Happy new year 2017 新年快乐 2017 謹賀新年2017

It's new year 2017! Wishing everyone is having a great new year. Wish for peace, healthy and happy year. 

New year = new achievements, new goals, new challenges, new dreams!

Hope for the good year of 2017!

Cheers!

November'15 Tokyo - Kyoto - Hakone Dream Trip #4 : Day 2

Tsukiji Market – Asakusa – Shinjuku

Dringggg....drinnngggg....drinnnngggg~~~

It's 2.30am of Day 2 in Tokyo, Japan!

Yup! It's midnight! And woke up by my alarm, and starting to well prepare myself before out to the place listed top in my MUST-GO list - TSUKIJI FISH MARKET.

Why so early? Because we want to go for the world known Tuna Auction. They are only allow 120 visitors daily to enter to the fish market to enjoy the free admission Tuna Auction Sessions twice a day at 5.25 am and 5.50 am. Only limited to 60 pax for each session. That's why we have to be early there; latest before 4 a.m. There is no way to book. First comes first serves basis. 

Due to there is no any public transport available during that time therefore before came to Japan, I had made a taxi booking online which can fit the 5 of us in one car through MK Taxi online. You may direct call them for reservation or just download a reservation form (PDF) or reservation form (EXCEL) and fill in the details required and email to them. They will respond to your request promptly to get your confirmation. 

It took us about 30 mins to reach there and the total charge is ¥ 4,150 meter + ¥ 1,000 midnight charge = ¥ 5,150. We all know that the taxi charges at Japan is expensive but the service they offer is so good. Their driver will dress with a standard uniform that like a butler. They made us feel like we are the VIPs. 

For those who were travel alone, or who are not travel with elders, in order to save the expensive taxi cost, you might stay at nearby 24 HRS comic house or cyber café. By walking distance you may make it on time to secure a seat for the auction tour.

However, the Tsukiji fish market is scheduled to move to a new site at Toyosu on November 2016. Whether they are having the tuna auction session for tourists, might need to check upon that time.The tour only took about 20 minutes. But it was an interesting tour because you will find it’s so cute that the auctioneer shouting with such a rhythm that keep me remembering it until today. The participants would check on the quality of the tuna fishes before the auction start by using a kind of special tool to expose the colour and texture of the tuna. And, try to give attentions on the signals given by the participants of the auctions by using their hands.

The participants are checking on the quality of the Tuna before confirm on which to auction with. 

After the end of the auction, then it’s our very own food exploration tour in tsukiji external market. There are many foods that must try in the market: sashimi, tamago yaki 玉子焼, grilled scallop etc. There are too much that you might need to have another stomach to pack them in. After the great early breakfast, we took metro from Tsukiji market travelled to Asakusa.

ASAKUSA 浅草 tour starts!

Asakusa Kaminarimon淺草雷門 is one of the must-see place in Tokyo. It’s famous with the big lantern on the entrance gate to the Asakusa Temple which had been built at least 1000 years ago. But, because it’s a tourist spot, so be ready that it will be crowded and there are many of expected and unexpected tourists showed in your pictures taken.

After the Kaminarimon, there is a street of  stalls selling souvenirs, food etc which they named it as Nakamise street. We are having lots of fun to explore those shops along the street and the goods they are selling there. So you can shop until reach at the entrance of Asakusa Temple. Walked around the historical Asakusa temple site you will find the beauty of the buildings. The power and the wisdom of the ancient people who built these. With a better weather and clear sky, you may see the Sky Tree from here. 

In Japan, whenever you are going shrines or temples, they got a different way to pray.

Shrines - Before entering to the shrines, you will have to pass through "torii" gate. 

Temples - There is "sanmon" gate which normally have fierce guardian statue.

Pray at shrines (They will have a guide showed somewhere):

(i) Bow in front of the "torii" gate before passing through and walk at the side of the pathway.

(ii) You will find a water pavillion named "temizuya" to purify your hands and mouth to wash away the impurities within you. There are a proper guide to follow with:

       Use right hand to scoop the water with the ladle (you can only scoop the water once) ->  rinse your left hand (not to rinse with all the water in the ladle) -> now hold with left hand -> rinse your right hand -> hold the ladle with right hand and take some water with your left hand to rinse your mouth. NEVER EVER touch the ladle with your mouth. -> Then use the remaining water to rinse of the ladle up to the handle by tipping it. 

(iii) At the altar, throw the "saisen" coins into the offering box "saisenbako". Normally they do use 5 yen because of it sounds as goyen which means bond of relationship. 

(iv) Then bow twice and claps your hand twice and hold it together to pray by expressing your own wishes or gratitude silently within yourself. 

(v) Then bow once again to complete the praying session. 

Pray at temples:

There is no many steps to follow as to pray at shrines. Only if happens that there is a "temizuya", follow the steps as above. Then head to the altar, hold your hand together to pray without clapping it. 

Once you walked back to the Kaminarimon, you will see a unique building just opposite the road which is the cultural centre of Asakusa. There is tourist information available there and maps that can be taken from there. Up to the highest floor of the centre, you can have a view of the Asakusa and even can see the Tokyo sky tower. Have a view there while drinking a cup of coffee was enjoyable.

Well, after a long day, we head back to the accommodation to take a rest since we woke up before dawn. 

After the long rest, we bumped into a Kabukisa yakisoba shop at Shinjuku accidentally, and we found it so good to eat there. The shop is typical small as others shop in Japan. But, the food served were so delicious and yummy that I couldn’t get the right word to describe. You will know until you try.

Then, we walked to the Shinjuku Metropolitan Building for a night view. This is one of the famous place for Tokyo night view and it’s free of entrance fee.  If the weather is permitted in the daytime, you might get a chance to see Mount Fuji. Besides, you can get to see Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower and others landmarks. With the lights on at night, this is a famous place to catch the night views. 

November'15 Tokyo - Kyoto - Hakone Dream Trip #3 : Internet Access and must have APPs

There are a few of phone apps that can be downloaded before heading to Japan which I had been using quite frequently at Japan. And most importantly is that you have to make sure you have INTERNET ACCESS. lol

INTERNET ACCESS

Anyway, there are many ways to get internet access nowadays.
First, data sim card. There is one that can be obtained with online purchase. Or you can get at the telco there like DOCOMO, SOFTBANK etc.

Second, pocket wifi. Mostly the hosts of accommodations that I had been booked from Airbnb.com are providing the pocket wifi for us and enable us to bring out to whenever we go. Otherwise, you will need to rent locally or at your own country before board.

Third, wifi in town. Actually there are quite many of wifi hotspots that enable the tourists to connect whichever the tourist spots are. But they need an app to connect with which I will list down later. And even some of them are paid wifi.

Fourth, rent a phone from a local telco that include with the data plan and call plan bla bla bla....but which i think is the most troublesome way to go for.


PHONE APPS

Some phone apps are so essential for you to get around in Tokyo or Japan in order not to get lost. But get lost once in a while can lead you to another way that you might find interesting and full of treasures!

TokyoSubway

This is a MUST app in your smartphone whenever you are travelling with the subway in Tokyo. It's an user friendly app that show you the time of travel, information of the stations and with the tourist spots guide indicated with the exists.

You might find there are dozens of exists within one station itself. This app definitely helping you to recognise the exists well and not to get lost inside the station. Believe me! You might really want to remember the exists with the station unique numbering and colour to guide you out. I had been gone through the hard time. lolxxx....

(FREE) Japan Connected Free Wifi

This is a free app which only need some basic registration to enable you to access the free Wi-Fi at Japan. The coverage areas are quite wide there to be used as shown in their website: http://www.ntt-bp.net/jcfw/area/index.html

Amongst the free wifi apps, I personally preferably this as the best to use.

(FREE) Travel Japan Wifi

This is an app that allows you to access free wifi internet for 2 weeks in Japan. You just need to get a premium code from several partners as stipulated in their website details to check with. The number of hotspots are increasing day by day.

(FREE) Free Wifi Passport

Free Wifi passport also an app similar to travel Japan Wifi which providing 2 weeks of free internet access within Japan. Registration is to be made by calling a number shown in their official website. The guide to it is well written step by step. This can be widely access at hotels, stations, convenient shops, shopping malls, tourist spots and many more.

PAID WIFI:

There are others paid wifi available in Japan provided by several telco like Wi2, docomo and softbank. Their details can be easily found in their official websites.

OTHER:
Hyperdia

This is not an app but a website enable you to check the route and the timetable with the transport available. And even the pricing.

WalkerTouch

If you can read in Japanese, this WalkerTouch app is also a good app for you to install with because it has many guides inside and many others information like the timing of blossoms sakura and where to find it. And even best autumn leaves viewing points and times. It also provides many others tourism information like restaurants to go, food to eat, things to buy and etc.

Well, these are the apps that I had been using at Japan. Of course there are more to go and which I had not been encountered with. Keeping on with the testing of new apps soon.

May'16 Trip to Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon): Sawadeeka!

Well, this is a last minute trip that I managed to grab during a travel fair held in town.

As I said this is a last minute trip which means not much time for me to do further homework about the place to go and the food to eat etc. While, I did ask some of the itinerary from my sister and my best friend who went last year. However, I rather prefer a freely trip without any proper planning for once again. 

Therefore, the whole trip itinerary as below:-

24/5/2016    Arrival at Suvarbhumi INternational Airport Bangkok 

                    Check in hotel at Sukhumvit Sol 11

                    Shopping at Terminal 21

                    Siam Centre

                    Siam Night Market

                    MBK

25/5/2016    Golden Buddha Temple

                    Grand Palace

                    Terminal 21

                    Asiatique Night Market

26/5/2016    Car Renting to Khao Yai

                    PB winery

                    Palio

                    Chocolate Ville 

27/5/2016    Wet Market Sukhumvit

                    Platinum Fashion Mall

                    Pratunam Market

                    Big C Supermarket

28/5/2016    Chatuchak Market 

                    Chinatown

29/5/2016    Siam Paragon

                    Aqarium

30/5/2016  Home Sweet Home

                    

                     

Handicraft FB page - Lady Vampire's House of Knots

I love handicraft works. Love arts even though I'm not good in art but I quite confident to tell that I'm not bad in craft works. Recently I had created a page on FB to promote and might be selling my handmade products. 

Besides, I can have a platform to share my works and maybe get some others ideas and comments to improve my work. 

Hope that who is reading this can go and LIKE my page at www.facebook.com/houseofknots2u or look for Lady Vampire's House of Knots. 

Good day! 

November'15 Tokyo - Kyoto - Hakone Dream Trip #2 : Day 1

Day 1 - 5/11/2015

Narita Airport - Shinjuku

Landed in Narita Airport at 1400. After get out from the arrival gate, look for keisei skyliner ticketing counter. We bought the Keisei Skyliner round trip + Tokyo subway 2 days pass (¥ 5100) as we know we will be at around Tokyo for 2 days before going to Kyoto.

Keisei Skyliner takes you from airport to Nippori and Ueno station then transfer by metro or JR to major stations around Tokyo.

There is another type of train takes you from Narita Airport to major stations in Tokyo without a need to transfer. But, after the cost comparison, I decided to take on Keisei Skyliner.

May check online for their latest information and latest promotion. Currently they provide tourists for ticket online purchasing which include the packages of skyliner + subway. 

http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/value_ticket/subway.php

They do provide wifi within the train. But you must ask from the officer at the ticketing counter. They will pass you a card with the username and password written on it then you may access it all the way to your destination. 

Once take off from Keisei Skyliner at Ueno station, then buy a ticket to Shinjuku as our accommodation is there (JR Ueno to Shinjuku ¥200).

Checked in to an accommodation which can occupied the 5 of us which booked from Airbnb.com.  Junko's Shinjuku Apartment The owner who named Junko is a kind and friendly person who took us for a dinner at Menya Musashi Honten; means the headquarter (google map) which is highly recommended by local people.

They served great food ie. Super juicy pork belly ramen. Only you would know until you try. They are hardly to be described with words but only feeling.

Well, dinner is done and head back to apartment to rest for another exciting day!

15年11月 秋之旅 #1（东京-京都-箱根)

梦想终于在15年11月实现了啦！

日本~~~~我来啦！

去日本前，绝对要好好的做功课呢！不然，那么复杂的铁路系统和出入口，绝对会把你打败的。尤其是当你带着妈妈们出这趟旅行的话，你一定不想要她们跟着你绕啊找的！

好的。这里就先写写我的Planning吧！

5/11/2015 成田机场-新宿 

6/11/2015 筑地市场，东京御所，浅草，上野，东京晴空塔，银座，东京塔
7/11/2015 新宿御苑，原宿（明治神社，竹下道，表参道）涩谷（代々木公园）

8/11/2015 东京-京都-嵯峨野鉄路-嵐山-祇園

9/11/2015 二条城-伏見稲荷大社-八坂神社-高台寺-二年坂三年坂-清水寺-地主神社-                                       Potoncho/祇園

10/11/2015 銀閣寺-哲学之道-京都御所-金閣寺-錦市场- 京都车站-东京

11/11/2015 东京One Piece Tower - 秋葉原

12/11/2015 東京-箱根 

13/11/2015 箱根-東京 

14/11/2015 東京水族馆-彩虹桥

15/11/2015 上野-银座

16/11/2015 回家

确实的旅程：-

5/11/2015 成田机场-新宿 

6/11/2015 筑地市场, 浅草，新宿都厅
7/11/2015 原宿（明治神社，竹下道，表参道）涩谷，六本木之丘展望台

8/11/2015 东京-京都-嵯峨野鉄路-嵐山-

9/11/2015 伏見稲荷大社-祇園-八坂神社-二年坂三年坂-清水寺-地主神社-Porta Shopping                             Mall

10/11/2015 京都御所-錦市场- 京都车站-东京

11/11/2015 东京One Piece Tower - 东京车站 - 新宿

12/11/2015 東京-箱根 

13/11/2015 箱根-東京 -上野

14/11/2015 池袋 - 银座 - 上野

15/11/2015 秋葉原 -上野 - 涩谷

16/11/2015 回家

后续会把详细的行程在po上。也会把要注意的，或预定的一些景点一一上传。敬请期待！（希望不会太久！>U<)