M had to drop by his workplace so my sister and I explored a bit of Paris on our own. We first went to Arc de Triomphe, one of the famous landmarks in Paris. This monument honors the people who fought and died during the French Revolution and Napoleon Wars, with names of all the generals inscribed on the walls / pillars.
APRIL 29, 2019
M had to drop by his workplace so my sister and I explored a bit of Paris on our own. We first went to ARC DE TRIOMPHE, one of the famous landmarks in Paris. This monument honors the people who fought and died during the French Revolution and Napoleon Wars, with names of all the generals inscribed on the walls / pillars.
There was an option for us to go up the arc to see a panoramic view of Paris but the line was long so we did not bother. We checked out AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES, which was very near. The street was lined mostly with shops and a few restaurants. We did not stay here for long since it was about our meet-up time with M.
We had lunch at BAPTORI, a Korean restaurant with bibimbap as its specialty. We went to a bakery afterwards to get a quick dessert.
M brought us to a park where we could get a good vantage point of the EIFFEL TOWER. He told us that we were lucky that the park was not jampacked during our visit.
After taking a rest in the park, our next stop was PLACE DE LA CONCORDE. It was previously known as the square for public beheadings by guillotine during the French Revolution. During the 18th century, the Egypt government gifted France with an obelisk and was placed in the middle of the square.
Nearby was JARDIN DES TUILERIES where we took a quick break after seeing other people just relaxing around the fountain.
Last stop was APÉGO where my sister and M grabbed some coffee before our last mission for the day.
Our last city to visit in Germany! I was so excited to see Cologne Cathedral in person because even with just pictures, both the exterior and interior were beautiful.
APRIL 27, 2019
Our last city to visit in Germany! I was so excited to see Cologne Cathedral in person because even with just pictures, both the exterior and interior were beautiful.
I requested my sister to braid my hair for a change in hairstyle during this trip. Hehe.
COLOGNE CATHEDRAL is a display of Gothic architecture and considered as a UNESCO Heritage Site. Its two towers make it an icon both for the church and for the city. Also, Cologne Cathedral survived the bombing during WWII even if it sustained some damage.
I was trying to get a good shot of the whole cathedral just like this picture from TripSavvy…
However, it was raining and it was so cold that day that I could not bear to stay too long outside. I also tried putting far distance but my camera could not just capture it.
Here are some of my favorites inside the cathedral:
We had brunch in FRÜH AM DOM, which was just walking distance from Cologne Cathedral. All of us ordered the same thing – sausage and Kölsch, which is a style of beer unique to Cologne. Not that I can taste the difference but I must say, Kölsch tasted good.
Before we continued our itinerary, we went back to our Airbnb to put on additional layers of clothing because the temperature dropped to winter-like (below 5C).
Despite the tiring walks from the previous days, I was still excited for this day trip because I would be going back to Ise Jingu.
During my previous visit, there were few people around because it was a weekday and we reached the place at around 8AM (read it here). But this time, it was a Sunday and already 10AM so there was a huge crowd of locals already.
Despite the tiring walks from the previous days, I was still
excited for this day trip because I would be going back to Ise Jingu.
NOVEMBER 25, 2018
From Kintetsu Nagoya Station, it was about an hour and a
half trip to Ujiyamada Station. And then from Ujiyamada, I rode a bus going to
Ise Jingu (Geku) for less than 10 minutes.
During my previous visit, there were few people around because it was a weekday and we reached the place at around 8AM (read it here). But this time, it was a Sunday and already 10AM so there was a huge crowd of locals already.
GEKU (Outer Shrine) of Ise Jingu was my first stop and this shrine is dedicated to Toyouke Omikami, deity of three essentials of human life: cloth, food and shelter.
After visiting the small shrine at the top of the small hill in Geku, I went back to the bus stop to go to Naiku.
Weekend bus time table from Geku-mae
Weekend bus time table from Naiku-mae
NAIKU (Inner Shrine)
was even more crowded than Geku. I wasn’t able to take a picture of Ujibashi Bridge but good thing I
already have one from the previous trip.
Wooden stands at one side of Ujibashi Bridge will be used in 2033 when Shikinen Sengu will be celebrated – a ceremony wherein all shrine buildings and main bridges in Ise Jingu are rebuilt every 20 years. Interestingly, the wood they use are sourced from trees grown within the shrine grounds. Shikinen Sengu happens every 20 years and the last time it has been held was in 2013. Through rebuilding, it is said that the power of the deity (Amaterasu-Omikami) is renewed.
Remember to walk along the side of the road because the center aisle is believed to be for deities only. Notice how most locals stay on the side.
When entering shrines and temples in Japan, temizu should be done to cleanse the mind and body as their gods are believed to hate impurity. In Naiku, aside from the common method of using a small wooden dipper, one option is to go to Isuzugawa (Isuzu River) to wash hands and rinse your mouth.
Seeing Naiku in autumn season was another treat – Isuzugawa was a nice spot to see trees in autumn colors.
The most crowded area in Naiku was Shogu, which is the main palace dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, Shinto’s most venerated deity. It is believed that her sacred mirror is enshrined inside the palace. Most people are not allowed to enter the inside of the palace but certain powerful people are given special exemptions.
Tall cedar tree with its base being touched by people for prayers
After going around a bit more, we decided to leave the
temple just in time for the bus going back to Ujiyamada Station.
A glimpse of Ujibashi Bridge
Ise Jingu will always one of my favorite places in Japan. I like the crunch sound whenever the sole of my shoes press on the pebbles, the bright rays of sunshine that are able to pass through spaces in between trees, and that unexplainable feeling of tranquillity in this place. I will definitely return there whenever possible during my future Japan trips!
I rode the train going back to Kyoto Station and from there, I was supposed to take the bus to Kiyomizudera but lo and behold, the line for that bus stop was so looooong. So bye to that idea!
I was curious what I could find at the topmost floor of Kyoto Station so I took all escalators going up.
After revisiting the Arashiyama spots I love, I was initially thinking of riding the Sagano Torokko Train but I didn’t expect the line to be that long – to the point that it reached outside the station – so nope. At least, that line proved that it is a popular activity during autumn in Arashiyama.
NOVEMBER 22, 2018
I rode the train going back to Kyoto Station and from there, I was supposed to take the bus to Kiyomizudera but lo and behold, the line for that bus stop was so looooong. So bye to that idea, too! Good thing I was able to visit it last time – on a more peaceful day in 2017 (read it here).
I was curious what I could find at the topmost floor of KYOTO STATION so I took all escalators going up.
Busy Thursday morning at Kyoto Station
I eventually reached this bell and then I saw another escalator going up. The adventure was not yet done…
View of Kyoto Station from the 6F
And then I finally reached the 7F SKYWAY – which I read about before as one of the secret spots in Kyoto Station. This tunnel is estimated to be about 50m above the central hall and it provides you a view of the station and the city.
View of Kyoto Tower Hotel
Not recommended to look down below if you’re afraid of heights
Upon exiting the Skyway, I found myself in 10FKYOTO RAMEN KOJI. This was familiar to me because it was the same area where I had ramen during our visit in Kyoto back in 2017 (read it here).
It was fifteen minutes before 11:00, the opening time for all shops in this ramen hall so I decided to already line up for MASUTANI. This ramen shop is famous for serving ramen that has a Kyoto-style taste. Its ramen has thin noodles and broth made from pork and shoyu.
I am a bit bad in describing the taste of food but all I can say is that choosing Masutani’s ramen was a good choice. I could not finish the broth though because the pork fat was too much for me.
I decided to take the other exit and take all escalators going down to the ground floor. The journey was quite long since I started at the topmost floor. I did not mind the height but it may be a bit of a challenge for acrophobic people.
Last month, I celebrated my birthday and I decided to finally check out the National Museum of Natural History. It is one of the three national museums found in Luneta Park, and its doors only opened last May 18 after a major renovation.
Back to travel posts! Last month, I celebrated my birthday and I decided to finally check out the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. It is one of the three national museums found in Luneta Park, and its doors only opened last May 18 after a major renovation.
We were expecting the crowd to be just small but lo and behold, there was a field trip even if it was on a Saturday. Also, the free entrance may have enticed more citizens to visit the place so there was a looooong line when we arrived before lunch. (Quick amusing story — a guy asked me about the long wait in line… and turned out that the lady with her is my colleague from our NCL office. Hello Ila!)
If you’re bringing a bag with you, take note that bags bigger than the size of a short bond paper is required to be deposited in their baggage counter.
Upon entering the museum, you will immediately see this iconic DNA Tree of Life structure in the courtyard. It houses an elevator which takes you directly from ground floor to 5th floor and vice-versa.
Capturing the top structure
While inside the elevator
Before I continue with telling what you can see inside the museum, I was lucky enough that in the conference I attended last Sept 13, the organizer invited Architect Dominic Galicia and he gave a talk on “Reinventing the Museum Experience”.
During the whole talk, you can feel his passion for his craft. Some of the things he shared is how they had to search and see the old blueprints such as Toledo “drawings” dating back to 1930s. Even if part of the building may be old or damaged, he firmly believes that it can be reborn. He also mentioned how he wants to be faithful to the story that is why he wants to know the background of the building/s to be renovated.
He suggested to us to do the processional route of taking the elevator all the way to 5th floor then from there, visit each exhibit and go down each level until you return to ground floor… And that’s what my friends and I did!
All 5th floor exhibits were still under construction, but pretty interesting because these will be about biodiversity, geology, and life through time. We went down to 4th floor which showcased different types of forests in PH as well as the types of animals that one can find there.
I think it was on the 4th floor where we encountered these familiar names from one of our high school classes:
After going down the ramp that led us to 3rd floor, couldn’t help but capture these awesome details by the arch and one of the front doors of the museum:
In the same corridor where I took the photos above, Tomas Bernardo’s orchid paintings were mounted as a gallery.
A common orchid found throughout PH
A rare endemic orchid found only in parts of NE Mindanao
Theme for 3rd floor seems to be aquatic / marine life — mangroves, beaches, life thousands of meters under the sea (or ocean).
Mangrove Crab
Horseshoe Crab
Collared Kingfisher
Crown of Thorns — sea star with pungent, poisonous thorns
When we returned to the courtyard area, near the ramp, we noticed recreation of dinosaur bones!
One of the highlights for us is seeing the skeleton of Lolong, the world’s largest crocodile in captivity.
When we finished touring the last floor, we headed for lunch at Bugis Singapore Street Food. Sharing the food pics I took before closing this entry:
Chicken Satay with PB sauce
Numnums (fish tofu, prawn roll, lobster cheese)
Roti with Condensed Milk
Beef Rendang
Aaand, that’s it. A geeky way to celebrate my birthday but I had fun anyway. Cheers to my late 20s time! 🙂
We visited LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR as our 2nd stop and this site is located in Bagac, Bataan. The literal translation for the name of the place is “Acuzar’s Filipino/Philippines Houses”, which is accurate as the restored Spanish-Filipino houses found in this area are Jose Acuzar’s property. It is amazing to learn that the houses here were carefully dismantled and meticulously re-assembled to preserve everything.
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
We visited LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR as our 2nd stop and this site is located in Bagac, Bataan. The literal translation for the name of the place is “Acuzar’s Filipino/Philippines Houses”, which is accurate as the restored Spanish-Filipino houses found in this area are Jose Acuzar’s property. It is amazing to learn that the houses here were carefully dismantled and meticulously re-assembled to preserve everything.
For the admission fee, we paid Php 1,500 which includes access to the site, free guided tours, and towel + refreshments at the end of the tour.
Jeepneys inside the site are free of charge so it is easy to go from one place to another. The houses though are quite near to each other so we just walked. We only rode the jeepney to and from the entrance building.
Since we were there at past 12NN and the next walking tour would only start at 1:30PM, T and I decided to roam around the area first.
We went inside the open building near the walking tour area. We saw religious relics inside as well as exhibits with photos of historical churches and accompanying information about them.
Found a few nice spots to take own portrait pictures before the free tour started…
T and I took turns taking pictures in this vintage-looking vehicle. We initially thought it was a resting area because it was situated under a lot of trees, providing cool shade for tired visitors.
But one of the staff approached us and told us if we would be going to the beach area… Apparently this vehicle actually moves but follows a schedule, which is every 30 minutes. Since the free walking tour was about to start, we politely declined.
The free walking tour started on time so yay. It was really hot and humid during our visit but our tour guide, despite wearing long sleeves top and long skirt, carried on with the whole tour with a big smile. It was as if the scorching heat didn’t affect her! She told us the stories, origin, and controversies related to each casa we visited.
Aside from the informative tour, another advantage of joining is gaining access to casas that are not open to the public such as Casa Biñan and Casa Baliuag.
[Fun fact on the last two pictures: Shooting location for Gen. Luna’s Spoliarium-like death scene in “Heneral Luna” movie]
We were also lucky to chance upon a wedding that day. We only saw it from a distance though… Their wedding reception was already set up earlier that afternoon.
If we weren’t in a hurry to visit the next location, we would have done other activities in this area such as strolling along the beach area, doing the river cruise or kalesa ride, and visiting Hotel de Oriente.
All in all, I’d say this is one of the must visits in Bataan. T and I enjoyed our short trip here. 😊
First stop was the FLOWER DOME and when we saw that it was an enclosed space, we were not quite excited because we initially thought it would be hotter and more humid inside. But to our surprise, the place was cool!
This is the largest greenhouse in the world and it showcases hundreds of flower types from different regions. Here are my favorites from the first portion of the Flower Dome:
APRIL 21, 2017
Our mission after DTF lunch was to pick up the orders we placed from Irvin’s then went to GARDENS BY THE BAY with our big plastic bags of pasalubong. Haha!
First stop was the FLOWER DOME and when we saw that it was an enclosed space, we were not quite excited because we initially thought it would be hotter and more humid inside. But to our surprise, the place was cool!
Here’s me excited to go around 🙂
This is the largest greenhouse in the world and it showcases hundreds of flower types from different regions. Here are my favorites from the first portion of the Flower Dome:
While I was trying to find a good angle for the yellow flower below, a fellow photographer nearby approached me and told me how to find the best flower from the bunch. She said that all the outer petals should be open while the inner petals are upright. So I took the picture below and she complimented it. Yay!
Here is a picture of our group while inside the Flower Dome:
Still high energy level even after walking around NGS for 3 hours
An interesting portion in the greenhouse was the placement of flowers of different colors to mimic some of Vincent Van Gogh’s artworks. It was difficult though to take good pictures because of the volume of the crowd…
Last batch of favorite flowers (including tulips!) before we left the place:
Next stop was CLOUD FOREST which was sort of surrounded by mist and a colder place than the Flower Dome. Upon entering, this indoor waterfall welcomed us…
Just in pure awe of the architecture and planning that went into building this place. We went to the topmost “floor” then started making our way downwards (to the exit). Definitely not for acrophobic people.
I met with my ninang and her family for dinner and they treated me to a buffet in RISE RESTAURANT (Marina Bay Sands). I stuffed myself with all the food I could eat and I kind of regret not getting a lot of duck meat in the cold cuts section because they did not refill it anymore.
Since all of us got too full after dinner, we decided to walk around the area before heading home.
Marina Bay Sands at night
Bridge that looks like DNA (helix shape-ish)
Mission for the next day is USS with J, K, and my best friend who also had work training in SG!
Last day trip outside Osaka before we head back to MNL. Our destination is Ise-Shima, mainly because I want to go to Ise Jingu which is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Hence, it is considered as the holiest Shinto shrine in Japan. I read before that locals wish to visit this place at least once before they die.
January weekends were quite busy so I only had the time today to finally post the first half of our Ise-Shima day trip! Here you go…
MARCH 15, 2017
Last day trip outside Osaka before we head back to MNL. Our destination is Ise-Shima, mainly because I want to go to Ise Jingu which is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Hence, it is considered as the holiest Shinto shrine in Japan. I read before that locals wish to visit this place at least once before they die.
I bought our train tickets back in Manila by going to the English website of Kintetsu Japan. Got our Limited Express train ticket for ¥2,640 (2 pax) so we had an early train to catch for this day. The trip was about an hour.
Upon arriving at Ujiyamada Station, we looked for a bus that would take us to GEKU (OUTER SHRINE) of Ise Jingu. It is relatively smaller than Naiku (inner shrine) but nonetheless, a tranquil and breathtaking place. Geku is dedicated to Toyouke Omikami, deity of three essentials of human life: cloth, food and shelter”.
Further exploring Geku, I saw a couple going up these stairs and eventually found myself in front of a small shrine. Paid respect before leaving for Naiku…
From Geku, we rode a bus that would take us to Naiku. They said that another option is to walk but that would be too long and it us usually done for pilgrims.
Upon reaching NAIKU (INNER SHRINE), we were greeted by this first torii framing Ujibashi bridge.
Fun fact: Ujibashi bridge is rebuilt every 20 years as part of the Shikinen Sengu. The most recent Shikinen Sengu happened in 2013. All shrine buildings and main bridges in Ise Jingu are rebuilt every 20 years, and they source their wood from the trees grown within the shrine grounds. Through rebuilding, it is said that the power of the deity is renewed.
From the bridge, it was quite a long walk before we reach the area to do temizu. Notice how people only walk along the side and not stepping on the center area. If I remember correctly what our Tokyo tour guide said, this is because the center aisle can only be walked by their deities. It was easy to spot tourists because some kept on walking on the center part.
We reached the area where you could do the usual way of doing temizu but I could not pass up the opportunity to try the traditional way…
Here by the riverbed of the Isuzugawa, you can directly soak your hands in the water and rinse your mouth. Temizu is a must whenever entering shrines and temples as it is said that the gods loathe impurity; hence, the need to cleanse the mind and body through this method.
A little bit of walk from here and I saw the prayer hall, where I bought two types of omamori (Japanese amulet that provides luck or protection) for myself and one for our home.
Naiku is definitely bigger than Geku and the place does not feel like the usual shrine. Think of Meiji Jingu but a lot bigger and with longer walks from one spot to another. I definitely enjoyed walking slowly and taking in the sights here.
We finally reached the Shogu, the main palace. This is the area dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, Shinto’s most venerated deity, and her sacred mirror is believed to be enshrined inside. Most people are not allowed to enter here but donors and bigtime people are given special exemptions. Locals still pay their respect by bowing and praying.
After retracing our steps back to the entrance, we walked a bit more and reached OKAGE YOKOCHO. I read that this is part of Oharaimachi, the traditional approach to Naiku. The place is a recreation of how towns looked like from Edo to Meiji period.
An interesting thing here is “tabearuki” (食べ歩き), which means that food/local delicacies can be eaten while walking around the area. This is a big deal because in Japan, eating while walking is considered taboo and disrespectful.
Lobster croquette
With real lobster bits!
Did not like this 😦
Butasute (meat croquette)
We also passed by this shop which had a long line so we decided to join and see what the fuss is about. Apparently, they were lining up for this mochi-like product made of red beans. There was no English product callout or explanation so I am not sure what it is… But when I took a bite of it when I got home, I understood why. Not a fan of adzuki but this one did not have the overpowering bean taste plus it was not too sticky.
Some more exploration in the area and we found a shop that was selling fried chicken as street food. We bought one serving and we were blown away by the taste. I could not remember though the name of the place. 😦
We made sure that we were able to go around the whole area before we decided to get lunch… I realized that the only activity we did in Okage Yokocho was to eat. Oops! We went inside this restaurant called EBIYA (ebi means shrimp) because we were attracted by their menu outside the restaurant.
We both got the tekonezushi set meal, which included a huge piece of raw abalone. I have always been curious on how it tastes especially after seeing abalone in different Korean variety shows. Proof of its freshness was when I squeezed the lemon over it, the meat-like stuff wriggled for a long time!
Meal set J and I got
Raw abalone (gumagalaw pa!!)
Tekonezushi is also known as “fisherman’s sushi/meal” as it is believed that this originated from a meal that fishermen made while out in the sea. It is a local delicacy in Ise which consists of marinated red-meat fish (usually tuna or skipjack), vinegared rice, and garnish. In our case, we were served tuna with Japanese pickles.
Tekonezushi
Next half of our adventure in Ise-Shima is in the next post. 😊
Our 2nd daytrip was in Himeji, almost 2 hours away from Osaka by train. From Himeji Station, we rode the Himeji Castle Loop Bus which looked like an old-fashioned bus.
Our main stop here was the famous HIMEJI CASTLE (UNESCO), which is also known as “shirasagi-jo” or “white heron castle”. It was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century and during our visit, a portion of the castle was undergoing restoration – goes to show how Japan highly values their history and puts great effort in preserving this.
MARCH 12, 2017
Our 2nd daytrip was in Himeji, almost 2 hours away from Osaka by train. From Himeji Station, we rode the Himeji Castle Loop Bus which looked like an old-fashioned bus.
Our main stop here was the famous HIMEJI CASTLE (UNESCO), which is also known as “shirasagi-jo” or “white heron castle”.
It was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century and during our visit, a portion of the castle was undergoing restoration – goes to show how Japan highly values their history and puts great effort in preserving this.
What was interesting for me during our visit was whichever area we were in the castle grounds, we could always clearly see the castle. Before going to the main keep, we explored the other areas nearby including a long passageway.
Castle defense mechanism 1
Castle defense mechanism 2
Inside the main keep, we climbed 6 floors. This was not the only challenge as the staircases were narrow and steep so if you have kids with you, better be careful in climbing those stairs. At the topmost floor, there was a small shrine where the local visitors all paid respect and prayed for a short while. Aside from this, we were also able to see the spectacular view of the city and the maze-like layout of the castle.
Fish ornaments placed on the roof are believed to protect the castle from fire
Before leaving, I was trying to look for a magnet that had its cute “mascot” as the design. Unfortunately, there was none so I decided to just buy the coin-like souvenir with しろまる姫 (Shiromaru-hime).
We went to KOKOEN GARDEN afterwards, which was just a few blocks away from the castle. The ticket we bought included admission for the castle and this garden. We were lucky because there were some flowers that had already bloomed but I bet that it would look even better during springtime.
Drainspotting — white herons!
We were supposed to visit Mount Shosha but given the time we finished the garden, we decided to go back to Osaka so that we still had time to visit ONE PIECE MUGIWARA STORE. I only bought two small boxes of keychain with random characters since I could not find any Zoro goodie that I liked. I was sooo lucky that one of the boxes had Zoro in his Film Gold costume! (Note that a few days after this, M told me that Den-den Town stores were better since he was able to buy the ship that was out-of-stock in OP Mugiwara Store.)
Since we did not have the energy to go far from our Airbnb, we bought dinner at MCDONALD’S and tried some of the sakura-themed items. I had the fries and soda for this but I bought a regular cheeseburger. The fries was yummy at first but I found it to be too salty later on. I guess I shouldn’t have poured all the powder… The sakura float tasted like medicine so good thing I bought an apple-flavored alcohol beverage, which was a good pair with my food.
This is for the French fries to make it “sakura fries”; package says “sakura ebi shio” which translates to sakura shrimp salt
Next day’s adventure is Nara (including deer), yay!
Time for our daytrip in KOBE! After about an hour and a half of train ride, we reached Kobe-Sannomiya Station. We bought onigiri and bread for a quick breakfast before walking to our first destination – MAIKO MARINE PROMENADE.
It is an observatory located right under AKASHI KAIKYO BRIDGE, the world’s longest suspension bridge. Basically, it offers a beautiful view of the sea and it even has a small section where you can walk on the glass floor and see the waters below.
MARCH 11, 2017
Time for our daytrip in KOBE! After about an hour and a half of train ride, we reached Kobe-Sannomiya Station. We bought onigiri and bread for a quick breakfast before walking to our first destination – MAIKO MARINE PROMENADE.
It is an observatory located right under AKASHI KAIKYO BRIDGE, the world’s longest suspension bridge. Basically, it offers a beautiful view of the sea and it even has a small section where you can walk on the glass floor and see the waters below. Not for those who are acrophobic.
There are two main viewing areas in Maiko Marine Promenade – one is inside the building, which has tall windows and coin-operated binoculars for a better view of the sea and city. As for the other one, you have to go outside the building and walk right under the bridge.
We did not know that it would be open air so we could really feel the sea breeze on top of the very low temperature. Also, every now and then, the structure would vibrate because of the passing vehicles on the bridge.
Our next mission was to eat Kobe beef for lunch! STEAKLAND is a very popular resto for this but I cannot judge if it is the best one out there. Price is definitely cheaper than the other popular Kobe beef restaurants. They cook the beef right in front of you so be prepared to smell like grilled meat when you leave the place.
Since there were only three of us in the group, a couple was assigned to our table and the chef cooked the vegetables together then divided it to 5 servings. We had different orders on the beef / Kobe beef but the chef knows his craft since he knew what type of beef each one was. I enjoyed my food but I am definitely curious how the Kobe beef in pricier and popular restaurants taste, since Steakland has mixed reviews.
We went straight to ROKKO CABLE SHITA STATION after lunch – cable car to reach MOUNT ROKKO. There are a lot of places to visit in this area and we noticed some locals who brought snowboards. We were puzzled because it was already early March but apparently, there was still snow in Rokko-san Snow Park. Note that there is a schedule on the Rokko Sanjo Bus so better take note of that. We did not know about this so when we reached the cable car station in Mount Rokko, we took our time going around and when we went out, the bus just left and the next one would come in about 40 minutes.
Our bad luck did not end there though… We chose Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden but when we got there, the place was closed until end March. Most likely because none – or very few – plants had bloomed at the time of our visit. We had to wait (again) for a bus and it was really cooold up in the mountain.
We went to ROKKO-SHIDARE OBSERVATORY instead and the architecture looked really awesome. We took time going around plus we were surprised to see remnants of snow + frozen water in the area!
After our time in the observatory, we went to ROKKO GARDEN TERRACE which was just across it. The view of Kobe was definitely breathtaking and we were fortunate to have good weather on that day.
Since we were already hungry and I wanted to see Rokko-Shidare Observatory at night, we grabbed some snacks first. We were confused by the vendo machine for ordering because everything was written in Japanese. I could read hiragana and a few katakana but we were worried we might end up ordering the wrong food. A local went in front of us so we had to ask for his help in ordering the ice cream with Kobe honey. I got that plus akashiyaki, which is takoyaki dunked in hot broth – perfect for the cold weather.
While waiting for nightfall, I bought the famous Kobe pudding in a souvenir shop as well as Kitkat with Kobe pudding flavor. There were other food/snack choices that I wanted to buy but I decided to just limit myself and go with the most popular one.
When the sun had already set, the colorful lights in Rokko-Shidare Observatory were illuminated. It was a nice sight to see but it was not as awesome as I expected.
We went back to Osaka after this and had our dinner at ICHI, a yakiniku restaurant near our Airbnb – recommended by our host and apparently a popular place among locals. We ordered a lot of meat for our empty tummies and we enjoyed our meal here. Even though it was quite difficult to communicate with the language barrier, the staff was able to give us what we need.
That’s it for now. Next post is our adventure in Himeji! 🙂
Anne Goes to Places 