We all know Japanese food is exquisite, and tasty to my liking, I had sushi, tempura, soba, udon, ramen, xx-yaki, tonkatsu, xx-don, coffee, bread, oh my god bread! All of them are really good and sometimes I wonder if they had too much ajinomoto in it or plainly delicious.

Tempura - always my first choice, always a little heaty, but always oh so yummy. Normal set cost Y1000 and above.

Bread - always my first second choice, always sweet to my stomach and yummy to the core. Normal bread cost from Y150 to Y200.

Coffee - The vintage coffee shop I had at Osaka is so nostalgic I thought I had gone back in time. The breakfast set with half a toast on butter, an egg, a coffee jelly with a siphon-sipped coffee is for Y450.

Okonomiyaki - it is not exactly to my liking because too heaty for me, but it is a kansai taste and everyone should go for it. Y800 and above at the famous Fugetsu chain.

Taiyaki - a custard/bean spread/chocolate filled cream puff like in fish shape dessert, extremely yummy and cheap at Y150.

McD breakfast starts from Y220. Starbucks coffee starts from Y340, Doutor coffee for a little less than that, Yoshinoya/Sukiya starts from Y290, and many kanten sushi starts at Y120 per plate. And many rice crisp snack at Y100 in supermarket. Sodas/Artificial tea around Y150, fruit juice Y200, beer Y250, if you buy food from supermarket the price is a little cheaper but quality can’t compare with the restaurants, so I rather eat at restaurants.

A safe bet for breakfast Y500, lunch Y1000, dinner Y1500 for something nice, and reserves Y1000 for snack and drinks. Your stomach will be happy for a day in Y4000, extra happy if you have Y5000, hehe.

This is the only place I visited in Nara and I believe it is well enough, with the vastness of the park, you rarely get to encounter with tourist group, except at ToDaiji. The entire park is quite magical, especially the forest path to Kasuga Taisha shrine, there are occasional deers roaming out and I feel like I was in Princess Mononoke scene. It was very quite and serene, when you walk alone, but to know the civilization is only nearby makes you feel safe from being too savagely located in a forested jungle.

ToDaiji, on the other hand, full of tourist groups, but if you could shut them all out, you see the most amazing buddha statue, and the most magnificent building I had in Japan, giant, as if it was built by bigger people. It made me reminded of the famous Lama Temple in Beijing with another giant buddha within the temple, it was so sacred but it was also sad when you heard loud announcements and introductions from the tour guides and the ever noisy tour people (Chinese, Hongkies, Taiwanese, Koreans and Japanese all the same).

Teramachi-dera & around

This busy Kyoto shopping street is most bustling at evening and feel free to walk around all the small alleys to discover new shops, new ideas, new restaurants. They are all so fancy you can’t have enough time to feed your eyes, let alone your mind.

There are a thousand restaurants with fancy menu and displays, waiting for you to choose, and it is really such a difficult decision when each of them is so tempting. I find it a hard time to eat because every shops look promising than the next.

Nishiki market, in my humble opinion, has been absorbed to become one of them, no longer the wet market with seafood, vege, meat that I expected.

There is a 2nd hand clothes shop (should be a few more) at Teramachi shopping arcade, with really fancy stuff for those eccentric people (you know what I mean when you got there) and they have a collection of kimono stuff on second floor.

Kinkakuji

Just like the picture, it looked exactly the same, but of course I avoided to have the crowded tourists into my picture and I still think this is worth a visit, because the stunning visual of a golden pavilion shining through the rays of sun and reflected on a calm murky lake seems the inevitable Japanese experience for anyone.

The compound is rather small, and the pavilion is the only attraction, so it is always crowded with people taking pictures. I am not sure if during lunch time or by dawn it would be a little better, you may as well give it a try.

Kyoto Station, Namba Station, Umeda Station

These transportation centers are more than a traveller’s brief stop, they consists of complex underground shopping arcade, chains of restaurants and some big department stores. You could spend almost an entire day just to walk around the underground on shopping and food searching, they are unbelievably competitive on pricing and in different ranges.

Koyasan

It could be the snow, I am almost certain, but the whole experience is simply magical and serene to me. I still vividly remember the 2km walk alone in Oku-no-in graveyard, with the ancient trees around, and snow covered, I feel like I should scatter my ashes at such place as well when I die.

It also works so well in here with the atmosphere on a criminal story shot: a women in red blouse was running frantically and constantly looking back, someone was chasing her, she got a wound on her palm, her paced breathes created steam out from her mouth and her gasping and clacking heels were the only sound in the dimly evening…. Wow, totally works!

Kurama Onsen (hot spring)

The return train ride cost Y1200 from Gion-Shijo station, the entrance is Y1000 big, but the view from the only open air pool is worth the visit, especially when there are not many people and the sky was looking promisingly with snow over the pine tree mountains, and when you able to watch the days go by till dawn, it simply took aways all the stress from you.

p.s. no photo as I am not allowed to…

Osaka Aquarium

A typical family orientation spot, full of children noises, but I have always love fishes and aquariums. The place is a special one that you start from the top, and walking a small slope path down and visit all the fancy animals and sea world.

The main tank with whale shark was really big, but it has divider of walls over the corridors, so it did not look as incredible as one single glass wall like the one in Okinawa aquarium.

So I did many research before getting there and hereby I will introduce you the information I have, in hope, you could save money too for your trip.

In general, trains and subway are my main transportation, and they have multi hundred ways to reach a place via the interconnected, inter-crossed, inter-linked rail lines and subway stations. Bus on the other hand, is good for certain locations (obviously can’t be reached by trains).

There are government (JR, Shinkansen) and private own (Nankai, Hankyu, Kintetsu etc) trains and also municipal subway in the city. And private is always cheaper and always has a 1-day-card to access it together with subways.

Kansai Airport to Kyoto

There is a Kansai Kanku ticket, cost only Y1200 (compare with JR Haruka express which is Y2980). Just go to the ticket counter (next to those fancy ticket machines) and get it, but I was told it was available till March 31st. You will get a pamphlet (those Japanese are really tidy people) with 2 train tickets, and specially reminded you to go from airport to Tengachaya station, change to subway to north Osaka and change to Hankyu railways all the way to Kawaramachi (Kyoto downtown, fancy shopping area).

A note on the railways, they have a few types, Normal, Express, Limited Express,  the Normal will stops at every station, Express will stops at major interchange, while Limited Express (normally is reserved seats) will go from one end all the way to the other. They have a super accurate timetable at each station, so you might want to get familiar with the info format for future usage.

This ticket is not able to take the hyper fancy deep blue Nankai Rapid train (limited express), unless you pay additional Y600 or so, but it is fun to watch the train, it looks like a space ship.

Kansai West Thru Pass

There are 2 days (Y3000) and 3 days (Y5000) and allow you to take almost all private railways, buses, cable cars and municipal subways and buses, extremely cost savings if you plan your time correctly. I bought the 3 day card for cheaper reason (Y1666/day) and travelled to Nara and back (around Y1200) and went to Kurama hot spring on same day (around Y1200). I used the second day travel from Kyoto to Koyasan including all buses there (around Y1850) and I use it to return to Osaka and spend the subways rides everywhere (Koyasan to Osaka is around Y1500, each subway rides takes Y170).

The advantage of this card is you have to use it to travel from city to city then only you get your money back, otherwise is if you like to take the bus and train for fun on a whole day trip, so plan wise.

Note: You can only buy this is specific locations, not all stations available. In Kyoto, only the tourist information center at Kyoto Center available for sale. Or you can buy in Kansai Airport, Osaka Umeda or Namba tourist information center, or even Nara center. Passport is required to show.

Also note this ticket does not need to be used on consecutive days, more flexible than JR pass.

Side note: If you want to buy JR rail pass (any pass) you need not only passport, but a PAPER PRINT OUT of your air flight info as well.

One Day Bus Pass (Kyoto)

Y500 and you get to many places within Kyoto Area 1 (outside Area 1 cost separately). The Area 1 bus fare is Y220 fixed, so you get your money back after 3 rides. I used it to visit Kinkakuji and Ryoanji and Kitano Tenmanga (those located north west are not accessible by trains)

This card is sold at many places, I bought it from hostel, I think you get it from the bus itself too.

Also note, 1-day-pass of Kyoto (bus + municipal subways) cost Y800.

One Day Subway Pass (Osaka)

cost Y800 and Y600 on Fridays (they call it No-My-Car-Day). But I got a better deal. As Osaka Aquarium was in my itinerary, there is a special card that combine aquarium ticket with 1 day subway pass for only Y2400 (Aquarium entry itself is Y2000). And they even have different combinations to suit your locations with other private railways. Check out website for info http://www.kaiyukan.com/info/admission/ . They have it in English at tourist center, just go and ask.

Walk

Believe or not, I spent most time walking in Kyoto and Nara and Koyasan, the maps look much bigger than actuals. I enjoyed walking not just could experience the real people, and also enjoyed being lost in the alleys and residence area and able to take a glimpse of their tidy bungalows. And hey, it’s free and just wear a comfy shoe you should love it even during winter times of 4C or so.

Osaka on the other hand is better to take subway, because it is too convenient to go anyway.

Useful Resource

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/ - this is my bible of transportation, just key in 2 locations and rough schedule, it tells you how to get from one place to another with accurate fare expense. And it works the entire Japan I believe. I thank this website for helping me save money on my day passes expense.

http://www.japan-guide.com - a good resource in everything for Japan, and you get to many other links from there, gives me so much info and recommendations.

I promise I will write more, about the real guide of surviving in Kansai, and introducing to you all the beautiful places that I have been and all the yummy food~ wow~ yummy indeed~

So 15man yen, 8.5 days, 1 city, 2 towns, 1 country side, 1 mountain, possibly endless temples, shrines, buses and train rides, tempura and udon and ramen and sushi and various ryori, OMG, I can’t believe it~ ^^

So happy so happy~~

It is undeniable that I paid like 20% more expensive than a norm to get this phone while receiving 2 useless free gift, but it is now already too late to go back time, not unless I knew if I must buy it back in last Friday with an Unicom package though.

What’s done is done, I did all the waiting and now I am short sighted, shallowed planned, impulsed hand, and some fast cash comes to that, and I am just excited that I now am among the millions of Pekinese who show off their iPhone all the time in every where, there is no where I go that I couldn’t see someone holding one.

This is my eighth Apple product, and once again the late Steve Jobs won~ damn you, but thank you~

And just merely a week off I was in another theatre in the heart of the city, watching “Home“, the notoriously famous genre about conservative big family, major incest and sexual discriminations, and to top it all, someone died being the climax of the stage. This story is no doubt such a cliche but the stage deco is easily ranked one of the best that I have seen, to the extend that I owed someone now RMB10 over the bet that the actors won’t wear a mic. (darn~) It is a well paid RMB180 ticket but I know that I should not watch too much catastrophic tragedy to worsen my mundane life.

And behold, that is not it, for tonight there is another invitation for a stand up comedy, while on next Wednesday is JUMP, the Korean kungfu drama which I am looking forward to. I do hope that I could pick up a good hobby like this to be entertained, rather than being home punching keyboards and watching you know what….. (snigger)

I barely fell to sleep, by day light, I looked up at my balcony window and it was snowing intensively, this time, I can see very clearly on each particle flow in the air, following a certain pattern before dropping to the ground, the streets and ground were kept in a bed of snow. It was London all over again, so beautiful, so quiet, so light, yet so excruciatingly lonely. I called Cutie to share my thoughts, I was not sure if she could feel the way I did, but it was nice to have someone you loved with you watching the snowing scene together, even virtually. And then I called BoBoZ and we shared some thoughts too, it was really the only thing I thought about.

The first snow of 2012, I keep having this little wish with me, till the next time when I could really look at someone’s eye and smile while having the romantic snow falling over my head. It must be an incredible feeling~

And now everything is almost set, I have prepared most of which I should do to enter the country of Orient to its own unique culture, and the islands of some 1.3 billion population (that’s one tenth of China mind you). There must be a lot that I am expecting, but in fact most of all, I really fancy on ramen and tempura and all the mouth watering cuisine I have been dreaming of day by day, it is just can’t get off my mind.

The fact is now I have less than 3 weeks, and I must complete all my work for this quarter, and I must learn as much as I should to be at ease there. On top of this, I have also decided to bring a scribble book with me for my painter fantasy, I wish I would have time to sit down and sketch something, it would be somehow meaningful.

And this situation is amplified perhaps 5 times when it comes to the homosexual community, it is totally crucial and unbeatable when your good looks, good taste, good arms and good chest set a feast of eyes for the beholders and be worshipped upon. The first 5 seconds, or 5 next days, nobody is going to try to learn how well a person you are, how nicely behaved, or how politely you conversed, they won’t really mind if you spoke of foul language, nor making fun of lesser minds, or even committing a crime. People will simply like you because you are physically fresh and smell really nice.

On the other hand, what if a person with a hunky body that smells nice and delicious is in actuality having a fragile personality, one that yearns for attentions, hoping the caring of the person to whom they desire (let alone by another hunky body), all they have done on their physical outlook is converting into how much they need this care, this love, and how insecure they are within their little tiny heart that pumps less than 72 times a minute.

Have we ever see a hunky body with passing through their titanium outlook is a weak, fragile, sensible, weeping sorrow after grievance, a soul so sad that you could break him with a single fierce gaze? I think to most of us (at least myself), we don’t ever link this two components together (thanks to the mighty Hollywood), but I wish that if you read this, the next time you see the outlook of a person, try to imagine, just do it, that he/she might be a complete opposite personality from his/her look, and isn’t that makes you feel better about yourself? (shrug)