tokyo

[melodymedley]

Had a blast in Tokyo for four days. Now in Kyoto.

Food:
I budgeted 4,000 yen per day dahil feeling ko magiging matakaw ako. I ended up eating one nice meal per day - usually full lang dinner kasi I skip lunch because I am busy touring/walking around/taking pics/ shopping.
Breakfast: free coffee sa hostel. I buy the rice triangles (105-130) yen sa convenience stores and I buy some bread (100 yen, 4 stick pieces)
Lunch: On the go - 400-700 yen. Usually noodles or bread lang din.
Dinner: Had an awesome dinner in a conveyor belt resto and pepper lunch, and some local place with no English menu. ;P

Transpo
I loaded 2,000 in my Pasmo card. Aba, after Day 1, 820 na lang agad ang balance. I went to Shinjuku area lang naman. I realized I didn't really study the most optimal route navigating around. E.g. I chose a route na two transfers, pwede pa lang isa lang. I blame it on having almost no sleep on my first day.

So nung day 3 around and around, I just bought a combination ticket na 1,000 yen for all the metro lines - yung Toei and Metro. Pricey, pero ayoko na kasi mag-isip isip masyado. And I keep on changing my mind and adding other places kasi kaya pa ng oras. Nasulit ko naman.

Ayun muna. Yung kit kat na green, dito ko sa Kyoto nakita!!! 278 yen per pack, naka sale nga sya.

[mitch2526]

Sisses sa tokyo Area if you see Seiyu it's a mall/dept store nasa 250 [textspeak!] kitkat green tea. Maraming murang pagkain sa Seiyu!

[j_in_tokyo]

@mitch2526:  you live in japan pala.    where's your fave onsen?  kaka addict talaga ang onsen, tanggal pagod.  pwede kaya if pregnant?

when it comes to  onsen, fave namin  ng partner ko yung oedo onsen monogatari sa may odaiba.
mga 1500 yen sya (night time)..1980 naman pag daytime..
it includes the onsen, the yukata, and the locker.
while wearing your yukata marami kayo makakainan sa loob.
para kang nasa OEDO era..
pwede rin magpamassage..
hiwalay nga lang yun bath ng lalaki at babae.
pro sa foot bath sa labas pwede kayo magkasama..

sulit ang onsen dito..lalo na if you are an onsen lover..

[melodymedley]

^I also tried an onsen in the Asakusa area. Paid for 450 yen for the experience.

I did some research about the behavior and customs in an onsen. Pero mga 1 hour and a couple of minutes lang ang tinagal ko sa isang onsen. Parang mas matagal pa ako nagresearch at nagbasa. harharhar! Parang Ace Water Spa with no stitch of clothing. All the women have this small towel to allow them some sense of privacy pa rin kahit papano. I had regular sized microfiber towel. Na realize ko agad na dapat maliit pala yung towel (harhar) kaya iniwan ko na lang yung towel and I proceeded to bathe with my birthday suit.

They have a hot and cold water pool. Dun ako nagtagal. I shared the pool with some other girls and we were so close together. Gumagalaw galaw pa sila, and I was very still. Awkward.  I looked at the "view" - a painted mounted in the walls. After a few minutes...na bore na ako so I switched between the hot and cold pools. I also tried the electric bath. Mainet ha. I couldn't stay there for long.

There were kids in the onsen too. So I guess Japanese girls grow up knowing how they'll look like someday. Probably nakakaalis din ng insecurities no?

I was supposed to try another onsen in Kyoto naman, pero tinamad ako lumabas sa lamig.

Buti na lang solo ako. 

[gorgeous_me]

^sobrang lamig na ba melodymedley?

kinakabahan ako, parang hindi pa ako prepared, 8 more days to go na lang e, dami ko pang gagawin, huhu

ano bang mas advisable, luggage or backpack?
sana kaya pa ang layering, wahaha

[melodymedley]

@sis gorgeous_me: I was there almost 2 weeks ago. It gets as cold as 10 degrees at night. So kapag naglalakad pa ako sa gabi, nanginginig na ako. Mahina ako sa lamig eh. I had to buy some thermals there na - c/o Heattech ng Uniqlo. It keeps the heat, but I still needed to wear three layers minsan: Heattech + dress + sweater. Bottoms: Legging + stockings/thermals + knee high boots.

I used my luggage for my 10-day drip. Went there with a half-full luggage, came back with a super full luggage. Although I've tried to manage the backpack in another trip, may convenience pa rin ang wheels for me. May lifts naman, and escalators. 

[vhanya]

I think hindi na kaya ng layering ang lamig sa Japan right now. You really have to wear thermals na =)

[greyzie]

buy kairo (pads na umiinit)... it'll help a lot sa cold

[gorgeous_me]

tnx mga sis, ang hirap nga kasi kapag backpack, sana lang hindi mawala ang luggage ko, hehe
dapat na nga akong bumili ng thermals, hehe, ok na ba yung sa M&S or sa debenhams?

sis greyzie: san nabibili yung kairo?

[greyzie]

^marami sa mga convenience stores... here's what it looks like:

http://novelty-store.jp/products/kairo/ready_kairo/raku_regular/

you can use din naman dito for dysmenorrhea, etc...

[gorgeous_me]

tnx buti na lang maramihan, kala ko may bayad, kada isang pad, hehe

[melodymedley]

tnx mga sis, ang hirap nga kasi kapag backpack, sana lang hindi mawala ang luggage ko, hehe

I think theft is very rare in Japan. Samples:
-They park their bikes in the streets, without a bike chain. As in andun lang sa kalsada (maayos naman). In Amsterdam, dapat makapal ang bike -chain mo, bike theft if very rampant in Ams.
-Walang Baggage Counter. I think they trust that people will not steal.
-it is rude to answer a call in trains. A lady took a call outside the train, iniwan nya bag nya sa train while she took the call outside. She finished the call then just returned to her seat, just in time for the doors to close
-I left my umbrella in my hostel in Tokyo. After 4 days, andun pa rin, nakasabit lang.






If may magnanakaw, baka hindi Japanese. Hehe.

[gorgeous_me]

^oo nga sis e, hindi ako worried sa mga japanese, don lang sa makakasabay ko sa flight, baka iba ang makuhang luggage, hehe, ang sama ko

ang saya naman ng trip mo, nakabalik ka na pala melodymedley, kala ko pabalik ka pa lang

[j_in_tokyo]

I think theft is very rare in Japan. Samples:
-They park their bikes in the streets, without a bike chain. As in andun lang sa kalsada (maayos naman). In Amsterdam, dapat makapal ang bike -chain mo, bike theft if very rampant in Ams.
-Walang Baggage Counter. I think they trust that people will not steal.
-it is rude to answer a call in trains. A lady took a call outside the train, iniwan nya bag nya sa train while she took the call outside. She finished the call then just returned to her seat, just in time for the doors to close
-I left my umbrella in my hostel in Tokyo. After 4 days, andun pa rin, nakasabit lang.
If may magnanakaw, baka hindi Japanese. Hehe.

sa mga japanese dito tayo dapat magworry..pero sa mga tsekwa naku!
yung bike ko nawala nun pinark ko sa station..i thought na-tow lang so chineck ko sa pound ng mga bike..wala..
sabi ng iba usually chinese daw kumukuha nun bike.

so extra careful din talaga dapat

[greyzie]

I think theft is very rare in Japan. Samples:
-They park their bikes in the streets, without a bike chain. As in andun lang sa kalsada (maayos naman). In Amsterdam, dapat makapal ang bike -chain mo, bike theft if very rampant in Ams.

If may magnanakaw, baka hindi Japanese. Hehe.

most of their bikes have self locks and dapat nire-register so pag nawala and na-report sa police me chance of retrieval. at usually nga, foreigners ang kumukuha.

me mga japanese pa rin na magnanakaw but more of ka-weirduhan na lang nila. during the technical training ng mga colleagues ko, me pumasok sa dormitory at ang kinuha lang are the Soen panties, yun Japan-bought were ignored! when reported sa general affairs ng company, iiling-iling lang sila and someone said na ina-auction daw kasi yun mga panties na yun.

[indigo.tulle]

^sobrang lamig na ba melodymedley?

kinakabahan ako, parang hindi pa ako prepared, 8 more days to go na lang e, dami ko pang gagawin, huhu

ano bang mas advisable, luggage or backpack?
sana kaya pa ang layering, wahaha

@gorgeous_me:
we're boarding on the same travel dates sis!!!   pwede malaman itinerary mo?  we're still deciding where to go.  lol...but definitely go outlet shopping.  ^_^

this season pala is fall-winter na so we usually wear an outercoat na with wool.  layering still works naman as long as you wear the key pieces (basic + sweater + outerwear with socks, caps and gloves).  wool keeps you dry and warm, acrylic does the same but cheaper.  cashmere are very light but expensive, angora is hotter. 

may angora socks sa saizer also since and sobrang comfy siya to wear around.  and may heatech na sa uniqlo dito!!!!   sa moa or may bubukas sa north edsa...i think i saw their catalog for P470 each?

true about kairo but stick it on a tshirt and not directly onto your skin ah.  mainit talaga siya...hubby was perspiring when he layered up.  lol.



oh, osaka (shinsaibashi area) is definitely colder and windy, especially at night vs tokyo.

luggages mas okay sis!  you can leave them behind the hotel before/after checking out naman. 

[gorgeous_me]

@tnx indigo.tulle, buti na lang sinabi mo, kasi, sa skin ko talaga dapa siya ilalagay, lol

iti ko sis, osaka-nara-kyoto-tokyo-osaka, hehe, pero may mga specific places na ako na pupuntahan, kasi 5 days lang ako don, 2days sa bus ako matutulog, hehe, tpos 3days s hostel, skip muna yung disney, I know it's the happiest place, para may pupuntahan kaming magkakapatid next time, gusto ko may kasama akong sumisigaw sa rides, lol

makadaan nga sa uniqlo, may lam ba kayo na thermal na medyo small ang size? maliit lang kasi ako, hehe, ang lalaki ng sizes sa marks and spencer at giordano, hindi ko pa lang natignan sa debenhams

[gorgeous_me]

pwede bang magwithdraw sa japan? kung BPI atm?

[isha17]

Its really cold here in tokyo! Di ko kinakaya,kahit minsan i want to take a stroll around lang,natatamad ako dahil sa freezing cold. I love onsen sa may toshimaen, may common pool din at jacuzzi sa labas,sarap nga kase it was raining pa. We got there 6pm until 11pm..sulit sa 1260yen.

[Frozen Toes]

I'll be in Tokyo in 2 weeks and I'm bringing my mum as a post-birthday treat. I purchased two 7-day JR passes through Universal Holidays and booked Shibuya Excel Hotel via Agoda.

Will share na lang my itinerary when I get back.