2Cats Cafe

November 25, 2015
Day 4

While walking along Insadong after visiting Jogyesa, we passed by a small advertising standee of 2Cats cafe, which is located at the 3rd floor, and decided to go for a cup of coffee and to play with cats.

It was my first time to visit a cat cafe and I was so excited! I forgot how much the fee was, but I remember it already comes with a free drink and unlimited time to play with the cats. We were given some guidelines on how to interact with the cats, sprayed some sanitizer on our hands and told us to have fun. And we did have fun! There weren't a lot of people in the cafe which was great. We were able to play with all of the cats.

There were 13 cats, if I remember right. Here are some of them. Kawaaaiiiii!!!

Jogyesa: a quick temple visit

November 25, 2015
Day 4

Il-ju-mun (One Pillar Gate)

After strolling along Insadong, we decided to drop by this temple, Jogyesa temple. It's a small temple in the middle of the city. It doesn't have the quiet and solemn feel, but seeing the Main Dharma Hall and all the people inside praying from outside, was interestingly calming. The glow of the three Buddhas from inside was enough to make me feel like a higher being is watching over me - in a way that made me want to say a prayer and give thanks for the things that matter to me the most at the time. It just felt good.

Insadong. Street of Culture, Arts and Food :)

November 25, 2015
Day 4

The original plan for this day was to go to Seoraksan and climb Ulsanbawi. We did not push through because a) it was cloudy and there was probability of rain and b) because it was so darn cooolllddd!! Temperature on higher altitudes are naturally lower so...nah! I value my precious nose, however flat it is, and I wasn't planning to let it drop off on my way up the rocky mountain.

So. Instead of that, we went to Insadong to check out shops for souvenirs and pasalubong. The street was filled with different kinds of shops. It just stopped raining when we got out of the station and the weather was perfect for a relaxed day like this to walk around and check out almost each and every shop. Haha! We even explored some of the side alleys which were lined with restaurants. Lovely way to make ourselves hungry with all the aroma coming from the kitchens of all the restos. Lol.

We checked out Ssamziegil. It's a small building with lots of cute and artsy stuff. The building itself is a work of art. Starting on the second floor, going up the building doesn't require/involve stairs because the hall slightly elevates from one corner to another, so you'll be able to pass through each and every store up to the top. That kinda sounds confusing. Lol. How do I say this? Hmm..just think spiral, with corners. Does that help? Hahaha! But, of course there's a stairway located in one of the corners of the hall. Anyway, I was on the lookout for Totoro stuff but didn't find it there. Still, it was worth a visit for those who wants to buy cute stationery items, accessories, bags, clothes, shoes, and other cute stuff for your room and even furniture and so much more! At the top floor/level, there were  also cute cafes and restos. So cool!

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA)

Nov 24, 2015
Day 3

Taken from the pamphlet

After visiting Changdeokgung Palace, we went to Seoul Museum of Art. We got confused with the directions and kinda walked around in circles for like 30 minutes until we decided to use google maps and GPS. It was fun! We're like treasure hunting, walking around and trying to find the dot in the map. Hahaha! Good thing the weather was nice and it was such a pleasure walking around this area. We saw a couple of nice and cute cafes and lots of cool looking restaurants.

and we were at the right direction. yay!

art display on the street

Finally! Welcome to Seoul Museum of Art. Admission was free so we let ourselves in. There was an exhibit diplay in the gallery at the third floor. The exhibition, entitled Eternal Narcissist, featured the works of Chun Kyung-ja, one of Korea's most renowned painters of the 20th century.

The exhibition is designed to approach Chun's autobiographical paintings from the self-respective viewpoint and thus divides the exhibition into four sections: The Story of My Sorrowful Legend, A Fantasy Drama, Drawings, and A Woman of Freedom.

That's what was written in the pamphlet. So we climbed the stairs to the third floor. Understandably, taking photos inside the exhibition wasn't allowed. I liked a lot of her paintings, drawings and essays. It was very interesting, indeed!

Anyway, let me tell you a little secret, when we got here, I realized that what I really wanted to visit was Seoul Museum of History. Still, no regrets. It was a lot of fun!

PS. I just had to tell you about the Korean KFC chicken we ate after our visit in SeMA! But before that, let me tell you something first. The side of my tongue got a tear from my braces and it was really painful and was such a big bother coz I can't talk properly and worse, I can't enjoy the food! Huhu. Anyway, so like what I was saying, we dropped by KFC for our dinner and thought I can just order the regular chicken and eat it slowly. I wasn't expecting it to be soooooooooo delicious. My goodness! I wanted to cry because a) my tongue hurts and b) I can't enjoy my delicious food! Waaah! I was just so pissed about the whole situation with my tongue. Bottomline is TRY KFC CHICKEN IN KOREA! Ugh. Ranting and free advertising ends here. Hehe. That is all.

PPS. I didn't take a picture of the chicken coz well..it was KFC and I wasn't really expecting too much from it. Also, I wasn't in the mood to take pictures due to the agony I was in. Hehehe.

Chasing Autumn. Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon, the Secret Garden Tour

November 24, 2015
Day 3

Changdeokgung palace is one of the five remaining palaces used by kings of the Joseon dynasty and is the most-preserved. I don't know much about Korean history and I thought this would be a good place to start. We checked out the throne hall, king's council hall, king and queen's residence and the crown prince's study.

For international visitors, the admission fee is as follows:

Adults (ages 19-64): Regular 3,000 won / Huwon 5,000 won 

Children and Teenagers (ages 18 and under): Regular 1,500 won / Huwon 2,500 won 

Group (over 10): 20% discount offered for regular tickets only.

If I remember right, the admission to the Huwon tour was for at least 2 people only. There was a guy on the other line who was trying to buy a ticket for the tour group but was refused because he was alone (atleast that's how I understood the situation). He was the guy who offered to take our photo in front of the palace earlier and we were about to offer him to buy tickets with us for the tour so he can join, but he worked something out with the staff already. 

The palace grounds was huge. I can only imagine how many guards were in duty during those days. I haven't watched a lot of Korean dramas. Most of what I saw were only snippets of the drama Jewel in the Palace and other short trailers during commercials while changing channels, and some from facebook that my kdrama-gaga fb friends posted. Being in there made me curious what happened in those grounds, what kind of festivities and activities were held in it and wondered how the royalties lived.

Hanging out in Hongdae

Nov 23, 2015

Day 2

Hongdae easily became one of my favorite spots in Seoul. It's a nice place to walk around and shop and eat. There were a lot of cute restos and cafes I wanted to visit, and shops that sell cute clothes and shoes and accessories and makeup! Lots and lots of makeup. Like..you wouldn't believe how many makeup brands and cosmetic products they have. But hey, that's Korea for you. Some people come to Korea specifically for these products.

Anyway, before entering the Trick Eye Museum, we wandered around and saw some interesting graffiti.

We grabbed a late lunch/early dinner at Noona Holdak. We ordered chicken and spicy squid heads and paired it with soda. The food was soooooo good we can't help but order beer as well. And then I understood the chicken and beer combination that the Koreans love so much. I loved it, too!

It was getting late, but this place was just starting to get busy. We saw a couple of street performers in almost every corner and people were really watching/listening to them. It made me want to sit down on the curb and just watch and listen and enjoy and just chill, basically. It's the kind of place I'd love to go to after a long day at work and just relax. That was the kind of vibe I got when I was there and if that's your thing, I'm sure you'd love it too.

We walked around some more. We saw what we think was some sort of a red light district. Sort of because when you think of a red light district, you imagine the streets to be bustling with life and party and what-nots with a lot of people trying to get you to enter their establishments. It wasn't like that at all, but we still got a feeling it was a red light disctrict. Maybe we were wrong, or maybe not, but that's what we thought it was, is what I'm saying. Anyway, there were also a couple of alleys with lots of small restaurants that were literally packed with customers who all seemed to be having the time of their lives. These restos seemed..alive. With life. If you know what I mean. Anyway, it just looked so lively and fun from someone (me) in the midst of the busy alley trying to get past the throng of people standing/lining outside these restaurants. Now if you try and read that all again, it seems like the red light district I was talking about, but it wasn't. This I'm sure of. Hahaha!

Trick Eye Museum, Seoul

Nov 23, 2015
Day 2

First whole day in Seoul was spent in Hongdae. This was easily one of my favorite parts of the city where we can go and wander around. Lots of stores and restaurants here. To start our day, we stopped by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to get our coffee and matcha fix. 

Not far from here was the trick eye museum. This wasn't in our original itinerary, but I won 2 tickets for it from Air Asia's facebook contest. Awesome, right? The tickets covered admission fees for all 3 museums - trick eye, love and ice museums - worth 23,000 KRW per person, so it was a good deal. Thank you, Air Asia! ;-)

We definitely enjoyed our time here. It was a shame we had to take turns to take photos of each other and no one to take a photo of us together; but we were still able to have fun and act silly like a bunch of kids again.

When you enter the building, the love museum is on the same level as the street. We had our coupons exchanged to tickets, and we went one floor down (or was it two floors? I forgot.)  to go to the trick eye museum, ice museum and carnival street. There was a like an indoor square/plaza with fountain decors at the center. There were tables and chairs where people can rest and eat, as well as food stalls and a souvenir shop.

We first entered the carnival area. There were about 10 stalls with different games. We tried several games and won a  small cute charm. :)

Afterwards, we entered the trick eye museum. It was fun posing and pretending to be eaten by a shark, kidnapped by a dinosaur and grow an afro to name a few. I don't think we were able to see everything because my companion had to pee and the museum only allow guests to enter once. Still, it was nice. I won't suggest this to solo travelers, though. This won't be as fun without someone to get wacky with and take your photos, unless you have a tripod and a timer/remote shutter in your camera. Although I'm not sure if tripods were allowed inside the museum. Here are some snaps.

Namsangol Hanok Village

Nov 22, 2015
Day 1

After settling down and getting some rest in the guesthouse, we went out to walk around and look for a place to eat. As we decided on a restaurant that offers bulgogi, I saw this in my peripheral.

We realized that this is the Namsangol Hanok Village. Admission is free so we decided to eat later and explore this place first.

There were 5 restored traditional Korean houses inside. Inside these houses, there were traditional furniture on display as well. I find the intricate designs so pretty and the colors were lovely. We saw old pieces of things they use in the old days. Awesome. There was also a pond and a pavilion inside the village. I believe there were activities being offered for free at certain times of the day wherein you can participate, but it was all closed when we visited. The N Seoul Tower can be viewed from here as well.

First time in South Korea. Traveling from Incheon International Airport to Seoul by Airport Limousine Bus.

Nov 22, 2015
Day 1

Annyeonghaseyo, South Korea! Another item crossed out in my bucket list. Teehee! Anyway, we left Manila a few minutes earlier than scheduled and arrived in Seoul around 11:00AM South Korea time. Going through immigration and getting my luggage was a breeze; it only took about 30mins! Coolness.

8 days in Seoul, South Korea. Itinerary, Estimated Budget and Tips

I was so excited for my Korea trip! However, I am more of a Japan kinda girl so I really don't have a lot of ideas where to go in Seoul, aside from the places I see often from friends who recently traveled there. Also, I had to take into consideration the season when I'm going to visit, which was late autumn of 2015. Of course, the first thing to look for are places where I can see lots of autumn maple leaves! I also want to experience the culture and get to know some history of this country, and the most important part is to taste as much Korean food as I can, including street food.

So before anything else, here's the itinerary for my South Korea trip.

8 DAY ITINERARY

Day 1

Arrival at Incheon

Check-in at Mago guesthouse

Namsangol Hanok Village

Day 2

Trickeye museum

Hongdae

Day 3

Changdeokgung Palace

Huwon (Secret Garden,also in Changdeokgung Palace)

Seoul Museum of Art

Day 4

Insadong

Jogyesa Buddhist Temple

2Cats Cafe

Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Dongdaemun Night Market

Day 5

Nami Island

Day 6

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Coex Mall

Myeongdong

Hello Kitty Cafe (also in Myeongdong)

Day 7

Studio Ghibli Collection store and Kakao Friends Cafe in Lotte Mall

Watched Crimson's Peak movie at Daehan Cinema

Day 8

Namsan Seoul Tower

Flight back to Manila

As for Nami Island, I suggest you start your day early so you can also visit Petit France which is just a few minutes away by bus from the port going to Nami Island, and other places as well.

Now, here's the original itinerary, hehe.

original itinerary for Seoul South Korea trip

It was a bit hard to wake up and get ready for the day. It may have something to do with the cold weather and probably due to staying up late watching Korean shows and movies which we absolutely did not understand, but still continue to watch. Lol.

I particularly want to hike Ulsanbawi which is a part of the Seoraksan National Park in Sokcho, but it was getting really cold and turning to winter as the day go by. Also, the day we planned to visit, it was drizzling and really cloudy and foggy. I guess I'll have to do it another time and another season, maybe late spring. Oh well. I plan to go back! Haha!

Anyway, crossing out Ulsanbawi in the itinerary which was supposed to be a daytrip left us with 1 day free thus the mall and movie date on day 7. It was also the time when we stayed in the guesthouse till around lunchtime because we can't take our eyes off the tv coz we were watching a Korean movie -take note, without a subtitle - and we wanted to know how it ended. Hahaha! I later googled it when I got back in the Philippines and found out that the movie title was Miss Granny, which I later downloaded from Dramania and I watched it again, this time with subtitles. The movie was really funny and very enjoyable and I loved it even more when I finally understood what they were saying. Lol. I digress. ANYWAY, this was perfectly fine with me because I really wanted to find the studio ghibli shop, which was in Lotte mall. Yay! Found my happy place! So yep..the rest of the day, we just walked around the mall and later decided to watch a movie at the cinema building just near the guesthouse we were staying at. We watched Crimson Peak which I thought was Alice: Through the Looking Glass because it was the same actress and I haven't seen any of its official trailer/poster yet. Lol. But I digress, yet again.

Getting a Japan Visa: For Filipinos Applying for the First Time

Is it your first time to apply for Japan Visa? Or maybe it's your first out of the country trip as well, just like me. So your passport has never been used and never been stamped? Don't fret! It's possible to have your tourist visa application approved even if your passport is as clean and empty as a new notebook in your first day of class.

My 2015 Japan trip was my first out of the country trip ever. So the thought of applying for a visa was really nerve-wracking for me. I already booked a flight and I was really excited to visit my favorite country (after the Philippines, hehe).

All Japan tourist visa applications are now handled by accredited travel agencies. Our trip was in April and I applied for our visa in mid-January. The tourist visa is valid for 3 months so plan accordingly. I visited Reli Tours in Megamall, which was the most accessible and the closest one from our place.

Here are the requirements in applying for a Tourist Visa Without a Guarantor:

Guesthouse Rakuza, Gion Kyoto

This was the first guesthouse that I booked for my first trip to Japan and I remember feeling excited to stay here. I searched it in google street view and was able to familiarize myself around the area months before my trip. Yeah, talk about excited! Haha! It is simply the perfect location to be immersed in the traditional Japanese culture!

The first and main reason I decided to book this is the location. It is in GION! The place to be if you're into anything traditional Japanese, like me. This is one of the two go-to place to spot real geishas, or geikos as they are known in Kyoto, and maikos (apprentice geikos) scurrying from one restaurant to another. (Sidenote: They are busy working women so please don't stop and harass them for photos.) The other one is in Pontocho, which is just across the bridge from Gion! You see what I mean when I say perfect location?

It is less than one minute walk to the Gion-Shijo station of Keihan Line that can bring you directly to Fushimi Inari Shrine. Uji and Kurama/Kibune can be accessed with only one transfer. Kiyomizu-dera and Ohara is one bus away from Gion-Shijo and Shijo-Kawaramachi bus stations, respectively. Nishiki market and Teramachi shopping center are all walking distance. Even the Kyoto International Manga Museum, if you like walking like me.

One more reason for choosing this guesthouse was because there were a lot of restaurants in the area! There is also a 7-11 kombini at the corner of the street and Family Mart 2 for a few steps more.

I booked the twin Japanese tatami room which was at the 1st floor near the toilets and bath. The room was spacious and has a heater aside from the air conditioner which was a big help since it was only the start of spring.

Higurashi-sou, Kyoto

The first guesthouse we stayed in Japan was Higurashi-sou near Nijo Castle. The location was good because the bus stops are just walking distance. You can easily hop on a bus going to Arashiyama and to Kyoto Station. However, the 2 closest train stations are about 10mins walk. We didn't mind it then since it was spring and walking kept us warm (except that time when I was underdressed for the cold.lol)

It's more like a residential area, but there were still a few restaurants around. One of which is the Menbakaichidai famous for the Fire Ramen. One advantage of being in the residential area is the noise - there's none. Hahaha! It's really quiet and peaceful. You'll see how a typical neighborhood in Japan looks like. Small but cute and functional houses. すごい (sugoi, meaning awesome).

I enjoyed our stay in this guesthouse as well. This was where we spent our first night in Japan. I can't forget the moment I opened the door of our tatami room and it smelled like green tea!!!! Oh.em.gee! I so loved that.

Our double room was spacious enough for 2 people. The cost was 7,000 JPY. It was near the entrance and right across the stairs. The stairs doesn't creak, but you will be able to hear footsteps when someone's going up/coming down the stairs. We didn't mind it 'coz both my mom and I don't easily wake up from small noises.

6 days in Kyoto, Japan: Itinerary, Estimated Budget and Tips

So. You've booked your flight to Japan and you specifically want to go to Kyoto and experience anything and everything traditional this awesome country can offer. In that case,let me share my Japan 2015 trip itinerary with you along with other stuff which I hope will help you in more ways than one.

Things to take note of:
-We arrived at Kansai International Airport (KIX) at around 9:00pm and got past the immigration around 11:00pm of April 4 so I will tag this as Day 0.
-I was with my mom and I was the one who paid for our accommodation and the pocket wifi, but the rest of the budget are for one person

6 DAY ITINERARY

Day 0
Arrival at KIX
Check-in at Higurashi-sou guesthouse

Day 1
Arashiyama
Tenryu-ji
Bamboo Grove
Nonomiya-jinja

Day 2
Halfday trip to Nara!(coz we started late.hehe)
Nara Deer Park
Todai-ji
Nigatsu-do

Day 3
Nijo Castle
Check-out Higurashi-sou and transfer to Guesthouse Rakuza
Shopping at Kawaramachi area
Yasaka-jinja
Hanami at Maruyama Park

Day 4
Kiyomizu-dera
(afternoon was spent going to the airport for my mom's flight back to Manila at night)

Day 5
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Nishiki market
Pontocho

Day 6
Walk along Kamogawa
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Flight back to Manila

So that's basically what I visited for my first trip, but this is what my original itinerary looks like. Haha!

click to see larger photo

Spring in Japan: Kyoto International Manga Museum

April 11, 2015
6th day
Solo adventure day 2

I woke up around 8am and felt sad that this will be my last day in Japan. It wasn't raining and the sun was out so I prepared all my stuff, took a shower and got ready to check out before heading out and explore more of the city for the last time. I gave the chocolate coated dried mango to the guy at the reception and thanked me by giving me a Tropicana juice for my walk. Aww. So nice.

I left my luggage and headed out. The temperature was nice at around 12C degrees, I think, and thought it would be nice to walk by the river. And it was, indeed.

Spring in Japan: Pontocho

Still day 5.

After Starbucks, I decided to go back to the guesthouse and rest for a bit before going out to eat dinner. When I was about to reach the bridge, I noticed a couple of guys taking a picture at the entrance of a narrow alley. I continued walking and after a few steps, I thought, could this be the famous Pontocho? then I stopped and realized that it was so I went back and entered the alley. There were a lot of people, but not too crowded so people with umbrella walking past each other wasn't a problem. Based on what I read about restos along Pontocho, it seems expensive. So I tried walking around and check out the menus displayed outside. Not too bad. Maybe if you want a dinner with a maiko/geiko performance, then yes, it'll be expensive. But the prices I saw wasn't as expensive as I thought. It ranges from around 1,000 yen to 5,000 yen, if I remember right. That night being my last night in Japan, and seeing that I still have a couple thousand of yen, I thought, why the hell not?

Spring in Japan: Nishiki market

Still day 5.

I got off Gion-Shijo and walked to Nishiki market since it was just a few blocks away according to google maps. Also, I love walking around and discovering little gems of cute stuff along the way. The view of the Kamogawa from the bridge was awesome.

 

As I said, I was using google maps to go to Nishiki. However, I still find myself lost after turning left at the corner of Marui instead of just continue walking straight. I knew I was lost, but continued walking coz I was looking for someone to ask for directions. I saw a cute Japanese guy cleaning outside and in my best Nihongo asked, "Nishiki wa doko desu ka? (Where is Nishiki?)" At first, I thought he just didn't understand me very well. Apparently, he wasn't sure as well. I almost expected him to just say "Sumimasen, wakarimasen.(Sorry, I don't know)" at this point, but he took his phone out and tried to google it for me! What a nice guy. I so love Japan and the people there! He then told me to go back to Marui and turn left. Once I passed Teramachi, I can turn right to any alleys and it will lead me to Nishiki market.

saw this old abandoned house when I got lost

Nishiki market is a long alley of different kinds of shops - lotsa food items, souvenirs, trinkets, clothes and even stuff for your home - about 1km or so (will check on this). This is one place where you can go on a food trip while checking out each cute and unique stores along the way. I was still full from the takoyaki so I was only able to try the dango in 3 flavors - plain, sakura and green tea. Yummy! So sad I wasn't able to try the grilled mochi which looked so good!

You'll know you're in Nishiki when you see this pretty stained glass roof. It runs along the whole length of the market.

Spring in Japan: Fushimi Inari Taisha

April 10, 2015
5th day
Solo adventure day 1

Good morning, Japan!

It was kinda weird to wake up alone and I suddenly missed my mom. We were together for 24 hours for 4 whole days and then, she's back in Manila. Aww. But the giddy feeling of excitement of exploring more of Kyoto alone was so exhilarating! I took a shower and got ready for a rainy day. I decided to visit Fushimi Inari since it's just one train ride away from Gion-Shijo.

inside the train

JR train

I passed by food stalls along the way and since I only had coffee and skyflakes for breakfast, I bought the famous Taiyaki with custard filling. Yummy!

Spring in Japan: Kiyomizu-dera

April 9, 2015
4th day

We woke up as early as possible since it was my mom's last day in Japan. Her trip back to Manila was at night. We went to Kiyomizu-dera since it's just one bus ride away.

The walk going up the temple was a bit tiring and challenging, especially when I had to keep an eye on my mom to make sure I don't lose her in the very crowded gojozaka.

Kiyomizu-dera, being a popular tourist spot, was busy. We had to stop and rest for a while before heading to the temple's main deck. I took this opportunity to take some snaps.

Spring in Japan: Hanami at Maruyama Park

Still Day 3.

We checked in at Guesthouse Rakuza and was led to our twin japanese style room.  After settling in, we headed out to buy some souvenirs because my mom was going home the next day. We ended up at H&M. Lol! We looked for a place to eat after. Another chicken and rice combo for my mom and I tried the Japanese steak and ordered beer with it. Our meal came with a free popcorn and I guess it was one of those sports bar because the TV was showing a baseball game.