tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94883252024-03-08T03:21:17.430+08:00Ben's BlogBen's ultimate travel blog. Filled with experiences, useful travel tips and best of all, his travel photos. Ben travels around with his camera and brings to you what he sees through his camera lens. Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-58566253571185187292014-04-04T15:24:00.001+08:002014-04-04T15:26:34.073+08:00Moved to ReubenTeo.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear all readers of this blog or if there's any at all, I would you to know that I have moved this blog to another website. Future posts will be posted there from this day onwards. I will try my very best to keep the new blog as updated as possible and share with everyone my experiences through my photos.<br />
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My new website/blog is basically named after myself. The blog section is called The Wandering Shutterbug. I know it sounds tacky but I will change it if I happen to come out with something that sounds better. The URL is <a href="http://www.reubenteo.com%20/" target="_blank">http://www.reubenteo.com </a>(simple isn't it?) Well, besides reading my blog posts, you can also check out some of my portfolio work too. So, I guess it's a new direction I'm going for. I hope you guys like it.<br />
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I promise to share with everyone new and beautiful photos of the places around the world. If you have more questions or would like to contact me or you happen to be from <b>National Geographic</b>, please do contact me through my new website or <a href="http://reubenteo.com/contact/" target="_blank">click here</a>.Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-4102056611597786322014-03-05T14:57:00.004+08:002014-04-20T22:47:00.893+08:00Honeymoon - Ubud Village Resort & Spa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After traveling all the way to East Java and climbing two enormous and breathtaking volcanoes, it's time for the real honeymoon to begin. We traveled down to the little town of Ubud, Bali. It is one of Bali's major arts and culture districts, extremely suitable for designers and artists from all over the world. Ubud is also famous for the Monkey Forest of Ubud but rest assured that this resort is far from it and no naughty monkeys nearby to bother you on your vacation. The resort sent over a warm and friendly chauffeur and after a warm and short introduction, we were ready to hop into the car and were on our way to Ubud.<br />
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After about half an hour drive, we have reached our lovely resort - <b>The Ubud Village Resort & Spa</b>. Located slightly further from the main road and surrounded by lovely rice fields, this makes it a perfect hideaway for couples and honeymooners that offers peace and tranquility. The rice paddy terraces are set within luxuriant landscaped tropical gardens. You can see greens almost everywhere you turn. There were even cute little ducks around the paddy field waddling about. The coconut palms, manicured lawns and lotus ponds, give this resort an incredible feeling of the perfect place to nurture your piece of mind. It is a retreat style boutique resort designed for relaxation, invigoration and peaceful contemplation. Fancy words, but yeah, that's how it feels like.<br />
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Upon reaching, we were greeted by their extremely friendly and accommodating staff. One of them introduced us to the lobby staff and sat us down. We were offered a welcome drink at the lobby as one of the staff entertained us. He went through our entire itinerary of our Honeymoon Package and we were allowed to set all the time for our activities to our likings. Everyone was just filled with smiles and warmth. It felt incredible.<br />
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After settling all the paperwork and choosing our activities for the next few days, we were then brought to our private honeymoon villa. Along the way, we were introduced to their different facilities, surroundings and then our villa. Our villa had this beautiful Balinese wooden door and upon opening, there was a welcome note that bore my name. We were then greeted by two beautiful masseuses that gave a wonderful and comfortable foot massage. It felt like they had magical hands and it felt like I was already flying above the clouds.<br />
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Our villa had this beautiful layout of a king sized bed facing our private pool. At the back of the bed, there was the work table overlooking the same direction with that same spectacular view. Behind the bedroom, there's the luggage area attached with a gigantic mirror and beautiful sinks. The washroom and the shower area is located here as well as the gorgeous bath tub that is located outside behind the villa. For honeymooners, the hotel staff will prepare your bathtub decorated with rose petals awaiting for your arrival. A little cliche, but it's a once in a lifetime thing anyways. I love it!
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At our private pool, there were two chairs and also a beautiful and huge patio just for relaxation. I can just imagine myself lying there and reading a good book while my wife is splashing away in the pool. After wowing through the entire villa, it was time to settle into the villa.<br />
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Our first plan was to hop over to the resort restaurant for our daily afternoon tea with homemade pastries. We were served with their fantastic varieties of Balinese pastries in beautiful presentations. While the waiter were introducing each of the pastries, Fann was scanning through each of them. Then she asked if there were any Klepons for tea? The waiter told us that it would take some time for the chef to make Klepons. So after consulting with the head chef, the waiter came back to tell us that they would make Klepons specially for us the next day during our breakfast. How amazing is that? Fann was so thrilled. The pastries served during tea tasted absolutely fantastic. The portions were just right and what's better is that you get to was it down with their delicious Red Rice Tea with an addition of their famous Balinese palm sugar.<br />
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After tea, we went for the 2 hour massage at the <b>Kama Karana Spa</b>. They had a wide range of treatments to choose from. I didn't know what ours were but it sounded like it was the best in the list. Now, having to choose which spices to use for the massage was a massive headache for me. Apart from Jasmine, I didn't even know what the other were. So I chose one with my eyes closed, having fate to choose for me. After 2 hours of massage and scrubbing and all sorts, we came out like a new human being. I can't even remember how standing on ground felt like. It was just simply amazing. We were then offered some biscuits along with tea. We took our time as we described to each other how amazing it was. We then went back to our villa and what happened next surprised us.<br />
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Our villa were lit up with loads of candles, all the way from the main door to the bedroom. Also, there was this table setting right beside our private pool which looked absolutely romantic, complete with plates and flowers and wine. After a while, a waiter came and asked if we were ready to start our candlelight dinner. Hell Yeah! He sat us down at our table and we were having our beautiful and delicious dinner in our own villa. Everything seemed so perfect with the full moon just right in front of us. It was spectacular. I'm sure Fann enjoyed herself as well. She couldn't stop smiling and it was great to see her that happy. Enjoying Bali, the honeymoon and especially enjoying all the food. <br />
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Another of our highlights during our stay at the villa, was the long awaited cooking class. Fann is a huge fan of cooking and she's been eager to learn some new tricks to boost up her cooking skills. The cooking class included in the package lasted for a few couple of hours. Fann saw in the brochure provided that there was another more expensive cooking class that she wanted to attend. That one included a trip to the Ubud Market in the morning to learn and purchase the ingredients and learning more additional sauces and ingredients preparation. So, we told the hotel staff that we wanted the upgrade. Of course, there was some additional charges, but who can put a price on a happy face of your own beloved wife right? <br />
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The next day, we had to meet with the chef early at the lobby right after breakfast for our morning trip to the market. He took us around but with limited english, he introduced us to each of the vegetables by just reading out the names. I was a little shocked, because the way of just naming vegetables like a game show without further elaboration on what the vegetables or ingredients are for just isn't convincing for someone who comes from Malaysia. It wasn't at all helpful and I felt a little cheated. Fann also didn't feel that it was of any use to her and it felt like we woke up early just for nothing. After the trip there, we went back to the hotel and lodge a complaint that it wasn't worth the additional money we paid for. Fortunately, the manager apologized and told us that they would not charge us for the market trip and we could revert the cooking class package back to the original plan. We were relieved.
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During the cooking class, Fann had a great time with another chef. She taught her a couple of delicious Balinese dishes. There was my favourite Soto Ayam, the Red Snapper wrapped in banana leaf, Stir fried morning glory and lastly Pisang Rai (A dessert made from banana). I wanted to help out but my allergies were acting up and my hands were swollen, so in order to not contaminate the food, I took photos of my wife cooking up a storm with the chef. Here are the results:
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The food was pretty amazing. I was impressed with my wife's first Balinese dishes. Speaking of food, the breakfast provided by the villa is quite impressive as well. We had quite a variety to choose from. All came with fruit juices and I just couldn't resist the awesome and delicious croissants. Everything was just so perfect!<br />
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The hotel also provides free shuttle service to the nearby Ubud main road where all the arts and culture is situated. It's great to take a stroll around Ubud and see what's so special about this place. Not only are the streets filled with paintings, it's also the centre of lots of good food too. The famous Babi Guling Ibu Oka is situated right here in Ubud as well. Another interesting place you could visit, is the Ubud Starbucks. Unlike the other Starbucks elsewhere, the one in Ubud is situated inside an old Balinese building and decorated with Balinese decors. What's more, there's also a nice spot for you to enjoy a view of the old Ubud palace right while sipping your coffee.
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It was an amazing experience for us. This was the first time that I have spent so much money just for accommodation. But everything was worth the money, because Fann was really happy and she enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, we had to move to another resort on the request of the hotel management. We were told to spend our final night at the<b> Puri Wulandari</b>.<br />
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Impressed and very happy with the services provided by the staff at Ubud Village, we were happy to have stayed with them. It is one fine place to spend not only your honeymoon, but for a great vacation for the family too if you are looking for a peaceful and quiet place to spend the day.Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Ubud, Gianyar 80571, Indonesia-8.519268 115.26329800000008-34.0413025 73.954704000000078 17.0027665 156.57189200000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-78878234271360741912014-02-07T13:28:00.000+08:002014-02-07T13:28:19.609+08:00Honeymoon - Mount Bromo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2f46f5PiwuY/Upd3iyDcJGI/AAAAAAAAPP8/_vwRlNz7r8s/s1600/Bromo_4131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2f46f5PiwuY/Upd3iyDcJGI/AAAAAAAAPP8/_vwRlNz7r8s/s1600/Bromo_4131.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Mount Bromo</td></tr>
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After a tiring hike at the Ijen crater, our next adventure takes us to another of Java's treasures. Our next destination is <b>Mount Bromo</b>. Perhaps the most famous and one of the most crowded volcanoes I've ever been to. Although the place is so crowded, it didn't stop us from visiting and trying to find what's so great about this place. Well, as you can see in the picture above, that was the reason why.<br />
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Mount Bromo is an active volcano and is part of the <b>Tengger Massif</b> located in East Java. As it belongs to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, it is not the highest peak of the massif but is the most visited tourist attraction. It's last eruption was in January 28, 2011. After checking out from Ketapang Indah Hotel, our driver took us directly to <b>Probolinggo</b>, a base town for Bromo goers. It took roughly about 6 hours to get there and it was quite a tiring ride. Along the way, there was nothing much to see but trees and trees. As we reached Probolinggo, it was already dark, and we were going uphill. The higher we went, the colder it got. It felt like we were never going to reach our inn.<br />
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We stayed at this inn called <b>Bromo Permai I</b>. It wasn't the fanciest place I've ever stayed but the staff were pretty friendly. The room was damp and it felt pretty uncomfortable when I walked in. I'm in fact horrified with wet places and it made me feel like the room was a little dirty. There was nothing to brag about the room but it was what I have expected from some inn atop of a mountain. Well, what could you do? I had to suck it up and try my best to convince my wife that it's going to fine even though I feel a little uneasy myself. The temperature was cold and there weren't any heaters in the room as well. The only best thing about the place were the hot water kettle they provided which has kept us warm and the only source of warm water for us to brush our teeth. We quickly checked all our photography gear and had gotten everything packed before heading to bed.<br />
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The next day, we left the inn at around 4am. Our driver had hired a 4WD for us and we all went up together. It was a short ride of roughly around half an hour to the viewing point. By the time we have reached the viewing area, it was already packed with millions of people. I was so shocked as I couldn't find any spot for myself. Fann and I walked around trying to find an acceptable spot when suddenly my driver called us over as he has found an area around the corner. The view was pretty great and we were fortunate as no one has found it yet. After about 5 minutes, more people came pouring in around us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cegsMTI5KgI/Upd3l5sSowI/AAAAAAAAPQ4/4sVRq2oU8mU/s1600/Bromo_Panorama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cegsMTI5KgI/Upd3l5sSowI/AAAAAAAAPQ4/4sVRq2oU8mU/s1600/Bromo_Panorama2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic Shot of Mount Bromo and gang</td></tr>
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Finally, when the sun slowly came out and light started to cast over the mountains, I was so amazed with the view my jaw literally dropped. It was indeed one of the most beautiful sceneries I've ever seen in my life. The purple and pink cast from the sunrise gave Bromo this surreal and magical feeling. I couldn't have done it without my beloved wife's encouragement and the driver who took us there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewing area packed with some tourist leftovers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Cemoro Lawang</td></tr>
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After the sunrise and some selfies. We hurried to our 4WD and it took us down to the dessert. This mini desert which has Bromo within it's vicinity is called<b> Segara Wedi</b>. On the way down, I looked out the window and the view was magnificent. We passed by trees after trees but I just couldn't get my eyes off Bromo. As we reached the gray desert, there were a shroud of mist around and it made the entire place look mysterious and eerie. As we got closer to the parking zone, we could see these people on ponies in the distance. These are locals trying to make a living by offering you a ride on their ponies to ease your pain of walking in the desert and up to the volcano. We didn't accept any rides from the locals because we thought it was a cruel exploitation of the animals. But, the other tourists seemed to be enjoying themselves on the poor ponies. The ponies were small in size and could barely walk through the heavy sand. Fann was so depressed when she saw the poor ponies' eyes. I had to comfort her while we hiked ourselves through the desert.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9eu_vtUdRQM/UnyqtA4yVdI/AAAAAAAANow/iDiJzeDvH80/s1600/bali312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9eu_vtUdRQM/UnyqtA4yVdI/AAAAAAAANow/iDiJzeDvH80/s1600/bali312.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute yellow land cruiser</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horsemen of the desert</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful view of Segara Wedi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pura Luhur Poten</td></tr>
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While we were walking through the desert, a mysterious looking oasis appears as a silhouette. It was a Hindu temple in the middle of the desert. This temple is called the<b> Pura Luhur Poten</b>. It holds a very important position for the Tenggerese scattered across the mountain villages. What intrigues me is the architecture of the temple. It's made from black stones from the volcanoes, unlike most of the Hindu temples in Bali which are built from red bricks. The position of where it's situated just makes the entire scene so awesome.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More and more tourists are here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4wO_7gK9td4/Unyq3Ti6sRI/AAAAAAAANsQ/TcPcnkx738Y/s1600/bali341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4wO_7gK9td4/Unyq3Ti6sRI/AAAAAAAANsQ/TcPcnkx738Y/s1600/bali341.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handsome horsey standing in front of a huge lava cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The culprit smoking inside Mount Bromo</td></tr>
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After a long and difficult walk through the desert, we have reached the famous Bromo staircase. The staircase is said to have 250 steps, but legend has it that if you count your steps up and down, you won't get the same figure. We tried but we seemed to have lost count when one lady in front of us farted halfway up the staircase. At the peak, all we could see was the smoke coming out from the Bromo volcano. The view up there was pretty amazing. It was pretty cool but when the sun came out, it started to get really warm.<br />
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After a couple of shots and enjoying the view, we headed down and back to our 4WD. We had a quick breakfast at the inn and left Probolinggo at around 10am. Now, our Java trip has ended and we had to get back to Bali using the same way. It was a long long long long drive back. Java was a great experience for the both of us. Little did I know that Indonesia had these beautiful sceneries that were literally out of this world. It was a mind blowing experience and it was an unforgetable trip for us. It sure is a weird place for many to spend their honeymoon but it wasn't for us. It was quite an adventure and we pretty much enjoyed every part of it. Our honeymoon has not ended yet, we still have lots of places to visit and relax when we reach Bali, our favourite paradise. Please enjoy some of our other shots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Batok</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, that's not gold. That's horse poop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourists and a horseman coming my way</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Car trails on the desert</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous Bromo staircase</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful view from Probolinggo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trekking shoes have changed colour</td></tr>
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Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-16660981949300488312014-01-19T00:40:00.001+08:002014-01-19T00:52:18.982+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Tokyo Disneysea<div>
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After spending an entire super duper fun day at Tokyo Disneyland, we then head on to the one and only, <b>Tokyo Disneysea</b>! The famous Tokyo Disneysea is one of the best theme parks in the world and is unique only to Japan. It is the fastest theme park in the world to reach it's 10 million guests in just 307 days. Boasting a whopping 11.9 million visitors in 2011, making it the 4th most visited theme park in the world. This theme park is also not owned by Disney which is similar to Tokyo Disneyland. The park is inspired by myths and legends of the sea and is made up of seven themed 'ports of call" - Mediterranean Harbour, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery and American Waterfront.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Prometheus at night</td></tr>
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While Disneyland is definitely the happiest place on Earth, I think my favourite theme park has got to be Tokyo's Disneysea instead. Well, others would say that it's the only Disney theme park that sells alcohol, but personally I think that's not the main thing that attracts me. It's the way that the entire park is designed that intrigues me. We didn't get to ride as many rides as we could due to the crazy New Year holiday but going into this park and strolling around is quite an experience because of all the super beautiful things you can find. </div>
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If you want to know more about how to get there and where to purchase the entrance tickets, just <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2014/01/japan-trip-2012-tokyo-disneyland.html" target="_blank">click here</a> to my previous post to learn more. Once you have collected your ticket, you can take the Disney train to Disneysea's entrance. </div>
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Anyways, let's start off with some of my favourites. The <b>Mediterranean Harbour</b> is the first ports of call that you will see after entering. It is an Italian themed city complete with Venetian Gondolas that visitors can ride and filled with shops and restaurants. What's interesting is that one part of the city has a real hotel built within which is called <b>Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta</b>. The hotel itself serves as a full-scale reproduction of the various buildings of Portofino and Venice's ports.<br />
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Once you enter, you are definitely swept off your feet because it feels like you actually stepped into Italy. It's just so amazing, having people sipping coffee at cafes and hotel guests peeping from their hotel balconies and lovely couples enjoying their gondolas.<br />
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Next, we have the <b>Mysterious Island</b>. The most recognisable part and prominent image of this port is the gigantic volcano. Despite it being so prominent, it is no doubt the smallest port in Disneysea but it still holds the two most popular theme rides named and themed after Jules Verne's most famous novels - "Journey to the Center of the Earth", a thrill ride, and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", a dark ride. The architecture in this port is of Victorian style, as his novels featured here all take place in this era.<br />
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We managed to queue for the <b>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</b> ride because I was admiring the old vintage fictional submarine that was hanging from within. While queuing for a couple of hours just to get into the ride, we saw quite some interesting vintage underwater explorer's office and their tools. Everything was basically in Japanese, so I couldn't tell you in detail what was said but I was there to admire the effort the Japanese people have put in to install all these awesome exhibits for us to drool over. As a designer myself, I find this absolutely mind blowing. It was worth the wait.<br />
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My most most most favourite is the <b>Arabian Coast</b>. It recreates the world of Aladdin and 1001 Arabian Nights. Here you can watch a magic show hosted by Genie or travel with Sinbad as he sets sail for discovery. We didn't managed to get into any of the rides and shows but we had the chance to walk around this land. Like the other parts of Disneysea, this one is no exception to extremely beautiful art direction and awesome details. I pretty much felt like I was back in good old Persia and there were merchants selling thing son the streets.<br />
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Last but not least, don't forget to visit the Agrabah Market Place. It's where everyone can get their hands on Disney merchandise with Aladdin themed stuff. Tip: Lots of Genie stuff around. This place makes me feel like the Arabic street in Sunway Pyramid, but with better decorations of course.<br />
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There's so much things to see and do in Disneysea. One important thing that I would like to share is try your luck at the lottery for <b>Mickey's Big Band Beat</b> performance. It's located at the Broadway Music Theatre at the American Waterfront. This show is one of the best Mickey Mouse shows I have ever seen in my life. It was beyond my expectations and it was very entertaining. It was one of my most happiest time of the day. I wouldn't want to spoil anything for you, but you definitely have to give this a try.<br />
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Here are some of my other photos for you to visualise our entire trip here. It's so beautiful that I have to use these images to tell you what I mean so here goes:<br />
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The final night water parade at Tokyo Disneysea is called <b>Fantasmic!</b> It's a grand story overflowing with imagination. This parade is one of the main reasons we are here. Waiting and hogging our fantastic spot with a great view for at least 2 hours, this water parade is worth the wait. My dear B bought me snacks while I hogged the spot, guarding it like Sheldon. <b>Fantasmic! </b>takes place at night on the waters of Mediterranean Harbor, this spectacular entertainment features Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice who creates a fantastic world of Disney through his powers of imagination. Filled with special effects using gigantic water screens, lasers, lights, and fire, this dramatic show promises an evening of unforgettable fantasy and excitement for all. A fantastic way to end the day at the world's most awesome place, TOKYO DISNEYSEA!!!!Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Tokyo DisneySea, 1-13 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture 279-0031, Japan35.6267108 139.8850778999999435.6202573 139.87499289999994 35.6331643 139.89516289999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-72351698547046557572014-01-07T14:13:00.000+08:002014-01-12T15:30:25.451+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Tokyo Disneyland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our final few days in Tokyo were spent without waste. As mentioned in my previous <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/12/japan-trip-2012-new-year-celebration.html" target="_blank">New Year post</a>, we welcomed the new year of 2013 at the most happiest place on earth - Tokyo Disneyland! In fact, we spent two days there, one was at Disneyland and the other at Disneysea. Tokyo Disneyland is the first Disney park to be built outside of the U.S in 1983. It's modeled after California's Disneyland and the famous Magic Kingdom of Disney World of Florida. Well, Tokyo Disneyland consists of 7 themed lands and features seasonal decorations and parades. The seven are the World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, Critter Country and Mickey's Toontown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're here! We're finally here!!!!</td></tr>
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Getting your entrance ticket to Tokyo Disneyland is fairly simple and quick for foreign tourists. All you have to do is go to their website (<a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/online/en/" target="_blank">click here</a>) and order your tickets. You don't have to pay in advance just yet. After choosing your date of entry, you will be prompted to print a collection slip and just go to the <b>Tokyo Disney Resort Ticket Center </b>to collect and pay for your tickets. It's located just outside the <b>JR Maihama station </b>which is the only station you are able to get to Disneyland, so you won't miss it.<br />
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You have a variation of passes or passports to choose from but I would suggest getting the 2-day pass or above. By getting the multi-day passports, you can get into Disneyland for one day and then Disneysea on the other. That would save you the time and money too. (<a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/ticket/multipass/index.html" target="_blank">Click here for the prices</a>).<br />
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Word of caution, DO NOT LOSE YOUR TICKETS! Because you need your multi day passport to get into some of the rides and also to enter Disneysea. Also, the ticket is required for the lottery for the special shows in both Disneyland and Disneysea. Apparently, while we were waiting in line for one of the rides, a gust of wind seemed to have blown my ticket away from my hand. I screamed at it as I couldn't move forward or back to get it. Fortunately, the calm looking and helpful Japanese people around helped me to look for it. One of them passed my ticket to me and I was so glad and thanked him. I would have to chain my ticket to my jacket or something.<br />
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Do also note that tripods are not allowed inside any of the parks. Even those mini tripods that you can smuggle inside? Well, I personally saw someone getting caught bringing in those mini tripods and was asked right away to remove it from sight. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walt Disney himself with Mickey Mouse, standing tall in front of Cinderella's castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey Mouse from Fantasia</td></tr>
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Since it was modeled after <b>Magic Kingdom</b>, that makes Cinderella's castle the iconic symbol here. Also, it's my favourite Disney castle. I personally prefer this castle compared to Sleeping Beauty's stout castle. This castle has white coloured walls and covered with blue roofs. It's taller and it looks much more majestic and magical. Cinderella's castle stands majestically right in your face once you enter the park. After the first glimpse of the castle upon entering, I suddenly had this flash back of all the opening intro of every Disney movie (you get what I mean). There was also this Mickey Mouse statue from Fantasia that caught my eye. He looked extremely enchanting and everyone was ignoring him. Fann & I decided to see what the inside of the castle looked like, so we queued up with all the people and was fascinated by all the things that were prepared for our eyes. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella's famous glass shoe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess Fann isn't Cinderella because it doesn't fit her foot</td></tr>
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The castle showcases the story of Disney's Cinderella and the entire story was beautifully crafted with a variation of designs and executions inside the castle. There were glass paintings, normal paintings, 3D projections, real life Cinderella's glass shoe and many many wonderful Disney experiences. It was indeed magical. Every single detail of it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donald and Daisy Duck in a handsome vintage car</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minnie Mouse and Pluto!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofy is groovy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dale and Mickey!</td></tr>
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Visiting Tokyo's Disneyland during New Year was quite an experience. Many of their decorations are based on the Japanese version of the New Year. They even have a special parade that celebrates and welcomes the New Year. Most of the characters were dressed up in Japanese traditional costumes. Besides that, you are also able to purchase many New Year Disney items all around the stores inside Disneyland.<br />
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Entering Disneyland during the New Year requires massive amounts of patience because it's the Japanese holiday and it seemed like the entire population of Japan has been squeezed into this amount of wonder land. Every attraction you go, you have to queue and all the fast passes has been sold out quicker than you can say my name.<br />
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Another attraction we went was the famous Winnie the Pooh's Hunny Hunt. Well, it sure sounds rather boring and from the outside, all you can see is this huge book and seemed rather small. But it is in fact a massive complex and by massive I mean by Disney standards that it's extremely huge and that it is cleverly and completely hidden from sight.<br />
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We queued for a couple of hours just to get into this one and we kid you not that it is not as boring as it sounds. It's one of the best rides so far and it was well organised and well planned. The decorations were amazing as well and it was really out of this world. Totally unexpected and it never failed to surprise us. You have to visit it yourself, at the end of this massive story book, there is a very cool ride. Very very very cool indeed. Something I wouldn't have thought would happen in a Pooh's Hunny Hunt to be exact.<br />
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Besides all the rides, it's also important to visit all of the stores in all of the themed lands. Each of these themed lands sell different items based on the theme. So you have to keep a really big eye on the items you want. <br />
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As for food, we didn't manage to get into any restaurants for a great Disney meal due to the massive crowd during new year. So we settled for the snacks that were available to us. Well, it doesn't sound as depressing as that, it was in fact quite delicious. Allow me to introduce some of these delicious snacks that you can find around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey shaped Cheerios</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Where dreams come true' Hot Cocoa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge turkey leg!!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bread and fried chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last but not least, POPCORN!!!!!!!!</td></tr>
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Speaking of popcorn, when you're there, you will be able to see many kids holding these little buckets of different designs like Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Winnie the Pooh, Halloween Mickey, etc. Those are actually popcorn souvenir buckets that you can purchase inside Disneyland. The buckets are quite good in quality and extremely adorable, no wonder the Japanese are going crazy over them. If you happen to have one, you can get your popcorn refilled into you bucket at a much cheaper price.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B and her 'New Year' souvenir bucket</td></tr>
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Also, popcorn stands are everywhere inside the park. But if you look carefully, all these stands DO NOT sell the same popcorn. Each of these stands or carts have their own unique flavour. They have normal flavours like Caramel, Honey, Chocolate, Sea Salt, etc. Also, there are WTF flavours that I think only Japan has such as Curry, Black Pepper, Soy Sauce and Butter, Milk Tea and Corn Pottage. Hmm, as extreme as it sounds, I reckon they taste pretty good because the line is always extremely long!<br />
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Here are some of the other things we saw at Disneyland, enjoy:<br />
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Disneyland is full of fun and you can't miss thier unique "<b>Dreamlights</b>" parade at night. All the themed light cars illuminate the night with fun and excitement. According to Disney's website, it's a million points of light sparkle in this grand nighttime parade. Starting next to the Haunted Mansion, the parade flows past Cinderella Castle and exits beyond Toontown. Despite the freezing cold winter night, we were shaking our asses off and hogging this beautiful spot facing the castle to watch the parade like a couple of thicked faced kiasu kids.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderella's Castle at night</td></tr>
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Well, last were the beautiful fireworks of Disneyland. Unfortunately, when we were there, the wind was too strong and the fireworks were canceled. It was rather disappointing, but still we were still pretty excited for our next day at Disneysea. Can't wait to see what's waiting for us there.Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com3Tokyo Disneyland, 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture 279-0031, Japan35.632547 139.8813295999999635.619642 139.86115959999995 35.645452000000006 139.90149959999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-71018942040268656682013-12-19T09:55:00.000+08:002014-01-08T14:48:32.123+08:00Honeymoon - Ijen Crater <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Ijen crateror called Kawah Ijen is one of the most awesome and surreal places I've ever been to in my entire life. I have always been very fond of hiking but never have I thought that I would try and climb up to a volcano just to see this magnificent crater of Mother Nature. What makes Ijen crater that intriguing is that it has this gigantic acidic lake that is turquoise in colour. To my amazement, this acidic lake is the<b> largest in the world</b>. The lake is measured to be near 950m wide and is rich in it's sulphur deposits which are being quarried daily by locals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry loading up</td></tr>
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The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes, located in East Java. The nearest airport to reach Ijen is Surabaya but because we were on our honeymoon and we happened to be in Bali, we had to head up north to Gilimanuk Harbour. There, we took an hour's ride ferry across to Java island. At Banyuwangi, I have booked a small hotel for us to spend the night so that we wouldn't be too weary when we have to conquer this volcano. The hotel is called <b>Ketapang Indah Hotel</b> and for the price I paid for, it looked pretty good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not bad for a small hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Ketapang Indah Bedroom</td></tr>
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The hotel was located very near to East Java's harbour and the place looked quite decent. I was expecting something like an inn with damp towels, but it turned out to be better than Tune Hotel, Kuta. The place looked like a small resort and the staff there were very friendly as well. However, we couldn't spend too much time exploring the hotel, because we had to leave for Ijen at 1am. So right after settling in, we quickly forced ourselves to bed. What's great about this hotel is that because they knew we were leaving early in the morning, they had some breakfast packed for us to bring along our trip. It was very thoughtful and gave us some extra energy for our most anticipated journey.<br />
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In order to get to the foot of Ijen, we had to hire a 4WD driver. The trip to get there took roughly an hour plus. The road was bumpy and the jeep was rather uncomfortable to be honest. Once we have reached the foot, the weather was very cold and also it was pitch dark. What amazed me most was the sight that the stars were the brightest during the night. It was the first time I've ever seen so many stars in my life. It was a huge blanket of them and it was so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off them. As our driver and his friends prepared our torch lights, we began our hike.<br />
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Before heading to Ijen, here are some things everyone should prepare beforehand:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Proper hiking shoes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Torch Lights (strong enough for you to see the way) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. Surgical Masks or any masks (to block off sulphur fumes)
<br />3. Jackets & Long Johns what have you (the temperature before the sun rise goes down to 2° C- 10° C) <br />4. Bug Spray (just in case) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5. Drinking water
<br />6. Camera
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Standing at approximately 2800m tall, it was one of the most challenging hikes I've ever encountered. Not only were the roads very rocky, we were hiking in total darkness with only a torch light each in our hands. The track starts off wide and flat but then gradually rises into some steep sections. As we climbed higher, the smell of sulphur fumes were getting stronger and stronger. We put on our masks and continued heading upwards. B had a fragile knee, so we took quite some stops during our climb. She was having some troubles hiking up the mountain but through endless cheers and encouragement from me and the team, we managed to get her through her pain and fears and she managed to reach the peak to see how awesome the Ijen crater was.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue flames of burning sulfur inside of Ijen volcano</td></tr>
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After about approx 2.5 hours of intensive hiking. We finally reached a point where we could look down into the crater and see these magical looking blue flames coming out of the crater. The fire was so beautiful but it was rather deep. In order to get down into the crater, you had to again descend another 200 meters. It's not an easy hike into the crater I can tell you and it is advised that you have to be extremely careful. The blue flames were extraordinary and it was out of this world. We caught a glimpse of the fire for a while then continued up the peak through a flat road to take a look at the beautiful sunrise. Once the sun was rising, everything was clear and the temperature started to rise.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most Awesome Sunrise</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other parts of the stratovolcanoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ijen Crater Lake</td></tr>
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The crater lake was so beautiful. One of the most magnificent things I've ever seen in my life. Once I was able see the lake, I forgot how tired and cold I was. I immediately capture some shots of the beautiful lake. The colour of the crater lake slowly changes to it's turquoise colour and it was extremely breathtaking. It was an eye-gasm.<br />
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After a while, we could see some of the sulphur labourers carrying baskets of sulphur blocks. I had read that these miners could carry about 100kg of sulphur blocks in one go. However, despite the extreme conditions and hardwork, they are only able to make about Rp.58,000 per day. To them, that's quite fast money. They often work up here 3 to 4 times a week. The sulfur dioxide gas at the mine site is so strong that it makes breathing even with a gas mask extremely difficult. The miners who work there every day use only a wet rag to breath through. Imagine how much work they have to go through every single day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B and her mini sulphur block</td></tr>
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As we began to head back down, one of the miners offered B a beautiful mini sulphur block. It looked like it came from it's original form. Sort of like a liquid shaped solid block. At first she hesitated thinking that the miner wanted to sell it to her, but our driver told us that he wanted to give it to her as a gift and it was more polite to accept it. B was so excited and carried her mini sulphur block down the mountain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stream of acidic water from the volcano. Notice the yellow sulphur on the rocks</td></tr>
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This adventure turned out to be something extremely memorable. The experience is likewise something that is hard to describe but I assure you it's one of the best. B managed to climb up to the peak and it definitely made me really proud of her. She almost gave up halfway, but because it was too dangerous to leave her alone, we kept going and going. Once you have set your mind to it, nothing is impossible. She has proved to us that she, a native big city girl, can conquer this 3km volcano and come back a very proud and happy girl. Many people questioned me, why do so such an extreme activity during your honeymoon? Well I'd tell them who cares. As long as we enjoyed what we did and we are very proud of ourselves for waking in the middle of the night and conquering one of the most beautiful places on earth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie at Ijen Crater Lake. *hint: Turquoise is Fann's favourite colour*</td></tr>
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<br />Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-49686455184299719282013-12-03T16:28:00.000+08:002014-01-07T14:19:08.673+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - New Year Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year Celebration in Disneyland</td></tr>
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The new year is one of the most important milestones and most celebrated holiday in the world. We were very fortunate to have spent another new year abroad and this time was in Japan. The Japanese, unlike the Chinese celebrates their new year on the 1st of January since the 19th century. However, the Japanese have their own customs and ways of celebrating this huge holiday. They call it the <b>Omisoka</b>. Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start.<br />
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Visiting Japan during the new year is quite a surprising and rewarding experience. It's another love and hate situation here in Japan. What many would love is this gigantic holiday is where everything goes on sale and everyone is in a happy mood. Unfortunately, what many would hate is that many shops, restaurants, tourists attractions, etc are closed and also getting around can be quite troublesome. Also, shinkansens are always fully booked during this time of year.<br />
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So, what are we going to do during this love and hate time of the year? Well, here's how we had our New Years planned.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Most recognisable Wako Store, Ginza</span></div>
On New Year eve morning, Fann and I decided to go free and easy and took the time to visit Ginza, the famous shopping district of Tokyo. Window shopping around Ginza can be quite boring because all those brands you see are similar to those almost in every city you go. Brands like TIffany & Co's, Uniqlo, Forever 21, etc. We grabbed lunch and decided to head to Roppongi Hills. It's a gigantic complex filled with tons of things to do like office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theatres, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheatre, and a few parks. But what fascinated the both of us was the rooftop access at the Mori Tower. There, we could enjoy the winter afternoon breeze while admiring the beautiful sunset that was going to start soon at 3pm.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Awesome rays above Shinjuku</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful red</span></div>
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After capturing a few beautiful shots of the city, we had to take the train to Shinjuku to meet up with our buddy, Hazmer. Then, we would travel down to Yokohama to meet up with another buddy, Fabian. We grabbed dinner in Minato Mirai and later took a short stroll around Yokohama. After that, Hazmer decided that we should all go over to the Yokohama Port to see the countdown and enjoy the fireworks because the skyline view of Minato Mirai is absolutely amazing. Well, he was right and we managed to find a nice spot. Fann, Fabian and Hazmer left me alone at the side while I set my camera up in the crazy freezing weather, what great friends I had. As the countdown began, the guys joined me while we all greeted Happy New Year to each other and what happened next surprised me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stupid Ship and lousy fireworks</span></div>
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There was a freaking ship blocking my view of the city and it was moving! What disappointed me most was that the fireworks for the New Year in Yokohama was pretty much like those cheapo pirated fireworks we have to smuggle during Chinese New Year. It wasn't such a nice fireworks show, but we were really happy to wish and welcome each other into the new 2013 New Year.<br />
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Well, January 1 in Japanese culture is a very auspicious day. It is best to start the new year by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done. It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during Shogatsu.<br />
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So, that was what we were going to do next. Find the nearest temple in Yokohama and visit the shrine. We kinda got lost on our way to the temple and as the temperature kept going down, it felt like we were trapped in the North Pole for years. Finally, we managed to find our way to the temple and by then it was already packed with noise and fun and joy. They call this shrine visiting celebration the <b>Hatsumode</b>. These festivities are held at practically every shrine and temple all across Japan. Best of all, it's all filled with lots and lots of FOOD! We all felt the festival atmosphere and were feeling very energetic at the same time despite the winter cold. The temple entrance was filled with food stalls and everyone was so excited. Just by walking past these stalls just make you feel extremely hungry.<br />
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We decided to grab something to eat before continuing up the hill into the shrine. We had takoyaki, potato with butter, yakisoba, you name it. We were having the time of our lives. The atmosphere around was superb. Everyone was super friendly and everyone was so happy. After our meal, we had to hike up the small hill.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Guy burning past year charms</span></div>
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At the shrine, we could see many people lining up to pray at the main hall and then purchasing lucky charms for a fortunate new year and disposing their lucky charms of the past year. It is a Japanese custom to dispose the old year's lucky charms during shogatsu in order to bring in new and better luck.<br />
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A common custom during hatsumōde is to buy a written oracle called <b>Omikuji</b>. If your omikuji predicts bad luck you can tie it onto a tree on the shrine grounds, in the hope that its prediction will not come true. The omikuji goes into detail, and tells you how you will do in various areas in your life, such and business and love, for that year. Often a good-luck charm comes with the omikuji when you buy it, that is believed to summon good luck and money your way. Hazmer and Fann also wanted to give it a try and to check out what luck they would have for the new year. Fortunately for Fann, her omikuji had pretty good results. She would be really lucky and happy in terms of her love life this coming year and guess what? She married me in 2013, that Omukuji was pretty accurate after all. Unfortunately for Hazmer, it was the opposite. He told us that his luck would be terrible this year. So, he had his one tied onto the tree.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tie your bad luck Omikuji on the shrine tree</span></div>
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After hours of fun at the temple, Hazmer said we had to see the first sunrise in order to welcome the new year just like all the other Japanese. Unfortunately, Fabian wanted to head back home. Fann & I were very eager to go but soon after we reached the Yokohama Station, Hazmer said let's all head back home. He was very tired. I could see that from his face. Well, from how far we've come, I thought it was the best New Year Countdown I ever had in my life. So, good ol Hazmer followed us back to our station and then he continued his journey back to Shinjuku on his own.<br />
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Once we reached our hostel, we grabbed a quick nap and then woke up rather early for another secret mission. This activity was something Fann had been anticipating for a long long time. Having this in her mind had help her get through midnight and celebrate new year with us despite the cold. It was time to get up and head on to the train station and ride down to the shopping districts of Shibuya. The term is called Fukubukuro, or Lucky Bag in english.<br />
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A fukubukuro is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within. Again, the trick is that you have no idea which items are actually in the bag. You have to trust that you love the shop or brand you’re buying from enough that you’ll end up with goods you like. So, the customer gets an amazing deal and the shop gets to clear inventory in preparation for next season. Everyone wins! Also, this awkward custom is not only limited to stores are of Japanese origin but has even spread into international brands as well.<br />
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If you happen to be an Apple fan, you can even try your luck at the Apple store in Tokyo. I heard that someone at the Apple Store got his 4 of his lucky bags at 33,00yen per bag, two iPod Touch 8GB x2, MacBook Air 11inch x2, etc. It was madness. If you happen to be the first to get into the Apple Store to get your Fukubukuro, you will be greeted with cheers and high fives from Apple geniuses at the store. It's a pretty funny experience.<br />
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Fann & I decided to get the Fukubukuro from <b>Muji</b> and try our luck. Muji in Malaysia is pretty costly, so why not give it a shot. I love their products a lot and it was our first experience. After four huge bags of Fukubukuro, Fann spotted Forever 21 and she dashed to the stall by the road side and purchased another. She was really excited and I was really happy to see her that excited, despite having to worry about carrying all these ridiculously huge Fukubukuros back to the hostel on the train.<br />
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Many shops aren't open during 1st of January, so if you would like to experience the real fukubukuro insane crowd, it's best to start your shopping adventure on the 2nd of January. We already had other plans for our 2nd day of new year, so we couldn't capture any insane shots for you guys.<br />
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What other plans were so important that we had to ditch these extremely tempting fukubukuros you ask? Well, we had a 2 day plan to spend our time at <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2014/01/japan-trip-2012-tokyo-disneyland.html">Tokyo Disneyland</a> and Disneysea. The happiest place on earth and it's our first time into a Disney theme park. During this time of year, Disneyland is filled with New Year celebration themes and it's extremely awesome. Stay tuned for our next <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2014/01/japan-trip-2012-tokyo-disneyland.html">Disneyland</a> post. :D<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our New Year Postcard from Tokyo Disneyland</span></div>
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Let's have a look at we got from our Fukubukuro harvest:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Forever 21 Fukubukuro only </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">¥2100</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Muji Home Fukubukuro only ¥2000</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Muji Random Fukubukuro at only ¥3000</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Muji Stationery Fukubukuro only ¥1000 each</span></div>
<br />Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com4Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan35.4437078 139.638025635.0297998 138.9925786 35.8576158 140.28347259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-8690582556211444982013-11-28T16:25:00.000+08:002013-11-28T16:31:27.453+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Odaiba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The iconic Rainbow Bridge</span></div>
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After visiting the Tsukiji Market in the early morning, we decided to head down to <b>Odaiba</b>. It's an enormous artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Built initially in 1850 for defensive purposes, it has now been expanded dramatically into a major shopping district and tons of entertainment built within. Though greatly nearby the ocean shore, Odaiba, along with Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, are two of the only places in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbor areas.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Inside the Yurikamome train</span></div>
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Getting to Odaiba from Tsukiji is quite simple. Walk opposite from the market to the Tsukijishijo Station, then by using the Oedo Line, travel down to <b>Shiodome Station</b>. At the Shiodome station, you can take the new <b>Yurikamome train</b> and directly access into Odaiba. If you are traveling from other parts of Tokyo, you can consider traveling down to <b>Shimbashi Station</b> using the JR Line. From there, you can also take the Yurikamome train. Another tip: you can also consider purchasing the Yurikamome One Day Pass, if you're planning to spend your day in Odaiba. It costs<b> ¥800</b> and more likely to cost less compared to regular fares (Eg: Traveling one way from Shiodome station to Daiba Station already costs ¥310).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tsunami Hazard area signage</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Rainbow Bridge in the morning</span></div>
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As we boarded the Yurikamome train, it takes us pass the beautiful rainbow bridge. The both of us decided to stop at the first station inside Odaiba, which is the <b>Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station</b>. Because we reached Odaiba at quite an early hour, we decided to walk to the nearby park to see the beautiful view of the bridge. The view was magnificent. What's strange about this place, is that you might be confused as to why there's this smaller version of the Statue of Liberty. I'm serious! Check out this picture below:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Statue of Riberty</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">DECKS Tokyo Beach</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann's octopus friend</span></div>
After strolling around, we walked to the nearest mall, called <b>DECKS Tokyo Beach</b>. Decks is a shopping mall featuring various stores, restaurants and multiple indoor theme parks, including Sega's Tokyo Joypolis, a Legoland Discovery Center, a Madam Tussauds wax museum and a trick art museum. We also visited the <b>Takoyaki Museum</b>. It's a beautifully vintage Japan themed place. It features the history of the famous Japanese snack, the <b>Takoyaki</b>. Which are pieces of squid cooked in crispy batter with a ball shape. The Takoyaki Musuem has a number of Takoyaki stores so you can try freshly cooked Takoyaki. Sadly, we just came from Tsukiji and had our extremely delicious sushi breakfast, so our stomachs were still full and we didn't had any.<br />
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What amazed us were the vintage props and decors all around the place. The place is filled with vintage items like phone booths, vintage candies, old Japanese houses, old postal boxes, etc. Everything that would make Fann go nuts over. It was like walking back into time.<br />
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Next we moved over to Aqua City. Another shopping mall that features boutiques, cafes, and a gigantic 13 screen cineplex. It seems pretty weird to have two shopping malls side by side and sharing the same train station. However, what's different compared to DECKS is that Aqua City seems to have a more traditional mall experience. Having more extensive store layouts with a good variety of fashion, entertainment and food. On the fifth floor, there is a ramen food theme park. Many of you who knows us, will bet that we are going to visit that floor because of our extreme love for ramen, but sadly we didn't. It's because we already have another plan to visit a larger ramen museum in Shin-Yokohama and we wanted to visit something more different on the other side of Odaiba.<br />
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Opposite Aqua City is the iconic Fuji Television building. While we were there, there was a huge Christmas tree in the lower ground floor of the building. I think that was the only place in Tokyo where we felt a little more Christmasy throughout our trip.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nami from One Piece</span></div>
Also, they were promoting One Piece's latest special movie. That was why there were many One Piece items and events around Odaiba and even in the Fuji TV Building. There is a weird looking sphere on top of the Fuji TV Building. It's actually an observatory deck. I heard from many resources that the view there is absolutely amazing. However, it comes with a price tag of ¥500 per person. Unfortunately, we didn't the go up to the deck. I can't remember why, it's either we were too stingy to spend the money or the flight of stairs up to the deck looked rather overwhelming.<br />
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After checking out the building and walking up and down the stairs, we headed over to this new mall called <b>Diver City Tokyo Plaza</b>. It's one of Odaiba's newest structures and this mall is themed Theatrical City Space (Whatever that means). One does not just miss this structure because the iconic landmark is not the structure itself, but this famous and gigantic Gundam robot statue standing handsomely in front of it's entrance. I am no Gundam fan, but when it comes to this massive robot, it sure is a cam whoring fantastic backdrop. Everyone there were just snapping away in almost any angles possible.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gundam (Cute version) </span></div>
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After admiring this crazy statue, we headed into the mall. The mall is filled with brands that every city girl knows like Forever 21, Uniqlo, Coach, etc. As we all know, everything in Japan looks absolutely adorable. Everywhere you turn, you will see cute stuff. When it comes to food, it's done the same way. Cute style. Here we found a Hello Kitty cake or something. By the way, why do these Hello Kitties have tits?<br />
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Well, speaking of cute, the Japanese has successfully made potato chips cute. Calbee, the giant potato chips company has this adorable Calbee cafe that will make your girlfriends drool (Well, at least for mine). Without even a second look, Fann went over to hug the large potato and she wanted to have this snack for lunch. Well, how can you say no right? One glance at the menu, even the guys will drool. Potatoes with chocolate, cheese, ice cream and all those carbs that will make you feel like a heart attack. <br />
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Haha.. yes, that was our lunch. After dieting for a few weeks, I guess this bowl of Calbee will just break even. I never knew that potato chips could taste so awfully guilty and delicious. After this, I'm going back home to try and eat my other potato chips with vanilla ice cream. I know it's weird, but it's extremely tasty. After our 'lunch', we went strolling around the mall. There was this big store that sells junk food that is super sized. Everything in that shop was exactly super sized. For example, the colon biscuit is almost the size of a real colon. I kid you not. It was absolutely crazy.<br />
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After going crazy at the shop, we went over to another mall called Palette Town. OK, you guessed it right. It sure is like a big town. It's a massive complex filled with shopping and entertainment. From the outside, it's a no miss due to it's beautful Ferris Wheel. This Ferris wheel is 115m (383ft) in height and is one of the tallest in the world. It's an iconic Tokyo landmark and it's visible for miles. In this complex, there's quite a number of things to see and enjoy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Vintage Toyota </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cool eco-friendly electric car for one passanger</span></div>
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First, we head to the Toyota Mega Web. No, it's not a gigantic website but giant showrooms of cars. The first showroom we went features many Toyota cars from the past, present and near future. It's a huge space with a few floors featuring different cars from different eras. It's one of the best Toyota Showrooms I've ever been to and it definitely shows off some of their advance technology in car manufacturing. If you hold a Japanese driver's license, you can also test drive some of their cars with a small fee of ¥300. It's very cool indeed.<br />
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The 2nd showroom lies further inside Palette Town. It's called <b>History Garage</b> and the <b>Universal Design Showcase</b>. The History Garage showcases some of the most well loved cars in history. Beautifully presented, it features cars from all over the world from the 1950s to the 1970s. It sure is car lover's porn. I was so stuck to this part of the showroom that I didn't want to leave. <br />
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You can also get to sit inside those vintage vehicles. It was a wonderful experience. The Universal Design Showcase is a great hands on learning experience, here you get to see some of the ways modern cars are designed to better suit our lives.<br />
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While drooling inside the car museum, we got ourselves many vintage car souvenirs. One of it was a bat mobile (Sorry, no picture). After visiting the museum, we headed downstairs. There is this beautiful place inside of Palette Town called <b>Venus Fort</b>. It's an indoor shopping mall within a mall and it's designed in the style of a 18th century Venus Town. Comes with old architectures, roman pillars, fake sky and lights that changes color. Just the whole package.<br />
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The mall features over a hundred shops, fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants on three floors including a few outlets shops on the upper floor. The colours kept changing, making my camera's white balance a little bit tricky to control. Despite the weird colour outcome, the pictures still looked pretty awesome.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pomme no Ki</span></div>
After walking around so much, we decided to treat ourselves to a lovely dinner. Fann had this craving for Omurice. She had all of a sudden knew about this shop in Aqua City called Pomme no Ki. Omurice is Japanese omelette rice. It's basically fried rice wrapped in delicious omelette with some ketchup on top. Well, in Malaysia we have Nasi Goreng Pattaya, which is technically similar, but tastes totally different. As creative as Japanese could be, they could turn a dull omelette rice into an omurice with loads of choices. In Pomme no Ki, there's so many to choose from that I don't even know where to start.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Realistic looking dummy omurice, a Japanese invention</span></div>
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It was rather early for dinner. But our stomach follows the tone of the sky and as it gets dark faster in winter, we basically gotten hungry after the sun sets. At Pomme no Ki, we took quite some time to choose what rice we wanted.<br />
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So, we went with our instincts. Fann ordered the ordinary Omurice with extra cheese. I ordered this seafood looking omurice that had cuttle fish and oysters. The pictures above doesn't look as appetizing, but I can guarantee you that this has got to be one of the best omurice I have ever tasted in my life. Go give it a try. Pomme no Ki can be found in many places besides Odaiba. They are a chain store and don't forget to order a dessert to give closure to your omurice-drugged tummy.<br />
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We ended our day with another short stroll outside of Odaiba and checking out the how rainbow looking can the rainbow bridge be. Well, it sure is a beautifully constructed bridge. If it wasn't winter, I bet you that it could be rather romantic. Too bad our fingers were freezing while holding hands, so we had to get indoors quick. We left Odaiba in a hurry because on the next day, we had a big plan to visit the Comiket event. We had to meet Hazmer early in the morning and he would lead us to the Tokyo Big Sight for our next Japanese experience. You can read more by <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/07/japan-trip-2012-comiket-83.html" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com4Japan35.626047065956982 139.7763061523437535.574414065956979 139.69562515234375 35.677680065956984 139.85698715234375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-31148535711684504872013-11-25T13:35:00.000+08:002013-11-25T13:35:00.216+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Tsukiji Market & Sushi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One part of Tokyo comes to life before dawn and that's Tokyo's iconic <b>Tsukiji Market</b>. Part of our itinerary was to visit this awesome market and have the best sushi in the world. Tsukiji Market, or formally known as <b>Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market</b>, is nevertheless the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It's also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. It handles over 2,000 tons of marine products per day. The Tsukiji Market has been a national landmark to all at it's present location for nearly 75 years. Despite it being so old and run down (in Japanese standards, but extremely new and clean in Malaysian standards), it draws in more tourists each year.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Tsukiji Market is now being planned to be relocated to a new site. Initially, it was planned to be moved by 2013, but oddly enough, it has been delayed to around 2014. The new location for the Tsukiji market is in <b>Toyosu</b>, Koto Ward. However, the soil there was found to be contaminated costing the Tokyo government nearly 58.6 billion yen to clean up. Now, the government discovered new contamination around 10 meters below ground, making additional work necessary that wasn’t prepared for. The total cost of relocating the famous market is said to be a whopping 390 billion yen, and the 40.7 hectare site will include new buildings for the market and wholesalers’ shops, along with an additional fruit and vegetable market, and tourist facilities.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you see this while passing by from Tsukiji Station, you're in the correct direction</span></div>
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Located near the <b>Tsukiji Station</b> on the Tokyo Metro, we departed from the Iriya Station which coincidentally was also on the same Hibiya Line. It took us only about 15 minutes to reach Tsukiji Station. Alternatively, you can also reach the market by going to the <b>Tsukiji Shijo Station</b> on the Oedo Subway Line. Once you have reached Tsukiji Station, just take Exit 1 and 2 which is at the south side, which is nearer to the market.<br />
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The market consists of an inner market where most of the wholesale business and the famous tuna auctions are taking place, and an outer market whose retail shops and restaurants cater to the public. A few restaurants are also found in the inner market. What amazes me is that, this fish market has no fishy smell and is extremely clean.<br />
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One of the main reasons that foreigners visit the market is to experience the tuna auction. However, the number of visitors to the auction is limited to only 120 per day, the maximum number which the market's infrastructure can accommodate. Tourists who wish to see the auction, have to apply at the <b>Osakana Fukyu Center</b> (Fish Information Center) at the <b>Kachidoki Gate</b>, starting from 5:00am on a first-come, first-serve basis (may start earlier on busy days). A first group of 60 visitors will be admitted to the auction between 5:25 and 5:50, while a second group of 60 visitors will be admitted between 5:50 and 6:15.<br />
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Unfortunately, the tuna auction is usually closed to tourists for a few weeks over New Year (most recently between December 1, 2012 and January 19, 2013) to ensure a smooth and accident free course of business during that busy time of the year. Therefore, Fann & I didn't get to experience it.<br />
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But not to worry, as we had another trick up our sleeves. If we couldn't go to the auction, then we must try one of the best sushis in the world. Afterall, it's been said that no visit to Tsukiji is complete without a sushi breakfast. According to our researches, there are two stores in Tsukiji that sells the best and freshest sushis. In order to find these sushi restaurants, walk in from the gate, with the fruit and vegetable market on your right, pass the off-limits loading zone (with its stacks of polystyrene boxes) and turn left at the main road. Walk three short blocks, then turn left again down a small side street.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, That's Sushi Dai</span></div>
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One shop is called <b>Sushi Dai</b>. It's claimed to be the best in Tsukiji. If you want to try this, be prepared to queue for about 2-3 hours. It's the 2nd shop on your right. You won't miss it because if you see lots of people queueing, then you've come to the right shop.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's Daiwa-Zushi. Try to find Fann!</span></div>
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Further down the same lot, you will see <b>Daiwa-Zushi</b>. There, you can also see a long queue and their sushi is just as good. That's the shop where we settled for. The queue wasn't as long as Sushi Dai's. Amazingly, this Daiwa-Zushi's shop is managed by the son of Sushi Dai. Apparently, they are competing with each other to see who serves the best sushi in Tsukiji. Quite funny but who cares, as long as they serve fresh and super sushi, one cannot simply complain. The reason why the queue moves faster, is because Daiwa-Zushi has two shoplots, hence it moves faster. Also, many kiasu people are queueing at Sushi Dai. Shhh~<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our chef</span></div>
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We queued for about 40 minutes just to get in. We were so relieved. The place was extremely small. Only about 12 could be seated. Once you're in, please order quickly and no chit chatting, because you're here to eat and there's hundreds of people out in the cold waiting for your seat. Finally, it's our turn to order. We ordered the famous set menu which consisted of seven nigiri pieces, six maki pieces, a miso soup and comes with hot tea for a price of <b>¥3500</b>. In order to keep the raw seafood at it's freshest, the chefs at Daiwa only cuts up and prepares two pieces per time. Here's a list of the sushis we had in the menu:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Miso Soup and Green Tea</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ikura (salmon roe) and Maguro (tuna) maki, Tamago Yaki (Egg) and Uni (Sea Urchin) Nigiri</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Toro (fatty tuna) nigiri. Extremely delicious and melts in your mouth</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ebi (Prawn) Nigiri</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">UNAGI (eel), favourites of many</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last but not least, Mackeral</span></div>
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After finishing up the delicious sushi set menu, B asked if I wanted try the Tuna Belly or not. She wondered why it costs ¥800 for just one piece of Tuna Belly Nigiri. I was shocked. At first, I was pretty reluctant to try, but after thinking about the entire process of waking up so damn early, queuing for a mere 45 minutes and B's adorable eyes staring at me, I told myself to just go for it. Not only will I finally understand the mystery of why it costs that much, also it will make this lovely girl beside me the happiest in the world. We ordered two tuna belly nigiris and had our fingers crossed. It came and it looked damn fine.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">That nigiri that costs ¥800 each</span></div>
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We picked up our chopsticks, dipped the bugger in some wasabi and soy sauce, and took the first bite. OH MY GOD! I never knew the best sushi was actually in my mouth! It felt like heaven! The tuna belly was the best ever tasting raw fish I've ever eaten in my entire freaking life. That heavenly feeling costed me ¥800 but it was well worth it. After savouring it, I looked at B as she was enjoying every bite of it.<br />
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Before she could take up the menu again, I quickly took her hand and rushed to the cashier before she could order anything else. We left happy but I still felt it was pretty expensive. If you asked me if I would return? Well, I would. It has really lived up to it's name and it's really the best sushi I've ever tasted in my life. No kidding. Now, I feel awful because wherever I eat sushi elsewhere, it won't compare to the ones here.Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan35.6654566 139.7707950000000235.6525561 139.750625 35.6783571 139.79096500000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-79196364826834681092013-11-11T14:15:00.001+08:002013-11-16T11:41:25.708+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Doraemon Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's not exactly called Doraemon museum. It's formally called the Fujiko·F·Fujio Museum. Why? Well, despite having Doraemon and gang overshadowing every part of this place, it's actually a museum about the author and all of his creations. If you are a fan of Doraemon, Pa-man or Mojacko, then this beloved museum should be in your highlighted visits when you come to Tokyo.<br />
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The museum can be found in the suburbs of <b>Kawasaki</b>. Kawasaki is located in the Kanagawa Perfecture, just between Tokyo and Yokohama. In order to get there, drop yourself off at the JR <b>Noborito Station</b>. From our station at Uguisudani, we had to take the train down to Shinjuku using the Yamanote Line and from there, change to the Odakyu Line that directs us there. The entire journey takes just about an hour. During our journey from Shinjuku, we started to see many parents and kids hopping onto the same train. Right away we knew that we weren't on the wrong train.<br />
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Before heading down to Kawasaki, don't forget to purchase your entrance ticket to the museum. Now, purchasing the ticket is a little tricky, because you can't purchase it on the spot at the museum. The buying process is quite similar to the Ghibli Museum. All you have to do is head down to the nearest <b>Lawson convenient store</b> and use the <b>Loppi automatic ticket machine</b> to purchase it. Now, here's the tricky part you need to know about. The tickets only go on sale one month in advance starting on the 30th of each month (i.e. tickets for March go on sale from January 30th). While weekends and school holidays are popular and often sold out, weekday tickets are easier to get. So, please plan ahead. The specific entry date and time slot (10:00, 12:00, 14:00 or 16:00) must be selected when purchasing your ticket. As usual, we took the earliest one. Thanks Mr. Hazmer for helping us to purchase the tickets. Really appreciate it. Oh by the way, the ticket costs<b> ¥1000</b> per adult.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dorami statue in front of the Noborito Station</span></div>
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Once you reach Noborito Station, you will be greeted by some Doraemon character statues hanging around the station. Doraemon himself is located there too. See if you can find him while you are there. In order to get to the museum, we had to head down to the bus stop where the heavily decorated Doraemon shuttle bus will take us. It costs a mere <b>¥200</b> and just about 10 minutes to reach. Alternatively, you can choose to walk. It's just about 15 minutes from the station. Once you're in the bus, don't forget to look at all the cute Doraemon designs around it, from seats, to bus bells to walls, etc. I knew I couldn't resist to take pictures of all these adorable designs around the buses. It was so creative!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The bus is here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bus Bell</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adorable Hand Rails</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Briefing Room</span></div>
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After a few stops, we have reached the museum. We are greeted warmly by the staff. The museum architecture was of modern contemporary design and wasn't as fun looking as the Ghibli Museum. Well, that didn't stop us from getting so excited about dropping by this building that's filled with our childhood memories. As the queue started to move, we were getting more and more excited. As we are inside, we are all crowded into this room with an introduction then led to another room where we could choose our mechanical translators. Thank God it has English.<br />
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The museum exhibits has numbers all across it's descriptions and what you do is choose the number and it will read it out loud for you, in your preferred language. In Japan, most of the places do not accomodate to people who can't understand Japanese. That's why this place was one of the best as they try to help everyone to enjoy and understand what's happening around. Don't forget to check out their leaflet too. Like most museums, there are many spots where photography is not allowed. I think that's a good thing, because if you saw everything in this blog, then what's the point of visiting the real museum right? That would spoil the surprises. But all is not lost, there are also some photography spots for you to play with your creativity. Those would be the pictures I'm going to share with all of you.<br />
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Here's a short summary of what's in the museum: It mainly showcases many of Fujiko's first and original drawings and many of his early storyboards. Also interesting was the idea of how he came about his different characters and mainly what inspired him to create Doraemon and his friends. It was an honor to see how this ordinary man, came out with the most brilliant idea of the futuristic cat who was sent back in time to help make Nobita's world a better place. Unfortunately, he has already passed away. The museum also has a lot of commentary on Fujiko's life and the various artwork on display.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kids having fun at the museum</span></div>
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After visiting the most important part of the museum, you will be led to this large hall filled with everything Doraemon. There's gumball machines, egg machines, kids zone, etc. What's most interesting is the Doraemon manga corner, where there's a huge Doraemon sitting on the shelf reading a comic book and one hand holding his favourite snack, the Dorayaki. Unfortunately, we couldn't read it because all the books were written in Japanese. So, we went to the next best thing, a cute water fountain. All around the museum, you will see many stickers and indicators around, cleverly designed and very entertaining at the same time. Just have alook at these:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Guess what this means?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Water fountain</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our theatre tickets</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Entrance to the Theatre</span></div>
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Another bonus thing that you will find enjoyable would be the Theatre. After getting your free theatre ticket, you can head to the Fujiko·F·Fujio theatre for a bonus show. It's somewhat like Ghibli's way of doing. It showcases never before seen animation by the author themselves. It changes daily, so everytime you visit, it's different. After show, the theatre opens this door and out we go, to the outdoors where many other characters.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Paman and Booby</span></div>
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There were even the playground that Nobita and his friends played in. Also there was the iconic concrete pipes. The old phone and last but not least, The 'Anywhere' Door (Dokodemo Door).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Doraemon was born in 2112, and we visited in 2012, so the tray says the above!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dorayakis in a row!</span></div>
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You can also find the famous museum restaurant there. Beside the restaurant, was the snack shop, where everyone could purchase their favourite Doraemon snacks like the <b>Dorayaki</b>, the <b>Anki-Pan</b> (memory bread), Gian's Stew gift pack, and so on. Also, do not forget to visit the restaurant at the museum. Even if you are not hungry, it's worth a visit to the museum restaurant. They sell almost everything that is Doraemon themed. What more can you ask for? We are afterall, in Japan.<br />
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We ordered ourselves Gian's Pork Cutlet Rice, Quattro Formaggi Gratinati with Doraemon's Face, Suneo's Crepe and a hot glass of hot cocoa with Doraemon's Face again! Well, that's the only day where everyone can be child-like. It was so fun.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Coaster with the most famous story of when Nobita first saw Doraemon emerging from his desk drawer</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Fann's Anki-Pan, for her snack or for her to remember math?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Look how adorable the plastic bags were</span></div>
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Lastly, we ended our trip at the gift store. The store had so many items that was so creative that I wanted to buy them all. Too bad everything was so pricey, so we picked up just a few things at the store. It was a great day and B was so happy and everything was worth it. The museum is mostly aimed towards children, but many adults visit here due to the fact that they grew up with the series and mainly because of Doraemon.<br />
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I'm astonished by how much details were put into designing this museum and everything around it. It was one of the most interesting places I visited and felt so nostalgic about. Try not to miss out this place on your next visit to Japan if you have not been there.Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com2Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan35.607905776451041 139.5716857910156235.582085776451038 139.53134529101561 35.633725776451044 139.61202629101564tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-10737482121968369472013-10-31T11:30:00.002+08:002013-11-11T14:35:03.053+08:00My Landscape Photography Tumblr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Announcing my new Tumblr Page! It will feature some of my best photography works. Just click on the image above or click <a href="http://reubenteo.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to visit my page. I will update it from time to time, so do check it out! If you have a Tumblr account, don't forget to <a href="http://reubenteo.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><b>FOLLOW ME</b></a> too!Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-91151372529941929442013-10-24T21:50:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:50:15.904+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Karuizawa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort</span></div>
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Again we travel out of Tokyo and headed slightly westward on the Japanese island. The both of us traveled up to this beautiful and peaceful location called <b>Karuizawa</b>. It is an upmarket mountain resort at the foot of the active volcano <b>Mt Asama</b> in <b>Nagano Prefrecture</b>. Hidden away a little north-ward and while it sits on a plateau with an altitude of 1,000 meters, it is quite chilly too. It is now a famous tourist spot for the locals from Tokyo, who travel to this place to get away from the summer heat and bustling city. I guess that's due to the reason that it is only about an hour plus away from Tokyo by the Shinkansen and it's rather easy to get here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Station North and South Exit</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">You know it's almost Christmas when the station gift shop looks like a huge present! </span></div>
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In order to save money and utilize our rail pass, we took the normal JR Yamanote train from Uguisudani down to Ueno station. From Ueno station we boarded the JR <b>Nagano Shinkansen</b>. In about an hour, we have reached this peaceful and lovely town. </div>
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On the train, you could see everyone dressed in ski outfits and we all know where they are heading. Upon arriving at <b>Karuizawa Station</b>, I could feel the strong wind and it was extremely cold. My hands almost dried up instantly like dried prunes. Just to the right of the station, you could see Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort. The others on the train all gushed out and headed towards the Prince Hotel. But that wasn't our main purpose to Karuizawa, we were here for the sceneries and the also not forgetting the awesome and delicious jams.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Yes, it looks this deserted in the town area</span></div>
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As we left the station, we noticed that the town was rather deserted. There were not many cars and we didn't see any taxis at all. Well, to me that wasn't a bad thing, in fact I loved it. The town buildings and layout looked very pleasant and it was rather cozy and romantic. Having the whole place to ourselves. We walked slowly, hoping to find any sights that we've researched online, but it seemed like we had a lot of walking to do. Then, we passed by this cute little bicycle shop. It looked closed but it was open. </div>
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What's funny about this place is that there was a public phone outside the shop and we had to call up the owner if we wanted their bicycle rental service. So we did. The owner told us to wait for a few minutes and then he came in his car and greeted us with a big fat smile. Thank God he spoke english. He was so friendly and he told us that we could choose any bicycle we wanted. He allowed us to test it around the area before deciding on the ones we wanted. The conditions of the bicycles here are extremely well-maintained, unlike the ones back home in Malaysia. Where the rust and dust are competing against each other on the bicycle body and don't get me started on the brakes.</div>
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Anyways, after we chose our bike, the owner gave us a small map and it had all these attractions listed on it with the bike route. All around Karuizawa, there's these numbers that tells you exactly where you are, so you need not worry about getting lost. Once you have the map, you are ready to go. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My bicycle!</span></div>
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We started out slowly with our bicycles, enjoying the cold breeze and the beautiful buildings us. To my astonishment, most of the buildings here doesn't look Japanese at all. It had all these westernized architecture around, and it makes me feel like we're in some European town. Karuizawa was indeed in the past, introduced as a summer getaway by a <i>Canadian missionary</i> Alexander Croft Shaw in 1886. It reminded him so much of Canada that he decided to stay. Karuizawa has ever since not only maintained its natural beauty, but somehow kept the idea of a western-inspired, summer vacation town. Hence, the wonderful and awesome architecture around it. Even the phone booth looked extremely unique. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cute looking restaurant</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Holy smokes! That's a phone booth!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann on her bicycle, carefully avoiding the slippery ice on the road</span></div>
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The feeling of riding a bicycle here with Fann is extremely romantic. It feels so relaxed and it just washes all my troubles away. Just look at the pictures of the trees and roads. The place is so quiet and tranquil, that you might think you're in a dream. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> St Paul's Catholic Church</span></div>
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Our first main attraction was this gorgeous little chapel. The St Paul's is a Catholic church. Established in 1935 by a British priest, the church was based on a design planned by an American A. Raymond, the master of modern architecture. Karuizawa St. Paul's Catholic Church is famous for its appearance in Hori Tatsuo's literary work Ki no Jujika. Now it's one of the most symbolic looking churches in the town of Karuizawa. Too bad it wasn't Sunday and the church was closed. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Church Street</span></div>
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Right opposite the church, was this gigantic structure called Church Street. I guess this is your one stop Christian shopping mall, where you can get all your churching needs. Anyways, Further down, we headed to our next destination. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful Old Mikasa Hotel</span></div>
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Here we are at the famous <b>Old Mikasa Hotel</b>. Welcomed with a large red gate, this building was built by a Japanese carpenter. This former Mikasa Hotel is one of Japan's designated important cultural assets and is made of wood. The hotel opened in 1907 during the Meiji period. For 64 years, it was loved by a number of cultural figures and business people as the place for socializing. The hotel was named “Karuizawa’s Rokumeikan.” The Old Mikasa Hotel is currently owned by the Town of Karuizawa and is designated as<b> Important Cultural Property of Japan</b>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> The drawing room</span></div>
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Today, a portion of the historic building is open to the public as a museum. With a small entrance fee of ¥400, you get to visit the interior of the building. The geometrically designed window frames and the elaborate patterns carved into the curtain boxes are some of the extravagant ornamentation that characterizes the hotel. Despite the eerie feeling of empty furnitures sitting around an empty house, it gives you a good idea of how the rich in the past enjoyed their days in this hotel.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our lunch place - Cafe Sashi</span></div>
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After this destination, we decided to not go any further because Fann's bicycle skills were quickly running out. So, we headed down to the town area to look for lunch. Many of the shops that day were closed, but fortunately we found one restaurant called Cafe Sashi that would serve us. We parked our bicycles downstairs and headed up the stairs were it was situated. We had some of these fusion food. Looked pretty western to me. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jams Jams Jams!</span></div>
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After filling our tummies, we went for the jam hunt. We found this huge jam store and quickly walked inside. I swear to God I saw Fann's eyes sparkle when she was inside the shop. Jams were literally everywhere and the flavours were absolutely unique and beautiful. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of the jam samples</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann, her cracker and the honey jam</span></div>
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What's best about jam shopping here, is that they allow you to taste the jams before purchasing. They have these sample jams around the corner with some crackers. You spread as much as you like and give it a go. Fann was so excited that she tried almost every single thing there. There were so many flavours to choose from and many of the flavours cannot be found elsewhere. We decided to buy this delicious paste dip, honey flavoured jam and best of all, the Apple Jam! </div>
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After jam shopping, we went to others stores to buy some other good looking snacks like cheese tarts and cookies, etc. We then returned the bicycle to the shop and headed to the station. It wasn't such a long day spent here but we had a great time. We had to rush back to Tokyo that day because it was a holiday and we wouldn't want to be trapped on the Shinkansen with no seats and also get stuck in the massive crowds in Tokyo too. I think I would visit Karuizawa again. It's one of the most relaxing visits throughout my entire Japan trip. The place was beautiful and the air was extremely good. </div>
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Here are some fun facts about Karuizawa:</div>
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1. It hosted equestrian events in the <b>1964 Summer Olympics</b></div>
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2. It hosted curling in the <b>1998 Winter Olympics</b></div>
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3. John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent several summers at the Mampei Hotel in Karuizawa</div>
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4. Emperor Akihito (the current emperor) met Empress Michiko on a tennis court at Karuizawa in 1957</div>
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Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Karuizawahigashi, Karuizawa, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan36.3432435078795 138.63532131774936.3368485078795 138.625236317749 36.3496385078795 138.645406317749tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-11896603559144869782013-10-09T15:23:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:50:27.958+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Shirakawa-Go 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Big and small farmhouse in Shirakawa-go</span></div>
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After viewing the beautiful village of Shirakawa-go at the observatory, we headed down as the sun was setting and it was getting dark. We could feel that the cold was catching up and we had to quickly head back to our ryokan and get ourselves heated. As mentioned earlier, we stayed at this beautiful and humble little home of Magoemon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> The little office in the house</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our room coffee table and that awesome looking hot water dispenser</span></div>
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There, we were happily invited into the old lady's home and she had set up our rooms very nicely and to our amazement, it was quite spacious. The <b>tatami floor</b> was so pleasant looking and by walking on it, made my feet felt so comfortable. The room included hot water, bags of tea, some cookies, an electronic heater and also traditional Japanese winter robes. The robes were absolutely warming and very comfy. After settling down and drying my socks at the heater, it was almost time for dinner. Our dinner was cooked in the huge common hall with a big black pot that looks like witch's pot. The food were amazing and as I don't want to spoil any surprises, I'm not going to share what we had for dinner. During dinner, the husband of the old lady quietly set up our futons in our rooms. After finishing up our dinner, our room was converted into a traditional japanese bedroom.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our comfortable futons</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Freezing outside</span></div>
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Outside, judging by the icicles hanging around the roof, the weather was freezing cold. No matter how freezing it was outside, the interior of our ryokan was very warm and comfortable. But don't get too addicted to the warmth inside as you might miss out the fantastic and beautiful night scene of the village outside (which we kinda did). We regretted not leaving the house after dinner.<br />
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The bathroom was a traditional japanese one. It had those small stools where you had to sit and bathe yourself. After a hot shower and good night's rest, we woke up early at 6am for breakfast. Again, our breakfast was prepared by our lovely hosts. After breakfast, we still had some time to spare, so we borrowed the snow boots from the house and wandered out into the village.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First view of Chritmas morning</span></div>
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After our brains woke up due the chills, we only noticed that it was <b>Christmas</b>! Fann and I greeted each other Merry Christmas with hugs and kisses because that's what two idiots do. We were so happy because it was snowing and it really felt like Christmas, despite the horrendous cold. We walked around and took stupid pictures of each other. What do you do when you see tons of snow on the ground during Christmas? Well, it's simple! <b>SNOW ANGELS!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Snow Angels during Christmas!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The angel or the culprit?</span></div>
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One tip for all, don't be idiots like us. Turns out this whole pack of snow is covering what's known to be the padi field. As I was taking this picture of Fann, the snow swallowed me into the padi field and my feet fell quite deep into the freezing padi waters. Fortunately, I managed to save my camera by lifting up my arms while I fell. After that, we walked back to the house to clean up my mess and then continued to walk around the main road to see and buy some stuff from the shops nearby. Don't forget to bring back some souvenirs.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A cute little store with a traditional water mill</span></div>
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We bought ourselves some fridge magnets, miso sauce for the vegetables, weird looking chocolates, and this weird rice snack that looked delicious but wasn't to our liking. The tranquil environment in the morning makes strolling here very romantic. One thing we found out, there were no tourists during this hour of the day! HURRAY!!!<br />
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We checked out of Magoemon by 12pm and said our goodbyes to the friendly old lady. Then we walked to the bus station across the bridge and waited for our bus back to the station. Well, to be honest, Shirakawa-go was my favourite place. Although we didn't get to spend a lot of time there, it was one of the most memorable among the entire trip. Spending Christmas with Fann here was the most wonderful feeling yet. Hopefully we can visit again. Though it's very costly to get there and to stay there, I think everything was worth it. The place is so surreal and so beautiful. Here are some of the remaining photos to remind us of how beautiful this place can be, enjoy!<br />
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You may download the village map in english by<a href="http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/othercontents/file/pdf/map_english.pdf" target="_blank"> clicking here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The entire village</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Handsome mountains after handsome mountains. Mountain porn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Postcard Time! (*notice Fann's Christmas themed nails)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Little snowman on the bench</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the temples in Shirakawa-go</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> The snow angel creator</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Snow covering police cones</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Snow and snow everywhere</span></div>
Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Shirakawa, Ono District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan36.2708062 136.8984782999999735.860935700000006 136.25303129999998 36.6806767 137.54392529999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-30312540111816616802013-09-24T15:43:00.001+08:002013-11-11T14:50:40.985+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Shirakawa-Go 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm dreaming of a White Christmas</span></div>
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On Christmas Day last year during our trip, we had a special treat for ourselves. After years of looking at beautiful postcards and desktop wallpapers, we've finally had the chance to visit this UNESCO Heritage site at the Gifu region. Capped heavily with snow in the winter, with it's beautiful backdrop of magnificent mountains, this quiet little farm village is so unique and surreal, that one has to step foot here at least once in their lifetime, just to see it with their own eyes. I present to you, <b>The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama</b>. Shirakawa, besides it's Gassho-zukuri houses and hidden away in the remote mountains, is a great example of traditional human settlements that are perfectly adapted to their environment and their social and economic raison d'être and have adjusted successfully to the profound economic changes in Japan in the past half-century.<br />
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The designated group of historic buildings is composed of 117 houses and seven other structures. Of these, six are in the gassho style, most built during the 19th century; they are all aligned parallel to the Sho River, giving a very harmonious and impressive landscape. To me, it looks like a fairy tale place or something you'd see on a Christmas Cake.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Man checking for the correct platform for his train</span></div>
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This journey down to <b>Shirakawa-Go</b> was one of the most significant during our december trip. Our plan was to depart during Christmas eve morning and then spend a night there to wake up to a white Christmas there. The journey to Shirakawa-Go requires quite some traveling and transfers by train and bus. Here's an outline of the journey there: <b><i>Uguisudani - Tokyo - Nagoya - Takayama - Shirakawa</i></b>. Beforehand, we used our Japan Rail Pass to exchange and booked for our Shinkansen tickets at the Ueno Station few days earlier. That is to guarantee that we have reserved our seats on the train and need to worry about sitting with strangers. Without the Tokyo Rail Pass, You would have to pay <b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">¥</span>8510</b> for one way up to Takayama from Tokyo and for only one person. So, don't forget to purchase your <a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/04/japan-trip-2012-preperation-overview.html" target="_blank">Japan Rail Pass</a>.<br />
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We woke up very early in the morning to catch the train to Tokyo Station. There, we waited for our <b>Hikari Shinkansen</b> which departs at <b>6:26am</b>. As a manga-maniac Fann is, she always wanted to buy those train food and eat them inside the train. So, we bought ourselves some breakfast at the nearby platform shop and quickly boarded the bullet train. We were so excited and we weren't aware that we acting like a couple of Sam Pa Lao who is constantly taking pictures of the train, the food, the signages and everyone around us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mt. Fuji from the Shinkansen window</span></div>
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As the train departed, our stomachs were calling and we decided to settle down in our seats and eat our breakfast. Fann was extremely excited about her sushi set, it looked pretty delicious, until the first bite. She spitted it out. She said hers tasted yucky and it was a vegetarian set. I then shared my portion of my breakfast with her as we eat and enjoyed the beautiful sunrise through the window. As the sun had risen, we started to see the magnificent snow capped Mount Fuji from our window. The tallest mountain in Japan, this cultural icon captured our eyes. According to UNESCO, Mount Fuji has “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries”. Well, it sure deserves to be an icon and no doubt about that.<br />
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By 8:20am, we had already reached Nagoya. We quickly moved our bags and searched for the platform to board our next train to Takayama. If you want to travel fast like us, don't forget to get your train tickets beforehand at any of the major train stations. From Nagoya, we took the<b> Ltd. Express Hida 3</b> at 8:43am and this journey will take another 132 minutes. Fortunately, this train also was covered by our Japan Rail Pass.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Countryside in Japan</span></div>
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The scenery during this trip was similarly wonderful and we could feel that we were getting closer to Takayama as I started to see snow. I was so excited and fortunately Fann forced me to wear my jacket before I forget and catch a cold once the train stops. As the train reaches Takayama, we rushed out of the station. The place was covered with SNOW!!!! How wonderful and I could sense that it's going to be a wonderful Christmas.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Takayama</span></div>
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Without further ado, we quickly ran to the bus station just right outside the train station. We bought our bus tickets that will be driving us up to Shirakawa-Go. The tickets cost <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">¥</span>4300/person to and fro Shirakawa-Go. As the bus arrives, we quickly boarded and couldn't believe our dream was coming true. It was already quite cold and we couldn't imagine how low the temperature will be when we go up to Shirakawa.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">View of the handsome mountain and the long bridge leading to the village</span></div>
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As we went uphill to Shirakawa, the little village houses starts to pop out one by one. As we got down from the bus, The mountain behind Shirakawa-Go was so handsome. It felt so surreal. In order to get to the village, we had to first pass a long bridge. We had to be really careful as it was freezing cold and there were ice on the bridge as well. After crossing the bridge, we had to find out where our homestay house was situated. We stayed in this ryokan called Magoemon. Thank God it was quite close to the bridge and we could quickly leave our luggage there and continued exploring this winter wonderland. As we found our stay, we knocked on the door and was greeted by a friendly old Popo which we couldn't understand and had to only use our smiles and nods to acknowledge whatever was said by her. Fortunately, she seemed to know a little bit of English and told us to be back for dinner and not to run off too late.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The main road in the village</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lamp or shower?</span></div>
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The houses in Shirakawa-Go are famously known for it's architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri. Gassho-zukuri means "<i>constructed like hands in prayer</i>", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.<br />
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The place seems rather quiet, until there were buses of tourists crowding the place. There was this stretch of main road in the village and it looked as if it led to nowhere. Covered in snow, the road with it's houses at the side makes it looks so photogenic and tempted us to just walk along it. Suddenly, we saw a crowd of people waiting at this shop. We walked over and noticed that there is a small shuttle that takes people to a viewing point. We were so excited and check for the schedule. Fortunately, there was one last bus left, so we quickly queued up in the freezing cold and hope that we were allowed into the last bus. Well, we did and the view point looked absolutely amazing (First picture in this post).<br />
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I'll leave you guys with some of the photos I took and shall continue with more in the next post. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> I wonder who left these footprints? Hehe... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Little hunched back snowman</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Private property, Thou shall not trespass</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Perfect example of a house that has an architectural style known as Gasshō-zukuri</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Entire padi field covered with snow</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A mini bridge for the longkang</span></div>
<br />Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Shirakawa, Ono District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan36.2708062 136.8984782999999735.860935700000006 136.25303129999998 36.6806767 137.54392529999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-26109026162438924542013-07-14T17:07:00.003+08:002013-11-11T14:50:52.098+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Comiket 83<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Queuing is part of Japanese life which is a definite contrast to Malaysians. The Japanese people queues up in a very orderly fashion and even when the line starts moving. While Malaysians tend to jump queue whenever it's possible or squeeze their way through at any cost. Therefore, on this faithful day at<b> 30th December 2012</b>, we managed to slot in a special visit that was initially not in our schedule just to experience the "ultimate queues of nerds". <b>Comiket</b> is the world's largest dōjinshi fair. Attendances can go up to over half a million and this fact pretty scared the pants outta me. It's held twice annually. Once in Summer (known as NatsuComi) and another is winter (known as FuyuComi). It's a 3 days event and we decided to go for Day 2. Unlike the American's Comicon, Comiket doesn't require any entry passes or tickets. Everyone is welcome.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">There! Far away in the background, is Tokyo Big Sight!</span></div>
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It's held at the <b>Tokyo International Exhibition Centre</b>, or more commonly known as <b>Tokyo Big Sight</b>. We started early in the morning and headed down to Odaiba to meet up with Hazmer. He was going to be our special guide on this fun day. Upon reaching the station, we already saw tons of people and we knew we were heading the right way.<br />
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We walked with the crowd, not knowing anything and tried to find the Lawson store where we'll wait for Hazmer to come. Once we were there, everyone was so excited and there were megaphones blasting in Japanese and we had no idea what they were talking about. When Hazmer came, he asked us where our snacks were? We told him we didn't have anything prepared but already had breakfast. He suggested us to get some before heading into the crowd. It was going to be a long day and who knows how long the queue was going to be like. The Lawson had nothing much left, so we grabbed a buns and we started our journey. To no one's amazement, there was a lot of walking involved.<br />
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Thanks to Hazmer, he led us to another entrance. If I'm not mistaken, there seems to be 2 entrances. So that the starting points were different. This way, they could divert the crowd, so that they would be separated into prioritizing what they wanted to see first. As we reached our queueing station at the West Gate, the rain began to pour heavily. We could see that everyone else were filled with smiles and excitement despite the horrible rain and crazy cold wind. Everyone took out their umbrellas, and what was amazing ias that I saw some people would share their umbrellas with others who didn't had any. (Hazmer was one of them who shared his umbrella with another stranger dude)<br />
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During the wait, Fann felt some butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't feeling well way before our Japan trip. Suddenly, she barfed on the ground. Everyone around us was shocked. I quickly grabbed some tissue form her bag and helped her to clean up. Hazmer help us to hold our umbrellas. Again, some Japanese around us offered help as well. Some handed us more tissue papers and some even gave her some medicine. It was really touching. Even in this cold rain, we could felt the warmth around us. That made her feel much better. I told her that we could leave and head back to rest, but she was determined to finish the journey. The 'Semangat'-ness she had for comics was admirabe.<br />
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After around 2 hours of wait, the queue began to move. We were so excited. It took us another 15 minutes to slowly walk into the convention center. I thought to myself, 'in about 15 minutes, I will be able to see some sexy comic book drawings and hot cosplayers. Finally, we could see them! Well, not the hot chicks, they were all dressed in winter wear, but all the booths! The inside of the center! Tables and posters, comics and chatter, megaphones and more queues! It felt like we were really in Anime land. There were anime characters walking about, looking at their favourite booths. Fann had this knack for One Piece stuff, we followed her behind as she browsed quickly through the booths while Hazmer explains to us how the booths are categorized, so that everyone can get the amount of exposure they came here for.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Queue - Girl holding a sign that says this is end of the line. If this was in Malaysia, she'd be lost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Group queues for a certain dōjinshi's work. I'm guessing it's Shojo comics or YAOI?? hehe...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Look! It's Pakkun and Kakashi!</span></div>
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Comiket was divided into different sections. So if you're there, you have to know what you want to see and where it's being held. If you are a newbie, with no knowledge whatsoever about it, like us, then you will be totally lost inside. What I can remember is that, it's divided into corporate sections and dōjinshi sections. We started ours at the West gate, that's where the dōjinshi are.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not ants, HUMANS~~~!</span></div>
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We browsed around and took photos of the place. After Fann made a purchased from the One Piece booths, we headed East to see the Cosplayers! Again, the queue never ended. It felt like a massive meat fest. Due to the rain, most of the cosplayers were moved indoors, therefore making the lightings to most of our shots, dark and crowded. <br />
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The crowd at the cosplayer's area was even more massive. It was mind-boggling. Hazmer had to sit at the corner and wait for us as we take turns with all the Japanese nerds and uncles pointing their cameras and shooting away. We had to steal some shots from behind because of the language barrier of asking the models to pose. Well, we didn't get to see ALL or shoot all of them. There were just too freaking many of them. We just went around and shot what we thought was special or already known to us. Fann said she couldn't find any One Piece cosplayers. But we found Jesus!<br />
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After getting some shots of the cosplayers, we had to leave for lunch. Our stomachs were rumbling. On the way, we saw there was a huge booth outside. Hazmer told us that these were postal services that helped the buyers to send all their stuff back home. So that they won't have to carry all those toys, comics and games back on the train. It was quite an experience and asked if I would go again? Definitely YES! I would wanna see some hot sexy chicks in the summer Comiket. But I heard it was going to be really hot, and yes I mean literally HOT due to summer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My yummy lunch! It came with one broccoli :D</span></div>
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We ended our journey with a tasty lunch. Western food but presented in a Japanese way. It was costly (I mean it's Japan, everything is costly) but it was delicious. After the horrendous queues and wait, we had to reward ourselves. Here's some of the cosplayers :<br />
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Assassin's Creed</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ronald Mcdonald</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> The cutest cosplayer we saw that day</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Tiger and Bunny</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jesus! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A newscaster!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">FFF Inquisition from "Baka to Test"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cat Family? I don't know. I really don't</span></div>
Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com2Tokyo Big Sight, 3丁目-11 Ariake, Koto, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan35.6299028 139.793934410.107868300000003 98.485340400000013 61.1519373 -178.89747160000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-53435930532117098172013-05-26T23:26:00.001+08:002013-11-11T14:51:14.369+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - The Emperor's Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Japan, is one unique nation that best represents the fusion of both traditional and modern elements in their lifestyle. Despite Japan being an extremely high tech country, there's always a little something that is never too far away from their roots and culture. On the 23rd of December, I was right there at the Imperial Palace witnessing the very best of the Japanese people's patriotism and national pride. It was not only a national holiday, it was the Emperor's Birthday.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Imperial Palace</span></div>
We made this a compulsory pit stop in our itinerary because this only happens once a year and what also makes us so eager to visit the Imperial Palace during this time is that it (namely the buildings and inner gardens) is generally off limits to the public. Only during the Emperor's Birthday and during the 2nd day of the New Year is the palace open to the public. During his Majesty's birthday, He will be giving short speeches in 3 time slots in the morning. The first appearance is around 10:20 a.m. followed by a second appearance at around 11:00 a.m and lastly the third appearance which is around 11:40 a.m. <br />
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We woke up very early because we heard that it would be very crowded and we hoped that we could see the emperor at his first appearance. So, we hopped on the JR Yamanote Line and within a few stations, we reached Tokyo Station. The Imperial Palace is just a 10 minutes walk away from Tokyo Station.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marunouchi frontage, Tokyo Station</span></div>
As we walked out of the station, I was amazed by it's beautiful structure. Tokyo station is constructed in distinctive Europeon styled red bricks. It was built back in 1914 and it looks exactly like those vintage train stations. The iconic Tokyo Station building includes new commercial facilities such as the high-end Daimaru Department Store and the Tokyo Station Hotel. In fact, this station attracts more than 1.1 million passengers daily and is also one of the most busiest stations in Eastern Tokyo with over 3000 trains per day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Taxis crowding the main entrance of Tokyo Station</span></div>
While we were exiting the station, barracades awaited us as it leads us to the direction of the Imperial Palace. If you lost your map on the way, you don't have to worry because you can see that most of the crowd is heading towards the palace's direction. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Give Give Give</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Policewoman Remind Remind Remind</span></div>
We were really excited as we were walking together with the crowd. Although I couldn't understand what the Japanese around were talking about, but I could sense that they were feeling rather delighted. As we walked nearer to the palace, there were a line of happy and jumpy Japanese, giving out the Japanese Flag. As we walked further, there were policemen constantly reminding people to be at the Imperial Palace on time for the next appearance and to enter the Imperial Palace Grounds in lines.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Check Check Check</span></div>
Upon reaching the Nijubashi main gate, there were police checkpoints. The police has to check all of our bags and camera equipment. Water wasn't allowed into the Imperial Palace and so are dangerous objects like knives, DUH~. Japan is well known for their patience while queing and waitng, and this was just another queing day for them. Everyone was so well behaved and there were no one cutting queues and everyone was really patient despite that the time for the Emperor's appearance was getting near.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Walk Walk Walk</span></div>
After it my turn for inspection was done, I thought that we were almost reaching the Chōwaden Reception Hall. Well, we still had to walk and walk and walk and walk. It felt like 30 minutes had gone, I wasn't sure. The palace grounds was extremely huge. We passed by bridges and guards, we passed by gates and more roads. It was like a never ending journey of the yellow brick road.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wait Wait Wait</span></div>
Finally, we reached the hall. It was packed with lots and lots of people. Fann and I tried to squeeze and find a good spot where we could at least take a glimpse of the Emperor when he gives his speech on the balcony. I was pretty amazed by how much this hall could fit so many people and there were people of all ages and ethnicities. There were also those who dressed in suits and ready to greet their beloved Emperor.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wave Wave Wave </span></div>
After waiting for a few minutes (actually is about 15mins according to Fann), everyone started to cheer. There I saw the Emperor himself followed by the Empress and their family. Everyone started to wave their flags and all I heard was Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! It felt like I'm watching a WW2 video documentary. It was extremely breathtaking.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino.</span></div>
There the Emperor stood at the balcony and everyone became quiet as he started his speech. Although that is not the monarch of my own country, the atmosphere felt very touching and what amazes me was that the Japanese people's love and respect towards their Emperor was beyond words of description. They had the same respect as what the Thai people has towards their King. As the Emperor ceases his speech, everyone started to wave their flags and shouted Banzai again. This time, you get to see the Imperial Family waving back to the crowd. I felt rather awkward for not following the crowd and waving the flag, but then again it felt awkward too if I waved that flag. I was of mixed emotions.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Leave Leave Leave</span></div>
After the Emperor and his family left the balcony, we were all instructd to follow the crowd and leave the Hall, so that they could get ready for His Majesty's last appearance. Everyone was pretty obedient and none were blocking the path after being instructed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Little guy with his dad after seeing the Emperor</span></div>
This was a very special highlight of our trip. Although we only got to see the Emperor for a couple of minutes, it was quite a meaningful one for me. I saw many things during this short morning. I saw how much the Japanese loved and respected their Emperor, despite the cold weather. I saw how considerate they are during a crowded event like this, no one was pushing. I also saw that there were people of all ages that came to pay respect. It was truly an amazing experience for me and B. After taking a couple of silly photos in the compounds of the palace, we headed back to Tokyo Station and traveled to our next destination. Here are some more photos during the morning. Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Old uncle waiting for the Emperor with the rest of the crowd</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aunties checking out my camera or the sign above?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Artist sketching the Tokyo Station with only a pencil</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Ang Moh family gathers in the palace</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> One of the moats surrounding the Imperial Palace</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Traditional costumes</span></div>
Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com2Imperial Palace, 1 Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-8111, Japan35.6853264 139.753099710.1632919 98.444505700000008 61.2073609 -178.93830630000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-70921130456120696262013-04-17T11:45:00.002+08:002013-11-29T14:54:36.665+08:00Japan Trip 2012 - Preperation & Overview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All prepared in Japanese Mode</div>
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Finally, I'm able to start writing about my most awaited Japan Trip. This will be my 2nd time to Japan and also 2nd time back to Tokyo. This was my longest vacation so far traveling with B. 2012 has been a great traveling year for me. I've been to quite a number of places for that year and it really gives me so much joy. For this year only, I've traveled to Chiang Mai, Bali, Singapore and Japan. Also, for all these places I've been, I've traveled on Air Asia. Damn!<br />
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Anyways, our Japan trip lasted 18 days in total and it started on the 20th of December. Our plan was to spend Christmas and directly extend it to the welcome the new year there as well. This Japan trip was actually not planned and was a fortunate accident. On a winter's night of 2011, we were taking our chances to buy tickets to Bali during the Air Asia Big Sale. We had 2 computers running simultaneously in order to get pass the queuing zone when midnight struck. After a freaking hour, we managed to get into the payment section of our Bali Booking, only to find out that my bank transaction has been closed down after midnight and will only operate in the early morning of 5am.<br />
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So, we woke up at the early hours of 5am and managed to get our Bali tickets booked. After being so excited that we've booked our Bali tickets, our itchy little hands tried checking out Tokyo's ticket price. We were so shocked to find out that it's so freaking cheap. After adding up luggages and meals, one person only costed RM700 to and fro. It was a miracle and we 'accidentally' purchased the ticket and didn't know that we'll be in Japan for a mere 18 days.<br />
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From then onwards, we have been doing researches on the internet and books on what to see and where to travel in Japan. After months of research, it felt like we're already there and can remember most of the city's main railway station names. Fann was the one who was most excited as she went on days and months talking about the trip and even had our itineraries HTML-ed for easy reference.<br />
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The sky is casted with the setting sun's warm rays</div>
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For those who are uncertain, traveling to Japan requires a passport, a Japanese visa and lots of cash (I do mean A LOT). Although credit cards are widely acceptable around Japan, it is advisable to use cash because of the exchange rate and also because most hostels and restaurants only accept cash. The Japanese visa can be obtained at the Embassy of Japan located at <i>Persiaran Stonor, Jalan Tun Razak</i>. Please check what things require preparation before going to the embassy to assure a smoother and faster process of your visa. All the details and info needed can be found <a href="http://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/English/visit.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Just remember to fill in the forms accordingly and don't be an ass while you're inside the embassy. The visa is free unless you have the travel agent do it for you for a small fee. Don't be alarmed when they ask for your certified bank statement, because it shows that if you are able to financially support yourself while you are there because everything in Japan costs.<br />
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Last but not least, please learn some Japanese before heading over there yourself. It would be quite difficult for you to communicate with the locals because they don't seem to handle English very well. If you are able to read and understand Chinese characters, then that would help greatly as well. Many of the shops and train stations uses Kanji (Chinese Characters for the Chinese).<br />
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Our trip to Japan this time, will mostly cover Tokyo. However, we also travelled to a few places like Karuizawa, Yokohama, Shirakawa-go and Kawasaki. That means we got the chance to ride on the Shinkansen. As tourists, we are able to purchase this thing called the JR Pass. Which allows us to travel in most of the trains under the JR company within a certain period, which includes the Shinkansens. We purchased the 7-day pass at <b>¥28300</b>. So, only purchase this if you're going to use the Shinkansens at least twice to get back what's worth.<br />
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To get your JR Pass, here's some simple steps to follow:<br />
1. Get your Japan Visa approved and prepared<br />
2. Bring along your passport that has your visa<br />
3. Head on down to the JAL office (Sepang) or the JTB office at Jalan Imbi.<br />
4. Prepare Malaysian ringgit, because they do not accept Japanese Yen.<br />
5. Once you have reached Japan, use your receipt and exchange it for the actual pass.<br />
6. Enjoy your pass (and DO NOT LOSE IT, there are no substitions)<br />
* We traveled to Shirakawa-Go using this pass, you can read more about it here <i>(<a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/09/japan-trip-2012-shirakawa-go-part-1.html">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/09/japan-trip-2012-shirakawa-go-part-1.html</a>)</i><br />
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After everything was set, hotels and hostels were booked. It's time to roll. Flight to Japan via Airasia is a rather hectic experience. Not only was the flight long, the seats were pretty cramped. Another thing is that there's only one schedule for it to go Tokyo and reaches the destination at a extremely late hour. The only good thing about it, is it's a direct flight and it's really cheap.<br />
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Fortunately, there were no crying kids on board the flight and I was able to get some rest. Here's a view of Tokyo before we touched down at the Haneda International Airport. A scene full of sparkly lights and dark ants moving about. Welcome to Tokyo!<br />
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Upon reaching rather late into the hour, there are some set backs. The most annoying one is that most hostels in Tokyo has a curfew and there are no late check-ins after around 11pm. Therefore, we had to settle in a small hotel near to Haneda Airport located in Kamata. The hotel was called MyStays Inn Kamata Hotel. The place was pretty good but rather small. Well, most hotels in Japan are small.<br />
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Here are some of the posts:<br />
1. Comiket 83<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (<i><a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/07/japan-trip-2012-comiket-83.html">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/07/japan-trip-2012-comiket-83.html</a></i>)</span><br />
2. Emperor's Birthday <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<i><a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/05/japan-trip-2012-emperors-birthday.html">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/05/japan-trip-2012-emperors-birthday.html</a></i>)</span><br />
3. Shirakawa-go (<a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/09/japan-trip-2012-shirakawa-go-part-1.html"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/09/japan-trip-2012-shirakawa-go-part-1.html</span></i></a>)<br />
4. Karuizawa (<a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/10/japan-trip-2012-karuizawa.html"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/10/japan-trip-2012-karuizawa.html</span></i></a>)<br />
5. Doraemon Museum (<a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-doraemon-museum.html"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-doraemon-museum.html</span></i></a>)<br />
6. Tsukiji Market (<span style="color: #0000ee; font-size: x-small;"><i><u><a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-tsukiji-market-sushi.html">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-tsukiji-market-sushi.html</a></u></i></span>)<br />
6. Odaiba (<a href="http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-odaiba.html"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://reubenteo.blogspot.com/2013/11/japan-trip-2012-odaiba.html</span></i></a>)Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com3Tokyo, Japan35.6894875 139.6917063999999321.7018745 119.03740939999993 49.677100499999995 160.34600339999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-21535745519219248852013-03-06T16:11:00.002+08:002013-03-06T16:18:15.222+08:00Our Save the Date Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know many of you have been asking us this question for a really long time. Alas! We have a date! The big day is fast approaching and we can hardly wait. We want you to celebrate with us, So watch this video and be sure to save the date! Don't forget to help us to spread the word! Cheers
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="309" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/60941560" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="550"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/60941560">Reuben & Fann's Save The Date</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/designbar">Design Bar Studio</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</center>
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Visit <a href="http://www.reubenplusfann.com" target="_blank">http://www.reubenplusfann.com</a> for more infoReubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.139003 101.686854999999922.885326 101.36413149999993 3.3926800000000004 102.00957849999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-41254032449823039142013-03-01T13:47:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:52:44.264+08:00Trip to Bali - Kuta Town & Pampering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After two days of intense touring around the island of Bali and getting all our butts numb on the bumpy rides in the van, it's finally time to pamper ourselves and go walk around afoot. As our hotel is situated right in Kuta, it was best that we walk to the nearest Kuta Town to explore and see what's hidden inside.<br />
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Walking in Bali is extremely hot. The heat burns your skin and applying enough suntan lotion helps keep you from turning into a hot potato. After walking for just about 10 minutes, it felt like we've been under the sun for 6 hours. It was crazy. We ran into the Discovery Mall nearby only to find that their air-conditioner wasn't really helping as well. Don't forget to bring an umbrella along, it helps A LOT!<br />
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Enough about the heat, let's talk about Kuta. Kuta is famous for it's sandy beaches and also to the infamous Bali Bombing attacks back in 2005. It is situated in the southern part of the Balinese island and the town is very near to the International Airport. Kuta is the center of an extensive tourist-oriented urban area that merges into the neighbouring towns. There are lots of hotels and restaurants here. Mostly ang mo people here as well.<br />
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A trip to Bali is not complete without pampering yourself nicely with the famous Bali massage. Bali is famous for their traditional massage. However, prices vary very much here. Ranging from a IDR100,000 to IDR500,000. Well, that's what our first thing to do when we land on Kuta Town. To find a nice and cozy place to have a massage.<br />
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We checked out this shop called Sole Pantai Kuta. It looked pretty decent and the staff were quite friendly too. It's easy to spot because their reception is placed outside of the shop with a huge hanging sign of their services. Overall, their massage was pretty good. The aunty that helped me loosen my back was absolutely fantastic. The strength from her magic hands are just fine and after an hour of massage, I felt like a new person. Only then, we can continue to walk around this terrifying hot weather.<br />
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Our next stop was to lunch. We came across the famous restaurant called Made Warung. If you're looking for delicious and affordable eats, then this is your place. A very Balinese warung with a taste of Balinese heaven. Reviews of this place is great as you can find out on the internet. The interior of the restaurant is very unique and has that extremely Balinese feel to it. They also have a lot of vintage photos decorated around the walls. It felt pretty comfy.<br />
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They are famous for the nasi kandar with pork satay but, we ordered our favourite fried rice with beef and chicken porridge instead. Also, with a delicious can of Coke to cool down. The portion was quite big and Fann couldn't finish her porridge too. The food was pretty good and even on a hot day, it tasted quite good.<br />
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Fann wanted to purchase some Bali clothes and shoes and girly stuff. So, we walked around to explore ourselves. Turns out that Kuta square is scattered with boutique shops and massage parlours. Each and everyone of them basically sells almost the same things but it's not harmful to walk in and try your luck with your bargaining skills.<br />
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Fann tried out her skills at this shoe store in Kuta and managed to get a nice pair of red flats at a very cheap price. The owner knows we are Malaysians and gave us a friendlier discount compared to the caucasians who walked in with us. Shhh.. We quickly left after paying the shop keeper. She bought some clothes and I bought some magnets back for my fridge. There were many surfing gear and apparel shops around. Not to mention a lot of Billabong shops too. Due to the heat, we really couldn't stand it. We finally took a cab back to our hotel and rested for a while.<br />
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After chilling out at the hotel, Fann suggested that we head to the beach behind our hotel to watch the beautiful sunset. The beach was only about a 5 minute walk away. This beach was next to the Holiday Inn hotel and the beach was in pretty bad shape. It seems like trash has found it's way here and awfully polluted the sand. My feet hurts when walking on the garbage sand. I was pretty disappointed.<br />
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However, upon walking a few metres away towards the west and the direction of the airport, the sand was much cleaner and softer. We found ourselves a good spot and chilled on the sand. The sea was calm and it was a fantastic place to rest and enjoy the view. We saw many parents coming over to the beach with their kids to enjoy the sunset and I thought that it was such a great way to spend time with your family. In the city, you don't normally do that, unless you're on vacation. It felt rather pleasing.<br />
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As the sun sets, the beach turned into heaven. It was one of the most romantic sunsets I've seen so far. Spending the last hours of the day with your partner in this kind of setting is just absolute Perfection! Our days in Bali were amazing. Despite the rough sides of the people trying to con us of our money, Bali has the sceneries fit for the Kings. Sandy Beaches, Friendly People, Beautiful Sunsets and Affordable Massages, just what paradise is all about!<br />
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Our last day in Bali ended with more pampering and we tried out the spa at the hotel. It costed us about IDR450,000 for a couple and it was absolutely amazing. After our 1.5 hours of massage, they gave us a nice tub for a flower bath. Absolutely heavenly.<br />
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I will definitely come back to Bali again some day. It's one of my favourite destinations to chill for a vacation. It's a very different expérience for me and a great way to escape from the big city. Thanks Boby for driving us around and showing us most of Bali's famous sights. Good bye!<br />
<br />Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com1Kuta 80361, Indonesia-8.725477999999999 115.17793899999992-8.9765954999999984 114.85521549999993 -8.4743605 115.50066249999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-11874093140676873682013-02-19T13:58:00.001+08:002013-11-11T14:52:53.949+08:00Trip to Bali - Padang-Padang Beach and Uluwatu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are a huge number of beaches on the island of Bali, but one of my most favourite is the Padang-Padang Beach. Sounds familiar? Well, that's the beach where Julia Roberts filmed the famous movie "Eat, Pray, Love". As we were already in the South part of Bali, our tour guide suggested us to visit the beautiful beach of Padang-Padang.<br />
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It's a very small beach but what's unique about this place, is the entrance to this hidden gem. Upon entering the beach, you have to pass through a kind of limestone cave inlet that is rather narrow and stairs that is downwards that lead to the beach itself. Makes you feel like a tomb raider, plus the ang moh tourists.<br />
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Once you have entered the beach, you will be awestruck by it's beauty, it's white sandy beach and the turquoise waters. Despite all the tourists sunbathing along the beach, the awesome scenery just blows you away. <br />
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The water is crystal clear and by looking down at this angle, I can hardly see any water over our feet. The serene scene of the beach also consists of people sunbathing in the hot sun, kids running around and building sand castles, hot chicks in bikinis and also lots of people holding surf boards ready to get a taste of the beautiful waves.<br />
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We didn't stayed very long at the beach because we weren't properly dressed for it. The heat was so strong that I could feel heat coming out from my camera. If we could come by next time, I'd choose a time that's close to sunset, so that I can enjoy the beach without burning my skin. Thanks to the beautiful scenery and the number of shots I took here, at least I didn't feel like it was such a loss.<br />
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As we walked up the limestone pathway out of the beach, Boby, our tour guide picked us up and we headed further south to the cliffs of the famous Uluwatu Temple. We had to move out to the cliffs as soon as possible in order not to miss the beautiful sunset that is going to happen at Uluwatu.<br />
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<b>Uluwatu Temple</b> is one of Bali's nine key directional temples that protects the sacred island from evil spirits. The temple is famous for it's wild monkeys, where they'd attack tourists and might also steal their valuables. As we approached the temple, our guide warned us to keep our spectacles and earrings inside our bags and away from the monkey's sight.<br />
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What makes this place so special to me, is the magnificent cliff. As a person who is afraid of heights, I have never in my life stepped so close to a cliff facing a gigantic ocean and enjoying the sunny breeze and sounds of the ocean. Fann & I chatted away as we enjoyed the scenery and waited for the sun to set.<br />
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However, after packing all our photography gear, we quickly walked back to where the van was waiting for us. The sky was getting really dark. While strolling back, we came across a group of monkeys passing by. I told Fann, let's walk slowly and not make a sound, because it was kinda scary after what we read about the monkeys being violent. Suddenly, there was a loud crack sound! I seemed to have stepped on some trash. Suddenly the group of monkeys stop and started to argue amongst themselves and they started chasing each other around. We got terrified as they were running towards our direction. My only reaction was OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! They were biting each other's heads and punching like a group of bullies. Luckily the ran pass us and didn't touch us at all. After the scene, we quickly ran to our van and was so reliefed. Phew~<br />
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Anyways, I'll leave you guys with some photos of Uluwatu that I took. Enjoy!<br />
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Our day ended with this awesome view from the cliffs of the Uluwatu Temple. Thank you Boby for bringing us here and my beloved Fann for accompanying me to wait for this moment. Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com2Pecatu, Kuta 80361, Indonesia-8.8158765986676162 115.09710329052734-8.8472595986676161 115.05676279052734 -8.7844935986676163 115.13744379052734tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-65841126771745217382012-12-08T17:29:00.001+08:002013-11-11T14:53:04.728+08:00Trip to Bali - Tanah Lot & Garuda Wisnu Kencana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a good night sleep, we got to wake up slightly later in the morning because today's schedule was not as packed as the day before. After Fann & I grabbed our breakfast at the lobby restaurant, we waited for Boby to come fetch us to continue our photography journey. Our next destination was the famous Tanah Lot.<br />
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The Pura Tanah Lot is the most famous temple and iconic structures off the shores of Bali. It is a sacred temple that sits on a large offshore rock, hence the name Tanah which means 'Earth' and Lot which means 'Sea'. The huge rock formation has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide. </div>
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According to most of the sources I found online, Tanah Lot is famous for it's sunset view. That is why before we decided to come here, we were arguing in the car whether to come to Tanah Lot for the sunset photography session of the Cliffs at Uluwatu. But in the end, we decided to go to Tanah Lot during the day. One of the reasons was that I was concerned of the tides and the amount of the crowds there. As most of us know, that it takes patience and time to shoot sunset and as this was my first time to Bali, I decided to get my sunset shot at Uluwatu, where I don't have to worry about the ocean waves which would have made out equipments wet. But rest assured, I will come back to Tanah Lot for a sunset shot. </div>
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Anyways, as we reached the place, it was as usual, extremely crowded. Tons of Chinese and Taiwanese were hogging the rocks trying to get a glimpse of the temple that looks like it's floating on the ocean. The waves that day was very high and powerful. Fann & I tried to risk everything to get a good shot of the temple. We found a huge enough rock and set up. Right after I finished my settings, a huge wave came towards me, I pulled Fann away quickly so that she could avoid the water. Unfortunately, I couldn't save my feet and it got my shoes all wet. Thankfully, Fann and her gang of cameras were fine. After the wave was gone, I quickly took the shots and raced back nearer to the coast.</div>
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After that, we tried to find other spots that had a different view of the temple. It was quite difficult to move about because of the amount of tourists that were there. It was like a rave party with digital cameras and popping built-in flashes. We managed to climb to a higher rock where the Tanah Lot Temple stood in the lower front of our view. Despite all the tourists posing with their lame gestures, the view was spectacular. We managed to capture some shots of it from here. </div>
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After that, we walked a little further down the right. There was another temple called <b>Enjung Galuh Temple</b>. It is a temple that is located on above of coral island which is sordid to middle of the ocean. Upon reaching the temple, there is a spot whereby you can view Tanah Lot Temple at another beautiful angle. Also, we could also view the beautiful Batu Bolong Temple. The temple was located on a rock that stick out to the ocean and had a huge hole (as you can see in the image). The view was spectacular.<br />
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After visiting the temples there, we went over to the market place that was nearby and the things sold there were similar to all the other markets around the tourists spots. However, the market here in Tanah Lot was simply much more cheaper and the people here were friendlier as well. We made a couple of purchases of souvenirs here as well. </div>
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On the way to our next destination, we came across some beautiful padi fields. The place looked similar to Sekinchan. Too bad the time wasn't right for harvest yet, therefore all the crops were still pretty short. We got down from the car only to find the cutest thing I've ever seen on a padi field.<br />
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A group of ducks were waddling around the padi fields. The Balinese word for ducks is 'Bebek'. Boby told us because it sounded like the the duck's quack, hence the name. These bebeks were running around the fields feeding themselves with worms I'm guessing. There were white and brown ones. Never have I seen so many ducks in a padi field before.<br />
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As we continued our journey down South, we reached our next destination called the Garuda Wisnu Kencana. It is a 240 hectares cultural park. It is situated 15 minutes from the Denpasar International Airport. With Uluwatu to the west and Nusa Dua to the east. The entrance fee was IDR50,000.<br />
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The place is devoted to the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu and his mount, Garuda. The cultural park is huge and we had to walk quite a certain distance to reach the massive Vishnu statue. It is designed and built by Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s foremost modern sculptor, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue or GWK and its pedestal building will be standing 150 meters tall with its wings span 64 meters across. At the moment, we can see a partially built Vishnu statue without arms which is about 23 metres high. Upon completion, it will become the world's largest statue.<br />
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Right behind the Plaza Wisnu is the Plaza Garuda where the 18 meters tall statue of Garuda placed temporarily. The Garuda statue now overlooks a huge open space area called the Lotus Pond. The space is surrounded by colossal limestone pillars and is big enough to house about 7000 people. Also, that's where Iron Maiden held their massive sold out concert last year. Pretty amazing huh?<br />
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The weather was extremely hot that day. Our heads were roasting under the sun and there were no trees around. The only shade we could get were the giant stones standing around the area. <br />
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To be honest, I felt that the Garuda Wisnu Kencana was a pretty boring place. Not until the place is fully completed, I won't be coming back here again. I'm guessing, it may be the heat that day as well. Fann & I took a couple of silly shots there and quickly headed back to the van where Boby was waiting for us. Here's some extra shots:<br />
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Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-36986889509992318542012-11-19T13:24:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:53:14.331+08:00Trip to Bali - Kintamani & Besakih Temple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful Mt Batur at Kintamani</span></div>
Continuing our journey up north, this coming destination is also one of the most beautiful in Bali. Roughly about 2 hours drive from Kuta, you will reach this spot called Kintamani, which is famous for Bali's volcanoes. It is a highland area in the north of East Bali.<br />
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Well, because Kintamani is high in the mountains, the temperature is usually about 15 degrees cooler than down on the coast. We were there during the evening and besides the comfortable temperature, the panoramic view of the <b>Mount Batur</b> and <b>Lake Batur</b> was absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Mt Batur is roughly about 1.7km in height and it's also interesting to note that it is <b>still active</b> and new eruptions have even surprised backpackers who were climbing to the summit. An interesting thing we saw in Mt Batur, was that there was an island of greens on the left side of the volcano (you can see it in the first photo we took). Seems like the little village is safe from the previous eruptions. Lake Batur is Bali's largest crater lake. A smaller stratovolcano juts out of the water approx 700m away and frequently reminds the local villages that they are situated on top of a geological time bomb.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Panoramic view of Gunung Batur and Danau Batur</span></div>
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Apart from those horrific things I've just mentioned, the unspoiled countryside and dynamic volcano ambiance sets Kintamani apart turning an ordinary island adventure into the extraordinary. The cool air there really helped a lot in conjunction with the constant hot weather during the entire day trip. According to Fann, when she came here previously with her family, they had lunch with a magnificent view of Mt Batur. Unfortunately, her seat was indoors and she can't really remember what happened during her previous Bali trip. Without doubt, this was one of the most beautiful sceneries I've seen so far in my life.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Besakih Temple</span></div>
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After snapping a couple of shots at Kintamani, Boby took us higher up to another spot nearer to another volcano called <b>Gunung Agung</b>. From Kintamani, you can actually see part of Mt Agung. The Balinese believe that Mt Agung is a replica of <b>Mt Meru</b>, a sacred and very important mountain in Hinduism. It is also believed that Mt Meru is the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. However, we were not there to climb the summit nor are we there to see Mt Agung. We were heading to the Mother Temple of Bali, called the <b>Besakih Temple</b>. As we got closer, Besakih Temple stood majestically but was rather eerie due to the lack of sunlight blocked by the grey clouds and the sun was also beginning to set. There weren't many tour vans of buses and it felt somewhat awkward.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann & I in our groovy sarungs</span></div>
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There was a problem at Besakih Temple, it was a place full of people preparing to rip you off. All they can think of is just money and will try everything they can to get into your wallets at a very high price. From the entrance, you are required to pay IDR15,000 per person for entrance, IDR5,000 for parking, IDR25,000 for sarung rental, then comes the ultimate thief of all Besakih, the 'donation' of IDR200,000 per person. As we walked up after getting our sarung, the 'guardian' has a stall right before you enter the Besakih Temple. They will greet you with a friendly smile and explain to you. They will tell us how lucky we are to come today because there is a big ceremony going on and we are expected to witness it. Then with all the sweet talk they will ask for a donation and will show you the guestbook whereby all the tourists before us has paid about IDR800,000 to IDR1 million as donation to them. <br />
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Due to my sharp eye for fonts and handwriting, I noticed that those figres have been tampered with and felt rather uneasy. So, I offered a IDR100,000 as donation to them when they started to get rather fussy and aggressive. They saw that my wallet had a RM20 and they asked for it saying that the donation accepts Ringgit as well. I was getting really angry but didn't wanna spoil the entire trip, so I gave them my RM20 and they provided me with an English guide up to the temple.<br />
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Thankfully, the guide was pretty good and fluent in English. He was a nice guy unlike those at the 'cheating station'. The Besakih Temple was a really beautiful place, but one thing I noticed was that the temple was unlike other temples in Bali, it was black in colour. The guide told us that Besakih Temple was built from the black rocks from the Volcanic Mt Agung, therefore it had a dark tint to it. Besakih Temple is situated on the slopes of Mt Agung.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of the beautifully erected pagodas in the inner court</span></div>
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It is also interesting to note that Mt Agung last erupted on 17th March 1963 killing about 17000 people under its pouring lava while others were burnt by searing hot clouds that rolled down the mountain slopes. However, Besakih temple, just 6km from the crater, was hardly damaged. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese as miraculous, and a signal from the Gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected. The guide told us that Besakih Temple is a huge complex made up of 22 temples that sit on parallel ridges. The stepped terraces and flights of stairs ascend to a number of courtyards and brick gateways that in turn lead up to the main spire or Meru structure, which is called Pura Penataran Agung.<br />
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The guide brought us to tour around the temple and he was pretty interested with Fann's Fujifilm Instax camera and asked if that was a new camera. He told us that he was also a photography hobbyist and he has an old polaroid camera at home but it was hard for him to find polaroid films in Bali. So, we somewhat went off topic for a while despite touring the magnificent Mother Temple of Besakih. According to him, the temple has some family temples that are off limit to tourists.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunset at Besakih Temple</span></div>
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As we reached the highest peak of the temple, we waited for the sun to set and took a few beautiful shots of the pagodas around. The view was awesome. After chatting with the guide, he finally took us down back to our van. He asked for a tip after the tour and I gave him some money. His service was very good and was worth another tip of his own.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nasi Goreng Special</span></div>
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We are almost at the end of our 2nd day tour. As we are heading back to our hotel, Boby took us to have dinner at a restaurant he told us that had delicious food. The both of us were already very tired from walking and carrying our equipments. After an hour, we reached the restaurant called <b>Jazz Bar & Grille.</b> We ordered Nasi Goreng special and Gulai Kambing. The food was simply delicious, they had the best nasi goreng I've ever had in my life. It came with few sticks of fat satays and it was so tasty. I will definitely come back to this place again, the next time I visit Bali. The mutton soup was pretty bad ass too. It is rather pricey but I think it's well worth the money.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gulai Kambing (Mutton soup with rice)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our refreshing yummy dessert</span></div>
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After dinner, we headed back to our hotel for a good night's rest. Boby told us that he will coming to fetch us the next day on a later time for us to rest. So, after our bath, we just collapsed on the bed and was pretty exhauseted but excited with the beautiful photos we took.</div>
Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com4Kintamani 80652, Indonesia-8.258058 115.328593-8.3837705 115.1706645 -8.1323455 115.4865215tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-71916007333960737872012-11-19T11:44:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:53:22.901+08:00Trip to Bali - Tegallalang & Pura Tirta Empul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pura Tirta Empul</span></div>
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After filling our tummies with the delicious babi guling at Ibu Oka's, we continued our photography journey. Our next stop was <b>Tegallalang</b>. It is situated to the north of Ubud. It is a market town known for its wood carvings as well as temples and surrounding land terraces planted with rice. While we were there, we passed by a multitude of craft shops. Also, Boby told us he too is a wood carver. Fantastic isn't it? Such a talented driver we had.<br />
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As we approach nearer to Tegallalang, we could see some tourist buses. It wasn't a very crowded spot. Everyone is here to enjoy the magnificent vista of cascading rice terraces. Unfortunately, Bali has not been raining lately and the crops seem to be awfully dry. There were also a stretch of shops along the road opposite the rice terraces. The shop owners will come pestering us to buy something while we are shooting our photos. Well, they are after all making a living, so a courteous 'no' to them is as good and they will be happy to pester the other tourists around.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The farmer uncle</span></div>
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We walked a few steps down the rice fields and we saw an old uncle holding some crops. He was a happy uncle. He stayed and had me shoot some photos of him. After we thanked him, he asked for some money, so we handed him a small tip. At least he didn't forced us to pay, unlike the porters at the Denpasar airport.<br />
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Besides the coconut trees that surround the rice terraces, there were also little huts around. Fann & I walked further down to check out what these huts were. To our amazement, these were huts where you can indulge in a nice meal or a drink while enjoying the beautiful rice fields.<br />
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As we were halfway shooting, a little girl approached us and offered to bring us nearer to the rice terraces with a fee at IDR200,000. As the weather was getting rather hot, I was reluctant at the enormous price tag offered. I smile and said no to the girl, then she offered a half price discount. I continued to say no, while she keeps offering lower and lower prices. As I began to notice that she's actually starting to simply mumble prices at me. Fann & I quickly left the scene. I didn't like to be bothered when I'm taking photos and so I didn't manage to check out the rice fields properly. It distracted me and I also didn't get to shoot any nice angles. But looking on the bright side, I guess that's one good reason to go to Bali again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A worker roasting the coffee beans</span></div>
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Boby told us that he would be taking us to a coffee plantation next. The both of us weren't such a big coffee fan, but since he insisted we go, it wouldn't harm to give it a try. Afterall, it's a coffee plantation, it's gonna be 'as fun as a petting zoo for plants. We came to this place called <b>Bali Pulina Agro Tourism</b>. We were greeted by a nice lady guide at the plantation and she introduced the things around the plantations. According to her, Indonesia is famous for it's <b>Kopi Luwak (Civet Cat Coffee)</b> and this place is one of the plantations for the Luwak. This coffee is also known as the world's most expensive coffee.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kopi Luwak halfway there (Poop Coffee)</span></div>
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The Kopi Luwak is expensive due to it's smelly process. In short, the civet cats will choose the highest grade of coffee beans and eat them. After going through their highly evolved coffee filter intestines, they will poop it out again. The workers will then take the poop and wash it thoroughly (as they have claimed). After that, they will dry the beans and grind them into powder form for us to enjoy. I was skeptical by this kind of mumbo-jumbo. But I kid you not, as our guide asked us to smell the kopi luwak powder, the aroma of<b> the coffee is EXTRAORDINARY</b>! The aromatic coffee smells absolutely heavenly. It's the total opposite of what you would imagine poop coffee would smell like.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our stretch of coffee (Lemon Tea, Ginger Tea, Ginger Coffee, Ginseng Coffee, Cocoa Coffee, Pure Cocoa, Vanilla Coffee, Balinese Coffee) from left to right</span></div>
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After the tour, the guide presented us with a free tasting of all of their coffee products. However, if we wanted to try the kopi luwak, then it came with a humongous price tag of IDR50,000. Well, we didn't try the kopi luwak, because we were short on cash, but we tried the other coffees. I seem to have regretted for not trying the Luwak Coffee. By the way, it came with delicious tapioca chips. Yummy! While we enjoyed large choice of free coffee, we too had a spectacular view of beautiful rice terraces on the right side. It was a fantastic place to taste these coffee. My favourite was the Vanilla Coffee & Pure Cocoa. As I told Fann, the vanilla coffee tasted like Latte, only better. The pure cocoa required some sugar to be added because it's not sweet but smells exactly like chocolate. I loved it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rice terrace view where we enjoyed our coffee</span></div>
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After we finished our coffee, the guide brought us to the shop where they sell all their choices of coffee in powder form. We bought the pure cocoa powder because I thought that it was really special and would love to enjoy it on a rainy afternoon at home. The plantation is a must go for coffee lovers. I wasn't all amazed by it when Boby brought us there, but I was wrong. It's a great experience and I totally enjoyed it. I would recommend everyone to go there once. Please also bring along more cash to enjoy the kopi luwak.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the beautiful Balinese structures with the big pond of fish when entering the complex</span></div>
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Our next stop is the <b>Tirta Empul Temple</b>, or also known as the Temple of the Holy Water. It is located in Tampak Siring, somewhere in the middle between Ubud and Kintamani. This temple is regarded as one of six most important temples in Bali, apart from the usual suspects like Besakih Temple and Luhur Uluwatu Temple. Similar to other Balinese temples, everyone is encouraged to wear a sarung before entering the temple in the form of respect. So, we borrowed ourselves the sarungs from the counter and walked into the temple to enjoy the marvellous architecture.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The main entrance, or kori agung, into the inner courtyard of Tirta Empul.</span></div>
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The temple is set in a serene and tranquil surrounding with green hillocks on one side, trees around the compound and also a pool of spring water. When you enter the complex, there is a Temple in Bali Hindhu design and a big pond of many well tended gold fish. Tirta Empul is divided into 3 courtyards. At the first courtyard is also a pool for public bathing place. There is a total of 30 shrines there, with later ones added by the locals who are responsible for the upkeep of the temple. Like most Balinese temples, an odalan ceremony is performed every 210 days.<br />
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This has got to be one of the most active temples I've seen so far. There were many locals cleansing themselves and there lays 12 fountains pouring the holy spring water into the pool.The waters there are believed to have magic curative powers. Every year people journey from all over Bali to purify themselves in the clear pools. After leaving a small offering to the deity of the spring, men and women go either side to bathe. According to the locals, they believe that bathing here helps to cleans their karmic burden and it's also an anti-dote for black magic.<br />
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Furthermore, the tourists flock to the other side of the pool. Everyone was queuing up to touch the holy water. I think it brings good luck to them. What amazes me in this temple is that it was built in 926 A.D. during the Warmadewa dynasty (from the 10th to 14th centuries), at a site where there was a large water spring. I absolutely adored their architecture.<br />
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Lastly, as we were preparing to leave and we saw a big rock carving of the temple's name and descriptions. As we exited the complex, there was the same scene again. Lots of little souvenir shops around the temple to attract tourist to buy stuff. Boby was waiting for us outside the temple and I told Fann that this was going to be my favourite spot of all. She said wait til you see what's coming next.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last but not least, a shot of us at Tirta Empul Temple's big rock</span></div>
Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com1Jalan Tirta Yari 2, Tampaksiring 80552, Indonesia-8.4162679 115.314763-8.4182314 115.3122955 -8.4143043999999989 115.3172305tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-14530237938766596672012-11-15T21:41:00.004+08:002013-11-11T14:53:29.699+08:00Trip to Bali - Ubud & Babi Guling Ibu Oka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We didn't do much on the first day in Bali because we reached the airport at night. Our exciting tour begins on the second day. Before we get started, we need to know that Bali has no subway system, lack of buses which means it would be hard to travel around without a vehicle of your own. Most of them move about by motorcycles or their private cars. So, what we did was to hire a local guide.<br />
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As most of you know, I tend to be a rather worried wreck if my vacation plans are not organised properly. So, I took the liberty to find our guide through the good old internet. Some of my friends gave me a few numbers to try and I too contacted a few through email. I wanted my tour to be customizable and it had to cater for my appetite of photography. One of the tour guides that gave me the quickest respond was this guy called <b>Dodi</b>. I found him through <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dodi-Made-Private-Driver-and-Tour-Guide-Bali/275849792445473" target="_blank">Facebook</a> by Googling. I could sense that he was very friendly through his email respond. I explained to him that I required his service for 2 days, my purpose of going (which was photography) and the few places that I wanted to visit. The charges were <b>500,000 rupiah per day</b> (12 hours including petrol but excluding all the meals and entrance fees). I thought that it was a pretty good deal, and he sounded very trustworthy, so we hired him. He told us to wait for him at our hotel at 8:30am and that was all. With no deposit and no itinerary, I was pretty nervous and worried.<br />
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The 2nd day in Bali, we woke up early to catch our breakfast at the hotel. Fann & I waited at the lobby for Dodi. 8:30am struck and there was no one, I began to worry. Fann said let's wait for another 10 minutes, still there was no one. As I was about to take out my phone to call, a gentleman walked up to me and asked if I was Reuben. I stared at him and said yes. He didn't resemble the picture I saw on Facebook, but he told me that he will be my guide for the day. As we got into our small van, he explained that he was Dodi's cousin, <b>Boby</b>. He was very friendly too.<br />
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Boby told us that we will be visiting Ubud, Tegalalang, Kintamani & Besakih Temple for the day. It sounded like a pretty packed schedule for 12 hours, but I trusted him. He's the professional here. The roads in Bali were mostly narrow and had only 2 lanes. One side to and one side fro. In comparison to the ulu ulu roads back in Kuching, theirs were even smaller. They have got to have some kind of extreme driving tests to be driving around those narrow roads. I was pretty impressed by their driving skills to be exact.</div>
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On the roads, we could see beautiful architectures all around Bali. Most of the houses are designed traditionally and they have those extraordinary roofs. One glance and you know it's a Balinese house. The number of temples we saw around Bali were like 7 Elevens around every corner. Boby told us that in every town of Bali, there will be 3 temples. The 3 temples are for the Hindu Gods - Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. The homes in Bali are traditionally built inside a compound and there too lies a family temple. The temples here are usually deserted unless there is a huge festival or some other religious event. This is because most Balinese will be worshipping in their private family temple.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Waxing for the tourists</span></div>
Our first stop before reaching Ubud was a huge batik shop. We weren't that amazed with the batik, because Malaysia too has batik. Since we were there, Fann & I strolled around the shop. Buses filled with Taiwanese and Chinese tourists were storming the area where the Batik artists are drawing and dying the batik cloth. Tourists could also buy a piece of white shirt and have the artists draw the first layer of outline wax with any customized graphics of your choice. The process of making batik can be found <a href="http://www.expat.or.id/info/batiksteps.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann in sarong</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A woman using the loom. Reminds me of Sheldon when he lost his job.</span></div>
It is quite an interesting place to visit if you have not seen the batik process. They also have a shop where you buy beautiful pieces of batik. There's sarongs, table cloths, T-shirts and many more. We didn't get anything from the shop but we thanked the batik guide for her lovely service of explaining to us and helping Fann to try on one of their batik.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Barong and a kris-</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">wielding</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> dancer</span></div>
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Boby then took us to watch the Barong Dance in Ubud. Barong is a lion-like creature and character in the mythology of Bali, it represents the good and Rangda represents evil. This dance is about the battle between Barong and Rangda. This battle is featured in the dance to represent the eternal battle between good and evil. The Barong dance has traditional music as the background and the conversations are in Balinese language. We were quite clueless on what they are screaming about with little help from the piece of leaflet we got when we purchased our tickets, it had some English explanation of the dance. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rangda, the bad ass villain with horribly long finger nails</span></div>
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We tried our best to fit the chapter descriptions with what we saw during the dance. Despite the language barrier, I seemed to have enjoyed it. The dance was rather entertaining, as it too consisted some humourous parts as well. I was fascinated by the design of the Barong. The details they have put into the costumes were in fact beautifully crafted. Fann was pretty bored with it because it's her 2nd time watching it but she seemed pretty interested with the gate on the stage. The price for the dance was 100,000 rupiah per person.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann's extreme tripod pose</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Monkeys Gang</span></div>
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Our next stop was to the Ubud Monkey Forest. We were greeted by fruit sellers that sold bunches of bananas. We didn't bothered to get any because Fann was pretty freak out about the naughty monkeys that were storming the place. We strolled along the pathway and snapping our photos. Some of the monkeys didn't even cared about us as we pointed our cameras at them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Monkey Madness for the banana man</span></div>
But in front of us was an American with his son and dad. He was trying so hard to hide the bananas he bought. The monkeys were climbing all over him. He told his son that he shouldn't have wore a yellow shirt to the Monkey Forest. The monkeys enjoyed stealing and grabbing the bananas off of him.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dalem Agung Padangtegal Temple</span></div>
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In the forest, there was a beautiful temple that seemed off limits to tourists. It's called the Dalem Temple and the fact that it's hidden, makes it looked magnificent. Surrounding this temple gates are statues of various mythological creatures and monkey statues as well. After stealing some shots, we headed back to our van where Boby was waiting for us. It was around 11:30am and the weather was very hot. Boby told us he was going to bring us to eat the famous Babi Guling at Ibu Oka, Ubud.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fann following the babi guling smell and walking to Ibu Oka's</span></div>
When we reached Ibu Oka, the place was so crowded that some were eating while standing under the sun. One of the waitress came to our van and told us to go to Ibu Oka's house which was nearby. Boby drove us there and thankfully it was shaded and not as crowded with horrible tourists.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Babi Guling Special *droooooool</span></div>
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Babi Guling is called Roast Suckling Pig in Indonesia. Babi guling is usually served with lawar and steamed rice, it is popular dish in Balinese restaurant and warungs. The most famous would be Ibu Oka's. It is a must try when you are in Bali, provided that if you are non-Muslim of course. Fann and I ordered the Babi Guling Special (IDR30,000) and Daging Babi Guling (IDR40,000).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Daging Babi Guling</span></div>
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Ibu Oka's babi guling was really delicious. I saw on some blogs that stated it's over rated, but I thought it tasted fantastic. Being a rather huge fan of pork, my friends kept telling to try the babi guling in Bali. Now I totally understand why they were pestering me to get my hands on one. The tender pork and the crispy pork skin was so heavenly I could fly to the moon. The spicy sauce they use for the dish has a very strong UMPH! to it and if you're not a big chilli fan, wash it down with their cute little Fruit Tea that comes in a glass bottle.<br />
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After lunch, the both of us stayed for a while to enjoy the beautiful Ibu Oka shop while sipping our fruit tea. Since it was noon, we were feeling a bit lazy to walk out towards the heating sun. Our trip to Ubud ended with delicious and very satisfying lunch. Stay tuned for my next post on our next destination.</div>
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Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com5Jalan Suweta, Ubud 80571, Indonesia-8.4973881 115.2658424-8.5602056 115.1868784 -8.4345706 115.3448064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9488325.post-8265351385421885212012-11-14T00:24:00.000+08:002013-11-11T14:53:40.668+08:00Trip to Bali - Arrival Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Staying in the busy city of Kuala Lumpur gives me not only stress but constant and terrible headaches. Lately, starting from October, the rain here keeps pouring like there's no tomorrow and it's getting harder and harder to get my laundry to dry. At the office, I finally can get some rest after the hectic month of September when the radio surveys was running. So, Fann & I took the liberty to travel down south to Bali in the month of October. It's my first time to Bali.<br />
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We got our tickets during the Big Sale from Air Asia about 10 months earlier. Traffic to buy the tickets were overwhelming. We started our big adventure to the Air Asia website at the launch at 12am. After around 2 hours and using 2 of our computers and 6 browsers, we managed to get into the booking area. Only to find that our Banks in Malaysia cannot make any transactions from 12am to 6am. It was a total waste and we were such idiots not knowing such basic knowledge. At 5:30am, we woke up and we managed to book our tickets for Bali. We were so happy but too tired to even go on to work in the morning.<br />
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Anyways, on the <b>26th of October</b>, we could finally enjoy our 5 day vacation to the beautiful island of Bali. HOLIDAY MOOD ON! We boarded our plane in the evening and the flight took about 3 hours. Once we reached the Bali Airport Denpasar, I noticed that it looked a lot like Kuching's old airport. After getting through the immigration, we continued to the luggage conveyor belt. Our luggages were already taken and put on floor.<br />
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Once we found our luggage, a couple of friendly porters welcomed us to Bali and helped us to carry our small luggages. I was surprised and my first impression of Bali was this place feels pretty friendly. However, after we crossed the scanner, the porters stopped and asked us for 'tips'. We wanted to give them about 10,000 rupiahs each, but they rejected and asked for<b> 200,000 rupiahs</b>! I was baffled and was really confused. As they got pretty aggressive, I gave them only 100,000 rupiahs and we quickly left the scene. My impression started to change when I felt we have been cheated right after touch down.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">*Important Tip: BEWARE of the Denpasar Airport Porters. If you refuse to have them carry your luggage, just tell them no thanks before they carry the bag away for you. BEWARE of the amount of money that they will try and get from you. The truth is that each bag the porter carries, it should be charged at 5,000 rupiah only.</span><br />
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As we walked out of the arrival gate, taxi drivers stormed us offering a ride to our hotel. According to my research, our hotel is only about 8 minutes from the airport. I asked if the taxi was metered but they refused. We asked how much it was and one of them offered 200,000 rupiah (RM65). He grabbed our luggage and kept walking to his taxi. I refused and took our luggage away from him and told him we'd like to ask the taxi counter first, then he offered 100,000 rupiah. We didn't give any response to him and quickly queued up at the airport taxi counter like all the other mat sallehs.<br />
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When it was our turn, we found out that the flat rate to our hotel was only <b>50,000 rupiah (RM16)</b>. We took the airport taxi and we were right, the hotel is very nearby to the airport and we were lucky we didn't ride the crazy 200,000 rupiah taxi.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">*Important Tip: Only ride the taxi if they agree to use the meter. Never get into the taxi if they refuse to use it. </span><br />
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Our hotel was called <b>J Boutique Hotel Bali</b> in Kuta. It was a pretty decent boutique hotel and it was really comfortable. Their furniture looked pretty much like ours at home. So, it felt pretty cozy with a little touch of home. After checking in, we went out to look for dinner.<br />
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As it was our first day there and it was already night time, we weren't sure what was nearby to eat. We walked all the way down the road and within 10 minutes, we reached the Discovery Mall in Kuta. There were lots of convenience stores and massage parlours everywhere. The restaurants we saw around were mostly western food. We wanted something local but it was pretty hard to find. So, we simply went into a food court look-a-like place and sat down because our tummies were screaming like mad. We ordered Nasi Goreng Daging and garlic bread.<br />
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The food wasn't very good and it was pretty costly. The fried rice was quite dry and the garlic bread was insanely HUGE. I guess the portion is fit for an American tummy. For this Nasi Goreng it cost <b>55,000 rupiah</b> excluding their crazy 21% government tax. There was a band playing in the restaurant and we could relax and enjoy some decent music. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel because we needed our shut eye because we had early morning plans to go around Bali to take photos. We have hired a local tour guide/driver to bring us around town. After packing our photography gear, we headed to bed and said our good nights. More photos of Bali in coming posts. Stay tuned.<br />
<br />Reubenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10284079659743683152noreply@blogger.com0Jalan Jenggala, Kuta 80361, Indonesia-8.73712829918751 115.16687214374542-8.73761879918751 115.16625514374542 -8.73663779918751 115.16748914374543