Pagkatapos kong mag-CR, naisip ko na mag grocery at dumaan sa Boulangerie para bumili ng discounted bread. Malapit na kasi mag 7PM. Pagbaba ko ng office, nakita ko yung officemate ko papasok. Sabi ko sa kanya, “Uy ang aga mo ah!” 8PM pa kasi pasok nya. Pagpasok ko ng Grand (amoy) Canal Mall, binati ako nung security guard ng usual nya na, “Buona sera!” Umakyat muna ako para i-check kung may aloe vera gel na sa MUMUSO (wala pa din). Sabi naman ni ate na taga MUMUSO, “Annyeong haseyo! Mumuso!” Napansin ko medyo madaming tao. Friday kasi siguro. Nung papunta na ko sa tinapayan, may madadaanan uli ako na guard. Eh di bumati sya ulit ng, “Buona seraaa!” tapos sinundan nya ng “Bukas ang zipper nyo Ma’am.”
We arrived in Tokyo at around 7 AM. Our stop will be at Shinjuku. From there, we’ll figure out how to get to our next Airbnb accommodation. Our host sent us very clear instructions on how to get to their house from Oshiage station. Navigating around Japan gets easier and easier because we’re getting used to their transportation network. But we also learned to immediately ask questions when we find ourselves utterly dumbfounded.
Eto na yung dalwa na sooobrang prepared sa pagpunta nilang Japan. *eye roll*
We bumped into them when we went out to buy some food in McDo. It was probably around 9PM. They looked so tired and hungry. Pretty much like us on our first day in Japan. 😂
Two of the things that I’m looking forward to see in Japan is right here in Kyoto. The moment I saw pictures of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and the torii gates in Fushimi Inari-taisha, I was completely blown away. I can’t wait to witness them with my own eyes.
Hello Kyoto
When we reached Arashiyama, I had no idea that it was a huge place with many shrines and temples scattered around the area. The place is so zen. On our way there, I thought that this was just the location of the bamboo grove that I’m so eager to see. When we saw the map (given to us by a personnel at the train station), we saw the different tourist spots that we could check out before we can reach the bamboo forest.
The map
First, you will be greeted by this bridge.
Togetsu-kyo Bridge
Wishing it was fall
History Tidbit #1:
This bridge is 400 years old.
That lush greenery
I want to go back here during the fall season. I want all these greens to turn into oranges and reds.
Everything about this place spells “chill”Takoyaki at last!Big octopus chunksTakoyaki by the river
On our way to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, we got lost. We couldn’t figure out how to get there it was so frustrating. We tried asking questions and this lady was very patient explaining to us the directions. With the map in hand and the lady’s instructions, we still couldn’t seem to figure it out. The lady advised us to enter the Sogenchi Garden (for an entrance fee of 250 pesos each) and from there we could make our way to the bamboo grove. But some other person was pointing us to a different direction. Turns out, there are two routes going to the bamboo grove. One is through the garden (for a fee) and the other one doesn’t require us to pass through a temple or garden (which means no entrance fees) but it’s much farther.
Tenryu-ji Temple
aka Temple of the Heavenly Dragon
History Tidbit #2:
One of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. This temple is said to be caught in fire several times (8 times to be exact) and underwent major reconstructions through the years.
So clearly, we chose the shorter route and bought entrance tickets to the garden. It was a good decision because we get to see a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Sogenchi Garden is breathtaking. It looks very calm and peaceful. This garden is a piece of art.
Sogenchi Garden
Perfect place to do some meditation or yoga
History Tidbit #3:
For 700 years, Sogenchi Garden retained it’s original form since it was laid out in the 14th century.
At this point, we were still having an argument. I was so pissed at Kenneth because he easily becomes irritable whenever we get lost. Getting lost is part of the travel! And if I’m going to get lost, I’d rather get lost in Japan. There are so many interesting things to see along the way. He’s so focused on getting to our destination that he can’t seem to appreciate that we are in a different country and that we are being surrounded by things that we can no longer come across once we go back to the Philippines. And if we didn’t get lost, we wouldn’t be able to see this:
No idea what this is but I find it cool
He kind of settled down and maybe realized that I’m right (?). But that’s how we are. We argue, then we laugh it off. Sabi ko sa kanya:
“Wag ka kasing mataray.”
“Ikaw din naman mataray. Wag kang mataray.”
“Eh mataray nga ako.”
“Eh mataray nga din ako.”
Then we find ourselves laughing. It’s basically our everyday life in Japan.
Photos before reaching the bamboo grove:
We thought this was it but it isn’t. But we are sooo close.Tempted to buy some charmsSo relieved to see some kind of gazebo to sit and get a short break from all the walkingWe’re almost there!
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
* huge heart eyes *
AT LAST! The long, tiring walk and all those petty fights are so worth it! Kenneth was completely amazed. Kenneth’s not really expressive so when he likes something that I like, it makes me doubly happy.
Can’t contain my happinessWhen you look upBamboo heaven
It is true. No photo can capture the feeling of standing in the midst of this bamboo grove. ❤️
I can look at this all day
As much as I want to assemble a tent and practically live here, it’s already time to go to our second destination. Some interesting things we saw while heading to the train station that will take us to Fushimi Inari-taisha:
Wooden dragonfly makerNow I look back and think that I should have bought one. This could have been a great souvenir (or those charms perhaps).Monks?
We stumbled upon many shrines but this one is free to enter.
Nonomiya Shrine
So zenWishes and prayers hung on wooden plates (wooden plates not free)“Sana magustuhan na tayo ng mga crush natin”Envied these guys. We were so DEAD tired at this point.
I’m not quite happy with how I approached our trip overall. I wasn’t able to take it all in and truly experience these historic sites around me. I’m more focused on getting great pictures that I forget to stop and savor it all. All those history tidbits, I only learned about it when I tried Googling all the places that we went to. It would be so much better if I knew the meaning and the story of what’s right in front of me.
Fushimi Inari-taisha
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Tried their street food. It was quite expensive (250 pesos) compared to our isaw which is only 5 pesos. Unfair.
Not sure what this isWhat I ate: chicken in skewers. It was bland.
I think the reason why I bought this was because the guy selling these asked me my nationality. When I said Filipino, he replied with, “Ganda.” I was sold. LOL.
Rice cake wrapped in strips of pork
Done with snacking. Just a few steps away and we’ll reach our final destination for the day.
Greetings from the foxes
History Tidbit #4:
And I thought, why foxes? Upon googling, foxes are thought to be Inari’s messengers, resulting in many fox statues scattered across the shrine grounds. And who’s Inari? The Shinto god of rice.
Another travel goal unlocked 😁
It’s my ultimate dream to have my picture taken with these torii gates alone. With so many tourists walking along the same path, it would be difficult to achieve this shot. Kenneth’s patience was tested while taking this photo. Before taking the shot, I instructed him to hold up the camera so the people behind us would stop and let Kenneth take my picture. It was kind of embarrassing because it took about an awkward 30-45 seconds before all the people ahead of us disappear into view. But I’m so happy with the result!
Photo goal unlocked 📸
Kenneth is not really “the photographer” and doesn’t care if he has that perfect shot. As long as that thing or place is in the photo, it’s good enough for him. But I’m not like that, so I had a plan. A few months before this trip, I already briefed him that I want my photos to look like this and that; then I showed him sample photos so he will have an idea on how to frame the photo and stuff. And in fairness to him, he did a really good job; and I appreciate him for that (even if I can see him low-key frowning while doing it). 😅
History Tidbit #5:
So those orange things are called torii gates. Thousands of these torii gates lead to Mount Inari. (*Google Google*) These gates are donated by companies or individuals and each gate costs ¥400,000. The bigger ones could reach up to 1 million yen each. And those Japanese characters written in each gate are the names of those donors
We didn’t finish the trail because it would’ve taken us one and a half hours to reach Mt. Inari and another 1.5 hours to return. So I encouraged Kenneth to head back. Few more photos before going back to Osaka:
Closer look at the shrineIdk why I get cheerful whenever I see a takoyaki standBye Kyoto! Mwahmwahmwah!
Dotonbori Part 2
Dotonbori has a lot to offer when it comes to food so a single visit wouldn’t be enough. This time, we tried okonomiyaki and soba at Mizuno.
Looks can be deceiving
ANG SARAAP! Especially the soba. We thought we wouldn’t be able to finish everything because the servings were huge but we devoured every last bite. They were closed when we got there but we still fell in line. The manager was evidently annoyed because people kept on falling in line even if there’s already a ‘closed’ sign blocking the entrance. Thankfully, he let us into the queue. Maybe because we’re tourists and he thought that this would be our last chance to try their famous okonomiyaki. I chose the variant with minced meat, squid, shrimps, scallions and octopus bits. Sarap talagaaa.
I can say that this is the most tiring day of our 7-day trip. I’m not sure how many miles did we have to walk to accomplish our Kyoto itinerary. Even if we researched ahead of time and have all the navigation apps that you could think of, we kept on getting lost. And this resulted to countless arguments; plus the scorching heat is not helping with our tempers.
Hoping I could see you again 😢
This is also the day when two of our friends will join us for our last day in Osaka before heading to Tokyo. It does get tiring arguing with Kenneth so it’s really fun seeing these two argue with each other for a change. 😂
This is how we spent our 7 days in JaFUN (Sep 8-14, 2016):
USJ Day! It was a 15-minute walk to Shin-Imamiya Station (from Ken & Mark Guest House) going to Universal City Station. Some morning sightings while strolling around Osaka:
We were already at the airport three and a half hours before our flight. The plane will depart at 3:00 PM then 8:00 PM (Japan time) would be the arrival time. At first, I thought the 8:00 PM that’s indicated in our ticket is also Manila time so I thought that it would take 5 hours to get to Japan. That’s why at 6:45 PM (Manila), I was just chilling in the plane because I thought we still have one hour before arrival. But the pilot suddenly spoke and announced that we will deplane in about 15 minutes. I got excited and started to fix my things and my hair then wore my shoes.
Waaah! Nasira ref namin. Ah ah nakakasura. Pano na ko makakapagluto ng masasarap (?) na pagkain?? Hay. Sana mapaayos pa ref namin. Kung ako nga masusunod sana bumili na lang kami ng bagong ref. Second hand lang kasi yung ref namin na yun. Hay pano na.
May consultation nga pala ko mamayang 2pm sa Health Way Greenbelt. Mag-12 PM na pala. Tinatamad pa ko maligo. Saka ansarap ng panahon ansarap mahiga lang at magchill. Kainis parang tumila na ulan. More rain please!
Ay sige pala pupunta ko Greenbelt tas dun na din ako kakain. Kaya lang. I have no money. Magbabayad na ko ng kuryente namin bukas kaya wala na talaga. Ang mahal ng kuryente namin eh. 2,711! Halos tig 1k kame. Grr. Kung kelan naman nagtitipid ih.
Gusto ko na itry yung lucid dreaming.
Kakasura ang tamad ko ngayon. Where is the motivation??
Bad news. Patay na si Terror. Yung aso namin. Di ko inexpect na ganto ang magiging impact nya sakin at sa pamilya namin. Kahit yung mga barkada ng mga kapatid ko nalungkot din nung nalamang wala na sya. Si Kim apektadong apektado di daw sya makatulog. Si Tricia at ang Kuya nagiyak din. Ako nagulat ako nung naiyak ako. Di talaga ko mahilig sa kahit anong pet pero nakakalungkot talaga. Siguro dahil antagal na nya samin. 8 years na pala namin syang kasama. Ibig sabihin highschool pa lang ako nasamin na sya. Di ko sigurado pero parang mejo malaki na sya nung napunta sya samin. Ang nakakalungkot pa, sabi ni Kim tahol pa daw ng tahol si Terror nung bago sya mawala. Parang hindi mo aakalain na maya maya pala mawawala na sya. Hai.
Sabi ng mga Mama kukuha daw ulit kami ng aso na Labrador din na golden retriever tapos Terror din ang pangalan. Ok sakin yun 🙂 Parang indi pa din sya nawala.
Ang cool ng date na to. 121212 (Dec. 12, 2012). Matagal na ulit bago magkaron ng ganto kasi 2013 na ang kasunod. 12 lang naman ang months.
Malapit na birthday ko. Sana makabili na ko ng iPod touch na 5th gen. Tanda ko na 24 na ko. Parang dati sabi ko mag-aasawa na ko ng gantong edad. Tas ngayon kung iisipin mo, parang antagal pa nun mangyayari. Wala pang pera. Wala pang ipon.
Limang oras na ko dito sa office at limang oras na din akong walang ginagawa. Wala pa kong chat kahit isa. Inaantok na ko. Nagttumblr lang ako, internet ng konti. Kain.. Yun na yun. Parang gusto ko na ng mahirap-hirap na trabaho. I want to be a medical coder. Kelan kaya yun.. Hai.
Pangit ng balat ko. Wawa naman magiging anak ko.
Uuwi na ko sa Pagbilao bukas 🙂 Halos isa’t kalahating buwan na din nung huli kong uwi samin. Kaya ko pina-adjust VL ko, para makauwi na ko bukas.
Ang boring ng buhay dito sa Maynila pag wala kang kasama. Pag solo ka lang sa bahay. Nakakadepress. Feeling mo andami mong problema. Konting pangyayari na di mo nagustuhan parang nagiging malala. Pag nagkasakit ka, nakakaiyak kasi wala ka man lang kasama para alagaan ka. Maaawa ka na lang sa sarili mo. Nakakatamad din maglinis ng bahay kasi wala naman ibang makakakita ng kalat mo kundi ikaw lang. Kahit nakakatuwa dahil pauwi na si Kenneth, di pa din ako matuwa ng lubusan dahil alam kong aalis din sya. Baka mas matagal pa. Hai. Nakakalungkot. Nakakainip. Pag nagluto ako ng kakaibang potahe, nakakalungkot din kasi ako lang ang kakain. Gusto kong ipatikim sa iba kung masarap ba, kung kulang pa o kung patapon yung niluto ko. Buti na lang din samin muna nakatira si Nick, pero madalang din kami magkita dahil sa shift ng trabaho namin. Dadating ako ng bahay, wala sya. Dadating sya ng bahay, tulog ako. Pag gising ko, tulog sya. Pag gising nya, nakaalis na ko. Pero ok na din, iba pa din yung pakiramdam na alam mong may kasama ka sa bahay kesa sa wala talaga.
Kaya natutuwa na kong umuwi samin. Madami ako kasama sa bahay. Miss ko na ang Mama, ang Papa, mga kapatid ko, Daddy, Mommy, Tito at Tita ko, mga pinsan ko, si baby Gilian, mga barkada ko, mga Pagbilaoins, etc.
Napaka-ironic. Dati rati, naiisip ko nang magsarili. Tas natutuwa ako sa idea na solo lang ako sa bahay tas parang ang saya. Naiimagine ko dati parang mas sasaya ako sa ganung buhay. Siguro dahil dati, hindi ko naiimagine yung mga parts na kelangan mong maglinis, magluto, magbayad ng bills, magtipid at kung ano ano pa. Haha nakakatawa lang. Parang dati winiwish ko yung buhay na ganun. Yung magnenet lang ako, magbabasa ng libro tas solo lang ako. Mali pala. Di pala nakakatuwa.
Na-curious kase ako. Tas ang description pa eh non-sticky, non-staining, alcohol at paraben free. Di ko lang alam kung ano yung paraben na yun. Search ko mamaya.
Mabilis sya matuyo. Ewan ko lang kung ok yung mismong action nya. Nagsisisi ako kung ba’t yung spray form ang binili ko. Ang hirap pindutin tas napapa-spray pa sa muka ko yung iba. Sa susunod roll-on na lang. Yun eh kung maganda ang effect.
Gleniz da Menace 