elleiram

life.is.wonderful. i am in love with photography and art. :) i am hoping that someday i will be able to share to the world all the things i create using my talent, through artworks or photographs. i am also passionate about music. i sing and write songs and i hope that some people would someday hear it and be able to relate to it. i go crazy sometimes and dance. specially when no one is watching.

[mariellema]

Our flight to Taipei was around 10 pm, and we arrived a little past midnight. Taiwan Taoyuan airport was peaceful and there weren’t a lot of people around. We finally got to see the beautiful simplicity of the airport’s architecture in person and it was lovely. This is both our first time visiting Taipei and we were excited and anxious at the same time, we were looking forward to a lot of activities, places, and food to eat!

After going through immigration, the first thing we did was have half of our money exchanged right in the airport.

Side note: GUYS, this is really important! We made the mistake of not reading up about this prior to our visit, but Taipei is NOT like Hong Kong or the Philippines where you can easily find money changers in malls or on the street, only outlets that are accredited by the the local bank or in the bank itself. Since we only had money good for two days exchanged (Thursday and Friday), we were running out by Saturday. And since the outlets are either bank-accredited or the bank itself, it meant that they were CLOSED on the weekend! We definitely panicked that morning, and we sent a message to our Airbnb host asking for help. She suggested some outlets nearby and we went to each of them.

  Unfortunately, some of them were still closed and the ones that were open didn’t accept Philippine Peso. Thankfully, the lovely woman suggested the money changer at Songshan airport because we completely forgot that there was another one nearer to the city center. So we took the train and after a couple of hours of panic and misadventure, we were able to reach Songshan and had all the rest of our money exchanged. PHEW! Lesson learned guys, if you ever find yourself in Taipei, have all of your money exchanged right when you land!😂

Since we arrived at midnight, we can only either take a cab or the bus to get to the city center. We wanted to save money as much as we can, and so we opted to take the bus. At the basement level of the airport there is a waiting area where you’ll see bus counters, pictured above. Only counter 7 is open 24/7 so take note of that if you arrive past midnight. We decided to just rest for a while before buying our tickets, and off to the city we go!

We got off on the last stop by the Taipei Main Station, it was around 4 am. You must be wondering where we are off to at this hour when the city is still asleep… 😆 Well, lucky for us, Taipei has an amazing 24-hour bookstore called Eslite!

Awake and wandering while the city is still asleep.

There are a couple of  Eslite branches around Taipei but the Dunhua branch was the one open for 24 hours. Photography and videography aren’t allowed inside the bookstore but it was absolutely magical! There was a huge selection of books, magazines, mangas, and even e-books. There’s also a section where you can buy locally-made products like postcards, bags, toys, collectibles, stickers and magnets. Only a handful of people were inside and there’s a lovely, well-lit wooden table and chairs where we just read and rested until the sun was up. We definitely recommend this place. Cozy, inviting, relaxing…you can easily stay here for hours!

At around 6 am, we took the train and did some temple-hopping. Our first stop was one of the most popular temples in Taiwan, Xingtian Temple. It was quite small and a lot of people were already inside worshiping in the early morning. We just walked around for a few minutes and took some photos. You can read more about Xingtian Temple here and here.

After Xingtian, we took the train again and went to Confucius Temple at Dalong Street. We didn’t know that there are some other temples beside it, so we were in for a treat! Dalong Street is in Datun District which is very lovely in the early morning. Locals were enjoying breakfast on the wide streets with cheerful faces. We noticed a lot of residential apartments in this area too.

Cute little characters greeted us outside the train station.

Our first sight of Taipei’s U-bike system. You can rent these bikes and use to travel around the city!

Confucius Temple is really big. You should definitely allot an hour or so if you want to explore Confucius and its neighboring temples. The area was really peaceful despite the number of people strolling and groups of elderly women exercising. Read more about Confucius Temple here and here.

Confucius Temple.

If you ever find yourself in this area, don’t just walk around and take photos of what your eye-level can see. Look up! Look down and around. There are so many beautiful, intricate architecture to appreciate. Feel the whole vibe of the place while you walk, and enjoy the soft sound of the birds chirping.

Next, we went to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. We didn’t stay long, as there wasn’t much to see. It was also quite crowded that day. But there’s a lovely park where we had a good view of Taipei 101 so that was nice! You can read more about Sun Yat Sen Memorial park here and here.

Our last stop before we had lunch was the incredible Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It’s so grand and breathtaking. Photos won’t even justify the entirety of this place, but we hope you enjoy them anyway!

There was something about the grandeur of the different buildings that made it so surreal. If you search for photos of Taipei online, you’ll most likely see Taipei 101 Tower or this. And seeing it in person is quite overwhelming. The weather was pleasantly cold that morning and we were so tired from the flight hours ago with no sleep but this really made up for it.

It was really nice seeing people enjoy the scenery with their friends or family. A lot of groups also looked like they are on a tour, with their buses lined up by the entrance.

We just walked around, luggage in hand, and took photos of the place, the people and ourselves! We hope you guys get the chance to visit this beautiful place too. You can read more about this place here.

We went up the steps (there are a LOT of steps) with our luggage and backpack so you can imagine that it was really tiring. But getting up there will let you see the whole place in a new perspective. You’ll appreciate the architecture and landscape from up here even more, so you should definitely try it as long as you physically can.

What a beautiful view.

We were famished at this point, so we knew we had to keep moving and find some food. It also felt like our eyes were half open 😅 We planned on having some seafood and found the BEST place for it. Watch out for it on the second part of this day 1 blog!

We hope you enjoyed this post! What did you like about it the most? More Taipei adventures to be shared, so keep an eye out for that 😉 Let us know if you’ve ever been to Taipei and what you loved about it, or if you are planning to visit in the future. Talk to us in the comments below or connect with us through our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 😊 On to the next one!

Marielle ❤ Leandro

Temples and Memorial Halls: First Day in Taipei Our flight to Taipei was around 10 pm, and we arrived a little past midnight. Taiwan Taoyuan airport was peaceful and there weren't a lot of people around.

[mariellema]

Korea Photo Diary: Day Three

[mariellema]

New Year, New Adventures

New Year, New Adventures

Happy new year, everyone! What a year 2016 was. There were so many things that happened that made us all laugh, cry, gasp, and sigh. We can all agree that in most parts of the world, terrible things occurred that we much rather forget about. We felt sad and angry and we wished it was all a dream. But there were also a lot of amazing things we were thankful for and want to remember forever –…

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[mariellema]

Xiamen is a beautiful mix of modern and traditional. From tree-lined streets filled with artsy boutiques to incense smoke-covered temples, this city captivated us. And with only a quarter of the day to explore, we were left wanting more.

Last August, we embarked on a 6-day Royal Caribbean cruise to Hong Kong, Xiamen, and Okinawa. And in between days at sea, you’re given the option to go down the ship to explore the port of calls. The first port of call was in Xiamen, China and the mini tour included Nanputuo or the South Putuo temple, and shopping at Zhongshang Road.

Here we are entering the South Putuo temple, the most famous temple in South Fujian and is also well-known among all the Buddhist temples in China.

There is something about this temple that will leave you feeling refreshed and at peace. Maybe it’s the distant chanting, the wind that gushes through all the surrounding trees, or the mere sight of people worshiping with eyes closed while murmuring their wishes and woes.

It was such a beautiful and peaceful place despite the many tourists coming in and out. We also didn’t expect the place to be huge. In fact, given the short amount of time on this mini tour, it was impossible to roam around the whole place. There were lots of turns, passages, alleys and stairs which are probably not recommended for everyone. But, if you get tired, you can always retreat under the trees and enjoy a breathtaking view of the lotus pond.

One thing that makes Xiamen so easy to admire is the fact that in a minute you’re in the midst of a peaceful temple, and a few steps down the street, you’ll find yourself admiring tall, modern architectural wonders.

The last place we went to was Zhongshan Road. A beautiful, long, car-free street where you can find unique shops and delectable food.

We grabbed a quick lunch at KFC. It’s always fascinating to try food chains that are also available in your own country and see how unique the menu is from each one. This KFC had corn, coffee float, soft serve on strawberry wafer cones, and even plastic gloves so you can really dig into that bucket of chicken which we all do not have in our local KFC which is interesting.

We also noticed a lot of ice cream and dessert stalls scattered around Zhongshan Road which many will find refreshing when shopping under the heat of the sun.

We found a really nice shop that sells postcards with photos of Xiamen’s beautiful scenery and well-known landmarks. In the store itself, after purchasing your postcard, you can already write on it and send it right away. We didn’t send any postcards, but we did purchase a whole set that also came with bookmarks.

Just strolling along Zhongshan Road, you’ll find more shops that you’re probably only encountering for the first time versus stores that are known globally and that’s what makes it really unique and unforgettable. A real definition of “hipster”, if you will. It’s not trying to be like everyone else, and instead showcases local talent and homegrown products.

With all the little stores filled with all these goods, it is impossible to just spend an hour in Zhongshan Road to fully explore the place. If we were to travel to Xiamen again, this will definitely be on our itinerary. If you  are a foodie and have a penchant for unique, artsy things, then we suggest exploring Zhongshan Road as well. But, also take note that most merchants are not comfortable in speaking English. We really wanted to buy this per gram dried fruits and herbs that you can boil to make tea from one store, but they didn’t understand us so they just gave us a free cup of tea instead which isn’t bad but we really wish that we could’ve taken more home.

Before we left, we bought that soft serve on strawberry flavored wafer cone from KFC. This is one of the best ice creams we’ve ever had! And that cone really is flavorful. Try it if you get the chance.

One more shore excursion experience left to share with you, then it’s sharing all about our cruise experience next. We hope you enjoyed this post and maybe made you want to travel to Xiamen, too!

Marielle ❤ Leandro

  Shore Excursion Experience: Xiamen Xiamen is a beautiful mix of modern and traditional. From tree-lined streets filled with artsy boutiques to incense smoke-covered temples, this city captivated us.

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If you like more of these, follow psych2go.

[mariellema]

Mecha Uma: Absurdly Delicious!

Mecha Uma: Absurdly Delicious!

Hello! I’m so sad I can’t blog as much as I want to due to my work schedule. I wish I can have more time to write here and share with you guys even more..I mean, I’m not even done with our Japan posts from last November! It is really unfortunate but I have to remind myself that I need to work extra hard if I actually want to travel a lot and, well, keep this blog alive by sharing more adventures!…

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[mariellema]

Seeing your favorite bands that you've been listening to since 6th grade perform live will always be the best feeling in the world. Last night @wanderlandfest #DeathCabForCutie #Wanderlandmusicfest2016 #music #bengibbard

[mariellema]

After a day of touring Yokohama, we drove up to our hotel, Koryu, at Kawaguchi. It was quite a long drive, it took us around 3 hours to get there. I remember us stopping over at a gas station that had a huge grocery and souvenir shop which I loved so much. It was a lovely place where you’ll find so many local goods, and I regret leaving my camera in the bus.

As we got nearer to Koryu Hotel, we noticed how calm and quiet the neighborhood is. Our observation was justified once we got to the hotel, it was so quiet (and cold!) it was almost eerie.

That eerie feeling was quickly lessened after we settled in our hotel and went out to walk around. The neighborhood was so beautiful. I can’t even put into words how I loved it so much and how breathtaking it was. Speaking of breath, it was so cold that there was legit fog-like condensation when we speak or breath! Living in a tropical country, this fascinated me so much. Haha!

The street where our hotel was located has beautiful neighboring houses (my favorite one pictured above) and other small hotels like ours. I noticed some cafes and bars but they were all closed already. There was no convenience store whatsoever in sight, so our guide actually advised us to buy everything we need during our stop over.

Right in front of our hotel is Lake Kawaguchi! It was almost pitch black and we couldn’t see a thing, but we got nearer and we saw a thick fog hovering above the lake..the eerie feeling sorta came back! I actually ran because I got scared. The street was empty, I figured if something happens, no one will ever see us and help out. Haha! But Lake Kawaguchi is actually so beautiful and breathtaking. I’m excited to show you what it looks like in the morning on our next post. :)

All we did was walk and admired the houses and hotels, because that’s all you can actually do here. Public transportation is not as easily accessible compared to when you are in Tokyo or any other main roads and cities. We were also freezing by the time we walked back to our hotel, so we just decided to stay inside our warm and toasty room to relax and watch some Japanese TV shows, which, by the way, are totally awesome! We got to experience more of traditional Japanese here, and we’ll share more of our hotel experiences throughout our stay in a different post.

That’s it for our second night, guys! Hope you liked this short post as much as I like these two photos of Leandro, in traditional Japanese robe..sitting on the floor of traditional Japanese room..preoccupied by a very modern gadget. :p

Goodnight,  Marielle

Cold Kawaguchi After a day of touring Yokohama, we drove up to our hotel, Koryu, at Kawaguchi. It was quite a long drive, it took us around 3 hours to get there. 

[mariellema]

On our second day in Japan, we took a break from the bustling city center and went to Yokohama, a quieter city of Tokyo. It was a refreshing sight to behold in the morning after a tiring night. It was a cold, wet, gloomy morning but we didn’t mind at all! All the flowers from the park and the early signs of fall still looked beautiful, and the places and people around Yokohama brightened up the gloomy weather.

Our first stop was Akarenga. Akarenga, or The Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is a:

“major tourist spot in Yokohama, is a cultural and commercial facility that utilizes two historical buildings constructed more than a century ago. It was built as a government bonded warehouse during the Meiji and Taisho eras and, as Japan’s first modern port facility, played an important role in the nation’s development. It stopped being used as a warehouse in 1989, later undergoing nine years of conservation and renovation work until reopening in 2002 as a cultural and commercial facility.” – http://www.yokohama-akarenga.jp/en/

We spotted a quaint cafe that looked so warm and inviting. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to try it out. We did manage to go inside the shops and purchased some items. We got some Yokohama curry that we left behind along with our purikura photo and some Japanese magazines. So sad.

There were a lot of unique finds inside the shops, ranging from food (wines, chocolates, native delicacies) to fashion (bags, coats, socks, clothes). It was nice walking around Akarenga, and the red brick warehouse was beautifully surrounded by trees that showed early signs of fall.

Near Akarenga was Yamashita Park, where we got to enjoy more nature with all the beautiful flowers and landscaping. Also located in Yamashita Park is the Hikawa Maru,  the massive ocean liner in the water beside the promenade.

“Hikawa Maru was first put into service in 1930 along the Yokohama-Vancouver/Seattle line. The ship had first-class cabins that attracted the likes of the imperial family and Charlie Chaplin for the transpacific journey. In 1960, after 30 years at sea, the ship was retired. It now serves as a museum, with informative displays and interiors in the style of the 1930s.” – http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3204.html

A street away from Yamashita Park, is Yokohama Chinatown. We loved Yokohama Chinatown so much. It was interesting to see the fusion between Chinese and Japanese goods.

Yokohama Chinatown is Japan’s largest. It quickly developed after the port of Yokohama had been opened to foreign trade in 1859. Yokohama Chinatown’s main attraction is their food, so this is where we had our lunch for that day. A large number of restaurants, as well as shops, can be found in narrow and colorful streets.

After we had our lunch, we went straight to MARK IS Minatomirai shopping mall, the largest shopping center in the Minato Mirai 21 district. It’s a cool and hip place to do your shopping, with 180 shops to choose from. What’s even cooler is that the new complex is directly linked to Minatomirai Station on the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway’s Minatomirai Line.

The mall is a mix of high-end shops and quirky, affordable ones. If you want to completely roam the mall like we did, be prepared for there are six floors in total! We honestly didn’t know where to start, but it helps that there are maps of the mall on each floor.

A tip we wish we knew: if you’re not planning to splurge, the shops located at the basement levels are cheaper than the ones above.

Right before we met with the group, we got lost and rode the wrong elevator that led us to a different exit. At that moment we realized how true it is that sometimes, getting lost leads to an adventure and great discoveries because it led us to a beautiful street where we found a cute bike shop and our new favorite bookstore, Tsutaya.

Discovering new places and things will always leave us feeling good and happy, and we’re sure a lot of people feel the same. Sharing our passion for adventure and our joy in travel is the reason we started this blog in the first place!

We hope you find places that tug your heartstrings and ignite your wanderlust. Never stop dreaming of the things you wish to do, food you want to eat, and places you wish to go. :)

Marielle ♥ Leandro

                  Konnichiwa Yokohama On our second day in Japan, we took a break from the bustling city center and went to Yokohama, a quieter city of Tokyo.

[itsleahelaine]

late night 🌟🌟🌟

[mariellema]

When you have so much work, but the sunset hits you like "WOAH such dramatic scene" so you take a slefie, add a ton of millenial filters and boom - instant album cover. #donttakemeseriously #imstressedout

[mariellema]

After our first day of tour ended, we checked in at Shinjuku Washington Hotel. It was a nice and simple hotel with very friendly staff. The room we got wasn’t big but it wasn’t too small, either. We stayed in five different hotels throughout our Japan trip, so we can make a different post about the hotels we’ve stayed in, if you’d like.

As you can imagine, a whole day of group tour was absolutely exhausting. But, as we always say, we never let our feet rest if there’s so much more to explore. We can’t let the opportunity of wandering go to waste!

On our last post, we mentioned that we had dinner at Kabukicho area, an entertainment and red-light district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. We were drawn to it’s bright lights and night life, so we really wanted to come back and explore. We learned that it was quite near our hotel, so we thought, “why not just walk to Kabukicho?”

According to Google Maps, the walk from our hotel to Kabukicho would only take around 20 minutes. But, of course, typical Leandro and Marielle had to be in awe of everything so it took us an hour to get to Kabukicho. LOL

Along the way, we spotted some arcades similar to the ones we had back home…except that the arcades we went in had THE BEST claw machine prizes. Anime action figures, like, is this real life??

We were in search for a Purikura machine that we read about before,  and we were beyond excited when we saw one! Experiencing Purikura was really unique and very modern Japanese.

Can you see our faces all kawaii below? Sadly, we left this Purikura print on the other hotel we stayed in. :( All those effort to make cute faces and layout the stickers gone forever!!! We still can’t get over it until now, but fortunately we snapped a photo of it before we lost it. HUHU

The kawaii that got away

We walked a little further before we reached Kabukicho. The lady at the hotel front desk, who was Filipino too, gave us a map of the hotel area and pointed out the way. It was really easy to navigate and once you see the big Uniqlo shop, all you have to do is cross the street and you’re already in Kabukicho!

“Kabukicho is the entertainment and red-light district, part of Shinjuku Tokyo. Located on the eastern side of Shinjuku Train Station it is a large area with hundreds of restaurants, bars, nightclubs as well as massage parlours and hostess bars.

Kabukicho was named after a large Kabuki theatre which was meant to be built in this area of Tokyo in the 1940s though never was completed.” – www.japan-tourist-guide.com

We only learned later on that Kabukicho is considered to be quite a dangerous neighborhood. It’s advised not to randomly enter bars specially if you don’t understand the signs. Some of these bars charge really high for their drinks and some even account instances of spiked drinks resulting in loss cash and credit cards. Yikes!

You don’t need to worry too much, though. Kabukicho is still a great place to explore and loved by many tourists and locals don’t hesitate to visit. Besides, you don’t have to go inside bars to have a good time. You can still enjoy regular restaurants and there are some malls and arcades as well. Karaoke is also very popular in this area, and you’ll find cinemas too.

If you are on a budget, you can always just walk around and admire the vibrant night scene and take pictures like we did. Although, we’ve learned that you have to be cautious in taking pictures as some of the people who work in Kabukicho are not proud of working in a red-light district. We did get weird looks from some people!  Just remember to be polite and stay out of trouble, as you do wherever you may be.

It was getting really late and cold because of the drizzle. The ground was wet and our shoes didn’t do our feet much justice. We were craving for a hot meal and we found a place called Kamakura.

We have never tried using a vending machine at a noodle shop, known as Shokken or food ticket, so we were very excited to try it. It wasn’t very hard to understand even if it was all written in Japanese. We just observed the people who ordered before us, and you can also read this article for some tips on how to use a Shokken.

We ordered gyoza (it was soooo good!!!) and Shoyu ramen. Our tummies were filled and happy! It was affordable and satisfying. We learned the next day from our guide that Kamakura is a ramen chain originally from Osaka.

After we ate, we just walked around some more. We’ve read about this cool place called “Robot Restaurant” and we really, really wanted to try it out. We found it, but unfortunately, it was closed at that time.

Before we headed back to our hotel, we entered a popular store in Japan called “Don Quixote”. It’s a multi-level store that offers a wide variety of items. You’ll find anything and everything from beauty, toys, tech, food and clothes.

The new Star Wars movie will be out in two months from the time we were in Japan, so all throughout our stay we spotted so many things related to Star Wars.

After going to Don Quixote, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel. Most of the shops on the way back were already closed, so it only took us around 20 minutes to walk and not an hour like we did awhile ago, HEHE!

We hope you enjoyed this post! Maybe you found something that sparked your interest. Japan is such an interesting and beautiful country to visit, you’ll surely want to get on your feet and get going. ;)

Tell us what you thought about our little late night exploration around Shinjuku on the comments below. Will you be visiting Japan soon? Or will you be traveling to another country? Share us your adventures! We’d love to read about them. :)

Until the next post,

Marielle ♥ Leandro

          Sleepless Town of Shinjuku After our first day of tour ended, we checked in at Shinjuku Washington Hotel. It was a nice and simple hotel with very friendly staff.

[mariellema]

Ohayo! It’s been more than two months since we got back from our Japan trip, but as usual, we were drowned with work (plus the holidays – MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR, guys!) so only now do we get to share with you. We don’t even know where to begin, there’s so much to share!

Well, to start, we must say that Japan has always been one of our dream destinations, and we were lucky to be able to travel last October.  It’s also our first time to travel together internationally, so needless to say, we were beyond excited!

We stayed in Japan for a total of 6 days, and we were able to visit 3 different cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. We were on a group tour which we were able to purchase from a travel expo back in July from Golden Sky Travel and Tours. We were surprised to see that the itinerary included three cities and that our hotels were really good and almost all our meals were buffet-style, since we didn’t expected that much from the price of the tour. But it turns out, it was really reasonable (for around 10,000 pesos per day, per person).

We flew via Cebu Pacific and got an early flight, we took off at 6 a.m.. Have you ever experienced being really sleepy but excited at the same time? Our bodies were so confused whether to sleep or stay up during our flight!

AAAAAAHHHH WE’RE FINALLY HERE!!! We cannot contain our excitement, and everything still seemed to be unbelievable!

Our tour guide, Nishi-san

We arrived in Narita Airport around 11 a.m. and we met our super nice tour guide, Nishi san. He’s a Tokyo local but he speaks english very well. We learned a lot from him and we enjoyed every bit of this trip since he was so helpful and accommodating. Although at first, we thought he was kind of snobbish. LOL, maybe it was just because it was our first time meeting.

Our first itinerary was to eat lunch. Hooray for food! We went to a restaurant near the airport, and we did not expect for it to be buffet-style. Yep, eat-all-you-can sushi and ice cream!!! How’s that for a cold warm welcome?? We didn’t get the name of the restaurant, but everything was so delicious!  We even met a fellow Filipina who was working there.

We were stuffed! It was quite a long drive (we were in a private tour bus) going to our next destination. By this time, it still hasn’t sunk in that we were in Japan and our eyes were slowly adjusting to the scenery and all the road signs in Japanese. We soaked in every moment and took in as much as our eyes can see.

We made our way to the city and our first stop was Sumida Park , where we got a good view of Tokyo Sky Tree. It was a gloomy afternoon, but it still looked so beautiful! We can’t believe it was finally in front of us. Nothing beats the feeling of amazement upon experiencing in real life something you used to look at in pictures.

The wole group – Leandro’s family.

There was a cozy little Tully’s cafe, and only a few people were at the park that day. It was lovely and quiet.

A very cute couple with their bikes.

In here we spotted the first, out of many, vendo machine. Vendo machines are very popular in Japan and we kid you not when we say it was literally on every corner of the street!

Across Sumida Park was the street that leads to our next stop: Sensōji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple. Sensōji is a Buddhist temple, and is Tokyo’s oldest one.

“The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple.” – http://www.japan-guide.com

  Hello from Tokyo :)

We weren’t given much time to roam around, so we didn’t fully experience all there is in Sensōji. We just went inside the main temple quickly to look around and pay our respects. When we went out, we found a fountain where people drank the water and/or washed their hands. We later learned that we should have done this first before entering the temple because this is done to “purify” oneself.

After this, we just quickly looked around and took pictures since it was nearing our call time and we haven’t even made our way to Nakamise, a shopping street of over 200 meters just outside the second temple gate.

The place was packed with tourists enjoying their afternoon. It was a mix of solo travelers, locals and groups on tour like us.

Upon entering Nakamise, we were overwhelmed by the crowd. We can barely see each and every store! Since we didn’t have much time left, we weren’t able to reach the end of the shopping street, but we did manage to get some souvenirs.

You can find an assortment of goods in Nakamise, mostly traditional Japanese souvenirs. There were a lot of shops that sell food as well.

We enjoyed the freshly made rice crackers a lot, definitely a must try. There were also a lot cafes and restaurants hidden in the back streets and alleys, and they all seemed good. We hope to have at least tried one if only we had more time. :/

Before we headed to our hotel, we went to two of Tokyo’s famous tourist spots, Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Statue.

If you’re not familiar with Hachiko, he was a dog who is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner which continued for many years after his owner’s death. Hachiko’s statue has become a popular tourist attraction and meeting place in Tokyo.

“The true story of Hachiko the dog, who was a golden brown male Akita Inu (a Japanese breed from the mountains of northern Japan), who would arrive atShibuya Station every day just to wait for the return of his master Professor Hidesaburo Ueno. This pattern went on for just over a year, until one day in 1932 Professor Hidesaburo Ueno did not return. He had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while away at work and died. For the next nine years, Hachiko continued to arrive at the station at just the right time to meet the train that should carry his master.” – www.gojapango.com

Right beside the plaza where the Hachiko Statue is, we found ourselves marveling at the sight that is Shibuya Crossing. It is said to be the world’s busiest intersection. No one was fazed by the drizzle, and everyone seemed to be so concentrated on the direction they where headed.

If you were to cross this intersection, you will need nothing but concentration..or else you might find yourself  bumped and dragged by the humongous flock of people!

It was such a challenge being all touristy, eyes wide with awe of the surroundings, taking pictures and crossing the street at the same time. Most of the photos we took were done right after we have crossed, so you might be deceived of the amount of people actually crossing.

It was also a challenge trying to take each other’s pictures while crossing, so we only got one. How other people were able to take outfit shots right in the middle of the crossing is beyond us. Teach us your ways!

One of our favorite photos

We hopped on the bus and headed straight to another busy district, Kabukicho, to have dinner.

We were so stunned by Kabukicho. The place was so alive and bright, and our eyes couldn’t seem to fixate on one area only. Everywhere we looked, there was something to be astonished of.

Spot Spiderman

We only went here for dinner, and unfortunately, our camera’s battery died before going in the restaurant. The place where we ate was called Mo-Mo-Paradise, and it was an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu. It is located at the 8th floor of the Humax Building, and the interior is very impressive. We managed to take a few photos on our phone, but you can view more from their website here or here.

Our tour ends here and we headed to our hotel right after dinner. But of course, we never let our feet stop from wandering, so we just had to go out again to explore. We went back back to Kabukicho after we settled in, but that’s for another post. :)

We hope you enjoyed this post, despite it being quite long. We missed blogging and sharing with you guys. Hopefully there would be more adventures to experience and share this new year.

Have you been to Japan or other places, too? Tell us where you’ve been, we’d love to know about your adventures as well, and see you on the next post! :)

Marielle ♥ Leandro

  Ohayo, Tokyo! Ohayo! It's been more than two months since we got back from our Japan trip, but as usual, we were drowned with work (plus the holidays - MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR, guys!) so only now do we get to share with you.

[mariellema]

Let the holiday movie marathon begin! #HarryPotter #movie #marathon

[mariellema]

Merry Christmas from Wren and I. 🎄

[mariellema]

Fallout 4...04 Error - gaming not found. LOL. Help wanted from fellow PC gamers. Have you guys played Fallout 4 yet? Did you encounter problems after downloading, like the game not opening or something? People of the internet, help my brother out! #fallout4 #gaming

[jerfreyy-deactivated20240211]

Kim Jong Un Would Really Hate For You To Watch This, Which Is Exactly Why You Should

[trashbagtricks-blog]

so fucking moving

[ladylinencloset]

I got chills

[thequazzaclausestarringtimallen]

holy shit