Quite possibly my favorite part of Kyoto (that I’ve visited, that is) that it warranted a revisit, never mind that exploring it would take more than a couple of hours and there’s some hiking involved. It is Fushimi Inari Taisha, my friends, and I’d be glad to show you once again how my 2nd visit went.
Continue reading “[JP18] Kyoto: Revisiting Fushimi Inari Taisha”
A day is certainly not enough to soak in all of Nara. I am guessing, not even a couple of days. But you know what? That’s OK. Of course, if it were a younger me, I wouldn’t think that. My young self would be full of regrets that I did not spend more days here, not even when faced with the reality that I do not have the luxury of time.
Continue reading “[JP18] A Day in Nara: A Wrap Up, and One of my Regrets While Travelling”
One more post before October ends. I’m still in a bit of a high from my recent trip to Siargao last week, and already I’m missing the sights and sounds (though not the heat) of that beautiful island down south. I’m not quite sure when I’d be able to post about that trip, maybe months down the line, because I swear that list of backlog posts is getting longer whatonearthishappeningi— SO! Here’s another Nara post to tide me over until then.
Continue reading “[JP18] Nara, Japan: Wakakusayama Hill, Kasuga Taisa, Kofukuji”
If you thought that Nara Park is just “about the deer”, then you’d be wrong. Nara Park is so vast that it practically contains almost all the key places to visit when in Nara for a day. I thought for sure that the extent of the park was the area where most of the deer are roaming and roosting, but I was wrong, because it turns out that it also serves as the location of the Nara National Museum, Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, and Kofukuji. In my mind, it’s practically a small town. In reality, it’s just a park.
Continue reading “[JP18] Nara, Japan: Todaiji Temple (feat. The Great Buddha)”
Except for visits to a couple of zoos and menageries, my only “close encounter” with a deer was when I went to the Calauit Safari Park in Coron, Palawan some years back. And they were quite the elusive kind, too, because they were never within an arm’s reach, steering clear away from us. During my trip to Japan, we made it a point to spend a day in Nara, famous for its deer encounters. And I was NOT disappointed.
Continue reading “[JP18] Nara, Japan: Playing with Deer at the Nara Park”
This is yet another tl;dr, image-heavy post, which I’m not really gonna apologize for because, really, if I don’t have the photos, then I won’t really have much to say, now, do I? This blog post is all about… walking. Yes, walking. Because if you don’t know me by now, I really, really, really like to walk. A fact that drew the ire of one or two of my companions from time to time. #sorryNOTsorry So, yes, this’ll be all about that time my friend and I practically walked almost the entire length of the road from Nishiki Market, across Kawaramachi to Pontocho Alley, then across the Kamogawa to get to Gion District, until finally we ended up in front of the Yasaka Shrine. Yes. All on foot.
Continue reading “[JP18] Kyoto, Japan: Walking Around Nishiki Market, Pontocho Alley & Gion District (plus Ichiran Kawaramachi!)”
This week-long rain is putting a damper on my spirits; it’s as if the sun decided to hide for a bit to make us realize our transgression of complaining about her heat and glare. We’ll never win, I guess. But, to pick myself up, let me just hark back on that day I spent walking around and about Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan.
Continue reading “[JP18] Arashiyama, Kyoto: Around and About”
The only train rides I’ve been on thus far mostly involved those on subways and metro transits, often packed and speeding through tunnels or in concrete jungles. Shinkansens or bullet trains in Japan are a whole other story, because they speed so fast and stealthy, and you’re boxed inside, unable to breathe in the air outside. It’s definitely nothing like those train rides we see in movies that are set, say, in some parts of the countryside, probably somewhere in Europe. Ya noe, those train rides that evoke… romance…?
Continue reading “[JP18] Arashiyama, Kyoto: Riding the Sagano Romantic Train”
It’s the last day of July, and all I could think of was “Thank goodness July is over, but DANG AUGUST CAME TOO SOON”. I guess that’s the thing about time: it passes, and it does so in an unforgiving fashion. There are no rewinds, no take twos, just pushing forward, and all we can do is to keep pace with it. Or, at least, try to. And while doing so, make memories. Good ones. Lots of them. So you will have lots of them to look back to even months, years to the future.
Continue reading “[JP18] Arashiyama, Kyoto: The Tenryuji Temple”
A visit to Kyoto won’t be complete if you didn’t step foot into a shrine. Or two. And practically all areas of Kyoto have them, so whichever part you choose to go to, you can be sure to pass by at least one. In Arashiyama, it was one of those unexpected things, us stumbling on a small shrine while following the Path of Bamboo, which I talked about in my previous post.
Continue reading “[JP18] Arashiyama, Kyoto: The Nonomiya Shrine”
One thing that frustrates me about traveling is the time constraint. Especially if I find myself someplace with soooo much to see, but with limited time on my hands to check them all out. Kyoto is one of those places. There’s just so many gems, so one has to be strategic in planning out their itinerary so they can make the most of it. As much as I appreciate being all chill and relaxed with my itinerary, I’m more the type that wants to cram as much as I can in what little time I have in a place. I’m greedy like that.
Continue reading “[JP18] Arashiyama, Kyoto: The Path of Bamboo and Bamboo Forest Trail”
When I think about it, I don’t have a bucket list. I’m just not the type to make one. So to hear people tell me that I’ve “already checked ‘climbing Mt. Fuji’ off my bucket list” is a bit strange, as I don’t have a list to speak of. Aaaand I suppose that’s my cue to say that, if given the opportunity to visit Mt. Fuji again, I’d definitely go “HECK YES, WHEN?!” Continue reading “[JP18] My Mt. Fuji Experience… (and why you should climb Mt. Fuji)”
In [checks the time] less than 2 hours, I’d be hitting the road to chase an elusive summer. Down south, this time, under the guise of a business trip, but really squeezing in as much pleasure side trip as we can. ‘Cuz that’s just how we roll. But! Before that, let me just wrap up my Mt. Fuji experience, which I shared about in my several most recent posts.
Continue reading “[JP18] Watching the Sun Rise from the Top of Mt. Fuji”
I just realized this earlier: it’s almost the middle of the year. Da*n. Time sure flies so fast I’m getting a whiplash. And the soles of my feet are itching once again. I sure miss those few times I’ve experienced lying under the stars, al fresco, with just me and nature (and everyone else, but they hardly matter when you’re in the zone, right?). Considering the climate at the summit (or close to it) of Mt. Fuji, that’s not something that can be done. Unfortunately.
Continue reading “[JP18] Staying the Night at the 8th Station Tomoekan in Mt. Fuji”
I wouldn’t say that I did a lot of research before climbing Mt. Fuji. Sure, I looked into the logistics part of it, weighed options (that would mean less expenditure, primarily), and looked at the basics on what to do and what not to do. Other than that, nothing else. I saw some clips off a few Japanese TV shows (thanks, Arashi and Nakai-san!) showing a glimpse of the trail experience and read some blogs. But no more than that. This was one of those things that I was just partly winging. (And before I proceed, lemme just say CONGRATULATIONS BTS AND ARMY FOR THE BBMAs TOP SOCIAL ARTIST BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK WIN AND THE FIRST EVER TOP GROUP AWARD! *proudArmyNoonarighthurrr*)
Continue reading “[JP18] Climbing Mt. Fuji via Yoshida Trail”
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