Tadaima

Back in Operations.. with "jet lag" and phone lag..

浪跡天涯小狗 is nursing a severe motion sickness and tiredness.. will be blogging after a while..

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 16 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

Last day in Japan.

Had our breakfast at the hotel, which was so-so.

At ard 1pm, we set off to Sunshine City Hotel in the rain to board the limo bus to Narita Airport.

Checked in at 1550. Plane was scheduled to fly at 1650 or something.

Due to the turbulence which requires some maintenance to the plane, Northwest Flight 005 has been..

DELAYED!!!!!!

Well, better than cancelled. Which was what happened to the Honolulu flight.

So we roamed the airport for like 3 hrs, partly waiting for another connecting flight passengers from Nagoya airport who got stuck in the bad weather (Japan was facing a typhoon at that time, boarding Ito Islands.








Bored at the airport.

We finally reached SG at 5am, looking all dazed and stoned cos it wasnt comfortable to sleep on the plane. What a trip.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 15 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

At Lumine holding the Puroland tickets

Finally we got to Puroland, where the admission tix is 4,000 yen aka SGD50.


Puroland

















Seriously its the most wasted 4,000 yen. There's nothing much interesting to see there. Simply NOTHING!!~

We spent some bucks at the Daiso along the streets. Bought a lot of sweets and titbits to throw in office. Though they're cheap but they're still quite nice.


Nice tree.

For dinner, we wanted to go for Shabu Shabu. So we walked all the way to Tokyo Metropolitian Govt Building after some directions from the train station crew. Couldnt find any shabu shabu shop anywhere.

So we ended up eating at Lumine 1 which sells super salty pasta and tempura.

Got back to the hotel at 9+ and spent almost 2 hrs packing.


These are the soft toy horde that Mistress and gang adopted.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 16

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 14 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

Mistress threw me in the spiky stuff for a pic. Oww..

Today we had originally wanted to go Puroland aka Hello Kitty land. But upon asking the station crew at Shinjuku station, they informed us that it was.. CLOSED!! Oh well, not in luck.

And so we had a change of plans and went shopping!! Again.


Buildings ard Shinjuku


The commuters.


Shinjuku Station


Taka Times Square. Posh and atas place.


Along the streets


Some healthy bento which Mistress bought.

Went Shibuya after that.


Outside Shibuya station




Shibuya 109. Where all the 109 girls gather ard.

2 weeks in Japan. A few more days to departure..

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 15

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 13 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

Hiding in Mistress's jacket.

Today is more of a travelling day. Checked out of Houkousen at ard 11 before taking the 3 hrs++ journey back to Tokyo. Reached there around 5+.



Checked in Daichi Inn Hotel before proceeding to Ueno to shop for toys.


Daichi Hotel at Ikebukkuro.

Boy, the gundams are freaking cheap. Mistress lugged quite a couple of them home. And not to forget the Choro-Qs, etc etc.

Thats it. Shopping Day.. or rather Nite.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 14

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 12 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

In the nite streets of Gion

Having been informed by Lonely Planet that Nagoya is a place where during the crysanthemum festival season, one can find crysanthemums EVERYWHERE.

So, for the sake of wanting to experience 菊花台, we went to this industrial town.

We had wanted to go to the Nagoya Castle, which was round the corner of the train station but requires one to take bus. So off we took a bus. But alas!! We do not know where to stop as the bus stops did not have attraction signs. So we sat and sat and sat till we reached..


Hikarigaoka

Like.. WHERE THE HELL IS THIS PLACE WHERE EVEN BIRDS DUN LAY EGGS!?!?


Some heartlands


An eatery where we had our cheap and rather good lunch.

So we took the bus back to the train station and did some shopping there.


Sign on the escalator


Nagoya

Proceeded to Gion again to watch the traditional customs display at the Gion Corner. Costs us 2,800 yen.


Flower Decorating






Short Skit



Mistress spent 1,200 yen to drink some green tea that she made herself. Wasnt bad at all.


茶道Session.


The instructors

Instructions were quite strict. 1 o'clock direction, 4 o'clock direction.. blurred.

After that, we stalked ard Gion looking out for Geishas. Mistress saw one in a cab all decked out in elaborate head-dresses and kimonos accompanied by customers.


Probably one of those working in the house.


Probably a young apprentice


Cab rates.

We made yet another mad rush back Houkousen again. Checking out tomorrow. Have not tasted Okonomiyakis and Takoyakis yet. Seems like no chance.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 13

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 11 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

*Peep*

The bunch of us set off for Kyoto again (Rem we're based in Osaka). Kyoto Imperial Palace this time round. (Nvr got near the palace so no pics)


Jidai Matsuri

Its a procession of nearly 2,000 people, decked out in period clothes depicting the different eras of Japan. Now, this took roughly 1 hr 45 min, I wonder how long China will take if they have something like this. 5 hrs?












They're really playing the flute, not just posing with it.






This fella is grinning to his frens in the crowd ard me.




Looks like Aladdin's mat. So long..































After suffering from leg numbness, leg pain, leg cramps, mistress & gang set off for Gion and Kiyomizu temple to chance for Geishas.


Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺)





None still...

At around 5, we took a long ride up Mt Kurama for the Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬火祭り). Man, the que was already freaking long and the 2 carriage trains were jammed packed with each load up the mountain.

Once we reached the station, its another shoving and pushing time to at least manoveur to where the festival is supposedly to be. We din get too far, probably 50m from the entrance of the residence area. Pity the residences on this side of the mountain who had to deal with this every yr. Probably they dreaded the crowds destroying their peace of the scenic mountain.


The crowd




They keep parading the pine up and down.








One side waiting


The other side pushes forward.










Looks kinda like a battle of fire.

This festival is kinda exciting. At least much better than those costume parades with no music or introductions watsoever. The shouting is enough to make you go wow~

We din stay long, only till the fire starts to battle on the other side and we got swarmed by the tourists crowding behind the "attacking force". And since its a long way down the mountain, a long way to Osaka, a long way to Tennoji, we thot its good to go while the parade is still on-going. But alas, the train station already has a snaking que about 100 meters long. Horrors.


Tengu (天狗)

Mt Kurama is a nice place for relaxation and really disconnect from the world. There's a pretty nice temple there (research) and hot spas. But the journey is quite a challenge.


Not often u get 2 types of food in a train signboard

We reached Houkousen at 12.35am, due to limited express not in operation, which was actually way past their door close hours. Quite embarrassing.

Japan Pilgrimage I Day 12