It's been over a year and my memory is failing me. Below is a brief description of the places we went to:
1st Stop: Shitenoji Temple. We'd never have gone here if it weren't for the Osaka Unlimited Pass - It's just a typical Japanese temple, but with a huuugge cemetery right beside it, making the whole place quite eerie. We spent some time loitering around a nice garden inside, and browsed through the artifacts at the Treasure House, and then promptly left for Hitachi Tower.
2nd Stop: Hitachi Tower is the oldest observatory in Osaka, having opened some 30 years back. It us in a pretty dilapidated state now though, and the lift going up was really old and creepy, akin to the one in Dark Waters. Once on top, the view is nothing compared to what we saw at Umeda Sky Garden, and the glass panels were very, very dirty. A total waste of time in our opinion. And of course I wouldn't pay admission for this - Sky Garden is 10x better.
3rd Stop: Some museum dedicated to the development of Osaka city over time. Think it's the urban development museum or something. It's amazing how many museums there are in Japan, and again we wouldn't have bothered with this one if it weren't for the pass. Surprisingly, this one's pretty cool - it had one floor built in pre-war Japan style, and even had free Yukata ti try on. Grace donned one and we went out to the "street" to watch a "hanabi", or fireworks - fake of course, but sounds quite real. And then there's the contemporary floor which had very cool exhibits that showcased the changing environment in Japanese families over time. There'd be, say, a typical house layout in 1900s; then as the audio commentary progressed, parts of the house would be removed, and automatically replaced by new components that reflected the new environment of a new era. So you can really see the evolving Japanese community over time, quite interesting.
4th Stop: WTC. We rushed down in the hope of catching the Sky Buffet - affordable at barely 1380 or 1580 yen per pax, and with a view to boot. Alas, we reached too late - buffet closes in 15 minutes or something. And it was too early to see the night view of the harbour area on the observatory. So we had to move on to the next stop, Maritime museum. Grace was starving and turned quite sulky, so we sat down in front of a shop named Starvations and laughed as Grace drank Oolong tea to help curb the hunger - nothing around the area then was appetizing or cheap. Of course that was a year ago, now the area is filled with nice restaurants and eateries.
5th Stop: Martime museum. A loooong walk along the pier from the train station. It's a dome-shaped building that seems to "float" in the sea, without any visible physical connection to land. In fact, there was a undersea tunnel that links land and the "floating" museum, and there were portholes on the roof of the tunnel so you can see the fishes, algae and random floating organisms through them. The museum featured a huge ship that really sailed some years back, and many little interesting exhibits, multi-media stations and things that you can try your hands on. Alas, we didn't linger for long as we had to rush to catch our Santa Maria cruise at Kaiyukan.
6th Stop: Santa Maria Cruise. This ship was a 15th-century replica of Christopher Columbus' ship, and it had a museum on board dedicated to him. The cruise is about 45 minutes and took us around the Osaka harbour and ventured a bit into the open sea, though not for long. The wind was very strong, and we had to wear double layer to prevent ourselves from freezing. Once again, we'd never have thought of doing a cruise for 800 yen if it weren't for the pass.
7th Stop: Final Destination - WTC observatory. Enroute to the observatory, we spotted a chapel (or at least a wedding venue), and Grace became very interested as it's quite a interesting notion to have your wedding some 200+m up in the air. Then it was the observatory. We stayed there for quite some time, and waited till sunset and caught a glimpse of the night view. Alas, we both felt that the WTC tower is a tad too far away from the city area, hence the view paled in contrast with that at Umeda Sky Garden even though the latter is much shorter in height. We left soon after sunset, both famished. I think we had Yoshinoya near Juso station, before heading back to My Dear II.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
DAY 24 - OSAKA UNLIMITED 1 (CONTINUED)
The Osaka castle was probably the newest of its kind - the old castle was burnt down during WWII, and the present one was completely rebuilt, with (relatively) wide aisles and staircases and fully air-conditioned interior. There were plenty of exhibits along the way as we made our descent from the 6th floor, mostly artifacts from the different clans and warlords that ruled Osaka in the past. There were also video clips and audio commentaries that revolved around the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a legendary person that made his way from commoner to Kampaku (the highest position in the Japanese imperial court) and unified Japan. I knew his story pretty well, having covered it in Japanese Studies and also in the game Taiko Rishiden which was based on his struggle from rags to riches; but it was different to actually SEE his portrait, his handwriting, his armor and swords, and of course his famous collection of tea utensils.
After leaving the castle, we dropped by the Nishinomaru Garden, which was famous for its 600 cherry trees that made it a hot spot for sakura viewing. Alas, we arrived at the wrong season, so the park was all green. There were a lot of schoolchildren though, lower primary predominantly, and they were apparently on a school excursion. Seeing them having so much fun together, chasing each other, skipping, singing, picnicking, etc., made us envious of the abundant choices Japanese schoolchildren enjoy for excursions. A sharp contrast with our own system - I recalled having visited the Botanic Garden and Zoo/Night Safari 3 times each, Bird Park and Science Centre twice each, and of course Sentosa. Oh well.
Then it was a short "train" ride to...the entrance of the castle compound. Yes. It was the Osaka Castle Park Tram, nicknamed "Road Train". Essentially a tram that LOOKS like a train, SOUNDS like a train, but moves on wheels. We would not have taken it if it weren't for our Unlimited Pass. So we joined a bunch of En-Joys (who paid 200 Yen each) for a train ride during which many pedestrians bypassed us. But when the schoolchildren saw us, they had the WOW expression on their faces. Their teacher led them in waving to us, and they waved frantically and were genuinely thrilled. Jap kids are sooooo cute :P
After disembarking from the train, we walked over to the Osaka Museum of History. It featured the history of Osaka city, which had quite a bit of overlap with what we saw earlier at the Osaka Castle. One interesting part was an entire level recreated in the Meiji period Osaka setting - houses, shops, people, everything. One gets to walk along the streets and experience how life was like a century ago. Aside from that, there were plenty of interactive games for children, which attracted hordes of school kids. We were tempted to try too but couldn't make sense of the games. Plus, it might be a tad embarrassing to be competing with kids for those games :P
Our stomachs were growling by the time we left the museum, and since the next part of our itinerary lies in a different part of the city, we decided to head back to Shinsaibashi for the famed Sweets Paradise buffet. We were lost after exiting the station, and couldn't find the building that housed the restaurant. I approached an uniformed lady at the entrance of Takashimaya who appeared to be greeting guests arriving in cars, she had no clue where the building was initially, but upon mentioning that we wanted to go to Sweets Paradise, she immediately went "AHH~!" and promptly showed us the direction. I sheepishly asked if it was oishii, and was reassured that it was indeed "Oishii desu!"
We reached the restaurant and it was already quite packed. For 1480 Yen per person, you get a huge spread of cakes, puddings, pastries, icecreams, chocolate fondue, pastas, snacks, drinks and occasionally some meat as well. The selection of desserts was mind-blowing, though not as crazy and appetizing as those at departmental store basements but hey, it's freeflow here! We ate our fill here, having drooled over desserts at Seiyu and Taka basements for the past few days but bought pathetically little in view of budgetary constraints. The restaurant was filled with young OLs and schoolgirls, and I was the only male there for quite some time. Grace was surprised that they all looked so skinny despite the buffets (they appeared to be regular patrons), until she spotted one lady downing Starch blockers and Chitosan pills (fat-absorbing supplement) before attacking her plate. No wonder the drugstores sell these blockers like crazy.
After the buffet we went to the subway station, and tested ourselves enroute by intentionally bypassing the desserts counters. Success!! For the first time since our arrival in Japan, we were quite immune to those sickeningly appetizing desserts. Not completely immune as we would still love to eat them, but at least we weren't drooling like nobody's business anymore :)
Next stop was Nagai Botanical Garden, which housed the Osaka Museum of Natural History too. But since the last admission was 30 minutes before the closing time at 5pm, we were rushing all the way upon exiting the Nagai station at close to 4pm. We made it in time, though the garden was already quite deserted at that time. It was huge, with plenty of flowers that we couldn't quite name, and has a couple of ponds and very long walking paths. It would have been great to take a stroll here leisurely and spend a couple of hours here, but since we were rushing for time, we didn't have the luxury of touring the entire garden. We covered only the portions closest to the entrance, took a few shots and left promptly for the Natural History Museum.
There was a lovely little garden right outside the museum, which was quite a sharp contrast with the enormous Whale skeleton hanging from the roof of the museum entrance. There was a heart-shaped flower ring in the centre of the garden, and once again there was a bell, very much alike the garden we went to last summer in Hokkaido. By the time we entered the museum it was completely empty except for the staff, and they were quite surprised to see that there were still visitors who would pay 300 yen to come in 20 minutes before the museum closes (of course they didn't know that we were on the amazing Osaka Unlimited Pass! XD). The museum featured not only dinosaurs but also plants and animals from all parts of the world, and there were quite a few interactive videos/games that were not only educational but highly entertaining too. Our discovery centre pales quite sharply in contrast.
We left the garden shortly after 5 (it didn't close at exactly 5pm, as there were still one or two old folks loitering near the entrance then). Enroute back to the Nagai station we saw an old man feeding pigeons - HUGE pigeons, and FLOCKS of them. He would throw some crumbs out and the entire flock would flutter and scurry towards the crumbs, and then throw some more in another direction and set off another wave of fluttering. At some instances he was almost completely covered by pigeons. Shudders. I can't understand why people do this. The pigeons are WAY TOO FAT in Japan, and they are a public nuisance. They should totally outlaw pigeon feeding man.
We were back to Shinsaibashi for the Tonbori river cruise. We had 30 minutes before the next departure, so we wandered into a shop beside the boarding point, which sold all kinds of cosplay costumes and wigs too. I saw the latest La Pin'dor wigs there, the ones that I used to sell back in 2003, and it brought back flooding memories of my pathetic JC days spent scrubbing plates and distributing flyers to repay my debt. Oh wells. After much contemplation I bought a wig at 6980Y (ouch), just so that I'd save some trouble styling my hair every morning, which I totally suck at.
The cruise was nubbad, and the guide was really enthusiastic and joked extensively. Despite the language barrier we could understand quite a bit of his commentary, with all his elaborate gestures. We passed off as Japs as I was responding to his jokes and exclaiming occasionally with what little Japanese I knew, until he asked me a difficult question and I sheepishly admitted that it was too difficult for me to comprehend. He was very surprised, and added in more English subsequently. Overall it was an enjoyable cruise, though I doubt we'd ever pay 700 yen per person for this. Money better spent on food :P:P
Our last stop for the day was Umeda, the first stop of our first trip to Japan two years back. And we went up to the Floating Garden Observatory again. It is an amazing place and a MUST VISIT for all that go to Osaka, seriously. The transparent escalator that led us from 30+ floor up to the sky garden was gorgeous. I think they revamped the second floor from the top, and now it has several isolated and elevated platforms for couples to sit and enjoy the night view through huge wall-to-ceiling windows. The fact that the platform seats are covered from the rear and separated from the other platforms ensured exclusivity and privacy, and coupled with the dim lighting and the breathtaking night views, they constitute a truly romantic experience. There were many couples cuddling at respective platforms, and we were lucky enough to grab one as there were only 5 or 6 of them there. Pictures could not do the scenery justice. After resting and soaking in the amazing views for 20+ minutes, we left for the rooftop garden.
It was freezing and windy up there, just like how it was 2 years ago. And there was a couple undergoing a special ritual - having their names engraved onto some silver or golden lock, and then having exclusive access to a special platform on the rooftop with special lighting and some interesting decorations to perform a ritual that supposedly seals their fate together. At a price, of course. Think it was over 10,000 Yen or something. Romantic, yes, but none of us would willingly fork out THAT much for a ritual and a lock. Food food food :D
On the way down Grace went crazy, and we caught those funny moments on video. Time to head back to our cozy My Dear II.
The Osaka castle was probably the newest of its kind - the old castle was burnt down during WWII, and the present one was completely rebuilt, with (relatively) wide aisles and staircases and fully air-conditioned interior. There were plenty of exhibits along the way as we made our descent from the 6th floor, mostly artifacts from the different clans and warlords that ruled Osaka in the past. There were also video clips and audio commentaries that revolved around the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a legendary person that made his way from commoner to Kampaku (the highest position in the Japanese imperial court) and unified Japan. I knew his story pretty well, having covered it in Japanese Studies and also in the game Taiko Rishiden which was based on his struggle from rags to riches; but it was different to actually SEE his portrait, his handwriting, his armor and swords, and of course his famous collection of tea utensils.
After leaving the castle, we dropped by the Nishinomaru Garden, which was famous for its 600 cherry trees that made it a hot spot for sakura viewing. Alas, we arrived at the wrong season, so the park was all green. There were a lot of schoolchildren though, lower primary predominantly, and they were apparently on a school excursion. Seeing them having so much fun together, chasing each other, skipping, singing, picnicking, etc., made us envious of the abundant choices Japanese schoolchildren enjoy for excursions. A sharp contrast with our own system - I recalled having visited the Botanic Garden and Zoo/Night Safari 3 times each, Bird Park and Science Centre twice each, and of course Sentosa. Oh well.
Then it was a short "train" ride to...the entrance of the castle compound. Yes. It was the Osaka Castle Park Tram, nicknamed "Road Train". Essentially a tram that LOOKS like a train, SOUNDS like a train, but moves on wheels. We would not have taken it if it weren't for our Unlimited Pass. So we joined a bunch of En-Joys (who paid 200 Yen each) for a train ride during which many pedestrians bypassed us. But when the schoolchildren saw us, they had the WOW expression on their faces. Their teacher led them in waving to us, and they waved frantically and were genuinely thrilled. Jap kids are sooooo cute :P
After disembarking from the train, we walked over to the Osaka Museum of History. It featured the history of Osaka city, which had quite a bit of overlap with what we saw earlier at the Osaka Castle. One interesting part was an entire level recreated in the Meiji period Osaka setting - houses, shops, people, everything. One gets to walk along the streets and experience how life was like a century ago. Aside from that, there were plenty of interactive games for children, which attracted hordes of school kids. We were tempted to try too but couldn't make sense of the games. Plus, it might be a tad embarrassing to be competing with kids for those games :P
Our stomachs were growling by the time we left the museum, and since the next part of our itinerary lies in a different part of the city, we decided to head back to Shinsaibashi for the famed Sweets Paradise buffet. We were lost after exiting the station, and couldn't find the building that housed the restaurant. I approached an uniformed lady at the entrance of Takashimaya who appeared to be greeting guests arriving in cars, she had no clue where the building was initially, but upon mentioning that we wanted to go to Sweets Paradise, she immediately went "AHH~!" and promptly showed us the direction. I sheepishly asked if it was oishii, and was reassured that it was indeed "Oishii desu!"
We reached the restaurant and it was already quite packed. For 1480 Yen per person, you get a huge spread of cakes, puddings, pastries, icecreams, chocolate fondue, pastas, snacks, drinks and occasionally some meat as well. The selection of desserts was mind-blowing, though not as crazy and appetizing as those at departmental store basements but hey, it's freeflow here! We ate our fill here, having drooled over desserts at Seiyu and Taka basements for the past few days but bought pathetically little in view of budgetary constraints. The restaurant was filled with young OLs and schoolgirls, and I was the only male there for quite some time. Grace was surprised that they all looked so skinny despite the buffets (they appeared to be regular patrons), until she spotted one lady downing Starch blockers and Chitosan pills (fat-absorbing supplement) before attacking her plate. No wonder the drugstores sell these blockers like crazy.
After the buffet we went to the subway station, and tested ourselves enroute by intentionally bypassing the desserts counters. Success!! For the first time since our arrival in Japan, we were quite immune to those sickeningly appetizing desserts. Not completely immune as we would still love to eat them, but at least we weren't drooling like nobody's business anymore :)
Next stop was Nagai Botanical Garden, which housed the Osaka Museum of Natural History too. But since the last admission was 30 minutes before the closing time at 5pm, we were rushing all the way upon exiting the Nagai station at close to 4pm. We made it in time, though the garden was already quite deserted at that time. It was huge, with plenty of flowers that we couldn't quite name, and has a couple of ponds and very long walking paths. It would have been great to take a stroll here leisurely and spend a couple of hours here, but since we were rushing for time, we didn't have the luxury of touring the entire garden. We covered only the portions closest to the entrance, took a few shots and left promptly for the Natural History Museum.
There was a lovely little garden right outside the museum, which was quite a sharp contrast with the enormous Whale skeleton hanging from the roof of the museum entrance. There was a heart-shaped flower ring in the centre of the garden, and once again there was a bell, very much alike the garden we went to last summer in Hokkaido. By the time we entered the museum it was completely empty except for the staff, and they were quite surprised to see that there were still visitors who would pay 300 yen to come in 20 minutes before the museum closes (of course they didn't know that we were on the amazing Osaka Unlimited Pass! XD). The museum featured not only dinosaurs but also plants and animals from all parts of the world, and there were quite a few interactive videos/games that were not only educational but highly entertaining too. Our discovery centre pales quite sharply in contrast.
We left the garden shortly after 5 (it didn't close at exactly 5pm, as there were still one or two old folks loitering near the entrance then). Enroute back to the Nagai station we saw an old man feeding pigeons - HUGE pigeons, and FLOCKS of them. He would throw some crumbs out and the entire flock would flutter and scurry towards the crumbs, and then throw some more in another direction and set off another wave of fluttering. At some instances he was almost completely covered by pigeons. Shudders. I can't understand why people do this. The pigeons are WAY TOO FAT in Japan, and they are a public nuisance. They should totally outlaw pigeon feeding man.
We were back to Shinsaibashi for the Tonbori river cruise. We had 30 minutes before the next departure, so we wandered into a shop beside the boarding point, which sold all kinds of cosplay costumes and wigs too. I saw the latest La Pin'dor wigs there, the ones that I used to sell back in 2003, and it brought back flooding memories of my pathetic JC days spent scrubbing plates and distributing flyers to repay my debt. Oh wells. After much contemplation I bought a wig at 6980Y (ouch), just so that I'd save some trouble styling my hair every morning, which I totally suck at.
The cruise was nubbad, and the guide was really enthusiastic and joked extensively. Despite the language barrier we could understand quite a bit of his commentary, with all his elaborate gestures. We passed off as Japs as I was responding to his jokes and exclaiming occasionally with what little Japanese I knew, until he asked me a difficult question and I sheepishly admitted that it was too difficult for me to comprehend. He was very surprised, and added in more English subsequently. Overall it was an enjoyable cruise, though I doubt we'd ever pay 700 yen per person for this. Money better spent on food :P:P
Our last stop for the day was Umeda, the first stop of our first trip to Japan two years back. And we went up to the Floating Garden Observatory again. It is an amazing place and a MUST VISIT for all that go to Osaka, seriously. The transparent escalator that led us from 30+ floor up to the sky garden was gorgeous. I think they revamped the second floor from the top, and now it has several isolated and elevated platforms for couples to sit and enjoy the night view through huge wall-to-ceiling windows. The fact that the platform seats are covered from the rear and separated from the other platforms ensured exclusivity and privacy, and coupled with the dim lighting and the breathtaking night views, they constitute a truly romantic experience. There were many couples cuddling at respective platforms, and we were lucky enough to grab one as there were only 5 or 6 of them there. Pictures could not do the scenery justice. After resting and soaking in the amazing views for 20+ minutes, we left for the rooftop garden.
It was freezing and windy up there, just like how it was 2 years ago. And there was a couple undergoing a special ritual - having their names engraved onto some silver or golden lock, and then having exclusive access to a special platform on the rooftop with special lighting and some interesting decorations to perform a ritual that supposedly seals their fate together. At a price, of course. Think it was over 10,000 Yen or something. Romantic, yes, but none of us would willingly fork out THAT much for a ritual and a lock. Food food food :D
On the way down Grace went crazy, and we caught those funny moments on video. Time to head back to our cozy My Dear II.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
DAY 24 - OSAKA UNLIMITED 1
the reason why this post is so titled is bcos we activated the Osaka Thru Pass today which allows us to ride lots of subway lines AND gain admission to more than 20 over places of attraction FOR FREE! well technically speaking, we paid to buy the pass so yeah. but without this pass we will have zero incentive to visit any payable attraction so its good in a way. to make our money's worth, we had to chiong attractions and i think we managed a record of 8 attractions on this day!
1. OSAKA CASTLE
i really think the green and gold trimmings on the facade of the main castle building is super pretty. but of course it has been restored and made modern over the years. we each got an audio guide which allows u to listen to english commentary at the different exhibits.
the reason why this post is so titled is bcos we activated the Osaka Thru Pass today which allows us to ride lots of subway lines AND gain admission to more than 20 over places of attraction FOR FREE! well technically speaking, we paid to buy the pass so yeah. but without this pass we will have zero incentive to visit any payable attraction so its good in a way. to make our money's worth, we had to chiong attractions and i think we managed a record of 8 attractions on this day!
1. OSAKA CASTLE
i really think the green and gold trimmings on the facade of the main castle building is super pretty. but of course it has been restored and made modern over the years. we each got an audio guide which allows u to listen to english commentary at the different exhibits.
DAY 23 - KYOTO & ARASHIYAMA
today we activate our subway pass so we'll get to travel quite far out. the intention was to cover Kyoto, Arashiyama and Uji if the weather doesnt turn bad. it was bright and sunny when we reached Arashiyama. crossed some old bridge and started our walk to the Bamboo Forest. reached Tenryuji, where we were last year and decided to get an ice cream cone cos the weather was really super duper hot. 4 different soft cream flatours - mango, soba, green tea and vanilla. totally yummy. after having a first mouthful, i immediately asked tobs to buy another one.
there were many small bugs at Bamboo Forest so we didnt spend too long in there. plus it was hot. would have been infinitely better in autumn i guess. took a bus (free with the pass!) to the nearby subway station and boarded a one-carriage train to (FILL IN NAME OF THE PLACE). enroute to see a (free) temple, i saw a shop selling tofu cheesecake so of course i had to try it. but alas, it was not very good.
Tenmangu Shrine enshrines a Heian scholar who is also regarded as the Deity of Learning. so we saw lots of high school kids praying for good grades at the shrine. did we pray? erm, no? but it was fun watching the procedure for praying.
at Kyoto station, i wanted food. but not real food so i settled for a strawberry tart. that shop had a particular signage tt says the tart maker has trained under famous patisserie for 5 years, ensuring the quality of the sweets made. the tart was indeed quite nice i must say. 378Y.
travelled down to Uji in the hope of having our 350Y cone. so we walked all the way to the shop but IT WAS CLOSED. all our hopes were dashed. lucky we had the soft cream cone at Arashimaya earlier else it would have been really very sad indeed. tobs was hopeful tt perhaps the Honten will have it so we navigated until we reached the main shop but alas they do not serve soft cream cones. boo. wasted trip.
went down to Shinsaibashi for dinner and ended up at Kamukura - where we had our first bowl of ramen when we first went to Japan 2 years ago. that place brings back fond memories. but business aint as good now. after we ate, we could tell why - standard has indeed dropped. but i liked the chives offered as a side. they were quite nice. finished up with desserts at My Dear's restaurant.
today we activate our subway pass so we'll get to travel quite far out. the intention was to cover Kyoto, Arashiyama and Uji if the weather doesnt turn bad. it was bright and sunny when we reached Arashiyama. crossed some old bridge and started our walk to the Bamboo Forest. reached Tenryuji, where we were last year and decided to get an ice cream cone cos the weather was really super duper hot. 4 different soft cream flatours - mango, soba, green tea and vanilla. totally yummy. after having a first mouthful, i immediately asked tobs to buy another one.
there were many small bugs at Bamboo Forest so we didnt spend too long in there. plus it was hot. would have been infinitely better in autumn i guess. took a bus (free with the pass!) to the nearby subway station and boarded a one-carriage train to (FILL IN NAME OF THE PLACE). enroute to see a (free) temple, i saw a shop selling tofu cheesecake so of course i had to try it. but alas, it was not very good.
Tenmangu Shrine enshrines a Heian scholar who is also regarded as the Deity of Learning. so we saw lots of high school kids praying for good grades at the shrine. did we pray? erm, no? but it was fun watching the procedure for praying.
at Kyoto station, i wanted food. but not real food so i settled for a strawberry tart. that shop had a particular signage tt says the tart maker has trained under famous patisserie for 5 years, ensuring the quality of the sweets made. the tart was indeed quite nice i must say. 378Y.
travelled down to Uji in the hope of having our 350Y cone. so we walked all the way to the shop but IT WAS CLOSED. all our hopes were dashed. lucky we had the soft cream cone at Arashimaya earlier else it would have been really very sad indeed. tobs was hopeful tt perhaps the Honten will have it so we navigated until we reached the main shop but alas they do not serve soft cream cones. boo. wasted trip.
went down to Shinsaibashi for dinner and ended up at Kamukura - where we had our first bowl of ramen when we first went to Japan 2 years ago. that place brings back fond memories. but business aint as good now. after we ate, we could tell why - standard has indeed dropped. but i liked the chives offered as a side. they were quite nice. finished up with desserts at My Dear's restaurant.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
DAY 22 - OSAKA
walked to the nearby Juso station to take the Hankyu line. if tobs makes me walk to the "nearest" JR station again i will slaughter him. the "nearest" one was like 45 mins walk away or sth. almost died walking there the day before.
was supposed to go to the Osaka tourist info centre to buy our one-day passes and ask questions. but when we got to the station, there were *drumroll 26 EXITS. but we eventually found our way around though we did get sidetracked bcos of a wonderful banana aroma. it was so strong and enticing i knew i HAD TO eat whatever that thing was. so i got tobs to ask abt it. and we went into the nearby bakery to ask what product it was tt was giving off tt heavenly aroma (so tt we can buy and consume it immediately).
the salesgirl looked abit sheepish and apologetic when she answered us. well. it turned out tt the smell came frm the nxt door belgium waffle shop. it was very embarrassing but we genuinely thought it was the product of the bakery okay! so we went to the belgium waffle shop and indeed the banana waffles were heavenly. i totally regret not eating more more more. sigh.
travelled down to Shinsaibashi and wanted to find a good place for lunch. the helpful station master approached us and recommended okonomiyaki stores to us. apparently Fugetsu is not looked upon too kindly. i guess it has been commercialised. i was very attracted to this particular shop tt does okono in the style of cartoon characters so off we went!
it was quite a beat up old shop. looked like it was passed down for several generations? the shop front was not very noticeable. and the kitchen is right at the front, seating's at the back. so it was all quite weird. but the premium modanyaki with all the meat fillings was only 1100Y!! i also got their home-brewed plum sake. which kicked arse i tell u. super good.
the guy who served us looked abt our age. he could speak abit of english and was extremely friendly. when we almost wanted to order a 2nd serving he actually tried to tell us 1 would be quite sufficient. other ppl would be more than glad to serve u the 2nd one cos its extra revenue for them man. nice guy.
then it was shopping along Shinsaibashi. went to this sweets shop and ate really nice and fluffy buns with custard filling. immediately bought lots to stock up in the hotel fridge. afterall, we'd be staying for 6 nights! went to uniqlo to look around too before going back to Juso for dinner.
every night we'd get 1000Y worth of dinner voucher to spend at My Dear's restaurant. how wonderful is that!! we ordered a hamburg steak set and a pork chop set which usually would cost 1000Y EACH but we only had to pay 1000Y. wonderful! thanks to tobs and God we get all these fantastic deals! and we also packed a cup dessert frm Konigs - it was heavenly. i wished we could eat one EACH!
walked to the nearby Juso station to take the Hankyu line. if tobs makes me walk to the "nearest" JR station again i will slaughter him. the "nearest" one was like 45 mins walk away or sth. almost died walking there the day before.
was supposed to go to the Osaka tourist info centre to buy our one-day passes and ask questions. but when we got to the station, there were *drumroll 26 EXITS. but we eventually found our way around though we did get sidetracked bcos of a wonderful banana aroma. it was so strong and enticing i knew i HAD TO eat whatever that thing was. so i got tobs to ask abt it. and we went into the nearby bakery to ask what product it was tt was giving off tt heavenly aroma (so tt we can buy and consume it immediately).
the salesgirl looked abit sheepish and apologetic when she answered us. well. it turned out tt the smell came frm the nxt door belgium waffle shop. it was very embarrassing but we genuinely thought it was the product of the bakery okay! so we went to the belgium waffle shop and indeed the banana waffles were heavenly. i totally regret not eating more more more. sigh.
travelled down to Shinsaibashi and wanted to find a good place for lunch. the helpful station master approached us and recommended okonomiyaki stores to us. apparently Fugetsu is not looked upon too kindly. i guess it has been commercialised. i was very attracted to this particular shop tt does okono in the style of cartoon characters so off we went!
it was quite a beat up old shop. looked like it was passed down for several generations? the shop front was not very noticeable. and the kitchen is right at the front, seating's at the back. so it was all quite weird. but the premium modanyaki with all the meat fillings was only 1100Y!! i also got their home-brewed plum sake. which kicked arse i tell u. super good.
the guy who served us looked abt our age. he could speak abit of english and was extremely friendly. when we almost wanted to order a 2nd serving he actually tried to tell us 1 would be quite sufficient. other ppl would be more than glad to serve u the 2nd one cos its extra revenue for them man. nice guy.
then it was shopping along Shinsaibashi. went to this sweets shop and ate really nice and fluffy buns with custard filling. immediately bought lots to stock up in the hotel fridge. afterall, we'd be staying for 6 nights! went to uniqlo to look around too before going back to Juso for dinner.
every night we'd get 1000Y worth of dinner voucher to spend at My Dear's restaurant. how wonderful is that!! we ordered a hamburg steak set and a pork chop set which usually would cost 1000Y EACH but we only had to pay 1000Y. wonderful! thanks to tobs and God we get all these fantastic deals! and we also packed a cup dessert frm Konigs - it was heavenly. i wished we could eat one EACH!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
DAY 21 - WAKAYAMA & RINKU
decided to head down to Wakayama over Beppu cos i thought the ramen would be more worth it than seeing hell. turned out to be quite a bad decision but hey at least we now know what Wakayama ramen tastes like.
the tourist information centre directed us to the #1 ramen in Wakayama and when we got there, there was already quite a long queue outside. so of course u think this must be good! but as we queued outside, i smelled a weird pungent odour and wondered where it came frm. when our time came, we stepped into the shop and realised *drumroll the pungent smell came frm in there! very discomforting indeed.
ordered our ramen + egg. the noodles were very springy indeed. but the soup base and the char siew wasnt very much to our liking. it was too pork. i guess tts where the pungent smell came frm. and the pork fat was very very hard to stomach bcos it felt like it hasnt been processed properly. oh well. been there, done that.
nxt stop - Rinku Premium Outlets. it was quite some distance frm the JR station but it was also located near the bayside so the coastal winds were very refreshing. more GAP buys! and after spending what seemed like an eternity at Reebok, we each ended up with a pair of Taikan shoes. and because they were display pieces, they were only like 2500Y each! plus we got like a % discount off tt price cos we bought 2 pairs! but the only regretful thing was i think i either took the wrong size while making the final payment or underestimated my feet's expansion capabilities cos i cant seem to wear them properly now? sads.
this was also the wonderful day we got to check into MY DEAR 2 at Juso!!! this must be the bestest best hotel in the entire trip. most value for money, most comfortable too. we even made a short video showcasing highlights of the room - spacious bed, tv in the bathroom, tsubaki and kose toiletries, toilet bowl seat tt lifts up when u enter, free video on demand, what more can u ask for!
decided to head down to Wakayama over Beppu cos i thought the ramen would be more worth it than seeing hell. turned out to be quite a bad decision but hey at least we now know what Wakayama ramen tastes like.
the tourist information centre directed us to the #1 ramen in Wakayama and when we got there, there was already quite a long queue outside. so of course u think this must be good! but as we queued outside, i smelled a weird pungent odour and wondered where it came frm. when our time came, we stepped into the shop and realised *drumroll the pungent smell came frm in there! very discomforting indeed.
ordered our ramen + egg. the noodles were very springy indeed. but the soup base and the char siew wasnt very much to our liking. it was too pork. i guess tts where the pungent smell came frm. and the pork fat was very very hard to stomach bcos it felt like it hasnt been processed properly. oh well. been there, done that.
nxt stop - Rinku Premium Outlets. it was quite some distance frm the JR station but it was also located near the bayside so the coastal winds were very refreshing. more GAP buys! and after spending what seemed like an eternity at Reebok, we each ended up with a pair of Taikan shoes. and because they were display pieces, they were only like 2500Y each! plus we got like a % discount off tt price cos we bought 2 pairs! but the only regretful thing was i think i either took the wrong size while making the final payment or underestimated my feet's expansion capabilities cos i cant seem to wear them properly now? sads.
this was also the wonderful day we got to check into MY DEAR 2 at Juso!!! this must be the bestest best hotel in the entire trip. most value for money, most comfortable too. we even made a short video showcasing highlights of the room - spacious bed, tv in the bathroom, tsubaki and kose toiletries, toilet bowl seat tt lifts up when u enter, free video on demand, what more can u ask for!
Monday, August 10, 2009
DAY 20 - TOKYO
we did a very horrible thing today which only foreigners holding onto JR passes can do. instead of taking the yamanote line to travel frm tokyo to ueno, we took the shinkansen instead. and when we got off, we attracted major stares and exclamations frm the ppl on the platform who weren't expecting anyone to alight at ueno, which is like one shinkansen stop away frm tokyo and which would have cost alot more ex than taking the regular trains.
it started drizzling when we got to ueno. original intention was to visit the Asakusa Shrine cos we have NEVER been there all this while. but it was either we pay for subway or we take a super uber long walk there. so in the end, we still did not go to the shrine. instead, we went to Ueno Park and since it was raining, there wasnt much to see.
Ameyayokocho was also quite miserable in the rain. and when it was time for lunch, we headed down to Ikebukuro (of course) for our favourite BOMB ramen. but the bf needed the toilet and we were in Isetan but he just cldnt seem to find a toilet without queues. poor thing.
long queue at Bomb (whats new). and there was this mega irritating guy who kept talking non-stop until he was going to give me a headache. he'd talk and then laugh his own weird laughter while his "friend" or companion barely responded. sad case. they came to take our orders and this time they allowed us to order 4 bombs!! yeah! in the end i finished my upsized bowl all by myself cos it was just SO GOOD. they shld totally come to Singapore. please?
thereafter we visited several Uniqlo outlets just to find tobs shirt. i very much liked the one the salesman was wearing so we asked him where we can get it. after searching for it unsuccessfully, he apologetically told us it might be sold out but suggested we try other branches. the thing abt these Japanese salesperson, when they report to u tt sth is out of stock/no size/no colour, they will give you tt immensely apologetic and sorry look complete with a frown and bunching of eyebrows which just makes u feel soooo bad for causing them the trouble. but this shld be what good service is abt.
we did a very horrible thing today which only foreigners holding onto JR passes can do. instead of taking the yamanote line to travel frm tokyo to ueno, we took the shinkansen instead. and when we got off, we attracted major stares and exclamations frm the ppl on the platform who weren't expecting anyone to alight at ueno, which is like one shinkansen stop away frm tokyo and which would have cost alot more ex than taking the regular trains.
it started drizzling when we got to ueno. original intention was to visit the Asakusa Shrine cos we have NEVER been there all this while. but it was either we pay for subway or we take a super uber long walk there. so in the end, we still did not go to the shrine. instead, we went to Ueno Park and since it was raining, there wasnt much to see.
Ameyayokocho was also quite miserable in the rain. and when it was time for lunch, we headed down to Ikebukuro (of course) for our favourite BOMB ramen. but the bf needed the toilet and we were in Isetan but he just cldnt seem to find a toilet without queues. poor thing.
long queue at Bomb (whats new). and there was this mega irritating guy who kept talking non-stop until he was going to give me a headache. he'd talk and then laugh his own weird laughter while his "friend" or companion barely responded. sad case. they came to take our orders and this time they allowed us to order 4 bombs!! yeah! in the end i finished my upsized bowl all by myself cos it was just SO GOOD. they shld totally come to Singapore. please?
thereafter we visited several Uniqlo outlets just to find tobs shirt. i very much liked the one the salesman was wearing so we asked him where we can get it. after searching for it unsuccessfully, he apologetically told us it might be sold out but suggested we try other branches. the thing abt these Japanese salesperson, when they report to u tt sth is out of stock/no size/no colour, they will give you tt immensely apologetic and sorry look complete with a frown and bunching of eyebrows which just makes u feel soooo bad for causing them the trouble. but this shld be what good service is abt.
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