A quest to see the world and to get more out of life
Disclaimer: All photos were taken prior to the photography ban. As it was my brother’s first time in Japan, we decided to revisit a lot of the must-see temples and attractions my parents and I went to during our first time. Among the highest on my list of places I wanted to rediscover was the…
I had long been dreaming of visiting Japan, a dream that came true in 2015. It was short, but it was a trip of lifetime. We saw bits and pieces of Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima. I tried to cram in as much as I could because I never thought I would be able…
Our trip to Japan was shamefully short, but it was one of the best trips I ever had in my life. Here was where the journey was so much more enjoyable than the destination. The locals were the most helpful people I’ve ever met, and their kindness was incredibly touching. If there’s one thing I’m…
Our trip to the Kansai and Hiroshima regions would not be complete had we not tried various dishes that made Japan’s cuisine on the map of the foodie world. Here are my best food experiences in Japan: Cheap and quick: Bento boxes As the cheapest form of sushi or maki, the bento boxes would definitely…
It was time to say goodbye. As much as I would’ve wanted to stay, all trips have an end. Sadly, the end came too soon. Yet the end was wonderful. Though the cherry blossom season had officially begun in the western portion of Japan, it was still yet to come in Kyoto. During the morning…
Though we were based in Osaka, and in Umeda at that, we never really got to explore this city until the day before we left. Our base in Umeda proved to be a wise choice. Everyday, we were greeted by a flock of business people ready for a day in the office, and watching them…
Of all the places we would be visiting in Kyoto, I was excited for Fushimi Inari Taisha the most. This is a Shinto shrine consisting of thousands of orange torii gates, making for such spectacular photos. Arriving at Inari station, almost everyone in the entire train disembarked. Not only was there so many people, but…
Following our morning and early afternoon spent in the northern and central parts of the city, it was time for Southern Higashiyama. From Nijo Castle, we took the bus traversing downtown Kyoto, where we had to transfer to another bus bound for Kiyomizu-dera. Downtown Kyoto Our stop in downtown Kyoto was actually unplanned. Traffic was…
After spending our first (tiring) day in western Japan, we decided to spend our second day closer to home. It was time for Kyoto. Kyoto was actually our main reason for visiting Japan. Knowing that it once was the country’s capital, the choice between Kyoto and Tokyo was clear. We wanted to see Japan’s history…
Japan gave us a cold welcome, literally. While the temperature soared during the first half of March, it suddenly dropped by the time we arrived. Yet, our short stay made us move our butts to see the most that the wonderful country can offer. We made the city of Osaka our base for our short…