#lagycart travels

[lagycart]

bali trip - day 1.

early this month, went to bali with my besties for our yearly trip to just relax and unwind, since we couldn’t do it last year. we met at the airport very early in the morning, checked in, had breakfast at old town kopitiam, which wasn’t very nice, bought some alcohol for the trip and boarded our plane. the flight took a really long time to take off though, so we ended up being late.

lucky for us, customs and immigration at bali airport was quite fast, but then my friend’s luggage got destroyed during transit, so we had to take more time to make a report for claim. after we were done with everything, finally met up wth our driver and head for a very late lunch.

we have decided our lunch place ahead of time at ulekan, a quite fancy indonesian cuisine restaurant in canggu. their menu has quite a lot of signature indonesian dishes, so we ordered a few to share - gado gado, sate babi samcan, nasi campur royal, bebek goreng and genjer blacan. the drink menu was also quite extensive, i really enjoyed the strawberry & guava granitas, it’s so refreshing. the fresh coconut wasn’t very good according to my friend.

our food did take a while to arrive, the food presentation is top notch though, the pork belly satay is quite nice, the deep fried duck is really nice with the crispy texture, the mixed rice has a little of everything, some dishes are quite nice. however, we find that the chili here is not spicy at all, something is missing from the overall taste. and i guess this area is more catered for tourist, maybe the food taste is tailored towards tourist instead.

after lunch, we went to lifestyle and homeware stores around canggu and seminyak for shopping. and also visited the beach at seminyak around sunset to just enjoy the sea breeze and take some photos. the beach has quite a lot of people but it’s also spacious so it was quite an enjoyable thing to just walk around and just enjoy the scenery.

after we are done with window shopping, we went to merah putih for dinner, this is a fine dining restaurant which we also saw from social media. the restaurant ambiance is really dark and romantic, they gave us lights with menu just in case we couldn’t read.

we also ordered different dishes to share, however, the dishes here are small portions, so you are able to order more. we ordered fresh oysters, jangkang, urap labu, ikan bakar, kembang kol, bak pao sapi, and nasi uduk. also got ourselves cocktails, because why not, it’s also the perfect atmosphere.

the service here is really nice, they made sure to serve our drinks and food all together, the staff also checked and made sure everything was okay and we had enough food. we also got a small bowl of soup as appetizer while we wait for our food. even though the restaurant is pretty packed, our food arrived quite quickly.

we really enjoyed all the dishes we ordered, as the ingredients used are unique and the combination works perfectly. the chili and sambal given was also spicy, which further enhance the taste of all the dishes as well. this place is definitely worth trying even though it’s a little pricey, but the food served is unique and we definitely enjoyed our meal here very much.

we head to our hotel at sanur - harsono boutique resort, for check in after dinner as it was getting late and it took us about an hour drive to reach, we were also pretty tired from being out and about since early morning. once we checked in, shower and sleep comes to mind. our 2 bed room villa is awesome though, there’s king size bed in each room, with rain shower and bathtub, a living room, a kitchen and dining table and our very own private pool too. the design of the unit is quite unique and nice overall, we were definitely pleasantly surprised. the pillows had a weird smell though, so we put our one-time-use pillow cover and bedsheet on top just in case. first night ended around midnight, as we were going to be up quite early the next day.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

bali trip - day 3.

midway in our trip, today we are going to switch hotel to another place in ubud, so we decided to do some exploring around on the way there. we had our breakfast in the hotel restaurant, which serves the same breakfast menu. this time we waited quite long too, for the food to be served.

we went shopping at kevala ceramics after checking out, this place has a warehouse nearby which sells products with small defects at a discounted price, which is a really good deal. my friend end up buying quite a lot of stuff, if not because of luggage limit, i believe she would get even more. also bought a piece of art glass around ubud area which is really cool as well.

for lunch, we went to warung babi guling pande egi for the famous bali guling dish. the restaurant is popular for the paddy field view but it was all muddy when we arrived. we ordered two of the signature babi guling dish to share since there’s quite a lot. the food taste pretty okay, the pork skin was quite tough to bite though. we bought some pork skin crackers as well which is really addictive.

went to alas harum bali which became the top tourist attraction after rebuild. there’s a coffee store, day club, restaurant, paddy field, huge swing and lots of different photo spot inside, which is quite amazing. entrance fee is required but you can walk around as long as you like and take as much photos as you like. all services do require additional payment though. we went on the big couple swing, which was lots of fun and also got some photos taken. the view is simply amazing, but sometimes you do need to wait for your turn at certain photo spot. if you have a day or half day to spare and just want a good place to chill, this could be an option, although it is quite a pricey spot to visit since everything is catered for tourists.

after our prolonged time at alas harum, we went to satria argowisata for my friend to get some bali coffee, because the ones at alas harum was way too expensive. they do offer the coffee tour to you if you want to know the making process of the famous kopi luwak.

before going to our hotel, we went to warung kintamani for the popular mujair nyat nyat, a fried fish dish with lots of chili paste on top. they serve the fish with rice and beansprout, we also got the chicken version to try. the chili paste is really good, the flavor is so appetizing and the fish is also enjoyable, but it seems the fish size is quite limited, depending on what is available in the kitchen.

after a satisfying dinner, we finally head to our hotel at samsara ubud. the road leading to the hotel gets really narrow and dark but our driver was good and brought us there safely. the hotel staff is super friendly, gave us drinks and snacks while we check in, and also explain all the facilities and activities available, for us to plan our stay for the next 2 days. our villa here is also 2 bedroom, with a big private pool, the room is beautiful and huge and the bathroom is simply amazing. we did notice that the water pressure is kinda low though during our stay.

since we arrived quite late, we just showered and unwind before going to bed for the day.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

bali trip - day 5.

our final day in bali, we started the day with great breakfast at the hotel restaurant, the menu is different from in room dining so we got to try more dishes, and it’s buffet style so we get to order as many as we wanted. the river lobster and egg is their signature and the combination is really good. i also love the egg white omelette a lot, super fluffy and light.

after breakfast, we just chill at our villa and pack our bags, then check out to head to the airport. it’s sad to bid farewell to such an amazing hotel, the experience staying here has been really great and all the staff are so friendly too.

the journey to airport is a long one, but our driver did keep us entertained by introducing the stuff we pass by on the way, to entice us to come back for another visit soon, it was quite funny. airport  is generally quite busy, so it took us a while to check in and go through security and all that.

we had a simple lunch at the food court, which i ordered udon cos i wanted something soupy. it was alright but nothing special though. did some shopping at the area as there’s duty free and souvenir shops around. the flight back was slightly delayed but overall it was alright, i did sleep for quite a bit though.

had dinner at dayone dayone noodles at klia2 after we landed, this store is pork free so the menu is different, i also feel that the food taste is not as good as the other branches, so yea... it’s quite a long travelling day, so it’s time to head home and rest.

this trip was definitely fun and memorable, not sure how many more trips we are able to do as best friends, but i really do hope we get to continue travelling to many amazing places in the future to create even more memories together. <3

[lagycart]

bali trip - day 4.

today is the day we were going to stay in the whole day to just chill and relax. starting the day with floating breakfast at our beautiful private pool and in room dining as well, we just had so much food because the hotel staff ask us to pick so many items from the menu. we definitely had a lot of fun at the pool while eating and chatting.

after breakfast, we showered and head to the hotel’s gallery for painting class, something that the hotel offer for their guests for free. the artist is super friendly and we definitely had fun painting that picture, he’s also very kind and entertaining.

after making some “art”, we had lunch at the restaurant, i took salad since i’m still full from breakfast, love the rice cracker snack that they served a lot, it does taste so good with the chili sauce. and the staff is also very friendly and attentive. i love how chill the whole ambiance is at the restaurant, somewhat feels very relaxing and peaceful.

our room package also included one hour complimentary massage at the hotel spa, which we enjoyed after lunch, i love the waterfall outside the spa, creating such soothing mood, i fell asleep in no time.

after spa, we took another activity to learn how to make coffee and coffee art at the restaurant, the barista is lovely and we all tried at least once, and also she made us all coffee at the end too, it was really enjoyable, but coffee art is not as easy as it looks. XD

for the rest of the afternoon, we just chill and play at the private pool as the weather is really nice, and that’s the most relaxing thing to do. it’s just so nice to be able to enjoy some down time, chit chat and play around.

as the sunsets, we got ready to go to the restaurant again for dinner as there’s a jazz live band performance. the atmosphere was really nice, the food is also really good and enjoyable with beautiful presentation, we also ordered cocktails to enjoy while listening to the live performance. also celebrated my friend’s birthday with a simple dessert before going back to our villa.

we spent the rest of the night taking a relaxing bath, chill and play games until late, such a fun and worry free day, it’s the best kind of vacation.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

bali trip - day 2.

this is a chill day, as we stayed in our hotel the whole day. we bought the family gateway package which included free meals for the whole day, starting with a very trendy and instaworthy floating breakfast at our private pool.

the staff came to setup the floating basket at the pool, arranging all the food and then we start taking ten thousand photos with the food and around the pool, doing all sorts of funny stuff and trying different angles. it was quite enjoyable and also quite funny too. by the time we start eating, all the food is already cold.

the breakfast menu is quite a variety and we did pick a lot of different items to try, some of the food were okay, some other were not very nice though. it’s definitely more of the photo opportunity than to enjoy really good food. surprisingly, the basket is quite sturdy, so we actually is able to really use it as a table.

after we were done with food, we just continued chilling in the pool and just have lots of fun. it’s such a sunny day as well, so the water is not cold and it’s definitely nice to be able to just do our own stuff and enjoy our time in the private pool.

we got out of the pool for shower and rest around noon since it did become quite hot, and we also have to get ready for lunch. lunch was at the hotel restaurant’s garden area, they setup a picnic table under a tree for us, which is a really really nice photo opportunity again. while we were chilling and taking more photos, it started to rain suddenly, so we had to leave our picnic area and eat inside the restaurant instead. lunch menu was pizza, burgers, fries, and pastries, unfortunately, those were not very nice and we end up eating very little. it is a good thing that we were not too hungry since we have quite a lot for breakfast.

after lunch, we went back to our room to just chill. i attended online class while my friends just chill and do other stuff. we also played card games until late evening, it was really fun and such a relaxing time.

they served dinner at our dining table, it was mainly chinese style dishes, and there’s quite a lot of food as well. all the dishes were just alright, they were not very appetizing in taste, so there were quite a lot of leftovers as well.

after dinner, we continue with our chit chat and games and also open our ice wine to enjoy as the night went by. i ended the night with a nice bubble bath before going to bed. it is definitely a very relaxing and chill day, and that’s what vacation should be like.

to be continued...

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tokyo tohoku trip - day 13.

this is going to be a more relaxing day for me as well, as i am still feeling exhausted from all the activities for the past week or so. we started the day at a nearby bakery - sandwich parlor matsumura サンドウィッチパーラー まつむら, which bakes and sells freshly made breads and is popular among office workers.

i ate an egg, ham and cucumber sandwich and a fried sausage roll with iced coffee, very simple and it fills the stomach to start the day. after our quick breakfast, i went to shibuya again by myself to visit miyashita park 宮下公園, another new building in shibuya which is very popular.

the building is not high, but it has a whole street of izakaya at the ground floor, some of the branded stores and lots of western cafes. on the rooftop, it is a park which has garden area, a starbucks with industrial design, rock climbing and skate zone. when i was there, it was rather quiet and it’s super nice to just walk and sit on the benches and just chill.

after that, i also briefly visited bic camera ビックカメラ 渋谷東口店 next door to purchase a travel sim card for my next trip. this is super convenient and bic camera has a lot of options in terms of data capacity and number of days combination. this place is also a good option if you want to buy gadgets and some eletronics.

i met up with my friend again at nihonbashi for lunch, our initial plan was to visit a tempura place but there was a queue, so we went to torisanwa 鶏三和 at coredo muromachi 2 instead. this store specialize in oyako don, so we ordered the most popular option which has their own chicken breed, with runny egg on white rice with miso soup. the egg is definitely creamy and flavorful and the chicken is so tender with smooth texture, definitely an enjoyable meal and recommended if you want to eat a good oyako don.

after lunch, i walked to takashimaya for my pokemon cafe appointment. this appointment is quite difficult to get, you would need to book it one month in advance. each appointment slot is 90 minutes and the menu is on the iPad for ordering, so it’s pretty simple. i ordered parfait and tea since i already had lunch. while waiting for my food, i got to take a lot of photos around the cafe, you can also ask the staff for help with that. chef pikachu also made an appearance to do some dance with all the customers, it’s very cute and the staff are also very energetic to create a lively atmosphere. the parfait taste alright, a sweet dessert which looks very cute and too nice to eat. the fruit tea i ordered comes in a very pretty teapot and it’s blue color, taste was fine as well, but it’s definitely more aesthetic than tasty.

after my time at the cafe is over, i went shopping at the pokemon store next door, which has so many plushies, stationery, and other merchandises, i did have to limited what i get because i have very limited luggage space. foreigners may also get the duty free discount when you pay if you show your passport.

after i have done with shopping, i wanted to take the shuttle bus to the dinner place, however i ended up on a different bus and just took the bus for an entire loop and just enjoy the views around nihonbashi as the sun sets. and end up taking a train instead.

my friend and i met up for dinner at tsujihan つじ半 for their famous seafood bowl. there was a long queue at the restaurant as there’s very limited seats, i think we waited for an hour or so to get it. as it was our first time, we just decided to order the most expensive option which has a big portion of minced tuna (negitoro), crab meat, sea urchin (uni) and overflowing of ikura on top of white rice. they also give us a separate plate of sashimi. the portion is really huge but it was so good and so satisfying, every single bite is filled with awesome seafood and all the flavors just burst in your mouth, which is a nice sensation. everything mixed well together and i can’t stop eating it. when you have a few bites left, you may pass the bowl back to the staff for fish soup. the soup will cook the remaining sashimi just like ochazuke, and it’s such a heartwarming and satisfying way to finish the meal as the soup is very good. i can see why the long queue but it would be best to come early to avoid waiting for too long.

after such an amazing meal, we just head home to rest up and i also did some packing since i am leaving tomorrow. there’s just so many things to pack!

to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 12.

starting the day at tsukiji outer market 築地場外市場, even though the fish market has moved to toyosu, this area remains very popular for fresh seafood and lots of other street food. we came here on a wednesday so a lot of stores are closed, it also means there should be less people, some stores are still super crowded though.

we walked around the market and tried a few street food, fresh sashimi from 築地 斉藤水産, the seafood variety here is plenty, you can ask them what is good for the day as well, everything looks super yummy. all the fish, prawn and sea urchin we ate was really good, very tasty and enjoyable. followed by grilled scallops from 築地うなぎ食堂, which also has grilled eel and other shellfish, another popular option among the crowd. last but not least, tamagoyaki from 築地 山長 is definitely a must-eat, especially for egg lovers like myself, it’s just so fluffy and i like to eat this while it’s freshly cooked.

for lunch, my friend and i went to shutoku 2nd store at tsukiji 秀徳2号店 for the omakase meal, we were served tamagoyaki, 10 pieces of sushi made from various local freshly caught fish, a handroll and miso soup. the chef prepared all the fishes and shell food first before starting to make the sushi. it’s a very enjoyable process to watch as the chef do wonders right in front of you. each fish is very fresh, has slight different texture and taste, and is complimented by various condiments which enhance the flavor. the meal was very satisfying and enjoyable, this was our second visit already.

we grab coffee after the meal at a rustic coffee store - yonemoto coffee 米本珈琲 本店, this store has so many different kind of coffee beans, and the coffee jelly i got is so yummy too. definitely a good place to visit for a great cuppa. after the coffee break, i head to shibuya on my own to continue my exploration, as shibuya has changed a lot recently.

i first did some stationery and souvenir shopping at loft, this is my favorite store to go to as it just has so many things to see and buy, and always something new to discover. they also offer duty free shopping which is very convenient too. after that, i went to shibuya scramble square, a new shopping mall that is super popular right now, to visit shibuya sky, the latest and hottest rooftop observation deck at the moment. i made reservation beforehand, so its very easy to get in with the QR code provided. they have lockers for visitors to store your things which is not allowed on the deck.

the deck is very spacious and windy, and there’s lots of tourists around, there’s also photography service which you can queue up for, otherwise you are free to roam around and take as many photos as you like, and stay as long as you wish to. as the sun goes down, the weather turns cold really quick though, but the sunset was very beautiful to watch. there’s some seating area and hammock and a helipad too. with a rooftop bar at one side which opens at night. it is definitely enjoyable to visit if you like the city view a lot and just wanna feel cool breeze.

when the sky starts to turn dark, i decided to leave and went down the building, and by chance, i found tokyu hands ハンズ on the 10th floor, and did more shopping, this is also one of my favorite place to shop for japanese stationery and home and living items. and this new store at shibuya scramble square is well organized and easy to look around too.

my last stop before heading back home is visiting the mega donki Megaドン・キホーテ渋谷本店 to purchase some souvenirs for friends and family, as this stores is so big, they have anything and everything that you wanna buy at a rather competitive price. i bought quite a few japanese snacks here, the options are endless and it’s also very reasonably priced. only downside is the paying process is long and painful as there’s only limited staff working at the counters for duty free checkout.

for dinner, my friend has prepared a feast at home for the both of us, she bought so many fresh ingredients and cooked a delicious and heartwarming meal. there’s grilled fish, pumpkin, miso soup, fresh vegetables and more. everything is really yummy, and we had a great meal and it’s so just relaxing to be able to have a homecooked meal. our meal ends with the egg pudding i got from shimokitazawa a day before, which is so creamy and the egg taste is really fragrant and rich and not really sweet at all.

to be continued...

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tokyo tohoku trip - day 14.

this is my last day in japan for this trip, and another rather chill and relaxing day just to finish visiting places i want to go and mainly to finish packing my luggage before night time.

i started my day together with my friend at a very nice breakfast place -  築地本願寺カフェ Tsumugi which is located in tsukiji honganji 築地本願寺. this cafe like place also has a store that sells merchandise and prayer items from the temple. the specialty of this place is their 18 dishes breakfast which included porridge and miso soup and 16 seasonal dishes. we made reservation in advance to secure a table as this menu is limited everyday. they do have some slots for walk-in customers but it’s very limited so reservation is highly recommended.

the 16 dishes are all in small sizes so you can definitely finish everything as a hearty breakfast. the dishes consists of various tofu, vegetables, duck meat, pickles, fruits, etc, it’s truly a variety and each dish name is actually printed on the paper under each bowl, so you can see what you are eating by lifting it. each ingredients are cooked with simple ways to keep the original taste, it’s feel very balanced and healthy. the breakfast also comes with green tea which is refreshing and light, which is perfect.

after breakfast, i split up with my friend as i head to asakusa while my friend went to work for a bit. while asakusa is one of the most touristy area in tokyo, it’s not a place that i would want to visit for no reason because it’s crowded. i visited a 100 yen store - seria セリア which is on the fifth floor of ekimise building. the variety here is different from the more popular daiso, i love the container collection and cooking utensils options they have, and also the stickers here are very cute and pretty. i bought a few items from here which i thought it would be great as souvenirs for myself and my friends, and it’s so economical too.

after shopping, i head to the kaminarimon gate 雷門 area to find some food for lunch, i decided to walk at the side streets instead of the main streets to avoid crowds and i found a gashapon store which i played and got more souvenirs for my friends. i also found a rather new store -  asakusa koromo brothers 蛸たこ that sells takosen which is takoyaki in rice cracker (senbei) and ring croquette. i got one of each with ice green tea and there are plenty of seats at the store for customers to enjoy the food and chill. the takosen is an interesting combination, takoyaki was alright but nothing too special, the rice cracker is crispy and light so the combination is not too bad. ring croquette was also enjoyable but nothing stands out though. but i did enjoy my light lunch overall because the menu is quite different.

i did some more walking around the area to pick up more souvenirs after lunch, while the area is crowded, it is still quite okay to move around so it was not too bad. later in the afternoon, i met my friend at suzukien 壽々喜園 which is a very popular green tea place that sells the strongest matcha ice cream. there’s 7 levels of matcha ice cream, so i got the level 3 and 7 for comparison. both levels are enjoyable, but i do like the level 7 very much for the strong green tea taste. also bought some green tea packets as souvenirs as they do have a good range of various tea leaves and products.

before leaving asakusa, we stopped by mister donut ミスタードーナツ to get the pokemon donuts for me to bring home to KL. we arrived at a good timing as they replenish the donuts just a few mins after we ordered our coffee and sat down, so i managed to get the whole set. my friend tried one of them - the jigglypuff one, which is strawberry flavor and it’s actually quite okay and enjoyable.

back my friend’s house, i spent a few hours packing while my friend cook another awesome meal for our dinner. packing was slightly difficult as i have so many thick clothes with me for this long trip, at the end i borrowed an extra cabin size luggage from my friend to fit everything.

dinner was amazing with grilled wagyu, broccoli, grilled fish, lotus root, miso soup, pickles and pumpkin. everything is my favorite and my friend absolutely spoiled me with such yummy food, and i am truly grateful for that. after a satisfying and heart warming dinner, we head to haneda airport 羽田空港 by bus which departs from tokyo city air terminal (tcat)  東京シティエアターミナル that is just few minutes walk away from my friend’s house.

the airport was very crowded though, it took around an hour to just check in, and more time to pass through custom checks and stuff. by the time i am inside, all the duty free stores are closed as the operation hours are shorten due to lack of staff. so i just went to my gate and chill there while waiting for my boarding. the flight departed on time and i had an okay sleep on the flight and arrived at KLIA2 in the morning on saturday. once i reached home, i slept for almost the whole day for recovery because the trip was tiring for my body which has never been so active in three years, or more.

the trip was awesome though, i got to visit a lot of new places and i truly love the small towns and countryside and nature, and cities have changed and evolved so much too it’s fun to explore and find out what’s new. i do hope to be able to visit again in 2023 to have as much fun again, as japan is a big country and there’s just so many places i have yet to visit.

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tokyo tohoku trip - day 11.

today, i am going to explore a new area in the day, around shimokitzawa. this is my first time coming to the part of tokyo, and i wanted to visit the totoro cream puff store, but i found out that they were closed. so instead, i found a cafe nearby shimokitazawa station - tekion 料理と暮らし 適温 to have breakfast.

this cafe has the minimalist style design and i ordered the toast with sunny side egg and salad with black coffee. the ambiance here is actually quite relaxing and i like that there’s huge windows to be able to just enjoy looking outside.

after breakfast, i went to quiet but beautiful gotokuji temple 豪徳寺 not far away for a short walk. the whole temple has autumn leaves everywhere, it’s really beautiful and just awesome for photos. the temple area also has a lot of cat statue (maneki neko) which is the unique point, you can also get a cat charm as souvenir. it’s just so cute, so beautiful, so peaceful, i do enjoy my time exploring the area. it’s definitely worth visiting.

for lunch, i decided to go to a curry place - soup curry ponipirika ポニピリカ, which is a cozy eatery on the second floor, and it’s really popular as i waited for about 10 minutes to get a seat. they serve the hokkaido style soup curry instead of the thick curry, and you get to customize the ingredients you want in your curry. i ordered the extra vegetable option with chicken drumstick and rice. all the ingrdients are lightly fried so it has a crispy layer which is enjoyable. the soup curry is flavorful but light, it does go very well with rice. the customers here are mainly tourists as i found most tables asked for the english menu. if you like curry and want something light weight, this is worth trying.

after that, i just walked around the area for a bit, there’s a lot of interesting stores with very unique decorations, and if you love second hand stores, this place has so many of them. i stopped by flipper’s for tea time and ordered their souffle pancake with strawberries and tiramisu cream. the pancake took a while to arrive as the cooking takes time. it’s so fluffy and light weight, it’s very enjoyable, even the cream is really light and strawberries are so nice too, finished this in no time as it taste so good and so light.

before leaving shimokitazawa area, i went to an egg specialty store -  とよんちのたまご which is popular for their egg pudding and other egg products. i bought two puddings for my friend and i, and one tamagoyaki for the next day when we will be eating at home.

as the day passes, i make my way back to tokyo again, and decided to stop by the line friends store in harajuku to check the place out, there was a super long queue when i went there on sunday, good thing it’s not as packed on a tuesday. everything in the store is 50% off as the store would be closed by end of the year, so i bought a huge binini plushie and a small brown plushie. i wanted to get more but luggage space has limits. =(

after that, i went to roppongi midtown garden ミッドタウン・ガーデン to meet my friend for the winter illumination show. the light show is quite enjoyable with the different colors and music and animation. all the trees nearby the area has lights so it’s quite beautiful to walk around and take photos. after that, we moved to the roppongi hills main road, which is a super popular spot for winter illumination as well, this place is packed with people trying to take photos.

for dinner, my friend with her friend and me, went to another izakaya style restaurant -  まめや, which has a rather unique menu as well. we ordered a few appetizers with various type of potato and stuff, sashimi, tofu, fried vegetables and chawanmushi. the food are all local ingredients, many of which, i have not seen before, but they taste so good with simple way of cooking. sashimi is fresh and enjoyable as well. chawanmushi is just so soft and fluffy and there’s anago inside to make it flavorful. the ambiance in the place is also very cozy with a friendly owner, we even receive a small towel as gift when we leave.

we make a brief stop at khadono for drinks before going home. this place is famous for their curry, they also have food trucks in other areas. the drinks selection here is really nice, they also had kombucha for non-alcoholic option and they make their own milk soft serve too. my friend are close friends with the owner of this place so they did have a good time catching up as well.

heading home after the drinks, it’s already quite tiring even though it’s not a super packed day, i still did walk a lot at shimokitazawa. after a hot bath and some tea to unwind, that is the end of another good day.

to be continued...

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tokyo tohoku trip - day 7.

my friend and i were going to kawaguchiko for a day trip, so we went to the jr expressway bus terminal JR高速バスのりば near to tokyo station to get on our bus which we bought the tickets ahead of time. before boarding the bus, we got katsu sandwich from the nearby convenient store too. those sandwich are very enjoyable, fluffy bread and the katsu is very flavorful with the sauce.

the bus ride is about two hours and we got to see mount fuji as we were arriving, as the weather is so nice. we decided to start our day with a visit to the fuji herb garden ハーブ庭園 旅日記, it’s one bus stop and about 10 minutes walk away, and the walk was enjoyable because of the nice view and cool weather.

the herb garden does not require fees to visit, and there’s an outdoor and indoor section with a souvenir store. there’s an observation deck which requires additional fee though, which we did not go. the indoor garden has lots of plants and flowers which are very beautiful, took lots of photos there. the outdoor garden has really nice arrangement of flowers and plants with water feature which is awesome for photos too. it was a relaxing walk and there’s name labels for each plant which is nice.

the souvenir store is quite big and they do have a lot of products made from plants and herbs. the beauty products are quite nice and gentle, there’s also sweets and snacks as wall. we got to try some fruit tea and fruit juice and the staff are so friendly. we wanted to sign up for the candle making workshop but the space was not available, so we couldn’t do it, we were thinking to come back in the evening though.

for lunch, we, of course, had to try the famous houtou noodles from the area. we went to koshu houtou kosaku 甲州ほうとう 小作 based on the staff recommendation from fuji herb garden. the restaurant is super spacious and we got a seat after a few minutes wait. i ordered the seafood option and my friend ordered the pork option. the taste of the soup does change based on the meat choice, and both of them are enjoyable. the noodles are chewy and quite thick, it’s not something i like very much. i do love all the vegetables that that put in the soup though, it was so good as all of them is fresh. the portion of the noodles is so big, i couldn’t actually finish it.

after a satisfying lunch, we took the local bus to kawaguchiko natural lving center  ブルーベリーの里 河口湖自然生活館 which is inside oishi park 大石公園. during the bus ride, we got to see the lake which is very pretty since the sky was quite clear. when we arrived at the center, there were quite a lot of tourist actually, the mount fuji view was simply amazing for such great weather. there’s also a souvenir store and they also sells snacks, i bought some stuff here for friends and also we sat down at the area to enjoy grape ice cream and coffee and just stare at the magnificent view.

as the day passed, the sky did get cloudy as the sun starts to set, we decided to head back to the herb garden since the bus ride do take quite some time. we arrived quite late so we missed the chance for the workshop, but we did pick up more souvenirs before walking back to the bus station. on the way back, we managed to visit a bakery - fujisan shokupan, to buy the fuji shaped milk bread.

the bus ride back is actually less comfortable because the double decker bus is less spacious. we got off at shinjuku bus terminal. we visit the muji store which has a relatively new section that sells products that reused old materials, so each piece is unique as the materials are not the same. it is a very interesting concept and their design is quite simple.

for dinner, my friend recommended a tonkatsu place nearby, suzuya 新宿すずや, which is on the 5th floor of the building. the tonkatsu is served on a hot plate with sauce and cabbage, which you may refill. we added kimchi and egg as add-ons which is so good. the meal also comes with the standard miso soup and pickles with white rice. the tonkatsu is very flavorful with the sauce, meat has quite some chew and i love the stir fry cabbage a lot. another satisfying meal to end the day. after that we just head home for rest since it definitely has been a long day since we woke up very early in the morning.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 10.

this is another day trip day to enoshima and kamakura which is a train ride away from shinjuku station. i purchase the enoshima-kamakura freepass from the ticket counter in the morning and boarded the next express train available to enoshima. the enoshima is an island just about 10 to 15 minutes walk away from katase-enoshima station.

during the walk across the bridge, i noticed that mount fuji is actually visible on the right, which is a really nice surprise. and the sky was very clear with nice sunshine as well. it makes the walk much more enjoyable.

upon reaching the island, there are stores along the pathway to the enoshima shrine up the hill. the stores sells various souvenirs and street food, though not all of them are open. i got myself a octopus cracker which is a flatten rice cracker with an octopus on it at asahi honten あさひ本店. the store always has a line so it’s very easy to spot. the cracker is so thin and crispy, it’s very nice to snack on. i also got a clam chowder croquette at tobiccho しらす問屋 とびっちょ as croquette is always enjoyable especially when it is freshly fried.

enoshima shrine 江島神社 is located at the end of the road on the hill top and the view from here is actually quite amazing, do prepare to climb a lot of stairs though. i buy tickets to enter the enoshima sea candle 江の島シーキャンドル using the escalator, which saves time and energy. along the way, you get to check out the shrine area, some observation area that has really nice sew view. the samuel cocking garden 江の島サムエル・コッキング苑 is also along the way and it requires a sperate entry ticket.

i went all the way up to the sea candle observation deck to get a good view of the island and the sea, along with mount fuji as the weather was really perfect. the outdoor observation deck has the best view, but it does get windy and cold, so staying inside the indoor observation deck is better if you want to just chill for a while.

after resting and taking in the beautiful 360 view of the whole area and taking lots of photos as well, i made my way down by walking, i guess i did get lost somewhere and also forgotten about looking for the restaurant i wanted to visit for lunch, so i went to enoshima koya 江ノ島小屋 instead, to try one of enoshima popular dish - shirasu (whitebait) don. the tiny little fishes with rice is quite enjoyable, the overall texture and feel is different from eating the normal fish as they are just so tiny.

after lunch, i moved to enoshima station, which is another 15 minutes walk to take the enoden line (covered by the pass) to kamakura. my first stop would be hasedera temple 長谷寺, which has a really nice garden and is famous for its autumn foliage. this temple does have an entrance fee and you will get a postcard in return. the garden area is indeed very beautiful, but there’s also quite a lot of tourist in the area. the japanese zen garden was under construction so only a small part of it was opened. it is a great spot for photos and just to sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful nature.

visiting kamakura is not complete without going to check out one of the greatest buddha statue 鎌倉大仏 at kotoku-in 高徳院. here, you are also recommended to make a donation to enter, and you will receive a postcard as a souvenir. the temple area is very spacious and you will see many tourists taking photos at different angles. the buddha statue is indeed quite awesome and nice to look at.

after walking around so much, i definitely needed a break and some rest, so i head to komachi dori by bus to check out some street food and stores. i bought some fish cake from asahina あさひな which is near the entrance. there’s so many kind of steamed fish cake here, it’s definitely interesting to try some out. kanmidokoro kamakura 甘味処鎌倉 sells really good warabi mochi which i enjoyed at the store and also brought some home to share with my friend. i love warabi mochi very much as it is less sweet and has a very light jelly texture, it goes well with tea.

i also bought some japanese style earrings and some wooden utensils as souvenirs for myself and friends. this street has lots of interesting stores and there’s also some alleys in between that you can explore to find great stores.

a short walk away from the end of komachi dori, i stopped by tsurugaoka hachimangu 鶴岡八幡宮, a very popular shrine in the area. the space here is also huge, and there’s a long flight of stairs going up to the shrine, which i decided not to go, as my legs are hurting. instead, i just explored the open area and took some photos as the sky got dark.

since my friend will be joining for dinner, i head back to enoshima by enoden line and visited the same restaurant that i went to for lunch. to my surprise, they do have a more extensive menu for dinner, which is awesome. we ordered sashimi, seaweed tempura, grilled radish, grilled squid and fish soup hotpot to share with lemon sour for drink. the food is equally, if not more awesome, than the afternoon. the fish soup is highly recommended as the fish is very fresh and the soup is delicious and warm for the cold weather. this restaurant is definitely a must-try for me as the staff are nice and the food is so good and satisfying.

after dinner, we walked to enoshima island again, wanting to check out the night time illumination a samuel cocking garden, however, we arrived too late and they have closed. instead, we just explored the outside area which is also slightly illuminated and the weather was just so nice that night as we walked around, take photos and chit chat along the way.

the walk back to train station was really long, although my legs are really tired and it does hurt, i do enjoy the quietness and the peaceful atmosphere a lot. i wouldn’t get the chance to walk like this anywhere else or any other time. both enoshima and kamakura has so much to offer, i felt that i have only explored a small part of it. if you do have time and option, it would be best to explore each town on separate days so that you get more time to go around, and also would be less tired. XD

felt so good to reach home back in tokyo, took a hot bath to unwind and ready to rest for the night, after sharing the warabi mochi dessert together with my friend.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 9.

started this beautiful sunday at starbucks reserve roastery tokyo which is located in meguro, a quiet and quaint neighborhood with really nice view along the streets. the place is filled with people, mostly tourist and the interior is really amazing and there’s lots to explore. each floor has a slightly different menu, so it’s worth checking all of them out.

it took a while to get my coffee and food as there’s so many people and the queue is long too. it’s best to come with friend to get a seat first while queuing. the view is very nice through the floor to ceiling windows,, so sitting anywhere including outside is really enjoyable. i was thinking that the night view would also be quite lovely.

i ate the baked eggs and order whiskey barrel aged merry cream coffee to try, as the combination seems to be interesting. the cream has slight sweetness to it and it does match well with the coffee which also smells nice. baked eggs are enjoyable, best eaten when it’s hot though. there are lots of merchandises at the entrance section which you can buy for collection or as souvenirs.

just outside of the starbucks building is the beautiful meguro river which is super popular during cherry blossom season. but even without the flowers, it is still a pretty view to enjoy when walking by. after my meal, i head to harajuku with the hachiko bus, it’s pretty convenient as it does take you to some areas where it is further away from the train stations.

i went to a few stores to just shop around, checking out interesting places to see if there’s anything i would like to buy for myself or for my friends. harajuku is more spacious but still quite crowded on a weekend.

for lunch, i decided to visit a really popular cafe - reissue, which is famous for their 3d latte art. there was a waiting time as the cafe is quite cozy on the second floor so there’s limited seats. it took awhile until i get to my turn, this cafe is also popular with tourists. i ordered ice mocha with a 3d art of a kitty and bunny, the hamburg steak with rice and an earl grey chiffon cake. the coffee is quite cute and so fluffy, took so many photos before even drinking it. the hamburg steak taste quite nice and i enjoyed the chiffon cake a lot, just love the fluffy texture so much.

after a fun time at the cafe, my next area to explore is aoyama, starting with franc franc, which is a popular home & living store. their items and decorations are totally my style, i wish i could bring everything home, it’s just colorful, but plain and classy with a hint of cuteness, which makes me happy. i did buy a few items as presents for my friends from here.

exploring aoyama is quite fun as there are many interesting cafe, stores and galleries around. neko neko shokupan is worth checking out if you are interested with cat shaped bread, they are super cute! i stopped by onden coffee 穏田珈琲 for a while to take break, enjoy coffee and reindeer dessert while chilling. all the walking did put a toll on my feet as i have not walked so much since about 3 years ago which is my last travel.

as the sky is getting dark, i head back to harajuku and went to daiso to do more shopping. shopping at 100 yen stores are great because you won’t end up spending too much. they also have self checkout counters now which is super convenient. one last cafe to check out in the area is anakuma cafe. this cafe has a really interesting concept where your drinks and desserts are served to you through a bear paw, there will be no interaction with any staff besides playing with the different bears on duty.

i ordered an apple juice, because i have drank a lot of coffee in one day, and played with the bear paw while waiting, it was just so cute and fun, such warn fluffy hands~ i really enjoy my experience and love the whole concept. hopefully more of these cafe would open everywhere as i do find it really fun.

after that, i did some more shopping at the matsumoto kiyoshi マツモトキヨシ 原宿駅表参道口店, a popular duty free pharmacy to get some of the beauty products i wanted for myself. this store is new, and the staff here is very helpful, it was a great and hassle free shopping experience for me. there’s other stores nearby worth checking out such as uniqlo, ikea, cosme, etc. it’s an interesting and nice change in harajuku.

for dinner, i met up with my friend at ebisu to visit our favorite gyoza place - yasubei of ebisu えびすの安兵衛. this izakaya serves the best gyoza in tokyo or maybe the whole world. XD seriously, the best we have ever had. their other dishes are also really unique and very very yummy. we ordered quite a few rounds just to satisfy our cravings, as one plate is never enough.

the night ends after a very satisfying dinner with great food, we head home and take a rest and unwind before going to bed, as i will have another early start and a very full day tomorrow.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 5.

woke up early morning after a good night sleep for another great day out, my sleeping schedule was so good during this trip for some reason, haha... XD i went to the morning market nearby the hotel to have a look but they mostly sell fresh food and stuff for cooking, so i decided to get some breakfast from convenient store which i really want to eat.

after enjoying my breakfast at my hotel room, i decided to just pack and check out first, and leave my luggage with the hotel receptionist so that i don’t have to come back until i am ready to leave sendai tonight.

my first place to visit is the sendai castle ruins/aoba castle ruins 仙台城跡, which is up a hill. i went to the nearest train station and started to walk, it didn’t occur to me that i would need to hike up the hill until i reach there and saw the walking path. also, the shorter route was closed off because some trees fall on the road, so i had to hike up a longer route, it was totally unexpected and quite tiring. it’s a good thing that the weather is chilly and i just walk up slowly and take rests in between, and since there’s no car or not crowded at all, i had the whole path to myself.

the city view at the top of the hill is beautiful, as it is a sunny day, you can really see very far away and there’s also a group of people filming some dance video there, which is interesting to watch. while this place used to be the castle, you don’t get to see any castle as it was destroyed and was never rebuilt. there’s VR service available for tourist who is interested to see what it used to be like though.

i walked around a bit and found a shrine, which is always nice to visit. miyagiken gokoku shrine 宮城縣護國神社 is not huge, but a decent size and it also look quite nice, i bought some souvenirs for my friend and myself too. after exploring around for a while, i found out that there’s a bus service to take me back to town, so of course i took that and went back to sendai station for lunch.

as beef tongue is a specialty in sendai, i found that there’s a whole row of restaurants dedicated to gyutan at the station, i chose a restaurant that has good review and queued up for it as all restaurants there are packed and super crowded during lunch time. zenjirou たんや善治郎 has quite a simple menu with different cuts and quantity for their set meal, you also get white rice, yam and beef soup with the meal which is very nice. i ordered 4 pieces of thick cut gyutan and it was really really good, i like the simple flavor, the charcoaled taste and the chewy texture of the beef tongue, it goes very well with rice and the soup is quite li8ght and refreshing to complete the meal.

after a satisfying meal, i stop by the zunda saryo ずんだ茶寮 to get the edamame shake. this is also a popular item from sendai, it is very refreshing, sort of like fruit smoothie, but the bean taste is light and refreshing, i really do enjoyed this very much. they also sell some snacks and souvenir which you can buy and bring home.

for the afternoon, i took the local train to matsushima for a boat ride to check out the beautiful islands around matsushima bay 松島湾. apparently, this view is one of the most beautiful and highly recommended. i booked the boat ride ahead so there’s a discount, however, you can also buy tickets on the spot as well.

the boat has huge windows so you can sit inside and look out to enjoy the view while listening to the narration (in japanese), which is a very relaxing thing to do. there’s also a special cabin on the upper floor which require extra fees, so i didn’t go there. the other option is to go outside and enjoy the sea breeze which is fun and great for photos. the view is already very nice, and adding sunset to it make it even better as the water color just changes over time. it is definitely worth checking this out as it was beautiful and such a relaxing activity.

once we are back from the boat ride, i decided to visit a cafe before leaving, as i do still have time until my dinner appointment. shokado cafe 松華堂菓子店 is just by the seaside and they sell various kind of rice crackers, snacks and dessert as souvenir. i ordered hojicha with  a kinako sandwich (soybean flour puff) きなこサンド to enjoy while looking at the sea and sunset. the cafe is not busy hence it is the perfect place to just chill and have a good time.

for dinner, shiogama is a nearby town where it is known to have the most sushi restaurants in whole of japan. and the fish here is super fresh and not being frozen because it is so close by to the sea. my friend helped me make a reservation at sushi shirahata 鮨 しらはた, and i reached there slightly earlier and the staff are super nice and friendly.

with my limited japanese, i managed to ask the chef for some recommendations and what is fresh and good for the day and picked out the food i want to eat. i ordered hotate and shirako (fish semen) for appetizer, sashimi and a sushi platter. the appetizer is actually amazing, there’s a difference in texture for the hotate (scallops) between the ones i enjoyed in aomori and this one. both of them is very good and there’s no fishy taste at all, in fact this is very refreshing with the sauce. shirako is a weird dish, but i quite like it as the texture is so smooth and soft.

sashimi is made of out three type of fish that the chef recommended, all of them have different texture and taste, which is very enjoyable, some lighter taste and some heavier, it’s just so so satisfying to have good sashimi that just give you a different sensation every bite.

sushi platter has 10 piece of sushi with a slice of tamagoyaki. each piece is made so beautifully the whole plate is like an art itself. there’s different type of tuna, local fish, hotate, uni, anago and more. during the whole meal, i had a good time chatting with the chef while he is preparing my food, i’m glad that i get to use my japanese, while it is no where near perfect, at least he did understand what i said.

the service here is really awesome, the restaurant was quiet and the ambiance was really comfortable. the meal also included a bowl of hot shrimp soup and pear sorbet at the end to complete the meal. the whole experience is amazing and definitely highly recommended as i do feel the quality of fresh fish is better  here than in tokyo, and i do believe it is less pricey as well. i would love to be back again if there’s chance in the future.

heading back to sendai, i picked up my luggage from the hotel and also bought some souvenir from zunda saryo before boarding the shinkansen back to tokyo, which also marks the end of my tohoku exploration using my 5 days jr east pass. this pass is so worth it as i got to visit so many amazing places, i do love all the smaller towns and the scenery is just amazing. being able to see snow and play with snow is wonderful as well. there’s definitely so much more to explore as tohoku area is huge, so i would definitely like to visit again in the future.

for next day onwards, it’s gonna be tokyo and places around tokyo, to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 3.

after a good night sleep, we woke up to really beautiful snow view at the resort, this snowy scene never gets old. and of course we enjoyed the onsen once again, it was just so so amazing. we had breakfast at the resort’s restaurant which is japanese buffet style, and they use many local ingredients as well. i love the variety and all the food is really fresh and taste so delicious, i ate quite a lot and was fully stuffed and satisfied.

played in the snow again for a bit because it’s a rare chance and i really enjoyed it. XD while waiting for the next bus, we also had coffee and coffee jelly soft serve and just chill at the lounge area which is relaxing and comfortable. the bus ride going back to town is lovely, there’s less snow in town of course, and we arrived at our next destination with really nice weather without any snowing.

sannai maruyama ruins 三内丸山遺跡 is a popular tourist attraction in aomori, and it looks beautiful with lots of history to learn, hence we decided to visit the place to just walk around. they do have free guided tours but the timing wasn’t very suitable so we just roam around ourselves which is totally fine too.

the place has a indoor section which plays movie (in japanese) and display some artifacts with description, but the outdoor section is the gem, and it’s just so beautiful. my friend visited this place many times but never once when it is covered in snow, and she love the view as well. the outdoor site has lots of buildings that you can get into, to see the actual site of the ruins and artifacts, and the structures are beautiful in its own way and great for photos. it was an awesome walk, definitely highly recommended.

we decided to go to ASPAM アスパム that is nearby aomori station for lunch, there’s a japanese restaurant with a great view of the bay area on the 10th floor - michinoku cuisine nishimura みちのく料理 西むら. we ordered their set meals which is mainly seafood. i had the baked hotate with egg, fish soup and hotate sashimi with rice and pickles. my friend ordered the kaisen don which has so much fresh seafood on rice. the food here is really good, seafood is fresh and taste is so appetizing, it was so satisfying, and the bonus is the great view outside the window which is calming.

after lunch, we head to aomori station as we need to take the local train to misawa station for our next hotel for the night - hoshino resorts aomoriya 星野リゾート 青森屋. this resort is one of many resorts under hoshino group of hotels, and this place has lots of unique activities you can do during your stay, besides food and onsen. the resort does pick us up from the station which is very convenient.

the resort area is quite beautiful with a lot of greens and flowers and trees. there’s an entire area filled with many things like shops, games, an izakaya, a performance show, and an apple juice tap, which taste really nice. the shop has lot of local souvenir variety, but it’s definitely slightly more pricey. we couldn’t catch the performance as all seats were already booked. but the nebuta float decorations are still beautiful to look at.

we took a short rest in our spacious hotel room before going to dinner. dinner was awesome, it’s buffet style and half of the food is cooked freshly at each stall, which is so good, the smell increase our appetites and everything truly taste good. i enjoyed so much of sashimi, grilled seafood, tempura, vegetables, and many other japanese dishes. for some reason, japanese buffet is very enjoyable and the variety just makes me happy. it was definitely a very satisfying meal, and i discovered i really liked apple tempura so much, didn’t expect that.

after a fulfilling dinner, we decided to take a walk outside the pond area, it’s litted with japanese style lanterns, there’s also a foot bath in the area, with a shrine in the middle of the pond with beautiful light up nebuta decorations. it was a very peaceful and relaxing walk, even if it is dark, but it just feel so comfortable with the beautiful night view, we also got to see stars in the sky, which is impossible in the city, that made me feel so good.

the night is not complete without a relaxing bath in the onsen, there’s an outdoor onsen in this resort, with a view of a nebuta float, how amazing is that. while the onsen was quite crowded, it still feels so good and comfortable as the onsen is quite spacious. the bath amenities is also very complete, so it’s super convenient. i love outdoor onsen so much because the bath is hot but the air is cooling, it’s super comfortable and relaxing and you get to stay in the hot spring so much longer. a relaxing hot spring is the perfect way to end the night for a good night sleep.

to be continued...

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 1.

tohoku area is the northern part of the main peninsular in japan, and it’s not super famous as a tourist destination, however, there’s a lot to offer in the whole area and my friend has suggested that we explore a few towns and cities together during this trip.

so after a short sleep, i’m at tokyo station with my friend to redeem my 5 days jr east pass for tohoku area, which will allow me to use the tohoku shinkansen, jr local trains, jr buses and joyful trains, and many more, which you can find all the info on their official website.

if you are travelling a lot in 5 days within the tohoku area, it’s a really worthy pass to purchase, as a foreigner. tohoku shinkansen is a reservation seats only shinkansen, so it’s necessary to actually make reservations for all your trips, it’s best to plan your route beforehand and then go to the ticket counter and tell the staff which trains you would like to get onto.

for my case, it was really last minute and it was weekend, so the train that i wanted was full and good thing my friend was there to communicate with the staff about my plan and they finally suggested that i get a standing ticket for my first shinkansen in order for me to meet the schedule.

and the whole reason why there’s such schedule limitation is because i wanted to get on the pokemon with you joyful train, which only runs once a day every saturday and sunday. more about the pokemon train later...

this is my first experience to have a standing ticket for shinkansen, as all the previous times, i did get normal seats which is very comfortable. i also bought sandwiches for breakfast since i did not eat in the morning. standing tickets has train number on it, so you can only stay within that train. there’s some space in front and at the back of the train, which is quite nice and you can look out the window for the scenery. good thing that this ride is above ground, so it was quite nice to enjoy the scenery. i was okay for this standing ride, as there’s a lot of chance to sit later of the day.

i arrived at ichonoseki station around and make my way to the local train after storing my luggage at the station locker, as i plan to take the pokemon train at kesennuma station on the return trip. the local train ride gave a completely different feeling compared to shinkansen, as the speed difference is very obvious. the scenery along the countryside train tracks are amazing with beautiful sunshine. it was a really really slow and relaxing ride.

at kesennuma station, i got a short break and visited the convenient store to get water and snack, the local people are very nice and friendly, they thought i was japanese until i told them i wasn’t. and i’m actually happy that my japanese language is good enough for me to communicate with simple sentences.

the station also has quite a few pokemon related photospot, which is just so cute. even the station sign is pokemon themed. after a short wait, it’s finally time for the long awaited train ride. the staff is super friendly and helped me to take photos at every opportunity, which i’m super grateful about. there were families with young kids on board, some adult pokemon fans like me as well, but the train is not full or packed, so it was really comfortable.

the train has 2 sections, one section is the playroom and the other section is the seating area. everywhere you look on the train, it’s super cute and pikachu everywhere. i was so so happy and the inner kid in me wish to just stay on the train forever. the playroom has so much plushies to play and take photos with and it’s fully carpeted so you can sit anywhere and just enjoy the kawaii atmosphere and setup, they truly made sure every detail of the train is amazing. we also got a badge souvenir after answering a short survey (in japanese), and at certain train stops, the staff will lead us into the station for few minutes to get a pokemon train station stamp on the postcard that every customer received. it’s truly fun to experience everything during the entire ride. absolutely worth the time and money to try and get on the train at least once, especially if you are a pokemon/pikachu fan.

the train does stop at a few stations along the way and there’s some outdoor decorations setup at those station as photo spots. even without them, the countryside scenery is actually beautiful, especially as the sun was about to set, every photo is just so picturesque. and this whole fun filled experience is covered by the jr east pass!

got some onigiri after the ride arrived at ichinoseki station, since i did skip lunch that day. while i did not move a lot, i do need some energy to keep my body warm as the sun set was early and the weather gets cold very quickly. i continued with my journey up north to aomori by shinkansen which is the city i will be staying the night at.

from ichinoseki station, i took a shinkansen to morioka and made a brief stop to wait for the next shinkansen to aomori as there’s no direct connection, since ichinoseki is a smaller town/station. at morioka, i got to visit a bakery cafe below the station and enjoyed a beautiful and delicious strawberry tart, i do miss and love japanese desserts, just so pretty and so yummy with the fresh and good quality ingredients.

initially, i was planning to make a stop at hachinohe for dinner, but the restaurant i intended to go was fully reserved, hence i decided to just go to aomori straight and find something else for dinner there. the shinkansen is noticeably less crowded by now as most people has arrived at their destination by now.

shin aomori station is a relatively new looking station, and i do still need to take one more local train to arrive at the aomori station and walk to my hotel. it was here that i saw real snow for the first time! i was super excited about it and can’t wait to see more once i arrived. the walk to my hotel was not too far, but roads are covered in snow, it was quite beautiful to see so much white everywhere, even though the sky is dark by now. checking in to my hotel was easy, and the room is quite nice and spacious for one person.

then i went to nearby streets to hunt for food, and ended up at this kushiyaki placed called hyakushiki ひゃくしき 青森新町店, i believe this place is quite new though. the menu is completely in japanese, so i did spend quite a long time to just read everything. i ordered quite a few kushiyaki, chicken karaage and dashi tamagoyaki. the food is so so so good, ingredients are very fresh and the batter is so light and crispy too, a good find definitely.

after filling up my stomach, i called it a day and went back to my hotel for a hot bath to relax and went to bed for a good night sleep, as there’s more exciting activities to look forward the next day, which my friend will be joining me on the trip.

to be continued.

[lagycart]

zenith hotel, cameron highlands.

this time we stayed at this rather new hotel which is located at tanah rata, a very convenient location that is near to the main streets with lots of surrounding shops. the whole place is very spacious from the entrance, lobby, car park, corridor, to the room itself. this is a really refreshing vibe as normally hotel would maximizes their space, so it’s rare to see and feel so much empty space.

the room has a king size bed, which is very comfy, all the basic amenities are available, and there’s also a bathtub, although it’s very small and narrow, which i feel kinda wasted. if only the bathtub is slightly bigger, it would definitely be more enjoyable. there’s also a balcony with a nice view of the town, but there’s no table and chairs, so we couldn’t just sit there and chill.

our room comes with buffet breakfast during our stay, the food selection is quite okay, more local dishes than western dishes. i really wished they could consider adding sausage, bacon and ham on the menu, which i think is quite essential in breakfast buffet. i like the vegetable spread a lot, because of the variety and the freshness. overall food taste is alright, but local dishes does taste better, nasi lemak and their sambal is very appetizing.

the staff service is generally good, everyone we engaged with is helpful, and their room service response is quick as well. check in and leaving is also hassle free and very quick. if you want to find a new hotel that is not too far away from town and like big space, this would be a good consideration.