wanderies

currently in: shanghai, china {}

[wanderies]

07.15.15~07.16.15 Osaka aquarium/Shinsaibashi /Namba

[wanderies]

07.14.15 Himeji

Stopped over in Himeji before heading to Osaka. Most of the days I spent in Japan were cloudy but I was lucky enough to run into a clear sky in Himeji. I can’t say the heat was pleasant, but the castle looked stunning against the blue sky. No wonder they say Himeji is the most beautiful and majestic castle in Japan!

[wanderies]

07.12.15~07.13.15 Hiroshima/Miyajima

Visited the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. I will admit that I did not have much knowledge of the atomic bomb attack prior to visiting Hiroshima, but walking through the museum, you really are able to feel the devastating effects of that fateful day in 1945.

The next day was spent on Miyajima, an island a short ferry ride away from Hiroshima. It is known for its “floating” torii gate, but because I arrived in the afternoon, I had to wait a few hours until high tide so that the water rose above the bottom of the torii gate.

[wanderies]

07.11.15I Last day in Kyoto!

I thought that I was getting the hang out getting around in Kyoto but I must have spent a good 3-4 hours lost on either the train or bus on this day. Anyways, I still managed to visit the places I wanted to, the first being the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is famous for having thousands of torii gates lined up together.

I also went to Nara to see some deer (which were the cutest part of my trip) and visit Todaiji Temple, which probably left the deepest impression out of all the temples I’ve been to. 

[wanderies]

07.10.15 Nijojo Castle

Went to Nijojo Castle and then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around downtown. I knew I would be visiting more temples and shrines in other places so I didn’t want to see too many in Kyoto. Aside from that, the weather was ridiculously and almost unbearably hot and humid, so I thought I’d take an easy day.

[wanderies]

07.09.15 Northern Kyoto & Arashiyama

Second Day! Visited the famous Kinka-kuji Temple - the Gold Pavilion. Since I was in the area, I also went to Ryoanji Temple.

In the afternoon, I explored the Arashiyama area. I started by getting some donburi in the town area, and of course some iced matcha to cool down. Then, I wandered through Tenryuji Temple (at this point, I think my memory is starting to blur the distinctions of the temples a bit...) towards the Bamboo forest. It wasn’t as large as I expected it to be, but the first sight of it at the entrance was so beautiful!

I also crossed the Togetsukyo bridge and climbed up a mountain to the Monkey Park. It felt like the longest hike ever, and I think a part of it had to do with the heat. It was definitely not easy to get up and I can’t exactly say that seeing the monkies were worth it (well okay, I guess they kind of were), but at least I was able to get a great view of Kyoto!

[wanderies]

07.18.15 Kyoto Day 1

Before going to Kyoto, I was warned not to get “templed out” - there are simply so many temples and shrines in Kyoto that if you really set the mind to visit them all, eventually the differences start to blur and you don’t even realize what you are visiting anymore. I would say that I tried my best to pick and choose the places I wanted to visit the most. I mean, once you’ve seen one, you’ve basically seen them all, right?

In the morning, I went to Ginka-kuji, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion. From there, I walked along Philosopher’s Path, and for the longest time I didn’t even realize I was on it. I guess it’s nothing out of the ordinary when the cherry blossoms aren’t blooming, but I seem to quite enjoy rustic, tree-lined paths, so I didn’t mind the long walk.

My next stop was Nanzenji Temple; I didn’t go in the actual temple, but I did check out the rock garden. Afterwards, I walked to Heian Jingu Shrine, which was huge. Then, I walked through Maruyama Park to Kodaiji Temple and wandered the streets of the Higashiyama District before arriving at Kyomizudera Temple. I could only imagine how gorgeous the temple area must be during the spring and autumn, and I really wish that I could’ve went during those seasons instead of summer. But hey, I might be back some day!

[wanderies]

07.07.15 Kanazawa

This was the day where I packed in all the sightseeing and attractions. In the morning, my host helped me make a reservation at the Ninajadera, which is temple filled with hidden doors, escape paths, secret rooms, etc. and it was just honestly the coolest place.

Afterwards, I went to the Prefectural Museum of History and then walked over to the famous Kenrokuen, which is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. 

Finally, I headed over to the Higashi Chaya District and basically pampered myself with matcha treats. My host was kind enough to give me a lift back to their place, and from there we went to Kanazawa and I hopped on the Shinkansen to my next destination - Kyoto!

[wanderies]

07.06.15 Shirakawago & Kanazawa

I don’t know why but for some reason I really looked forward to going to Shirakawago. I guess the photos of the place just looked adorable and although I wish I could’ve visited in the winter, it was just as fairytale-like when I went.

I originally wanted to stay overnight at one of the farmhouses but they didn’t allow single travellers, so I went straight to Kanazawa. I was greeted with the warmest and friendliest hosts I could have had the luck of meeting. They treated me like an old friend and brought me around town, showing me attractions along the way and giving a ton of recommendations on places to go. I also had THE best sashimi of my life for dinner with them, and we finished off the night by looking at Saturn through their telescope in their adorable little lawn. 

This was probably one of the days where I went to sleep not being able to believe how lucky I was. It always brings a smile to my face when I meet people with the biggest hearts. We may be on opposites sides of the world now but every now and then I remember the kindness of my hosts and I really do wish that they live the happiest life because they deserve every bit of it. 

[wanderies]

07.05.15 Takayama: Hida Folk Village/Old Town

Hopped on the Shinkansen early in the morning to head over to Takayama! It’s definitely quite out of the way and most of the streets were empty, aside from a few that were packed with tourists. Since I wanted to see as much as I could in the short time I was there, I decided to take the bus to the Hida Folk Village in the afternoon, which was just a short ride away but a bit far by foot. For the rest of the day and the next morning, I just walked the streets of the Old Town - it was such a huge contrast from Tokyo!

[wanderies]

07.04.15 Ueno Park/National Museum/Odaiba

Last day in Tokyo! Walked around Ueno Park today and browsed the National Museum. In the afternoon, I went to Odaiba again to meet YK! It was so lovely to be able to see her after a year. We sat down at Krispy Kreme and video called YL :) Then, we walked around the malls a bit before grabbing dinner. And finally, we went up the ferris wheel! It was really rainy so the view wasn’t at its best, but it was nice regardless. I was mostly just glad to be able to spend time reconnecting with an old friend. It was a bit difficult because I didn’t speak Korean in such a long time...but it’s also a nice feeling knowing that you can have a great time with a friend despite language and cultural barriers. :)

[wanderies]

05.03.15 Shinjuku Gyoen

Took the train back to Tokyo in the morning and spent the afternoon wandering the Shinjuku Gyoen. It was rainy so the park was really empty, but I guess that made for an even more peaceful walk in the beautiful landscape.

[wanderies]

06.02.15-06.03.15 Hakone

Head out of the city and spent a night in the small town of Hakone! We dropped off our stuff at the ryokan and then took the railway to the Open Air Museum, which we spent a bit of time in. Then, we went to take the cable car, but because the ropeway was closed, we went back and took the bus to Lake Ashi. Unfortunately, it was so foggy that day we could hardly see a few feet ahead, let alone catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. Instead, we returned back to the ryokan early to rest, eat a traditional Japanese dinner, and enjoy the hot spring. In the morning, we were greeted with a warm breakfast before we packed our bags and returned back to the city.

[wanderies]

07.01.15 DisneySea

I originally didn’t plan on going to a Disney park, seeing as I just went to Disneyworld last December. However, since we had spare time, we decided to check out DisneySea - and I sure am glad we did! It was definitely the prettiest and most well-designed Disney park I’ve ever been to. I believe that they had a Mediterranean/Venice sort of theme going on, and the buildings and canals, though really artificial feeling, were still really pretty! Oh - we were also able to catch the fireworks, and while they are on daily, we pretended that it was to celebrate Canada Day. ;) 

[wanderies]

06.31.15 Akihabara/Tokyo station/Imperial Palace/Ginza/Roppongi Hills

Explored really different areas of the city today - from the Otaku culture of Akihabara, to the Imperial Palace and its East Garden, to fancy department stores in Ginza, and finally to the Tokyo City View observation deck in Roppongi Hills, each district had its own characteristic and showed off a different face of Tokyo.

[wanderies]

06.29.15 Meiji Shrine/Harajuku/Shibuya Hilton dinner/Park Hyatt

Day 2 in Tokyo! We visited Meiji Shrine first; the path to the shrine was so serene. Massive trees towered over us on both sides and created an instant divide between the spirituality of the shrine area and the flashiness of Harajuku. The fashion style of Harajuku was of course a bit out of line with what we were used to, but it made for some interesting window shopping! We also passed through Omotesando Hills, a gorgeous tree-lined street where all the high-end brands are located. We continued on in Shibuya, popping into random stores and taking photos of the famous Shibuya crossing. For dinner, we decided to try the restaurant in our hotel, and then we went for drinks at the sky bar in the Park Hyatt, which was featured in Lost in Translation.

[wanderies]

6.28.15 Tokyo Skytree/Odaiba 

 First full day in Tokyo! We unfortunately slept in a tad bit later than expected so we weren’t able to hit as many places we as had hoped. That being said, it was still a rather productive day! 

 We started off by having brunch at a sushi train restaurant in Shinjuku. Then we headed towards Tokyo Skytree, passing by a LOVE sculpture in Nishi-Shinjuku along the way. The sky was clear in the morning but cloudy by the time we were at the observatory so the view wasn’t ideal, but it is rainy season after all! 

After the Skytree, we took the cruise from Asakusa to Odaiba and had the most amazing BBQ dinner - it was hands down the best meal we had in Tokyo haha. Since it was late by the time we finished, most of the malls were already closed. One of the only places open was an indoor amusement park called Joypolis, so we spent around an hour in there. We also wanted to ride the giant Ferris wheel but we missed the last entrance and ended up opting for the arcade instead.