest person would lose all his money at the casino!

I was so occupied about my loss that the one hour ferry seemed like a breeze. I wasn't bothered about the smelly uncle sitting besides me or the noisy kids and the loud Mainlanders surrounding me. (I was onboard  Cotai Jet to Taipa). I finally surrendered and accepted that "Shit does happen during holidays!". When I arrived, I saw Syn and John waiting for me right at the exit. It just lit up my day after all the unfortunate events! I did not plan a single thing for Macau as both of them seemed to have already scheduled the day for me.

So we headed to our first stop for lunch at A Lorcha, a restaurant for Portuguese food. It was packed and we reckoned it was mentioned on some guidebooks and thus all the tourists knew about it. The food was really great though, we had seafood mixed rice, risotto style! After lunch, we went to the temple next to it, then onto the bus again to the infamous Senado Square which was done up with overdue Chinese New Year decor. It was a Saturday afternoon and needless to say, it was just so crowded. I roamed around and bought myself a cheap checkered hat from a really really old lady.

We then had a short tour inside St. Dominic's Church with a really pretty yellow facade. John left for work and so Syn and I pretty much had the rest of the day to ourselves. We headed to the Ruins of St. Paul after passing by so many touristy shops along the way, many selling almond biscuits and ginger candies. Then we sat down for a rest at the garden adjacent to it and had an aerial view of the city at Monte Fort.

After that, we were supposed to look for the bus-stop to head back down to Taipa Village where we would have dinner. But before that, we had a little walk around admiring the lovely architecture of Macau, enjoying the space and the slower pace of life compared to Hong Kong.

We finally found Rua do Regedor and began my little tour of Taipa Village. It was a cool stretch of street filled with food places, souvenirs and the usual shops for almond biscuits and ginger candies! I had a rose milk tea at the cafe Syn took me to, and she ended up watching me drink.

Then for dinner, she decided on Corto, apparently another place for portuguese food. After a long wait, we finally were ushered in, I settled on veal while the missy had duck stew. The food was alright I thought, the servers weren't the friendliest and the place was cramped. But people continued to flock in. Then it was time for a casino tour.

 

These are some of the casinos we passed by along the way to The Venetian. I would love to visit the Grand Lisboa the next time I am there, it looked just so magnificent! I had my first 100HKD gamble (sponsored by Adam) at The Venetian and alas I lost it. I wished I was more decisive in picking a table, that indecisiveness really dampened my gambling mood and luck. LOL. Not that I am a gambler, this is my second time placing a bet after my first jackpot try in Las Vegas. Then I was told I must have the Portuguese egg tart at the Lord Stow's in The Venetian. That was my last supper before we headed back to Hong Kong!

That ferry ride back to Hong Kong, without distraction, was really bad. I almost thought I needed to use a bag. Then we had to take the 1am ferry back to Mui Wo... and I was so glad when I was finally in bed!

我的朋友在香港(iii)

The following morning, I think I pulled a muscle. For the next couple of days, I was having a problem climbing down stairs. Fortunately, it didn't spoil the holiday!

I headed over to Sheung Wan to get my Macau ferry tickets (about 375HKD). It was a breeze. I also found an awesome bakery (Arome Bakery) along the way, they were selling the most beautiful cakes I saw while I was there. Wooooaa!!

Then I went over to Holiday Inn Golden Mile to meet Adam who was fashionably late, fortunately I didn't have big plans that day, so I just waited and waited in the lobby. When he finally arrived, we checked in, the room was actually quite spacious for a Hong Kong hotel, despite accomodating two beds and a working desk. After settling down, we went on a "markets exploring" trip... I suggested them as I knew he wasn't a big fan of shopping, so we could probably take some pictures.

First stop was Apliu Street market in Sham Shui Po, it's famous for electronics and gadgets. It was great place to find handphone accessories though the prices weren't really that cheap (but same as what I had seen elsewhere) but with a great variety! It was an interesting walk that barely took an hour, and not at all touristy!

 

Then we headed to the best smelling market in Hong Kong, the flower market in Mongkok. I wish I could buy them. So fresh, cheap and too beautiful! It was a refreshing walk and definitely a place for colorful photos. Around the corner, we found Yuen Po Bird Garden where many old men were standing there sharing tales and showcasing their birds (as above).

After the markets, we went back to the hotel to enjoy the lounge for the evening before venturing out for cakes. It took us a while to find the well hidden cafe in Harbour City, C'est La B; it was recommended by a friend and I have read about it as well. Pricey little cakes, but they did 'wow' me! The citrus twist (if I recalled correctly) I had was lemon meringue in a tiny pot - as sour as I like it.

It was half past ten after dessert and I wasn't just ready to head back. So Adam retired to the hotel while I kept my feet going... to the Temple Street night market. I think it wasn't accurately indicated on the map because it was a deserted area I found, then I followed some people whom were also looking for the market and found the right direction. At the start of the market nearer to Jordan, things were much cheaper but when it got towards the Austin stretch, somehow prices were more touristy. There were plenty to see, from cute cartoon thumbdrives, souvenirs, sex toys and lingeries, fortune-telling stalls, clothes, handphone accessorises to plenty more. From the sound of it, I think you can do a little bargaining.

I also chanced upon Australian Dairy Co. which is famous for their steamed milk and breakfast, unfortunately I didn't get the chance to have it this time round. There were also plenty of street dining options available along Temple street. I had a honeydew sago takeaway to go with cider for late supper (what a weird combination I know!). Later back in the hotel, Adam showed me some documentaries on Temple Street and tourist scams (women using sex as emotional blackmail), it was then I realised there was something going on in that area.

我的朋友在香港(ii)

I love grocery shopping anywhere! And so my first one in Hong Kong, I already bought these (things that I don't get to see in Singapore)... That's a Somersby PEAR cider, not the apple one!

I also bought some chips. But my "mother-in-law" Syn wasn't happy about my soda and chip diet. But hey it's my holiday!!! So I just gotta bear with her constant nagging...

The following day, I ventured out on my own to check out Li Yuen street (shopping lanes) in Central before meeting Dan for lunch. Since I couldn't stay with her, it was good to catch up too! In fact, she's a friend of Angela and we actually didn't hang out before. But it was all cool, it didn't feel awkward and she even introduced me this industrial building with good shopping right by Lai Chi Kok MTR! I also brought over pineapple tarts for Dan and Syn, it seemed like Hong Kong didn't have them for their Chinese New Year (how weird)! Bengawan Solo or Prima Deli should open up there ;)

Uh..oh! Visa was running this promotion in Hong Kong till end February, visitors could go to PCCW and get a free tourist 5 days SIM card (unlimited SMS/calls/data). I was lucky I read this in the forums before the trip ;) Otherwise, you can buy it at 69HKD.

After bursting my wallet, I met Syn for dinner and more shopping at Tsim Sha Tsui. Syn brought me to some place filled with small boutiques, they practically don't have fitting rooms and you can't even try the stuff. The prices weren't cheap as well. I didn't get any as I already got quite a few things earlier in the day, so Syn does her own shopping but ended up with a 100HKD jacket. Ha. I guess she just didn't like to spend on clothings. Somehow she has became super thrifty (maybe under the influence of John). Then we roamed about and somehow got lost but at least I found myself a nice fruit tart (from Pie & Tart).

We settled for a chinese restaurant in K11, having 小笼包 and 拉面。 After dinner, we went to 1881 Heritage, formerly Marine Police Headquarters, it was beautifully lit up (as shown). Like a classy version of Chijmes.

After the walk, Syn had a dessert at 许留山, the prices have since went up (a lot) and the standard significantly dropped. I would rather look for more authentic dessert places. 

Then I had my virgin Star Ferry ride. A cheap and easy 5 minutes ride with the most scenic nightview, I was so glad I tried it. I highly recommend it for travelling to Central from Tsim Sha Tsui or vice versa. It's so much more fun than riding the MTR! We were on the upper deck, and I read it was cheaper to be at the lower bunk where it would be more noisy and smelly (but probably an even better view!).

Afterwhich, we headed back to Mui Wo. The following day, Syn and John left for Macau (for John's work trip), I would join them on Saturday for a daytrip. I also got a last-minute notice that a friend, Adam would be in Hong Kong too, so I would crash at his hotel than enduring more ferry rides! Thank God! It was nice to be staying in the city too as I could go out really late and just WALKED back to my bed!

我的朋友在香港(i)

Destination: Hong Kong
Dates: 19 - 25 February 2014
Airline: Singapore Airlines (A380)

 My 3rd visit to Hong Kong!

And so... since this trip is all about seeing friends in Hong Kong, thus the title above :)

Initially I was planning to stay with two different friends, Dan and Syn (in short), but my dear Syn kept screwing up my plans with the dates she would be leaving for Macau and in the end I just settled to be at hers the whole time. Dan was happily awaiting for my arrival but as she lives with her husband and daughter in a tiny apartment, I thought it would be more convenient to be at Syn's since she has a spare room. Syn lives on Mui Wo (Lantau Island), being someone prone for seasickness, my only concern was having to take ferries daily! I guess it was the time to face my fears then! The next terror was Syn being a mother-in-law alike, hahaha, she is famous amongst us (FAB 4) for being overly protective, naggish and bossy. I should have gotten used to it during the USA trip but it was a nightmare having to relive it all over again, so I went hoping for the worst and everything would turn out better!

Our dearest friend, Syn, has been living in Hong Kong for a couple of years now. Her complaints about the Hong Kongers or life there never seem to stop for some reason. I believe her husband finally decided to move to Mui Wo so the dear wife would be much happier. It did seem to work but somehow that negativity seed had been integrated into her life. I wonder if that complaining nature is that of a Singaporean or she just really adopted that in Hong Kong. Anyhow, she has been inviting her friends to come over for the longest time... and with my expiring KrisFlyer miles, I just thought,"Why not?"

I arrived about 5pm. The flight with SIA was good. I was initially sitting with a mum with her two toddlers, but somehow my entertainment system failed to work and I was moved to the back, with 2 empty seats besides me. I was watching Sex and the City (Season 5 Collection) the whole time and couldn't stop laughing. I had 3 more episodes to complete on my return journey but guess what, SIA literally changed the programmes just after one week! Damn.

Where's the Blue taxi?

 The chilling weather welcomed me, and I was glad to be travelling again. It kept me sane. After a long wait for the Blue taxi, I finally got one and that 30 minutes ride which was rumoured to have made many puked, didn't get me sick fortunately. Syn arrived on her bicycle just in time when I got off, we walked to her place (maybe 20 mins) and got settled before heading out for dinner again. I wonder why she did not attempt to cook the whole time whilst I was there, and John (the husband) was bragging about her cooking, I wanted to try! So Syn's first complaint when I got there was it was too cold, but I simply loved it.

A trip different from the others

And so it has been over a week that I have been back from Hong Kong. I haven't found the time to write about it nor rest especially with a bunch of unwelcome visitors all the way from Hong Kong. Fleas! Oh my gosh, I never knew they are so terrifying!

My trip this time to Hong Kong was mainly to catch up with some friends and see places I hadn't been to. It was supposed to be relaxing, in fact it was but somehow one week seemed to be over too fast. Let me share with you on the next posts.

I just wanted to let you know I'm still alive after battling with the fleas for over a week. Cleaned my stuff. Changed the sheets. Threw the mattress. Scattered the salt. Set up traps. Treating my swollen bites. Bearing with bad itching. Smoked the room twice. Sprayed myself with lemongrass mist. Ionizer with lemongrass every night. Please leave me alone, fleas. Go back to Hong Kong!

Melaka makan trip IV

I had been dying to satisfy those mille crepe craving in Malacca for the longest time. Initially, I wanted to go on a solo trip in May but somehow it got delayed till July when a friend proposed to join. So it happened, a first trip with Deborah, an ex-colleague.

We managed to sort out the logistics namely the accommodation and coach, one week before my Bali trip. It was 2 trips in a month - almost never happened before. It was a 3D2N trip meant for a lot of eating and chilling; the past 3 times I was there, it was only one night each and it was hard trying to stuff everything you wanted to eat. Anyhow, 3 days before the trip, something ruinous happened... What a timing - was it meant as an escape or retreat for me?

I still went on the trip, trying to be as unaffected as possible. Surprisingly, I managed it and amazed myself with the amount of strength within me. Happy food, a companion and being in a foreign city never fail to restore hope and cheerfulness in me. Sometimes I am glad such simple things manage to make me forget, even for a brief moment.

It was a Sunday (21/07/13) and the coach was about half full. (The last trip on 5 stars coach before they closed down!) As usual, we arrived at around 1pm. There was still a bit of haze going on in Melaka. We found our way to Wayfarer easily, a guesthouse we had booked. It wasn't by any chance the cheapest but it was a comfortable stay in a family run hotel. My review can be read here. If you're fuss-free and on a budget, it's possible to arrive and just check into a hostel, there are plenty around Jonker street for a very basic bed and shared facilities, you can easily survive for a week on what we paid for a night.

As it was my fourth visit and Deborah as well, we didn't intend to do much sightseeing. But we did on the Tuesday morning before we departed for Singapore after we accomplished all our food missions! That Sunday we arrived, there was the weekend market going on... That was my favourite activity on every trip to join in the festivities.

So on the first day, we conquered a few food places... The first one was satay across from our guesthouse, it seemed really popular as everyone sat down were having them. They had some special ones like pork (don't get them in SG for halal reason), chicken liver and intestines. Then it was A&W for root beer and curly fries! Then we returned to Jonker street for Jonker 88's cendol and yummy mango juice. When night fell and stalls opened up, we ate more stuff! We had the dim sum off a stall, a poorly fried oyster omelette and I had the usual kiwi smoothie and a stick of  sour china pears. I also bought a coral necklace made by a man in dreadlocks, how cool! To end the night, we chilled with a few drinks, one at the Geographer Cafe (not as good as it used to be) and then Port cafe/lounge, a new find by the riverside, not far away from where we stayed.

The following day, it was also a few places on our agenda. I took Deb to try that famous chicken rice (overpriced by the locals' standard), then we went to the malls for Nadeje's mille crepes. It was my second time there, I felt I enjoyed them more the first time round, probably better to share a few flavours with more people. We did some shopping (2 pairs of shoes for me, yay, mission accomplished) before we returned to Jonker 88 for baba laksa! I got myself a replacement hat that morning for the one I lost in Phuket as I bought the previous one here.

That evening, we went to a new cafe we chanced upon on the first day we arrived named Calanthe Art Cafe. It boosts 13 kinds of coffee from different states of Malaysia. So I just had to have a coffee even though I am not a big fan! Great ambience and incredibly packed and it was a Monday night! Afterwhich, we settled at Port cafe/lounge again, because it was so close to where we stayed and unbelievably relaxing by the river. There were more mosquitoes that night and I was reluctant to let the night and the trip end so quickly!

The following morning, we had decided to have breakfast at Voyage Travellers' Lounge, another super funky cafe. Food was good and very reasonably priced. I suddenly wished I had a week there in Melaka. We went to explore the sites before coming back for lunch at a Teochew restaurant recommended by the lady boss at Wayfarer. Teo Soon Loong, it's called. Overall, I enjoyed the food, the old man was exceptionally friendly (though we could tell he was trying to promote his mangoes). I felt the younger lad was more genuine though. We managed to tried their famous dishes - oyster noodle and orh nee (yam paste). The prices could be a bit steep but we told them about our budget beforehand and so everything was sorted when we ordered. It also seemed to be always full and filled with tourists especially Singaporeans, so call for a reservation. They open only at meal times and are closed on Monday. Check more details on Tripadvisor.

So that was the end of the foodie trip! Quite successful I would say as we conquered a few more new places! More to be discovered the next time...

Memoirs of Nippon (9)

Rinku Town is a dangerous place, let me correct it, dangerous for the wallet! The Rinku Premium Outlet has 210 stores, you simply won't be able to see them in a day!!! This little gem is right across the Kansai airport, and to take advantage of the shopping before I headed home, I was staying at the Star Gate Hotel right besides it! They do free airport shuttle in the morning, so "delivery" of my shopping loots home yea!

In fact, Rinku Town is very pretty. Look at the picture on the left. That was taken near the bridge linked to the outlet malls, so in the picture is part of Rinku Pleasure Town Seacle and behind that is my hotel. Rinku Pleasure Town Seacle is a mall itself, I only went to a few shops as I didn't have time. Some very cool, especially one selling handmade stuff from India, another selling San-X products (Sentimental Circus)... Love them!  There are two sides of the premium outlet, one on each side of the road! In the next picture (below), I'm showing you one of the sides.

Before arriving, I had spent hours looking up on the list of stores and because there are 210... and I barely had half a day, so I shortlisted about 30-40 I wanted to see. I picked mostly Japanese brands as the American ones I had seen them back in Las Vegas outlet and probably they wouldn't be as cheap as America. So that was a lot of quality shopping for me, I found a few good buys. It was almost like a marathon, I kept having to time myself at each shop, just to make sure I had enough time to see the next one. Hahaha. Shopping can be really stressful too. I managed to sneak in a meal time at Bagel & Bagel and it was the most delicious one ever. I had the cheese bagel, with some kind of smoked ham (I can't read Japanese so I didn't know what that was called).

I finally called it a day at 740pm. They closed at 8pm! I got 2 bags from Beam, a Marc Jacobs pouch, a watch, a dress, a top and some miscellaneous items. That already costed me a few hundreds (S$).

The ferris wheel had lit up in the dark sky. Then I rushed off to find a convenience store which was open till late to get some snacks and things my cousin had requested me to buy home. I walked back hungry but with a satisfied smile on my face. It was my last night in Japan, I couldn't help but felt a tinge of sadness.

As I arrived earlier than the check-in time, my luggage was brought up to an assigned room for me. I was on the 39th floor, a corner room. I didn't know why but I felt uneasy in the room and I was whatsapping my friends on how freaky it was! LOL. After calming my nerves, I had a quick shower and went to bed. When it was daylight, I felt safer and spent the whole morning packing all the loots. It was drizzling that morning, Japan must have felt sad for me to leave too! I almost missed the time for my shuttle as I was packing down to the very last 5 minutes before the shuttle. HA! Then I ran down, check-out was a breeze and then the bus was there just in time.

Of course I came back with an additional carry-on luggage! Malaysia Airlines gave me 30kg allowance anyway, so I was pretty sure I hadn't exceeded. The queues at both the check-in and departure gate were madness, please please do online check-in next time (a reminder to self)!!! I did some more last minute souvenir shopping at the airport, and now I wish I had bought more green tea dango!

On the flight back, the service was much better than on the way there. I supposed it was the stewards and stewardesses too. I was watching "The Impossible", about the tsunami in Phuket some years back. At the same time, there was a bad turbulence going on, I felt so sick that I threw up! First time ever I used that air sickness bag in front of the seat!! I had to pause the movie to go to sleep before watching it again! I sat besides a guy from Hiroshima whose on his way to Kuala Lumpur for business, he was very humble and polite and we had a short conversation.

I had a short transit in Kuala Lumpur and now I know why Changi Airport is the best. It was so warm there, almost like they did not turn on the air-con! Worst of all, it was so BORING there, so I bought myself tea and muffin (worst muffin ever) at the Harrods Cafe. After which, I sat at the boarding gate, wishing I could fly home sooner!

Drizzle welcomed me home again. That marked the end of my first Japan trip but I knew I will be going back again. Missing all the people I met and food I had... Even at this moment I'm writing, it still brings back lots of good memories!

Memoirs of Nippon (8)

So finally I was back in the big city. Osaka. First thing I wanted was the green tea McFlurry. It was about time my shopping urges went out of control... HAHAHA. Actually it wasn't not too bad, I bought a top, eyed one bag (didn't buy but eventually did). Walking along the infamous shopping lane from Namba to Shinsaibashi (where my hostel was), the crowd was insane on a Sunday! I hated it, got out and back to the hostel to have a shower and chill before meeting Anson's friend for dinner.

Chinatsu, that's her name. I had never seen a photo of her, so that was the only thing I knew about her. We arranged on email to meet for a dinner, and coincidentally she worked at Daimara, just across from my hostel. After some hiccups with me approaching another stranger, we finally met up at the Apple store entrance. I told her I really wanted to do yakitori (after that incident in Kyoto), so she took me to a place (no English was spoken), it was more of a BBQ kind of yakitori. The food was really good and reasonably priced too. Chinatsu spoke some English, and in fact I didn't know she was at least 10 years older than me! OMG. She did not look anything like it!!! We had a good conversation as if we knew each other, not awkward but perhaps due to her limited English vocabulary, it was harder to have a deeper conversation. I really appreciated her taking the time out to meet me, even though I was only a friend of her friend. Then we exchanged a goodbye hug and with that our night ended.

The following day, I bought myself a subway pass (it's 200 yen cheaper on weekend I was told) as I had plans running all over that day. I imagined it would be as bad as all the walking in Kyoto but at least I would not be running to temples but maybe malls!

I had an arrangement with my hostel for a free guided tour at Osaka Castle that morning and I was the only one who signed up. The volunteered guide would still run the service as long as someone signed up, I felt a bit bad, and so I got ready another pack of oreo cookies to thank him.

Mitchy was my guide. A retired Japanese guy, bespectacled, thin and small frame, he spoke very good English. He was explaining to me the history and the way the castle was built, he even asked me about things in Singapore in comparison to Japan. We skipped entering the castle which was a museum as there was a photography exhibition going on and Mitchy said on other days I could have seen treasures/artefacts on display. The tour took about an hour and then we walked by the peach garden besides the castle, where he told me the peach blossom was a month earlier than the cherry blossom and was just as beautiful. Then he took me to a building where we lunched at the staff canteen. It was on the 21st storey and had a really fantastic view of the city! I had my lunch for only 500 yen, inclusive of a soup, drink, appetizer and a main course. Wow.

After lunch, we said goodbye and I went back to a mall we came through for some shopping! Then I went to Tennoji on the subway, this place Mitchy said was full of homeless but harmless people. When I got there, plenty of old people were sitting around, the pigeons were plenty too. There wasn't much to see (except the zoo but I had no time for it), so I hopped on the subway again to go back to Namba to get that bag I had been eyeing on.

But before that, it was time for tea and cake again. I just had to go to Muji Cafe. I saw an ad on a magazine in Koyasan guesthouse and the Japanese girls gave me the directions (as she frequents the cafe too). Again, I tried to ask the staff for some recommendation (thanks phrasebook) and happily settled with a ginger chocolate cake with ice earl grey tea.

After much effort, I finally found the bag shop, I had a hard time deciding which color to get (due to my fickle-mindedness again!!!). After a while and trying to communicate to the salesgirl in broken Japanese (using my phrasebook), I finally bought it. Then I rushed over to Shinsaibashi to get to Daimaru to get the Doraemon and Dorami desserts. The desserts came in super cute cups resembling the cartoon characters and I just had to get them. I saw them a day earlier and there was no more Doraemon, I was pretty sure they would replenish again and they did!

Then I returned to the shopping alley at Shinsaibashi to finish up my last minute shopping and got carried away. I almost forgot I was meeting Ayaka who was there for work for dinner. I rushed back to the station after wandering too far, took another subway to Osaka Station (Umeda) to meet Ayaka at her hotel. I lost my way again because I had no map of Osaka!!!

I was a little late but fortunately she was still there with a colleague. So we invited her along for dinner. My friend, Jean, recommended me this place, though she hasn't been herself. I had given the address of the little eatery to Ayaka earlier and she had planned how we could walk there. There wasn't an English signage for the place but on Facebook it has a page named Koyoshi Sushi Osaka. It was a very small sushi bar ran by a very cute Japanese old couple. The place has barely 10 seats, maybe 6 to 8?

The sushi were very fresh and needed no seasoning at all. The best I ever had. There also wasn't any menu. The moment we sat down, the old man decided for us what we would be eating. I was very glad I came with two Japanese friends as they did not seem to speak any English. I wouldn't even be able to communicate if I was alone. I couldn't remember how many I had, 6 or 7... and I was stuffed. The girls did one more than me! Also when the bill came, there wasn't a proper price tagged to the sushi, he quoted an equal price per head for us. It was reasonable (well I heard it was much more pricier from others).

After dinner, Ayaka and me retreated to her room for our usual girls' gossip and to tuck into those cute little desserts of mine. She offered me to stay for the night but I had to pack and leave for Rinku Town early the following day, so it didn't really work. What a shame! But I was really glad we got to meet up in Japan (her home country) and hopefully we will again somewhere else.

I bought a few things already in Osaka but I could foresee more the next day when I would be going to the premium outlet. Oh dear! It was tough packing that night but I managed to stuff everything in.

Accommodation in Osaka

I didn't linger around as much in the hostel as I would have like. It was a shame too as the staff seemed really nice and they had so many activities going on. That day I was going away, they were doing their weekly Takoyaki party!!! The hostel is called Osaka Hana Hostel, it felt really safe and big too. Imagine a hostel with elevator!!! So easy for big luggage, except that you got to carry it up a flight of stairs first to get to the entrance. I was in the mixed dorm, but wasn't around much to meet other people. I chatted briefly with an Indonesian girl who was travelling alone and another black guy from London from my room. The toilets (automatic!!) and bathrooms were situated outside, shared with a few other rooms but there was rarely a queue. There were also hair dryers at the basin area, how thoughtful! Laundry can be done at certain floors too. On my bedside, there was a wooden box you can lock your stuff in with your own padlock (or borrow one), and a lamp for reading. In general, I think the hostels in Japan have a very high standard of comfort and privacy. The only country I had bed with curtain!

Memoirs of Nippon (7)

The following morning, I bid a sad goodbye to the deers in the park. I shared my journey back to Osaka with an obasan, I met her in the hostel during breakfast and it appeared we could take the same train while she was heading to Kobe. She spoke very good English for a Japanese, and surprisingly she was the only one in the family who could. She was awed by my travel journal (LOL) and encouraged me to travel more while I can :)

I was heading to Koyasan that day, but I needed to drop my bags in my hostel in Osaka instead of lugging them up the mountain. Fortunately, I did! A first glimpse of Osaka revealed lots of shopping opportunities. Before jumping into the train, again I randomly walked into a restaurant as I had a craving for Katsu-karē. Oh so yummy! It seemed like I was the only tourist in there snapping picture of my food!

I bought the Koyasan-World Heritage Ticket from Namba station, and the whole journey took about 2 hours to get there, train and cable car. And so it happened that I actually forgot to check how to get to my hostel up in Koyasan (great)... I was quite lucky I met a Japanese-Caucasian couple along the way who kindly asked for directions in Japanese for me. So I guess shit does happen, just deal with it along the way.

It was drizzling when I alighted from the bus. The air up the mountain was also much colder. I finally made it to Koyasan guest house Kokuu, a very cool guest house with modern capsule-alike rooms. Here's a photo of my room (on the left). I remembered Laurent would be here too but it was pretty empty when I checked in. It was drizzling but I still went out to the nearby Okunoin for a walk. It's said to be the largest graveyard in Japan and the most sacred site in Koyasan. Amidst the rain, there still was an air of holiness and serenity.

When I came back from the walk, a few more people checked in. Laurent happened to be in the capsule right opposite me. Then Ryochi (owner of Kokuu) told us about this guided Okunoin night walk which was happening that evening. Lucky lucky us as it was a monthly affair and we were there at the right time. So five of us decided to go for it even though it was still raining!!! Each of us would hold a battery operated lantern and follow the guide who explained in Japanese. It wasn't as cold as I thought, I guess my tolerance for cold is really high!

We abandoned the guided tour at some point because there was a shortcut back to our guesthouse, but only 3 of us came back together. The other two somehow got lost. We were starving by then, but Ryochi was cooking us curries. He surely had a lot of "business", because all of us were so hungry!! Laurent and I had the butter chicken curries, and surprisingly it was too spicy for an Asian like me! For a French, he didn't even complain about the spiciness! Jack, a guy from Seattle, ordered his curry twice! Ryochi sure cooks well, I love it despite having to steal some beer from Laurent to ease the spiciness. That night, I played Othello with the Japanese girls and won, it was a friendly match so no biggie. Laurent and Jack apparently never heard of the game before. Jack had a very weird craving that night, he wanted oreo cookies... Amazingly, yes I had them!!! So funny. I passed it on to him which he initially refused but he caved in.

We spoke about going for the early morning prayers the following day but most of them backed out after having been on the night tour. So it was just the Japanese girls and me. It was about 530am, we woke up and got ready. The weather was freezing, even more so than the night before! I followed the girls and we arrived at Gobyo (Kobo Daishi’s Shrine) for an hour of prayers. It was surreal. A nap followed by a warm freshly made breakfast thereafter made the start of the day even better.

After breakfast, many of us were going on our separate ways. My main goal in Koyasan was to see Okunoin, so everything else didn't seem to matter much. I decided to tag along someone who would be on the same path with me (maybe same train back down to Osaka), it happened to be Laurent. He wanted to check out Daimon at the other end of Koyasan, so I followed him. Along the way, we saw a few magnificent temples (I didn't know all the names) including Daito and Kondo. We got to Daimon and there were a few trails to take but we didn't as we wanted to catch the bus back down soon.

So we went back to the bus-stop, it happened that a mini flea market was happening right around there. So we popped by and got served complimentary dessert with green tea. How nice! I was having a browse, then a guy told me I could have a mini card laminated with a four-leaf clover in it. Ahhhh, my lucky charm! Laurent was happy with a pack of "rice" he got which was said to be blessed by the monks.

We took the bus, cable car and then waited for a train together and wasted the time comparing silly notes between his French Lonely Planet's phrase book and mine. It was time for me to head back to Osaka while Laurent traveled to west Japan. It was fun to have travel companions for the past two days!

Memoirs of Nippon (6)

Before I left that morning, Ron said he was making plan to see Nara too, so we made plan to meet the following day to go about together. I left him a pack of my Oreo cookies, and it was the start of my Oreo cookies distribution (ahaha)... I realised I had made a habit of giving away my food.

I missed Mister Donut so I went back for breakfast before I took the train. However I didn't make a great choice, that sugar glazed one is still the best! The train to Nara took about 50 minutes, fortunately the hostel was a short walk away. I didn't manage to spot it till a resident nearby told me about it!

Nara Backpackers - a very old house, charming and very cosy. I had a very tough time making my booking as they didn't reply email, answer calls or reply on skype! But I got a friend in Japan to ring them up and managed to get a reply to my email! However, I won't recommend for old people with weak knees as the stairs to the second floor will be quite a daunting task. Again, I arrived early and couldn't check in. So I had to leave my bags and come back later. When I left for a walk in the city, a French backpacker, Lucas was leaving too, so I walked him out and we had a brief conversation. Before we parted ways, he handed me a "namecard" which has his Facebook email. LOL. The latest way of keeping in touch.

So I had a couple of hours to myself. I began a little exploration starting from the train station. I chanced upon many cool cafes, and I was already falling for this little city. I read about recommendation on renting a bicycle to sightsee but I wasn't really keen. I just wanted to take things easy. There were small alleys everywhere and in some corners were some really unique shops and cafes. It was hard not to shop here, and I started my little spree in Daiso, buying quite a few things.

I went to a few temples, one of which I randomly chanced upon and was tourist-free and had beautiful tulips! I also found the temple for love (read it from a guidebook) named Goryo Shrin, I looked and imitated a Japanese woman who was asking for blessing. It wasn't long before my stomach was growling and I settled in a cafe where many old Japanese women were having parfaits and me, a sandwich and homemade ice cream (after a bit of duck and chicken trying to communicate)! Oh, I looked on, amazed at how these old women were enjoying their parfaits... it really made me yearn for one too. I promised myself one! After the meal, I decided to go to the park (as I saw deers earlier on walking with Lucas to the train station) but it was empty!!

Back in the hostel, I was so relieved I could finally rest, get a shower and have my laundry cleaned. I was in the mixed dormitory, a female staff was also staying in the same room with a few other guys. One leaving, a few just arrived. I decided not to head out that night, since I had a late lunch and I would make do with some biscuits and tea before bedtime. I started talking to Laurent, a French, and it happened we would be going to Koyasan on the same day. He told me he hadn't found a place to stay, and was considering the temple stay, and so I told him about the hostel I would be at. After looking at it online, he booked it. That night, I just read up and chatted with one of the staff on some cafes which I could go to the following day. I was glad I did! It was freezing that night, I couldn't recall how many layers I wore to bed, there wasn't any air-con or heater and the wind was just knocking furiously on my window.

The next morning, I woke up early to make it to the Nara Park just to see the deers! I was thrilled, like a little kid... Immediately, I bought food from a seller to feed them. But within a few minutes, these two greedy animals finished them all.

I went further in the park to explore and saw Kōfuku-ji temple, there again I bumped into Laurent who was leaving that day. Around the temple vicinity, there were also many deers! I bought another pack of biscuits (deer food) and made sure I kept them in my pocket!!! If they can't see it and since they can't smell it too, I am safe!

I left and went on a mission to look for a bakery for breakfast. After walking for 15 minutes or so, I finally found it. Luckily I could sit in there and eat as it was crazily windy outside, the owner even served me a glass of water! Touched! Then I had to find my way back to meet Ron at the train station, he was 30 minutes late and I almost thought he wasn't coming.

Ron could speak basic Japanese so it really helped! I brought him to this place for lunch, recommended by the hostel staff for authentic Japanese food. We ordered a 2 dishes set meal to share (luckily they were kind enough to allow it), when it came, there were like 5 items. After that, I told him that we had to have tea and cake, maybe even a parfait. I hope I didn't scare him hahah! But first, we had to burn the calories... I took him back to see the deers and got him to feed them. I already felt like I belonged to this place ;)

Our first stop was Kasuga Taisha, at the very east of Nara Park. It was a very relaxing walk through the park and we got to see and feed many deers along the way. Some aggressive, some really shy. We only visited the outer area of the temple which was free. There was also a shrine nearby for love and marriage. I love the setting of shrines in the forest, it made it feel exceptionally sacred and peaceful. Also, not as touristic as Kyoto, it made visiting a lot more enjoyable and stress-free.

 "Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns, which have been donated by worshipers. Hundreds of bronze lanterns can be found hanging from the buildings, while as many stone lanterns line its approaches. The lanterns are lit twice a year on the occasion of the Lantern Festivals in early February and mid August" - excerpt quoted from Japan-guide. 

Our next stop was Todaji temple, Ron was insistent on seeing that huge Buddha statue. On the way there, we found Nigatsu-do Hall (shown on the right), which was free to public and best of all, got the best view of Nara city! Todaji temple must be the most touristy attraction in Nara, it was packed. We paid 500 yen for admission, it was a quick visit, maybe 30 minutes. The 15m bronze Buddha is the main attraction in its main hall named Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall). You can also pay for a combined ticket to see the museum besides it (built in 2011).

Then it's time for cake (needless to say!). I shortlisted a few cafes and we just decided on one which we found on the 2nd storey, not far away from where we had our lunch. We shared the chocolate cake (which looked like molten chocolate cake but it wasn't) that came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with berries. My earl grey tea came in a pot and nicely covered to be kept warm. It was heavenly, not sure was it the combination, the ambience, or everything in this little quaint cafe that made it so perfect. We both had the speechless grins on our face, so wide and so satisfied.

After tea and cake, I was still reluctant to give up on having a parfait (look, I promised myself)! Ron gave in, he was tempted when I showed him those pictures on the menu. Hahaha. So we settled in the Matcha Cafe and had the most authentic one representing Nara, it had a deer biscuit standing on top of it. Marvellous!

I'm sure Ron had a memorable time stuffing himself with me in Nara (Ooopss!). Anyway, it was about time for him to head back to Osaka, so we parted our ways. I carried on walking around and found myself some Japanese two-toed socks and Vitamin C drinks; also I bought some remedy for muscle ache and pimples earlier that day. There wasn't much nightlife in a small city like this, so I retired back into my bed after a nice shower and more packing.

Time to move on the following day... I was really glad I did two nights in Nara where most would deem excessive but it was just the kind of place I felt at home.