I LOVE JAPAN: Tokyo Disney Sea

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

These are the words of the cultural icon who inspired millions and millions of lives with his works, contributions to entertainment, and lifelong influences of keeping dreams alive an making them come true– no other than Walt Disney. At first glance, Disneyland may just be an ordinary theme park, but for many, it really is a place where magic happens, and where dreams do come true. And I will always consider myself part of those people who deem Disneyland as the happiest place on Earth.

I LOVE JAPAN: Tokyo

We were awakened by a magnitude 6 earthquake in Osaka, giving us a sudden urgency to jump out of our traditional tatami mat beds, giving us a full Japan experience, complete with earthquakes. The room was shaking like crazy, and Pao and I were just staring at each other in shock, as we did not know what we’re supposed to do. Thankfully, buildings in Japan are engineered very well to withstand such earthquakes, even of great magnitudes. But God is always good to keep us safe and unscathed despite the intensity of the earthquake.

From Osaka, we needed to take a 3.5 hour shinkansen ride to Tokyo. We were full of energy coming from Osaka en route to Tokyo, but we got stranded for almost 4 hours in the train station because train lines were suspended due to the earthquake making us miss out on most of the items on our itinerary that day. But with the best travel buddy in the universe, nothing can go wrong as we just let spontaneity guide us through our stay in Tokyo!

What to do when you get stranded in a train station for 4 hours?

Eat all the yummy Japanese pastries, try all the yummy Japanese vendo drinks, and pretend to be like the penguin from the vendo machine!

I LOVE JAPAN: Hakone, Mt. Fuji and Shinyokohama

A visit to Japan wouldn’t be complete without seeing the iconic and majestic Mt. Fuji! We visited Hakone, deemed as one of the best international holiday resorts, famous for its hot springs, natural beauty, and perfect views for Mt. Fuji! However, due to limited time, we were not able to spend a night in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) and experience an onsen (Japanese hot spring). But this trip left us with no regrets at all, as we could still attribute this trip as one of the best trips we’ve ever had (as of this writing)

It was a cloudy day on the day of our visit, so we just had to make do with this tarpaulin! (Mt. Fuji is clearly visible and not shy today huh?)

Mt. Fuji from the shinkansen!

From Tokyo, we took the shinkansen (Japan bullet train) to Odawara Station, which was also our jumpoff point for our Hakone tour. I just can’t explain how incredibly detailed the Japanese are, but grabe, look at their train station food! These are packed bento boxes that you could readily purchase at train stations. And upon opening these boxes, you get a little piece of heaven from meticulously prepared Japanese hands!

I LOVE JAPAN: Osaka

And this series professing my undying love for Japan will go on and on, simply because it’s still my favorite country (after the Philippines)…as of yet! Pardon the excited tone of my writing, but memories of my Japan experience will always make me all giddy. ALWAYS.

 

 

OSAKA—the food capital of Japan! I could even call it as the world’s greatest food city! And yes, food trips were very much part of our every move while we were in Osaka, another favorite place in Japan! We were like in a food lover’s heaven as we strolled and savored every bit of Osaka, overflowing with history, character, and culture. Every step needed to be accompanied by a savory bite of something delectable we bought from the lovely streets of Osaka!

Any food you put in your mouth in this lovely city, won’t disappoint you!

I LOVE JAPAN: Nara

Nara could possibly be one of our favorite places in Japan. It’s simple yet it’s distinctly unique from all the other Japanese cities we have visited. Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as being the first permanent capital of Japan, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan’s oldest and largest temples.

Yes. How picturesque!

That’s their JR train station. It is still beautiful!

Our bodies were in protest from all the walking we did in Kyoto the previous day that we could hardly surrender to our respective alarm clocks. But upon realization that we are already waking up in the beautiful country called Japan, we did not want to waste precious time in Japan,so we hurriedly got dressed then made our way to the shinkansen (Japan bullet train) to get to Nara on time.

One of the most amazing man-made inventions I have ever experienced! The bullet train was indeed a milestone! Believe me, Japan has the most extensive and most efficient subway and train network in the world!

My happy-about-to-ride-another-bullet-train-face!

This was the local JR train that took us directly to Nara!

ISLAS DE GIGANTES 2014

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” -Erol Ozan

We did not need to get lost because we already were captivated by this beautiful and untouched island. We discovered a secret paradise called Islas de Gigantes humbly tucked in Carles, Iloilo, the scallops capital of the Philippines (Yes, that’s right, seafood feast everyday!) In taking the road less traveled, we got to discover that there is beauty in between the long journey, the anticipation of arrival, and getting lost in the beauty of nature in its most alluring state– untouched.

Bicol Adventure 2014

“Whenever possible, we always choose adventure”

The passion for new experiences will always be openly welcomed as we covered the southern part of Bicol in 4 days with our Naga-Legazpi-Donsol-Caramoan leg of this fun trip. Highlighted by the ever-majestic views of the Mayon volcano, the challenge of chasing and swimming with whale sharks in their natural habitat, and exploring the powdery white beaches of the Philippine islands further compelled our eager spirits to love the Philippines more and more!

Showcasing our gratefulness with our 3 minutes of happiness as we share with you how blessed we are to have such a beautiful country! Here’s us tinkering with the wonders of GoPro! More videos coming soon!

I LOVE JAPAN: Kyoto

I LOVE JAPAN. Love, in the truest sense of the word, is even an understatement in expressing how much I fell in love with Japan, all things Japanese, its extremely beautiful country, and of course, their kind people. I will go back to Japan in a heartbeat.

Japan has always been a dream destination for both Pao and I. And for summer, we found the perfect timing, perfect opportunity, and all the heavenly blessings to pursue this trip… and we found ourselves LIVING THE DREAM: 8 days in Japan, 7 cities, unlimited shinkansen (bullet train rides), and BEST VACATION SO FAR!

What better way to introduce us to the land of the rising sun but to visit Kyoto, in Central Japan, teeming with its rich culture marked by its imperial past, definitely making it reminiscent of Old Japan.

This was featured in the plane’s inflight magazine on our way to Japan! How timely!

Baler, Aurora: Of Natural Wonders and Perfect Swells

Besides being known as the capital of Aurora Province, I could only attribute one word as to how the entire Baler experience would enthrall you– exhilarating. Baler is actually located on the northern part of Quezon Province and the eastern seaboard of Luzon. It lies majestically along the Sierra Madre and the Caraballo mountain ranges. Baler is not only just about surfing, one of the activities it is most famous for. There are lots of places where one can commune with nature, and the feeling of being this close to nature would make you come back for it again and again!

Actually, Baler surprised the best in Pao and I as we did not quite expect that we will love our experience in one of Luzon’s best kept secrets up north. Yes, we were really happy and have nothing but high praises as to how remarkable our weekend trip was!

We thought that all there is to Baler was its beach with awesome waves and swells perfect for surfing hence its popularity to surfing enthusiasts—the primary reason why we wanted to see it. What we did not know was that Baler offered pristine natural wonders made even better because of the touch of history in it!

 

Mount Pinatubo

1991: the year that marked the wrath of a once dormant volcano which was awakened after 600 years of sleep.  This eruption was considered as one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the recent years as it discharged sulfur dioxide and spewed ashes everywhere. It was then considered to be a dreaded object of fear, violence, destruction and catastrophe, but now, at present, it is now revered and admired as an object of beauty and majesty. And I could not even believe my eyes as I personally admired how extraordinarily beautiful the Crater Lake is, complemented by a perfect weather, blue skies, and turquoise waters. It was indeed a perfect day to witness the beauty of Mt. Pinatubo.

Oh what beauty!