Its been a good 10 days spend in Japan in different regions such as Osaka, Kyoto, Wakayama, Tokyo (Asakusa/Harujuku/Shinjuku) and I must say that it's definitely a good experience travelling with your family. The trip was planned way in March where I was scrolling the scoot deals and chanced upon the deal to Osaka - both ways, direct flight of 6 hours selling at $348. Of course the tickets are selling like hotcakes as I watched the seat quantity getting lesser. I hesitated no more and called my mom to ask if she's okay to take leave off for the trip because we've been waiting to go Japan for the longest time!! She checked with her boss and gave me the green light to travel together :-)
What was amazing was that I actually asked my friend to come along and it became a family trip edition! Honestly, it would be a real torture without my friend lollol she was so damn good in lobang and finding airbnb apartment for us to stay! The apartments were close in proximate to the subway stations and the shopping districts.
However when we first arrived in Osaka, it was raining earlier on. It was so damn cold and I thought I'm dead cause I didn't bring enough winter clothings. Can you believe that I had to use heat pack? The temperature suddenly dropped to 10 degree/9 degree and we were freezing while walking without an umbrella. The immigration checkpoint got delayed for an hour (there's so many koreans and china tourists!) and we had to check 1) for our temperature 2) for the photo ID verification 3) stamp the passport. We also collected our JR passes from the counter and it is
extremely important to purchase it before you come Japan.
The entire trip we saved approximately $300 to $400 as most of the trips were planned with travelling only JR subway in mind. Travelling to Tokyo one way would cost $140 and it's so expensive. I would think that travelling from Tokyo/Osaka to Hokaido using JR would be the best deal - as that trip alone would cost $300 per way. Furthermore Klook was giving discount rebate during that period so do check out their deals from time to time.
First stop -
Wakayama
This place is so amazing but there's such a sad story behind it. I was googling about The Cove and found out that the dolphin killing spree do happen annually at the region. Fisherman will usually trap the dolphins in big nets to swim into big dark cave and kill them next morning when they are likely to be aggressive. It hurts to watch the blue ocean turn into red, and even sadder that I'm there :( But that place is amazing! Beautiful sea, fresh seafood and to watch exotic sea animals. My friend Ron droved there from Osaka and our first stop, the sushi restaurant lool.
The restaurant owner had a good experience of 10 - 20 years? He's really good with handling the killing of pufferfish. Initially we thought that he kept the pufferfish in the tank as a pet but shit hit the fan when he threw the pufferfish on the floor and began to hold his chopper fuggg LOL
The sushi platter! It was really fresh and some of the fish tasted damn raw - wasn't really suitable to my taste hehe so I ate more of the tempura and was sad that I didn't eat salmon :( In Japan, their salmon are in dark red colour and I don't think I tasted it sobs.
Sian. Watching this gave me so much pain. My mom still took a video of the pufferfish's beating heartbeat I'm like wtf mom pls.
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| I can sit here forever and watch the waves. |
And then we drove to this place with some rock formation on the ocean (?!) It was really pretty la but I couldn't take a nice photo lol my hair was so messy and I wished I cut it earlier on haha.
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| Such beauty! |
Trekked up the steps for a magnificent view of the temple with the waterfall at the background! In Japan, there's sooo many shrines and temple. Thank god I brought proper wearing shoes else I'll be so dead. The climb took us around 30 minutes to get up.
I love bamboo shoots! I can watch em all day too.
For this view is 100% wew. Actually for a foreigner to drive all the way here really damn pro hahaha kudos to him for that! It's like the place is kinda secluded and we pass by so many tunnels and small roads. But really! that was considered one of my highlight of the trip other than the famous mount fuji and nara park :-)
yaaaaa i take a selfie ok!
my mom wore my dress LOL
Just a random part but this Avance Lash Serum is amazing balls. I don't know but my lash grew longer and the volume is so thick. I can feel my bottom lashes much fuller and I extremely love it!! It was a random purchase as I saw so many china tourists purchasing at the drug stores. It was so kua-zhang (ridiculous) in english, that they took like 10 of them wtf? and asked the shop assistant if there are anymore stocks. I purchased two to try! Quite a not bad purchase.
The beach! But it was really so cold. I just take photo and zao, there's nobody too?!?!
The mountain behind so chio.
My omu rice!! Deng deng. But it was a disappointment la. The curry was damn (jak-lat) means very boring eat few mouth boring already, but the beef hamburger patty was the bomb! I love how soft and chewy their patty was but overall, I don't think I can eat again hahahha
DON DON DON BORI!!!
with my $2 specs from bangkok.
Went to cup noodle factory! Made my own cup noodles and thats about it. But interesting experience! Worth heading actually!
so many cup noodles till i think if i eat em my hair will drop.
chanced this pretty river and jogging area, and we take a group selfie!
one thing I really like about japan. Their beautiful sky and clean walkways, river with absolutely no pollution or even a paper in the water! I remembered I dropped some takayuki ball on the floor and had to pick up and throw in the rubbish bin lool. That's how anal they are.
beautiful ocean at wakayama!
anyway, we chanced upon this cute aunty!!! we asked her how do we pay for the subway ticket in english and she end up paying for us. We're like what?!??!?!?!? then she said, " welcome to japan" I'm like holy shit LOL WHY SO NICE??????? so I suggest we took a selfie for memory keepsake hehe.
the softest takayuki balls! Love it but can't finish. The portion is crazy laaaa ok.
Every night also go don don don don boki and don don bori. HAHA OK i'll make more effort to post my continued adventure in Japan! Thanks for reading :)
