TRAVEL DIARY: Jas X Osaka Part 1

Exactly a month after our Japan trip, I finally made time to write about it in this little space. It's hard when you're still not over the high from the trip because you can't seem to go through editing and sorting pics without stopping and day dreaming every memory you have through the pictures. Believe me, I attempted quite a lot of times to sort and make up a story but it comes out too overwhelming for me. 

I don't deny, Japan is my favorite destination to date-- and I think that what I feel about the place is intensified because of the fact that this trip should have happened last year. However, this year's timing couldn't have been more perfect so here's my first story of our first stopover. 

Jp and I set a 7-day vacation last Nov 21-27 for Japan. With the little time that we have, we wanted to make the most of it by flying in to Osaka and flying out in Tokyo. In that way, we will be able to take in as much as we can in our very first (because we plan on going back *crossing fingers**) trip.

Osaka is the perfect place to land if you wanted to get a feel of old and modern Japan. It's perfectly located in the Kansai region which has preserved a lot of Japan's culture dating back in Edo (you have got to read this period in Japanese history - very interesting) era. 

You know you're in Japan, when you see pretty girls holding signs like this outside establishments.

Here is the quaint little neighborhood where we are staying. It lined up with shops and little boutiques.

This is where we stayed. This is very affordable. The room is clean-- we use a shared bathroom but is very comfortable to use with really good toiletries. Jp would have wanted to ask where they buy it.

Jp at the back of the Tsutenkaku Tower-- a very well-known landmark in Osaka.

But of course, Jp gets a hall pass!

One of the shops in the neighborhood. As you can see in the right hand side of the frame, bikes are parked in the sidewalk. Most Japanese go around the neighborhood through bikes. And they're not mountain bikes, mind you. How cool is that?

After we checked in, we immediately hurried out to be able to explore Osaka. Also, I was anticipating to finally eat my first LEGIT Japanese meal. Since we are staying in Osaka for only a day and a half, I only planned on seeing the "touristy" spots first. So off to DOTONBORI we go.

Found it!

There's a lot to see in Dotonbori. My senses are extra happy. I'm like a little child on acid! 

How cute are these doggie costumes!

Some school children going home. I think the uniforms in Japan are really well though of. Can we copy this here in PI?

Ahhhh food stalls! 

Another one-- just take all my YEN!

This one is really something you need try. When you see people lining up, it must be pretty amazing.

The BIG CRAB sign. You won't miss this. From all the blogs I read, they always have this photo.

After all the little eats we had from different food stalls. This one deserved the bigger portion of my bellyyyyy! The number 1 ramen shop in Namba!

MY FIRST LEGIT MEAL! S U C C E S S! OMG! I can't even begin to explain how it tasted. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!

Dessert, anyone?

Starbucks- I dint buy coffee because I was too full but Starbucks is interesting in Japan. It almost always come with a bookstore or an electronic store. 

Inside Starbucks. The bookstore is at the back of the bar.

While we were walking, we chanced upon Don Quijote (right side). One of some famous store chains in Japan. They sell anything from food, clothing, etc etc.

My mama's namesake. E M M A 

Oh well, too tempted to buy but I stopped myself. It's still our first day. 

Original, pre-loved LV bags up for grabs.

AWWW! I was looking for you. This Glico Man sign is a famous landmark in Osaska. A lot of people tend to meet up here since it's very easy to find. This one is for the books.

Some young performers in one of the street corners. So cool. I wish Filipino upcoming Filipino artists will do this.

Just before going to the next stop, we chanced passing by a small shrine. Enthralled with the lanterns and everything their faith represents.

Wohooo! Writing this gives me so much happy memories. I literally want to hop on a plane and go back. If you happen to read this, please watch out for the 2nd installment! 

x O x O,

jb

Hongkong Photo Diary 2

The next set of photos hopefully will not overwhelm you and stop you from following me because I know that these photos are a looooot! I promise to be better at this next time. Anyway, just to be fair, Hongkong is one of the most instagrammable places you can ever go to. The people, the city, the architecture and the whole vibe makes you want to take out that camera/phone and shot away. So you can't really blame me for all these photos that I came up with. And just a disclaimer, I got my camera a few days before we flew to HK which was Jp's gift to me so I haven't really explored and studied the settings beforehand. Automatic setting was all we used for the shots. 

My failed attempt at an OOTD shot. I think JP was out exploring on his own when this happened so I just have to do what I need to do and came up with this (:

December is a good month to visit HK. The weather is perfect at around 17-20 degrees celsius aaaand the Christmas decors are up for everyone to see and enjoy. This was in 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui. I learned that this whole place was a former Marine Police Headquarters Compound which was built in the late 1800s. They have absolutely turned this whole compound into a shopping and dining haven. 

One interesting thing I observed in HK was, hardly you can see people who are overweight. You know why? PEOPLE WALK. AND THEY WALK FAST. So we also did that-- we walk a lot in HK but I personally did not mind because the weather was perfect. You just really have to get yourself good walking shoes. 

Took another angle at the 1881 Heritage. It's beautiful. 

Langham Place Mall. Jp got us a hotel room in Mongkok which is considered one of the busiest and crowded places in HK. I don't mind at all because this mall was really near and the hotel provided a bus service every hour. This mall is also near the metro station so it was very convenient.

The HK skyline taken at Victoria's Harbor.

Hongkong Eye! Kidding! I forgot what this place was actually called but anything with Ferris Wheel is always a good view! (This was right across IFC Mall, hope that helps.)

Airport Express. The HK airport is far from the city but there's no need to worry because there is a special train service called Airport Express which takes you from the airport to HK Central and vice versa. It's more expensive than the normal train fare but worth it. It's very convenient and fast!

Shot from Jp's iPhone 6. Honestly I find the paper map (you can get at the airport) so helpful. I use it more often than the apps I downloaded on my phone. And let me brag that I'm not really as bad as I thought I was with directions. I figured my way in HK with that map alone. Yayyy!

1881 Heritage in the afternoon. They lit up the whole place at around 5:30 when the sun was almost setting.

One of my favorite views. Why? This depicts how I always think and feel about the vibe in HK. This was on our way to the night market in Mongkok.

Shot from Jp's iPhone 6. 1881 Heritage.

Sidewalk captures. One of the many photos Jp took while we were walking. 

Laduree in Harbour City. There are several branches of Laduree in HK but I went to this one inside the mall because it was where we were going that day. I know that as of August this year, Laduree has opened it's first branch in MNL but I intend to really buy the famous French macaron brand in HK cos August 2015 was wayyy to long to wait. And.. (I'm such a Gossip Girl fan and Laduree macarons are Blair's favorite. Although I'm more of a Serena, still Queen B's influence is something I cannot resist. Hahaha. That's really how I always wanted to buy this brand. Sorry for explaining in parenthesis, I'm weird like that.) Boy, it was expensive. Jp gasped when he learned how much I spent for a dozen. It was all had for breakfast the next day even if our hotel room offered free breakfast buffet when we upgraded. 

Another macaron place we visited was Pierre Herme still in Harbour City. When I posted in IG my box of Laduree (I mean it's so expensive, it should have it's rightful place in my IG feed right? Hahaha), Jp's cousin Des told us about this macaron place which happens to be in the same mall as Laduree. It's a little more expensive but it was rightfully so. We only bought 2 pieces since I already splurge on the other brand and Jp isn't much of a macaron fan. So yeah, this one was better but of course, this wasn't in Gossip Girl. Hahaha

Rosedale Hotel, Kowloon, Mongkok. This is my favorite nook in our hotel room. If you plan on visiting HK soon. Do check out Agoda for promos cos we got ours for a really good deal. Rosedale has good service and their rooms are surprisingly cozy. It really feels and looks like how they post their photos online. Believe me, there was a day that Jp almost did not get out of bed because he just wanted to take advantage of the room for that matter. 

Yayyy, I have arrived at the Hongkong International Airport. 

Boo, this was taken when were about to check-in for our flight going back to PI. 

Almost sunset at Victoria's Peak. 

Egg Tarts from Tai Cheong Bakery. Guys, if you plan to visit Victoria's Peak in HK, please please DO NOT EVER GO DOWN WITHOUT BUYING THIS AMAZING, ALMOST PERFECT EGG TARTS. And no, these aren't from another Gossip Girl reference. This was 6 HKD/piece and it's worth every single dollar and calorie you spend for it. Just in case, you were not able to buy it from the Peak, there are other Tai Cheong Bakeries all over the city. Yayyy!

In HK, I couldn't help but look up and marvel at skyrise buildings.  

This was the breakfast nook at Rosedale Hotel. Their buffet was so-so. I still love the breakfast buffet at Marco Polo Cebu best. 

On our 3rd day in HK, Jp and I thought it best to separate ways because there were places we already visited a day before that he wanted to go back to. Meanwhile, I just decided to spend my day at the mall going around aimlessly. So this was one of his photos. Or maybe this was one church we passed by on our way to The Peak Tram. I'm not really sure now. Wheww. (Note to self: Blog as soon as you can, do not wait for a year.) #imsorry 

My love affair with trains started in HK. I just love how trains make public transportation a breeze. This was really very early so there isn't a lot of passengers yet. But trains could really be crowded during the rush hour too.

Harbour City Foodcourt. One of the best meals I had in HK. Authentic Chinese Bowl Soup. 

If you go to HK on a budget, you can survive by buying and eating at their 7/11 stores all over the city.

HK street food is a must try. Just make sure your stomach is ready for it and does not get easily upset. Or else, just bring OTC medications. Luckily for us, we did not get sick and we line up in street food stalls which has a lot of local following.

Another OOTD attempt. Wearing H&M from top to bottom.I scored a lot of H&M pieces when we were there because they were on sale. All the pieces I got came out really cheap. Less than 200php each when converted. 

Went to the biggest Apple Store in IFC Mall. December 2014 was when the iPhone 6 and 6+ were recently launched. There was a long line of locals waiting for their units to be released. 

Hi from Jp and Jas :) 

This year, Jp and I planned to go to Tokyo for our early 4th anniversary celebration. I already bought my ticket which went on sale at Cebu Pacific but Jp has not. Unfortunately, because of my decision to come here in UAE, that Japan trip has been put aside :(( I really felt bad because I've been meaning to explore Tokyo for the longest time and that's also the reason why we did not go Disneyland in HK. We wanted to try DisneySea so bad. Hopefully, we will be able to score that Japan trip together next year. I'm really crossing my fingers for that. 

I think that it's always a good idea to go on an out of country trip with your partner. It makes you discover new things about each other. If you haven't done it yet, it's about time you plan that first out of country trip together. HK is one of those Asian destinations that's very easy to plan out. 

What was your first out of country experience?

xo,

Jas