Opportunity to travel again barely 2 weeks after i'm back from Korea, looking at the positive side, it's indeed a blessing :')
Japan was all good. 5 years ago i visited Japan with my family, along with one more family of my cousin's. That trip had some scenes recurring in my mind. Back then i wasn't so much of a camera/photography person. I wouldn't bother taking out my camera/cellphone instantly even when i see sth beautiful. But i guess that "me" was much better, because i realised that the most beautiful moments should be captured with your eye and not your physical camera.
So with my (i would say pretty good) memory, i do remember little places i visited in Japan back then. Even though i may not remember the names of the places, or where exactly have i been, but it was pretty nice visiting many familiar places in this Japan trip, and sending myself a signal that "Hey i've been here before!!!", that feeling was extraordinary. Because i hardly get to visit a same country twice. (Just my character....i would rather save money to visit other countries)
In case you've yet to know, i travelled Japan from 14th to 21st Oct with Jon and his family! So here i am back with a good read :)
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14th Oct:
On board plane early in the morning (1.50am) to Tokyo, transited there and took another plane to Osaka!
Thereafter another 1 hour bus ride to Kyoto. (Thinking back, i wonder why didn't we just buy a transit ticket that takes us from Tokyo to Kyoto?!)
But anyway after settling our check in matters for our Airbnb apartment, it was already early evening. So we headed over to a famous street call the Gion corner. There you get to see alot of geishas performances, Japanese girls in kimonos, and food there was awesome too (but at an expensive side).
^ Joreen insisted we have an airport outfit together, in this case sweatpants haha! And not denying this is my first time in sweatpants...
^ Our airbnb apartment!! Really small though, but also really cozy :)
^ Dinner was good!!! My soup was really yummy, Jon kept on stealing mine!
^ Matcha ice cream on my first night already!!! SO DAMN GOOD!!!
Oh ya Japan is known for the land of Matcha and i'm known for a huge fan of Matcha, no wonder Japan has always been my favourite country!!! hehehe
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15th Oct:
Day 2 in Kyoto! This day was spent at one of the outskirts of Kyoto - Arashiyama, and that place was gorgeous :')
Woke up for breakfast at a market near our apartment, Nishiki Market!!! Then took the railway to Arashiyama station and started to tour the huge place on our own!
^ Why are the skies in Korea and Japan so pretty everyday...
^ The kids for the trip!
Jon's cousins from left to right: Sin Yee, Joreen, me, Jon, Perlin, and Andrew (Jon's younger brother)
^ Looks like a painting no?!?!
^ One of my favorite pic of us in this trip ;)
^ Idk why but alot say we look alike?!
^ This is the most popular and stunning place in Arashiyama - the bamboo groves!!!
^ Queued up an hour for this recommended Unagi rice bowl on the internet!! And honestly i used to dislike Unagis/Eels, i don't eat them because i tried them once and it was awful to me. But since this restaurant didn't have any other food selling, and only their Unagi Rice Bowl in different sizes, i decided to just give it a try.
And it was my wisest choice of this trip! This bowl is a bowl of goodness!!! And even Jon who loves Unagi, said it with pride that this is the best Unagi he ever had in his life!!
Not exaggerating guys, but the fish has no awful taste like the first one i tried, and their rice with their marinated sauce was so unique and yummy.... So worth the queuing and instantly change my perspective of unagis :')
In case you're wondering, this place is call Unagiya Hirokawa in Arashiyama!
After which we took the train back to Nishiki Market to try their street stalls' food because most of the stalls there the morning we went weren't open.
^ I think my boyfriend loves sashimi more than me.......
^ These are not ice cream.....it's raw tuna Popsicle which Andrew tried...
^ Did some little shopping around the streets!
^ Affordable sushi for dinner at Chojiro and ended our day!
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16th Oct:
This day was technically a boring day, but turned out a laughter-filled day.
Woke up, had breakfast, checked out from our apartment, and took the express railway to Osaka, another city of Japan!
After collecting the keys and finding our way to our new Airbnb Apartment (this house was huge and super good), we headed over to a famous market in Osaka - Kuromon Market, or also known as the Black Door Market.
^ Had lunch at this famous seafood restaurant in this market!
^ The snow crab at the left hand side was SO FUCKING GOOD! This seafood meal was super satisfying :)
Afterwards we shopped around alot of different places and even visited an IT mall! The whole day have me buying nothing and seeing nothing, that's why i mentioned the day was technically boring.
But who knows the bunch of cousins end up being bimbotic with me over the display cameras in the IT mall, and we laughed like mad, calling alot of eyes on us. But it was the day i found out they could make anything fun out of nothing :')
^ We laughed out loud at what Jon posed! He has a brighter career if he pick modelling?!
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Hey dear, thank you for making it possible for me to embark on this trip.
I'm someone who have a big group of paternal and maternal cousins, and honestly, they do mean a hell lot to me. They ain't those distant relatives normal people have out there that you don't give a hoot about what they are doing in life. All my cousins and i share a interconnected relationship, and i realised all our parents have something in common - they are all family-oriented people. So naturally, i sought after people who are family-oriented too.
Being able to go on a trip with your cousins excites me even further. Months ago when i was acknowledged by them and even very welcomed by your cousins, they send me a similar feeling like how my cousins give me. Carefree, be-yourself, and comfortable. They make me feel i can be myself and need not be pretentious.
When all of you guys are goofy together, even though most of the time what blurts out of my mouth is "Childish", a part of me can see what's running in all of your blood. And i love that somehow.
This trip wouldn't be made possible if not for you. I have too many things in my life i wanna pay myself that concludes why i have been slogging my guts out in Froth, and saving so much is partly for a holiday with you. When i was enjoying in Korea, all you did was work work and work. Little did i know you were actually working for me.
You were working because you wanna give me expenses for this trip, you were working because you wanna reduce my financial stress for paying the whole trip myself (this trip i didn't ask a single cent from my parents), you were working without complaints because you feel there is no wrong in supporting your girlfriend financially.
And to be honest, it's not that i don't have the money, neither do i not have the ability to earn my own money. But your gesture touched me deeply because this guy who doesn't even save for himself, can learn to save for my birthday, to save for ME, to save and give me a lump sum just to bring me along and make me smile everyday. It's something that's telling me no one else will ever love me more than you do.
So thank you so so much for making this trip a dream come true, even though you have been a really pain in the ass the whole trip. But thank you so much dear, i love you from the bottom of my heart.
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Miss my paternal cousins and wish i can visit them as soon as possible.
See you guys in my next one xx.
