Happy 2018, dear readers! I know it's been a while since I last wrote a post, but I've been busy with the life of being a wife and finishing projects on the side too, so the blog took a back seat. Hopefully with the new year comes a new drive to write more regularly. Please don't get tired of dropping by! So, let's get on with my first post for the year. :) Now that you've read where to go in Tokyo, it's time to let you in on all the good food we ate!
Japanese food is something I grew up eating. My brother and I inhale a plate of sashimi within seconds. My family and I frequented Kimpura, Sugi, and Saisaki when they were the only choices in Manila. When we grew older, we tried other restaurants to get our sashimi fix and other Japanese food staples. So to say I was excited to finally try Japanese food in Japan is a major understatement.
Here's my Tokyo Eat List! Hope you enjoy these restos and dishes as much as I did.
It was my first time to visit Japan, and I honestly thought the trip wouldn't push through because I wouldn't get a visa (watch for my post on the application process). But God is great, and together with Jay, Tita Virgie, Ate Vina and her office mates, we set off last November for a 7-day trip to Tokyo!
Japan is one of my dream travel destinations, and even if we've only been around Tokyo (well, technically, we also went on a tour of Mt. Fuji), I'm already in love with the whole country!
So, without further ado, here are my picks of must visit places in Tokyo. I indicated below how to get to these places from Ikebukuro, where we stayed.
1. Tokyo Imperial Palace
Tokyo Imperial Palace is only open during certain hours, and the free guided tour is only available twice daily, at 10AM and 1:30PM, except on Sundays and Mondays. We got there early for the 1:30PM tour, so we first took photos at the lovely plaza across the palace grounds. This is beside the Wadakura Fountain Park.
You can make advance registrations for the tour, but we just lined up at the Kikyomon Gate for the same-day registration before the tour started.
The tour takes a little more than an hour and is done in Japanese. Foreigners have the option to take headsets that will provide English translation. Groups will be asked to share.
The photo below is of me standing at the Kyuden Totei Plaza. Behind me is the Choden Reception Hall, where the Imperial family appears before the crowd on New Year's Day and the Emperor's Birthday.
A view from the Imperial Palace Grounds:
A photo of the Nijubashi, the two bridges that form an entrance to the inner Palace grounds.
How to get there from Ikebukuro:
Ride the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line or the Japan Rail (JR) Yamanote Line, and get off at Tokyo Station.
Walk to the Imperial Palace.
2. Tokyo DisneySea
This is a must for theme park lovers. You can actually go to both DisneySea and Disneyland as they are on the same area, but we chose DisneySea because it is the only one of its kind among the Disney franchise, and its attractions are different from other Disney theme parks around the world.
Allot a whole day for this trip, and expect long lines for the attractions. As with theme parks, it's best to go on a weekday and definitely not on a holiday.
We celebrated Jay's birthday at the happiest place on earth!
We enjoyed the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, Sinbad's Storybook Voyage (it's the DisneySea version of the "It's A Small World" attraction), and King Triton's Concert. The latter is a live show that features Ariel in an aerial harness.
A whole new world!
Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
King Triton's Concert is at the Mermaid Lagoon
How to get there by train from Ikebukuro:
Ride the Marunouchi Line and get off at Tokyo Station.
Transfer to the JR Keiyo Line and get off at Maihama Station.
Walk to Resort Gateway Station and ride the Disney Resort Line.
Get off at Tokyo DisneySea Station.
3. Tokyo Skytree
At 634 meters above ground, Tokyo Skytree is the world's highest freestanding broadcasting tower. It is also the second tallest structure in the world, next only to the Burj Khalifa.
The tower has two viewing decks or floors. The Tembo Deck is 350m above the ground, while the Tembo Galleria is 450m above the ground.
You can choose to go to only one, or to both decks. It offers a sweeping 360-degree view of Tokyo up to 70 kilometers away! From the Galleria, you can go to the highest floor (450th) via a glass tube.
At 451.2 meters above ground, the Sorakara Point is the highest point permitted to visitors.
There's also a shopping center within the tower called Solamachi. I love their lights display!
How to get there by train from Ueno Station (we came from Ueno Park):
Ride the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and get off at Asakusa Station.
Transfer to Tobu Skytree Local Line and get off at Tokyo Skytree Station.
Walk to Skytree.
4. Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Crossing is said to be one of the busiest intersections in the world. Hundreds of people cross that street in minutes, and we noticed it personally when we went there on our second night in Tokyo.
Posed for a photo as pedestrians wait for their turn to cross the street.
Here's a time lapse video I posted on Instagram (follow me!):
Several steps from Shibuya Crossing is another famous Tokyo landmark, Hachiko's statue. The loyal dog rose to fame because of how he waited for his owner by the train station, even years after the master had passed.
From the Shibuya Station, there's a path of paw prints leading to the statue. Of course there were many tourists angling for a photo, but each one was courteous to let others have their moment.
Shibuya is also a shopping district and there are many malls and stores you can visit. We went to Adidas where I was able to score the hard-to-find women's slip-ons, and in a new color too!
A friend of mine said there's a Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory store nearby, but the one we visited was at Skytree. Tokyo Milk Cheese are delicious cookies with cheese sandwiched in between.
How to get there by train from Ikebukuro:
Ride the JR Yamanote Line and get off at Shibuya Station.
Take the Hachiko Exit and walk to the Hachiko statue and Shibuya Crossing.
5. Yoyogi Park/Meiji Shrine
We enjoyed our visit at Yoyogi Park where the Meiji Shrine is located. The calming effect nature has is evident in this place, with its canopy of trees and flowers in bloom. Entering the park, we were greeted with falling leaves, like gentle raindrops.
Posing in front of Sake barrels.
Further inside the park, you will arrive at Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
In Japan, at the entrance of shrines, you are required to cleanse your hands and mouth with water.
There are also a section where people write their prayers on little slabs of wood.
By the entrance of Meiji Shrine, there's a box with two holes called Omikuji. You drop 100 Yen on smaller box in front, and get a Waka poem from the Omikuji. The left hole contains English poems, while the right hole contains Japanese poems.
The poems are from Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. A Waka is a traditional Japanese poem made of 31 syllables with the pattern 5-7-5-7-7. Emperor Meiji wrote about 100,000 Waka while Empress Shoken wrote around 30,000. These works help enhance the nation's moral character.
These are the words of wisdom that I got:
How to get there by train from Ikebukuro Station:
Ride the JR Yamanote Line and get off at Harajuku Station.
Take the Omotesando exit and walk to Yoyogi Park.
BONUS: Here are other places you can include in your itinerary if you have the time.
Tokyo National Museum/Ueno Park
If you like immersing yourself in historical artifacts, you'll enjoy a visit to the Tokyo National Museum. You will see a lot of exhibits and displays that explain Japanese history, and will make you appreciate the country more.
It was snowing the day we went there, so it was really cold. The snow and the rain made the temperatures drop and we were freezing. But we were still able to take a stroll at Ueno Park.
How to get there from Ikebukuro:
Take the JR Yamanote Line and get off at Ueno Station.
Walk to Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum.
Odaiba
If you're going to Tokyo before April, make a stop at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba to catch the life size Gundam display, as it will only be there until March 5, 2017!
How to get there from Ikebukuro:
Ride the Yurakucho Line and get off at Shin-Kiba Station.
Transfer to Rinkai Line and get off at Tokyo Teleport Station.
Walk to Odaiba.
Mt. Fuji Tour
If your schedule permits it, I highly recommend taking a Mt. Fuji Tour. The magnificent mountain is said to only show itself a number of times in a year, so we were very fortunate to have a glimpse of it.
We booked our tour here. It includes a trip to Mt. Fuji's 5th viewing station, an authentic Japanese lunch buffet, a visit to a Japanese Onsen (hot spring where you bathe naked. Think Wensha, minus the buffet), and shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets.
Because it snowed the day before our trip, the 5th viewing station was closed. But we were brought to Lake Kawaguchi, which our Japanese friend says offers the best view of Mt Fuji. And it does!
Just look at this beauty:
So there you have it, dear readers! Hope my entry helps you plan your Tokyo itinerary. You can also read my Tokyo Eat List and watch for my entry on How to Apply for Janapanese Visa.
We started our last day in Ilocos with a trip to the Juan and Antonio Luna Museum. This stop is highly-recommended. They show a short clip about the Luna brothers, and that's how I learned that the award-winning Juan Luna killed his wife and mother-in-law in a fit of raging jealousy. However, he was acquitted of the murder charges on grounds of temporary insanity.
The museum used to be the Luna's house in Ilocos Sur, before the family moved to Manila. Most of the house's foundation still exists, but some renovations were done throughout the years.
After the museum we had lunch at Cafe Leona on Calle Crisologo. We rode the Kalesa which included a tour to the Bantay Bell Tower and the Quirino Museum.
An intricate wooden chest given to President Quirino from Chiang Kai Shek.
A quick stroll along Calle Crisologo, where we saw Lovi Poe and Tom Rodriguez taping for Someone To Watch Over Me hehe, and we went on our way.
We also stopped at the Lihim na Hardin, but then it rained so we left immediately. Our itinerary also included visiting Baluarte, owned by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson. Only J, Y, and I went because of the rain, and honestly, I wish we didn't. Even if some of the animals were freely roaming around, they still looked sad and out of place.
I was also dismayed at the Safari Museum, which displayed Singson's kills. Taxidermied heads of various deers, bears (there was a polar bear!), and even an elephant were proudly displayed, along with photos of when Chavit shot them to death. I know hunting is legal in the places where he does it, I just can't imagine how people do this and be happy about it.
After Baluarte, our driver brought us to the places where we bought souvenirs and pasalubong (different stops for T-shirts and trinkets, Bagnet, and bibingka).
We left for Manila around 6pm and arrived at 1am. All in all a tiring but fun trip!
Our tour package was priced at 3,699 per person for a 3-day, 2-night stay including transportation, accommodations, breakfasts, day tours, and entrance fees (except the sand dunes adventure). You may contact Luiza Casimiro of NorthBound Gems Travel & Events at 0917-591-65-00.
And that's it for my first edition of #RomyRoams. Thanks for reading!
The highlight of our trip would have to be the 4x4 ride in the Laoag Sand Dunes. We had to be ready by 6am and take a short ride to the sand dunes.
Before we began, we were given a few reminders. J, Y, and I were standing at the back of the 4x4, and we were told to bend our knees and hold tight.
It was a blast!!! We were screaming and laughing throughout the ride. It was like being on a roller coaster, but the feeling was more intense, and there were bumps along with the rise and dips. We stopped at certain places to take photos. It felt like we were out of the country. Toto, we're not in Pinas anymore!
The Laoag Sand Dunes adventure also came with unlimited sand boarding. You either sit or stand on the board and slide down the sands. I had sand all over me on my first try. Inside my t-shirt, on my face, at the back of my neck, everywhere. But I still gave it a second try. Fun!
One 4x4 ride costs Php2,500 and it can accommodate up to 5 passengers. But even if there are only two passengers, the price is still the same. So better to avail of this in groups.
For your own sand dunes adventure, contact Marlon Castro at 09758885687/09465859455. You may contact them thru their Facebook page, Laoag Sand Dunes Ilocos Escapade.
We returned to the hotel to have breakfast, then proceeded with the tour. We visited the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.
We tried authentic Ilocos Empanada after a tiring climb to the lighthouse.
We visited the Bangui Windmills next. This was a special place for me because when I visited in 2009, I wished that J was with me (hence my sign). Fast forward to 2016, and there we were!
We proceeded to Pagudpud Beach. It was too hot to swim, and we didn't have enough time anyway so we only ate a very mediocre lunch at Hannah's Resort and some of us (not including me) tried the zip line over the ocean.
The Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud Beach.
Then we stopped to take photos at the Patapat Viaduct and the Bantay Abot Cave.
A literal long and winding road, the Patapat Viaduct is the fourth longest bridge in the country.
The Bantay Abot Cave is not really a cave, but a hill with a hole in it because it got destroyed by an earthquake.
Our last stop for the day was the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. We could only take photos and admire it from afar, because it's now forbidden to go to the exact rock formation. I wonder when this started, because I saw many tourists and even prenup photos shot there.
Because we were going home the next day (Saturday), we didn't have a chance to attend worship service at any locale in Ilocos. I did see a lot of chapels big and small scattered throughout the province. I snapped one on our way back from Kapurpurawan and back to the hotel after our day's tour.
I was still working for an entertainment magazine when I first went to Ilocos in 2009. Our staff had our team planning at Sitio Remedios, a beautiful heritage resort owned by St. Luke's cardiologist Dr. Cuanang, located in Sitio Kurrimao, Ilocos Norte.
Last month, I went back to Ilocos with J and his family, but this time, we also spent a day touring Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
If on my first trip we took a plane that landed in Laoag International Airport, this time we rented a van and traveled for roughly nine hours.
While Vigan was in our itinerary for the last day, it was actually our first stop as we had our breakfast there. We chose Kusina Felicitas, and we had their silog meals. I chose Tapa Ilokano, the restaurant specialty that leans toward the sour-salty side. My kind of flavor profile!
A few more hours of driving and we reached Paoay Church. By then it was noon, too hot to take photos, and time for lunch.
We ate at Herencia Restaurant, which claims to be the birthplace of Pinakbet Pizza. We didn't order that though. We had Bagnet and the classic Pinakbet. We brought our dog Chowie along for this trip, and because there was no pets allowed in the resto, J and I waited outside for a bit until someone else finished eating. While waiting, I bought a cone of dirty ice cream with 2 flavors: avocado and dragon fruit, which is grown in the area. Perfect for the heat!
After lunch, we had our photos taken, and also bought some pasalubong: the requisite chichacorn, some T-shirts, and fans. I also bought a small pack of rice coffee for Tita L who loves drinking strong coffee (it wasn't until I gave it to her that I found out it was decaf! Haha).
We then visited former Pres. Marcos's remains in the Marcos Mausoleum (No photos allowed. Incidentally, a couple of days after our trip, the debate on his burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani ensued). After that, we went to Malacañang of the North, where former President Marcos and his family resided when he was in Ilocos Norte. The mansion, which has a view of the Paoay Lake, is now a museum. They charge a Php50 entrance fee, but we didn't have to pay since it was already included in our tour package.
