Day 5
Another day in paradise, our last 'real' day/night. We started by going to the fish market, also known as Tsukiji. It's the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind (according to Wikipedia). I remembered going here two years ago and wanted Dennis to see it. Very interesting, nice smell...lots of blood and lots of fish of course. If you go in early, you might be able to get in to the tuna auction ;)! And have the freshest of the freshest sushi!
After that we made our way to the Metropolitan Government building for another view over Tokyo, free this time :). It was a bit foggy but still nice to see. Went to the Sushi Train after even though Dennis and I both don't really eat fish. I still liked going there and it brought back some more great memories from two years ago!
Walked a lot afterwards, pfew. We had a few hours until we needed to be in The Robot Restaurant so we decided to walk and take the tourist route (which meant just walking without really knowing where to go). We finally found it but still needed to wait another hour.
Around 5 pm, we were able to get our tickets and get into the 'waiting room', lots of glitter and lights and wow... Oh and live music. Had no idea what to expect, really. Read some reviews and saw some youtube video's but still. We were seated on the front row in the middle...
I can't really call it a Robot show or a restaurant, except for the Sushi box you can order and snacks you can get throughout the show. Lots of lights, lots of music, lasers and girls and dancing haha! Very entertaining and yeah, some robotic like figures! Anyway...in one of the intermissions, I got up to get a drink and two clowns appeared out of nowhere to do a bit of a dance show in between. I sat back down and all of a sudden it said: Check your seat number...last number 1, middle number 0, and I checked mine 101 and went like SHIT...first number 1! Hahaha started laughing, luckily I only won popcorn and didn't have to get up or anything :)! All in all it was a fun day/night!!
Day 6
It was our last morning at the hostel in Tokyo so we stayed in bed as long as we could, tried to close our bags (which was hard after all the souvenirs we bought haha) and went out for breakfast before leaving the hostel. Went back afterwards to check in for our flight(s) and to print our boarding passes.
We made a quick stop on the way to Tokyo Station in Akihabara where I went back to the sex-shop for a quick fist-hunt (don't ask, haha but it has something to do with a joke..although, the joke might be on me since I will be the one bringing back a rubber fist through customs...).
Got on the bus at Tokyo Station and enjoyed the last views of the city while being on the bus for about 90 minutes. Luckily it dropped us of in front of our hotel for our last night in Japan, Radisson Narita :). Oh happy day, a luxury hotel with a bath for me and an indoor swimming pool for Dennis and close to the airport (free airport shuttle) wooehoee! And a TV with not just Japanese channels but also English, although we did watch a few Japanese children shows, very entertaining. The Japanese kids are soooo cute!! Later that night, we had our beloved Gyoza for dinner (a last supper)! MJUM!
Day 7
What a great night, great bed, great everything!! Really enjoyed being in a hotel for the last night! We will fly back in a few hours.
11:15 am local time - Narita --> London Heathrow (12 hours 45 min)
17:45 pm local time - London Heathrow --> Amsterdam
Which means, we will go back in time and are able to tell the future is what Dennis keeps saying :P!
See you on the other side!
Over & out from Japan,
T
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Thursday, November 05, 2015
A Men's Day - written by Dennis (day 4 in Tokyo)
Dear fucking diary,
Today was a 'men's day' and so this day will be written by a man as well.
We had a great breakfast outside the hostel, just like yesterday. Today we went to Denny's, which you 'of course' also have in The US, but I never ate there. I'm telling you, it's a definite MUST DO. I had tasty pancakes with Cappuccino and a cold salad. A great combination if I do say so myself.
Today's program included The Motor Show, looking at cars for a few hours and do a bit of daydreaming. I've been to a few car shows, in Switzerland, Paris and Germany, so since I'm a world car show visitor I am really curious as to see what the Japanese edition is like. The Japanese car show is held for the 44th time at the edge of Tokyo in the Bay Side area. It was a sunny day and I was ready to go.
On the way from Denny's to the Bay Side, I noticed an authentic Barbershop. This seemed like the perfect moment to go in and get taken care of my 32 week old beard. There was no doubt about it that I had to look my absolute best to pick up my new Bentley Continental GT V12 612pk car and show it off on the streets of Japan.
I went in.....in to Heaven! Two old grandfather like types, who really could have been my grandfathers, were sitting there enjoyably on a chair listening to good old music from the 60s in which trumpets were key. Nice blues. Frank Sinatra kind of music. You know what I'm talking about. One of the nice grandfather like guys called me and I got to sit in an old fashioned barber chair. It took about 15 minutes for him to shave my face. The grandfather guy really turned my face into a baby face. He put shaving creme on me at least 10 times to make sure my skin was super sooth. I can tell you, whatever he did, worked haha.
After that we went to the Car show by boat. It was a nice trip over in between the tall buildings of Tokyo.
I walked in to the Car Show with high expectations! It was super busy. There were many one way routes to pass the cars just to lead people in the right direction. The Japanese people followed these routes nicely and kept within the markings of where you were allowed to walk. Made me laugh. In The Netherlands we would disregard these kind of rules, no doubt about it, and go our own way with a 'fuck everybody'-attitude.
Anyway, there were many magnificent cars one would only see in Asia. Like the entire Toyoto line on display, you wouldn't see any of those in The Netherlands. Nissan cars have a different name here, even though it's the same model. Such as a Nissan Micra, called a Nissan March in Japan (this model was not in the car show btw). An interesting fact to know as a car enthusiastic.
All in all, the car show did not meet my high expectations. There were a lot of models that they did not display in the car show, like Peugot and Citroën, even though they do exist here as I've seen them driving by. And a C-brand like Renault was on display. Renault Megane is also one of the models that has a different name here, but I can't remember what it was. That's how weird it was haha. It usually takes me 3-4 hours to get through a show, but it only took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to finish today! Talitha had the time of her life and ran pass all the cars hahaha, just kidding.
Anyway, this show is not worth it if you've seen some of the other shows in Europe. I was expecting more shows and more..everything! The cars weren't great, no V12 cars or sportcars. Luckily for me, I was looking forward to something better: picking up the Bentley. LOL. That was beyond any expectations I could have ever imagined!
Since we left the show sooner than expected, we decided to head to Tokyo Beach to watch the sun set. A definite MUST DO! It's pretty to see how the colors of the sun change behind the buildings. Shiny!
To end today, we hung around at the hostel. And I compared the German language to the Dutch one with a Canadian guy. Dutch really does sound better. If you are reading this Michael, sorry but it's true. TRUE!
See you again Car Show....NOT (here).
Bye Bitches,
Dennis.
Today was a 'men's day' and so this day will be written by a man as well.
We had a great breakfast outside the hostel, just like yesterday. Today we went to Denny's, which you 'of course' also have in The US, but I never ate there. I'm telling you, it's a definite MUST DO. I had tasty pancakes with Cappuccino and a cold salad. A great combination if I do say so myself.
Today's program included The Motor Show, looking at cars for a few hours and do a bit of daydreaming. I've been to a few car shows, in Switzerland, Paris and Germany, so since I'm a world car show visitor I am really curious as to see what the Japanese edition is like. The Japanese car show is held for the 44th time at the edge of Tokyo in the Bay Side area. It was a sunny day and I was ready to go.
On the way from Denny's to the Bay Side, I noticed an authentic Barbershop. This seemed like the perfect moment to go in and get taken care of my 32 week old beard. There was no doubt about it that I had to look my absolute best to pick up my new Bentley Continental GT V12 612pk car and show it off on the streets of Japan.
I went in.....in to Heaven! Two old grandfather like types, who really could have been my grandfathers, were sitting there enjoyably on a chair listening to good old music from the 60s in which trumpets were key. Nice blues. Frank Sinatra kind of music. You know what I'm talking about. One of the nice grandfather like guys called me and I got to sit in an old fashioned barber chair. It took about 15 minutes for him to shave my face. The grandfather guy really turned my face into a baby face. He put shaving creme on me at least 10 times to make sure my skin was super sooth. I can tell you, whatever he did, worked haha.
After that we went to the Car show by boat. It was a nice trip over in between the tall buildings of Tokyo.
I walked in to the Car Show with high expectations! It was super busy. There were many one way routes to pass the cars just to lead people in the right direction. The Japanese people followed these routes nicely and kept within the markings of where you were allowed to walk. Made me laugh. In The Netherlands we would disregard these kind of rules, no doubt about it, and go our own way with a 'fuck everybody'-attitude.
Anyway, there were many magnificent cars one would only see in Asia. Like the entire Toyoto line on display, you wouldn't see any of those in The Netherlands. Nissan cars have a different name here, even though it's the same model. Such as a Nissan Micra, called a Nissan March in Japan (this model was not in the car show btw). An interesting fact to know as a car enthusiastic.
All in all, the car show did not meet my high expectations. There were a lot of models that they did not display in the car show, like Peugot and Citroën, even though they do exist here as I've seen them driving by. And a C-brand like Renault was on display. Renault Megane is also one of the models that has a different name here, but I can't remember what it was. That's how weird it was haha. It usually takes me 3-4 hours to get through a show, but it only took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to finish today! Talitha had the time of her life and ran pass all the cars hahaha, just kidding.
Anyway, this show is not worth it if you've seen some of the other shows in Europe. I was expecting more shows and more..everything! The cars weren't great, no V12 cars or sportcars. Luckily for me, I was looking forward to something better: picking up the Bentley. LOL. That was beyond any expectations I could have ever imagined!
Since we left the show sooner than expected, we decided to head to Tokyo Beach to watch the sun set. A definite MUST DO! It's pretty to see how the colors of the sun change behind the buildings. Shiny!
To end today, we hung around at the hostel. And I compared the German language to the Dutch one with a Canadian guy. Dutch really does sound better. If you are reading this Michael, sorry but it's true. TRUE!
See you again Car Show....NOT (here).
Bye Bitches,
Dennis.
Wednesday, November 04, 2015
Back in Tokyo; Same, same but different
Day 1
After a very relaxed train ride with the Shinkansen (aka Bullet Train), we finally arrived in Tokyo, which is our final destination on this holiday. As usual, we made our way to the hostel. We booked our first night in Tokyo in a so called Capsule Ho(s)tel, which is very Japanese. These were more made in a hostel kind of setting and therefor they also had a mixed room. A lot of capsule hotels, mostly allow only men in and some are just meant for women. Some do accept both but on separate floors.
The hostel looked very nice and so did our 'capsule', no door at the foot end but a bamboo cover that you pull down. The dorm room overlooked the river. After settling in, we headed in to Tokyo!
It's funny how things looked familiar again and I sort of remembered where certain things were and where to go next. I showed Dennis the famous Shibuya crossing + Shibuya shopping/nightlife. We also went to Roppongi, just walked around for a bit and went to the TV ASAHI building, where Dennis was interviewed for a local talk show! A nice first day.
Day 2
Unfortunately we noticed it was pouring down when we got up...yikes! The only rain btw we've had and will have :). It said it would last till around 3 pm...and we had to change hostels and check out time here was at 11 am. We decided to go to the other hostel anyway, since we would stay there for 4 nights. Got soaking wet trying to get there but luckily we were able to check in early :). One girl was still sleeping in our dorm-room (of 4) so we dropped off our stuff, grabbed an umbrella and started walking. The rain didn't last for too long.
We are very close to one of my favorite areas here, which is Asakusa. We walked around. I saw some of the same things I saw 2 years ago but in the rain this time ;), but I still love this area. After that we went to a couple more areas; Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harejuku, lots of Japanese madness again and lots of shopping and night life. Dennis found out there was a Deutschlandfest (sort of an Oktoberfest) which he really wanted to go to, so we did.... not a success hehe. Headed to the Tokyo Tower to end our night with beautiful sights of Tokyo by night :). A full day after which we needed a full night of rest.
Day 3
Had a pretty good night sleep at our hostel, went out for some breakfast and on to see more cool stuff. Electric Town and Disney Sea :)! Waaaaa excited!! Walked around Akihabara for a bit, which is also called Electric Town. This is where all the 'cute' Japanese girls dressed as maids are out on the street. Looks kind of dodgy, but it's really innocent. And this is where the manga/anime/etc. can be found, stores are full of it! Also took Dennis to see a sex shop, which is insane but a must see because it doesn't reflect on the way you see Japanese people. And then a LOT of Electronic shops.
I missed out on Disney 2 years ago due to a Typhoon alarm, which turned out to just be a rainy day, so really wanted to go this time! Dennis had never been to any Disney park, so sounded like a win-win! It was super busy (and Dennis said it looked like there were more Chinese than Japanese people haha) but we did get to go on a couple of rides and saw the Imagination laser, light, firework show late at night. A great day if you ask me!!
Just a few days left filled with exciting stuff! We're flying back home on Saturday!!
Until the next update,
Sayonara!
After a very relaxed train ride with the Shinkansen (aka Bullet Train), we finally arrived in Tokyo, which is our final destination on this holiday. As usual, we made our way to the hostel. We booked our first night in Tokyo in a so called Capsule Ho(s)tel, which is very Japanese. These were more made in a hostel kind of setting and therefor they also had a mixed room. A lot of capsule hotels, mostly allow only men in and some are just meant for women. Some do accept both but on separate floors.
The hostel looked very nice and so did our 'capsule', no door at the foot end but a bamboo cover that you pull down. The dorm room overlooked the river. After settling in, we headed in to Tokyo!
It's funny how things looked familiar again and I sort of remembered where certain things were and where to go next. I showed Dennis the famous Shibuya crossing + Shibuya shopping/nightlife. We also went to Roppongi, just walked around for a bit and went to the TV ASAHI building, where Dennis was interviewed for a local talk show! A nice first day.
Day 2
Unfortunately we noticed it was pouring down when we got up...yikes! The only rain btw we've had and will have :). It said it would last till around 3 pm...and we had to change hostels and check out time here was at 11 am. We decided to go to the other hostel anyway, since we would stay there for 4 nights. Got soaking wet trying to get there but luckily we were able to check in early :). One girl was still sleeping in our dorm-room (of 4) so we dropped off our stuff, grabbed an umbrella and started walking. The rain didn't last for too long.
We are very close to one of my favorite areas here, which is Asakusa. We walked around. I saw some of the same things I saw 2 years ago but in the rain this time ;), but I still love this area. After that we went to a couple more areas; Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harejuku, lots of Japanese madness again and lots of shopping and night life. Dennis found out there was a Deutschlandfest (sort of an Oktoberfest) which he really wanted to go to, so we did.... not a success hehe. Headed to the Tokyo Tower to end our night with beautiful sights of Tokyo by night :). A full day after which we needed a full night of rest.
Day 3
Had a pretty good night sleep at our hostel, went out for some breakfast and on to see more cool stuff. Electric Town and Disney Sea :)! Waaaaa excited!! Walked around Akihabara for a bit, which is also called Electric Town. This is where all the 'cute' Japanese girls dressed as maids are out on the street. Looks kind of dodgy, but it's really innocent. And this is where the manga/anime/etc. can be found, stores are full of it! Also took Dennis to see a sex shop, which is insane but a must see because it doesn't reflect on the way you see Japanese people. And then a LOT of Electronic shops.
I missed out on Disney 2 years ago due to a Typhoon alarm, which turned out to just be a rainy day, so really wanted to go this time! Dennis had never been to any Disney park, so sounded like a win-win! It was super busy (and Dennis said it looked like there were more Chinese than Japanese people haha) but we did get to go on a couple of rides and saw the Imagination laser, light, firework show late at night. A great day if you ask me!!
Just a few days left filled with exciting stuff! We're flying back home on Saturday!!
Until the next update,
Sayonara!
Sunday, November 01, 2015
Kyoto!
I looked up the fare and itinerary to get to Kyoto online before we left for the station, but the lady working there told us it was a lower amount. So we bought a cheaper ticket. The way it works here, is that you buy a ticket with a certain amount on it, and put it through the machine when leaving your final station, if all goes well, the machine says thank you and the gate stays open. When the fare you paid is too low for the trip you took, the gate closes and a red light goes on and something beeps and you walk towards FARE ADJUSTMENT (a manned booth). Dennis, who let me go first after I already told him that we probably didn't pay enough, laughed at me and so did the guy working there. And of course I did too. We paid the difference and went on our way to our hostel.
As usual, we couldn't check in till 3 pm, so we left our luggage. The hostel suggests a itinerary for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3, just our luck that we have 3 days here. We went on our way to do whatever was on Day 1, which was temples, temples, oh and a shrine. A lot of people 'dressed up' as Geisha, which you were able to do for about €40 for the day, which was a nice sight to see.
After hours of walking, we pretty much figured we'd seen all we needed to see and everything started to look the same or not as pretty as we had already seen. We headed in to town and walked around for a bit before heading back to our hostel to get settled in.
After an hour or so, we headed back downtown for dinner. We had Pizza and a beer :) and looked out over the river, which you can't see much of at night but it was still nice cause we also saw some of the city by night! Dennis even played a set of golf in the restaurant haha. When we finished, we went back to the hostel for a well deserved good night of sleep.
Day 2
We both slept pretty well last night, even though we don't have a private room anymore and sleep in a dorm room with 8 beds. I guess we really needed it or maybe it was the curtains each bed has that blocked more light out than usual.
Enjoyed a free breakfast and set out for Day 2 of the recommended itinerary. First stop Fushimi Inara, which Dennis keeps referring to as 'the poles (de palen)'. I went here 2 years ago and I absolutely loved it, my favorite place here! When we arrived, we noticed that I wasn't the only one. It's been the no. 1 hotspot in Japan for 2 years in a row according to Tripadvisor! It is beautiful and so was the weather today. We walked up for a bit through these 'red wooden gates' with Japanese signs on them. Now picture not one, but dozens in a row :). Also a great spot to take pictures...which we also took dozens of. We walked around for a bit, visited some shops and headed back to the station for our next stop.
Next up, Bamboo path, which I also visited 2 years ago. The name says enough, a path filled with tower high bamboo left and right. Beautiful and serene to walk through! Walking through it, we stumbled upon the Tenry-ji Temple, which we decided to go in to. It is afterall a UNESCO World Heritage place and boy does it has the right to be. What an amazing place. Beautiful fall colored trees, a beautiful lake and the temple, a must see!
After all of this, we walked down to the river which lays next to a forest that goes all the way up. Another beautiful sights and a lot of tourists that rented little rowing boats or did a tour in a bigger boat. We had lunch at a restaurant that looked out on all of this :).
And the final stop today: The Golden Temple. A super touristy spot, as is most of what we saw but nonetheless does that make it any less pretty. A one of a kind golden temple.
A great day, especially if you only have one day: DO THIS!
To get away from all the touristy and serenity, we went to McDonalds for dinner and to Yodobashi (which is a HUGE store of electronics, you imagine it, they've got it. Even a Tamagochi - which costs almost €50,- these days since it's super upgraded)!
We've got another full day tomorrow, including a HALLOWEEN party, that lasts till late....which is 1:30pm here hehe..
Day 3
I can be pretty short about our last day, visited yet another temple and walked around for a bit. Went back to the hostel to take a nap. Since somebody was snoring last night, we didn't get a great nights sleep. Went out with one of the guys that works here, but he left earlier. Went to a bar and a nightclub, in which I (being a girl) enjoyed free entrance and a free drink :)! Dennis paid about €4,- and got a free drink too. There's Japanese dancing to the music and others just watching them, funny sight. Went back to the hostel quite early.
Day 4
Another Snorefest last night, jeez! Breakfast and we're now ready to leave for TOKYO! Our final stop and how else to get there than taking the Shinkansen, which can go up to 300km/hr! It will only take us 2 hours and 17 minutes to get there, it's about 500 km away.
Until then, Sayonara!!
As usual, we couldn't check in till 3 pm, so we left our luggage. The hostel suggests a itinerary for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3, just our luck that we have 3 days here. We went on our way to do whatever was on Day 1, which was temples, temples, oh and a shrine. A lot of people 'dressed up' as Geisha, which you were able to do for about €40 for the day, which was a nice sight to see.
After hours of walking, we pretty much figured we'd seen all we needed to see and everything started to look the same or not as pretty as we had already seen. We headed in to town and walked around for a bit before heading back to our hostel to get settled in.
After an hour or so, we headed back downtown for dinner. We had Pizza and a beer :) and looked out over the river, which you can't see much of at night but it was still nice cause we also saw some of the city by night! Dennis even played a set of golf in the restaurant haha. When we finished, we went back to the hostel for a well deserved good night of sleep.
Day 2
We both slept pretty well last night, even though we don't have a private room anymore and sleep in a dorm room with 8 beds. I guess we really needed it or maybe it was the curtains each bed has that blocked more light out than usual.
Enjoyed a free breakfast and set out for Day 2 of the recommended itinerary. First stop Fushimi Inara, which Dennis keeps referring to as 'the poles (de palen)'. I went here 2 years ago and I absolutely loved it, my favorite place here! When we arrived, we noticed that I wasn't the only one. It's been the no. 1 hotspot in Japan for 2 years in a row according to Tripadvisor! It is beautiful and so was the weather today. We walked up for a bit through these 'red wooden gates' with Japanese signs on them. Now picture not one, but dozens in a row :). Also a great spot to take pictures...which we also took dozens of. We walked around for a bit, visited some shops and headed back to the station for our next stop.
Next up, Bamboo path, which I also visited 2 years ago. The name says enough, a path filled with tower high bamboo left and right. Beautiful and serene to walk through! Walking through it, we stumbled upon the Tenry-ji Temple, which we decided to go in to. It is afterall a UNESCO World Heritage place and boy does it has the right to be. What an amazing place. Beautiful fall colored trees, a beautiful lake and the temple, a must see!
After all of this, we walked down to the river which lays next to a forest that goes all the way up. Another beautiful sights and a lot of tourists that rented little rowing boats or did a tour in a bigger boat. We had lunch at a restaurant that looked out on all of this :).
And the final stop today: The Golden Temple. A super touristy spot, as is most of what we saw but nonetheless does that make it any less pretty. A one of a kind golden temple.
A great day, especially if you only have one day: DO THIS!
To get away from all the touristy and serenity, we went to McDonalds for dinner and to Yodobashi (which is a HUGE store of electronics, you imagine it, they've got it. Even a Tamagochi - which costs almost €50,- these days since it's super upgraded)!
We've got another full day tomorrow, including a HALLOWEEN party, that lasts till late....which is 1:30pm here hehe..
Day 3
I can be pretty short about our last day, visited yet another temple and walked around for a bit. Went back to the hostel to take a nap. Since somebody was snoring last night, we didn't get a great nights sleep. Went out with one of the guys that works here, but he left earlier. Went to a bar and a nightclub, in which I (being a girl) enjoyed free entrance and a free drink :)! Dennis paid about €4,- and got a free drink too. There's Japanese dancing to the music and others just watching them, funny sight. Went back to the hostel quite early.
Day 4
Another Snorefest last night, jeez! Breakfast and we're now ready to leave for TOKYO! Our final stop and how else to get there than taking the Shinkansen, which can go up to 300km/hr! It will only take us 2 hours and 17 minutes to get there, it's about 500 km away.
Until then, Sayonara!!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Nara
Day 1 - Nara
We had pretty high expectations of this place, so we were both super excited! After an hour on the train, we got to Nara and our accommodation was another 30 min. walk away into Nara Park. Now I can tell you that we walked all the way up and down the park to get there, but we took a taxi instead :).
Since we couldn't check in until 3 pm, we decided to explore the park for a bit. It was super busy, as was the rest we've been to so far. Lots of students (elementary school and high school). And as I experienced before in Osaka 2 years ago and in Nagasaki last week, there were some that had an assignment to practice their English with tourists. Dennis was up first and after a few hours a girl asked me some questions as well ending with a signature and picture.
Nara park is full of wild deer, which is one of it's main 'attractions'. Not as wild as they used to be probably, since it's the tourists that mostly feed them crackers and such, which you are able to buy along the way. They can still make sudden moves though for which you are warned. One of the deer thought it was fun to 'attack' me from behind and go under my dress, haha, scared the sh*t out of me.
Besides seeing, petting and feeding the deer, there's also beautiful shrines and temples, but I was more interested in the deer and just walking around in nature :).
We walked around and ended up in a sort of street market with restaurants and had an early dinner. After that we noticed we were quite close to a Sake Tasting, so we decided to see if it was still open. It took place in the Sake brewery and for 500 yen (about €3,75) you get to taste 5 different kinds of sake of which 2 won medals. The first one had little alcohol and as I started sipping mine, Dennis downed his (bottoms up). The look on the ladies face was priceless haha, she started saying 'oh no no oh oh' and I cracked up. I guess you are not suppose to down drinks at a 'tasting'. She told the other lady that was working there and they were both sort of shocked and I couldn't stop laughing. The sake got stronger and less tasty, and I only know Sake as a warm drink, these were cold.
When we finished we received the glass as a souvenir and made our way back to the hostel, which was quite a walk. Mr. Dennis, a great navigator, apparently only with Google Maps hehe, took a wrong turn, that eventually did take us back to the hostel. But I think I'll use my -paper- map again next time.
Our room at the hostel (The Deer Park Inn), another private room with a sitting area and small backyard, is great! It's sort of like a cabin and reminds me of the trip I took in elementary school to 'a cabin in the woods', which sounds really dodgy, but was fun!
We chilled at the room for at bit and went back out to see one of the buildings by night. A nice view of the city and lots of lanterns. Glad we went outside!
Day 2 Nara
Checked out early and left with our stuff towards the station, only to realize we missed one of the shrines (the one closest to us) woops. And since the sign said it was ONLY a 850m detour, we decided to still go. My trolley was not made for the road there, let alone all the steps we had to go up and down on. Dennis had to carry his bag too. So safe to say, we've definitely had our morning exercise. It was a beautiful sight though, lots of stone lanterns and we were glad we went.
We ran into many deer on our way back to the station and some students that asked me some questions (of course followed by a photo). I bought half a loaf of bread yesterday to give to the deer, which was probably not a good idea to feed them in the morning when they've not had anything all night and there was an entire group that came at me, we quickly left after we were being ambushed and I ran out of bread to give to them.
Bye deer, bye Nara! Next stop is Kyoto, we've got 3 nights there so we'll finally be able to leave our stuff at one place for a few days and take it easy :)!
Until then,
Sayonara!
We had pretty high expectations of this place, so we were both super excited! After an hour on the train, we got to Nara and our accommodation was another 30 min. walk away into Nara Park. Now I can tell you that we walked all the way up and down the park to get there, but we took a taxi instead :).
Since we couldn't check in until 3 pm, we decided to explore the park for a bit. It was super busy, as was the rest we've been to so far. Lots of students (elementary school and high school). And as I experienced before in Osaka 2 years ago and in Nagasaki last week, there were some that had an assignment to practice their English with tourists. Dennis was up first and after a few hours a girl asked me some questions as well ending with a signature and picture.
Nara park is full of wild deer, which is one of it's main 'attractions'. Not as wild as they used to be probably, since it's the tourists that mostly feed them crackers and such, which you are able to buy along the way. They can still make sudden moves though for which you are warned. One of the deer thought it was fun to 'attack' me from behind and go under my dress, haha, scared the sh*t out of me.
Besides seeing, petting and feeding the deer, there's also beautiful shrines and temples, but I was more interested in the deer and just walking around in nature :).
We walked around and ended up in a sort of street market with restaurants and had an early dinner. After that we noticed we were quite close to a Sake Tasting, so we decided to see if it was still open. It took place in the Sake brewery and for 500 yen (about €3,75) you get to taste 5 different kinds of sake of which 2 won medals. The first one had little alcohol and as I started sipping mine, Dennis downed his (bottoms up). The look on the ladies face was priceless haha, she started saying 'oh no no oh oh' and I cracked up. I guess you are not suppose to down drinks at a 'tasting'. She told the other lady that was working there and they were both sort of shocked and I couldn't stop laughing. The sake got stronger and less tasty, and I only know Sake as a warm drink, these were cold.
When we finished we received the glass as a souvenir and made our way back to the hostel, which was quite a walk. Mr. Dennis, a great navigator, apparently only with Google Maps hehe, took a wrong turn, that eventually did take us back to the hostel. But I think I'll use my -paper- map again next time.
Our room at the hostel (The Deer Park Inn), another private room with a sitting area and small backyard, is great! It's sort of like a cabin and reminds me of the trip I took in elementary school to 'a cabin in the woods', which sounds really dodgy, but was fun!
We chilled at the room for at bit and went back out to see one of the buildings by night. A nice view of the city and lots of lanterns. Glad we went outside!
Day 2 Nara
Checked out early and left with our stuff towards the station, only to realize we missed one of the shrines (the one closest to us) woops. And since the sign said it was ONLY a 850m detour, we decided to still go. My trolley was not made for the road there, let alone all the steps we had to go up and down on. Dennis had to carry his bag too. So safe to say, we've definitely had our morning exercise. It was a beautiful sight though, lots of stone lanterns and we were glad we went.
We ran into many deer on our way back to the station and some students that asked me some questions (of course followed by a photo). I bought half a loaf of bread yesterday to give to the deer, which was probably not a good idea to feed them in the morning when they've not had anything all night and there was an entire group that came at me, we quickly left after we were being ambushed and I ran out of bread to give to them.
Bye deer, bye Nara! Next stop is Kyoto, we've got 3 nights there so we'll finally be able to leave our stuff at one place for a few days and take it easy :)!
Until then,
Sayonara!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Back in Osaka! Strangely familiar...
Day 1 Osaka
Arrived in Osaka around sunset, what a beautiful sight! I chose to be picked up from the airport to avoid the hassle of getting to the guesthouse myself. Stayed close to the airport so I would be able to pick my friend up the next day. The lady that runs the guesthouse is so friendly! The room was perfect, Japanese style! I needed to get take out for dinner, my choices?! Chinese (Japanese style) of Italian.. pizza pasta. So I went for Chinese, luckily they did have Gyoza :)!
Day 2 Osaka
Woke up and got ready to check out. I was the only guest last night so I went down early to talk to the owner. She is so sweet! Gave me some tips on Tokyo and Osaka (most of which I knew but still) and she taught me some Japanese words and I taught her some English/Dutch, she said she understood and that I was her English teacher and I should teach at a High School here...***seriously something to consider*** ^_^. After waving for, what looked forever, and saying goodbye, I went on my way to the International Arrivals Area!
Picking up Dennis, who I've known since 2001 (High School), which was strange but also exciting! I stood there with my sign along some other people that had signs haha....it took forever! And there he was, Mr. Dennis!!
Went to the Guesthouse/Hostel, we booked a private room on the first night (bunk bed), but couldn't check in till 3pm. Dennis was amazed by all he saw. Went to do a bit of sightseeing and walked around. I suddenly realized I knew the street we were sitting on to have a drink. I remembered that the Osaka Tower was at the end of that street. And so we went for a walk and there it was, The Osaka Tower. It's strange that I was here 2 years ago and still remembered. I didn't go up last time, but this time we did. 103 m and, once again, great views of the city! Also finally tried the Tako Yaki (Octopus doughy balls, Osaka food) and yaki (yucki) it was haha. We both took a few bites and threw the rest out...sorry.
Went back to the hostel for a nap (Dennis mostly, but I'm always in for a good nap :)), after that we went to Dotounbori street, something I had also visited 2 years ago. Strange how I recognize all this and am back, but I guess I will have a lot of these moments the next 2 weeks!
Great day! And guess what we had on our way back...rain...I guess Dennis brought that with him from Holland and that is why you the sun is shining over there now. Hoping for better weather the rest of our time here or I am sending him back to Holland on the next available plane :P.
Oh and Dennis speaks all but Japanese haha. I've heard him say "Danke" (German for thanks), "Uno" (Italian for one), Ciao (Italian for Bye), "Houdoe" (Bye in Dutch), "Hello" (English for well Hello).
Day 3 - Osaka
We headed for The Osaka Aquarium - Kaiyukan, another place I visited 2 years ago and I was so impressed back then!
I, again, loved it! And so did Dennis. It was bigger in my head though, but still great to be back :)! For those who I didn't know 2 years ago. There's a HUGE tank in the middle with all kinds of sea creatures, such as stingrays, whale sharks, hammerhead shark, small sharks and smaller fish. You start on the 8th floor and make your way down. On 3 of the floors you are able to see the tank in the middle, where you can admire the beautiful life under the sea lalala :). And on the outside walls and other floors, there's so much to see too. I love how these sea animals are all so active.
Heading to Nara Park next (just a one night stay as well)!
Until next time (probably tomorrow),
Sayonara!
Arrived in Osaka around sunset, what a beautiful sight! I chose to be picked up from the airport to avoid the hassle of getting to the guesthouse myself. Stayed close to the airport so I would be able to pick my friend up the next day. The lady that runs the guesthouse is so friendly! The room was perfect, Japanese style! I needed to get take out for dinner, my choices?! Chinese (Japanese style) of Italian.. pizza pasta. So I went for Chinese, luckily they did have Gyoza :)!
Day 2 Osaka
Woke up and got ready to check out. I was the only guest last night so I went down early to talk to the owner. She is so sweet! Gave me some tips on Tokyo and Osaka (most of which I knew but still) and she taught me some Japanese words and I taught her some English/Dutch, she said she understood and that I was her English teacher and I should teach at a High School here...***seriously something to consider*** ^_^. After waving for, what looked forever, and saying goodbye, I went on my way to the International Arrivals Area!
Picking up Dennis, who I've known since 2001 (High School), which was strange but also exciting! I stood there with my sign along some other people that had signs haha....it took forever! And there he was, Mr. Dennis!!
Went to the Guesthouse/Hostel, we booked a private room on the first night (bunk bed), but couldn't check in till 3pm. Dennis was amazed by all he saw. Went to do a bit of sightseeing and walked around. I suddenly realized I knew the street we were sitting on to have a drink. I remembered that the Osaka Tower was at the end of that street. And so we went for a walk and there it was, The Osaka Tower. It's strange that I was here 2 years ago and still remembered. I didn't go up last time, but this time we did. 103 m and, once again, great views of the city! Also finally tried the Tako Yaki (Octopus doughy balls, Osaka food) and yaki (yucki) it was haha. We both took a few bites and threw the rest out...sorry.
Went back to the hostel for a nap (Dennis mostly, but I'm always in for a good nap :)), after that we went to Dotounbori street, something I had also visited 2 years ago. Strange how I recognize all this and am back, but I guess I will have a lot of these moments the next 2 weeks!
Great day! And guess what we had on our way back...rain...I guess Dennis brought that with him from Holland and that is why you the sun is shining over there now. Hoping for better weather the rest of our time here or I am sending him back to Holland on the next available plane :P.
Oh and Dennis speaks all but Japanese haha. I've heard him say "Danke" (German for thanks), "Uno" (Italian for one), Ciao (Italian for Bye), "Houdoe" (Bye in Dutch), "Hello" (English for well Hello).
Day 3 - Osaka
We headed for The Osaka Aquarium - Kaiyukan, another place I visited 2 years ago and I was so impressed back then!
I, again, loved it! And so did Dennis. It was bigger in my head though, but still great to be back :)! For those who I didn't know 2 years ago. There's a HUGE tank in the middle with all kinds of sea creatures, such as stingrays, whale sharks, hammerhead shark, small sharks and smaller fish. You start on the 8th floor and make your way down. On 3 of the floors you are able to see the tank in the middle, where you can admire the beautiful life under the sea lalala :). And on the outside walls and other floors, there's so much to see too. I love how these sea animals are all so active.
Heading to Nara Park next (just a one night stay as well)!
Until next time (probably tomorrow),
Sayonara!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Nagasaki: We only open our hearts to Holland (..and China)
Day 1 Nagasaki
Made my way to Nagasaki after a 2 hour train ride on which I got to observe the Japanese people some more and look at stunning views.
Whilst I was walking to the hostel I started to realize that I was surrounded by mountains. I soon discovered, that also meant that there are a lot of hills here. One of which I had to get up to, to get to the hostel, a steep hill might I add. More of that fun exercise I've missed so much...
After seeing my amazing room, another great bed and some privacy. Even though it is a hostel dorm bed, it's closed of from the others. I set out to visit The Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. The Museum was very impressive and moving, wow. It's unimaginable that something like that happened (and so are so many other things still happening today). Seeing pictures and videos of that day and hearing survivors story, it must have been awful to have died that day but also awful to have lived, survived. Losing your family, your home, your health. At that point you wonder, what people worry about sometimes, including me at times. The world can be such a rotten place due to mankind themselves.
I slowly made my way to the exit to visit the Peace Park. I passed through another park first with beautiful statues and a memorial statue. Then the Peace park follows. First thing I saw was the Peace Fountain shaped like to wings of a dove, so the sign said. Beautiful and looking in between the "wings", I also saw the Peace Statue through it. The statue is huge and very serene. The sign said that the hand pointing up was to warn for the atomic bomb, the hand to the side for peace. The leg down for a to-get-into-action position and the other leg in a meditation state. More of the Japanese balance between things. *Added later: I read that the eyes are closed as to pray for the victims.
I walked to the hill next to it, to see the Cathedral until it got a little dark and made my way back to have dinner. I found a Japanese dinging place and had a relaxed dinner. After which I walked back to the hostel, up the hill, took in the views by night and returned to the room to relax the rest of the night.
Day 2 Nagasaki
I really wanted to go to "Battleship Island", little did I know you HAVE to make early reservations for it. The government made special rules for the island and you can only go with a tour group. There are only 3 companies that organize a tour, so I was out of luck, this time.
I decided to walk around the city for a bit and see some of the other hot spots...I ended up walking for about 5-6hours straight..But I did see A LOT, obviously! Dejima (another Dutch related hot spot), Glover garden (beautiful views), Seaside park (with a flee market haha/rommelmarkt met kleedjes enzo), Dejima Wharf and Promenade, Chinatown, Peace museum, The Spectacles Bridge (two arches and therefor looks like spectacles hence the name haha) and all the surrounding bridges and some other 'regular' areas that I passed through.
I noticed that Japanese people NEVER walk in shoes barefoot by the way, always with a pantyhose or socks (visible or not). They don't wear flipflops/slippers, only inside the house or building if applicable.
As you can imagine I was quite beat and hungry since all I had was breakfast, an apple and a snack. Went back to the hostel, hoping to buy a sandwich from the adjoining cafe, which unfortunately is closed on Sundays and Mondays -_-. Luckily I still had my mega apple that I bought a few days ago, MJUM!
I left again around 7 pm, ate something at the station and went on a tour I booked earlier today: Nagasaki by night. It was in the top 3 in 2012 of BEST views by night or something of the WORLD. It takes you 20 minutes to get there at a height of 330 m (same height as the Tokyo Tower) and the views were AMAZING! I have never seen so many lights which weren't Christmas or other decorative lights! It totally made up for me not being able to do the Battleship Island tour.
Last night here, I've got half a day left tomorrow and plan to do as little as possible but we'll see!
Day 3 Nagasaki
As promised, I did as little as possible :), went to the Penguin Aquarium, which was really small...took me about 30 minutes from start to finish...cute but was it worth a 30 minute bus ride?
And that's it for Nagasaki this time. I talked to the hostel staff this morning and one of them, a guy, went to Holland 4 years ago. He told me about the special connection between Nagasaki and Holland and that they only open their hearts to Holland...and China. When he visited Holland, he bought an "Oma fiets" (a type of bike in Holland) and he brought it with him to Nagasaki, leaving his other luggage with the trash. He even showed me the bike. I love hearing stories like these and am falling more and more in love with Japan each day.
Flying to Osaka soon for a night close to the airport to pick up my friend at the airport tomorrow to travel together for the remainder of this holiday! Excited!
Until next time, Sayonara :)!
Made my way to Nagasaki after a 2 hour train ride on which I got to observe the Japanese people some more and look at stunning views.
Whilst I was walking to the hostel I started to realize that I was surrounded by mountains. I soon discovered, that also meant that there are a lot of hills here. One of which I had to get up to, to get to the hostel, a steep hill might I add. More of that fun exercise I've missed so much...
After seeing my amazing room, another great bed and some privacy. Even though it is a hostel dorm bed, it's closed of from the others. I set out to visit The Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. The Museum was very impressive and moving, wow. It's unimaginable that something like that happened (and so are so many other things still happening today). Seeing pictures and videos of that day and hearing survivors story, it must have been awful to have died that day but also awful to have lived, survived. Losing your family, your home, your health. At that point you wonder, what people worry about sometimes, including me at times. The world can be such a rotten place due to mankind themselves.
I slowly made my way to the exit to visit the Peace Park. I passed through another park first with beautiful statues and a memorial statue. Then the Peace park follows. First thing I saw was the Peace Fountain shaped like to wings of a dove, so the sign said. Beautiful and looking in between the "wings", I also saw the Peace Statue through it. The statue is huge and very serene. The sign said that the hand pointing up was to warn for the atomic bomb, the hand to the side for peace. The leg down for a to-get-into-action position and the other leg in a meditation state. More of the Japanese balance between things. *Added later: I read that the eyes are closed as to pray for the victims.
I walked to the hill next to it, to see the Cathedral until it got a little dark and made my way back to have dinner. I found a Japanese dinging place and had a relaxed dinner. After which I walked back to the hostel, up the hill, took in the views by night and returned to the room to relax the rest of the night.
Day 2 Nagasaki
I really wanted to go to "Battleship Island", little did I know you HAVE to make early reservations for it. The government made special rules for the island and you can only go with a tour group. There are only 3 companies that organize a tour, so I was out of luck, this time.
I decided to walk around the city for a bit and see some of the other hot spots...I ended up walking for about 5-6hours straight..But I did see A LOT, obviously! Dejima (another Dutch related hot spot), Glover garden (beautiful views), Seaside park (with a flee market haha/rommelmarkt met kleedjes enzo), Dejima Wharf and Promenade, Chinatown, Peace museum, The Spectacles Bridge (two arches and therefor looks like spectacles hence the name haha) and all the surrounding bridges and some other 'regular' areas that I passed through.
I noticed that Japanese people NEVER walk in shoes barefoot by the way, always with a pantyhose or socks (visible or not). They don't wear flipflops/slippers, only inside the house or building if applicable.
As you can imagine I was quite beat and hungry since all I had was breakfast, an apple and a snack. Went back to the hostel, hoping to buy a sandwich from the adjoining cafe, which unfortunately is closed on Sundays and Mondays -_-. Luckily I still had my mega apple that I bought a few days ago, MJUM!
I left again around 7 pm, ate something at the station and went on a tour I booked earlier today: Nagasaki by night. It was in the top 3 in 2012 of BEST views by night or something of the WORLD. It takes you 20 minutes to get there at a height of 330 m (same height as the Tokyo Tower) and the views were AMAZING! I have never seen so many lights which weren't Christmas or other decorative lights! It totally made up for me not being able to do the Battleship Island tour.
Last night here, I've got half a day left tomorrow and plan to do as little as possible but we'll see!
Day 3 Nagasaki
As promised, I did as little as possible :), went to the Penguin Aquarium, which was really small...took me about 30 minutes from start to finish...cute but was it worth a 30 minute bus ride?
And that's it for Nagasaki this time. I talked to the hostel staff this morning and one of them, a guy, went to Holland 4 years ago. He told me about the special connection between Nagasaki and Holland and that they only open their hearts to Holland...and China. When he visited Holland, he bought an "Oma fiets" (a type of bike in Holland) and he brought it with him to Nagasaki, leaving his other luggage with the trash. He even showed me the bike. I love hearing stories like these and am falling more and more in love with Japan each day.
Flying to Osaka soon for a night close to the airport to pick up my friend at the airport tomorrow to travel together for the remainder of this holiday! Excited!
Until next time, Sayonara :)!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Huis Ten Bosch, Japan
Day 1 Huis Ten Bosch
Wow..stepped out of the train and it immediately reminded me of home. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter movie, stepping into a dreamworld. I was either laughing out loud or talking to myself, the entire way that I walked from the train to the hotel (about 20 min) because it was so bizarre..I had no words for it.
Checked into the hotel, which is right next door. The hotel is huge and luxurious and just what I needed (and deserved :P), but no time to waste. Huis Ten Bosch was waiting... Fun fact, the outfit I was wearing didn't cost as much as the room did hehe (€81,-).
I got a day and a half passport so I was able to go in today after 3pm and again tomorrow. It was the weirdest thing, almost what The Netherlands would look like when the Japanese took over. I went in search for a bicycle, how else to travel through Holland.
I rented a bike for about 5 hours and made my way through Amsterdam City, Utrecht, The Harbor, Zeeland and of course to Huis Ten Bosch. Even though I did have a lock, at least I didn't have to worry that my bike got stolen here in "Amsterdam" or "Utrecht". Oh and there was tax-free shopping at The Schiphol Gate Shop (Schiphol is the name of the Amsterdam airport) and at the Marine Terminal as well.
I talked to one of the staff members near The Harbor, who told me that Huis Ten Bosch has had some bad years, which I had read earlier (they had to close down but reopened due to a new investor). So they added all these games and activities to make it more attractive (especially for kids). But luckily it still had it's Dutch side to it :). He also told me about Mr. Henk, a Dutch guy that works here but was off today, but there's always tomorrow. And he told me about the many lights at night, something that I had to see and boy, am I glad I did.
I cycled the park a few times and made sure to be back at Huis Ten Bosch at 7pm for the beginning of the many lightshows they do each night. It was a musical lightshow, beautiful, classical and festive. After that I made my way back through Utrecht to go up the Domtoren and see the entire park lit up! On my way there I saw many lights...Now I'm a sucker for lights, it was almost like Christmas, there's so many personal memories connected to both lights and Christmas that I almost teared up ^_^.
The views from the Domtoren were amazing! The entire park was lit up, wow. Couldn't wait to go back down and cycle through it..and so I did!
There are few times in my life that I actually realize how lucky I am and how much I appreciate all that I do and can do, but also acknowledging that I am the person that made it possible. Why do I travel alone? What would I have missed seeing, doing, experiencing the past few years if I would have had to wait for someone to join me... Today, I had one of those moments. I stopped, took a deep breath, took in the surroundings, smiled and continued.
Day 2 Huis Ten Bosch
Went back today to take a canalcruise, which just seemed like I stepped into the one with a Japanese guide, bizarre. And I met Mr. Henk! He's almost 2m, has been living here for 30 years and knows the language (to little according to himself but well enough to manage and work here). He also told me things changed, it used to be more authentic.
I don't have many words for what I witnessed these passed two days, so take a look at the pictures and better believe it, it's Japan!
They say a picture tells you a 1000 words, but a 1000 pictures don't even begin to tell you my story!
I'm off to Nagasaki, leaving my fantastic hotel room for another hostel dorm-bed.
Until next time, Sayonara or today in Dutch, Tot ziens/lezens!
Wow..stepped out of the train and it immediately reminded me of home. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter movie, stepping into a dreamworld. I was either laughing out loud or talking to myself, the entire way that I walked from the train to the hotel (about 20 min) because it was so bizarre..I had no words for it.
Checked into the hotel, which is right next door. The hotel is huge and luxurious and just what I needed (and deserved :P), but no time to waste. Huis Ten Bosch was waiting... Fun fact, the outfit I was wearing didn't cost as much as the room did hehe (€81,-).
I got a day and a half passport so I was able to go in today after 3pm and again tomorrow. It was the weirdest thing, almost what The Netherlands would look like when the Japanese took over. I went in search for a bicycle, how else to travel through Holland.
I rented a bike for about 5 hours and made my way through Amsterdam City, Utrecht, The Harbor, Zeeland and of course to Huis Ten Bosch. Even though I did have a lock, at least I didn't have to worry that my bike got stolen here in "Amsterdam" or "Utrecht". Oh and there was tax-free shopping at The Schiphol Gate Shop (Schiphol is the name of the Amsterdam airport) and at the Marine Terminal as well.
I talked to one of the staff members near The Harbor, who told me that Huis Ten Bosch has had some bad years, which I had read earlier (they had to close down but reopened due to a new investor). So they added all these games and activities to make it more attractive (especially for kids). But luckily it still had it's Dutch side to it :). He also told me about Mr. Henk, a Dutch guy that works here but was off today, but there's always tomorrow. And he told me about the many lights at night, something that I had to see and boy, am I glad I did.
I cycled the park a few times and made sure to be back at Huis Ten Bosch at 7pm for the beginning of the many lightshows they do each night. It was a musical lightshow, beautiful, classical and festive. After that I made my way back through Utrecht to go up the Domtoren and see the entire park lit up! On my way there I saw many lights...Now I'm a sucker for lights, it was almost like Christmas, there's so many personal memories connected to both lights and Christmas that I almost teared up ^_^.
The views from the Domtoren were amazing! The entire park was lit up, wow. Couldn't wait to go back down and cycle through it..and so I did!
There are few times in my life that I actually realize how lucky I am and how much I appreciate all that I do and can do, but also acknowledging that I am the person that made it possible. Why do I travel alone? What would I have missed seeing, doing, experiencing the past few years if I would have had to wait for someone to join me... Today, I had one of those moments. I stopped, took a deep breath, took in the surroundings, smiled and continued.
Day 2 Huis Ten Bosch
Went back today to take a canalcruise, which just seemed like I stepped into the one with a Japanese guide, bizarre. And I met Mr. Henk! He's almost 2m, has been living here for 30 years and knows the language (to little according to himself but well enough to manage and work here). He also told me things changed, it used to be more authentic.
I don't have many words for what I witnessed these passed two days, so take a look at the pictures and better believe it, it's Japan!
They say a picture tells you a 1000 words, but a 1000 pictures don't even begin to tell you my story!
I'm off to Nagasaki, leaving my fantastic hotel room for another hostel dorm-bed.
Until next time, Sayonara or today in Dutch, Tot ziens/lezens!
Friday, October 23, 2015
First days in Japan
Fukuoka
First thoughts: Nice city in which you only need about a day and a half (1 night). Lots of shopping, lots of food. I went to Canal City, which is a beautiful mall with a canal running through it. I happened to be just in time for the hourly water show (adjusted to Abba's Dancing Queen). Oh and since Halloween is coming up, everything is decorated for it. After that I walked to Reizen Park with map in hand to find my way to the Oktoberfest that they actually celebrate in OCTOBER (unlike Germany and The Netherlands). This is where I noticed that Japanese people also know how to party German style! Funny stuff.
Fukuoka is not a touristy city, I was walking around thinking that I had yet to find a Western tourist, I've now seen a few. And even though I don't understand most of what is said to me or a lot of the signs, it doesn't bother me. People are really friendly and helpful.
On my first night here I again noticed/experienced that great balance between Japanese madness and total serenity. At one point I was walking through a busy mall (open air) with lots of noise and music and across from it was a river, peaceful, calm, not even able to hear the funny (ha ha) clown/acrobat anymore that was performing at the mall.
Next up is a full day of public buses to visit Fukuoka's hot spots!
Day 2: Wow what a day I had, I was out for about 7 hours of which 1 hour was spent in a few buses in between hot spots, 30 min. on a water strider something..a bicycle on water :), can't resist bikes as a Dutch! I saw beautiful shrines, temples, views, robots hehe and a crazy huge arcade (they love that stuff here in Japan) and I even went to the beach for a walk! It was an amazing yet an exhausting day! Which made me change my mind..you definitely should do at least two nights here if not more :)! There's a few side trips to take as well, like Busan (3 hour ferry ride), Hiroshima (1 hour) and a few others.
I also noticed, what I had forgotten from my last visit, which is that nobody eats, drinks of smokes while walking. They either stop and stand or sit down, but even then it's rare to see someone do any of it on the street. Life here is also a lot less rushed than in Tokyo and the streets are a lot less busy. I felt at ease and Japan once again started to grow on me. I could have spent more days here but will be off to Huis Ten Bosch, Sasebo, Nagasaki tomorrow!
Day 3: Almost ready for check out! Am taking a JR train to Sasebo, Huis Ten Bosch. I just talked to one of the staff members here who asked me where I was going today. I told him I was going to Huis Ten Bosch, to which he replied "but you are from Holland right?" Haha. He said he has been twice and it's fun for Japanese people because Europe is too expensive for them, but he doesn't know how it would be for me because he has heard for other Dutch people it is an exact copy.
Stay tuned and I'll tell you all about it in a few days!
Until then, sayonara or as the Hello Kitty robot knows it: Sayonala :)!
First thoughts: Nice city in which you only need about a day and a half (1 night). Lots of shopping, lots of food. I went to Canal City, which is a beautiful mall with a canal running through it. I happened to be just in time for the hourly water show (adjusted to Abba's Dancing Queen). Oh and since Halloween is coming up, everything is decorated for it. After that I walked to Reizen Park with map in hand to find my way to the Oktoberfest that they actually celebrate in OCTOBER (unlike Germany and The Netherlands). This is where I noticed that Japanese people also know how to party German style! Funny stuff.
Fukuoka is not a touristy city, I was walking around thinking that I had yet to find a Western tourist, I've now seen a few. And even though I don't understand most of what is said to me or a lot of the signs, it doesn't bother me. People are really friendly and helpful.
On my first night here I again noticed/experienced that great balance between Japanese madness and total serenity. At one point I was walking through a busy mall (open air) with lots of noise and music and across from it was a river, peaceful, calm, not even able to hear the funny (ha ha) clown/acrobat anymore that was performing at the mall.
Next up is a full day of public buses to visit Fukuoka's hot spots!
Day 2: Wow what a day I had, I was out for about 7 hours of which 1 hour was spent in a few buses in between hot spots, 30 min. on a water strider something..a bicycle on water :), can't resist bikes as a Dutch! I saw beautiful shrines, temples, views, robots hehe and a crazy huge arcade (they love that stuff here in Japan) and I even went to the beach for a walk! It was an amazing yet an exhausting day! Which made me change my mind..you definitely should do at least two nights here if not more :)! There's a few side trips to take as well, like Busan (3 hour ferry ride), Hiroshima (1 hour) and a few others.
I also noticed, what I had forgotten from my last visit, which is that nobody eats, drinks of smokes while walking. They either stop and stand or sit down, but even then it's rare to see someone do any of it on the street. Life here is also a lot less rushed than in Tokyo and the streets are a lot less busy. I felt at ease and Japan once again started to grow on me. I could have spent more days here but will be off to Huis Ten Bosch, Sasebo, Nagasaki tomorrow!
Day 3: Almost ready for check out! Am taking a JR train to Sasebo, Huis Ten Bosch. I just talked to one of the staff members here who asked me where I was going today. I told him I was going to Huis Ten Bosch, to which he replied "but you are from Holland right?" Haha. He said he has been twice and it's fun for Japanese people because Europe is too expensive for them, but he doesn't know how it would be for me because he has heard for other Dutch people it is an exact copy.
Stay tuned and I'll tell you all about it in a few days!
Until then, sayonara or as the Hello Kitty robot knows it: Sayonala :)!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Back in Japan
I didn't realize I was going back to Japan until I left work on Monday. An instant smile appeared on my face and I didn't know how quickly I had to get out of the office! I packed Monday night, as light as possible. My new hand luggage bag that I bought in Florida a few months ago is now my checked luggage and with only 10kg I think I did a good job :).
I flew out of Schiphol Amsterdam on Tuesday 11:55am to Helsinki, my first layover. Holiday mode had really kicked in by then. The next flight went to Nagoya, a 9,5hour flight with Finnair. I love Finnair :), it happens to be the same airline that brought me here last time. And while I am typing this first blog I am currently at Nagoya International airport, my 2nd layover, waiting for my flight to Fukuoka, where my trip..uhm no, my holiday through Japan will begin!
I forgot how much I love Japan, the people are so friendly and helpful and it is so peaceful at the airport where there's calm Japanese music playing in the background. Oh and not to mention the toilets, heated seats, flush sounds, etc. It is so nice to be back here in Japan, where I started my last trip 2 years ago, also in October. Last time I visited Tokyo, Kyoto (shortly) and Osaka.
On this trip I will start in Fukuoka, then move on to Sasebo (Nagasaki) to visit 'Huis Ten Bosch', an amusement park. They recreated bits of The Netherlands displaying REAL SIZE buildings, so in a few days I will 'be back home in The Netherlands'. It's bizarre and so I have to see it :). After that I will go to Nagasaki, the last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack (Attomic Bombings) or so says Wikipedia ;). I'd love to visit the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb museum whilst in Nagasaki.
This first bit I will do alone, and I must say after my busy schedule the last few months or perhaps the entire year, it's nice to undertake something alone again and do what I love doing!
I will then move on to Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto and last but not least: Tokyo. I will visit these last places with a good friend, that I've known since High School, over a course of about 12 days. He has never been to Japan and so we decided to do part of it together. Part will be new to me too (such as Nara and Kobe) and part will be places I visited on my trip two years ago. Japan has since then been high on my list of best/greatest countries I visited. A must do, a must see, a must experience to all!
I've got an hour left till my flight departs from Nagoya, which I will spent in a massage chair (even though it's not on), listening to calm background music and overlooking departing airplanes, massive ships and oh did I mention the sun is shining out here? :)
Until my next blog, Sayōnara!
I flew out of Schiphol Amsterdam on Tuesday 11:55am to Helsinki, my first layover. Holiday mode had really kicked in by then. The next flight went to Nagoya, a 9,5hour flight with Finnair. I love Finnair :), it happens to be the same airline that brought me here last time. And while I am typing this first blog I am currently at Nagoya International airport, my 2nd layover, waiting for my flight to Fukuoka, where my trip..uhm no, my holiday through Japan will begin!
I forgot how much I love Japan, the people are so friendly and helpful and it is so peaceful at the airport where there's calm Japanese music playing in the background. Oh and not to mention the toilets, heated seats, flush sounds, etc. It is so nice to be back here in Japan, where I started my last trip 2 years ago, also in October. Last time I visited Tokyo, Kyoto (shortly) and Osaka.
On this trip I will start in Fukuoka, then move on to Sasebo (Nagasaki) to visit 'Huis Ten Bosch', an amusement park. They recreated bits of The Netherlands displaying REAL SIZE buildings, so in a few days I will 'be back home in The Netherlands'. It's bizarre and so I have to see it :). After that I will go to Nagasaki, the last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack (Attomic Bombings) or so says Wikipedia ;). I'd love to visit the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb museum whilst in Nagasaki.
This first bit I will do alone, and I must say after my busy schedule the last few months or perhaps the entire year, it's nice to undertake something alone again and do what I love doing!
I will then move on to Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto and last but not least: Tokyo. I will visit these last places with a good friend, that I've known since High School, over a course of about 12 days. He has never been to Japan and so we decided to do part of it together. Part will be new to me too (such as Nara and Kobe) and part will be places I visited on my trip two years ago. Japan has since then been high on my list of best/greatest countries I visited. A must do, a must see, a must experience to all!
I've got an hour left till my flight departs from Nagoya, which I will spent in a massage chair (even though it's not on), listening to calm background music and overlooking departing airplanes, massive ships and oh did I mention the sun is shining out here? :)
Until my next blog, Sayōnara!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Back to reality
Back to
reality, back to TenneT, back to dreaming. I have worked at TenneT twice
before, making it possible for me to do my 7month trip through Asia/Australia/NZ/Fiji
so well and visiting family in Florida again last October for about 3months.
And how lucky am I to be able to return to TenneT for another temp job!
I have also been asked to help out at the flower shop on Tuesday nights starting February 3rd, the job I had from 2005-2010 and I loved it! It'll be a quiet night, but am still excited to be a 'flowergirl' once again, even if it is just for 3hours a week. It will be a long day, but also some extra money.
To finish today's story (incorporating that I bought new shoes and that even though it was raining, I didn't have a bad day): These boots were made for walking, this booty was made for dancing and this face was made for smiling :)! Music is really all I need!
Cheers,
After
celebrating New Years and gradually getting used to the winter, yikes haven't
had it this cold in two years so it took some getting used to, I started
working again on Friday January 9th. And after that Monday-Friday 40hours
a week in the same position I was before. Last time I worked in a different
department than before (my first time around at TenneT), but the same as I am
in now. Mostly administrate work, but very divers and I am so lucky that I have
this to come back to. Which means I'll be able to save up some money again for
my next trip, so I started dreaming again and making a list, checking it twice
^_^ on where to go next.
And that's
what I did, I made a list, a long list, which I probably won't be able to all
do in this next trip. Since I returned last April I have been planning to leave
again in May. However, I might be able to stay a little longer on the job and
so I'll adjust my department date when I know more. And depending on how much longer
I can stay and save, I'll know how far I'll be able to go…the plan is still to
see more of Asia and to go back to Australia with a Working Holiday Visa and actually
use it this time around and not cancel it like I did the last two times, third
time's a charm right…
Besides
working, I've been back at Zumba, HAPPY DAYS :D , I've missed Zumba! The guy that
has taught us for years quit and moved to the UK, which I didn't know until I got back from Florida. It took
some adjusting getting used to the style of our new teacher, a Cuban woman, but love her music :)! And because I
missed a lot of classes when I was in Florida, I am going twice a week now.
Other than that, there's been some dinners, reunions, drinks, etc. and there
will be more.
I've gotten
more and more used to the cold, but that might also be because it's slowly
getting a bit warmer, 8 degrees Celsius instead of 2. Which didn't mean that I
wanted to walk to the busstop at 7am and walk from the busstop at work to the
office building, brrrr….you see, my car was acting strange last Monday night. I
figured it might have needed oil (or actually I was hoping it did), so I
refilled it, quite a bit. But on Tuesday morning and definitely when I drove
back home in the afternoon, it acted so weird and stopped, that I eventually too
stopped trying and asked someone to pick me and the car up to drive us both
back home. My sweet companion, unstoppable…or so I thought. All is not lost
yet, but it might not be worth investing in it anymore, seeing as I'll be
leaving again and have no idea for how long. So, to be continued….And this means I'll need to depended on buses again, like I was all my life before getting a car. And man was it raining today!! Lucky for
me though, I can also drive with a few co-workers to work from now on…carpooling is the future, although
I'm not sure it's called carpooling if I won't be driving them every once in a
while hehe.
I have also been asked to help out at the flower shop on Tuesday nights starting February 3rd, the job I had from 2005-2010 and I loved it! It'll be a quiet night, but am still excited to be a 'flowergirl' once again, even if it is just for 3hours a week. It will be a long day, but also some extra money.
Well that's
it for now…they predicted snow again on Thursday and Friday, which might cause
some problems getting to work. Last snow was last Saturday, which was perfect
because I didn't have anywhere to be. I noticed it early morning, got out of
bed, made a small snowman, well woman actually and a snow angel before
returning to bed since I'd only slept for a few hours…
To finish today's story (incorporating that I bought new shoes and that even though it was raining, I didn't have a bad day): These boots were made for walking, this booty was made for dancing and this face was made for smiling :)! Music is really all I need!
Cheers,
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